Disclaimer: Voltron and all related characters (Lotor, Haggar, etc.) are property of World Events Productions, not me. No profit was made from their use.
Haggar should have disguised herself years ago; she could have saved herself several decades of grief and bitterness if she had, but maybe it was because of that past bitterness her life seemed so sweet now.
She pick up one the many flask filled with unspeakable liquid horrors that sat on her work bench and held it up to the murky light that filled her lab. The witch paused briefly to admire her faint reflection in flask's glass. It was not vanity that made her do this, but rather admiration for her own handy work. Her false beauty was perfect; no one, not even those that knew her best, would ever guess that she was truly the old hag once called Haggar.
Haggar was almost ashamed to admit when she first took on this form, that she was tempted to turn back to her true self just to see the look on Zarkon's face upon realizing just what he had become infatuated with. But then she thought better of it, she thought of revenge.
Her ruby red lips turned upward into a sadistic smirk as she finally poured the contents of the flask into a small cauldron. The mixture in cauldron bubbled wildly for a few seconds before settling down.
If only Zarkon knew that the same person he was currently fawning over was the same ugly witch who he had belittled and been disgusted by for years. Before he would not even touch her, but now her could not keep his hands off her. The irony of the situation was delicious. She still loved him, no doubt about that, but Haggar was never the forgiving type.
�Adrastea, father wishes to know how your robeast is coming along,� said someone from behind the witch.
Haggar changed her smirk into a seductive little smile before turning around to face the person who had spoken to her. Normally she would have scowled at Prince Lotor's annoying habit of entering her lab without knocking, but now she could not care less about something so trivial. She just could not muster up much anger at the prince when he purred out the false name she had give herself with an affection that was almost inappropriate. It was such a welcome change from the haughty, contemptuous way he used to speak to her before her transformation.
�It's a pleasure to see you, your Highness,� Haggar replied, pausing to bowing in respect. �Just come this way to see my creation. I do believe that you will approve of it.�
With a gesture of her hand, she signaled for Lotor to follow her to where she gave life to her monstrous creations.
Yes, Haggar reflected as she walked down the dark, twisting hallways to the camber with Lotor walking beside her, it was a pleasure to see him now a day. Playing with such a pretty young toy was incredibly fun, after all. Like Zarkon, Lotor was now wrapped around her artificially young and slender finger, even if he was not quiet as thoroughly so. She never intended to get the prince ensnared in her web like her father, as it was never his affections that she sought, but by some twist of luck, things seemed to work out that way. Still, it fit into her desire for revenge very well. Haggar fought back a crackle. If only that pompous little peacock knew who he had been seduced by! That boy was more like his father than he would ever admit. Also, she mused, that being an object of affection of a handsome man like Prince Lotor was satisfying for a number of reasons.
�Here we are, my Prince,� said Haggar upon entering the place where she made her robeast. Before them was a large window, which ran the length of the room, with a control panel at the room's center. She pointed at the window, a silent request for Lotor to peer into the window and see what waited at the bottom of the pit on the other side of the glass. Lotor nodded his head, walked over to the window, and gazed down at the chained, enraged monster below. Judging by the highly impressed expression on Lotor's face, it was obvious that the new creature Haggar had created to fight against Voltron looked promising.
�It appears that you have outdone yourself, Adrastea. Already the first robeast you have created in my fathers service has surpassed the half-baked creations that your predecessor, Haggar, created.�
�I told King Zarkon it was worth the wait,� Haggar remarked. Despite the fact Lotor was only judging the robeast by appearance, he was correct that this robeast was more powerful than almost any she had created when she was known as Haggar. She had spent four months creating the robeast. Part of the reason for this long wait was due to a lazon shortage, but it was mainly because she was pouring all of her power into it in hopes of defeating Voltron in one swoop and to further gain Zarkon's favor. However, now that the work was partially finished, it was time to reward herself by playing her favorite game with her favorite plaything.
