Arus, Love, and Peace Revised Edition
Arrival Arus
Disclaimer: Voltron, Defender of the Universe isn't mine…it belongs to World Event Production and whoever they feel licensing Voltron to. The original characters like Lawrence, Asher, and Diana are all mine though. Enjoy!
Diana enjoyed the four-day, three-night trip through Space to Arus. Diana was surprised at how comfortable the spacecraft was for its size. The ship boasted two cargo bays, six rooms, a combination kitchen and dining room, a lounge, and a cockpit. The large cargo bay took up the bottom level of the ship and was currently holding needed supplies for the Castle of Lions and all the regional cities on Arus. The lower cargo hold also held supplies Diana could gather for all the towns surrounding her maternal ancestral home, Davi House. The smaller, upper cargo hold was in the back of the second level and currently held the things that Diana packed for Arus. She took half of her things and left the other half at Williams House.
The next section of the ship was the rooms. All the rooms had the same features. Each room was roughly 8 feet wide and 10 feet long with a small closet and bathroom. Each room also boasted a queen-size bed, a desk with a couple of chairs, and a small couch. There was also a window just above the bed. They left the two rooms outside the small cargo hold open. Coran's and Allura's rooms were on one side with Diana's and Keith's rooms across from theirs respectively. The ship's lounge and combined kitchen/dining room were across from each other and sat between the cockpit and the rooms. Finally, the cockpit was in front of the ship and had five stations—pilot, co-pilot, communications, navigation, and weapons station. The group took turns piloting the ship in four shifts. Coran took the first shift, Allura took the second shift, Keith took the third shift, and Diana took over the last shift. During the first three shifts, there were always two people in the cockpit. Although Diana didn't have a physical person in the cockpit with her, Arus made sure she wasn't completely alone.
The fourth shift just happened to synchronize with the late night/early morning shift at Castle Control—which to Diana's annoyance just happened to be Lance's shift that week. She had to admit that Lance had an informal manner of checking in on her. Each check-in would start with Lance hailing the ship. Diana would then answer before rolling her eyes at Lance over whatever joke Lance said. Next, Lance would ask for a status report, which Diana would provide. After hearing another remark or joke, Diana would ask Lance if there was something else Lance could be doing. Lance's reply would always be no and that she had his full attention. Diana would respond by rolling her eyes again as Lance added that he hoped that she was fully attentive to her piloting. Diana would remind Lance that she had excellent flying skills and that she hated fly-boys. Lance would then chuckle before responding that he was actually a Space Explorer which was a few steps up from that. Diana would reply with something similar to "whatever" before disconnecting the call. A couple of hours later, Lance would start the conversation again in the same cycle. Before Coran took over for the first shift on the last leg of the trip, Lance changed the cycle by stating that he was a nice guy once Diana got to know him. Diana pointed out that she doesn't have to know him—to which Lance pointed out how impossible that would be. Diana said whatever before disconnecting again and waiting for Coran to relieve her.
That interaction was five hours ago and everyone on the ship was in the cockpit as Keith took over piloting the spacecraft. Diana released a sigh of contentment when she saw Arus from Space. "It's such a beautiful and peaceful view," Diana said. "It's been years since I last had this view," Keith responded it was a better view than his first time viewing Arus as he flicked through the scanner so Diana could see how Arus looked on the surface. Diana thanked Keith as he closed the window and switched to full manual mode as they went through atmospheric entry—which was very similar to atmospheric entry on Earth. Once they left the higher atmosphere, Keith was more relaxed and angled the spacecraft to prepare for landing. Keith also maneuvered the spacecraft to fly around the castle to give Diana a preview of the newer castle. Keith reached Castle Control and was permitted to land in the hangar where Sven and Romelle were ready to leave for Pollux.
Lance, Hunk, and Pidge just left the dining room after an enjoyable lunch when Lance received the page that Keith, Allura, Coran, and Diana were preparing to land. "Thanks, Jan. We're on our way to the hangar now," Lance responded with a smile. "What are we waiting for? Let's welcome them home!" The guys changed directions and started their walk to the hangar.
"So, what is Coran's niece like?" Pidge asked. "Out of the three of us, you've had the most interactions."
"From the little conversations we had, I can tell that Diana is very intelligent," Lance answered, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm sensing a little more than that," Hunk replied.
"She can pilot a lot of things," Lance added.
"Well…is she real? I mean….is she really Coran's niece?" Hunk and Pidge asked.
"Yes, she's the real deal. Like I said, I only had limited conversations with her—basically status updates," Lance said, shrugging his shoulders before the group joined Sven, Romelle, and Nanny in a line. A couple of the Castle Guards were waiting patiently for the passengers to disembark. In the meantime, Nanny reminded the guys to treat Diana with respect before pointing to Lance and said especially him. "Who me? Nanny you have me mistaken for some other fellow. I would never be disrespectful to a lady." Hunk, Pidge, Sven, and Romelle all chuckled before Nanny shot them a disapproving look. "I promise Nanny, that I will be on my best behavior for Diana. After all, she's going to be our new teammate." Nanny nodded her head in approval before muttering something under her breath next to Lance in the line. Lance swore that Nanny said something like "she wasn't going to have both her babies piloting themselves to danger". But before he could ask Nanny to confirm what she was saying, the spacecraft finally opened its door.
Coran stepped out of the craft first and the Castle Guards saluted Coran. With a smile, Coran returned the salute before greeting each Voltron Force member on the ground with a handshake. When Coran stood in front of Romelle, he gave her a bow before sharing a quick hug. When Coran got to Nanny, he was immediately hugged and told Coran how hard it was to run the castle without him. Coran stifled a chuckle before telling Nanny that her management skills were second to none and that Allura promoted her to oversee the staff with the highest confidence. Nanny thanked Coran before Keith walked out of the ship next. Keith was also greeted with a salute that he returned. Keith went down the line and greeted his teammates and friends with a firm handshake. When Keith got to Nanny, he was surprised with a hug, and Nanny thanked him for watching over Allura on Earth. Keith responded that he was thankful that Nanny entrusted Allura's safety with him.
