Chapter 3: Bernice and Allura
Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron or its original characters—they belong to World Events Productions. I do own my original characters like Bernice, Diana, Deborah, ectara, ectara.
It didn't take Diana long to find her friends already gathered at one of the first rows in the stands the next day. The open yard was full of prisoners who were grouped according to their activities while yesterday the yard was less full. Some were sharing snacks, while others were using the weight equipment. Other prisoners were sitting back and watching everyone closely. Ignoring their stares, Diana joined her friends and was ready to hear more about them and take her mind off of being in The Void.
"I hate it here. I know it's only been 2 or so days, but I hate this place already," Diana stated.
"The longer you're here, the more that hate grows," Ethel stated. "But anyway, listening to Diana's story yesterday helped. I'm not ready to go, but who's next with their story with the Voltron Pilots?"
"Great idea. I'll go next since my story piggybacks off of Diana's. I believe I met Allura the day after you met Lance, Diana. You were there when I met Allura at the Full Tea and again later playing miniature golf that night," Bernice answered.
"I was, but this story is more about you and Allura. I was just happened to be there and stayed out of the way. Please go on and share your story, we could all use the distraction," Diana encouraged, putting her hands behind her head as she leaned back on the bench to get a little more comfortable.
"How can you get comfortable like that? These benches are so hard!" Bernice asked.
"I used to participate in Track and Field in high school. Those track meets are day-long events and you learn how to get most comfortable anywhere. I'm used to stands for long periods," Diana replied shrugging.
"Right. Like I said earlier, I met Allura at the Full Tea party they had before Celebration Week," Bernice started. "I just arrived on Earth the day before and we were staying at the Ritz-Carlton by the base because our embassy was still in New York City instead of Cape Canaveral. After resting all night and through the next morning, I was getting ready for the tea. I never thought I would ever meet Princess Allura, much less the Voltron Force."
*****5 years ago, Cape Canaveral*****
It was 13:00 in Cape Canaveral and Princess Bernice of Cetrac just woke-up from the combination of the birds chirping outside the window of her hotel suite and the Floridian sun filtering through the blinds. Sighing, Bernice noticed the time on the clock and it dawned on her that she was actually on Earth and not on her home planet. Since Earth and Cetrac shared some common characteristics, Bernice normally used the 24-hour clock to help her keep the time straight. It was easy to use the 24-hour clock since Cetrac also used the same timekeeping system due to its history of a strong military culture. After a deep sigh, Bernice sat up in the bed and remembered that she was supposed to go to the full tea party downstairs in about two hours. Bernice swung her legs over the bed and her feet touched the carpeted floor. Bernice took a glance around her room making sure that everything was in its place before stretching her body to help fully wake herself up.
Bernice's room was one bedroom out of the two bedrooms in the suite. By hotel standards, the room was large. The first thing a person would see after entering the room is the large walk-in closet. The closet had enough room to fit a whole season's worth of clothes and accessories, including three full shoe carousels. The next area a guest would notice would be the large bathroom. The bathroom was split into two sections—a bathing section and a toilet section. The bathing section boasted of a separate shower on one wall and a large garden-style tub on the other wall. In the middle of the walls were several shelves stocked with towels, sponges, soaps, lotions, and any other sundry items a person would need to shower or bathe with. The toilet section was smaller—but feature-rich. On one wall was a toilet with a separate bidet sink. The opposite wall held the sink and vanity area. On the other side of the bathroom was the sizeable sleeping area. Dark wooden four-poster king-sized bed with several pillows and a tv on the opposite wall. Flanking the bed were two nightstands with green lamps. At the end of the room were large scenic windows that had a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean.
After finishing her stretching routine, Bernice grabbed her robe from a chair near the bed before leaving her room. Her most trusted friend, Deborah—the Duchess of L'mel, was staying in the other bedroom in the suite. Deborah and Bernice grew up together in the Cetracian Royal court. If there was anything Bernice needed to be done at all, Deborah was usually the person who made sure that it was done. It also helped that Deborah was nearly identical to Bernice. Strangers would believe that the two women were related instead of being close friends. Deborah and Bernice were both short at 5'0" as well as having a peach skin tone, chocolate-colored hair, thin nose, and small lips. The only thing that was significantly different about them was their eyes. Deborah had almond-shaped green eyes and Bernice had almond-shaped brown eyes. Deborah's hair was shorter as well—her hair stopped roughly mid-back, while Bernice's hair stopped just below mid-back.
