Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ At Odds ❯ Intrique and Ardency ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: Same shit, different day. Don't own it.

Chapter Seven

Intrigue and Ardency

Bulma squinted her eyes, bringing the writing on the document she was holding into focus. She grimaced and with a huff she dropped the file on her desk. She pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut to relieve the steady ache that was growing behind her sockets.

She was getting old. She had spent too many hours, for too many years, staring at black type on white paper, straining her eyes irreparably. She was going to need glasses soon, she thought with a large dose of self disgust. Great, I'm sure Vegeta will love that.

A small sound off to the side caused her to crack her eyes open to a narrow slit. Glittering blue slid to the left, latching onto the black haired man who stood stoically against the far wall, well out of her way. Her full lips thinned with annoyance and she turned her back on Raditz, trying to ignore is oppressive presence.

Since Vegeta had left, she had been under constant surveillance. Every conversation she had was carefully monitored and her every action was observed. The only time she got any peace and quiet was in her room, but even then they made absolutely sure that she didn't have a communication device. Her correspondence was even occasionally riffled through.

She turned towards the door as Jace entered the room with his usual flurry of motion, his lab coat askew and his chocolate hair mussed. The smile that threatened to tug at the corner of her lips dimmed when she saw him approach with a slight limp. Because of his relationship with her, he had been made a target of Frieza's cruelty and she would never be able to forget that.

When Bulma had refused to reveal the whereabouts of the planet Namek, Frieza had turned his reptilian gaze onto the one other person who was sure to know, her trusted assistant, Jace. He had suffered terribly under the monster's scaly claw. Frieza had no compunction about permanently scarring a man he had no intention of bedding and Bulma could still hear his pleading screams in her nightmares.

Jace had been loyal to her before, but now he was unswervingly so. She made no comment on his new found fervor to serve her, but stood silently by, watching as he struggled under the weight of his coerced betrayal of her. She knew that no amount of condoling words from her would resolve the self imposed guilt he felt for disclosing the information about the Dragon Balls to Frieza. She only hoped that with time his emotional distress would heal itself.

As he crossed the room, her eyes fell on the red file he was carrying. She darted a calculating glance at Raditz, but he was watching with bored indifference. Although, Vegeta had taken steps to limit her ability to oversee the rescue mission and denied her the right to retrieve Trunks on her own, her mate had severely underestimated her espionage skills. She had been playing the game of court intrigue longer than he and with much more grace than he ever could.

Under Raditz's very nose, she continued to glean as much information as she could on Trunk's situation and she observed Vegeta's men very closely as they crossed over the borders into the Badlands.

"There have been some problems with the Icarus project"

"Oh?" Bulma grabbed the file from Jace's hands and flipped it open looking for key words peppered though the seemingly innocuous report. Unstable conditions, unsuccessful results, limited resources…termination.

"This was anticipated. We will just have to compensate and try to resolve the issue through other means." She tossed the file on her desk with practiced nonchalance, lending more credence to the fact that the file should in no way interest Raditz.

"It's just such a disappointment." Jace sighed deeply while shrugging his shoulders, his own actions were meant to be inoffensive and unperturbed. They were doing nothing more than discussing a failed experiment, something that was of absolutely no interest to the observing Saiyan.

Bulma circled around her desk, picking up another file and opening it in front of her. Inconspicuously, she tucked the red file under the open one, further hiding it from Raditz's piercing gaze.

"It's to be expected Jace. No experiment ever works perfectly the first time." She intoned with supercilious aplomb.

"I know, you're right. I assume that you have an alternative." Jace looked at her with his puppy dog, brown eyes and any indecision she may have felt about enacting a plan to free herself from the watchful eyes of the Saiyans melted away.

"Of course, I always do." She smiled brightly up at Jace. "After all, I am a genius."

He smiled back and turned to walk out of the room. She picked up her pen to sign off on some more paperwork when she called out to him, pretending to have just remembered something.

"Oh Jace." He turned to face her expectantly.

