She didn't have a lot of time. As the morning and afternoon progressed, the slaves were running about the room, arranging things in order with an air of desperation. She fingered the heavy choker around her neck. She tried two days ago to get it off, but could not. She suspected the clasp could only be activated or deactived by Zarkon.

When she had first arrived in the room with her hands bound, the slave that accompanied her cut her bonds free. Allura massaged her wrists gratefully. The slave then escorted her to a large marble bath where Allura disrobed and stepped in. It would have been a nice experience if she wasn't where she happened to be. She bathed in the scented water and scrubed the grit and grime off her face, and then washed her hair. She had to admit she felt a lot better afterwards. She was then attired in a white silk sheath from head to toe. It wasn't anything she could seen in public in! Slit up the sides up to the thigh, low cut in the front and back, it was clearly meant for a more intimate purpose.

The slave, Maggie? Maggia. informed her that they were there to serve her needs and she need only to summon them by comm if she needed anything. As soon as she was gone, Allura investigated the large suite of rooms to see if she could find anything to help her escape and possibly get to Keith somehow. Her search produced nothing. The doors leading to the bedroom were locked from the outside. The window glass was thick and appeared unbreakable. She looked for possible weapons-nothing. She did find on a small corner shelf, a small holo of a beautiful human-looking woman with silver-white hair holding a small Drule malechild of about two years. Could that be Lotor and his mother? Allura could see the resemblance. She smiled. She never realized Lotor was so cute as a child. His mother, though, had a wistfulness about her face, a sadness. Allura felt sorry for the sad woman. She was suprised Zarkon would even have such a sentimental thing such as this. She placed the holo back carefully where it was.

For the next two days after that, it was just an anxious waiting game.And now, he was coming to her. She was frightened. She was trapped! No Voltron Force to get her in the nick of time. No victory. Just the inevitable. She cringed just to think of it. She couldn't stand his hands on her neck! How could she endure this?

Romelle must have felt like this when Lotor kidnapped her. When Romelle returned with Sven, she was angry at Allura and blamed her for Lotor's abuse of her: "He called your name in the night and in the morning when he discovered I wasn't you, he treated me like a whore! Like trash! I hope you never have to feel like I do, Allura!"

Allura sighed. She thought that maybe she could enrage Zarkon enough to where he would kill her, but she knew that was the coward's way out and besides she didn't want the last thing she ever saw in this life to be Zarkon throttling the life out of her.

She noticed the slaves setting up food and wine on a serving table. The food looked delicious, and the wine-of which there seemed to be two different kinds- was chilled to perfection. There were two gold goblets as well. One was a small dainty one - obviously meant for a woman, and a large one for a man.She was perfectly attired as well. Her hair was unbound, falling in waves down her back. She wore a long sheer ivory gown that was trimmed with beautiful lace. Small diamonds were embedded in the lace, creating a beautiful effect. Delicate straps held her gown up-just barely .The gown gently adhered to the curves of her body which Allura was not used to. This was not a little girl's nightdress, it was a woman's. Allura wished desperately for a robe to cover herself with, but there was none. She wondered about Keith, lying in a Doom medlab. Was he all right? She knew Zarkon would try to get Garrison secrets from his mind. She prayed he would be all right somehow. She looked down at her gown and thought that she wouldn't mind being in this gown in front of someone she loved - then why did a mental picture of Lotor come to mind?

Allura had heard Zarkon had thrown him in the cells below the castle. The slaves had also said that his father had taunted him about her and that he would eventually kill his son. Allura felt sorry for Lotor. Perhaps he did love her - even if he went about it wrong way. He did save her from death several times, showing a surprising compassion and gentleness towards her welfare. She saw his face as his father kissed her and he could do nothing for fear of her life. Did his mother die at the hands of Zarkon in front of Lotor? If she did, that would explain much of his hatred for his father. His father - Zarkon who killed her father in Valley of Leon. Who made Alfor's life in the year after her mother's death a nightmare of threats against him. Allura looked longingly at the wine. Her father had become drunk on brandy the night before he was to face Zarkon. He wasn't afraid of the battle, he was enraged and frustrated with the threat that Zarkon sent only that day. He was yelling at Coran about Zarkon, getting angrier by the minute! Coran was trying to calm him down, but wasn't being sucessful at it. She nearly had walked in on them when she heard the raised voices. Allura hid in time before she was seen, and listened outside in the hall.

"Dammit to hell, Cory!" Alfor raised his voice. "He threatened Allura! Allura - my daughter! That bastard from hell can threaten me, even Arus, but not Allura!"

She heard Coran say, " I know you're upset- Alfor, but---"

"You're damn right. Do you know what he said,Cory? Hanh!? Do you?" Alfor spat out.

"I have an idea of what he said, Al--"

"No, you don't, Cor...He said...the bastard said.....damn..."

Alfor choked down the words."Alfor, you don't have to tell me..."

Allura heard the sound of breaking glass- her father throwing a glass of brandy at the wall - then her father yelling again."Yes I do, Cor! I'm going mad with this! He said, "Alfor, I have seen your daughter. She's very lovely. You don't need to worry about her when you and all your knights are dead tommorow. I will take care of her. Perhaps I will give her to my son Lotor....or..."Alfor paused.

"Aw hell, Cor! I have to say it!...Zarkon said that perhaps he would drag Allura up to see my dead, mangled body and...and rape her!!! Dear God!!! Do you know how that makes me feel as a father, Cor? I wanted to kill him! I still do. What am I gonna do, Cor? I can't let him hurt Allura. I can't. What will she do when I am dead tommorow, Cor? ( Alfor had a premonition he would die in battle with Zarkon.) Who will look out for her?"

"Alfor, you know I will." Coran replied.

She heard her father say, "I know you will, Cor. I know you will. Please leave me now--I think I 'll just sit here and get drunk till I can't feel anything anymore..."

She heard Coran."But, Alfor...."

"Just go, Coran! Thats a royal command!" Alfor yelled.

Allura heard Coran say stiffly, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Then she heard the apologetic voice of her father say, "Cor, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm just scared for Allura, that's all. Now, please go, my friend."

At that point,Allura hurriedly scrambled from her hiding place in the hall to her room. The next day, her father and his knights went to face Zarkon and his armies. By evening, he and his knights were all dead. Zarkon was unable to carry out his threat that day, for the battle was a long and fierce one. There were many casualties. When they brought her father's body in, they tried to keep her from him, but she would not be stopped. Her father's only visible wound seemed to be a deep gash in the back of his head. Allura knew that the back of his head was probably a gory mush. She also saw a mark carved into her father's chest-the mark of Zarkon. She ran screaming to her room and there she stayed for days, mourning him.Allura sighed again,turning back to her present reality, looking hard at the wine bottles in their cooler.

Why not? I don't want to know what he's doing to me. I don't want to remember him. I don't want to...! Oh, I am scared! I've never--with anyone! And now---with him! I was always taught to be brave, but I can't now. I just can't. Just the thought of his touch pertifies me! I will drink that wine and I won't know anything anymore. As Lance used to say.."I'm gonna get drunk as a skunk!"

And so, not bothering with the small wineglass on the table. Allura uncorked one of the wine bottles and drank it from the bottle as she waited for her bridegroom.

The Eye Of The Storm - One

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