#vld alfor

[mushed-kid]

voltron as textposts etc. 53

(hate putting myself in these because stfu. but it was hilarious to me so.)

[tigerani]

same voice actor

[voltrohgodwhat]

VLD, but it ends in the first episode, because King Alfor's AI tells Allura to put glue on her pizza to fight Sendak. All attempts to get a normal response thereafter are paywalled.

Alternatively:

VLD, but 'Crystal Venom' is just King Alfor's Evil AI trying to count the number of Rs in 'strawberry'.

[galraluver]

Alfor x reader? I hope I'm doing this right, scenario where alfor is introduced to earth cats by the reader? Which may lead you to a kitty adoption :>?

Hey, don't worry about it, I've got you covered 😊

Honestly, out of all the original paladins I see Alfor as the type of person who would love hanging out at a cat café and spend the entire visit surrounded by most, if not all of the kitties 😽

(Whether Cheeto and Blinky are two boys, two girls or one of each is left to the imagination of you, my dear readers)

_________________________________________

Alfor loved living on Earth with (Y/n), and even though he would eventually take her home to Altea with him, he wanted to spend as much time with her on her homeworld until then. There were so many interesting things to do and see on Earth, and (Y/n) was always happy to take him out to do and see those things. Before Alfor went out in public he had to disguise himself as a human since aliens weren't welcome on Earth, even if they meant no harm, and he didn't want to start a mass panic or get his girlfriend in trouble. There was one thing (Y/n) really wanted to take Alfor out to do, but first she needed to save up enough money before she could do it; there was a cat café in their area and she wanted to take him there since she knew he liked cats, then once she had enough money she brought it up with him one evening during dinner. Alfor kind of knew what Earth cats were, although he'd never spent time with one before and he couldn't wait to go to the cat café with his girlfriend.

The best part was that the cat café (Y/n) was taking Alfor to was it was partnered up with a few animal shelters and adopted cats out to new homes, so if there was a cat they really liked then they would adopt him or her. On the day of their trip they would be going to eat lunch together at the café; Alfor was excited to see the cats, he really hoped that he and (Y/n) would be able to adopt one or two and bring them home with them. After arriving at their destination (Y/n) and Alfor signed in, ordered some food and drinks and selected a table to sit at. There were about fifteen cats lounging around, most of which stared at them when they sat down. Alfor noticed how the cats in the café looked somewhat similar to the cats on Altea, but at the same time they were different; none of them had bold blue, red, purple or orange markings on their coats, although a short-haired calico caught his attention.

“Well, what do you think?” (Y/n) quietly asked Alfor with curiosity, noticing how he was looking at a medium sized calico cat with short fur.

“I wasn't expecting to see so many cats in one place. That cat over there; the black, white and tan one, is very unique.” Alfor answered, looking at (Y/n) again before he told her that he liked the calico cat who sat on a cat bed nearby.

“Yeah, that one's pretty cute.” (Y/n) acknowledged, smiling when she got a better look at the calico cat her boyfriend had his eyes on.

Alfor wondered what would happen if he called the cats over, so that's exactly what he did; (Y/n) was surprised that the whole ‘here kitty kitty’ call was universal, and worked on every cat from pretty much all over the universe. Almost all of the cats perked up and came running when Alfor called them over, including the calico who jumped up onto his lap prior to meowing sweetly. (Y/n) was in awe when the cats flocked around her boyfriend after he called them to him, each of them wanting attention from him. Two of the cats went to sniff (Y/n) when she offered her hands-on them, one black and the other a tuxedo, but then the black cat joined the others over by Alfor. If it were anyone else they would have been jealous of all the attention Alfor received from the cats, but (Y/n) was even more in love with her significant other than before because he was a cat magnet.

“They're all so soft and affectionate, and I believe this multi-colored one likes me. You said that we can take one or two home-” Alfor said while he pet as many cats as he could, hesitantly bringing up their earlier conversation about adopting a cat or two; he didn't want to seem too demanding, although he really liked the calico cat and the tuxedo cat appeared to like (Y/n).

“I did say that, but we can only adopt two. I really like this tuxedo cat, and the calico loves you.” (Y/n) replied thoughtfully; she wasn't expecting to find two cats that they liked so easily, although with her boyfriend being a total cat magnet finding the two kitties that liked them had been simple.

“So we can bring them home with us?” Alfor queried enthusiastically.

“As long as no one else has signed any paperwork for them, then yes.” (Y/n) answered; she really hoped that the calico and the tuxedo cats weren't spoken for, because it would break her and Alfor's hearts if they were.

“Thank you, darling. I can't wait to bring them home with us.” Alfor expressed gleefully, excited to possibly bring the two cats home with them.

