Voltron Defender of the Universe Stories: A New Twist to an Old Favorite: Of Castles and Kings

Pairing: you might say Keith and Romelle, but as they’re only children, not really.

Characters: Keith Kogane (10); Princess Romelle (9); Prince Avok (18); King Kova (adult); Commander Stoker (adult); Joan (older teens: a pilot)

Summary: Keith is the youngest officer in the Alliance on his first training mission.

Disclaimer: “Voltron: Defenders of the Universe” is a trademark of World Events Productions and Bandai. We are in no way connected with these people, and we do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. We have borrowed them to share a story... and most likely not a story they would have written, had he had the time or no. We are making no money from this, and it is just for our entertainment, and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Note: Some relationships and “histories” are altered in this series; however, there are few dramatic changes that could not be explained by normal Voltron canon. Due to these changes, the “series” is rewritten, with minor (and sometimes) major “What If’s” being addressed. Also, if you have questions about family relations, contact me nicely, but in the end, we have things planned out to work. Please enjoy a New Twist to an Old Favorite.

Keith stepped onto the ramp of the spacecraft and looked around at the alien landscape. He had been traveling for several days in the Galaxy Garrison spacecraft, but was still not used to space travel, and was wary about being on such a strange planet. It looked similar to his home planet of Earth, which made him feel slightly at ease, but he was a stranger to this world, and he wasn't familiar with anything about this new situation.

He and Jeff, his good friend back on Earth, had been roommates at the academy. Jeff's adoptive father, Commander Hawkins, was like a second father to him and had been at the space dock to bid him good luck; but he’d taken this trip alone and that scared him. When Keith boarded the ship, he hid in his room until the ship's chief engineer found him and showed him around. Now Keith was reluctant to leave the newly found comfort of the ship for this foreign planet.

Grasping his duffle with his left hand, Keith descended the ramp and took his first steps onto the spongy grass of Planet Pollux, his new home for the next twelve months. The sweet aroma of freshly blooming flowers filled his lungs as he tested the air. Suddenly, as if reaffirming the permanence of this first assignment, the ship's ramp retreated into the base of the door frame, and the door whirred closed. He took a few more steps away from the ship, turned, and watched as the space craft slowly rose about 100 meters into the air then hurried away toward its next destination. A wave of fear washed over him as he realized how alone he was; no friends or family to help him.

At ten years old, Keith was the youngest commander-in-training for Galaxy Garrison. He started his schooling two short years earlier and progressed faster than anyone in its history. Commander Hawkins began training him soon after his arrival to California. He had found him lying in a field when he was just eight years old. Keith had been thrown from his parents' vehicle during the fatal car accident that took both his parents, and since he had been tossed so far away from the crash site, the initial search party didn't see him. It was hours after the accident when he had awoken: scared, alone, and lost. Keith had looked for his parents, but lay down under the stars, crying, when his search proved fruitless.

Now, the terror swept through his young mind as he felt the same sense of desertion he had experienced two years before. The dread swiftly passed as he took in his surroundings, locating signs of civilization. About 200 meters in front of him stood a large, stone building, to which was attached a metal aircraft hangar. Several small space shuttles were sitting on the tarmac to his right, and in the distance he could see the gleam of a tower on the planet's royal palace.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Keith walked up to the large building directly in front of him and timidly opened the door.

"Hello?" He called. Despite the discussion he had with Commander Hawkins about the protocol of reporting to his supervisor when he arrived on the planet, Keith could feel a nervous knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

A cheery sounding voice came from the left of the darker interior. "Hello. Come in." The voice was followed by the sight of a pretty girl about his own age. She had long blonde pigtails streaming down her back, almost to her waist, and large blue eyes. Dressed in a traditional knee-length dress, she seemed rather out of place for the hangar, but didn't seem aware of the fact.

Stepping forward, the girl held out a grease-encrusted hand holding an equally grimy socket wrench. "Here, we can use the help. Put that bag over there," and she gestured to an out of the way chair that seemed to have no real function in such a busy place, "and let's get going. This 'Cutter won't run on wishes." The girl flashed him a pretty smile, pushing the dirty wrench at him again.

Keith smiled shyly, put his bag on the chair, and followed the girl through a door to the left into the hangar. The hanger housed several different types of vehicles in various states of repair. The girl led him to a small space shuttle with what appeared to be pieces of the engine scattered around, randomly. Keith stared at it, bewildered.

“What are you doing?” He scolded, picking up a glass tube filled with bright blue gel. “This can’t get dirty. It’ll explode the entire craft if there’s any sand on it.”

He put the tube into a padded case lying nearby and closed it, protecting the precious tube from the dust and grime of the environment.

