Arus, Love, and Peace – Revised Edition
Chapter 6: Following Up
Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron or its characters. It's all World Events Productions and whoever they decide to license Voltron, too. Trust me, I'm just a broke fanfiction writer (or facsimile of a fanfiction writer). Diana, Lawrence, Leanne, Asher, Mayor and Mrs. Connor are all my own characters.
After a short and delicious breakfast, Diana stepped outside to help The Highbars prepare for the trip back to the Castle. Even with Diana giving the townspeople who stopped and provided meals through the week with supplies, plenty remained. Diana split some of the shelf-stable items, placed them into the pantry, and packed the rest of the supplies with Smythe residents in mind. Content with her work so far, Diana stepped out and decided to help The Highbars with packing things up for the trip back to the Castle.
Once everything was packed and ready, Diana decided to walk through the house to make sure nothing was left behind inside the home. Diana started with the third floor and by the time she was finished, Lawrence met up with her on the second floor. Surprised to see him there, Diana was concerned. "Lawrence, is everything ok?"
"I should be asking you that question. I noticed that you walked away and went back in."
"I'm fine," Diana said with a smile. "I was just making sure we didn't leave anything behind and taking a final walkthrough of the house." Without saying another word, Diana went through the left wing and admired the clinic staff bedrooms. After that, Diana went through the offices in the middle before going through the hospital rooms in the clinic wing. When she was done going through the hospital rooms, Diana turned to face Lawrence. "Is there a reason why you're following me?"
"I just want to make sure that you're safe," Lawrence replied. "Leanne has everything taken care of outside."
Diana sighed. "Lawrence, I'm pretty sure nothing is going to happen to me in between the time I finish walking through the house and rejoin everyone outside."
"I can't walk through the house with my girl?" Lawrence asked.
"Fine, walk with me," Diana answered, as she walked through the clinic on the first floor. "Remember we're co-working friends." Diana basked in the newly created clinic and was very proud of how the clinic came together. Diana also couldn't wait until the clinic staff arrived and took ownership of the clinic. With a contented sigh, Diana continued her walk through the rest of the house before walking outside and locking up the house. Diana left a sealed box with a short note for her mysterious caretaker(s). When she was finished, Diana smiled as she walked to her bike, ready to lead the group to Smythe.
Once the group made it to Smythe, Diana quickly went through the pre-flight checklist while Lawrence and Leanne oversaw The Highbars loading up the ship. When Diana stepped out of the ship, she was surprised to see Mayor Connor and her wife waiting to talk to her.
With a smile, Diana walked to the couple. "Good Morning!"
"Good Morning, Marchioness," Mayor & Mrs. Connor greeted Diana. "We're proud to tell you that the people of Davi-Smythe want to adopt The Highbars. If you can give us a full list of the soldiers, we'll divide the team between the towns and go from there," Mayor Connor continued with a bright smile.
"The artisans and the townspeople enjoyed the time spent with the soldiers. Adopting the troop will allow some of the townspeople to have a family connection again."
"It's a wonderful idea. The Highbars would love to have a deeper connection with Davi-Smythe. I'll have the full roster for you by tomorrow afternoon," Diana promised. "They enjoyed the time spent with the townspeople as well."
"Who knows, maybe they'll build the base in the area?" Mayor Connor asked as she smiled.
"Perhaps," Diana answered with a smile of her own. The Connors and Diana shared a hug.
"We'll see you at the Debut Ball in a few days," Mrs. Connor said as they broke the hug.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you then!" Diana said as she re-entered the ship. Diana spoke with the soldiers for a few minutes before walking into the cockpit. Lawrence entered the cockpit a few minutes later and took over the co-pilot seat. Diana and Lawrence started the ship and Diana took over the main piloting duties. The flight to the Castle of Lions was quiet from when they left Smythe until mid-flight when Lawrence finally spoke to Diana.
"I see that you're fully embracing the life of a noblewoman and attending formals now," Lawrence started. "I had to challenge you to attend a formal 18 months ago. On top of that, I sent gifts the whole week to make sure you didn't back out."
