The New Prince

chapter 8

Erin awoke in a new room. The various smells surrounding her almost made her gag. She felt cold and dizzy; this brought her even more discomfort. She shivered. Trying to sit up, but unable to, she found herself chained to a table. Beginning to fight the restraints with full force, a sudden voice stopped her cold.

"Ms. Hawkins, you'll waste your strength fighting the chains. You will not break free from them."

"Who are you?" Her voice shook a bit.

"I'm Haggar. Pity, I thought I'd be just as famous as Zarkon."

Erin didn't answer her. Instead, she looked around and noticed a laboratory filled with specimens and two, maybe three lab tables. Raising her gaze to the ceiling, she saw a large funnel shaped machine towering over her. Slowly, the atrocity kept lowering itself toward her; her heart began to beat faster.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Don't you remember what I told you before?" Haggar asked her as she came up to her with a large syringe.

"No! What...what is that!"

Ignoring the young girl's yelling, she continued, "I told you that you would give Zarkon the galaxy. This is the first step."

Erin screamed and fought. But the attempts proved futile as the old witch inserted the syringe in the young girl's arm.

VVVVVVVVVV

With the night almost at an end and despite her earlier feelings, Allura thought the party would culminate rather nicely. She danced with almost every guest and of course the entire team. She even stole Sven for a dance, while Hunk took out Romelle. Foreseeing no danger for the night, even Keith joined in on some of the fun. He danced mostly with Romelle and a couple of princesses from neighboring planets. Every now and again, he and the princess would dance a piece as guests took note of them. After a while, neither one cared about the nosiness of the guests.

Soon ten o'clock arrived and Keith's nerves suddenly began to rise. When Lance gestured for him to go to the balcony while dancing with Allura, the normally cool and collected Commander thought his heart would pop out of his chest. He reluctantly went.

Walking from one end of the balcony to the other, his hands felt cold and clammy, his uniform, which usually provided comfort, felt stifling hot. He laughed out loud a little. Nerves. He couldn't believe that fighting Zarkon and Lotor seemed easier than standing on the balcony to face the Princess at this point.

He had rehearsed this speech for almost year; since he realized he loved her. For almost a full year, he hid his feelings from her, his friends, and everyone who lived around them. This has been too damn tiring, Keith suddenly thought. He suddenly realized he couldn't wait any longer. Talk about timing! Lance is right. He had to tell her; he had to tell her tonight. Coran made the announcement; she was of age to choose a suitor.

This would mean that every prince in the Galaxy would knock the castle's doors and ask for her hand. He couldn't let that happen or at least he couldn't allow that to happen without him knowing that he'd have a chance with her.

Keith shook his head in frustration. Will this confession change things? Will she think and feel differently toward me after I tell her? He didn't know, but he'd risk it. It would be better than to live with the torment he currently experienced; or worse, if he had to endure some prince's attempts at courting her while he kept his mouth shut. No, telling her suddenly sounded better; knowing what she felt would eventually put him at peace, one way or another. His chance finally came. When he looked up, she walked out onto the balcony toward him.