Chapter Six: A Talk With Nama And A Search For A Royal Brat

Two days later, planet Grain, Harvest Isle, somewhere in one of the halls of one of the Palace of the Horn of Plenty's towers…

"Dandelion, what do you care about what some bratty young man thinks of you? He should be thankful that you are protecting him. Remember, you don't necessarily have to like him to guard him, and it's only until the danger of Vegeta and Nappa has passed."

"If it ever does, Nama," Tayla sighed through a small, silver remote-control device that acted like a cell phone on planet Earth. The communication device, an Intergalactic Communication Assistant, otherwise called an ICA, was an invention from planet Calmag and a present from Tayla's beloved grandmother, Superior Gran Shalila Chloe. Shalila had given the ICA to Tayla as a present for her being accepted into the Intergalacticpol training program, and Tayla would talk to Shalila and other Clan of Chloe relatives frequently through it. Shalila had also given Caline one as a present for her fourteenth birthday, which had taken place a month ago. The ICAs had a small television-like screen that would show the face of the person at the other end of the ICA channel. Tayla was now talking to her grandmother through her ICA; Shalila was currently on Chloe, in the Palace of Chloe's communication room.

It brought Tayla great relief and pleasure every time she saw the face of her grandmother and her red-gold hair and gray eyes. Shalila Chloe, like all Astorian women, never had their hair turn gray, and she was ninety-seven years old, eighty-two years older than Tayla, but still as strong as ever and still stronger than all of her descendants, even Tayla. Shalila Chloe considered Tayla to be her favorite out of all her descendants; although she never admitted that fact publicly, all her family had divined it, but few held a grudge against Tayla for it.

Shalila and Tayla were very close, and Tayla loved her more than anyone else in their family. Shalila often called Tayla her "dandelion" after that yellow Earth flower that Earthlings considered a weed. Shalila told Tayla that she called her "dandelion" because Tayla was lovely and strong and also because like a dandelion, Tayla grew stronger every time that she was "stepped on".

Shalila had taken Tayla and her brothers, Arlon and Lukan, in as her wards when Tayla was just six-months-old; Tayla's parents had died in a devastating attack against them by the Saiyans fifteen years ago. The Saiyans had killed Tayla's parents, as well as half of Tayla's twenty siblings (Tayla was the youngest out of all of them), and Tayla had barely escaped with her life. Tayla's father had been Prince Mantros Chloe, who would have been the next ruler of Astoria after Shalila, his mother. Now it was Gorna Chloe, Tayla's oldest sister, who would take his place.

Tayla knew much about her parents, but at times they hardly seemed real to her since she had been denied the chance to get to know them. She honored and revered her dead parents, Mantros and his wife, Princess Tika Chloe, but she considered Shalila and Shalila's husband, the Namek, Dirkan, to be her true parents. She had been lovingly raised between them and her sister, Gracina Chloe, the sibling that Tayla was closest to.

She sorely missed her family back on Chloe, especially Shalila, Dirkan, and Gracina, and she at times wondered if joining Intergalacticpol was such a good thing after all. She had wanted to at first to become closer to Bendros, but then she learned of the things that Intergalacticpol officers could do, and she wanted to see if she could be of any help to them and the universe that they had sworn to protect. She wavered at times between excitement at being a future Intergalacticpol officer and dreadful homesickness that literally kept her awake at night.

Now Tayla was anxiously walking the halls, looking for Barley, who had wandered off, as she was talking to "Nama". "Nama" was the affectionate substitute name for "grandmother" that many Clan of Chloe descendants called Shalila Chloe, and "Great-Nama" was what her great-grandchildren called her. Shalila had contacted Tayla on the ICA to see how she and Caline were doing on Grain, and she had caught a distressed Tayla when she was worriedly searching for her errant charge.

It would have normally been easy enough for Tayla to find Barley by sensing his ki signature, but Barley, under Intergalacticpol's training program, had learned to sense and hide his ki. And Barley frequently hid his ki from time to time when he didn't want to be bothered by anyone. Tayla was irritated, for she could not sense Barley anywhere.

"I wish I could be out there fighting Vegeta and Nappa instead of guarding some prince who is chronologically age fourteen, but mentally age two," Tayla grumbled.

Shalila's hearty laugh echoed throughout Tayla's ICA. "Well, dandelion, no one's first assignment in any new position was ever a glamorous one! I'm sure that Gohan had a good reason for making you Prince Barley's bodyguard instead of sending you out with Bendros and Mikos; I understand how you feel, darling, but you know that Gohan can't show favoritism just because you are his niece."

