Keith waited for his mind to clear after Haggar receded and answered meekly, "I understand, mother." Haggar was far from happy, but he'd bought them precious minutes. "We must go, Lotor. She-"

A low hiss cut him off. Keith staggered to his feet as the door opened. Apothica ran in, a sheen of sweat glistening on her face. She didn't look at them and terror filled her eyes when she saw the pod. Her voice trembled as she muttered, "Oh no... you touched it."

Keith followed her gaze and watched the front of the pod disintegrate. Shiro's slow even breaths caught and sped up. His brow furrowed and he gave a low moan. Apothica gasped and covered her mouth. She backed up against the wall, her eyes still shining with fear.

Keith grit his teeth and ran to the pod. Shiro slumped, his head rolling onto his shoulder. Keith reached in and checked his pulse. He sighed in relief and slid his hand up Shiro's neck to support his head and jaw. "Takashi, can you hear me?" No response. Keith said over his shoulder, "Help me lift him out, Lotor."

Keith shifted to give Lotor space when he gasped. Keith whipped around only to get punched in the face. He reeled back and was caught by his dark prince. They both stumbled into the counter. Keith turned to see what had happened, but Lotor shoved him and threw himself sideways. A glowing arm cut through the counter where they'd been.

Shiro stood somewhat unsteadily, eyes focusing in and out. His chest heaved and he screamed as he lunged at them again. Lotor rolled to his feet and Keith dodged another swing and blocked. Shiro clenched his teeth as their strength contested. Keith ground out through his teeth, "Shiro, it's me. Snap out of it!"

"No," Shiro rasped, "you're not. You're just another aberration the witch conjured from my mind." He screamed as he shoved, throat raw, and Keith was forced to defend.

Keith drew his altean dagger and deflected Shiro's deadly strikes. He misjudged a punch and Shiro punished him for it. When he lost his footing, he vanished and reappeared behind Shiro. He slashed, but Shiro spun and they were again locked in combat. Shiro gave a strained smile and accused, "I was right. My Keith can't do that druid bullshit."

Keith's footing started to slide backward and he grunted in exertion. "Takashi, please, listen to me! You've been asleep for years! A lot has happened!" He groaned as Shiro's knee connected with his gut followed by an elbow across his spine. He landed hard on his stomach gasping for breath.

Shiro ran past him desperate for escape and slid to a stop. His arm glowed at his side. "You don't want to stop me. You're scared... and you should be. I will kill you if I have to."

Keith lifted his face enough to see Apothica cowering in the doorway. Her hands were shaking where she'd lifted them. Whether she intended to attack or defend was unclear. At Shiro's words, she whimpered and took a step back. Shiro charged. Apothica shrieked and covered her head.

"Apothica, move!" Keith screamed.

Lotor shouted and rammed his shoulder into Shiro. They both fell into a wall of machinery. Sparks flew and crossed wires snapped. Keith vanished from the floor and reappeared by Lotor long enough to grab him and vanish again. He set Lotor on his feet beside Apothica where she clung to the door frame and stood before them. Setting his stance, Keith lifted his altean dagger and drew his blade of marmora. He awakened the blade and watched Shiro push off the smashed equipment.

Swallowing hard, Keith said, "I don't want to fight you, Takashi. You're my brother. I love you. Please, let me help. You're scared and confused and you have every right to be, but please, please, trust me when I say we don't want to hurt you."

Shiro's gaze faltered as he considered the sincerity in Keith's words. Keith held eye contact, silently begging him to believe him. Lotor said just loud enough for him to hear, "I follow your lead, beloved."

Shiro blinked and looked past Keith. "Witch." That one word made him snap. He shouted and his arm glowed at full power. The luxite blade had been Keith's last resort. If Shiro truly didn't react to it, he was beyond reasoning.

Keith grit his teeth and ran to meet him. His weapons clattered to the ground. Silent tears coursed down his face as he vanished and appeared above Shiro. As he fell, he grappled for control and went into a full body lock. Shiro struggled, but before he could break free, Keith put a hand on the side of his head and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Shiro gave a short moan and went limp as Keith used alchemy to subdue him. For a breif moment, their minds touched. The fear and panic made his throat lock up. Keith sat against the cupboards and pulled Shiro towards him. He held Shiro's back to his chest and hugged him, pressing his forehead into Shiro's shoulder. Seconds passed. A minute.

Someone knelt beside them. Keith recognized Lotor's scent before a hand rubbed the back of his neck. Lotor murmured, "He thought I was my mother."

