Chapter Text
King Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane ruled a large and mighty kingdom, and yet...he was sad for he was growing old and he did not yet have an heir to the throne. But only a few days after his worries began to develop, his wife birthed a son. A handsome young baby who was given the name Keith. As you can imagine, this called for a huge celebration. Kings, queens, lords, ladies, dukes, duchesses - any form of royalty you can think of was probably present at this celebration - Shiro was so overjoyed. Among them was the widowed queen Allura and her young son Lance. When the pair made their way forward to greet the child, an idea flashed into Allura's head, which apparently was also conjured up by Shiro. They met eyes, and silently agreed to talk after the party. Once said party was complete - with Keith in Shiro's arms and Allura trying to keep her bubbly son still - they agreed the pair would spend each summer in queen Allura's palace, learning to be together until the day they were destined for marriage.
But, unknown to anybody who may have had a chance to guess, there was another plan brewing. The plan belonging to the evil witch, Haggar. She cared little for Keith's birth, for she wished only to take Shiro's kingdom from right underneath his nose. On the evening of her attack, Shiro had discovered her plans and counter-attacked perfectly. Her powers were stripped from her and she was banished far into a forbidden woods. Little did they know said woods was enchanted and would slowly give Haggar back her powers each minute she spent in the woods.
Some feared Shiro too kind for banishing and not killing Haggar, however, as time passed and no sign of the feared witch was visible, all attention turned to the summer of Keith's eighth birthday, where he and Lance would meet.
***
Shiro knocked frantically on the door. "Keith! Wake up, bud! We've got to go!" His voice muffled by the wood, Keith hoped he'd heard incorrectly. But his father repeated it, and he groaned audibly. The young prince sat up in his bed and his dark eyes glared at the door. "I'm coming, Father!" he called out with a grunt, stumbling out of his bed to get changed. When he exited the room, Shiro smiled in approval. "I'm glad you decided to wear your favourite red cloth. Now come; we must leave now to get there in time." Keith was whisked away, his dad resting a big hand on his shoulder. Servants and soldiers alike bowed as they walked past, but Keith could only manage an annoyed 'tsk'. This visit must be pretty important. Father and son climbed into the carriage, and soon they were there.
Upon arrival, Keith spun around. "I don't like him."
Upon his arrival, Lance spun around. "Nope, not doing that."
A lot of struggling and grunting, before eventually Keith and Lance were face to face. Lance crossed his arms grumpily and averted his gaze, grumbling, "I can't believe I'm stuck with him all summer. I'll bet he doesn't wrestle, hunt, or box." His mother gave him a sharp stare, but he responded with a raspberry that sent spit flying everywhere. Keith kept his dark glare on Lance, but he spoke up to his father. "He looks conceited-" "What a total bummer!" Lance cut Keith off, now glaring directly at him. Keith glared back, and just as the two looked ready to fight, Lance was grabbed by the cape and Keith by the back of his shirt. Oddly, in unison, the two spat, "If I'm lucky, I'll get chicken pox!" A few hushed words and the two were forward again, forced grimaces on their faces.
"So happy you could come." Lance grumbled, bowing but raising quickly. Keith folded his arms and looked away, refusing to bow back. However, he did mutter, "So happy to be here." The two spoke in unison once again, and their parents looked at each other with an excited gleam in their eyes. "How I'd like to run..." Suddenly, Keith rounded on Shiro who looked surprise. "This is not my idea of fun." Lance heard Keith and decided it was a good line, also turning to his mother with pleading, bright blue eyes. "This isn't my idea of fun."
The two were ushered off to play with Lance's best friend Hunk, and Allura and Shiro watched with proud smiles. Allura was the first to speak. "The children seem to get along quite nicely." A nearby servant who had witnessed the whole scene let his mouth drop, unable to get a grip. Just how blind was his queen? But when Shiro spoke, he snapped out of it and got back to work. "We'll join our lands if this arrangement clicks." he chuckled heartily, Allura nodding enthusiastically in agreement. "My dear king Shiro, that's my point precisely." Shiro hugged himself, watching the boys at each other's throats with sticks, Hunk desperately trying to break them up. "It's such good parenting!" "And politics." Allura added, tapping Shiro's noise as if he were a forgetful son of hers. Shiro held his hand out, and Allura looked too excited for her age. "So happy we agree!" She shook Shiro's hand and he beamed. "I think we've got a deal!" Allura eyed the kids, then nodded approvingly. "This is my idea of a match."
***
"Good heavens, Keith! We can't keep Lance waiting!" Shiro cried out as he tried to pull his eleven year old son to the ship. Keith finally budged, and nearly tripped. "I haven't packed or had a bath! And Father, I get seasick!" Keith protested, stomping his foot on the ground. He'd tried this a million times, and Shiro just rolled his eyes. "Get on board, you silly boy."
Lance flipped lazily through a newspaper as his mother burst into his room, looking like she made too much of an effort on her already beautiful complexion. "He soon will be arriving. Is that the respect you'll show?" she snapped, and Lance just rolled his eyes, sitting up on his bed. "I swear if you make me kiss his hand again I'm gonna be sick." Allura waved her hand dismissively and headed off down the hallway, forcing Lance to sigh and hurry after her.
Shiro and Allura rushed off to talk the moment they arrived. "One day, they'll be married!" Shiro gushed enthusiastically, and Allura laughed a little forcefully. "Oh, splendid!"
On the other hand, in the field...
