His Rival

Suspicions

Hey guys, Jess here!

This chapter is even shorter (20.6 pages/6,857 words), so I was able to release it ahead of schedule. But still, please take breaks as needed!

If you have any questions or comments about this chapter, let me know; I'd like to hear from you!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

As soon as your team returned to the castle, Allura presented you all with an object she had found in Haggar's lab. It was an ancient stone tablet of sorts, with bright blue, almost glowing details. She was cradling it gingerly in her palms, as if it was worth more than gold.

"So, this magic rock is gonna guide us to a mysterious planet?" Pidge asked as she peered over, scrutinizing the artifact.

"A land known as Oriande" Lotor declared, further clearing up Allura's explanation. But Coran didn't share their confidence one bit.

"I'm afraid someone's been ruggling your wimble, Prince Lotor" he chided after a few chuckles. "Oriande is just an Altean folktale. It doesn't actually exist." Judging by his tone, believing in Oriande was something seen as foolish or even childish, like it was akin to Santa Claus or mermaids. But then again, you've actually heard of mermaids in space from Hunk and Lance, so you viewed the subject with an open mind.

"That's what I thought Coran" Allura admitted, her words slowly gaining strength. "But now, I have a feeling it is quite real."

"It is the birthplace of all Altean alchemy, the place where King Alfor learned the secrets that helped him create voltron, and where Allura will master those same secrets so that my ships may enter the quintessence field" Lotor explained, letting you all in on his master plan for bringing peace to the universe. Assuming that Oriande existed, things could certainly go that way.

And maybe this magical world could even give you a better understanding of your powers. They did have connections to Altean magic and alchemy after all. But clearly not everyone shared your enthusiasm. To them, this was just another needlessly reckless endeavor, not all that different from their attitude regarding the Kral Zera.

"And what makes you the authority on crazy Altean nonsense?" Lance rebutted, crossing his arms at Lotor before motioning to his orange-haired ally. "Coran knows more magic made-up gobbledygook then anyone I've ever met."

"Thank you, Lance" he coolly replied, placing his hands on his hips in almost a snarky manner. "And I can assure you, King Alfor never mentioned anything about traveling to Oriande."

"In all likelihood, he kept it a secret from everyone." Yet again, Lotor's explanation made perfect sense. You knew all too well how important it could be to keep secrets, especially when magic's involved. "I have been researching Oriande for centuries, hoping to learn more about my Altean ancestry.

Over time, I've managed to gather evidence from all over the universe that hinted at its existence. Now thanks to Princess Allura, I will finally gaze upon its magnificence with my own eyes." As she beamed up at him, Pidge deadpanned, and Hunk raised a somewhat hesitant hand.

"Uh, aren't you a little busy running your empire to take a magical vacation?"

"In order to transition the Galra empire to a peaceful existence, I need to open up a pathway to the quintessence field" he elaborated, stressing the importance of this mission. "Once my people have access to unlimited energy, the old ways of the empire will be behind them."

"If this voyage is successful, the universe will finally be on the path to peace" Allura agreed while you nodded. With two out of three co-leaders on board, Shiro decided it was worth looking into.