This little one off story is based on a plot bunny I actually originally had as a teen-ager 30 years ago. I didn't write back then, but I would play and replay this scene in my head. I thought it should be a part of a Voltron episode. Granted the original plot bunny has matured A LOT with time and experience, the basis of the plot bunny is still there.
This is a stand-alone fic unrelated to any of my other fics. It takes place in DOTU later in the series. The boys had been on Arus for a while, and Allura was very aware of Keith.
I hope you enjoy my quarter century old plot bunny.
Enjoy! Happy New Year! I have been working on this for quite a few years.
Disclaimer: WEP owns Voltron and its characters. I just own this plot bunny that has haunted me for 20 plus years.
Truth or Drink
Part 1 Rated M
"Come on, Allura," Romelle implored with a whine to her voice. "Don't be such a goody-two-shoes. What could possibly happen?"
Pursing her lips at being called a goody-goody, the princess of Arus stared at her look-alike cousin. Two identical pairs of azure blue eyes locked over the metallic bottle of Honey Dew Drop wine, smuggled to Planet Arus from Pollux by the mischievous Princess Romelle. "I am not a goody-goody," Allura argued. "I just don't want to get caught by Nanny or Koran."
Older by two years and with no parents or guardians to watch over her and control her every move, the Polluxian princess had a naughty side and she sat determined to entice her younger cousin to engage in some debauchery on this Friday evening. "Pooh on Nanny and Koran," Romelle scoffed. "Allura, you are twenty-three years old and of legal age. Don't you think it's about time to let your hair down and have a little fun?"
"Of course, I want to have fun," Allura relented, "but does that fun have to involve drinking?"
"For tonight, yes it does," the Polluxian princess stated emphatically, reaching for the silver bottle. Pulling a wine bottle opener out of the pocket of her ice blue satin robe, Romelle efficiently corked the bottle. When the contents bubbled over and threatened to spill onto the lush cream-colored carpet of Allura's sitting room, Allura quickly handed her the two wine glasses that sat ready and waiting on the coffee table. Pouring a healthy serving into one glass and then the other, Romelle handed the first goblet to Allura. "Here try this. I promise you're going to like it."
The Arusian princess grimaced at her cousin and took the wine goblet begrudgingly. Wrinkling her dainty nose, she lifted the wine goblet and sniffed its contents. A pleasantly sweet, tangy aroma invaded her nostrils. Lifting her eyebrows in surprise, she raised her eyes to meet Romelle's. With a gentle nod, Allura noticed her older cousin encourage her to try the wine. Raising the wine glass to her lips, she took a small sip.
The wine was surprisingly sweet with a slight carbonation that tickled her taste buds. Allowing the sweet liquid to sit on her tongue for a moment, Allura almost coughed when a second surge of sweetness, more potent than the first, hit her taste buds. Choking mildly, she gulped and let the magical liquid slide down her throat. Mesmerized at how delicious the Polluxian wine tasted, she helped herself to a second, much larger sip. Knowing she could not deny herself the pleasure of the enticing drink, she smiled in resignation and defeat at her cousin. Romelle squealed in delight at her small victory and topped off the wine in each of the princess' goblets.
It was a time for celebration. The Polluxian princess and her consort, Sven Holgersson, were visiting Arus on an extended vacation. Two weeks before, Doom had been devastatingly defeated in a fierce battle, and the Doomian fleet, under the command of Prince Lotor, limped back to Planet Doom like a dog with its tail between its legs. The Voltron Force of Planet Arus and the Royal Fleet of Planet Pollux were both instrumental in the victory. With little chance of Doom attacking any time soon, both military outfits had been granted a two week leave by their respective princesses. As a result, three of the five members of the Voltron Force, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk, had travelled back to Earth to visit friends and family.
Only Keith remained on Arus. With his parents dying years ago, he really had no one left on Earth to go home to. Because Keith chose to stay behind, Princess Romelle and Sven decided to travel to Arus on their vacation. Romelle hoped for some girl time with Allura, while Sven planned on honing his defensive skills with Keith, one of the few opponents he had ever come across who was truly a worthy adversary. The men had spent the day strength training and sparring in the Castle of Lions' state of the art gym. Having finished a few hours ago, they left the girls after dinner to play a favorite and fierce game of cards in the Force's rec room. Where they ended up, neither girl knew.
