Lance finished Hunk's dramatic cat eyeliner in Shiro's yellow and answered, "There. All done. You can look now."

Hunk opened his eyes and swiveled in the vanity chair. "Whoa! That's what I look like? Isn't it a bit much?"

Shiro glanced up from doing his own winged eyeliner. "Actually, I thought it was a bit light, given the color. This is a masquerade, after all."

Lance used a squishy makeup blender to smudge a patch of foundation on Hunk's jawline. "I did that on purpose. Hunk doesn't wear makeup, so it'd drive him crazy if I went full out."

"Fair enough," Shiro admitted.

Allura, Pidge, and Coran entered Shiro's bedroom in full attire and makeup. Pidge spun, the emerald skirt of her dress flaring to sparkle like her highlighted cheekbones and shadowed eyes. Lance smirked at Hunk and elbowed him so he'd shut his mouth. Allura was just as beautiful in shades of blue. She held a fine mask of a lion in one hand. Playing with the silk ribbon, she demurely glanced up.

Lance walked forward and bowed at the waist. "May I ask thy names, beautiful creatures who walk among lowly mortals, for only the title of goddess fits thy image."

Shiro snorted and cursed. Lance grinned when Shiro grabbed the bottle of makeup remover and began to dab at his mistake. Pidge beamed and said, "Coran is incredible with a makeup brush." Twirling again, she admitted, "I had forgotten how much I loved dresses."

Lance gave her a one armed hug. "The look suits you."

He noticed Allura glance nervously around the room before she excused, "Ah, I forgot the jewelry the empire sent," and practically ran from the room.

Lance grabbed a blender and a handful of red toned makeups. He followed Allura to her bedroom and knocked on the open door. "Mind if I work here? Shiro's room is a bit crowded."

"Of course," she answered in a way that clearly said otherwise.

Lance went to the vanity and touched up his own makeup. Through the mirror, he saw Allura stare at the beautiful strings of stones the galra had sent with her outfit. He hadn't worn so much jewelry in a long time, but he could tell what they'd been sent wasn't simply for cheap costume.

He paid attention to the lines he was defining and checked that it looked good with his red lion mask. The fit of his shirt flattered his figure and the pants exaggerated the length of his legs. He no longer looked like a twiggy teenager. Dressed like this, he almost believed he was a grown man. He grabbed the spiral bracelets that acted as cuff links and asked, "Can you help me with these?"

Allura jumped and offered a strained smile repeating, "Of course."

She took the offered bracelets and fixed his sleeve. As she slid the first cuff on, he asked, "Is everything alright? You seem anxious."

Allura bit her lip and her chin trembled. "I must confide, I am incredibly nervous about this party." She took his hand and sat on the bed. Lance sat beside her and covered her hands with his other. She went on, "Galas are important galra functions. Their nobility will be present. Announcements will be declared. I know I dismissed what you said about Lotor... courting me, because his behavior didn't follow galra pattern. Except alteans, in particular males, will fall victim to what we call 'love in a glance'."

"Love at first sight. We have that too," Lance confirmed.

"Precisely," Allura agreed. "My father, my uncle... both met the love of their lives this way. It doesn't seem to affect altean women, but what if Lotor..."

"Hey, he's not that kind of creep. The invitation said this party was to kick off his reign. He has plenty of time to court you properly, if that's what you want," Lance soothed.

Allura smiled, finally looking relieved. She finished adjusting his wrist cuffs and nodded. "You're right." Holding up the sparkling headdress, she asked, "Now my turn?"

Keith smudged the charcoal colored powder into the corner of his eyelids and cursed under his breath. "How does Shiro make this look so easy?"

Talias finished coloring her lips then glanced over. She glided across her bedroom floor in the deep purple ballgown of smooth fabrics and took the applicator from his hand. "Close your eyes."

Keith sat back and relaxed his face. This much he knew how to do. He asked, "Nervous?"

The cool touch of smooth creme spread across his cheeks. Talias muttered in a way that said she was making faces while she fixed his mistakes, "A little. I haven't played hostess in a very long time. You?"

"I'm not sure. I kind of feel like I need to throw up and my hands keep shaking. I can't seem to catch my breath."

