Part Two

Meanwhile, Keith was standing behind Pidge as he quickly fused together some parts to build the voice modifier.

"This is a crazy scheme, you know," Pidge said with a chuckle. "I can't believe you guys are doing this."

"I figure it'll give them some time to bond," Keith said. "At least Allura's staying in bed."

"The question is for how long will she stay there."

Keith had a wry expression on his handsome face. "One step at a time, Pidge."

Fifteen minutes later, much to Keith's amazement, Pidge finished and he handed the tiny microphone and speaker to his commander. He turned it on and Keith spoke into it.

"This better work," he said in a perfect imitation of Allura's voice. "Ok, it does work. Great job, Pidge."

"Just don't let it get into the wrong hands," Pidge warned. "I'm afraid of what Lance could do with that thing."

Keith laughed. "No problem."

He went to Allura's chambers and knocked though he was wont to barge in. It wasn't that he didn't respect Allura's privacy, but they were both given to barging into each other's rooms these days. The doors slid open and he was met with a sight that amazed and scared him. Two Allura's had turned their identical sky-blue eyes towards him and if he hadn't known the real Allura was sick and in bed, he would have had a hard time telling them apart...until Romelle opened her mouth that is.

"Here's the gadget," he said, handing it to the one he thought was Romelle.

She took it, clipping the small microphone in the neckline of her dress and the speaker down the front of the dress. The two pieces were small enough to stay hidden and didn't give any outline that could give her away.

"How does this sound?" she asked, her voice unmistakably Allura's.

"Do I really soud like dat?" Allura asked bemusedly.

Keith nodded. "So you're sure about this?"

"You bet."

He offered his arm to Romelle. "Then let's go....Allura."

"Good luck," Allura called out. "Rebember everythig I said!"

They walked down the corridors. Romelle hung onto Keith's arm tightly, her mind quickly going over what Allura had told her. Keith couldn't quite wipe the smile off his face and when Sven met them at the ground car, he couldn't either.

"Dis iz probably de silliest ting I haf ever heard auf," he said, chuckling.

"I didn't think Allura was capable of this kind of scheming," Keith agreed.

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge filed out of the castle with expectant expressions on their faces.

"I'm telling you, Hunk," Pidge was saying. "I did it. Say something, Romelle."

"Hi, Guys," she said.

Hunk laughed. "Ok, I owe you a new lexicon mini-chip."

"Do you think I could borrow that...." Lance began.

"NO!" Keith and Pidge said in unison.

"We better go," Romelle said. "I don't want to be late."

"You need to work on your presentation, I think," Lance said thoughtfully. He climbed into the car. "I'll work with you on the way there."

Romelle climbed in and Keith shut the door behind her. He climbed into the driver's seat. He waved at the other three they were leaving behind and drove towards the hospital. In the backseat, Lance was pointing out Allura's less likable qualitites.

"I don't think she'll be needing that for a ribbon cutting ceremony," Keith pointed out when Lance began to go into detail about Allura's razor sharp tongue.

"Yes, but it might help her to know about it," Lance said. "Like an actor needs to know everything about a part, even the littlest details, to get the real feel of it."

Keith rolled his eyes, but Romelle was listening carefully. When they reached the museum, she waited for Keith to open the door and when she stepped out it was as if she was transformed on the way there. She raised her chin high, as Allura did, and took Keith's arm. He led her to the museum board members and they made some small talk as the crowd gathered. Keith had to admit that she was doing a very good job impersonating the Princess. Lance stayed with the ground car, though now he was surrounded by a gaggle of women.

"It was very good of you to come today, Your Highness," Malum Crath, the museum curator, said.

"It's for the people," Romelle said archly, much like Allura would have. "If it's for them, I will come unless there were some extremely serious circumstances preventing me from going."

"Too many serious circumstances occurring of late," another man said.

"That's what we have Commander Porterfield here for," Romelle said, glancing sideways at Keith who had remained silent until now to enjoy the show.

"I'm only doing my job," he said, with a strange look in his eye that Romelle didn't understand.

They talked for a few more minutes before Romelle was called up to the platform. Keith stayed down as she stepped up to the podium to deliver Allura's speech. At the castle, the real Princess of Arus was watching, eyes riveted to the screen. Romelle spoke with the same inflections that Allura did, her gestures encompassing the whole audience.

She's better than I am at playing me, Allura thought wryly.

Romelle finally finished talking and they applauded. Keith felt a new admiration for her and clapped heartily. The scissors were handed to her and she snipped at the ribbon. The crowd cheered and she smiled as the cameras began snapping away. She handed the scissors back to the woman who gave them to her and gestured for Keith to come. He went up the stairs and they entered the museum together.

"That was great," he said with a laugh. "You're not bad at this acting thing."

"I've had practice. My life depended on it," Romelle said, her eyes taking on a haunted look.

They walked through the museum, poking at the artifacts and listening to the curator who was their official tour guide. After two hours, they were finally able to leave. Lance was already back at the ground car, with a satisfied expression on his face.

"You're a star," he said to Romelle as he opened the door for her.

"Don't worry," she said. "I won't forget the little people."

"I'm sure Sven will be happy to hear that."

They bantered all the way back to the castle. Allura was waiting for them when they entered the rec room. Keith looked at her disapprovingly.

"You're supposed to be in bed," he said, looking like a mother hen.

She ignored him and looked at her cousin. "You were incredible....thank you," she added hesitantly. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Romelle smiled gently and put her hand over Allura's. As she looked into Allura's war hardened eyes, at the effort she was trying to put into building their relationship, she felt whatever animosity she had left for her cousin melt away. Romelle wanted to hug her, but knew it wasn't quite time for that.

"What are cousins for?" she said instead.

Lance pretended to wipe away a stray tear. "That was sweet."

"Shut up," the cousins said in unison.

Keith and Lance exchanged disturbed looks.

"Romelle, could you turn off the voice modifier thing?" Lance asked. "Because hearing Allura's voice coming from one mouth is hard enough, but surround sound will make me lose my mind."

THE END