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#prince zera
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Today’s long haired anime guy of the day, per request, is:
Prince Zera
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redfluffz · 2 months
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c:
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xjulixred45x · 4 months
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Lotor x Pearl!GN! Reader
Request: Now that the requests are open I want to do one about Voltron (again), about Lotor headcanons with a reader who is like a pearl from Steven Universe, who probably was a "gift" from his governess, I imagine that reader @ is a very scared but sweet person who is afraid of disappointing Lotor and that he will throw them away because of that (traumas from the past before meeting him). I just want some comfort from one of my favorite Voltron characters💕
Genre: Headcanons
Reader: Gender neutral
Warnings: allusions/mentions of past abuse, reader at first treated more like an object than a person, fear of abandonment, somewhat confusing timeline for the sake of the plot? HURT with Comfort, Fluff, non-canon ending of Voltron for my sanity :') Lotor What have they done to you?
You come from a very... special planet to say the least.
Especially you were born in a social caste that was considered the lowest, so you were trained all your life to be the future accessory of a powerful person. As bad as it sounded.
This was obviously not a pleasant process, especially with the Garla empire breathing down your planet's neck.
You could say that you got especially ruthless training, the slightest mistake was severely reprimanded, only to know that if you did it in REAL practice you most likely wouldn't come out alive...
Then the Garla Empire took possession of your planet. Everyone was terrified of what could happen, YOU were terrified of what was going to happen to you.
But fortunately? You were given as a personal servant to the Garla, along with many others, in exchange for not destroying the planet completely.
But you were lucky enough that it was your turn to serve the Prince of the Garla, Lotor.
This was before the Paladins intervened, so even when they arrived, this still stood.
To say that you were scared was to say, you were terrified of what was going to happen. What if he was one of those super strict princes? What if he had a bad temper? What if he got angry with you and got physical? And If it hurts you? Or worse?
You set out to be as correct and upright as possible for this new position, apparently you would be a gift, well, maybe you don't have to do much, you can do this.
Dayak barely talks to you, although the first time you meet her is only so she can give you a checkup to make sure you live up to her expectations, and fortunately you are and she seems very satisfied.
Before meeting this "Lotor" she gives you a tour of the Garla main ship in a vague way so that you become familiar with everything and thus adapt quickly before seeing Lotor. The ship is GIANT so it takes a while.
Although at least with this you can hear some people talking and whispering about Lotor, apparently the winner of the "Kral Zera", the first Half-Blood emperor and Zarkon's heir...someone to have fear apparently.
Let's just say they didn't make you feel much better.
But at the end of the day you finally meet him. Is he together with what appear to be the paladins of Voltron? And Dayak makes his presence quite noticeable (poor paladin Blue and especially yellow).
Before retiring, Dayak introduced you to Lotor, as his new personal assistant, to serve him in any way he wanted.
To your surprise, Lotor seemed just as off guard as you, it seems that he had forgotten the deal with the Kral Zera matter, it is understandable, but it was especially shocking when he apologized to you because he could not introduce himself properly, since he had a VERY busy day with the Voltron thing...
....weren't you supposed to come help him with that? What Quiznak?
You tried to tell him that, that you could help him manage that, but he said no! That for now he could handle himself well, but that you should give him time to think of something for you...
okay that was VERY strange
But a nice strange? Lotor was not like you thought he would be.
Even when he finally did what he had to do with the Paladins and Princess Allura (love of a person), he still treated you with a respect you weren't used to.
you were mainly in charge of his agenda with the other Garla leaders and works like that, together with the Paladins and Princess Allura, etc. It wasn't a heavy job, but it required attention to detail and you definitely went out of your way to make it perfect.
And contrary to what you thought, you received some recognition from your, so to speak, Boss (because Lotor hated it when you called him "master" or "owner"), Lotor was grateful that you helped him and that you were so diligent, He let you know when he kept you up to date.
You could even have conversations with him! It wasn't something you had been prepared for in the least, but it was nice, Lotor was someone very intelligent and even had an interesting sarcastic sense of humor. You learned a lot by talking to him.
In turn, Lotor learned more about your species based on his experience with you, although at first it was difficult for him, because you insisted on keeping a certain distance, but he was able to make his way through your walls.
He found you quite pleasant and even charming! Lotor always tried to see other species with equal respect, and for you to see him from such a high place (without the need for violence, just doing his job) made him feel very good about himself.
And the feeling was mutual.
It made you feel calmer about all of this, that everything was going better than you thought. You had ended up with an owner--ahem, Boss- who was nicer than you expected and everything seemed fine--
But then you made a MISTAKE.
You were trying to get used to one of the controls on Lotor's main ship and out of nowhere the controls stopped working. They didn't respond, didn't work and seemed glitched.
You realized that you had pressed the wrong places (used to the mothership controls) and that you had "messed up" this one.
But all you could think about was the trouble you'd get into with Lotor.
Oh no oh no oh no What am I going to do? What are they're going to do to me? They're going to have to throw me away, right? How can I get through this? What if they kill me? What if--
You were so panicked that when Lotor arrives you don't notice.
And it only makes you even more afraid.
Lotor asks what happened, but he starts checking the console on his own and realizes what happened, he knows what you did--
And you can't stand the urge to cry anymore.
Lotor honestly freaks out, he thought you would have gotten hurt and that's why you were crying so much, but you were apologizing for breaking the console, and saying that you were fine with being replaced with someone more capable as long as please, please don't kill you...
Even if he didn't show it much on the outside (it's a habit up to this point he's sorry for it), it hurt Lotor to see you like this. And even more so for something so small. Is this why you thought he was going to replace you? Kill you?? Although he sees that it's mostly because you've been traumatized before, so he's not offended (at all).
Lotor tries to calm you down, explain to you that it's not a big deal. It's not broken! It just needs to restart! Please don't cry! He's not going to replace you! Much less touch a hair on your head! You are save with him...
He ends up fixing the console to prove his point and you calm down, something like that, both of your emotions are running high.
From there, you are a little more alert for your possible "mistakes" and honestly, Lotor misses how you were before this little incident, now it seems like you are walking on eggshells (Whatever that means? The blue Paladin said it ) when you are around him.
He discovers that he misses talking to you more than he thought, he is not someone who gets attached easily, but finally having someone who respected him as a person and not as Prince Garla and that you are now in this scared state hurts him.
So it does something... surprising.
He asks the Paladins and Allura for help.
Obviously some make fun of him a little ahem LANCE AND PIDGE ahem, but for the most part they try to give him good advice on how to approach the situation, although they all have a common idea.