“That was my fault,” the owner of the head told Keith. The tall, muscular form of a man climbed out, stood on the stone in front of Keith, and looked him up and down. “You’re from Galaxy Garrison. Commander Hawkins told me you’d be arriving today. I’m Commander Stoker. You must be Ensign Kogane.”

Keith nodded and saluted. He was even more nervous now than he’d been when the ship departed. Commander Stoker looked both amused and troubled.

“First, you don’t salute me at the work place.” Keith slowly lowered his hand as the Commander continued, “But you’re so young. I expected someone at least in his mid-teens. Maybe this is some kind of mistake. You are here for training, right?”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Keith nodded. A surprised look washed over Commander Stoker’s face as the sudden realization came to him.

A smile cracked the Commander’s face and he firmly took Keith’s hand, shaking it. “The youngest officer ever to grace the Alliance.

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously, the girl seemed less impressed with Keith’s rank and more indignant over his assumption that she’d been foolish enough to leave the isotopic gel rod lying around. Rather than comment, she thrust the dirty wrench directly into Keith’s hand and turned away in a huff. As she walked towards the door they’d entered through, her words overshadowed anything the commander might have tried to say.

“Well, seems like I’m not needed. After all, I don’t belong here, I’m told. The great officer Kogane must be better at this than…” and here she turned a glare on the boy, ponytails swinging furiously around her waist, “a foolish little girl who would dare touch a ‘gel rod with greasy hands and not leave a mark.” Apparently she didn’t care if he understood her comment as she stormed from the hangar, back into the dark stone office building.

The sound of an older boy’s voice greeted her with disgust, though the speaker was out of Keith’s vision. “Romelle! You’re covered in grime! Why can’t you stay clean like normal girls?”

Defensively, her voice retaliated, “But, Avok, I was helping with the Star Cutter…”

“I don’t care what you think you were doing. That’s no fit occupation for a…” his voice faded away as the pair walked out of earshot.

Keith, again, looked bewildered. Commander Stoker just chuckled. “Don’t mind Romelle. She’s a little touchy when someone reminds her she’s a girl. Now, let’s get started; and while we’re working on this thing you can tell me about your training so far.”

For the next several hours, Commander Stoker and Keith worked on the dismantled star cutter and discussed the Alliance.

Outside the hangar bay, a young, dark-haired woman in a pilot’s uniform approached Avok and Romelle. She gave Avok a flirtatious smile then turned her attention to Romelle.

“Hey, just the person I was looking for. Romelle, can you help me outside on the tarmac? You’re just the perfect size to get up into the engine compartment of my shuttle.” She winked at Avok.

Joan was a pretty good shuttle pilot, and a fair navigator. She’d been taught to fly by her father, and spent much of her time hanging around the other pilots, hoping to pick up a few tricks. Her personal interest, however, was the burly young man standing next to the little girl. Ever since she could remember, Avok was in her thoughts. Of course, with him being the crown prince, she probably didn’t stand much of a chance, but she didn’t let that shatter any fantasy she had.

Romelle smiled up at Joan, but her brother, Avok, frowned. "Why don't you find someone more appropriate, pilot?" Apparently he was in a foul mood, though neither female knew why. "Romelle is a princess and her station means she doesn't go crawling through engine compartments." He glared more at his sister than Joan, however.

Romelle, for her part, was sick of being treated like a delicate flower. "I'm helping Joan, Avok. Father says I'm allowed to work on the shuttles, so I'm going to." With a quick stamp of her foot, unaware of how childish an action it was, the nine year old turned to the dark-haired pilot. "Come on, Joan. I love being in your ship." She grabbed Joan's wrist with her clean hand and tugged the woman from the building, leaving her brother glaring after them.

Joan clearly wanted to spend more time with Avok, but she followed along with Romelle out to her waiting space craft.

Late in the afternoon Keith was in the hangar, standing over a sink, and washing the grease off his hands. Commander Stoker had left him earlier that hour with instructions and an invitation for dinner in the officer’s mess. Considering that Keith had not yet gotten used to the idea of being an officer, he was flattered. At Galaxy Garrison children, no matter what rank, ate with children in the open mess. Being invited to eat with the officers meant that he’d made a good impression.

While cleaning the grime from under his fingernails, his thoughts returned to the young girl he’d encountered that morning. She seemed so at ease in the hangar, but she was wearing fine clothes. With that dress, Keith would have expected her to be in a classroom, learning how to be a young lady. What had she been doing helping with the ships? Maybe she was Commander Stoker’s daughter. No, he thought, that couldn’t be it. He got the feeling from his conversation with the Commander this afternoon that he would have introduced Keith to the girl if she’d been any type of relation. Most likely she was from a high-ranking family and had stole away from her governess early this morning, before anyone at home would notice. After all, that Avok person obviously felt that she shouldn’t be working with her hands.