"That should fade once you go down. Stay by Lotor or one of us if it gets worse." She worked for a while before saying, "I've finished. What do you think?"

Keith opened his eyes and gasped. He hardly recognized himself. The makeup around his eyes was dramatic, but in a masculine way. The deep shades accented and gave additional depth to his irises. She had also further defined his jawline and neck.

"I'll take your lack of words as highest praise." Talias went to her jewel case and selected a multi chained black choker. Settling it against Keith's throat, she clasped it in place. He noticed she wore the necklace he'd picked out for her from the mall. She lightly cupped his cheek so as not to smudge her work and smiled dotingly down upon him. "These jewels have been handed down through our family for countless ages. They identify who you are to me, Keith, a son of the House of Lethua. You are loved here and all who gaze upon you tonight will know this as well."

Keith fought tears and hugged her. She held his head to her stomach a moment, hand caressing his braids pulled to the back of his head in a high half ponytail. Then the door opened and Kolivan entered wearing a mask resembling a wolf that framed his cheekbones, but left his jaw exposed. He wore black from head to toe and was roguishly handsome.

Krolia entered a moment later wearing an off white dress that left her shoulders bare. Her face was powdered like his and Talias's to set them apart from the other guests. She rolled her painted lower lip between her teeth and smiled. "You look stunning, Keith."

Keith blushed beneath the makeup. "Thank you. I think I'll go unnoticed though, if I stand by you or your sister."

Talias and Krolia giggled, the sounds strikingly similar. Talias smiled softly and mentioned, "It seems even Kolivan can manage to pull off nobility as well."

Krolia raised an alarmed eyebrow and Kolivan gave a crooked smirk above crossed arms. He noted, "That almost sounded like a compliment."

Talias grinned wickedly and returned to her jewel cabinet. She opened a drawer with both hands and lifted two masks, one pale ivory, the other midnight black. These were old, clearly not the quick cheap ones she'd commissioned for Keith's friends. She passed the white mask to Krolia and carried the black one to Keith. It fit to his face with ribbons trailing down the back of his neck. Now he really couldn't recognize himself.

He missed Talias return to the cabinet for her own mask, so his jaw dropped when he saw her in a deep blue mask with feathers resembling a peacock. Talias openly laughed, taking over a minute to stop. Kolivan finished tying Krolia's mask on and informed, "The guests have been arriving for nearly an hour. The carriages are busy ferrying them from the dock. We were just about to go down, if you want to join us, Talias."

Talias replied in surprise, "That would be lovely... Kolivan." He already had Krolia on one arm and offered his other to her sister. Talias bit her lip and asked Keith, "Will you be alright?"

Keith nodded. "Lotor should be here any minute. I'll come down with him."

"Did I hear my name?" Lotor entered wearing an ivory suit in galra fashion. He'd already adorned a grey mask in similar plumage as Keith and his aunts. He froze when he saw Keith. There was something in his eyes. It took Keith a moment to realize... Lotor was love-struck.

Talias playfully tugged Lotor's hair and cautioned, "Don't ruin my work."

The door shut behind them before Lotor found his voice. He cleared his throat and crossed the floor with as much dignity as he could muster. He bowed low and took Keith's hand, brushing his lips across the knuckles. "Beloved, I seem unable to describe how beautiful you are tonight. I can scarcely believe the honor of escorting you through the gala is all mine."

Keith stood. The trembling that had plagued him the last few hours was finally gone. He slid the long black gloves on and let Lotor pull him to his chest. He stared up into his dark prince's eyes and whispered, "The things I want you to do for words like those... Talias would kill me."

Lotor chuckled and kissed him once on the lips. A promise. He whispered, soft lips brushing Keith's, "Shall we?"

Keith nodded and placed a hand in the crook of Lotor's elbow. They made small talk on the way down. The chatter of their guests floated through the windows from the garden and up from the grand hall. Servant staff bustled about preparing rooms and hauling luggage for the guests that had requested it. They were almost to the main staircase when Keith reached out to steady himself.

Lotor asked worriedly, "What is it?"

Keith gasped, "The lions have arrived."

"How-" Lotor was interrupted by the unmistakable roars of the lions of Voltron.

