Keith burst out of Chute Number One, his dark gaze fixed on the retreating figure of Blue Lion's pilot. He ignored the amazed stares of the dozen or so castle militia personnel that manned the control center as he angrily strode toward his target.

The Princess halted her flight, stiffening a little at his authoritative tone.

"I think you owe me an explanation before you go on your merry way." He added grimly. She could now hear the bewilderment lacing his words as he drew near.

"Please Keith, I do want to talk about this offer, but could it possibly wait until later? Lance informed me before he, Pidge and Hunk left Ops that Nanny is in urgent need of my assistance," the Princess replied nervously, even while she turned to face the inevitable. "She's already upset about my encounter with Lotor, I don't want to distress her any further. I should see-"

"This can't wait," he interrupted her tersely.

The Captain had come to halt directly in front of the Princess, his formidable height and muscular body making her seem even more petite by their close proximity to each other. As Keith looked down into the thickly lashed blue eyes and the delicate face framed by glorious golden hair, his face darkened as he thought of the even bigger bulk of Prince Lotor and the damage it could inflict on this proud and lovely woman. Even if her body withstood the onslaught, what living with the evil Prince could eventually do to her spirit concerned him even more. Allura would never be a companion for Lotor, only a receptacle for his desire. She deserved far more than that. Far more. The intensity of that conviction revealed itself in the ferocity of his glare, a glare that made the Princess blink and shift uncomfortably, as she nervously smoothed back some escaping tendrils of hair floating free from her tightly bound chignon.

Her uncertain gaze left Keith's, and ran over the raven-colored hair that showed no signs of being held captive or flattened by a helmet. Indeed, it was sticking out at all angles, as if he had been yanking at it in frustration. She hid a smile. On anyone else the unruly locks would have been comical, but on Keith, messy looked sexy.

Her eyes locked with his once again, a certain warmth in their depths that she now reserved just for him. For a moment they stood staring at each other, a myriad of emotions ebbing and flowing between them.

Allura was torn; she wanted to make time for Keith but if she didn't leave soon, their wonderful surprise would be ruined by Nanny's sudden stage fright. But how could she leave to see to a party when he obviously was so upset? Didn't he realize why she had said what she said? Didn't he understand her reasons for considering what the Doom Prince had proposed?

The light of battle in his eyes told her that he didn't understand, and that he was ready to do whatever it took to change her mind. She shivered involuntarily. Right now, even confronting Lotor seemed less dangerous than facing an irate Captain Keith.

A discreet cough behind them from one of the eavesdropping Arusian officers interrupted her ponderings and prompted her to break the silence before something untoward happened.

"You had something to say to me?" She prompted the Captain softly.

"I want to know why you'd even consider his offer after all he's put us through." Keith said calmly, his eyes still holding hers hostage.

"I take it you object to my way of handling Lotor," she replied carefully.

"Dammit! I don't want you to 'handle' him at all!" He bit out.

Allura stared at Keith in amazement, wondering if he realized the implication of what he had said. There was no humor lurking in the dark eyes, so apparently he wasn't kidding.

Did he really think she wanted to touch the Prince the way she had touched him?

Apparently the stoic Captain was thinking with his heart instead of his mind for once. She found that rather worrisome, and also very, very... sweet. A small glow of happiness flickered inside her breast and suddenly she was no longer troubled by his displeasure.

He sensed her softening, and a small glint of satisfaction sparked in his eyes. "I knew it, you weren't seriously thinking about marriage to him, I mean, how could you be?" He said softly, and a bit arrogantly.

That arrogance irritated her, and made her determined not to give in so easily.

"Well...it's not like I've had any other offers, you know. I'm a marked woman with a price on her head, which does tend to discourage suitors. He may be my only chance for matrimonial bliss, " she replied pertly, her eyes wide and innocent.

He gave her an annoyed look. "How can you make light about this? You know as well as I how he'd treat you, and that he'd never keep his word about deposing his father."

