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The throne room was suitably majestic. Everything was made from white stone, from the walls to the floor. Several pillars had been erected that served no purpose other than decoration. Each one was carved with a different scene from the history of Altea. It started from the pillar closest to the door and spiralled from just above head height to the floor. Then the next part of their history started on the pillar opposite before it moved on. Halfway along, one of the pillars seemed to be only half completed while the rest were blank. There was enough room for future generations to add to.
Two thrones sat upon a raised dais, one empty, one which held the king, both presiding over the court that was in session. Nobles were gathered at the edges of the room, grouped in clusters. They whispered to each other as Lance strode towards the king. A lot of them looked worried and one of the women was actually clutching her pearls. It made Lance frown for a moment, but he made sure to smile up at his king when he reached the steps.
With a deep bow, Lance said, “Your Majesty.”
“Sir Lance,” King Alfor answered him with a small smile. “Thank you for coming.” He cast his eyes across the room and lifted a hand. “If you could all leave us alone, please.”
For a moment, the court stared at the king. Then they bowed or curtseyed and began to move in one undulating motion. Some of them continued to talk, some behind their fans, others a little more openly. Lance could hear them talking about losing another talented knight to a quest.
Eventually, the room was cleared and the king turned to Lance. His smile fell and he looked pained, sad even. Lance’s heart stopped, sure that it would be bad news. If it was about… He took a deep breath and waited, trying not to twitch with restless energy.
“I am sure you are aware,” King Alfor said, “that Sir Keith has embarked on a quest that I asked of him.”
Of course Lance knew. Keith had told him right away. Although the quest was sworn to secrecy so as not to alarm the kingdom, Lance had noticed how grim Keith had been. And, with Shiro also away, Lance had been worried. And Keith had brushed him off. Lance’s heart still ached from it, though Keith had quickly apologised and sworn to return. He wished that Keith was already home.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lance confirmed.
King Alfor sighed heavily. “I am sorry to say-”
“Your Majesty!” Lance exclaimed, not wanting to hear the words. “What was the quest?”
Piercing blue eyes searched Lance’s face. Lance fought to keep the fear and despair from his expression, instead clenching his jaw in determination. If King Alfor was telling him about the quest, then he was being sent to complete it. He would find Keith if it was the last thing he did. Finally, King Alfor nodded once, with a sense of finality.
“Five days south-west of here,” King Alfor explained, “there is a dragon.”
Lance couldn’t help himself. He gasped. When he was a child, the Hybrid Dragons, Zarkon and Haggar, had come from Daibazaal and laid waste to the western parts of Altea. They had even killed the queen as she fought to keep them from destroying the capital. Eventually, they were unable to return to their human forms and could no longer truly rule Daibazaal. Their son, Lotor, had taken over. Since then, the kingdom had driven away the rest of the dragons that had remained in order to keep themselves safe. Many of them had sympathised with the Hybrids’ attempts to destroy Altea and tried to fight against the might of the Paladins. But they fled or died. The other dragons understood the situation somewhat and either hid in their lairs or migrated elsewhere. By the time Lance had become a Paladin himself, there were none left. The reemergence of one was worrying.
“And Sir Keith went to deal with it?”
“No,” said King Alfor. “Sir Shirogane was sent to look into it.”
Again, Lance gasped. “Then…” he whispered.
“Yes. Sir Keith was sent to find out what had happened to him and the dragon.”
“And neither of them have come back?” asked Lance in dismay.
“No. But I am not worried that the dragon has killed them. They were riding through the area where… where Allura, my darling daughter, disappeared.”
Lance stood a little straighter, rather alarmed by the information. A year before, Allura had travelled to Daibazaal to meet with King Lotor. It had been King Lotor’s request when his regular meeting with King Alfor had had to be pushed aside for anniversary celebrations in the kingdom of Balmera. Since both kings were busy during the rest of the year, King Lotor had suggested that Crown Princess Allura could learn much from their meeting. Nobody knew how the meeting had gone as Allura had never returned - somewhere in Altea, she had disappeared from her tent. Poor Coran, her advisor who had travelled with her but not sat in the meeting, was still wreathed in despair, though he tried to hide it.
