(Thank you for not saying "Begone thot!" about/to Serenade, she's my favorite character and that means a lot to me. Also, sorry about there not being enough Klance in the last chapter! Klance content is a growing process. I hope this lengthy one makes it up to you guys. <3 <3)
Serenade Pearlshore fell out of her trace. She rolled her eyes and whispered, "Boys..." under her breath. "For the sake of my sanity, please stop fighting." She groaned in annoyance. "Anything for the princess." Lance joked. "She's my first love," Keith hissed; squeezing the mermaid's hand possessively. "Gills, Keith. You need to relax. This is gonna be fun!" The Prince of Altea exclaimed jubilantly. "Saving the people that have hated my anemone for years is the paragon of fun." The predator muttered indifferently. "It's been a while since anyone has encountered a member of the Blade of Marmora, so this is gonna be a difficult mission." He added.
Lance grunted in frustration. "Really?! Oh, my flipping gills! This is gonna take years! While we're off wandering around the Seven Seas, Lotor is busy trying to hook up with my sister while my people are being brutally slaughtered for his dolphinfish quintessence supply!" He barked furiously. Serenade squeaked in fear and hid behind her first love. Keith sighed and tried to calm the prince down, "Relax, Lance. I get it, you're upset. Angry-" "Enraged, Mullet! I'm FLIPPING FURIOUS!" The Prince of Altea screeched with rage. The mermaid whimpered softly and stayed silent. "We have a plan, okay? It's just gonna take some time." The predator huffed and held her hand.
Keith glared at the irritable Altean. "Everything is going to work out. Clues are always left behind from battles and missions, we just need to find a few." Lance clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. "Whatever Mullet." He retorted. "Ooh! Look you two! Oysters! Oh my gills, I'm starving..." Serenade stared at the outstanding group of shells on the seafloor. "We literally just-" The Prince of Altea grumbled. Keith glanced at the group of shells and licked his lips by instinct. "Those oysters do look good, but I still have a clownfish leftover from my hunt a few quintants ago." Lance stopped swimming in his tracks. "Oh my gills! Guys, I forgot HUNK!" He exclaimed loudly.
The lovefish stared at each other in confusion. "Who's Hunk, Prince Lance?" Serenade asked curiously. "Who is Hunk?! Why, my best friend in all of the Seven Seas!" Lance explained as if it was the easiest formula in the world. Keith let out a sheepish chuckle, "I thought you wanted to find the Blade of Marmora, Lance. Now you're looking for your best friend...what is going on with you today?!" The mermaid scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "I just have a lot to do, okay?" The Prince of Altea muttered indecisively. "We believe you, we believe you. It's just a lot to take in." Keith declared modestly. "Since we're looking for Hunk first, do you know where he is, or where you saw him last?" His lover inquired; nipping gently at her bottom lip. "Back in the kelp-"
And just in time, a relatively chubby merman about their age bumped into Lance at high speed. "Lance?! You've been here this whole time?! I thought you were going to wait for me..." The merman pouted anxiously. "I am so. Sorry, Hunk! I just ended up getting distracted with rallying the troops," The stressed mer's best friend apologized frantically. Hunk crowed casually, "I get it. After all, you're the one who organized this expedition." "Is this Hunk?!" Serenade squealed after the two separated from a compassionate hug. "You are so adorable!" She ejaculated ecstatically. "Th-thanks?" The curvy, tanned merman stammered sheepishly. "She tends to get excited when meeting new people. I'm Keith, and that's Serenade." The predator introduced the two of them calmly.
Hunk held out his hand before taking it back. "Wait. Are you the Predator?!" He squeaked nervously. Keith rolled his eyes and growled faintly. "So-" Serenade swam in front of him and panicked. "Yes, but he won't hurt you!" She argued and kissed her lover's forehead affectionately. "Unless you piss him off," Lance added bluntly. "Can you two stop? Seriously, I can talk for myself." Keith bellowed irritably. Hunk stared at the trio for a moment; taking everything in. He sighed and slanted his head. "What are you trying to say, buddy?" The Prince of Altea questioned curiously.
"I can talk, Lance," His best friend scowled playfully, "And I can sense a person's character, so I understand that you two are just...misunderstood by Alteans." Keith and Serenade blushed at the compliment. "Thank you?" They uttered in sync. "It's a compliment. I mean if you guys are willing to wander around the seas for Lance, you two would volunteer to do anything-" Hunk babbled bluntly. "Hey!" Lance interrupted with an offended shout. "We wouldn't agree to do anything voluntarily, Hunk. It would depend on the situation." The predator smirked in response. "Well, that leads me to the big question. What did I miss? Other than the food, I miss eating something delicious..." The other Altean mer asked with a growl from his stomach.
The three of them iterated with the words: "A lot." and filled him in on everything that happened. "Not everything was that important!" Lance argued. "Yeah right," Keith joked. "Whatever Mullet." The prince scowled. "Well we still have to pick up Kosmo too," "Kosmo is the number one priority!" Serenade interrupted aggressively. "Okay..." Hunk replied sheepishly and kept listening to their narration.
Meanwhile in Altea...
