Why hello again! This is a piece of pure humor/fluff. I needed a break from trying to force characters into, well, character. And this was born. (Also, advert for another story; if you've been following Bridges, that mess with Chapter 5 & 6 being the same is resolved. The ACTUAL chapter 5 is up.) Shameless self-promotion out of the way, behold! My winterflufffest! Happy Solstice/Holidays!

The Bachelor

Lotor stared at the wretched piece of parchment in his hands in incredulity. His irises dilated in response to his rage before he crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside.

"Has she gone mad?" He called out to anyone who could hear him as he paced around his command room. Like clockwork, Haggar was at his side.

"My prince, you could infiltrate the ball in disguise-"

"Sneak in? Princess Allura is holding a 'Bachelor Ball' and has invited all of the unwed princes to attend - but I did not receive an invitation. I should be the first in line, far more eligible than any of the rest of the scum the galaxy can find. Why should I go in disguise!?" He stalked about, livid that Allura would insult him so openly. She's taunting me, he thought, pausing to glare at a guard that crossed his path.

"Because," Haggar soothed him. "They may be fearful of you and try and prevent you from meeting the princess. With a disguise, I can assure you that you'll get to her and then you can put your plan into motion," she explained. Lotor stopped and listened to the old woman's words. He exhaled as his temper dropped a notch.

"I like how you think, Haggar. Please, tell me more..."

Allura was standing at the top of the small stage in the ball room. It was an elevated platform with three stairs leading up to it, upon which a chair had been placed for her to sit. She refused, and stood with shoulders squared with determination and stared out at the joyous festivities unfolding around her.

Today was one of Arus' few holidays. It commemorated the passing of the night and reminding everyone that even on the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, day would always come. For a war-torn planet, it was an important day. As snow flurried outside and the sun set, the windows darkened with the dying light. Strings of lights illuminated the interior of the ballroom, candles flickered on tables and the Celebration of Lights was underway. The room was bustling with dancing partners and old friends chatting quietly in a corner. Musicians lined the balconies overlooking the dance floor and played grandly for the patrons.

Coran and Nanny mingled with the guests before approaching the frigid princess.

"I'm furious with you, you know," she murmured under her breath once they were close enough to hear her. A false smile flashed across her face as someone danced past her small pedestal.

"I know, Princess, but we did what we had to do. You've been neglecting your duties as a princess ever since you became a Voltron pilot," Coran replied, just as quietly as he waved across the room.

In addition to the usual festivities, Nanny and Coran had gone out of their way to invite every eligible prince in the nearby galaxy in hopes that one might win Allura's heart and secure both a King and an heir for Arus.

Many ladies in nobility from other planets had come to the event in hopes of meeting a prince of their own and circulated through the room, mingling with the gentlemen from all across the galaxy. It was a true ball with dancing, the finest wines, splendid decorations and elegant music.

All the gentlemen callers varied in appearance, the only similarity they bore was their humanoid forms. Thankfully Coran and Nanny had limited the search to planets with human-like rulers. She didn't much fancy being courted by a Minotaur. The resemblances ended there, however. Some were short and bald, others exceptionally tall with long, flowing hair and everything in between. Most were about her own age but a few were quite young and others appeared old enough to be her father. Various levels of dress were present, all considered formal on their home worlds. Some of the gentlemen came wearing only elaborate pants - much to Allura's embarrassment - while others met the opposite extreme and were cloaked head to toe. A handful of the potential suitors were dressed in formal black, others displayed a nearly-painful spectrum of colors in an attempt to garner attention. Many had an escort with them, either male or female, to attend them.

"You've ruined my favorite holiday," she accused him softly. Coran just ignored her, stepping forward and raising his hands in the air to get everyone's attention. The musicians stopped playing and all the guests turned their attention on the royal advisor.

"The Princess will now greet everyone. Please, if you're in attendance to meet her, come forward, kiss her hand and introduce yourselves," Coran was instructing cheerfully to the awaiting princes.

"Oh no you don't," Nanny muttered, putting a hand around Allura's arm as she turned and tried to sneak out of the room. She whipped her charge back around and tapped her back between her shoulders. "Head up, shoulders back," she instructed.

