"Allura? Allura.Are you still not talking to me? Say something!" Lotor walked around the chair Allura was sitting in.
Allura didn't say anything,just tossed her head and continued to look at the holobook she was reading. Lotor looked at her and smirked. "You know you've been looking at the same page for five minutes, Allura.I didn't know that it was so interresting."
Still nothing.
Lotor tried apologizing for the hundreth time, "Allura, forgive me already about the other day. Please,I'm sorry! I did bring you some clothes, didn't I? They covered you up."
This got to Allura. Her head snapped up and she yelled, "You got me a negligee! A see-through negligee! I might have well walked back naked!"
Lotor smiled and said, "Well, I just picked the first thing in the drawers...I had to hurry-didn't want you to be sick!....anyway, I did bring a towel to dry you off with."
Allura's eyes snapped with anger, "Oh yes, you tried to dry me off, all right - that and some other things! I almost didn't get home because of you!"
Lotor still smiled. "Well, you have to admit you had a nice time, didn't you?"
Allura said, "Ooohhh! You're impossible!"
Lotor quipped, "Impossible to resist, I know, I know....come on," he said, taking her arm and raising her out of the chair, "I want to show you somthing."
Allura resisted and said, "If it's what I think it is, I'm not going!"
Lotor smirked, "It's nothing like that. Of course, if you want to later...."
Allura gave him a dirty look.
He laughed. "No, really. It's something of my mother's."
Curious, Allura went with him. He took her over to one of the studies. Allura recognized it as his mother's private study. It was both feminine and functional. A graceful blend of technology and style. (Lotor's mother had been fond of Terran culture and incorporated it in her rooms.)
Lotor led her to a dainty table in one the corners. On it was a small black box made of Ryell marble. It was beautiful to behold. Lotor gestured for her to sit down in front of the table.
She did as he asked and said, "What is this? It's beautiful."
Lotor smiled down at her and said, "Open it."
Allura found the clasp of the box and opened it. Inside, resting on black velvet lining, was a dainty silver choker. It was elegant and simple, the lines flowing and graceful. There was a small jewel tastefully placed in the center of the choker. It was a work of craftsmanship.
Allura looked at it with pleasure. "It's very beautiful, Lotor."
Lotor said, "Take it out and hold it."
Allura did so very carefully and was amazed at how light it was, yet strong.
Lotor explained. "My mother's marriage choker."
Allura was slightly confused. "But I thought-" she looked down at the one she wore.
Lotor shook his head. "No, that one is one my father had made special long ago. The one you are holding has been in my mother's family for several generations. It was handed down to the firstborn daughter whenever she chose a marriage partner. In my mother's family, females could pick their own partners. Unforturnately, my mother didn't pick hers. This would have been my sister Zimmie's but I never had the chance to give it to her. She was taken away from here so quickly."
Allura frowned. She knew the sad story of Zimereon. Lotor continued. "I want to give it to you."
She looked up,startled, "I can't take this. It's your mother's -"
He shook his head. "Who do I have to give it to? I want you to have it-I'd like you to see it as a gift from me-perhaps an engagement gift."
She stood up quickly, handing him the delicate choker. "Uh uh, Lotor. I'm not engaged to you. I don't even - "
Lotor took the choker and placed it back in the box as Allura started walking away.
He quickly caught her by the arm. "You don't even-what, Allura?"
Allura jerked her arm away. " I don't even like you! You've been after me to marry you-ever since you've seen me! Be your Queen!"
He started towards her, Allura backed away. "Don't try it, Lotor!"
He continued his pursuit. Allura, backing away, didn't see the loose rug on the floor, and slipped. "Whoaaa!!" she screamed, trying to regain her balance.
Lotor lunged forward and caught her before she could hit the floor.
"Are you all right?" he asked. Allura who was still in his arms, said, "Yes, thank you, Lotor, you can let me go."
Lotor kept holding her. Allura started to struggle. "I said, let me go!"
Lotor shook his head. "No, I want you to listen to me."
She yelled. "I've heard it all, Lotor, you have nothing to say. I've heard it all."
