Chapter Eight:

When their main courses had been cleared away, Lotor's chef returned to set out a rectangular tray bearing three small glasses containing different colored sorbets.

"What's this?" Allura asked, smiling, "Dessert?"

"Of sorts. It's a palate cleanser," Lotor explained, picking up one of the small spoons on the tray and scooping a little out. Allura did as well.

"What is the flavor?" Allura asked.

"Liddonenberry, I think," Lotor guessed, taking a spoonful. Allura was unfamiliar with the fruit. She tried a bit.

"It's delicious," she exclaimed, taking another small spoonful. It was minty and fruity at the same time, clean and cool on the tounge. Lotor chuckled, his eyes catching her and holding her.

"We had a dessert like this on Altea. Smooth ice," Allura commented, reminiscing.

"Really?" Lotor asked, looking up at her.

"Yes. We would often have it in the summertime." She smiled.

"Tell me more about Altea," Lotor implored her. Allura's blue eyes lit up. Unlike most of the paladins, Lotor truly did care for Altean culture and history.

"You would have loved it. There were beautiful oceans and rolling hills. The elderflowers were my favorite. When they bloomed, it seemed as if all of Altea smelled of them. The air was sweet and light. At night the moons illuminated everything. My friends and I always used to go swimming in the pools at night in the summer."

"Night swimming. I miss that," Lotor remarked. He finished off the last of the small desert and set the spoon back down on the table.

"Where did you go night swimming?" Allura asked.

"When I lived on planet Ozarion. They had these beautiful freshwater springs all throughout their planet."

"I'm unfamiliar with that planet. Why did you live there?" Allura asked, taking another sip of wine.

"I… It's a long story," Lotor explained. Allura chuckled.

"I'm not going anywhere," she encouraged him.

"Well, I was banished, of course, so I was on the outskirts of the universe. I was working nearby that planet for the Peacekeepers, an intergalactic organization that doesn't exist anymore. I met a woman in the program, and that was her home planet: Ozarion. I lived with her there for several years."

"Oh, I see." Allura had to remind herself that he was thousands of years old. Of course he had been with other women.

"How long ago was that?" She wondered. He blinked.

"About three thousand years ago now. She's long dead, of course."

"How long did her species live?"

"A few hundred years."

"That must be horrible... I can't even imagine that. It's one of the reasons Alteans would usually always marry other Alteans - because we live for thousands of years."

"Mm, yes. It's - it can be very difficult." He said, and then he shook his head.

"This is despondent. Let's speak of something else," Lotor proposed. Allura nodded.

"Tell me more about Altea," he said.

"What do you want to know?" Allura asked.

"I know about the history and the science, but I don't know at all what it was really like to live there. Reading can only tell you so much," he explained. Allura smiled, taking another sip of wine.

"Yes, that's true. Books can try to capture the culture, but it's hard to really contain feeling in words and pictures. I wish I could take you there…" Allura said, drifting off into thought. He scowled as he saw Allura's face darken, and he reached over to take her hand in his. Allura stilled a bit when he did that. He wasn't wearing gloves, and she could feel the smoothness of his skin against hers. Her skin prickled a bit at his touch and she accepted it, lacing her fingers through his. It looked so different, the brown and purple of their skin interlaced together.

"I know. I do as well," he replied, rubbing his thumb gently over hers, "But going to Oriande was one of the most truly Altean experiences anyone could ever have…" Allura nodded.

"Yes. That's true." He was still holding her hand. It was silly, she knew, and she almost hated herself for it, but she was blushing. There was something so giddy, she thought, about having a man as powerful as Lotor be interested in her. Her heart was beating faster in her chest.

"Tell me about your experience, Allura. What you loved the most," he implored her, his thumb still gently grazing over hers, the touch almost so light that it was almost not noticeable.

"I loved the flowers in the spring," she said, leaning towards him, her voice growing softer and softer, "The fragrance lingered in the air for weeks during their bloom, and we had festivals to celebrate them. Whole hillsides would be covered with them, and the world would be amassed in this sea of pink and white flowers. It was lovely."

Lotor smiled warmly, his eyes lightening up as she reminisced.

"What were your favorite things to do at home? When you had time to yourself?" He wondered. Allura chuckled a bit.

"Well that's more of a question about me than about Altea," she refuted, smiling.