"But what if he does mean it? He did come alone, our systems confirmed it, and also that he was telling the truth about his armada." She retorted, some devilish instinct urging her on. "Besides, there aren't too many men willing to give up everything for a woman these days."

Keith's lips compressed for a moment as he tried to keep a rein on his rising temper. "'What if' isn't a good enough reason to sacrifice yourself, Princess!" He suddenly reached out and placed his gloved hands on her shoulders. Electricity seemed to snap between them at the touch.

"I can certainly give you much better reasons to stay than he can give you to go." He added quietly, his expression softening, his thick dark brows lifting slightly.

The intense fierceness in his gaze dissipated, leaving only a lingering passion of a different kind. He almost smiled at the way her pink lips fell open in astonishment and at the eagerness flashing in her eyes. It wasn't the time or the place he would have chosen to tell her about how he felt about her, but what the hell. It was Christmas...

The Ops workers had given up all pretense of working now, and a dozen pair of eyes avidly followed the tableau being enacted in front of them.

"Y-you c-can?" Allura stammered, and then blushed guiltily under his tender expression. Her heart turned over at what she saw and she swallowed hard. As much as she hated to admit it, it wasn't fair to use this situation to push him into a declaration Keith probably wasn't ready for, although she wished to hear it with every particle of her being. She had to put a stop to this teasing; she wanted him to tell her how he felt, but it had to be without coercion of any kind, or there would always be doubts in her mind.

She spoke up quickly, her voice trembling slightly from repressed feeling.

"Keith, I want to say, I mean, I must tell you before you go on, that the only reason I am considering this offer is because it buys us time. I do not intend to accept Lotor. I will never accept him." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry if you misunderstood my motives, or if I led you to think that I- how could I when-oh, please, just forgive me."

A chorus of disappointed sighs echoed in the background, masked by the lowering of the launch chute cylinder. The Castle staff returned to their duties, knowing that nothing monumental was going to happen from this particular encounter between the handsome Captain and their Princess.

A wave of intense relief washed over the pilot of Black Lion, soothing him with its cool caress as he heard her confession. He supposed he ought to be ticked off, but he was too happy at what she had said to bother with misguided anger. "Princess- it's okay, I guess I jumped to conclusions, and actually I should apologize for not giving you enough credit..."

She looked up, her face brightening. He wasn't upset! He was smiling?

"...for having good taste in the men you choose to touch!" He finished, his eyes twinkling impishly at her.

She gasped, gave him a mock glare, then grinned. "For your information, Captain, my decision was based on the fact that I just didn't want to elope with someone who dresses and looks like 'Jingles the elf'! All that was missing was the pointy shoes and a cap with a bell!"

Keith gaped at her and then started to shake with laughter. "All hail Lotor- the Elf From Hell," he gasped, between chuckles.

Allura laughed with him. "And Santa's worst nightmare," she added.

Keith looked at her in surprise, his laughter fading away. "Been doing some reading on Christmas again?" He asked warmly.

Her eyes went wide as she realized her error. "Um, yeah, a little. This reminds me- I really don't know why though- Nanny really needs to see me right away. I must go."

"Okay," Keith reluctantly lifted his hands from her shoulders and let drop to his sides. "See you later at lunch?" He called, as she moved away.

"Oh yes!" She smiled brightly, turned and made a hasty exit.

Keith stood staring after her, wondering what he had said to make her so jumpy.

A soft step behind him made him turn around. He groaned mentally at seeing the distinguished figure standing behind him. Now he was in for it!

"Do you think Lotor will keep his word on the thirteen days?" Coran asked quietly, having witnessed the entire encounter over the comm systems, and its aftermath in the control room from atop his usual perch on the launch chutes.

The Captain gave the older man a startled look, then sighed in relief at the kindly, inquiring expression on the careworn face. "You know, I actually think he might. He wants her so badly, he might be willing to try asking and waiting- but I wouldn't count on it."