Diana chuckled in response. "I haven't fully embraced formals, yet. Nanny originally wanted to host a ball in my honor. I felt that I hadn't done anything to have a ball in my honor and that's when Uncle Coran happily suggested the Debutante Ball. We're all traditionally older than normal for this, but we all had good reasons. Arus and Pollux were dealing with Zarkon and Lotor. I was focused on other, more important things."
"And also, avoiding formals at all cost," Lawrence added.
"Like I said, focused on more important things," Diana replied. "I agreed to the Debutante Ball as a formal way of celebrating my return to Arus. I'm really excited about having a girls' day with Princesses Allura and Romelle."
"And I'm guessing that you already have an escort?"
"Yes, I do," Diana said with a smile as she briefly thought about Lance. "He was extremely euthanasic about being my escort, too."
"And how do you feel about your escort?" Lawrence asked.
"He's a good guy," Diana responded. "He's also becoming one of my closest friends."
Lawrence didn't say anything for a few moments as he tried to figure out who Diana's escort was. Lawrence also picked up a tone of fondness at the end of Diana's statement and it sounded like she was denying herself any romantic feelings. "I don't understand why you constantly deny your romantic feelings."
"That statement came out of the blue," Diana responded. "I don't deny my romantic feelings."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"You wouldn't acknowledge your romantic feelings for me at first. It took a few days for you to stop being in denial. In fact, despite your recent denials—you still harbor feelings for me now."
"Lawrence, I don't harbor romantic feelings for you right now," Diana paused as she checked the instruments in front of her for a moment. "You're trying your darnest to rekindle those dying embers."
"Smythe House tells a different story," Lawrence pointed out. Diana quickly denied the statement. "The nights looking at the stars; the night at the lake; and to a certain extent our late night walk last night tells me otherwise."
"And as I already told you, I don't have any romantic feelings for you right now," Diana answered. "That's unlikely to change anytime soon. I don't understand why you won't accept that we're not in a romantic relationship anymore."
"Because technically, we're still together. We never communicated that a breakup happened."
"Sorry, but it's hard to do that when you can't communicate with someone. Especially if they disappear from your life suddenly," Diana responded.
"At least I tried leaving you messages before leaving. Your voicemail box was full."
"And so was yours, Captain. Trust me, I tried calling and leaving a message several times in the first few days of your disappearance. After that, your telephone number was disconnected," Diana paused for a few moments again, glancing at the scenery before her. "May I point out that my number never changed?"
"But you could have stayed up and waited for me that night."
"What made you think I didn't stay up and wait for you that night?" Diana challenged. "You know I like to read e-books with the lights off. I stayed up until dawn reading an engrossing novel waiting to see if you'll stop by," Diana paused to let Lawrence process her answer. After a few moments, Diana spoke again. "Did you even attempt to knock on the door or ring the bell? Did you even try to use the spare key from its hiding spot?"
"Honestly, I didn't think about knocking on the door or the spare key. Mostly because it was very late. Also, I thought you were sleeping. Didn't want to surprise you negatively." Lawrence paused for a few moments before speaking again. "You do know it's ok to admit that you were wrong about a situation."
"That's rich coming from you," Diana replied. "Seeing that you still refuse to see that I don't have romantic feelings for you. Among other things."
"Why won't you accept that you were wrong this time?" Lawrence responded as his voice rose slightly.
"Is the kettle calling the pot black?" Diana responded, matching Lawrence's volume. "I'm not in the wrong here, Lawrence. And if I were you, I would seriously think before you speak."
"Heaven forbid that you're not Ms. Perfect," Lawrence responded, his voice escalating again after a few moments of silence. "It's okay to show vulnerability, Diana."
"And heaven forbid that you're not Mr. Perfect, either," Diana responded raising her voice as well. "Would be nice if you could stop trying to put me on a pedestal." Diana paused for a few moments. "Since this conversation seems to be focused on our personal relationship." Diana paused for a few moments more. "If I recall correctly, you left me during a dance at an important gala. Then, I didn't hear from you again until six months later—which coincidentally as I'm preparing to leave for Arus. It's a mystery how you can't figure that your actions signaled a break-up."