Keith closed his eyes and opened the bond smiling. "They're nervous, but excited. Hunk thinks this place is magical. Pidge just saw a halliaballus for the first time." Keith looked up at Lotor. "You should meet them out front. Not many of the coalition were able to make it and Coran isn't going to be able to stick with all of them."

Lotor again kissed Keith's knuckles. He whispered as they entered the grand hall, "As you wish."

Lance was in awe as the carriage whisked them along a beautifully kept driveway to the gala. He watched the backs of the yuppers and the fantastical horse-like creatures the soldiers rode and admitted, "I think Hunk might be onto something. Should we be worried about losing shoes and returning to a pumpkin carriage by midnight?"

Shiro groaned, "I hope not."

Pidge was practically bouncing with excitement when the manor came into view. The outside was lit up with spotlights aimed at the architecture. A massive fountain with a statue of the horse creatures rearing with wings outspread shot water twenty feet into the air. The carriage came to a halt and the soldiers escorting them spurred their mounts to a run before the creatures took flight and cut across an orchard toward the docks.

Shiro stepped down first and assisted Pidge, then Allura from the carriage. Allura didn't let go of his arm. Coran shepherded them toward the front steps and reminded, "Now remember, stick together."

"Use the buddy system. We got it," Pidge said while clearly distracted.

Guests in extravagant ballgowns filed past them. Shiro took the lead and said, "Might as well enter."

Before they reached the stairs, a tall figure descended at a jaunty pace. The guests bowed or curtsied and received a nod in return. The coat of the newcomer flared around his waist. His high waisted pants tucked into laced knee high boots. His gray feathered mask hid most of his face and his hair was plaited in braids along one side. A long earring linked several piercings in his exposed ear.

Allura called, "Lotor?"

The figure grinned below the mask. "Princess, Paladins, Coran, thank you for coming. I hope the flight went well?"

"It did," Shiro answered. "Thank you for inviting us. This is some venue."

Lotor grinned up at the manor, eyes sparkling, "This estate has long been in my family's possession. Most of the other guests are gathered in the grand hall or rear garden, but feel free to explore the grounds. Refreshments are readily available and the dancing starts in about an hour. I wish I could socialize more, but I am in high demand at the moment. Princess, save me a dance?"

Lance sidled closer to her and she replied tersely, "I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise."

Lotor beamed and winked. Actually winked! Allura moaned and covered her face. Lance reached for her hand and whispered, "Everything's fine. He's just being a polite host."

A smaller whimper left her, but she squeezed his hand and let Shiro lead them into the manor. Lance clenched his jaw to make sure it didn't fall off. This house was incredible. Chandeliers lit the room in brilliant sparkling light. Servants carried trays of h'orderves and drinks. Even they were better dressed than a James Bond actor. It was hard to distinguish male and female guests when clearly not all females wore dresses.

Pidge, Hunk, and Coran went to get drinks. Lance asked, "So how do we know who's who?"

Allura pulled at her bracelet and nodded toward a group of galra. "That's part of the fun, but officers wear their insignia on their shoulders, though I don't see many here. The masquerade is more formally nobility exclusive. Houses wear similar masks. The woman in the lavender dress and the woman in eggshell beside her must be Lotor's aunts."

Lance followed her gaze between the guests and spotted the two women beside the marble-esque staircase. Their masks were feathered like Lotor's had been. They stood beside a young galra in black with a feathered mask to match the night sky and a large male wearing a mask similar to a wolf. Lance snagged finger food from a passing server and asked, "What about those two? Also, Lotor's aunts?"

"Zarkon had two younger sisters, but I don't know who the others are. Traditionally, only the royal guard wears the mask of the drundhound and as far as I'm aware, neither of the princesses married," Allura answered.

The male in the wolf mask was scanning the crowd. He locked eyes with Lance across the floor. Lance gasped and glanced away. He looked back more discreetly, but the other was gone. Lance abandoned discretion. The male had simply vanished.

Shiro asked, "What's in this?"

Lance turned as Coran handed him a glass of something red that smelled fruity. Pidge hesitantly took a sip. "It's good."