Losing a princess was devastating. Losing a knight in the same area while he fought a dragon was tragic. Losing a second knight in the same area was suspicious.
“Then I am to find out what’s happened?” Lance asked King Alfor.
“Indeed. And, if you see the dragon, please take care of it.”
Bowing, Lance said, “As you wish, Your Majesty.” He straightened and was about to leave when King Alfor lifted a hand.
“Sir Lance,” he said. “Please. Do not take unnecessary risks. We cannot lose you.”
“I will do my best, Your Majesty.”
King Alfor nodded. “Yes. Now, go, with my blessing. We will all pray for you, my boy.”
Lance left as soon as he had made his preparations. He rode through the city on his trusty steed, Blue, with his sword strapped to his hip and his bow attached to his saddle. With his head held high, he dodged around the usual city chaos. On his way, he heard the murmurings of the citizens as they watched him pass.
“Another one?”
“There’s going to be no Paladins left.”
“What if someone attacks while they’re all gone?”
“What is the king thinking?”
“Did anyone see the other two returning?”
Ignoring them as best he could, Lance kept going onwards. He couldn’t look back - that wasn’t where Keith or Shiro were. So, with resolve, Lance journeyed on, and hoped that he could bring back glad tidings.
As he let Blue walk along the paths and roads he had to follow, Lance thought of Keith, hoping that he would be alive and well by the time he reached him. He remembered his first day of training with the Paladins, an elite branch of the knights that lived and trained in the capital. Lance had been excited to start and had met Keith. Their relationship hadn’t gotten off to a good start. While Lance held Keith in high regard, their first few interactions had left him fuming. They had competed and trained until they were of an equal pegging. Then they had been sent out on joint missions.
Slowly, they had become friends. Lance was often found with Keith nowadays, training or joking. They had been growing closer recently and Lance had grown increasingly fond of Keith. In fact, his heart always squeezed and fluttered whenever he thought of Keith. Right now, it was sinking with dread, worried for his fellow knight.
After five days of travel - during which he deflected questions about his quest and asked about people’s concerns so that he could pass them onto King Alfor upon his return - Lance arrived in the area where the dragon had been sighted. Mountains loomed over them, separating Altea from Arus. If Lance were to follow along them, he would arrive in Daibazaal within a day. Instead, he stopped at a nearby town and requested some food and ale.
While he waited, he caught the attention of a barmaid and waved her over. She came willingly, a coy smile dancing on her lips. “Yes, Sir?” she asked.
“I have heard stories,” he began and her smile slipped a little. “You look like someone trustworthy,” he continued, holding back a triumphant grin when she lit up again. “Could you tell me about the dragon that’s been seen around these parts?”
“Oh, of course. Are you here to find it like the other knights?” She cast a nervous look over her shoulder. “Neither of them passed through here afterwards,” she confided in him. “We’re not sure if they survived the dragon.”
“What has the dragon been doing?” Lance asked, opting to ignore that comment for now. “There doesn’t seem to be much damage to the buildings around here.”
“It’s not come near here, really,” the barmaid said. “It mostly terrorises the farms just beyond. It steals livestock and grains. The town’s getting worried that we won’t have enough to last the winter if this keeps on.”
“Really?” said Lance. “Has it killed any of the farmers? Breathed any fire?”
The barmaid frowned and tilted her head, pretty red hair falling over her shoulder as it escaped the cap she was wearing. “Not yet,” she said. “Not that I know of. But it’s only a matter of time before it snaps up a babe, right? And I don’t know about the fire, Sir, I apologise.”
Lance quickly reassured her, smiling encouragingly at her. However, he thought this was very odd. Why would a dragon not raze a building to the ground if it felt it was in the way? The old stories told of them sweeping over the kingdom, burning forest and grass, uncaring for what was there. Were the stories exaggerated? Were they lies, propaganda spread by royal advisors? Did King Alfor know what the stories say? Was this dragon acting naturally or was this out of character? Or was it a youngling, one that was only beginning to take flight on its own?
Something was definitely strange here and he would have to find out what was going on before he could take any action. In the meantime… “Could I get some more ale?” he asked.
