"Princess, what are you doing?!"

Allura flinched and froze on her way to the surface. Slowly she glanced over her shoulder to see Keith racing towards her. His red tail whipping through the water like a storm. As he got closer she could see that his face had scrunched up in anger.

The princess could only groan in irritation at being caught.

She'd been so close too.

Though she had already stopped the moment Keith was close enough he grabbed Allura's arm and pulled her deeper into the water and away from the bright surface.

Allura had learned long ago that if it was Keith who caught her on her way to the surface, it was best to just give up. The merman was undeniably one of the fastest and most maneuverable of swimmers in his clan. Not to mention determined. Once Keith set his eyes on a target, it was almost impossible to shake him off.

If it had been Hunk or Shiro, the princess might have had a chance to split before being caught. And if it had been Lance or Pidge, they likely would have just come along. But if it was Keith who'd caught her sneaking off to the shallower waters then all bets were off.

Fighting against her guards firm grip would have been pointless. They'd been through this scenario enough times together that Allura had learned that, although breaking free would be easy since Keith NEVER used a painful grip with her, the merman would not give up until he got the princess back to the safety of the deeps.

As they descended deeper the princess glanced back at the slowly dwindling light of the shallows, and sighed in disappointment as the water around her chilled as the warmth of the sun failed to penetrate the deeps.

Shiro was waiting outside the palace for them. His single arm resting on his hip and staring up expectantly at them with a tired, but amused expression on his face.

"Got caught sneaking out again princess?"

Allura pouted at the small jab while Keith scowled.

"It's not funny Shiro!"

"I know." he placed a soothing hand on Keith's shoulder. "Now, Coran needs some help replacing some of the crystals around the palace. I'll take care of things here, so you go and see what you can do."

Keith frowned and glanced at Allura.

"I won't let her out of my sight. So go on."

Reluctantly the red merman swam away, glancing at the princess as he went.

"So?" Shiro asked once Keith was out of sight. "What did you find this time?"

Allura smiled and hugged her bag close to her chest. "All kinds of different shells and things. I even managed to find a few pearls."

"Really?" Shiro's black tail flicked in interest. "Those are hard to come by."

As he spoke he used his one arm to wheel the princess towards the coral palaces doors.

"Yes. Pidge will likely be quite happy to see them. Numerous spells can be used utilizing pearls, so I'm sure she'd be eager to test them out."

They talked like that all the way to Allura's room where Shiro paused as she entered.

"Princess?"

She halted on her way through the door to look back at him.

His expression was serious. "I understand how important these trips are to you. And while some of the stuff you bring back is useful you need to be more careful."

Frowning, Allura steeled herself for the same lecture she had gotten from her father as a child before he, along with most of her people, had been wiped out by the plague. Now there remained only herself, Coran, and five other merfolk from different clans residing in the palace.

They were not the last of their kind by a long shot. There were numerous other merfolk clans throughout the seas. But Allura refused to abandon her ancestors home, and hoped to one day restore the coral palace to its former glory and recreate the kingdom her father once ruled.

But until then… she had to contend herself with living in a drafting old rundown ocean palace with only six servants to her name. And deal with being treated like a child.

As the last heir to her lineage, she was imperative to keeping the ancient magic of her people alive. She just wished that didn't mean being treated like she was made out of glass.

"The shallows are bright." Shiro began. "They're warm. All kinds of creatures you can't find down here live and populate up there. And I understand that a lot of the shells and pearls, and things they produce are imperative ingredients in the spells your people cast."

He paused for a moment to make sure Allura was listening.

"However," his tone of voice changed. "The warmer water also attracts predators we don't have down here. They're bigger and stronger due to having a lot of food to pick from and besides that there's the dangers left behind by surface dwellers who will often leave their nets and things in the waters without supervision. The shallows are beautiful and plentiful but they're also dangerous, princess."

Allura sat on the edge of her bed, glaring down at the clasped hands in her lap.

