chapter 4
Arrah lay in the over sized bed, wide awake.
The lights were dimmed and everything was silent, with the exception of Nappa snoring across the room where he lay on a plush rug.
She tossed and turned and finally came to rest on her back. She didn't sleep well to begin with, but the recent events had caused her already unsettled mind to refuse any kind of rest what so ever.
She sighed and looked over at Prince Vegeta, who, much to her confusion, was perched on the very edge of the far side of the bed with his back to her. He'd not even spoken to her since ordering her to bed. The gap between them could have easily been filled with Nappa and Raditz, both of which were on the floor somewhere in the room.
The artificial night seemed to be dragging on as Arrah lay there, sleepless and restless, her mind going over and over things.
Why were they doing this? Had they come for her specifically? How would they have known? Were they just toying with her? Had what Raditz said been part of some game? If that was the case, why was the prince laying as far away from her as he possibly could without being on the floor? Was she...Was she that unappealing?
Something in her twinged and unconsciously, she grasped the covers that were pulled over her with a white knuckle grip.
"Can't sleep?"
Arrah nearly screamed and lunged at the voice from right beside her left ear. Her head snapped to the side and she came eye to eye with Raditz.
"You're so fucking creepy!" She hissed quietly and pulled the covers up over her chest. She was still wearing the tattered cloth dress, but she suddenly felt very vulnerable in the position she was in.
The older man smirked and dumped himself down beside her side of the bed with a yawn. Arrah watched as he scratched his head through his thick locks and sighed. Just like Vegeta, he'd removed the huge Saiyan armour that he wore throughout his waking hours and left it propped up against the far wall along with his boots and gloves.
It left him in nothing but a small pair of black briefs.
Glaring at him as best she could in the dim light, she tried desperately to focus on his face and not the rock hard body he'd been hiding under his armour and she realised, to her horror, had been pressed up against her more then once that day.
Raditz yawned again and rested his folded arms on the very edge of the bed, watching her.
"Do you often watch people sleep?" Arrah whispered irritably.
"Oh yea." He snorted quietly. "I like to spend my nights gazing at Nappa as he sleeps with his mouth wide open and snoring." He added sarcastically.
"If that's meant to be funny, I'll call you out on it." She scowled.
"Oh?" A sleepy eyebrow rose in amusement.
"Uh huh. If that's not the case, how'd you know Nappa sleeps with his mouth open?" She snapped, sticking her tongue out at him.
With a soft chuckle, Raditz motioned to his sleeping comrade across the room. "That's how I know." Arrah pushed herself up, ever so slightly so not to disturb Prince Vegeta and looked over at the oldest saiyan.
Nappa was spread out on the rug, his armour still on, his mouth hanging wide open and his leg occasionally twitching.
"Oh...wow..." Arrah bit her lip against the unexpected need to laugh.
"Exactly." Raditz smirked, watching Nappa as he shifted off his back, onto his side facing them.
Laying back down, Arrah turned back to Raditz, her brow furrowing in question. The other Saiyan dragged his attention away from Nappa and frowned at her confused expression.
"What?"
"Is...Is there something wrong with the prince?" She asked him quietly. The last thing she wanted was for him to hear.
"Wrong with him? You mean other then the chip on his shoulder so big it's replaced his head and the obvious need to still rule over, what? three last remaining members of his race?" Raditz snickered and fidgeted. Arrah watched as his tail came up to scratch his temple lazily.
"No, I mean..." She looked over her shoulder at the huge gap Vegeta had left between them.
Raditz shuffled onto his knees and peered over her, seeing the gap and barely holding back his laughter.
"What?" Arrah scowled.
"Oh, you shouldn't worry about that." Raditz grinned while settling back onto the floor. "That's just the obvious sign of inexperience."
Arrah blinked a couple of times as her brain tried desperately to work out what the fuck he was talking about. Inexperience? from who? Her? The prince?
"You need to start making sense now." She muttered.
"Prince Vegeta was a small child when our home planet was destroyed." Raditz whispered, leaning his arms back on the edge of the bed and settling his chin on top. "He's not got the first clue what to do with a saiyan woman."
"What...What to do with a woman? You're telling me he's..."
