Chapter 5
"Wow...that's..." Lance said as they were sitting around the fire. Pidge was carving some wood for her arrow and Shiro was cleaning some clothes. Bae Bae and Kosmo were laying at Pidge's sides and she would sometimes rub their heads.
"We are very glad you are alive, Pidge." She smiled at Allura.
"Well...I'm sorry about the fact you're now well...Traitors to the crown." Hunk snorted. He was helping Kroalia make food.
"I have been the moment i shoved Morvok in an ale barrel." Keith, who was leaning against a tree spurted.
"You what?! Hunk, you mad lad!" Pidge laughed as she threw the arrow in the bark where Shiro was. He pulled it out and used it to scrub the dirt off of his shoes.
"So...Prince, Princess. What can you do?? Do we have to teach ya how things work around here??" Keith asked. Pidge hit him in the head with her rock.
"Be nice! Off...Excuse Keith's manners...No wonder Kosmo was attracted to you! You act like a wolf with no manners!" Keith snarled.
"MOM! PIDGE IS BEING MEAN AGAIN!" Kroalia sighed.
"And you're 19 and you're still calling me for when your younger sister is teaching you manners!" Shiro laughed.
"I was right! She is playing favorites!" Shiro said. Lance moved uncomfortably on the log he was sitting on.
"I recommend grass. It's way softer." Pidge said as she blew the bark off and rubbed the new arrow.
"Alrighty. I have found some berries!" Coran said. Pidge hissed.
"I wouldn't eat those if i were you." Pidge said. Keith chuckled and Shiro groaned.
"I'm never trusting berries again." Shiro said. Allura smiled as Kroalia gave each one of them food.
"Thank you." Allura said. Lance nodded politely. Pidge got up, twisting her arrow and started leaving.
"Pidge?" Allura asked. Pidge looked at them and smiled.
"Yeah, you guys eat. I'll eat later." Pidge said and started walking again. Kosmo and Bae Bae both got up snarling and followed her. Keith scoffed.
"Great, there's guards in the forest." And Keith kicked his head back as he sipped loudly from his wooden bowl. Allura and Lance watched a bit disgusted at the lack of manners. After they all ate, Pidge came back, laughing.
"Pidge??" Keith asked. She pointed at the people behind her. A lot of the people from town were here. Keith chuckled. Hunk perked up.
"Mister Otto!!" The black-smith laughed.
"Hunk, my boy! You're a merry men now! I am so proud of you!" Hunk smiled. The kids were there too.
"Well...i guess now it's Miss Pidge." Alan said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. Pidge giggled.
"Hey...I'm still Pidge alright. And down with that scurvy Prince Lotor!" Pidge said. Everyone raised his fist and they cheered. Shiro chuckled.
"Pidge! Sing something for us!" Pidge's eyes widened.
"What? me?!" Everyone cheered. Lance raised a brow.
"You can sing and play??" Lance asked. Pidge gave him an unimpressed look.
"Listen Princey, i know a lot of stuff." lance raised his hands up in defense. The people seemed ready with their instruments. Pidge laughed.
"You all just came here to have some fun, didn't ya?" Kroalia said, amused. They started playing their instruments. Pidge sighed. Allura started clapping her hands.
"Oh, the world will sing of an Altean king a thousand years from now
And not because he passed some laws or had that lofty brow" Pidge sang. Kroalia snorted. Lance perked up, impressed. Pidge jumped on a log.
"While bonny good King Alfor leads the great crusade he's on
We'll all have to slave away for that good-for-nothin' Lotor!
Incredible as he is inept
Whenever the history books are kept
They'll call him the phony king of Altea
A pox on that phony king of Altea~" Pidge sang. Everyone cheered at the last part. Lance laughed and climbed on the log next to her, smirking. Pidge raised a brow, amused.
"He sits alone on the giant throne pretending he's the king
A little tyke who's rather like a puppet on a string!" Pidge smiled at him.
"And he throws an angry tantrum if he cannot have his way
And then he calls for Mom while he's sucking his thumb.
You see, he doesn't wanna play!" They both sang. The people around them started dancing. Keith, Kroalia, Shiro and Keith dancing around each other as the others were divided in pairs.
