Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron or any of its characters.

Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is DotU in flavor and is AU. You need to have read "Role Reversal" in order to make sense of this twist on the Voltron DotU universe. ;-)

Summary: So, this story is the continuation of "Role Reversal" which was a challenge from the former KAEX group member, Cheetoy. In this case, Keith is the Prince and Allura is the Alliance pilot. It's hard to believe that it's been five years since I finished it. I've reread it several times since and it's one of my favorite stories. I decided that it was finally time to brush the dust off the sequel that I started writing when it finished. I scrapped the chapter and a half that I had written and began again. I hope that you enjoy learning the rest of the story.

**well, I wrote the above in March 2020 and didn't pick it up again until March 2021. Let's see how it goes.

Chapter Three

The conference room just off Castle Control was as somber as the atmosphere hovering over the rest of the Castle. Once it was determined that Keith was unrecoverable, all of their efforts had been with the safe evacuation of all the visiting dignitaries. All of whom expressed their condolences and best wishes for recovering Prince Keith while rapidly working to distance themselves from Arus. None were pledging military support for his recovery; and all wanted to be off the planet quickly in case Doom staged another attack with Arus unable to respond with Voltron.

Lance drummed his bare fingers on the table; he had removed his gloves but was still wearing his uniform as was the rest of the team. "We have a plan and we'll follow it as Prince Keith wanted." His eyes moved to Coran who had been in a sort of fugue since the Drule ship exited Arusian space.

Coran nodded. "I have contacted the Alliance. They will be contacting Garrison to send up a temporary replacement pilot until we can recover the prince."

First Sven, now Keith.

"So, Sven and Keith are both on Doom?" Hunk's voice caused all heads to turn towards him. "I think that just strengthens our plan."

All heads nodded.

Coran looked to Allura, "Allura…." His voice faded away. What could be said to her?

Allura looked around the table at her friends, both her voice and her face conveyed that she was staying strong. "I'll be all right because we'll get him back and because I know that Keith and I…" She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, "After he proposed to me on the balcony and we kissed… I felt something. I think the bonding had begun. He'll be able to hold out until we come."

She had voiced the fear that they all had. What would happen to Keith at Zarkon's and Haggar's hands? It was obvious that Princess Merla wanted him for a mate and to harness his magical abilities as well as his knowledge of the Voltron lions.

Lance nodded and said, "Let's review the plan and go forward with our next steps." Each looked at the data pad before them.

.**********.

Keith's first thought upon waking was that his head was killing him and he felt sore all over. That robeast packed quite an explosive punch. He pushed up from the hard rough surface he was laying on and called out, "Lance!" He put a hand to his aching head as he grimaced and closed his eyes tightly. His skull pounded with the beating of his heart in a steady and loud rhythm. He didn't hear any response and that made him force his eyes open against the better judgement of his brain. As he moved to a sitting position, his eyes opened wider as the room that he was in was mostly dark. His breathing sped up and then he slowed it down because he realized where he was.

The soft glow along some of the walls showed jars of dead creatures or their body parts and there were also some very deadly looking knives and medical instruments on the walls. When he spotted the yellow reflective eyes of what appeared to be a blue cat, his suppositions were confirmed. He was on Doom and more specifically, in a space that Haggar probably called her own. Not very good for an Arusian monarch with magical powers.

His hand reached out and found bars beside him and as he reached over his head to find more of the same; he noticed the dull silver cuffs that encircled his wrist. They were on both arms and went from the wrist to about a quarter of the way up his arm. He immediately tried to summon his magic but while the blue glow formed it was pulled into the cuff. When he touched the bars and summoned the magic, it was as if the blue fire wasn't touching the bars at all as it was pulled immediately into the cuffs. He let out a pent-up breath. "Damn."

Keith's 'cell' was only four feet on every side with the back wall being rock. With only four feet in any direction, it was impossible for Keith, at just over six feet tall, to stand fully erect or to lay all the way down. A small hole in the corner was emitting a noxious odor and there was no doubt what it was for. The door to his cell was on the side facing the room and it had a sturdy lock that could not be forced without even sturdier tools.

Placing his back against the rough rock surface he tried to determine more about the room and the only thing that came to his mind was 'laboratory' and that didn't make him feel any better about the situation. "Better to have been in the dungeon," he muttered. He rubbed his arms as the room was cool and his shirt had had the sleeves removed. His shoes and socks were also gone but thankfully, he still had his pants. As he rubbed his arms, he felt a tender spot on his right arm. He looked at it thinking to see an injury from his battle with the robeast but it was not. He moved his forearm closer to his face and even with his throbbing head and dim lighting, he could make out a rose over top of two crossed swords. It was the mark of Princess Merla.

.**********.

Keith raised his head from where it had been resting on his bent knees. The cell offered no opportunity to stretch out and at least for the moment, he had no urge to lay fully upon the floor where he had already seen and felt the presence of insects. The sudden shaft of bright light caused him to narrow his eyes as he watched the cloaked form of Haggar enter. As the door closed, the room brightened to normal levels. A meow and the sound of something landing on the floor meant that Koba had gone to great her mistress.

A soft cackle and then, "There, there, my pet. I'll get you a treat."