TALK IT DIRECTLY or let you adjust naturally again (which seemed unlikely without the former).
So he did it, he call you to speak alone.
Sincerely? You almost died of fright. This on your planet was a VERY BAD omen, VERY BAD.
so imagine your surprise when Lotor was REALLY alone when you went to see him, but you still remained nervous, this man could destroy you with just one arm after all.
But Lotor...just talks.
And he gets straight to the point, he does NOT plan to replace you, he does NOT plan to hurt you, he does not want you to think that you are so expendable, especially when he has come to enjoy your company so much, you can rest assured, mistakes happen, we ALL make them, he prefers that you make them. a thousand mistakes to not having you at all.
Being honest? It was quite nice.
And you were able to be more...at peace with yourself after that. Be the sweet assistant again.
If we talk about advanced terms of a romantic relationship, IT'S PURE FLUFF.
Lotor has shown that he doesn't give a shit about race, so he has no problem relating to you even if you're not even half Garla. What if someone has a problem? They won't have it anymore :)
If your planet is still under the control of the Garla, it is most likely that Lotor has forced them to have laws and a more egalitarian legislature, your people have not lived so well in decapheobes! Of course, there are those who are still not used to it and others who are directly against it, but that always happens.
Lotor is patient when it comes to old wizard habits, chances are you'll still be that way! But more as a consort😅
Get ready, now that it is certain that he loves you and that you love him too, there is no escape from affection. Lotor is aware that he's touch-starved, but when you discover through this that YOU'RE touch-starved TOO, it's like, the perfect mix.
Lotor is the most openly affectionate, which helps you gain some courage to do the same, although of course, when it comes to making the other person nervous, you never win (although Lotor MELT inside seeing you try).
Lots of physical contact!! Especially at events with too many people and where you can easily feel overloaded, it's a quick way to calm yourself down and for Lotor to be happy and calm (literally, if they want to calm him down they have to bring you into the room and he's INSTANTLY in a good mood again).
You have a friendship with Allura! She jokingly says that you're too good for Lotor, but in a loving way.
The Paladins don't understand how Quiznak, someone as sweet as you ended up with Lotor. Did they threaten you? Blink twice if so--
Your nature is now a little more curious, you see everything with new eyes, it is something tender for Lotor, for him most of these things are everyday, but for you it is something new and even unique, it is nice.
He also now handles your crises better when PTSD strikes, takes you somewhere spacious, keeps some distance so you can breathe better, and when you recover he is on you for the rest of the day, quite worried.
In general, Lotor sees his partner with equal respect and love regardless of their race, social status or how they met, he loves you regardless of everything or how you perceive yourself. You are his equal, his partner, nothing changes that.
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Reglogs, shares and Comments are very welcome!!
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kingdoms-and-empires · 4 months
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Can you tell us the ROs ideal/preference MC? (Imperious, stoic, carefree, friendly)
Or is that too spoilers..? :((
Preface: All personalities dont really matter in terms of ingame roleplaying. I do want to implement something like, making sure to not crack a joke at the wrong time and having everyone pissed at you for doing so, but thats an idea for now.
Amina: First impression, Friendly. After some time, Carefree. Homegirl is tired of keeping the facade up. Be funny to steal her heart away from her brain!
Astrid: Carefree when you first meet her, then Friendly. Being overly friendly at first would probably hesitate because she'd think it was out of pity. She cracks jokes, and would appreciate jokes that isnt mean spirited or malicious.
Cheris: Imperious first, then Friendly. Cheris wants someone dependable, and nice.
Edward: His is a more weird one. First impression, probably Imperious and then Stoic later. I really think he would resonate really well with someone who pushes themselves out of their comfort zone out of duty.
Lucina: She would devour all our personalities. Imperious is the noble prince, Stoic the quiet prince, Carefree the funny prince, and Friendly the happy prince. Would all be something she expects of us as her fantasy fills in the blanks for her.
Mary: Friendly or Carefree. Mary only wants us to be happy, and doesn't really like that we take so much upon ourselves.
Max: First impression, he would be the opposite of Lucina. He'd hate the fuck outta whatever we do. Friendly? How fucking dare you pretend youre harmless. Carefree? You can still laugh after what you did? Stoic? Oh boo hoo, lookie me, im fucking sad and dont like talking, serves you right! Imperious? There's the fucking princess I imagined, pretending to be better than all us regular folk.
Nysthe: Stoic (for mystery factor), and then Imperious. Nysthe has high expectations for us, and she'd prefer an MC who can deliver and act accordingly so. Plus she is the attacker, she'd want to bring down your walls and make you hers.
Veriel: Friendly first for first impressions, and then Imperious. Veriel also has high expectations he places on us. He really thinks and believes that youre Argent's future, and will really appreciate an MC that takes their role as Crown Prince/Princess seriously.
Voryn: He values approachability foremost, so probably Carefree or Friendly first, and stay that way. He really dislikes authority, so Imperious would be his least favorite, but he really likes bringing introverts out and including them so Stoic would be quite alright with him.
Zera: Friendly first, and then...he wouldnt care. If you make it (you will) through the first impressions and he begins to like you, he wont care what your personality is so long as your actions are what he approves. By then he'll be so in love with your princess that he'll just be happy to be around you.
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lilflowerpot · 7 months
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Hi flower! I hope your doing well and I just wanted to ask a question what Lotor’s reaction would be if Keith died? I remember reading a post about Keith blaming himself a while ago and was wondering what that would be if the positions were swapped.
((it took me HOURS to track down the original post on this, good god, but along the way I stumbled across a semi-adjacent post on Lotor's reaction to someone making an attempt on Keith's life (post kral zera), which may also be of interest to you))
If Keith were to die at this stage in the narrative (chapter 24), Lotor would find himself keenly affected in a way he's not truly prepared for; he knows he likes his little Blade far more than he should—he's accepted that for a good while now—but in the event of Keith's death Lotor would find himself in the position of feeling as if,,, he hadn't really the right to grieve? Because in the grand scheme of things, Keith is a blip on the raydar. By my personal plotting of events, they've only known one another for little over 2 altean phoebs (~14 altean movements), which is scarcely any time at all, not to mention that for a great deal of that Lotor wasn't even aware that Marmora-Keith and the Former-Red-Paladin were the same person.