"Because I love you," Lawrence responded, raising his voice. "My feelings haven't changed despite distance and being punished for something out of my control. You know I don't quit anything."
Diana immediately put the ship on autopilot before turning to look at Lawrence. She narrowed her eyes before speaking. "Don't raise your voice at me, Captain. One—You're not being punished for anything. Two-It won't make me change my mind towards you. Three—I'm not your subordinate and you can't control me. As for your last remark—there's always a first time for everything." A few seconds later, Diana turned in her seat, sighed, and took manual control of the ship. Diana spent the next few moments focusing all her energy on flying and didn't hear when Leanne stepped into the cockpit.
"The team heard yelling in the cockpit. Is everything ok?"
"Yes and no." Lawrence and Diana answered at the same time.
"Which is it?"
"Professionally, everything is fine. Personally, it's another thing." Diana answered. "Person A wants to put Person B on an impossibly high pedestal. And when Person A isn't putting Person B on that pedestal, Person A wants to control Person B." Lawrence turned and gave Diana an angry glance. He then turned to Leanne with a pleading look.
Leanne mentally sighed, quickly figuring out who was Person A and who was Person B. "Does Person C need to take over piloting?"
"No. Persons A can handle piloting just fine." Diana and Lawrence replied at the same time.
Leanne mentally sighed again. She really hated it when Lawrence and Diana had a personal disagreement. "You know what-I'll just walk back out like I didn't hear what Person B said. And despite Person A's rank, Person C will take the piloting duties from Person A if another argument cuts through the cabin." Leanne said as she started to leave the cockpit. "Hopefully Person A and Person B will be able to work together professionally in a couple of weeks from now. Because if not—"
"Leanne, I promise that Lawrence and I will be able to work professionally. We've done it before without issues and we'll be able to do it again without issues." Diana replied as Leanne sighed and shook her head. Leanne glanced at Lawrence who remained silent but gave Leanne a nod to sign that he agreed with what Diana just told her. Leanne sighed audibly this time before leaving the cockpit muttering under her breath that she absolutely hates it when the company parents fight.
Lawrence and Diana shared a look before focusing on their piloting stations. They could hear Leanne tell some of the team that their officers had a slight disagreement but everything should be fine. The cockpit was quiet for the rest of the flight. When they were close to Altea, Diana radioed Castle Control and got permission to land in the hangar. Once in the hangar, Diana turned to Lawrence and told him to handle the post-flight tasks since she was going to follow up about her visit with several people, starting with her uncle.
Lawrence muttered under his breath before telling Diana that he'd handle the post-flight checks. He also offered to personally deliver Diana's bag to her room. Diana politely denied Lawrence's request concerning her bag before thanking Lawrence for taking over the post-flight checks. When she left the ship with her bag in tow, the ground crew smiled and welcomed Diana back to the castle. Diana responded with a smile before asking the crew chief if he could take her bike to the garage section. The chief responded that he'll move the bike immediately. Diana thanked the chief before making her way to Coran's office. A few minutes later, Diana was smiling as she met Coran at his office.
"Welcome back to the castle, Diana," Coran greeted Diana with a hug.
"I'm glad to be back, Uncle Coran," Diana responded hugging Coran back before following him into the office. Coran sat behind his desk as Diana settled into one of the comfortable chairs in front of the desk. "All the needed work for Smythe House has been completed and I couldn't be more proud of the results! How was your week?"
Coran chuckled. "Work, work, a brief break for food, more work, and finally sleep. Sarge has been a big help in taking over some of the Castle Control duties. We'll start seeing some of the guests, other debutantes, and escorts tomorrow."
"I'm excited to meet some of the young ladies from across Arus," Diana said with a smile. Coran smiled back as Diana took out pictures of Smythe House. "Although I shared with you all week the work we did with Smythe House, words don't do it justice. Here are the pictures. The first set I'm sharing is the before pictures." Diana gave the first set of pictures to Coran.
"The house was in great shape to be abandoned for years," Coran mused again.