After asking a few more people about the dragon, Lance made his way to one of the middle mountains. It was called Mount Leona, in honour of their gods, the five Lions of Voltron. Lance had named his horse after Azure, the Lion of Water, whom he prayed to the most. The mountain looked a little like a lion’s head at the right angle and light, which some believed was the resting place for the Lions of Voltron.
Beyond the farmland, there was a small forested area before he could reach the foot of the mountain. He reached it in the middle of the day and pushed on, keen to have shelter for the night before he attempted the climb. A slight breeze had picked up and moisture hung heavy in the air. It was going to rain and Lance was pleased; he loved the symphony of sounds which the rain made in a forest. Sending his thanks to Azure, he listened to the rustling and the skittering of forest creatures.
Then, somewhere off the path, there was a scream of fear from a deer. Lance reined in his horse, his heart hammering. Peering through the tree trunks, he barely had enough time to pull Blue out of the path of a fleeing herd of the creatures. He could see the whites of their eyes as they panicked and he took deep breaths to calm himself.
There could be only one thing in this forest that would scare them this much.
Lance dismounted. He was wearing his armour and still had his sword on him. However, when he looked at the terrain he would be walking over, he noted how noisy it would be. So he began to strip off his armour. With his experience and deft fingers, it wasn’t long before he was only in his shirt and trousers. He took his scabbard with him - if he tried to shoot anything as big as a dragon among the trees, he could easily be hurt if it thrashed around. It would be better to fight it closer and lessen the amount of things that could kill him.
With slow, careful steps, Lance made his way through the trees. It didn’t take long before he could make out the shape of something large and dangerous beyond them. He moved closer until, finally, he could make out the felled trees and the newly made clearing that the creature was in. Lance ducked behind a tree and peered around it.
The trees looked as though they had been bent until they were broken by the weight of the clearing’s occupant. Devastation encircled the dragon and Lance’s breath caught. The creature was beautiful. At first glance, the dragon was the purest white, its wings and tail tucked in close as it hunched over its meal. Then, it shifted, and Lance could see the iridescent pink that shone within the scales. Lance gazed upon it in awe, wondering at the danger that wreathed such a beautiful creature.
That was when Lance realised something else. The dragon was eating a deer, as he had suspected, but it was acting oddly. Instead of ripping the meat from the bones with its mouth, it was using its front legs to pull the meat off instead. Every movement was delicate and deliberate.
At one point, the dragon turned its head slightly and, still stunned, Lance noticed something glinting on its face. Whatever it was, it rolled down the side of its cheek, down its jaw and dropped through the air. Lance watched it fall and realised that it was a drop of water. When he looked up again, another droplet was falling. No. That wasn’t what was happening.
The dragon was crying.
Dismay filled Lance. How could he kill something that was showing remorse or regret or any number of emotions? It wasn’t acting with abandon either. What was he supposed to do with it? Had it killed-? No, Lance couldn’t think of it. But was that why this poor creature was crying?
He shifted a little, leaning out a little more. Below him, a twig snapped. His eyes widened in alarm and he had just enough time to see the dragon's head whipping towards him before he jerked back behind the thick trunk. Lance pressed his back to the tree and prayed to the green lion, Verdant to shield him with her leaves.
There was a heavy silence. Neither of them moved. Before Lance could think of what the best move would be, there was a loud, unsettling crunching noise. Then a strong wind buffeted him from both sides, coming from beyond the trunk. Lance gasped and dug his heels in, trying not to fall. Once the wind lessened, Lance peeked around the tree.
He caught sight of the dragon's tail, thicker than Lance’s waist, dangling from above. Looking up, he found that the dragon had climbed (or flown) to the top of one of the remaining trees in the clearing. Its catch was in its mouth, its jaw clamped around the large mouthful. As he watched, the dragon spread its wings wide and, with a well-timed leap, it launched itself into the air. Lance was alarmed to see it wobble a little, but the dragon quickly righted itself and flapped its wings, gaining the winds that were provided by the black lion, Noirre. Once it was high enough, it turned and glided towards the mountain. Nodding once, Lance was sure he had the right destination and he turned from the mess the dragon had left behind and returned to Blue, just as the rain began to patter against the leaves above.