With Sven occupied with Keith, Princess Romelle wanted some one on one time with her younger cousin. The two princesses grew up estranged from each other and only met in recent years. They really did not know each other very well. Romelle hoped the trip would allow the two cousins to remedy that situation. She wanted a close bond between them, akin to sisters. Romelle also hoped to get to the bottom of something that had been nagging her for a while.
Having watched Allura prance around her feelings for Keith for the last couple of years, the Polluxian princess knew her younger cousin was in love with the handsome Terran pilot. She was also pretty sure that the commander of the Voltron Force was just as equally smitten with the beautiful Arusian monarch. Part of her reason for coming to Arus on vacation was to hopefully set those romantic wheels in motion. So far, she had had no such luck. With the help of a bottle of Honey Dew Drop wine, she hoped she could get Allura to drop her inhibitions and admit her feelings aloud. Even better if she could be persuaded to admit them to Keith. Watching her cousin down her first glass of wine in under ten minutes flat, Romelle smiled to herself as she gazed at Allura.
The Arusian princess lounged on her couch, her back propped up against the arm of the sofa and her feet stretched out on the seat next to her. Dressed in a pink satin robe over a matching satin and lace nightgown, Allura laughed nervously at Romelle's intense scrutiny. Her eyes shone brightly in her slightly flushed face as she gazed evenly back at her cousin. With a dainty little hiccup, the princess of Arus held out her glass, indicating to Romelle that she wanted a refill. As her cousin obliged, Allura acknowledged that she was already feeling the effects of the wine after her first glass with a small, nervous giggle.
This was going to be easier than I thought, Romelle couldn't help but think. Honey Dew Drop wine tasted sweet, went down easily, and had a rather high alcohol content. Lowering one's inhibitions was only an added bonus. Allura had already finished one glass and had started on her second. Suddenly, an idea popped into Romelle's head. Smirking mischievously, the Polluxian princess gazed knowingly at her cousin.
The look did not go unnoticed by Allura. "What?" she questioned before taking another hearty sip of wine. Gazing at the Polluxian princess over her goblet, she waited for Romelle to speak.
"Have you ever played Truth or Drink?" Romelle asked innocently.
"Truth or Drink?" Allura repeated. She shook her head quickly. "No. What is it?"
"It's a game you play with alcohol," Romelle explained. "We take turns making statements. The statements can be about anything. If you are willing to admit the truth of the statement, you simply say 'truth.' If you're not willing to admit the truth or can't admit the truth because it's false, you take a drink."
Cocking her head at Romelle, Allura considered the game. Not having any female friends her age around the castle, she thought about how it might be fun to share some innocent secrets with her cousin. Wanting a close relationship, the princess admitted to herself that this would certainly be an interesting way to open up to Romelle. Reaching a decision, Allura nodded. "Ok," she agreed. "Let's play."
A triumphant smile bloomed over Romelle's face. Shifting her eyes to glance at a nearby painting, Romelle contemplated her first statement. "I am a princess," she stated simply.
Rolling her eyes, Allura groaned. "You're going to start with that?" she moaned. "Fine, true. I am a princess." Neither girl took a drink.
Smiling at Allura's reaction, Romelle said to Allura, "Now it's your turn."
"Ok," Allura sighed. "Um….I pilot Blue Lion." She smiled triumphantly when her cousin had to drink some of her wine because the statement wasn't true for her. Once Romelle finished, Allura waited impatiently for her cousin's next statement.
"I love Sven," she gushed, her blue eyes sparkling as she thought about her husband. Then narrowing her eyes at the Arusian princess, Romelle smirked as she watched Allura sip her wine.
"My turn," Allura responded as the wheels in her mind began turning. At a loss for something she might be willing to admit, she contributed, "I am a natural brunette."
Bursting into laughter at the absurdity of Allura's statement, Romelle brought her goblet to her lips as her cousin did the same. Both beautiful monarchs were blessed with a cascade of golden curls that fell to their waists. Neither girl cut nor colored her hair in any way; both had been blonde since birth. Erupting into another set of giggles, the girls clinked their glasses in a mutual toast and took another hearty pull from their wine glasses.
"It's your turn," Allura reminded Romelle as she sat looking into her honey colored liquid.
Deciding it was time to turn up the heat, Romelle thought carefully about her next statement. With a sardonic look, the older cousin arched a perfect blond eyebrow and fixed her steady blue gaze on Allura. Noticing her cousin sink back slightly into the pillows, Romelle cleared her throat. "I," she began confidently, "do not find one or more of the male members of the Voltron Force attractive." Lifting her own goblet to her lips, she took a sip, acknowledging her attraction to her husband and former Blue Lion pilot.
