LIKE A LOST SOUL, Princess Allura wandered down the long corridor, lost in thought. On her face was a look of hurt bewilderment, and her shoulders slumped. So enwrapped in her own misery was she that she didn’t notice Lance storming down the corridor until the nearly collided. With a startled apology, Lance righted the princess, and flashed her a quick grin, but, seeing the sorrow still written all over her face, his grin fell and he took her arm compassionately.

     “Princess, don’t look like that,” he said gently. “Flying isn’t everything, after all. And once you’ve realized how much your subjects need you here, you’ll realize I’m right. I always am, after all,” he added, making a feeble attempt at cheering her. He really hated to see her in such a state, and was furious with Keith for being so callous with her feelings.

     Allura leaned back against the huge windows that lined the corridor with a sigh. “Oh, Lance,” she said, “it isn’t just flying. I mean, it was fun and amazing being able to defend my people, but there was so much more to it, and nobody seems to understand!”

     Lance nodded and leaned against the window beside her, in a comradely fashion. “I think I know what you’re getting at, but go on,” he said encouragingly.

     With a deep sigh, Allura went on. “For so many years of my life, well, I mean, I loved my parents and my home with all my heart, but it was like…all I was…was a princess. I couldn’t rule my people since I was too young and Zarkon had enslaved so many. I was never really a part of anything. Then you came along,” looking up at him, “and all of a sudden I knew there was something I could do for my people. I loved flying the Blue Lion. That gave me more pleasure than anything else in the world. At first it was just that I could now ride out into battle for my people, that I needn’t sit cooped up in hiding forever anymore. But then…Lance, it became so much more than fighting!” Her eyes were shining now, and an unbelievable smile had lit her face. “I never ever had any real friends, before. I mean, there were the Space Mice, but…c’mon, Lance, they were mice.”

     “Probably not very good conversationalists,” Lance agreed.

     “They were very cute and kind,” Allura said somewhat defensively, “but…you’re right,” she said, smiling and blushing. “But what I meant was, all of you became my dearest friends. I was part of the team. I was actually part of something! You didn’t fawn all over me, you didn’t treat me as if I were better or more important than anyone. We were a team! That was so special.” Suddenly her face crumpled again and she whirled away, pressing her forehead against the window forlornly. “Then you went and took it all away from me,” she murmured.

     Lance was at a loss as to how to comfort her. With all his heart he wanted to do something, say something. Unfortunately, his was not the comforting sort of nature. He lifted a hand with the intention of patting her back or something, then let it drop to his side. No, he wasn’t the comforting kind. He was the practical, blunt kind. “Well, you would have had to resign at some point,” he said pointedly. “Even King Alfor never flew with the original Voltron Force.”

     Allura whirled around. Her eyes were red, but the tears had stopped. She glared for a moment, then her expression softened. “You’re right, of course,” she said with a bitter little laugh. “Of course I couldn’t continue flying as Queen, and you’re right about my father, too. However, I just don’t like-”

     “I know. Getting booted off the team like one of Keith’s idiot recruits. He could have been a bit nicer about it.”

     “Whether he was nice or not is not the issue. He still did it.”

     “He was under orders.”

     “Lance, I know that.”

     “Anyway, you could always have reminded him that Voltron did belong to Arus…and thus to you…so you could do whatever you damn well pleased with it.”

     “Lance, I know that, too. But how would you have liked if I’d said it? Would any of you still have wanted me on the team if I said something as monstrous as that? Oh, Lance, I couldn’t have borne what you all would have thought of me if I’d said that!”