Keith looked up with tear streaked cheeks and leaned his head into Lotor's chest. "He was delirious, love. We don't know what he saw."

He gathered himself with a shaky breath and moved to stand. He thanked his altean bloodline as he made himself taller to accommodate Shiro's larger frame when he lifted him. Lotor looked them over and Keith nodded to show they were fine. When they made it to the door, Lotor reached out and touched Apothica's shoulder. She whined in her throat and allowed him to pull her to his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her behind.

It was when Keith reached the end of the corridor that he realized they were still lost. He exhaled slowly and said, "I do not know the way back to the others, sister."

She whimpered and answered, "Follow the damage along the walls. The prisoner you carry is the one responsible for it when he was first detained."

Keith couldn't see what she referred to. He closed his eyes and focused upon his galra bloodline to better see within the darkened manor. When he opened his eyes, it took a moment to spot the long, deep gashes in the wallpaper. Heartache clutched Keith's chest. Shiro had fought for his life and lost. Then Keith had a thought. "You were part of the circle that contained him."

Apothica sobbed and whispered, "Yes. My mistress commanded it and I dare not defy her. I do not share your strength of character, brother."

"But you followed me despite our mistress's orders," Keith replied. "I don't know the full consequences of my actions, Apothica. Whatever happens, do I have your trust... sister?"

She gasped. After a pause, she said, "Yes, my prince."

The rest of the walk fell to silence. When Keith saw the doorway filled with light, it didn't bring relief. Honerva stepped into the space beyond with her hood back and her hands folded at her waist. Keith took a deep breath and walked into the light.

"Oh my lord!"

Keith bit his lip when Frenik ran to him. Frenik called to his assistant, "Bring a stretcher!" He quickly examined Shiro and diagnosed, "Bruising and contusions as well as energy burns. Was he conscious when you found him?"

"Not at first," Keith answered while avoiding eye contact with Honerva. The stretcher arrived and Keith placed Shiro on it. He returned to his true height and straightened Shiro's shoulders and head. "He attacked us and I did what I had to." Keith rotated Shiro's mechanical arm and opened a panel. Messing with the circuit board beneath, he said, "I've deactivated his prosthetic. Keep him calm until I have a chance to speak to him."

"Yes, my prince... and what of Lotor?"

Keith looked over where Lotor still had an arm wrapped around Apothica's shoulders and she clung to his side. "Treat him as you would any patient."

Frenik searched Keith's eyes, confusion quickly smothered. Keith understood his hesitancy. This was far beyond anything they'd discussed and there was no protocol in place. At last, he bowed his head. "Very well, milord. Lotor, this way."

It took a moment for Apothica to release Lotor and he squeezed her hand before moving to follow Frenik. When he passed, Keith touched his arm. "Stay with him."

Lotor tipped his head. "As you say."

There was a short silence while they exited the room before Honerva accused, "What about my wishes did you not understand?"

Keith turned away from the door they'd vanished through and lifted his shoulders. "Nothing has changed since we last spoke."

"Then this?" She lifted a hand as if to display his actions physically. "Are you admitting open defiance, my son?"

Keith resisted the urge to kneel. "I question your motives, mother. That is all."

Honerva paced towards him. "It is not your place to question me."

"How so?"

She raised an eyebrow at his quiet tone. "Speak what you mean."

Keith took a deep breath. "Have I not proven myself to you? If I do not have your faith, why do you call me your son? Why did you hurt me, mother?"

Honerva's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing and she struck him across the face. "Do you think I don't know you, Keitaran? When you found the paladin, you were filled with regret."

"And yet I returned," Keith refuted with a glare. "You didn't even give me a chance. You're the one who failed, mother. You promised to be better."

Honerva bore her teeth and tried to slap him again. Keith raised an arm and blocked her. "I found Lotor because you don't actually want him to hate you. I found Shiro because Lotor didn't understand. If you hadn't driven Lotor away, we never would have found your secret workshop. If you trusted me, I wouldn't have had to question your words to discover where you kept him from me!" He tried and failed to calm his emotions and finished, "Now, I'm going to go see my brother. You know, the one you imprisoned for deca pheobs without telling me about."

Keith left the grand hall feeling particularly tetchy. When he reached the medbay, he paused to compose himself. Taking a deep breath, he entered. Frenik looked up from where he studied a patient chart. "My lord, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Is he awake?"

"Keith," Frenik insisted, "I'm not going to let you see him without first tending your injuries."