"I was rummaging through my closet this morning and I am sad to say that I do not have the clothing benefiting a queen. Once Vegeta returns victorious from the conference and Trunks is retrieved, the court will be bursting with people. I am in need of a whole new wardrobe. Be a dear and have the seamstress fetched for some fittings tomorrow morning." She smiled briefly up at him before returning to her work.

He nodded his head, jotting some notes on his pad. "It will be done." He walked out of the room, knowing full well that his boss was already scheming against her guards.

The next day Raditz returned from his training session to find Bulma's room bustling with activity. Servants scuttled in and out, carrying bolts of materials and half sown dresses. He stepped cautiously inside of the room, quickly locating Nappa who huddled in a corner, his eyes bulging with fear. The man had faced down entire squads of soldiers, but the sight of his queen amidst so much ribbon and lace turned his blood cold. With a short nod, Nappa strode out the room, happily leaving Raditz to deal with confusion.

Bulma's brow furled as she shifted from one foot to the other anxiously. She had sent for Delia an hour ago and she still hadn't made an appearance. She had wanted to speak to her friend before Raditz showed up, but now it was too late. It would have been easier to accomplish her task under the nose of the much duller witted Saiyan, but unfortunately Raditz would require much more finesse.

She turned to see Delia finally darting into the room. She didn't miss the quick look she shot Raditz before glancing away in shame and she certainly didn't miss the way Raditz's eyes followed Delia's every move. Great.

She turned to the seamstress, using her most aristocratic voice to address the woman. "Madame Corselle. Have you completed some of the gowns yet? I would like to try them on."

"Yes, yes of course." The woman rushed over with a hideous pink confection, loaded with lace and frills.

Bulma gathered up the gown and turned towards her bathroom, motioning for Delia to follow. She halted abruptly when Raditz appeared in her path.

"Excuse me. You are in our way." She raised her chin a notch, letting him know how tired she was of his constant intrusion.

"I can't allow you to enter the room with Delia. You may go alone." Raditz showed no sign that his Queen's ire affected him in any way. Though he respected Bulma, he feared Vegeta more.

Bulma cocked an imperial brow at him. "Oh. And how do you suggest I lace myself up, telekinesis?"

Raditz crossed his arms and peered down at her, unaffected by her hauteur. Bulma's mouth tightened with anger and she reached up to pull the edge of her dressing gown off her shoulder, revealing a good deal of skin. Raditz cheeks heated but he didn't give ground.

"Well I suppose I could always strip right here. After all, I'm sure that Vegeta wouldn't mind if you saw me naked."

Raditz eyes narrowed with consternation and Bulma pressed her point home.

"Not to mention all the male servants."

Bulma heard a low growl and she knew that he was expressing his displeasure at the situation. He turned on his heel, opening the door and glancing inside before stepping aside to let the women enter. Bulma swept by him with her nose high in the air with Delia close on her heels.

Bulma went to shut the door soundly behind her, but it was stopped by a forceful hand.

"The door stays open. I will stand in front of it, with my back turned. No one will see you." Raditz towered over her, using his greater height to his advantage. His black eyes burned with rage at her manipulations.

"Raditz you are just being unreasonable. I have to get dressed and I'm not going to do so in the open. I am doing this to please Vegeta. I'm sure that he doesn't want his queen to run around in rags and work stained clothing." She sighed with exasperation, thoroughly disgusted with the man in front of her.

"More than likely you are doing it to punish him. When a female can't understand a man's reasoning she will strike out at him the only way she can. The best way is usually through his coffers." Raditz sneered with manly aggression. He made a grab for an expensive silk dress that a servant was walking by with, making the women gasp at his rough handling of the delicate fabric. He waved it in their faces, continuing his tirade.

"What is all this shit? Nothing but useless fluff that has no purpose other than pissing off any male who tries to get it off you. Your time and Vegeta's credits would be better suited at serving the needs of the empire, not to buy you another pair of shoes."

The women stared up at him like he had uttered the most unholy of blasphemies and he heard a derisive snort behind him. He glanced back to see Madam Corselle reach around to take back the dress he had grabbed, clucking under her breath at the unruly male who had interrupted her feminine court.

"The more exquisitely dressed a woman, the happier everyone is around her." The seamstress groused and Raditz rolled his eyes.

"Bullshit."