     She had leaned back against the window, arms crossed over her chest. Lance leaned back beside her, hands in his pockets, waiting. After a moment, she turned to gaze out of the massive glass panel. Outside, the green, rolling countryside of Arus spread out below them, with the large lake that surrounded the castle rolling below. The mid-afternoon sun glinted off something off to the right, and then suddenly the Blue Lion flashed into view several hundred yards away. As Allura and Lance watched in silence, the great robot beast turned impressive somersaults and backflips, diving down suddenly toward the lake at astonishing speed, then swerving back up toward the sky again, just in time, the long tail flicking bare inches from the water. The Blue Lion hovered lazily in the air over the lake for a moment, as if trying to decide what to do, then, with another seemingly impossible flip, hurtled out of view.

     Allura sighed and turned away from the window. “I could never begrudge Sven his place with the Voltron Force,” she said, almost defensively. “In fact, now I think I begin to understand how it must have been for him when he was in the Pit of Skulls all those months, and refusing to send for help.” She gave a sheepish shrug. “I did not feel I was usurping his place, then, because, he loved my cousin.” At Lance’s sudden sly grin, Allura became indignant. “He does! I mean,” voice darkening, “he did. I’m sorry they seem to have had a falling out. I really hoped… Never mind. Only, now I see how much he longed to be back with the team.”

     Lance had turned to stare out the window again while she spoke. When she finished, he turned pack, giving her a strange look. “It’s strange, though, isn’t it? I thought he was happy with Romelle, too. I would have sworn he wanted to stay on Pollux with her. It strikes me as rather odd that all of a sudden they should split up like that. Have you spoken to Romelle?”

     “Yes,” said Allura. Her expression was puzzled, too, now. “She tried to explain what happened, but I didn’t quite understand. I don’t think she understood, either.”

     “What did she say? Allura, the guy was my friend,” he added when she hesitated.

     The princess frowned. “Apparently, since recovering from his injuries, he had been snubbing her. He refused to see her, and seemed to be trying to cut their conversations short when she did manage to speak to him. She said…she said he was paying more attention to one of her ladies-in-waiting than to her. She said he was not acting like himself at all. Lance…Lance, you’ve gone so pale all of a sudden! What’s wrong!”

     Lance had gone pale. His eyes had widened, too, and he leaned against the window weakly. “Allura,” he said, shaking his head, “Princess, I’ve felt for so long that something is wrong.” He whirled to face the window, though Sven and the Blue Lion had long gone. “Even if he is on the outs with your cousin-and how likely is that? He was crazy for her…I mean, as crazy as that guy could ever get-the last time I saw them together, right before he got into that tangle with Lotor. And since when does Sven, of all people, flirt so blatantly with anyone? I’ve never seen him fly like we just saw. True, he hasn’t been flying for a while and you might think he was just testing his…ah, wings…again, to get a feel for them, but somehow… NO,” he went on resolutely, “something is very wrong. Allura,” gripping her hand tightly, eyes flashing, “do I have your permission to contact your cousin?”

     “Of course,” she said hurriedly, “but I don’t understand-”

     “Just try to trust me,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m talking about, either. I just get these feelings…well, you know. Anyway…I don’t like this. Whatever you do, don’t tell Keith or any of the others just yet.” She nodded quickly.

     “I’m going to get to the bottom of this,” he said.

     Lance ended the transmission to Planet Pollux and leaned back in his chair, arms folded over his chest, a thoroughly confounded look plastered to his face. His conversation with Princess Romelle had yielded only more suspicions and mysteries. She had basically told him all Allura had revealed earlier, only in a far more coherent manner. She was thoroughly confused and hurt by Sven’s apparent callous treatment of herself, his overtures toward her attendant lady, and his abrupt departure without even a word to anyone as to where he was going. Romelle had also admitted her determination to discover what was wrong with her man. (Actually, she hadn’t exactly called him that, but Lance guessed what she meant to say.) Lance had then confided to her his own misgivings and suspicions, not just about Sven, but about his growing certainty that they had not seen the last of Lotor and his flunkies. Romelle had gone very pale and demanded to know what she could do.

     “How should I know, Princess?” he had said, exhausted, himself entirely confused and uncertain. Seeing the sudden hurt in her face, he had amended his gruff response with an assurance that he would get to the bottom of these suspicions, and that he would keep her informed. Then they had both signed off.