Lance camped in the forest that night, a thin line of trees separating him from the rocky terrain at the base of the mountain. He kept the fire banked so that the dragon would, hopefully, not spot him and attack while he was resting. It wasn’t until morning that he approached the mountain, his thoughts keeping his sleep uneasy. Just what was going on with this dragon? Why did he have an uneasy feeling about confronting it?
Things became stranger and more worrying when he reached the foot of the mountain. There was a narrow path that wound up and around outcroppings of rock. It wouldn’t hold a horse, but a person could climb up without difficulty. Lance would have to leave Blue behind. However, she wouldn’t be the only horse to be left in the quiet place. Both Black and Red - Shiro and Keith’s stallions, respectively - were milling around the rocks, pulling up the small amount of vegetation for sustenance. He stared at them, aware that that meant that both Keith and Shiro had reached the mountain, and the dragon.
Once he had dismounted and encouraged Blue to stay with Black and Red, he began to make his way along the path. His sword was strapped to his hip again, and his bow and quiver were slung over his shoulder. He had barely made it a few feet along the path when, with a flash of silver, something jumped out from behind a rock. With a gasp, Lance drew his sword and got it up, just in time to parry a blow from…
“Keith?!” Lance exclaimed, dropping his sword. He leapt forward as Keith lowered his own sword and threw his arms around Keith’s shoulders. Their armour bumped and screeched in protest, but Lance didn’t care. His heart felt light as it fluttered around his chest, threatening to spill his feelings to the man.
There was a clattering as Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist. “Lance?” he said, breathing hard. “What are you doing here?”
Leaning back, Lance frowned at Keith. “Do you know how long you’ve been gone? King Alfor grew concerned and he sent me to find out what happened to you and Shiro. And deal with the dragon, if I cou-”
“You can’t do that,” said Keith quickly, pulling away from Lance to give him a wide-eyed look. “You can’t.”
Lance frowned at him. “What are you-? I don’t know what to do about the dragon. But what are you doing here? Why haven’t you come back?”
“I had to stay. It was the only way to-” Keith stopped and bit his lip, turning his head to look up at the mountain. “I just had to stay, Lance. If you come with me, I can tell you everything.”
He was about to step back, but Lance took hold of him by his shoulders and tried to give him a stern look. It probably didn’t work as Lance was trembling a little. His fear and relief were mixing to create too many emotions to contain. “You didn’t come back,” he said, a little snippily.
“I…” Keith began, looking rather contrite.
“I thought you were dead,” Lance murmured. He caught Keith’s gaze and held it, sinking into the sight of his pretty eyes. There were times when he felt like he was going to sink into them. Like right then, as he fought not to glance at Keith’s lips. “I thought you were dead,” he repeated, unintentionally. His grief and despair flooded out of him and into his words. Heart aching, he tried not to cry - from relief, from his mourning, from his happiness at being so close to Keith.
Suddenly, Keith’s hands were on Lance’s cheeks, his gauntlets cool on Lance’s warm cheeks. He was staring up at Lance with something like awe and Lance’s breath caught. For a moment, they stood, frozen. Then, without any warning, Keith pulled Lance’s face down, down, closer, until…
Their lips pressed together, softly and carefully. Lance lost his breath, his eyes fluttered closed and he leaned into it more. He let his hands slide around Keith’s arms until they were around Keith’s shoulders. Keith used his own grip on Lance’s waist to pull him closer. Their armour was digging into Lance’s body but the pain didn’t detract from the sweetness of Keith’s lips or the warmth flooding his body. His heart seemed to be growing, filled with love.
Eventually, they pulled apart, and gazed at each other. Lance could feel the silly grin on his face. “Keith,” he said, unable to think of anything else.
“Lance,” Keith replied with his own grin, small and private and just for him. “I missed you.”
For a moment, Lance smiled at Keith. Then he whacked him on the shoulder with a clang. “Then you should have come home quicker!” he exclaimed. “Seriously, Keith, you have to explain what you and Shiro are doing out here.” He leaned to the side and looked around. “He is here, right? Black’s back there, so…”
“Yeah, he’s here,” Keith confirmed, his smile fading. Lance didn’t like that, so he pecked Keith’s cheek. That brought the smile back for only a moment before it disappeared once more. “We don’t know what else to do.”