"Of course, number 5," Coran confirmed. "Only the finest vino will be served by the House of Lethua."

"Vino?" Hunk asked.

Allura sipped from her cup. "A fermented juice drink from the fruits of Diabazaal."

Shiro's eyes widened as he swallowed and he immediately snatched Pidge's glass before she could drink again. "Nope. Absolutely not. You're only seventeen and I remember Matt the first time he got drunk. I do not want to chance another Holt inebriation, especially at an event like this."

Pidge scowled, but Hunk noted, "Speaking of Matt, I thought he was supposed to be here."

"His ship was in the dock," Pidge moped.

Hunk grabbed her hand. "Then let's go find him." He led her through the crowd. Before they disappeared completely, Lance saw Pidge steal another glass of vino.

Shiro groaned and Allura patted his arm. "Leave her be. She doesn't often experience this sense of freedom."

"Hmm?" Lance voiced.

Allura shook her head. "We've all fallen into a pattern. It was never intentional, but it happened none the less. Let's enjoy what tonight brings without worrying about the future."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Princess," Coran said and raised his glass.

Lance joined their toast, but found his eye drawn back to the women with the feathered masks. They had moved around, no longer together. A familiar laugh led him to Lotor with the young galra in black beside him. The wolf was still nowhere to be seen.

Lance followed his friends oblivious of the conversation they made. He knew he was gawking, but he couldn't fight the feeling he had met the galra in black before. Their slender, graceful neck bore a beautiful choker, but would have been beautiful bare. Narrow shoulders led to an even narrower waist that Lotor's noble fingers frequently held. Whoever this galra was, it was obvious they were important to the emperor prince.

"It's rude to stare," a deep voice said behind him.

Lance jumped, only just managing to hold back a yelp. He turned to see the galra in the wolf mask less than a foot away. Lance asked hesitantly, "Kolivan?"

The galra twitched his lip in amusement. Lance grinned and opened his mouth, but Kolivan cut him off. "Not here. Meet me in the garden."

"Which way is that?" Lance looked at the exits and back, but Kolivan was gone again. Lance spun in a circle and breathed, "Seriously?"

He chewed his lip and glanced at his friends. So much for the buddy system. He clenched his jaw and moved through the tall figures toward a door he hoped led to the garden. Eventually, he exited onto patio stone that faintly glowed in the light of the setting sun. Tall hedges framed the far edge while smaller hedges marked a path through expansive flower beds. Benches and fountains dotted the scene. A group of very young galra played with a yupper as large as they were. Their laughter brought a smile to his face.

"Good eve, stranger, though I hope we won't be for long," a woman tittered behind him.

Lance stowed that pickup line for later use and turned with a bright smile. "Shall we start with our names then?" The woman smiled coyly before hiding behind a fan that matched her mask. He went on, "I'm L-"

"Ahem."

Lance jumped at Kolivan's sudden appearance. The leader of the blades sent the woman away with a look and led Lance further into the garden with an arm behind his back. Lance whispered, "Now who's being rude?"

Kolivan answered, "You need to work on your stealth, boy. A newborn kit would draw less attention to itself."

Lance was stuck between a snide rebuttal and a question about the familial term. Kolivan never called him 'boy'. Kolivan raised an eyebrow at the lingering silence. They stopped on the far side of the grand hall in a servant access corridor. Kolivan leaned against the wall and looked sideways through a hidden gap. He cautioned, "It would be wise to tread with care, Lance. A gala is quite the event. Mistakes will not be forgotten for a very long time."

"Is this because I was staring?"

Kolivan smirked. "Because of who you were staring at." He jutted his chin toward the grand hall. "Tell me what you see."

Lance sidled into the space in front of Kolivan and looked through the gap. They were closer to the staircase on this side. The guests seemed to blend together. "I don't know. A bunch of hoity-toity suckups?"

"You're not looking hard enough."

"You can't just tell me?"

"Keith would know," Kolivan jabbed.

Lance sighed harshly. "Not everything is about Keith. Allura's freaking out, so if this weird impromptu ninja lesson is over, I should go back to them."

Kolivan blocked Lance with an arm. Lance glared up, sighed, and looked through the crack again. Kolivan coached in his ear, "Find the prince. Describe the ones closest to him."

