Chapter Text
Lance followed after his older sister Allura, a bit confused but not wanting to ask any questions. Not yet at least. All he knew was that they were meeting someone in one of the castle’s many company intended rooms. The princess pushed open the large ornate doors, allowing Lance to pass before following. The doors shut behind them with a loud clank that nearly caused Lance to jump out of his skin. They should probably fix that, it seemed way too loud for his liking.
A glance around the room only ended up causing him more confusion. Two other people were here, presumably his visitors. One was a muscular human with a scar across the bridge of his nose. His right arm had been replaced with a high tech prosthetic. The other was a Galran boy about his age dressed in red.
Maybe they were diplomats of some sort? It would make sense. The Alteans and Galras had recently ended a large scale war that had gone on for far too long. After both sides had time to lick their wounds, they began sending parties to come up with compromises and formalities. Lance shot a questioning look to Allura. She brushed it off in favor of greeting the others.
“Welcome to the Castle of Lions. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” She said kindly, first shaking the Galra’s hand then the human’s. “Once we’re done here I’ll show you to your rooms so you may rest up before dinner.”
“Thank you.” The Galra responded before looking over to Lance. He scanned the other up and down for a moment before stepping forward, holding out his hand. Lance paused for a moment before shaking back. “It’s nice to finally see you in person Prince Lance.” He murmured quietly. “After dinner we should probably take the time to get to know one another, huh?”
Lance was feeling more and more lost by the minute. He gave a small nod, once again glancing at Allura for help. She shot him a dirty look but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared.
The human seemed to have some sort of understanding and eyed Lance curiously before deciding to act as his saving grace. “Princess, it was very kind of you to personally meet us, but it has been quite the trip here. Perhaps Prince Keith and myself should rest a bit? You don’t need to worry about showing us the way, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” He spoke kindly, a friendly look on his face.
Allura simply nodded, taking the easy way out that had been offered to her. “Yes, of course. I know how tiring it can be to travel such a distance with no breaks. If you head down the hall and take a right, you should see your quarters. A servant is stationed outside your doors if you should need anything. We shall see you both at dinner then.” She returned the human’s small smile as he nodded and turned to leave. The Keith guy followed after him with one last curious look at Lance.
Almost as soon as the doors had shut, Allura turned to Lance, fury in her eyes. “Are you even aware of who that was? You barely said a word, even when the prince spoke directly to you. Lance, I know this is daunting but please, you need to make a good impression!”
“Wait, wait. Hold up. What are you talking about? No. No, I don’t know who that was. Why did I even need to be here?” Now Lance asked, his nose scrunched up as he cocked his head slightly to the side. He already didn’t like where this was going.
Fire flashed in Allura’s eyes. “Lance! That was the Galra prince. The one who you will be marrying!”
“Huh?” Lance stared at his sister, eyes wide and mouth dropped. “What do you mean marrying? Why the hell am I marrying him? More importantly, why did you never mention this to me?”
“I did! A month ago! Lance, this is very important for our people. You said you understood that!”
“I wasn’t listening! You should know by now I hardly ever listen to your political hoity toity.” Lance ran a hand through his hair, an exasperated look on his face. “I hardly even know the guy.” He mumbled, looking very overwhelmed.
Allura’s harsh expression softened and she rested her hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Well, you have a whole week to get to know him. He seemed nice! Plus I’ll be right here too.” She spoke in an encouraging tone. “I know this is very confusing and sudden for you, but we really need it to happen. Your marriage will unite the Alteans and the Galras once and for all. I need you to do your best, please.”
Lance gave a small nod, taking a deep breath. “Alright. Okay, I’ve got this. It’s in the bag. I’ll woo that Galra off his fucking feet. He won’t even know what hit him.” He was nervously toying with the edge of his shirt.
“I’m not sure if all that’s necessary. Just, try to get along with him for now. The less complicated the better.” Allura dropped her hand, standing back up straight. “I’m going to give you some time to think about this. Go freshen up and make sure to arrive to dinner on time. I’ll be preparing with Coran if you need me.” She then left the room, leaving Lance alone and conflicted.
Lance took a deep breath, composing himself before heading to his own room. This was going to be a very bumpy road. But hey, Allura was right. It was for the good of the kingdoms, not to mention, Keith did seem like a pretty nice guy so far.