She hadn't noticed yet. She had silently walked into the room and lit the candles that surrounded the perimeter. Then she disappeared into another room. He thought it best to wait. She should see his gift first. When she emerged she wore a long blue satin negligee with a robe of the same material wrapped around her. He watched avariciously as she pulled her hair from its binds and brushed it. Soon, she sat down the brush and stared at her self in the mirror for a long moment. He wondered if she saw what he saw when he looked at her. Or had she reached the point that her face was nothing to her but a strange melange of shapes, totally unfamiliar from scrutinizing it for too long a time.

Finally she stood. Something on the bed caught her eye. Curiously she walked over to the bed, bare feet making no sound at all, and pulled back its thin drape. On the middle of the bed resting on its pillows was a beautiful doll. She sat on the edge of her bed and gently picked it up as a smile touched her lips. It made him smile, too, in his drunkenness. She looked back onto the bed for a card, there was no name attached. Nothing there.

She looked back down at the doll which she now held as lovingly as a new mother. She touched it's nose with a single finger, and let it drop to its lips. Then a strange look clouded her expression. It was time.

"Do you like my gift?"

The Princess stifled a small scream as two arms took hold of her from behind, one covering her mouth and the other around her waist. She weighed no more than the doll he had given her. She twisted and kicked but the arms holding her were too powerful. She was brought down to stand on the floor. Her body tense and trembling all over.

"Shhh!" he whispered into her ear from behind as he held her body against his. "You know I won't hurt you."

"Do as I say and I will be your slave..." he whispered after she stilled, brushing his lips on her ear. He felt a shiver run up her spine.

"Lotor..." she whispered.

Gently, he turned her around to face him. She looked utterly terrified. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth slightly parted. Lotor placed one hand on the back of her head as the other held her in a tight embrace. It felt good to hold her once again. He buried his face in her neck and smelled her. Flowers. Always exotic flowers. He wondered if she ever thought of their first encounter in the garden, the rose he had given her. He gently placed his lips on her cheek near her eye, just to taste her, oblivious of her fear.

"What are you doing here?" she whimpered eyes and voice in an rage, body tense and uncomfortable from his tight grip. "My nurse will be coming soon. You have to go."

"First tell me why you have neglected to appreciate me. After all, I did risk much for you." He moved his head to where his forehead rested against hers. He could smell her sweet breath and feel it against his lips.

"I-I do not know what you speak of, you must go..."

He stood back and looked her in the eye. Did she not know? An uncontrollable rage rose in his entire body.

"What do you mean, you don't know what I speak of. Did he not tell you it was I who stole the cure from my own father so you would not die that slow and miserable and death. I found your champion and gave it to him to bring back for you."

"But," she said shaking her head. This news seemed to upset her very much. Lotor had tight hold of her wrist. Her free hand had grasped his arm in an effort to free its mate. "No one told me."

"What do you mean no one told you!" he roared in her face, roughly pulling her closer. He knew not what he said after that. The words didn't matter, it was the rage behind them he felt. Stumbling, he was throwing things. He faintly heard things breaking, her screaming, and him saying, "You can not ignore me forever!"

"Lotor! Your scaring me. Please, go away. Your drunk." she cried twisting under his tight grip. She began hit at his arm with her fist. He ignored the rage and fear in her eyes. She said more , but that did not matter either. How could she think that he deserved no thanks. He roughly dragged her across the room as his mind became an unfocused haze. He knew not what he did or what he said.

Suddenly, he pulled her into him and held her tighter than ever. Her fingers dug into the skin of his chest. He would probably bleed from it, but that didn't matter either. "I had a dream. Long before I ever laid eyes on you. We were lovers. And you loved me more than life it's self...." He roughtly pressd his lips to hers, but her head began tossing from side to side unwilling to give in to the kiss. He grasped a handful of hair and violently stilled her head, as she howled in pain. "You've had that dream too. Why can't you just admit you love me! I know you have feelings, too" he exclaimed tightening his hold on her hair.