Alfor pet the calico cat on his lap and smiled, but at some point he reached for his strawberry shake so he could drink it. The cats with the longer fur were really soft and fluffy, although as much as he liked them as individuals he understood that keeping them thoroughly groomed would be difficult due to their fur length. The other cats eventually walked away to either do their own thing or visit the other people at the other tables; however, the tuxedo cat stayed on (Y/n's) lap and the calico remained with Alfor, both cats having chosen their favorite people. The food and drinks were delicious and there were various cat toys spread throughout the entire café, Alfor couldn't help but grab one of the feather wands so he could play with some of the cats in between eating and drinking. He could hardly wait to bring the two cats home with him and (Y/n), he hoped they would like their new home.

(Y/n) finished eating before she grabbed another toy and played with one of the cats who passed by her, causing the adorable white cat to roll onto her back playfully. Playing with some of the cats was a lot of fun, she was glad that she brought Alfor to the cat café. After she and Alfor finished eating, drinking and playing with the other cats they went to the office to see if they could adopt the calico and tuxedo cats; they were both perfectly adoptable and their names were Cheeto and Blinky, once (Y/n) paid the two adoption fees the lady at the desk finalized everything and provided two carriers for the two cats who had chosen them. (Y/n) wasn't expecting to adopt two cats that day; she and Alfor didn't even have the proper supplies, so they had to stop by the nearest pet store to pick up some basic supplies. Cheeto and Blinky would need some time before they adjusted to their new home, but until then their safe space would be Alfor and (Y/n's) bedroom.

__________

(Y/n) smiled in her sleep when she felt an arm wrapped around her midsection; at some point during the morning Alfor always snuggled up to her, even though he was usually asleep when he did it. Life was absolute bliss with him and things got even better after they adopted Blinky and Cheeto. After they paid the adoption fees they had to go pick up some basic supplies at the nearest pet store; toys, a scratching post, a litter box, food and other such things, then (Y/n) and Alfor picked up any small objects before they let their two new kitties out of their carriers once they had everything set up. A week had passed since then and even though the two cats weren't fully adjusted to their new home yet, they weren't quite as frightened of being somewhere new. When (Y/n) woke up she looked at the foot of the bed after she noticed a slight weight near her feet, smiling when she saw Cheeto and Blinky curled up and fast asleep.

“Alfor, wake up. Look who's sleeping near our feet.” (Y/n) whispered to her sleeping boyfriend, slowly sitting up a little prior to gently shaking his right shoulder; she glanced at the clock and saw that it was eight o’ five, just in time for them to wake up.

Alfor had been sleeping peacefully, although after he heard what (Y/n) whispered to him he began to wake up. Ever since they brought Cheeto and Blinky home, they slept in their cat beds that were on the floor near the dresser. After opening his eyes and letting out a yawn, Alfor sat up, blinked a couple of times and looked at the foot of their bed; he smiled softly when he saw Cheeto and Blinky curled up between their feet, both cats still fast asleep.

“They appear quite comfortable this morning. I never thought they would ever come to sleep in bed with us.” Alfor spoke quietly so that he wouldn't accidentally wake their cats up.

“I know; it really feels like we're a family now.” (Y/n) replied with an equally quiet tone, turning to face her boyfriend.

Alfor couldn't have agreed more; they were becoming a little family, and he could hardly wait to make it official when he and (Y/n) eventually got married. He slowly leaned towards his lover and gave her a good morning kiss; neither of them cared that they had morning breath, plus their kiss didn't last for very long. (Y/n) and Alfor decided to cuddle in bed together for a while, then they would eventually get out of bed and prepare breakfast for them and their cats. They made sure Blinky and Cheeto were spoiled; after the lives the two cats had before they were rescued, they deserved to be spoiled and loved. Having two adorable cats living with them made Alfor and (Y/n's) lives a lot more interesting, (Y/n) was glad that she'd taken her significant other to the cat café when she did.

[plutonify]

I have extremely complicated opinions and thoughts on how the characters and plot of VLD were handled. My thoughts contradict themselves, they're inconsistent, so I’m writing this to put them down and sort them out. This also serves as the start of me introducing my theories/headcanons that were never fully confirmed and my AU which is more like a completely different show than an AU, but whatever.

The Lion Switch

I have a strong belief that the Lion switch was always intended to happen, I’ve noticed multiple seeds that were planted early on in the show that hinted towards the switch. But I also strongly believe that the show runners never intended for it to be permanent, and that’s where it started going wrong.

——————————————————————————

The “Before Hints”/Foreshadowing

The color coding of the Paladins outfits.