“About the dragon?”
Keith opened his mouth, presumably to explain, then stopped and shook his head. “Come with me,” he said instead. “Let me show you.”
They didn’t speak as they climbed the mountain. Keith went in front and Lance was able to drink him in, his relief making the ascent more difficult as the tension drained from him. He felt more tired than he had before. Still, he pushed onward, determined not to lose sight of his… Keith.
It took them most of the day to reach the huge, cavernous hole halfway up the mountain. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky and lit the place clearly. A wide ledge allowed them to walk two abreast and Lance took hold of Keith’s hand. Their gauntlets made it awkward but, if there was no fighting to be done, Lance was going to remove his armour the first chance he could get so that he could become even closer to Keith.
Just inside the cave, a small fire burned. Rabbits were roasting on an expertly made spit. Packs and supplies for two knights had been laid out to the side. Further within, Lance could just make out the massive bulk of the dragon, curled up, its scales shining. Beside it, stood Shiro in full armour, his hand on its snout as it lowered its head in a depressed manner. When he heard them come in, he turned and his hand went to his sword before he relaxed.
He didn’t take his hand off the hilt, though.
“Lance?” he said, surprised.
“Sir Shiro,” Lance answered, frowning at him. “What’s going on? Why won’t you two come home? Everyone’s worried. If you don’t come back soon, I think everyone’s going to panic.”
“Well…” Shiro turned to the dragon and looked up at it, almost questioningly.
For a brief moment, Lance wondered if the dragon had placed a spell on them to make them obedient. He braced himself for some sort of mental assault. Instead, he heard words which didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere, though it could only have come from the dragon. It was a familiar voice.
“Hello, Sir Lance.”
Startled, Lance looked around and back at the dragon. “What…?” He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
There was a short silence. Finally, Shiro said, “This dragon is Princess Allura. She’s been cursed.”
Lance stared at them all. Keith nodded to him. Another silence ensued. “What?” he finally said.
“Prince Lotor cursed me,” Princess Allura explained, the dragon’s head lifting to look at Lance. “There was something he wanted me to do for him, but I refused to negotiate with him. So he cursed me. It didn’t take hold until I crossed into Altea and then it changed me into this… this… form.”
“Lotor?” Lance demanded. “What’s he thinking?! This could lead to war! King Alfor-!”
“No! Father must not know. This will destroy him.”
Lance folded his arms and cocked his hip. “Really? Have you seen him lately? You have been gone for seasons and he has seen two knights disappear in your wake. Not to mention a dragon that everyone thinks is going to terrorise the kingdom. King Alfor is…” He trailed off and dropped his arms. “King Alfor is grieving already.”
The dragon - Princess Allura - lowered her head. “Oh,” she said, a whisper on a breeze. “I see.”
Both Shiro and Keith had serious expressions on their faces, turned slightly towards their princess. Princess Allura needed help, but neither of them could do anything by fighting. They had to think through the problem. Lance wished Pidge and Hunk were with them. He was sure they would have solved it by now and broken the curse.
That thought made him frown. “Wait. All curses can be broken, right? That’s how they work, isn’t it?”
“Yes…” Princess Allura sounded reluctant to talk about it.
“Then what can we do to break it?”
“Lance,” said Keith, softly. Keith reached for him and Lance instinctively stepped closer until Keith’s hand was on his wrist. “Don’t.”
“No. I have to tell him,” Princess Allura said. Lance looked up at her and she shifted to bring her head closer to him. He could see, now, those familiar blue eyes. “Prince Lotor wanted me to marry him,” she explained, morosely. “I refused so he cursed me to become a ‘most hated form’ until someone would declare their intense love to me. Shiro and Keith have both already tried, but their love is not strong enough.”
“Mine wouldn’t either,” Lance muttered, raising a hand to his chin. “But… What kind of intense love?”
“Huh?”
Tilting his head, Lance blinked up at Princess Allura. Something was stirring in the back of his mind. “What was Prince Lotor’s exact words?”
