"Katherine!" Allura hollered through the castle wing.
Pidge sprung up from the bed, and Keith pulled her back down.
"Shh. I think you'll be safe from prosecution of Allura if you're here with me. Go back to sleep. Or pretend to."
Keith hadn't slept a wink, thinking about the way Pidge was treated, and the way he would keep her from the abuse of Allura and his brother.
"Okay," Pidge said, after a moment of silence. She rolled over and curled into Keith's chest. He wrapped a protective arm around her.
"I think," she whispered, "if I were found with you in a platonic situation, I would be prosecuted no matter what."
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
"Thank you Keith. But I will have to go, unless Prince Shiro and Princess Allura wed. Then I will stay. But, I wouldn't be allowed to visit you. I would have to tend-"
Keith clamped his hand over her mouth as stomping approached his door.
"Shut your eyes," Keith whispered. A knock on his door announced the entrance of Keith's brother.
"You little whore. I requested your company. Not my brother. You were to visit me. Not him." He raised his hand to hit Pidge, who looked up at him in groggy fear. Keith threw himself to cover Pidge as Lotor's hand came down, hard, on his shoulder.
"Lotor. Leave my room. This instant. You were not permitted to enter, and you are not permitted to stay. I will see you at breakfast."
Lotor's mouth gaped, and he stormed out of the room.
"You're fine, you know. I should never let anything harm you. Or, anyone, in this case." Keith rose from his bed and aided Pidge as well.
Still being in his clothes from the previous day, he decided to ignore changing, and spoke to Pidge as she unconsciously began making his bed.
"You needn't do that, I'm fully capable." He rested his hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't even realize I was doing it. My apologies, sire."
"Keith," he corrected.
"Keith," she replied. "Apologies again, Keith."
"You know, you needn't be so formal with me," Keith laughed.
Pidge just replied with a laugh of her own, and followed him out of the room.
Later in the evening, Keith decided to take a bottle of spirits to his room, just to revel in his own self loathing for the night. He couldn't quite explain why, but he felt he could do more for Pidge, but wasn't.
She knocked on his door not a moment after that. She jumped onto his bed and pulled off her apron and hair pin.
"What have you there?" she asked Keith.
"Fire whiskey. Care for a swig?" He held the bottle out to her.
"I'd Love it." She twisted off the cap and drank down a large sip.
They sat in silence for a while, passing the bottle back and forth. Then eventually, drunk out of existence, Pidge spoke up.
"I bloody hate my job."
"I as well," Keith started. "Dictatorship is hard." His words slurred a bit.
"Not to mention putting up with that bastard of a brother." Her cheeks were a rosy pink and she flopped backwards onto the bed, Keith taking a rest next to her. She took another sip of the whiskey and said, "You know, I used to be the Altean princess, believe it or not."