Chapter 17

Anger rolled off Keith in waves. All he could see was red as he pummelled the bag in front of him. His eyes were, to people who didn't know him, focused in the training regimen he was doing. But reality was different. His mind was split between resentment for the king or downright admiration for the balls the man had . And he hated the fact that all he could see was his helplessness at the situation he was in. He was trying to beat his helplessness to a pulp, but each punch that landed failed to satiate his rage.

"You know that other people would like to workout today, right?" Sven's accent cut through his thoughts. Anyone who had dared to even look through the doorway backed away at the lethal moves they saw the commander throwing. Some of their juniors had alerted Sven and lo and behold, here he was.

"Leave me the hell alone Sven." Keith warned as he kicked the bag in front of him so hard that the chain strained. Sven, on the other hand, did not budge from his seat on the bench across from Keith. After blowing up their cells and flooding the command bunker, Sven had learnt from his friend the history of his tragic life after they'd arrived back in Dispa. Helplessness was not a word he liked his friend to be described as, but at this point, it seemed that Keith had no way out of his impending marriage in less than fourth eight hours. A highly suspicious, loveless, political marriage.

"Are you upset with the Princess?" He saw Keith's fist pause before it landed on the punching bag. "No matter how you look at it, it was her insistence at following you that caused this problem. She should have known better."

"I'm not angry with the Princess, Sven. Its this whole fucking system that's messed up. How can they just expect us to marry and live happily ever after? They're nut!"

" It's duty Keith."

"I freaking know its duty Sven. All my life all I've ever known is duty." Keith yelled before giving the bag a final punch. His muscles ached, he was drenched in sweat but didn't feel any better after exerting all that effort. His soul felt heavier than before. He had tried to control his decisions ever since Graham had taught him the importance of individual responsibility, never allowing anyone to take those decisions from him. The rigidity of strict military life fit him perfectly because surprises were rare in their line of work. Logic and strategy were its strengths. His strengths. Now they were trying to cripple him.

"I joined the military because I understood the importance of duty Sven. That I'm needed for my input, not my pedigree. But the King is forcing his hand to protect his daughter's reputation despite knowing that she wants to be free. This is a marriage she doesn't want. I don't want it."

"That's what you both think right now."

"And what would make you think that?"

"Attraction. Chemistry. Possessiveness. Three very strong indicators that you're into this girl, whether you want to admit or not." Sven reasoned as he eyed his friend suspiciously.

"I haven't denied that I'm attracted to her Sven. She's gorgeous. The entire male population I've met agree. But that's not the point."

"You're a hot blooded man, my friend. That's where we start. Make her yours."

"For someone whose friend is about to be sacrificed on a marital altar, you're quite positive." Keith added sarcastically as he sat beside his friend, wiping his upper body off with his towel. If he was going to get a glimpse of hope, Sven was the clearest pool of insight he knew. A brother he was lucky to have.

"What's really bothering you Keith?" The empty dim training hall was their only witness. It would not get any more private than this, considering the chaos they were going through. They were being watched.

"It's her. The girl from my dream." Keith sighed in resignation, barely audible to Sven. His towel hung on his bowed head, shielding his face from prying eyes and open ears. He squeezed his hand together, trying to loosen the tension between his fingers. His tension headaches had increased the last few days, but he wasn't going to give the king anymore ammunition to use against him.

"If its her, then isn't that the more reason why you should protect her? With you, you can safeguard her as you wish."

"And what if I'm the cause of her demise, Sven. Shouldn't I stay away from her for her own good?"

" Do you want to stay away from her though? What if she's a part of your destiny and you're just trying to talk yourself out of facing it? I know it's strange for a guy like me to say this, but you have to let your heart lead Keith."

"This heart was shattered a long time ago. It's the one thing I can't trust. I don't want her close. Ever. Its off limits to her. But I need her. Figuring out the meaning of these dreams is more important to me than anything else."

"The right woman can change a man, boys." Her ladyship stated as she walked into the gym. With her was a nervous seamstress who was blushing profusely at the commander. In her arms she held swatches of material for approval.

"Aunt, what is all this?" Sven asked tensely, pale faced as his aunt pointed to the bench beside Sven. Both men paled, remembering horrid memories of suit fittings for Sven's cousin's wedding. The memories of endless hours of standing still, needle prickling and formal dancing lessons revisited them again.

" We need to get you ready for your wedding, my Prince." The maid said coyly.