"Those were my first thoughts when I first visited Smythe House two months ago," Diana responded. "And that's why I kept asking you if we had caretakers."
"It looks like we have a mysterious caretaker…"
"Or caretakers," Diana finished. "Our caretaker or caretakers probably came from the towns. Or could be random strangers. Or someone from the original tribes—which is my favorite theory."
"None of the original tribes in Davi-Smythe have been seen since Zarkon's initial attack," Coran pointed out. "But I agree, somebody has been caring for the house." Coran gave Diana the pictures back.
"And this second set is the renovations," Diana said as she handed Coran the after pictures.
"Everyone did a great job of bringing the original charm of the exterior back," Coran complimented. "As well as the roofing," Coran added before looking through the pictures of the cabins. "The cabins were well-built. I'm glad they're a permanent part of the estate."
"So am I," Diana agreed as Coran went through the pictures of the first floor.
"Great job on converting the butler's and housekeeper's offices," Coran complimented before going through the rest of the first floor. "I'm glad you kept the dining rooms and kitchen. The library and study are wonderful as well! The clinic looks like it's just waiting for its staff to arrive."
"It's the most exciting change to the house. After I check in with Allura, I'll talk to Dr. Gorma more about the clinic and finalize the staff assignments." Coran hummed his approval as he looked through the pictures for the second floor. A few moments later, Coran paused on the third-floor pictures.
"I see you decided to merge the rooms on the side wings."
"I always felt that those rooms were completely too small. The left wing will be extra guest rooms for our family. The right wing has rooms for the families of overnight patients. As you can see, I kept the original design for the main suites and rooms. You have the Main Suite and the Daughter Suite is mine."
"So we're keeping the traditional room assignments, hmm?" Coran responded with a smile. "Great job on the house. How did The Highbars do with the townspeople?"
"They got along great. In fact, the towns are working to formally adopt The Highbars. It'll expand on the community bond already established from this project. Some of the townspeople will have a family again while some of the troops will be exposed to Davi-Smythe and Arusian cultures."
"Better than we ever could expect," Coran said with a smile. "Maybe they'll choose to place the Alliance base in the Davi-Smythe Lands." Diana nodded with a smile.
"How did everything go with Captain Wiley?"
"It went well. I'm looking forward to working with him professionally in a couple of weeks. Personally, I had to remind him that I choose for us to be friends and colleagues."
"I see," Coran answered, reflectively. He had a couple of more questions about Diana and Lawrence, but he didn't want to push Diana into that conversation. Coran figured that when the time was right, Diana would share more about her past relationship.
"Well, Uncle Coran," Diana said standing up. "I took enough of your time, so I'll let you get back to work. "I plan to have dinner and an evening out in Altea tonight." With a smile, Diana left Coran's office and stopped in front of Allura's office. Diana knocked on the door and waited for Allura's response.
"Come in, Diana," Allura's voice sounded behind the door. "I've been expecting you." Diana's smile brightened as she opened and closed the door. Allura left her desk and quickly hugged Diana. "I'm glad you're back."
"I'm glad to be back," Diana responded. "Are you busy?"
"I'm never too busy for my best friend," Allura responded as she guided Diana to her couch. "And guess what I'm finally breaking into from that gift basket?" Allura opened the minifridge next to her desk and produced two bottles of Diana's favorite coffee drink. Diana smiled as Allura sat next to her on the couch. The friends shook the bottles for a few moments before opening them. They took a sip each before putting the bottles down on the coffee table.
"I'm happy to announce that Smythe House is back. All the renovations are complete and the clinic is ready to open once the staff arrives. And for Her Highness' approval, I have pictures of the work." Allura cheered her approval as Diana gave her the pictures. "The first set of pictures in your hands is the before pictures."
"Smythe House seems to be in good shape for being abandoned for years."
"I believe that someone or a group of people have secretly been taking care of the house. Uncle Coran had a hard time believing the house was in decent shape. As a token of my gratitude, I left a sealed box full of supplies. Hopefully, they'll like the gift."
"That's so sweet of you!" Allura said as she returned the first set of pictures to Diana. "Do you think it was someone from the towns or random strangers?"
