The Heart Revealed

Allura descended down the ancient stone staircase with little noise. Her stealth did not matter though since no one ventured into the castle's catacombs except her. Yet, she did little exercises like this to prepare for her return to the Voltron Force.

At the final landing, Allura entered a hallway. Her single torch provided the only light in the darkness for there was no electrical wiring in this part of the castle. She passed the familiar walls, hurrying toward her objective.

At the end of the hallway, a massive wooden door barred the way. Allura paused, looking over her shoulder out of habit to ensure that she hadn't be followed. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a large key. The key soundlessly turned the lock and the door swung inward.

Allura closed the door behind her and placed the torch in a nearby holder. She reached into her pocket again and pulled out a candle, which she lit from the torch. She turned and walked to the center of the room.

In the center of the room was a sarcophagus on a raised platform. The top of the sarcophagus was bare except for the depiction of a crown and the seal of the royal house of Arus. Allura placed the candle on the platform and kneeled by the sarcophagus.

"I'm sorry it has been so long, Father, since I have last visited you. This is the first time that I've been able to come since my accident. There is so much to tell you."

A breeze fluttered in the sealed room. A glowing, ethereal figure appeared above the sarcophagus. Allura smiled at the ghost of her father.

"I know, daughter," he said, smiling. "I've been watching you, as you know."

"I know, Father. I'm sorry that I didn't not kill Lotor when I had the opportunity. It was a moment that I had been waiting for."

"Allura, the captain was right in what he said. Lotor's death would have not solved anything. The situation would have only become more complicated. There is nothing to fault yourself for."

"Keith, the captain, has told me that he cares, loves, me, Father. And I love him, too. I know I am suppose to marry royalty, but..."

"You have my blessing."

"Do we really, Father? He is not proposing marriage but we care for each other deeply."

"I know, Allura. I probably saw before the two of you did."

"Coran and Nanny will not be so easy to convince."

"They may be easier to convince than you think. Coran will be happy with your decision. Nanny will consent after a while. Surely after all your battles, you two could stand a little challenge from friends."

"I believe we can," Allura answered, her smiling widening. "Thank you, Father. To have your blessing in this, it means so much."

"Allura, I had designed Voltron so that my heir could be a part of the defense of Arus. There is no reason why my daughter would not be as good as a son."

"Really?"

"Yes, Allura. You have the heart of a lion, and I am proud of you. You have handle your circumstances bravely."

Allura flushed with embarrassment as she recalled her previous childish actions. They were not her finest moments. It definitely wasn't handling circumstances bravely.

"You are human, child. Even that captain of yours is. Emotion only becomes a weakness if you continue to let it have free reign."

Alfor gave a sigh. "It is time to go, Allura. Your mother and I love you and we will be watching."

"I love you, Father. Give Mother my love."

The figure disappeared. Allura brushed away a tear of happiness and of longing for her parents. She blew out the candle, retrieved her torch, and left the chamber, locking the door behind her.

* * * * *

Allura entered the rec room a while later. Keith was alone, asleep on a couch. With a tender smile, she knelt besides him, gently removing the book from his chest. She glanced at the title, expecting a history of war or something of the like. Instead, it was the retelling of the Terran legends.

"It's a good book," Keith said, startling the princess.

"Why fairy tales?" she asked, as he pulled himself to a sitting position.

"I thought it was appropriate, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"Well, I had told Lance that fairies are dead. That was when he told that love was the greatest force of all."

"That still doesn't explain it, Keith," she said, sitting beside him on the couch.

"Last night showed me that fairy tales still exist."

"It's not fairy tales, Keith," she said, chiding him softly. "It's love."

"Love," he murmured. "I like the sound of that." He pulled her to him, kissing her with all the love that he felt.

Allura pulled away. Her eyes were shining with mischief. Keith took a moment to prepare himself.

"What are you hiding, Princess?" he asked. She stared at him blankly until he corrected himself. "Okay, Allura."

"I have some good news and I have some bad news," she told him playfully. "Which would you like first?"

"The bad, I guess."

"Good! The good news first." Keith groaned, rolling his eyes. Allura pulled his face back toward her to receive his full attention. Her playfulness was gone as she look at him steadily. "Father approves of us, Keith."

His eyes widen in surprise. "King Alfor? Is that where you've been?"

She nodded. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

"Well, if that is the good news, what is the bad news?"

"Father believes that Nanny may object."

"Allura," he said, taking her hand, "I will do whatever you want me to do. We can wait and take this slowly. Or wait until the war is over. We can do whatever you want."

"I don't want to wait, Keith," she said adamantly. "We've waited for different reasons for long enough. I want Coran's and Nanny's blessings and that will take some time. But I want to be with you more."

"Allura, this may cause some problems. You know that, though."

"I just want to know that if there is some problem with Coran and Nanny, will you still want to be with me?"

"Yes, Allura. I love you more than anything else. I just don't want to see you hurt by any possible objections."

"It will be hard, but we'll get through it, right?"

"Yes, we will."

Allura took comfort in his confidence. Keith hugged her tightly, stroking her hair. For a long moment, they enjoyed being with each other.

"We'd better get going," Keith said reluctantly, kissing the top of her head. "Sven and Romelle will be leaving soon."

"You're right, Keith," she said, reluctantly pulling herself out of his arms. "Besides, I want to tell Coran and Nanny before Sven and Romelle."

"Okay, Allura," he said as he helped her to her feet. "Whatever you want."


