Chapter Four
Allura lay on the bed, relaxed, not thinking much about anything. She smiled to herself and stretched out like a cat, luxuriating in the feel of the silk sheets. The wine she drank was delicious, it had a sweet taste with a bit of bite to it. The more she drank, the better she felt.In fact,her whole body felt alive, tingling with sensation. She felt new again. Arus, Keith, the war, everything didn't matter anymore. The world would not end because she was in a situation she couldn't control. The universe just kept going and going, regardless of trivial triumphs or tragedies.
.mmmm...She felt as if she were on a cloud,just drifting along...waiting.....
Allura stretched again. She drifted in and out of dozing and dreaming as she waited.She wasn't exactly sure of when Zarkon came in the room, but she sensed he was there. He seemed to think she was asleep. Allura opened her eyes. He looked so different from the way he looked on his throne. He actually had a shock of white hair on his head!(Allura always assumed he was bald under that crown!) It was pulled back in a queue. Aparently, he didn't like it in his way. He wore what looked like comfortable trousers and a loose shirt of black and silver. As with everything he seemed to own, his mark was embroided in red upon his shirt.
She smiled a soft smile and said,.."Zarkon....you're here."
He seemed to look into her eyes trying to find something and evidently found it, for he smiled at her with satisfaction. "Allura," he said, "You look so beautiful." And she knew he did find her beautiful. For some reason, this pleased her.
She laughed softly and said, Thank you,husband." He took ahold of her hands and held them in his. Funny, that he wasn't cold like before.
"Allura, please call me Z'aale when we are together.it is my birthname."
"Z'aale..." Allura sighed.
He smiled, seeming to like the sound of his name on her lips. Why he couldn't say. He was cruelest of men, and yet he found he found a surprising fondness for the woman who had resisted his forces so long.
He kept observing her, as if to gauge her responses to him. Allura impulsively raised up on the bed and kissed him. For the life of her, she couldn't think of why she did that!
Zarkon had a look of incredulous suprise and looked so comical that he made her laugh- a tinkling, pleasant laugh. He seemed to like the way she laughed, for he smiled at her.
He finally got up and got some wine for his wineglass from the half-emptied wineglass Allura had drank out of. He set it down on a small table beside the bed, turned to her,reached down and lifted her off the bed to where she stood facing him. He bent and kissed her neck above the gold choker lay. Again, she marveled at how warm he was. Then he seemed to find fascination with her hair, running it though his hands as if to marvel at it's texture and smell. He seemed very pleased, and so she smiled softly at him.
"Allura.", Z'aale said, caressing her cheek with his hand, "such a fitting name."
She laughed again, and impulsively threw her arms around his neck. Again he seemed suprised, yet pleased by her response. He kissed her possessively, and this time it did not repel her, but aroused her. She kissed him back with a fevor, suprising him once again.
He mumured "I didnt realize it would be like this.Interesting."
He kissed her again, and said "Allura S'auh e'ya. (my beloved)
Allura looked into his eyes. It was funny-she had seen that expression before on Lotor's face. A mixture of tenderness and possessiveness. It was funny how they were so different and so much alike and yet they fought each other so. His arms tightened around her waist and he kept looking into her eyes. She smiled at him warmly, then suddenly, she shook her head as if she were trying to clear it, but it was no use, the dreamy fog came back.
She relaxed in his arms, leaned her head against his chest and murmured softly,"Z'aale."
He couldn't believe it, he, Lotor, Prince of Doom, was crouching in a secret hiding place of his father's suite with a wrinkled old witch, waiting for his father to fall asleep from her sleeping potion, so that he could rescue his beloved from his bed. He was alert, maybe too alert, trying to listen for any sounds that might give a clue to what his father and Allura were doing or not doing.
When he saw his father pass by them to enter his private chamber, Lotor wanted to jump him, but Hagar stopped him, hissing, " Don't you dare move, or you will lose her and your head!"
Lotor listened to her better judgement and stay put. He could hear faint sounds from the room and gritted his teeth. If Hagar's plan fails and he--, I'll kill her on the spot!
Hagar seemed to know his thoughts and said, "Don't worry, Lotor, I know his habits. He's never changed. He'll take his time with her like a cat with a mouse!" That reminds me..."the witch muttered. "I do need to feed Coba soon."
Lotor seethed with repressed fury at that remark, that and fact that she was thinking about that stupid blue cat of hers.
"What are you looking at, Blue Boy? Don't worry, he'll drink his wine,"Hagar continued, "he always has."
Lotor said, "But when, old hag, before or after?"
Hagar softly cackled at his question as they continued to wait.
Odd.
He never felt this way about a woman before. This girl - this woman had to be a b'wtch'a - a bewitcher, to have affected him so. She seemed to glow with an inner light. Her face and form dazzled him. Her hair was a marvel, wavy and thick, he ran his hands though it just for the pure enjoyment of it's texture.
Her laugh and her smile were charming. A thing of beauty in a ugly world. Her combination of innocence and sensuality aroused his curiosity a great deal. He didn't have to wait long, for she kissed him several times to his delighted suprise. Z'aale knew he had never a handsome man like his son, but his power and charisma attracted many to him who would otherwise scorn him - Queen Merla had been one of those women to his disgust.
Although Allura was under the influence of the Bride's Wine, she had kissed him of her own free will, which was unusual. He was fascinated by Allura, this tiny, fragile girl who defied him, who stood up to him. How could such a strong spirit reside in a form made for love?