"But I fought against both of them before and won, especially against Vegeta!" Tayla protested.

"I know, dandelion, I know, but remember that Vegeta and Nappa have become much stronger since the last time we fought against them. Vegeta's power has been said by Intergalacticpol officials to have almost doubled since the last time you and him fought. And what if Vegeta and Nappa had gone straight to your location instead of Cornsilk Isle like you and Gohan told me they were supposed to be headed? Your Uncle Gohan has trusted you with a very important task for a recruit because of your previous experience. And I agree with your uncle that it is better if Vegeta and Nappa do not know your location, if possible; you know how pureblooded Saiyans are about revenge. Even if you were able to defeat them again, dandelion, they could still alert Frieza's other minions as to where you are. It is better if none of Frieza's soldiers know any more about you than necessary."

"I know, Nama. I just feel, as if I am wasting my time, especially since Barley makes it clear every day that he could do without me. He likes Caline a lot though and even went as far to declare that he'd make her a fine husband."

"He's just an ungrateful spoiled little snot, dandelion. Some males feel insecure when faced with a stronger female; they feel stronger females are a threat to their masculinity."

"It's not just that, Nama. He thinks that I am the ugliest, scrawniest female that he's ever laid eyes on."

"Did he say that to your face?" Shalila exclaimed, shocked.

"No, but his three best friends ever so kindly told me what Barley really thinks of me. I went to ask them where Barley went, and none of those spoiled little boys would tell me! They said that Barley needed some time alone, instead of spending it with a 'stick princess bodyguard'. They so sweetly told me, Nama, that they had officially dubbed me, 'Princess Taylastick'. When I learned that, I wanted to shove a stick into each of those little prickiens where Polaris doesn't shine-"

"Tayla! Such language! Even though that nasty word does describe them!"

"Sorry, Nama, but it was either prickien or bastardi," Tayla apologized, as she descended down a flight of steps hurriedly. "But seriously, I had to leave before I hurt one of those cretins. I heard a few days before that 'stick' is the worst thing that anyone can call a girl on this planet. I don't why I am so bothered by what a few stupid Grainier boys think of my looks, but I can't seem to help it. I know that I am not as curvy, or as well-endowed or as tall as many girls my age, but why is it such a crime to be small, thin, and short with small breasts?" Tayla's voice shook at her last words, for some crueler people had taunted her in the past about her diminutive bosom, and her tennis-ball sized breasts just happened to be one of her bitterest disappointments about her body.

"It isn't a crime, darling, and I am sorry that those nasty boys made you feel like it was," Shalila told her granddaughter sympathetically. "Tayla, you are very lovely, and being well-endowed, tall and curvy isn't everything. Never mind what a few idiotic fools think; everyone has something about their body that they wish that they could change. Why, when I was your age, I always wanted to be tall with peaches-and-cream skin, blue eyes, and golden-brown hair, but it wasn't nature intended for me. And the looks that I had all my life didn't prevent me from having two loving husbands in a row. Forget about those Grainier boys; the right young man will think that you are the most beautiful creature that he ever set his eyes on."

Tayla sighed heavily. "Thanken, Nama, but now may I ask you something?" She was now at the bottom of the long, winding flight of steps, and she was on her way to the parlors and conservatories in the main part of the wicker palace.

"Of course, dandelion."

"What would you do, if you liked a man, and some other girl said that he was planning on courting her instead?"

"Umm…would this man happen to be Bendros, darling?"

"Yes, Nama, and the other girl is Esmera Pearl." Tayla quickly told Shalila the entire story, trying to keep as calm as possible.

"Well, did Bendros actually say to you that he was going to court Esmera Pearl?"

"No, Nama, but that subject never came up before he and Esmera's father went off to confront Vegeta and Nappa."

"Well, if I were you, Tayla, I would wait until Bendros returned and ask him then. The worse thing that he could say is that Esmera is telling the truth."

"And what if he says that he is?" Tayla asked anxiously. Her hand shook, as she clutched the ICA.

Shalila was quiet for a few moments, trying to think of a good answer to give her. Finally, she said softly, "Then you will have to accept it, dandelion. Bendros isn't the only young man on Astoria, and there are plenty of others that would be happy to court you. I know that would not be easy to accept, but sometimes we cannot always have who we want. And yes, Tayla, there would be others, and would you really want a young man that would choose Esmera over you?"