Sweeping her eyes in the shared living room, Bernice was satisfied that everything was perfect. Although it's been years, Bernice still remembers the close calls she had as a young royal traveling throughout her part of the galaxy. Bernice's ancestors made several enemies in their system from heavy occupations and invasions. Forced treaties didn't make it easier. Bernice's parents were the first generation to break from the conquering tradition and focused more on Cetrac instead. It was instilled in Bernice from an early age to inspect nearly every accommodation, regardless of ally or enemy.
Bernice could tell that Deborah has been up for a significant amount of time because the blinds in the living room were fully opened and bright sunlight filled the room. Bernice also noticed Deborah's notes were on one of the coffee tables next to a black couch. Bernice smiled as she approached Diana's door and knocked on it. "Deborah? I know you're up. The blinds are open and I saw your notes on the coffee table."
"In a minute, Princess," Deborah called out. "I don't know why you won't just ent—nevermind." Bernice shrugged her shoulders as she walked into the room."Why I even waste the words is beyond me. Did you at least sleep well last night?"
"I slept well enough, 12 hours," Bernice said. "I love how I can be the night owl I am on Earth. On Cetrac, I'm forced to be normal and be up in the early mornings."
"I never noticed how much you hate early mornings," Deborah smirked her answer. "Maybe if you'll go to bed early…"
"Not possible. Too much to study and plan," Bernice replied. "Anyway, the tea is in less in two hours…and I don't know what to wear."
"Deborah has her tea dress out and ready. Be Like Deborah." Deborah said with a smile. "Your Majesty."
"I can't. That's why I have you with me." Bernice said. "I just woke-up, it takes me a couple of hours to be ready for anything. They better have good sandwiches there." Bernice yawned. "I'm hungry. I did want breakfast." Deborah shook her head, as she tightened the belt around her favorite robe.
"Let's totter back to your room and get you ready. I can get ready in 30 minutes—you, it takes almost two hours. Luckily, the tea is downstairs." Deborah said as Bernice stuck her tongue at her. Deborah stuck her tongue in response. "And that is why it'll take forever before you'll be queen."
"I'm basically a queen now," Bernice replied, shrugging her shoulders. "It's not my fault that the timeline to fully take the Crown is about six years. I still don't understand why there's an age requirement for single monarchs."
"To be honest, some of your more aggressive ancestors made it necessary for single monarchs to reach 25 before being the sole ruler. The ones that were married at a younger age were exempt. We could put you on the intergalactic marriage market and push the timeline along."
"And that's not going to happen. I'll stay single and keep working with the older members of the Court and see if I can't change minds."
"I already told you that they're not going to change that provision at all. They loved the idea of it when your parents decided to add it to the royal rules. But, for now," Deborah stated as she stopped at Bernice's closet. "Any outfit ideas?"
"You can surprise me," Bernice said as she stood by the closet door. "I can keep trying to change that provision. It's not like I'm not doing the work now. And I did help catch my parent's assassin." It wasn't too long before Deborah stepped out of the closet with a dress.
"Talking about this isn't going to get you ready any sooner. Anyway, here's dress 1." Deborah held out to Bernice to see. It was a blue dress with white trim on the bottom, sleeves, and neckline. Bernice shook her head no.
"But you just said surprise you," Deborah countered. "What's wrong with the dress?"
"I'm just not into the dress," Bernice replied. "It's missing something."
"It's not missing anything but a couple of pieces of jewelry and…"
"I'm not wearing it. Try again." Deborah rolled her eyes as she put the dress back in the closet and came back with another dress. "How about this blue polka-dot dress? The dots give it a little bit of fun and the blue trim gives it an update—"
"I'm not wearing blue." Bernice interrupted. "Try another color."
"What am I? Your servant?" Deborah asked as she headed to the closet.
"Technically, you are," Bernice stated.
"You know you could bring a group of stylists, make-up artists…"
"But I have my best friend whose advice I trust," Bernice remarked quickly. "Besides, you know I hate traveling in groups."