"Is it such a bad thing for you to talk about your interests while on a date?" He asked, smiling along with her. At that, Allura couldn't contain her blush. He was still holding her hand in his, and she could faintly feel his heartbeat through his fingers.

"No, I suppose it isn't. It's just that - Well, I was never taught to talk about myself. Royal politeness, and all that… I enjoyed the music on Altea. Sometimes my friends and I would go to concerts, or go dancing. Or, I would simply listen to it alone sometimes. I would dance around my room if no one was watching." Lotor was still smiling, his handsome features warm and alluring.

"You should play me some of your favorites," he suggested. Allura raised her eyebrows.

"Now?" She asked. He nodded.

"If you'd like to." Allura chuckled.

"Okay," she replied. He let go of hand and stood up, fetching a small device of some sort from across the room.

"It's a connector. Just set your phone on it, and it will play whatever you pick out," he explained setting it on the table. Allura reached for her phone, scrolling through her music. She felt silly. The galran emperor wanted to hear her playlist. It made her laugh.

"Well, I'm a little behind the times, aren't I? I'm sure my music will sound ancient, too," she mused.

"You're not even a hundred years younger than I am, Allura. I assure you I won't find it ancient," he persuaded her, and she smiled before looking back down to her tablet and selecting a song.

"Alright, this is one of my favorites. It's a dancing song," she said, setting her phone down on the connector. The music started immediately all around them, and Allura looked up. She couldn't even see the speakers. They must have been flush with the walls.

"Shall we dance, then?" The emperor asked, smirking as he looked down at her. She didn't think he would ask that. She never would have thought the ruler of the galra empire would dance at all. Zarkon hadn't. But, she had to remind herself, Lotor was different. Very different. She offered him a smile then. It was a date, she told herself. Why shouldn't she?

"Yes, we shall." Lotor moved over a bit to give them more space, Allura following him.

"Now, you'll have to teach me. I don't really know how Alteans dance," he admitted, and she could swear he was blushing a bit. She chuckled, taking hold of his hand.

"Like this," she explained, taking one of his hands and placing it on her waist. She placed her right hand on his shoulder and took hold of his other hand with her left one. The touch gave her goosebumps. He was so close to her. She had never been so close to him.

"Now, on Altea, the woman leads." Lotor raised an eyebrow at that, smirking.

"Why is that?" he asked. Allura looked up at him.

"Women are believed to be the instigator of a romance - they have the upper hand. The men should do as they say to prove that they are worthy to the woman."

"Worthy to be her lover?" He asked, stepping closer to her so they were almost touching. Allura blushed to the roots of her hair at the implication of his words.

"Yes," she responded, looking down to try and rid herself of her blush. When they caught each other's gaze sometimes she could see desire in his purple gaze.

"Follow my footsteps." She stepped backwards, and he followed her, and they quickly fell into the dance. It seemed so crazy to be doing this, she thought. He was the Galran emperor, an alien in so many respects. But then again, not entirely alien. She looked back up to his handsome face as they danced, slowly, to the music. It was a harmless thing, and yet Allura couldn't help but feel like this was too intimate. He was so close. She took in the shape of his face, the curve of his jaw and his aristocratic, Altean nose. His lips looked soft and Allura couldn't deny that she imagined what they might feel like against her own.

"You have a good taste in music," he complimented, referencing the smooth melody enveloping them in sound. It was an Altean love ballad. The princess smiled.

"You're a fast learner," she tossed back at him. He had quickly taken to the dance, and easily followed her around the room as they danced slowly to the music. He smiled. For a while the simply danced, an amicable silence between them. She was growing more comfortable to their closeness. He smelled clean and musky, obviously the effect of his cologne. It was a foreign scent, but it was entirely welcome. She could feel the muscles of his shoulder under her hand as they danced and the feeling of his hand on her waist was giving her goosebumps.

When the song was coming to a close, they slowed.

"I'm getting dizzy," she muttered. They stilled.

"We should stop," he suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. His face was mere inches from her face. The song had ended.

"We have stopped." She let go of him bit as they stopped dancing, but she still kept her right hand pressed his chest, her touch lingering there. Lotor's arms gently wrapped around her waist, drawing her flush against him. When she looked up, he was already staring down at her, his exotic eyes warm as molten gold. And she was caught in them, unable to let go of his gaze. She moved in closer and then, with one simple movement, his lips captured hers.

A/N: Please review! It keeps the creative juices flowing :)