Shalila was the great-grandmother of Esmera and her brothers, through Princess Shirra, Shalila's granddaughter who was the daughter of Gohan and Gohan's first wife, Kayra. (Kayra had died a long time ago, and now Gohan was married to an African-American Human named Hazel Carr.) Shirra Chloe had died two years after giving birth to Rudijal, Esmera's brother. Mikos had remarried a younger girl, Latera, from his own clan; Latera had given Mikos their son, Pekos, who was not related to the Clan of Chloe at all.

Shalila was kind and courteous to her Clan of Pearl great-grandchildren whenever they came to visit on very rare occasions, but she was not overly fond of them, a fact that she carefully hid most of the time. In her eyes, they were all spoiled, selfish, and snobbish, nothing at all like their mother, who had been a kind, gracious woman. (Shalila privately thought that Shelan and Esmera were the worst.) The Superior Gran knew of the mutual affection that Tayla and Esmera held for Bendros Sahara, and the quiet rivalry between the girls for his attention. Shalila was much closer to Tayla than she was Esmera, and she privately thought that Tayla would be better for Bendros, a young man whom the ruler of Astoria liked very much. But it was Bendros's choice to make, and if Bendros chose Esmera...well, Tayla was better off without him.

"I-I don't know, Nama. I've been in love with Bendros since I was eight-years-old."

Shalila wisely said nothing to this; she could remember when Tayla was twelve-years-old and had fallen for Caline's oldest brother, Crown Prince Ridikar de Tamilieu of Calmag. Sixteen-year-old Ridikar had wanted Tayla from the moment that he had seen her, and he and Tayla were together for a short time, despite the strong disapproval of Tayla's family because they rightly thought that Ridikar was an unsavory character. Tayla had become engaged to Ridikar for a brief time, but she broke off the engagement after Ridikar had tried to rape her. Ridikar had done everything he could to win back Tayla's approval, along with her forgiveness. Sadly, he finally succeeded in doing so when he had given up his life in the War on Calmag to save her from Diamonique, one of Frieza's Top Elite soldiers. Diamonique had ruthlessly killed Ridikar in front of Tayla. Ridikar's death was still a painful memory for Tayla to this day.

"Listen, dandelion," Shalila said consolingly. "If you and Bendros are meant to be together, then it will happen, just like it did with Dirkan and I!"

Tayla laughed then. "I don't know if I want to wait close to seventy years to marry the man that I love, Nama!"

Shalila chuckled, although the memory of that long wait between her and Dirkan brought back some sad memories. When Shalila and Dirkan first decided that they were going to marry many decades ago, many Astorians protested because that meant that Shalila would never be able to bear an heir to Astoria's throne. Not only were Shalila and Dirkan reproductively incompatible, but also Dirkan had been rendered infertile, thanks to a virus, and it was literally required for an Astorian ruler to produce an heir to take his or place later, if possible.

The first Bajal Chloe, who would later become Shalila's first husband, had especially been upset, since he loved Shalila with all of his heart. Dirkan had acquiesced before Shalila did; Shalila had been willing to abdicate Astoria's throne to be with him, but Dirkan said no. The Namek warrior had reluctantly broken up with Shalila, insisting that Shalila marry Bajal instead. Shalila reluctantly did so, and she did grow to love Bajal dearly, but Dirkan had always remained her one true love.

Shalila laughed bravely. "I doubt that you'll have to wait as long as I did, my dear! Calm yourself, Tayla, and remember that you are only fifteen. You have plenty of time for courting and marrying!"

"I know, Nama, but I can't imagine now wanting anyone else. Oh, what chance do I have anyway? Esmera is so beautiful, so tall, with such a large chest; why any man would want her! All of the Grainier boys here have been panting after her and Caline, even if they don't have padded bottoms and long noses! I feel so plain sometimes next to them, even if Caline is one of my closest friends!"

"You're not plain, dandelion," Shalila told her firmly. "And there are men that look for more than beauty; there are so many other things to consider. Just wait and ask Bendros when he returns and see what he says, my dear."

Tayla said softly, "Now that I remember, Caline said almost the exact same words to me earlier. It was just what those boys had called me earlier that made me so distressed again about the whole thing about Bendros and Esmera. And she did say that I wouldn't want a man who would pick Esmera over me."

Shalila said gently, "Caline has given you some good advice, my dear; I suggest that you follow it. And I hope that you consider mine as well. Things will work out the way they are supposed to, I promise you. Dandelion, I hate to cut you off, but I really must go now. I have to go meet with Gran Saturna and Granden Sternos Pearl…which reminds me…have Shelan or Mikos given you a hard time since you and Caline came to Grain?"