"My theory is that it's probably a random stranger. But my favorite theory is that it could be someone from one of the original tribes in the area. Nobody's seen them since Doom's first attack." Diana handed Allura another set of pictures before taking a sip from her coffee drink. "And this is the after pictures. I'm so proud of the work we did—the results exceeded my wildest expectations."
"The restoration of the exterior is pretty impressive," Allura said with a smile. "It brings back some great memories of when I was allowed to visit you for a couple of weekends." Allura paused and took a couple of sips from her coffee drink before going back to the pictures. "You managed to keep the original look of the house on the inside, too."
"For the most part, I did have a few modern touches added," Diana said with pride in her voice. "I also turned the right wing into a clinic. The first floor has the waiting room and the examination rooms. The second floor serves as hospital rooms for overnight stays. The rest of the second floor serves as the clinic staff's rooms and offices. The third floor in the right wing serves as rooms for families staying overnight with their patients."
"I love that idea!" Allura said, looking up from the pictures. "Even Dr. Gorma would be proud of your clinic, Diana."
"I hope so," Diana said with a smile before taking a few sips of her drink. "The clinics and hospitals I hope to get built or rebuilt are going to follow a similar pattern."
"And you even merged the small rooms in the left wing on the third floor. I'm guessing they're guest rooms," Allura said with a smile as Diana nodded her confirmation. "You also kept the original design for the main suites and rooms! I can't wait for the first opportunity I get to visit Smythe House."
"My house is your house," Diana said with a smile. "As well as all the cabins in the back."
"They're wonderfully put together," Allura complimented. "We should have the Davi-Smythe craftspeople help build the Alliance base once its location is decided."
"They would love it," Diana smiled.
"How did everything else go?" Allura asked as she returned Diana's pictures. Diana put the pictures up and sighed for a moment. Diana then took a few sips of her drink before speaking.
"Everything went well. The people of Davi-Smythe are in the process of adopting The Highbars since this project helped establish a community bond. Which is better than I could ever hope for," Diana said with a smile before frowning. "Lawrence…that's a different story."
"How so?" Allura asked.
"Outside of Uncle Coran, I haven't told anyone on Arus this," Diana started. "But Lawrence and I first met about a year and a half ago. After some convincing and a couple of dates, Lawrence and I started a committed, romantic relationship. Everything was going great until 8 months ago when Lawrence was assigned this top-secret mission. Lawrence didn't tell me he was leaving on this mission and after two months of silence, I believed our relationship was over."
"Interesting. To be honest, Keith didn't have proof but he did have a strong suspicion," Allura said thoughtfully. "He's not the only one. I picked up the same vibes the first time I saw the two of you interact."
"You two aren't the only ones. Asher figured it out by accident by teasing me. Lance figured it out because of a couple of things I said about The Highbars and of course that intuition of his."
Allura chuckled. "The rest of the guys and some of the castle staff probably figured you two had a romantic history together. That's the only way there's already a betting pool that you'll rekindle your relationship with Lawrence."
"Darn. I would have thought that people were done with betting pools by now. Especially the ones associated with my name."
"It's a Castle Guards' tradition," Allura said with a laugh. "You'll be surprised how much betting pools can finance things or gain favors. You're just trending more than usual."
"Well, anyway…" Diana said with a shrug. "The first night, I stepped outside and started stargazing. Lawrence joined me and the next thing I knew, we fell into our old routine of moving pretty close to each other. When I noticed he was too close for comfort, I made sure to put distance between us."
"Ok," Allura said, hoping to encourage Diana to say more.
"He kept his distance the other nights we stargazed," Diana paused for a second, gauging Allura's reaction. "Then there was the night I walked to the lake. I only meant to enjoy the patio—but the lake was calling so I answered it. I got cold but Lawrence happened to follow me and let me borrow his jacket. We were talking and the next thing I knew, Lawrence suddenly kissed me. I broke the kiss up before giving his jacket back. When I made it to the door, I told Lawrence that I just didn't have the same feelings for him. I made it clear that I only saw him as a friend and colleague," Diana paused again before taking a sip from her drink. "However, against my better judgment, I did tell Lawrence if he could put one together, I'd go on a casual date with him. I'm firm that I don't want or have time for a committed relationship right now."
