A/N: Thank you for reading this story and please continue to leave comments telling me your thoughts about the chapters! We're going to be heading into more romance in these next few installments so I hope you're ready! ;)

Chapter Five

"Are you really sure you're okay with this, Allura?" Keith asked. The two of them stood alone on the bridge. Allura nodded, folding her hands in front of her.

"I'm quite sure, Keith." Her gaze was steady and unwavering, and Keith could see in her eyes that she had thought this through. He looked her over once more.

"Alright," was all he said, and he climbed into the red lion. After the first successful test flight with all the paladins returned to their original lions, Allura had suggested they take the lions out for a short mission, delivering cargo, just to make sure everything was running smoothly before her departure. She wouldn't be gone too long, of course, just a few days. The castle could not operate fully without her so she could never really leave for too long of a period. Lotor knew that full well when she signed on that this would be the situation and he accepted it.

Allura waved then, and smiled at Keith as he left the castle in his lion. She assured herself that everything would be fine without her there. They had Coran, after all, and Matt, in the castle to help out. She walked back to her room once the paladins had left, the door automatically closing behind her with a soft sound. A suitcase lay open on her bed, mostly empty save for a few dresses and shoes. She had barely begun to back; she had been too distracted to do so. The mice squeaked on her dresser, and Allura turned to face the little creatures. One of them jumped out of her jewelry box, imploring her to take the necklace in its grip. Allura smiled, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, I don't think I'm going to need those, it will only be me and Lotor, there's no need to dress up. We'll only be working on the project – nothing fancy," she explained. They squeaked nonetheless. She huffed, thinking.

"Oh, alright, I'll bring one," she relented, picking up a necklace her mother had given her long ago, made of small glittering gemstones. For a moment she thought that it wouldn't be all that bad for her to wear it. She was a princess, after all, and he was an emperor. Did she really need an occasion to wear something nice? She put it on then, testing it out in the mirror.

"Do you think he will like it?" She asked the mice without really thinking. The mice looked at her a bit oddly and she turned away, pretending that she hadn't said it at all. She took off the necklace and packed it away.

"Are you all set?" Coran asked the next morning, looking over the princess and her luggage. Allura smirked a bit.

"Yes, Coran, I think I know how to pack for a few days away from the castle," she laughed lightly. She knew how to take care of herself. Coran exhaled through his nose and locked eyes with her.

"Take care of yourself, Princess. And please call me to let me know how things are going."

"Of course, Coran. I'll be back before you know it." She hugged the older altean and kissed his temple. He was always so protective of her. She didn't blame him. They were the only alteans left – they had to look out for one another.

As she stepped aboard the transport shuttle she caught her mistake. They weren't the only alteans left. They had Lotor. When she thought of him, when she thought of that truth, she smiled warmly, looking nowhere in particular. The princess thought of the last meeting he had shared with him. She thought of the feeling of his skin sliding against hers, the warmth of his touch, and the brilliant glow of his markings in the darkness of the lab. Allura shook herself out of her thoughts then. She felt ridiculous thinking about such things.

"Your room, Princess," Lotor said, stepping through the door to usher Allura inside. It was a galra room like all the others: modern and somewhat cold, a tall ceiling causing the light to disappear into shadow. There was a dresser with a holo screen, a vanity, and a few artificial windows that were blank at the moment. The bed was nice, however. The bed sheets were a beautiful blue color, accented by sheer curtains that made it feel a bit more homely. A luxurious blue blanket sat at the foot of the large bed and Allura touched it, feeling the softness against her hand.

"I hope you'll find it suitable," Lotor ventured, tilting his head a bit as he observed her inspection of the room, "I know it's different than what you're used to, but-" Allura cut him off, turning around.

"It's lovely. Thank you Lotor." She smiled and the emperor returned the gesture, his face lighting up warmly.