Deborah sighed and rolled her eyes in the closet before grabbing the third dress. After taking a glance at it, she decided that no matter what, Bernice was going to accept this dress. It was a black, mid-length dress with a v-neck and striped trims on the sleeves and waist. Knowing Bernice, she's going to want to wear this dress, I better grab the accessories while I'm at. Deborah grabbed the onyx tiara, earrings, and necklace set, and a pair of black stilettos. When she walked out of the closet, Bernice smiled her approval.
"Perfect! And black always looks great on me!" Bernice stated as she took the dress and the accessories and went to the bathroom.
"We only have an hour and a half before the tea starts. We shouldn't be late, you'll never know if they'll sit us in the front." Deborah called as she walked back to her room.
"No promises but I'll try!" Bernice yelled from the bathroom as she put the accessories on the vanity before hanging the dress on the racks near the towels in the bathing part of the room. She turned the shower on before making sure her make-up was ready on the vanity close to her jewelry. Mentally making a checklist, Bernice also made sure that her hair dryer was already set to help dry her hair faster. "What's the chances of us sitting in the front? It's not like anyone is in a rush to recognize Cetrac anytime soon." She muttered as she finished her checklist and was pleased when the water was perfectly hot enough for her to enjoy the shower.
Bernice quickly took off her robe and nightgown before stepping into the shower. The hot water on Earth was drastically different than on Cetrac. Cetracian water tended to have a higher boiling point but yet have a more devastating effect on human skin regardless if the person was a descendent of the original settlers centuries ago. There's been a few times that Bernice came close to burning her skin during a hot shower. With a pleased sigh, Bernice stepped into the shower and allowed herself to be soaked by the comparable nicer water.
An hour and fifteen minutes later…
Bernice took a satisfied glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her chocolate hair was perfectly straightened, and the small onyx tiara sat at the crown of her head perfectly and was the only decoration in her hair. Bernice then grabbed one of the small make-up brushes and dipped it into the nude eyeshadow. Closing one eye, she then swept the brush two times on her left before repeating the same step to her right eyelid. She then took a tube of mascara and lightly followed the curl of her lashes before placing a slightly thicker layer. Satisfied with the quick make-up look, Bernice put on the earrings and necklace. Smiling at her reflection again before chanting some uplifting phases, Bernice was ready and left the bathroom to meet with Deborah in the living room.
As Bernice entered the living room, she noticed that Deborah was finishing up a conversation on the screen. She could tell that Deborah was talking to her husband and Bernice's other confidant.
"Wait! Wait! Don't hang up! Is that Devin?" Bernice asked, rushing to sit next to Deborah and be seen. "I command you to stay on the line longer. Everybody else can wait, you're talking to the monarch."
Devin chuckled from his side of the screen. With dark brown skin and golden brown hair, Devin's looks was a contrast from the ladies sitting in front of the screen on Earth. At 6'3", Devin was considered average height for Cetracian men but his body also boasted a muscular build that would make most men envious. Devin's exotic combination of hazel eyes and nearly blonde eyelashes complemented his Nubian nose and full lips. Devin chuckled more as he noticed Deborah mentally sighing as she straightened Bernice's tiara.
"Are you done chuckling yet?" Bernice asked with a smile.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I just wanted to check on my wife," Devin smiled.
"What about me? What about Bernice?"
"I could never forget my best friend and ruler. Besides who knows what would have happened if you didn't intercede for me several times, starting when I first came to the Royal Court as a kid?"
"What could have happened indeed? I'll let you off the hook this time as usual," Bernice replied with a smile.
"I'm glad that you made it to Earth safely. Everything is still going well on Cetrac, so just enjoy your working vacation and make sure that Deborah stays in one piece."
"You mean that Deborah should make sure that I stay in one piece," Bernice smirked. "Go on, go back to taking care of the kingdom until we come back. Hopefully, nobody in the Court is plotting something up in my absence."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Devin said with a smile and a bow before ending the conversation. Deborah shook her head as the screen disappear back into the ceiling.
"Really, Bernice, really?" Deborah said, smiling. "You know that you don't have to be in every conversation with me and my husband."
"It's my duty as the Royal Third Wheel to insert myself in your conversations. Send me a guy to distract all my free time and I'll leave your conversations alone." Bernice commented. "Anyway, let's go downstairs to the tea."
"Yes, we better make our way down. We don't want to be late," Deborah replied as they left the room and made sure the door was locked thoroughly. They took the elevator downstairs and took a left at the lobby to make it to the ballroom where the tea was held. Once they arrived at the ballroom, a clerk greeted them. Deborah handed the clerk both ids, so he could scan where they were sitting this time. The clerk handed both ids back before speaking with a smile.