"Wow. I believe the phase Lance would use here is a rollercoaster ride," Allura said, intrigued by Diana's romantic developments. Diana chuckled at the mention of Lance and how well Allura applied the saying. "And what about Lance? He seems to enjoy chasing after you romantically."
"I made the same deal with Lance," Diana said with a smile. "I doubt I'm going on a date, though."
"With Lance, Lawrence, or both?" Allura asked.
"With Lawrence. He has this tendency to put me on this impossibly high pedestal. I went along with it on Earth, but I can't see myself allowing him to do it again."
"So…about you going on a date with Lance?"
"I'm not saying yes to that question—but I'm also not saying no to that question," Diana teased with a smile before continuing. "So, back to the subject on hand. Lawrence and I carried on the next day like nothing happened. But late last night, I started walking around the property to help get me to sleep. Lawrence joins my walk and I tell him more about my childhood visits to Smythe House. We finish the walk and Lawrence shares his feelings about me again. I tell him about the boundaries again before re-entering the house to sleep."
"Wow. He's persistent."
"Very persistent. It looks like I only attract persistent guys," Diana smirked. "On the flight back here, we're quiet in the cockpit. Mid-flight Lawrence breaks our silence and asks why I generally deny my romantic feelings. I reply that I don't deny those feelings. He pushes a couple of my buttons, I push his buttons," Diana paused for a few moments to take a few sips of her coffee drink. "You know how much I hate being yelled at, right?" Allura nodded her head in confirmation. "So, I tell him off and it's all quiet again. His lieutenant checks in on us and points out that she hopes we can work professionally in a couple of weeks before muttering something under her breath while leaving the cockpit. The rest of the flight is silent again. I had him do the post-flight checks so I could follow up about the house with Uncle Coran and you."
"That's a lot."
"I know. And I'm so sorry to vent it all on you," Diana said before taking a few more sips of her drink. "You're my best friend and I haven't asked how your week has been outside of our short talks."
"Just paperwork, practice, and more paperwork," Allura replied. "A little time set aside for Keith. Eat, sleep, repeat. Besides, if you can't vent to your best friend—who can you vent to?" Allura and Diana shared a chuckle before finishing off their coffee drinks.
"Diana, are you really going to be able to work with Lawrence? If not, Keith can always switch up the assignments." Allura asked with concern in her voice.
"Lawrence and I worked professionally before and we can work professionally again. We know how to separate our work and personal lives," Diana answered candidly. "I assured Lt. DiLantis the same thing. Lawrence and I know how to be professional." Diana sighed as she looked at her watch and saw the time. If she leaves now, Diana could meet with Dr. Gorma for about an hour before getting ready for her date with Lance. "Thanks for everything, Allura," Diana said as she stood up. "I still need to visit Dr. Gorma and go over some final details for the clinic at Smythe House."
"You're welcome. What do you have planned after that?" Allura asked.
"I'm going to enjoy an evening out in Altea Town," Diana answered with a smile as she grabbed her bag. Diana wanted to keep her date with Lance to herself. "I heard that the nightlife there is vibrant."
"Interesting," Allura replied, moving a hand to her chin. "Lance shared that he was also planning to enjoy a night out in Altea Town." Allura watched to see if Diana's face would confirm that Diana had a date with Lance tonight. Allura was mildly disappointed at the fact that Diana didn't change her facial expression as she moved towards the office door.
"What a coincidence! Maybe we'll bump into each other tonight," Diana said as she left the office before she could give away her date with Lance.
"If I don't see you before then, I hope you enjoy your evening!" Allura called out.