"And you need to get a hold of yourself. You're not a cat in !" commanded lady Selene. The maid stumbled back quickly, bowing in apology as she ran out. Both Sven and Keith jumped slightly at her ladyship's tone. Glancing at each other, they knew there was no escape. She sat beside her swatches elegantly, completely out of place among the exercise machines as a vision in red.

"As I was saying, no one is meant to be alone Keith. The heart yearns for companionship despite what the head wants. Unfortunately, the two of you are very level headed and ignore what your hearts are saying. It's the reason I have been worried about the both of you for years. Achievements only fulfil you so much before you want to dedicate those achievements to a special woman. I took you and raised you both as my own sons with one payer: that some day you will find good women who will adore you and who you love."

"This isn't a love marriage Aunt. Its politics." Sven interjected. As a result, he winced as his aunt pulled his ear. Only after an intermission of begging did she let him go.

"Don't interrupt me again. Who said you can't fall in love in a political marriage? Aren't you both experienced enough to woo women. You convince them to spend nights with you from time to time."

"Alright, no sex ." begged Keith, other embarrassing memories coming out of the woodworks about how to not impregnate a girl courtesy of her ladyship (and being dumped by Graham) came to the forefront of his thoughts. At this point, Sven was holding his head, the unpleasantness of those same memories flashing on his face.

" My point is: if you can convince a woman to fall into your bed in a few days, what's so different about this situation? You'll be living with her, eating with her, sleeping with h.."

'That's it!" Sven yelled, standing up upbruptly at the same time Keith shot to his feet, before his aunt gave them 'the look'. Keith gulped, sitting down quickly, before she got very angry and he punched Sven's side, signalling him to put his ass down. Sven sat down stiffly, begging inwardly for someone, anyone, to come save them.

"Keith, Allura is a beautiful woman, a stunning soul. You are lucky to get her as a wife."

"But I don't feel lucky. I feel used."

" You both feel that the truth is marriage is what you make it Keith. They can force you to marry each other, but that's just the ceremony. The work begins after, my dear. Everyone goes through it, even the most blissful of relationships. Build your relationship how the both of you want. This situation is forcing you to trust someone implicitly That's everyone's goal, to protect you both from others and each other. Pleasure or pain, that choice is still up to you." Keith contemplated her words quietly, effectively having been shut down by a wiser voice. With a sigh, all he could do was nod. He didn't feel like he was drowning now because of her words, but he had decided to still be cautious. A talk with the Princess was in order before they were to commit to this.

Standing up happily because she had averted a disaster for now (a runaway groom), Lady Selene called out and two more maids entered quickly and quietly with tape measures in tow.

"Now, to get you ready." She stated happily, picking up the swatches and flipping through them a couple of times.

"Well, my friend, good luck. I'm off." Sven stated happily, standing up to leave the hall, much to Keith's horror.

"Off where? You have to stay. You can't abandon me now!" Keith urged, grabbing Sven's arm firmly. He would not be able to survive this torture on his own. They'd survived together before and dammit, they would survive together now.

"He's right, Sven. Where to? Aren't you the best man?" a slightly frowning lady Selene asked, head cocked to the side slightly. Sven blanched a pale white, frozen as his military barret fell to the ground inconspicuously.

"Fuck!"

"Mind your language!" The swatch book hit his face directly, catching Sven completely unprepared.

...

"Hooligan. Uncouth hooligan. Indisciplined barbarian." Nanny was muttering under her breath as she folded some clothes and stuffed them into drawers of a dresser she had been given by lady Selene. All of Allura's furniture was acquired from different parts of the bunker, some people begging nanny to take a piece so as to make the princess' stay more comfortable, others willing to wish her well on her upcoming nuptials. To say nanny was upset was an understatement.

"I thought you would be happy with this marriage above anyone else, nanny. " a sly Lance quipped from the corner of the room, sipping the tea made for Allura from a dainty teacup. Oh, he was enjoying Nanny's suffering.

"Lance, don't." Allura requested, but it was already too late. The older lady's ramblings became shouts in an instant. Hunk and Pidge snuck closer to the doorway, preparing to bolt if anything was suddenly thrown.

" You are no better! How can the Princess marry a man who put her in so much danger? My baby came back hurt, weak and unconscious. All of you are nothing but a danger to the throne. I wanted her to marry a steady man who lives safely in the barracks, who wants nothing to do with your thrill seeking. But she managed to pick the worst one! " Nanny shouted as she closed Allura's drawer with more force than necessary.