"I understand why you enjoy going there, but you can't just head up to the shallows without telling anyone. If anything were to happen to you there-"

"Nothing has ever happened to me there." she felt the need to cut in. "I have been going to the shallows since I was a little girl. I am more than aware of the dangers and how to combat them."

Shiro sighed.

"Yes, princess. I know that."

"And yet you and the others still treat me like a small lost child?"

"To be fair princess, you and Coran are the last of your people. That rather changes the circumstances a bit."

Allura pouted in frustration. She had to concede that point. Yet it still aggravated her how the circumstances limited her freedom to do as she wished.

"Listen, you don't have to stop going to shallows." Shiro conceded. "But you can't go there by yourself, and you shouldn't go as often as you've been going. Some of the predators up there are patient and intelligent. They'll memorize your movements, analyze your weaknesses, and then strike when you least expect it."

As he spoke, Shiro's arm unconsciously went to the stub on his shoulder.

"Many merfolk don't make it out of such encounters alive."

The princess's indignant rage quieted at that.

Shiro had come from a tiny clan of hunters who wandered the deeps, following the schools of fish as they migrated to warmer waters. Though they made powerful warriors, the small size of their hunting parties made them prime targets for attacked by sea monsters hungry for a quick meal. A particularly vicious and powerful sea creature had succeeding in wiping out everyone in Shiro's clan, leaving the crippled fishman as the lone survivor.

If Coran had not come across him when he did… there would have been no survivors.

"I… I understand," she muttered. "But… I need as many ingredients for my spells as possible if I ever hope to restore the kingdom."

The look in the merman's eyes were gentle and understanding.

"Yes, but none of that will be worth it if something happens to you in the process." He added gently. "When Coran brought me back here and fixed me up, I swore that I'd help restore the kingdom of Altea in return for you two saving my life. I fully intend to deliver on that promise. And the best way for me to do that is to ensure that nothing happens to either of you."

"Yes, and I am grateful to you for that. But-" here she flushed a little in anger. "Does Keith really have to be so...So…."

"Overprotective?" Shiro offered.

"YES!" Allura growled and flopped back onto her bed. "Even when I DO tell everyone where I'm going he argues against it! He always insists it's too dangerous and not worth the trip! NOT WORTH IT?! Those shells and pears are the keys to restoring my civilization! They're more than worth the trip!"

"He… has his reasons." Shiro reasoned sheepishly.

"Does he?! And what, pray tell, would these reasons BE?!"

He didn't reply.

"I thought so!"

"Regardless princess, please tell someone when you want to go into the shallows in future. And please, please, don't go by yourself. If not for my sake then for Coran's." He bowed slightly as he left. "Good night, princess."

Allura sighed as she rolled over.

Everything Shiro had said had been true and his request for an escort wasn't unreasonable. But with only six other people in the palace there was almost no one consistently available enough to act as an escort.

And that was only the beginning of the Allura's growing troubles.

That night was the ending to the moon season in the shallows. Usually the shells in the shallows absorbed magic from the sun which her people had, in turn, used in spells. But during the moon season the shells would absorb magic from both the sun and the moon. Giving them twice the magic power. With such a boost in power, work to restore her kingdom could take a massive leap forward!

She'd managed to collect a few shells and pearls affected by the moon season. But not nearly enough to make the kind of move forward she needed.

If she even hoped to make up for the lack of quantity she'd have to collect on the last night of the moon season. When the trinkets had absorbed all the magic they could. If she didn't collect them then and properly store them in the castle, then the magic would immediately begin to dissipate come morning.

I would have more than enough by now if it weren't for Keith. Allura thought bitterly.

He'd gotten in the way nearly every day the past week.

Everytime she tried to sneak out to the warmer waters, Keith would either stop her or, on the few occasions she actually successfully managed to slip away, greet her angrily upon her return. The only solace the princess had was in the knowledge that the others did not share his views. Or if they did not to the same unreasonable degree.

Pidge and Lance both thought the shallows were neat. And on numerous occasions had actually accompanied her there. Both of them were adventurous and quizzical souls, so they made excellent company.

