Chapter Eight
Allura woke from a nightmare with a start. She sat up and searched the darken corners of her room only to confirm that she was still alone. She hadn’t had a dream that vivid in a while; of Zarkon standing over her father’s newly slain body, laughing over his victory. She had been powerless, unable to move or scream.
She pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest. She sat there until she noticed her room was lightening. A quick glance at her alarm revealed that it was almost time to get up anyway. She threw the covers off and found her jogging suit and music player; getting ready for her morning run.
Despite Nanny’s protests over her morning jog, the doctor had said it was healthy for her to do so. Allura found it almost therapeutic; like none of her problems could catch up with her when she was running. It was too bad that she couldn’t run all the time.
Like she did most mornings, she ended up on the outer terrace of the castle in the brisk morning air. She was able to get a good view of the countryside and the castle. She came to a stop when she saw the Drule ship on the landing platform next to the castle. It was Lotor’s ship.
Lotor, that hateful man who somehow managed to be a total gentleman the day before. Allura knew that it was an act. It had to be. No one could do such a genuine change over the course of a couple months. He was his normal selfish self when she had seen him last. A knight in shining armor he was not.
Allura would just have to make it less appealing to be her husband. Since it was only a few days away, she couldn’t stuff her face and gain twenty pounds. Although the idea to attempt suicide by chocolate consumption did have an appeal.
Allura finished her run uninterrupted and took a long shower. She knew that not many in the castle would be awake yet. It was much more peaceful in the mornings when things were fresh and new. Even though she had the whole wing to herself, the commotion from all the activity in the castle seemed to reverberate through every room.
Allura’s personal console started to chime. The view screen indicated, by silly photo, that it was Emilee on an incoming wave. Allura opened the channel, reminding herself to get a different photo of Emilee since the cross-eyed tongue-stuck-out look wasn’t really proper, and set the console to her ear.
“Hello, Emilee,” Allura greeted, looking out her window at the morning.
“Hello Princess,” Emilee replied. “Coran has scheduled a meeting in the main conference room and wishes you to attend.”
“What’s on the agenda?” Allura asked nonchalantly as she went to her dresser to select clothes for the day.
“I don’t know,” Emilee admitted, sounding frustrated. “Coran asks that you be prompt though.”
Allura frown, not liking the tone in Emilee’s voice or the sudden secrecy. She could only guess that Coran was working quickly to avoid a certain prince the opportunity to attend.
“I’ll be down in five minutes,” Allura stated into her console then disconnected the communications. She selected a pair of tan dress pants and a bright pink knit top for the day and was off to the conference room while throwing her hair into a pony tail and slipping into brown leather wedge heels.
The halls were silent as she made her way down to the conference room. She didn’t see the usual servants bustling about like any typical morning. When she turned a corner and saw the doors to the conference room, Coran was waiting for her.
“Come along Allura,” Coran said without so much as a preamble. Allura was ushered inside and the door closed behind her and Coran. Arround the conference table were the Voltron Force, each looking as confused as Allura about the sudden meeting. Keith couldn’t seem to make eye contact with Allura but the rest chimed in with their good mornings as Allura took her seat at the head of the table. Coran took the seat to her right.
“I’ve called this meeting,” Coran began. “Because a very important detail was overlooked in the negotiation of the treaty we just signed with the Drules parked outside this castle.”
“What?” Allura all but shouted, as she personally had negotiated the terms. In fact, she had demanded to negotiate them alone. She had thought that they were good terms, her people were safe.
“Apparently Lotor used terms that didn’t include the support of the Drule empire,” Coran replied, looking at Allura with sympathy. She knew that she must look shocked, just like she felt. She couldn’t mask things like Coran could.
Or like Lotor.
“Only the armada Lotor brought with him are covered under the treaty you signed.”
“Then that voids the contract,” Lance shouted, eagerness threading through his words.
“Not exactly,” Allura heard Coran reply. Allura couldn’t bring to focus the scene before her. She knew that her face must be red since she felt like she were on fire. She had been tricked!
“The contract is still binding,” Allura stated, her breath coming in only shallow draws. She did her best to hide her panic. She did the only thing that she could do. She shoved it down until it was only a tickle in the back of her mind.
“Allura,” Keith blurted as he stood quickly and nearly toppled his chair. “You cannot marry that monster!” Allura looked up to see Keith had formed a fist and was shaking it at her. Hunk, who sat next to the captain, had enough sense to pull Keith back down into his chair. Allura had never expected Keith to act so aggressive toward her.
