Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Shadow in the Twilight ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter 18

The footman stationed at the doorway to the royal dining hall watched as the scarred Saiya-jin warrior took his reluctant leave of the pale alien female. The servant noted that she did not turn around to face the doorway until the warrior was totally out of her line of sight. When she finally did turn, the yearning on her face was as transparent as glass.

Mentally shaking herself, she forcibly rallied up her concentration, altering her love-struck appearance into one of a reckless warrior arming herself for the skirmish ahead. With shoulders back and head held high, she pasted a killer smile onto her face. Her eyes were sparkling with a fever-bright luminance as she nodded briefly to the footman. With that incontestably clear signal, he courteously pulled open the door to allow her entry.

It's too freakin' bad they don't give out awards for acting, because I'm about to give the performance of a lifetime in the next couple of hours!

She took a deep breath and swept commandingly into the already crowded dining hall.

Elegantly attired and bejeweled Saiya-jins of all shapes and sizes were milling about the room, making pre-dinner small talk, while diving into proffered plates groaning with appetizers and sipping a variety of potables.

Anyone with even a small modicum of ki sensitivity suddenly ceased in the midst of what they were doing and turned to regard the incoming figure. Dramatically removing the wrap from her shoulders and draping it over one arm, Lluvia glided into the room, nodding and smiling her disarming best as she made eye contact with everyone around her. Those who had attended that evening's earlier performance by her troupe were flabbergasted by her transformation. Not that they were particularly surprised by her being there as an invitee, but that she carried herself as if she belonged there among the privileged few, and not just as a lowly stage performer. Lluvia's attractive features and rare coloring were enough to kick-start a few tongues wagging once more, while the chic and sexy design of the gown caused more than one jaw drop open.

Now all I have to do is glom onto Zarbon and I'll be sailing! Where is he…? She scanned through the crowd quickly, and spotted the familiar head of long green hair without much difficulty.

Ah, there he is! It figures! He's got some chippie hanging all over him like a cheap suit and is he loving it! She chuckled and worked her beaming way through the admiring throng toward her obviously distracted dinner partner.

The Saiya-jin courtesan clinging onto Zarbon's muscular arm was a gorgeous number, equipped with a rack that was fair to bursting out of the revealing outfit in which she was encased. Her dark eyes strayed past Zarbon and alit on Lluvia as she neared, the message of "this one's taken, honey" clearly written on her artfully made-up face. Instead of causing a scene, Lluvia merely stood her ground and grinned back at courtesan, an unexpected reaction, which clearly rankled the other female. Baffled by his current companion's expression, Zarbon swung his gaze around to encounter Lluvia poised just behind him with arms folded and feigning indignation at his alleged fecklessness.

Harrumph! "Never let it be said that you don't know how to keep yourself busy, Zarbon!"

"Lluvia! I, um, well…I…" She waved off his stammering explanation.

"Forget it, Zarbon! In fact, you can just bag the whole thing!" She gathered up the corner of her long skirt in her left hand, turned and began to storm away from her flustered date.

"Wait! Don't go! I can explain!" She stopped her progress short when he reached out to capture her right hand. Vexed by Zarbon's choosing Lluvia instead of her, the busty female stalked off, huffing aloud her displeasure with the perfidy of the male gender as a whole.

Lluvia arched her light eyebrow, while giving Zarbon a disdainful pout. He brought her hand up and gallantly brushed the top with his lips in an attempt to mollify her.

"I have behaved abominably! Say that you will pardon me and grace me with your charming company at dinner? Please?" An apologetic, but undeniably cheesy, smile accompanied the plea.

That earned him a scornful glance from Lluvia, but only for a second. Her frown was quickly replaced with a forgiving smile and a coquettish wink.

"How can I possibly be angry with you for very long, Zarbon? Kami knows, it's a total waste of my energy, since you were born such a terribly incorrigible creature!"

Openly relieved, he grinned right back at her, placing a second lingering kiss upon her hand. "True enough! And don't forget, my dear, I've been losing ground ever since!"

King Vegeta and his son, among others, were observing the flirtatious interplay between Lluvia and Zarbon from the other side of the room.

"What do you make of that one, my son?" Vegeta looked up at his father's query.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Obviously, not our blue-skinned associate." After taking a sip from his crystal wineglass, King Vegeta motioned with his bearded chin in the direction of the light-haired dancer.

