Chapter 5:

“Oh, hell!” Lance again dropped the food on his fork.
“Don’t you dare say zat!” warned Nanny.
“How can I help it? I can’t use my left hand!” Lance slammed the fork on
the table. “Stupid elf,” he muttered.
“At least you don’t have the taste of seaweed and flies in your mouth,”
Pidge croaked with a wince. His skin still had a little green tint left
from the morphing experience. “Man! Never play a practical joke on an
elf!”
“Good morning everyone.”
“Good morning, Coran,” the people at the table replied. A figure peered
out from behind Coran.
“Good morning, Lotor,” Hunk said to the figure. Suddenly, all eyes rested
on the prince, many glaring unfavorably at him.
“Uh...hi,” Lotor said in a very small voice. He had the look of pure
terror on his face as he scanned the people at the table; Lance, Pidge,
Keith...Nanny...“Coran?” he said in a whisper.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not hungry.” Lotor backed up a few steps, preparing to bolt.
“Nonsense,” Coran told him quietly, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” He
gave the boys at the table a warning glance.
“Lotor, come on and eat breakfast,” Allura encouraged him with a smile.
“Yeah,” Hunk joined in.
Lotor did the math: three people for, four against. “I’m not...”
“Go on in,” Coran whispered.
“I’m not hungry,” he again told him. He tried to back up once again, but
Coran had taken his elbow and tried to urge him forward. When he did not
budge, Coran placed his hand on Lotor’s back and with a squeak of his shoes,
pushed him into the room.
The room was so quiet that Lotor stopped breathing. His footfalls sounded
like thunder in his ears as he walked towards the table and all those eyes
and...bandages. *Gulp* He looked around for a seat and found one next to
Allura. But as he moved to the empty spot, he heard Nanny take a sharp
breath, and she moved over to block the chair. He quickly moved away and
located the only other vacant seat; between Lance and Pidge. Oh great!
Lotor looked at Allura, and she gave him a warm smile in reassurance. He
finally took a breath, moved to the chair and sat down.
No one spoke. No one even ate. The only sound was Coran taking the other
empty seat and Nanny’s footsteps as she entered the kitchen and returned
with two plates. She set them down in front of Coran and Lotor, then moved
to the back of the room, where she closely watched the prince. But, he
didn’t move. He could feel the two pairs
of eyes regarding him from either side. He took a quick glance at both;
Pidge immediately looked away, but Lance gave him the coldest stare. He
heard a few chews from Coran and Hunk. Lotor switched his gaze to his
plate, but didn’t dare move his hands to eat. As he pressed himself back
into the seat, he wished the chair would just swallow him up.
“Did you sleep well?” *Eep!* Lotor almost jumped out of his skin at the
sudden question.
“Y..y...yeah. I...yeah.” He could barely get his voice to work. Maybe he
could turn himself invisible.
“That’s too bad,” Lance mumbled.
“Shh,” Pidge warned.
After that exciting conversation, the dining hall was again completely
silent, save for the scraping of Hunk’s fork on his plate. Nanny continued
to watch the prince. He looked like a trapped animal. His face was very
pale. His hands were trembling. As he
sat there, her mood slowly changed from one of animosity to one of sympathy.
Her eyes shifted away from Lotor and across the table to Coran, Allura,
Hunk...
“VHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?” she bellowed without warning, causing
Lotor to visibly jump.
“I’m just EATING!” Hunk barked back.
“Not ZAT, you aren’t!” she carried on.
“Awww, NANNY!!” he protested.
“NO ECLAIRS!!”
“They’re out on the table!”
“Zey aren’t for breakfast!”
“They are when I’m at breakfast!” Hunk grabbed two more and stuffed them
into his mouth.
“You shtupid...” Nanny made a grab at the plate of eclairs, but Hunk
already had it in his hands and raced to the other side of the table, Nanny
in pursuit. Everyone burst out laughing as the two continued to run around
the room. Allura looked across at Lotor,
hoping... He had cracked a smile at the dessertathon, the uneasiness
gradually leaving him. Then, his hand reached for a biscuit. Seeing that
no one was looking, she also reached out, putting her hand on his.
After the show was over, Allura pulled Nanny aside. “Thank you,” she
stated plainly.
“Yah, vell,” Nanny looked at the squashed eclairs, “Maybe he’s had enough.
But don’t think I’m not going to be vatching him shtill.”

* * *

It was late morning. A short distance from the castle, a spacecraft
arrived. The pilot of the ship immediately exited and headed towards the
entrance to the palace. Meanwhile, farther off in the distance, a smaller
craft in the shape of a coffin landed deep
in the woods. Its passenger hopped out and, on furry paws, also approached
the castle.

-Kat