A/N: I do not own DBZ, but I do own my characters.

Reviews are welcome. This is not going to be the happiest romance you ever read, for obvious reasons, but I am going to give Frieza a taste of Love, and all that it brings…

Chapter One

   The star cruiser came to a halt just outside of the planet Nayr's atmosphere. A large, impressive machine, it was heavily armored and lined with laser cannons of varying sizes. It hovered in place, ominous, waiting for its orders. The man at the helm was feeling pensive, indecisive. A new experience for him. He normally took what he wanted when he wished, but at the moment he was not so certain such an attitude would be wise. Nayr was a rich planet, in more ways than one. It was loaded with gem and gold mines, and the atmosphere was like a tropical paradise year round. Many people had expressed a desire to purchase the planet, and it was for this reason he had come to destroy its current inhabitants. But while on his way to Nayr, he had discovered that some of its people were quite gifted. Unusually so. Masters of Magic. And there lied the dilemma. He wanted to know more about their power, but in his experience, people were rarely receptive to helping their enemies.

    "Lord Frieza," a deep, cultured voice came from behind him, "shall I send out a squadron of soldiers to begin purging the planet?"

    Frieza glanced over his shoulder at Zarbon, who was waiting with a passive expression on his face. Frieza eyed the man without speaking, watching as the coward began to grow tense beneath his regard. Zarbon was strong, but he knew he was no match for his master, and as a result he was always a bit subservient in Frieza's presence. Dodoria was not nearly so cowardly, but nor was he as clever. Each man had his uses, and so Frieza allowed them to live.

    "No," Frieza replied, and that was all. He simply turned his back on Zarbon and resumed thinking. He heard his second in command bow.

    "As you wish," Zarbon replied, before leaving the room.

    Frieza's thoughts turned back to Nayr. What to do? He had heard the Sivare were powerful, versed in the arts of magic and capable of amazing feats. He could capture some of them, but holding them captive could prove troublesome, and they would not be willing to cooperate with him once he had wiped out their people. He could always send down some men, but most of his followers were fighters, not negotiators. They would most likely cause problems rather than find out anything of value. Now, Zarbon could go down and infiltrate the Sivare, saying he came to learn of their ways. Though he might be a coward, his pleasing appearance tended to sway people to his side, at least initially. But, Frieza did not really trust his second in command to handle the situation. Zarbon had a bad habit of fraternizing with females, and since women threw themselves at his feet, he was constantly distracted. Sending Dodoria was out of the question. The man was repulsive and rude. There was Vegeta, but Frieza did not trust the Saiyan Prince, who was both disrespectful and arrogant. It seemed he would have to go himself.

   With a sigh of disgust, he pushed a button on the control panel of his seat. An image of Dodoria appeared, the pink blob immediately bowing his head in a sign of respect.

    "Dodoria, inform Zarbon that I am going down to the surface," Frieza said, his voice distant and harsh. "Have him keep an eye on Vegeta while I am gone."

    "Yes, sire. Would you like me to assemble an escort for you?"

    "No, I am going alone."

    Dodoria was a bit surprised at this, but he did not question his master's orders. He simply nodded his head. "Do you need anything? Supplies, rations?"

    Frieza shook his head. "No. I will contact you when I am ready to return. Until then, you are in command here and Zarbon is responsible for Vegeta. See that he understands that."

    Again Dodoria nodded. "Yes, sire. There is a ship ready whenever you wish to leave."

    Frieza cut the communication with his soldier and then stepped out of his seat. He concentrated his energy for a moment until his body became smaller, smooth and well muscled. He made his way to the docks, ignoring the men who stared at him as he passed by. He could sense their fear, and it pleased him. Fear made the most unruly man obedient. Usually. There were exceptions, such as Vegeta, but they were few and far between.

    The small silver ship that he favored was waiting for him. Sleek and streamlined, it looked like a bird of prey. It was small but fast and armed to the teeth, even more deadly than his star cruiser because of its maneuverability. He programmed the ship to take off, than guided it through the docks and out into space. He activated the ship's shield and then descended into the atmosphere, careful not to come in too fast. He chose a small clearing in the heart of a forest to serve as a landing sight, and when he stepped out of the ship, he activated its stealth system so that it became invisible.