"Your Highness, Princess Bernice and Your Grace, Duchess Deborah, you are sitting at the table of honor in the front, today. Please allow me a few moments to get an escort to your table." The clerk waved a server to approach the table. "Elliot, please take Princess Bernice and Duchess Deborah from Cetrac to the Honors Table." Elliot nodded before turning to Bernice and Deborah.
"Your Majesty, Your Excellency," Elliot said bowing before straightening up. "Please follow me to your table. Welcome to the Full Tea party."
Deborah and Bernice both smiled at Elliot and took an arm each. The three walked through the ballroom, before finally reaching their table in the front. Elliot introduced Deborah and Bernice to each person already at the table. Bernice and Deborah were introduced to Queen Leal and Princess Elane of Rareh as well as the Royal Duchesses Anise and Zoyane from Lanole. Then they were seated at the end of the table. Bernice and Deborah thanked Elliot before enjoying the tea that Elliot poured into their cups to get them ready for the party. A few moments later, Allura was guided to the table and was introduced to everybody before taking her seat next to Princess Bernice.
"It's an honor to meet you, Princess Allura." Princess Bernice said, once Allura was settled. "The news about your planet and Voltron are well known on my planet."
"Thank you, Princess Bernice. It's an honor to meet a fellow monarch who is strengthening her allies as well. You have done some outstanding diplomatic work and I can only hope that I would be anywhere close to your skill."
"Don't sell yourself short, Allura. You have great skills as well." Deborah complimented. Before they could say another thing, their hostess for the afternoon finally entered the room. Their hostess stood at 5'5", had straight black hair, a peach skin tone, had narrow blue eyes, a Celestial-shaped nose, and a slim mouth. As she walked to her seat at the honors table, she introduced herself as Space Marshal Graham's daughter, Yesenia. She also curtsied to all the royal guests, including Allura and Bernice before making her way to the small podium at the center of the table.
"Good afternoon, everybody." Yesenia started, grabbing everyone's attention to the front. "I'm honored to serve as your hostess for our full tea today. As leaders, co-leaders, consorts, or elects, it can be a little lonely without being around other women who know what we go through. My mother started this tradition after my father, Space Marshal Graham started his tenure as the highest-ranking military official in the Alliance. She noticed how it was hard it was for ladies in leadership to connect with others, so she started serving tea in the beginning and it eventually was added to the formal celebrations as time went on. I started taking over the duties of hosting full tea after my mother's unfortunate death a few years ago. This is my last tea to host and I wanted to have the largest one ever before the celebrations next week." Yesenia went on to speak about how the tradition of tea was started on Earth in the British Isles. After speaking on the history of tea, Yesenia spoke about how having a network of women supporting each other makes a large difference in public and private living. Finally, spoke about how she wanted to not only honor the women sitting with her at the table but several others in the room.
When Yesenia finished her speech, the tea was brought to every table and was served to each guest personally. After tea service started, the wait staff came forth with three-tiered trays of food. On the bottom of every tray were four types of sandwiches with the crust off and cut into pieces: Tomato-Cheddar, Smoked Salmon-Cucumber, Roasted Vegetable-Goat cheese, and Cream Cheese and jelly. The middle tray was filled with the choice of cinnamon or almond scones. The top tray was filled with lemon bars for the finale. After the first cups of tea were finished, the second cups of tea were served. Allura, Bernice, and Deborah started to talk again with Yesenia entering the conversation a few times to ensure that her guests were enjoying themselves.
"So, I hear that you are not only the ruling monarch of Arus—but a Voltron pilot as well?" Bernice asked Allura. "How do manage to balance both roles? I have a hard time being the heir to the throne and humanitarian work."
"It's hard, but I have help. When I'm in Blue lion, I focus on fighting and defense. When I am in my office or meetings, I focus on ruling. My Royal Advisor Coran helps with diplomatic and political issues, while Commander Keith helps with the defense and security of Arus. Without them, I wouldn't be able to handle everything." Allura finished. "I heard about how you weave humanitarian efforts and political stabilization together—it's such a unique twist on diplomacy."