Madam Corselle scowled at him with impatience. "No man wants to see his woman in rags and beautiful clothing makes a woman feel pretty. If a woman doesn't feel pretty, then she doesn't feel sexy and if she doesn't feel sexy then all that you men are going to feel is lonely." Her voice dropped into knowing octave before continuing. "And when you feel lonely, you turn into asses." She turned to walk away without another word, her full skirts twitching gracefully.

Radtiz snorted and he glanced over to see an amused smile grace Delia's lips. He felt something bright and glorious burst to life in his chest and for the first time in weeks he felt like smiling also. That same emotion quickly died when he saw her hide that smile behind her hand and glance away from him in shame. A pink blush crept up her cheeks and he knew that she was regretting her brief slip. He felt the old rage surge to the surface and his jaw clenched.

"Raditz, stop being so grouchy and let me get dressed." Bulma shook her head at him and attempted to shut the door a second time.

"I said no." He snapped and Bulma's face flushed with instant anger at his sharp reply. Delia, seeing her lady's rising agitation and Raditz's stubbornness, decided to step in. She knew that Bulma was up to something. She had been immersed in court life long enough to know that this was a ruse, but she had made her decision to serve Bulma loyally and she was going to do just that. She stepped around her lady, inserting herself between the two combatants. Bulma automatically stepped back, watching with bated breath as Delia took control of the situation.

Delia placed a dainty, gold dusted hand on Raditz breastplate, shocking them both. She hadn't deigned to touch him since they had returned to Capital World. She hadn't dared. The hurt between them both was too deep. Her heart ached with the need to run to him and throw her arms around him, but she was afraid that he would reject her. He hadn't so much as looked at her and it felt like it was ripping her apart.

Raditz inhaled sharply at her action, instantly flooding his senses with her flowery scent. She smelled exactly how he remembered her, but with a dash more salt. He looked deeply into her eyes and he could see the small red lines were she had strained them from constant crying. He felt something shift deep inside of him and he wanted to kiss the sadness from her eyes.

"Please Raditz. I know you serve Vegeta, but you must understand that Bulma is queen now. She is not some lab tech that Vegeta has ordered you to guard. She is his chosen mate and the second most powerful person in the universe by right of rule. You can not ask the queen of the universe to undress in a room full of people. Vegeta would have your head and I don't want anything to happen to you." She meant what she said. She couldn't bear it if something happened to Raditz.

Her lavender eyes shined brightly and she dared to meet his dark gaze for a split second before looking away once again.

"We will crack the door and you can stand outside." She reasoned, turning her head aside and regretfully withdrawing her hand. Raditz felt its loss intimately and his gut clenched. How had it come to pass that he and this beautiful creature had turned away from each other? How was it that he couldn't hold her in his arms like he wanted to? Cajoled by her soft words, he nodded while stepping back, allowing her to close the door, thus shutting him out. Again.

Delia left the door open a crack and turned back to her queen. Bulma was upset that the door was still open, knowing that Saiyan hearing was incredibly keen, yet she knew that this was the best she was going to get. Delia's sad eyes locked with hers and she felt her own heart break at the sight. She knew what it was to be estranged from the one you loved. Wordlessly, she held out her arms and Delia flew to her. The two women wrapped their arms around each other, taking comfort from the only place they could find it.

Bulma pulled free after a few moments, time and worry pressing her to hurry. She shed her clothes and turned back to Delia rustling the taffeta fabric of the salmon monstrosity as loudly as she could while speaking to Delia in a hushed whisper.

"Vegeta's men failed. I have to find Trunks, but I can't escape by myself." She paused a moment to let the words sink in. Delia's eyes locked with hers and she gave a small imperceptible nod.

"I need you to prep a ship for me to leave tonight at midnight. Can you do that?" Delia stood in stunned silence, her heart beat thudding in her ears. So that was what all this was about. All this pomp and circumstance, all this commotion. It was merely a ruse to get her alone with Bulma so she could ask her this startling question. Such a request could not be left on paper, nor asked in coded words, but face to face, clearly and concisely where no mistake in interpretation could be made. It seemed too much and yet, not enough. There should be more fanfare present when asking someone to sacrifice their life for a cause. At least, there should be flowers.