"The little entertainer? An unusually high amount of ki energy wrapped up in a very attractive package. But I cannot help but sense that underneath that sugary exterior abides an untapped mother lode of power." Prince Vegeta was slowly flexing his healing right hand inside its glove. The infernal itching had rescinded at last, but not his sense of indignation at how he had received his latest injury.

The king nodded his head in agreement. "I must concur with you in that respect. 'T'is a curious thing, though. When I first encountered her, she informed me point-blank that she doesn't spar. However, if that earlier performance was any indication, she was not wholly forthcoming with that disclosure. I believe that she would certainly prove to be a most formidable opponent, if properly motivated!"

"I agree wholeheartedly, Father. In fact, I would like nothing better than to find out what makes that remarkable female tick!"

The sound of assorted screams and curses assailed Bardock's sensitive eardrums as he neared the infirmary to get an update on Lluvia's friend's labor. Ye gods! It sounds like someone is either getting killed or is about to kill someone!

"DAMN YOU, TRISTAN! YOU KAMI-FORSAKEN BASTARD! YOU DID THIS TO ME!" Jenika's formerly dulcet voice was causing more than one listener within earshot to wince visibly at her shrill outbursts.

Bardock shook his head at the folly of alien cultures. A Saiya-jin female would have surrendered her fertilized ovum to the med techs once she knew that she was pregnant. Most did not want the discomfort or the inconvenience of a to-term pregnancy slowing them down. The harvested Saiya-jin embryos were grown in a synthesized, nourishing placenta solution and subsequently placed into an incubator once they had attained a viable stage. There they stayed until the prescribed gestation period was completed. When a proper assessment of their power levels were made, the male infants were earmarked for a distant planet-purging assignment or farmed off to formalized training camps to become soldiers. The more powerful female Saiya-jin babies were likewise sent to the training camps or if their gauged power levels were deemed as sub-standard, raised to be courtesans.

Only the royal females were formally obligated by tradition and law to endure the entire term of a normal pregnancy as part of established ritual to secure an heir to Vegeta-sei's throne. Unfortunately, the last queen of Vegeta-sei died soon after giving birth to her sole son, Prince Vegeta. It was rumored that the king still privately mourned the passing of his lifemate and had not found any other Saiya-jin female worthy enough to replace her.

Holding onto Lluvia's hand, Zarbon spun her around in a quick circle in order to better view the deep décolletage of her open back. "Lluvia, I must say that you look absolutely ravishing!"

"Somehow, Zarbon, I would never tire of hearing that from you." That remark made his eyes flicker with obvious pleasure.

Does that mean that she might actually give me a tumble this time? Inwardly smiling at the prospect of his machinations finally coming to fruition, he slyly added, "I have a surprise in store for you!"

"I hope it's a pleasant one. I do so hate unpleasant surprises," Lluvia said with mock sweetness.

"Oh, you'll enjoy this one, I'll guarantee it. I've arranged for the palace musicians to play a pavane. And if you are so inclined, I'd really love to trip the light fantastic with you!"

"A pavane! Wow, you certainly dug deep into the archives for that one, Zarbon! It would please me no end to dance it with you, kind sir!" She placed her free left hand across her bosom and bowed her head to her partner. Just then a resonant male voice spoke behind her, the familiar sound making her startle slightly as she lifted her head.

"Zarbon, don't you know that it is very impolite of you to monopolize the attentions of such a captivating creature?"

Ah, the royals have arrived! Time for Act Two in tonight's fanciful farce!

She gracefully pivoted to face the Saiya-jin monarch and his glowering offspring.

"Your majesty! I do apologize for the omission! Lluvia, may I introduce his majesty, King Vegeta…" King Vegeta cut short Zarbon's introduction with a wave.

"No need, Zarbon. We met previously two evenings ago in the promenade area, just outside the central mess hall." She turned and bobbed an abbreviated curtsey to the tall monarch.

"Your majesty, it is a distinct honor and a pleasure to be in your presence once more! And may I be so bold as to add that you are looking particularly resplendent this evening?"

Puffing out his chest slightly at the compliment, the tall Saiya-jin monarch nodded his regal head and smiled. "You may…Lluvia, is it?"

Gasp! She's not flirtingwith the king, is she? Zarbon audibly cleared his throat to conceal his jealousy.

