Painted Red (Klance)

9.

Who are you?

Camille traced her fingers over those three words in awe. She still found it incredible that she even had a soulmate. Haggar said that half-breeds weren't capable of having soulmates, then again Keith had one and all Haggar seemed to do was lie. Camille figured that she would be used to being lied to at this point, but she was still too trusting of others. Despite all of this, she still found it hard to believe that there was someone out there who might love her if given the chance.

As Haggar promised, she has access to walk around the ship again, so she made her way towards Prince Lotor's room. She figured he would know about this more than she did.

She looked around the halls as she walked, pretending not to notice how everyone either glared or looked like they were ready to attack her if she took one wrong step. She looked back down at her feet as she tried to remember the way to his room. Well it was more like a cell at this point. He wasn't allowed to leave and the room was always guarded.

"Ok... so this was a wrong turn..." she mumbled and looked at the dead end. She sighed in frustration and kicked the wall. She quickly fell to the ground clutching her foot, hissing through her teeth.

"...OW... OW-" she felt someone tap her shoulder and whipped around so fast the other had to back up a few steps. She immediately stood to salute the Galra soldier in front of her.

"Uh, there's no need for that. I just- well you've been wandering around for a while, so where are you trying to go?" Camille guessed that this young galra must be new to his job because he wasn't as formal as most Galra. She bit her lip a moment before deciding she might as well tell him, she would be stuck wandering the halls forever if she didn't get help.

"I uh- need to speak with Prince Lotor."
"Well, then we'll have to go this way." He pointed down a hallway that Camille hadn't checked yet.

"Yeah well- I knew that!" She huffed and started walking down the hallway with the soldier at her side. They walked in silence for a while and Camille was finding it awkward at this point. She was a talker! This was just insufferable. Camille could remember several times where she was punished just because she couldn't keep her mouth shut, but this guy didn't seem so bad.

"Are you a new soldier?" She blurted before quickly covering her mouth.
"Well you could say that." He said with a straight face and Camille dropped her hands.

"How come you got two tails? Oh, I'm sorry that was rude! I've just never seen many Galra with tails to begin with and you have two which is kinda weird because Haggar always had me study Physiology and I've never seen-"
"Oh look we're here!" The soldier yelled suddenly and Camille flinched back slightly.

He knocked three times on the door, before pausing for four seconds, then knocking twice. He slid something small into one of Camille's hands making her jump in surprise before he turned and walked away as the door opened. She looked back and forth between the disappearing soldier and the door.

"Um... Prince Lotor?" she asked as she peeked her head into the room.
"Oh- It's you again." Camille stuck her tongue out at him before walking inside and closing the door.

"How come you can't leave this room anyway? There's no guards around."
"Witch magic, now what are you doing here. I'm a bit busy at the moment."
"SO rude! Anyway I came to ask you a question, but I got lost in the hallways for like the longest time-"
"I don't need to hear how you got here, what were you going to ask me?"

"Let me finish my story! Anyway, This weird guard or something found me and brought me here, but I think I offended him when I asked why he had two tails-"
"Wait he had two tails? Did he give you something?"
"Oh um yeah, here." She held out her hand to show a small little chip that glowed purple along the sides.

"He was really weird. Hey, what is that thing anyway?" She asked and tilted her head to the side.
"Do you still want to escape this place." Lotor asked in a serious tone.
"Well yeah! Of course I do, this place is just painful."

"Is Haggar listening, or tracking you in anyway?"
"No- well I don't know, but I don't think so." Lotor thought for a moment before sighing and showing her the chip again.

"The guy who gave you this was from the B.O.M and this will basically help us escape when the time comes. I'll take you with me and Keith when that day comes. Before you say anything, yes I already know of the situation right now and I'm taking care of it."
"... But what if he-"
"He'll be fine... he's strong."
"But that flower doesn't care how strong you are... it messes with your thoughts and it doesn't matter if you really think the things your brain starts to say or not... because you don't have a choice." Camille choked out and Lotor's face softened.

"I've heard how you basically claimed the red paladin as your brother, so don't worry... I won't let him die." Camille just bit her lip and nodded as Lotor gestured for her to come forward.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Camille walked closer and started fidgeting with her hands.
"Well um... I got a soulmate mark recently and... well just look!" She held out her arm as Lotor shoved his discomfort aside. What was with everyone just showing their marks off? They were supposed to be private.

He looked over the green heart and the writing just underneath it.
"I um... I don't know much about soulmates... can you help me?" She asked.
"It's green... interesting."
"How come?"
"Let me just..." Lotor turned suddenly before scribbling something down on his arm. He turned back towards her and offered a pen.

"Would you like to contact them?"
"Yes please!" Camille practically screamed as her stump tail began wagging furiously. Lotor chuckled before looking back down at his arm and reading something, before writing again.

"This really is quite interesting." He muttered.
"What is? Why don't you just tell me?"
"Nothing, now you said you don't know much about soulmates. How much do you actually know?"
"Well, that they're just meant to be together."

"While that may be true, you do not have to actually be with your soulmate and many galra do choose to ignore the mark. If you truly have no interest in your soulmate, then the mark will fade."
"You just ruined my happiness..." Camille grumbled and Lotor laughed.

"Yes, but if you don't reject them, it's a wonderful thing. If you strengthen your bond enough, you'll be able to feel each other's emotions and sometimes even their thoughts."

"There were a few times when I felt-"
"Yes, when you first develop the mark you can usually feel each other's emotions, but it'll fade soon and you'll have to rediscover that by strengthening your bond."

"How does this work!?" She yelled excitedly and gestured to the words.
"Well, you take a pen-"
"Obviously! I meant how does it work? And why does it only work on the spot near the mark?"
"That's too long of an explanation-"

"I bet you just don't know." She taunted and Lotor pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I do know, but you wouldn't understand it."
"Try me!"

"... Ok fine, I don't know. All we know is that if you write something near the heart, it transfers to the other person, now can we go back to what matters?"
"The colors aren't important! I want to know-"

"Anyways the colors are important to your partner. You have green, so green is obviously important to them. I've heard that before the quintessence, my... parents," He hissed "had giant golden crowns on their backs. Their bond was enough to relocate the mark completely-"

"Then how could they write anything if the mark was on their backs?"
"Children and their questions... I think that's enough explaining. How about you just try writing something?"

"But I have more questions-"
"You and your soulmate will get along great-"
"Wait, do you know who my soulmate is?!"
"Yes, I believe so. But I cannot tell you."
"What! Why?"
"Because you have to do that on your own. And you can do that by writing to them." Camille glared ag him before taking the pen and writing.

My name is Camille

What's yours?