Staring at her cousin in shock and awe, Allura just sat there. At first, she didn't know how to react. To say truth would mean she did not find any of the boys handsome, which was completely false. Drinking would acknowledge that either she felt it was false or noncommittal. Realizing her response ultimately revealed nothing, she took a sip from her own glass.
"Ah yes, very good," Romelle murmured. "That's what I thought."
"What?" Allura question, not quite sure of what her cousin was mumbling.
Waving her hand dismissively, Romelle covered for herself. "Nothing," she corrected. "I was just saying I thought it was your turn."
"It is my turn," Allura acknowledged. Biting her lip in contemplation, the Arusian princess decided to stay on the line of questioning as her cousin. With her head swimming and her vision blurred, she relaxed further against the pillow. Feeling like she could trust her cousin, she decided to let her guard down slightly. "I find Lance attractive," she admitted.
Oh, this is getting interesting, Romelle smiled to herself. Without missing a beat, she promptly sipped from her glass. Allura did the same. Narrowing her eyes, she questioned Allura. "Do you not find him attractive, or are you being evasive?"
Remembering a sarcastic quip that she learned from the Red Lion pilot, she responded, "I plead the fifth."
With a perplexed look on her face, Romelle scowled at Allura. "I don't know what that means," she stated, "but that's not an answer." Scrunching up her lips, she looked around the room as she pretended to rack her brain for the next statement. "I find Keith attractive," she challenged. Waiting for Allura to respond, she noticed a sudden change in her cousin as she sipped from her glass.
Gone was the merriment from Allura's azure eyes, replaced with a look of longing. With her breath quickened, a healthy flush creeped up Allura's chest and neck, eventually coloring her face and cheeks.
With no reaction or admission of truth, Romelle prodded gently, "Allura, I find Keith attractive. I admit that as truth. He is a very handsome man." With a quirk of her eyebrow, she smirked at Allura.
"I…I…I…," Allura stammered. "Oh I don't know!" As her face flushed to a deeper crimson, Allura covered her face with her hands. Staying like that for several long moments, she couldn't help when a giggle escaped from her lips. Lost in her giddiness, Allura raised her head to meet Romelle's perplexed look, tears streaming down her face as she got caught up in her own secret.
Patiently, Romelle waited for Allura to calm down. Staring bemusedly at her younger cousin, she giggled at Allura's seeming loss of control. The alcohol had done its trick; Allura sat relaxed and tipsy, her resolve way down. A confession was coming; Romelle just knew it.
When Allura finally pulled herself together enough to talk, she just shook her head as she smiled to herself. Finally after several long moments, the princess of Arus became very solemn and spoke quietly, "Truth. I find Keith to be very attractive." Allura had such a serious expression on her face that it seemed as if she just revealed her planet's deepest, darkest secrets. Without really meaning to, she continued, "He's amazing. Handsome, kind, compassionate, a true leader...I think I am in love with him." Gasping, she covered her mouth with her hand, immediately regretting that she had revealed so much.
Seeing Allura's heart shining in her eyes, Romelle realized how much Allura's revelation had cost her. She had just revealed what lay confined deep in her heart. Deciding to forego teasing her, she gently suggested, "Why don't you do something about it?"
Allura's blue eyes snapped on to Romelle's. "Do something about it?" Her words came out in a whispered screech. "Whatever do you mean?" Allura looked absolutely scandalized at Romelle's idea.
"Tell him how you feel," Romelle reiterated. "Allura," she soothed, trying to calm her cousin down from her drunken tirade. "It's obvious to me how you feel about Keith. I am sure it's obvious to everyone else how you feel about him. Why don't you tell him?"
"What on earth are you talking about, Romelle?" Allura questioned angrily. "I can't just tell him!"
Before the conversation could continue, Romelle's communicator suddenly beeped. Glancing up at the chronograph, she was surprised to see the time quickly approaching ten o'clock. Figuring the call was coming from her husband wondering where she was, she hit the button that allowed her to accept the call. "This is Pollux One, go ahead!" she said into the small, hand-held device.
"Greetings, my wife," came Sven's strongly accented voice over the comm. "Where are you? I expected you to be in our room, but I find our bed empty." The suggestive undertones in his voice hinted at what he had been hoping for.