"Thanks! I hope you find a way to enjoy your evening as well." Diana called out as she walked to the elevators. A few minutes later, Diana was waiting for Dr. Gorma in his office. After Dr. Gorma walked in and greeted Diana, they shared brief updates about their week. Once they were done with the pleasantries, Diana shared the pictures of the Smythe House clinic with Dr. Gorma before discussing their choices for the staff. Forty-five minutes later, their meeting was done with a finalized staff list was completed with Diana promising to send the job offers the day after the Debut Ball. Pleased with her productive afternoon, Diana decided to take the stairs to her room. It wasn't too long after Diana started the steps when Asher joined her.
"Welcome back to the Castle, Marchioness Smythe-Williams," Asher greeted Diana with a smile. "I'm glad that you could rejoin us in such a timely manner."
"I'm glad to be back at the Castle and surrounded by all of my friends, Captain Hys," Diana replied after sharing a laugh with Asher. "It only took me days this time." Asher shared another laugh with Diana.
"So did you enjoy your home makeover?"
"I did. We now have a clinic at Smythe House complete with offices and rooms. Also, we have small cabins in the back." Diana said with a smile. "I'm so proud of the work."
"You sound like a proud mother," Asher responded. "If I know you like I think I do…you have some pictures to show me?"
"Of course," Diana responded with a smile as they made it to the next flight of steps. "I can show them to you when we get to your lounge."
"Splendid!" Asher replied dramatically. Asher and Diana shared another chuckle as they continued their way to the Officers' Lounge. Once they made it to the room, the officers relaxing in the room greeted Diana. Diana returned their greetings before taking out the pictures of the house for Asher. "So, here's the before pictures."
Asher went through the pictures before handing them to the officers sitting next to them. "I thought the house was abandoned. It looks really good considering what we were told happened to it."
"I noticed the same. Uncle Coran kept saying that nobody had been there since Zarkon's attack. I believe that somebody or somebodies has been looking out for the house secretly. And when they stop by the house next time, there's a nice box of supplies as a small token of thanks."
"That's sweet. Do you think that it could be some townspeople or random strangers?"
"That's a good question. I'm thinking that it's random strangers. But my favorite theory is my mystery caretaker or caretakers are members of an original tribe."
"Isn't there an original tribe still roaming the Davi-Smythe Lands?"
"I believe so. However, nobody has reported seeing them since Doom attacked Arus."
Asher then commented how unusual it was for a people not to be seen in years before looking through the rest of Diana's pictures. "And speaking of packages…if I'm not mistaken, I believe your dress and accessories for the debut ball should arrive sometime tonight. It's a close call but we have a seamstress in the castle. Although, I can't see you needing any alternations, Marchioness."
"Thanks for the update and the compliment. I'm looking forward to seeing the items and how they all fit on me. I chose a dress that looks similar to the one my mom wore to her debut ball."
"By the way," Asher started as he returned the pictures of Smythe House to Diana. "Who's escorting you to the ball in a few days?" The rest of the officers in the lounge turned to see what Diana's answer would be.
"Uncle Coran and Nanny suggested Captain McClain escort me the night I arrived. I merely accepted the suggestion, and for some reason, McClain gleefully accepted the assignment."
"You don't say," Asher said with a smile. "And are you sure there's nothing between you and the Voltron pilot?"
"Nothing's going between me and Captain McClain," Diana responded firmly as she crossed her arms.
"Yet," Asher said with a smirk. The room burst into laughter as Diana rolled her eyes and stood up from her seat.
"Don't be such a cad, Asher," Diana responded with a sigh. "You're supposed to be a role model."
"I'm a great role model for my troops. In fact," Asher let out a mischievous grin. "Thanks to your reaction and response to my last comment, the proceeds of the Officers' betting pool will be donated to your Public Health campaigns."
"Thank you all for your donations," Diana said as she turned to leave the lounge. "Bunch of tools, all of you." The guys laughed as Diana stepped out of the room.
"And now those donations are going to be doubled," Asher called out.
Diana shook her head before calling out her response. "I'm starting to think that you're a bad influence, Asher." The room laughed as one of the officers said that it was too late for that concern. Diana chuckled as Asher joined her in the hallway.
"I know something you don't know," Asher said with a conspiratorial grin as he pulled Diana closer to him.