     Around him, Castle Control was cold, dark, and austere with night. He was tired. It was late, very late. He had chosen this hour, knowing he would not run into any of the others. He did not need their skepticism, not now. As he glared at the blank screen, the Space Mice, all fluffy lavender and blue came skittering toward him from the shadows. They halted in front of his toes, big ruby eyes glittering in the darkness, chattering mindlessly and staring up at him obscenely cutely. “OH, GO AWAY!” he roared, and they scattered.

     The silence came rushing back around him, like a wave breaking around a rock on the beach. He sat there for a long while, grinding his teeth, lost in thought, completely unaware of the passage of time. So enwrapped in his own thoughts was he that he didn’t hear the door opening behind him, didn’t realize he was no longer alone until the lights flashed on with painful brightness and whoever had just entered gave an exclamation of surprise. Lance bolted out of his chair to face the intruder, immediately assuming a fighting stance.

     Sven stood in the doorway, a startled expression on his face. Lance straightened and started forward, but Sven ducked quickly out of the doorway, mumbling hastily, “Sorry, thought everyone else was asleep.”

     “Hey, wait!” Lance called sharply, and Sven turned. “I suppose you were going to call Romelle,” Lance said hurriedly, wildly, “to apologize?”

     Sven gave him a puzzled look.

     “She’s crazy with worry for you, you know,” Lance stumbled on, completely unsure where this was heading. “And Bandor, too.” (Romelle had admitted as much.) “It’s not like you to just up and leave. What’s with you…buddy?”

     Sven’s eyes narrowed. “You had no right to go to Princess Romelle behind my back. Furthermore, I needn’t explain my actions…or my relationships, or whatever you or she choose to call it…to anyone.” He started to leave again.

     “Well, you know what I was doing here, then,” Lance’s voice rang out. “What about you?”

     Sven swung back in the doorframe. “There are some things in the universe, buddy, that you were just never meant to know, I guess.”

     “Hey!” exclaimed Lance. “That sounds like something I’d say! What’s with you these days, anyway?”

     Sven only smiled coldly, turned on his heel, and stalked out of the room, leaving Lance in confused silence.

     “Okay,” he said to the darkness or to himself-or to the Space Mice, if they had stuck around-“I am now thoroughly confused. GG is sending crazy adolescents to destroy Voltron, Allura’s off the Force, Sven is on, but he’s not himself, and the only ones who pay me any attention are stupid, dumb, cute Space Mice! What the hell is going on???”

     A tired, confused, but resolute Lance confronted Keith early the next morning as the latter was taking his daily run around the Castle of Lions. Grinning over his shoulder, Keith jogged in place as he waited for his lieutenant to catch up, before resuming his usual brisk pace.

     “Hey, show-off, wait up!” Lance shouted, and Keith slowed…somewhat.

     “ ‘Morning, Lance,” Keith said cheerily. “Never took you for a morning person.”

     “I’m not,” Lance grumbled. “Believe me, I don’t go for this up and at ‘em at the crack of dawn deal, like you do.”

     “You’re in a good mood.”

     “Keith, I’ve gotta talk to you.”

     “Before you ask, no, additional reconnaissance missions have picked up exactly zero trace of any activity from Planet Doom, nor has there been any sign of Lotor, Haggar, or Zarkon, or their generals.”

     Lance chose for once to ignore Keith’s teasing and plunged on ahead. “Keith, it’s not about Planet Doom. I mean, of course I think they’re still a threat, but now I think there’s more trouble, something a little closer to hand.”

     Keith stopped jogging and gave his lieutenant a sharp look. “Just what do you mean?”

     “I don’t trust Sven!” Lance blurted out.

     “Just what do you mean, ‘you don’t trust Sven’?”

