Enjoy!

Crims.

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"Eat." Niona flinched at the command, and peered through her bangs to stare at the stoic ruler of their world. King Vegeta sat at the end of the long, transparent table, in his throne-like chair, with arms crossed, and black eyes steely.

"Where is Om?" She asked cautiously, ignoring the large spread of food, despite her suffering stomach. "You creature is being attended to. You need not worry, I have nothing to gain from his death; I won't harm him." The King answered, with a wave of his gloved hand.

"I don't trust you. You tried to kill Om." Niona clutched her ruined skirt in a tight fist and glared at the King with a concealed frown. King Vegeta nodded as if she had a valid point. "That is understandable. However, putting your creature's life in danger was the only way to confirm something." He raised a goblet to his lips.

"You mean my 'potential'? But what if I hadn't…flown?" The whole question seemed off to her, like the words had no business coming out of her mouth. The Kings eyes slid to hers, or what little glances he could see through her hair. "Simple: you would be dead." He said it like it was an irrefutable truth, and Niona did not doubt that it was.

She did not ask any more questions, but instead pick up a fork and devoured the food set in front of her. Saiyans were infamous for their hunger, which was only intensified after partial starvation.

The formidable King watched the small girl consume twice her weight in food. Even to him, the whole situation seemed laughable, like the beginning of a bad joke with a painful punch line. But nonetheless, the girl was a freak, one with power most Saiyans in his elite army did not come close to. He had doubted the readings on his scouter, but a machine could never lie. Still he had tested her, and she passed with flying colors. As Dirty and disrespectful as she was, he could see the flames of will in her eyes, defiant and burning, refusing to be put out. A decisive smirk settled on the King's angular face, concealed by the goblet he held by the tips of his fingers. He would kindle this flame, nurture it, nourish it, and feed its destructive nature.

Niona licked her lips, satisfied, and set down the fork. "Come. You may see your creature now." King Vegeta stood and walked towards her. She nodded and jumped from the seat; her feet did not reach the floor while sitting. She walked behind him, his large frame and wide-spreading cape blocking most off her vision. When they exited the room, the Elites that stood by the entrance bowed, threw her questioning and disgusted gazes, before they began to follow her and the King, like the dutiful servants they were. Niona felt sorry for them, as unkind as they were. To bare the will of another with more power than you…it seemed like a cruel fate. But her mother had taught her that not everyone thought the same. There were those who would trade anything—mind, body, or soul—for power and wealth. Greed could be a very powerful tool.

A quick shove to her back stilled her thoughts and confused her steps. She quickly regained composure so as to not bump into the King before she turned to glare at the elite who followed directly behind her. His face showed innocence but the subtle snickering of the Elites at his sides told her otherwise. She held her glare for some seconds before turning around to continue walking, only to find that their small entourage had stopped. The Elites behind her bowed, but she could not see at whom.

"Son." The King gave a small nod. His voice had lost a fraction of the chilliness she was always addressed with. He must love his son, was her first thought.

Niona heard a soft grunt in response. She leaned a bit to the right of King Vegeta and sure enough, Prince Vegeta stood in front of his father, with his own trail of servants. Her ever-curious eyes roamed his form. He looked to be a few years older than her, but they were the same height. His inky black hair was styled the same way as his father's. In fact, the prince was the spitting image of his father: cold, controlling, and royalty. The prince's eyes glanced at her partially hidden form, before he raised a brow questionably. "What is that?"

Niona frowned behind her mess of dark locks. So now she was a 'what'? The prince was now on her list for people she disliked. Niona noticed just then that said list had been getting longer lately.

"She is to be my new protégé." King Vegeta answered, with a steely look to his son. Prince Vegeta disregarded his father's silent warning, with a scoff. "Another one? Honestly, father I do not see why you insist on training these commoners. They shall never amount to anything. I mean look at her, so unruly and filthy." The prince did not bother eyeing her with disgust, his voice said it all, nor did he gesture at her, they all knew who he was referring to.

The news of being the Kings protégé was new to her, but it did explain his interest in her supposed "potential". However, Niona was too angry to be surprised.