Raditz's sleep deprived brain took a moment to catch what she was getting at before his eyes went wide and he chuckled hard against his arm to try and muffle the sound. Arrah's scowl deepened.
"What's so funny?" She spat at him.
Once he'd restrained himself again and peered over at both his comrades to make sure no one had heard him, he smirked back at the girl in the bed beside him.
"Oh Hell no. Vegeta's got too much bad influence from myself and Nappa to be that innocent. Though, I suppose..." He purred, eyeing her thoughtfully. "If Gi hasn't defiled you yet, you must be..."
"That's none of your business!" She snarled, nearly lunging out of bed at him.
"It will be soon enough, don't you worry." He snarled back, more out of sick glee at winding her up than actual malevolence. He watched her shrink back and pull the covers higher, as if it would shield her.
"Anyway." He grunted, scratching his chin lazily and ignoring her attempt to hide from him. "Vegeta's been with women. Well...Females. But he's not had that saiyan experience."
"How is that different from normal?" Arrah's muffled voice asked from under the covers. She'd seen what went on in the very bed she was now sleeping in. She knew how babies were made in most species. What could possibly be so different?
Raditz seemed to think for a moment before actually answering her. "Well nothing's that different in the actual act. But its the getting there that's the hard part."
Nappa abruptly interrupted their conversation by sitting up. Both Arrah and Raditz spun to look at him, wide eyed. Nappa was looking at them but he wasn't at the same time. The older man sniffed, scratched his bald head and yawned before laying back down and curling into a ball.
Both sighed in relief and settled back down in their original positions while Raditz continued with his reluctant education of the young saiyan girl.
"I'm still not following." Arrah grumbled and wriggled a little to get comfortable again.
"The courtships different." Raditz huffed. "Its bloody and violent. Trust me, my father had some horrible scars, not from battling, but from my mother."
"Lovely." Arrah's face wrinkled in disgust. "So I have to bite off some of Nappa's fingers, rip your hair out and possibly blind prince Vegeta in one eye before...y'know..." Her cheeks reddened considerably at the thought.
"Hey, I'm not saying you have to cause serious damage to anyone's vision...or touch my hair..." He said with a warning glare. "I'm just saying it's meant to be difficult. Once you've got the experience its piss easy. Its just getting the experience and as you can imagine, the prince..." He motioned over her shoulder with a nod of his head. "Hasn't had the pleasure."
"Neither have I." Arrah scowled.
"Well then, you'll just have to go with whatever feels natural." Raditz chuckled.
Arrah lay quietly thinking for a moment or two. This wasn't the sort of bed time conversation she wanted or was used to, but if the three men intended to...have their way with her, well, she needed it.
"Why so violent?" She finally asked. It was one of many questions, but she didn't want to encourage him into giving her a physical demonstration.
"It's called grappling." He yawned against his arm before rubbing his nose."Its to demonstrate power and dominance. It's usually sudden and unexpected. The guy usually tackling the woman he wants to mate."
Tackling her?! Arrah balked at the thought of Nappa barrelling into her.
"Then what?!" She squeaked, almost afraid to ask.
"Then they sorta...Wrestle. The object is for the male to pin the female and win her over. Most saiyan women seem impressed by it. Or they did. It's a centuries old thing from our ape ancestors or something, I forget."
"I'm..." Arrah swallowed the lump in her throat and gave him a hard look. "I'm nowhere near ready to...Grapple...Any of you. You're all huge!"
Raditz snickered and shrugged one shoulder. "Why do you think we're going to feed you up? Train you? We know your not ready. Like I said, I like something to hold onto. Right now? You're nothing but skin and bone. We'd break you."
Arrah's eyes grew in shock. So that was what he meant!
Her cheeks reddened, this time with embarrassment. That's what happened when people jumped to conclusions, she guessed. Then again, how was she meant to know the truth behind his statement?
"You ok, kid?"
Raditz's concerned voice broke Arrah out of her train of thought and she gasped, realising she'd been staring at him as she thought. Immediately she pulled the covers up and over her head.
"Fine!" She snapped. "I'm fine!"
Nappa once again disturbed them, this time grumbling as he sleepily got to his feet and shuffled over to the empty pool-like bathtub.