Keith groaned and slumped. "I'm-"

"Your arm is bleeding."

"What?" Keith looked at his arm and sure enough, fresh blood stained his tunic and dripped from his wrist.

Frenik rolled his eyes and put a hand on Keith's shoulder. "When I examined my patient, I had a mild panic when I found blood and no open wounds. At least that mystery is solved."

Keith let Frenik guide him to an examination table and said, "You never answered my question."

"Take off your tunic," Frenik said in that irrefutable way doctors had while simultaneously continuing to ignore him. Keith groaned and pulled off his shirt. Frenik grabbed his kit and set up on the counter. "I administered anti-inflammatory steroids and an inter-vascular pain reliever. He is conscious, though a bit out of sorts."

"A paralytic?"

Frenik gave him a disapproving look and swatted Keith's arm with an applicator stick. "It has not been so long that I forgot your violent tendencies when you emerged from your coma. I'm not risking the same from your brother." He started cleaning the long scratch from Shiro's talons and Keith winced. When Frenik was wrapping the wound, he mentioned, "Lotor has been with him since the irradiation process completed. There. I've patched you up again." He held out a clean shirt. "If I may, what is your plan, Keith?"

Keith pulled on the vest, leaving the front tie undone. "I don't know, Frenik. Everything happened so fast. I need a moment to think."

"I understand," Frenik said. "Be careful, friend. The threads we walk are thin. Your brother is in the room at the end of the hall." Keith nodded his thanks and went to find Takashi. When he reached the room, he raised his hand to knock and heard voices.

"So who are you?"

"I don't know if you'd believe me, considering our history."

Shiro gave a weak chuckle. "Try me?"

Keith rapped his knuckles lightly on the door and opened it. "May I come in?"

Shiro still wore the black jumpsuit of the Black Paladin's armor. The plates across the chest, legs, and shoulders had been removed before he first went into the pod. His gaze slowly swung around to look at the door. Shiro's jaw dropped the longer he stared. After too long, he whispered, "Keith?"

"Yeah." Keith walked in and checked the monitor. "You're in the medical ward beneath a doctor I trust. His name is Frenik and he was trained by the best. You're safe here."

Shiro clenched his jaw. "If I'm safe, why can't I move? Why can't I feel my arm? Are you really you?"

Coming from him, the irony only made Keith's stomach twist. He furrowed his brow and explained instead, "You were irrational and I was forced to, ah... it doesn't matter. To protect us, Frenik used a mild paralytic. It's not that bad. I was under its influence for much longer and I survived. I can reverse it at any time. As for your arm, Katie taught me a few things. Give me your word you won't be combative and I'll reconnect the circuit."

"Perhaps your brother would be assuaged if you led with more information about where we are, beloved."

Shiro made a face and Keith cleared his throat. "So we're leading with that, then." Lotor blinked somewhat smug. Keith folded his arms. "Takashi, allow me to introduce Prince Lotor of Lethua, nephew of Krolia, Blood Empress of the Empire and... one of my consorts."

"Empress? Consorts?" Shiro moaned and said, "What are you talking about?"

Keith sat beside Lotor and touched Shiro's human hand. "When you vanished, Voltron went on. We searched everywhere for you, but the witch found you first. She took you here, to this abandoned manor, and used secret Altean technology to put you in stasis. That was nearly seven years ago."

Shiro glared at the ceiling. "The witch, she's not what she appears. Her magic, it's not galra in origin. She's more dangerous than we realized." Keith looked at his lap and sighed. Lotor grabbed his hand and squeezed. Keith met his eyes and received a soft smile of encouragement. Shiro asked, "Where are the other paladins? Are they pursuing Haggar?"

Keith shook his head. "I haven't been in contact with them for some time. A lot has changed."

"Wait, why are you dressed like that... like the druids?"

Keith closed his eyes and bit his lip. That was the question he'd been dreading. The accusing tone had returned as well, so familiar from what felt like another lifetime. But this was bigger than talking back to a teacher or going for a joyride. "Takashi..."

"She's my mother," Lotor said.

Shiro's eyes narrowed on Lotor and he clenched his jaw. "Haggar is your mother?"

"It is not by choice, paladin," Lotor quipped. "She has entrapped us here as well."

"No. Not any longer," Keith said. "She'll send for me soon, so I don't know how much more I can explain now. Takashi, I-" A knock at the door interrupted him. Keith shot a look at the door. "That must be them now."