“‘Declare their intense love for you’. After Shiro and Keith’s love for me failed, I assumed that it would have to be someone who was closer to me or whom I have yet to meet.”
The solution was suddenly obvious to Lance and he grinned. It only lasted for a brief moment before it faded. He could be wrong, after all. But, not only that, it would be dangerous to reach them. Yet, Lance was sure that it was the only course of action that they could take without sending the kingdom into despair.
He turned to Keith and Shiro. “I think I know what to do,” he told them. “But we have to go home first.” Lance turned to Princess Allura. “All of us, Your Highness.”
“I cannot return home in this state!”
“Yes, you can. The courtyard at the palace should be big enough for you to land in,” Lance explained. “And Shiro’s horse is the fastest horse in Altea, with the winds of Noirre behind him. If Shiro rides ahead, he can bring news to your father, and tell the towns between here and the capital not to attempt to bring you down. It may not be received well, but Keith and I can ride with you, Princess. All you have to do is keep pace with us and fly as high as you can to lessen the chances of people seeing you.”
“It would take us days to return to the capital,” Keith protested. “What will we do at night?”
Lance shrugged. “We find a large space for Allura to land in and then we can take turns guarding her,” he assured Keith. “It won’t be too difficult. It’s not as if it’s possible to take a dragon down when they’re so high in the sky. I mean, arrows only fly so far upward before they return to the ground.” He put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “We can do this. But King Alfor needs to see you both alive and he needs to know what has become of his daughter. Right, Your Highness?”
Princess Allura stared at him and, for a long time, didn’t answer. Then, to Lance’s relief, she spoke.
Shiro set out as soon as it had been decided, using the last of the light to climb down the mountain. Lance and Keith settled down for the night, sleeping close together but not touching. It seemed like a bad idea to kiss or cuddle in front of the princess. At least, Lance hoped that was the only reason…
In the morning, they climbed down the mountain. Princess Allura waited where she was while they got their horses ready below her. Lance wanted to talk to Keith, but his fellow knight was tense, constantly watching for danger. He wanted to tell Keith that it was highly unlikely anyone would approach when three knights had already headed in this direction and not yet returned. Instead, he remained silent until they reached Blue and Red where he insisted that they ride without their armour. It took some convincing, but Keith finally caved, mostly to the argument that no Alteans would be willing to tangle with Paladins as they rode through the kingdom.
Once they were mounted, Princess Allura swooped down from the mountain. She flew in a circle before she flapped her wings, wobbled a little, and rose higher and higher. Lance watched until she became small enough to be considered a bird and then nudged Blue into action. Keith followed suit and they began their ride towards the capital. As they went, Lance filled the tense silence with news from the capital and how James had made a fool of himself in front of Lord Kinkade.
When they passed through the small towns this far out, some of the people stared at them. Others were looking up, clearly looking for a dragon. Some of them had makeshift weapons in hand and Lance told them that there was no danger, that they were here to protect them and they would. Most of them relaxed, but others muttered and Lance could tell that, if they had left Princess Allura behind, they would have taken matters into their own hands - and would have won.
By the time they decided to stop for the night, Lance was exhausted. As he made up the camp for them, Keith went to gather wood and to guide Princess Allura into the small glade that they had discovered. Moonlight lit their actions, helping them - Noirre watched over them and Lance knew then that what they were doing was the right thing. He put the finishing touches to their shelter just as he felt the wind buffeting him from Princess Allura’s landing.
Keith reappeared with the wood and bent to begin stacking the bits into a small pile. “One of us should stay in the glade with her,” he told Lance.
“Yes. Of course,” said Lance, a little sadly. He had been looking forward to being alone with Keith, but neither of them had spoken much about anything important. Lance wasn’t sure what it all meant now. Had their kiss been a spur of the moment thing for Keith? His heart felt like it was ready to break.
Something in his voice must have alerted Keith to his inner turmoil because the knight stood up and frowned at Lance. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s not important,” Lance said, quickly. He smiled. “The Princess is more important.” Than me, he didn’t say.