Honestly, I'd be more comfortable if Lotor showed up to kidnap me right now. Anywhere but here, she thought dryly, eyeing the potential suitors Nanny aimed to set her up with. With a reluctant sigh, Allura braced for the unpleasantness that was about to happen. Folding her hands in front of her, she squared her shoulders to the crowd and plastered on a smile.

Her hair was wrapped up in an elegant bun, a few streamers falling down her face. A white gown with gold accents flared and dwarfed her small body, a shimmering gold shawl draped over her shoulders, keeping her bare arms warm. Let's get this over with.

Moving down the handful of steps, she came to stop at the base of the throne. The first of the several males approached her, pausing to kneel down. He was shorter than Allura, and stocky with dark hair. Taking her hand carefully in his, he placed his lips against it before looking up into her eyes.

"My lady, I am Prince Bala from the planet Tresdin. It is my honor to make your acquaintance. I hope to further your interest with my skill in archery, jousting, and wrestling," he finished, rising to his feet and bowing, flexing his arms out. Allura just smiled painfully to the man and nodded once as he returned to the crowd and another man came forward.

"Your Highness, I am Prince Drynan from Chiti," he said as he kissed her hand. Allura tried to hide her flinch beneath a plastic smile. "I specialize in the arts of love," he murmured, looking up at her uncomfortable expression. "I hope to get to know you later," he said, bowing like Bala did.

Allura looked over her shoulder to her guardians for help. Nanny was ecstatic, applauding prince after prince that came to kneel before Allura. With each passing suitor, the princess looked and felt more ill.

After eight more princes professed their love to a woman they had never met before, Allura sighed in exasperation. As the eleventh suitor approached her, Allura had had enough. This one was exceptionally tall and robed from head to toe in elegant black cloth, furnished with gold. She shook her head once and turned to walk away.

"I'm sorry, I know many of you have come from far away but I simply cannot do this any longer-"

"It is your duty as princess of Arus to seek out eligible princes of neighboring planets, since you have neglected that in the last few years, we are aiding you in that," Coran stated as Allura wheeled to face him, her temper flaring.

"How dare-" Allura stopped speaking as the next man in front of her took her hand in his. He bent slightly at the waist and lowered himself just enough to be shorter than her eye level, but he did not kneel. She sighed, realizing she'd have to play nice with at least one more presumptuous prince. She falsified a smile and squared her shoulders, gently tugging at her hand.

But he didn't release it.

Instead, he slowly looked up to meet her eyes from beneath the black silk cowl.

"Oh-" Allura saw everything happen faster than she could react to it. As feline irises dilated when they locked onto her eyes, instant recognition flooded her body. The palm that was so gently supporting hers turned into an iron vice around her wrist, yanking her body toward him. She spun in mid-air, his other arm locking around her waist and effectively pinning her back to his chest.

"Lotor!"

The hood fell away and the arrogant Drule prince grinned at the hall before him. He smirked up at the advisor's pale face and taunted him with his new hostage. He pinned one of Allura's arms behind her back, his other hand holding her torso as he laughed at the other stunned guests in the room.

"How dare you hold an eligible bachelor ball and not invite me! If you're looking for merit for Allura's hand, there is no other that bests me! And now I will have her," he murmured, lowering his lips to her ear as she squirmed against him, struggling to get away. "Keep doing that, I like how that feels," he whispered in her ear.

"On your left, door to the access hallway," she whispered back suddenly. Lotor froze, his face remaining impassive as he contemplated the information he received, lips still near her ear. Allura was very much struggling to get away from him as he held her, but she had given him vital information on the quickest escape route.

The sound of the Voltron Force calling his name snapped him out of his surprise. He glanced over to see a furious Keith charging toward him. Wasting no time, he blew a kiss the nursemaid, causing her to faint as he hauled Allura, kicking and screaming toward the left access door. Kicking it open, he found it lead to a hallway that opened to the shuttle bay. As soon as the door clicked closed, Allura stopped fighting him.

"Thank the stars," she murmured. "...You can stop trying to break my arm now, you know," she added, and he loosened his hold on the arm he had pinned behind her back.

"I'm. ..." He just stared at her as she adjusted her hair and gown, not making any motion to run, flee, scream or slap him. She moved her shawl so that it draped over her shoulders again before primly folding her hands in front of her and looking up at him as he finally articulated a single word. "What."