The door slammed open and Raditz towered in the portal intimidating. Both women jumped apart and Bulma grasped the dress to her front. Delia looked guiltily at the floor, desperately avoiding Raditz's accusing glare.

"What are you talking about in here? You don't need to speak to get dressed." He snarled threateningly and Delia's body shuddered with visible strain while Bulma fell back on her most tried and true method of distraction.

"What the fuck Raditz!" She snapped in a very unqueen like manner. "Are you trying to scare the shit out of us? Of course we are going to talk. We're women! That's all we do, didn't you know?"

Raditz ignored her and instead turned his piercing raven gaze on Delia. "What were you talking about Delia?" He growled softly, directing his question only to her. Delia swallowed hard, her hands knitted tightly in front of her. She hazarded a quick glance up, but her eyes dropped away quickly.

"I don't feel so good." She muttered and hurriedly pushed past Raditz, clasping her hand to her mouth as if to staunch the flow of something vile from her stomach. He watched her go, a suspicious frown on his face. Bulma raced to redirect his attention, while at the same time taking the opportunity to address something that had been wearing on her mind for some time.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself." She hissed with disgust. He turned his heavy gaze back to her, blinking in confusion.

"Why is that?" He sneered, certain that the two females were trying to trick him in some way.

"You have that poor girl in knots. Giving her the cold shoulder, treating her like she is worse than garbage. Don't you know how much she loves you? And now you go and yell at her. Why don't you just slap her around while you are at it?" Bulma seethed. She had watched for weeks, while the two had skirted around each other. Delia would visibly wilt under the fiery glare of the Saiyan. They had so much unspoken emotion between the two of them that you could poke it with a stick.

Raditz's heart seized at Bulma's words. Delia loved him? How could she after everything she had been through? After everything she had put him through. He didn't believe it, he couldn't afford too. She had chosen her path. She hadn't trusted him with the truth of her child and he couldn't trust her with the validity of her heart. She had only been using him as an amusement while she twisted the knife in his Prince's back. She was no better than garbage.

"Better yet. I have seen the way you look at her Raditz. Why don't you follow her back to her rooms one night? You can act on all those dirty little thoughts that are roving around in your head." Bulma's eyes narrowed into malicious slits, her lips curling back into a disgusted sneer. "Right in front of her son."

Raditz snarled viciously, advancing a step forward before he brought himself up abruptly. He glared down at his queen, his stomach churning madly. Unknowingly, or perhaps very intuitively, Bulma had hit upon the very darkest part of him. He wanted to punish Delia for her sins against him, but at the same time he wanted her beneath him, moaning his name in ecstasy.

The darkness inside of him, urged him to behave like the monster that he knew he was. While purging that forsaken planet where he had gotten captured on, he had made his foul realizations about the grief of unwilling victims. Before then, he would have never given a second thought to storming into Delia's room and taking what he wanted, whether or not Jarrell was present. Whether or not Delia wanted it. Better yet, he would have killed the child for distracting what should be his concubine from her duty. Pleasuring him. He clenched his eyes shut as the image of bloodshed and lust burned itself into his mind. He had sworn that he would never hurt another woman, but Delia brought that monster back to the surface in full fury and it was all he could do to restrain himself.

Bulma's words wounded him deeply and he couldn't possibly abhor himself more than he did at that moment. Until then, he hadn't realized how close he was to acting out as she described. His desire and loathing were uniting together against him nearly overpowering his reasoning. His eyes snapped open and he hissed down at Bulma.

"It's none of your business woman."

"I'm not just any woman, Raditz. I'm your queen." Raditz's blood ran cold and his face became remote at her censure. Bulma's own features softened as she gazed up at the hard warrior. "When are you going to forgive her?" She asked.

"Never!" He growled. "She betrayed my prince."

Bulma shook her head slowly. "Don't you mean she betrayed you?" She asked gently.

Raditz eyes widened and he reared back as if she had slapped him. For so long he had refused to see the truth of his feelings. He felt deeply betrayed, not on behalf of his prince, but as a man. She had taken his love and thrown it back into his face like it was worthless. Not worth her time or her trust.