“‘More’…?” Keith moved closer to Lance who blinked at him in surprise. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” Lance insisted. “I just… Yesterday…” He looked away and wrapped his arms around his stomach. “We didn’t really… talk… about it. The- The kiss- We don’t have to!” he quickly amended, jerking his head around to stare at Keith with wide eyes. He even lifted his hands in surrender. “I don’t- It’s not really-”
Suddenly, Keith was closer than before. Lance’s eyes widened and he gasped as, once more, Keith grabbed his face and drew him into a kiss. It was soft and tender. Letting out a breath, Lance let his eyes fall closed and tilted his head so that he could press closer. Their lips slotted together more perfectly and Lance moved with Keith, wrapping his arms around his neck as Keith gripped his waist and pulled him even closer.
Lance let himself get lost in the kiss, forgetting all his worries. All that mattered was the hair tangled in his fingers, the lips against his, the embrace of strong, sure arms. And then Keith’s tongue swept across his lips and Lance fell deeper. He gasped and it let Keith’s tongue enter his mouth. They pressed against each other, both of them ebbing and flowing, working together. Slowly, Lance grew warm and he gripped at Keith more tightly. Keith responded by pulling their hips together and Lance let out a groan.
A sudden cracking sound made them pull apart. Keith was more alert than Lance who could only stare at Keith’s reddened lips, glistening from the kiss. He panted, gazing at Keith with lidded eyes. Eventually, Keith returned his attention to Lance and he chuckled, a low thing that sent sparks along Lance’s body and made him gasp. Instead of diving back in, however, Keith made them separate, just a little, by pushing at Lance’s hips.
“It wasn’t a one time thing, Lance,” Keith told him, quite sincerely. “I- We don’t need to talk about it. But we’ll be together from now on.”
Lance blinked at him, confused for a moment. When he remembered what he’d been worried about, he smiled, knowing that Keith’s words had chased those worries away. “Okay,” Lance said. “I… I do want to say, though…” He trailed off and glanced in the direction of Princess Allura. He hoped that she wouldn’t be able to hear what he was about to say - that would be so embarrassing! “I just want to make sure you know that I… I- I lo-love-” Lance stopped and took a deep breath. “I love you, and I- Well…” Growing flustered, Lance ducked his head, his cheeks on fire.
“Lance,” said Keith. Looking up, Lance found Keith staring at him with an expression that was equal parts awed and fond. “You’re amazing,” Keith continued.
“What?!” Lance exclaimed, pulling away a little more to frown at him teasingly. “That’s all I get?!”
“No,” said Keith, and pulled Lance closer. Before Lance could react, Keith had drawn him into another kiss, this one just as perfect and passionate as the first, if not more so. Lance could feel himself relaxing into it, just as Keith let Lance go and stepped back. “I love you, too. But, um…” Now Keith looked as flustered as Lance had felt a moment ago, his cheeks red and bright in the clear light of the moon. His head ducked down, presumably to hide the blush, and Lance felt his heart swell with his overflowing love for this brilliant man. “But,” Keith continued, “one of us should still guard the princess. So, um, I’ll take first watch.”
With that, he turned and hurried off, quickly stepping through the trees. Lance blinked as he watched him go, then turned to the pile of twigs and wood that should have been a fire by now. Perhaps Lance should have been disconcerted and worried about Keith’s sudden departure, but, instead, he was happy and sure that everything would be fine.
They decided to put on their armour before they rode into the capital; Lance pointed out that it was all about projecting an image of confidence, if they didn’t want any of the palace guards to try to shoot down Princess Allura when she landed. He told the princess about a signal he would use for her to land. With the improved eyesight of the dragon, she was apparently able to see quite a lot. So, while she circled high above the capital - so high that the clouds blocked her from view - Lance and Keith made their way back through the crowds and all the way to the palace.
Once they were in the courtyard, they dismounted and began to head towards the doors in order to find the king and request him to come outside. However, they were interrupted by King Alfor and Shiro hurrying towards the. King Alfor did not look happy, though he looked angrier rather than mournful. Lance grimaced and glanced at Shiro who shrugged and grimaced in response.
“What is the meaning of this?!” King Alfor asked as he drew level with them. His voice carried, drawing the attention of guards and palace staff alike. Behind him, Lance noticed that Coran had also emerged, though his expression was one of confusion rather than anger.