A couple of minutes later, Allura and Diana finally stepped out of the craft—each with a book tucked under their arm. Lance was immediately enraptured with the sight of Diana on the ramp. He quickly realized that all the pictures and videos of Diana didn't do her beauty justice. Today, Diana had her curly hair framed around her face and went just past her shoulders. Diana's bronzed skin shined from the hangar lights as the white blouse highlighted how luminous her skin was. Then Lance noticed the perfectly fit maroon pants that allowed him his first glance at Diana's legs. Even from where he stood, Lance could tell that Diana had an hourglass figure.
Diana smiled as she took in the hangar in front of her. Near the ramp was a couple of Castle Guards waiting for her and Allura to make their way down the ramp. Diana then turned her eyes to their welcome party. She didn't personally recognize Hunk or Pidge, but she did recognize Sven from a class she took about 2 or 3 years ago. Diana also noticed Nanny's unchanging look and smiled the familiarity. Diana noticed a woman who was nearly identical to Allura and realized that the lady was Romelle—Allura's cousin. Finally, Diana took the time to look at Lance and was surprised. All the pictures and videos of Lance didn't do him justice—he was much more handsome in person. Diana could tell from the distance that Lance looked to be somewhat slim—but couldn't help but admire the bangs covering his forehead or how well that leather jacket fit him. It took Diana a moment to register that Allura was ready to get down the ramp. With a smile, Diana went down the ramp with Allura. When their feet touched the ground, the guards bowed to Allura while saluting Diana. Diana smiled and returned their salute. The guards followed Allura and Diana as they went to greet the Voltron Force.
The first person they stopped to talk to was Pidge. "Diana, this is Pidge. Pidge, this is Diana Smythe-Williams," Allura said in the introduction. Diana and Pidge saluted each other before shaking hands. "Pidge is our resident tech wiz. Without his expertise, the castle systems would be nearly impossible to manage." At that moment the space mice climbed and rested on his shoulder.
"It's nothing," Pidge said with a smile.
"Pleased to meet you, Pidge. I look forward to working with you in the future on some of my projects," Diana responded with a smile. "And you have to be special because the space mice are hanging out on your shoulder."
"He is. I hope you recognize Cheddar and Cheezy. And those little ones are their kids." Allura said with a smile.
"That's so cute!" Diana exclaimed with a smile, as the space mice jumped to land on Diana's shoulder. "Hey, are you guys still keeping castle secrets?" The mice chittered and Diana chuckled. The mice ran down Diana's arm to land on Pidge's shoulder again. Diana and Allura then stopped in front of Hunk.
"Hunk, meet Diana. Diana, meet Hunk. He's our resident mechanical genius and champion of kids," Allura said as Diana and Hunk exchanged salutes and shook hands. "There's nothing he can't design or upgrade." Diana was impressed at how firm but gentle Hunk's handshake was.
"It's nothing, Princess. I love the challenge," Hunk replied, sharing a smile with Diana. "I can fix anything, so don't hesitate to come over."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hunk," Diana said, still smiling in admiration for the taller man. "I can't wait for the opportunity to work with you, too." Allura and Diana stepped over to greet Romelle, next. Allura and Romelle shared a hug before Diana did a quick curtesy. When she stood up, Romelle quickly embraced Diana in a hug.
"It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Diana. Allura told me so much about you," Romelle said with a smile. "I hope we get to spend some time in the future."
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Romelle. Allura told me all about you and your bravery," Diana responded with an admiring smile of her own. "I look forward to spending some time in the future with you, too."
"And any friend of Allura's is a friend of mine," Romelle continued.
"And always good to have another girl amongst the boys," Diana finished. Romelle and Allura laughed along with Diana before they continued to stand in front of Sven.
"Sven, meet Diana. Diana, meet Sven," Allura said with a smile and bright admiration. "Sven was our original pilot of Blue Lion. He's the best navigator I know and knows Blue better than anyone."
"Ah, Princess, you're just trying to flatter me," Sven replied in his accent after saluting and shaking hands with Diana. "And if I'm not mistaken, I believe I met Diana before a few years ago?"
Diana smiled. "Yes, I met you through a seminar class at the Academy. Most challenging class ever—navigation."
"But you got an A in it, though," Sven said with a smile. "You could probably navigate your way through or out of anywhere." Lance was impressed with this new piece of information about Diana. It wasn't every day a person made an A in Navigation. Even Keith only managed to get a B in that course—and Lance underwent tutoring to even eke out his B in the course.
"I'm nowhere near your level, Commander, but I can hold my own," Diana responded, shrugging her shoulders. "You're so legendary." Sven chuckled and responded that they're not going to have a humble-brag competition. Diana chuckled back before moving on to the next person, Lance, with Allura.
Diana and Lance immediately saluted and shook hands as Allura formally introduced them. Her words were lost to their ears as they took the moment to finally take in each other's appearances. Although they've seen each other through numerous calls, it was different to finally meet in person. As Diana went down the line with Allura, Lance was able to sneak in a few appreciative glances—but he wasn't prepared to have a full view of Diana's features. The first thing Lance noticed was that Diana's curls were tighter than he originally thought—but he loved how defined each coil was. The next thing Lance noticed was how smooth and luminous Diana's bronzed skin was. Then there was Diana's dark brown eyes that were changing into a couple of shades lighter. Lance will never forget how perfect Diana's nose and mouth were. Then there was Diana's perfectly hourglass shape underneath the blouse and slacks she was wearing. There weren't enough words in Lance's vocabulary to express how beautiful Diana was to him.