"What is he...Oh...Oh no..." Raditz grimaced and both he and Arrah watched as Nappa relieved himself into the tub."For fuck's sake, Nappa..." Raditz growled.
"Whoa?" Once he'd finished, Nappa turned back to look at them, not bothering to tuck himself away. Arrah took one look at his exposed manhood and almost passed out. It was the first time she'd really seen one. The other girls, the one's Gi had taken to bed, they would draw silly little pictures and tell everyone the warlord wasn't very well endowed. She was led to believe all men owned small, stubby little penises. What hung from between Nappa's legs blatantly stated he was not of the same breed as the warlord.
Face flaming, Arrah ducked back under the covers.
"Put your junk away." She heard Raditz sneer. "You're scaring the girl. She probably thinks you're gonna club her over the head with it."
There was a bark of laughter from Nappa while he shuffled toward them, tucking himself away as he went. "That's the least of her worries with me."
"Shut the fuck up, Nappa." Vegeta suddenly grumped from across the bed. He sounded half asleep and probably was.
"Sorry Vegeta." The older man grumbled and dropped down onto the floor beside Raditz.
The other three Saiyans were silent, all waiting to see if the prince would reply. When he didn't and it became obvious he'd fallen back to sleep, Nappa grunted and stretched and lay his head on the edge of the bed.
"Why are you guys even up?" He muttered, not looking up.
"Arrah couldn't sleep. Neither could I." Raditz whispered back.
Arrah lay quietly watching the two saiyan men sat beside her side of the bed, pondering. She felt a little sorry for them having to sleep on the floor, all because the prince was a little touchy. Nappa looked exhausted. He seemed to have done the most out of all three of them that day. It must have been hard work kicking heads in.
And to Arrah, he didn't look like much of a spring chicken.
"Why don't you get onto the bed, Nappa?" The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop herself and Arrah bit down on her tongue to stop herself from saying more.
The bald Saiyan lifted his head, both he and Raditz giving a look of surprise before finally smirking. "Nah, thanks, but Vegeta would have a fit if he woke up to me next to him." He chuckled and yawned.
"Why are you so concerned what Vegeta thinks?" Arrah frowned. Nappa was a big man. The prince was what? eighteen? Surely Nappa didn't need to be told what to do by a man as young as she was.
Nappa shifted and rested back against a nearby chair that sat beside the bed against the wall. He rubbed his eyes a little and sunk down. "I've been with Vegeta since he was a baby. Been his friend, bodyguard, trainer, punching bag. I might have nothing now Vegeta-sei has gone but I am loyal to my prince." He said without faltering. Arrah, even in the dull lighting, could see the unwavering emotion Nappa held in his eyes as he spoke of the young prince. "I do as I'm told, no matter where I am, or what the order is. Vegeta will forever be my prince."
Raditz propped his elbow on the bed, his temple resting against his knuckles as he listened to Nappa speak. He smirked and Nappa gave a low growl.
"That bastard." The older Saiyan spat. "He's got no loyalty. No respect. He only does what he's told because he's weaker."
"I'm a low class warrior." Raditz shrugged, looking back at Arrah in bed. "My father was low class, my mother was low class and I'm low class. When you're not a middle or higher class saiyan, you don't get the same treatment and you certainly don't feel the same way about the crown. Sure, I'm proud to have saiyan blood, but I ain't got a reason to like the royal family like Nappa."
Well, that put a whole new spin on things. "So Nappa's higher class?" Arrah shifted, pushing down the covers and wiggling so she could see both men better but remain comfy.
"I'm an Elite." Nappa sighed. "Or was. I suppose I still am considering the situation we're all in."
"The ranking went low, middle and Elite." Raditz told her softly. "Nappa was a general in the saiyan army before he became Vegeta's personal bodyguard."
"Wow...I didn't see that coming." Arrah murmured.
"Yea. I look like shit now, huh?" Nappa half laughed before falling silent again. His hand rose and he rubbed his bald head with a scowl. "Lost my hair. Lost my home." He snorted and his lip twitched into a smirk. "Some general huh?"
