Considered by many to be ultimate hybrid of technology and architecture, the Castle of Lions was more to her people than simply a place to house the monarchy. It was a symbol of hope, a reminder to the Arusians of how far they had come in the recent past, and just maybe, where they could be headed in the not-so-distant future. Slick, silver steel molded strong and thick, it was the proper master of a proud people. So grand and impressive, the Castle of Lions was a menace to enemies and a haven for friends. How tragically eerie that the surrounding countryside could be such a complete contrast to the castle’s stark brilliance. Under the light of the half moon and stars, the burnt landscapes and abandoned ruins were almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Lotor could almost feel a pang of something unpleasant brewing in his well-toned belly at the notion, but then again, maybe it was just all that wine he drank with dinner. Such a beautiful evening, Lotor could only imagine where his golden beauty was, or what she was doing right now. If she made him to wait hours to see her, he would do just that.

Over the past few months, Lotor had come to know certain aspects of the Arusian Princess’ daily routine. Lion practice every morning at seven, breakfast at ten, combat training until two, then lunch, and so on. He knew almost every minute of her every day, mostly from paying attention, some from giving the right amount of gold to the right person. After a while, Lotor came to realize that as a general rule, the young princess seemed to follow a pretty regimented schedule. Even her leisure time was punctual and predictable. For example, Lotor knew that every night, usually right around eleven o’clock, the Princess Allura would find a moment to pause awhile atop her balcony. If for only a few minutes, she would stare off into space, almost as if she were looking for something amidst the sea of stars which hung bright and dense over her like a lofty, jeweled crown. Perched just far enough away, Lotor would try to observe the expressions on her face, perhaps to get a sense of what it was she sought. “My darling Allura, if only I knew what it is you search for, I would give it to you and then some.” He would often speak to her, as if somehow, she might hear the whisperings of something in the corners of her mind. But for as predictable as he often found her to be, tonight could be different, for it was his love’s 19th birthday, and the information obtained from his inside source indicated that there would be a party held in her honor. Perhaps she would be too preoccupied with her guests to come outside this night. Lotor shook the disturbing thought from his mind and retrieved a pair night-vision binoculars from his bag.

Her 19th birthday, the fact made his desire to see her burn even hotter. Patience, he reminded himself. And no sooner did his scold himself than his wish came true. In the near distance, he caught his first glimpse of her.

Lotor relished the rare evening when he could get away from his father and his wretched life, and spend a few intimate moments alone with his lovely Princess. This night, the moon hung especially full and bright, but it could only slightly enhance what was already perfect.

From behind the cover of a nearby patch of trees, his breath caught in his throat. The usual pink gown she usually wore had been replaced by one of a rich, dusty blue, a shade that he imagined would match the color of her ocean eyes perfectly. Her long blond locks that usually fell far past her shoulders were tucked into a loose bun, framing the soft lines of her face, and her skin lit up like that of a child’s porcelain doll. Utterly beautiful, he thought. Flawless, like a statue upon a pedestal that was sculpted just for him.

Now was the time. He crept out from behind a tree and slowly made his way to where he would be able to deliver his gift. He glanced down to the handful of Doom flowers that he had picked himself. Doom was a dark world, but a few species of flowers did bloom on its far side. As it turned out, they were among the most beautiful in the universe; dark reds, greens, oranges, and yellows, all mixed together in one single flower. Most were only able to behold their beauty from photographs.

Indeed, she would find them pleasing. He would not be able to reach the balcony, but he would be close enough to toss them up to her. Perhaps if she knew she was safe, she might not run from him. Maybe she would even talk with him for a moment. The thought of it caused his chest to tighten and his five-chambered heart to pound fiercely against his ribs. Unconsciously, he picked up his stride.

And then suddenly, like one caught in a search beam, he stopped dead in his tracks. He could only smolder and watch. She was no longer alone.

Allura sighed and leaned over the railing of the balcony that overlooked the nearby village. The oil lamps that usually illuminated the dwellings this time of night were scarce. After all, everyone that lived within travelling distance was at the castle tonight. She wasn’t really in the mood for the huge gala that was going on just beyond the few set of closed doors behind her, but it wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter. After all, it was her birthday, and Arusian tradition called for a planetary celebration of the event every year. To her, it seemed a little silly to have such a fuss made over her 19th birthday. Next year, the celebration would be even grander, for it was on her 20th birthday that an Arusian princess would begin her search for the future King.

