The Gold Paladin

Golden Shield

The words spoken to her only what seemed to be moments ago echoed in Novae's mind as her dreams became.... confusing. All of the knowledge that was gifted to her through the White Lion of Zenithsia was slowly being organized in her mind.

"Novae?" A voice called out to her through her dreams. Her eyes began to slowly crack open, the soft lights of her bedroom filling her sight. 

"Novae, are you awake?" The voice asked. Novae turned her head towards the voice, her blurred vision catching the familiar face of Takashi Shirogane smiling in relief at her being awake.

"Tak...kashi?" Novae asked, her voice cracked because of her dry throat. She started to cough and Shiro slowly helped her sit up before pouring her a cup of water from the pitcher that sat on the beside night stand. He quickly gave her the cup of water and she drank it without hesitation.

"Are you okay?" Shiro asked.

Novae nodded, but her eyes were still showing signs of exhaustion.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice soft and barely audible.

"You, Allura and Lotor came back from Oriande. As soon as you came back, you collapsed. You've been out for half a day." Shiro answered, then placed a hand on hers, "Are you feeling all right? Be honest with me."

Novae stayed quiet for a time, but then she looked up at Shiro, "I need to tell everyone something very important. Please, take me to the others, they need to hear this, especially Allura."

"Novae, you're exhausted, I can see it in your eyes. You should get some more rest." Shiro said.

"I have to talk about what I've learned, Takashi. Please, call everyone except for Lotor here."

"Why not include Lotor?"

"He was not given the blessing of Oriande's guardian. He doesn't have the right to listen to what I have to say."

Shiro was confused for a moment, but he nodded and left to gather the others. He came back just a few minutes later with everyone, except for Lotor.

"Novae!" Everyone shouted in relief, even Hunk was starting to cry in his relief.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling dizzy?" Allura asked falling to her knees beside Novae's bed.

Novae smiled at the princess and took Allura's hands in hers, "You don't need to worry about me. I'm a little tired, but I just needed to speak to all of you. There's something about Oriande that you just needed to know."

Everyone listened intently as Novae told them everything that the Lion told her about her ancestors' past. She explained everything to them, from the true founding and founders of Oriande, to Zenithsia and the creation of the white lion guardian. Everything that she could remember about the magical land.

When she was finished, Novae hit her limit and slowly began to fall back to sleep. Shiro held her up before slowly setting her back into bed. Everyone stayed in the room, still processing everything that Novae told them as she fell asleep.

"Estellians... created a place beyond Oriande..." Allura said in her shock.

"And they created Oriande and the White Lion to protect it." Pidge finished.

"That has to be one of the craziest things I've heard. And I've heard a lot of crazy things in space." Lance said, sighing from everything that happened.

"Just when you think you know something about yourself, you find new even more confusing things." Hunk said.

Everyone looked down at Novae as she shifted in her sleep to her side. Shiro smiled at her peaceful expression.