Allura remained awake throughout most of what would be her forth night without him. She sat quietly, alone in the dark for fear that if Nanny knew she wasn’t sleeping, she would have Dr. Gorma give her another sedative; and that was the last thing Allura needed right now. There were still so many questions, and she needed a clear mind to find the answers.

How could this have happened? What did Zarkon want with Keith? Why was she let go so easily? Why hadn’t Arus been attacked in the past few days? Even though Sven arrived within twenty hours of Keith’s abduction, their defenses were still down. Zarkon was no fool; he knew that.

Allura paced the cold floor with bare heels, running over the events of that day for the millionth time. Just as her world was coming together, it was shattered (along with her heart.) Her only consolation was that a plan was finally devised.

Their biggest problem with a rescue attempt would be having to leave Arus unprotected for too long of a time. Sparing Voltron or any of its members would leave them susceptible to an attack Therefore, the situation had called for outside assistance. The plan was to send in an infiltrator to locate and free Keith without alerting the enemy. It would be an inside job; a direct rescue attempt would most likely put Keith in a dangerous situation.

Like he wasn’t in one already.

For the job, Lance insisted that they call another of their friends from the Academy. Allura had heard much about Jeff. After all, he was “the other” Voltron captain. Since peace had been established in that part of the galaxy, he was able to make the trip, but she was a little apprehensive in trusting someone with Keith’s life whom she had never met. However, Lance had assured her that Jeff was fully capable and qualified for the job. To quote him directly, Lance had said, “Jeff is the only other person in the galaxy besides Keith who could pull this thing off.”

And now they drove themselves insane while waiting for Jeff to make the two-day trip from Earth.

Allura stopped pacing to view the spectrum of distant stars out her chamber window. Doom was perpetually concealed by electrical storms, and it was impossible to see it on even the clearest of nights. Under normal circumstances, she would rather not be reminded of its presence, but tonight, her thoughts were already there with that of her loved one.

Oh God, please just let him be all right.

A faint knock at her chamber door silenced tears that were beginning to form. “Come in.”

The door slid open, revealing another evening dweller with a lot on his mind. “I figured you’d be up. Can I come in?”

“Sure, Lance. I was actually about to knock on your door.”

Allura studied his face in the dim moonlight. In the past few days, Allura had seen a side to Lance that she never knew existed. His usual laisez-faire attitude had been replaced by one of complete seriousness. His constant expression showed the concern of all the others, but also a powerful, controlled rage that Allura had never seen before. His efforts put forth in the upcoming plan were nothing less than brilliant and his attention to detail, much like that of his friend. Allura took comfort that there was someone else who shared her determination to bring him back.

For a brief moment, the two shared a look that told of the same pain.

“How are you holding up, Allura?

“I’m not.”

Lance said the only thing he could that he knew would make it better. “We’ll get him back – I promise.”

Allura shook her head. “How can you promise that?”

Not wanting to lie to her again, Lance fell silent, for as much as he wanted his best friend back, he knew that to her, it meant so much more.

“I’m tired of waiting Lance. It’s like…one more minute goes by, and it’s one less we have of bringing him home. I don’t see why we can’t send someone right now.”

Lance regarded her pleading eyes with a heavy heart. “Allura, Zarkon is watching this planet like a vulture. The minute we leave, he’ll open up with everything he’s got on Arus. We have to stick to the original plan. Jeff’s not even landing here, so Zarkon will be none the wiser.”

Allura knew that he was right, but inside, the worry was exploding with a physical and mental anguish that she had never known. Somehow, this needed to end…and soon. She nodded and sadly resigned herself to the quiet desperation of the last four days.

In the dark, they held each other and prayed.

Keith flipped through the pages of a thick, dusty book of ancient Doom fables, skimming the words, not really finding interest in the text. It’s hard to find enjoyment in stories where the endings always result in the victory of the evil conqueror. He closed the book with a sigh and ran a gentle hand over the healing wound on the back of his neck.