"Oh, I don't intend to go with you willingly, don't get me wrong," she said quickly. "But anything to get out of that awful torture chamber is worth it," she explained.

"You... didn't organize the Bachelor's Ball?" He studied her closely.

"I hope you can appreciate the strength of will it took not to slap you for that comment," she said, a blush flashing across her cheeks. "...Of course I didn't, what in the six heavens would make you think I would want that kind of... of..." She trailed off, clearly at a loss for a suitable expression for what had just inspired. Lotor attempted to help her.

"Shitshow?" Allura's cheeks bloomed red at the curse word, but she nodded after a moment.

"Yes, that," she said primly, smoothing out her gown. "It is not my style. My guardians have grown restless that I have spent so much time in the cockpit of a Voltron Lion and not meeting gentlemen callers, apparently," she added with a dry arch of her eyebrow.

All the rage Lotor had been containing since he had first heard of the ball diffused out of him in a single moment. Her irritated pout released a laugh from his throat. The annoyed look she gave him for laughing at her only fueled him to continue.

"Shh," she chided him. "The guards will hear you. Come on, let's move," she muttered, grabbing his wrist. Allura started moving quickly down the hallway and into the launch bay for most of the non-lion ships in her fleet. Dragging him through the area, she waved to some of the technicians who nearly dropped their tools at the sight of their princess in full formal dress dragging the Drule prince behind her. She stopped and punched in a code to palm open a door to another hallway and quickly darted in. A breathless moment later, Lotor was practically crashing into her as she stopped and opened one more door. She pulled Lotor in behind her before closing it and punching in a code to lock it.

Lotor looked around the small library they found themselves in. The plan he had worked out in his head had quickly unraveled and he found himself experiencing an unusual state of being: befuddlement. He watched the gentle princess as she knelt before a fireplace and lit it, throwing the little room into a warm glow.

"Allura," he began, taking a step towards her. She rose to her feet swiftly and turned to face him.

"I told you, I won't go with you. Besides, you're my hostage now," she finished, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

Lotor choked.

"I'm your hostage? That's not how this is supposed to work – you're supposed to be my hostage…" Allura just shook her head in an infuriatingly soft manner.

"Not a chance. You're my scapegoat, Lotor. I'm not going back into that ball and you're my excuse not to. Moreover," she continued. "I'm pleased that you came. If they ever try and put me through this awful circus again, I'll simply point out how dangerous it was last time since Prince Lotor appeared and abducted me."

Lotor just stared at the woman before him with open surprise. He had barged into her castle in a fit of fury intending to haul the princess out over his shoulder and make her his queen. Instead, in only a matter of minutes, she had aided in her own abduction and had flipped the table on him by making him her hostage instead.

"I… " he trailed off, easing himself down into one of the armchairs near the fireplace, still reeling from the sudden turn of events. The fiery woman he coveted continuously kept him on his toes. He wondered if it only fueled his fire that she kept him guessing. "That's devious. That's just downright evil," he complimented her after a moment of processing what she had said. "Are you sure you aren't part Drule?"

Satisfied that he wasn't about to physically assault her, Allura turned her back to him to look out the small window near one of the bookcases, but he saw the slight smile at the corner of her lips.

"You know this wasn't at all the plan. I came here furious with you for not inviting me," he commented, his eyes fixated on her rigid shoulders. "I was supposed to take you hostage. You were supposed to be afraid and- dammit Allura why won't you even look at me?" He felt his frustration building again when the stoic princess didn't acknowledge he was speaking.

She turned to face him as he rose from the armchair and stalked toward her. Alarm flitted across her face at the sight of his form coming her way. She peeled off the window to try and skirt away from him, but in the small study room, there was little room to out-maneuver the long-limbed Drule. In her rush to avoid him, her dress caught the edge of an end table. She stumbled, but before she crashed into any of the heavy mahogany furniture, Lotor had caught her by the arm and hauled her into his.

"Look at me," he commanded, holding one arm around her back and the other grasping her chin.

"You think you can just come in here and tell me what to do!?" She glared up at him.

"Yes, yes I do! That's what a kidnapper does, Allura!"

"Then do what I say and let me go," Allura thundered back, matching his frustration with her own temper.