Lance resigned himself and looked for Lotor. "He's speaking to three females close to his age. They're giggling. He's smiling, though politely. These girls' affections are wasted on him."

"Good. Any others?"

Lance widened the area he was scanning. "The other guests keep looking beside Lotor. He has his arm around the galra in the black feathered mask you stood by. Who are they?"

Kolivan simply instructed, "Describe them."

"Why are you being so weird?"

"I told you to act carefully. Describe the one in the black feathered mask."

Lance narrowed his eyes as if that would help. "They are young. Lotor and his aunts," he emphasized and glared up at Kolivan, "are keeping an eye on the crowd. It's like they're dolphins around a surfer in shark water."

"Explain."

"Sorry," Lance apologized, "they're keeping most of the guests away from the black masked one, protecting, and all the sharks want a bite."

"Good. Now do you see what I mean?"

Lance groaned, "That only makes me want to get a closer look."

Kolivan growled, "Lance?"

"I'll be discreet!"

"See that you are, or it might not be the sharks that bite."

"What does that-" Lance glanced up, but Kolivan was gone. How the hell did he do that? They'd practically been touching! He left the access corridor and meandered back the way he'd come. Once again among the guests, he joined in polite conversation until the masked mystery person drifted off to refill their glass. Lance snuck over and reached for the bottle at the same time as if by accident. "Oh, excuse me, miss...ter?"

The galra's dark lips twitched. Lance saw them roll their eyes and shake their head before lifting the bottle with natural grace. Their chin tipped, displaying the jewelry around their attractive throat. They filled their glass and gestured by way of offering to fill Lance's... which he'd forgotten was nearly half full.

Blushing behind his mask, Lance awkwardly held out his glass. The galra rolled their lips and the corners of their eyes crinkled as they added a splash of cold vino to his cup. Lance suspected they were trying hard not to laugh. Good. He could work with that. The galra set the bottle down and turned to leave. Lance reached out. "Wait, I-"

The galra looked at Lance's hand on their arm then into Lance's eyes. He was trapped in those dark pools. Had he ever seen eyes as luminous yet mysterious in the entire universe? Lance closed his mouth, licked his lips, and stammered, "I'm, uh... the name's Lance. I don't mean to disrespect by my forward nature, but I have never been so enthralled by a mere glance before. May I ask, will you grace me with your name?"

The galra gently pulled away and sipped their vino. Lance saw their eyes dart to the safety of the floor, but they didn't leave to return to the guests, so Lance pressed, "A simple boon is all I ask. What must I do to learn the name of the one whose beauty leaves me at a loss?" The galra's wide, dark eyes met his again. Their lips parted slightly. Lance held his breath.

"Paladin, may I interest you in entering the tournament?" a servant asked.

"Huh?" Lance turned from the beautiful stranger to see a ledger about half filled out in the hands of the servant. "A tournament?"

"To be held the day after tomorrow, sir. There are multiple events to be organized. Will you be participating?"

Lance looked closer at the ledger. On the right side were columns of images. A sword, a fist, something resembling a bow and arrow, and a rearing pegasus were depicted. He was just about to decline when a black gloved hand took the fancy pen attached to the ledger. The mystery galra wrote in strangely familiar looping handwriting, 'Lance McClain of the Castle of Lions, the Red Paladin of Voltron' across the next available line and circled the bow and arrow beside it.

The servant bowed their head and took the ledger to continue his task. Lance turned back to the mystery galra. "Please, we have to have met somewhere. If you know who I am, all I ask is that you give me your name."

The galra smirked and Lance was sure they raised a flirty eyebrow behind their mask as though to tease him. Wait... was the tournament the way he was supposed to earn their name? What kind of Arthurian shit was that?! He was about to voice as much when a hand snaked around the mystery galra's waist. Lance looked up into Lotor's thin smile and stepped back. Too close.

Lotor smiled down at the galra in the black feathered mask and tipped their chin up. "There you are. I was wondering where you wandered off to. Come. The dance is about to start."

Lotor led the mystery galra off without so much as even acknowledging Lance. He whispered, "That was super weird."