She was cute, though. He’d met some cute girls at the Academy, but they were all interested in studying and learning how to put on make-up and gossiping about who knows what. It was refreshing to learn that not all girls were the prissy, bothersome creatures he’d encountered in the past. What was her name? Ahh…Romelle; that was it. An unusual name, but it seemed to fit her. It wasn’t one of the girly names the females at the Academy donned. There was a slight tomboy tone to it; and something in her demeanor told him that she wore the name proudly. He felt a sudden pang of regret that he’d insulted her this morning. He hadn’t meant his remark as an insult, but that’s the way she read it. She was the only person his age that he’d seen all day, and he hoped that he could have a chance to redeem himself and make friends with her. Otherwise, his free time might be taken up with boring text books instead of fun, childhood games.

Keith finished washing his hands, dried them, and then wandered out into the stone building. The entrance hall was large and old, with a high, embossed ceiling and a long, white-washed staircase leading to the upper floors. The molding and decoration around the hall were made of hard wood and glass, giving the room a regal appearance.

He was hot and tired, and needed to clean up and change into some presentable clothes before dinner. Commander Stoker had told him the officers’ quarters were where? He couldn’t remember. He picked up his abandoned duffle off the chair and looked around for some type of clue to where he should go.

There was the sudden feeling of a presence behind him accompanied by a soft footfall. It certainly didn’t sound like the typical boots the other Alliance staff wore in the Alliance Building. When Keith turned, the explanation was self-apparent. The girl, Romelle, had come back.

She was in a different dress this time; soft powder blue and floor length. Her feet would most likely be shod in delicate slippers, therefore the gentle footfalls. Blonde hair pulled back into those same pigtails, she looked freshly scrubbed and ready for a dinner in high company. With a tilt of her head, the girl looked at Keith.

Suddenly, like the sun coming out, she smiled brightly. It was obvious that she had forgiven his earlier remark and had come to help him, for she gestured towards a back staircase. “The officer quarters are up those steps, the floor right above the hangar. Since you’re the only one here right now, you won’t have to fight for hot water. Shall I wait for you or will you meet me at the hall?”

He smiled at her unexpected, pleasant nature. Surely, she couldn’t stay upset with anyone for very long; she didn’t seem capable of holding a grudge. “Actually, I’m not sure which room I’m supposed to be in. You wouldn’t happen to know, would you?”

He followed her up the steps and about halfway down the hall. When she stopped in front of a closed door, he politely walked past her and tentatively opened the brass doorknob. Keith looked uncertainly at his new home. There was a twin-sized bed… he was surprised at being in a room alone… with traditional Alliance coverings, a small night stand with a clock, a dresser, a bookcase with several text books on the middle shelf, a small desk with a simple lamp, and a straight-backed, wood chair. He put his duffle down on the chair and opened it, rummaging through it and producing a clean, but wrinkled, outfit. Romelle walked into the room and to the closet, opening it. Inside, there were shower and hygiene items on the shelf, and uniforms, hanging from the bar, that were just his size.

“I’m sure they would want you to wear one of these at dinner,” she offered. She pulled a class-A uniform from the closet and handed it to him. As she turned to leave, he gently grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned again to face him.

“Uh, Romelle?” he sounded nervous as he released her arm, blushing at the feeling the touch awoke in his stomach. “I don’t know where the dining hall is, either. Could you show me?”

While he was in the shower, he went back over the short conversations between them. Did he sound stupid? He knew it was his first day and he hadn’t received a tour of the facility, but Commander Stoker had told him where things were. The girl had wiped his memory clean, though. Her face appeared behind his eyelids as he washed his black hair, which was long for a boy. She was definitely pretty, too pretty to be a mere village child. She wore extravagant, expensive-looking clothes, so she had to be from some type of important family. Maybe her family was too important to let her play with a working-class orphan. His heart did a flip as the crushing thought rushed through him. Her governess would probably find out where she’d been that morning, and she’d be watched closely from now on.

He continued to mull over the seeming bleakness of the situation as he turned off the shower and dried off. How would he find anyone to be his friend when he was the only child in the Alliance who was stationed here at Pollux? Commander Stoker said it himself: Keith was the youngest officer in the Alliance. He had no equals, no peers. Being an officer, he wouldn’t be allowed to play with the enlisted kids, wouldn’t be allowed to hang out with anyone below his rank, no matter how low a rank he had in the officer corps. After all, ensign was only the second rank, just above cadet, and there were no cadets assigned to Pollux, that he knew of.

After putting his pants on, he opened the door to the bathroom and walked out, pulling his undershirt on over his head. Romelle hadn’t left the room, like he expected, but instead sat on the bed, waiting for him. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he remained silent as he put the over-shirt, then jacket, on.