“There is nothing to be done now,” Coran chided, looking at all the men around the table. “But this information puts us in a precarious situation. Zarkon can strike against us at any time.”
“Then the war is not over,” Allura cried, fighting back tears that threatened to brim over. The whole purpose of the treaty was to keep her people from suffering. Now that was not guaranteed.
“Yes,” Coran confirmed. “And we have another problem. It seems that Lotor…”
Allura’s console started to chime again, cutting off Coran mid sentence. She looked at the view screen to see that it was Emilee again.
“Emilee, I am in a meeting,” Allura spoke into the device.
“Yes, Princess,” Emilee replied. “But Prince Lotor is requesting entrance to the meeting.”
Allura blinked, not expecting that. “Send him in.”
“Send who in?” Hunk asked innocently.
“Lotor,” Allura replied, standing to receive the man who had deceived her and was still to be her husband.
“You can’t let him in here,” Pidge whined, looking to Coran.
“Yeah,” seconded Lance, also looking at Coran. “This is state business, it doesn’t concern him.” All eyes were on Coran as the doors opened to admit the azure skinned Drule. No one was looking to Allura for guidance, they all looked to Coran.
“As consort, his opinion is still listened to,” Allura stated, quelling all protest as she met Lotor’s eyes as he took the foot of the table. “That is Arusian law.”
Lotor seemed to nod to her then, as if he understood what had just happened. He had no way to know that the group had hoped Coran would under mind the princess.
“Continue Coran,” Allura said as she took her seat once again. The force looked rather perturbed to be at the same table as the prince but they would just have to get used to it.
Coran cleared his throat.
“Lotor has attempted to kill his father and now there is a bounty on his head.”
“What?!” the entire table screamed except Allura. She just stared at her husband to be, his face a perfect mask, as always. The force hurled questions at him but none he answer.
“Quiet! All of you,” Coran shouted, getting the men under control again.
“Did you do it?” Allura asked, his alien yellow eyes keeping her gaze held.
“Yes,” Lotor admitted, ever confident and self assured.
Again the table erupted with questions and accusations, most of which Allura couldn’t discern. Again, Coran had to bring the group to order. Allura refused to shout over the harried voices.
“Do you realize that attempted murder is a crime on Arus?” Allura asked, her eyes narrowing upon Lotor.
He shrugged.
“It’s quite normal for a Drulian prince to try to kill his father,” Lotor answered. “If it had worked, might have to fight for the crown. Or not. Depends on who else wanted it. Besides, it would only have been a favor to you, my sweet princess, as he is your enemy.”
“It’s still attempted murder,” Lance quipped.
“Surely you had assassins marked to kill him,” Lotor chuckled. When startled eyes from the table turned to him, his smile faded. “You didn’t ever try to kill him? Cut off the head of the snake, as it were?” He looked about the table and finally looked at Coran with venom in his stair. “You would take me to task for harming your enemy?”
“No, Lotor,” Coran sighed. “For endangering our planet.”
“This again?” Lotor snapped, his fists clenching. “No wonder Zarkon mopped the floor with this planet before Voltron! The fundamentals of strategy seem to have been ignored. Killing Zarkon wouldn’t be a finishing blow but the Drules would plummet into another civil war and be easily conquered then.”
“We are not conquerors,” Coran replied before Allura could start to phrase her thoughts. Lotor’s eyes flicked to her face but she wasn’t sure what he saw there.
“If you want to make it through this war in one piece, you’ll need to be,” Lotor said, his tone much more even then it had been a moment ago. “Zarkon was planning another invasion before I abdicated.” Allura gasped. “It was only a matter of time before war was upon your soil again.”
“You’ve brought him down on us,” Hunk protested.
“Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better,” Lotor snapped at him. “But Arus has been a stain on Zarkon’s reputation for far to long for it to avoid another invasion.” He turned to Allura then, his eyes ablaze. “When he comes, he will cover every angle and employ every tactic. He will not stop until every man, woman, and child is his slave. Even you, Princess. Despite my obvious affinity to you, he would take you as his own.”
Allura had never thought of that. It must have shown on her face as Lotor held her gaze, never faltering in his conviction. The men from the force were shocked as well, looking at one another and asking questions over one another.
“We need to train another pilot,” Allura said over the men, her words hushing them and earning a nod from Lotor. “Blue Lion must be piloted so we can be ready for another attack.” Coran’s expression was very serious but he nodded to Allura as well.