"It's not love! It's not love!," she cried in a panic, tears rushing over her cheeks. His face stung with pain as her hand met his skin. " Please! Leave me alone!"

"I can live with your lust," he yelled once more out of control as the rage grew in him once more. He threw her against a nearby wall unaware of his strength. "You will grow to love me...."

In a frenzy he kicked a table, more breaking glass, and yelled more as the Princess leaned against her wall and sobbed. He grabbed hold of her once more, he could hear himself yelling "You have no power over me!" Was she crazy? Of course she was. Why did she constantly deny her feelings for him?!?

The look in her eyes broke him from his stupor of rage. Her eyes were wide, no longer tearing, was that fear? Her lip trembled, her quivering hands were in her hair and she looked as if she might pull it out herself. And there was blood. Her head was bleeding. The right side of her face was covered. Then Lotor noticed the broken glass on her wall. With his one free hand he caressed her face apologetically with a gloved hand. And, then he saw that he had been holding a knife to her throat.

He stepped back, ashamed of himself. He could not remember how he had gotten here or any of the circumstances. His mind was still an unfocussed mess. The room spun. He dropped the knife and could only hear it's loud cry as it hit the hard floor. He wanted to apologies, but nothing came out of his opened mouth. He had once sworn to himself that he would never lay a harmful hand on this creature. What have I done!!

She stood shaking, their eyes locked in an embrace. She put her hands against the wall and slowly let them guide her further away from him. He made no move to stop her as she ran from the room like a mad woman.

"Well, it looks like everything is back in order." said Lance looking around Keith's room. Simple clad elegance fit it like a glove, few ornaments from many different planets decorated the desks and tables. A sword on the wall and shelves full of books. Dr Gorma decided that there was no way he could keep the young captain in the medical wing of the castle any longer. He still required medical attention, but he could at least take it in the comfort of his own room.

Hunk threw himself into a chair near the bed. "So, when ya commin back to practice with us, buddy. I'm about ready to take your job." "In a week or two, I hope," replied Keith throwing his unignited laser sword at his friend. "But, I'm ready to kick your ass anyday." he added hoping to lighten the mood.

"Bring it on, you scrawny sack of shit!" Hunk yelled teasingly turning on the sword.

"When do you think Allura will be able to join us again?" asked Pidge.

"I don't know," answered Hunk twisting the long sword in the air. "She looked pretty bad earlier today. Coran had to hold her up the whole time. I really think we should look into finding someone to replace her for now."

"We'll see," said Keith glancing around his room once more. She wouldn't take well to that news.

"Gentlemen," came a voice from the door.

"Sir," answered Keith as the rest of the team jumped to their feet.

"Go back to what you were doing, gentlemen. I just came to see how you were doing today, young man," he said glancing at Keith. " I know you are not ready to go back up but I think it would be beneficial to have you in Castle Control with me. There are certain matters we must discuss."

"That sounds great, Coran. I'm more than ready to get back into the swing of things." he replied wondering what 'certain matters' referred to.

"How about a nightcap, gentlemen?"

"I'm up for it!" yelled Hunk throwing the diffused sword onto the bed. The other guys stood and began towards the door. These nightcap, though rare, were often just what they needed. Coran had the keys, of course, to the royal stash of liquor.

"You coming , Keith?" asked Lance to his friend who stood still in the center of the room. His face had gone blank as he stared down at the old pilots helmet he held in his hands. "Keith?"

A horrible feeling overcame him. Something in the pit of his stomach twisted and ached. He shook it off as a one of the waves of nausea that often took him unexpectedly these days. "I'll catch up." And they left him there alone.

She ran as fast as her feet would carry her, often falling to her knees. Tears were hot in her eyes as she cried aloud. She dared not look behind her for fear that he was close behind. She knew not where she was headed, a feeling deep down guided her feet. Her bloody hands used the cold steel wall as support. It seemed that she was the only person in the castle. Why were the halls empty? Where was everyone?