The Heart Revealed Allura descended down the ancient stone staircase with little noise. Her stealth did not matter though since no one ventured into the castle's catacombs except her. Yet, she did little exercises like this to prepare for her return to the Voltron Force. At the final landing, Allura entered a hallway. Her single torch provided the only light in the darkness for there was no electrical wiring in this part of the castle. She passed the familiar walls, hurrying toward her objective. At the end of the hallway, a massive wooden door barred the way. Allura paused, looking over her shoulder out of habit to ensure that she hadn't be followed. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a large key. The key soundlessly turned the lock and the door swung inward. Allura closed the door behind her and placed the torch in a nearby holder. She reached into her pocket again and pulled out a candle, which she lit from the torch. She turned and walked to the center of the room. In the center of the room was a sarcophagus on a raised platform. The top of the sarcophagus was bare except for the depiction of a crown and the seal of the royal house of Arus. Allura placed the candle on the platform and kneeled by the sarcophagus. "I'm sorry it has been so long, Father, since I have last visited you. This is the first time that I've been able to come since my accident. There is so much to tell you." A breeze fluttered in the sealed room. A glowing, ethereal figure appeared above the sarcophagus. Allura smiled at the ghost of her father. "I know, daughter," he said, smiling. "I've been watching you, as you know." "I know, Father. I'm sorry that I didn't not kill Lotor when I had the opportunity. It was a moment that I had been waiting for." "Allura, the captain was right in what he said. Lotor's death would have not solved anything. The situation would have only become more complicated. There is nothing to fault yourself for." "Keith, the captain, has told me that he cares, loves, me, Father. And I love him, too. I know I am suppose to marry royalty, but..." "You have my blessing." "Do we really, Father? He is not proposing marriage but we care for each other deeply." "I know, Allura. I probably saw before the two of you did." "Coran and Nanny will not be so easy to convince." "They may be easier to convince than you think. Coran will be happy with your decision. Nanny will consent after a while. Surely after all your battles, you two could stand a little challenge from friends." "I believe we can," Allura answered, her smiling widening. "Thank you, Father. To have your blessing in this, it means so much." "Allura, I had designed Voltron so that my heir could be a part of the defense of Arus. There is no reason why my daughter would not be as good as a son." "Really?" "Yes, Allura. You have the heart of a lion, and I am proud of you. You have handle your circumstances bravely." Allura flushed with embarrassment as she recalled her previous childish actions. They were not her finest moments. It definitely wasn't handling circumstances bravely. "You are human, child. Even that captain of yours is. Emotion only becomes a weakness if you continue to let it have free reign." Alfor gave a sigh. "It is time to go, Allura. Your mother and I love you and we will be watching." "I love you, Father. Give Mother my love." The figure disappeared. Allura brushed away a tear of happiness and of longing for her parents. She blew out the candle, retrieved her torch, and left the chamber, locking the door behind her. * * * * * Allura entered the rec room a while later. Keith was alone, asleep on a couch. With a tender smile, she knelt besides him, gently removing the book from his chest. She glanced at the title, expecting a history of war or something of the like. Instead, it was the retelling of the Terran legends. "It's a good book," Keith said, startling the princess. "Why fairy tales?" she asked, as he pulled himself to a sitting position. "I thought it was appropriate, under the circumstances." "What circumstances?" "Well, I had told Lance that fairies are dead. That was when he told that love was the greatest force of all." "That still doesn't explain it, Keith," she said, sitting beside him on the couch. "Last night showed me that fairy tales still exist." "It's not fairy tales, Keith," she said, chiding him softly. "It's love." "Love," he murmured. "I like the sound of that." He pulled her to him, kissing her with all the love that he felt. Allura pulled away. Her eyes were shining with mischief. Keith took a moment to prepare himself. "What are you hiding, Princess?" he asked. She stared at him blankly until he corrected himself. "Okay, Allura." "I have some good news and I have some bad news," she told him playfully. "Which would you like first?" "The bad, I guess." "Good! The good news first." Keith groaned, rolling his eyes. Allura pulled his face back toward her to receive his full attention. Her playfulness was gone as she look at him steadily. "Father approves of us, Keith." His eyes widen in surprise. "King Alfor? Is that where you've been?" She nodded. "You don't know how happy that makes me." "Well, if that is the good news, what is the bad news?" "Father believes that Nanny may object." "Allura," he said, taking her hand, "I will do whatever you want me to do. We can wait and take this slowly. Or wait until the war is over. We can do whatever you want." "I don't want to wait, Keith," she said adamantly. "We've waited for different reasons for long enough. I want Coran's and Nanny's blessings and that will take some time. But I want to be with you more." "Allura, this may cause some problems. You know that, though." "I just want to know that if there is some problem with Coran and Nanny, will you still want to be with me?" "Yes, Allura. I love you more than anything else. I just don't want to see you hurt by any possible objections." "It will be hard, but we'll get through it, right?" "Yes, we will." Allura took comfort in his confidence. Keith hugged her tightly, stroking her hair. For a long moment, they enjoyed being with each other. "We'd better get going," Keith said reluctantly, kissing the top of her head. "Sven and Romelle will be leaving soon." "You're right, Keith," she said, reluctantly pulling herself out of his arms. "Besides, I want to tell Coran and Nanny before Sven and Romelle." "Okay, Allura," he said as he helped her to her feet. "Whatever you want."


The Heart of a Lion Sarah's Sanctuary