Disclaimer: WEP owns Voltron and all its characters.

Beta: Thanks Dawn!

This is the second installment in my "Chivalry" arc. 1. Chivalry, 2. Lion House Restored

Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is DotU in flavor but is AU in some ways.

Chapter 11

After entering Lion House's Great Hall through a narrow hallway, it suddenly opened up into a two story chamber that housed two of the great fireplaces. There were men and women milling around on the lower level and on the balcony that ringed the room. All eyes were on Doren as he led them toward a man sitting in a large chair on a raised dais at the end of the room. When the four of them reached the dais, they all went to a one knee position.

Allura was watching it all with great interest. The number of times that she had been on this side of royal ritual was few in number. She could have curtsied, but she wanted to be counted as a warrior and not as a maiden, so she knelt.

Lord Kurt looked at his son, his trusted friend, and these two new-comers. The man was said to have single-handedly saved his son, and he looked at him with great interest. It was sad to say, but there were few men in Lion House who would have had the courage to have taken on five attackers at once. Perhaps the new-comer would be an inspiration to his men. Then again, he already saw some looks of jealousy, and the man hadn't even said a word yet. He shook his head at the sad state of his noblemen. "Please rise."

The group stood and Doren approached the dais and told his father all that had occurred.

As Keith listened to the retelling yet again, he found that his actions were becoming a little more exaggerated with this second retelling. He could only imagine what would be said a few days from now. Looking around the room, he saw that the audience paid rapt attention to Doren. When the story was done, Lord Kurt asked him to step forward.

"Akira, I thank you for the service that you have done for myself, my son, and Lion House. How can we repay this honor debt?"

Bowing again, Keith replied, "I only have two requests. One, that my companion and I are allowed to keep the weapons we gathered at the ambush site. We only selected weapons from the attackers to keep."

"Granted, and the other request?"

"I would like to request lodging for two nights as my companion, and I search for a place to stay."

"Granted. I would ask that you not look further for lodging, but stay at Lion House for as long as you wish. It may be that you can teach us some of your skills." The lord was pleased with Keith's requests. Definitely nothing outrageous and certainly in line with what he accomplished. It was odd that the two didn't have any weapons, but if they didn't want to divulge how they lost their weapons he would not ask... at least not yet. The lord was still pondering these things, when a challenge went up.

"How do we know that the ambush wasn't a ruse to get us to trust Akira? How do we know that he isn't a part of the ruffians who attacked Doren and killed two of us?"

Keith bristled, but Doren responded with reproach, "You didn't see him! He could have easily killed me if he had wanted."

The man walked up to stand beside the dais and while looking at Keith, he spoke to Lord Kurt. "What if Doren wasn't the objective? What if you are, my Lord?"

Keith felt Allura's hand on his arm as he tensed. "My Lord, we don't need to stay here if you feel that way. However, I want it known, that I defended Doren because I felt it was the right thing to do."

Unable to stay silent any longer, Allura spoke out, "Do you think that the men we brought here would have willingly been part of such a ruse knowing their deaths were a likely outcome?" Many heads nodded in agreement at her words.

The man continued, unable to let it go, "Perhaps the men weren't given the details of the full plan."

"I am unwilling to stand here and be disparaged in this way. My actions and intent were honorable. Eleanor and I will leave now. It seems that we were misled as to the honor of Lion House."

The man beside the dais bristled with anger at Keith's words. "I say such things because it has happened before. We cannot be too careful. There are many who wish to end Lord Kurt's life and that of his son."

Sighing, Lord Kurt finally spoke. "Alfred is correct, Akira. Attempts have been made. It has made us wary and suspicious."

Keith looked thoughtfully at the man called Alfred and said, "We did not know of the attempts and are sorry. We will take our leave."

Alfred looked at the couple as they bowed to Lord Kurt and turned to depart. "Wait!" If Akira were half as good as Doren said, he'd be a fool to let him go if he could be of use in protecting Lord Kurt. "Are you willing to prove to us that you are as good as Doren says you are?"

Keith cautiously asked, "Are you asking me to fight you?" He really didn't want to fight Alfred as he appeared to be almost 60, and while in pretty good shape, Keith didn't think he would be a match.

"Either myself or one of the other men."

"Here? Now?"

"Why not? We will use fists and staffs only. What do you say?" Alfred watched the young man closely. Akira looked to be in his early twenties and he knew that if Doren was correct, he wouldn't be a match at all for the young man.

"Agreed." Keith looked to Allura and saw her nod. She knew that he had to do this.

Alfred looked to the crowd watching the proceedings and called out in a loud voice, "Are there any here that would be willing to challenge Akira?" Looking around, he saw no volunteers and he muttered to himself and looked to Lord Kurt with distain. The men of Lion House had become a joke. "Then I will challenge him."

Anton handed Keith a staff and he walked to the center of the hall with Alfred while the crowd spoke in hushed whispers about the outcome of the challenge. Keith felt the staff in his hands. The Arusian staff was shorter than the earth quarterstaff and similar to ones that he had used in martial arts. It was as familiar to him as a blaster. Lord Kurt had walked up to the center of the balcony so that he could better view the match. Both men looked to him and he said, "Begin."

The men circled each other and Alfred made the first move, landing a glancing blow on Keith's arm.

Keith smiled at Alfred and said, "I made an assumption based on your age. I won't make that mistake again." He saw Alfred nod back, and then he initiated a series of moves that had Alfred backing up to the wall.

It was all Alfred could do to ward off the blows. He watched in amazement at the grace and fluidity of Akira's moves. This wasn't just some common man. Akira was a trained warrior.

Keith spun with the staff and in a sweeping motion took the older man's legs out from under him when he was too slow to jump. Alfred fell loudly to the floor, his staff rolling away from him as Keith placed his staff in the center of Alfred's chest. Calmly, Keith asked, "Do you yield?"

Looking in amazement at the man standing above him, he answered, "I do."

Removing the staff from Alfred's chest, Keith extended his hand to help Alfred up.

When Alfred stood, he didn't let go of Keith's hand. "I do yield, and I take back the words that I said. I had no right to speak against your honor."

Looking at Alfred and giving him a slight smile, Keith said, "An outlander comes upon your lord's son in an ambush and single-handedly defeats them. He then asks to stay in your Hall after you've had attempts on the lord and his son." Keith shook his head. "No, Alfred, you had every right to question my intentions."

Alfred continued looking Keith in the eye as he softly said so that only Keith could hear. "If you truly wished Lord Kurt and his son dead, I know you could do it. You're too good to need a ruse."

Keith's smile faltered, "Alfred, I wouldn't-"

Letting go of Keith's hand and slapping him on the back, he said, "I know you wouldn't. It's the fact that you could but don't that makes you a friend." Looking to the crowd, he called out, "Let's celebrate the arrival of our new friends with some ale!" Cheers went up around the room as mugs and kegs were brought out.