"Thank you. I noticed that sometimes the two usually run together. It also allowed me to build up allies and resolve rivalries quicker than sending a force of soldiers." Bernice replied.
"And it keeps our treasury healthier," Deborah stated. Before another word could be spoken, their hostess spoke again at the podium.
"I hope that the tea and the snacks are satisfactory for everyone. Before we start honoring the women sitting with me, I wanted to recognize a few ladies sitting among you in the crowd." Yesenia chose several women and handed each one a special gift bag. "Finally, there's not enough words about our last special honoree. Military service is a challenging career regardless of rank. Even after years of research and outreach, the transition that our service members make from military to civilian life can be even more challenging." The speech went on to talk more about the honoree's family background, educational background, and finally professional background. "Just to summarize everything. The special honoree I was mentioning is none other than Diana Smythe-Williams." The audience softly cheered and gave Diana a brief standing ovation as she approached the podium. Diana stopped at the front table and gave a short curtsy to the guests before facing the hostess. Yesenia and Diana briefly hugged and shared a few words before claiming her grab bag. "While we're enjoying a refreshing tea and dessert, allow me to introduce our honored guests in the front. In the farthest.."
Yesenia went on with her speech and eventually introduced everyone sitting at Bernice's table, including Allura. Each guest spent a few minutes on their speeches. It wasn't too long before Allura made a quick speech and personally made sure to thank several people for Voltron's success. She pointed out how coalitions, alliances, and ally-building are keys to achieve and maintain peace. Allura also pointed out that she's excited about the future and hope that Arus' restoration process would be as successful as achieving peace.
After Allura, Bernice made a quick speech focusing on how humanitarian efforts and diplomacy can work together to maintain peace and stabilize political situations without draining a nation's treasuries while promoting productive relationships. As Bernice was finishing her speech, a woman left one of the other tables and approached the front. Once Bernice was finished and sat down, the small group made it to the podium along with Yesenia.
"Hello, everybody! My name is Misse Uten and I'm the niece of Sky Marshal Wade. I was given the honor to be on the planning committee for the tea. The committee wanted to end the tea on a special note since today would be the last time Yesenia will host an official formal tea party. The committee is a close-knit group and it's hard for us to say goodbye to Yesenia and her talents in putting together this tea as well as some of the other events. So, behind your back, we came together and pull together not only this wonderfully unique gift bag…" Misse personally gave Yesenia the large gift bag before continuing. "We also wanted to give you a token of our sincerest thanks and best wishes for the future." Misse then personally gave Yesenia a large frame filled with a plaque, a certificate, a picture of the committee, and a small gavel. Misse and Yesenia hugged for a few moments before Yesenia took the podium for one last time.
"I just want to personally thank the tea committee for all its work and I will definitely miss our sessions together. I also want to thank you all for the nice gifts, especially this beautifully made frame. At the end of the day, the full tea is only as successful as everyone makes it—from the event staff to the guests to the committee members, this is only possible with all of us in it together. The full tea is much like our Alliance because everybody works together its success keeps standing. I wish everybody a great evening and I hope to see you in the festivities coming up." Yesenia finished with the crowd applauding one last time. With the end of the tea party, people started moving about.
Bernice whispered what she wanted Deborah to discuss with some of their allies in the crowd. Deborah nodded before excusing herself from the table. Bernice turned back to Allura and noticed that she wasn't in a rush to leave her seat as well. "Allura, I enjoyed our conversation over tea. By chance, do you have any plans for later?"
"I enjoyed our conversations as well. As far as I know, I don't have any plans this evening," Allura replied.
"That's splendid! The few times I've been on Earth, I found one activity that I absolutely love to do. Are you familiar with miniature golf?"
"Yes, somewhat. The guys—I mean the pilots always talk miniature golf. Sometimes they call it putt-putt."
"Awesome! Would you like to meet up and play a few games this evening?" Bernice asked.
"That would be wonderful!" Allura replied. "Would you like to meet at my embassy or yours?"
"I'm staying here at the hotel since we don't have an embassy at Cape Canaveral just yet. Our embassy is in New York—but I would love to visit your Embassy." Bernice looked at her watch to see that it was 17:00. "Would 19:00 be a good time?" Bernice asked. Allura checked her watch and noticed that it was 17:00 on Earth's 24-hour clock.
