The chittering of her pet space mice roused Allura from a sound sleep.
For several moments, she lay perfectly still, content to enjoy the peace and stillness of the early morning, until it occurred to her — she had agreed to marry Keith.
Her heart began to hammer as the reality of that decision clamored in her brain. Oh God, what in the world had she done? She was supposedly an intelligent woman, but she must have been insane to agree to this. She was going to marry the man she loved but he didn't return her feelings.
Tears pooled in her eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. Cheddar began to twitter, wanting to know what was wrong. He patted her cheek to demand attention but she refused to answer him and turned away to sob into her pillow.
Finally, he decided to take matters into his own paws. He called his family together and began to issue instructions to them. His children ran off while he and his wife stayed behind with their princess, who refused to be comforted.
Allura froze when the door to her room swished open and closed again. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, hoping that the person who entered would leave.
"I know you're awake, Little One, your mice came to fetch me. Stop pretending to be asleep. It is time for you to wake up, anyway." Nanny crossed the room to open the curtains and let the sun fill the room.
Allura lay still and forced her breathing into a regular rhythm, still pretending to be asleep. It was a futile effort though; she felt the bed sag and a comforting hand stroke her back.
"Princess, what is wrong?" Nanny's voice was full of concern. It was the same loving tone that Nanny had used when she was a little girl in need of comfort. She reacted instinctively, becoming that little girl again.
"Oh, Nanny," Allura buried her face in Nanny's ample lap. "It's awful!"
"So awful that you cannot tell me all of it?" Nanny chided gently and continued stroking her back. "Come," she said, "Tell Nanny what it is and you will see that it not that bad."
"Coran made Keith promise to marry me and I agreed!" Allura's words came out in a rush. "Oh Nanny, what am I supposed to do?" She wailed. "I love him so much, but he doesn't love me! He's just doing this because he has to!"
Nanny stroked the golden head on her lap in a calming gesture, "Little Princess, your mother was once in the same position you are in now. She was betrothed to your father on the day she was born and she fell in love with him as a child, even before she knew what love was. But he did not feel the same way."
Allura lifted her head from Nanny's lap and looked at her incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that Mother and Father were not madly in love? Why, even now, the people talk about how devoted they were to each other."
"Child, your mother married for love, but your father married because of duty. She knew that then, but she decided then that her love was enough to base the marriage on..."
Nanny's eyes clouded, as her thoughts turned to the past and to the lady she had served with such devotion. "She loved him so much... and by the time you were born, your father loved her with all his heart."
Nanny paused and looked at Allura intently. "Little Princess, the young captain has sworn to keep you safe from harm and he has sacrificed much to do so. Perhaps he does not love you now, but he does care for you deeply."
She wiped the tears from Allura's cheeks. "In that, he reminds me of your father, just as you remind me of your mother. Perhaps that will be enough. Do not lose hope, Little Princess, I have a feeling that, you will be as lucky as they were."
Nanny strode towards the Medical Facility with the force of a hurricane that the Voltron Force often likened her to. At this moment, she was one of most dangerous of all creatures — she was a mother defending her child.
Despite her comforting words to Allura, she was filled with apprehension. It was entirely likely that because of Coran's matchmaking, the princess' heart would be broken.
She swept into Coran's room without announcing herself and interrupted Doctor Gorma from his examination of his patient. "Coran. I would have a word with you."
Coran sighed in resignation. He had been expecting this. "Please excuse us, Rool." He said apologetically to the Royal Physician. "There are matters that Nanny and I must discuss in private."
Nanny waited until the doctor stepped back before firing the first salvo. Nanny demanded imperiously in Cadorian, "What is this that the Princess tells me? Why have you arranged her marriage to the Captain so suddenly?"
"I am protecting her!" Coran's voice rose as he defended himself, responding to her in the same language. "I know of no other man who I would entrust her to. He will care for her well when we are gone!"
"Enough with this! We are not gone yet!" Nanny threw up her hands in exasperation. She took a deep breath and tried again, "Coran, you know why I worry about her so. If Haggar ever finds out about her..."
"I know, Betta. That is why I arranged her marriage to him. Keith has proven his ability to defend Arus time after time and he protects her with the same intensity."
Nanny shook her head wisely, "You should not worry about that, Coran. He is devoted to her... and to Arus. What you should worry about is Allura's heart... Can an other-worlder, and a Terran at that, really understand what is in the heart of a Daughter of Cador?"
"Perhaps he understands more than we know, Betta," Coran murmured, as he felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. "Keith is wise beyond his years. Allura respects him and listens to him..."
Nanny was about to argue further when she was interrupted by Dr. Gorma's firm hand on her shoulder. "Mistress, I must ask that you go now. His Grace is tiring and worrying about the Princess' future cannot be good for him."
She grunted with frustration and pinned the Prime Minister with her dark-eyed stare, "I will not speak of this again, Coran, but I must tell you now that I have my reservations..."
"Thank you, Betta. I appreciate your discretion." Coran nodded.
Nanny smiled menacingly and continued speaking as though Coran had never interrupted, "... and if any harm comes to the princess because of what you have done, you will answer to me."