In typical Lotor fashion, his heart would cede to his head, and as team Voltron crumbled to pieces around him Lotor would strive to take advantage of the situation so as to improve his standing and hold this flimsy excuse for an alliance together as the sole chance he has against his father, and yet—
—and yet the world has turned in on itself. Quiet in a way the prince had long since forgotten it could be. Empty and hollow and frightfully lonely, because every so often he will turn to his side to exchange a teasing smile or raised brow with a man who, in so little time, had made an easy home for himself by Lotor's side, only to find that said man simply isn't anymore.
How do you mourn someone you never really knew? Where do you even begin with picking up the pieces, when they're made up of a future that was never anything more than idle daydreams and unspoken promises?
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discordiansamba · 4 months
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rotating the galra prince keith AU for a bit, I'm pretty sure that in place of the climatic Lotor fight in s6, the paladins instead face off against Honerva at this point- since you know, Kyor doesn't exactly have the same motivations as Lotor, but a Honerva who hears the creatures from beyond the rift call to her and promise a reunion with her true child would have a pretty good motivation to try and tear the rift back open.
it still amounts to Kyor going missing with the Voltron paladins for years. long enough for another Kral Zera to be hosted. it's not Sendak, leader of the Fire of Purification who invades Earth- but Emperor Sendak.
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fire-of-the-sun · 1 year
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Lotor: The Man Behind the Mask
AKA The Many Faces of Lotor and Which is His True Face?
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To say that Prince Lotor is a multi-faceted character would be an understatement. Born into a life of tragedy, the many masks he comes to wear are borne of his circumstances to not only further his own agendas undetected but most notably to aid in his own self-preservation both physically and emotionally. A proverbial sword and shield to protect himself. These false faces allow him to do and say what’s necessary to keep himself alive to fight another day - a practice that’s unfortunately hard-wired into him from centuries of abuse. 
The character we're first introduced to is probably what the audience expected: an antagonist (albeit a more complex one than expected) that leaves the audience questioning his true motivations. An aspect that makes him more intriguing but also works against him with many fans using it as evidence to validate their worst perceptions of him. But, as we see more of Lotor throughout the series, we begin to explore the depths of him and uncover evidence to the contrary. 
So, which is his truest face?
THE MASSES
We don’t get to see Lotor interact with the masses many times in the show, but the most notable occurrences are his introductory scene in the arena and the Kral Zera - both occasions in which he presents himself as a powerful, capable warrior, a persuasive public speaker and a leader worthy of the Galra’s loyalty. 
In the first occasion, Lotor almost immediately undermines his previous show of good will towards the assembled Galra by confessing to his generals in private that “the masses are easily manipulated.” This statement would, understandably, leave audience members to believe Lotor is nothing more than a liar and manipulator as a key attribute used to define all of his subsequent actions. 
At first glance, this looks pretty damning. Alone, with people we can easily infer he’s closer to, he seemingly reveals that all the magnanimity of his previous words and actions were false and showcase to us a key element of his character to watch out for: an effortless duplicity that is utilized to hide more malicious intentions. At the time, it seems to scream to the audience: ‘don’t trust him’. However, as we learn on his journey, there is more to him that meets the eye, and this line should not be taken at face value. 
Before we take this as unwavering proof that he’s a villain and everything that follows should be looked at through the lens of presumed deceit, I think we have to consider the context and audience here. This line was in response to a stadium full of Galra warriors who dutifully and unquestioningly serve his father - someone he’s trying to stop. Swaying the minds of the Galra is a necessary step in his quest to ultimately improve their way of life but he also doesn’t think very highly of them. His regard of them is different than that he holds towards other people and cultures as we see later. I also believe he says this to benefit the generals, but I'll get to them later.
Unfortunately, we don’t get to see him spend time with the members of either of the peoples he looks after, but we do know that he deeply loved his time on the mining planet and there’s no doubt he cared for the Alteans just as much if not more as they were his own people. It’s also not hard to imagine that both groups of people appreciated him just as much. We don’t know how close he truly got to them, but it’s safe to surmise that Lotor is a person that respects others enough to treat them with equality, enjoy working beside them and genuinely wants to improve their lives. Though we later learn that he was ultimately lying to the Alteans, it’s clear that’s definitely not something he enjoys doing. 
Among the average civilian or disenfranchised person, we can infer Lotor is more than likely very cordial and respectable based on how he speaks of them and how they perceive him in return. Despite his status as a prince, he’s clearly not preoccupied with maintaining an air of authority among the common folk in any way meant to remind them of his status above them, even allowing himself to bond with people on such an equal level that Zarkon saw it as unfit for his station. 
Basically, though we know he has a turbulent relationship with the Galra as a whole, we can also see that he fights for the rights of other half-breeds such as himself and treats people in his care with respect and equality. 
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ZARKON
As a child, Lotor had to present himself as the perfect prince in an attempt to earn Zarkon’s love, and it produced a facade he probably maintained most of his life despite it getting him nowhere. Of course, as a child desperately seeking their parent’s affection, this behavior - though tailored specifically to appeal to his father - wasn’t inherently disingenuous and it’s only later in life that he learns to use it as a weapon. 
Knowing that Lotor has tried to portray himself as respectable and eager to please thus far, his outburst of anger in retaliation of his father’s demands in 8x02 may have possibly been the first time he’d spoken out against him in such a way as, up to this point, Lotor still seemed to genuinely believe his father would listen to him and is surprised by his decision to destroy the planet. The mask finally slipped but, I might add, only in an attempt to help others. This speaks volumes about the kind of person he is and what his deepest motivations are as it shows he cares more about protecting the mining planet than he does for his own safety as he knowingly incurs the wrath of his violent father. Of course, upon realizing that his interjection would punish them too, he immediately tries to submit himself before Zarkon once more to keep them safe. 
Despite his efforts, Lotor unfortunately fails to protect the people and this tragic situation no doubt led him to reinforce the old facade of the obedient son who would never dare act out against his father again - a mask he uses to his advantage in 4x03. After their conversation, we see Lotor smirk suspiciously upon taking his leave, clueing to the audience that his behavior with Zarkon was entirely an act to keep his father from suspecting him of any wrongdoing. 
After Zarkon uncovers his ruse, Lotor’s submissive mask drops once more and, upon meeting again, Lotor no longer holds back from sharing every ounce of disdain he bears for his father before fighting him to the death. 
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HAGGAR
Unlike his father, where he hides his emotions under a guise of respect and servility initially, Lotor shows no restraint in sharing his unbridled anger and contempt for his mother, Honerva. These feelings never waver, in fact, they only seem to intensify, punctuating a heated final confrontation where Lotor vehemently renounces her as an abomination that he will never accept as family. This distaste seems to have evolved over his life as her role to him changed. As a child, she was nothing more than his father’s witch and not someone he needed to please. Their relationship was never a good one so there’s no need to pretend otherwise.