"That would be perfect. I don't know the address of our Embassy—" Allura started, before noticing that both Diana and Deborah were heading towards the table. "But it looks like my childhood friend, Diana is coming close, and she can share the address with us." Allura finished with a smile as Diana and Deborah arrived at the table. "Countess Diana Smythe-Williams, this is Her Royal Highness Princess Bernice from Cetrac. Princess Bernice, this is Countess Diana Smythe-Williams of Davi-Smythe in Arus. She grew up on Earth and she is the daughter of our current Ambassador and the niece of my Royal Advisor."
"Your Majesty, it's an honor," Diana said, after giving the princess a quick curtsy.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Countess." Princess Bernice replied with a smile. "It seems that you have met Duchess Deborah, my most trusted friend. Would you be interested in joining us for a few rounds of miniature golf later, as well?"
"It'll be my pleasure, Your Majesty," Diana replied. "How are we meeting?"
"Deborah and I would love to meet you at your Embassy. All I need is an address." Bernice said as she gave her watch to Diana. Diana smiled as she entered the address into Bernice's watch. "It's all set then. I'll see you ladies at 19:00."
"We'll see you at 19:00," Allura replied as they all left the front table and separated in the main lobby of the hotel. In the elevator, Bernice and Deborah were sharing their experiences at the tea.
"So, Deborah, how did you enjoy the experience?"
"I found the tea enjoyable. Our conversation with Ms. Graham was interesting, but I enjoyed our conversation with Princess Allura. We can learn a lot from her and perhaps even apply some of what they do in Arus at Cetrac. I also enjoyed my conversation with Countess Diana."
"That's great. What about the leaders I asked you to check on?" Bernice asked. "Hopefully they understood that I originally planned to sit with them."
"The conversations went well. They understand and hope that throughout the week, we'll be able to spend time with them before going home." Deborah replied. "They all asked me to pass on their best wishes."
"Excellent," Bernice said as they left the elevator and took a right turn towards their suite. A few moments later, they arrived at their suite. As they came in, Bernice personally checked every surface in the sitting room. "The sitting room is fine. Let's check our room, then we'll talk more about the tea party before getting ready to play some miniature golf!" Deborah nodded her head and went to check her room as Bernice checked her room. After they were finished, they met back in the living room and spoke about the other leaders that Deborah spoke with at the end of the tea. "Ok, to sum everything up either our allies need more aid, or they would like to start joint enterprises."
"That's correct, Bernice," Deborah said. "We better change for our ladies' night out at the miniature golf course." Deborah and Bernice stood up and went to their separate rooms to change into more comfortable clothes. Twenty-five minutes later, they met back up in the living room. Deborah decided to wear a green, sleeveless v-neck romper with green canvas sneakers as decided to wear her hair down. Bernice decided to change into a white sleeveless scoop neck top and white shorts with white canvas sneakers, her hair in a high ponytail with a circlet surrounding her forehead. Satisfied with their looks, Bernice and Deborah went downstairs to meet with their limo.
Bernice gave the limo driver the address to the Arusian Embassy and fifteen minutes later and they were inside the gate and in the driveway in front of the house. Deborah told the drive to stay in the driveway and that they should return with two more guests. The limo driver confirmed the instruction and the women left the limo. When Bernice and Deborah reached the door, the security guard greeted them and guided them to the large reception room, which doubled as a living room.
The living room was a long rectangular sized room and was divided into three sections: a reading section, a sitting section, and a media section. The reading section was to the far right and boasted of an oversized black couch, two matching black chairs, end tables with lamps, and a coffee table in the middle. The reading section also had three small bookcases serving as a room boundary. The area was also accessorized with a large black rug. The sitting section also boasted of an oversized blue couch, two matching sofas, end tables with lamps, and a coffee table in the middle, with a large blue area rug. The last section of the room was the media area. The media area had a white couch, two matching white chairs, three end tables, and a white area rug. On the wall was a large tv screen with an option to switch to entertainment, communication, or computer modes. Bernice and Deborah decided to sit within the media area and was joined by Hyacinth, Coran, and the Voltron Force.
When the brief introductions were finished, Hyacinth shared that Coran will take over as Ambassador for Arus two months after the celebrations. Bernice congratulated Coran and commented that she hopes to work with him closely once he's fully in office. Coran simply nodded and said that he was looking forward to meeting with his close allies as well as his other new colleagues soon. A few moments after that, Coran and Hyacinth left the room while the Voltron Force kept Bernice and Deborah company.