"You're welcome. I'll have the servants arrange your things for you. If it's alright with you then, we could go to the lab?" Lotor asked. Allura perked up. That was one part of the ship she really did enjoy.

"Yes, certainly," she smiled, walking out of the room as Lotor did.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked then, and it caught Allura off guard even though it shouldn't have. She smiled a bit.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Lotor nodded and continued walking straight ahead.

"Let me know if there is anything I can do to make you comfortable," he offered. Allura smirked, but Lotor didn't see her as he was staring down the hall.

"You're very hospitable," she commented. Lotor huffed a bit.

"I am?"

"Yes," she answered, smiling at him as their eyes met, "It's very nice."

They both stepped into the elevator.

"I thought is was customary to make your guests feel welcomed," Lotor said. Allura raised her eyebrows.

"Well, yes, I just- well… I didn't know that was customary for the galra," she mumbled quietly, hoping she was not offending him. Lotor tried to catch her gaze but her eyes were averted downwards.

"Did you not stay with my father on diplomatic visits when you were a child?" He asked. Allura knew she was treading on dangerous waters now. She shouldn't have said that. She exhaled.

"Yes, of course I did. Your people were most considerate then and they were very hospitable to me." She was talking a bit quickly, praying that Lotor would not be angry with her. When she looked up and caught her gaze he was simply looking at her, his purple gaze flickering from her eyes to her mouth. He said nothing as he turned back to his original position so that both of them were facing the elevator door.

"Some of us are still hospitable, Allura." His voice was calm and soft. He did not sound angry. He almost sounded hurt. The princess turned to him.

"Of course. I'm sorry – I was being rude." Lotor did not turn to her however, and his expression stayed the same – his eyes almost gaze over but his face otherwise neutral.

"It's no matter," he muttered quietly, clasping his arms behind his back. Allura exhaled through her mouth. She mentally berated herself for saying something so stupid. Her eyebrows knit together, she couldn't help it. Lotor clicked a button on the wall to send them to the right floor. He noticed Allura's expression in the reflection of the glass. He turned, then, outright.

"What is it?" He asked, touching her arm. Allura looked down at her feet. She sighed again.

"I'm really sorry, Lotor, I-" a sigh, "I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me. I've been… very cold to the galra since my father's death, but I wasn't always like that. It's just that – well, even though I've lived the past ten thousand years I haven't experienced any of it. And so it feels as if my father's murder was only months ago, even though it was millennia ago." Allura still had her eyes downcast when Lotor touched her cheek. It only took a second for her to look up after that. He wasn't wearing his gloves and so she could feel his skin against hers.

"I understand," he said, and for a moment his voice and his touch and his gaze were so perfect Allura could hardly believe he was real. His hand was still on her cheek, cupping her jaw.

"I'm sorry," he sighed gently, and took his hand away from her face. The place where his fingers had been burned. Her face flushed. Her heart was beating too quickly. There was a very strange sort of ache there – in her chest - that she didn't understand. She was just emotional, she thought. It was a very emotional topic, after all.

Allura couldn't ignore, however, the way that her heart had raced when he touched her, and how something so innocent could send shivers through her. She longed to feel it again. His touch. She longed for so much that she didn't understand. And that night, when she was comfortable under the covers, all alone in her room, her hand drifted up to her face and touched the place where his fingers had been – where his touch had been – and it sent the shivers through her once more. Her heart did that same funny dance when she thought of his voice or his face. She thought of stupid things, like his hair. Allura wondered what it would be like to touch his hair. She had only ever touched his hands, after all, and she didn't see the harm in wondering about something so innocent. She wondered what it would feel like slipping through her fingers. Would it be just as soft as his hands? Like fine silk? There was a blush covering her cheeks as her thoughts continued. Allura thought about touching him other places, too, his face and his lips. She had been staring at his lips, that day, in the lab, when he wasn't paying attention to her. She briefly wondered what they might feel like brushing against her own.

It took longer than Allura would like to admit to calm her heartbeat that night.