Now that she was standing in front of him, Diana was surprised at how taken she was by Lance's looks. Lance's hair was slightly thicker than she originally thought—but she loved it. Diana then noticed how Lance's skin reminded her of slightly tan eggshells. Then there was Lance's eyes—a medium shade of brown that seemed to observe and highlight a special level of intelligence. Lance's nose and mouth captivated Diana's thoughts that were competing with how Lance's leather jacket, blue shirt, and grey slacks fit his body perfectly—highlighting the slim, muscular build. If Diana thought she could get away with it—she would have fan herself like a Regency-Era noblewoman.
While still holding Diana's hand, Lance lowered his head and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "Diana, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person," Lance said with a smile.
"Same here," Diana responded as Lance released her hand at last.
"I was hoping to hear you say it's a pleasure to meet me," Lance responded.
"I literally just said that, Lieutenant."
"Just call me Lance."
Diana sighed before responding. So much for a smooth introduction, Diana thought. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Lance."
Lance smiled as he leaned closer to Diana so only she could hear his next words. "Was that so hard, Sweetheart?" Before Diana could respond, Lance straightened his body before speaking. "The pleasure, I assure you, is all mine." Diana fought to roll her eyes at Lance as she finally stood in front of Nanny. Before Allura could say a word, Nanny had Diana in a tight embrace.
"My darling Diana is finally back! I missed my favorite charge outside of The Princess," Nanny said, hugging Diana even tighter. Lance was surprised at how easily Nanny hugged Diana and even more impressed with Diana's willing acceptance. As Allura reintroduced Nanny, Lance noticed that Diana closed her eyes to keep the forming tears in her eyes at bay. When Diana opened her eyes again, Lance noticed that Diana was waiting to be released from the hug. He noticed that Diana whispered something intelligible in Nanny's ear before finally being freed from the tight embrace. "I have your room ready and it's across from The Princess' room, Diana. Just like the old days. And I'm personally cooking your favorite meal in your honor tonight!"
"Thank you, Nanny, for the warm welcome and the pleasure of experiencing your wonderful hospitality again," Diana said while sharing a smile with the older woman. "You always make me feel like I'm at home in your care. I can't wait until dinner." Diana and Allura finally stood next to Keith and Coran.
"This has been a great reunion, but it's time for us to return to Pollux," Sven said as he took Romelle's hand. "Bandor's going to call us in a panic if we don't leave soon." Romelle nodded her head before turning to hug both Diana and Allura. The ladies shared another comment before parting. It wasn't too long before Sven and Romelle took off from the hangar, leaving just the Voltron Force plus Nanny, Coran, and Diana.
"I must go and get ready to prepare dinner. I hope that everyone will be on their best behavior," Nanny said in warning before walking off to the kitchen.
"We better get to those updates, Hunk," Pidge said. "They won't happen on their own."
"Right with you, little buddy," Hunk replied following Pidge deeper into the hangar.
"I'll go on and relieve Thomas on the main console in Castle Control," Coran volunteered. "I'll see everyone at dinner." The remaining group members nodded in response.
Lance and Diana shared a suspicious look as their group got smaller and smaller. If they didn't know any better, they felt as if everyone was trying to set them up on the first day. "And I'm sure that Allura has just as much or more paperwork than I do. Lance, would you do the honor of giving Diana a personal tour of the castle?"
"Me? Are you absolutely sure you're going to work on paperwork?" Lance asked both Allura and Keith. "Because I'm starting to feel that I'm being set up, here."
Keith rolled his eyes at Lance. "I'll be in my office," Keith said as he walked away. Allura waved at Diana and followed Keith's lead by leaving the hangar.
"Let's just get this tour out of the way," Lance said, shrugging his shoulders.
"You're making it sound like giving me a tour is a chore," Diana responded, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm nobody's chore."
"It's not a chore unless you make it one, Lady."
"Could have fooled me," Diana said, taking exception to Lance's feelings about the tour. "Just give me a map and we can call it a day."
"It's just a tour…" Lance said. "You're acting like I'm taking you to the end of the galaxy. Take the tour."
"You can't make me," Diana replied as she turned her head and crossed her arms over her chest again.
Lance glared at Diana since he was starting to feel insulted. He was going to tell Diana to suit herself—but then he thought back to when he first arrived on Arus. The escape from Doom was nerve-racking and the walk to the castle seemed endless. Not to mention that the situation was looking hopeless. Then Lance thought about Diana's situation. He thought that she might be anxious about being back to a cherished childhood spot. Then Lance thought about how tired she might have been after days of space travel. Finally, Lance thought about how this might be Diana's first long-distance space travel as an adult and that their earlier conversations probably didn't help. Lance sighed as he thought of a way to get Diana's cooperation. Diana heard the sigh and turned to face him with her arms at her side again. The book that she was carrying fell towards the ground. Lance quickly grabbed the book before it hit the hangar floor and held it out to her.
"Thank you," Diana said softly as she took the book from Lance. Diana could feel her resolve to completely ignore Lance disappearing.
"Hey, look…" Lance started as he reached for Diana's shoulder. "I know that you're probably anxious about being here again for the first time in years. You also might be tired from the long flight and probably have been in some form of anxiety since you left Earth. Can we start over?"
Diana thought about Lance's suggestion and decided that a fresh start couldn't hurt. "Yes, let's start over," Diana said softly before Lance smiled in response. "Hello, my name is Diana Suzanne Smythe-Williams and I'm pleased to finally meet you in person," Diana said as she extended her hand for a handshake.
"Hello, Diana. My name is Lance Charles McClain and the pleasure is all mine to finally meet you in person," Lance responded before taking Diana's hand and giving it a soft kiss. "I'd also like to say that you're even more beautiful in person."
"Thank you for the compliment, Lance," Diana said with a smile as Lance released her hand. "But flattery gets you nowhere."
Lance laughed before responding. "That's where you're wrong, My Lady. Flattery can open the right doors if done correctly."
It was Diana's turn to laugh before responding. Lance's response to her last remark reminded Diana of one of Nanny's etiquette lessons. "Aren't you charming, Lance?"
"Am I charming enough to give you a tour of the castle?" Lance asked as he extended his arm to Diana. With a smile, Diana took a couple of steps and linked her arm to his.
