@allurance-week day 7: Fantasy/Fairytale
A/n: last one! And the longest!
Allura didn't like the guard at first. His name was Lance, and he was from a city by the ocean. Allura had never been there, to that city, which was called Seavail (not a terribly creative name, but the sea elves weren't exactly renowned for their ability to name things). Always flirting with her and generally being annoying. If she weren't so worried that his pay might be supporting family she would have had him dismissed long ago.
However, all that changed that day.
She was going to the magical institute, which was far from the capital city. They had to leave the peaceful little valley she had lived all her life and venture out into more dangerous territory. Her father wouldn't let her go unless she had practically a small army of guards with her. She didn't really believe it was necessary. It espically annoyed her that that lover boy of a sea elf was to join them.
She didn't expect things to go the way that they did. She didn't expect to be attacked along the way. Foolish and naive, she supposed.
All of her guards were cut down, one by one, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. They all fought valiantly, and she did her best with her magic to protect them, but it was no use. Soon it was her against a handful of enemies.
Except, it wasn't just her. Before she knew what was happening someone started shooting from up in the trees. Unable to see the shooter the rest of the ambushers had run off. Once it was clear they were safe again, Lance climbed down out of trees, immediatly running over to make sure she was safe. That day she let the man she had always thought of as annoying hold her while she cried.
From that day on, everything changed. She found herself becoming friends with Lance. She learned that he had a very large family, and that he was the youngest sibling. His family owned a general store.
She also learned that Lance was sweet and supportive. Whenever she felt down or like she could do something, like when she was trying to learn a spell and it wasn't working, he would always know what to say. With his encouragement, she always felt like she could take on the world.
It was when she decided that she never wanted him to leave her side that she realised that she was falling in love with him.
There was no rule saying they couldn't be together, but they were still secretive about their relationship. They just wanted to spend their time together without everyone gossiping about them.
Fate could be cruel, though.
Allura left her father's office, her face a stone mask of indifference. One of the people they had had a rocky relationship with, a group of strange tribesmen who lived in the swampland to the south, wanted peace. She wanted that too. Their champion, a man she had met while visiting her childhood friend in the galra kingdom (for the first time. Though after that disaster that had brought her and Lance closer her father had been even more reluctant for her to travel), was a wonderful man named Takashi. Everyone called him Shiro though. Her father and those tribesmen had wondered if perhaps a marriage between their champion and Altea's princess would inspire peace between them.
Both her and Shiro were with other people. She was with Lance, and Shiro... he was with a half galra named Keith. He had been with Keith for a long time. But both of them were willing to sacrifice their personal happiness if it meant peace.
She found Lance in her room on her balcony. He had probably snuck in through the servants passage again.
She could tell he knew something was wrong the moment he was her.
"What is it?" He asked, moving to stand infront of her and take her hands in his.
Allura looked up at him. At his beautiful sapphire eyes, looking at her with worry. Even if she wanted to wait to tell him, she couldn't lie to those eyes, so she told him everything.
Once she was done speaking he asked, "What about us?"
"...I'm sorry Lance. I love you." She told him, taking his hand and placing it above her heart, "my heart has already given itself to you. There is nobody else who could ever-"
"Don't." He said, cutting her off, "don't stand there and tell me you love me while preparing to break my heart."
"Lance I'm sorry. But I'm the future rule of Altea, and my people have to come first." She said, squeezing his hand a little tighter.
He gave her a bitter sweet smile, "I know, Lura." His hand pulles itself from her grasp and he half turned toward the door, "I know."
She watched he love leave, his blue cloak fluttering as he hurried from the room.
It was a month later and she'd barely seen Lance. Even when she did he didn't speak to her, only when he needed too. She wanted to tell herself that he was being rude, but he wasn't. He was simply being professional.
Besides, with her wedding so soon, she had bigger things to worry about. Her dress had to be made and altered. And altered again. The guests had to be invited. The peace agreement made up. She didn't have a lot of time to feel upset about her and Lance's relationship coming to such a bitter close.
Before she knew it, she was standing in her room, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked beautiful, yet her reflection simply filled her with dread.
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. When she told them to enter, Keith opened the door and stepped inside. She picked up her dress to allow herself to turn to face him easier.
"Keith? What are you doing here?" She asked.
He shrugged, his ears drooping a little, "I just... I wanted to say something. I don't know if it's welcome or not, but I felt like I need to say it."
She nodded, "Sure. Whatever you need to tell me."
Keith took a deep breath before looking her right in the eyes. "If... if I had to loose him to anyone, I'm glad it's you." He said, his voice cracking at the end. She could see tears forming in his eyes as he turned and hurried out of the room. She was too shocked to stop him.
All while she finished getting ready she felt ill. This marrige was going to make all four of them unbearably unhappy. But it was the right thing to do, right?
Except, as she was led out to the temple, and Shiro and her walked to the alter, she knew this wasn't going to solve anything. Her and Shiro being unhappily married wasn't going to make their people like each other. Their friendship was enough for that. And they could be friends without getting married.
The ceremony had barely started when she had made her decision.
"Stop! Stop! I can't do this!" She shouted.
Shiro turnes to her, "Allura..?"
She took his hands, "Shiro... this isn't right. It's not fair to us and it's not fair to Keith or Lance."
"Lance..?" He asked. She'd never told him about Lance so his confusion was understandable.
Now was not the time to tell him, however. She place her hand on his cheek and stroked it, "Shiro... you love him more then life itself. Do not be cruel to yourself. Do you not deserve happiness?"
He looked into her eyes for a long time. Eventually, he smiled, and she smiles back. Quickly, she placed a kiss on his cheek before running off, invoking much chatter and gasping. The whole kingdom would know what she did soon but she didn't care. Right now, she needed to find Lance.
She eventually found him outside the library. His eyes went wide when he saw her.
She cut him off, throwing her arms around him and kissing him. He held her close and kissed her back.
"I love you, Lance." She told him when theu seperated, "I couldn't marry Shiro. I would be making him and Keith unhappy, and us too. I don't want to do that. I don't know what I was thinking."
He smiled, cupping her face in his hands, "You ran out on your big fancy royal wedding? For me?"
He let out a giddy laugh and pressed their foreheads together, "I love you."
"I love you too, Lance. The next time I'm getting married, it'll be to you."
"Is that your way of asking me to marry you?" Lance asked, laughing.
But Allura just smiled, "Maybe it is."
