“Now, doctor, can we speak to you for a minute?”
“What’s going on?” Lotor again questioned.

“Oh it’s nothing, Lotor...”

“I want to know what’s going on! What’s all this whispering about?”

“Lotor...all right. We can’t keep you here much longer. The baby is
getting too loud to keep it a secret. We’ll have to move you two in at most
a week.”

Lotor stared in front of him, then nodded his head. “So, I’ll move.”

“It’s not zhat simple. Ve haff to have someone looking after little
Leona.”

“You can...”

“I haff to schtay at the castle! It’s vhere I vork! Und besides, people
vould get suspicious.” Nanny thought for a minute. “Hmm. Maybe...I haff
an idea. Ve could put zhem in one of the old servant’s cottages. I
schtayed in one near the mountains before the
princess was born und I had to vork full time. It’s secluded. No one goes
there. It vould be perfect.”

“But how are we going to take care of the baby?” asked the princess. “I
can’t be there all the time without arousing suspicion. Nanny can’t be
there all the time either.”

“Well, I can’t help either,” commented Dr. Gorma. “I too have to work in
the castle.”

“Zhen ve’ll get another servant...”

“NO WAY!!” protested Lotor standing up. “No one else!”

“Tough! Zhere’s no other vay, unless you vant to do it! Now, I suggest
Hilda. She is trustworthy und very reliable.”

“Why don’t we just ship Lotor off the planet?” suggested Coran in hope.
“He’s probably fit for space travel by now. And with him gone, we could
just pretend like the baby is a lost orphan and keep her in the castle.”

Allura looked shocked. “MY BABY...”

“...is NOT going to be an orphan!” finished Lotor. “Don’t I have a say in
this?!” Besides, he thought, if they sent him away, he wouldn’t be with
Allura anymore. “I will stay here.”

“On Arus?”

“On Arus.”

“You don’t want to go back to Doom even?” Coran pressed.

“Uh...” Kill Hagar or stay with my beloved Allura...yeah, right! Like
that’s a tough decision! “No. I’ll stay here.” So much for revenge.

“Zhen you vill haff to put up vith another person knowing your secret.”

“No...isn’t there any other way?”

“Not unless you can find a vay to get zhat baby cared for vithout involving
anyone else.”

Lotor cringed internally, running over the outrageous thought forming in
his mind. Finally... “I’ll do it,” he blurted.

Everyone was silent. “Vhat?” Nanny was the first to respond.

The prince gulped. “I’ll....do it. Take care of her.”

“YOU?!” Nanny proceeded to laugh for about half an hour. “You are an
egocentric monschter who only knows how to fight und cause trouble. You’ve
never known a day’s housevork in your life! Und you think you can take care
of a BABY?!”

For Allura, he would do anything right now. “Yes?”

Nanny laughed for another half an hour. “Und how are you going to take
care of her? You don’t know anything!”

“Uh...someone can teach me?”

Nanny snorted. “Even I vouldn’t be able to teach you.”

Lotor eyed her. “What’s the matter?” he asked her. “You’re always giving
me a hard time. Not up for another challenge?”

Nanny strode up to the prince, looking him straight in the eye. “You’re
actually serious?”

Lotor again gulped, then returned her glare. “Yes.”

She crinkled her nose. “Boy, you are in for the vorst veek of your life.”

* * *

That afternoon, Nanny ordered the crib and all the rest of the baby’s items
moved back into the bedroom. “You must be able to take care of her. Vhile
I am not zhere, you vill have to feed her, clean her, entertain her, love
her...”

“I can do that,” Lotor told her.

Nanny laughed. “I doubt it, boy.”

“I’m not an idiot, Nanny,” Lotor insisted looking at all the stuff. “Now,
what’s this?”

“Zhat’s a diaper.”

“Does it go on her...head?”

“Oh boy, you are going to take some vork.”

The week progressed including but not limited to the following exerpts:

“Why is she crying?” Lotor asked.

Nanny folded her arms. “You tell me.”

“I don’t know!”

“Zhen find out. Und listen to her cry so you vill know the next time.”

“*Sniff* Ugh...Phew! Nanny, I think I’ve found out.”

Nanny laughed. “Good boy. Now change her.”

“Ohhh...” Lotor groaned. “Umm, could you...?”

“No. Now do it.”
__________

*Blurp*

“Eww.”

“Mmmbbggg!”

“What are you laughing at?” The baby made a face, and Lotor chuckled.
Then, he looked down at his shirt. “Gross.” He was attempting to wipe the
spit-up off when
Nanny came through the door.

“Und how are...zhat’s not the vay to feed a baby! Look here: put zhis
cloth here.”
__________

“NO NO NO!!!”

“Rrrgghh! You do it!”

“NO VAY, JOSE! YOU do it!”

“I can’t!”

“Don’t give me zhat! Now listen, take the cloth und vipe...”
__________

“I SAID TEPID, NOT HOT VATER!!! You are lucky I checked, you schtupid...”
__________

“The baby kept you up ALL night?” Allura asked him.

Lotor slowly nodded his head, his eyes surrounded by dark rings. “All
night,” he groaned, leaning his head on her in grief. It was hard enough
learning all this new stuff while still sore and barely able to straighten
up. Now, he couldn’t even get a good night’s sleep.

Allura stroked his hair. “That’s not good! I’m going to insist that
Nanny...”

“No. No, it’s...I can do it. I’ll...” Before he could finish his
sentence, Lotor fell asleep on her shoulder.

Don’t mistake Allura. She regularly came in to visit Lotor and the baby,
but was often discouraged from helping him. Though, if Nanny wasn’t around,
Lotor was happy to have any help she offered. But, since Nanny was more
watchful than a hawk, Lotor found himself relying on coffee and headache
remedies.

* * *

Then came the big day. The decision day. The day that Nanny left Lotor
all alone with Leona. No one was allowed in the room, except in the case of
an emergency. And all day, Nanny prayed that the baby would still be alive
when she returned in the night.

Nanny’s hands shook as she opened the door. Then, she shut it quickly. “I
can’t look,” she groaned. “I’m too nervous. I shouldn’t haff left him...”

“I’ll look, Nanny,” Allura told her. With that, she slowly opened the door
and peered in. Lotor sat in the rocking chair, the baby sucking at a
bottle. She was so tired; her eyes slowly drooping, the lids getting
heavier. And still he sat, patiently rocking the
little baby to sleep and humming ever so softly. Allura almost giggled out
loud. She NEEDED a picture of this! It was just too precious!

“Vhat is it? Is everything all right?” Nanny looked over the princess’
shoulder.

“Everything’s fine,” said Allura. She smiled as Lotor’s eyes met hers.

“Did I pass?” he whispered.

“Yah,” Nanny sighed in relief. “Yah, you did.”

* * *

Later that night, a horse and cart waited just outside the castle walls.
Two figures, one carrying a small bundle, stole out of the door and across
the bridge. They reached the cart and rode away into the night, towards the
mountains in the distance.

-Kat