"Oh, I don't know…I normally don't link my arm with just anyone," Diana said with a grin. Lance chuckled in response.
"Touche. Let's get this show on the road," Lance said. "Of course, we're standing in the main hangar. Most of the spacecraft and other vehicles are stored here."
"No kidding," Diana said sarcastically. "I know what a hangar is and I did just come into one."
"The tour just started and you're already throwing one-liners," Lance said with a smile. "Let me find out you got a mouth on you." Lance wanted to add more on how surprisingly attractive that was to him but decided to leave it out.
"What are you going to do? Tell Nanny on me?" Diana asked jokingly.
"No. It'll kill all the fun I can have," Lance said with laughter in his voice. "Diana, I can give as much as I can receive," Lance boasted.
"So can I, Lieutenant, so can I," Diana replied. Lance laughed as he led Diana out into the courtyard.
"Hopefully this is the start of a beautiful friendship," Lance said as he stretched out his hand around the area. "This is the courtyard. As you can see we have a small gazebo in the middle surrounded by shrubs and paths to all the main entrances to the castle. You can also see the castle bridge and the moat underneath. Which works out well because…"
"It's the only way of getting out of the castle and into open space. Also makes it a little easier to control and protect." Diana finished.
"That's right. Let's stop at the stables. Horseback is one of the more dependable ways of getting around Arus right now." Diana nodded before walking to the stables. After greeting some of the staff, Lance pointed out all the different amenities before introducing Diana to the horses. It wasn't too long before Lance stopped in front of his favorite horse. "And here's Quicksilver. She's my horse and the best one ever, aren't you girl?" Lance cooed to the horse. Quicksilver responded with a neigh.
"She's beautiful, Lance. But what's the name of the horse over there?" Diana said as she walked over to the large white horse that was across and three stalls from Lance. As beautiful as the horse was, it was just as mean to everybody in the castle.
"That's Winter. For whatever reason, he doesn't let anyone come close to him—much less ride him. I would—" Lance stopped as Diana casually walked over to Winter's stall. Lance started to run to save Diana but stopped when he saw how gentle Winter was to Diana.
"Hey, Winter. You're so perfect!" Diana cooed to the horse while petting its mane. "You're so handsome. Hopefully, we can become friends, and you'll let me take a ride on your back." Diana continued cooing to Winter's extreme delight. Diana stopped petting the mane and Winter immediately nudged Diana to pet some more. "Ok, ok. I'll pet you some more. And I bet you love apples and never get enough?" More neighing from Winter. Diana smiled and turned to Lance. "I thought you said that Winter didn't like people—"
"He doesn't," Lance said as he walked closer to Diana. Winter started growling at Lance. "See!"
Diana laughed as she finished petting Winter. "It's ok Winter. I'll keep your secret." Diana promised with a smile before standing at Lance's side. "Where to, next?"
"We'll cut through the courtyard so we can go through the main entrance," Lance replied. They walked out of the stables and followed the path that went by the gazebo. Diana remarked at how romantic the gazebo in the courtyard could be—even with it standing in the middle of a large open area. Lance agreed and stated that it provided an interesting contrast. Lance stopped when they made it to the front door. "Let's do inside voices unless…"
"Please don't tell me those details," Diana responded without thinking. Lance whipped his head to face Diana. He wasn't expecting to hear those words out of Diana's mouth.
"Hey, get your mind out of the gutter," He responded. "I was going to say unless it's a major emergency. A lot of the staff still get startled easily."
"I'm sorry for that, Lance," Diana said sheepishly.
"No offense taken," Lance responded before grinning. "However, if you ever wanted to be loud freely you can always visit my room. It's soundproof and…"
"Now it's your turn to get your mind out of the gutter," Diana said with a smile. Lance laughed and said fair enough before opening the door and letting Diana step in first.
"This is the great hall. This is where we meet or greet everyday citizens before allowing them further access into the castle," Lance said as he stretched his arms. The great hall was decorated with the Arus Royal Banner on the highest rafter in the center of the room. The banner was then flanked by the coat of arms for each noble family—including hers just to the right of the royal banner. Lance noticed when Diana was ready for the tour to continue before guiding her to both the sitting room and the ballroom. Lance explained that the sitting room was where guests could mingle while a ball or reception was happening. The next room Lance featured was the throne room and the raised balcony behind the throne room. Lance pointed out that the throne room is where formal ceremonies and special events for citizens happen.
The next stop of the tour was the library. Lance highlighted the different sections, reading rooms, and even the research rooms to Diana. It didn't escape Diana's attention that Lance knew the library well or that all the female library staff knew Lance well. "I'm wondering, Lance. Do you actually visit the library for its purpose?"
"Diana, I'm shocked. Of course, I do. I read here occasionally, I also meet some of the—" Lance's response was interrupted by one of the castle maids who asked if he wanted to go into his favorite room in the library. Hiding a blush, Lance said not this time, and the maid walked away barely recognizing Diana at all. "Anyway…"
"Studying, hmm?" Diana remarked, shaking her head. Figures he'll be a playboy Diana thought to herself.
Lance crossed his arms before replying. "I'll have you know that I do study other things than human anatomy here. Occasionally," Diana noticed that Lance seemed a little insulted, but couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or not.
"I'm sure. Let's just continue with the tour," Diana diplomatically replied. She was anxious to see the other rooms but made a note to visit the library and start refreshing up on her Arusian history when she came back from the Davi-Smythe lands next week. "I didn't mean to throw stones."
Lance softened his stance before responding. "You didn't throw any stones. I'm just not used to someone's mouth moving as fast as mine." Lance smiled as he extended his arm to Diana again. "Let's continue. Next up is Castle Control." Diana quickly linked her arm to Lance's arm again before making their way to Castle Control. When they arrived at Castle Control, Coran was scanning the more remote areas of Arus for signs of activity. Noticing Diana and Lance, Coran beaconed them to join him at the main station. After giving Diana a summary of the room and stating that she'd help with taking over some of the shifts, Diana responded that she'd be more than happy to take on the task. Diana then asked if it was still possible for her to spend her first week in the Davi-Smythe lands. Coran confirmed that she'll be able to go tomorrow morning as promised. Diana stated she was looking forward to going back to the ancestral lands for both personal and professional reasons.
