“Are you always like this?” Allura asked Keith with a teasing lilt in her voice, finally breaking the silence between them as she cast a sidelong glance at him. “So serious, focused, responsible, and relentless at doing what you think you have to do?”
He shrugged at her. “Not really,” he said in a deadpan voice, but his dark eyes were twinkling, “In between jobs, I’m just your regular serious, focused, relentless stick-in-the-mud.”
She laughed loudly at that, the lighthearted sound bringing smiles to the rest of the company and a wide grin from Keith. “I think I already knew that without your having to say it – Lance and the others say that about you often enough,” she said in between giggles. “I just never realized that that’s how you thought of yourself, too.”
“That’s me, boring, uninteresting Keith,” he quipped.
“No, not uninteresting at all,” she countered under her breath, softly enough for him not to hear, as she studied him with her frank blue gaze. You’re much too interesting for my own peace of mind, she thought on a sigh.
He met her eyes, his own filled with wariness. He cleared his throat. “Um… Princess – I just wanted to let you know… what I said about how you only followed orders when they suit you –“
She quickly cut him off with a careless wave of her hand. “You were right for mentioning it – I should be the one apologizing to you for overreacting,” she said with false brightness, turning away from him and gathering the heavy curtain of hair behind her and throwing the mass over one shoulder to let the nippy morning air cool her nape. “I – I would really rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind.”
From the corner of her eye, Allura saw him frown at that, then set his jaw in determination. “That’s just it, Princess – I only meant what I said as a joke,” he explained awkwardly, making her look at him. “I never meant – that is, I didn’t think you’d take it too seriously – I…” He gave up, ending with a sheepish smile. “It was a joke,” he finished lamely, his eyes contrite.
She smiled, feeling gratified at his apology and not just a bit too sheepish herself for being so sensitive that she didn’t see the jibe for what it was. “I guess I do take everything you say too seriously,” she mused, earning another surprised glance from him. She smiled ruefully at him. “It’s something I can’t really help. After all, you did train me, and I’m not… used to you saying things that you don’t really mean – even in a joking manner.”
He groaned aloud, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Have I become as bad as that?” he said, frowning again. “I may have always been a stick-in-the-mud but I also used to be known for occasionally having a decent sense of humor.”
“No, no – it’s not like that at all!” she hastily exclaimed, wanting to smooth out the alarmed scowl on his face, “It’s probably just – it’s just me.” She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before going on. “I just… there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you –and…” she faltered, not knowing how to phrase her question.
The kind yet wary expression in his eyes urged her on silently.
“Why is it that you don’t like me very much?” she blurted out, then covered her mouth with her free hand, her eyes widening in horror at what she had just said. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks, warming them unbearably – what in the world was he thinking of her now? She quickly ducked her head, moving ahead of him and staring at the forest floor, determined not to see his reaction no matter how curious she was.
“Princess, wait up.” His hand on her shoulder almost made her jump. Reluctantly, she stopped and looked at him, a guarded look on her still-pink face. He paused for a moment, looking as if he were waging a small battle within himself, then moved the hand on her shoulder to touch the groove her frown made in between her eyebrows in a gentle, smoothing motion. Surprise made her let go of the frown and look up at him with a bemused stare.
“That’s better,” he said with a small smile, dropping his hand. He met her eyes. “I don’t know how you got the impression that I don’t like you, Princess, but you couldn’t be more wrong about anything.“ He wavered at that, an unknown emotion flashing too fleetingly in his eyes for her to understand. His next words were gruff. “Truth is, I –“ he broke of suddenly.
Allura felt, rather than saw, his entire body tense in sudden awareness. He turned away from her and quickly darted his head from side to side, eyes alert. He pulled out his laser and held up his other hand towards the rest of the men, who all fell silent at his signal, instantly tense and ready as well. Without looking at her, he motioned for her to stand behind him, and she moved, realizing that Lance had moved forward and was just at her back, laser out and ready as well.
There was absolute silence in the woods, and nothing could be heard but the sound of the company’s breathing and the restless pawing of horses’ hooves.
There was never absolute silence in these woods. A shudder shot through the Princess, and she suddenly felt... a malevolent presence, like something was hiding high among the trees ahead…
The first high screaming shot of a laser came from her right, causing Lance to dart behind the nearest tree trunk and fire towards the unseen enemy. Keith jostled Allura behind the same trunk that Lance had taken refuge behind, firing with one hand as he guided her with the other.
The other men scrambled behind tree trunks and
opened fire into the trees as laser stun beams began to rain from just
above them, while many of the horses ran off unheeded towards the open
valley. Then she saw them, about fifteen robot soldiers from Planet Doom,
materializing from what seemed to be out of nowhere, standing upon the
branches of the trees ahead of them.
The Worst Enemy -- Capturing the Prize