Before he left the room, Keith grabbed the syringe Frenik had prepared. As he injected it, he explained, "This will reverse the paralytic. You may feel dizzy or neasaus, so move slowly when you regain feeling. The full affect may take up to an hour. As for your arm," Keith messed with the panel again and there was a small pulse of energy, "I've reconnected the circuit. If you act out aggressively toward anyone, you will be sedated again, so please don't. I'll speak to you again as soon as I can."

"Prince Keitaran, you are needed."

There was a strange quiver in the voice at the door. Keith furrowed his brows as he considered what that meant and replied, "Coming, Jerasho." He started toward the door and whispered again, "Lotor, stay with him."

He shut the door quietly behind him and sought out Jerasho. He faced the end of the hall nervously pulling at the wrist cuff of his tunic. When he heard the door close, he turned and sighed in relief. "Thank all I found you. Our mistress has locked herself in her quarters. She'll listen to no one."

Keith blew out his cheeks in frustration. "I'll go to her. Will you see to the needs of our 'guests' here?"

Jerasho didn't acknowledge Keith's emphasis and replied, "Of course, milord."

Keith patted his arm in thanks and made his way to Honerva's suite. The usual druid posted at the door was missing and the room was quiet within. He didn't even bother knocking. "Mother, I'm coming in." The knob wouldn't turn.

After a slight pause, she said slowly, "I wish to have my solitude, insolent one... or do you intend to question me again?"

The usual venomous tone that accompanied that nickname was missing. Keith sighed and folded his arms. Leaning a shoulder into the door, he apologized, "I'm sorry I've upset you. It was never my intent, though my words were hard to hear." He waited for her to say something. When she remained silent, he coaxed, "Please let me enter, mother."

Keith continued to wait. Still Honerva said nothing until at last the lock turned and the door opened. She lifted a tired arm to usher him in. Keith moved past her and ducked to see under her hood. She averted her gaze and tried to back away. Empathy gripped his chest and he reached out to hold her shoulder.

As she had done to reassure him of her promise to care for him, he guided her to his chest and embraced her. At first she was limp, a withered weight that tried to resist his comfort. Then she lifted a hand and wiped at her cheek. Keith maintained his hold until she started to stiffen up like a cornered cat. He smiled gently and pushed back her hood. "Let's go for a walk, mother."

Lotor uncrossed his legs, disliking the tingle that had built up from sitting so long. Frenik ignored him when he sighed in exasperation and continued his physical. Lotor stood and feigned interest in the medicine cabinet, though he still listened intently.

"I found your history amid the manor's files. Thankfully it is very thoroughly detailed and treating you proved much easier than I initially feared. Though, milord's medical research compilation may also have had some influence." Frenik checked Shiro's eyes with his pen light and pocketed it. Pushing on Shiro's shoulder, he instructed, "Lay back."

Shiro complied, though he said a little nervously, "I'm sorry if I'm tense. This is easily the nicest physical a galra doctor has given me."

Lotor cast a glance at Frenik while swallowing his own outrage. Frenik pursed his lips and went to clean his hands again. His shoulders slowly relaxed and he returned to his patient. With dry hands and a new set of gloves, he said, "I'm going to apply pressure. Inform me immediately of any discomfort."

Lotor leaned back into the counter, the edge digging into his hips. The nagging pain from the sharp edge couldn't hold a candle to what the scars on Shiro's body told. When he'd removed the body suit for Frenik, Lotor had needed to step away as a wave of renewed anger toward his father's regime turned his stomach. Frenik had taken everything into account, no doubt from having previously read the black paladin's medical file, and responded by allowing as much time as Shiro needed to adjust. Every hesitation, every flinch, made Frenik pause and reevaluate his approach while never alarming his traumatized patient.

A knock at the door caused Shiro to startle suddenly. Frenik gently guided his shoulders back to the exam table and said, "Would you see who that is, Lotor?"

He cracked the door and slid through. Apothica cast a curious glance, but Lotor blocked her view and immediately shut the door. With a slight bite to his tone, he said, "Is it wise for you to come here alone?"

Apothica wrung her hands. "How is he? If anything were to happen..."

Lotor raised an eyebrow. She clearly feared the black paladin, but Keith's scorn and enmity scared her more? Lotor pulled her aside. "Frenik's initial exam indicated minimal injury. He's conducting a psyche exam now as part of his conscious physical. We'll know more when the doctor is done. However, there is something you can confirm." Lotor looked her straight in the eye. "That man in there, he is Keith's brother? Not another false copy?"