"You are so quick to judge." She stepped out from behind the King. All present Saiyans—besides the prince and king—reared back in shock. Niona was fed up; this whole situation confused and angered her. She pointed an angry finger at the prince who stared at it with distain. "I think its only fair I return the favor. You are a pompous, ignoramus, glorified monkey who thrives on the submission of others. You have no real power of your own. The respect you receive is built on the authority of your father and royal blood. You are no prince of mine, and you never will be." She finished with a slight pitch in her voice, not a loud one, but sturdy enough to convey her indignation.

The prince stared at the girl in front of him, eyes wide and jaw slackened. He could barely see her face and the stench from her attire was starting to hurt his nose but the fury she had ignited was not easily forgotten. With his composure restored, Prince Vegeta squared his shoulders to seem taller and squinted his eyes in a glare. Niona would have been intimidated if not for the blinding feeling of rage that settled in her blood and clouded her senses.

"Enough." The short but stern command from the King seemed to bring Niona back to her senses. She regretted what she had done, but was nonetheless glad she had done it.

"Are you going to let her speak to me this way father?!"

The King turned to his protégé. "You shall not speak to my son that way." Niona crossed her arms and turned away. King Vegeta turned to his son. "Learn some self-respect. Most of what she said is not wrong. Come, Niona." The small girl looked between the impartial father and an enraged son, before following the King.

She could feel the Prince's onyx eyes sear hatred into her neck.

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"Om!" Niona cried once she caught a glimpse of white fur. But as much as she wanted to pull the animal into her arms, a glass orb attached to multiple tubes and filled with a strange liquid stood in her way. "Why is he in here?"

The King not more than a few steps behind her ignored her question and instead turned to speak to the hunched Saiyan dressed in white, whom she had unceremoniously shoved out of the way with unneeded force to get to Om. "Has it healed enough to be released?"

The Saiyan glared at Niona who offered a sheepish grin as an apology, before clearing his throat. "Yes your majesty. However, I cannot help but wonder where you encountered such an animal; they are quite rare, especially one of this coloration."

"Hmm." King Vegeta turned to the girl who stood with hands pressed against the glass, with a concerned face for the creature that floated in it. "Your creature suffered injuries that were quite severe but he has healed." He turned back to the Saiyan dressed in white. "Release it."

The Saiyan—Niona had now identified him as a healer—nodded and turned to push a button, which drain the orb and released Om. The Kerieq fell in her arms, unconscious, but free of wounds. "Your pet will be unconscious for sometime. These healing chambers are meant for Saiyans, not animals." The Healer informed her. Niona nodded. "Thank you." She nodded her head in gratitude before she left the room, in tow of the King.

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"You will stay here for the time being. Do not get comfortable, you wont be here for long." King Vegeta had swiftly afterwards. Niona sighed and turned to face her room, or prison, she preferred to deem it the latter. This whole business was too complex for someone her age to begin to make sense of. She hugged Om closer to her body, seeking comfort.

The room looked as cold as it felt, even with the rays of light that bled through the window. This was most likely the simplest room in the palace, aside from the servants' quarters. There was only a simple bed, and a desk, all in the same blue and red shades. Even as simple as the room was, Niona felt horribly out of place. King Vegeta did not have to worry: she would never be able to make herself comfortable.

She sat at the edge of the bed, while cradling Om in her arms. If there was anything redeeming about the situation, it was that Om was alive, albeit unconscious, but alive. She set him down gently before crawling to sleep by his side.

One thing was certain: Niona feared what was to happen tomorrow.

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Her morning was not horrible, largely due to the fact that she had woke to a conscious Om licking her face. She sat up quickly.

"Om! You're awake!" She pulled the animal into her arms and petted his fur, before holding him up to check for any remaining bruises. She found none, to her relief. The Kerieq struggled to be set free. Niona complied and set him on the bed.

"You missed a lot Om. I met King Vegeta, and now he's going on about my 'potential', whatever that means. You remember those elites?" The Kerieq's fur spiked and he replied with a series of hisses and growls. Niona gave a small smile. "Yeah…them. I don't think they like us very much. Actually I don't think they like anyone who isn't noble-born. And don't even get me started on that prince! He was so rude! I don't regret anything I said to him; he deserved it." Niona waited till she calmed down from her rant before continuing. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, Om. But I don't think I'm going to like it."

