Allura took a deep breath of the clean air. Keith was right about one thing, the air recyclers and the new vegetation were doing wonders for the Arusian environment. She rolled up her sleeves and dug her trowel into the soft black soil. With gentle and nimble fingers, she put the daffodil bulb into the hole she dug and patted the soil down around it. She was covered with soil and her fingernails would probably make Nanny yell bloody murder, but she didn't notice. One thing Allura lacked were dainty "princess" qualities and she was proud of it.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was beginning to enjoy gardening. They had finished discussing the successful intervid conference a half hour ago and Coran had made her leave Castle Control to get some rest. Unable to sleep, she retreated to the garden. For once, Keith wasn't there. But when she heard a twig snap nearby, she knew someone was.

She looked up, the trowel held tightly in her hand. "Who's there?" she called.

Romelle appeared through the foliage. "It's just me," she said.

"Oh...hi."

"Hi."

Romelle sat on the bench behind her and when Romelle didn't say anything, Allura went back to her digging and planting. She could feel Romelle's eyes boring holes into the back of her head, but she fought the urge to turn around. Romelle had come for something and she would wait until she said just what that was.

"I'm not having the baby," she said at last.

Allura stuck the trowel in the soil and turned around, finding herself sitting at Romelle's feet. She looked up at the former Polluxian Princess.

"Good," she said.

"I'm not strong enough to have it," Romelle said.

"It's not a matter of strength," Allura said. "It's a matter of self-preservation."

Romelle looked closely at her cousin. "Yes. It is."

She gathered her skirts and knelt next to Allura. She took the daffodil bulb from her hands and put it in the hole. Allura dug another and Romelle filled it with a bulb. They continued on working, no words passing between them. It was like this did Sven and Keith find them, two blonde heads working side-by-side. They exchanged puzzled glances. Keith was surprised to find the two women working peacefully together after having witnessed their exchange at the med wing.

"Romelle..should you be doing dat?" Sven asked.

She looked up, a smudge of dirt on her pale cheek. "What else should I be doing?"

"Your condition..."

Allura looked up and glared at him, silencing him quickly. Keith sat down on the bench Romelle had vacated, watching them thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to say something, but his communicator beeped.

"Porterfield," he said.

"Where are you, Keith?" Lance questioned. "I've been looking all over the place for you."

"Out in the garden."

"Alright. I'll be right there."

True to his word, Lance came jogging out a few minutes later, Gwen and Morgan in tow.

"Gwen's decided to stay for a while," he said. "If that's alright, Princess."

"Of course it is," Allura said. "Make yourself at home, Commander DeSouza."

"Please," Gwen said. "Call me Gwen."

"Gwen it is," Allura said. "This is..my cousin, Romelle."

"Nice to meet you," Gwen said.

"Likewise," Romelle said.

Gwen sat on the bench next to Keith. Morgan stirred. Except for the hour when she slept, Gwen hadn't let go of her daughter since Luna. Keith stroked the baby's rosy cheek with a finger.

"It's nice out here," Lance said, looking up at the starry sky. "Not exactly the best time to do some gardening..."

"Better now than never," Allura said, digging away.

"The quiet makes you forget vat's going on elsewhere," Sven said, helping Romelle pat down a bulb.

"I'll never forget," Gwen murmured.

Hunk and Pidge came out just then. Hunk had a basket in his arms and the smells wafting from it spoke of dinner.

"Nanny hunted me down and told me to give this to you since you missed dinner again," Hunk said, holding out the basket.

Allura wiped her hands on her pants and took it from him. She put it on the ground and began taking things out, handing them to whoever was nearby. Keith had a mouthful of chicken and the Arusian equivalent to a turkey sandwich in one hand before he sat back down. They ate in silence. Allura sat near Keith, leaning against the bench near his legs. They shared a bottle of water, passing it back and forth. Lance had devoured a meat pattie in moments as Gwen ate her own piece of chicken. Hunk, Pidge, Sven, and Romelle, having already eaten, merely watched. Sven and Romelle sat comfortably on a patch of grass with her leaning against him as he sat behind her. Hunk and Pidge, taking one look at the trowels and daffodil bulbs, took up the job.

"Long day," Pidge said. "I finally got the ground shield back up to one-hundred percent."

"Good job," Allura said around a mouthful of meat.

"Ve should be saying dat to you, Your Highness," Sven said. "It is all over de castle dat de conference was a success."

"Only fifty planets have sided with us," Allura said.

"But sixty have shown a great interest in joining you," Hunk pointed out. "Not too shabby."

"Keith helped," she said.

"I was just there for show," Keith said. "She did all the work."

"You need all the rest you can get when GG hears of this," Lance said.

"I'm sure they already have," Keith said.

"I'm ready for them," Allura said.

"A war from both sides," Gwen said. "I commend you, Princess."

Allura shrugged and shook her head. "I just hope it amounts to something good."

They sat in silence, the six young Alliance officers and the two Princesses, whose paths crossed unexpectedly but were now intertwined indefinitely. Some more tightly than the others, but together nevertheless. Families were lost and found, bonds between friends tightened. As they sat in the darkness, a calm came over them.

But as always in a time of war, it was only the calm before the storm.

The Legend Will Continue...