Chapter 30: Questioning, Questioning, and More Questioning(Allura's POV)
Allura sits across from the recent Altean pilot they've found. The pilot is a woman with curly red hair, tan skin, blue Altean cheek marks and she wears a pilot outfit like Luca. The colors are blue, black, with yellow lining. How dare Honerva dress her pilots in the traditional garb of the Altean flight uniforms when she's abusing her people and using them to do something monstrous.
She breathes in and out to calm herself. It's just an interrogation. Putting her hands on the table and clasping them together she asks, "So, Cimiru is it?"
Cimiru responds icily, "Did the two traitors tell you my name?"
"Traitors?"
"Heh, Luca and Romelle of course. They sided with our savior when he is clearly in the wrong about Honerva. She let us experience the outside world, let us experience something new then drab colony life. Besides you're no princess of mine, you abandoned us when Altea fell. Leaving us to almost die off and become nothing more than a fable. Lotor saved us, but now Honerva is bringing us back into the world, making us stop hiding, so if you think for one second that I would betray her you are dead wrong!"
"I understand, I wish I was there for you all, but that's in the past. Now please, what do you know of Honerva's plan?"
"Are you deaf? I just said I'm not betraying her to you, you filthy excuse for a princess!"
"I just want to know what's she's,"
"Planning? I bet you do. But I'm not telling,"
Cimiru then folds her arms across her chest.
"Are you aware of Honerva's future plan?"
Nothing but silence fills the air. Sighing, she asks something else, "Can you tell me what Honvera is like?...…Was there a man guiding her? One of my teammates thought he saw a man next to Honver at Oriande. Do you know who he is?...What was she trying to accomplish at Oriande?...What's she trying to accomplish now?...Was all this spurred on by Lotor's refusal to speak with her?...Does her plan involve Lotor in any way?...What is Honvera attempting to do by bringing Zethrid back?...What is Honerva's endgame?...What is Honerva's goal in all of this?...Why did she make the Robeasts?...Just tell me what she's planning!"
She slams her hands on the table. Then recomposing herself she sighs. I need a break, she thinks. Heading out of the room, she spots Luca and Romelle looking at Cimiru with worry.
Kuro then comes up beside her and puts his hand around her shoulder, "It'll be okay…"
"It's not okay. Cimiru thinks I'm not a good princess to my people, that I abandoned them, left them to fade away into other races when…"
"It is not your fault okay. Alfor chose to hide you away with the Black Lion until the time was right for new paladins to take over the fight for peace brought on by Zarkon. You didn't choose to leave the people who were stranded on offworld missions when Altea was destroyed to perish. Alfor chose. He chose to hide you away, not you. And you're doing the best you can."
"But I am not. I barely know Romelle and Luca…"
"Then maybe it's time you became friends with them….."
"I don't have time for….."
"Friends? Sure you do. You have time for me, you can have time for friends. Besides, the Paladins won't always be around for you to hang out together all the time after this is over."
She opens her mouth to protest, but then closes it realizing he's right. And once she becomes Queen she will need to assemble a new royal court and can't just consist of Coran and her. And having other friends besides the Paladins would be nice, since once this is over her new duties would be in the way of spending quality time with them.
"Ok."
"So go." Kuro gives her a little nudge in Luca's and Romelle's direction. Giving him a but of a glare, she turns her attention to them. Walking up closer to them, she swallows.
"Hi,"
Romelle responds, "Oh hi, Allura."
"I know I haven't spent much time with you, either of you. But I was wondering if you'd like to take a break from this interrogation for a while. I'm not getting anywhere and I could use a break."
Luca takes a glance at Cimiru along with Romelle, then they both share a glance together.
"A break would be nice. And I doubt any of us would get as far as you did Princess, seeming as if we're traitors in their eyes."
"Please just call me Allura."