Growing up as an orphan was lonely, even for someone as highly respected as Keith. He hadn’t always been an orphan, though. Before he arrived at the academy he lived in Colorado, in the middle of nowhere. He had learned very early that he probably wouldn’t have much company his own age. His parents owned a ranch way up in the Rocky Mountains, far away from civilization and any other home. The closest neighbor was a two-mile walk away, and he certainly wasn’t allowed to make that trek by himself. Instead, he spent much of his time learning the trade: riding horses, roping cattle, birthing calves, and helping with many more of the less dangerous chores on the ranch. When he was six, Keith’s parents adopted a one-year old boy, and he even spent some of his time helping his mother with the baby.

When his parents had died, he spent several days lying in a hospital bed, his only visitor being the man who had found him. After being released from medical care, Keith and his brother were invited to join Commander Hawkins at Galaxy Garrison. They gladly accepted, not having any other place to go, and Keith soon started training. Commander Hawkins’ son, Jeff, became his roommate, and quickly his only friend. They spent every moment together, even going through the same training. But when Keith began to excel, his training was increased, until finally he was well past Jeff, academically. The Garrison Commander noted his abilities and put him on the track to becoming an officer, which Keith gladly accepted. Now, he was the youngest one to hold his rank, ten-years old, a mere child. But he’d earned every bit of it.

He shook his head slightly, pushing the memories away, and held out his hand to Romelle. “I’m ready.”

The children walked down the steps, to the basement floor, and started down the hall toward the dining areas.

Romelle grinned at Keith, swinging their hands playfully as she walked beside him. She seemed totally relaxed with the newest addition to the Alliance staff. With a sideways look, she gave him a smile. "We're almost there. Most people don't use this corridor; it's so out of the way."

She took him around a bend in the corridor where they wound up in front of a large steel door, utilitarian and dull looking. It was nothing like the ornate decorative doors and such he'd seen so far.

"Through here is the kitchen hall. To the left will be the kitchens, to the right is the dining hall. And don't worry... Avok's not as scary as he looks. He only looks that way because he's so big, and he only acts gruff 'cause he's the oldest." Romelle let go of Keith's hand.

"Hey, did Commander Stoker get embarrassed that he was foolish enough to leave a 'gel rod lying on the floor?" Her grin flashed as she threw a lever. The door quietly whooshed open, sliding seamlessly into the wall rather than swinging open. Romelle winked at him then skipped ahead towards the dining room on the right.

She was through the doorway and calling in a merry voice, "Good evening father, brother." The sounds of two male voices answered her pleasantly, one slightly familiar.

Keith followed Romelle into the room and stopped short when he saw Romelle lean over and kiss an older man on the cheek. The kiss, however, was not made him stop; it was the clothing of the man. He was obviously in charge. Slowly he walked toward the table where Romelle took her seat. Commander Stoker was seated there, talking quietly with a young man, no older than his late teens. When he saw Keith he smiled and stood, walking over to him and escorting him to a chair between Romelle and the older man.

“Your highness,” the Commander began, “this is Ensign Keith Kogane, our newest addition to the Alliance Officer Corps, here on Pollux.”

King Kova looked surprised as the small boy, not older than ten or eleven, stood and bowed. He turned an incredulous look on Commander Stoker then looked back at the boy. "You're Ensign Kogane, boy?" His voice was deep and sounded more like a growl than a greeting.

He glanced at Romelle out of the corner of his eye, beginning to realize who she was. His heart sank. She’s a princess! All hopes of having someone his own age to hang around with were suddenly broken, lying on the floor at his feet. She’d never be allowed anywhere near him again. The King’s reaction seemed to say that quite clearly. He didn’t let his disappointment show as he took his seat again.

Commander Stoker began to explain, defending the young officer. “Keith started training at galaxy Garrison when he was eight. He advanced faster than anyone else ever put into the program. The Commandant found him to be a hard worker and an extremely capable young officer; no different from the other ensigns at the academy.”

Keith looked at the King, hope glimmering in his eyes. He longed for the man’s acceptance. If the King would just give him a chance, Keith would work harder for him than any other officer in the fleet. He just needed a chance to prove his worth.

Commander Stoker continued, “We’ll be starting him with flight training in a few days, after he has the opportunity to read up on the shuttles. The captain and I expect great things from young Ensign Kogane.”

As if knowing he was being discussed, Captain Trenor walked up to the table, nodding to King Kova and taking his seat next to Commander Stoker. “Ahh, I see our new recruit has arrived safely,” he remarked when he noticed Keith.

The king watched the boy for several long, hard minutes. Suddenly, he broke into a merry smile, laughing heartily as if at a very good joke. "So, this is the little boy I heard so much about. The famous child protégé’? Hmm... well, boy, you'll have to prove that you're not just some fluke. You'll work a regular shift like everyone else, and you'll make time for schooling, too."