This one is pretty straightforward and obvious, yet there were some that I haven’t noticed other people point out. There’s the ones that everybody knows, Shiro wears mostly black, Keith wears a red jacket, Lance has blue hints in his shirt, shoes & pants, Pidge wears mostly green, and so does Hunk with yellow. But there are also hints of the paladin's colors changing for the Lion switch. Allura’s dress is almost entirely blue and she becomes the Blue Paladin, Keith’s outfit actually has more black than red on it(but this could also be a nice touch to show his connection to Shiro), I unfortunately couldn’t find any for Lance.

Shiro and Keith’s strong relationship(this one is a bit of a stretch).

Shiro and Keith are practically brothers before the start of the actual show. Shiro practically raised Keith. Because of this Keith took after a lot of Shiro’s traits. His morale of the mission coming first, his determination and dedication to a goal. These are just two of them, but you get the point. Simply put, Keith heavily takes after Shiro, it would only make sense that Keith would start to notice how Shiro leads and unintentionally take after that as well.

That scene where Allura is describing the lions and showing them to the Paladins.

As Allura is describing each Lion, said Lion is shown in front of their intended Paladin. Biggest example and the one that supports my theory is the Red Lion floating in between both Keith and Lance, Keith who is Red’s intended Paladin, and Lance who becomes the Red Paladin in the switch.

How the show depicts the Blue Lion in general and how it connects to Allura.

Compared to the other Lions, the Blue Lion is made the center of attention on multiple occasions in many ways. In the first episode Keith describes how he could sense the Blue Lion but didn’t know what it was, and then the Blue Lion was the very first Lion to be found, it also bonded with Lance extremely quickly compared to the others. It is also responsible for finding all of the paladins, not just their own. Keith also brings up the mysteriousness of the Blue Lion being on Earth, especially knowing how far Earth is from Altea and the other planets, and later learning that the Lions can only travel so far on their own. We also never learn of the Blue Lions traits or what they look for in a Paladin(in the show, we learn it in a book later on, and that’s after the lion switch). With Earth in mind, the cave that the Blue Lion was found in had hieroglyphics everywhere detailing the war and other mysterious events, none of the other lions hiding spots did this. Allura also stands out like the Blue Lion, but amongst the other Paladins. She’s royalty, has a strong connection with the lions despite not being a Paladin, and the only female(before the Pidge reveal and Romelle), she’s also an alien(alongside Coran)

Lance has a lot of parallels to Alfor in the show.

This one is brought up in the show itself, but I feel like it never actually fully explored just how deep the parallels went. There’s the one that the show handles, and it’s how heroic and noble Lance is. When Lance unlocks the Altean Broadsword, which was Alfors, Allura talks about how much of a savior and warrior Alfor was and how Lance is as well. Lance’s nobleness comes from his willingness to sacrifice himself to save people and his bravery to always join the battle, Alfor was noble in that he wasn’t just royalty but he was extremely brave and always saw the best in people. There are others that I’ve seen other people bring up, like Lance bringing the team together just like Alfor did. Alfor built the lions and Voltron, he created the alliance, bringing the og paladins together despite their differences. Lance was the sole connection between all of the paladins, he was friends with Pidge and Hunk, he looked up to Shiro like a hero, and held a grudge with Keith from when they were younger. He was also the first Paladin to be found, being the one Blue chose before she even saw him, the others wouldn’t have made it to the castle if it wasn’t for Lance. They both share similar characteristic traits, they just show differently.

-They are both reckless, Alfor completely succumbs to his excitement in the moment, and Lance, as already mentioned, has sacrificial tendencies.

-Their love for Allura, Alfors is that of a father, and Lance’s that of romantic and friendly intent.

The “After Hints”

Allura’s strong connection to quintessence and the White Lion/Her bond with Blue and being a Paladin.

To put it simply, Allura being the Blue Paladin and fully embracing being the reincarnation of the White Lion at the same time is messy and puts even more stuff on her character than there already is. (I should note that I don’t have a problem with “Mary Sues”, I feel like the phrase is a cheap way of reasoning why a person doesn’t like a female character or any character really. I also only believe that a character can be cluttered depending on what’s being put on them.) It’s important that Allura be a Paladin, and even specifically, the Blue Paladin, for some time so that she could connect with the Paladins, feel the toll of being in the battlefield, and getting to fully experience what a bond with the Lions is really like, it also helped to give her the ability to take a break from her princess status and get to act her age alongside the other Paladins. Why Blue? Well, that’s also simple. The Blue Lion is the middle ground. The Blue Lion is below Black and Red in authority, but is also above Green and Yellow in Authority as well. The Blue Lions element being water symbolizes its flexibility in many things, such as already mentioned authority, combat, social status, etc. Being Blue means that Allura can still be a commanding figure herself while being under command as well. But that’s an arc that can be done very quickly, and quickly is what the show did. Allura learned and experienced these things in a quick but meaningful amount of time. Beyond that point, her being the Blue Paladin is no longer necessary to the plot unlike the others. Her having to leave her place as a Paladin and her bond with the Blue Lion would also, once again, give her the opportunity to be like the other Paladins, as Shiro, Keith, and Lance suffered it with the switch.