“Your Majesty,” Lance quickly said. “We have accompanied your daughter-”
“Do not talk about my daughter!” King Alfor shouted. “She is gone. How dare you play this sort of trick on me to justify your inability to kill one dragon?”
Lance was shocked and he took a step back. Suddenly, Keith’s hand was on his elbow and he was able to take strength from his touch. “I apologise, Your Majesty,” he said, bowing a little. “I could not kill a crying dragon. Especially when I discovered the truth. King Lotor has cursed your daughter and she-”
“You are accusing those above your station of evil deeds,” snapped King Alfor. “Why should I believe you?”
“You do not need to believe me, Your Majesty,” Lance said, raising his hands in a placating manner. “You do not need to believe Sir Keith or Sir Shirogane, either. But you should believe your daughter.” And, with that having been said, Lance tilted his head back and waved his arm towards the sky.
“Do not shoot!” shouted Keith.
“Let her land!” Shiro added.
A flash of shining white above them heralded Princess Allura’s arrival. She circled over the palace. In the distance, Lance could hear screams from some of the citizens. The guards around them tensed, unsheathing swords and drawing bows, though none of them moved to attack. Meanwhile, the palace staff fled. King Alfor, Shiro, Lance and Keith all moved aside. The king looked shocked as the dragon swooped down and, with several beats of her wings, Princess Allura landed and folded her wings and tail in tight.
Silence fell. Tension mounted. Lance feared that someone would loose an arrow by accident. King Alfor straightened his back and stepped forward, staring at the dragon.
“H-Hello, Father.”
“Allura?” King Alfor whispered, his eyes wide.
“Yes. I-I am sorry that you have wondered, for so long, what had happened to me. If I had-”
“No,” said King Alfor. “Do not blame yourself.”
Princess Allura shook her massive head before she tilted it so that she could gaze at King Alfor. “I can no longer lead this kingdom into a brighter future with you, Father. I-I don’t know how to return to normal.” She paused and looked around the courtyard. Lance also took the chance to glance at the others who were present, all of whom looked rather terrified. “And I cannot stay here-”
“Nonsense!” exclaimed King Alfor. “It matters not to me what form you are in, my darling daughter. You have done no wrong. Perhaps we were too harsh on the dragons, particularly after your mother’s death. But we can learn to work with them again. You must lead us to that new future. I know that you are meant for that now.”
“Father…” said the princess, sounding emotional.
“Allura. My darling,” said King Alfor, smiling fondly up at her. “You are still as beautiful as you have always been. I love you, and I will continue to do so until my dying days.”
A sudden flash of light blinded everyone. There were cries from around the courtyard. Keith pulled on Lance’s arm until they were huddled close together. Lance smiled and leaned into him, his eyes squeezed shut. Eventually, the light seemed to dim enough that they would be able to see again and Lance opened his eyes.
Just as he had suspected, Princess Allura was no longer a dragon. She was sprawled, a little dishevelled, in her white and pink dress. Her father stood above her, staring down at her in awe. Princess Allura looked up; her hair was now the purest white instead of the deep brown it had once been, and it fell around her like clouds around a dragon circling high above. For a moment, she and her father merely looked at each other. Then, with a cry of happiness, Princess Allura leapt to her feet and flung herself into King Alfor’s arms. He easily caught her and held her tight, laughing with delight. Coran was suddenly with them, relief and elation clear in the tears that flowed into his moustache. Guards and palace staff alike cheered. Off to the side, Shiro had his hands on his hips, pleased and proud.
Again, Keith tugged on his arm and Lance spun to face him, grinning widely. Keith was staring at him with awe which made Lance blush. He tilted his head and waited. Finally, Keith found his voice. “Did you know this would happen?”
Lance shrugged. “Well, I knew King Alfor loved her. It seemed reasonable that it was an intense love. Enough that it would break the curse, at least.”
Keith stared for a moment. Then, quite suddenly, he let loose a laugh. Lance felt giddy and he bounced a little on his toes before Keith grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Both of them were smiling too much and laughing and Lance realised that, just like Princess Allura, he had gotten his own happy ending.