"We've tried all summer but we just can't lose him!" Lance cried as he shot across the field, best friend Hunk at his side and keeping pace. Behind him, an annoyed voice rang out. "Hey fellas, wait up!" Hunk waved his arms. "Quick, speed up!" The two shot up into a treehouse that Lance had specially made for him. Hunk began scratching a sign with charcoal and paper while Lance stuck his head out the window, pulling the ladder up and watching as Keith came to a stop beneath them, face incredulous. Lance smirked. "When picking teams-" "Or friends!" "-I never choose him." Lance and Hunk grinned at each other and Hunk hung up a sign outside the window that read in bright bold letters 'NO GIRLS ALLOWED' to insult his mullet. "You'd think he'd take a hint and learn to read." Hunk giggled, but Keith was clearly angrier than ever before at the sign.
"This really isn't fair!" he called up, but Lance rolled his eyes and blowed a raspberry. "We really couldn't care." Keith suddenly got an idea. The treehouse was on a low tree, and held up by a wood plank. Lance noticed what he was going to do before he could stop it. "Wait, Keith, no-" He was cut off as the treehouse came crashing to the ground. Keith, hands behind his back with an innocent smile playing on his lips, watched them. "Boys, it's all or none." Hunk and Lance moaned in pain. "This definitely isn't my idea of fun." they grumbled as Keith strolled off, still laughing at himself under his breath.
The two went home for the autumn, winter and spring and visited each other during the summer. Events where Lance and Hunk tried to kick Keith from the picture happened multiple times, however the other boy always seemed to outsmart them, leaving them bruised and cut.
***
Lance, now fourteen years old, was trying to convince his mother yet again to stop the summertime visits. "He tries to talk me into swordfights!" he yelled incredulously, arms being thrown in the air. Anyone and everyone knew that Lance was a master at archery and always failed with a sword, yet never backed down from a challenge from anyone. Allura shrugged and flicked through the newspaper, so Lance tried again. "He's always flirting with the cooks!" This grabbed Allura's attention slightly, but all her piercing blue eyes did was stare right at Lance, throwing him off a little bit. Hunk appeared behind him, arm resting on Lance's shoulder with a cheeky look on his face. "I think you really sort of like him, c'mon." Lance pushed Hunk off him angrily. "I'd like him better if he'd lose at cards." he snorted, stomping away with Hunk following guiltily.
He marched straight into a room where a deck of cards waited for him at a seat, and Lance groaned. Again? About half hour later, Lance was sure he was winning and laid down what was left. "Four sevens and a ten." he said smugly, but by the look on Keith's face, he knew he'd lost. "I think I've won again." Keith announced, then he stood up and stretched his knuckles. "This is my idea of fun." Lance pouted and stormed out of the room, furious.
The townspeople loved it. They thought so highly of the couple, supported it so badly. Heck, I think at least a quarter of the population in each kingdom offered to help organise the wedding! Again, many unbearable summers came and went.
***
Shiro and Allura were conversing very worriedly on one of their summers, when Keith was seventeen and Lance eighteen.
"What if Keith doesn't go for the merger?" Shiro murmured quietly, but Allura shook her head as if that idea were impossible. "Urge him!" she suggested, voice desperate as if their entire lives depended on this marriage. In a way, I guess you could say it did, really.
A knock on Keith's door and it began to open, but Keith slammed against it. He was much older now, much more mature. And he looked far more handsome, I can tell you that. "For as long as I can remember, I'd been told we'd someday wed." he grumbled, sinking to the ground and playing with the dagger in his hand as his father tried to talk his way into Keith's room.
Lance was leaning against the door, shooting the targets on his wardrobe across the room. He looked a lot better and older too, however you'd describe him as beautiful...not handsome. "Every June until September!" he growled in frustration. June was upcoming now, and he certainly was not looking forward to it. "All her pushing and annoying hints." he hissed, hoping his mother would hear him from the other side of the door.
"I've got bruises from his fingerprints." Keith murmured. Shiro definitely wasn't abusive or anything, however he pushed Keith and begged him to agree with this, even though the stubborn boy knew he'd never give in to someone who pleaded like Shiro did.
Lance pulled his dresser against the door so his persistent mother wouldn't get in, and he stared out the window, and at all the fair maidens and good-looking guys below. He gritted his teeth. "I could do so much better, I'm sure."
Keith mumbled something, sheathing his dagger and running his hand through his hair as he got up and prepared to open the door for Shiro. "He's just so...so immature."
***
Neither of them expected this. It'd been years, but seeing them both as they were now...all grown-up, and...wow. It blew their minds. Keith inhaled softly. I see him smiling and my knees start buckling...I see inside him and my doubts are gone. Who he was talking to? Boy, Keith didn't know. He liked to narrate a story inside his head though.
Lance sucked in a breath, grinning like an idiot. He started out as such an ugly duckling, but look at him now...he's like a...like a swan. Lance was trying so hard to convince himself that he hated this boy, but...something about Keith had changed, and he just couldn't bring himself to hate him anymore. When Keith spoke, Lance was shocked at how much his voice had changed too. "So happy to be here..." he spoke slowly, and Lance nearly fainted. It took all his strength just to bow. He'd been dreading the day that he and Keith would have their first real dance, but he'd changed his mind now. This wasn't all that bad. "Till now I never knew it's you I've been dreaming of." He spoke quietly, but when he rose he saw an indignant expression on Keith's face as well as a red blush. Lance only smiled and they assumed the correct slow dancing position.
This is my idea of fun. The pair thought, grinning at each other as they danced. And so, the first summer where they did not resent each other begun. But the happiness would be short-lived, as the pair would soon find out.