Lotor's mouth tightened."You haven't heard this, Allura..and if you don't be quiet, I can find a way to keep you quiet!"
Allura stopped struggling and became silent.
Lotor smiled and said, "Good, now listen..I can't make up for all the things I have done and I can't take back the things I've said, but I love you, Allura. I always have and I always will. Nothing will change that. All I ever really wanted was to be with you by your side. I thought if I made you my Queen and gave you all the riches of the Universe, you would love me. I tried to take you by force because I wanted you so badly and it seemed as if fate always stepped in and took you away from me. I am ruthless because that's all I've ever been since I was shipped to the Academy. Do you know what they teach you at the Academy, Allura? How to hate your enemy, use your friends, love no one, take your pleasures when you can get them.....I had my first woman when I was fifteen. A girl on one of the first planets we invaded for my father. She was scared and I was too, but it was a badge of manhood-it had to be done, so I did it and I enjoyed it. As I conquered more planets in my father's name, he gave me more slaves, more money, more of everything and I enjoyed them all. I could have women anytime, and I did. I never had to think about how a woman felt about things. I never had to relate to them outside of sex. Everything was so easy...until I saw you. At first, I wanted you for my pleasure-I wanted you for my slave so that you would please me. Then I wanted to marry you so that you would truly be mine and never leave me. I tried to forget you, I couldn't. Then I took slaves that looked like you to satisfy me-they couldn't. I took Rommelle because she looked so much like you-but she wasn't you and I took my rage out on her. I offered to marry her because I thought if I couldn't have you, I would at least have someone who looked just like you.I tried everything,and then, all this happened, and it was like a miracle-taking you here to Aden, away from everything. Away from Voltron. Away from Doom.
You don't have to be my queen, Allura. I just want you to love me. No one has loved me except for mother and Zimmie and they're gone. Since I've been here with you, I've remembered the things my mother taught me. She tried to keep me from being like my father. She hated him and so did I after he killed her. I wanted power so I could beat him-make him pay. I still want to beat him for what he has done to you. I will challenge him, Allura. I want to free you from him."
He looked down a t her choker and lifted it slightly. "But,although I won't force you to marry me,Allura, I will always keep trying to win your heart. I want you. I want you to always be with me. I want to wake up with you-and yes, I want to make love to you-but I want you to love me back. It's all I want, Allura. It won't matter if you don't love me-I will always love you."
Allura was astounded-this, from a man who had chased her all over, threatened her planet, her friends, set up all kinds of traps,was ruthless - and yet, he did many things out of his concern for her welfare.
He risked his life saving her from his father, and was risking it now by hiding her on his mother's old planet. He did protect her even if he was a jerk about it sometimes. She saw that he could be tender yet strong. He was not a wimp, but he wasn't as hard as he thought himself.
He still held her tightly. He bent down, kissed her gently and said, "I have dreamed of you since I was a child, Allura - of a golden lady, an angel."
She looked up at him and said, "You must be joking, you couldn't have."
Lotor shook his head and said, "I'm not joking. I dreamed of a woman who looked like you. When I was small, I called her the Golden Lady. I thought she was very pretty like my mother. As I became older, I still dreamed of her, but the dream would turn into a nightmare. I dreamed thistles and thorns surrounded her-I couldn't get to her, I tried! Then a hand like my father's placed a marriage choker just like that one-" he pointed to her choker. "around her neck and dragged her away as she screamed.When I saw my father place this around your neck, I knew you were the woman in the dream."
Allura turned pale."You're not joking..."
He shook his head. "No, I'm not...." He bent and kissed her again, leaning into her. Without conscious thought, she had kissed back.
He raised up and smiled. "Did you really mean what you said, Allura? About not liking me?'
Allura blushed slightly."Well..not really. I was just mad."
He looked into her face and said, "How do you feel about me?"
He bent and kissed her again-she found she didn't mind it a bit.
He raised his head again looking into her eyes. "Allura,how do you feel about me?"
She looked flustered. "I-I don't know."