Allura was hinted to have a particularly strong sense of quintessence sense the beginning of the show. In the first episode, when she locates the Lions, Coran states that she was “directly linked with the Lions life force, she is the key herself”. Later in the Balmera episode, she uses her own quintessence to communicate and heal the planet of Balmera. Her quintessence isn’t mentioned again until after the Lion switch, which it is shown multiple times. When Lance takes the blow for Allura in the Omega Lock, she once again uses her own quintessence to heal Lance. When they find Shiro alive in the astral plane later on, she moves his quintessence to one of his clone bodies, essentially bringing him back to life. And then even later, after she connects to the White Lion, she finds out that her very being can purify dark quintessence. It is also slightly hinted at throughout the show that a lot of the abilities that Allura unlocked in Blue were due to her extremely high amount of quintessence.

While there are some connections between Allura being the Blue Paladin and the White Lion, most of it happens completely separate. It doesn’t help that after Allura sacrifices herself, the Blue Lion projects herself to Lance instead of the White Lion, the only reason why I can think of that making sense would be the fact that both of them were Blue Paladins at some point.

When the current Paladins fought and talked to the previous Paladins.

I’ve already seen some people mention it, but I haven’t yet, so I’m going to. After they fought with Haggar, the Paladins got stuck in the Astral Plane where they fought the corrupted previous Paladins of their respective Lions. When they managed to get through to them, the previous Paladins spoke to the current ones and gave them advice. That’s all cute and all except for the fact that the speeches that Blaytz and Alfor give to Allura and Lance don’t make sense. What Blaytz tells Allura is perfectly suited for Lance, it isn’t even an argument on how much Lance needed to hear. This hints towards the idea that the Paladins were supposed to return to their original Lions and so Lance would be the current Blue Paladin and get to hear the speech from Blaytz. Alfor’s speech for Lance is very short and kind of insulting, in that it boils both Lance and Allura down to their relationship with each other being the only important thing about them. That’s especially a low blow considering how much of a weight it is that Lance is the Red Paladin, in both negative and positive ways(I talked about them a little in one of the above sections at the top). This gives me heavy vibes of this speech being written last minute with little care for how it actually sounded.

[vld-ship-bracket]

ROUND 1A

Voting will be up for three days! Result on the third day by OP's time is the result that will go forward.

Advisor and King or Long-Term Rivals to Lovers? May the best ship win!

[chibi-pix]

Bandor is a descendant of Altea, an Altean generations far down along the line. But though modern and living a simple life, it's not enough and he looks to artifacts of the past to help feed his curiosity as he wishes to know more. Especially about what has been going on with his town and people in the past months.

[snackleggg]

Thinking about the Red & Black paladins and history repeating itself.

Thinking about how Alfor & Zarkon were best friends, like brothers, just like Keith & Shiro.

Thinking about the fight between Keith & Clone!Shiro and how it paralleled the battle between Alfor & Zarkon.

Thinking about how Clone!Shiro represented the terrifying what-if of Shiro being corrupted by quintessence like Zarkon had been.

Thinking about the pivotal role the Red Paladin holds, not only as the right hand to the Black Paladin but as the one responsible to step up and stop the Black Paladin if they were to ever veer off the right path & betray Voltron's mission.

Thinking about Keith (a half-Galra) becoming the Paladin of the Black Lion. Thinking about Lance (who gains Altean markings at the end of the show) becoming the Paladin of the Red Lion to be Keith's right hand.

Thinking about history repeating itself.

Thinking about how it didn't, barely.

[mushed-kid]

voltron as textposts etc. 43

i think i might’ve made the missionary one before idk.

[frostyblustar]

@voltrohgodwhat YOU UNDERSTAND

Lowkey I forgot I’m a simp for younger Alfor, am I the only one??

[queengeni]

Allura should have been the black paladin and I'll stand on my opnion till the day I DIE

[rainypandasportsnickel]

Hello, hello! I have come to ask for another fanfiction, but I am most certain that this will either recieve No answers.

The Fandom is Voltron Legendary Defender. The fanfiction is about if Keith fell through a rift in space (somehow) and met the previous paladins. He meets Alfor and Zarkon while they are on a mission, and there was a lot of things about Galra culture I believe.

If you have any idea of what I'm talking about, please let me know. I am most likely wrong, but I think I read it in..2019?? And it was like..uncompleted????? I think the title had something to do with "_____ memories".