Soon, the cold steel of the castle floor gave way to cold brick. Crumbled stones bruised her sore, bare feet. Her cries echoed around her, blending with the sound of dripping water far off in the distance. Suddenly she stopped at a large door, acutely aware of the voices which were now upon her. They were louder than ever, asking her questions, calling her name. Any other day she would have answered them, now she only put her hands to her ears and let out a fierce cry. Chest heaving, hands trembling, she grasped the golden chalice and drank as much of the sweet liquid she could before she began to choke. She fell to her knees and recited a litany for the dead before the door opened them selves and allowed her in.

She thought she would go straight to her fathers tomb and beg for forgiveness, wasn't it him calling her to atone- lusting for her fathers murders son in his very home! - but her feet stopped long before that. She looked up at his mausoleum resting atop it's pedestal, but it did not call to her. The older sarcophagus before her did.

She trembled as she walked closer to it. It was covered with dust, for it had been nearly a decade since there was someone to care for this holy space. There was one layer, though, thinner than the rest. Her mind racing at a dizzying speed remembered briefly wiping away the layer and announcing to Keith "Princess Arrourah Atredyez-Lassat...She was married into the house Lassat briefly. I think murdered on her wedding night."

Allura wiped at the tears from her eyes with her sleeve before wiping off more of the engraving.

Queen Arrourah Atredyez-Lassat
Lady of Arus
1234-1255 c:s
Second Daughter of Queen and King Aramoure

She looked at the tomb in near contempt. Lady of Arus. She was blessed and schooled by the High Church of Arus. An honor bestowed only on a certain few chosen of female Arus royalty. A terrible despair took her. Allura fell to her knees and cried into her hands.

"Why? Why do you do this to me? Did I leave you out of my prayers one night? Did I forget you at the Holy Feast?" she sobbed.

Suddenly, the air was gone from her lungs, she felt as if a large hand had punched her in the stomach. She gasped as she fell over the coffin, a great weight pulling her down. When she looked up , still gasping for air, she saw the figures surround her. White lights atop of each golden sarcophagus glaring down at her. They quickly surrounded her as she grasped her throat in panic. This had happened to her only once before. Fear of that memory rushed back into her.

She had been but a child. It was her seventh, or was it sixth, birthday. There was a great festival held for her outside the castle in the nearby city. It was perfect, Mommy had been there, daddy for only a short time - for he had work to do inside the castle - Auntie Orla and Garrett and Miss Leda were there, too. It was such a splendid time. People came from all over to bring her new ribbons (made from the prettiest of materials) and many brushes, mirrors, and combs. Allura had decided that she would have a different one for each day. Anything to aggravate Nanny. Dolls, too. There were many dolls. Some people even bestowed beautiful jewels upon her, but Mommy decided that it was best that she keep them with her and allow the sometimes unruly princess to wear them only on the nicest of occasions.

At one point, something had called to the curious princess and she wandered away from the large festival. It was easy to do, because many women were gathered around Merri and they each spoke of their husbands, silly things like that. Darma had followed her. She was one of the mean girls who was only nice when her mommy was around.

"Allura! We'll surely be punished! Where are you going?" She only smirked at the auburn headed child and followed her calling. Suddenly, a great weight hit her from within and she gasped for air. She fell to her knees as the other child ran to her side, not offering help of any kind.

Then she was standing knee deep in water, her small hands held up her dress to keep it out of the murky pool, though it was already soaked to her knees. She tried to move her feet but they were nearly stuck. She cried out in fear and began sobbing loudly. A great fog surrounded her and she could not see her one inch in front of her face. Her cries became long and pitiful. "Mama! Nanny!"

Just as surely as the child thought that there was no one around for miles a voice called out to her from somewhere near.

"Who's there?"

"Help me, please!" she sobbed. Then a small woman appeared in front of her from within the heavy mists. She was definitely Arus borne, dark hair, dark skin, and dainty.

"Dear child, how did you get here?" she asked in Old Arus. Allura understood her tongue but knew not how to speak it her self. She tried her best to compose herself as the woman neared. "Do you have a name child?"