Turning to his own son, he nodded. "That's the kind of go-getter this Alliance needs, Avok. If we had more like him, we might have been able to end this feud with Arus long ago." The man went no further into that comment, and it was obvious he didn't hold the mysterious Planet Arus in any high esteem.

He turned back to the assembled persons and grinned, lifting his glace. "Well, get the boy some milk or something. Let's drink a toast to the best and brightest!" And with that, he downed his entire glass of wine and held it out for a refill. "Have you met my children, Kogane? This is my son, the Crown Prince Avok, and this lovely little girl is my daughter the Princess Romelle." He sounded rather smug when mentioning the girl.

Romelle turned a happy smile on Keith, sipping her own juice as a part of the toast. "Welcome to Pollux, Ensign." Her eyes danced, though, and it seemed almost as if she were teasing him rather than formally greeting him... as if they shared some private secret.

Keith smiled, relieved that the king didn’t hold his young age against him. The king’s glass was refilled, and soon the table was filled with merry conversations: Captain Trenor with King Kova and Commander Stoker with Prince Avok. Keith watched the happy adults, glad that he was in such friendly company.

Long after the food had been consumed and the adults had retreated to the library for more conversation and drinks, Keith was sitting at the table alone with Romelle, sharing an ice cream sundae. He was happy that the king didn’t mind that Romelle stay behind with him. When the server had came back and realized the rest of the party had left, she had asked the children if they’d like dessert. Keith couldn’t resist. He’d been living off food from the ship’s simulator for the entire trip, and he was anxious to try some real sweets.

He looked at Romelle for a moment while he licked the ice cream from his spoon. “Are there any other kids around here; in the villages, maybe?” He knew this hadn’t come out quite right, but he wanted to know what kind of a year he was looking forward to, whether it would be filled with work and play, or just work. He hoped for the former, but he didn’t keep his fingers crossed. He’d been working so hard at Galaxy Garrison that he was used to little fun time. But it’d be nice to feel like a kid again.

Romelle laughed happily. "Of course there are kids around. They're not just in the villages, either. The Alliance has families stationed here, too, and some of the servants have children."

She pushed the rest of the sundae at her new friend. "Here, you finish it." After studying the boy for awhile, she leaned forward as if imparting a secret. "Afterwards," she gestured to their dessert bowl," do you want to explore the castle? It's got a lot of rooms." Romelle's eyes were lit up with the spirit of adventure. "There are even some secret passages and an old tunnel they used when we were in war."

Keith smiled a little mischievously, the first real indication Romelle had seen of the child in him. He sounded slightly excited when he answered her, almost like he thought the plan might be a little dangerous. “Wow, can we?” Then looking down at the rest of the ice cream sundae, he added with an almost embarrassed look in his eyes, “I’ve never been in a real castle before. You sure it’s okay?”

He looked up again with… what was that in his eyes?... longing? Romelle could tell that exploring the castle was definitely an endeavor in which he was interested, but he still seemed reserved. Maybe it was all the military training rotting his young mind and prematurely turning him into one of them: the boring adults that his father and brother had hanging around all the time.

Romelle laughed and gave him a quick, enthusiastic pat on the shoulder. "Of course we're allowed to tour the castle. I live there. Why wouldn't I be allowed to show you my home?" Her eyes were just as mischievous, however. Apparently the tunnel and passages were most likely not on the regular tour. "Besides, Avok is in charge of making sure the entire castle is in good repair. Father keeps up the Planet and Avok keeps up the castle... until Father makes him king." She seemed rather unconcerned with royal politics, however.

Keith stood up, taking a last spoonful of his dessert and shoving it into his mouth. He followed Romelle out of the dining room, down the hall, up the stairs, and out of the Alliance building. He was excited to be finally doing the kind of thing that he’d only heard the other kids talking about in school. Normally, he was respectful and well-behaved, not wanting to upset anyone who had a hand in his future. He didn’t make it a habit to follow a child of someone who had so much influence in his life, and while he was at the academy he never dared to do anything that might get him reprimanded, or worse: kicked out of school. Since he had no place to go, Keith was always extra careful.

For some reason, though, he felt comfortable with this young girl; almost as if he’d known her for much longer than just a day. While he followed her through the field, toward the castle, he marveled at the freedom that the king seemed to give his young daughter. While his parents were still alive, and while he was living at the academy, he was monitored most of the day. His parents always watched over him on the ranch and the officers kept close tabs on him while he was at Galaxy Garrison. But he didn’t feel like he needed to report to anyone at this hour of the evening while he was walking toward the castle, following his new friend.

Keith realized that he had been falling behind and ran to catch up, slowing down only when he arrived next to Romelle.

When the pair got to the top of the hill, the full vista of the ancient castle was revealed. It stretched towards the heavens, more stories than the children took time to count. Romelle threw a grin at her new friend and turned to go inside, through the large, ornate front doors. "Come on. I'll show you my suite first."

