Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sculpted In Gold ❯ Sleeping beauty awakens... ( Chapter 8 )

Sculpted In Gold

Chapter 8

The princess moaned softly as something cool and damp brushed gently against her forehead. She tried to sit up, but a familiar voice asked her to lie still. Shani slowly opened her eyes and saw Raya sitting beside her. Shani could tell that she had been tucked into her mother's enormous bed and she was wearing clean bed clothes. But the bed's other side was untouched. "Where is she?"

A lifetime spent at court as Shinesta's handmaiden and confidant were all that allowed Raya to give her a reassuring smile. "She was upset that you were hurt and has locked herself in her lab again. Don't worry; I'm sure she'll be out before too much longer. Are you hungry, can I get you anything?"

"No thank you. I don't think I could eat anything right now Raya. I feel too…" Shani trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"Too what, my princess??" Raya had been watching her carefully for any signs that she was in pain or afraid, but she knew that there was a serious difference between the mere discomfort of loosing one's virginity and being raped, so she didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet.

Shani didn't dare to look at the older elf. She dropped her gaze, staring at the sapphire blue bedspread in rich brocade and the sheets in a matching shade of silk. Always the mischievous and playful one of her mother's handmaidens, Raya was also the most observant. Shani had never been able to lie to her about anything, even when she could fool her mother. Part of her wanted to blurt it out, knowing that Raya would understand and try to comfort her. But part of her also wanted to put what had happened behind her and out of her mind forever.

"Shani," Raya said softly, her fingers brushing lightly against the mark on the girl's neck. "Are you alright? I know you probably don't think you are ready to talk about this, but I think you might feel better if you told someone."

Shani shivered at the unexpected touch, looking down again, covering her neck with her chin and her hand. "I- Zarbon told you?"

"Yes." Raya admitted then she smiled, gently lifting the girl's chin with her hand. "But he wouldn't have had to. I know a love bite when I see one. Does it hurt? I have never seen one so… deep before."

"No. It hurt at the time… but only for a moment. I don't know what to feel… Everything happened so fast… D-does my mother know?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell her?"

Raya paused, searching for the words… but it was hard to find them without revealing her mother's dark secret or sounding cold. "I know that you were locked in a room with Prince Vegeta, but I did not know if he hurt you. I didn't know what to tell her, Shani."

The princess nodded, tears slipped down her cheeks, creating small pools of deeper blue in the sheets, but she didn't make a sound, making her seem dazed, as if she were still in shock. "I- he didn't want to be there either, and the room they left us in was completely disgusting, I had no idea what to do… but I- I don't really remember being afraid of him. When he was close to me I felt strange, like I was warm and cold at the same time and there were butterflies in my stomach but I wasn't sick…"

"That funny feeling is called desire, little one. So he didn't hurt you?" Raya said slowly, trying not to be too obvious about how relieved she was starting to feel.

"No, he was very careful with me, Raya. I- In fact I might have been here sooner, but…"

At Shani's pause, Raya looked up and giggled. "Oh really, he was that good was he? So tell me, was the encore as good as the first performance?"

Shani blushed and looked away, nodding her head slightly. "We made love at least three times… but I don't understand… he told me that I have to marry him, but that he doesn't believe in love. I won't do it. I don't want to marry him. He took my virginity and he was going to leave without even waking me to say goodbye! I want to be in love with the man that I marry. I want someone that I would die without. Someone that…"

"I know. You want what your parents had, but they didn't have an easy time getting together either, you know... But right now we need to think of our people. Shani, you know that as an Elf you are not required to remain untouched to become Empress when it is time. But Frieza's intention was to take the choice away from you. That means he deliberately gave someone permission to rape you, an offense and an insult to you and our entire Empire that cannot be tolerated. You have told me that Prince Vegeta didn't hurt you, if you truly meant it when you told me that he didn't take you against your will, then you already know you can trust him with your body..."

"But it isn't fair. If I am forced to marry the man that Frieza gave me to in the first place, isn't that like giving my husband permanent permission to rape me?"

Raya giggled. "You are quick little princess, I'll give you that, but no dearest. Marriage under this circumstance is an offer to politically protect you and your title from further harm. There are universal laws governing marriage among royals that if either of you break, your marriage is terminated and you can move on to someone else. We elves don't usually marry, you know. Our royals only marry to honor the customs of the humans and the dwarves under our rule. Generally politics are the only way to trap an elf in the marriage bed. Your mother and father were an exceptional case Shani. Your marriage will have begun strangely, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will be permanently stuck with it. Not only will you most likely outlive him by around 800 or more years, but you can always take a lover on the side as long as you are discreet about it."

Shani looked at her in surprise. "No I want to marry the man I love so I have nothing to be ashamed of in the first place. Besides, Vegeta's very possessive. He has already told me that I belong to him and that he doesn't want anyone else to touch me. He actually kissed me in front of Frieza and told me that I am going marry him. He's a stubborn bastard that I don't understand at all."