Hunk was far too nervous of predators to wander too far from the deeps. But the princess had managed to placate his worries by promising to bring back plants and fish from the shallows for him to partake in. As well as try and pick up new and interesting types of coral that the merman could repurpose for the castles energy systems.

Shiro and Coran had proven to be difficult to convince.

Coran had been forced to concede only when the princess brought up the sheer necessity of their plight. Especially the fact that she was the only one among them who could properly identify which shells and pearls had absorbed enough energy to be properly used in magic.

Shiro had given the clearest argument against Allura going. His role as one of her only two guardsman had pushed him into the position. And, the princess suspected, there was likely lingering doubts and fears about the shallows after he'd been attacked and left for dead.

Thankfully he gave up when Allura made it clear that she would not be giving up on the issue, and Shiro had been forced to recognize her authority on the matter.

The only person to not relent had been Keith. If the red merman had his way, none of the occupants of the palace would have been allowed to travel to the shallows. Even after the other's opinions had shifted, his remained the same.

Allura had tried to placate him by offering to allow him to come with her to the shallows as her escort. But he had refused and insisted that the princess had no business anywhere near the shallows. It had taken Shiro's intervention to make Keith back down. But even so Keith made it a point to drag her back whenever she tried to go collect shells alone.

No matter how she argued and pled, Keith would not give her the time of day.

And while the others certainly gave her more leeway, they still fought against her desire to push their mission forward by using the magic provided by the moon shells and pearls.

Well, she thought angrily. I don't need anyone's permission to do what needs to be done.

Getting up from the bed she immediately began preparing for that night.

She felt bad going against Shiro's pleas to not go to the shallows alone. But this was something she needed to do. She couldn't allow anything to hold her back.

Keith sat forlornly on the rail of the balcony and stared out at the fluorescent fish swimming by.

Absentmindedly, his fingers drifted to the scar on his shoulder. He traced the mark and shivered at the memories it brought back.

"You should really tell her."

Keith glanced over his shoulder to see Shiro swimming onto the balcony and taking a seat at his side.

"If you just explain things to the princess I'm sure she'd understand why you feel so strongly."

Frowning, Keith covered the scar and his shoulder and muttered, "I'm not so sure about that."

Shiro sighed and tried to speak.

"Keith-"

"No, Shiro." the red merman cut him off. "I know you mean well. A-and you know I trust you but… but I can't Shiro. If I told the princess the truth… she'd hate me."

"She wouldn't hate you. You have to have more faith in her."

When Keith failed to respond Shiro turned to leave.

"I won't say anything as long as you don't want me to. But just think about it alright? Princess Allura is far more understanding than you give her credit for."

After he left Keith leaned back and looked up from the depths towards where the shallows were. It always surprised him how close it actually was. All it took was an hour swimming in the right direction and soon you were at the boundary between the deeps and the surface.

A bright place filled with light and life.

If wasn't as though Keith couldn't see the beauty or attraction in it. A part of him longed to be there himself.

But every time he thought about it the memories returned. Memories of blood. Memories of pain. Memories of wandering about the sea lost and alone.

The horrors those memories reminded him of were more than enough for him to keep away from the shallows. And the idea of the princess, his princess, going there daily? It drove him insane with worry.

He knew he was being unreasonable. He knew he was being overprotective. Worse, he knew Allura was beginning to dislike him for it.

But he couldn't stop.

He couldn't sit by and watch her disappear into the light. Not with the knowledge that he might never see her return.

Keith tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Perhaps Shiro was right. He really should sleep, and perhaps his worries would seem less daunting in the morning.

As he turned to return to his chambers, however, a streak of pink caught in the corner of his eyes. He turned and stared into the darkness.

It was difficult to see in the deeps at night. The dim light of the sun was gone and turned the sea around him into a murky mess.

But in the distance, Keith was sure he could see a familiar head of silver hair.

His eyes narrowed at the retreating figured and, with one glance back at the palace in hesitation, Keith took off into the night.

There was being stubborn.

But then there was being stupid.

And as far as he was concerned, Allura was behaving very much like the latter.