Apothica nodded. "Yes. My mistress saw no purpose continuing that research once the empire became aware of it. That is the true Takashi Shirogane. I swear on my life."

Lotor looked away and frowned. "Then he is unaware of the part he played in all of this."

A strong hand gripped his forearm and Apothica threatened, "Don't you dare tell him."

Lotor refused to show pain and lifted a lip in disgust. Matching her glare, he leaned in and bore his fangs. "You're that determined to keep my beloved within my mother's web of lies? The druids are even more unscrupulous than I ever believed possible."

Apothica drew to her full height, eyes shining in rage. "Says the hypocrite. I see the way my prince acts around you, the way you look at him. To think, my brother died for less than nothing." Lotor clenched his jaw and she released her iron grip. Stepping back, she said, "Jerasho sent me to inform you there is food waiting in the dining hall." She turned with a swirl of her dress and robes and strode away.

Lotor glared at her retreating back. Then his stomach growled and he winced. The thought of food made him salivate and simultaneously nauseous. He'd reached his limits some time ago. Only willpower kept him moving. He straightened his shirt sleeve and returned to the exam room.

Shiro was hidden behind a changing curtain. Frenik continued making notes until Shiro drew back the curtain fully clothed. He shifted and pulled at the collar uncomfortably. Frenik glanced up and set aside the chart. "How does it fit?"

"A bit tight," Shiro admitted.

Frenik made a small noise. "Hmm. It seems your dimensions are fractionally different than I'd thought."

Shiro raised an accusing eyebrow. "You took my measurements?"

"Perhaps it is due to the altean style," Lotor rescued before Frenik revealed too much. "Galran attire is a bit more fluid and relaxed. I'm sure we can find something more comfortable if it annoys you too much, paladin."

"I don't want to be a bother," he quickly apologized. "And it's just Shiro."

"In that case," Frenik brought the conversation back to point, "you're free to go. I see no reason to keep you under medical observation and I have other matters to attend. Paladin Shiro, send for me if you begin to suffer any strange unexplained symptoms. Lotor can guide you through the manor, though I recommend plenty of rest and healthy calories."

Lotor half smiled at Shiro. "If you'll follow me, I believe the dining hall is prepared for us."

Shiro returned a smile. "Alright. Lead on."

Lotor opened the door and motioned Shiro out with an arm. The med bay went dark as they left. Surprisingly, the druids were nowhere to be seen until they actually entered the dining hall. And then it was only Jerasho. He stood at the head of the table and bowed his head. "Prince Lotor, Paladin, milord Keitaran has commanded my service to you both. If I may be of assistance, you need only ask."

Lotor resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow and took a seat. "Very well. Shiro, please." He gestured across from him and Shiro hesitantly chose a chair. Lotor noticed him glance uneasily at the druid and shiver. Placing his cloth napkin across his lap, Lotor said, "Where is your liege, if I may ask?"

Jerasho poured their drinks and answered, "He is attending my mistress. I believe they took a constitutional through the west wing. Should I ask her something on your behalf, Imperial Prince?"

Lotor kept his expression neutral and replied, "That won't be necessary. What of Acxa?"

"The Retribution is scheduled to return late tomorrow."

Lotor lifted his cup and said, "Your service is no longer required. You're excused."

Jerasho set the decanter on the table and bowed his head again with that fluid grace the druids bore and left the dining hall. Shiro exhaled and put his head in his hands. "How do you keep your composure? They creep me out so much."

"Experience?" Lotor answered with an honestly confused lilt to his voice. "I told you Haggar is my mother. I've dealt with their oddities my entire life."

"Right. So if Haggar is your mother, then who is your father?"

Lotor choked as he sipped his beverage and discreetly cleared his throat. "Ah... that would be the late emperor, Zarkon."

"Oh," Shiro said quietly in the following silence. "That must have been hard growing up... but you said 'late' and Keith said the empire had an empress."

Lotor stared into his cup. "There was a delicate situation between the empire and the paladins. In a turn of events, I challenged Zarkon to a blood duel and committed patricide. I believe that was around a deca-pheob after you went missing. My aunt, Krolia, lit the Kral Zera and ascended the throne much later."

"Damn. Zarkon lived nearly a year after the coalition strike?"

Lotor swirled his drink and grimaced. "'Live' is a generous description. When I returned to the empire to rule as regent, my father was comatose. Haggar refused to admit that his brain was inactive to the general populace. She didn't even let me see him on his deathbed. Through dark alchemy, she brought him back, an even more destitute husk of himself than returned the first time.