"Too late to be known as Lotor the First
He's sure to be known as Lotor the Worst
A pox on that phony king of Altea!" They both sang as Lance and Pidge started dancing around the other on the log.
"Lay that country on me babe!" Pidge exclaimed as se let the town's people have their solo at the instruments. The kids cheered. One of the girls stole Lance away as Alan stole Pidge away. Everyone was dancing, cheering and drinking as Friar Tuck brought barrels of beer.
"While he taxes us to pieces and he robs us of our bread
King Alfor's crown keeps slipping down around that pointed head!" Pidge sang, smiling. Allura laughed. That's when The preacher intervened.
"Ah, but while there is a merry man in Pidge's wily pack
We'll find a way to make him pay and steal our money back!" The priest sang and Bae Bae and Kosmo howled the last note. Pidge chuckled. Keith snorted as he petted their heads.
"A minute before he knows we're there
Old Pidge'll snatch his underwear!" Pidge got on the log again and put on the coat he stole from Lotor that day in the forest and fluttered his underwear: boxers with hearts on them. Everyone laughed. Lance then realized something...Pidge never changed from the smiling energic Katie he knew. And that made his heart sour. He was happy, so very happy.
"The breezy and uneasy king of Altea!" Pidge sang. Shiro chuckled.
"The sniveling, groveling!" Shiro sang.
"Measly, weaselly!" Kroalia added.
"Blabberin', jabberin'" Hunk sang.
"Jibbering, jabbering!" Keith sang.
"Plundering, plotting!" Allura added.
"Wheeling, dealing!" Friar Tuck added as well.
"Prince Lotor! That phony king of Altea!" Everyone sang. Lance and Allura looked at each other. They smiled happily. They have never seen this side of their subjects...Nor have they ever seen them this alive! This may be the start of something great!
"He throws an angry tantrum if he cannot have his way
He calls for Mom and sucks his thumb and doesn't want to play
Too late to be known as Lotor the First
He's sure to be known as Lotor the Worst~" Sendak sang as he was walking inside the castle. Morvok, who was counting the money from the taxes, took off his glasses and chuckled.
"How about that?" Sendak asked, as he leaned on Morvok's desk. Morvok laughed.
"That's P.L. to a "T." Let me try. Let me try!" Morvok said, and cleared his throat.
"Too late to be known as Lotor the First
He's sure to be known as Lotor the Worst--" Morvok froze as he noticed Lotor in the doorway, looking at the two of them shocked.
"The fabulous, marvelous, merciful, chivalrous--" Sendak scrunched his face up.
"Oh, you got it all wrong, Morvok! It's "the snivelin', grovelin', weaselly, measly—"" That's when Lotor threw the bottle of wine he was holding. The two galran servants turned in horror.
"Enough!" Lotor yelled. That's when Zendak came behind him.
"What is happening here?!" Zendak asked, with a booming voice. Lotor and his two servants gasped.
"S-Sire!!" Sendak and Morvok said as they knelt down. Lotor bowed.
"Father. Excuse them. They are just...Imbeciles." Zendak frowned. His wife looking from the door-way as well.
"What is all this nuisance about?" The galran woman asked. Sendak cleared his throat.
"Y-Your majesties. Excuse us, i-it's a big hit. The whole village is singing it!" Sendak said, Morvok quickly nodding.
"Oh, they are, are they? Well, they'll be singing a different tune. Double the taxes! Triple the taxes! Squeeze every last drop... out of those insolent, musical peasants! The only music I wish to hear is the sound of their despair!!" Zarkon said, his voice booming.
"B-But F-father--" Zarkon slapped him.
"SILENCE! Sheriff! You heard me! Go!" Sendak left. Morvok excused himself as well. Zarkon started chuckling and then started laughing.
"The crown is mine! And no son of mine will become a clown like Alfor's daughter and that prince!" Lotor nodded and excused himself. Oh how he hoped Allura and Lance were doing better. They surely won't like the news. He hoped that one day, his father and mother will be dethroned. He hoped that Pidge Gunderson will actually manage to save these poor people. He hated what his father and mother had turned him into. But now what was more important were the taxes...They grew and people could barely pay now. It was clear as day: Things were only getting worse.