[jiveyuncle]

For a fic that only exists in my head ✨

Galtean Klance AU that leads to the rise of the Galra Empire

Plot:

Alteans are wary. The Galrans first arrive as refugees, learning and studying under the Alteans after they drained their own home planet dry. A generation has settled and integrated in with Altean society, and Galrans find themselves being accepted into positions of power.

Keith trains to become a part of the royal guard, butting heads with another loud, charming Altean trainee - Lance - who eventually becomes Allura’s personal guard. When a marriage is arranged between the princess and Lotor, Keith is assigned to protect Lotor, becoming the first Galran to achieve royal guard status.

While experimenting with Quintessence, Honerva glimpses a future in which the Galrans nearly wipe out the Alteans. Lotor brings this to Princess Allura’s and King Alfor’s attention, but they refuse to send the Galra away. "To do so would be a death sentence for them." "To keep them is a death sentence for us." "Based on what? Things that haven't happened? A people that have hurt us none?" Lotor decides that, in order to save his people, a sacrifice must be made.

Lotor arranges a private meeting with King Alfor regarding the marriage arrangement between Allura and himself. Before Keith can excuse himself from the room, Lotor snatches the blade from Keith’s hip and kills the king. Keith turns on Lotor.

Allura and Lance arrive to find the King dead via blade wound and Keith about to kill Lotor - the man he was assigned to protect - with the very same bloody blade. Keith is successfully set up. The Galra are not to be trusted. Tensions and mistrust between Alteans and Galrans sky rocket, and war breaks out a few days later, setting into motion the future that Honerva warned against. A very messy rivals to lovers to enemies to lovers

[sylveon-and-velveon]

Looking for Shance fics to read on AO3 and I found an interesting one so I decided to read the tags

Ya'll I wish I was shitting when I said there's a proper tag for Alfor x Coran 😭😭

And I thought I had seen everything XD

[star-racing]

I think having all the alteans be dead at the start of Voltron was a missed opportunity tbh, I know they were going for a sole survivor thing but I think it would've been so interesting to actually see Allura as a leader of her people for literally any amount of time

[imhereformysciencefriends]

Day 1: Fairytales and Myths

Tags: @loturaweek2024 Curses, fairy tale elements, Bearskin (the myth), political marriage but also for love sort of, magic, background Alfor/Melenor, background Keith/Shiro, betrothals, attempted kidnapping, rescue, Lotor’s generals are there

Read on AO3

***

“You are fortunate,” mused the angry and spiteful druid while Lotor snarled up at him, ensnared in glowing purple chains made of magic and aether, “that the same magic you came here to steal from me does not allow me to kill you outright.”

Lotor thought, not for the first time, that it would be significantly more Galra to just put a knife in his gut than rely on their magic for literally everything. But if they were so wrapped up in their world of spells and power that they forgot their own fangs and claws that they were born with, well, Lotor wouldn’t be the one to remind them. This druid in specific seemed particularly filled with his own hubris.

A pelt, some heavy, thick-furred thing thumped down on his shoulders, and he shifted minutely from the weight.

“I curse you,” the druid said, voice going echoey with magic. “You shall not bathe for seven decaphoebes, nor cut your hair nor claws, you shall not cease to wear this pelt, nor sleep under one roof for more than a single night, and no one may travel with you for more than three quintents. Should you break any of these bindings, this curse will kill you.”

“And if I succeed, for seven decaphoebes?” Lotor asked, still snarling, still bearing his (small, Altean) fangs.

The druid was quiet.

“You must include a win-condition, witch. I know your magic’s rules.” He would not have risked infiltrating this place if he did not have a contingency plan for if he was caught, after all.

The druid made a snarling, growling, impatient noise.

“If you should last all seven decaphoebes, then the magic you seek will be yours. Now get out!”

Another rush of magic and Lotor found himself at the mouth of the small cave that hid the entrance to the druid’s lair. He grit his teeth and stood, shaking as though to dislodge the remnants of the purple magic.

Seven years.

More than he’d bargained for, but less than he was willing to pay for his goals. He already grew his hair long, and he was not one to frequently stay in one place for too long. That was doable.

The claws and bathing situation would be the most intolerable, he did not doubt.

Seven years.

He could do this.

In the first year: he could do this. He was centuries old and, if theories on how he aged were to be considered correct, he would have centuries more. Seven years would be nothing. A drop in a bucket. He used it to prepare, especially the first few months, when he smelled more or less tolerable. Any time it rained he spent as much time as he could in the water, knowing that washing in a river or stream would count. Magic was always fickle, and always skewed in favor of the worst. While he could still passably show his face in civilization, he stockpiled supplies enough to last him seven years, or near enough to it he could supplement when the time came.