"But he's royalty." Lance sang as he admired the pattern on the rim of the teacup, giving Allura a quick wink which she rolled her eyes at. News of her wedding had caused a stir, congratulations coming in quickly from her people. After an hour of accepting the people's blessings, she sited a headache and disappeared into her temporary bedroom. Her nuptial on was being cleaned that she would share with him. The guys had come in to check on her, only to meet ambling nanny who didn't shout at their impropriety. Which meant that she was pissed. As long as it was someone else, they were cool with it.

"He is not taught!He lacks the traditions and values of a nobleman. That man is no gentleman! He's a hooligan."

"I spent a few days with him, nanny. He was well behaved." Allura paused as she remembered his soulful look in her eyes before he kissed her deeply. Try as she might, that memory was not leaving her head. She looked at her hands as she remembered how strong his warm grasp was, how lush his hair felt as she grasped it, how strong his arms felt as he carried her and the feel of the raised scar she had traced. Then there was this pull between them that she knew he could sense. That heat...what was it? Lance, who had been studying the cup, lifted his emerald gaze slightly from the cup to the Princess as he noticed her pause. She was deep in her thoughts, not even realising the blush that was growing on her face. He had asked her what had happened out there, but she had assured him that nothing at all happened. Which was a lie, apparently. Experienced eyes knew what she was thinking about, or who. Her silence and pink tinge did not go unnoticed by Hunk and Pidge, who elbowed each other quickly. Unfortunately, nanny was hardly blind either.

" Yound lady!" Allura snapped her head toward a frowning nanny, panicking slightly at having been caught unawares. She noticed how silent the guys were and how they looked her her questioningly.

"You okay, Princess? You're looking kind of flushed." Hunk asked quietly. Allura placed her hand to her face in surprise, feeling how hot her checks were. Embarrassed and desperate, she gave the only excuse that came to her at the moment. " It's...it's just a small headache, that's all. I'm completely !" She almost kicked herself when she realised how off pitch her voice was and winced in defeat when she heard a mocking snort from Lance. " More like who's in your head. Or what's in your head you did with him." Lance mumbled.

"Unbelievable!" Nanny huffed as she left the princess' quarters, causing everyone in her way to duck. The hurricane was at full force. Pidge quickly closed the door after her and locked it, breathing an exaggerated sigh of relief, wiping his brow of thin sheen of sweat. Hunk slumped into the nearby chair, relieved that nanny was gone for the moment. He did not want to be the commander at the moment.

" Good ol' Lance has the eyes of a sage, darling. You may not say it, but the body doesn't lie. I'm more curious about our good old chief now. He gave me the impression of an icicle. But it seems we're boiling under that facade." Lance's eye had a weird gleam to it, which caused everyone in the room to panic.

"Don't mess with him Lance. We really can't deal with your mischief at the moment. Especially since we're trying to form a team here." Warned Pidge."I really need to look at the black lions's systems and if you make him made, I may never get another chance.

"Are circuits all you can think about? Live a little and have fun with our chief!"

"Hell no. He seems like the type that comes up with creative punishments. I love my food and sleep, thank you. Besides, I talked to him and he seems like a reasonable dude. He may actually be great at this leadership thing. I mean, you hate it, right Lance?" A firm and slightly hungry Hunk spoke, supporting Pidge in this. An annoyed Lance frowned at their response, expecting back up. It didn't matter whether he was alone or not, he was still going after the guy.

"Why haven't you been able to access the system, Pidge?" Allura asked curiously. It was rare for the child genius to have a technical problem he could not fix or system he could not enter.

" The black lion is different I'd say. Probably the only lion I am not allowed to access freely from what I can tell. As the head lion it probably has safeguards against anyone trying to take it or move it by force. Like Lance here."

"You tried to steal it?!" a shocked Allura yelled at Lance. This team was probably going to die before it could even get into the air. "What? I fly every aircraft in the base. I even flew the other lions. I wanted to give it a whirl." Defended a slightly insulted Lance.

" And the result was you almost getting flattened by it. It almost killed you Lance."

"Whatever. I'll get it to like me soon. I'm irresistible."

" I don't think that's the case Lance. We thought it through with Pidge. The reason you can fly the other lions and not the black is because you're second in command. The black is the only lion you're not meant to fly, get it."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Its only a theory, not a fact Princess. Don't listen to them.