Bernice looked at the pilots and was amazed by how well they interacted with each other and pinpointed each pilot's personality. Bernice was impressed by how Keith demonstrated his leadership abilities and how the rest of the pilots looked to him for input occasionally. Bernice was amused with Lance's ability to engage both her and Deborah in conversation, while Deborah found his flirting annoying and told him she was married before Lance focused on other topics. Both Bernice and Deborah were impressed with Hunk's mechanical abilities and Pidge's technical abilities as they gave the Cetracians some solutions to their technological issues.
A few moments later, Allura and Diana stepped into the room and gained everybody's attention. Diana had her curls down and was wearing a maroon camisole top and black capris with maroon flats while Allura decided to wear a pink cap-sleeve v-neck shirt and pink capris with pink canvas shoes. Allura's hair was left down and she was also wearing her circlet. Allura, Diana, Bernice, and Deborah were complimenting their outfits and walked towards the door. Lance and Keith followed behind the ladies discreetly enjoying the outfits Diana and Allura chose for their evening out.
At the front door, the ladies turned to Keith and Lance. "Is there a reason why we're being followed?"
"There is the question of security we never discussed for your outing."
"Keith, I'm pretty sure nothing is going to happen while we're at the miniature golf course," Allura replied. "We're safe on Earth. You guys taught me everything about self-defense."
"And I guarantee that nothing will happen to your princess, Commander Keith," Bernice stated. "But, I definitely understand your protectiveness."
"Besides, I'm good at hand-to-hand combat and self-defense," Diana replied with a smile. "I guarantee that we will both be back at 23. Since we have a busy day tomorrow."
Keith was about to speak when Lance butted in. "Sounds good to me. Be back at 23."
"Thanks, Lance. Make sure that Keith stays out of trouble." Allura said with a wink as the ladies stepped into the SUV. Thirty minutes later and the foursome entered the course, paid for the first game as well as the clubs and the balls, and started on the first 18 holes. Diana and Deborah decided to form one team so that Allura and Bernice can be on the same team and talk freely. Deborah flipped a coin and Bernice was going first. After missing the hole in the first shot, Allura tried her shot next and missed the hole. Diana and Deborah were successful and decided that they would move on to the next hole.
"I failed to mention, that Deborah is better at this than I am. Deborah and her husband play a similar game to this and they're almost as good as the pros." Bernice told Allura, before missing her next shot. "I still love playing it, though."
"Same here. I'm bad at this game. Give me a croquet set and I can play extremely well." Allura replied, before barely missing the hole again. The two princesses laughed again.
"Would it be ok if I ask you a question?" Bernice asked Allura as she finally sunk her ball into the hole. "A few years ago, we needed help and we didn't get it from the Alliance. How did you deal with it in Arus?" Bernice asked after Allura nodded her consent.
Allura tapped her ball with the club so the ball would finally make it into the hole. "I was bitter for a few moments but realized that as long as I survived, I would have a chance to bring my planet back. When the Voltron Force landed on Arus, I was so relieved. It didn't seem like a lot of hope at first glance, but when they pledge their help and started the Lions, it was the beginning of a new day for Arus. It's amazing what those five men did."
"Five?"
"We had another pilot, but he was gravely injured, and we didn't have the medical resources to heal him. We sent him over to Planet Ebb. We didn't see him again until we went to rescue some people from Doom. He's now staying on our sister planet Pollux. He's our reserve pilot."
Bernice tried her first shot at the next hole and missed again. "I was bitter for a while, but I still believe that somebody didn't want us to succeed. I understand that resources were spread thin, but I keep feeling that somebody doesn't like my planet."
Allura shook her head as she missed the hole with her first shot again. "I can understand that. At least you can admit it. You're going to the events, so you recognized that there's room for everybody at the table."
"Right," Bernice said, as she tried her second shot and was pleased that the ball found its way into the hole. "But every so often, that feeling keeps coming up."
"I'm the same way, especially with the Voltron Force," Allura said. "I think that the feelings are coming back for me because I'm not sure how Sky Marshal Wade will proceed forward. Some people had bad experiences with him in the past. I don't have any bad experiences, but some pilots, as well as choice others, have." Allura finished, as her ball finally made it in the hole. Bernice and Allura looked to check on Diana and Deborah and found them laughing at the fact that they were struggling to get their balls past the windmill on Hole 4.