The next stop on the tour was the dining rooms and the kitchen. Lance allowed Diana to get a peek at the formal dining room where formal and state dinners were held. When they walked to the regular dining room, Lance explained how everyone in the castle had access to it. "And since the castle staff has returned in full, there are several dining times for everyone," Lance said with a smile. "Lower castle personnel and guards usually have the first meal times. Officers and Royal personnel usually have the second meal times. We usually eat during the last meal times."
"I like the different mealtimes idea. If you miss a meal, does Nanny still set aside a few plates for anyone?" Diana asked.
"Yes, several plates for every shift," Lance answered. "And even more so if that person isn't hungry."
Diana chuckled. "Nanny just can't stand for someone to miss a meal. I remember the times when I visited the castle and wouldn't eat. Nanny would personally make sure I had something in my stomach anyway." Lance chuckled and pointed out how many small battles the guys lost to Nanny when they thought they were helping to stretch the rations when Nanny returned to the castle. Diana laughed even more as they approached the kitchen.
The kitchen was in the midst of early dinner preparations. "As you can see, this is the kitchen. Pots, pans, and people everywhere. Looks like everyone is going to enjoy your favorite meal tonight. Anyway, let's go before Nanny catches us here. She hates it if anyone outside the kitchen staff is found here." Diana nodded as they walked out of the kitchen and back to the dining room again. "On second thought, stay here. I'm sure you would probably like to have a snack."
"It's okay, you don't have—" Before Diana could finish her answer, Lance had already walked into the kitchen again for a snack. Diana remembered all the times Nanny swatted her butt because she was sneaking snacks out of the kitchen. Those were some painful swats, too. Moments later, Diana heard some loud noises coming from the kitchen before seeing Lance ducking and dodging Nanny's swings.
"Lance, I told you about sneaking in here to get a snack!" Nanny bellowed through the room. "Don't let me catch you in here again. I can't swat your behind, but I bet even a pot can teach you a lesson," Nanny finished in a huff returning to her kitchen domain.
Diana laughed at Lance before speaking. "I was going to tell you that you probably wouldn't get away with that snack. I swear that woman has an extra set of eyes behind her head. I also experienced several painful swats to prove it."
"Or maybe I would," Lance said, shrugging his shoulders as he took a large apple out of his pocket. "Let's continue with our tour. So many more rooms to show, you know." Lance took out his pocket knife and cut the apple down the middle into halves. He offered Diana the first piece and she took it gratefully. Diana bit into the apple and was so relieved and happy to taste the fresh juice in her mouth. "I'm a master at getting the snacks I want from the kitchen," Lance bragged as they took the stairs to the next floor. "Among other things…"
Diana softly chuckled. "I see. Thank you for the delicious and quick snack. Maybe you can teach me how to be stealthier in the kitchen."
Lance smiled in response as he led Diana to the office wing. Diana admired Lance's back as she walked closely behind him. She didn't realize it earlier—but Lance's body was more muscular than she originally thought. Lance might be naturally slim—but his slim body was packed with tight muscles everywhere. When they stopped, Lance turned to Diana. "This is the office wing," Lance replied, moving his arm to indicate the area. "I don't envy those with duties that require a full-time office and paperwork," Lance stated.
"That's what everyone speaks about until they're faced with that added responsibility," Diana replied. "So whose office is where?"
"The first office here is Keith's office," Lance replied. Without knocking on the door, he opened the door and saw that Keith was in his office during reports as promised. "You're actually doing paperwork?" Lance asked Keith.
"What did you think I was going to do?" Keith snapped back. "And how many times do I have to tell you to knock on the door before entering?"
"It's more fun to just burst in. Since I'm the only person that barges in, you'll always know it's me." Lance replied, taking the core pieces of the apple and placing it in Keith's trashcan.
Keith shook his head and went back to work. "You did a great job with the reports while I was gone," Keith said with a smile before flipping a few files. "Whenever you're done watching me work, close the door behind you," Keith stated without looking up from the files. Lance reminded Keith that the only reason why he doesn't do the reports more often is because he hates doing them. Keith snorted as they left the office and Lance made sure the door was closed behind him.
"Across from the commander's office is Coran's office." Lance pointed out Coran's office. "Next to Coran's office is Allura's office. Your office is going to be across from Allura's and right next to Keith's." Lance opened the door to her office before Diana walked in. Diana was pleased as she noticed that the room was left plain—allowing her total freedom to decorate it any way she wanted to. There was a nice desk in the middle of the room and her office boxes were on top—just waiting to be opened.
"Perfect! I can decorate it later. Since I'll be spending a lot of time here, I have to make it comfortable—personally and professionally." Diana stated as she closed the door to the office.
"You could spend that time better with—" Lance started his next attempt to flirt with Diana again. Lance noticed how he couldn't help but love how Diana rolled her eyes at him. Each eye roll was a delectable treat for his eyes.
"Let's not go there." Diana interrupted as she rolled her eyes at Lance yet again."I thought I told you to get your mind out of the gutter." Diana realized that Lance may actually like it when Diana rolled her eyes at him. She was amused with the thought that men find the smallest things attractive with current or prospective partners.
"Moving on, the other offices…" Lance continued before guiding Diana to the rest of the offices on the floor. Diana wasn't surprised that Nanny had her own office close to the Captain of the Guards. The current Captain of the Guards was Nanny's nephew, Asher. Lance was going to stop the tour to introduce Diana to him, but remembered that the captain was visiting his hometown for a couple of weeks. Diana pointed out that it would probably be more of a re-introduction since she spent time with Asher during her childhood summers. Lance smiled in response as he guided Diana through the rest of the offices on the floor and briefly stopped at the Guards' and Castle Personnel wings with their respective lounges. Diana pointed out to Lance several times how popular he seemed to be with the other castle residents—and to which Lance said his fan club doesn't compare to Keith's. Lance admitted that he did take part in a few short affairs with the personnel but hadn't engaged in a relationship in months. When Lance asked Diana about her past relationships, Diana briefly stated that she had several casual relationships and only one serious relationship that ended a few months ago.