“Suite?” Keith couldn’t help but try to reaffirm what she said. He’d never had more than a single room which he could claim as his. Even in the academy he shared his room with another boy. He couldn’t fathom having so much space, but seemed eager to see anything in the castle that Romelle was willing to show him.

She seemed quite pleased with the set of rooms she took him to. The first room they entered on the third floor was a sitting room full of rich furnishings of deep blue and cream.

Upon entering the sitting room, Keith looked around in awe. He immediately folded his hands behind his back, obviously a mannerism he was taught to prevent him from touching things.

She led him through a dressing room then a bedroom as well, all connected like a small apartment. When they got to a fourth door, Romelle smiled. "This is the play room."

The door swung open to reveal a room twice as large as her bedroom. It was loaded with toys, all neatly organized, as well as shelves and shelves of books lining two of the walls. Off to one side stood an embroidery stand and an art table with unfinished projects displayed on them. Romelle grinned widely. "What do you think?" She sounded eager for her friend to like the place.

Walking around the room, Keith looked at everything in plain view. He didn’t dare touch anything, so he kept his hands obediently folded behind his back as he slowly examined each marvelous item and piece of furniture with wondering eyes. Finally he turned to face Romelle, obviously impressed. “Who do you share your rooms with? Other kids in the castle?”

Romelle laughed merrily. "These are my rooms. I don't share them with anyone. Most of the really little kids are in the nurseries, since there isn't a little kid in the royal family anymore."

She lifted her hand to grab his, tugging him towards a shelf of games. "C'mon, we can play if you want. We can look around later. I know you just got here, but tomorrow's a rest day, so you won't have to do anything but report in and get your duty schedule. I'll meet you down at the hangar and we can come back here to explore after."

The girl flipped one long ponytail back over her shoulder, grinning widely as she laid Keith's hand haphazardly on one of the games.

Keith timidly looked at the games on the shelf. “Can you teach me how to play one of these?”

The next morning, Keith reported to Commander Stoker and received his schedule. He was also handed several manuals that he needed to review before the next duty day. He was to get a head start on the mechanics of flying before being put into the pilot’s seat. On his way out of the hanger, he saw Romelle waiting for him. He walked over, his arms loaded with books and a small piece of paper in his hand.

“Hi,” he greeted her. He glanced at the stack of books in his hand, looked at Romelle’s casual clothes, and made a momentous decision. He’d skip his studies for the day; after all, it wasn’t everyday he had an opportunity to spend time with a person his own age. “I’ve got to put these upstairs. Wait for me?” He asked then hurried up to his room to drop his things off.

When he came down the steps, Keith was carrying a jacket. He smiled at Romelle. “Where are you taking me today?” He seemed to relax quite a bit since the day before. He must have just needed a good meal and some sleep.

Romelle grinned and took his hand, as comfortable with him as if they'd been friends forever. When they crested the hill, she tugged him towards the left instead of towards the main door. Giggling happily, she led Keith towards an old, ivy covered door near the garden gates. Producing a key from her skirt pockets, she presented it to her friend with a flourish.

Keith’s young face lit up with the prospect of adventure. He grinned as he gently took the key from her hand and turned toward the door. He put it into the lock and turned it, hearing a click. He pushed open the door then turned to Romelle, an excited grinned radiating from his entire face. “Where does this lead?”

“This leads towards the back store room. It was made to make it easier for the servants to bring in supplies and food, especially for banquets. Come on.” And Romelle moved forward to take the lead into the dark, dusty passage. “There’s one that goes into the conference room, too.” She shot a grin over her shoulder then reached behind her new friend to close the door, enfolding them in darkness.

After a brief moment, a small light shone out. Romelle had been carrying a flashlight in the pocket of her dress, producing it only after the door was firmly shut. “There’s a third passage from the library to a room attached to my father’s bedroom; no one sleeps in that room and mother says it should be ignored if anyone does. Another passage leads from the main kitchen to the gazebo behind the gardens.” Romelle’s hand was running along the wall, getting dirtier by the minute, though the little girl seemed not to care.

“And there’s a tunnel that leads from the main weapons control room to the caves in the hills.” She happily recited a few historical facts about the wars between Pollux and Arus, and how they had only recently come into the Alliance. “In fact, father says it was because of me that we joined the Alliance; it was an agreement he made: if he had a daughter, he’d stop fighting and join the Alliance. And I was born, so we joined the Alliance.”

Keith followed Romelle through the tunnel, into the store room. Looking around, he noticed many boxes and cans stacked high toward the ceiling. They made their way through the maze of packages and finally to a door that lead into the kitchens. The wonderful smell of freshly baked bread came wafting through the open door. Keith looked longingly into the kitchen. Romelle suddenly realized that she had met him too early for him to have had breakfast. She took his hand and led him into the warm kitchen, around ovens and range tops, to a plump, blond-haired man standing in front of a steel table, kneading dough.

