A/N

To cubbieBlueMako, animebookchic, FroofyB, lovecastle89, Paulina Ann, JustLucky05, and guest: Here ya go! Let the drama ensue….or does it?

keithnallurafan: Thanks for a great challenge. I hope this met your expectations. It made a great next story context to my Challenge Arc.

This is the last chapter of Heat. Until the next challenge is brought up, I want to really start working on my sequel to Fighting Gravity. It's called Free Fall. I have barely three chapters done, but the whole thing pretty much outlined. Look for it sometime in 2015.

Happy Holidays and all my best! Thanks again for the follows and favorites and reviews. I appreciate the support!

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron.

Rated M for adult content (nothing citrus)

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Seeing the princess at dinner the night before, Nanny decided that Allura desperately needed her sleep this morning. The poor princess fought a battle and then chose to endure an uncomfortable night's sleep in the library with the rag tag Voltron Force. She spent all day yesterday assisting Nanny with the mundane and very un-princess like task of making cold sandwiches since the governess had no power with which to use the Castle of Lions' industrial kitchen. Having just received word that Pidge and Hunk had gotten the second generator fixed, Nanny walked with purpose to inform the ruling monarch of Arus.

Creeping on silent feet, the governess let herself into the princess's quarters, intending to let the princess wake on her own. She immediately began tidying up the sitting room of the royal apartment. It wasn't long before she heard the toilet flush. Just as she was about to knock on the princess's chamber door to beg entry, she heard the princess speak. What stopped her cold was when she heard the male voice in reply.

Nanny stood shock still when she recognized the male voice as belonging to the commander. What was he doing in the princess's bedroom? When realization hit Nanny, she covered her mouth just before a loud gasp escaped it. Instead of rushing in and interrupting whatever was going on, she stood and listened for several minutes. When she heard their conversation cease, she immediately left. It was obvious to the governess what was going on behind the princess's closed door, and she didn't need to stay to listen and confirm it.

They were having an affair, and Nanny had just caught them in bed together. Fighting to catch her breath in the hall outside of the royal apartment, Nanny struggled with how to handle the situation. Did she burst in on them and interrupt them, or did she confront Allura later? Did she go to Koran? The royal advisor had warned her just yesterday afternoon that he was concerned that something was going on between the princess and the commander. Koran was not too happy about the idea. She worried about how Koran would react if she went and confirmed that his suspicions were correct. Deciding she needed time to think, she made her way down to the kitchen.

Nanny liked to project to those around her that she was a strict, formal old woman who let tradition, duty, and protocol dictate her code of ethics. She did this as a way to protect Princess Allura, the last ruling monarch of the Royal House of Arus, and the young woman that she loved with all her heart. Allura was the daughter that Nanny never had, and she knew the young woman had been sheltered in the years since her parents died. Koran, bless his heart, had done the best he could, but he was very stiff and stoic, the polar opposite of the warm and compassionate heart that was Allura. Nanny had been contacted to come back to the Castle of Lions just as the space explorers arrived, probably to add another layer of protection around the young, beautiful monarch.

When she finally reached the kitchen, Nanny sighed in relief seeing the lights on and the cooks scurrying around attempting to get a hot breakfast ready for the Voltron Force and the princess. Barking a few orders, the governess retired to her small office located in the back of the kitchen. Sitting in her chair, she leaned back to contemplate her new knowledge.

Nanny remembered the first time she had met Keith and the rest of the Voltron Force. Though outwardly she had clicked her tongue in disapproval, inwardly her heart soared in thanksgiving. These men were what her world needed. They were young, strong, smart, and capable. Their military training was second to none. Though Nanny referred to them as hooligans and feigned dislike and disapproval, she actually respected and admired the Voltron Force. Though they all had their faults and their quirks, Commander Keith Kogane kept them in line and molded them into a sharp, unified fighting unit. Voltron began experiencing victory instead of defeat. For the first time in a generation, the Arusian people experienced a feeling they thought was lost to them, hope.

Nanny noticed immediately the interest the men piqued in the princess of Arus. Not only were they young and strong, they were also very handsome and much worldlier than the young, naïve princess. Nanny knew she would have to keep a close eye on interactions between the space explorers and the princess.