Allura only looked on in fear at the strange little woman. "You may answer me."

"My name... Allura Sophy Atredyez. I walked away from my party and have ended up here. Please, I don't know where I am." she said pleadingly.

The strange woman looked at her thoughtfully for one long moment. "Royalty, eh? Where do you get that mark upon your face?"

"From my Queen Mother," she sobbed realizing that this lady would leave her stuck in the bogs.

"Don't fret child, I will show you the way out. Though, I do find it strange how you say you arrived. Give me your hand, little one." she said holding out a darkened hand to the golden child.

"You don't look like Arus Royal, where do you say your mother hails?" said the woman as she led her through a maze of low water.

"My mother is of Ribbonaire blood." Allura muttered taking special care to keep her dress dry. Then the lady turned around, and as if reading her mind, and fixed the dress so that it hung only to the child's knees.

"You'll find your way through there, child," she said pointing through the fog after a few more minutes of walking.

Almost fearfully, Allura turned toward the woman and curtseyed. "Thank you very much Madame...."

"Igrainnee"

"Madame Igrainnee" she ended her curtsey and turned towards the direction she had pointed. She apprehensively closed her eyes and stepped through the mist.

Then the pain over took her again. Her hands flew to her throat as she gasped for air. She was laying flat on the ground now and Darma stood tall above her.

She reached a hand out for Darma, but she only watched. "H- help" she said, but no voice escaped her mouth. Darkness closed in.

She could still feel her body, it lurched and convulsed, but she felt no pain. She laid still for a long time before she heard her mother screaming. Her mothers arms drew her up in a tight embrace. Coran had been there too. He begged Merrianne to keep quiet, not to alarm the people. Allura felt him lay her flat on the ground and breathe life into her, though she was not dead, nor had she stopped breathing. But, his act made her cough and cry once more. Merrianne held the small, crying girl tight as they quietly left the party and made way back into the castle. The King waited at the entrance and protectivly grabbed his daughters limp body from her mothers arms, Allura knew she was safe now.

Now, she held her arms out to her fathers light as she tried to fight the Sight. She musen’t fall under, but suddenly she was in a dark room. She leaned against a hard wall - rock maybe - and let her eyes accustom to the darkness.

Soon she saw that she was in a very ornate room. A large bed lay in the middle, and on it lay two bodies. Allura pressed her self tightly against the wall, hoping to become one with it and end this madness. The two bodies on the bed spoke softly to one another, the female in Old Arus and the male in a tongue that was all together unfamiliar to Allura, but still, she understood what he said.

For one moment Allura was on the bed, too. Seeing through the woman's eyes. The man in front of her kissed her tenderly and ran his strong fingers across her cheek. He was more than beautiful, he was magnificent. His skin a light blue, his features small and boyish, long hair tangled in his mistresses fingers. Allura thought it almost as silky as - His familiar yellow eyes shone brightly as he whispered into his loves ear ... "Arrourah, my angel, my all, my very self, I love you , I adore you, I treasure you...." Allura knew the pair to have just finished love making for the first time. The King held his new Queen tigh t in strong muscled arms.

She whispered something back to him, almost a purr, as Allura was once more in her own body holding tightly to the wall. She sank to the floor and wondered if they would be able to see the intruder in their sacred place.

For Allura realized that they were on Arus Holy Ground. She knew everything in one instant. The young Princess had been sent to the Holy Isle for schooling, an honor the High Church of Arus choose for only a certain few royal Princesses. Once schooled, at the young age of twenty, the Princess would decide if it was her destiny to become Lady of Arus or fulfill her royal duties.

It had been Arrourah's destiny to marry her long love from Planet Calidyan. Therefore, to fulfill her royal duties. She would not be a High Priestess, but if ever married, she would become a High Queen of Arus. But, since Arruorah was not the eldest , her title was only one of honor, for she would never be High Queen of Arus, she would be Queen of her married planet. The couple married two days ago on his planet, and then flew immediately to Arus - at her longing - for a ceremony. The church would bless a royal marriage of their Maidens as long as they participated in the Holy Marriage Rites.

