Chapter 16

Her breath heaved as she slammed her back against the rough concrete wall behind her. Her blood raced, eyes searching the darkness for any signs of the monster that was hunting her. Blood trickled down her arm from where his sword had grazed her, a memento she would likely carry on her as an unfortunate scar. She could hear screams and wails from the dimness in front of her, but she would not let down her guard. Could not. Her skin was filthy from days of sweating profusely and falling in puddles of sticky blood and filthy stagnant water. Allura did not feel like herself in the tunnels. She could feel herself slipping away from her identity, all the actions that monster was forcing her to commit shattering the past and present of her life. Only one thought in that he'll kept her from submitting to Lotor, preferring the survival game he'd created to force her to submission.

'Daddy needs me. I have to live for my father. He's waiting for me to come back.' Gritting her teeth, she launched herself away from the wall as the slight movement of air warned her of an impending approach. The axe plunged itself a few inches into the wall where her bead had been. Not missing the opportunity to take down her enemy, Allura threw the make shift bag she had in her left hand straight at her opponent, blinding him with ash and sand she had collected an old fire pit. An inhuman growl followed the attack as her opponent stumbled back weaponless, hands trying to rub away the offending substances. Allura threw all of her weight into her final attack, digging her sword straight into the heart of her contender, throwing both of them onto the wet floor. She felt resistance of the muscles around the sword, felt the warm blood as it wet her face, mixing itself with the tears of misery that poured from her grief stricken eyes. He eyes lifted from the bloody sword that was embedded in the broad chest, from the image of her bloody hands gripping the murderous weapon and met eyes very much like her own. For a moment she hoped that maybe her brother had one back to himself as she thought she saw a glimmer of recognition. But it was her grief stricken eyes that were playing tricks on her. It was the light of life leaving her brother's barely familiar body.

A scream tore from her throat as she crumbled, painful sobs racking her small frame.

"Princess." Opening her eyes, Allura suddenly felt awful. She was weak and the image of Coran sitting beside her was splitting and owing back together again. Her cheeks were wet, most likely from the tears she'd she'd in her sleep, but at that moment she couldn't care less.

"Let me get your father dear." With that she heard shuffling as Coran left. Soon enough, Allura heard a number of feet making their way toward her. She really didn't want to open her eyes but she really had to see her father, see if he was alright.

"Allura, my child. Welcome back. I was so worried." Alfor looked like he had aged a good ten years as his face steadied into one in front if her. Exhaustion was apparent as his shoulders sagged slightly, probably the only time he was able to show weakness in a very long time. His grey hair seemed to have increased too.

"Hi Princess. You really had us worried. You sure took a page out of sleeping beauty's manual. Nanny's been inconsolable." Lance stated, also relieved by the princess' return.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Three days."

Shocked, Allura's eyes widened in disbelief. Her memory tried to remember what had happened after the trial but failed. She looked like she was in a makeshift med wing with boxes stacked on one side, but she wasn't sure. Her eyes searched the room, looking for something before they landed back on her father, Lance and a quiet Doctor Gorma who was talking to a nurse.

"Are you looking for him?" Her father's quiet question caused her to panic for a second. From the order of her eye she saw Lance stiffen, crossing his arms in annoyance. Doctor Gorma also approached silently, waiting for permission to check her highness. Thinking it useless to lie, Allura nodded her head gently, lowering her eyes in shame. The man had 'kidnapped' her after all. And here she was, thinking about him instead of her people. Alfor eyed his daughter carefully, silently as he sat beside her. He knew her well enough to know how ashamed she felt, and that she had to answer for her own actions for the trouble she had caused. But she wasn't the type to take an interest in any man. Which, according to him, was proof of how level headed his daughter was. Hopefully she would remain that way when he told her her punishment. Lance, on the other hand was fuming.

"Akira is alright. Nothing has happened to him as of yet. We had a tribunal and his punishment will be handed down with yours." He watched his daugher's bowed head flinch slightly, but still no complaint on her part.

"Yeah,his royal stick up his ass is wonderful. Dandy. Fantastic!" Lance growled under his breath, more annoyed than ever with the man in question. Not only were the women in the bunker falling over themselves for Graham, correction, Kogane, a weakness he had everywhere he went apparently , but he was a stellar soldier. Great record on tactical warfare, strategy, infiltration missions, a kill record a mile long. Lance felt offendingly lacklustre for the first time in his life. And his team had impressive records too.

Lance was pissed.

The king had sensed the tension between the two from the get go, another problem on his plate. He knew what it was like to be young and hot blooded.

"We got out of the bunker safely because of his quick thinking. We're in Dispa and have moved our remaining military here." The king continued.

"Father, our home! It's the base of our resistance." Allura exclaimed, shocked that things had deteriorated to that extent. She met Lance's angry eyes, realising that it was true.