I believe his anger towards her comes, not only from rebelling against the fact that his mother was essentially stolen from him by Haggar (which shatters his dreams of having a loving mother) but also her mistreatment of him throughout his life and even fundamentally disagreeing with and despising the kind of person she (and Zarkon) are: selfish, power-hungry and uncaring of the lives of others. He denounces them for their behavior because he knows it’s wrong and doesn’t wish to fall prey to it as well - which is a great indicator of the kind of person he is and what values he agrees with and doesn’t.
In a way, this is a true face to Lotor as well. His feelings of unfettered rage towards Honerva are not censored by any mask he’d wish to portray. There is no part to play here as there’s nothing that will keep him safe from her scrutinizing eyes on him at all times. Nothing to hide because there’s nothing to gain from it. So, instead, to keep her off his trail, he goes to great lengths to evade her detection through calculated action rather than any false pretenses. 
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THE GENERALS
Though they’re the closest thing he has to friends for a time, I still don’t personally believe Lotor was close enough to his generals to reveal his true self (though he obviously reveals more to Axca as he trusts her the most). Overall, he still maintains an air of authority with them, seeking to portray himself as the calculating and confident leader clearly stationed above them though he still treats them with respect. Though it’s clear he cares for them, and they hold some degree of respect for him in return, he’s still very much their leader more than their friend. They may believe in him and his mission for a time, but they don’t follow him solely out of admiration and are willing to sell him out if it benefits them - which they do. 
They’re, for the most part, his loyal allies, but not anyone he’d confide in or show vulnerability with as demonstrated by his lack of explanation regarding his actions towards Narti and his refusal to share his full plans with them. They respect him for a lot of reasons but don’t entirely understand him or what he truly wants which is why they often seem perplexed by his decisions. With them I think he maintains, to a degree, how he would present himself to the general masses. He has to remain collected and in charge to preserve their loyalty to him and can’t sully that depiction with the perceived weakness that comes from showing vulnerability. 
Jumping off my earlier statement about the “masses are easily manipulated” line, it ties into the perpetuation of the persona he’s trying to evoke to them and which they whole heartedly support. He’s telling them what he thinks they want to hear. We also know he doesn’t tell them the full truth, so why should we believe this is somehow some deep reveal into the center of his character when we also know that he doesn’t showcase side of himself with them? It’s another piece of a persona, nothing more.
This mask was not created in an attempt to manipulate but in a desire to achieve and preserve some degree of companionship and loyalty from his generals. Lotor has no one but them and he can’t afford to lose their fealty, so he tries to keep it in the best way he knows how: by being a successful leader worthy of being followed. 
Bottom line, beyond Lotor’s genuine affection for his generals - which is very much an extension of the compassion he’s capable of - he does not show his true self with them. 
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THE PALADINS
Lotor sustains his typical air of confidence upon meeting the paladins face to face in a continuous effort to portray himself as a worthy asset to them (not too dissimilar from his interactions with his generals). Though he shares vital intel with them to prove his loyalty to their shared goals for peace, he doesn’t go out of his way to ingratiate himself to them. He’s cordial and honest, as is generally his nature, but not afraid to share his opinions even if they’re opposing or adversarial. 
For example, in their first scene together Lotor has no trouble calling out Allura for voicing her discrimination towards his race and generally seems tired of waiting for the paladins to truly listen to his advice and start making real strides in the war. He's interested in action, not being liked. If he truly wanted to manipulate them, I imagine he would have been far more sycophantic to worm his way into their good graces - an act he’s familiar with due to his father whom he was trying to lie to. We know what a groveling Lotor looks like and this is not it. Of course, there's also no need to lie to them to get what he wants when they have the same goal. 
There’s frustration there between both parties at times and definite growing pains as he finds a place for himself in their group, but certainly not anger or resentment of any kind on his part. That being said, when the paladins do come to trust him and there’s no disagreements in their way, Lotor defaults to his natural state: dignified, helpful and amiable. I’m not sure how much affection Lotor truly manages to garner for the paladins by the end of their time together, but he does refer to them as ‘friends’ at one point and though that doesn’t mean they’re people he would necessarily pour his heart out to, I’d say they definitely count as favored allies that he’d support and protect just like anyone else he cares even remotely about. 
However, similar to his generals, whatever degree of fondness he may have developed for the paladins is still ultimately moderated to keep them at arm’s length though, I believe that given the proper time and trust, this could have changed.
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ALLURA
With Allura, we see a new, softer side to Lotor. I could write an entire meta solely about their interactions and how they’re not manipulative, but I’ll be brief here. As I said with the paladins, there’s no real evidence to suggest Lotor was just saying and doing everything he did solely to appeal to Allura and ultimately seduce her to his side. Instead, what we see is both of them slowly and organically becoming more comfortable and trusting with each other, enough so that they begin to reveal deeper sides of themselves. Just as Allura is willing to share her insecurities with Lotor, he too divulges the innermost parts of himself that he doesn’t reveal to anyone else. 
If a mask is meant to hide the deepest parts of oneself, Lotor being so openly vulnerable, honest and trusting with Allura is enough to tell us that what he shares with her isn’t an act - he’s just finally comfortable enough to show his true face and the hidden parts of himself he hasn’t with anyone else. For a man who is all about survival and whom trust doesn’t come easy, this would be counterproductive and a potential liability he normally wouldn’t risk. So why does he risk it for her?
Relationships are built on trust and that takes time and true understanding to achieve. It takes a great deal of trust to reveal your true self to someone and Lotor simply isn’t at that level with the generals or paladins. He hasn’t really had anyone to share his true self with until Allura. He’s never met anyone else like her and their shared history and desires facilitates a swift journey from enemies to friends and even to something greater - an emergence of emotional vulnerability and affection that Lotor has never experienced before: love.
This is an aspect of his identity he’s no doubt unfamiliar with unfortunately or, perhaps, has never truly experienced before in his countless years of being whatever he had to be to survive. As we’re discovering this version of Lotor, he may also be discovering himself too. 
There’s so much I could say about their relationship and how it brings out the best in both of them, but I won’t go off on a tangent here. Needless to say, the reason Lotor feels so different in S5-6 is because interacting with Allura is finally giving us the opportunity to see new aspects of his identity that’s open and unguarded. He’s finally put down his sword and shield... which leaves him vulnerable to attack. 
