Chapter 6

"Romelle," Keith asked. "Do you still have the patterns? If I remember correctly, both Pollux and Arus used to be one house. Do you have patterns going that far back?"

"Mmm… I don't know for sure. But I might." Romelle replied.

Romelle looked at Keith, watching the way he seemed to be planning something. She remembered her cousin talking about the way Keith would tap his lips and chin when he got into a deep thought. A giggle seemed to bubble in her. If only her cousin could see Keith now, with his arms full of yarn and how he was bopping one skein just under his chin. An idea must have struck him as he when to grab a basket. He started piling the yarns he had in his arms to one side.

The sight of Keith in hunt mode was just as interesting to Romelle as well. It made her miss Sven. She had something so important to tell him. She thought about telling Keith, but with him running about from planet to planet, telling him seem to be something unfair. Surely he too wanted to be on Arus, instead of running from Wade like a criminal.

"What are you planning Keith," Romelle inquired with a mischief like grin.

"No to sure, but I thought it would be nice if I could make something for Allura," Keith said slyly. "Something to keep her warm on the nights she has trouble sleeping. Something based off the old patterns."

Romelle looked at Keith as he continued to scan the many skeins of yarn. In all her years, she was brought to think men under her station in life were a certain way in behaving. That they had lack of manners and were vile in their way of thinking. Yet after meeting Sven and Keith, she was convinced, there were real Princes among them. There were men of true Nobility even though not one drop of royal blood was in them. Seeing Keith's feelings over Allura, even though he never said that he loved her, she could tell he cared deeply. If only she could wave a wand and make things different for her cousin and her knight piling more yarn in his basket.

It dawned on her, while she may not be able to wave a wand, she did have the patterns he wanted. Perhaps in all the old dusty patterns, there was one that could hold his feelings that she would treasure for all the time he had be gone and for the time he may still be far from her. One quick call to her most trusted servants and she had them copying pages of old patterns and binding them into a book.

"Keith, just so you know, I'll take care of paying for the yarn. I want you to make the best gift possible for Allura," Romelle told him. "Also, I want to stop by the castle to get something."

Normally, a request like this would send red flags up for Keith. But this was Romelle, a strong supporter of Voltron, and one who had little love for Wade. He so wanted to find Black Lion now. He could not help but feel that when you start to question the motives of your friends, you were in too deep and need to get out of the hole you were in fast. But he couldn't come out, not without Black.

The walk to the Castle was somewhat quiet. Keith was happy to talk to a real person over a long period of time. He had not realized how much he missed it. Romelle's dealings with high officials may seem boring to most, but to Keith, it was something he missed. Plus it was interesting to hear what was happening in the higher levels of politics. Though what she had to say was not great. He could see what Wade was doing like Go pieces. Wade was all over the board and somewhere in it was Black Lion. Keith could see he was going to have to push his contacts a bit harder for info.

Romelle waited with him at the castle gate's as her trusted handmaid came with a large bound book. The look on Keith's face told her, he had found just what he was looking for. It was beautiful piece and the yarns he had gotten were perfect for it. "Thank you, Romelle," Keith said, smiling.

"Do you have idea how long it might take to make it?" she said inquisitively as he pondered on the charts.

"Mmm… it's hard to say. I haven't done anything this detailed before. Six months, maybe seven months. Why do you ask? Is there something coming up on Arus?" he asked.

"There is a ball in that time frame, but nothing solid yet. Send me a message when it's done and I'll let you know if anything is happening," Romelle replied.

...ooO~ Six months later ~Ooo...

Allura strode into her bedroom late from the ball that she had to host. Once again, the council invited some men of royal lines and once again, she turned each down. Some she had turned down before. But still, in each one she could see there was no true leadership within them. They turned most of their power to others. Sometimes the men the council would present to her were mostly Royal in name only. The worlds they were from had government bodies that held the power. It left a poor taste in her mouth.

Tonight she had two of these types and the other she had turned down before for being immature. It was not his lucky night again. Despite his early attempts to show how he had grown, it took a glass of wine for his childish behavior to pop out. By the end of the night, she almost had him thrown for grabbing a servant's rear-end and ogling her chest for a good portion of the event. She was slightly amused when she overheard Coran talking to one bureaucrat on how he missed having Keith being her escort.

Hearing his name struck her in the heart.

She wanted him back. She wanted to hear his voice, the touch of his hands on hers, and his eyes warmly telling her everything was okay. Even though she knew why he was gone, she just wanted him to find Black as soon as he could. She would imagine his return, grabbing him and kissing him silly in the face. Of course her nerves would get the better of her. Yet still, one could never tell.

She was half way done removing the bulky dress off when she noticed the window was cracked open. Scanning the room for anything else that may be "off", she slowly worked the rest of the dress off. Wrapping a robe on, she walked around the room. Nearing the bed, a soft metallic chirp signaled at her feet.

Looking down at the edge of the sheets, a small robotic rodent chirped happily at her. It told a moment, but then she recognized her old friend, Cheddar.

"But you are suppose to be with Keith," Allura thought. "What are you doing here?" Panic almost set in, till she saw Cheddar was trying to pull something out from under the bed. It was medium size box, kind of plain but wrapped with a multiple number of colored strings tied into an ornate knot.

Inside was a large shawl that was in a light shade of glittering blue alpaca yarn. It was almost triangular with four points instead of three and multiple layers in the pattern. It went from a bed flowers to a band of leaves traveling to the left, a grid-like pattern of eyelets into another band of leaves traveling to the right. The edge looked like large flowers turning into lion paws with the largest paws on the four corners.

It was beautiful. Whipping off the robe, Allura quickly tried the shawl on. At the bottom of the box she spotted a letter with her name on it in an old familiar handwriting.

My dear Allura,

I know it's been years since I left to find Black Lion. And while it may still be a long time before I find him, I wanted you to know that I am still thinking of you. I'm hoping that it is not too much longer.

I've heard you are still having nights where you are having trouble sleeping. While I cannot be there to help you sleep, I hope this shawl can make those nights just a bit easier.

I will return with Black Lion and to you.

All my love,

Keith

Looking at the cracked window, she saw Cheddar working his butt through the narrow opening. As Allura walked to the window, she noticed a slight distortion form Cheddar was climbing before disappearing into it. "Keith," she whispered as she placed her forehead upon the window. The figure touched the windows near where her cheeks were as if to say more. She kissed the glass as if she was kissing the tips of it fingers. She could see the figure take a deep breath, before leaping off the ledge. In the distance she saw a dark parachute open up before disappearing into the nearby woods. Closing the window, Allura decided she was going to go to bed without her usual nightgown. She was going to be too warm with it. Good thing she had this beautiful shawl that was so very soft.

Keith felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest. She noticed him and knew it was him, kissed where his fingers were. As he rushed into his ship, it dawned on him. Allura was wearing the shawl and very little else. "Focus… Focus Keith," he screamed to himself.

As he left Arus' air space, Keith prayed a small prayer. That he would never forget that moment, and that his time running from Wade was almost done.