     “I just don’t!” Lance exclaimed hotly. “Look, call it intuition, second sight, or whatever you like, I don’t bloody trust the guy. Keith, he arrived way too conveniently the other day, and he is not acting like himself.”

     Keith folded his arms over his chest, his mouth set in a firm line. “Explain yourself, Mister Turniev.”

     Lance flushed at the sudden formality. “Well,” he said defensively, “I don’t know about you, but when he decided not to return with the Force so he could stay on Pollux with Romelle, I felt pretty sure it was amour. However, now we learn that the instant he’s outta the hospital he’s snubbing Romelle, packing his bags, and disappearing in the dead of night. Has he ever done anything that…um…”

     “Spontaneous?”

     “Yes, spontaneous! No! I mean…”

     “Callous?”

     “Right, callous! Has he? In all the years we’ve known the guy at the Academy, does that sound like our utterly responsible, completely…completely…”

     “Stoic?”

     “…Stoic chum? I mean, I caught him sneaking around Castle Control last night, and when I drilled him about Romelle he just sorta smiled and stalked away. When was the last time you saw that guy SMILE? Keith, I’m really worried. He’s starting to act like me!” he finished with a wild flourish of his arms.

     Keith was unsure whether to laugh at one friend’s antics, or take offense on behalf of the other. “What were you doing in Castle Control at night?” he asked instead.

     Lance bristled. “That’s not important!”

     “Wait a minute, then,” said Keith in a reasoning tone, “if you’re not going to explain your own suspicious actions, can you really go at him for his? Wait a minute, I said,” Keith went on before Lance could protest. “His relationship with Princess Romelle is his own affair, and if he doesn’t want to concern us with it, that’s his choice. I’m sorry they quarreled because I really think she helped him get his life back on track after he was imprisoned. But,” and he held up a hand to forestall Lance’s interjection, “that’s his business.”

     “Well, what about acting all strange?”

     “Lance, he hasn’t flown with the Voltron Force, hasn’t, in effect, been doing what he was trained to do, for two years. If he seems over-excited…give him a break.”

     “No, that’s not it.”

     “Lance, I’ve had enough of this,” Keith cautioned, his eyes hard. “Until Sven does something really suspicious, I prefer to trust him. He is, after all, my best friend, and yours,” he added pointedly.

     Lance glowered and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Never mind, then,” he said in a tight voice. “Sorry I bothered you, Commander.” He started to leave.

     “Lance!” Keith exclaimed. He really did not need this, not with another shipment of recruits scheduled to arrive from GG later that day. “Lance, I respect your…ideas…however far fetched. I want you to know that. But before you go accusing your friend and mine of…whatever it is you suspect him of…have some reason.”

     Lance had stopped to listen to Keith’s speech, but at the end he only shrugged and sauntered off. Keith shook his head wearily and resumed his jog.

     He did think over what Lance had said to him, though, and what he had said in response was true; he was truly sorry Sven had broken up with Romelle. First of all, he thought as he ran, it had solved the problem of what to do with Sven once he was back from Planet Doom and technically could resume his position as pilot of the Blue Lion. But the idea of ousting Allura at that point had rankled. Not only would it have broken her heart, but it would have disrupted the harmony that had formed between the five of them. No, Keith had been excessively relieved when Sven had elected to stay on Pollux with Romelle.

     He had also been pleased by the thought that Sven would finally be awarded some peace and happiness after so much torment at Lotor’s and Haggar’s hands.

     But it hadn’t worked out, after all. Just like…

     Keith tried to put that errant thought far from his mind, but it lingered.

     Just like Allura and me.

     He had thought, had hoped, that at least Sven would be allowed to live out his own secret dreams, dreams in which a man could search the galaxy for that one woman who was more than a lover, more than a friend, who was salvation itself, who could rescue his soul from the deepest, darkest pit it could be buried in, dreams in which he could find that one woman and hold her and love her and protect her as she did for him.

     They are only dreams, he thought bitterly, and reburied the notion.


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