A/N: My first attempt at a something that should pass as mystery.

Summary:

For centuries, there has been war between Earth and planet Vegeta. Princess Videl is sick of the golden cage she has been living in as a result to assaults on her life. She dresses as a man and secretly joins the army of her father, the king of Earth. For many months, she's able to keep her identity a secret, but then her division falls...at the hands of the Saiyans. She's unmasked, abducted and taken to planet Vegeta, where she remains a prisoner of war for many months under the ever watchful eye of the enemy King Vegeta and his guards. But during the night, she is guarded by a presence in the darkness, a shadow in the corners of her room. He's watching her every movement, ready to strike when she escapes...The story of the Ivory Lady and the Praetorian.

Prologue

She cocked her head towards the darkness on the other side of her room.

There he was again

She saw the twinkling of his eyes, she heard his breath, she felt his presence.

There, in that corner

He looked at her imprudently from his place amidst the shadows, like he did every night. Those prying eyes, going over her body as if examining her, and sometimes she heard him growl, growl like a lion or a tiger...a growl of desire.

Who the hell he was? She had no idea. She had never seen him. She often walked towards the shadows and she stretched out her hands to blindly make her way, but she never touched him with her hands. They searched the walls, the air, the ground, but her hands never found a body. But he found her amidst the darkness of the night. She felt the hot breath on her skin, the rough lips on her shoulder and the husk whispers in her ear. Sometimes his hands touched her arm and he caressed her ivory skin. She'd close her eyes and let him be, completely hypnotized by the sweetness of his touch, the warmth of him all around her and the echo of his whispers. Those moments were the only times she didn't feel alone in that cold and uninviting castle.

And in the morning she would wake in her own bed, under the soft, silk sheets, with the veil lying on the floor.

Because no matter how good he knew her, she insisted that he never saw her face. So every night, she wore a white veil that covered her face. It was a custom on Earth; no mortal, except the King and her husband (which she fortunately never had) could see her face. During the day she wore white make-up, and during the night she wore the veil. She was the Ivory Lady of Earth, and she'd remain that until her death. Not a single imprisonment could ever change that.

But he had seen her face. He wasn't the King and - hell no – he wasn't her husband, but he had witnessed the beauty no mortal was allowed to see. Every night, he took the veil and pulled it gently from her head and he beheld her sweet face.

He never let her see his face though. Maybe he was scarred or deformed, or maybe he saw the possible dangers of showing himself.

She wanted to see him though. By whom was she touched and caressed? Who comforted her with his presence, his never wavering presence? Who whispered words in her ears?

What he whispered?

Princess…

I'm here…

Where there is darkness, there I am…I will never leave you, whether you like it or not…

I will protect you…even from yourself

There's no escape, for where you are, I shall be…and I'll be watching you, and kill all those who harm you

Will you accept me?

Or reject me?

It doesn't matter…for where you are, I shall be

And not even death can change that

True, he could be quite scary sometimes. Like lingering in the darkness, making sudden sounds while she tried to sleep…or breathing in a way, that she didn't know for sure if she heard him or not. Then she would yell at him, tell him to shut up and then he would chuckle. But he knew when he went to far, and eventually he allowed her to sleep.

And then she slept.

And she even felt him there.

When she slept, he grew bold. When she slept, he came out of the shadows, in the moonlight and had she been awake she could see him clearly.

But she never woke, because he always made sure she was in a deep slumber. And then he lay next to her, on the silk sheets and with his hand supporting his head, he watched her until she woke up.

How she knew this?

He told her.

I was with you last night

I lay on your silk sheets…didn't you see the ripples on the fabric?

I lay next to you

And I watched you

You are sweet when you sleep…you smile when you have a nice dream

You don't mind, do you?

No, she didn't. She even invited him in her bed one time, when she was lonely and desperate and needed the security of strong arms around her body. He refused, though. Said it was too dangerous. She might get more than she had bargained for.

He never tried something with her. Never has something happened between them…thank goodness. How could she ever let a man that she didn't even know have his way with her? Never, and she blessed the gods for still being safe from such fate. Because he was strong…he had to be if he could protect her…he could take her if he wanted to…

He wanted it, that she knew for sure. She could feel the heat in the room when she walked about the room in a silk robe and she felt him tense up when she purposely swayed her hips.

Why are you torturing me?

Can't you see what you're doing to me?

I want you, Princess…

…and you're teasing me with this

In that case, he was a gentleman for not trying anything.

But that didn't take away all the moments they shared in the darkness.

He lured her to him and she constantly sought for him in the shadows of her room. And when she was surrounded by darkness, he was everywhere.

Kissing her on the ivory skin of her neck, inhaling the scent of her long, raven hair, touching her rosy lips with his fingers, pushing away the strap of her nightgown and breathing against her skin, touching her stomach.

Such a turn-on.

And when they both wanted more…

…he stopped…

…for she was the Ivory Lady of Earth…

…and he the Praetorian in the darkness.