τHΣ ϢΔRRIΟR ϢIτH ϢIͶGς

noxenna

the castle ship landed on noxenna, causing dust to come up from where it landed. rhys had emerged from her hiding as they all made to leave the ship, startling them slightly, but the group didn't try asking her what was wrong, considering it wasn't likely she would answer. they immediately noticed how she had reverted back to her stony appearance that she'd had when they'd first met and up until after their first battle against zarkon, and it saddened them to see that she was closing herself off physically from them, as well.

once they all stepped foot on noxian soil, they noticed the line of soldiers awaiting them, and tensed up. well, aside from rhys, who had already been tense since joining team voltron on the bridge.

"princess allura and coran of altea. paladins of voltron of earth. commander," one of the soldiers states, approaching them with a serious look on his face. he stares down each member of the group, narrowing his eyes at the obvious anxiousness in some of the paladins, before his eyes land on the commander.

"roz. how have things been in my absence?"

the male, roz, bows his head in greeting to the female as she steps to his side.

"the galra decided to attack a little more frequently after your initial capture was made aware to us, but they laid off when we received word you had escaped. it seems their focus is more on the lions, with their return to the fight," he explains, and rhys nods in acknowledgment.

she pauses in her steps though to see that team voltron was still standing in place, staring at her in shock.

"are you waiting for an invitation? the queen wishes to see you, it is best not to keep her waiting."

at her words, they quickly follow after here, trying to listen to the two noxians as they discuss war, but it was so quiet that their ears couldn't pick up on their words.

they eventually reached the castle that had been looming at the other end of the town they had arrived at in the first place, the group staring up at it in wonder and intimidation.

"it has been so many years since i've seen this castle... and it stuns me into amazement every time," coran murmurs, eliciting small smiles from the two noxians. having been raised in the castle as warriors, they were used to the wonder, but even they could still be stupefied by how magnificent it was.

the castle was built into the side of a mountain, looming dark and ominous over the area surrounding it. it was built out of dark materials and what looked like jewels, such as gold and emeralds and rubies. there were large spires reaching high up into the sky, and as the paladins and alteans looked up, they could see winged noxians flying around them for reasons unknown to them.

"follow me," rhys states, beginning to lead the way as roz follows right behind her. he muttered something to the female that had her smirking, and keith frowned at it as something uncomfortable formed in the pit of his stomach. he didn't know what it was, but the longer he watched the two noxians converse, the more it grew and the more he became upset.

"keith, you alright?" shiro questions softly, hoping the two aliens ahead of the group couldn't hear. the black paladin saw the way his friend had been staring at rhys and her fellow warrior, and it gave him a sense of understanding.

"yeah, i'm good," the boy says in return, averting his eyes from the two as they approach some humongous doors. the walls of the inside of the castle seemed to be imbedded with what looked similar to jade back on earth, and pidge and hunk would get distracted at almost everything they saw as they walked through the large halls.

there were two noxian guards that bowed at the commander and roz as they approached, then opened the doors swiftly to show a large room to the group.

the hall rose high into the air, art on the dome ceiling that had light filtering in through it from what looked like a glass sphere in the middle of the dome. a few noxians flew around, but the two they passed that flew right over their heads just nodded to rhys and her companion as they approached the throne in the middle of the room.