A husband. The idea didn’t seem to sit too well with her. She was all too busy lately with both her piloting and royal responsibilities. A husband just didn’t fit into the equation. Besides, she had met all of the princes from the nearby galaxies and none of them seemed quite right. Most of them were greedy, all of them were conceited. Having gone through what she had, the darker, early years of the war against Doom, she found that she had little tolerance for conceit. It only served to make a person angry and lonely. The thought distressed her a bit too much, so she pushed it aside in an attempt to enjoy her last minutes alone.

“Princess?”

Startled, her right hand instinctively flew to her bare throat as she swung around. “You have to learn not to sneak up on people like that!”

“Sorry, Allura.”

Keith stared at the lovely picture she made before him. For the past two years, he had come to respect and admire her as a pilot and leader, but through all of that, he was still taken aback at how beautiful she had become. When they had first arrived, she was just a girl. Now, a woman stood before him. The transformation was amazing and hard to ignore. In fact, it was getting harder to ignore every day.

“That’s okay, Keith. I should be getting back to the party anyway. I just needed a minute to...” but she didn’t finish, didn’t need to. She knew that he understood, for like her, he’d rather be alone.

Keith smiled weakly, and stepping up to the railing, he folded his hands over it and leaned forward to take in the full spectacle that the breathtaking Arusian countryside made before them. Yes, still beautiful despite its battle scars. Strangely, even more so because of them.

The sky was as bright as he had ever seen it tonight, as if the moon itself was celebrating his Princess’ special day. The couple let their eyes wander aimlessly for a few comfortable minutes, allowing themselves to secretly enjoy this rare moment alone together. As usual, he was the first to find his way back to reality.

“Well, Coran is going to wonder where we went, so we should probably get you back to your guests.”

Allura abruptly dropped her gaze. “So, Coran sent you looking for me.”

Keith noticed the overtone of disappointment. “Actually, Allura, I volunteered. I was starting to get…a little worried about you.”

“Worried?” The admonishment seemed to brighten her mood a little, although she wished it hadn’t sounded so obvious.

Keith continued to stare off into the distance. “Well, you just up and left. No one really saw you leave, and considering that it’s your birthday…” and he let it trail off, not wanting to speak the words.

“Yes?”

He hesitated. “Lotor might try something.”

And suddenly, she found her own self back in reality. Unknowingly, her expression darkened , and she lowered her head in thought. She hadn’t really given Lotor much pause tonight, especially since things had been so quiet lately.

“I’m sorry for sneaking out, Keith. It’s just that…” She hesitated as if she didn’t want to make the next admonition. “I’m tired of every available prince in the galaxy…pawing at me like I’m some sort of carnival prize. It’s like the invitation to my birthday party said, ‘Come and celebrate Allura’s 19th Birthday! She’s available and wants a husband!’ It’s ridiculous, Keith! I don’t know why Nanny and Coran have to make such a spectacle of me sometimes.”

Keith smiled a little, quirking an eyebrow at the honesty of her reproach. “They mean well, Allura. Besides, you can’t really blame those guys.”

Somehow, she found the remark a bit offensive. “What do you mean that I can’t blame them?”

Keith didn’t really want to make a discussion of it, but she seemed to take his comment the wrong way, so he turned his full attention toward her only to find her already pinning him with a not-so-friendly stare. “Well, Allura, I don’t think that there is a man in the universe that doesn’t find you incredibly…appealing. Beautiful, I mean.” The comment made him flush a bit. Luckily, it was too dark for her to notice. Then again, at that moment, he thought he saw her lips curl up into a smile before looking away.

“I just meant that men are going to find you attractive, and there’s really nothing you can do about it.” He studied her face. To anyone else, she would appear to be contented, even happy, but to him, he could see something slightly dark penetrating through her forced Princess-like expression.

“Allura, what’s wrong?”

She exhaled a deep sigh, one he figured that she had been holding onto for a while. “Keith, I know that Nanny and Coran want what’s best for me, but next year…” She stopped. It was difficult for a Terran to understand the royal tradition of marrying at the age of twenty.

“I know,” was all he said. Their eyes locked in a secret language of understanding, speaking those things that could not be said aloud just yet.

Allura broke the silence when an unexpected laughter rose up in her throat. The sound caused an unwilling mirth to creep up on him, and he couldn’t hold a smile. She was contagious in that way; the planet could be about ready to blow up, and if she was laughing about it, he’d be laughing too. “What’s so funny?”

She looked at him sheepishly, almost too embarrassed to share what seemed so silly. “It’s just funny that I’ll be married next year…and I’ve never even KISSED anyone before.” She then started to laugh uncontrollably, more so now because she was surprised at the blatant boldness of the admonition.

Keith allowed himself a grin. He had often wondered about that very…issue, but he chastised himself every time he did. It was really none of his business, he supposed. But still…

Holding her side, she managed to stop giggling somewhat. “Oh well, I guess I’m pretty to look at but not pretty enough to kiss!”

