Lance & Sven
Lance headed down to the pilot's quarters wishing he would have waited until tomorrow to talk to Sven. Then he and Allie could have made love on the chaise lounge, and giggled about the time at Versailles, on their honeymoon. He put that thought out of his mind, and as he passed Keith's quarters he hoped that things had worked out with Eimear. Things had been difficult with Keith since they got back from their honeymoon.
When Keith had first come back from the Chapter House Lance had been optimistic that everything would work out between them. Allie had been very happy when Keith had escorted Eimear to the pre-wedding ball. Lady Eimear Ainsley was a widow of a Knight of Arus that he had met while he'd been at the Knight's Chapter House.
He knew that the wedding had been very painful for Keith, but also knew that his friend would not have wanted to miss it. He and Allie had really hoped that being gone for a month would resolve the situation. They were also hopeful that Keith and Eimear were moving along with their relationship. It had been disappointing to come home to find that Keith was in a worse place with them than before, and seemed stalled with Eimear.
Keith's behavior was stiff at best, and Lance felt the gulf between them. He had gone along when Allie had stated she wanted to keep the third floor reserved just for them. That had been after Keith had wanted to talk to Lance about some GA stuff that needed to be implemented. The man had called at the end of the day, after Lance and Allie had just come back from the Arusian Military Academy.
They were sitting out on the dining room balcony, having cocktails when Keith had called. Lance at thought about inviting him up, but Allie had demurred at that idea. He had gone along with Allie because he felt she had the last say, and he really didn't want Keith lecturing him about his smoking. He'd been enjoying a cigarette when Keith had called, and he was careful to keep it out of sight. In Lance's mind it was his personal business if he wanted to smoke in his private living space. Allie didn't have an issue with it, and that was what mattered.
However, several days later he figured out why Allie had demurred like she had. Lance caught Keith looking at his wife with hurt, longing, and way too much curiosity. He started to pay more attention and noticed that his friend did it a lot. He gave Allie high points for handling like she did, and when they discussed it she had said that she didn't want to cause any more friction between him and Keith.
Lance had told her that their privacy was the most important thing, and she really should have said something sooner. Keith might be his best friend, but Allie was his wife and she came first. After he had told her that, she'd cried and then they had made love. Lance talked to her afterwards, about changing the codes for the access panels, and she had given him the green light.
The servants had their own codes that they guarded furiously, so the only other issue was Larmina and Pidge. They were engaged, and everyone knew they were already sleeping together, but pretended like it wasn't happening. The codes had not been changed since the Castle had been rebuilt, and he, Pidge, and Hunk all had them. It was a safety precaution because of the situation with Wade and the Lions. If anything happened they reasoned, at one of them would be able to get to Arus and help Allie. Lance wasn't sure if Keith had been given them after he returned, but figured that since he was the Voltron commander, he probably had them.
When Lance talked to Pidge he had presented it as a request to update the security, now that things were back to normal. He also mentioned that since they were up there, Allie and Larmina were not alone anymore. Pidge had understood completely, and Lance found it interesting that he didn't say anything about bringing Keith or Hunk into the loop. He decided that maybe Pidge wanted privacy like he did.
The last couple of days though, Allie had observed, Keith had been back to his normal self with her. Lance had noticed that too, and it made him happy that he might get his friendship back. He had known that winning Allie would cause problems, and wished it could have been different. Lance now saw he should have just spoken up sooner, and they would have already been a couple by the time Keith came back. He was glad though that maybe everything would work out after all.
Lance put those thoughts out of his mind and he stopped in front of the door to the quarters that Sven was staying in. Quarters was being kind, in fact it was just a bedroom that was kept for extra personal that might need a bed for the night. He knew that it wasn't a good sign that Sven was all the way down here, in this type of room.
Even if he and Romelle weren't getting along, Sven should have had much better accommodations. Lance knew that there were several rooms available on the second floor that he could have chosen from. It said something that this was what the man had chosen, and he didn't like the meaning of the choice. He knocked on the door and heard a voice telling him to come in.
Sven had stayed through most of the meal, not wanting Bandor on his case again. His brother-in-law had cornered him after the wedding reception and taken him to task about Romelle. Bandor was upset at the rumors that were swirling around, regarding the state of his sister's marriage. Sven thought it unfair that he was the one being lectured when Romelle was the one keeping her distance. He knew better than to point that out though.
The meal had been ghastly with Fauk pretending to want to talk to him, while Sven knew he was only interested in Romelle. He had been all set to leave the table, to hell with Bandor, when Lance and Allura had joined them. Lance had been a good friend of his once, but the man seemed so different now that he was with Allura. Sven had felt bad for Keith, until Keith had lectured him at the reception. He didn't understand why everyone took Romelle's side. When he saw Lance come into the room, his heart sank.
"Sven, it was good to see you at the party tonight! I'm sorry that we haven't had more time together." Lance greeted his old friend. Sven had not looked good at the party, and he seemed almost worse now. Lance hoped it was just the late hour that was causing him to think that.
"Well now that you are prince consort you are very busy with important matters." Sven remarked in a cold tone, and Lance was taken aback by the anger in his friend's voice.
"I still have time for my friends, Sven. It was nice to have dinner with you and Romelle, and I know Allura and Romelle enjoyed visiting with each other." Lance replied, wanting to get to the bottom of what was bothering his friend.
"Yea and what about Fauk? Romelle enjoyed visiting with him too." Sven almost snarled as he made the observation, and Lance thought back to what he'd told Allie earlier. He decided that maybe he could do some damage control.
"Sven, I think Fauk is just trying to make a good impression on his sister's soon to be husband and family. He is rather at loose ends because Bandor and Elena are so wrapped up in each other. Allie was telling me that she had coffee with him the other morning, and he talked her ear off." Lance hoped that if he could get Sven to see Fauk from that angle, maybe it would calm him down.