"Mikos hasn't bothered me at all yet, Nama, but Shelan still hints that he wants me. Don't worry, he hasn't touched me again, and if he does, he'll be lacking a manhood!"

Shalila laughed softly. "I know that I had to prevent Dirkan at one time from permanently removing Shelan's manhood himself, especially after Shelan tried to molest you! Oh, sweet Orchida, I wanted to castrate the bastardi-er, I mean cretin, myself! Well, if he bothers you again, let Dirkan or I know, and I really, really must go now, my dear! Gooden boden!"

"Gooden boden, Nama! And gooden luken, because you'll need all the luck you can get with dealing with Gran Saturna and Granden Sternos Pearl!"

Shalila said wryly, "Isn't that the truth?" Shalila could barely tolerate the rulers of the Clan of Pearl, especially Gran Saturna. Gran Saturna had once wanted the first Bajal Chloe for herself before marrying Sternos Pearl, and she had never forgiven Shalila for taking Bajal from her. Shalila disliked Gran Saturna because of her caustic, peevish personality and strong prejudices against those of other races, especially Sastorians. Gran Saturna held an especial hatred against Sastorians because of their Saiyan blood, and she forbade anyone of the Clan of Pearl to marry anyone that had the slightest bit of Saiyan in them.

Finally, after about five fervent gooden bodens between them, Shalila and Tayla cut off communication, as Tayla neared one of the fancier parlors in the wicker palace. She cried out in shock when she saw an unconscious body of Prince Barley lying on the hardwood parlor floor next to an overstuffed green chair.

She quickly scurried to Barley's side, felt for a pulse and tried to rouse him.

"Barley, Barley? BARLEY!"

Barley had a pulse, but Barley was still quiet and still.

"BARLEY!"

Barley's eyes finally fluttered open, but his body was still stiff and inert-as if paralyzed.

"Barley! Are you okay?"

He grumbled groggily, "Yeah, yeah. Some bodyguard you are-can't even protect me from your own best friend. You can tell Caline that I don't want her anywhere near me again; I don't want anything to do now with that hysterical, screaming little wench! Thinks herself too good for me!"

Tayla hissed, "Don't you dare talk about Caline like that! Why do you say those things?"

Barley snorted. "It was she who did this to me. Thanks to that girl, I can't move at all! I'm as stiff as a statue! You just keep that wench away from me, got it?"

Tayla clenched her fists, wishing that Barley's tongue were as stiff as his body was at the moment.

She also wished that she knew what would compel Caline to do what she did to Barley. Caline was not the sort of person to attack someone outright without cause; in fact Caline wouldn't so much as hurt a flea, if she could avoid it.
















Thirty minutes before Tayla had arrived and found Barley lying on the floor…

In a green-and-gold decorated parlor with five chairs, two couches, and five tables, Caline had fallen asleep in a huge, overstuffed dark green leather chair. Her long cornsilk hair was now unbound from an earlier braided, upswept hairdo, and it was fanned out along the back of the chair, like thin, scattered rays of silken sunshine. She had just bathed, and she was now dressed in a sheer pale blue caftan with a saffron silk sash draped across her tiny waist. It was currently the style on Chloe to have the sash draped around the waist, instead of over the shoulder, as Astorian females had done a few years ago.

She was sleeping so peacefully, with dreams of seeing Kekron again, when Prince Barley strutted in, a fat, golden glorified rooster dressed in a dullish gold shirt and trousers trimmed with burgundy metal buttons. Heavy burgundy boots covered his huge, fat feet, and they clopped along the floor like horses' hooves.

Prince Barley grinned to himself, as he watched Caline sleep with a small smile forming her rosebud lips. He had liked Caline from the moment that she and Tayla had first been introduced to him by Chief Gohan Chloe of Intergalacticpol. Caline in his eyes was the Grainier ideal for a young girl; she had the large breasts, fair skin, fair hair, sweet and gentle nature, and amiability desired in a Grainier male's wife. Of course, Caline did not have the preferred plump bottom and long nose, but those minor flaws could be forgiven. She was kind, loving and mild-mannered, nothing at all like her companion Tayla, in Barley's eyes. On Grain, very few females were actual warriors or soldiers, and most females tended the household and fields while males did everything else.

