I Am The Red Paladin

Power

"Allura? You wanted to see me."

The woman hesitated before she peered up to find Keith by the door unsure whether to proceed further. Allura motioned him towards her and froze as he stopped before her, his blue-grey eyes void of emotion. The princess took a quick glance to Coran who was standing at attention nodding to her in reassurance.

"Keith." Allura started turning her attention back to the Paladin letting herself relax slightly. "I just need you to know that this will take some time for us to accept. I do not wish for this to affect our relationship but I fear it might. I apologise for my harsh words but I cannot say that I truly didn't mean them."

"So it'd be best if I avoid you?" Keith muttered.

"It would be best if we remained elusive towards one another." Allura pursed her lips before continuing. "I will never forgive the Galra for they have done."

"And I don't expect you to," Keith shook his head before sweeping his hand out. "But I'm not who you think I am."

"Galra's are all the same, you may not all be fighting on the same side but you all fight for one thing. Power."

"Right..." Keith clenched his fist. "And I've got some other ulterior motive for trying to save the universe. Come on Allura, you must be joking."

"I'm sorry Keith but I am not." The princess turned back to the controls. "You may still pilot the red lion but do not expect everything to return to normal."

If Allura was expecting Keith to say anything else she was sorely mistaken, the red paladin narrowed his eyes at her in irritation before storming out the room.

***

Keith stood before his lion palm outstretched, the cold metal sending a shiver down the paladins back. Staring into the dulled eyes of the metal beast Keith let out a sigh and lowered his head. Galra. The Empire who had seized the universe for ten thousand years was running through his very being. Yet. Keith lifted his head. The Red Lion of Voltron chose him. A man who didn't even know who he was anymore. Before the trial, he had always been uncertain of who he was, who he was meant to be. As the Marmora trial ended he knew indefinitely, he was the Red Paladin, legendary defender of the universe. But then the blade he had since he was child glowed and its secrets unlocked causing him to unravel in uncertainty all over again. His mother was Galra part of the Blade of Marmora. But who was she? Was she a soldier? A princess? Keith smirked shaking his head in amusement, Hunk and Pidge sure did have some crazy theories. The mental purr the lion produced caused Keith to shudder, who was he? Truly? He was an orphan, a garrison drop out, a temperamental loner. The added cause of being half Galra only served to widen the gap between himself and the paladins. If Allura was doubting him the others would soon follow, after everything the princess had told them, Keith, himself was beginning to question why he was here. What if he did have an ulterior motive?

Galra's are all the same, you may not all be fighting on the same side but you all fight for one thing. Power.

It never occurred to Keith that perhaps when he was in a leading position he enjoyed the power that came with it. Face to face with Zarkon, the power he felt was immense and he bathed in it, fighting the biggest threat to the universe made him feel unstoppable, most like he was sure as Zarkon felt as he brought planet after planet down to their knees. Keith shook his head harshly, no, he was not like Zarkon, he had restraint, he was a paladin. But Zarkon had been a paladin, of the black lion no less.

Keith was mentally slapped back into reality as sirens began to sound and Allura's voice flittered across the ship.

"Paladins to your lions. We have company."