It was well past midnight when they boarded the ship that Galaxy Garrison had sent to transport them on the wedding trip. Allura noted with some trepidation that the officers and crew were lined up to welcome them. She glanced at her new husband, desperately hoping that they wouldn't have to endure any further formalities.
Keith smiled down at her. "Tired?"
"A little," she admitted. "But you don't look tired at all," she complained as she eyed his appearance with envy. . His formal uniform was in perfect condition and beside him, she felt like a wilted daisy. It was almost annoying considering how Keith had been wearing his uniform all day and that she had changed out of her gown into a less formal dress more appropriate for travel.
"I'm lucky enough to be one of those people who don't need a lot of sleep. Why do you think I call practices at 4 in the morning?" Keith retorted.
Allura tried to find the energy to formulate a reply but before she could do so, a group of officers approached them, led by a man she assumed to be the captain of the ship.
"Your Royal Highnesses." The captain offered them a smart salute. "Welcome aboard the Galaxy Alliance's Starship Explorer. My crew and I are honored to be of service to you."
"Thank you," Allura smiled as enthusiastically as possible under the circumstances. The captain looked vaguely familiar, but in her exhaustion, she couldn't quite remember when she had seen him before. She swallowed a yawn as Keith and the captain exchanged pleasantries and allowed her thoughts to drift off.
Keith glanced down at her and smiled sympathetically. Allura was about to fall asleep on her feet. He laid a supportive arm across her shoulders and pulled her close.
He greeted the sandy-haired man before him. "Captain Newley. It's good to see you again. Aren't you tired to ferrying around the Voltron Force? If it's not members of the Vehicle team, it's the members of the other."
Newley chuckled appreciatively. "Well, to be perfectly honest, my crew would have mutinied if I didn't volunteer the Explorer for this. A lot of them are star struck, you know. They were disappointed that they weren't able to meet you when the two teams last joined forces."
Keith nodded politely, "I can't imagine why they'd want to meet me, but I know that Allura has her share of admirers. Perhaps you could arrange a tour for us after we've rested a bit."
After exchanging pleasantries with a few more officers, he cut short the greetings from the rest of the crew and asked Captain Newley to escort them to their quarters.
Keith opened the door to the salon of the enormous suite assigned to them and indicated one of the bedrooms opening off from it. "This is your stateroom. Nanny had some of your maids bring your things here"
Allura forced herself to focus on her surroundings as Keith guided her through the open door. The spacious cabin was opulent and luxurious. She blinked as she noticed the familiar objects scattered around it.
Her silver-backed brush and comb were on the dressing table along with her favourite rose-scented perfume and the bed had been turned down. Her colour rose as she noticed the sheer white gown and peignoir arranged across it.
Keith stared at the nightgown. It didn't take much effort for him to imagine it on Allura. He swallowed hard and released her hand, tugging at his uniform collar and opening the top button of his shirt.
"I'll leave you now so you can get some rest. Get some rest, Princess. You need it." He gestured towards a door on the opposite side of the salon. "I'll be right over there if you need me for anything." Without waiting for a response from her, he hurried out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Allura stared at closed door in bemusement. She was exhausted but she was also oddly disappointed by Keith's hurried, almost brusque goodnight. This was after all, the first night of their marriage. It would have seemed more fitting to relax together in the salon.
She shook her head in confusion and began getting ready for bed. She stripped off her dress and put on the nightgown that Nanny had selected for her before crawling beneath the covers.
Married. She looked down at her hand and stared at the shining white gold band that proclaimed her new state. Too tired to think about it any further, she reached for a pillow and closed her eyes. But as was often the case when her exhaustion set in, Allura's mind refused to release its grip on consciousness. She lay wide awake for over an hour, trying to lull herself to sleep by listening to the soothing hum of the ship's engines before she finally got out of bed.
She put on the robe and went to the door, waiting as it swooshed open automatically. She stepped into the sitting room and looked around with interest. She had been so exhausted that she had barely noticed her surroundings earlier when Keith ushered her into her bedroom.
The salon was furnished in shades of blue and white. Comfortable overstuffed chairs were strategically placed alongside the huge picture windows that displayed a breathtaking view of the emptiness of space.
Keith was sprawled in one with his uniform jacket off and shirtsleeves rolled up. As she watched, he rubbed the back of his neck and laid his head back against the back of the chair.
Her heart went out to him. He looked so lonely. His features were heavy with doubt and a strange confusion that she empathized with. She stepped further into the room.
Keith's head came up with a jerk. "I thought you would be asleep," he said curtly as he erased all traces of emotion from his features and got to his feet.
"I tried, but I couldn't sleep," she shrugged, curling herself up in one of the comfortable overstuffed armchairs scattered around the room. "Too keyed up, I guess. "
"Would you like something to drink? Nanny supplied us with some Alanor. Would you like some?"