After four days, the pain of the implant was finally subsiding, but the occasional pang of discomfort was just enough to remind him that escape was going to be nearly impossible. Keith had only heard of such implants before as they were banned by the Galaxy Alliance long ago. The premise was a cruel one; as long as the individual remained within a specified geographical location, the implant would remain inactive. But if the individual even so much as stepped out of the boundary, the implant sent an electrical pulse throughout the body enough to cause a slow, painful death. Keith didn’t fear death, but the slow and painful part did not sound very attractive. Besides, he owed it to his friends, his planet, and his Princess to make it home alive. That’s the least he owed her.

Keith set the book back on its shelf and sat back into a leather-covered easy chair. As he gazed half-heartedly out of the large bay window of his sitting room, he noted that the vast gray haze of the Doom sky was turning a shade of black, a sign that the day was coming to a close. Soon, Keith would receive an invitation to attend evening dinner as this had been the occurrence every day since his capture. Of course he always refused, but his curiosity of the entire situation was increasing by the minute.

If he had ever imagined what it would be like to be captured by the enemy, he never thought it would be like this. Keith took a discriminating look around his room, or more aptly, his suite. It was furbished of the most beautiful furnishings and tapestries that he had ever seen. The fresh flowers in every room were replaced every morning, and it even housed a complete bar, filled with the most exotic and expensive of alien liquors. But the most peculiar aspect of his accommodations was not that of decoration or design; it was the chamber door which remained consistently unlocked. This made him incredibly uneasy, for they would only allow him to wander free if they were sure that escape was impossible. Keith thought of it as more of a deliberate demonstration of their power over him, so he remained more than content to stay in his suite - that is, until he figured a way off of Doom.

Keith kicked off the black boots of his newly issued “uniform.” Nice to have a change of clothes for once, despite that the entire getup was black in color. It lacked the seal of the Galaxy Alliance and that of his commander’s commission from his usual red flight suit, but it was also devoid of any Doom symbols, a gesture for which he was more than grateful. He had also been given a long black cape, an honor bestowed on only the highest of Doom officials. Of all of the peculiarities, this perplexed him most. Zarkon was no fool to think that Keith would just push aside his obligations to the Garrison and Arus just to fulfill this “deal.” If Keith had learned anything in the past week, it was that Zarkon was more intelligent than he had previously given him credit for. Every intention had an ulterior motive, and that was what made him dangerous. Keith would never even think to wear such a blatant symbol of everything he opposed, but he might be tempted if Lotor were to be present. The sheer thought of making Lotor jealous was enough to sacrifice maybe just a little of his moral character.

Keith startled a little at his own thoughts. It seemed like the more time he spent in this place, the more his optimism and patience wore down. The despair and anger of this place was getting under his skin, and every day, it took just a little more energy not to lose hope. It was during these weaker moments that he missed her the most. No matter what was happening in his life, she was always there, giving him something to fight for. In the past few days, her image that had been so clear in his mind had started to cloud over. It was almost as if she were some distant dream he had once had, and he was now waking up to a harsh reality.

Keith let heavy sigh escape his lips. He could only hope against hope that Zarkon was fulfilling his end of the bargain by leaving Arus in peace. A sudden panic raced through his mind at the idea of a battle raging on Arus without him. No doubt Sven was already there, but that was his team, and no matter where he was, he was still responsible for them.

A sudden knock at the door pulled him from his tormented thoughts. He stood and straightened his uniform, readying himself for what waited behind it. “Enter.”

The metal door slid open, revealing a familiar form.

Over the past few days, Keith had become accustomed to the young girl who systematically brought him his daily meals. She was obviously a servant, but she was dressed more like a harem girl, her lack of garment not able to hide her malnourished form. Every day, Keith’s heart broke for her and all others like her. If anything, this war was hardest on its female victims. The men were sent to their graves, but the women were sent to the bedrooms. The idea of it was frightening but seeing it was heart wrenching.