The Royal Advisor nodded solemnly. "And if he does wait, he'll have a contingency plan to prevent her turning him down."

"Yeah, of course he will," The younger man replied bleakly. "Don't worry, I 'll never let anything happen to her. I'll keep her safe at all costs." He turned a determined gaze to the Princess' guardian.

Coran smiled and clapped a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Now that is something I know I can count on."


Minutes after leaving her discussion with Keith, Allura located her frustrated governess, who was hiding in her suite of rooms in the staff wing. Upon entering the room the Princess tried in vain to stifle the delighted laugh that escaped her as she spotted the rotund figure in the red suit that had been temporarily altered to fit a feminine form. Stout black boots reached to Nanny's knees and a broad, black leather belt cinched the robe. From the neck down, the outfit was a very close approximation of a Santa suit.

"I look ridiculous!" The older woman wailed, waving the mound of white curls she clutched in one hand. "And vhen I put on this beard and that outlandish hat, I vill be a laughingstock!"

"But Nanny, if you wear the beard, blue contact lenses and hat, people will not recognize you!" Allura said consolingly. "I guarantee it! I'll help you arrange everything; no one will even suspect it is you!"

"Hm. But then I vill have to speak, and that vill ruin everything. I cannot sound like a man! And vhat about my voice inflections?" Nanny protested.

"Speak in a low, hearty tone, and the beard will muffle your accent," The Princess suggested reasonably.

"Oh Allura, I am just no good at this sort of thing, even as a child I could not fool my playmates when ve vould dress up. I am too clumsy, high strung and harsh." The governess plopped down on her bed, for once not caring that the pretty floral coverlet was wrinkling beneath her round bottom.

"Nonsense, all you need is a little confidence and encouragement!" Her ward replied bracingly. "And I know just the thing. Wait here, I will return in a moment."

"Vhere else vould I vait?" The governess murmured wryly as the Princess ran out of the room. "It's not like I'm going to go prancing around the Castle in this get-up!"

A few minutes later Allura was back, carrying a flattened glass bottle and a large shot glass.

"Vhat's that?" Nanny asked suspiciously, eyeing the glass as the Princess poured some liquid from the bottle and handed it to her governess. A strong scent of peppermint filled the air.

"Go ahead, drink it. You'll feel better."

Nanny inhaled the glass's contents, and remarked after a moment, "It does smell good. Vhat is it?" She took a tentative swallow, without waiting for a response.

The fresh, clean taste of peppermint exploded on her tongue, followed by the unmistakable tangy backlash of alcohol. She gasped and coughed. Allura pounded her back while replying,

"Terrans call it 'peppermint schnapps'."

"You vould give me liquor?" The older woman bounced off the bed, her eyes fiery, and her red clad body quivering with indignation. "I bet it belongs to one of those young scoundrels, doesn't it! How dare they bring-"

"Nanny, may I remind you that Hunk, Lance, and Keith are all past the age of consent, as am I. "Allura interrupted with as bland an expression as she could muster. "Please don't worry, it's really only for medicinal purposes, it's good for aches, pains and general anxiety after a battle. I have been learning a lot about Terran customs lately, and I am sure this will help you."

"Hmph." Nanny huffed. A warm glow had started to build inside her. As she focused on the sensation, she did feel herself starting to relax. "I guess just one or two vouldn't hurt, Coran is always telling me I should haf a drink once in a vhile to calm my nerves."

She took a deep breath, tossed back the reminder of the liquid and inclined her head in a wordless request for more. Allura refilled her glass to the top, and she drained it, with a small shake of the head afterward, as the scent of the liquor tickled her sinuses.

"Do you feel better now?" Allura asked, smiling at the tranquil expression that was replacing her governess' earlier distress. She sent a silent thank you to the forgetful Hunk, who had left the bottle in the lounge after the previous day's repast.

