Lillian took a deep breath as she exited the space craft. She had been training in a gravity chamber she had designed and built for this very trip. She knew that she would be prepared for the change in gravity on Planet Vegeta, but she wasn't prepared for everything else that came along with landing on the alien planet.
Oxygen was present here, but it was thinner than on Earth. She knew that it was just something that she would just have to get used to. She also wasn't prepared for the stares. Some stared in curiosity, some in shock, most stared in hostility. She expected the staring, but not the blatant look of hostility on most of the saiyan's faces. It was unnerving, but it was also a reality check for the Princess. She was not here to make friends, she reminded herself. She was here to make allies. They were two completely different things.
She wished she would have taken one last look in a mirror before she exited the craft. On Earth she was regal, here she was nothing and she hoped that her appearance was at least something that resembled royalty. 'I will prove myself if I have to,' she thought as her grip subconsciously tightened on the leather strap that kept her sword strapped to her back.
Her long blond hair was let loose, curling behind her back mostly covering the sword that was secured there. She was in full royal dress, a long deep eggplant velvet dress that dipped in a sweetheart neck line at her breast and fell to the floor in a slight train. Her sleeves were long and belled out at the elbow. Her only accessory besides her sword was her small golden tiara.
She was greeted by two of the saiyan royal family's guards. Greeted was a bit of a overstatement, more like glared at. "You are not the King of Earth." The tallest guard barked at her.
She looked him over. He was wearing the saiyan armor she had seen in pictures. His hair was very long, reaching behind him almost to his knees. He was wearing the scouter that she had helped develop and had traded with the saiyans to begin peace negotiations with the other race. He scowled at her and she answered him calmly. "I am not. I am Princess Lillian of Earth. I have been sent in place of the King." She was proud of how calm and even her tone came across.
The man next to him sneered and the long-haired guard's scowl became even more pronounced. "King Vegeta will not like this. He agreed to meet the King of Earth, not some woman."
The other guard laughed and Lillian had to bite back her snarl. She was not used to being in an environment where she was not welcomed. "I assure you, once I have spoken with the king my sex will not be a problem."
The second guard was short and stocky. He had on the same armor and his hair was short, cut close to his head. He looked the Princess up and down and smiled eerily. "No, I don't think your sex will be a problem."
Lillian could taste the blood on her tongue. She was surprised she hadn't bit straight through her cheek at that point. "I wish to have my audience with the King," she stated simply.
The long-haired guard huffed and said, "I don't think that's gonn..."
He was cut off by the stockier man. "Why not?" The two men immediately turned around and Lillian followed them from a few steps behind. She pretended not to hear the shorter guard tell the other that the King was sure to eat her alive.
She payed attention to every thing her eyes could see, she filed away every single detail in her mind. The sky here was red, the soil was dingy gray. All of the saiyans that she could see were all of similar coloring, all with black hair. All of the people moved on foot, there were no vehicles of any kind besides the spacecraft designed for travel to other planets. The buildings all looked the same. They were metal structures that were all one level except for what had to be the palace. The palace was made of the same material but stretched high into the sky with grand windows and flags flew with what she knew was the royal crest.
She followed the guards into the palace. All of the rooms were decorated in deep hues of red, blue, and gold. The staff consisted of mostly alien species, many of which Lillian had never seen. None of the servants bothered to even lift their heads as they passed. After a few moments she stopped abruptly as the guards turned to her. The taller one spoke first, "You will wait here until you are announced."
Lillian nodded once and the guards dissipated. It was eerily quiet in the large palace. No music, no hushed discussion, no nothing. Apart from the occasional servant shuffling by it seemed almost as though she was the only one there. Moments later another guard came and nodded at her. She followed quickly behind him and was ushered into a large room.
The room was circular with white walls and marbled floors. The ceilings were at least twenty feet tall with floor to ceiling windows that were covered with blood red velvet drapes. In the center of the room there were two large thrones. They were wooden and ornately carved. Each throne was occupied by two male saiyans wearing identical scowls. The older man was obviously King Vegeta, the younger was his son, Prince Vegeta. They wore saiyan armor identical to the guards, though theirs bore the crest of the royal family. They also wore white gloves and boots and had capes attached to their armor. Both men had dark hair that seemed to defy gravity. The King's hair was a few shades lighter and he wore a mustache and goatee.
The guard in front of her bowed in front of the men and the King nodded slightly. "King Vegeta, Prince Vegeta. I bring you Princess Lillian Lioncourt of Planet Earth."