"What could it possibly be? Another betting pool surrounding my name?" Diana said. "I'm thinking that you guys are officially bored and need more drills."
Asher chuckled before speaking again. "I know you're struggling not to mention McClain's first name around others." Asher paused for a few moments. "He's breaking you down, isn't he? When can I plan a double date? Valerie can't wait to spend an evening with you and McClain."
"You're imagining things, Asher," Diana said before pausing for a few moments, trying to keep from saying Lance's name. "I'll hate to disappoint your girlfriend but we're just friends and teammates."
Asher decided not to point out that Diana was proving him right about not mentioning Lance's name again. "And also your escort to the Debut Ball."
"Which isn't unusual since my uncle and your aunt suggested it."
"It's not," Asher said with a smile. "But I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up on a date with him before the ball, though." Asher continued before walking away as Diana stared at him. "Even if it's tonight." It took every piece of Diana's composure to keep from confirming that she was going on a date with Lance tonight.
"I didn't see you being into romance novels, Asher," Diana called out before Asher laughed as he was close to the officers' lounge. "Because you're pushing something that isn't there."
"I'm not," Asher said with a grin. Judging by Diana's reaction, Asher decided to observe Diana and Lance closely until the ball to see if they went on a date. Asher briefly remembered how Diana wouldn't tell anyone about their 'date' to Lake Arus the summer he was 13 and she was 12. "Later, Gator."
"After a while, Crocodile." Diana finished as she shook her head and took the next flight of stairs. When Diana made it to her room, she hoped that Asher wouldn't take to observing her and Lance too close the next few days. Diana then smiled when she remembered that Asher was doing an overnight shift tonight and would be taking his nap when they would leave the castle for their date.
A few moments later, Allura walked into the Officers' Lounge and found Asher sitting alone. Asher looked up and smiled before giving Allura a quick bow. Allura smiled as she sat in the recliner next to Asher.
"It's nice to see you, Princess Allura," Asher greeted with a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
"It's nice to see you, too, Asher," Allura responded. "It's been a few days since we last spoke to each other. Have you noticed anything between Lance and Diana today?"
"Are we talking professionally or personally?" Asher asked. "Because those late-night sessions in the library are definitely work-related."
"Personally, of course," Allura said with a smile.
"Interesting," Asher said with a chuckle. "I may have noticed a couple of things that might help me buy a special gift for Valerie."
"How's Valerie? You're her escort to represent Vendome, right?"
"Valerie's doing great. She's looking forward to the Debut Ball and will arrive the day after tomorrow. So…what do you want to know about Lance and Diana?"
"What do you know?" Allura responded.
"I know that Diana's been trying not to say Lance's name around others, which to me means that he probably finally broke down some of the walls holding her heart," Asher said with a smile. What do you know?"
Allura smirked before speaking. "I know that Diana's planning to spend the evening in Altea Town. Which also happens to be the same plans for Lance this evening."
"I knew it, I knew it!" Asher exclaimed. "Diana tried to deny she was planning to go on a date with Lance before the ball."
"I was told she wasn't saying yes but she wasn't saying no when I asked her about going on a date with Lance," Allura shared.
"And since I have the overnight shift tonight, Diana's probably thinking that I'm probably in bed about to take a nap."
"I don't have any proof…"
"But strong suspicions," Asher finished the statement before sharing a chuckle with Allura. "Looks like I'm making a random stop at Castle Control during dinner."
"And I'll ask for details later tonight before she goes to bed," Allura said, standing up. "Privilege of being a woman and all. Have fun shopping for Valerie's gift. You can have my half of the pot."
"Should've known you were Artie," Asher said standing up as well. "Does The Commander know?"
"No proof but I had a strong suspicion," Keith answered walking into the room. "So you're going to make a 'random' stop at Castle Control later while the Princess is going to ask Diana directly. Guess that means, I get to ask Lance before he goes to bed."
"Aww…you're such a good friend, Keith," Asher said with a smile. "It's not too late…"
"No, I rather not," Keith said with a smile. "I like keeping my money, thank you very much." Keith, Allura, and Asher shared a laugh as they moved to opposite sides of the room.