The New Prince

Chapter 6

Keith, locked in concentration, read the latest reports the Garrison sent a short time ago on the current Drule activities. His attention, so focused on what laid in front of him, didn't allow him to notice the doors of his office open.

"Don't you ever get tired of reading?" He heard the voice of his second in command.

"No," the commander answered, not bothering to look up.

"Keith, there's like a party tonight, the castle is going wild, Hunk and Pidge even convinced Nanny herself to press their uniforms. I am preparing the most unique pick up lines ever heard on Arus and you..." he continued offering a disgusted look, "you sit and read boring Garrison reports. What gives?"

Beginning to write on his data pad, Keith replied without looking up. "Nothing gives Lance; work must be done…despite the party."

Raising his eyebrow, Lance smiled, "You should see Allura in that new dress she's wearing tonight!"

With that statement, Keith immediately looked up and stopped working, "You saw the Princess?"

"No, but I sure as hell got your attention!" Lance laughed.

Rolling his eyes, a tone of annoyance leaked through his question, "Did you come here to irritate the hell out of me?" He asked looking back at his paperwork.

"No, I came here to see if I can finally convince you to tell the Princess what you feel for her."

"What are you talking about Lance?" Keith suddenly asked, surprised.

"Don't bullshit me Commander. You can't hide things from me."

Going back to writing on his data pad, Keith tried to dismiss his friend and avoid a topic of conversation that he did not want to start at the moment, "Lance, I have a lot of work to finish and the party tonight is going to delay me as it is..."

"I know you love her. Am I wrong?"

The question froze him. He wanted to avoid it desperately, but just hearing it aloud made him unable to elude his best friend's interrogation. Placing the data pad down on his desk, he stood up and walked to the window overlooking the palace gardens, "No…you're not….I've loved her from the moment I stepped into this castle and gazed at her as she walked down the steps."

"Didn't picture you as a romantic." Lance told him as he walked closer to the desk.

Shrugging his shoulders, Keith replied, "I wasn't. She kind of brings that out in me. I thought at first I just had a crush, maybe an infatuation. I had never met a princess before, so I assumed my emotions had gotten the better of me."

"Not to mention the fact that she's drop dead gorgeous," Lance added slyly.

Keith smiled, "I don't think her beauty escaped anyone of us Lance, but that's not the reason I fell in love with her. You know what I saw when she walked down that staircase? I saw an angel." He turned and faced his friend, whose look of complete shock made him slightly laugh inwardly.

Lance had never this side of his friend and Commander. The man's completely in love with her.

Keith ignored him, "But beyond that, I saw a woman whose eyes reflected bravery, passion, determination and a love for everything and anything in her life. She captivated me. I belonged to her the moment she looked at me."

"It's been two years since then, Keith, why haven't you told her? And please don't feed me that bull about you being a soldier and she a Princess. You've heard her yourself, she'd marry whomever she chose, Prince or not."

"No, it's much more complicated than that." Keith stated as he rubbed his eyes with one hand and took a seat back at his desk, "I have never felt for anyone what I feel for Allura. No one Lance. If...if I tell her and I find out she doesn't feel the same way..." he sighed, "Lance, I don't know if my heart is capable of opening itself for someone other than Allura."