[ there's a natural hesitance, before answering the question, because talking about his childhood with much anyone is a show of weakness, and vulnerability. but he has already shared with allura far more than he has with anyone else, about how he feels, concerning the empire. his family. no one else knows, really, how deeply troubled he is by it, or how much he wants to break away from it.

it's refreshing, almost. to be himself.

still, there's a slight hum at her question, considering it carefully before answering. ]

I have a natural talent for it. [ it's approximately 50/50, in terms of truth and modest boasting. ] But racing for sport, for me, across the galaxy, wasn't safe, when I was younger. I wasn't sheltered, necessarily, but far too many people wanted my father dead, and would have taken me instead, had they been given the proper opportunity.

[ not that zarkon would have cared, but lotor didn't want his head on a stake. so he stuck close to where he was safe, while he learned how to take care of himself. ]

I mostly stuck close to the bases, rather than the outer colonies, when I was young. Once I was old enough to leave and no one could stop me without being defeated in combat, I did, and I never turned back . . . until I had to.

[ he pauses. ]

I spent most of my childhood reading, studying. Preparing for my ascent to the throne. [ there's a slight shrug of his shoulders ] I got much better at racing after I was exiled. No one caught me unless I wanted to be caught.

[ including, as it were, the paladins. ]