"My relationship was with a full-time Garrison officer. He just returned to headquarters after his latest mission—but there's a chance that he might get assigned to Arus."
"If you had a say in the matter—would you want him assigned to Arus?" Lance asked thoughtfully as they took a break in a corner.
"If I had a say," Diana started thoughtfully. "I would want him assigned to Arus. He's just the young, capable officer that Garrison loves. He's talented in several fields and would benefit from being away from all the headquarters politics."
"I feel there's a but somewhere," Lance said.
"No professional buts…just personal buts," Diana answered. "Who doesn't have personal buts?"
Lance wiggled his eyebrows in response before answering. "You have a point there, Diana. And personally…if you ever needed this butt…"
Diana laughed. "I'm thinking that your mind has permanently settled in the gutter."
"Well…it doesn't have its own zip code, yet," Lance responded as he joined Diana's laughter. "Let's finish up this tour." Diana nodded in agreement as they moved to their next major stop—the training rooms. As they walked closer to the training room, Diana noticed that Lance's excitement about the next stop grew. After stopping to speak with a couple of castle staff, Lance stopped in front of the group of rooms. "Here's one of my favorite areas of the castle—the training rooms."
"Why the training rooms?" Diana asked not missing the pride in both Lance's voice or eyes.
"I love the training rooms because of their versatility and programming. The training rooms are where I can give tips and teach the guards to perform better. I also sharpen my skills, including shooting, by using the virtual range Pidge programmed for me," Lance said with even more pride. "But the main reason why I love the training rooms so much is that I discovered that I love to teach, so my biggest dream outside of Voltron is to become an instructor."
Diana smiled as she was impressed by how Lance managed to express his teaching aspirations. "Thank you for sharing your dream with me. I know how daunting but exciting it is to follow your dreams."
"Thank you for listening," Lance genuinely said as he guided Diana to the first room. "Let me demonstrate some of the things Pidge programmed for us." Diana nodded and listened as Lance described every custom program Pidge made for the Voltron pilots. Then Lance described the default program created for all the castle guards, before going into the customized programs for the more advanced guards. Lance demonstrated how he continuously pushed the virtual range program to its limits before allowing Diana a few moments to try out the program. Lance whistled, impressed with Diana's shooting accuracy.
"I'm a decent shot," Diana responded to Lance's praise.
"What other skills do you have?" Lance asked as his curiosity about Diana grew even more.
"I'm a great pilot and I can find my way out anywhere," Diana boasted with a smile. "Among other things…" Lance's heart started to beat a little faster than normal as his attraction to Diana started to grow.
"There's more? How much more?" Lance asked as he gently guided Diana out of the training room.
"If I told you, I don't think you could handle it," Diana said with a flirtatious smile.
"Tell me anyway, Diana. I can handle anything," Lance replied. "And I do mean anything," He added in a flirtatious tone. The flirtatious tone in Lance's voice made Diana's heart beat a little faster as she tried to dismiss his comments in her mind. Lance and Diana stood in the hallway in silence for a few moments before Lance spoke again. "But you can tell me in your own time. For now, let's check out the gym and indoor track next." Lance and Diana walked down the hallway and stopped at the gym door. With a flourish, Lance opened the door and Diana was pleasantly surprised to see the large room. The room was divided into sections—free weights, machines, yoga & pilates area, and finally, the indoor track. The indoor track was the size of an indoor track you would see in a competition on TV: A small track with raised curves. Diana was impressed as Lance stopped by each section, allowing Diana time to inspect the equipment.
After the gym and track, Lance stopped and showed Diana where most of the castle personnel slept. Lance explained that the castle staff's wing was divided between shared rooms for single staff members and small apartments for staff members with families. Between the sections was a large shared lounge. Lance then gave Diana a quick tour of the Castle Guards' wings that were designed in the same way—except for the wing set aside for the Guard Officers. The Guards Officers' rooms were bigger with enough space to host long-term guests as needed. The officers also had their own shared lounge. Finally, Lance stopped on their floor.
"And this is what I call the penthouse floor. The Royal Staff, including Nanny, have their rooms and lounge here. There's also the Voltron wing where our rooms are located. Finally, we have the Royal suites—the Royal Apartments, Allura's room, Coran's room, and now your room as well."
"Awesome. It's nice to know that Nanny's and Uncle Coran's rooms are nearby," Diana said with a smile before pausing. "And of course, having you guys on the same floor is great."
"We like to be easily accessible for our VIPs," Lance answered as he guided Diana to the Royal Staff quarters. Most of the staff was downstairs working, so Lance was only able to introduce Diana to a couple of members who worked overnight. Lance also highlighted their shared lounge space before showing Diana the guys' rooms. "The first room on the left is Pidge's room. Hunk's room is across from Pidge's. Next to Pidge's room is Keith's room. The room at the end is Sven & Romelle's room when they come to visit. And finally, my room is next to Hunk's room. You're always welcome to my room any—"
"Hey, now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and offer anything up," Diana said, smiling at Lance's pout. "I'll admit, you're certainly persistent."
"It comes with the territory of being a Space Explorer and especially a Voltron pilot. We don't give up," Lance replied. "In fact-you're already falling for my charms, Milady." Diana laughed before saying whatever as Lance guided her to the rec room. "We're almost done with your tour. This is the Rec Room where the guys, Coran, Allura, and even Nanny meet up and relax. And as our newest resident, this is your space to relax, too."
"Thanks, Lance. I'm starting to feel a part of the team."
"You're welcome. We're almost done and I can hear a yawn coming up."