"Killing him was a mercy... even if I damned myself for murdering my own father." Lotor took a drink and set his glass down. Leaning in the chair, he looked at Shiro with a soft smile. "I met your brother shortly after."

"My brother," Shiro mumbled with a light chuckle. "Even though I always took care of him, we never really talked about that... how we'd become the only family we had. The way he spoke almost makes it easier to believe so much time passed. He's different... in a good way."

Lotor reached for a platter of bite size sandwiches and stacked three on his plate. Passing to Shiro, he explained, "He has been influenced by many good people. After the coalition strike, he spent a deca-pheob training with his mentor, Kolivan, to learn more about his mother's people. You'll be surprised to hear his relationship with Keith became more paternal. Keith considers the blade leader a surrogate father."

Shiro was in the middle of eating a finger sandwich whole and made a muffled sound. He chewed and swallowed. "Kolivan? Who'd have thought he had a soft side. Is he here now?"

Lotor shook his head. "No. The blades have resumed their role as guardians of the royal bloodline of Daibazaal. Kolivan himself is one of two consorts to the empress."

"Why do you use that word? It's not quite the same thing as spouse, right?" Shiro used a serving spoon to scoop a vegetable salad onto his plate and stabbed with his fork.

Again Lotor shook his head. "Galra are not traditionally polygamous lovers, choosing to remain true through centuries. We also do not hold ceremonies like humans, though they are beautiful in their own ways. Krolia believed her first lover dead and allowed Kolivan to court her. Shortly before she ascended as empress, it was discovered otherwise."

"Well, okay, but I thought Honerva was empress, not consort."

Lotor rolled his eyes. "That is simply a difference in sex. Zarkon was emperor. He married in the altean fashion and she became his empress. Krolia became empress, but she needs no emperor to rule, thus making Prince Alphonse and Kolivan, Leader of the Blades, consorts. And she already has an heir, two in fact... though the situation is a bit construed."

"So back to Keith," Shiro said in a straightforward manner. He reached for a potawka fruit and palmed it. "I know he's part galra, but why would he..."

"Ally into a romantic partnership with the son of a tyrant?" Lotor took a potawka for himself and used a talon to slice through the tough outer peel. "It was a gamble on every front. We played our hand close to our chest to protect one another. Most of the empire didn't even know the identity of my consort. Though, for a brief time, neither did I."

"'Your' consort?" Shiro pointed out with a slight edge to his tone.

Lotor's eyes snapped to Shiro. The black paladin's intense stare brought back an anxiety five deca-pheobs in the making. Lotor remembered the gala. The anger that that 'Shiro' portrayed originated within the man before him. This had nothing to do with what had happened to him and everything to do with protecting his little brother. Lotor straightened in his chair. "Whatever you think of me is false."

Shiro blinked and grabbed his knife. Peeling the potawka without breaking eye contact, he said, "You're not doing a good job convincing me. Try harder."

Lotor felt the beginning of a sneer and bit into the fruit. "What you're suggesting is true. However, the situation has flipped. I may be Haggar's son, I may even be your enemy... but believe me when I say my life has no meaning without him. How could it be any different? I am a child of the House of Lethua."

"That means nothing to me," Shiro stated, shifting like a cat playing with its prey.

Lotor snapped, "If you'll let me finish." Shiro bit into his fruit and gestured by way of granting permission. Feeling the sting from his mockery, Lotor drew to his full sitting height. "Have you never felt so strongly for someone you'd recompose the heavens to earn a single glance from the one who captured your heart? Have you been struck speechless, immobile, by the sound of a voice so beautiful, you'd beg it to be the last sound you ever heard?

"Have you ever been so conquered by love that you'd kill hundreds to protect the one person in the universe you'd die without?" Lotor felt the muscles on his neck tense with the strength of his proclamation. His hands shook beneath the table. All the while Shiro never broke eye contact. Lotor continued, "That, paladin, is the legacy of my bloodline. Keith is everything and more to me. Look around us! I followed him to the den of my enemies. There is nothing I won't do for him."

Shiro didn't move, didn't breathe, while they held their standoff. Lotor looked away first with a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. Folding his arms, he muttered, "I knew you'd never approve of my intentions." Standing, he felt his appetite desert him yet again. "When you are ready, I will take you to your brother." Feeling crushed and wounded, he retreated from the dining hall and draped himself in the window seat. Pillowing his head on his arm, his words played over in his head while the black paladin's disapproval haunted his memory.