    Frieza paused to take in his surroundings. The planet was quite beautiful. The trees around him were lush, the air sweet, and the land verdant. Nayr would bring him a nice sum of money, though now that he was there he considered keeping the planet for himself. He reached out with his ki and began to search for life forms. He found many that belonged to beasts, and these he ignored. After several minutes, he detected readings unlike any he'd ever felt before. They were strong, though no match for his own, and very foreign to him. He had sensed Magic before, but never on such a powerful scale. It had been wise of him to pretend to come in peace.

    He began to move in the direction of the power source, unafraid and eager to see what sort of knowledge and power these Sivare possessed.

    An energy blade streaked by her face, barely missing her delicate nose and clearly hinting that her mind was elsewhere. Her opponent, Rand, was an elderly Mage and noted for his quick thinking in battle. However, he was no match for her, and they both knew it. The fact that he was able to even come that close to striking her was a dead give away that she was preoccupied. And she was. Laylyn would be the first to admit it. Her pending marriage to Thage, Prince of the Sivare, was fast approaching, and there was nothing she could do about it. Though Laylyn was a gifted magician, one of the most powerful to ever live, she was still subject to the will of her father. And her father wanted her to marry Thage. It was a good match to the outside eye: a combining of wealth, pure bloodlines, and good political ties. But it lacked the one thing Laylyn desired above all else: Love.

    Laylyn's parents had been lucky enough to have a love match. Her mother had been wealthy, intelligent and proud, and had come from a family with ties to the founding families of the Sivare. She had also been a powerful enchantress, though not nearly as gifted as Laylyn's father. Their marriage had been arranged, as all the Sivare marriages were, but her parents had been fortunate enough to fall madly in love with each other. To this day, they shared a love that made one and all who saw them together shake their heads in awe. In a way, they had spoiled Laylyn. She had grown up in the presence of this all consuming love, and she had expected to have that kind of love for the man she married This was not to be, at least not with Thage. He was far too embroiled in the duties of running the planet Nayr to have time to spend with his wife. He didn't even have time to see her now, and he was not yet King.

    Laylyn had been trying to think of a way to get out of her engagement to Thage, but she had yet to come up with anything. Though her father loved her, his ambitions blinded him. The thing most important to him was that he would be related to the King by marriage, and Laylyn also knew he thought he was doing what was best for her by providing her with such a well off mate. Her mother was more sympathetic to Laylyn's wishes, but while she loved her daughter dearly, her husband always came first. Laylyn was on her own.

    At the moment, she was in no mood to be sparring. She decided to end the battle now, so she tapped her inner core of power, raised her hand to form several intricate symbols, and chanted, "Bodily Agony!"

    The spell was a cruel one, causing its victim to literally become wracked with pain, but Laylyn was in no mood for finesse, and it would end the fight immediately. She saw Rand attempt to raise a ward spell, but his power was no match for her own. The spell washed over and through him until he collapsed on the ground, screaming in pain. When he was able to catch his breath, he called out, "I submit!"

    Laylyn immediately made a small gesture, and her spell ended. Rand lay where he was, not actually injured but still shaking with pain. He glared at Laylyn, but said nothing. She simply shrugged and walked away, the match won and already forgotten. She had more important things to think about, such as how to escape from her future with Thage.

    Time was running out. She only had a few months to convince her parents or the Prince to call it off, and she didn't think that was likely to happen. Her father wanted the alliance for political reasons, and while Thage might not be thrilled with her as his choice of future wife, his father King Orac was. Orac had chosen her to be his son's wife because of her raw power in the hopes that her children would be as strong as she was. The royal family had been steadily declining in Magic ability for some time, as they had tended to marry for wealth and politics. Laylyn knew Orac saw her as a salvation for his family name, and would most likely refuse any plea she made to escape the marriage.