"I don't ya-" Diana interrupted her response with a yawn. Lance chuckled as Diana gave him a dirty look. "I don't appreciate being jinxed, sir." Lance's chuckle grew into a full laugh before he took Diana's hand and announced they were at their last stop—the Royal Wing.
"And here's the Royal Wing. The furthest room is the Royal Apartment. When Allura gets married or crowned Queen, she'll move into the suite. Until then…" Lance guided Diana to stop at Allura's door. "This is Allura's room. The room next to us is Coran's room. And as Nanny told you earlier…" Lance took Diana to her room. "This is your room."
Diana yawned again before speaking. "I'm sorry about yawning. I guess whatever adrenaline I have is finally spent."
"You're good. Like I said earlier, you were probably excited and anxious about Arus since leaving Earth. Not to mention how huge the castle is," Lance replied. "The good news is that you have time to take a nap before dinner."
"You're right, Lance. Thank you for giving me a tour—I enjoyed every moment with you," Diana sincerely said.
"It was a pleasure," Lance replied, smiling as he glanced at Diana as he casually moved to stand against the door with an arm over Diana's head. "Although if you're really thankful, you could do one thing for me."
Interested, Diana leaned towards Lance. "What's that?"
"A nice kiss on the lips," Lance replied with a winning smile on his face. Diana rolled her eyes before opening the door to the room. "So, is that a no?"
"It's an I-don't-know-where-your-lips-been," Diana said before the door closed in Lance's face.
Lance was mildly shocked. His smile and charm never failed to draw a kiss from a woman before. "Who doesn't fall for my charms?" Lance asked himself still staring at Diana's door. It wasn't too long before he heard the sound of two distinct laughs behind him.
"I guess it would be Diana," Keith snickered as Allura kept laughing.
"I'm trying to decide if we should tell the guys this," Allura said between fits of laughter.
"Ha-ha," Lance said sarcastically. "She was too tired to recognize the charms."
"She also said that she doesn't know where your lips have been," Keith countered with another snicker. "I don't think you have much of a chance with Diana right now."
"For what it's worth, I think you finally met your match there," Allura said now that she was done laughing at Lance.
"I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
"Probably not," Keith stated. "Consider it payback for all those times you kept teasing Allura and me about each other."
"Whatever," Lance said as he put his hands in his pockets. "I'll see y'all for dinner," Lance said in parting, heading for his room.
Keith and Allura looked at each other before sharing another laugh. Allura walked to her door and opened it before facing Keith again. "I just don't have the heart to share this moment with the guys."
"We won't then," Keith said with a smile before responding to Allura's use of ASL to sign that she loved him. Keith smiled and replied in kind, before turning to see Coran enter the hallway as Allura closed her door.
"Is Diana in her room?" Coran asked. "I know she probably was tired from her castle tour."
"Lance just dropped her off at the door a few moments ago," Keith answered with a smile. "I'll be in my room if you need me, Coran. I'll see you at dinner."
"Thank you, Keith. I'll see you at dinner," Coran called out as Keith walked away. "I guess you'll share about your relationship with Allura another time, then," Coran mused as he entered his room next door.
Two hours later…
Lance took one last look in the mirror in his bathroom before leaving his room. Nanny made sure that the Voltron Force, Coran, Allura, and Diana knew that tonight's dinner was to be a bit more formal than usual. In the hopes of attracting Diana's favor tonight, Lance decided to wear a pair of black slacks, a red dress shirt, and his favorite pair of black dress shoes. Lance wasn't surprised when he walked into the rec room and saw that the guys also decided to wear their black slacks, black dress shoes, and matching lion colors. "I see that we all chose to go the boy band route," Lance remarked before earning a chorus of boos. "But seriously, we all look great," Lance cleaned his remark up earning a round of compliments this time.
While the guys were meeting up in the rec room, Diana took a final glance at her outfit for the night. Diana chose to wear a blue, cap-sleeve maxi dress with blue heels and a blue choker on her neck. Diana also decided to put her hair in a low bun with a couple of braids for decoration. And for the finishing touches, Diana chose to put a coat of mascara on her eyelashes. Pleased with her dinner look, Diana stepped out into the hallway where Coran and Allura immediately greeted her with compliments on her complete look for the evening. Diana responded with compliments of her own before they entered the Rec Room to enjoy a few moments before dinner.
Lance had his back towards the Rec Room door when Coran, Allura, and Diana walked in. When Keith smiled and greeted them, Lance turned around to greet them and fought to keep his focus once he saw Diana. Lance's mind immediately went into automatic mode as he complimented Coran and Allura's appearance. He couldn't help but be entranced by Diana's appearance. Lance appreciated how Diana looked beautiful even with her hair in a low bun and braids. Then Lance appreciated the minimal make-up look Diana was sporting on her face before admiring how the choker and earring set complimented her skin tone. Finally, he was able to enjoy an appreciative glance at Diana's form-fitting dress that fit her amazing curves like a glove and was finished off with the most beautiful blue heels Lance had ever seen.
Although the room was full, Diana couldn't help but be drawn in by Lance's looks. Diana admired how Lance managed to make his hair look so touchable. Then Diana admired how the red dress shirt complimented Lance's skin tone and looked perfectly. It also didn't miss her attention how perfectly Lance's dress shirt complimented his slim, muscular physique. Diana also appreciately glanced down Lance's slacks before smiling at the dress shoes that reminded Diana of her father's favorite brand and pair. After their thorough inspection, Lance and Diana were pleasantly surprised to see their eyes meet up at the same time.
"And Diana, you look absolutely breathtaking in that dress," Lance complimented Diana with full sincerity. Honestly, Lance didn't think that Diana could look even more beautiful in his eyes than that afternoon. He was pleased that he was now proven wrong.