"You can't continue to punish her." Bulma rested her hand on his arm, trying to comfort him in some small way.

"Yes I can." Raditz shook her off like an annoying gnat. His anger at his lover was seemingly without end. He could not find forgiveness in his heart, because he truly did not understand her disloyalty. He had spent his entire life, steeped in the codes of honor and fealty. Her treason to him was a blow to the heart.

Bulma's sad eyes glowed up at him and he swallowed hard. "She endured so much under Frieza's rule. She suffered so her son wouldn't have too. You were here when Vegeta was just a boy. Would you wish that on another child?"

Raditz eyes slid away, unwilling to see the pain that flickered in his queen's eyes, nor did he want her to see the memories in his.

"To save her child she would have done anything. She was alone and scared. Frieza's court was a treacherous place and you never knew who you could trust, even those who claimed to be your friend. She did not betray you Raditz. She was merely trying to save her son. You would have done no less for Vegeta."

Bulma tried to reach out her hand to him, but he withdrew again. She shook her head sadly, her heart breaking with a combination of her own despair and that of her friends. The damage that Frieza had caused to everyone around him lingered even after his death. He was inescapable. He still haunted every soul that he had touched during his wicked reign.

Raditz would have to find some way to resolve his issues with Delia soon or else he would do something that he would truly regret for the rest of his life. Without responding to Bulma he stepped back, closing the door as he did so. He had no words to express the agony that he felt in the depths of his cold heart. Bulma was right. He could not continue down this dark path. He needed to talk to Delia and he planned to do so first thing in the morning. He turned his longing gaze to the exit where Delia had fled taking with her the light that illuminated his shadowy soul.

Delia burst into her room, slamming the door behind her. She barely made it to the vanity, before collapsing. She sank down onto the seat, laying her head on the cool wood table in front of her. She fought to keep her roiling stomach from empting all over the floor. She breathed deeply, trying to calm her panicked senses.

How could she not help Bulma? She had done so much for Delia, saved her from Vegeta and given her and her son a place here in the palace. No longer did she have to serve as a slave in some man's bed, but she had a respectable status as the queen's lady in waiting. But now she asked Delia to sacrifice everything. To help her find her son. But at what cost?

If Vegeta found out, he would certainly kill her. Raditz would more than likely murder her within hours of Bulma's escape, knowing that she would be the one to blame. What would happen to Jarrell then? With both parents dead, he would be helpless. Who would take care of him? Certainly no one at the court. He would be left to survive on his own. Abandoned and alone.

She sobbed deeply and grabbed up a handkerchief. She heard a small noise behind her and turned around, gasping at the sight. Jarrell stood in the doorway that separated their rooms. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and it was obvious that she had awoken him from a nap.

She bolted up from her chair and over to her son, dropping down on her knees to draw even with him. She reached up to wipe the blood that dribbled onto his chin from a cut on his lip. Anger washed through her in black, terrible waves. Who had dared to strike her child? She would kill them.

"Who did this to you? How did this happen? Tell me so I can have them punished." She demanded angrily.

He squirmed away, his brow furling in embarrassment. "Mama, stop it."

She ignored him, continuing her interrogation. "Who did this? How did this happen?" She repeated forcefully.

"I was training mama?" He sighed with childish exasperation, rolling his eyes at her.

"Training? Training for what?" She asked in astonishment. Her son had no reason to be training. He was the son of a servant, not a soldier.

"Training to be a warrior." He boasted proudly and she felt something flutter in her stomach.

"Nonsense. You are too young to be fighting." As far as she was concerned, he would never be a warrior. She did not want him going off to some distant war to fight a faceless enemy. He would stay here, by her side, where he belonged.

"Raditz says that you are never too young to learn how to protect yourself and your family." He repeated Raditz's words like they were a solemn oath and Delia's heart seized. Raditz was teaching her son how to fight? For what purpose, for what reason? Why would he take time out from his busy schedule to train a child. Her child, most especially. Why would Raditz spend time with him? It made no sense to her.

"You are just a child. You don't need to know how to fight. You have me to protect you." A look of adult like sullenness formed on Jarrell's thin features as he gazed into his mother's eyes.