“Hi, Jacob. This is Keith. Can we snatch a few pieces of that bread?” she asked, pointing toward a cooling rack, where the loaves on the top rank were still emitting steam.

Jacob frowned down at the young princess. “Do you mean to tell me that you drug this poor, starving boy from his soft, warm bed and took him on one of your adventures without any breakfast?” There was a playful smile in his voice and eyes, even through he continued to frown. He wiped his hands on a towel and led the two children through the kitchen and into the servants’ dining area, pulling out a chair for Romelle. “Now just wait here, and I’ll make sure you get a proper meal.

He stepped back into the kitchen, and in what seemed like no time at all he was back at the side of the table, holding a loaf of bread on a small, wooden cutting board with a knife poking from the top. A woman followed him with a tray, carrying two small bowls of fruit and two glasses of milk. The cooks set the food in front of the children, along with plates and flatware. Jacob smiled warmly at Romelle and Keith. “Now, if there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to call,” and he left the children alone to enjoy their secret breakfast.

Keith took the knife out of the bread and sliced several pieces from it, serving Romelle and himself two slices each. As he began to spread some butter on his pieces, he looked around the room. It was a small room, only large enough for about eight people to eat at one time. King Kova must have a hand in when break times were for his servants, as well as the politics of the planet and kingdom, Keith thought.

While Keith and Romelle ate their breakfast Jacob checked on them several times, bringing out more food, clearing their used dishes from the table, and making sure they had what they needed. Keith realized that this unusual behavior of the princess didn’t seem very unusual to the servants, because they took it in stride when she appeared in the kitchen out of nowhere. Keith began talking with Romelle about his time on Earth.

“Well, when I was eight, my family and I were in a serious car accident. I was thrown from the vehicle and into some shrubs by the side of the road. When I woke up, everyone was gone and it was dark. Commander Hawkins found me shortly after that and I was brought to Galaxy Garrison. He’s sort of my adoptive father. I spent the next two years studying at the Alliance with his son, Jeff. We were put into the same program, but I moved through the classes so fast that the dean decided to recommend me for promotion. That’s why I’m here. This is sort of a test for me to see if I’ll be able to stay in the program.

"What about you? Are you going to take over for your dad or is he going to give the job to your brother? How does something like that work?”

Keith, being orphaned at such an early age, didn’t know much of the things that other kids knew. He obviously hadn’t had the opportunity to ask a parent about such things. He did, however, have an unusual amount of technical knowledge for a ten-year old.

Romelle had been quietly letting her new friend talk and express himself. Finally, however, she broke her silence to answer his questions. "Well, normally in royal families, the heir is the eldest son or daughter. Since Avok's the oldest, he'll be king next. In fact, with the way Pollux's traditions work, even if I were the oldest, Avok would still be the heir, because he's a boy." She didn't seem bothered in the least that she wasn't considered next in line to be queen. Romelle was, after all, quite happy to just be a princess and not have that kind of responsibility, though she loved her people and was, at age nine, beginning to realize what their needs and wants were.

"If Avok died, which I'm glad he's not because I like Avok when he's not stuffy, I'd be next." She grinned at Keith, swinging her feet under the table. "What do you like about being an officer, Keith? You don't seem to get a lot of play time."

“Well, I don’t know what it’s like to be an officer, yet. This is my first assignment. I think it’s going to be great. Someday I want to be a commander of my own space exploration team. I think we’ll have such an amazing time exploring new worlds; well, new to the Alliance at least. Commander Hawkins says I’m a natural leader, and he says I won’t have any trouble getting what I want within the Alliance, as long as I keep studying and working hard. That’s why I study so much; to get the command that I want. I used to play a little on my parents’ ranch, but there was always something to do, so I tried to make a game out of working. I loved learning how to ride horses. It’s neat to be able to move so fast without anything around you holding the rushing wind away. And I’m pretty good at riding, too. At the academy there’s a game room and Jeff and I play games there. Also, there’s a pool we go swimming at, and there’s the gym. We learn to wrestle and do Karate and we also play games like volleyball.”

They continued talking as they ate their breakfast, and when they’d finished Jacob came back out of the kitchen to pick up one last time. Keith, looking content, decided to take the lead for a while. He took her hand and led her through the hallway, toward the war room. On the way, however, they came across King Kova. Keith, not paying attention to where he was going, accidentally bumped right into him. He stopped right where he was and looked at the king, horrified that he could have been so careless.

“I’m sorry,” he started, a nervousness edging into his voice. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. It won’t happen again, your majesty.” He continued to stand there, in front of the king, wondering what kind of punishment was in his future for being so careless.