It was over and done now. Arrourah and her love were blessed and would tomorrow return to their vast kingdom.

The couple fell asleep, lazily kissing one another softly , lips joined they dozed. Allura felt happy. Happier than she had ever been in her life. It was almost to much, then she pulled away from the feeling. She had almost become lost in it. Then she realized, that they were not alone in the Holy space. Three figures were hiding about in the drapes.

Quietly, they left their hiding places and crept toward the bed. Allura tried to call out, but no noise came from her again. The three moved quickly and in a confusion of cries, two were beating the man and one pulled the naked Arrourah from the bed. The men held a gun of an ancient make to the Kings neck and stunned him many more times than was necessary. He lay motionless, but still conscious.

"Lorot! Lorot! Me arrrreA! Me arrrreA!" cried out Arrourah as the man holding her pulled her hair and another one hit her full across the face. He let go and her body fell heavily on to the floor. Allura couldn't see them, for they were on the other side of the bed, but she heard her cries. She heard it. She covered her ears crying once more, she screamed and knew that her body laying still over the coffin must have screamed too. She was trembling, eyes wide with fear once more.... the prince lay motionless, but his eyes were open, he saw all that happened. She screamed again as she cried out for her Gods help.

Then they were in the garden. The familiar garden of her child hood. a young maiden of about eleven wrapped her arms tightly around a great tree. The music from the ballroom drifted out there as if only a whisper. Her older brother turned 17 on this night. A rose appeared from behind her and she quickly turned to see who presented it. She smiled shyly at the young boy, only two years her senior, bearing this innocent gift. The young man with light blue skin and long white hair bowed to her.

There was fog once more as Allura heard the ancient queen cry and scream at the same time.

"Among my most prized possessions are the words I've never spoken..." said Arrourah holding a silver ball decorated with many jewels to her chest. She looked down at it, then back up at her Prince. Lorot took her head between his hands and kissed her ever so gently. A long kiss, which the Princess melted into. "I love you, too," she whispered .

Arrourah's cried were drowned out by Allura's own. This was all to terrible to take in. Why was she to witness this brutality? She knew there were tears in the Kings eyes but he could not move to wipe them.

Hours passed. Finally the men stood from the other side of the bed. One carried the broken limp body of the new Queen. He laid it down on the bed beside her King with a laugh. Allura, seeing through Lorot's eyes understood the laugh. The Queen would be dead with in hours. Certain species could not mate in this universe, The mixture of DNA and blood often resulted in a slow and painful death.

Lorot, tears freely flowing, managed to move a hand to her shoulder after great pain and concentration. She lay softly crying, gripping her lower abdomen in pain. She moaned aloud. "Lorot, me pirrr, me pirrrrrA..." and she broke into shrieks and tears.

"I love you , too" he silently whispered. She knew.

The lion knights ran behind their leader trying hard to keep up. They had been seated with Coran speaking about military matters when Keith dropped his cup, spilling his tea, and ran from the room. By now, there was no doubt where he was going. He was leading them to Princess Allura's room.

The door stood open. Keith did not hesitate to enter, but was taken aback by the sight. Tables and chairs over turned, things broken, and the mirror on the wall. Large shards of glass lay on the floor in a puddle of blood. Blood smeared the wall , too.

Keith, sullen faced and in control once again, gave commands to search the entire room, check the closet, under the bed. But then Coran entered.

"She's not here," panted the old man, still out of breath from the run.

"How do you know?"

"Blood. A trail of blood outside."

The team raced out of the room. Surely enough, blood was smeared on the wall down to the end of the hall. They followed, the path, noticing how every so other she must have fallen to her knees.

"She was running," cried a lady as a soldier questioned her. Keith stopped to hear her out.

"Was she being followed?"

"No. No one was behind her. I reached out for her , I tried to stop her but she was oblivious. She was bleeding from her head," the lady cried pointing to the spot on her own head where Allura must have been bleeding from.