"Bad things happen to kids too mama. No matter what their parents try to do to stop it." His voice rang with a certainness that made her blood run cold.

Her hand reflexively clutched the handkerchief. Her mouth became dry and her throat closed up. What had happened to her baby when she wasn't there to protect him?

"Jarrell I…" She struggled for the words, but nothing came to mind to comfort him, to soothe away the pain, she knew he must feel. "I did my best."

He shuffled his feet, looking away while gently placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know mama." His words were small and sad, just like him. Her heart died and cried out in pain. No. Not her baby. She reached out, pulling him into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around him and clenching her hands into the back of his shirt.

"I'm so sorry, Jarrell. I'm so sorry." She pleaded into his hair, tears pouring down her cheeks, drenching his golden locks.

"Don't worry mama. Raditz is teaching me how to be big and strong, so no one will ever hurt you or me again." She sobbed deeply. What did he know? What could he possibly know about what had happened to her? He was so young. Her baby and yet he was so old. Too old in his eyes, too old in his heart and his mind. She pulled away to look at him.

"I know, baby." She heard the whisper of his words in her mind. Sometimes bad things happen to kids too. She knew that if something were ever to happen to her that Raditz would take care of Jarrell. She knew it, deep down inside, where her love for him still grew. His taking the time to train Jarrell to protect himself was proof of that. The glow that appeared in Jarrell's eyes when he spoke of Raditz made her heart do a little flip. He had found the father that he had been missing for so long, even if neither of them knew it yet. Raditz would never blame an innocent child for the actions of his mother. No matter what she did or how she betrayed him. He would never do anything to harm her baby.

She also knew by looking at her son's aged eyes that she couldn't stand by and let another boy suffer under the hands of some villain. She had to do what she could to help Trunks. If she stayed here, she would surely die before the dawn broke the horizon. Even if she did nothing to help Bulma to leave, Raditz would still blame her. Her only chance lay in escaping with Bulma and aiding her queen in any way that she could. Perhaps, when they returned, Bulma would find a way to pardon her of her crimes. At the very least, she could trust Bulma to care for Jarrell if something were to happen to her.

She placed a gentle hand on Jarrell's arm, looking deeply into his eyes. "You know that no matter what happens that I love you very much." He looked at her awkwardly, fear flashing in his eyes at her solemn tone.

"I know mama. I love you too. What is going on?" Compared to the wisdom his voice had carried earlier, his words sounded frail and childish. She resisted the urge to gather him into another hug, knowing how much he hated such displays.

"Nothing. I just have to go away for a little while."

"Why? What? No. You can't go." His eyes grew wide with panic and she almost changed her mind, but the need to do the right thing urged her on.

"Its okay baby. I'm just going to go for a little while

"Why?" He wailed, pitching his voice into a low whine.

"Because, there is another little boy out there who has been separated from his mama and he needs my help."

Jarrell looked at her, his lower lip protruding in a pout, but she saw grudging understanding in his eyes. He was going to grow up to be a good, strong man. She saw it, deep inside of him. No matter how much pain and hardship he had to endure, he would never turn into the monster that most did at having to survive this harsh life. His compassionate heart would never be stifled.

"Just remember, if you have any problems, go to Raditz. He will be there for you." She said the words with such conviction that she believed them. She could only hope that her intuition about her ex-lover was true.

Jarrell nodded mutely and then suddenly he threw himself into her arms, hugging her tightly. She smiled softly, reveling in the feel of her son's arms around her, hugging her of his own free will. She kissed the top of his head and held him tight.

*~*

After everyone left, Bulma sent a messenger to Delia's quarters to see if she was feeling better. She closed the door and made her way over to her vanity, sinking down on her bench seat, gazing silently at her reflection.

She pulled the ice blue dressing robe from her shoulders, allowing it to pool on the seat and cascade to the floor like a frozen waterfall. She examined her reflection. Her teal hair fell across her alabaster shoulders and her flawless complexion was perfection itself, except for one small mark.

