Part Four

Lance's boots clicked on the marble floors of the cavernous Cathedral, a steady rhythm that coincided nicely with the sound of Pidge's boots as he paced in the opposite direction. Sven leaned against a pillar, his arms folded across his chest, the complete antithesis of his fidgety friends. Hunk kept on peering out the door, looking for signs of the Princess's carriage. Finally, he let out a cry, startling even Sven.

"She's coming! She's coming!"

They crowded at the door, mouths falling open when the Princess emerged, struggling a bit with her train. In her hand, she held a bouquet of white roses, picked fresh that morning from the garden Keith had created for her.

"Wow," Pidge breathed.

"She cleans up good," Lance agreed.

A breeze caught Allura's veil and it swirled behind her, catching the afternoon sunlight. She looked up, meeting their eyes from behind the sparkling, transparent netting, and smiled. They gasped in unison at the beauty they beheld before them, not even noticing the amused glances her court exchanged behind her.

"Make room, Boys. Princess coming through," Allura said, her boisterous voice echoing in the church. She clapped a hand over her mouth at the sound, but didn't look the least bit embarrassed.

Entering the foyer from the smaller chapel to the left, Coran went to the enormous double doors separating the main foyer from the hall, and closed them. He turned then and smiled tearily at the sight of the Princess, looking into her face as he took both her hands.

"You look exquisite," he said.

"Thank you," she said, squeezing his hands. "So, are we all ready?"

He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and nodded at Lance and Hunk who were holding the doors. They opened them with flourish and right on cue, the string quartet began to play. The familiar strains of Canon in D filled the Cathedral and those gathered grew silent. As one, they turned around to watch the bridal court enter.

Keith turned from his position at the altar, looking for all the world that he could stand there forever, but then again, no one nearby knew him well enough to see that his skin was at least three or four shades darker than it looked right then. Eyes riveted to the back of the cathedral, he held his breath as Pidge and Nanny stepped onto the carpeted aisle. To his shock, Nanny smiled at him, her hazel eyes shimmering. Pidge grinned widely. Keith released his breath a little bit.

Lance and Link stood at the doorway, moving only when Pidge and Nanny reached the halfway point. They moved in perfect unison, their wedding bands glinting in the light. The smile Lance gave Keith was different from the various smirks and grins they'd exchanged throughout the years---this smile was one of perfect understanding. Lance knew how he was feeling, knew what it was like to bond with the woman he'd given his heart to. He broke eye contact with Keith for a moment to look sideways at the tiny woman holding his arm. Link glowed in her silver gown, her own smile brilliant as her hand clutched her husband's elbow. As if she sensed Lance's eyes on her, she looked sideways at him, her smile turning intimate. Together, they turned back to Keith as if showing him a glimpse of what marriage could bring.

And he wanted it.

Trembling hand safely tucked in Coran's elbow, Allura waited until it would be their turn to go. A corner of her mouth lifted as she thought how convenient it was to have a long skirt as her left foot tapped impatiently. Sven and Romelle were already at the doorway, waiting for Lance and Link to reach the center of the aisle. A second before they stepped out, Romelle turned her head to the side and blew a kiss to her cousin. Allura took a deep breath and managed a smile.

She and Coran moved up slightly, and she now had a good view of the main hall. Feeling the hundred pairs of eyes on her, Allura felt like turning tail and running out of there. Then, she saw Keith. She immediately stilled. Even from the distance separating them, she could see that he did too.

"Princess," Coran whispered in her ear. "It's time to go."

Allura nodded speechlessly and began to move with him. The music had changed to the wedding march but she barely heard it. All she could see was Keith, incredibly handsome in his dark dress uniform, one hand on the handle of the saber hanging at his side. Lance, Sven, Pidge, and Hunk flanked him, but Allura only had eyes for him. Her eyes drank the sight of him, her groom, her lover, her best friend, and she knew this was one the best things she could do in her life. From the moment Keith had stepped foot on Arus, despite the harsh words they'd exchanged, despite the trials they had endured, this was their destiny. In that moment, Allura felt an indescribable peace and her shoulders, so tense only minutes ago, now relaxed, and she glided the rest of the way down the aisle.

Keith's lips had parted when she'd entered and his expression had not changed. It was one of awe and disbelief that this woman coming towards him... coming towards him. He thought he'd seen every side of Allura there was for she was like a book he'd read many times over--and would not hesitate to pick up again. He'd seen her in rage, in inconsolable sadness, in unbelievable happiness, and in ecstacy that only they could find together...but never this. This vision of beauty that neared him was not an Allura he'd seen before.

She glowed and when Keith realized she was glowing for him, he finally released the breath he'd held.

Coran took Allura's hand from his elbow and handed it to Keith. Tucking away a smile behind his moustache, he was very aware that neither of them had even noticed that he was gone.

Allura stepped up to the altar. Keith stared at her and didn't seem to know what to do next.

Then, he saw a familiar flare light up in her eyes in spite of the veil covering her face.

"Lift the veil," she hissed.

He blinked and let out a laugh. "We did take out the obey part of the vows, right?" he whispered.

He lifted the veil in time to see her eyebrow quirk upwards. "Only on your half," she retorted.

They grinned at each other and held each other's hands as the priest began to speak, but they didn't need to hear his words. They both knew that sometime in their mottled past, they had already wedded each other, for sometime between friendship and love, their souls had mated. Their eyes did not venture from each other until the priest bade them to exchange the first kiss of their married lives. Gingerly, Keith stepped towards his new wife and framed her face with his hands.