Lotor's eyes were wide with shock and he just stayed silent. He couldn't decide whether to be furious with the minx before him or thoroughly pleased by her spine and fire. In the end, he just threw his head back and laughed.

"You… are something else entirely," he murmured, releasing her. "Don't think that that makes me the hostage, though," he commented smartly as she danced away from him and smoothed out her snow-colored gown.

She just looked coyly over her shoulder. "Then what are you?"

"Woman," he threatened her dangerously, his eyes narrowing. She squeaked and backed away a few steps, careful to keep the long swish of her gown out of the fireplace. "My patience is not infinite, you know."

"I'm very well aware of your short fuse, Lotor," she sniffed, tilting her chin up, sounding almost insulted by his threat. "You make a gallant display of it nearly every time-" Allura's words were cut off with a gasp as he pinned her to the wall beside the fireplace.

"Are you trying to rile me?" His eyes were locked into hers, his lips just a breath from her own as he whispered both a threat and a promise to her. "I promise you won't forget it."

Allura swallowed nervously, suddenly recalibrating her prior plan. What had been playful banter to ease the tension had now escalated it. His eyes dropped to her bare throat as she gulped before rising slowly back to meet her eyes.

"You… you can step back now," she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.

"That's not very fair, you made the last demand," he murmured, a wicked smirk on his lips. He brought one of his hands up to touch her lip, stroking his thumb across it lightly. Allura's cheeks colored crimson as she gasped.

"Don't you-" Her threat was silenced as he captured her mouth with his. His body pressed into hers to pin her to the wall, leaving his hands free. Her hands came up to punch at his shoulders as he devoured her. The harder she pushed against him, the more he seemed to lean into her.

Lotor's blood sang with adrenaline when he felt her growl against him in frustration. The pain that shot through his lower lip, however, was more of a surprise he didn't expect. He stepped backward as Allura shot out of his grasp, dancing to the door. He reclined against the mantle and watched her leisurely.

"You can leave. And go back to your ball," he finished, nodding to the door.

Allura paused mid-keystroke and just groaned. Her forehead fell against the wall as she sighed. Lotor's eyebrow raised as he realized that she would rather be trapped alone with him in a cozy library room than out there.

She huffed and gathered her skirts up and marched proudly away from the door and settled into one end of the sofa near the fireplace and picked up a book off an end table. She flipped it open and started browsing the pages.

"You're not actually reading that," he commented, walking around to sit on the opposite end of the sofa. It was small and afforded them little distance between their bodies. Allura turned to look at him, holding the book up to her face like a shield.

"Yes I am," she muttered.

"No, no I think you're just hiding from me," he continued.

"What makes you say that?" She turned the page, her eyes skimming the text.

"It's upside down."

She snapped the book shut and set it in her lap, her face aflame.

"I... I was practicing inverted Arusian and-"

Lotor just reached forward and took the book from her lap, tossing it onto the table. He gave it half a look as it slid to a stop. Moving like a panther, he prowled across the loveseat toward her until his body hovered over her tense form.

"Back off," she murmured as he touched her cheek gently with his hand.

"How long are you going to run from them," he murmured softly, sinking lower and closed to her. "How long will they search for you?" He leaned down toward her throat and inhaled, letting her scent flood his perception. He was barely touching her, but he heard the gasp she released.

"They will find you, you know," he continued leisurely, parting his lips to place a light kiss on her throat. Allura trembled like a butterfly and squirmed slightly, so as he released her he nipped with one of his fangs. She cried out softly, her skin blushing, wide eyes snapping to his. "I could make you feel things you never dreamed of, Allura," he promised. Despite the wicked smile on his lips, his eyes were soft. "It wouldn't hurt. It would be quite the opposite, I promise." His palm grasped the side of her waist and slid almost up to her chest, pausing to just below. She was already trembling like a leaf, but he was rather liking his odds that he hadn't been slapped yet and didn't want to push his luck.

The sound of footsteps startled Allura out of her trance and she glanced wide-eyed to the door. An evil thought bloomed in Lotor's mind quickly. With a stretch, he released her and leaned back away.

"How could I possibly compete with all those suitors out there. I suppose it would be in your best interest to return you to-"

"Hush, you!" She snapped at him in a hiss, holding her breath as the footsteps grew nearer to the library. She either didn't mind or care that Lotor was still straddling her body laying on the sofa.