The remark made Keith’s expression darken abruptly. “What do you mean?”

Noting his sudden seriousness, the smile dropped a little from her lips. “I meant just that. If I’m supposed to be such a darn great catch, how come the only person who has ever tried to kiss me is Lotor?”

Keith stared at her so solemnly, it unnerved her just a bit. A few seconds passed like minutes. “Allura…any man would be lucky to kiss you. It’s just that…some people are a little intimidated by perfection.”

“Perfection? That’s a tall order if I ever heard one.” “You know what I mean.” Neither said anything more. Allura took a moment to notice his finely sculpted jaw, the way the moonlight reflected off his perfectly black hair, his deep black eyes. Oh, the way he looked at her sometimes! It was as if…as if he knew something about her, something she didn’t know herself. At times, it seemed almost dirty how intently he would follow her with those eyes. Around the castle, when he thought she wasn’t looking; it was the rare moment that she didn’t look away, or he didn’t. But there was something about the night, the taste of spring in the air, and the honest, raw emotion on his face, it almost left her speechless. Almost.

“Are you…intimidated?”

The distant sound of the party in the next room suddenly fell silent…or had her ears gone deaf to all the noises beyond the balcony. No matter, for there were just the two lone figures now, high atop a magical kingdom below.

He stepped toward her, lowering his head to meet hers. She closed her eyes and waited. Right before she felt his soft lips on hers, she heard him whisper something.

“Not anymore.”

She had played this moment over and over in her dreams before, but she never expected this. Her knees almost gave way, but he caught her in his embrace, and soon, she was oblivious to everything but the touch of his soft lips and the warmth of his breath on her cool skin. Following his urging, she relaxed into the moment, one that she would remember forever.

After more than a few minutes, he reluctantly broke their embrace. But instead of letting her go, mumbling some asinine apology, he simply held her close as both sets of eyes searched for what might happen next.

Eventually, he backed away. “We, uh, need to get back.”

She simply nodded in resignation and took his offered arm.

“Allura?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry about those other guys. I won’t let them ‘paw’ at you anymore.”

“Thanks, Keith.”

He reached for the door but stopped abruptly. “Allura?”

She responded simply by meeting his gaze.

“Happy Birthday.”

She smiled, and they exchanged a look that was new between them, one that told of a silent, shared emotion, a moment that only the two of them would know for the rest of their lives. What happened tomorrow, they cared not. For once, they both found themselves trapped in the moment. Tonight was magical, and that was all that mattered.

With a swift, grand motion, he flung open the balcony door and led his Princess back to her party.

Off in the distance, a face in the shadows grew dark with rage. Lotor’s first instinct was to pull his blaster and do away with his worst enemy, but he was too far. As good a shot as he was, he might actually hit his beautiful Princess. And even if he did manage to hit the Captain, it was doubtful that he would be able to get away in time. His ship was some distance from the castle, and he was on foot. No, not tonight. It would have to be another day, but one that would come soon. Very soon.

Lotor turned from the scene and began making his way through the thick foliage. Despite his haste, he stopped near something that he usually only passed by without a thought.

He had often wondered why the royal Arusian family would have buried their Queen so openly on the top of a grassy knoll, but the thought always left him, as he didn’t really care. He had noticed its presence several months ago but fought the urge to have it destroyed. It didn’t take a genius to know that it might not be the best way to win over a Princess, leveling her mother’s grave site. Another, deeper part of him, left it be for personal reasons. Like her, his own mother was dead at the hands of Zarkon. If anything, he shared a common bond with his Princess in that way.

With much trepidation, he squat down on his haunches near the grave, making sure to watch his feet. Carefully, he set the flowers down against the main head stone and sighed aloud.

“I’m not really sure what you think, but I do love her.”

He paused, as if he were waiting for some kind of reply. Nothing. Silence.

“Well, if I can’t give these to your daughter, I’ll leave them here for you. You don’t have to take them if you don’t want them.”

Nothing. Silence.

“I would bring my mother’s grave flowers when I was a boy. When I would come the next time, they would be gone. I always imagined that she would wait for me to leave and then come down and take them.”

Lotor fell silent. He suddenly felt the need to get away. An unfamiliar feeling began to rise up in his gut, bringing with it a lump in his throat that he could not swallow.

Lotor shook his head. Emotions were for cowards, and he couldn’t afford to fall victim to a weakness. Quickly, he stood and began making way back to his ship.

After he had gone, a gust of wind passed by, ruffling the soft petals of the flowers he’d left. Then as quickly as the breeze had picked up, it was gone. Again, there was nothing. Silence.