In the second year: he had to leave Daibazaal. His country of origin was hardly a home, and hadn’t been since he was young and innocent and still so painfully naive. But he did know it, and he knew that all the many flora that thirsted for his blood and fauna that would chew on his bones could smell him for miles in each direction. He knew it intellectually, and he knew it viscerally, blood steaming across the pelt he wore and sliding down the blade he wrested free from the fresh carcass of a beast that wished to eat him. Oh, how he wished for a bath.

In the third year: he couldn’t do this. He could not bear this. He was not even halfway through and his own stench and fatigue were driving him insane. Being so constantly exposed to the elements was killing him, though the pelt was so thick and heavy it kept him plenty warm. And he was lonely. In the third year, Narti finally found him, Kova hissing and prowling just outside the edges of Lotor’s reach, recognizing him but also not. She wanted to help him, as best she could, but he explained the curse to her, the druid putting no binding on his tongue at least. She then offered to go kill the druid for him, and he insisted that she not, not until the witch’s power was his. She stated she would stay with him, despite her nose being even sharper than Lotor’s, and he reminded her that it could be for no more than three quintents, or the magic would kill him (and he doubted it would be instant, or painless).

She left with the promise to tell the others, and to bring back supplies for him. Just to drop off and then leave again. She promised she wouldn’t stay.

In the third year: Ezor found him, always best at finding things, and with her she brought Zethrid and Acxa. It was the best three days of these miserable three years, even with his companions wrinkling their noses at his scent the whole time.

In the fourth year: he left the billowing wilds that existed between Daibazaal, harsh and dangerous but inhabitable, and into Altea, the lush and verdant valleys beneath the billowing wilds’ mountains. Not to say that Altea did not come with its own dangers, no, just that they were more like the mountain creatures, not quite so capable of killing a lone wanderer as Daibazaal’s would have been.

In the fourth year:

Allura tied up her hair and shifted her hands, magic tickling as it turned her palms into suction cups. She descended from her room as only wayward princesses could, and hopped down onto the vibrantly green grass of the lawn with a little thrill of success.

With the tensions between Daibazaal and Altea on the rise once again, and all citizens from both countries feeling like a resumed war was all but a forgone conclusion, her parents had been increasingly strict with her. On a certain level, she understood, she was a princess after all, it was her job to understand.

On the other hand: she’d gone to the little brook with the little waterfall dozens upon dozens upon dozens of times, without any harm nor threat to her person. It was right next to the palace grounds, and she only ever managed to squeeze in an hour or two before her knights quit canoodling and came to find her anyway. She would be fine, just as she’d been fine every time before.

There was nowhere in all of Altea, in Allura’s opinion, that was a better place for magic than that little waterfall. Something about the place seemed almost to glow with magic, every drop of water and blade of grass and rustling leaf full to overflowing with rich mana. It drew her in, excited and comforted her, enthralled her and cleared her mind. Magic poured from her fingers like the water she lifted, guiding it to dance about her in a spiraling river floating suspended around her person, twirling slowly as she dragged the water about in lazy loops.

Even the sunlight here felt different, warm and yellow but not beating down on her, even in summer heat. It sparkled and twisted around her like the water did, slowly spinning and dancing across the shimmering surface, Allura’s skirts shallowly twirling around her calves, and she smiled and let her mind sink into the magic present here, imbuing everything.

It was that magic, present even in the twigs of a bush and the berries crushed underfoot, that alerted her that she was not alone.

She didn’t scream. She didn’t dare try to fight against near a dozen heavy boots. One moment she was smiling serenely, surrounded by glistening spirals of water, the next she was running so fast the water didn’t even have time to hit the ground before she burst through it. Shouts behind her, unmistakably Galra, and heavy footfall followed, but she didn’t dare look. She was fast.

But Galra were faster.

A giant, purple hand clamped over her mouth, a scream wrested from her too late and muffled by the flesh, and she hit the ground with a cry of pain, knees and palms skidding in the dirt.

“Grab her!”

She fought back, because of course she did. Princess trained in the art of diplomacy and regal bearing though she was, Allura was no weak fighter, and she was not one to cow in the face of unfair odds.

But they were unfair. She knocked two briefly unconscious, but she hadn’t brought her staff, not believing she’d need it, and these Galra were armored and armed, one opening a deep gash across the back of her leg, another finally getting his dagger pointed at her throat and compelling her to behave.

“You won’t kill me,” she spat, even as her preservation instincts forced her to obey.

“No. But you don’t need both eyes.”

She screamed a protest—she was submitting!—as he raised the dagger to plunge it into her eye, but then a dagger protruded from his own, sinking much deeper than just the eye. He toppled off her, dead, and the Galra turned on their new aggressor.