Keith watched and hoped that the treat was innocuous, but he had little hope. Haggar moved to one of the many cabinets and opened it to pull out a cage. She pulled a live mouse from it and tossed it to Koba who caught it in mid-air. Keith looked away from the cat whose teeth were larger than most felines.

"Don't worry, fair prince," Haggar said. "You're too big to be a treat for Koba." She cackled again as she added, "But perhaps Princess Merla…."

Keith glowered at Haggar but said nothing as the witch moved to stand in front of his cell which now reminded him more of the cage holding the mice. "Merla will be here soon and then we can talk."

"About what?"

Haggar paused for a moment. "Many things or nothing. The choice will be yours. At least to begin with." Her mouth broke into a grin before she turned back to the lab. "Have you discovered that the bracelets you wear store your magic?"

Keith looked at the cuff bracelets and their symmetry as they encircled his arms. "Store or consume?" he asked.

Glancing over her shoulder with a gleam in her eye, she replied, "Store."

He looked up from the dull metal and she turned back to the table she was standing at. His mind was taking in what she said. If it was storing the magical energy, perhaps there was a way to release it. But it also begged the question, What does Haggar plan to do with the stored energy? In the end, he decided there wasn't anything for him to lose by posing the question, so he did.

This time she didn't turn to him but continued at her table picking up things and putting them in different spots. "Feed," she said simply and then turned her head to look at him. Keith's eyes had widened and she laughed as she spun pointing her staff.

Keith instinctively responded by throwing up his hands in a warding fashion and calling his magic forth but once again it merely played in a small light show over his hands as it was pulled into the bracelets. But this time, yellow fire from Haggar's staff encircled the cuffs and Keith's arms and hands and when he tried to pull back, he was held in place. He gasped as the blue fire of his magic came out of the cuffs and mixed with the yellow to create a greenish color that was pulled back into the staff and Haggar.

The yellow fire stopped suddenly and Haggar leaned on the staff for a moment as she gathered herself. When she stood up, Keith thought her eyes sparkled for a moment as she licked her lips.

"Your magic tastes good, Prince of Arus."

Keith frowned as a spark of anger flared inside him. "As good as my father's?" The anger in him grew as he thought of Haggar doing this to his father as he sought to protect his wife and planet.

Haggar stepped closer and Keith thought there was a predatory gleam in her eye this time as the staff began to lower in his direction. "Better," she said softly.

The door to lab the hissed open and Haggar lifted her staff and looked to the door while Keith still kept a wary eye on her.

"Ah, Princess. You can see for yourself that I have brought him back to you unharmed."

Merla walked over to Keith's cell and stared down at the prince. Her eyes moved to his arm and the tattoo that was on it. Smiling, she said, "If you agree to be my mate that can be removed."

"Sorry, I'm already engaged."

Merla laughed, "Yes, so I heard. That blond girl that Lotor wants, isn't it?"

Keith glowered but didn't answer.

"She doesn't care for my brother or me very much," she said as she shrugged. "Can't say I blame her about my brother." Her eyes lost the irritated look that was in them as she changed topics. "But you and I, Keith…. We could rule the galaxy together. I will be the heir to my father's empire and with fleets and troops along with Voltron and your magic-"

"Are you serious?" Keith interrupted.

The slightly fanatical glow that had surrounded Merla faded quickly at his words and her demeanor indicated she was not pleased with his interruption. "I am very serious, Keith. Haggar has seen visions of what you and I could do in the future. I want them to become reality."

Keith shook his head in a negative fashion. "I will not become that person."

Before Merla could respond, Haggar stepped forward. "Something has changed." She closed her eyes and both Keith and Merla watched her intently. When her eyes opened, she spoke, "The bonding has begun."

"But-"

Haggar raised her hand to stop Merla from continuing. "But it is not complete. It has temporarily stabilized his emotions and magic."

Keith was filled with hope even when Haggar continued.

"Over time, it will fade if they are kept apart." Haggar's eyes narrowed. "As much as Lotor would enjoy it and the power it would give us to have Lt. Altaire here, just her proximity could strengthen the bonding and when it is complete, he would never become ours."

Keith didn't like the possessiveness of Haggar's use of 'ours.' "Even as Obsidian, I would never be yours. I would turn my anger on you as much as anyone. Perhaps more."

For the first time, Merla's face showed doubt. "Is what he says true?"

Haggar turned from the cell and went back to her table and whatever she was working on. "No. He wishes it to be true and while he may expend some anger toward your father, there was nothing in my visions that indicated any malice toward you."

"What is to stop him from doing so? Things may have changed since your vision."

Haggar was in no rush and the pot that she had been putting things into now bubbled and steamed without any heat source. "Because we will promise to never harm Lt. Altaire; and as her influence over him weakens due to distance and time, ours will grow." Her eyes went to the steaming pot and back to Merla.

"Ah," the princess said understanding.

But so did Keith, they were going to drug him. He remembered how effective it had been on him before and if his magic did get out of control…. Haggar's potion, with the witch in close proximity to strengthen the chemical effects of the brew, could very well cloud his mind enough that he would believe them. Especially if what they asked allowed him to give vent to the destructive nature that his dark magic wanted. The memories of his nightmares came back to him. The pleasure he felt at hurting his teammates as Obsidian. Merla and Haggar had turned from him and he lowered his head to his knees once again. He had to escape. And failing that, he had to make sure that he wouldn't live to become Obsidian.