The guard stepped out of the way and Lillian stepped forth. She thought it wouldn't have been possible but she could have sworn that the King's scowl deepened. For a wild moment she felt she wanted to laugh, the people of this planet spent a good amount of time scowling. She quickly composed herself and bowed in front of the men.
"You are not the King of Earth." King Vegeta stated. "I agreed to meet with the King, not his daughter."
Lillian nodded her head. "My King sends his apologies Your Highness. He sent me in his stead, for at the moment he is detained on Earth."
The Prince scoffed and The King sneered. "He is lucky that I even agreed to meet him, what sort of reason does he have for sending a mere woman in his place?"
Lillian took a deep breath to calm herself before answering. "He could not leave Earth because our planet has fallen under Frieza's radar. He should be landing on Earth in a few days." King Vegeta's eyes widened but he did not speak. "He has sent me because I am far stronger and smarter than he is."
The King laughed. She was prepared to be belittled, and possibly imprisoned, but being laughed at was something that she did not accept well. "Impossible." Prince Vegeta said simply.
Lillian turned her eye on the younger man and started to speak before she could stop herself. "The scouter you are wearing, it is of my design. The armor you are importing from Earth? It was first forged by my own hand, I alone tested it's strength before it was introduced to you. The gravity chambers you train in? They were also my idea."
The King rose an eyebrow at the Earthling. "I pity you and your people for falling under Frieza's eye. He will bleed your planet of it's resources and then you will all become imprisoned or exterminated."
Lillian nodded her head, she already knew this. "Yes, my planet will not survive. My King sent me here without any intention of me returning home."
The King furrowed his brow and brought his hand to his chin in confusion. He laughed loudly causing her to flinch. "Have you come here in search of some sort of sanctuary? You run from your own planet and think the saiyans will take you in because we were once allies? You reek of cowardice."
Lillian balled her fists and took a step closer to the Prince and King. "I did not come here on my own accord. I was sent here because there is no hope for my planet, but with my help there is hope for yours."
The King stopped laughing abruptly but continued to smile without any trace of real humor. "I know the role of Earthling Princesses and Queens. You do not rule equally with your King. You are a pawn. Your sole purpose is to sit upon your throne and smile down at your people and armies. You do not fight with them, you do not watch your human brothers fall as they fight for your cause. You are a weakling, and nothing more. There is nothing you could offer a superior race. You are nothing to me, as low as the dirt we stand on."
King Vegeta's monologue was cut short as Lillian unsheathed her sword faster than the blink of an eye and shot a ki blast from the tip of it to the King's scouter, destroying it instantly. She had already re-sheathed her sword before the King had fully grasped what happened. She bared her teeth at him and spoke softly, " You know not who I have fought with and the men that I have seen die as they fight to save their planet and their race. The only sanctuary I wanted was to die as a warrior fighting with my people for a chance at the freedom we once had. I was sent here against my will because my father wishes me to have a higher purpose other than turning into dust and ash. You know nothing of me."
Both of the men stared at the young Earth woman in shock. She was practically panting with anger, hatred, and shame. She was angry at the saiyans, she hated Frieza, and she was ashamed with herself at her outburst. She turned her back to the saiyan men and began walking back the way she entered. She felt the trickle of awareness pass through her body, she heard the slight rustling of someone moving. She felt the crackle of electricity.
In less than half a second she turned back around and had her sword unsheathed. She used the flat edge of the blade to block the ki blast that the Prince had shot out at her as he rose out of his throne. Less than a second later the Prince was behind her, but she thought too quickly for him. She spun around and brought her sword eye level. He was completely still, for she had guessed his movements perfectly. He was looking down at her, his nose only two inches away from hers, but he did not move. Her sword was between them, pressed against his neck. She whispered up at him, "You lose."
"Enough." The King stated. The Prince's eyes were dripping with hatred, his teeth were bared mirroring hers. She knew that he hated her, hated that she had outsmarted him. Neither of them moved, neither wanting to be the first to break their heated stare.
"Vegeta," the King stated. "Take your seat." The Prince snarled at her and pushed away from her roughly, her sword cutting into his neck slightly. He seemed to not notice the cut that was now bleeding steadily. Lillian sheathed her sword quickly and faced the King.
He looked at her steadily, all trace of malice was gone from his expression. "I believe that you and I need to have a discussion."