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QUINTESSENCE POISONING
I want to address this specifically in its own meta but, for now, I’ll say that I found this depiction of Lotor a betrayal of the character and purposefully over-exaggerated to compensate for and push a narrative the writers failed to achieve organically. Essentially, I believe they made him so villainous - so vile despite how out of character it feels - simply to validate this new agenda that he is and always was, in fact, that very villain and, if that was always their intention for the character, they did not succeed. 
Though we know that quintessence can corrupt and see that firsthand in how it turned his parents into beings acting without remorse and motivated purely by evil-intentions, even they have never been shown in such a negative and manic light, making Lotor look even more deleterious here by comparison which is an... interesting choice. 
That being said, the turbulent emotions presented here do stem from underlying trauma, namely the pain of being betrayed by the one person he trusted more than anyone. The one person he showed his true face to. The person he loved. Having his true feelings be rejected and touted as nothing but more lies and deception as someone who doesn’t share them idly would be beyond devastating. Now, having put down his shield for Allura, she’s struck at the very heart of him. The pain of it unleashes a tidal wave of emotion and, like a wounded, cornered animal, he lashes out. This creates a situation which we see a side of Lotor we haven’t before. One that, though borne of genuine emotional suffering, does not actually reflect who he truly is. 
Exacerbated by his exposure to the quintessence field and perhaps even that which already resides in his blood, Lotor reveals intentions of great evil - last minute motivations stemming from deeply rooted fears and insecurities that, unfortunately, are pulled to the surface here in the worst way possible but are not necessarily indicative of him having harbored and planned to enact these darker motives all along. Recoiling from the pain, it makes sense that his natural defense mechanism would be another mask - the ultimate mask.
If this was the true him, he would have truly fooled us all despite the extensive evidence to the contrary, as there is nothing to support his sudden dark desires here but plenty of prior evidence that refutes it despite the writer’s efforts to show otherwise. To say that all of this is the true, final reveal of who he is after all is insulting not only to the character but to fans.
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ALONE
To best know who someone truly is, we have to look at who they are when they’re alone. A great example of this is when we see Lotor alone in 4x06 as he overhears a message that there is an on-going attack that will result in mass casualties. Lotor doesn’t hesitate to potentially sacrifice his hard-won freedom to head straight back into Galra territory to try and stop his mother’s heinous plans. This is yet another scenario that showcases that, at the end of the day, Lotor is a character who simply wants to help people no matter the cost to himself. 
We also see Lotor alone during his trial on Oriande where upon repeatedly being attacked by the White Lion, he understandably goes on the offensive and fights back to protect himself. After failing this test, Lotor is devastated. Rather than revealing any clues to potential villainy, this interaction instead simply shows that Lotor still has things to unlearn and is aware of that and capable of change. His anger here comes from his desperation and desires for self-preservation upon being attacked, not from a place of genuine malice. 
I think it’s also worth noting Lotor’s expressions when he’s in his cockpit throughout the show but especially during his fight with Allura right before his ‘turn’. No one else can see his face but the audience so there’s no one to appeal to. No act to put on. We can clearly see he’s upset and remorseful and it feels like a sudden reversal from his previous scene with the generals because it is - not because his pleading with Allura is an act - but because his talk with his generals was. They are understandably confused here because his recent speech to them would have them believe he didn’t truly care about Allura and was just using her the whole time. This display says otherwise.
To further emphasize this point, his words and expressions here are consistent with his attempts to appeal to Allura in 6x04. The fact that his interaction with her is the same - whether he’s alone or in public - also shows us that it’s genuine. He doesn’t hesitate to share his true feelings to her when he’s trying to defend himself, nor does he bar his words in front of the paladins and generals when he’s trying to talk her down later. They might as well be speaking in private because it wouldn’t change his reaction. He’s completely focused on her and unconcerned with his unencumbered feelings being on public display - something he’s never done before and obviously wouldn’t be comfortable with. All of this continues to prove that, when it comes to Allura, he is his authentic self and his feelings for her are indeed true. 
There may be more significant instances of seeing Lotor alone that I can’t recall, but, in summary, if Lotor was truly an evil, selfish person, we’d see hints of that most clearly in the instances where he has nothing to hide. 
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CONCLUSION
So, what is Lotor’s true face then? 
As I’ve stated, Lotor is a man who has had to adopt different personas to survive, and we get to see the multi-faceted nature of his character on full display throughout the series depending on who he’s with and in what context. Regardless of some blunders in writing, overall, I think the show did a decent job portraying the different sides of him that would have logically emerged given his unique life and circumstances. 
Of course, seeing the ease and skill in which Lotor can slip on these masks would naturally leave audiences to continually question him and his true intentions. As the show reveals more and more of his true self however, the answer becomes increasingly clear that, despite the resulting duplicity of his nature, there is no evidence to support that he's anyone other than someone who wanted to do exactly what he said he did and whose goals are ultimately to help and protect others - a desire which was shown through his words and actions on multiple occasions. For all his faults, Lotor does have genuinely heroic traits despite being raised in an environment that didn’t cultivate them. A flower struggling to bloom in spite of the aridity of the soil in which he was born.
Despite the intended desire to hide his true self for his own protection, these fabricated facades do inadvertently reflect shades of his inner self too - a kernel of truth buried in each even as he has to transform to become what he thinks he needs to be to survive. By default, he tends to hide his true emotions underneath a facade of control and confidence - most notably seen in his interaction with the generals, the paladins initially and the masses (mostly Galrans). This portrayal of the proud and cunning man however is just a front to hide someone underneath who is more concerned with knowledge than power and protection rather than violence and it’s his bond with Allura that reveals the truest face of all: someone who is genuinely capable of kindness, vulnerability and even love. Given the right time and treatment, the inherent goodness in him could have been allowed to flourish and win and his true face could have been the last one we saw him with...
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space-apples · 11 months
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@hopepetal and @happy-hermit are involved in this post, but others have been mentioned.
context: zera is an eight year old prince, and jay is the new ruler of the kingdom. jay’s married to stiff there’s also magic, and space can read auras. it isn’t actual aura reading like irl, so take everything with a grain of salt lol. that’s all you need and that’s all i’m willing to give <3. skskjdodjs hope you enjoy <3
if i write more i’ll explain zera and jay’s aura in more depth lol
-
Space, like usual, had no idea what was going on. Their ruler was in the gardens, glaring at the pristine manicured rose bushes as if they personally betrayed her. Normally, this wouldn’t have bothered Space. Rose bushes hurt to run into, and he should know. What was strange was that neither Stiff nor Zera was in sight. Jay was normally not without the two, ever since— Well— things happened, and they had returned from the war. He couldn’t blame them, really. Jay never expected to become ruler so early.