A beast, wilder than all imagining, lept from the foliage, its pelt hideous and bloodstained, matted with mud and dried viscera, its claws long as knives and yellow and flaking, silvery lengths of something dragging behind it as it fell upon its victims. The Galra shouted, united now against this beast, and Allura staggered to her feet, or tried to. The gash in her leg made fleeing nearly impossible, and she leaned against the tree as she watched the beast dispatch of the Galra, one by one by one, until there were none left alive to contest it.

Its yellow gaze fell upon her next, and she realized belatedly that she looked at no monster at all.

“You’re Altean!” she gasped, the man before her so deeply dirtied with various filth that she could not see even an inch of skin beneath the horrible mess, but his face was, poking out from the disgusting fur, unmistakably that of, well, a man. An Altean’s proud cheekbones and narrow jaw, eyes yellow as a Galra but silver hair (it was hair!) long and ripe with magic.

The man chuckled at her. “I suppose it only fair that you confused me for a beast.”

“Good sir, anyone would.” Sounds of armor—familiar, Altean—and rushed footfall came from the direction of the palace grounds. “Please, you are my savior, come into my home and be bathed and rewarded for your service.”

“I cannot bathe, princess,” he said, with every reverence of her subjects, “nor did I do this for a reward. I will leave.”

“You saved my life!” Allura insisted as Keith and Shiro burst into the clearing, swords drawn and lips flushed and kiss-bitten, confusion on their brows as they took stock of the dead Galra on the ground and the beast man their charge now argued with. “You would do me a great dishonor by not allowing me to repay you!”

The man seemed visibly to hesitate at that, and then acquiesced. “If for your honor only, princess. But I cannot remain.”

“At least stay the night,” she insisted, now half-frantic to have this strange man remain for any time at all, curiosity burning through her as fervently as the magic had only recently flowed.

“The night,” he agreed, bowing low, the mess of fur and hair and viscera and fresh blood shambling with his motion, “but no longer.”

The man spoke of precious little, despite Allura’s best attempts at interrogation. She learned not even his name. He would not allow any of her staff to bathe or groom him, though she noted that while his hair was dirty, it was remarkably untangled. He was certainly Altean, but his nails were more akin to claws. And of course, the yellow eyes.

At dinner, her parents hosted the man who’d saved their daughter’s life, because of course they did.

“Traditionally,” Queen Melenor remarked, though she was severe and stately in the way Allura knew she held herself when she discussed things she’d rather not, “the reward for saving a princess’s fool life from a band of murderous kidnappers would be that princess’s hand in marriage.”

Allura heard the man’s breath hitch, and for a brief moment, open want lined his filth-obscured features, before he shuttered again to something vaguely polite and unreadable.

“I could never ask for such a thing, being as I am.”

“Being as you are?” Allura said, sounding more accusatory than she’d meant. “A kind stranger who saved my life?”

“You have no proof of any kindness,” the man said, with a low chuckle that made her feel strange and hot.

“Only my life and well-being.”

“You speak as though you would wish to wed me.”

Allura’s mouth opened, then shut.

“Exactly.”

“Perhaps I would!” she said, drawing herself to full height while seated and glowering at the man, challenge in her tone.

“Allura,” her father scolded quietly, as he always did when her temper and stubbornness sent her headlong down paths her good sense would otherwise steer her clear from.

“...Allow me three years, then, princess,” the beast man said slowly, gaze never leaving hers. “I have matters I must attend, and am unable to remain here, nor take you with me. If, in three years, when I return, you still wish to wed me, we might discuss it then.”

Queen Melenor sighed, and Allura winced only briefly at the tone of her mother’s breath. Oh the lecture she’d receive once this man departed would be mighty. “You have more good sense than my daughter, it would seem. Please be made comfortable in our home, and if there is anything you wish for, merely ask it.”

“A grimoire, Your Majesty, if I may be bold enough to request it.”

“You’ve magic?” Allura asked, reaching out to touch the man’s face, where his Altean marks should be beneath the dirt, and rescinding her hand when he flinched from her.

“Call it a future investment.”

“Grimoires we have aplenty,” her father stated, “I’ll have one copied for you by the morrow.”

“My thanks.”

Allura, kept up late by her own desperately curious, gnawing thoughts, had to drag herself, bleary and miserable, from her bed to prevent from missing the stranger’s departure. She witnessed her father hand him a grimoire, and he bowed, first to the sovereign queen, then to the king, and then, lower, slower, with something like heat in his eyes, finally to the princess.

“Damn,” she mumbled when the stranger was gone, but comforted herself that at least, for the next three years, she’d have an easy dismissal of all talk of suitors.

In the fifth year: Lotor was nearly killed by a huntsman mistaking him for a beast.