"Unfortunately, they had been better prepared than we had ever imagined. They made sure that their most loyal soldiers were spared the brunt of Zarkon's attack, wiping out what Wade believed were the weak links. Men and women who served our people selflessly. We had to preserve our people and their safety by leaving there quickly." The king was factual in his explanation, but Allura knew the grief he must have been feeling . She felt like a coward, what more her father. He was grieving and he could not show it. Weakness was unbearable for both of them because of their pride.

"We didn't leave empty handed, which is a plus." Lance added, trying to lighten the situation a bit. "The King, you and the brass are all safe. Which means we still have a chain of command. And Pidge managed to sneak out all the servers from the command center , meaning we still have information. Tactical anyway. Plus, thanks to you, his chiefness has the fifth lion. Meaning we can finally form voltron."

"And that's why I think you're an idiot, Lieutenant." A rich baritone stated from the door. Allura couldn't turn her head fast enough as her eyes met Keith's. And did he look delicious. Washed and clean in a white t-shirt, black combat pants and boots, he looked good. The bandage around his forearm and on his cheek were the only signs that he had been through something. Other than that, he looked extremely comfortable. 'Battlemode suits him.', Allura thought to herself. Bowing calmly before the king, Keith ignored the bristling man in the room. His eyes met the Princess, assessing whether she was alright. Allura met his eyes, communicating that she was fine when she saw the question in his eyes.

"You called for me, sire?" Keith kept a blank expression on his face. He had no illusions about the king or his loyalties. He was a man of duty first. A man who would allow his only daughter to fight was such a man. The king was cautious, only speaking to him as a soldier in his army, not revealing any thoughts about him or his daughter's disappearance. Keith had also not shared anything relating to himself and his family as well. This man was, after all, king when his people had been massacred. He held no loyalties to him as well. There, they were mutually in agreement.

"Yes, I did. My daughter is alright, as you can see." The king watched Keith like a hawk, waiting for the man to react. He stood there, his stance strong and unwavering, waiting for the king to continue.

"Whether I should thank you or have you stripped of your duties is still something that needs to be decided. So I will not be thanking you at this point in time since as a father and a king, your acquaintance with my daughter has caused problems. Mainly on her integrity once again."

"Her integrity?" questioned Keith curiously, eyes meeting Allura's. Her beautiful azure eyes shone with anger, her jaw and fists clenched She sat stiffly on the makeshift cot, boiling at the apparent insult on her character.

"During that farce of a trial, Aidan was broadcasting the trial to the people. For the younger generation , Allura's freedom is nothing but normal activity of one of their own. Your supposed rendezvous are seen as romantic escapades that are inspiring in this dark period of war. Given the long distance between you two, its escalated the popularity of the both of you." Coran commented, taking a seat on the other side of Allura's cot, resting his cane across his knees.

"You're hot stuff, chief." Lance sneered from the corner, trying to get a rise from the cold bastard in front of the king.

"I doubt the Princess is someone whose popularity matters to her. So why should I care what they think? Likely it'll die down after a few days if no one stirs the pot." Reasoned Keith cautiously.

"Oh, but the pot has been stirred young man. You're the one that did that, claiming my daughter was your woman. Or have you forgotten that part." King Alfor stated smoothly. The young man bristled with anger. The king was enjoying playing politics with him, considering that his own daughter happened to the young man's weak spot.

"I haven't forgotten a thing, your majesty." The double meaning was obvious, but Alfor chose to ignore it for the time being.

"My daughter is also at fault. She vehemently complains when any man tries to even attach his name to hers, but there have been no protests, giving people hope that she has finally chosen a man for herself."

"Daddy, I was unconscious!" shouted Allura

"Completely inconsequential. You were completely conscious when you left Dispa and spent days alone with him. Your lack of response is being seen as admittance of guilt. Stirring the pot, as you clearly put it." Alfor answered firmly. Allura caught Coran's gaze in her own and the older man nodded silently. Lance shrugged his shoulders, forcing Allura to finally look at the situation seriously. It was very bad. She was at a loss for words.

"Politically, Allura's reputation is being questioned by every citizen of our kingdom. News travels quickly, especially gossip. Versions of your disappearances have probably been amplified. There are even rumours of Allura possibly carrying your child, captain." Coran spoke sympathetically, eyeing his god daughter who gasped in shock. Keith stood stone still, shock apparently fixing him in place.

"So you're saying that no matter what we say or how much we deny this, Allura's reputation has been destroyed?" Keith asked angrily.

"Presto." Lance stated, finally happy to see some emotion from the guy.

"Fuck!"

"Mind your language in front of the king young man!" Coran yelled at Keith's language. Soldiers were after all, Soldiers.

"Old man, how backward are these people we're talking about. She was injured for pete's sake. Do they really like the image of a pristine Princess over a dead one that much?" Keith yelled, pacing the room back and forth.

"Yes. Yes they do. The Princess is a symbol for all of our young women. Unfortunately, the older generation believes she has no place on the battlefield, in a lion or in a uniform. Moreso since her brothers died." At the mention of her brothers, the memory came flooding back quickly and she paled significantly. Noticing this, the king steered the conversation away from it quickly.

