Accidental Intentions

23 • Royal Discourse

Keith stood at the door. After many failed attempts at sleep, he decided what he needed most was exercise. It was four in the morning, but what was time in space? There were no sunrises and no sunsets, only stars. Billions of them.

When he lived out in the desert, he had thought he had a clear view of the universe with little light pollution. But it was nothing compared to living among the stars. Honestly, he didn't miss Earth all that much.

Quietly, he slipped out the door and made his way to the training room. Sure, his body was tired but his mind wouldn't shut up. In the past he had found the best way to quiet the mind was to punish the body into submission. Shiro didn't like it when he did that, but it was the only coping mechanism he had. Besides, it was easy to claim that he was just training.

He started with jumping jacks to get his heart rate and temperature up. Then he began stretching. He wasn't just gonna burst in headlong and start training and pull something like some idiot.

Some idiot. That idiot.

Keith shook his head. No. He was here to put that guy out of his head. He counted out each stretch, pushing to the point just before painful. After stretching, he ran to the other end of the room, touched down, ran back, touched down, back and forth, over and over to further tire his body. Then, when he could run no longer he moved on to focus drills. This is where the magic happened.
His muscles were trembling and sweat was rolling into his eyes. He pulled his hair back with a band. Getting his limbs to cooperate and hit the small moving targets took all his concentration.

"Keith? Is that you?"

He whirled around. "Huh?"

It was Allura.

"Princess!" he corrected himself. "Did I disturb you?"

He didn't think he had been that loud.

"Oh no. I had trouble sleeping so I thought I'd take a turn around the castle," she waved an elegant hand. "I know you train diligently, but are you always up this early?"

As much as he wanted to lean his palms on his knees and pant heavily, Keith pulled together the willpower to remain upright in her presence. "Not usually. I couldn't sleep either."

Allura placed a delicate finger to her lips. "That's peculiar. You were up all night watching over Lance yesterday too, weren't you?"

Keith nodded.

"And yet here you are, pushing yourself. Is something bothering you?" she inquired.

Fuck.

He was torn. He didn't want to think about it. Now here she was bringing it up. He didn't want to trouble her with his problems, but he could never lie to her either. "I...well--"

"It's Lance isn't it?"

"What?" Keith couldn't help his undignified response. How? How could she know?

"I know you think it's you're fault, Shiro told me. But honestly Lance has a good heart and as much as you two bicker, he would never blame you for what happened. If anyone is to blame, it would be me. I turned the power off without alerting you, and not only did that cause you undue worry, but physical harm to Lance as well. You have my sincerest apologies," she dipped her head in repentance, causing Keith to panic.

"No! No! It was all me! I-I pushed him, but it's alright he doesn't blame me or anything. That was just an accident," he reassured her in a hurry. "Just an accident."

"You are too kind. But if that is the case, why are you here instead of sleeping?" she asked.

There was no way around it. He had to tell her something. But he didn't have to tell her everything. "I...I messed up, and it had nothing to do with the concussion," he admitted.

"Ah, so you two had a clashing?"

Yeah, of lips.

"Sort of."

Allura approached him and pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve. "You two have been fighting since the moment I met you. But since that time I have witnessed you grow. You may fight, but you make a great team. You make each other better, challenge each other is ways that others cannot. You may not see it, but it is clear to everyone else that you have a special bond." The princess gently dabbed the sweat from her knight's forehead with her delicately embroidered handkerchief.

"Whatever it is, I am confident you will work through it. Your relationship may be rocky at times, but you both have good hearts. And, after all the fate of the Universe is in your hands."

No pressure.

Keith wasn't sure if it was the the rush of impropriety of having his princess wipe his face or the intimate mothering nature of the act, but he decided he liked it. He could barely remember his mother. Even then he wasn't sure if he remembered her actual face, or just a memory of a memory of her face.

"I don't know," he betrayed, allowing himself to be vulnerable. "I really, really messed up. I don't think it's as simple as all that."

She hugged him, sweat and all.

"Have more faith in him and in yourself, Paladin," she whispered before pulling away. Then she flicked him in the forehead.

Keith blinked in surprise. That hurt.

"Now, you are to go to your room and you are to sleep in past breakfast. I don't want to see your face until lunch, understood?" she asked in that voice that no one dare oppose.

"Yes, ma'am!"