�Yes, from what you have told me, this Haggar was an inferior witch,� said Haggar as she approached the Prince of Doom. There was a mischievous, playful glimmer in her dark eyes as she spoke. �Let me assure you that I am the among the best when it comes to witchcraft and the dark arts. And unlike that hag you and King Zarkon have complained so much about, I have many talents that extend beyond witchcraft.�
Lotor raised one eyebrow, as he smiled deviously. The suggestiveness of Haggar's last line was obviously not lost on him. He had taken the bait.
�Yes, you have made that very obvious. However, Adrastea, you have disappointed me with how little of these great, other talents you have revealed. It would be pleasing to me if you stopped teasing me with you modestly over them and showed the full extent of these gifts,� Lotor said smoothly with a mix of sarcasm, playfulness, and impatience in his voice.
Regardless of how charming Lotor may be, Haggar had no intention of demonstrating to Lotor the �talents� that her new form gave her. It was ultimately Zarkon's love she sought, and, despite how tempting it was, get heavily involved with both men was a move Haggar was smart enough to know would be dangerously stupid. Though, like in the case of Zarkon, she enjoyed the irony of the someone who once shuddered at sight of her to now be shamelessly flirting with her, Lotor did not deserve to feel the full force of her vengeance. Indeed, it was not Lotor who, so many years ago, had lured Haggar in with empty promises and pretty words; it was not him who caused her to suffer the sharp, lingering pain of being tossed aside when the dark, self destructive lifestyle Zarkon had led her into had caused her to lose her beauty, thus making it clear that all those sweet promises were lies. No, he did nothing to deserve what she planned to do to Zarkon once she had trapped him completely, but that did not stop her from dishing out a smaller, less cruel version of that fate on Lotor.
Haggar gave Lotor a smothering look, the same one that she had being giving him at the end of every session of this game the two of them had been playing for the past few months. It was also the look of one about to claim their prize.
�I suppose I can't reject such a flattering request from one of my betters, now can I?� purred Haggar. As she spoke, she slowly trailed one hand up one of Lotor's muscular arms and pressed her beautiful body close to his. While her other hand played with a strand of his hair, she mentally mocked the cocky, victorious look on Lotor's face. He obviously thought himself irresistible and that the exotic witch before him was the one captured by his charm. She allowed Lotor to savor the illusion that he was the one in control, for it shattering it all the sweeter.
Slowly, Haggar pressed her lips to Lotor's. What came next was always the same as the many times this scenario had played out before. When Lotor, lost in his lust, had closed his eyes, Haggar's pale skin transformed back into its natural green, warty state, her black hair disappeared, and her flashy, form fitting red dress once again became brown, shapeless robes. It was at this time Haggar was forced admit once again that she may also enjoy what she was doing due to genuine feelings she had developed towards Lotor. Over time she began to imagine that Lotor desired to kiss her, not Adrastea. As Lotor, who still oblivious to the change, tightened his possessive grip around her waist, Haggar fantasied that her old, ragged form was still somehow beautiful enough to win over such an attractive young man. Sometimes, when was feeling particularly shameless, she would even wish that when Lotor opened his eyes and recognized her face, that there would be a gleam of affection in them. Such silly romantic thoughts were Haggar's guilty pleasure during this stage of the game. Maybe someday she could make them come true, though she would most likely have to use some magic to make her daydream a reality. In the end, she figured, it would be worth it in order to heal some the self loathing she felt over her hideous appearance and, if Lotor did not get himself killed first, to posses a piece of Zarkon even after he passed on. But for now Haggar took great delight in what she knew what would really happen when Lotor opened his eyes, which was what he was doing right now.
Lotor was now looking at Haggar straight in the eyes, his whole body was rendered immobile by the shock of who he had been so thoroughly charmed by, as well as the paralysis spell Haggar had wordlessly cast on him at that instant. Haggar threw her head back and laughed at her prince's plight of being forced to continue to hold the ugly hag, who normally repulsed him to touch, in a lover's embrace.