Barley honestly did not see how someone as small and delicate-looking as Tayla could actually be stronger than he was; he thought that his parents had thrust Tayla onto him as a joke. There was no way that Tayla could be a real warrior or fighter, and yet Chief Gohan had insisted on making Tayla his bodyguard…and Barley's parents had agreed to it!

Tayla was too much of an anomaly in Barley's eyes and very ugly-looking in his opinion. She was too skinny, with hardly any breasts, very few curves, with dark skin and dark hair. Her bottom, round and perky, was her only redeeming physical feature in Barley's opinion, but other than that, he thought that Tayla was undernourished, underweight, and just so plain and so ugly, not at all the Grainier ideal for a female! Not to mention her unfeminine temper and her lack of respect for him and his station!

Barley and his male Grainier companions who attended him from time to time had all made fun of Tayla behind her back on the few occasions when she was not around, and they all agreed with Barley that Tayla was the scrawniest, unhealthiest thing that they ever saw. They all wondered who would actually want to marry or even court her. She surely couldn't stand up to even a mild windstorm, or bear strong children! Barley and his friends, rude as he was, had all dubbed Tayla "Princess Taylastick" or the "stick princess" behind her back. It was a great humiliation and insult on planet Grain for a girl to be nicknamed "Stick", and any girl with Tayla's figure was mostly shunned by young men and called that awful name.

But Barley decided to forget about his "stick princess " bodyguard for now and concentrate on his prize-the lovely Caline, whom he and the other Grainer boys all openly admired despite her lack of a padded bottom and long nose. Barley had already warned his companions that he intended Caline for himself only, and that they were to back off. The other boys submitted and left Caline alone.

Barley strolled over to Caline's chair and ran her soft, silky hair through his thick fingers. "Beautiful…" he murmured in a voice deeper and more manly than his normal whiny tone, as his fingertips traveled down to the back of her snowy neck. He then bent down towards her neck, brushing fat, slimy pale lips against smooth alabaster skin. He trailed hot kisses to her throat, as he bent over her body with his own, his face close to hers now. He took a few moments to bend down and nuzzle and kiss at her throat before brining his lips back up to hers.

"Sweet, so sweet…" Barley murmured, with his lips now an inch away from Caline's. Barley had kissed and petted with two girls before, so he was confident that he knew what he was doing. He was still a virgin, but he had heard enough from his father and gossip from older boys to know what to do with a girl. He didn't intend to seduce Caline, not right now anyway; he just wanted to kiss her, maybe touch her for a bit…

"Sweet, lovely Caline," Barley purred. "Liked you, wanted you, just want to get to know you better…"

And then her large, cobalt blue eyes shot open-in pure terror, as she saw Barley's face within inches of her own.

"C-Caline!" Barley gasped.

Caline shrieked in wild fear, not only at Barley's presence, but Barley's words…words that were almost close to the same words that her deceased husband, Alberm, had said to her the first night that he had raped her…

"Sweet, lovely Caline…I've liked you, desired you, wanted you for a long time…just want to get to know you better…wanted you for myself since you were nine years old…like I said, wanted you…just want to get to know you better…will get to know you better…"

That horrible memory of Alberm's words to her just before he forced himself upon her for the first of many times came rushing back to Caline's terrified mind…a memory that had not been dredged up for years. A memory that Caline had thought that she had finally forgotten.

And now Barley's words, too similar to Alberm's had brought back that memory in full force.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Caline screamed, as she seized his thick arm. Before Barley could react, his entire body went stiff, and he fell off of Caline and her chair like a humanoid statue. His plump body crashed to the floor after Caline released his arm. She sobbed in horror when she saw Barley's inert body hit the dark hardwood floor. Barley's head hit the wooden surface, knocking him out.

"No!" the frightened Calmagian princess gasped. "What have I done?"

She then realized what she had done-she had paralyzed Barley just by grabbing him. Like all Calmagians, Caline could naturally paralyze people whenever she wanted to, just by touching them. She had just unwittingly paralyzed Barley in a frantic attempt to protect herself from anything that he might try, especially anything that reeked of Alberm's previous actions.

She scurried off of the chair, hot tears streaming down her pale face. She bent down and tried to nudge Barley, but Barley would not budge. With trembling paler-than-pale fingers, Caline felt his wide neck for a pulse. Fortunately there was one, but Caline was still worried. What would happen if and when Barley awoke? Would he have her arrested? Would he come after her and hurt her for what she did?

Caline frantically ran out of the parlor, crying and sobbing wildly, searching for the halls for someone who might be able to help.