"Why did you do that, Coran?" Lance demanded. "Why did you have to do that to them?"

"It wasn't right," Coran explained patiently as if talking to a two-year-old child. "Keith knew that, that was why he left. They are from two different worlds. It can never be."

"It's not up to you!" Pidge cried. "Didn't you listen to her speech?"

Coran flared. "As for that, I don't think she would have done it if not for him."

"Have you heard it?" Lance asked.

"No," Coran admitted.

"Then, listen to it and we'll see who the foolish one is here."

Nanny entered the room, her countenance tortured. The remaining members of the Voltron Force stepped by to let her through. She could feel the weight of their stares on her.

"She will not come out of her room and I can hear her crying."

"Did you think she would be having a party?" Lance said sarcastically. "You two just ruined whatever was growing between her and Keith. You've just ruined the only true love that she could have had in her entire life. NO one is more loyal than Keith is to her and more suitable to be a husband."

Nanny stood by Coran and rested a hand on his shoulder as if to show her support of his actions. If not for the look in her eyes they would have believed her. They all knew that she cared more for the Princess than her image and the image of Allura's painstricken face was more than Nanny could take. She had never seen such an expression on Allura's face since…since she had lost her father. If her feelings of the young Captain had run that deep, Nanny began to question what they had done.

 "She will thank us in the long run," Coran said. "When she finds a proper suitor, she will realize what is best for her and her people."

Lance bridled. Hunk's fists curled at his sides and Pidge glared at Coran. They couldn't believe that they were hearing this from a man they thought respected them as more than mere soldiers, but as fine men. Pidge shook his head as if it would help erase what he heard.

"Keith may not be rich, but he's one in a million. You won't find anyone more loyal to Allura or who would love her as much and completely as he does," he said.

"I don't think anything will thank you for this," Hunk muttered.

Lance whirled on his heel, knowing that if he stayed he would end up saying something he would regret. He rushed out to the door, followed by Pidge and Hunk.

Allura say by her window. The beautiful Fall sunshine filtered in and she could see the colorful leaves. None of it did anything to cheer her. She could hear the pitter patter of mouse-sized feet behind her, but she didn't turn to greet her friends. She had not moved for over three hours. Not since Keith had left her. Her eyes welled up at the thought of him out there all alone with his pain. She wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and make him stop hurting…to make herself stop hurting.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, looking up at the sky. "I wish it didn't have to end like this."

"It doesn't have to."

She nearly screamed with fright as she turned around to face the intruder. She sighed deeply when she saw that it was only Lance.

"How did you get in?" she asked, not really caring.

"Talent," he replied. "So, you want to find Keith, or not?"

She didn't even hesitate. "What do you think?"

Lance knelt at her side, his expression earnest. ""Do you love him?"

She nodded. "More than anything in the world."

He grinned. "Then what are you waiting for?"

"What if we don't find him?" she asked tearfully. "I don't think I can bear it."

Lance smiled. "I know exactly where he is. Don't you worry your little head about it. All we have to really think about is how to get you there."

Keith landed on Pollux deep into the night. He was met on the tarmac by Sven, who gave him a brief but welcoming hug.

"It iz good to see you, Keit," his friend said.

"I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I know."

"I won't be staying long. Just long enough to refuel so I can make it to Earth without anymore stops."

Sven only nodded. He and Keith walked towards the castle. Sven could make out Romelle's form at her window as she watched them. She knew that Keith was coming for she and Sven did not hide anything from each other. She had informed Lance earlier that day so that he could tell Allura. Ever since she and Sven had declared their love for each other, they wanted the same for Keith and Allura. Like Lance, they believed there was no two people more suited for each other than they where, aside from themselves of course.

"How did it ever come to this?" Keith muttered to himself.

Sven had never seen his friend look so weary. Keith had been through hundreds of battles and had lost more than one friend to the war with Zarkon, but he had never looked like this before. Sven knew it was because he finally realized that he had just lost the reason that he was fighting for in the first place and he was confused and lost. It was much like how Sven was after Hagar had injured him. He put a hand on Keith's shoulder, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Ven you fall in love vid de ruler of a planet, tings tend to get harder before dey get eazier," he said wisely.

Keith's mouth twisted bitterly. "Then, it's a good thing I got out while I still could because if it gets any harder than this, I'm going to die."

Sven shook his head. "But, oh my friend, ven it gets eazier, you will tink that you are in heafen."

Keith rubbed his eyes exhaustedly. He sighed deeply. "I don't think I can do it, Sven."

"Of all the people in dis universe, you are de last person I would tink would say dat."

He led Keith through the labyrinth of corridors. The castle on Pollux wasn't older than its Arusian counterpart, but it had been neglected for so long that it had a musty smell that could not quite be erased by fresh air. Keith barely noticed it. He was ready to pass out. He heard Sven talking, but he couldn't understand anything he said. He hadn't slept since he had left Arus twenty hours before and before that, he had spent most of the night up with Allura writing her speech. He didn't even feel the floor hit him when he mercifully passed out.

Allura crept through the silent corridors. She was wearing the soft leather boots of a traveler and a poor peasant's clothes. No one would suspect that she was royalty. The sound of someone snapping their fingers cued her to come up further until the next doorway. Pidge went up further until he was at the door of Castle Control. He flattened himself against the wall when the doors slid open and Coran, Hunk, and Lance came out. Lance immediately found Allura's hiding place and winked at her.

"We swear it looks like one of Zarkon's ships," he was saying.

"Why didn't the sensors pick it up when it fell into Arusian airspace?" Coran asked.

"I don't know," Lance said exasperatedly. "Maybe it was cloaked."

They disappeared down a separate corridor and Allura ran into the room. She and Pidge went into the docking bay where a small, simple craft was waiting. However, looks could be deceiving. It was Hunk's private ship, nicknamed Cupid for its special mission, and he had added a few choice extras to it that were not exactly Alliance standards.

Pidge hugged Allura.

"Good luck, Princess," he said. "Bring him back."

Allura smiled for the first time in days. "I will, Pidge. Keep Arus safe for me."

She disappeared inside the ship and Pidge waved as Cupid shot out into the night sky. A few minutes later, he heard Coran's voice. He sounded like he was in a rage. Pidge sighed and steeled himself for the onslaught of Coran's anger. They were going to have a lot of explaining to do.

You owe us big time, he thought to Keith and Allura.