The Royal Family of Altea was filled with miserable disarray. The kingdom was mostly tarnished, and Emperor Lotor was in full control. The Alteans were enslaved or dead at the hands of the Galra for imperial benefit. King Alfor and Queen Melenor were forced to stay in the castle dungeon, along with the other living prisoners. Nothing got any better while their son had disappeared.
"I am delighted that you agreed to my bargain." Emperor Lotor smirked despicably; caressing Princess Allura's hips. The princess squirmed in discomfort at his side. Her bleached coral white hair floated around her back and neck. Her Tiger's eye skin tone shimmered from the light of the throne room. The Altean princess's rose quartz-colored tail swished away from Lotor's dark purple tail with resentment.
The sight of her people suffering from the castle's ornate, massive glass window filled her sapphire eyes with sorrow and self-loathing. "Just stop the suffering of my parents and free them." Allura hissed in dismay. "I will keep my promise," Lotor murmured confidently. "Zethrid, free the King and Queen of Altea." He commanded for one of his generals.
The aggressive Galran half-breed bit her lip and brought the monarchs in front of her superior. "Here are the King and Queen of Altea, Emperor." Zethrid announced simply. "Get rid of the leashes." Lotor barked as Allura and her parents cried at the sight of each other after years passed. The general rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking and untied the rough ropes at their waists. The two gasped at the tightness around their stomachs that disappeared. More air sank into the king and queen's gills hastily, a taste of freedom.
"Dearest Allura!" King Alfor and Queen Melenor sobbed with joy and swam quickly to hug their daughter. "Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. Later. Isn't that right, Allura?" The Emperor of the Galra Empire bellowed in amusement. The Altean princess sighed wistfully. "I know, Lotor." She scowled bitterly. "Now that your daughter has accepted the proposal, you two are free to wander around the castle and your-or should I say...my land." Emperor Lotor proclaimed. Alfor and Melenor nodded graciously as their faces grew wet from their joyful tears. "The Zarkon we knew would be ashamed to know that his son has followed in his footsteps of greed and power." Alfor resented with gasps in between his words.
Emperor Lotor snapped his fingers and Zethrid plucked a scale from Alfor's shiny turquoise tail; causing him to let out a painful wheeze in reply. "I do not think you understand the power I have. If you want to return to your place as prisoner, please Your Majesty. Be my guest." Zarkon's son drawled commandingly. Queen Melenor shrieked softly at the sight, and not being able to hold her daughter close. "This was not part of the bargain!" Princess Allura snarled with rage flowing through her body. "Allura, please..." King Alfor whispered sadly. "Let them go already! My parents have not done anything wrong to you!" She screeched. Lotor nodded and reiterated with a snicker, "Now you two are free to roam the castle and your-wait. I mean to say my land."
Princess Allura growled softly as her parents left the throne room. "My brother will come back, and he will bring you the karma you deserve. Mark my words..." The Princess of Altea sneered harshly after freeing herself from her fiance's grasp. "I'm sure by now that Prince Lance is already dead!" Emperor Lotor cackled. "If you are to be my spouse, you will not ridicule my family by any means." The Altean shouted with zealous anger flooding her tone. Lotor sighed and displayed a frightened smile. "I understand and agree completely, dearest." He conceded flirtatiously. Allura scoffed and swam off to her room. "Do not call me dearest, you arrogant angelfish. Seriously, the nerve of him!"
King Alfor's former commander Takashi Shirogane followed Princess Allura out of concern and knocked on the door to her room. Faint sounds of sobbing and sniffles were concealed by the piece of melded, old metal. "Princess Allura?" The bitter crying softened as the sloshing of water grew louder. "Coran?" Allura croaked hesitantly. "I don't know where Coran is right now, but, uh, no. It's Shiro." Shiro answered shyly.
He had feelings for the princess but hid them for several years. Since King Alfor promoted him so they could see each other much more often. No. Since his charcoal eyes first encountered her. The commander clearly still cared about the Princess of Altea. "Oh." She uttered awkwardly. "Do you...need anything?" Shiro asked sincerely. "A hug from your mom? I could always call-" Allura chuckled faintly. Her helplessness engulfed in the laugh. "Thank you for caring, Takashi. It is very thoughtful of you, but I am a mess. I would prefer some alone time before interacting with anyone." She requested courteously. Shiro frowned. The princess still calls me that. "Y-you know," He stammered, "You don't have to call me 'Takashi'. I won't bite if you call me 'Shiro'."
Princess Allura sighed wistfully and giggled for a moment. "I know you won't. You wouldn't hurt plankton." She remarked smoothly. Shiro blushed and graciously thanked the door for keeping his crush from seeing his face. "I-I guess. But that doesn't mean I put kindness aside when it comes to defending Altea." He babbled. "You are such a pushover, Shiro. Your loyalty makes everyone like you." Allura snorted. "What about you then, Allura? How do you feel towards me?" The commander inquired boldly. A pregnant pause flooded the hall and door between the two. "I have nothing against you, you just annoy me sometimes. Being perfect and pompous about everything." The Altean princess confessed bluntly. Shiro smirked before pouting. "I am not pompous." He argued. "Sometimes you are. Acting like your connections with others are extraordinary," Princess Allura retorted. "That is not who I am, Allura!" Shiro shouted; amused. "Why don't you show me who you are, Shiro?"