Bernice and Allura made their way to the third hole and shook their heads. "You know, our castles look nothing like that one," Bernice stated, as she pointed at the castle serving as an obstacle for the hole. "The castle at Cetrac has four pyramid-shaped buildings at the corners with parquets all around. In the middle is a large pyramid-shaped main building and that is where most of the rooms are located." Bernice hit her ball and it stopped by the moat. Smiling, Bernice looked up at Allura. "I'm getting better."
Allura tried her shot next and the ball stopped right next to Bernice's. Allura then shared with Bernice how the Castle of Lions is currently looking. "Before that, my castle was like this one. We had all the traditional stuff because Arus was a traditional society with traditional values. The parquets with towers and the main center building. But now we have a modern, high tech castle." Allura said. "Since we finally defeated Doom, we might upgrade the castle some. Now marriage…that's whole another thing. I pretty much have to be married before becoming Queen."
"I see. I have the same issue." Bernice stated. "I'm trying to get the rule changed for me as well, but I haven't been successful yet. I know that my parents formed the rule because of our ancestors, but I can't wait to be Queen.." Bernice hit her ball and it made up the castle ramp and rolled out the other side and into the hole behind the castle. "It seems that all the Princes and noblemen have ulterior motives. Even the ones who grew up with me in the Royal Court."
"I can understand. That was my fear, too." Allura said, as she hit her ball and it followed the same course as Bernice's ball. "I have who I want and love. He's not a prince or noble…but he has done so much for my planet and even saved me so many times. He's worthy." Bernice and Allura reached down for their balls and headed towards the fourth hole.
"Would that be Commander Keith, by chance?" Bernice asked, before hitting her ball. Her ball went past the windmill and stopped short of the hole. She smiled as she noticed that Deborah and Diana shared a high five after finally getting across the windmill.
"How did you know?" Allura asked. "Is it that obvious?" Bernice shook her head yes. "Yes, it's him. We've been having our affair for a year. I hope that we can make it public. We spoke about it last night and we didn't come to a full agreement yet." Allura said. "I say make it public. He said wait a little longer." Allura hit her ball and managed to hit it past the windmill on her first try—but still shy of the hole. Bernice and Allura joined Diana and Deborah as they joked about how long it took them to get past the windmill.
"I hate that windmill," Diana said with a smile as her ball sunk into the hole next. Everybody followed and went to the next hole. For the rest of the evening, Diana and Deborah continued to go through their holes quickly, with Allura and Bernice trailing behind. Bernice and Allura continued to share their experiences and advice with each other from things ranging from relationships to handling kingdom business to their closest friends and advisors. After finishing two games, they took an extended break and ate a late dinner of burgers, fries, and shakes. When they returned from the break, everybody started the next game quickly. After playing another 2 games, they left the golf course and returned to the embassy.
"This has been one of the best times of my life," Allura stated, as she opened the SUV door. "There's a difference between being one of the guys and being one of the girls."
"Definitely a difference," Bernice stated as she opened her door. Diana and Deborah stepped out of the SUV next. The foursome turned around to see a slightly miffed Keith and Lance guarding the front door.
"I wonder what time it is?" Keith asked Allura and Diana.
"It's 23:15," Lance stated after a glance at his watch.
"A phone call would have been nice letting us know you were running late and safe," Keith continued.
"I apologize, Commander Keith. It was my fault. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and I promise to return your Princess and Diplomat's daughter on-time when we next meet." Bernice said with a smile. "It's wonderful to have such wonderful pilots who care for you, Princess Allura and Lady Diana."
"You can say, that, Princess Bernice," Allura replied. "Until we meet again, have a wonderful night!"
"Have a wonderful night," Diana echoed with a smile and a wave.
*****Present, The Void*****
"And, so that's how I met Princess Allura. And Diana to a certain extent." Bernice finished telling her story. "My main worry is Cetrac."
"Which is managing fine under Deborah's and Devin's watch," Diana stated. "You chose excellent co-regents. Although, they can't wait until you return. The council is giving them all kinds of hell over things.
"I'm surprised they haven't tried to disassemble the council and try again."
"They want to but decided that when you return you can have the honors," Diana replied with a smile. Before she could ask who was next, their free time was over and it was time to go back to their cells.