�Oh my little prince,� cooed Haggar, running a wrinkled hand through Lotor's silky hair. �I can just imagine what you are feeling right now, what you would say if my spell was not holding your mouth shut.�
Though the expression on his face was the same, the light of Lotor's eyes had changed. In those eyes, Haggar could see rage and demands for an explanation. This was almost more fun than it had any right to be.
�This is not the first time I've done this to you, Lotor. I'm sure you remember the time you've come down to my laboratory and tried to woo me in my pretty disguise, but nothing really became of it. Well, this was what actually happened all those times. Every time I lured in, played with you, and then used my magic to make you forget your humiliation so I could do it all over again.�
She smiled as she sensed Lotor's anger grow. If he could actually more, he would most likely have ran his sword through her by now. As much as she loved having Lotor fawn over her, Haggar equally savored every minute she had him helpless in the palm of her hand like this. There was also just something strangely pleasing about antagonizing Lotor in this manner. She grinned wickedly.
�Such anger! It's cruel, yes, but how can I resist when you're such an attractive, easy to use toy, hmm? But if it is any comfort to you during the few seconds you have left to remember this encounter, know that I have much worse plans for you father. I already have your father's eye and it will not be long until he beds me like he did when I was truly beautiful. Once he does, at the end I will do the same thing to him as I'm currently doing to you. The difference, however, will be that you have the luxury of truly forgetting your horror. Zarkon, on the other hand, will, upon waking up to my true form laying beside him, will instantly remember each time that has happened. It will be his punishment to remember that he has been tricked, used, and humiliated once again and will be made to despair over the fact there is nothing he can do to prevent it from happening again.�
Suddenly Haggar frowned, her expression became one of regret and longing. She gently placed a hand on Lotor's cheek. Look at what Zarkon had done to her! Would she always be such a vengeful creature trapped by her one sided love for Zarkon and she hatred for what he had turned her into? Sadly, she knew the answer to that already. But she also knew that there was know a way to reverse just a little bit of the damage Zarkon had done to her.
�Yes, Lotor, don't do what your father did to me. You don't want to become the target of such an attack and I don't want to become an even more horrible creature than I am now. I've had thoughts of someday making it so you do not despise holding me like you are being forced to now, while I'm in my true form. I would give you the mercy of being made to enjoy it. You may hate the idea, but you should of been kinder to me, you little brat. But such an arrangement has its benefits,� explained Haggar, smiling once again. �I'll have the comfort of knowing that that there is someone who wants this withered body and you'll be free of that obsession of with that princess, which is to blame for you current loses, sleepless nights, and humiliation on the battlefield. Granted, I'll never truly love you like I did your father, but at least for the first time in a long time, you'll have someone that shows that they care about your well-being, if only a little.�
Behind Haggar's unusually kind words, she secretly reveled in the fact that doing what she said would also satisfy her darker, shallower desires. She would have the favor of the ruler of Doom for years to come, in fact, she may even become the Queen of Doom. She would have power, she would have Zarkon, she would have revenge, and she would have at least a small victory over the poison Zarkon had infected her heart with.
�But until then, it's time for you to go back to being my unknowing fool.�
With those words, everything was returned to the way it was before they kissed. Haggar was Adrastea again and Lotor was standing in front of her, smug and waiting. �Now Adrastea, what are these talents of yours?� asked Lotor, his memory of the kiss and what occurred afterwards completely erased by Haggar's magic, just like the which has said it would be.
�I'm afraid that you'll have to forgive me, Prince Lotor, if I regretfully say that we will both have to wait for another day. There are still a few more small finishing touches for me to put on the robeast and your father will want to hear the news that his super robeast will be ready to fight Voltron tomorrow.�
Lotor pouted, clearly displeased by Haggar's words.
�I suppose you're right,� he spat grudgingly, though his ire did not appear to be aimed at her. �However, when were robeast destroys Voltron, I will not accept such excuses, as surely then will have plenty of time to show me your many natural abilities. Besides, I will want to reward you for finally getting rid of that bothersome thorn in my side.�
�Of course, Sire. I look forward to it,� replied Haggar, her grin matching Lotor's own. She was looking forward to her next game with Lotor and the events of the days to come more than ever.