The Law According To Love
Part Six
The Bookworm
"You say, Commander Keith's has been back for nearly twenty-five minutes?"
Princess Allura vigorously questions a young stable hand…the same one, that Keith himself, had questioned regarding the Princess's return.
"Yes, Your Highness." the stable hand replies. "Commander Keith arrived...um...maybe twenty or so minutes after you did."
"Did he see my horse?"
"Well...yes Princess...as a matter of fact, he did. He asked about you too."
"Asked about me?" the curious Princess repeats. "What did he say?"
"Nothing really...except to inquire about the time in which you had returned." The boy replies back.
"Thank you." Allura says, kindly. She then turns around quickly and exits the stable.
As she walks the lonely path that leads to the Castle, she suddenly finds her thoughts turning from sadness to infuriation. If he knew I was here…why didn't he come and try to find me? Just what kind of game is he playing with me?
Allura suddenly runs back to the Castle. As she enters, she activates the person locator program on the wall COM panel.
"Computer...how long has Commander Keith been here in the Castle of Lions?"
"COMMANDER KEITH HAD ARRIVED IN THE CASTLE OF LIONS AT TWENTY-THREE HUNDRED HOURS, SIXTEEN MINUTES."
"Eleven-sixteen." Allura repeats. That means...he's been in the Castle, at least, fifteen minutes. He's been here...and hasn't made a move to find me! Well...have I got a thing or two to talk over with him!! And I'll just bet I know where's off and hiding at!
She immediately begins to power walk straight to Keith's quarters. It was time for some answers.
That’s It! He’s run away from this for the last time. Allura thinks to herself as she storms down the hall to Keith’s room. I can’t take this! He’s going to give me a straight answer… and I won’t leave until I get a definite one! Either he loves me or he doesn’t. Why won’t he answer that simple question?” She reaches his door and freezes, poised to knock. Am I really ready for his answer? What if…
“Allura?” Keith’s voice comes up from behind her. “What… what are you doing here?”
Allura takes a breath and turns to face him. “Keith, I know you need to cool off but…”
He crosses his arms across his chest. “But…”
“I need to know.”
Keith shakes his head, pushes past her opening his door and walks in. “Allura, can we just not talk about this anymore? I’m really tired of it.” He moves to his desk.
She follows him in, the door closing behind her. “I’m tired of it too…tired of you and your evasiveness! Why won’t you answer a simple question? Either you have feelings for me…or you don’t. Don’t keep leading me on like this.”
“Leading you on? Leading you on! Allura,” He walks up to face her. “I have been very up front with you on this. I can’t love you! Why isn’t that clear?” He grabs her by the shoulders firmly and looks solidly into her eyes. “Allura, I can’t love you!”
She pushes his hands off. “I didn’t ask if you COULD…. I asked if you DID!” She then turns away.
“Why does that mater? Why are you playing with me like this?” He pulls her around to face him. “You do know I have a heart don’t you? I am in fact, human!” His hands becoming fists in front of him. “You are causing me more pain with this insistent and pointless inquiry than I think Lotor has ever inflicted on me!” He flings his fists down to his sides…his hands moving to his hips. “The facts are…that I can’t have you!”
“Facts? What Facts?!” Allura’s fists mimic his, going to her hips.
“The laws, Allura! What do you mean, ‘what facts’? Don’t tell me you’ve conveniently forgotten your own stupid planets ridiculous, outdated, archaic, self-serving and self-destructing code!”
“Keith what are you talking about? What laws! Why won’t anyone tell me?!”
Keith storms back over to his desk ripping open a drawer and pulls out a stack of books. “These! These laws, Allura!” He grabs one and marches up to her flipping it open to a book marked page and shoves it in her face.
Allura is forced to grab it from him. She moves it out to a comfortable reading distance. “Keith what are you…” Her eyes lock on the title of the page. “Chapter 105 of the Constitution of Arus; Article 8, Section 19, Subsection (a) Marriages of Royal Person(s) “What…? What is this, Keith?”
“Oh don’t joke with me, Princess. You now full well what it is.”
“No, Keith I don’t.” She continues to read. "In order that bloodlines remain pure, untarnished, and completely traceable for a minimum of ten (10) generations and ties with alliances and possible alliances, remain strong and undaunted through alliances, arrangements, contracts, agreements, and nuptials with other Royal Houses, it is the primary function of the Royal House of Arus (hereinafter the "Heir") to arrange, contract, and maintain ties through means of matrimonious agreements and arrangements with others befitting the minimum standards of the Royal House of Arus..." Allura’s head is soon spinning. "Keith what is this?"
“It’s your stupid planet and you don’t know?”
“No Keith, I don’t. Enlighten me!”
“Ha! Very funny! You really should get an acting award, you know that?” He snatches the book away. “In short.” He snaps it closed. “It says you have to marry someone of holding.” Then he throws against the wall in anger.