Om blinked owlishly at her but didn't respond because a knock at the door stole his attention from her.

"C-come in." Niona quickly patted her out-of-sorts-hair and righted herself just as the door opened and a servant entered, eyes lowered. "His majesty requests your presence in the council room." Her voice was very monotone, like she was only doing and saying as she was told. Niona supposed she was.

"I don't know where the council room is." The servant nodded. "I was instructed to bring you." Niona was less than excited to be 'summoned' but she got the feeling that the servant wouldn't leave until she had carried out the order. "Fine." Niona muttered and hopped off the bed ungracefully. Om did the same and trotted behind her as she walked over to the older woman. "Please follow me." The woman said with a bow of her head.

Niona didn't bother to keep track of where they were going so that she could find her way back, after all King Vegeta had made it clear that her stay was not going to be a long one. She kept her head down, and clutched Om to her chest. "We've arrived." The servant's voice startled Niona, who jerked her head up in surprise and came face to face with gold doors. Niona swallowed and took numerous clumsy steps back. The servant woman caught her elbow before she could flee. "King Vegeta requires you behave yourself," she said and with a steely grip on Niona's elbow, pushed open the doors and pushed Niona inside, before slamming the door closed.

Niona froze as all conversations ceased and all calculating eyes turned to her. The cold atmosphere was unnerving and Niona did not dare move. Soldiers stood uniformly on either side of her. Elder council members sat beside the thrones of the King and prince, and anyone else of importance was scattered about the room.

"Generous of you to join us." The King descended from his place on the throne and walk to stand in front of Niona.

"That is the girl you spoke of, my lord?" An elder on the council spoke, disbelief dripping from his aged voice.

"She is." King Vegeta confirmed.

"B-but my lord, she hardly looks…appropriate. It's preposterous!" The old Saiyan ranted. His fellow elders nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps you would like a demonstration?" The suggestion silenced the elders and dread swept over Niona. Before she could process it, the King snatched Om from her arms. Niona raised her arms in protest, reaching for Om. Although there were no cliffs nearby, She Niona feared for her companion's life.

"Son." Vegeta slid his uninterested eyes from his glove to his father.

"Yes father?"

No! Niona thought.

"Kill it." A revengeful smile slowly made its way to his face and Niona felt like she was going to be sick. The prince leapt from his throne, grabbed the gun of a nearby guard, aimed at Om, and fired.

A screamed ripped from Niona's throat as she watched Om's body fall from the King's hand and land, unmoving, in a painful 'thud'. Niona rushed to his side, refusing to believe what had happened.

"Om?! Om wake up! Don't die! Om! Please wake up! Please…?" Tears wet the hair that covered her eyes as she sobbed.

The taunting laughter of the soldiers, council elders, and the prince flooded her ears, dizzying her with rage. "You murdered him…you murdered him…" It seemed like that was the only thing she could say.

"What?" Prince Vegeta questions in-between laughs. His chuckles died when glowing silver eyes bore into him with unconcealed hatred. The scouter hanging on his ear malfunctioned and fell to smoking pieces by his boot.

"You murdered him…YOU MURDERED OM!" The room quieted, and the air became a vacuum, one, which Niona stood at the center of.

Her skin audibly sizzled, her hair stood on end, and her eyes flashed. The Prince stepped back, a sweat building on his quivering brow.

There was a long pause, foreboding and menacing, before she lunged.

"Mew."

And just like that, the vacuum dissipated, her hair calmed and fell against her eyes. Niona rushed back to Om's side. "Om? But…you were dead."

"The gun merely stunned him. You over-reacted." King Vegeta spoke. Heads turned to him, surprised, as if everyone had forgotten he was there. The King walked across the room to sit on his throne. His hand gestured to her and addressed the crowd. "You asked for a demonstration. Satisfied?" No one dared answer.

"Very." A voice spoke from behind Niona. She turned to face a muscled man with a scar on his angular face. His armor was minimal and a red cloth was tied around his spiked hair.

"Ah. You've arrived. Niona, this man will be your mentor." Niona continued to stare at the man, who looked at her with a stoned face but interested eyes.

"His name is Bardock."

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Yes, Vegeta is a brat and yes; it took me a while to update. Stay tuned!

Crims.