At first she was timid with him, barely speaking when spoken to, but after only a day, Keith had her sharing his meals and talking rather openly. He had learned that she was barely sixteen; her parents having been murdered during an attack on her home world not two months ago. Her physical features held a beauty that went well beyond her sixteen years, no doubt why she was in her current situation.

“Good evening, Commander.”

“Good evening, Miss,” he offered pleasantly with a slight bow.

The gesture made her blush, but she continued about her normal routine, placing the tray on a table between two chairs. She waited for him to sit and cautiously, she settled into the chair next to his.

“So, what are we having tonight?” he asked.

She made a sour face. “I think it’s some sort of meat.”

After inspecting the concoction, he winced. “Sound’s interesting. Um…ladies first?”

She chuckled, turning up her nose. “You just want me to try it to see if it’s poisoned.”

Her wrinkled nose and obvious display of disgust forced Keith to laugh for the first time in days. “Well, maybe we’ll get luckier tomorrow.”

His last comment seemed to trigger a mood change in her, and her smile faded into a deep frown.

“What’s wrong?”

She didn’t want to answer, but she knew she had to. “That’s...what…I was supposed to tell you. His Majesty and the Prince are requesting your presence at the evening meal tomorrow.”

Keith wasn’t at all surprised, for he had been invited to dinner every evening since his imprisonment. “Tell them thanks, but no thanks.” He then laughed. “Tell them that I have a previous engagement.”

The girl smiled, but her expression of concern persisted. “Captain, I don’t think it was a…request.”

Keith folded his hands thoughtfully and sat back. He had been expecting something like this for some time now. Actually, he had thought it strange that he had been left to himself for so long in the first place. Once, he had let his mind to wonder if Zarkon was too busy attacking Arus to bother with him yet, but the skies had been clear for the duration of his imprisonment. If he couldn’t see attack squadrons leaving Doom air space, he would at least be able to hear them. No, Zarkon was up to something else. What exactly that was, Keith didn’t know, but at least this “dinner” would give him the opportunity to find out. And just maybe if he was lucky, the possibility of escape.

Keith poured himself a glass of the usual thick red wine he was served with every meal. It was surprisingly good, and even though he never considered himself much of a drinker, he could polish an entire bottle off in one sitting without so much as a hangover.

Seeing the intent look on his face and not wanting to interrupt the Captain’s train of thought, the girl quickly rose and began gathering the dinner ware.

“Leaving?”

“If I’m not back soon, they’ll come after me, and then…” she trailed off, her next thought too unpleasant to verbalize. “It’s not good to get into trouble around here.”

He leaned over the arm of his chair and grasped one of her busy hands. “Maybe some other time then?”

She startled a little at the remark but found herself blushing. Quickly, she finished collecting the dishes and made for the door. Before exiting, she turned back to find his gaze still heavy on her.

“Commander, please be careful. These people...are evil.”

He simply grinned and relaxed back into his chair. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

She nodded and quickly retreated into the hall.

Keith studied her form intently as she left, only to curse himself soon after.

What am I doing?

He groaned heavily and rubbed at his temples feverishly. Throughout the last few days, strange feelings of sorts had been periodically invading his consciousness. His head, which was usually the epitome of level, clear thinking, was quickly becoming clouded over with an odd, indescribable confusion, and every day, he found himself becoming more and more anxious. Early on, he had contributed it to nerves, but in the last two days, his emotions had really started to get the best of him. It almost seemed as if this place was getting into his brain.

He clenched his thick eyebrows together as if to drive the feeling away, but it persisted, and so he reached over to pour himself another glass of wine. The bitter alcohol seemed to give a temporary solace from the pain.

As he made his way to the bottom of the bottle, his head became heavy with exhaustion, and he reclined back against the soft, easy chair. As he let the pleasantness take him, a vision began filling his clamored head. He imagined his new bride on their wedding bed, and the pleasure he would give her that night. The thought satisfied him and sent a chill down his relaxed body. From there, he let his mind and body run free with the idea, and he would call out her name when it was over.