“What! Keith!? What does one book…”
“One! One… ! What about this one… or this one or these here!” He goes to his bed, reaching under his mattress and pulls yet another book. "This is my favorite...Ahem... Understanding the Contractual Marital Obligations of The Heir " He shows her the book and then flips open to a chapter that is obviously been place marked. He begins to read. "When studying Chapter 105 of the Constitution of Arus; Article 8, Section 19, Subsection (a) Marriages of Royal Person(s) [Cited as: 105 Arus; Artc. 8, 19(a)] one must also consider subsections (d) Failure to Provide an Heir Apparent Within One Year’s Time; and subsection (g) Forfeiture of the Crown in the Event of an Unsuitable Matrimonious Arrangement; dissolutions notwithstanding. This very small, yet extremely important subsection discusses the inevitable forfeiture of the crown by any ruling Heir that makes an unsuitable matrimonial arrangement or agreement. For purposes of the Constitution and for this discussion, an unsuitable matrimonial arrangement or agreement is any matching of a Ruling Member of the Royal House of Arus (the "Heir") with a person deemed to be of lesser station, i.e. one who's lineage cannot be traced back through royal birth for the requisite ten (10) generations. For purposes of the Constitution, matrimonial arrangement or agreement includes, but is not limited to engagements, betrothals, and other promises of marriage."
Every bit of color leaves Allura’s face as Keith reads.
He looks up to her… pausing to study her dazed expression.
“Keith I… honestly I had no idea about all this. I…” She looks around to all the books, walking up to the stack he placed on his desk, running her hand down their spines each about Arus’s royal code. Each with many slips of paper hanging out of them with his scribbling all over them. She picks one up, taking note of all his bookmarks. “Keith? Why do you… why are you reading all this?” She asks, setting it back down.
He paces around the room a bit, book still in hand. “Why? Why?” He stops but doesn’t face her. “I’ve been trying to find a loophole! Alright?”
She looks at him in utter disbelief. All this time he’s been trying to… trying to find a way that they… “Keith? I…I don’t know what to say, you mean that you really…”
He slowly turns to look at her. “Allura…stop.” He takes a deep breath. ”Look…all that this has proven to me is that there is just no way.”
She takes a step towards him. “Keith, we could appeal. If the laws are that archaic…”
He drops his head fingering the book in hand. “No Allura. There’s just too many. It wouldn’t work.”
“Yes it would.” She moves to him grabbing the book from him and tries to find his eyes. “They’d have to listen It’s only logical that you should be… “ She keeps trying to read his eyes but he won’t let her. She continues. “Unless…unless…”
He finally looks at her. “Unless…what?”
”Unless you’re really just afraid?” She studies him intently. “ …Afraid of being King?”
“What! What are you talking about? Afraid?” He tries to pull away, but her blue eyed gaze has him trapped.
“You are afraid of the responsibility aren’t you?” she says to him, her gaze growing more piercing. “That’s why you’re finding all these…” She holds the book up in front of him. “These… obstacles!”
Keith glares at her. “Allura! How dare you! Afraid…What are you talking about? Exactly what about being the King would be different than what I am doing now?” He begins to gesture wildly with his hands. “Am I not filling that role now? I'm I not now doing all the things that your King would do? Commanding Voltron, leading your people, negotiating treaties, managing the castle, and leading relief efforts? I’m not afraid of the job now.” His hands come again to rest on his hips. “So, you tell me, Princess! … What would I be afraid of? … What would your King do that I’m not doing now?!”
She slowly looks up and meets his intense questioning eyes. “Love me...” she mutters.
“Again, I ask you. What would your King do that I’m not doing now?!”
Allura just looks at him dumbfounded. Was that a confession?
Keith shakes his head in utter frustration. "Allura, look...just forget it...I...I've got a report to write! We'll talk about this...some other time." He takes the book away from her, takes her arm, and escorts her to his door. He opens it and she steps outside.
"Keith! Don't you dare leave it like this! I will not talk about it, some other time! Do you hear me? Keith!"
Keith steps back from the door and into his quarters... and it starts to close...
"KEITH! I'm warning you! I need to know…Ugghahhh! That's it! When that door closes on me...this discussion over! For GOOD!!!"
The door slides closed, leaving Allura standing in front of it...
Allura bows her head, and prepares to turn and walk away…when suddenly the sound of a swish fills her ears, as the door opens…and Keith comes out, takes her by the arm, and yanks her inside, with the door closing behind them. He quickly turns her around, pulls her up against him firmly, and kisses her full on the mouth... in a long, passionate kiss... one that makes Allura's body go totally limp in his arms and tingle from the top of her head, to the tips of her toes.
When he eventually breaks the kiss he pulls back slightly leaving one hand holding her firmly to him at the curve of her lower back, the other lifting to touch her now swollen lips. “Allura, I…I thought you knew.” he whispers to her. “Listen to me. There is nothing my heart wants more than to be your king… in every facet that job entails.”
“Kei…Keith…?” Allura strains to even speak.
“Shhhhh, let me finish. Allura, I love you. I always have I always will. I have always dreamed of our future, you and I, side by side, our children all around… I’ve imagined us growing old together, telling our grandchildren all about our great adventures… But that’s all it is Allura…a dream…a silly pilot’s dream. I’m sorry if I mislead you. It’s…its just… I…” His eyes start to shimmer as he looks into hers. “I love you so much, my Princess.” He moves in closer again. So close, he can almost taste her... “Forgive me for loving what I cannot have.” He closes his eyes. “Forgive me…” and steals another kiss. Their lips just brush, but the passion there is tangible. He pulls back before he loses himself completely.
She looks back up to him with all the love she has for him, her eyes alive with ardor. She reaches up to wipe the streak of a tear from his cheek. “How can I forgive you, when I am just as guilty? Keith I…” She is utterly transfixed, lost in all that’s him, they then dissolve completely into one another.
For the next few hours they forget…forget who they are… forget their responsibilities… forget everything… and just be…be the couple they should be… but the laws would not allow.
For one night…they have love…and each other.
The End...