“Who?” Pidge asked. The other men chimed in with similar questions.
“Emilee is a good candidate,” Allura replied, knowing the woman was a phenomenal pilot as well as a martial artist.
“All the lions should have a second pilot,” Lotor said, and Allura knew he was right. “The basic strategy of fighting Voltron is to try to keep the lions from forming. If one of the pilots were to be detained, then Voltron cannot form.”
“Yes,” Allura agreed. All too often that tactic had worked, delaying them form forming Voltron and causing more collateral damage as Zarkon’s robeast threw at them ran amok. “Keith, start reviewing applicants at once. Altair used to have a military, pull from there first. Also, Coran, open enlistments again and start training the army. If Zarkon attacks, I do not want to have neglected any defense.”
Allura said her statements in a commanding even tone all the while on the inside she was burning with anger toward Lotor and her friends sitting around the table. They had looked to Coran when the decision needed to be made. Her birthday wasn’t that far away and then she would be queen. They should be looking to her for answers, not Coran. It was hurtful to see that they didn’t look to her for guidance. Just like Nanny, they didn’t see her as anything other then a silly girl.
Coran nodded to her, seeming pacified with her words. Keith look constipated, for lack of a better term. He seemed very put out to be in the same room as Lotor and to accept orders from her. Lotor, however, seemed proud. He practically beamed at her concise and sound analysis of the situation. He didn’t seem to look at her like a silly girl.
“Once this war is over, the enlisted can easily train as police officers, fire fighters, and other civil servant positions,” Allura continued. “It will also help to jump start the economy if people have pay by enlisting.”
“Yes, Allura,” Coran agreed. “The merchant ships have re initiated their trade with Arus. Trade will improve with time but the people need jobs and homes.”
“Coran, make sure to organize work details for building homes and for planting crops,” Allura continued, trying to think of everything they could do to get Arus back to the way it was before the war. Even though the war wasn’t finished, some semblance of normalcy would make the people feel at ease.
“Of course, Allura,” Coran nodded, making notes in his personal console. “I will keep you updated.”
Allura looked over the table then, noting the blank faces around her. Hers was probably as blank as theirs for she felt bland inside. The anger was still there but it was easily ignored in favor of the nothing she felt.
“Meeting adjourned then,” Allura sighed, standing. The group stood with her, Keith making a dash for the door. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge followed him at a more reasonable pace. Lotor seemed to be waiting for her and Coran sat back down, working diligently on his console.
Allura strolled past the table and past Lotor to the door. She didn’t quite know where she was headed but she wasn’t surprised when she heard Lotor’s foot falls behind her.
“You’ve had your time for today,” Allura said over her shoulder. She felt a hand on her shoulder and knew it to be his. She had to stop, as he wouldn’t allow her to continue forward, but he didn’t force her to turn. She remembered how strong he was from past encounters and knew he would force her to do what he wanted.
“I was hoping for more quality time today, Allura,” he replied, his words clipped.
Allura sighed and turned then, registering that his expression was like she always remembered; stern and threatening.
“How did you know there was going to be a meeting?” Allura asked, trying to stare him down. She had nothing to fear from Lotor now, one scream from her lips would bring the guards running and then no one would blame her for breaking the treaty.
“I spoke with Coran last night,” Lotor admitted, his countenance still stern. “I knew that he would tell you as soon as he could. When the Voltron Force was called in from unloading supplies, I knew that it was time.”
Allura nodded, her eyes wandering down from his chiseled face to the steel gray button down shirt he wore. The first few buttons were unbuttoned, showing the beginnings of his muscular chest.
“Exactly when were you going to let me know that the treaty was only between your armada and Arus and not upheld by Zarkon?” Allura asked, snapping herself back to the issues at hand. The last thing she needed was to forget Lotor was her enemy.
“It was laid out in the treaty,” Lotor replied, a slight smirk brushing his lips.
“You lied to me,” Allura accused.
“There was no lie,” Lotor denied. “The treaty clearly stated that I was acting as the commander of the Drule armada I accompanied.”
Allura wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear from Lotor but that certainly wasn’t it. She wanted to punch him. She wanted to pound her fists against his chest until he fell over from the pain, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She wondered if her fear of being improper prevented her or her fear of being close to Lotor.
Instead, she decided to shrug out from underneath his hand and walk away.
“You are not my favorite person right now,” Allura said over her shoulder as she went to her room. “Leave me alone.”