"Did you see which way she went?"

"She went that way," she said pointing through the middle of the court. "I tried to follow her, but she just disappeared."

"She must be hiding, somewhere," said Coran to Keith as he turned to his soldiers. "Split up and search every inch of this castle. Seal the doors, no one comes or goes."

Allura, wheezed, reaching for any air she could find. She knew she could not pass out here. No one would find her ad she would surely die. No one would even know to look until morning, many hours away!

A pain began deep in her chest. She felt as if her lungs were deflating. She held her arms out in front of her and stumbled to the door, the memory of the rape still fresh in her mind. Darkness threatened to surround her but she fought it off. Not yet. The space inn front of her became a wild blur of colors. The darkened air of the lower catacombs, touched by the firelight of torches, came to her only as orange and black glows.

The voices were upon her again.
How goes it in the out side world?!
Have we won the war, yet?!
Has the mighty Voltron been resurrected!?

There was no breath in her to answer these questions. How long could she hold her breath before the world closed in on her. Her feet moved of their own will. The blur in front of her brightened, then went totally dim as the darkness surrounded her.

No! No! Not yet! She pushed on. Her ears hearing terrible noises from her throat. And, squeaking. There was ... that familiar sound. She followed the voices of her small friends, mostly on her knees, for the pain in her chest grew deeper and more painful when she stood. Once, she fell flat to the floor, able to push only with her numb limbs. The mice biting at the soles of her feet to keep her moving.

Then she heard the sound of water. A great fountain. She knew she had to \be near the third floor lobby. How she made it to the third floor, she had no idea. Darkness faded between blurs of brightness, sounds between no sounds. And the pain in her chest became to much.

"Allura!" she heard her name in the distance. Someone was calling.

She scrambled to her feet. No one should ever see their sovereign crawling on her knees. Nanny would have beaten her , regardless of the fact that she was slowly suffocating. Allura tumbled into the darkness and toward the water. Somehow water would make it all right. It had to. Someone screamed. Allura felt a woman nearby grab her child and hide it from the terrible sight.

She fell towards the water. Her arms painfully catching the lip of the fountain. She could not brace her self and she melted to the floor.

"Allura!" came a familiar voice. One she had not heard in months. She let go of the fountain with one hand and reached toward the voice, darkness completely surrounded her now. Strong arms enveloped her and pulled her away from the water.

"Allura..." He pulled her to rest in the crook of his arm. Her hand instinctively went to his face. She felt the cuts and pain with her own finger tips. Needless, vomiting, beatings. But he was here now. Safe.

She felt safe again, too.

She fell limp in his arms. She could no longer feel the pain in her chest. It had become to great to feel. She felt Keith's arms holding her. She lay in one arm while the other pressed her tightly to him. His gentle hand held her head into his breast.

There was a drum. A great beating. She saw one thrust into her hands. An old instrument, raw hide stretched tightly over its base. She heard her self beat on it once. Then it disappeared.

Beat. Beat. Beat.....

"Ghanima .."

Beat. Beat. Beat.....

"Ghanima!"

Beat. Keith had begun to rock her back and forth. She felt his fear. The drum beat faster. Beat, beat. Beat, beat....

The young princess turned quickly. It had been nearly thirteen years since she had hear her given name spoken aloud. It frightened her. Legend said that one who knew your given name had power over your soul.

Beat, beat.....

"Mama! I'm here!" she shrieked holding her hands up to the great light which became her mother. But then, it wasn’t her mother. It became a great lion. A white lion. She drew her hands back to her chest as she watched it circle her.

Beat, beat.. Back and forth. Back and forth. Beat, beat....

Somewhere she heard a great roar. The black lion was singing again as it so often did at the strangest moments.

Beat, beat.....

Soemone else touched her..

Beat, beat. Beat, beat...

Still holding tight to her, she felt Keith rise from the floor. Someone else tried to take her from his arms...he hesitated. He did not want to let go. Then the drum stopped.

Part Three

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