Disclaimer: WEP owns Voltron and all its characters.
Beta: Thanks again to Dawn! I think she may be having second thoughts...
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 14
Later that morning, Keith began training with Doren. He had Doren show him some of his skills and Keith understood the lord's concerns after that. Because of the closeness of the games, Keith had to put the training on a fast track and he warned Doren that there would be many nights of sore muscles.
When asked about what challenges would be at the games, Doren told them that there were five competition areas: archery, javelin throw, staff, brawl, and sword. He then described each to Keith and Allura. For the archery competition, there would be a series of stationary target and moving targets. Points would be scored based on the closeness of arrows to the bull's-eyes. The javelin throw was set up in a similar fashion and scoring. The staff competition was timed and you scored points for knocking your opponent down and for getting them to yield. This part of the competition was also set up so that one competitor from each match would advance to the next round with an overall winner declared and points awarded. The brawl and sword competitions were set up like the staff competition with competitors advancing to a single winner in a timed event. The brawl was fisticuffs and wrestling. The way Doren described it, one could fight however one wanted except for low blows (Doren blushed in Eleanor's presence). The sword competition was done with wooden swords and you scored points for disarming your opponent and for getting your opponent in a position where they would die or have to yield if a real sword were being used.
Keith nodded at the descriptions. He wanted Allura to help with some of the training, but he knew that he would have to ease the men into that. He looked forward to opening up the men of Lion House's eyes to the warriors that women could be.
Doren looked at the smile on Akira's face and said, "What's making you smile?"
Turning to face the teenager, he said, "Oh, just some of the training methods I plan to use." Seeing the apprehensive look on the youth's face he laughed and added as he clapped him on the back, "Don't worry; you'll like them."
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Four days later, Keith had twenty boys and young men between the ages of eleven and thirty training with him on a daily basis. After breakfast, their morning routine started with tai chi and weight lifting. Keith was creative in finding things for the men to lift, and it was effective. They would then move into brawling techniques and then the javelin. After lunch, they would do archery, sword fighting, and then a brief return to brawling before calling it a day.
It was on this day that Keith decided that he would bring Allura into the teaching process. She assisted him with the archery class for the day, and while the men were hesitant, they were respectful. But Keith wanted them to see that Allura truly was a warrior and could hold her own. He didn't want them to disregard her ability because of her gender. To aid in their acceptance, during the last training session of the day in the brawl, he called Allura into the middle of the circle.
"Eleanor, can you come here?" Keith called out. He had told her that he was going to use her in a demonstration, but he didn't say how.
Allura started. She had been watching the women who had come out to ogle many of the men and especially Keith. For their brawling sessions, Keith always took off his shirt and tunic but left on a fitted sleeveless shirt. He had to do this as a result of his still healing scars – they would invite questions he was unable to answer. The shirt he wore was very similar to a jersey undershirt. As a result, when he perspired, his finely toned chest and abs were obvious through the fabric that molded to his body. Keith's athletic physique was on display for anyone who cared to look, and there were a number of women who were interested. Some of the other men had followed suit in removing their shirts, but none had Keith's build. Allura had been silently glaring at some of the women who had come out to gawk when Keith called for her.
"Eleanor?"
Coming to her senses, she hurried to the middle of the circle.
Keith smiled encouragingly at her as he explained to the circle of men the sequence of moves that the two of them were going to perform. It was a strategy for a smaller and lighter weight competitor to use against someone of larger size or weight. When the men voiced concern about a woman participating, Keith silenced them all by indicating that Eleanor often spared with the men in his province and that she was treated as an equal. However, he knew that actions would speak louder than words with these men.
After demonstrating some moves with Allura, Keith asked if there were any questions. A young man about Keith's age asked if Eleanor could really fight or if she was just able to throw him because he allowed it. Looking around, he answered them, "Can Eleanor beat me on a daily basis? No. Has she beaten me before? Yes. Was it because I allowed her to win? No. Eleanor is a talented fighter, and she knows when it's smart to engage an opponent and when it is smartest to get help. Those moves we just did were planned. If Eleanor agrees, we'll spar without planned moves and you can see how she employs strategy against a larger opponent." Keith looked to Allura and she nodded. He could see the determination in her eyes and he knew that he would have a fight on his hands. To keep the talk to a minimum, he put his shirt and tunic back on so they were similarly dressed and he wouldn't have an advantage on her.