None of them did. Jay had become one of the youngest rulers in history, yet no one batted a goddamn eye. She was a good, reliable ruler. Maybe that’s why Space’s heart hurt as much as it did. It wasn’t like Jay was twelve, but they were so young.
He didn’t know where Stiff was, but Zera was in their room. The tell-tale sign was the sniveling, the yellow aura emanating even from behind the door. This, too, was strange. Zera was crying. Alone. Jay was not with them, Stiff was no where to be seen.
He knocked gently, and the quiet sobs were immediately brought to a stand still.
“Go away, Jay, I don’t— I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Lucky for you, then,” Space said softly. “‘s just me.”
“…Space?”
Their aura sparked. Orange, blue, orange, red, red, red.
“The one and only! Well— technically there’s a whole lot of space, but—”
“I don’t wanna joke right now.”
“Okay.” Space frowned, but accepted the request nonetheless. “Okay, kid, that’s alright. Serious talk time. Could you let me in?”
Silence. Then the small pitter-patter of footsteps. Then the rustling of a doorknob. Then the door tentatively opening.
Zera wouldn’t look up at Space, instead, their gaze was aimed at the floor as if he was ashamed. Only a few moments later, Space was holding one of Zera’s bee plushies.
“Jay’s gonna leave soon, I think,” they blurted, shrinking into themself. “They love Stiff now and they don’t need me anymore.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true.”
“It is! It is! They’re gonna go and they’re gonna leave me like everyone else.”
“Well,” Space started. “Have I left you?”
“…No,” Zera admitted, his aura spiking green, orange, green, red, green, red, red, so much red. “But you almost did. And it was cause of me.”
Oh. Oh dear. Oh dear.
“Kiddo—”
“It was my fault!” Red, orange. “It was my fault and you don’t even know it!” Green, red, yellow, red. “You’re saying it’s okay when it isn’t! I don’t deserve it, and Jay—”
“Kiddo, you know I don’t normally like interrupting you, but please, hear me out, okay?” There wasn’t normally this much red in their aura. The red barely ever overpowered the yellow.
From outside the door, Space could sense the green and black warm aura, but he didn’t pay attention to it. This was more important.
Zera nodded, albeit hesitantly, and Space continued. “Remember what I said about the bad men?” He shook his head. “That’s alright, I’ll repeat it. The bad men didn’t care if you were the best or the worst, and they didn’t care if I was the best or the worst. They just wanted to hurt people to hurt them.”
“They hurt me, firefly. Not you. This wasn’t your fault, okay?” Zera’s frown grew, and Space quickly carried on. “And even if you were bad, which you’re not, who says bad people don’t deserve love either? You don’t need to be worthy to be lovable, kiddo.”
“But—”
“Again, your highness, you know I don’t like interrupting, but I want you to listen to what I’m saying, yea?” Another nod. Spikes of blue, green, blue, red, red, yellow. “You don’t have to believe me, but I urge you to consider it. You do not need to be worthy to be loved. And Jay? Jay’s heart is so so big, kiddo. It holds the kingdom and all the people in it. Stiff, Bee, me you— especially you.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door. The aura from before— dark green, black, splashes of what could only be described as warmth. Jay.
“It’s your sibling,” he whispered. “Can I let them in?”
Zera fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt. Red, red, yellow, purple. Instead of nodding, the prince got out of his bed, and apprehensively opened the door themself.
“Zera, I came to apologize to you,” she said immediately. Their eyes spiked in nervousness, in fear, in regret. Bending down to Zera’s height, her words became ever more soft. “You’re growing bigger. And I— well I didn’t think you’d want me around as much. I suppose I just thought because of what—”
“Please, I don’t want you to leave, Blue Jay,” Zera said. “Please stay, please stay.”
“Oh, love.” Jay wrapped their arms around her little sibling. “I wasn’t going to leave you, I was just— trying to give you some room to breathe.”
“So you— so you still love me?” Zera asked desperately, his voice trembling.
“I could never stop.”
Zera sobbed, and Jay could only hold him tighter. And Space— well, Space felt like he was intruding. So he tried to quietly get out of the room, doing his best to scooch out and back into the hallway. Before he could reach the door, a hand grabbed his arm, pulling him into the hug that he definitely didn’t think he should be a part of.
But it was nice, so he didn’t pull away. Zera’s aura (yellow, orange, blue, yellow, yellow, yellow) entangled with Jay’s (dark green and black shouldn’t have been as warm as it was, but Jay was living proof that it was possible).
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
Zera had basically fallen asleep in their bed, and Space couldn’t help but sigh fondly at the peaceful deep breathing the kid had started doing.
“Thank you.”
It was so random, so sudden that Space jerked back.
“For— For what, Your Majesty?”
“I think you know,” she said, smiling gratefully. “I— I heard what you were saying before, and just— thank you.”
“It— I mean— it wasn’t a problem. Zera’s a good kid.”
“He is.”
After a little while, Space leaves Jay alone in Zera’s room, turning left in order to go back to the knight barracks.
He was supposed to go to the right, and he came back a while later, itching his head, quite confused. Sheepishly asking Jay how to get back, she narrowed their eyes.
“I think it’s right.”
“Yea, I thought I went the right way, too.”
“No— Space—”
It took a bit longer to actually get back, to say the least. How Space managed to know so much emotional intelligence, yet still doesn’t know his left and rights will never not be a mystery.
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litchihikxriclub · 1 year
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zera's such a bottom lmao what if we make him ride reader instead
• Zera is indeed a complete bottom— and a pillow prince at that. He's prone to lying back, giving orders, and not much else, and that's partially because he doesn't want to embarrass himself. It's easier to keep control over his reactions when he can just clamp a hand over his mouth and bear with whatever you're doing to him, after all. He has a too-quick defense ready when you suggest that he rides you... but his protests don't last for long.
• It turns out that Zera makes very stupid decisions when he's horny. And that means that if he's already turned on and desperate, he's a lot more willing to agree to things that will embarrass him later. He winds up straddling your hips with that kind of convincing, biting down on his hand so he doesn't make any shameful sounds as he sinks down on your cock— and he's weak enough that his thighs soon give out. The sudden fullness draws a loud yelp out of him, and after that, he's gone.
• With no idea how to ride you properly, he ends up just frantically grinding into you in the hopes it'll give some form of stimulation. He doesn't have the strength to manage much movement... which just means you need to grab his hips and help. This angle is intense in an all-too-new way, and when you finally pry his hand away from his mouth, he can't stop himself from rambling. Zera is dangerously close to abandoning his pride altogether and begging you to fuck him like normal. He'd be doing exactly that, if it wasn't impossible to form words past the moans forced out of him.