Kolivan stepped up beside him out of nowhere. "Now, see, that was about as discreet as a pack of howling yuppers."

The woman in the eggshell dress and feathered mask stepped up to his side and Kolivan offered his arm. Lance felt his jaw drop with his shoulders. What the hell was going on? The rest of the guests began to file into the ballroom. Lance stood against the wall. The woman in the lavender dress and feathered mask stepped up to his side. The jewelry on her neck was unmistakable. Lance waited for her to move on, but she didn't seem to have any intention.

At last she said, "Lance McClain, would you please escort me to the ballroom?"

He replied through his teeth, "It would be my honor, Princess Talias."

He offered his arm and she placed a hand at his elbow. They joined the procession and she leaned closer. "How do you like my manor?"

Lance answered, "It is more of a palace, isn't it? I suppose Keith must be around here somewhere if you're here?"

"I'm surprised you haven't found him yet," Talias giggled. "He said you'd question me if I revealed myself."

"Keith?"

"Kolivan," she corrected. "You really care a lot for the child I am responsible for."

"Keith is hardly a child," Lance denied.

Talias patted his arm. "In our years, he is practically an infant, which makes you a newborn. Kolivan's words fell on deaf ears because you do not understand the situation. My warning will be less kind. Stay away from Lotor for the night. It would not be wise to provoke him." They entered the doorway and she said less threateningly, "Now then, will you walk me to the solar harp?"

She nodded toward an instrument beside a small orchestral group of sorts. Lance straightened his posture and kept an even stride as they split off from the main group and crossed the waxed floor. Talias's light touch slid down his arm to barely hold his fingers while she settled beside what she'd called the solar harp. Arranging her dress across her knees, she whispered, "Stay by my side, young one."

Lance barely restrained a sneer. What was she up to? The other guests had circled the perimeter of the room, though, so he was pinned in at the moment. Talias began to play. It reminded him of the lounge clubs along the beach where guitarists warmed up before their gigs. He folded his hands behind his back and tried to remain focused.

Allura found him from across the room. The others were with her. Shiro and Matt looked ready to come to him, but then the lights dimmed. The center of the floor was highlighted as a couple masked in black and grey stepped out of the crowd. Lance watched Lotor lead the mystery galra in the black feathered mask to the dance floor. His arm brought his partner in a wide circle before he murmured and brushed his lips across black gloved knuckles. Lotor smiled and let Talias play a few more bars before the motifs of a song rang out.

Lotor and the stranger began to move with the music. They let Lotor guide them across the floor with intricate steps and twirling patterns as if by instinct. Lance was entranced by the stranger's graceful lines and extensions and the ease with which Lotor transitioned them into lifts then back to the floor with effortless beauty. Lance didn't even notice Talias was singing or that the orchestra had joined until Lotor started a new dance pattern.

And then the mystery galra did something specific, a twist of their wrist and arm, at the same time the couple passed in front of the paladins. An unfamiliar amount of anger burned on Shiro's face. Allura touched his elbow, but he shook his head. Matt's lips formed a silent, "Oh my god," before he looked at Shiro in alarm. Shiro clenched his galra fist and Matt put a hand on Shiro's chest to physically push him back.

Lance returned his gaze to the couple as the music was winding down. What had Shiro seen? When he looked back at Shiro, Kolivan had pinned him in a dark corner against the wall with an arm across his chest. Shiro's arm glowed faintly while Kolivan spoke in his ear. The woman in the eggshell dress had a light hold on Matt, but he was more worried about Shiro.

The music came to an end and the crowd politely applauded. "Thank you all again for coming," Lotor announced from the center of the floor. "Your continuing support will leave me never as we move forward to bring our empire to its glorious future. I welcome you all to enjoy our hospitality throughout the coming days. However," Lotor paused and the mystery galra instantly met his eyes. Lotor smiled, a pure, joyous expression, and repeated, "However, it is with great pleasure that I formally introduce you to my guest of honour."

Lotor lifted the black gloved hand to his lips a final time before holding an arm to the side of the galra with the black feathered mask. "I present to you all, the Lord of Lethua, Heir to my aunt Princess Talias, and with whom I lit the Kral Zera, my consort, Keith Kogane."