He kissed her again, this time slowly and passionately. She found that she didn't mind that either, and she kissed him back. His arms tightened around her and he said, "I like being with you like this, Allura....everything so quiet, so peaceful..just us...I wish it could always be like this."
Without thinking, she said, "Me too, Lotor....I wish....."
He smiled down at her gently, "You wish what, Allura?"
She looked at him and said, "I wish we didn't have to fight."
He mumured, "We don't have to, Allura.I don't want to fight you." he kissed her mouth and moved closer to her, enjoying their closeness.
Allura was relaxed, a spell of magic seemed to be over them. She didn't want to move-she just wanted to stay like this.
She said lazily, "I don't either." and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. They stayed like that for a long time, not wanting to break the spell that was around them. He would kiss her and she would kiss back and vice versa. Sometimes they would talk or laugh over something trivial. Allura wasn't quite sure what she was feeling, but she knew it wasn't fear or loathing. It was something that was just out of reach of words or thought-something unspoken.
He kissed her neck. mumured his love for her, and a thrill went through her. Then she thought of another who had said the same thing in a dream....or was it a nightmare? She gasped, and tightened her arms around his neck.
Lotor lifted his head in concern and asked her, "What's wrong?"
Allura looked at him, eyes wide. "I-I am scared."
Lotor looked very concerned, "Of me?"
Allura shook her head."No, your father." Lotor's lips tightened.
Allura continued, "I have a bad feeling he will find us. He will come and - and-god, I am scared!'
Lotor reached up, stroked her hair and said, "He won't and even if he did, I will protect you-I promise."
Allura wasn't reassured. "He'll kill you, I know he will." Before she even thought about what she was saying, she said softly, "I don't want you to die, D'aavid. (Lotor's birth name) I would miss you so....even that smirk of yours.You're different here, not like him. I - I love you,but I am so afraid."
Lotor couldn't quite believe he heard what he thought he heard. "You love me? You said that, didn't you? You love me." he said in wonder.
Allura looked dazed. "I-I didn't mean that-I-I don't know." Lotor silenced her with a kiss.
He raised up and said, "Yes, you did, and you do know." He kissed her on her neck, and she shivered in delight. Lotor stopped abruptly, staring at the hated choker. Suddenly, he had an idea on how he could help her.
"Allura, I have an idea...to rid you of that - thing." Lotor fingered her choker.
Allura was a little nervous. There was no telling what kind of an idea he had! He smiled. looking at her nervous expression.
He continued, "I will take you to D'antayan--you've heard of it - the Planet of Witches? A Sister could remove the choker from you. Perhaps it had a spell upon it."
Allura asked, "Could they really? Would it make a difference?"
Lotor nodded. "Yes, if it is removed and broken in half, the claim is broken. He would have no claim on you."
Allura smiled slightly, "I would like that. To be free. I don't want to be afraid."
Lotor kissed her again and said, "I don't want you to be afraid either." They kissed more until Allura got a cramp in her back.
She said shyly, "I think we need to get up, my back is starting to hurt from the floor." They both got up and stretched. Allura rubbed the small of her back.
Lotor smiled and said, "Would you like me to rub it?"
Allura shook her head and said, "Thanks, but no."
Then he smirked and said, "Are you sure, Allura? I'm told I give wonderful back rubs."
Allura quipped, "I'm sure you get told a lot of things!"
He laughed and then said, "I don't get told "I love you" everyday, you know."
She blushed, ducking her head. "You'll never let me live it down, will you?"
He lifted her chin and looked at her. "No..." He then took her hand and said, "Would you like to have dinner tonight?"
Allura laughed. "We have dinner every night together, Lotor.Why are you asking?"
He took her hand and kissed it. "Because it will be special-very romantic."
She looked incredulous. Lotor? Romantic? Hhhmm....
She said, "Yes, I will." He smiled with pleasure.
"Good, we'll have a nice dinner this evening, and tommorrow we'll fly to D'antayan to get that thing off. And Allura - please take my mother's choker. She would have wanted someone like you to have it."
She smiled and said,"Okay." Then they both went to pack their bags for tommorrow's trip and to get ready for their dinner date.
