Long before they met

Derek and Odette

Were destined to be wedded

However anyone could see

The only point on which they didn't disagree

Was that the very thought of summertime was dreaded

When Prince Lotor first saw her, he was livid. When he was older, he would conclude that his reasons for being furious with her were absurd. However, at age seven, he considered his anger to be completely acceptable.

Princess Allura stood taller than him, with her hands propped on her hips and her eyes narrowed on him with suspicion. The way her lips pursed in that critical way made his blood boil.

He shouldn't have been shorter than her. He knew Allura was nearly a year older than him, but he should still be the one looking down on her. The Garla towered over Altean's, yet this young princess stood above him with an unimpressed sneer.

Lotor wanted to turn to his father and demand that he send King Alfor and his daughter back to their planet. However, the way his father shoved him towards the princess suggested there was no room for debate. Lotor really despised this betrothal.

The prince gnashed his teeth as he bent into a low bow before the princess. "Pleasure to meet you Princess Allura," Lotor grumbled. His voice was hostile despite his father's urgings that he needed to be charming. "I'm so happy that you'll be staying here for the summer."

Allura's tone was pleasant when she finally spoke and, despite her young age, her voice was clear as a bell. "I'm happy to be here, Prince Lotor," she replied while falling into a curtsy. She maintained the grace of a dancer, even though Lotor had been sneering at her through his teeth. His animosity didn't seem to phase her. "I hear this season is quite lovely on your planet."

Lotor didn't say anything as he stepped back, and looked into her eyes for a moment. The colour was odd. Like a sea filled with pink stars. He immediately glared at the ground and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He felt his cheeks grow warm, but he was sure it was due to embarrassment and rage.

There was a few diplomatic and friendly words exchanged between Alfor and Zarkon before the Emperor suggested he and his daughter go rest after their long journey. The servants led Allura away to her chambers and she didn't so much as glance back at Lotor. Though, it wasn't as if that bothered him.

When the king and the princess left the room, his father hit him upside the head for his rudeness. Lotor winced but didn't say a word as his father gave him a sound lecture.

This was going to be a long summer.

Xxx

Allura was astounded by how immature Prince Lotor could be. She knew he was a spoiled brat, but she had expected a prince to conduct himself with a little decorum.

Allura knew her father was insistent on this match between her and Zarkons's son. For his sake, she bared the annoyance of Lotor throughout each summer she spent with him. Even though he frustrated her to no end.

However, during the summer when she was ten, Lotor adopted the habit of playing pranks. They weren't even clever pranks. He would throw rotted fruit at her when he thought she couldn't see him, and step on the skirt of her dress so she would trip as she walked by him.

As the time rolled by and Lotor hadn't tired of his childish games, Allura decided to throw away etiquette and teach the boy a lesson. She wasn't going to let him treat her like this. She wasn't going to get pushed around without pushing back.

So the next time Lotor stepped down on her skirt, causing her to stumble, she turned around and socked him in the face.

The action took Lotor by surprise, but after regaining his senses he shoved her as hard as he could. Allura shoved him right back.

The tussle quickly escalated to the point where they were both rolling on the floor, fighting each other, tooth and nail. Not once did Allura relent or become overwhelmed by him. When he kicked, she clawed. When he hit, she punched.

Eventually, it was their respective fathers who had to split them up. Zarkon gripped Lotor's wrist and forced the prince to release the hold he had on the princess' hair. Meanwhile, Allura's father struggled to make her stop biting Lotor's arm.

As their emperor and the foreign king tore the two children away from each other, the Garla soldiers looked at the scene with a mixture of shock and amusement.

When Alfor managed to get his daughter away from Lotor, it didn't take much to make the princess listen to him. The disappointment in her father's eyes was enough to make Allura regret her rash actions. She shouldn't have let herself get riled up by simple teasing and pranks.

As her father continued to scold her, Allura looked over towards Lotor. Zarkon was yelling at the young prince, vehemently admonishing him for attacking a princess. Lotor's shoulders were hunched and he stared at the ground dejectedly.

But when he looked up and met her gaze, the corners of his lips curled into a smile. There was no arrogance nor viciousness in that smile. It seemed to stem from genuine mirth and joy. She had never seen him grin like that before. He seemed to be about ready to burst out laughing, even as his father continued to rant on his behaviour.

Allura wasn't really sure why, but she smiled back.

Xxx

Lotor was thirteen when he realized that he actually liked Allura. It took him ages to admit it to himself. During that summer, they had spent more time together than they ever had before, and things were very different between them. For one, Lotor found himself actually wanting to spend time with her.

There were occasions during his childhood, when he would allow her to play with him due to boredom and loneliness. During these times, as well as before and after them, Lotor and Allura would continuously snip at each other. However, as they ran through the palace halls together and played games of make-believe in the throne room, a familiarity and companionship grew. The barbs and insults exchanged in their youth somehow shifted to light teasing and playful banter. Lotor wasn't sure when that shift happened, but when he finally noticed it he knew he was in trouble.

Once the realization was made, Lotor did his best to hide his fondness and push whatever feelings he had deep down. Though, he couldn't help making the extra effort to try and make her feel welcome. She was much more fun to be around when she had the chance to enjoy herself.