"Much better, so vhy don't ve get to vork? This beard isn't going to stick itself to my face, you know," Nanny replied, with a girlish giggle as she set the glass down on a nearby night table. She then thumped over to her small vanity, where all the supplies for attaching a beard were neatly laid out, along with a white haired wig. Picking up the hairpiece, she pulled it on over her gray-flecked brown curls, looked in the mirror and giggled again. The governess' face was flushed, her eyes bright with hilarity. She looked the picture of Christmas cheer at that moment.

~Maybe I shouldn't have given her so much,~ Allura mused, noting the way Nanny almost missed the stool as she plopped down in front of the mirror. ~Although, she still seems pretty much in control, she's only loosened up a bit. By the time I get her ready, she'll be fine- have her balance back.~

A little over an hour later the Princess had finished applying the beard and makeup to Nanny's face. The woman then inserted the specially colored contact lenses herself, and then let the Princess powder her eyebrows white. Allura put a few last touches to the back of the long curly wig, and then stepped back to let her subject survey her handiwork. After an long, incredulous stare at herself in the reflecting glass, the older woman dazedly acknowledged to her grinning charge that with the white wig, facial hair, and blue contact lenses hiding her features, and the bulky robe concealing her proportions, even Coran would be hard pressed to tell it was the dignified Nanny under the costume.

"See, I told you!" Allura chortled. "It's perfect! They'll never know it's you! All you have to do is say a few 'Ho-ho-ho's' and Merry Christmases, hand out the gifts, and leave. No one will be the wiser!"

"Won't they wonder where the real Nanny is?" The older woman hiccoughed. "Oh dear! Excuse me!"

"Coran is going to tell them you are supervising the banquet to follow and will be along a little later." The Princess leaned forward to dab a tissue over the rouge on the already rosy cheeks of her governess, blotting away excess powder.

"I see-by the vay, Allura, vhat is that mark on your cheek?" Nanny's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the bruise. "I though you didn't see combat today with that fiend! Coran said it was only an exchange of vords!"

The Princess blanched as she realized her proximity to the governess had given her a clear view of the slush ball imprint. "I didn't- we only talked. I-got this during maneuvers at Lion practice," she hastily improvised, then fell silent, waiting for the inevitable tirade about the unsuitability of a Princess piloting a starship.

"Hmph. Better put some extra concealer on it. " Was the disgruntled, yet surprising reply. "If Coran sees it he'll be very displeased. 'Tisn't proper for a Royal to look like they've just been in a barroom brawl."

Allura smiled innocently and nodded. "Yes, Nanny."

"Well, you had better to prepare yourself child, ve haven't much time before the performance," Santa Nanny added grandly, flapping her arms and swaying a little as she rose from the vanity stool.

"Okay, but- are you sure you are feeling all-"

"Tut, child! Thanks to that Terran concoction I am feeling jus' fine. Now schkeddadle!" The rotund figure made shooing motions with her now black-gloved hands.

With a last amused glance at her very jolly looking governess, the Princess obeyed.

The door swished shut behind her.

The faux patron saint of Christmas spied the bottle that the Princess had left behind.

~Hm. Maybe one more would be a good idea. I still feel a little anxious.~ The Royal Governess thought.

She reached for the bottle.


Back in her own rooms, Allura hurried to get ready. She removed her circlet, redid her make up and unpinned her hair, brushing it with swift but thorough strokes. She decided to leave it loose, with only the repositioned circlet anchoring it back from her face.

Quickly she stripped off her uniform, and slipped on the hunter green velvet dress that she had been saving for a peace festival on Lyra. It was long sleeved, and had a high waist, with a scoop neck that skimmed the upper curve of her breasts. The circle skirt followed the lines of her hips before falling softly to her feet. She slipped on green velvet pumps, added her necklace that bore the Royal Crest of Arus, and proclaimed herself ready.

She happily excited her quarters and headed for the pilot's favorite recreation room on winged feet.