The King frowned down at him for a moment, trying to place the boy that was with his daughter. Finally, a wide smile spread across his face and he let out a booming laugh. "Ah, the young Ensign. So, you're so eager to get a jump on things, you recruited the princess to show you some of our more interesting features, huh? Well, fine, fine. I like a go-getter, boy." And with that, the King opened the door to the War Room and began a two and a half hour tour of all their communications and weapons facilities. Romelle followed along dutifully, not abandoning Keith to the massive amount of information being displayed. The King seemed rather proud of his state-of-the-art facility, showing it off with considerable flourish for the newest Alliance officer.

Keith obviously enjoyed the special, unscheduled tour. He listened to the king intently, taking everything in and even asking a few precocious questions about the systems present in the castle.

When finally done giving Keith a very rare private tour, he turned and surveyed his domain happily. "I suppose you have other things to do, young man, so I'll let Romelle show you around the rest of my beautiful world." The King had taken a liking to Keith. With a satisfied sigh, he walked off without further comment, not bothered in the least that he had left his advisor and son waiting for nearly three hours.

Romelle turned to Keith and poked the side of his head. "Hey, you mush in there yet?" She giggled.

Keith smiled, and laughed with her. “I can’t believe he wasn’t angry with me.” He let her take the lead again, but asked her about the passage in the war room, obviously interested in seeing, and probably walking through, the passage.

“Why would he be angry? You’ve got a right to come to the castle since you’re an officer.” Romelle’s grin widened as she saw comprehension dawn. Keith might be ten years old, but as an Ensign, he was allowed full run of the communications and war rooms “So, where to first, Keith? You tell me what you want to see. Since father’s not with us any more, we can even get into one of the passages, if you still want to.”

Keith nodded at the prospect of exploring the passages and asked her where the passage that led under the castle from the war room was hidden. When she showed him, he followed her into the passage then took the lead and led her through the underground cavern. They came out to a clearing in a forest far away from any houses or other signs of civilization. The only thing they saw that gave them any clue to where they were was a small cottage that stood off to the side of the clearing. It looked deserted. Keith led her to it and peeked through a crack in the closed shutters, into the building. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for years. What is it for?”

He took her hand and led her to the door, being as quiet as he could while walking through the fallen twigs and leaves scattered around the tiny building. Pushing it open, he called out softly, “Is there anyone home?” When he received no answer, he grinned at Romelle and pulled her inside the main room.

They stood in a small room, the only illumination coming from the still open door. A desk was sitting on one wall with a straight-backed chair resting under it. Three lounge chairs were arranged around a small coffee table, with a fireplace taking up the place that would have housed a fourth chair of the table. Two additional doors and a staircase were arranged in the tight room, not allowing for any additional furniture. Keith, not feeling any reservations about exploring anymore, let go of Romelle’s hand and walked to the other side of the room, opening a door to a small bedroom. The room’s furniture was basic necessities: a twin bed, a small dresser, a bedside table with a candlestick holder and a hurricane lantern. The fireplace in this room was even smaller than the one in the main room, if such a feat was possible. He left the room, leaving the door open, and walked to the other door, pushing it open to reveal a small kitchen and dining area. The cooking range housed only two burners, and the oven that was set into the stone wall was the tiniest that he’d ever seen. A table was sitting in a corner, with three chairs pushed neatly under it. Again, he reentered the main room, this time his eyes were set on the staircase. Slowly climbing the stairs, he saw a loft bedroom with two twin beds, two small dressers, and an end table that set between the beds, holding two candlesticks and a hurricane lamp. There was no real fireplace in this room; instead a vent was built into the wall right above the lower bedroom. The fireplace obviously supplies heat for both rooms. The building, even thought it was empty of life, was clean and dusted.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Keith remarked as he descended the stairs. “It looks like it’s set up for three people, but it doesn’t seem like anyone’s been here for a long while. Do your father’s servants come out here to maintain it?”

Romelle shrugged. "I think so. I mean, it's clean but no one's lived here since before I was born. This is the cottage girls are sent to... uh..." and here the child paused, trying to think just why young girls were sent to this cabin. Finally she shrugged again, and said, "I think they come here when they're sick so no one else gets it." That made sense to the princess at least.

"Hey, since no one lives here, want to make it our secret hide out? We can eat picnics here and play and stuff. And if you want, you can even study here."

Keith agreed, “That’s a good idea. Hey, I’ve never had a secret clubhouse, or even a tree house. This will be really cool. I can come here when I’m not training. It’ll be great to get away from the grown-ups for a while.” He paused, smiling at Romelle. “I’m really glad you and I are friends. I’ve never had a real friend before.”

Romelle laughed, slipping her hand into Keith's and leading him towards the small garden area out back. "Well, now you have."

To Be Continued in Chapter Two: Burning Youth

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