Allura looked at Keith as he was putting his shirt and tunic on. She knew that her love for him was probably shining from her eyes, but she couldn't help it. The respect and credit that he had given her left her speechless. It almost made her want to let him win. Almost. But she needed to show the men that she was worthy of his praise. If she didn't do her best, they would think that he had done it just to curry her favor.
"Ready, Eleanor?" he smiled at her.
"Ready, Akira?" she said as she went on the offensive with a roundhouse kick that barely missed his head as he jumped back.
They traded blows and misses as they circled each other. Allura was able to do a leg sweep that took Keith down, but due to his agility, he was back up before she could take advantage of the situation. She had already committed to a move, and because of that, he was able to get behind her and place her in a choke hold. When she tapped his arm, he released her. Even though she had lost, Keith saw the look of admiration the men gave her and many came up to speak to her about her moves.
Keith had moved over to talk to Doren when one of the slightly older men came over and clapped him on the back saying, "If she's like that in bed, Akira, you are one lucky man." The man walked away without waiting for a reply.
Doren watched the exchange carefully. He saw Akira tense up at the man's words and saw a hint of steel come into his eyes as he watched the man walk away. "You're not lovers, are you?" Doren wasn't sure what gave him the courage to ask, but it was out there now. He wondered if he had made a grave mistake as Akira's steely eyes turned to him but then he relaxed as he saw the fire go out of Akira's eyes.
Keith had been irritated at comment about Allura in bed, but then, with their living arrangements, what else were the men to think. Turning his gaze to Doren, he softened as he realized that the young man had figured out something the others hadn't. "Why do you say that, Doren?"
Shrugging and feeling a little uncertain, he replied, "I don't know."
Keith looked at him and said, "Yes, you do. Don't discount your perceptions. They aid you in battle and can give you the advantage. You need to cultivate that skill just like fighting skills."
Seeing the truth in Akira's words, Doren crossed his arms over his chest and looked thoughtfully at him. "You are always respectful of her. You have shown her little outward physical affection around the Hall."
"It could just be my nature. I could act this way, and we could still be lovers."
Doren continued to hold Akira's gaze. "I have caught you at times looking at her with great affection, but when she turns in your direction, you look away."
It was all that Keith could do to not break eye contact. Lifting an eyebrow and he prompted, "Anything else?"
"She looks at you like that often, and doesn't care if you see it or not. To me, you have the look of two people in love who haven't done anything about it."
Nodding, Keith said, "So how do you explain our shared room?"
"Ah, now that's an easy one, Akira," Doren said with a smile. "You are in a Hall full of men who you have seen eyeing Eleanor. You share a room with her to protect her."
Breaking into a smile, Keith walked over to the younger man and said quietly, "You are right on every count." Keith's smile faltered at the young man's next question.
"But why, Akira? Why are you not with her?"
Keith glanced over to where Allura was still showing moves to a couple of young men who were about her size. "Where we come from, her station is above mine and only recently could I hope to marry her. However, I have been given certain tasks to fulfill before I can marry her and coming to Altea was one of them."
"Well, I'm glad you came. You won't leave before the games will you?" Apprehension was in his voice.
Thinking back to the prophecy and then how Lord Kurt said he had the chance to restore Lion House, he said purposefully, "No, Doren, I won't be leaving until after the games."
Doren followed Akira's gaze to the beautiful blonde and asked, "How did you get her guardians to let her come with you?"
Keith turned to look at Doren with a big grin, "I didn't. She basically told them she was coming and followed me here." It wasn't the whole truth, but it had enough in it to answer his question.
Letting out a whistle, Doren wistfully said, "I hope to find a girl like that some day."
From the tone, Keith asked further, "Some day?" He hadn't seen the young man flirting with any of the girls that came to watch the training or serve the food. "I kinda thought you might have one already in mind."
A dark blush stained the youth's cheeks as he responded, "My situation is kind of like yours. Her station is above mine and I'm not sure that her father would approve."
"Maybe I can help," Keith said as he clapped him on the back and they moved toward the Hall. In his mind though, Keith thought, There's no way your situation is like mine.