"My Emperor, I have news." Haggar burst through the doors, not bothering to bow in her urgency.

"What is it Haggar?" Zarkon turned to her.

"The Red Paladin is more important than you think." Haggar began, bowing low before speaking her next words. "The fleshling is your heir."

Silence, Zarkon didn't speak a word simply sweeping past the druid who was quick to follow him. Haggar watched pleased as Zarkon stormed into her torture room and grasped the near death druid by his hair.

"You are lying."

"The boy is your heir." Rarg whimpered, wincing in pain. "You cannot kill him."

"Lotor is my one and only heir." Zarkon snapped.

"Nara," Rarg spoke barely over a whisper to which Zarkon almost on instinct snapped the druids neck.

"What?!"

"He is Nara's son."

"Where is your proof?" Zarkon growled low, the venom radiating off him had Rarg speaking confidently knowing the red paladin was under Zarkon's skin and he was digging deeper.

"The knife you possess belonged to your daughter, I shipped it off with the boy years ago. The human that saved Nara's life is the paladin's father."

"You honestly expect me to believe such a tale?"

"Ask Haggar, I do not lie."

Zarkon quickly snapped his head to the long haired druid who bowed her head towards Rarg.

"He is speaking the truth."

"Inform Lotor of this, he must be careful, I will not tolerate any injuries to the paladin." Zarkon stood rigid, his mind easily producing a plan. "Haggar, I think Lotor will need some assistance, shall we finally test your latest and most powerful weapon?"

"Of course Zarkon." Haggar swept from the room, leaving the Emperor to release his grip on Rarg's hair.

"Rarg, would you like to see Nara? I know you will be pleased with how we've treated her."

"She's alive?" The druids eyes widened in both relief and shock.

***

Keith's side wound was still healing and it caused him small amounts of stabbing pains every now and then. The red paladin was currently nestled between two of his lion's claws his eyes closing attempting to get some shut eye. Keith had managed to wriggle out of Shiro's grasp of worry and the strange glances from the others. He had finally looked into a mirror and he didn't particularly care that his face was trickled with purple, it was his eyes that struck him. His irises were bright yellow, far different from his usual blue grey. Keith had bit the inside of his cheek in anxiousness, hissing a little as he drew blood. The paladin fingered his gum back and found his canines had increased in size and sharpened a considerable amount.

Outlining the shape of his tooth now Keith sighed a little, with his eyes closed he hoped when he woke everything that had happened was a dream.

"Keith?"

The red paladin opened an eye to see a slightly freaked Hunk making his way over.

"What's up Hunk?"

"You might want to come to the brig."

"What's happened?" Keith was quick to his feet following the yellow paladin from his lions bay.

"I think you're getting married man."

Keith rose a skeptical brow before sobering at the all serious face of the dark skinned male.

"What are you talking about?"

***

"Coran please tell me you are not agreeing with them!" Allura stood absolutely stunned in front of the three Galra and Altean advisor.

"Princess please just think about it."

"I don't need to think about it," Allura exclaimed. "What you're sprouting is utter nonsense."

"Nonsense?" Kolivan snorted in derision. "What we are offering is peace across the entire universe."

"In a political alliance through marriage. Keith would never agree to it and I certainly won't." Allura stood her ground. "There are other ways to gain peace than through unwanted relationships."

"Allura this is the most efficient and quickest way to achieve this-" Kolivan started before Coran pushed forward silencing the Galra and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I know how much marriage means to you and I know you how tough this is for you to consider but Allura this is the universe we're talking about."

Allura furrowed her brow, biting the inside of her cheek digesting what the men were all proposing. Of course, it would make sense, a diplomatic Altean next to the new King on the Galra throne. But Allura was not one for easy solutions and she wasn't about to lay down and roll over just because it was the speediest way to get things done.

"I understand what you are suggesting but there are more efficient and effective ways to spread the word of peace."

Coran and Kolivan were about to speak when the brig doors opened and a frustrated half Galra came storming up to them, his eyes slit and his yellow irises sending off waves of rage.

"No." Keith all but uttered, "We are not getting married. And no Coran, I will not think about it. What are you thinking? You really think putting an Altean on the throne will help at all with the Galra population? No offence but you clearly haven't thought this through, maybe for the rest of the universe it's a sound plan but if I am to lead an entire race I'd prefer to start off on the right foot."

"Paladin-" Kolivan started before Keith cut him off.

"If and I mean IF I'm going to be the Galra's new king, I'm going to have a hard time having them accept me as that. You really think chucking Allura into the mix is going to make any of that easier?" Keith pinched his brow before grasping Aullra's wrist and pulling her away. "This isn't some quick fix, the universe has been under siege for ten thousand years, it's going to take more than some unnecessary and completely pointless marriage to set it right."

Allura was utterly stunned into silence at Keith's words, not resisting him as the paladin gently dragged her away through the bridge doors from the astounded and speechless men.

***

Rarg hated this part of the ship, he knew he should have been used to it by now but the experiments Haggar conducted were horrifying. Zarkon had two Galra soldiers drop him to the floor at their emperor's feet and Rarg furrowed his brow, clutching his chest in pain. Rarg was unsure why Zarkon brought him here, he was certain Nara was not in this vicinity but the druid decided to keep silent not wanting to endure any more of Haggar's torture. Rarg's eyes found Haggar standing before a large robeast, not unlike the other machines that she had sent to defeat the Paladins. This one was slightly bigger and held a more prominent place in the darkened space. Rarg watched in anticipation as Haggar looked to Zarkon who merely nodded and the woman flicked her hand to the door and motioned for the unseen men to approach. The colour in Rarg's face drained dramatically and he all but choked at what he was witnessing. Four droids were dragging a resisting Galra princess and the princess stalled her movements when her eyes landed on her father and the wounded druid.

"Rarg?!"

"Nara," Rarg whispered out breathlessly, still unable to believe his eyes. She wasn't too worse for wear, she had lost a considerable amount of body weight but there was not a scratch on her. When Rarg realised what was about to happen he all but snapped his head to Zarkon and saw him smiling darkly. "Zarkon please, you can't do this."

When Rarg didn't receive a reply the druid aimed his plea to his superior.

"Haggar, please, think about what you're doing."

"Restrain him." Zarkon flicked his wrist and Rarg found him being pulled to his feet and hissed a little in pain as his arms stretched behind his back awkwardly.

"You can't do this. She's your heir!"

"I have plenty more, Keith was it?"

Nara's head snapped over to see Zarkon grinning almost in hysterical dark humour. He was watching her and her reaction and found it pleasing when Nara spoke.

"What have you done with my son?!" Nara all but growled out. "If you touch him, I'll kill you!"

"Daughter please." Zarkon sighed heavily. "It's too early for your threats today."

Nara found herself strapped to a slab unable to move even an inch and she cried out in anger, thrashing her head around bearing her sharp canines to her father. Zarkon motioned for Haggar to continue and the druid stood before the Galra princess with a slight pity in her eyes before she began chanting.

"Victory or death. Vrepit Sa." Nara muttered out before the pain hit her and she let out an agonising scream. Rarg was struggling against his captors yelling Nara's name, demanding Zarkon to stop, pleading to Haggar to relent. The screams stopped almost instantly and Haggar fell to her knees in fatigue and the three Galra glanced up the large robeast and waited. Rarg watched in horror as the blackened eyes slowly lightened to a light violet and the male druid turned to the Galra Emperor who was grinning with sickening glee.

"What have you done?!"