The prince was standing just beyond his father's elbow. From the corner of her eye, she caught the leer pinging in Prince Vegeta's eyes, but she'd be damned if she'd let him get to her! She had to summon up every bit of acting skill she wasn't already using to hide her dislike for him.

Zarbon continued, "Ah, well then, you probably haven't formally met the prince…"

"But I have already had that singular honor as well!" She curtseyed once more, her eyes as cool as chips of polar ice, divulging nothing as she brought her gaze up into Prince Vegeta's face. "It was last evening, was it not, your highness?" His face lost its composure somewhat at that, but quickly recovered before anyone could detect anything untoward had occurred.

Bloody hell, he angrily thought to himself. Why that …! Looking like butter wouldn't dare to melt in her mouth.

Zarbon's inquisitiveness was getting the better of him. "You two met last night, Lluvia?"

She swung her cool gaze off the annoyed heir apparent and gaily smiled up at Zarbon. "It was the most amusing of encounters, when you really stop and think about it! Truly a divine comedy of errors! I was coming out of the central mess hall kitchen, wearing an apron and carrying several desserts in my hands. The prince and his bodyguard assumed that I was one of the kitchen helpers and, well, the situation just evolved from the sublime straight into the absurd from that point! Isn't that right, your highness?" A small laugh of amusement accompanied her recitation. Everyone else, except the prince, laughed aloud at the picture she painted of mistaken identity.

"Of course! Imagine my surprise when this supposed serving wench began dancing about the mess hall with her companions?" This time he joined in the laughter, but she was cognizant that his stilted amusement didn't quite reach his dark, angry eyes.

The king moved to position himself next to Lluvia, his appraising look raking over her exquisite face and body. "You are quite the chameleon, Lluvia! Having the ability to transform from a mesmerizing dancer to a serving wench and now into a poised and stylish woman. And all in the span of just a few days time! I doubt that life with you around would ever become boring. Perhaps I should seek to keep you exclusively on Vegeta-sei with us?" Lluvia stood with her head tilted to one side, giving everyone the impression that she was actually mulling over his proposition.

"I'm terribly sorry, your majesty. It was most flattering of you to suggest it, but I have to respectfully decline your offer!"

Quick intakes of breath rippled around the room. How dareshe speak like that to the king? What an insolent little…! Of all the nerve…! The sheerimpertinence!

The king of all Saiya-jins frowned slightly into her cool gaze. "Oh? And why is that, pray tell?"

She stepped forward a little, now standing toe-to-toe with him, which forced him to look directly down from his considerable height at her. Her brazen encroachment into his royal personal space causing many an eyebrow to rise in alarm, not to mention making his personal bodyguards edge forward anxiously.

"For one thing, I've already transmitted my acceptance for a contracted performance to Lord Frieza, and I am quite certain that the Ice-jin emperor would be more than just a wee bit ticked if we didn't appear as scheduled. Zarbon here would attest to that!" Zarbon stiffly nodded his head. She batted her large eyes up at the Saiya-jin monarch. "Besides, your majesty, I really don't think that you'd be able to afford me!"

More incredulous gasps circulated throughout then the room hushed in anticipation of King Vegeta's reaction. Even the servers and attendant warriors all froze in place, looking intently over at the vignette. If anyone had dared to drop the tiniest of pins at that precise moment, it would have resounded about the room like cannon fire.

A slowly built, rumbling sound made its way from deep inside the Saiya-jin monarch's diaphragm and finally erupted as a full-blown guffaw of laughter. The explosive sound shattered the laden tension that had hung in the room. Zarbon glanced first at Lluvia's composed face and then at the chortling king. Prince Vegeta had pictured Lluvia being thrown into the dungeon for her cheeky refusal of his father's offer, but was taken aback once he heard the king's release of mirth.

"You saucy little minx! Not 'be able to afford' you? By the very stars above, you are probably right! I'd have to be expending all my energies in fighting off every hot-blooded male from here to Frieza-sei and back again to keep you all to myself!"

Still chuckling, he turned to Frieza's minion. "Zarbon, you're damned fortunate that I didn't see this one first!"

A liveried footman emerged from the kitchen to announce that dinner was about to be served and would everyone please take their places around the tables?

Lluvia stepped back and gracefully bobbed another brief curtsey to the royals. After hooking her arm around Zarbon's offered one, the two colorful aliens turned and made their stately way toward their assigned seats in the u-shaped table configuration.

Damn me, but she has brass ones, thought the entranced Saiya-jin monarch.