"Thank you, Lance. You look debonair tonight," Diana responded with a compliment of her own. Diana didn't know if Lance felt the same sparks she did at the moment, but she did know that she was going to fight them. Diana reminded herself that she was not in the mind frame to jump into another relationship so soon. When Lance took a step in her direction, Diana held her breath in anticipation. Before Lance could take another step, Nanny announced through the intercom in the room that dinner was ready to be served. With slight disappointment, Lance watched Keith and Allura lead their procession. Since Diana was the honoree of the night, she and Coran walked hand-in-hand next. Hunk, Pidge, and Lance walked in the rear.
Once they arrived at the formal dining room, Keith pulled out the chair at the head of the table for Allura. When Allura was settled in, Keith made sure that Allura was comfortably tucked between the back of the chair and the edge of the table. Keith took his seat at Allura's left as Coran pulled Diana's chair for her next to his on Allura's right. Once Diana was settled in, Coran took his seat. Lance took his seat next to Keith's and across from Diana. Hunk sat next to Lance and Pidge sat next to Diana. Nanny took the seat at the other end of the table.
Before she instructed the maids and valets to enter the room, Nanny made sure to compliment everyone on their outfits for the night. With a quick signal, the maids and valets placed a plate of salad or a glass of water in front of a diner. This particular salad was one of Diana's absolute favorites – Chozzerai Salad. Chozzerai salad was an Arusian take on a Greek salad—with all the traditional toppings sliced thinly instead of larger chunks. After taking a few bites, Lance felt that the room was too quiet for his taste. With a smile, Lance broke the silence.
"Diana, you have an impeccable way of eating."
Hunk discretely kicked Lance's legs under the table as Coran answered Lance's compliment with pride. "As she should. Not only is Diana an Arusian noblewoman by birth—but she did spend several summers at the Castle under Nanny's tutelage."
"Thank you for the compliment, Lance," Diana started with a smile. "I'll have to say that your table manners are outstanding for a rogue. Nanny did a wonderful job of teaching you etiquette."
Keith and Allura failed to hide their soft laughter at Lance's and Diana's interaction as Diana managed to take another delicious bite of her salad. Coran and Nanny were just about to ask what was so funny about the interaction when Keith and Allura both apologized for their outburst. When Nanny noticed that the plates were empty, she signaled for the entrée dish to be served. Tonight's entrée was Arusian trout with mixed rice and mixed garden vegetables—and Diana couldn't be more pleased to enjoy a dish she hadn't had in years.
As everyone was enjoying the dish, Nanny spoke again. "This dinner is just an informal way of welcoming Diana back to Arus. In a few weeks, we should have a ball in her honor."
"That's a splendid idea, Nanny," Coran responded before anyone else could say a word. "It's time to start having balls here again, anyway."
Diana started to silently panic. She was not ready for a formal held in her honor—especially since she hadn't done anything to date for Arus. "Thank you for wanting to host a ball in my honor, Nanny. If it's all the same to you, I'm fine with this dinner. Besides, I haven't done anything to be honored in Arus yet."
Coran gave Diana an uncharacteristic grin before speaking. "I just remembered something. It's been years since we hosted a debut ball. If my memory serves me correctly—Allura, Romelle, and Diana all missed out on having theirs for several reasons. Why don't we correct that?"
Diana hid her displeasure at the prospect of going through another formal ball so soon as she took another bite of the trout. Diana glanced at Lance and noticed that it looked like he was in the initial stages of planning something.
"Coran, that's a great idea! What better way to announce the return of a daughter of Arus than a debutant ball? And since things are so quiet lately, we can even invite several allies, nobles, and even princes!" Nanny replied, pleased with the stronger possibility of enacting a ball she previously planned years ago when the girls were still pre-teens. "The Commander here can escort the Princess while Captain Sven can escort Princess Romelle."
"I like the idea of the debut ball instead," Allura added before giving Diana a pleading look. "What do you think, Diana? It'll allow us to have a dedicated girls' time." Diana found it hard to tell Allura no, so Diana mentally sighed before answering. Diana guessed it couldn't hurt to get this ball out of the way.
"Let's have the debut ball," Diana said with a smile. "I'll enjoy having the debut ball over a ball in my honor."
"That's settled then! We'll have the debut ball in two months," Nanny announced, mentally making an event calendar.
"And while we're still on the subject of the ball—who will have the honor of escorting the beautiful Diana?" Lance asked.
"That's a great question, Lance. There are so many outstanding young men around the castle," Nanny answered.
Diana discretely kicked Lance under the table while speaking. "Why, Lance, I didn't know you cared for me so much!" Keith and Allura shared a conspiratorial grin. They were enjoying the interactions between Lance and Diana.
"I actually find you fascinating, Diana," Lance replied as his words caused Diana to nearly choke on the piece of fish she put in her mouth. "And enjoying the company of a fascinating woman is one of the most pleasurable things a man can do." As Diana took a few sips of water to calm herself as conversations about the ball overtook any other conversation at the dinner table. Hunk and Pidge asked questions about the ball as Allura pointed out several things they could do to make the experience enjoyable. As the conversations continued, Diana enjoyed her Arusian Tiramisu between snippets of conversation with Lance. Coran and Nanny didn't miss their interactions and it finally dawned on them who would escort Diana to the ball.
"Lance will escort Diana to the ball," They said in unison stopping all conversation at the table. All eyes went to Lance and Diana to catch their responses. Lance had the brightest smile on his face as Diana grabbed a napkin to hide her surprise.
"So, Diana, would it be acceptable for Lance to escort you to the ball?" Coran asked a few moments later.
Diana was done with her tiramisu and placed her fork on the plate before answering. "Yes, I approve of Lance escorting me to the debut ball," Diana answered as she figured that Lance would make the evening bearable. "And that's if the Lieutenant also agrees."
"Oh, the Lieutenant definitely agrees with escorting the beautiful Marchioness to her debut ball," Lance answered with an even brighter smile. Keith and Allura shared another laugh from their table before apologizing again for their unusual behavior. Dinner ended with the apology from Allura and Keith before everyone left the dining room—Diana to her room, while everybody else went to the Rec Room to wind down for the night.