Lotor took Allura to the greatest sights of his kingdom, exploring deep underground caves filled with lost histories and swimming in a bay of shimmering water that nearly matched the beauty of her eyes. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't trying to impress her. Even as he swelled with pride upon seeing the wonder in her eyes when he brought her to a new place.

When the summer's end came around all too quickly, Lotor felt his heart clenching at the thought of not seeing or even hearing from Allura until the next summer. So, before she left, he mustered up the courage to walk up to her and take her wrist.

Allura stopped in her tracks when he touched her. Her lovely eyes were wide and startled when she turned back to face him. Lotor struggled to breathe for a moment, but he managed to get the words out.

"I will write to you," he said, and he hated how breathless and weak he sounded. "I hope you will respond."

The smile that lit her face could have obliterated mountains. It certainly did a number on him. He committed the way her eyes sparkled like stars to his memory. How could one person be so enchanting every single time they smiled?

"I will, Lotor," she whispered, as if she were telling him a secret. "I definitely will."

Xxx

Allura was fifteen when Lotor had kissed her for the first time. They had been spending more and more time together. No longer for just the adventures Lotor would take her on, but for perfectly mundane things as well. They would eat together in the garden, discussing the politics and the philosophers of their respective cultures. They would read together in the library, sitting in a comfortable and warm silence, only occasionally broken when Allura would stop to tell him an exciting new development in the story she read.

The kiss happened on a beautiful night, when she was sure she could see all the stars of the galaxy. The prince and princess were sitting on a flat part of the palace roof, with some of the servants scrambling to find them down bellow. Lotor was lying back, his arms crossed behind his head as he gazed up at the sky. Allura was sitting up, having not nearly enough confidence to lay back in the relaxed way that Lotor was. She had to crane her neck in order to look up at the universe presented to them.

There was another call of their names and Allura was sure she could hear Coran fretting about her whereabouts. Lotor chuckled when he heard the panic that he caused when he whisked an Altean princess away.

"You should have told someone we were going up here," Allura chided him, lightly nudging his leg with her foot. That action nearly caused her to loose her balance.

"Where's the fun in that," he countered, shooting her a mischievous grin.

Allura could only roll her eyes at his careless attitude, though she couldn't help but laugh at the way Coran's voice cracked when he called out her name. She supposed she was no better than he was.

"We're going to give someone a heart attack," she sighed, feeling ashamed of how they were worrying everyone.

"Don't worry," Lotor assured her, his gaze not once drifting from the stars. "I go up here all the time. My servants and guards are used to my disappearances."

Allura only hummed in response and glanced up at the sky once again. She was glad Lotor had suggested this. It was such a clear night, with no clouds or pollution from the lights of Daibazaal. It was as if they were out in space. She gasped in excitement when a particularly bright and beautiful shooting star soared over her.

"Allura."

She turned to find Lotor sitting up beside her, staring at her with an unreadable expression. He shifted uncomfortably, and could only meet her eyes for brief periods before his gaze would flicker back to the sky or to his hands.

She leaned in close, concerned about his sudden insecurity. Usually he was so confident around her, a sharpened half grin always on display. Especially before doing an especially dangerous stunt, like diving into the bay from the cliffside. This change in behaviour threw her for a loop.

"Are you alright?" she asked, trying to get him to look up at her.

Lotor didn't respond with words. He simply leaned forward, closing the small distance between them, and gently pressing his lips against hers. His lips were soft and his skin was worn. Nothing could have stopped Allura from melting.

It was as if a damn had broken open within her. All the emotions and fluttering heartbeats that she had pushed aside whenever Lotor smiled or laughed or ran his fingers through his hair, rushed through her like a river.

She was shaking when he pulled away in order to breathe. His hands enveloped her trembling ones, his thumbs lightly caressing her skin. Lotor leaned his forehead against her own and they both tried to calm their pounding hearts.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and his violet skin flushed to a rosy pink. "I've just…wanted to do that for a while."

"Well," she sighed, quickly regaining her composure. A smirk played at her lips and laughter bubbled up when she spoke again. "It took you long enough."

Lotor blinked, stunned into silence by her statement, before leaning in to kiss her again.

Allura had thought her father would be more pleased to find the seeds of romance being planted between herself and Lotor. But when she told him of her closeness with Lotor, his face was grim. He told her that this was the last summer they would be spending in Daibazaal.

Both Lotor and Allura were shocked and devastated to find out about the sudden end to their betrothal. Neither of them understood why tensions were suddenly rising between their fathers.

They agreed to continue sending letters, and visit one another when either of them had the opportunity. Even with the end of their engagement, they weren't ready to shove their newfound relationship aside after ignoring their own feelings for so long.

So they continued their engagement, only in secret. But the optimism of their young love was no match for the shadows of things to come.

Xxx

Kay, so I'm sorry that this is a thing now but lol I'm not actually sorry. Calling this my Lollura musical series. Or something, I'll work on the title. There's only going to be four parts and I got them planned out. Might throw in requests later.

The song for this chapter was This Is My Idea from the Swan Princess. Sums up their relationship I thought they would have kinda well.

This series is going to be kinda AU with the whole Allura and Lotor grew up at the same time. I'm gonna have Hagar be the one to keep Lotor alive for these ten thousand years the same way she did with her cat. Or something.

Hope y'all enjoy