"It's so unreasonable! Ridiculous. What is she, some trophy to be won?"

"I'm so sorry if my political predicament offends you captain. I didn't mean to sink your glorious reputation along with mine. Forgive my callousness!" Allura yelled at Keith from the bed, eyes stinging with unshed tears. She hated being helpless and every decision she took was a step away from being controlled by her status and people's ridiculous expectations. It seemed she had underestimated the power of fear plus the masses. Keith stopped pacing, cursing silently at himself for being an idiot.

"I'm sorry Princess. I didn't mean to devalue your existence like that. You're not an object in anyway. I'm mad at how they see you. Please don't be offended."

Not expecting an apology, Allura was actually surprised. "Thank you captain.I'm sorry for lashing out." She said sadly.

"There's a way to salvage the situation." Coran stated after the princess' outburst. "The princess' credibility and integrity are being questioned. But not the captain's. Your popularity has grown, you're a person of intrigue. From your background to your work ethic, you are under scrutiny. You're the man who has managed to tame the Princess. As the Lieutenant put it, a stud. You managed to win Allura's heart. If we use this reasoning, we can salvage Allura's reputation."

"That's ridiculous! I know I'm going to regret asking this, but How?" Keith suspiciously eyed the king, who was all political swords out. The old man had been testing Keith since the fake trial and for the last two days had been sending out documents to ascertain Keith's competency from his superiors. His idiot of an uncle/ adoptive father/ commanding officer had been grilling him every free moment. The king was about to stir the pot in a huge way.

"You will assume your true identity as Akira Keith Kogane, crown Prince of Altaire and tomorrow, to consolidate power among the people and preserve the future monarch of Arus' reputation, you will marry my daughter in front of the people."

"No!" Both young people yelled. King Alfor calmly closed his eyes, fully expecting the outburst and the arguments that were coming.

"Daddy, ! I'm nor ready for marriage. We need to focus on stop this!" Allura begged her father. However, the king had the perfect response to that one. "A monarch is never ready for marriage Allura. It's part of your duty as the crown Princess to set a proper example for our people. I say this is the perfect time to give our people confidence considering this disaster."

" I don't want this marriage, sire. I barely know your daughter. Plus you can't command us to get married by force. It's not right!" argued Keith, raging at this point. Marriage wasn't something he wanted in the near future. Not one bit. He wouldn't back down from this.

" Young man, I will remind you again. I can order you two to get married because you both disobeyed military protocol. Its either solidifying your relationship for the survival of both of you, especially your life Kogane, or a possible twenty years in prison."

" Threatening me if I don't marry your daughter won't work, sire. I won't do it!" He was willing to take his chances at the tribunal. Letting them govern his personal life like this was out of the question.

"Just to remind you, that's punishment for just leaving. I will also strip you of the commander's duty you have of voltron." Alfor stated, going in for the kill. He watched the young man narrow his eyes dangerously at him. He was attacking him where it hurt the most, but he needed this marriage to happen. For the the both of them.

"The black lion is mine."

"By birth you inherited it and were chosen to fly it to protect the people. Yet, you reject the idea of protecting them in the smallest of ways. This arrangement was made by your father and myself, remember? If you reject your betrothal, you might as well reject your father's will to protect this world."

" Do not talk about my father's will when you people let him die!" Keith wasn't yelling. His voice was quiet, dangerously quiet. Lance got on his feet as a precaution. The king had hit a very raw nerve. From behind Kogane he saw Holgerson leaning against the wall in the corridor, tense.

"Even if I said anything to try and convince you that we did not abandon your father to his demise, you would not believe us. That's why I'd prefer we leave that topic so that you find out the truth about how it got to that point yourself. We will answer any questions you may have, but I will not be explaining anything now. All you need to do is fulfil your duty to my daughter as the Prince of Altaire and the commander of the voltron force." Alfor wasn't in the mood to pacify Keith in anyway. He was running out of time. He needed the young man on edge as much as possible. They were not out of danger because they had five lions or that Kogane had come back. They were in more danger than he needed the boy to choose his loyalties wisely. The first person he was putting at his side was his own daughter.

" Had you not been her betrothed, you would still be the one to marry her as well. I gave Allura many opportunities to search for a life partner prior to the black lion appearing. Unfortunately she has not gotten close to someone."

"The Lieutenant."

"Is an older brother to her. That's like you asking me to commit incest you jerk."Lance clarified.

" Duty doesn't start with protocols or end with a glorious death like one a soldier expects. It starts with surviving. I am telling the both of you to think about the survival of our people. They've held out more than anyone else, hoping that this gets better. I'm asking you two to give them a better chance. If not, we should hand ourselves to the other faction and end all this fighting. We cannot be divided against ourselves or are in the position to crush a rebellion. Be wise."

Keith remained tensely silent digesting the King's words.

You do not need to fight every war.

He remembered those words clearly. Looking at the Princess, he realised that even if they argued this, they were tied together by fate. Blue and black had finally met.