Fics By Elle

The air was crisp and cool, reminding Allura of an early summer evening on Arus. The sounds and scents of the party were lessoned on the small balcony she had found and for the better part of ten minutes she had been alone and able to find serenity.

Allura’s stolen moment of peace was interrupted when another party patron stepped onto the terrace. Allura had purposely hidden in the shadows to avoid her entourage and to avoid her husband as he started his drinking binge; like he did at every state event and social soirée they attended.

The intruder of her solitude didn’t see her as he strode confidently to the balcony railing over looking the estates impressive gardens. He sighed much like she had when she had finally been able to steal herself away, he apparently didn’t appreciate the social scene within the estate either.

Allura studied him for only a moment before a flicker of recognition hit her. He was tall, broad shouldered, with a strong jaw and angular alien features. His ears were long and pointed like the Elves of human lore. His hair was shorter now, barely an inch in length at the top and buzzed short near his nape, but Allura would have recognized him anywhere.

It had been five long years since she had seen him last. There had been wars waged and won since then, empires fell, old villains had passed away and new ones had risen to take their places. For five years, Arus hadn’t seen a single Drule ship on their horizon or received a single Drule threat. Allura felt like a young schoolgirl again as her pulse raced at the thrill of seeing him again. She never in her life thought that she would be excited to see Lotor, the Prince of Doom. Here she was, alone on a dark secluded balcony with a man who had pursued her relentlessly when she was younger, and she didn’t want to flee.

She must have sighed because he turned and saw her, his eyes as golden as she remembered them, even in the darkness.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice huskier and deeper than she remembered. “I didn’t mean to intrude.” She watched him as his wondered over her body then finally rested on her face. “Allura?”

She never thought that she would thrill at the sound of her name again but as he spoke it, she felt a rush. She was glad for the darkness on the balcony or he’d see her blush. She stepped closer to him, standing beside him at the balcony rail. His eyes never left her face as she moved and she couldn’t seem to bring herself to look anywhere other than his eyes.

“Hello, Lotor,” she managed to say, although it only came out as a whisper.

He looked like he wanted to ravish her or flea. Allura wasn’t sure which she wanted him to do. Instead, he chose a tactic she couldn’t recall him trying before.

“It’s been a long time,” he commented, finally breaking away from her to look over the gardens again.

“Five years,” Allura confirmed, looking over the gardens too although she didn’t really see any of the flora. She could smell him, she was standing so close to him. His cologne was strong; an enticing musk and spice scent that made her want to sigh.

“The years have been kind to you,” Lotor replied, his gaze intent on the gardens. Allura looked at him, his strong profile silhouetted against the bright moons that had begun to rise. “I hear that congratulations are in order,” he said, his words seeming sorrowful.

She knew about which he spoke. It wasn’t her nuptials to Keith he referred to, since those were five years past. It was the expected arrival of her first child.

“Thank you,” she sighed, letting her hand rub her slightly swollen belly.

“You and Keith must be very proud.”

Allura was sure that she still heard enmity in his tone when he spoke of Keith. She herself wasn’t happy to hear his name, not when she has spent most of the evening so far trying to free herself from his company.

“Of the joys that Keith has given me,” Allura said delicately, as she kept her hand on her belly. “This is the only one.”

Lotor turned and looked at her then, a brow raised in questioning. It wasn’t a secret among the castle servants that Allura and Keith would never have a happily ever after. She doubted though that the gossip had gotten any farther than the walls of the castle. Keith had made sure that every possible attempt was made to keep up appearances, even though he was slowly slipping as of late.

In the moon light now, Allura could see his angular features more clearly and she couldn’t help but settle her gaze on a scar on his face she had never seen before. It looked to be from a blade of some sort and it started above his brow, striking down, missing his eye but continuing down his cheek on the left side of his face.

Allura saw her hand reaching to touch it before she realized she had moved. He caught her hand quickly and pulled it away, his gaze unreadable.

“What happened?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“War,” Lotor replied. “This is the price I paid for my crown.”

“Crown?”

“Yes,” he answered. “I am King of Doom now.”

Allura shouldn’t have been so surprised. She had heard of Zarkon’s death and of the war that followed but she didn’t know that Lotor had won his bid for the crown. All news of Doom had faded after their government had collapsed.

Lotor still held her hand captive, his strong hands gently messaging her fingers absently. When he realized what he was doing, he released her hand and stepped away from her.

“I’m sure that your husband wouldn’t enjoy seeing you here on this balcony alone with me,” Lotor commented. “Your honor is at steak.”

“Any honor I had, Keith threw away with his first mistress,” Allura replied, rather bitterly. “And spat on with his second and third.” She sighed and turned away. Even though she had accepted her life, it hurt to admit it. She hadn’t told anyone that she knew and she didn’t know why she told Lotor now. She didn’t want pity. She didn’t want revenge. She wanted what was promised her and denied. “Lotor,” she began. “I feel old. I feel like a shriveled up husk of a woman. I take pleasure in nothing my life has to offer. Sometimes I wonder if I’m alive at all…”

Allura heard him take a step closer to her, his hand gently caressing her cheek. She turned into his hand, letting him hold her face in his hands. It made her breath catch in her throat to feel his tender caress on her cheek. She hadn’t known that she yearned for such affection. It was enough to make her want to weep with pure joy.

He pulled his hand away abruptly but before she could ask why he stopped, she heard the door open to the estate open, spilling the sound and smells of the ball onto the balcony.

“Queen Allura,” said a family voice. She turned and saw one of her maids in waiting standing in the doorway. “His majesty, the king, wishes to leave at once.” The woman looked between Lotor and Allura, not even batting an eye that Allura was alone with another man. This maid was one that wasn’t yet touched by Keith but he had already set eyes on her. It was sickening the way that Keith systematically bedded and discarded her attendants.

“Please tell my husband that I will be right down,” Allura replied, watching the woman curtsy and then leave them alone again. She looked back at Lotor, his face unreadable even after their moment of affection.

She sighed.

“It was a pleasure seeing you again,” Allura said with a brief nod. She strode to the door. When she placed her hand on door handle to leave, he finally spoke.

“The masquerade held on Iziz is on gala that I cannot bring myself to miss,” Lotor said.

Allura smiled and opened the door. Not back to her old life but to something that could be new and exciting.