She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm afraid I don't have much tolerance for alcoholic beverages, but I would like something to eat, if you could arrange for that."
Keith nodded and crossed to the replicator in the corner of the cabin. "Any preferences?"
She shook her head in response to his question and hugged her knees to her chest.
Keith thought for a short while. "How about some Terran cuisine?" He pressed a few buttons on the control panel of the replicator. "Two cheeseburgers with fries on the side, and two sodas coming right up."
A moment later, the replicator complied with Keith's requests. He removed the plates from the machine and handed them to Allura before returning to get the drinks.
"So," Keith began, "since when have you been able to form the Blazing Sword?"
"Oh, that," Allura smiled and took a cautious bite from her burger. "Umm... This is wonderful! How come you guys never let me taste this before?"
"Because Nanny threatened us with her broom, if we so much as set a foot in her kitchen," Keith muttered wryly as he sank down into his chair. "But stop changing the subject, since when have you been able to form the Blazing Sword?"
"Honestly?" Allura asked, "I've never done it before." She took another bite of her burger, chewed and swallowed before continuing, "It's supposed to be one of the first magical skills learned by a princess of Arus, but..."
"But?" Keith asked as her voice trailed off.
Allura set aside her burger, all enjoyment of it forgotten and looked up at him, "I'm not a REAL princess of Arus."
"What!?"
Suddenly realizing what she said and how Keith had drawn the wrong conclusions, she began to explain, "Let me tell you a story. Once, long, long ago, a faerie queen fell in love with a prince of Arus. The prince was handsome and beloved by his people. The queen, on the other hand, was wise and beautiful beyond all words."
"They loved each other and pledged their troth, but their love was not meant to be. He was human, while she was fae. Faerie law prohibited relations between fae and human, and even the queen could not change it."
Allura's voice grew stronger as she was caught up in the telling of the tale, "They were forced to part, but she never left him. The queen loved her prince more than the sun and the moon and the stars and the rain. She would watch over him from her palace in the realm of the fae, even though he never knew that she was there.
"She was with him when he learned of the new threat to his father's kingdom. A brutal enemy threatened Arus, and the prince had no choice but to fight, even though he hated blood and warfare. The prince fought bravely, but the enemy was treacherous. The prince was disarmed and his sword was broken into two.
"The queen's heart leapt in her throat and she begged her advisors to allow her to return to Arus. Seeing the despair written in her eyes, they agreed to let her go, but only after exacting a heavy price — that she give up her powers and her kingdom.
"The sky thundered and the sea thrashed, and the queen fought like a warrior gone wild as she used her waning power to reach her prince. When she reached him, she fashioned an enchanted sword with what little power she had left, so that he could defend himself against the evil warlord."
Keith watched his wife quietly, listening not to her words, but to the musical lilt of her voice. He felt the familiar stirring of desire and an unfamiliar wave of tenderness wash through him. If he closed his eyes, he could see her telling this story to their children. A boy with his dark hair and her eyes, and a little girl with her mother's golden curls and brilliant smile.
Children. It was one of the things he had always dreamed of having and it was also something that he thought he could never have. But first, he they had to make them. He felt his body harden at the thought and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "This is not going to be easy," he muttered to himself in a savage undertone.
"Excuse me?"
Keith blinked noticing that Allura had finished her story and was looking at him with a question in her eyes. "Umm... I said... once a fairy, always a fairy. Some of her power probably remained with her, although it probably wasn't as strong as she was used to."
Allura shot him a puzzled look. She didn't think that what he said sounded like that, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Anyway, that's the story behind the offering of the sword."
Keith pulled himself together, "So, is there something about you that I should know about? Are you going to start cackling and tossing apples into a iron pot?"
"Probably not," Allura replied, with a slight smile. "You don't have to worry about me doing a Haggar on you. I do have some ability, but compared to my mother and father, all I can do is parlor tricks."
"Your mother? I know that your father had some magical talent, but did she have powers as well?"
"Mother was a daughter of Cador." Allura said simply, as though that explained it all.
Keith learned back and took a bite of his hamburger, wincing in disgust. There was nothing worse than a cold hamburger, especially when it was soggy with ketchup. He set it aside. "Explain."
"The daughters of the House of Cador are renowned for their magical talent. For example, my mother is — was — a seer just like her mother was." She smiled and shrugged self-deprecatingly, "My lack of ability was a disappointment to everyone."
Keith shot her a curious look and reached for some chips.
"My grandparents arranged the marriage of my parents to each other hoping that their union would produce children whose abilities were so strong that they could neutralize the menace that Haggar had become."
"So it goes back to the forces of Doom." Keith whistled.
Allura nodded "Yes, it does." She shook her head sadly and turned to look out at the ever-changing vista of space, filled with a sudden sense of foreboding. "Mother would call Doom my destiny."