"That wasn't so bad," he said with a lazy smile.

"No, it really wasn't," she agreed, her gaze on his approaching mouth.

Their lips met and it wasn't for a while until they heard the applause and laughter. Grinning foolishly, they separated and faced the crowd.

"Alright, everybody. Show's over. Go home!" Allura cried.

"Well there is a little matter of a coronation," Lance said in a loud whisper.

"Oh, right," Allura said, slanting a sideways glance at her now pale husband. "Let's get that over with so we can start the party."

"How about we have the party first then the coronation after?" Keith suggested weakly.

Coran stepped up and patted Keith on the shoulder. "It will be quick. Kind of like a needle."

"I hate needles."

Allura squeezed his hand, her countenance serious. "Keith, if you really don't want to do this..."

"No, no," he assured her quickly. "I do want to be your King. I'm just...nervous. Go on, Coran. I can do this. I want to do this."

Shrugging, Allura turned around to face Coran who now stood where the priest had been. Bandor, who had been sitting in one of the front pews, and Romelle went to either side of him, each holding a deep blue velvet pillow on which rested a crown. Neither Allura's nor Keith's attentions were on what Coran was saying. Both were pondering the responsibilities that the crowns represented--and decided that being a monarch during a time of peace couldn't be harder than being a leader at a time of war. So when the crowns were placed on their heads, they did not feel the weight.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Coran finished, his voice booming. "I present to you, the King and Queen of Arus!"

The applause steadily grew to a roar. Allura and Keith exchanged amused glances before taking off the crowns. Eyes wide with shock, Coran gestured for Romelle and Bandor to put the crowns back on the pillows but Allura held Keith's hand in place before he could move to put his crown back. He looked at her questioningly but didn't speak. He could see that she had something to say.

"I am now your Queen and I know that title carries with it traditions that have been passed down by generations. Traditions that entail certain instances in which formalities must be used and protocol followed. I hold this crown in my hand now in direct violation of a protocol...it's only the beginning of many traditions that I will change. Arus is no longer the Arus of our fathers and grandfathers. We, as a people, have worked side-by-side regardless of class, of creed, of race. We bled together, died together. Yes, I am your Queen, but not the same kind of Queen that my mother had been. I am a Queen who is one of the people. If you do not know what I mean, you will soon understand."

Carefully, she placed the crown back on the pillow. Keith followed suit. The silence in the Cathedral was absolute, the expressions on people's faces were of astonishment. Then someone began to clap, and the noise rose, different from the earlier applause because this one held a touch of respect. Allura turned to Keith and saw that he was smiling at her.

"That was...you're a great leader, Allura," he said, kissing her.

She only smiled in reply. They walked down the aisle amidst the clapping and out into the late afternoon sunshine. They stood together as the guests began to pour out, throwing handfuls of confetti at them. They smiled as the photographer kneeled in front of them, snapping a quick, candid photograph. Then, Allura shrieked when she felt herself being hauled up bodily. She heard Keith make a protesting noise before he was drowned out by a flurry of giggles. There was another click as the photographer took another photograph.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed, more confused than angry.

She raised her head and saw Lance grinning down at her.

"You'll see him again soon, Queen Allura. But we read up on Arusian tradition and we are allowed to have our wicked way with you before sending you off on your honeymoon--not that you need one."

Allura opened her mouth to protest but sighed instead. "Fine."

She looked beyond Lance and saw Keith being held by Romelle, Link, Gwen. He smiled at her and lifted his hand in a wave. Feeling an uncharacteristic bubble of laughter rise within her, she returned it.

 

The present...

Allura held the album in her hands, laughing at the photograph she was looking at. It was of her, Sven, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk surrounding a horse that had been spray-painted a royal blue color, an enormous wreath of flowers hung about its neck. In a garish blue gown and a necklace of flowers around her own neck, she'd matched with the poor animal perfectly. When she had finally met up with Keith again, she'd laughed until she cried at the sight of him being brought into the room on a barge hoisted by her bridesmaids--with help from hoverlifts, of course. The wedding banquet had lasted well until the next morning and they'd gone on their honeymoon to...their suite. They hadn't wanted to leave the Castle, wanting to celebrate their wedding in the place where it had all started.

She remembered what she had said at their coronation and hoped that she had lived up to her words.  The trappings of royalty had never suited her and she had always been accessible to the people.  When she and Keith visited other towns, they did not wave to the crowds from a groundcar, but walked the streets like a couple, answering questions and conversing with the bolder citizens.  Keith was better at that than she was, but it seemed to her that they appreciated her presence all the same.  When it was Bethie’s time, Allura could only hope that her daughter would follow their example.

Sighing, she closed the album and placed it back on the shelves. Squaring her shoulders, she turned back to the work waiting for her on her desk, ready to tackle it once again, but she paused as she reached for a datapad when she heard his footsteps nearing her open door. So when Keith, his raven hair tousled from sleep, peeked into the room, she was already looking in his direction, trying, unsuccessfully, to look annoyed at the interruption.

"Workaholic," he chided.

"Tell me why I shouldn't work?" she challenged.

Lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes as he laughed and he approached her, taking her into his arms.

"Lemme show you instead..." he whispered in her ear.

 

 

The Legend Will Continue...

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