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cravencur · 1 month
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this is for @rei-inari because i have no chill and kamijo is my pandora's box. :)
albums i recommend: Oscar (his most recent), Symphony of the Vampire (debut album)
singles i recommend (solo): Louis ~Enketsu no La Vie en Rose~, Royal Blood, Nosferatu, Vampire Rock Star, Persona Grata, Yamiyo no Lion, Eye of Providence
singles i recommend (versailles): God Palace, Masquerade, VOGUE, Shout & Bites, Philia, Aristocrat's Symphony, zombie
singles i recommend (lareine): Metamorphose, Kyokuto no Koibito, Grand Pain, Aisareta Hibi ~Ever Love~, gypsy, Fuyu Tokyo
special shout-out for his collaboration with Mana and Matenrou/D/MM to create the supergroup JVM and producing Concerto ~Aesthetic Bloodline~
the setlist for his concert this past July i went to, for shits and giggles: Castrato Conspiracy Yamiyo no Lion Vampire Rock Star Louis ~Enketsu no La Vie en Rose~ Eye of Providence Madameoiselle Moulin Rouge Avec Toi ~Kimi to Tomo ni~ Theme of Sang Nosferatu Symphony of the Vampire Lineage Masquerade Ascendead Master Shout & Bites Wrath of Thunder zombie Serenade Prince VOGUE Love from a Dead Orchestra Katate ni Yume wo Motsu Shoujou The Revenant Choir Symphony of the Revenant Choir La Musique
other bands/artists i recommend: Versailles and Lareine (duh), Matenrou Opera, D, Malice Mizer, lynch., ZeRa, Magistina Saga, Unlucky Morpheus, Angel's Temptation, Megamasso, ZOMBIE, Dezert, and MUCC
thank u
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zeraprinc · 5 months
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Ehh, If I Were…
Ehh, if I were the sun that wakes you up in the morning, the prince of dreams who offers you love, I would always be in your presence, because my heart is crazy for you.
Ehh, if I were the only desire of your heart, my prison to be your bed, the gates of heaven would open for me, I would be blind from the glow of love.
Ehh, if I were the reason for your insomnia, if your thoughts were counting the minutes until the meeting I would give you all the love in the world only for us would this planet exist.
Zera Princ
"Ehh, If I Were.." is a poem from a collection of poetry entitled "When you stay alone". If you liked it and want to get the book, you can order it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/8690558810
You can also read the other poems from the book online: https://zeraprinc.com/index.php/poetry
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acacia-may · 10 months
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Ooo for the “If it was a Hallmark movie” How about one for…Zera and William 😁👀? This little game sounds like so much fun and is limitless in possibilities for characters 😁!
Thank you so much dear 🥰💕!
Hi Lyra! I'm so delighted that you think the game sounds fun! It can get a bit silly sometimes when I play with my sisters, and I'll admit that I've definitely come up with some wacky Hallmark Movie AU ideas for various characters and relationships, but we always have a lot of fun with it in the end, so I really hope you enjoy it as well 💕
Thank you so much for the ask and for the opportunity to play with Zera and William a little bit! 🥰💕 I'm very flattered that you would entrust them to me to come up with a fun little Hallmark Movie AU for them. I had a lot of ideas since there are a lot of Hallmark Rom Com plotlines that would be incredibly fitting for them, and I waffled a lot on which one to choose (I actually started writing out a couple of them before finally deciding on this one). I really hope you like it!
ZerWilliam If It Was A Hallmark Movie...
A Prince's Wish: William is the prince of the tiny country of Aurelius (A/N: Latin for "Golden"). He is a kind and benevolent ruler who cares about his subjects, but he just wants to have a normal life. While visiting his friends in another country, he tries to drive to the beach, but he gets lost and wanders into a flower shop a couple of hours away. He meets the owner, Zera, who doesn't recognize him as royalty. William is immediately smitten by her, but he stops himself from asking her on a date since he didn't want to explain that he is really a prince and possibly change the way she sees him. As he makes his way back to his car, he wishes he could have a quiet and normal life in a small town with her, and he is so busy daydreaming about his wish that he does not pay attention to where he is going and is hit by an ice cream truck.
When he wakes up in the local hospital, he has no memory of anything besides the most recent two hours. The hospital calls Zera since William says he remembers her, but she swears he is a stranger she only just met. Still, Zera feels bad for him, so she takes him back to her flower shop and gives him a job. William finally has the simple life he has always wanted (though he isn't aware of it), and as the country of Aurelius frantically searches for its lost prince, Zera grows to love him as a just an endearingly awkward florist. When the truth of William's royal identity is finally revealed, however, will their love survive?
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dani-the-toad · 1 year
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hes really just a huge problem even more so than the prince like. whats wrong with you zera
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How would ice prince Zera react to a shy and a soft-spoken MC? I can see him being either completely malicious or completely melting with how sweet this type of MC
Honestly, he would be protective, like he is with Astrid. He lets himself get shit talked but will throw hands if someone disrespects his friends or lover.
And i dont mean, "What'd you say to her/him?" and then arguing to lead up to a fight.
I mean:
youtube
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lilflowerpot · 2 years
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So I know we’ve talked about bloodline/birthright, galra/human sexual compatibility for procreation, and how the galra view adoption. We’ve even mentioned that Lotor and Keith aren’t particularly inclined to have children/a child together.
What does that mean for the heir to the throne? The Kral Zera is ofc the way to name a new emperor, so I can assume that when Lotor passes (as an aside, if the consort outlives the emperor—Keith likely won’t— do they have first claim since they’re already half ruling the empire?) that a new Kral Zera will be called.
If bloodline is so important, is there any sort of traditional heir/inheritance with the throne, or when each emperor dies is there a Kral Zera and that’s the end of that? There seems to have been a significant emphasis on Lotor being the prince, in a way that seemed more expectation than a temporary thing (I say temporary with the assumption that the son of the emperor doesn’t automatically get first shot at the throne, etc).
As usual, my ask makes no linear sense, but, to frame perhaps more simply,
While blood may be important, especially in the case of the emperor/empress, is there a line of inheritance for the throne that affects the Kral Zera? How does this affect Keitor’s future?
Okay, so eligibility for the Kral Zera is dictated by two factors: blood, and/or reputation.