Folding her arms, Arrah rested her cheek on them, her dreads hanging loose over her shoulders. "How'd you lose your hair?"
"Ah... I got sick years back and it just...fell out." He confessed a little shyly.
"We could always cut off some of Raditz's and stick it on?" Arrah joked with a smile.
"Ha! yea, no." Raditz mocked. "No one's touching my hair."
"Not even me?" Arrah smiled sweetly at him. She watched the indecision cross his face momentarily before he shook his head.
"NO ONE touches my hair."
-oOo-
The lights slowly began to brighten, signalling the end of the artificial night-time in the warlord's bedroom. Vegeta stirred in bed, the brightness piercing through his eyelids and disturbing his slumber.
The prince uncurled from the ball he'd curled into in his sleep and yawned. He stretched out on the bed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand while kicking off the sheets.
Once his eyes were clear of sleep, he glanced about, his mind jarring as he struggled to remember where he was. Usually when he woke, he was in his space pod or the tiny room on Frieza's ship that he shared with Nappa and Raditz. Instead, he felt like he'd woken in one of the royal rooms from his past and his heart began to race.
Sitting up sharply, he looked over at the small figure asleep across the wide gap in the middle of the bed.
Curiously, he edged closer to the body, eyeing a sleeping Nappa and Raditz on the floor beside the bed. Slowly, he pushed away the covers to reveal the body of the saiyan girl they'd found just the day before. Arrah was laying on her back, one hand flat on her stomach and the other dangling over the edge of the bed.
Her chest rose and fell gently as she slept and the prince observed the peaceful expression on her delicate features. His eyes roamed her body while he had the chance, noting the unmarked, scar-less skin. Her dreadlocked hair was fanned out under her head and the jagged bangs that swept to one side of her face, framing it.
Vegeta's eyes moved further down her body, over her supple neck and the ample curves of her breasts, across her flat stomach and the subtle curve of her hips before finally feeling his body heat up. He gulped as he stared at the hem of her worn old dress, which had travelled upward when she'd moved in her sleep revealing her toned, coffee coloured thighs and just the tiniest hint of white panties. Her tail had wrapped itself around her thigh in the night, occasionally twitching and caressing the skin lazily.
Vegeta's whole body tingled and began to form a thin layer of sweat as he gazed intently at the girl's underwear. His hands twitched and ached to reach out and push the cloth up further and expose more to his hungry eyes.
Absently, his hand lifted and moved toward her dress and Vegeta found himself unable to stop. He swallowed heavily and just managed to drag his eyes away, only to see her eyes looking directly at him.
Arrah sighed softly, her eyelids fluttering open. She struggled to focus on the shadow that was looming over her, but when the fuzz cleared she recognised the young man leaning over her on the bed.
Their eyes met before Vegeta's hand could reach her dress.
Eye's growing wide, the young girl gasped and screamed in shock, shattering Vegeta's lust filled thoughts.
The scream woke Nappa and Raditz with a start and both bolted up right in panic. Vegeta too, panicked and pulled his hand back as Arrah dived off the bed and onto a shaken Raditz, scrambling into his arms.
Her arms clamped around his neck and she pressed herself as close to him as she could, trying to hide herself from the prince while sobbing in the older saiyan's ear.
"What happened?!" Nappa barked, his body pulsing with a sudden jolt of adrenaline.
"Nothing!?" Vegeta snarled back, his body shaking.
"You were leaning over her, Vegeta!" Raditz yelled at the prince. "What did you do?!"
"Nothing!?" The prince insisted again. "I just woke up and she was there and..."
"He pulled up my dress!" Arrah suddenly bellowed, pushing on Raditz's shoulders and forcing herself upright to shoot the prince a deathly glare.
"Vegeta, you little pervert!" Nappa rocked back and forth with laughter while the prince turned red in the face.
"I didn't do anything!" He near enough screamed, cringing on the inside as his bodyguard rolled about in hysterics.
Raditz clung to Arrah as her anger ebbed away leaving her feeling embarrassed and humiliated and she collapsed against him, burying her face against his neck. The older man glared angrily at Vegeta, his arms wrapped tightly around her body and his nose pressed to her hair. "It's ok now." He whispered, his hand stroking her side gently.