At first, she thought the dashing Lance McClain would be the one to sweep the princess off her feet. Tall and lean, the Red Lion pilot was roguishly handsome and had a wit and a charm about him. He was a shameless flirt, and no female was safe from his charms. It soon became obvious that the pilot was a playboy, and rumors flew around the castle about his liaisons with various castle maids. Nanny tried to caution her female staff, but her warnings fell on deaf ears. The governess worried that Allura would become just another conquest, but that worry soon passed. Though Nanny knew and witnessed Lance flirt incessantly with Allura, their relationship was one based purely on respect and a plutonic friendship. He was more like a brother to the princess, and not a romantic interest.

It was obvious to the governess now that it was the commander who had taken her charge's heart. Shaking her head, Nanny was surprised she hadn't seen this coming. The commander was a strikingly handsome man with long raven hair and dark, memorizing eyes. His physique was strong and athletic, and his smile melted many a hearts. She had witnessed many of the young ladies of the castle swoon whenever he walked by, but to her knowledge, he had never taken advantage of that in the same way as his second-in-command. Now it made sense as to why. The commander fell in love with the princess, probably Nanny suspected, from the moment that he saw her.

They had always shared a closeness, a bond that seemed deeper that the connection between the princess and the rest of the members of the Force. It seemed that bond had deepened to something more. Smiling softly to herself, she felt her heart warm as she remembered the words of love Keith spoke to Allura. I do love you, Allura, with all my heart and all my soul. Not being able to help herself, she sighed like a giddy school girl. She had no doubt his words were sincere, not a false declaration proclaimed to get her in bed.

But they had slept together, of that there was no doubt. Perhaps they couldn't fight their feelings and attractions any longer. Oh well, the princess was only human after all, and Nanny honestly didn't know if she would have been able to resist the commander had she been in Allura's shoes. Nanny harrumphed at the unfairness and hypocrisy of the expectations put on female royals versus their male counterparts.

Having been a lady-in-waiting during the reign of Allura's grandfather, Nanny remembered the playboy Alfor had been. Always chasing skirts, Allura's father had been handsome and dashing, not unlike the commander. Unlike Keith, however, Alfor used it to his advantage and accumulated many notches on his bedpost before he met and fell in love with Allura's mother. Love changed his ways, and he became a one woman man. He and Annalise married soon after, and it wasn't long before Allura came along.

It was unfair that Allura was expected to remain a virgin until marriage, and she couldn't just enjoy the love of the flesh as her father had. It appeared that despite the expectations, Allura had anyway. Well, that was something that couldn't be undone, but there were ways to make it look as if the princess were pure on her wedding night. Nanny had done it for Annalise, and she would have no issue doing it for Allura.

It was the fact that Keith was not royalty that worried Nanny. That, and the fact that he was not Arusian. Was this truly love, or was this just a tawdry affair? Nanny would have to test Keith's intentions. Coming to a decision, she walked over to the communication device and dialed the princess's room.

"Yes," came Allura's breathless voice as she answered from her room. "Good morning, Nanny!" she greeted when she realized it was her governess.

"Good morning, your highness," Nanny replied. "I just wanted to let you know that the second generator is now working. We have heat and we have lights."

"That's wonderful!" Allura exclaimed over the comm. "Why have you not been by?"

Nanny smirked to herself. "Because it's been a trying two days, my child," she responded, a tinge of tenderness in her voice. "I thought I would let you sleep in for just a bit. But the day is a wasting. We will have a hot breakfast ready for you in the dining room in thirty minutes. Enjoy a hot shower and then come down and get some hot food."

"I will Nanny!" she said gratefully. "Thank you!"

"Princess," Nanny called out to her just before she hung up. "Have you seen Commander Kogane? I just tried calling his room, and he didn't appear to be there." Nanny waited to see how she responded.

A poignant pause crackled over the comm before Allura finally replied. "I don't know," she stammered slightly. "I haven't seen him yet today. Perhaps he was otherwise occupied when you called."

"Perhaps," Nanny agreed. "If you see him, would you pass along my message about breakfast?"

"Of course, Nanny," she quickly assured her governess. "See you, soon. Blue out."

Nanny had no doubt Keith would receive her message, being that he was probably right there, still next to the princess. She would have to test Keith's intentions. She would have to test Keith's loyalties and faithfulness to Princess Allura. Did he intend to stay here on Arus? Did he intend to marry her? Or was this a first love scenario, destined to end at some point? With a plan forming in her mind, Nanny prepared to turn up the heat on the strong, willful commander. The question was could he stand the heat from her kitchen?

To be continued…

I was totally intrigued by the idea of a soft Nanny, as brought up on the KAEX discussion board, so I thought I would incorporate that idea into this story. I was originally going to write a separate interlude, but it just seemed to fit here.