The red rune that grew above her heart had returned even after she had cut it away, a constant reminder of her death. She traced the red weaving lines gently. The rune struck some distant cord inside of her. It seemed familiar to her, as though she had seen it long ago. She tried to dust off the childhood memory but it remained obscured in the fog of time and she was left with a nagging feeling of unease.

She looked away, unable to bear the sight of her own face any longer. From a drawer she drew out a sheaf of paper and a pen. She straightened the pile in front of her, placing the pen to the paper and drawing it back again repeatedly. She sucked in her lower lip between her teeth, uncertainty gnawing at her.

What would she say? How could she possibly express all the regret she felt in one letter to Vegeta? All the love that was bursting inside of her?

Absently, she reached over, picking up a white candle that sat in the upper corner of her vanity. She rolled it across the desk top, digging into the wax with her thumbnail.

She loved Vegeta so much that she thought her heart would break from it. Was it possible to feel so deeply for someone that you could die from it? It certainly felt like she was dying, like someone was reaching inside her chest and squeezing her heart into a bloody pulp.

As much as she cared for him, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing while Trunks was in danger. She had known from the beginning that Vegeta's men would fail. They marched across the borders of the Badlands in full force, arrogantly expecting everyone to part in their path. Too many years of killing off helpless citizens of unprotected worlds had made them feel superior and they gave no consideration to the inhabitants of the lawless territories. The residents of the Badlands were criminals, every single one of them. Most were deserters from Frieza's own army and they knew how to defend themselves from the like.

She had hoped that Vegeta would see it her way, but he thought of her as a scientific and diplomatic genius. He gave her no credit for having any strategic military sense. If he had just listened to her, she could have told him that a smaller force would have been more successful. All they would have had to do was slip over the border, locate Trunks and return. Simple, neat and clean.

She knew that Vegeta wanted her here. She was his ears and eyes in the universe. Her spy network was a vast, well oiled machine. You couldn't piss without her knowing about it and that was the way the both of them liked it. She knew the right words to say to the warring factions to get them to sit up and listen, but she also knew that she was just a means to an end.

Vegeta was more than capable of wrestling the universe back into submission. He was born to rule and his instincts were never wrong. He wanted her here, but he did not need her. He could govern the universe easily, without her aid and more than likely he would enjoy it more. With her underfoot he was forced to compromise when he would rather conquer. He held himself in check to please her, changing himself into something that he wasn't.

He would be glad to see her go. She was a thorn in her side. A blade in his heart.

She looked down at the paper, tears spilling down her cheeks. Stains appeared on the white parchment, smearing the ink of the words she had written unconsciously. She blinked and more tears fell, blurring her vision.

She picked up a lighter from the vanity drawer and stood, taking up the single sheet of paper and candle with her. She stepped out onto her stone balcony naked, knowing that no one could see her from this height. She walked up to the broad, marbled railing, setting her items down gently.

She gazed up at the pregnant moon that hung in the blue black sky. It shone down brightly upon her, wreathing her in its silvery light and her pale body glowed ethereally. She inhaled deeply, scenting the night blooming flowers and drinking in the hum of power that always seemed to vibrate in the air when the moon was full.

She lit the candle, watching with fixed fascination as the orange flame danced in the evening breeze. She carefully folded the paper into a square, holding it tightly against her heart, coalescing all of her rambling thoughts into one vibrant idea. She covered the rune briefly, her lips silently mouthing the words on the paper. She extended a shaky hand, her face illuminating as the paper caught fire and the hungry flames consumed the parchment.

She dropped the blazing paper onto the cool stone, silently watching as the lazy smoke wound its way up into the sky towards the heavenly moon, carrying her message to the Gods.

The words ran endlessly in her head, a mantra that she could not escape. Her fate, her destiny, her destruction.

Please forgive me for the promise that I have broken.

Her trance was interrupted by a sharp rap at the door. She blinked and snuffed out the candle, turning away from the baleful eye of the moon.

She shrugged on her robe, before answering the door, smile gently at the court page who stood before her.

"Ms. Delia told me that she is feeling better now and will serve you as you desire, M'lady."

She nodded her head in acceptance and closed the door softly, leaning her forehead against the cool frame, while choking back her tears.