     She had few options. She was strong, only a handful of Mages could stand against her, but she could not fight off an entire planet. She knew if she disobeyed the will of the King, she would be hunted down and punished. Her thoughts had recently turned to a more final means of escape: leaving Nayr. While Orac was King on his planet, his dictates meant little elsewhere. Nayr was rich in gold and gems, but the Sivare were quite reclusive and had made few allies. They felt they needed no such outside help, as their Magic was unrivaled throughout the universe and they thought themselves capable of handling any obstacle that came their way. If she fled, she would be free. But the thought of leaving her beloved home was frightening. Her friends and family were all here, and she also knew that her abilities with Magic would not be understood by alien races. Magic existed in the universe, but it was rare and usually used for evil ends, and as a result most species were suspicious of those who wielded it. She faced a future of an unhappy marriage, or a future of living in exile regarded as an abomination.

     She took refuge in her usual spot: on a large crystal rock by a gigantic lake. The lake was home to Singing Serpents: enormous creatures with dragon heads and snake bodies. They were various shades of blue, their skin gleamed like molten metal and their eyes were usually golden. Singing Serpents were most known for their cry, which was both melodious and haunting. They would croon and sing for hours on end, and the air would ring with the sound of their wondrous music. They were very dangerous, however, and so many did not seek them out. But, Laylyn's mastery of Magic made her unafraid of the great serpents, and they had become accustomed to her frequent visits to their lake.

     Three of the massive beasts were swimming near the shore when she settled down on the rock and, after pausing to see who she was, the three creatures began to sing a song of greeting. Laylyn smiled as their soothing song swept over her, and she decided to lie down on the crystalline rock and sleep.

     Frieza had been moving at a rapid pace in the direction of the Magic source and had been making good time, when suddenly the sound of music reached him. It was incredibly beautiful, and for a moment he went still as the lovely sounds seemed to ring within his soul. Haunted by the melody, he found himself walking in the direction it was coming from, the Sivare forgotten for the moment. He was able to easily follow the sweet music, and in a matter of minutes he reached a lake. The place looked like a paradise of long, lush grasses, white sand beaches, pure blue water, and strangely shaped crystal rock beds. The sound of the music was coming from the water, and he slowly began to make his way to the shoreline.

     He was about three feet away from the water when he heard a woman scream, "No! Stop!"

     Frieza was caught off guard, as he had not sensed any life forms on the beach. He instinctively paused and looked to his left, and went completely still as his eyes rested on the woman. She was small, delicate, but finely curved. Her features were ethereal, her dark eyes intelligent, and her body was a living fantasy. Frieza was normally not moved by females, as he had more important things occupying his mind most of the time, but this woman was a beauty. He was about to ask her what she was yelling about, when the water before him exploded. He had just enough time to turn to face the water when he was caught in a crushing grip that knocked the wind out of him.

     He felt himself fly up off the ground at an unbelievable speed, and through watering eyes he was able to see his attacker. It had a long, narrow head crowned with twin spikes on its brow and a mouth full of fangs as long as his body. Its eyes were the color of gold and gleamed as if lit from an inner fire, and when the beast opened its maw, he thought he saw light emanating from within it's throat. The coil it had wrapped around him was armored with massive blue scales that felt as hard as steel, and they were slowly crushing the life out of him. Frieza had not yet regained his breath, his lungs were too constricted, and he was unable to power up to free himself. He felt as if his energy was being leeched out of his body by the monster, and it was entirely possible since he knew nothing of the creature. His ribs began to crack as his body slowly caved in on itself, and he felt a moment of true fear as his vision began to dim.

     "Release him at once!" a haughty voice demanded, and Frieza realized the tiny woman on the beach was trying to help him. The idea of her facing the beast that held him was ludicrous, and if he had been capable of laughing at that moment, he would have.

     Thus he was surprised when the coil around him abruptly loosened, and he plummeted to the ground. As he hit the dirt, he looked up to see the face of the enormous dragon snake glaring down at him, and he braced himself for a second assault. But then the female said, "Leave us, Taron." To Frieza's utter amazement, the beast actually looked sheepish for a moment, but then it turned and sank beneath the water's surface once more, vanishing from sight.

     Turning his dazed eyes to the woman who now stood over him, Frieza asked, "Who are you?"