"-after all, I so carelessly took you away before you could properly meet-"

"I said hush! Lotor, can't you hear them?" If hisses could have a pitch, hers would have hitched an octave in panic.

"-all the princes and-"

A devilish smile curled at his lips as her hands grabbed him by the front of his dress shirt and yanked him down on top of her in desperation, crushing her lips against his in an effort to silence his words.

He willingly obliged her, arms wrapping about her frail form, returning her kiss with all the insistence and passion he had been holding back. His tongue thrust past her lips fervently as her body shuddered. Allura's hands had migrated from the front of his coat to tangling themselves in his hair.

Several minutes later, Allura tilted her chin up to break the kiss, a gasp of air flooding her lungs. Lotor dropped his head to trail his nose along her throat again, pressing kisses against her pulse points as he did so.

"Stars above," she breathed out, still trying to catch her breath. His lips vibrated against her throat as he chuckled, pausing only to bite her earlobe playfully.

"There's so much more, Allura, I could show you so much..."

"I... I can't," she explained.

Lotor made an irritated noise and sat back to give the woman room to compose herself. He had little worry she would flee the room - not at the cost of going back to the ball.

"Do tell why," he inquired, watching as she shuffled into a seated position, tugging her sleeveless dress back up and into place on her torso. He watched with bemusement as she went to fetch her shawl from the floor where it had fallen and ended up giving up and leaving it.

"I mean... we're at war. How would that even work?" She shrugged at him, stating the obvious fact.

"You could-"

"I absolutely will not surrender anything to Zarkon," she spat out defiantly. Lotor flinched slightly but calmed his irritation as she continued. "That's the one thing that bothered me most about this whole arrangement of this... ball. Catastrophe, really. There's this expectation that once I marry, I'll 'take it easy' and 'let the King work' and I have absolutely no intention of doing that, Lotor. Arus is my planet, by blood and by spirit. I have no problem sharing the power, but I will not surrender my authority over it entirely, not when so many people trust me to care for them."

"Have you considered marrying into the Drule Empire?" He snorted at the deadpan look she gave him in response. "I mean it. Now, hear me out... It could work, you know..." Lotor leaned forward conspiratorially. Allura sighed and shrugged. She had at least another half hour to kill before the ball would be called off and the suitors sent home. She leaned forward to listen.

"Oh good god, where could he have taken her?" Nanny moaned out loud, burying her face in her hands.

"Calm down Nanny, we found his spacecraft outside which means he's hiding out somewhere within the palace. We'll find-" Coran stopped talking as the door to the library swung open and Lotor stepped out. Instantly he put both his palms in the air as palace guards leveled guns at him.

"Where is she, you monster?" Nanny howled at the Prince in anger. In answer to her question, Allura came around his side, giggling a little and stopped.

"Oh dear. Please tell me you sent all the suitors home already," she said, eyeing her keepers and their guardsmen.

"Get him out of here," Coran instructed.

"Wait!" Allura grabbed on to Lotor's arm as one of the guards tried to pull him away.

"Princess! What are you doing with that rogue from Planet Doom?"

"I'm retiring from that life," Lotor muttered. "Now if you would be so kind as to have the guns pointed away, I'm not particularly thrilled that my fiancée is in their line of fire," he muttered.

Allura winced as the pandemonium broke out around them. Nanny went borderline hysterical while Coran thundered his rage. In the chaos, the Voltron Force skidded around the corner, colliding with some of the guards.

"Go, go, go," Allura urged Lotor, giggling as the two ran down the hallway and left chaos in their wake.

"I don't know where I'm running to, Allura," Lotor commented over his shoulder.

"It's fine, it's fine, I do. LEFT!" They both skidded around a corner on her command and barreled down a hallway. Coming to a stop, Allura keyed them into another room before coding the door shut.

She laughed as Lotor scooped her up once he realized what kind of room they were in and carried her deftly to the massive guest bed in the center of the room before dropping her on it.

"Won't Nanny be so pleased? It seems I found a prince at the ball after all," she murmured as he jumped onto it next to her, quieting her giggles with his lips. "They'll calm down eventually," she murmured.

"But not us," he said greedily. Allura just laughed softly in response, drawing him closer to her. This Winter Solstice Celebration didn't turn out to be so terrible, she thought to herself.