~Now, Coran needs to do his part to get the boys to the lounge without them suspecting anything.~ She thought, entering the festively decorated room. She paused a moment to admire the staff's handiwork. The tree and the decorations were perfect, as were the wreaths, garlands and the platters of food that sat on the coffee tables. The scent of pine mixed deliciously with the aroma of fresh gingerbread and Allura inhaled with delight. She walked over to the stereo console and flicked a switch. Soft music spilled into the room, with a blend of male voices singing about being home for Christmas.

~This looks just like the pictures I've seen. Oh, I hope they'll enjoy it!~

She went to the communications panel and contacted Coran. "Operation Nicholas is ready to proceed, Coran."

"Understood. I'll have them there within fifteen minutes."


At the moment, the four Space Explorers glumly sat filling out incident reports after Keith briefed them all on Lotor's astounding but suspicious offer. All was calm and quiet, until the simultaneous chirping of pocket communicators and the door to their makeshift office filled the air. Lance, Pidge, Hunk and Keith, now in their favorite civilian garb, all gave a start at the shrill beeping.

"What's this?" Hunk boomed, reaching for his communicator first. "Doesn't Ops know it's a holiday?" He opened a channel. " Hunk here."

"It's Coran, Hunk. I'm very sorry to disturb you, but this a matter of some urgency. I need to meet with the Voltron Force right away. Are the others with you?"

"Yes." The big man turned a puzzled gaze to Keith, who shrugged in bafflement.

"Good, please relay the message that it is imperative that I speak with you all in the Pilot's lounge- immediately."

"You got it Coran, we'll be there, stat. Hunk out." The pilot of Yellow Lion closed the link with a thoughtful frown.

"Now what do you suppose has happened now?" Pidge asked him. "It can't be an attack, otherwise the claxons would have gone off."

"Maybe he's come up with a plan to counteract Lotor's threat," Keith suggested.

Hunk looked from Keith and Pidge, who had stopped writing to listen, and then to Lance, who had just gotten up to sign for a small package, held by one of the young Castle pages.

"Thanks kid," Lance said with a wink, slipping the youth a coin dug out of his pocket. "I know I'm not supposed to do this, so let's keep it our secret, okay?"

"Okay sir, and thank you sir. Merry Christmas to you!" The boy exclaimed, as he ran off.

~Now how did he know...~ Lance's musing was interrupted by the stampede past him to the open doorway. "Hey, wait for me!" He protested. He ran after his friends, package tucked securely under his arm.


As they neared their destination, an eerie quiet seemed to fall over the Castle.

"Where is everyone? I haven't seen any staff at all in the last few corridors," Pidge half whispered to Keith.

They halted outside the lounge, its normally open door inexplicably closed.

Hunk was sniffing the air. "That's strange. I can smell gingerbread, but the kitchens aren't anywhere near here!"

"Gingerbread?" Lance and Keith chorused in disbelief.

"Um yeah, Nanny was baking some earlier and-"

The door to the lounge flew open and Coran stepped out. The four pilots gawked at his vastly changed appearance. Gone was the formal coat, vest and tie of a Royal Diplomat; in their place was a simple blue woolen tunic and breeches. The change of attire dropped years from his appearance.

"You made good time," the smiling older man informed them, bowing slightly. "Come on in, the Princess is already inside."

"What's going on?" Lance hissed in Keith's ear as they moved forward. "Coran in casual duds? Something's not right here! I think that-"

Whatever Lance thought immediately died on his lips as he and his teammates entered the lounge and saw the beautiful holiday decor and the plates of treats that awaited them.

And in the center of it all, kneeling under a fourteen foot Arusian pine decorated with multicolored miniature lights, crystal snowflakes, with a majestic golden lion seated at its top, was a radiant Princess Allura. She beamed at them as they stood silently staring at her, mouths agape.

"Surprise! Merry Christmas, boys!"

To be continued...:D