Chapter Five
Allura quietly faced her father's greatest enemy - Zarkon. She did not dare look at Keith-she knew he was badly injured.
he may die...Allura thought.
Allura knew they would recieve no mercy here. No help would come, for Arus would be scrambling to ready it's defenses for the impending Doom attack and to evacuate its citizens.
She spied Lotor, Hagar and Cossack standing to the far left of her. An absurd thought crossed her mind as she stood there waiting for Zarkon to quit gloating.
...those three could be..what did Pidge call them?...The Three Stooges! Allura nearly smiled, remembering the viddiscs Pidge had of them. Now he was gone.
She lifted her chin in defiance of Zarkon's stare. No one would ever say that King Alfor's daughter cringed in fear in front of his enemy. She heard a gasp-it was Lotor.
He immediately began to go towards her, when Zarkon bellowed. "Stop, Lotor! Don't touch her!"
Lotor stopped short, anger flashing in his eyes. Allura sensed fear as well. Fear of Zarkon? No. Fear forher.
Zarkon gave the order for the guard to bring her up to him. With an evil smile on his face, he greeted her.
"Princess Allura! I am glad you have finally come to visit my humble planet! Your father, Alfor never had the chance to visit-much to my dismay. But you-and Captain Akira I am very happy to see!"
Allura would not reply. She would not answer this monster. She knew the threats he had made before her father died. He was a fiend!
When Allura did not answer, to her horror, he bent over to her, reached out with his hand and caressed her cheek. As he did so, he said, "Beautiful Allura, if you do not answer with a civil greeting this minute, I will tell my guards down below to cleave Captain Akira into pieces before your lovely eyes. He may be unconcious, but he will feel pain.Now, dear, what do you say?"
Allura sighed heavily. She could not let them butcher Keith like that! He was defenseless!
"King Zarkon, I greet you,but I am not happy to be here!" she said calmly.
King Zarkon smiled and said, "Oh.I think soon you will be very happy to be here...very happy indeed." he chuckled as if remembering a private joke.
"Don't you wonder why I have brought you here, Allura?" She winced at his familarity with her name.
She said quietly. "I am sure, Zarkon, it is not to discuss the weather.You will use Captain Akira and myself as hostages to demand Arus' surrender. Well, Arus will not surrender to you-no matter what happens to me or Captain Akira."
Zarkon still smiled. What is his problem? Allura thought. Is he mad?
To her disgust, he reached out and touched the tendrils of loose hair escaping from her chingon with his fingertips and said, "Allura, you are not only beautiful but witty as well. You will make a fine addition here."
Fine addition? What the hell does he mean by that?
He continued, "but, anyway, dear Allura, I do not ask for your planet's surrender.In fact I won't need it.I have a gift for you, Allura, to make up for any "misunderstandings" we've had in the past. Accept this gift from me-I insist!"
With this, he produced an ornate gold bejeweled choker. Zarkon reached over and placed it around her neck, clicking it in place. Allura didn't dare move as he did this, for she knew resistance might bring about Keith's death. She shuddered as his hands lingered on her throat after placing the choker on it.
Lotor and Hagar both gasped when they saw Zarkon produce the choker and place around the neck of Princess Allura. They both recogized it from years past-it was the marriage choker of Lotor's mother, Shahirya. In that instant, Lotor recognized the dream he had had of Allura all these years coming to pass. He knew what the choker was and now, who would be his father's new Queen but Allura!!
With an enraged yell, Lotor rushed up to the stairs leading to his father's throne. His father's guards flanking the unconcious Akira tried to stop him, but he flung them aside in rage. He was on the first step when the chilling voice of his father stopped him.
"You're too late, Lotor. You know the custom. She is mine now. You take one more step and I will dash her brains out on the floor as I did your mother's. Tell me, my foolish son, you wouldn't want to be responsible for Allura's death too, would you?"
Lotor froze. Old, half-forgotten memories assailed him. Mother...blood in her hair...all the sunshine gone...
He could not risk Allura's life. He would find a way to rescue her from his father-come hell or high water.
Allura looked bewildered by this interchange between father and son. The gold choker lay cold upon her skin, but seemed to burn as well.
Allura felt her soul quail within her as Zarkon, her father's murderer say cruelly to his stricken son: "Good, Lotor, you obeyed me-for once in your miserable life. Have you nothing to say, dear son? Greet my new wife!!"
Allura, for the first time in her life-fainted.