Shiro pushed away the food and folded his hands on the table. Glaring at nothing, he considered what he'd been told so far. It felt like next to nothing. He needed to get real information. Unbiased. Cold facts without a passionate voice skewing the tone.

His brows furrowed even more. That man, Lotor, believed what he'd said. He truly thought he loved Keith to his dying breath. Zarkon had thought the same thing about Honerva. Look how that turned out. And what about killing people for Keith? The kid he knew wouldn't let anyone get hurt on his behalf. In the end, Lotor had been honestly hurt that Shiro hadn't believed him. Which made him wonder why Lotor had doubted him in the first place.

He needed to talk to someone he knew. Someone familiar with a solid emotional base. Closing his eyes, Shiro exhaled slowly and reached deep within himself. Deeper. Where the ties that bound him originated. He envisioned them around him. Circling him like ropes. In his mind's eye, he reached out and touched one. A low growl answered him.

Shiro smiled and whispered, "Blue." The lion pulled his consciousness forward and when he opened his eyes, he was standing upon a moonlit plain surrounded by stars. He looked around and called, "Lance?"

"Takashi?"

That voice was much deeper than the one he'd expected. He spun around to face who had spoken and asked, "Who are you? Where's Lance?"

The man was taller than him by a few inches. White hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. A short beard of matching white marred his dark skin. He was altean, given away by the light blue markings beneath the outer corners of his eyes. Blue like the paladin armor he wore. Shiro didn't know any alteans besides Allura or Coran, but he couldn't ignore the feeling that he'd met this man before. There was something familiar, something that he'd looked at hundreds of times.

The man stood with mouth agape, eyes wide. He shook his head and drawled, "Takashi, it's me, Alphonse. Keith's father."

Shiro shot back to the present and fell from the chair gasping. He struggled to control his breathing, only noticing the tremors in his body when he saw his hand shaking against the tiles. Cold sweat ran down his back. Alphonse. Alphonse was alive, altean, and the blue paladin. Where was Lance? Had something happened? He was too shaken up to get back to that calm space that had brought him to Blue.

Standing, he braced on the table until he could breathe. Wait... Alphonse... Lotor had said the empress's consort was named Prince Alphonse. Fuck. He struggled to keep calm. Don't jump to conclusions. Patience, Shiro.

He swallowed hard and took a long drink from his cup. Scowling out of habit, he noted it actually tasted pretty good. Not quite as strong as he'd hoped, but alcoholic none the less. Regaining a vague sense of calm, he walked to the door Lotor had left by and pushed it open.

Glancing around, he spotted the galra asleep on the soft cushions of a wide lounge built into the wall beneath the window. Shiro approached somewhat cautiously, glancing down the halls. They were alone. He considered leaving Lotor there, but Keith's warning cautioned him about wandering alone. He examined the galra closer.

He had curled up slightly, one leg bent toward his torso. His long white hair partially covered his face, but what Shiro could see was peaceful. He was young. Much younger than the ten thousand years Zarkon had been reigning. Shiro groaned. Did that mean Zarkon and Haggar had... He buried that thought before it could go any further. There was no way he wanted to think about that. Still, Lotor looked vulnerable where he lay. Shiro sighed. Why did he have to be so weak for people like that.

He reached out and murmured, "Prince Lotor?"

Lotor stretched and inhaled sharply. Opening his eyes, he moved away from Shiro's hand and sat up with as much dignity as he could muster while a strand of hair stuck to a line of drool on his chin. Wiping his mouth with the back of a hand, he asked, "Are you ready to go?"

Shiro folded his arms and nodded. "Yeah."

Lotor glanced at Shiro's arms and something flashed through his eyes. Crestfallen, he stood and it seemed to take all his energy to lift his shoulders and chin. "Then follow me. I believe Keith and my mother are still within the west wing."

Shiro watched Lotor, trying to pay attention to subtleties. Anything that varied from their conversation at the dinner table. He didn't try striking up small talk again. Shiro was partially grateful for the silence. He had enough things on his mind as it was. They reached a long hall where a door had been half opened. Music came from within.

Lotor inhaled and his pace increased marginally. When they stood in the doorway, his gaze locked on two figures to one side of the room. Shiro blinked and took in the full situation. Six druids, five spread near the edge with the sixth near Haggar in the middle. Keith played some kind of instrument similar to a guitar. Haggar wore a loose gown, her long white hair pulled back from her face in a braided half ponytail. She held hands with the girl from before and they danced with laughter while they sang the unfamiliar lyrics along with Keith.