In the sixth year: Lotor was nearly killed by a team of monster hunters, who he had to persuade with Narti’s coin to leave him be, paying higher than the village who’d hired them. He wandered elsewhere with faster purpose, after that, and committed himself to greater stealth. Narti was unbearably smug when next she delivered supplies, forcing more coin into the hands of a man who had no reliable use for it.

In the seventh year: Nearly killed again, by huntsmen and monster hunters both. But he was on his way out of Altea. On his way through the billowing wilds, climbing and descending that mountain. He’d memorized the grimoire, but kept hold of it, a baffling yet precious memory now tied to its cover and pages.

At the end of the seventh year: he returned to the small cave where he’d first found the druid. His time was up, or near enough to it, and the moment the magic was his he would take vengeance for the seven years of misery he’d suffered. There he found Narti, there he found Ezor, there he found Zethrid, there he found Acxa, still loyal to him after seven years of absence, and he counted such loyalty more precious than all the gold in all the world.

“First, we kill the druid,” he ordered, feeling the curse sizzle along his skin as it warped into a blessing. “Then I take a quiznacking bath.”

At the end of the third year of waiting:

Allura was forced by circumstance to put her curiosity for her betrothed-to-be on hold, as political upheaval shook the land.

Her father’s old ally finally declared war upon her mother’s country, and Altea raised its arms for bloodshed. But as they prepared their weapons and rallied their armies, another missive came: Emperor Zarkon was dead, long live the Emperor.

Lotor, former prince, son of Zarkon who Allura had never met, shame to his family line and whose mother was Altean, had bested his father in ritual combat, according to Galra custom and law, and had seized the throne. Altea continued to rally, not sure if the bastard son would hold the same temperament as his father, but the tension that had built between their lands hung now, most definitely confused in perplexed balance.

Then an official letter from the Emperor, validated by report after report from their scouts: Lotor was coming, not with an army, but with a diplomatic envoy, to speak to the royals of Altea face to face.

Her mother was stern and stately, poised and graceful and elegant, the sovereign of Altea, bearer of the Altean royal line, pride and jewel of their nation, its Queen.

Her father was tense and stiff, militant and grave, leader of their armies and father of the nation, sire of Altea’s heir and husband to their sovereign.

Allura wasn’t quite sure what she was. But she drew herself up, a shadow of her mother’s grace, stiffened her lip and brow, a mimic of her father’s gravity, and lifted her chin, a prideful stubbornness that was all hers.

Whatever the Emperor Lotor came here for, he would find it on Altea’s terms, or he would leave without it. Or, if it might make for a swifter path for peace, she would slaughter him in this very reception hall. She had her staff with her today.

The Galran procession arrived in waves, wargs and beastmasters first, towering Galra broad each as a mountain and bearing heavy shields second, four mismatched women each bearing the new royal crest and colors third, and in their center: Emperor Lotor.

He was the singularly most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Long, plaited, silver hair that nearly dragged the ground, Altean bones and Galran eyes, soft velvety purple fur so short it could pass for skin, pointed ears pierced with glinting gems in silver casings, and on his cheeks, two marks that glowed with powerful magic.

She shivered, feeling less certain of her ability to slaughter him where he stood, should he pose threat. His magic was enough, indeed, to rival her own, and she was famed throughout Altea for her prowess, her own marks pink and luminous.

“My thanks for hosting on such short notice,” the emperor began, seeming perfectly at ease surrounded by distinctly uneasy Altean guardsmen.

“Our thanks for your peaceful arrival. Are we too optimistic in hoping it may bode for a peaceful future between our nations?” Queen Melenor of Altea answered, staring down at him with regal coolness from the dias they three stood on.

“Not at all,” he assured with a smile. “I am as hopeful for such as you are.” A sigh escaped the whole room, tension palpably leaving. Allura was not exempt, tension loosening from her shoulders.

“Though I would start by returning what was borrowed. I know you gave it to me as a gift, but I would return it as a show of good faith.”

That piqued Allura’s curiosity. As far as she knew, her parents had never met the then-prince Lotor any more than she had. But as the emperor of Daibazaal approached, Allura’s breath caught in her throat.

He extended, to Alfor, a grimoire. The same grimoire her father had given her intended three years ago.

“You!” she gasped, rushing forward and grabbing him by the wrist, making his generals tense but ignoring them, staring instead at his yellow eyes.

“Me,” he agreed with a smile, staring at her with that same reverence he’d held three years ago. “I hope my appearance is more agreeable to you, now, than it was then, as I have little desire to return to such a state.”

“More than,” she said with a wild grin. “Please, come in and be hosted by us, I would have my betrothed explain to me how I may find him in such different states as this!”

“Well,” she heard her father murmur to her mother as she beckoned their guests inside, “I suppose a wedding is one way to end all this.”

And so it would be.

But first, they went to dinner.