"Hunk and I are right. Not even the King can touch it. It responds to the commander only. And we assume the reason is because its the lion that can command voltron. Voltron can only be formed and controlled from that lion. Most likely, its systems are awesome. But Lance here needs to behave so that we can work together on understanding the lions."

"Allura can make him understand on my behalf. You know, as a good wife."

"Shut it!"

"And a good husband needs to make his wife happy right?"Lance smirked as Allura threw a pillow at him, yelling at him to shut up. Hunk and Pidge looked on as this behaviour was absolutely normal. For them, anyway. What they didn't realise was the shadow lurking near the door, which turned away before melting into the darkness.

...

"He needs to pay. I'll kill him." The thought was on repeat as Lotor dragged his long sword on the ground, unsheathed. The soft, card barely made a sound and the sword gleamed as it was dragged through it slowly. The owner was moving extremely slow glazed eyes distracted by whatever was in his head. All of the guards in the hallway dare to not even breath as the forlorn Prince passed, each one resembling a statue so as not to get attention. Step by step led the Prince to his Chambers, to the opulence that disgusted him at the moment. The slave girls were kneeling weakly by the bed, heads bowed and scantily dressed in short transparent robes and nothing else. Lotor came to a stop at the center of his room, dead still, frozen in place. The air around him screamed for blood, and any wise person world have avoided him at that moment.

A new guard by the door was unfortunately not wise.

"My Prin..." He didn't even finish the word as his head left his shoulders, the word hanging in the air incomplete. Blooded gushed out from the guard's decapitated body, staining the maid nearest to him which caused her to give a horrified scream. Her scream turned into a gurgle as blood from her severed throat chocked her,She didn't even see when Lotor had turned his sword on her, and she fell lifeless onto the floor. Soon frightened maids, slaves and guards started running for their lives through the hallway, each trying to cling onto their next breath. Behind them screams and yells could be heard as Lotor slashed and stabbed indiscriminately. Limbs and head rolled onto the floor, the once blue carpet drinking up all the precious crimson fluid that came from the dead. One soldier was pinned to a wall, another maid slashed in half, torso and legs flung in different directions. The ones that almost reached the door were dragged away, one by one and slain violently. The last guard at the door braved to turn around and ask for mercy when he realised that the massive intricate doors had been locked from the outside. His last image was that of his blood soaked Prince preparing to spear him straight through the eye.

After what seemed like hours, Haggar had the doors unlocked and opened for her. Frowning at the unsavoury smell of blood and innards, she stepped onto the very moist and wet carpet. Lotor stood in his bedroom, white hair soaked pink and blue uniform beyond saving. What surprised her was that two people had survived the massacre: an older guard and a blond haired slave. She decided to have them cast out immediately, considering that they most likely knew how to survive Lotor's tirades, which made them useless. The Prince she raised ruled through fear. If fear did not exist in them anymore, they needed to go.

"I'm going to find the first umbra. We have its location. Ready the ship." Lotor commanded coldly.

"As you please, my Prince." Haggar bowed deeply.

" I want you to find the name and location of that man."

"Already done sire. He is the son of the former Lord of Altair. My spies just reported that he is close to where we are going."

"Good. No one touches him but me. I'll destroy him myself."

"There' something else, sire. Concerning this man." Haggar hesitated a moment, which made Lotor turn toward her. His eyes were just as cold as before, but his bloodless had been sated.

"He is going to marry Princess Allura in under two days. Their wedding preparations are under way.

"I'll kill him! Who does that mongrel think he is? Allura is mine. She is my prize in this war!" yelled Lotor as he threw his sword directly at the last guard in the room, pining him to the wall through the heart. The man floundered a bit before his limbs became still. Haggar, for her part, did not move.

"My Prince, acquire the first umbra, attack their location and marry the Princess instead of him. Take over with power!"

Lotor let the words wash over him, visualising marry the golden haired beauty and forcefully taking her on their marriage altar. They would bow before him as king. They would not have any other choice. Pleased with this idea, his gaze spotted the other occupant of the room. Clasping her hair violently and pulling her up so that he could look her straight in the eye, he spoke triumphantly.

"Did you hear that, Romelle Raimon. Your time as a spare is up. Now I'm going after the real I will enjoy it." Throwing her to the side, Lotor commanded Haggar, " Throw this useless thing in the lower depths. Let's see whether she can survive as well as her cousin. Disengage our ships. We're going to claim our prizes."