Keith stepped forward and bowed to Haggar. The girl relinquished her hand and Haggar held her dress in one hand and rested her other on Keith's shoulder. They danced the circuit in time with the music Keith played. After a minute, he slung the instrument behind his back and took both of Haggar's hands. He led her to a strange contraption and sat her at a bench. Long wires spanned from floor to ceiling and now that Keith had stopped playing, Shiro heard what sounded like a harp even before Haggar touched the strands.

Keith smiled and placed her hands upon the instrument. Haggar's shoulders sagged and she relaxed as her hands strummed. Shiro shivered at the echoing chords that struck deep in his chest. After a moment, Keith sat opposite her and added his own harmonies. Shiro heard Lotor gasp and looked over to see the prince covering his mouth, eye shining with tears. Shiro sidled closer as the music started in earnest and asked, "Lotor, what is this?"

"My mother... Honerva. I didn't know she remembered." Lotor's breath stuttered as he held back his tears. "Talias... my father's sister... I've been such a fool." He sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "I didn't know Keith had taught himself to play. Talias would be proud."

"Go to them."

Shiro and Lotor looked over where the doctor from before stood. Taking the first brave steps, Lotor crossed the ballroom and stood at Keith's shoulder. Keith smiled up at him before bending his body with the music. Shiro looked sidelong at the doctor and stepped back into the hall. The doctor followed.

"Are you still feeling well?"

Shiro snuck a glance through the door. "Not particularly. It feels so wierd in there. Like I'm looking at something from a different timeline."

The doctor chuckled. "That is not at all strange, considering."

"Hmm?"

The doctor leaned into the wall. "Honerva has what my prince described as an induced form of dementia from over exposure to raw quintessence. I spent nearly two of your earth years studying diagnosis and treatment plans to better help Keitaran care for her. I even got in touch with your acquaintances the Holts."

Shiro's attention snapped back to the doctor. "Sam and Coleen? He isn't a prisoner?"

The doctor's expression tightened for a moment. "I am sorry, I thought Lotor had told you. The paladins rescued Sam Holt as part of a hostage exchange six and a half deca-pheobs past. Katie Holt found her brother, Matt, at a rebel outpost shortly before that. They are safe."

Shiro's blood pressure dropped suddenly and he leaned into the opposite wall and slid to the floor. He put his forehead on his knees and focused on breathing. The doctor knelt beside him and put two fingers to his pulse. Shiro assured, "I'm fine. I just need a moment."

"Of course, Paladin Shiro. Earthlings have strong constitutions that fail at equally strong emotions. I studied long enough beneath my teacher to spot such things."

Shiro looked up. "Your teacher... Keith mentioned you were trained by the best. Your name's... Frenik, right?"

The doctor nodded with a hand over his heart. "I am honored you remembered. Yes, my name is Frenik and I trained beneath Talias of the House of Lethua when she returned to the empire thirty five deca-pheobs past."

Shiro looked through the open door at Haggar where she and Keith still played that strange duet. "Talias... She's related to Lotor?"

"Yes," Frenik agreed. "She practically raised the young prince when they emerged from an altean pod much like the one my prince found you in. Ten thousand years ago on Daibazaal, she loved her brother and his wife so dearly that she taught her secrets of the solar harp to the altean noblewoman before you. The rumors misled to another. Keith has been learning all he can to help her remember the woman she was... the woman his aunt loved as a sister."

"Keith's aunt?"

Frenik blinked slowly. "I doubt I need to confirm it if you've drawn that conclusion. There is one thing I wish you to see with your own eyes. Look within the ballroom. View everyone in there. Tell me... who holds the power within?"

Shiro shook his head. "That's obvious."

"You're wrong," Frenik denied with a low chuckle. "I left the empire at the behest of Prince Alphonse, but I did so not because of anything he could tell me. My prince has been such an influence to so many people. All I needed was to see what he's accomplished to know my faith was placed in the right person. Look again. What you see are the dying remnants of a lost culture. This is all that remains of altea's alchemists. I tell you the truth, Keitaran holds the true power in this room. His word is law to the druids. How do you think it is you've walked about so freely these last hours? Very soon, my prince will make his move, and he will return to his mother's side to rule beneath her as leader of this coven."

"Your prince?"

Frenik lifted his head in pride. "Yes. Your brother, Prince Keitaran, son of Krolia of the House of Lethua, heir to the blood empress of the empire."