Raya laughed. "There is no shame in an act of love, Shani. I can see that our human and dwarven allies have taken quite an interest in raising you during the absence of your mother. I meant discreet so that so that…"

"Yes, yes I know what you meant Raya… I just think that maybe… the humans are right, that maybe it is possible for a monogamous relationship to reflect all the aspects of love and passion and romance… And that if it does, that Shinalla would approve of the commitment and trust between them..."

Raya giggled. "You know, I have heard dozens of human poets who can't phrase their own philosophy on love and romance as eloquently as you just did. So you said that Prince Vegeta is possessive? What else can you tell me about him?"

Shani scowled. "He's strong and very determined. But he's an arrogant bastard that doesn't care about anyone or anything except destroying Frieza…"

"Is he handsome?"

"Yes." Shani blushed, looking away. "Even with his silly hair he is still very handsome. There is something about his eyes that is very dark, and mysterious. He makes you feel like he can see what you are thinking and he seems older than 18. He's very feral, Raya, the way he moves and his mannerisms… and yet on him it's attractive, and he is very graceful, and when he starts purring I just want to be close to him. Even his tail was cute; it kept coiling around me while he was asleep. Even with so many of Frieza's men waiting outside that door and all of them knowing why I was locked in there with him, I felt safe. Even when Dodoria came in and threatened to rape me… I didn't have time to be scared. Vegeta hit him. He hit him so hard that the entire ship felt it when he hit the wall."

Raya sat up suddenly. "Prince Vegeta fought Dodoria?"

"Dodoria didn't know the attack was coming and he didn't hit him back, but you could see it in his eyes that he will the next time he gets a chance. I don't know why Vegeta bothered to hit him, Dodoria is always like that. I hate him, he's as mean as Frieza is… and not only that but he's Vegeta's superior officer, and I know that Vegeta did it to protect me- but why? Dodoria wouldn't dare touch me, he knows he can't, Frieza would kill him."

Raya could only shrug, finally she sighed and handed her a delicate glass vial with a rich ruby red liquid in it. "Here. Drink this."

"A healing potion? Why?"

"That lovely mark on your neck is going to upset you mother, this will heal it. Thank the gods she didn't see it before I did…"

Shani sat up to examine the mark on her neck in a mirror and gasped. "Why would he do this to me?"

Raya remembered what Zarbon had told her in the hall, but didn't mention it. "Such deep kisses are very pleasurable, Shani. I admit, I have never seen one draw blood before, but if you don't remember it, then I'm quite sure you were enjoying yourself immensely at the time."

Shani blushed and looked away.

Raya laughed. "Goodness you remind me of your mother sometimes. You are an elf Shani, live for the moment and appreciate passion and love where you find them. I am going to see Zarbon tonight… is there anything you wish me to have him tell your intended for you?"

"Vegeta is not my intended Raya, he bit me!!"

"Yes a fact that seemed to have mysteriously escaped you until a moment ago… And you were only too happy to tell me all those nice things about him…" Raya smirked, making the girl clam up. Shani glared at her for a moment then looked at the potion in her hand and removed the stopper. The princess drank it quickly, squinting a little at the thick, slightly sweet but unnaturally warm liquid.

"That's a good girl…" Raya said, reaching over for the empty vial, she paused, leaning in to examine her neck. "How strange, it looks as if this scar will be permanent, Shani."

"You can't be serious."

"It's faint, but it is still there." Raya glanced at the clock on the wall… Shinesta would be home at any moment.

"You said you are going to see Zarbon tonight?"

"Yes."

"Do you love him, Raya?"

"Of course I do. But he is Frieza's right hand and I can't forget that, regardless of my feelings. Zarbon is… dangerous but tonight I'm afraid he may be putting himself in danger, that's why I'm going to see him."

"What do you mean?"

"He wants to fulfill the Prophecy, Shani. He means to create the alliance that Omegus spoke of."

Shani's eyes widened. "The alliance of Shadows? But how? Who will be the leader…"

"Prince Vegeta. I think Zarbon believes that Omegus meant that the Warrior Prince she spoke of is also the legendary Super Saiyan."

"But I thought the Alliance was to predate the Super Saiyan… If Vegeta will destroy him that means it will happen soon. Do you think it is really possible, Raya?"

"I don't really know, Shani. No one is really ready to challenge Frieza yet, so I don't know how soon anything will happen… But I felt it this afternoon… the storm is coming, I just don't know when. I have always thought I wanted the time of the prophecy to begin to approach so that we could feel it… but now I am not so sure. Omegus never offered a date or location for the beginning… but if she had, the tyrant wouldn't have allowed the most likely people to full fill the prophecy to survive to see that date. Frieza is an arrogant bastard, but he isn't stupid, and Omegus knows that. When she gave her prophecies, she wanted her words to linger in his mind, an impending feeling of dread that he can't control. Since he hasn't stopped hunting Omegus in more than 20 years, I think it is working. Without a date and specific names he has nothing to go on as he waits along with everyone else, for the signs to reveal themselves. I don't want Zarbon to forget that either, he needs to more careful than ever if he wants to assume the role of the torchbearer. If Frieza starts to suspect that something is happening, he will stop at nothing to see the prophecy denied."

Notes… The next chapter will be longer… Please review… (I do have the support services … I know there are people reading this.) PLEASE???????????