All chapters featuring characters belong to WEP of course.)
A Woman Grown - One
Arus, Castle of Lions
Allura couldn't sleep - she only pretended to for Coran and Nanny's sake. She sighed as she turned over in her bed and stared up at her ceiling, it's tiles familar to her since childhood.
Childhood..Allura winced. Here she was, supposed to be grown, the pilot of Blue Lion, someone who had fought for her people as best she could - and she was still being treated as a child.
What made it worse was that she went along with it. What hurt the worst was that even today, the crowning glory of all humilations, she had not protested it - not much anyway. Oh she had thrashed and flailed when Nanny had the termacity to - to - it was too humiliating to think about. But there was the truth - Nanny had taken offense to something she had done - and had spanked her in front of Keith and the others. They had laughed at her indignity - Lance especially. But it was Keith stoic quietness that upset her the most. He hadn't defended her at all. But then why should he when she didn't even defend herself? No, an adult - a real adult wouldn't have HAD to defend themselves to anyone else.
They treated her like a child because she let herself be treated like one. There was the truth and it shocked her with it's clarity. It was easy to let Coran and Nanny dictate to her what should and shouldn't be done. They had done so since her sheltered childhood and they would only stop when she was married off to some king or prince that would do the same thing. Sometimes she would put her foot down and they would back down but only temporarily - as if they were perhaps humoring her. Suddenly Allura balled her fists in anger at both Nanny and Coran and she hit the mattress with her fists - a childish action but one born out of frustration.
She just didn't understand. Would her parents have kept her so - so sheltered? She had seen so much destruction on her planet and yes, death, but still she was considered a wayward child that needed to be protected and sheltered.
But that didn't give cause for Nanny and Coran to spank her or tie her to her chair as they had did when she had tried to get out and fight. She remembered being locked in her room numerous times - once for daring to wear a bikini in front of the guys. What had been wrong with that? What had been wrong with acting like someone her age, enjoying the company of her friends and not to mention some of the looks that the guys shyly gave her. But to Nanny it had been wrong. SHE had been wrong and so they had locked her in her room, only to have Lotor break in and try to kidnap her.
Lotor... Allura thought of him with a mixture of confusion and fascination. She had remembered being so frightened that night when he had broken in. He had been so close and the utter maleness of him overpowering. He could have done anything to her in that short space of time but all he did was stalk her almost menancingly, his eyes taking her in, his look unlike anything she had ever encountered from a man. But deep inside she knew what that look meant - it meant that he wanted her. It had been both frightening and yet - yet - exciting. Allura felt a hot flush wash over her cheeks.
Oh she didn't know! He was a monster anyway, like his father Zarkon and he was proud of it too.
But - he had never humiliated her either. Or would he? Keith and the other guys always seemed to defer to Coran. Oh they hid it but she could tell. It was as if she didn't have an idea in her head at all and if she did, it had to be approved or disapproved.
It wasn't FAIR. It - it
"Damn NANNY!" Allura hit the mattress again with her fist. "And damn Coran, and Keith and Lance and everyone else!" Tears started to fall from her cheeks. Great, now she was crying - just like some little girl - just like the little girl she still was.
"I want to grow up!" Allura swiped at her tears. "Why can't I? I know what I want so why can't I just - just -"
~All - llllura..~
"Huh?" Allura sat up and looked about her darkened room.
~Alll - lllura, my daughter..~ She saw the ghostly face of Alfor, her dead father, hovering over her bed.
"Father?" Allura wiped away the last of her tears.
~Run, child, ruuuuunn..~
"But - but why?" Allura knew that her father's spirit usually came in times of trouble. Surely this was one of them.
~Lotor comes...you must run to the woods - near the Painted Caves..hide yourself until he departs..~
"Oh no!" Allura's eyes were wide. "But that means he'll attack and I'll need to - "
~Run, my child..run..~
"But.." Allura said.
~Run..go now or it will be too late..~ Alfor started to disappear.
"No, father, wait!" Allura reached out but he was gone. She got up and got dressed in her pink and white jumpsuit. She had better do as her father advised. After all he was never wrong. A twinge of doubt came over Allura as she thought that once again she was letting another dictate what she should do. But this was her father and this was different than Nanny or Coran at all. Her very freedom was at stake, for Lotor would surely take it from her.
~How can he take what has never existed, Ally? Huh?~ Allura winced as she slipped on her boots. She ignored the voice in her head as she sneaked out of the castle and started to run...
"It is done, Prince Lotor.." Hagar cackled as she peered into her crystal. Lotor peered over the witch's shoulder, a frown on his face.
"Where is she?" Lotor asked.anxiously.
"Why she's doing as her dear 'father' bid her to - running to the woods near the Painted Caves. She's running towards the woods as far from the castle as she can go. She'll be quite tired by the time she gets there.." Hagar gave Lotor a sideways glance.
"Good." Lotor smiled slightly. "Father will only give me one more chance.."
"I'm sure you can get the princess this time, sire." ~She'll be too tired to fight you - if you can even handle that much..~ The witch thought to herself.
"I better.." Lotor hissed under his breath. He was tired of her refusals but mostly his father was tired of HIM. The sooner he took Allura for his bride and killed off that miserable excuse for a father, the better. Without another word to Hagar, Lotor turned on his heel and left her lab. His destination - Arus.