Prologue One - Dying Hope
The Castle Of Lions medwing/ICU - about 20 years ago.
Albert Coran's head was in his hands as he sat in the chair next to his dying wife, Alida. She was barely breathing now,the life support had been disconnected an hour ago.
Albert looked up at his wife's battered face and thought that if he could get his hands on the bastard Drule that did this to her, he would make him suffer as he made her suffer. Dear god, those Drules were sadistic!
Lida was halfway to Arus when they attacked the shuttle she was in. The leader had taken Lida and raped her over and over again, causing her to miscarry their child. The Drule had beat her within an inch of her life and now his darling was dying..dear god, she was only nineteen and he twenty! They had their whole lives ahead of them, and now it was ashes-all ashes.
Albert knew that his friend Alfor was suffering too, for Alida was his sister, but it was nothing like the suffering of a husband losing the only woman he loved.
Albert heard his wife's breathing slowing, growing more shallow.He held her hand tightly as if that would make her live a while longer. A few more shallow breaths...then....gone...
Albert Coran howled in rage, sorrow and pain. Forever more he would hate the sight of an alien Drule.
Prologue Two - Runaway Bride
Enroute From Doom: about 19 years ago.
Queen Shah and her infant son D'aavid, the sole heir to the Empirate of Zarkon, were stowed away in the hidden hold of a cargo ship bound for Arus. It had took a lot of credits in bribes to manage their escape from Doom, but it was worth it. Shah couldn't stand living with him anymore. He used her in the vilest ways possible and took pleasure in her pain. If she didn't get D'aavid or as he called him-Lotor away from his father, he would become just like him. Shah didn't want that to happen. Now, she and her son D'aavid were free of him and her friend Alfor would protect them, for Arus had the mighty sentinent robot Voltron to defend them from the grasping claw of her husband Z'aale Zarkon.
Prologue Three:The Betrothal
The Castle of Lions throne room - about 18 years ago.
The bonding ceremony was brief and private. The only witnesses were King Alfor, his wife Queen Meryl, his Court Advisor, Albert Coran and Prince D'aavid's mother, Queen Shah. Of course the ceremony was for the two small ones wriggling in their mother's arms.
The white haired boy about two years of age yelled,"Wan' hold Lura!!"
His mother Shah replied, "In a minute, D'aavid!"
Queen Meryl, who was holding the formentioned "Lura", said, "He certainly loves her, doesn't he?"
Shah smiled and said, "Well, look at your Allura, Meryl.Look how she can't keep her eyes from him! And sure enough, the small one-year old girl's blue eyes followed the struggling figure of the light blue-skinned toddler. From both of their necks hung their bonding chains. Two interconnecting lockets made from the very same crystals that powered Voltron. Their names were inscribed on the back along with the royal seal of Arus. Of course, the mothers would make sure that the lockets would be in their safekeeping until the children were older and able to care for their gift. They were way too young to know the meaning of the bonding ceremony-their bethrothal of marriage-the acknowledgement of their lifebond.
King Alfor reached for a parchment and said, "Okay, now we make this official.I will sign first."
He signed the parchment, and then the other witnesses followed.
Alfor, with a smile said, "It is official then, D'aavid and Allura are lifebonded."
He was interrupted by D'aavid's two-year old yell,"Lemme down! Want Lura!"
Shah rolled her eyes and put him down. The two year old started to run and then Shah grabbed him. The little prince yelled in protest.
Shah said, "Let me have this." She took the necklace away. D'aavid's eyes teared up.
" I want that! It's mine!"
Shah said, "No, I will give it to you later."
The two year old boy started to pout and then looked over at the small baby in Meryl's arms.
He brightened. "Lura's got one, too!!"
Both mothers exchanged "uhoh" looks and Meryl quickly slipped the necklace off her little girl's head. She said to the disappointed boy, "She's a baby, D'aavid, not a big boy like you-she might choke on it. I'm going to hold it for her until she's a big girl."
The small boy puffed up with pride and said, "Yes, D'aavid big boy! Not baby!" Then the small boy said impulsively, "I marry Lura when I big! Den Lura won't choke on pretty rock!"
The parents all exchanged looks and then laughed.
They didn't notice that Albert Coran, the Royal Advisor, had remained silent. A look of hatred on his face upon the small alien boy, Prince D'aavid.
Prologue Four:A Little One's Grief
Planet Doom: The Pit Of Skulls/Planet Doom - about 16 years ago.
The guards had done their fatal deed as they had done many times before this. They were used to it by now, the throwing of victims into the black maw of the Pit Of Skulls or the The Pit as it was called for short. They had thrown the Queen in there. Of course, by the time her husband, King Zarkon was through with her, she was ready to die. Her four-year old son, Crown Prince Lotor, would be told later of her death by his father-and he would probably lie about it just as he had lied about everything else.
Later, the small Prince laid down on his mother's bed and hugged the pillow that still held the scent of her on it. She wasn't coming back. His father said she had left him. Why? He tried to be good, really good. Why did she have to leave. She told wonderful stories and sang him to sleep. Maybe she left because she didn't love him anymore. He sniffled. He knew he wasn't supposed to cry. His father didn't like it. He was a big boy now, almost a man. He got up and jumped down on the floor. He went to his small nursery that was connected to her rooms. He wanted to see if the gift she gave him was still there. The small boy went to the furthest corner of the room and loosened the stone the way she showed him the last time he saw her. He lifted the stone and picked up the small rosewood box in the gap. He opened the box and there the pretty crystal stone lay.
The boy smiled. He always liked pretty things and there just wasn't enough pretty things to look at on his father's planet. He closed the box and hid it again, for his mother had said he must always keep it a secret and when he was a man, to take it with him everywhere. When Lotor had asked why, his mother smiled and said, "It will help you find the one to marry.." He remembered he didn't like girls very much and so he made a face and his mother had laughed despite the bruises and cuts that marred her beautiful face. That was the last time he saw her. The little boy sniffled again and thought that even though his mother had left him, he would keep the pretty stone on it's chain safe and sound. Maybe then someday when she saw how good he kept it, she would come back.