Allura suppressed a giggle, as Romelle rolled her eyes. "I am with Allura in her sitting room. We are just having some wine and finishing up some girl talk. I shall be along shortly." A thoughtful expression flitted across her face as she innocently asked, "Where is Keith?"
There was a pause over the comm as Sven replied, "Keith? I believe he went back to his quarters. He was going to take a shower and read before turning in. We are both a bit battered and sore after our sparring session today."
"Roger that," Romelle acknowledged. "I will be there soon, my love. Pollux One, over and out." Turning to Allura, she stared at her in challenge. "Keith is in his room. No one else from the Force is around. They are all on Earth. What are Koran and Nanny doing this evening?
"Koran is on watch in Castle Control, and Nanny is in town visiting a friend," Allura echoed hollowly, her mind racing.
"So neither of them will be bothering you tonight," Romelle reiterated. "I think you should go to Keith and tell him how you feel."
"Romelle," Allura almost scolded. "This conversation is ridiculous. You're drunk from the Honey Dew Drop wine. I am drunk from the Honey Dew Drop wine. I think it's time to call it a night." Standing up, Allura moved gingerly across the sitting room toward her adjacent bed chamber. She was more inebriated than she realized.
"What? Are you a chicken?" Romelle challenged, speaking to Allura's retreating back.
The princess of Arus bristled noticeably from Romelle's words. Spinning on her heel to face her cousin, Allura narrowed her eyes at Romelle. A hint of fury gleamed within their azure depths. "I am no chicken," she slurred. "I rule this planet and protect it while flying Blue Lion."
"Then tell him how you feel," Romelle repeated. Pausing, she smiled as a better idea popped into her head. "Better yet, why don't you show him? I dare you."
"What?" Allura squealed. "How can I show him?" With a small hiccup, she swayed on unsteady legs.
"I dare you to walk up to Keith's door. When he opens it, plant a big old kiss on his lips, then walk away. That was communicate much louder than words how you truly feel about him." An un princess like yawn escaped Romelle's lips. "Now if you would excuse me, I really must get to my room. My husband is expecting me and I have things to do before I will be allowed to sleep." Wiggling her eyebrows at Allura, she smiled broadly when her cousin flushed. "And you, too, have things to do before you sleep," she reminded Allura as the flush deepened from pink to crimson. Standing, Romelle walked over and grabbed her cousin in a quick embrace. Before she let go, she whispered into her ear, "Do it, Allura. You may be pleasantly surprised by what comes from it." With that, she dropped her hands and left the sitting room, headed to her own guest chambers and the pleasures she knew lay behind its closed doors.
Watching her go, Allura raged a war within herself. Caught between her drunken prideful confidence and her own rational self-preservation, she didn't know what to do. On one hand, Romelle was right. There would not be a better time to approach Keith. He was alone in his hallway, the other members of the Force away on vacation. Sven was occupied with his wife, and Koran was in Castle Control. Nanny would have been a deterrent, but even she was out of the castle.
Allura realized a long time ago what she felt for the commander of the Voltron Force. He was easy on the eyes with his long raven hair, black as coal eyes, and handsome face. More often than not, she found herself fantasizing about his muscular, soldier's body. What started as an innocent crush and attraction had evolved into the deep feelings of love and an almost uncontrollable lust for the dashing commander. Allura fought day in and day out to keep the feelings she had for Keith under control, and she found that little by little, her resolve was breaking.
Now, as she sat in her sitting room, clad only in her silk nightgown and robe, she contemplated what Romelle had said. No, what Romelle had challenged. Her cousin had dared her to tell Keith. She had dared her to kiss Keith. Not one to turn away from a challenge, her pride won out over her doubt. Standing up, she swayed a bit as the room twirled. Realizing she was still a little tipsy, she headed for her bathroom to get some water and freshen up a bit before she confronted the commander. If she was going to do this, she needed to make sure she looked and smelled her best.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Romelle arrived at her quarters moments after she left Allura's. Entering quietly, she appraised the sight she found on the queen sized bed in the sleep chamber of the suite. Her eyes roved over her handsome husband, lounging shirtless against the pillows, a book clasped between his strong hands. Walking with purpose toward him, she soon forgot her own tipsiness as desire flooded her body. Forgetting her cousin and the challenge she set forth, she removed her nightgown and approached her husband. Lying down in his arms, skin against skin, she pressed her lips to his as all was forgotten except the two of them.