"It didn't bother you that your wife was talking to Fauk without you around?" Sven inquired in a surprised tone, and Lance looked at him oddly.
"Allie talks to a lot of people, men, and women, when I am not around; it is part of her job, Sven. What is really going on with you and Romelle? And why are you down here? Even if you don't want to stay with your wife, there are better rooms in the Castle." Lance was puzzled and confused at the turn the conversation had taken.
"You have obviously not been told the true story, Lance. My wife does not want me in her room, because of the issues in our marriage. I don't wish to stay in some fancy room that Bandor thinks I should stay in because I am married to a princess. I am tired of everyone telling me to meet Romelle halfway, when she isn't doing anything in return." Sven laid out his grievances in precise order. Lance sighed and now really wished he had not come downstairs.
"Sven, have you talked to Romelle about what happened with Erik? I think she is upset that you took him and fled the planet." Lance privately thought that Sven was lucky that Bandor hadn't had him arrested for that action.
"Excuse me, she comes after me with a knife because I want to know when dinner is going to be ready, and it is my fault? She doesn't want to be my wife, she doesn't like the house I chose, she doesn't like the way I want to live, and pretty much she doesn't want anything to do with me unless I do what she wants." Sven was now agitated to the point that Lance could see the purple glow in his eyes.
"Do you think that maybe you are expecting too much of her, Sven? You married a princess after all." Lance didn't like how rigid and hostile Sven was coming across as with him. Coupling that with his behavior toward his wife at dinner, Lance had no problem seeing why Romelle didn't want him around.
"You want to lecture me that I should give Romelle what she wants, because she is a princess. Keith has already lectured me that because of Erik I should put up with it, and then we have Bandor." Sven hurled his accusations like they were knives. Lance found it interesting that Keith had lectured Sven about what was going on. He decided that maybe a change of subject was in order though.
"How is Pidge's treatment working out? Have you been following the regime?" Lance knew that Pidge was very encouraged by the results that he'd seen with Daniel. Lance had laughed at the whole smoking pot story, and Pidge's controlled test experiment. He didn't think that Sven would have a problem having to smoke pot, because Sven, back in their academy days, had smoked more than Lance ever had. It had made Keith totally crazy.
"I already told Keith that I stopped the trials, because what was the point of it. No one cares if I live or die." Sven put it out there like he was discussing the weather. Lance now looked at his old friend with horror, not believing that he would turn his back on his son. He tried to say as much to Sven, and was treated to the whole spiel of Romelle not liking the house, and wanting him to spend money.
Lance by now was willing to nominate both Romelle, and Bandor for sainthood, for dealing with this mess. He wondered why Bandor had not gotten on his high horse as King of Pollux, which Lance knew he could do so well, and dealt with Sven in an unpleasant manner. Bandor held all the cards, but Lance saw that Sven either didn't realize it, or didn't care anymore.
"Sven, I don't know why you are so angry at everyone. We are your friends, and we care about you! You have a son who is going to need you as he gets older. Ok, so you and Romelle have different opinions on how to live; that is not the end of the world. You two can still be there for Erik, even if you don't live together." Lance made one last ditch appeal, really wanting to be done dealing with Sven.
"Why can't Romelle be happy living with me, in my house, raising my son like I want him to be raised? And why does everyone act like it is my entire problem?" Sven raged at Lance, who took a step back as his friend came at him. His eyes glowed purple, and Lance could see that the Sven he knew wasn't present right now.
As fast as Sven's rage came up, it faded; Lance watched as he sat on the side of the bed, slumped over. He stood there speechless, not sure what to do next. Sven looked up at him, haunted and haggard, with hollow eyes. Lance went over and sat on the bed, putting his arm around Sven. They sat in silence for a while, while Sven's breathing returned to normal.
"Lance, I just want peace, and to be left alone with my family. I have no say in anything regarding my life, and no one understands why it makes me mad." Sven finally offered up, getting to the crux of his anger and rage. Lance could see, from Sven's perspective, how Bandor's concern would come off. He knew is friend was proud and stubborn, wanting to do things how he saw fit.
"Sven, do you think that maybe because of the advance state of the haggerium infection, you aren't seeing things as other people are?" Lance tried to be subtle as he put it out there, not wanting to start the Viking's rage flowing again.
"You are just like everyone else Lance, all on Romelle's side, and blaming me for everything. Just leave now!" Sven stood up and pointed at the door, as he looked at Lance with anger.
"Sven, I don't want to see you throw away your life, your marriage, or your son because you've dug your heels in over something that is not worth it." Lance was almost pleading, trying to make some connection with his friend, the man who had saved his life.
"What do you care about my life Lance? I have no life that is my own! Please leave now!" Sven hurled the statements at him, and Lance decided that it was time to go. However, he wasn't going to give up completely on his friend.
"I hope that when you've had a good night's sleep you will rethink our conversation Sven. Don't ruin your life like this. Good night." Lance left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Sven watched him go and felt a great sadness wash over him. At least Lance had made the effort to come down and talk to him, which is more than anyone else had so far. He remembered at the Academy the way Lance would not put up with his attitude. Sven knew that he had a tendency to be hard headed and stubborn. He came by it naturally he tried to joke once, being Norwegian, but Lance hadn't bought the answer. Neither had several instructors and Sven, for all of his brilliance, had graduated at the lower end of the class, because he wanted to do everything his way.
He got into bed, hoping he would fall asleep quickly, but it didn't happen. Instead, he saw his wife and Fauk sitting at the table together. He also saw Lance's face as the man told him not to throw everything away. It was a long night for the Viking.