Z'aale could now understand his son's passion for this woman. There was something about her, a quality, a light, something that was rare and beautiful. Lotor doesn't derserve her. he thought resentfully; Allura roused his passion more than he ever could believe. He called her AlluraS'auh e'ya - Allura, my beloved - before he could stop himself. He thought for a moment that she was resisting the effects of the wine as she shook her head, but it didn't last. She leaned on his chest and said his birthname softly - it was then he knew that he loved her and would not let her go.
Keith: Enroute
Medbot report #401x enroute - 3200.2 Doom/Charon time.
Subject: Akira, Keith, Commander,Voltron Force/Arus New Status: physical interrogation authorized by Lady Hagar for King Zarkon. Presently enroute to upperchamber 399 - Diagnosis: Subject Akira physically stable, but is still experiencing psycological distress. Subject has regained consciousness but is not lucid. Subject Akira given neural sedative in cranial lobe. ETA: 1.5 minutes. #401x ............end transmission....This record will be destroyed at 3300 Charon time by order of King Zarkon as given to Lady Hagar....end.
Allura!!! Where are you? Noooo,don't!....help.....sleep.........
"Baile, I really hate waiting!" exclaimed Coran, leaning back on the comfortable sofa in the rec room.
He really couldn't stand sitting in the command chair too long- it hurt his back like hell.
Dr. Baile Gorma, his close friend since his days at med school, said teasingly, "Can't wait for your honey Hagar to call ya back, huh?"
Coran shot him a look.Sometimes Baile could be rather inappropriate, but Coran knew that the doctor was trying to help.
"Bah!" Coran said, "I seem to remember you dating some really - uh, interesting women."
Baile leaned back in his chair and laughed. "Hey, I resemble that remark, Cor! Least I didn't nearly lop off Dr. Galen's fingers during that class on laser surgery techniques!"
"Must you always bring that up? My father was so mad! That was the time I knew being a doctor wasn't for me." Coran replied, reminiscing fondly.
Baile leaned forward in his chair and said in a deep bass voice, " 'cept a doctor of love!"
"Baile, sometimes- I'm not going to say it...how are the boys?"
"Presto chango, huh? Well, if you don't wanna talk about your love life with ol' Hagar."
Coran shot him a look of pure venom. Baile laughed and said, "Ok,ok...Cor, don't send me to the medwing--hell, I'm a doctor not a patient!
Coran laughed at that and smiled. Baile continued, "They're doing better. Pidge woke up briefly this morning. He was one hurtin' kid."
Coran asked, "And Hunk?"
Baile leaned back in his chair and said, "The big guy's fighting an infection, but I think he'll pull though. Now if it were Pidge, I dunno." Baile continued, "Once they are in better shape, we going to proceed with the sythaskin grafts. That is, depending on whether we bug out or not.At least the civilians are safe on Pollux and Ebb for now."
Coran nodded, "Well, we're fortunate that Sven, Romelle and Bandor are assisting with this.Gads, Baile! I hate this waiting!"
"Is there an echo in here? You just said that,Cor. I know you're worried about that plan of Hagar's - and the Princess."
Baile looked at Coran solemnly, knowing that his friend was worried sick over her welfare and Akira's.
"I wish the hell she'd call. It's been long enough!" Coran said, getting up off the couch and looking at it ruefully.
Back to the torture chamber, he thought, referring to the uncomfortable chair in Castle Control. As if on cue, the comm beeped, signaling that a message was coming in.
"I must go, Baile. My dateis waiting." Coran said to his friend as he started to walk to the adjoining room that contained the communications center of the Castle of Lions.
Baile laughed and said,"You are so painfully British, Cory! Don't do nothin' I wouldn't do!" the tall doctor then got up, stretched, and proceeded to walk back to the medlab.
I hope it's good news. God knows we need it. Coran thought to himself.
Coran reached the comm. He sat in the command chair and punched the comm button and said to the ensign on duty,"Joban, this is Minister Coran, send the incoming message, please."
"Yes sir, Prime Minister Coran. It is a Priority One message from Doom - however, it is a prerecorded message, heavily encoded, but we've got it."
Prerecorded? What the devil is Hagar up to now? Coran thought. "Patch it though, Joban..and thank you ."
The young ensign nodded and said "Yessir, patching it though.Stand by."
The image of the young ensign disappeared and the face of Hagar appeared onscreen. She proceeded to speak, "Prime Minister, I'm sorry I can't be here in person, but my plans call for me to be, as Earthlings call it, "where the action is!" she cackled.
Coran groaned inwardly but continued to listen.
Hagar continued. "Princess Allura and Captain Akira will be aboard Zarkon's personal starcruiser, D'onee'ah. I believe your scanners are able to identify it, yes? I do not know the precise time they will be arriving on Planet Arus. It depends on when I can get them out!"
It depends? Coran thought incredulously. We've got an injured pilot and a girl who may be raped by her father's killer and it depends? I'm getting too old for this!"
"But," the recorded image of the witch continued," expect them to arrive on Arus within 12 hours at lightspeed. They will be escorted by a Doom pilot. Watch for them, Minister Coran. I will give no further messages. Zarkon will be out of that nice, thick, wavy hair of yours! Remember, I do this not for your Alliance, this is personal. I am still on the side of Zarkon. Hagar out."
The message abruptly ended. Coran turned around and was surprised to see Baile standing there grinning from ear to ear.
Oh no, He heard that - now I'll never hear the end of it! Coran thought with a groan.
Baile slapped Coran on the back and said, "Hey,hey! Wavy hair! Hagar wants to run them claws of hers though that thick, wavy hair of yours?"
Coran ran his hand nervously though that self same hair and said,"Baile, I'd let her run barefoot though my hair! They're coming back!"
I hope.