"In preparation for a change in imperial leadership, we require a viable candidate for the Kral Zera: someone with the right claim—it doesn’t have to be of blood, though that would help—without being too polarising. Emperor Zarkon has ruled for millennia, not a single galra alive has ever known anyone else, ergo it is imperative that we select the right person so as not to incite civil war. [...] I had an agent of the right temperament and bloodline establish himself in central command, he was well liked, respected, and would have been eligible to stand at the Kral Zera, when the time was right."
- Kolivan, Little Blade, chapter 19
Blood is a simple matter; if your direct lineage can be traced back to an Imperial Monarch (ie. Brodar or any of the 32 who came after him), then you are technically an eligible candidate, irrespective of all else. This means you can self-nominate—though it's considered something of a ballsy move if you have nothing else going for you—due to the galra belief that the heart is the cradle of the soul, conflating one’s blood with the very essence of their spiritual being, and meaning that to be a blood-descendant would be to possess a little of a former monarch's quintessence within you.
Reputation is a little more complex, as it can be seen as somewhat subjective, but the base requirement is that the candidate in question must garner notable rank within one of the Three Pillars of Imperial Society, these being the State, the Church, and the Military.
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The most tried-and-tested route is—given the galra's militaristic culture—via the Imperial Military. The candidate in question would first have had to work their way up to the primary military tier (as seen above) meaning that their rank equals or exceeds that of a Lieutenant-Commander; they then must attempt to acquire formal pledges of support from other notable galra who are themselves eligible, thus assuring both that they will not challenge the claim, and that they will—at the Kral Zera itself—advocate on their behalf to the Archivist, and even Sa Herself. This is the route that (in LB) the Blade of Marmora were intending to take, with Thace as their candidate.
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[[ Zarkon: "You are now in charge of the investigation... Commander. ]]
As Kolivan said to Keith in chapter 19, "an agent of the right temperament and bloodline [had established] himself in central command; he was well liked, respected, and would have been eligible to stand at the Kral Zera, when the time was right." and Keith correctly guesses that this agent was Thace, who we see be elevated from the rank of Lieutenant, to that of Commander, by none other than Zarkon himself (s02ep01). Thace's eligibility came twofold: he was not only a high-ranking soldier (both within Imperial circles and without) known to be loyal, just-minded, and noble to a fault, but also a direct descendant of Marmora herself,,,, making him the perfect candidate.
Alternative routes to the Kral Zera include being a High Priest / Priestess of the Druidic Church (the archivist themself is not eligible, as their role is a lifelong commitment once undertaken), or a member of the aristocracy, though it is rare that they stand on that alone, as they can rarely obtain substantial backing from others for merely their family wealth. Ultimately though, it is the Archivist who gets the final say as to who they will/won't allow to challenge for the privilege of leading the Empire, and the final result of combat is said to be the choice of Sa herself.
In terms of Lotor, the throne fell to him as Emperor pro-tem when Zarkon was incapacitated (but, importantly, not dead) because he—as the sole member of the Imperial household, and the only surviving blood of Zarkon—was seen as an extension of the Emperor himself; the same would have been true of Haggar had she been known as the Imperial Consort Honerva, in which case both she and Lotor would have taken on the burden of the Emperor’s duties between them, but as she was not,,, the power was Lotor’s and Lotor’s alone. In the event of the Monarch’s death, however, the power reverts to the Archivist throughout the mandated mourning period (the duration of one Imperial phoeb) until the Kral Zera is held as specified above.
TLDR; Lotor’s status as an Imperial Prince grants him power as an extension of Zarkon only while Zarkon is alive. Upon Zarkon’s death, he would remain an eligible candidate for the Kral Zera, and his stint as Emperor pro-tem might count in his favour (as he did win over the general populace quite quickly), but it is no guarantee of the Imperial crown, as this is traditionally won though rite of combat at the Kral Zera due to this being considered Sa’s divine judgement.
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Keith duels an undead Lotor zombie in “Defenders of the Multiverse” Chapter 8. (Prompt: Blade).
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Lotor raised his sword for a running overhead strike and as Keith prepared to block his opponent’s blade, Lotor kicked him in the midsection. Suddenly winded, Keith fell and was momentarily stunned.
“You are beaten, half-breed!” Lotor jeered at Keith. “Prepare to die.” Lotor held his blade perilously close to Keith’s throat as he lay sprawled in the mud of the nightmare swamp.
Keith entangled his legs with Lotor’s to trip him then sprang to his feet, reclaiming his fallen sword.
“Half-breed?” He asked, dodging Lotor’s clumsy attack as the prince struggled to regain his footing. “Look who’s talking!”
Lotor attacked him again with even more fury than before and Keith deflected every blow with a fluidity and grace that the undead prince struggled to match.
“You’re hardly the warrior who won the Kral Zera,” Keith taunted him.
“I’m still the man who won Allura’s heart,” Lotor replied with a wicked grin.
“With lies and deception?” Keith would have drawn blood with the slice he made to Lotor’s abdomen at that moment, but the zombie-like creature before him didn’t seem to have any.
“Why, do you think that you are worthy of her?” Another blow. “Why would she desire a filthy whoreson peasant such as yourself when she can have a prince?” Lotor’s powerful strike nearly shattered Keith’s luxite blade. Keith was outraged by the insult to his parentage and what Lotor was implying about Krolia, but he suppressed his rage.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Keith asked with a smirk.
Lotor nearly lost his footing again, unable to match Keith’s speed and agility. “Insolent whelp! Allura will never be yours!” Sparks flew from their blades as they clashed again. Keith momentarily thought about Romelle and how her brother died. Keith remembered Romelle’s story about all of the Altean colonists who lost their lives because of Lotor’s lust for power.
“Allura knows exactly what you are and exactly who she wants. She saw right through your deceit, you treacherous—“ Their blades clashed in a shower of sparks. “--murderous” Another strike, and more sparks flew. “—son-of-a-witch!”
Lotor stumbled back from the onslaught, and for the first time he looked truly afraid. The two warriors panted, glaring at each other with bloodlust as they sidestepped a clockwise path, each trying to anticipate the other’s next move. Keith tossed the luxite blade from his right hand to his left, and before Lotor could figure out what his opponent was doing, a Black Altean broadsword appeared in Keith’s right hand. With his blades crossed, Keith moved with the speed of a lightning strike, and for the second time since Keith had first battled his greatest fears in this realm of nightmares, he sliced Lotor’s foul head from his shoulders to shut his lying mouth.
In the distance, the cackling of the Witch turned into a blood-curdling scream.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/31663769/chapters/96198364
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