A/N: Sorry this took so long. I got sidetracked for a while. I'll try to be better about updating this! Oh yes, I do not own any of the DBZ characters, or I would be wealthy beyond all imagination and the show would run forever…

Chapter Four

            The city of Seres was stunning, even to an eye as jaded as Frieza's. It was crafted out of stone, water and light, but none of it seemed to have been constructed by hand. The city was built into the side of a mountain, but the rock appeared to have been shaped, most likely by Magic, rather then cut. Waterfalls trickled down the great peak and ran freely throughout the city, creating numerous pools and small streams. The windows were not covered with glass, but pure beams of sunlight that had been trapped in the seams of the rock windowsills. Everywhere he looked, there was Magic at work. In one spot he saw a broom, lazily sweeping the city streets, dancing to an invisible tune, working by itself. In another, he saw a harp playing out a serene tune, but not a harpist was in sight. As he looked on, the pathways of the city seemed to shift with the direction of the people walking on them, so that a person never had to go around an obstacle. The doors of shops opened as people approached them, and carpets rolled out to cover the ground at the entrances.

            He looked at Laylyn, who seemed to be pensive as she watched him, and he knew she was worried he wouldn't like it. "Your city is beautiful," he quietly replied, smiling when she seemed to relax.

            "Thank you," she answered, pulling him forward. "I can't wait to show you my home."

            Her child like enthusiasm was contagious, and he found himself looking forward to having her show him around. She took him to a shop where the owner bent beams of moonlight into exotic animals, and there she bought him a unicorn figurine. Not to be outdone, Frieza bought her a Singing Serpent, saying, "So you can always remember how we met."

            "Oh, I doubt I'll ever forget," Laylyn absently commented, her mind on the upcoming meeting with her parents.

            Frieza took this as a compliment, and the joy that suffused through him was so overwhelming, he stopped in the street and stared down at her gravely. "Nor will I," he said, before leaning down and gently kissing her lips.

            Frieza was powerless to stop himself from kissing her, he'd been thinking about it since the moment he met her, but he made the contact brief so as not to frighten her, though this was incredibly difficult for him. Laylyn blinked up at him in surprise, her lips tingling and her body strangely warm. That intense look was back in his eyes, and it made her shiver. She was suddenly off balance, very nervous, and she babbled, "Well, we must be getting on to see my parents now," because she didn't know what else to do.

            She quickly made her way through the city, and Frieza followed close on her heels, a slight smile gracing his lips, because he knew he had caught her by surprise. The house she led him to was a beautiful concoction of stone, with great rising spires, three elaborate stories, and countless windows of light. It was more like a palace then a house, but Laylyn seemed oblivious to this fact as she led Frieza inside. The interior was just as lovely, decorated with bright, airy colors and so clean it seemed to shimmer. The lights inside hovered in the air, more toys of Magic, and everywhere he looked there were brooms sweeping and cloths dusting all on their own.

            Laylyn led him through the gigantic house with the ease of one who has lived there their whole life. First she took him to her rooms so she could set down the gifts they had bought one another, and though Frieza was curious to see what her quarters looked like, he was polite and waited for her in the hall. Then she led him through a long series of gleaming corridors that show cased small nature gardens rife with tiny native creatures. She stopped before a pair of enormous doors, and for an instant, Frieza thought he saw fear on her face. It was gone in an instant, but he reached out and gently squeezed her hand to reassure her. She glanced up at him with a shy smile, and it was then that the doors opened.

            The first sight her parents had of Frieza was of him standing in the doorway holding their daughter's hand, staring down at her like a love stricken boy. Laylyn's father was too startled by Frieza's odd appearance to take notice of the way the two were looking at one another, but her mother was not so obtuse, and immediately recognized the tale tell signs the couple was giving off.

            "And just where have you been all day, young lady?" Nychalys bellowed out at his daughter, his voice stern. "You just missed Thage. He was here looking for you."

            Laylyn stiffened at Frieza's side, her eyes narrowing. "I'm so terribly sorry I missed him father."

            "It is not me you should be apologizing to," her father barked, completely missing the sarcasm in her voice. "You would do well to remember that a Prince is not accustomed to being kept waiting, and a King even less so."

            Laylyn opened her mouth to tell him what she thought the Prince could go do but her mother, Laysynda, quickly interjected, "Please, dear, enough. Can you not see that our daughter has brought us a guest?"

            Nychalys spared a glare for Frieza. "That I can, my dear. Forgive me for being so rude, sir. I was just upset by my willful daughter's extended absence. Welcome to my home."

            Frieza frowned at the cold greeting, but he was hardly surprised by it. The Sivare were known to be isolationists, they did not like guests. Although Laylyn certainly did not seem to fit the stereotype. Perhaps because she was so stifled that she rebelled against her people's traditions. He sensed no malice in the man before him, but he did feel an overwhelming amount of arrogance. This man was the lord of his domain, and quite used to be being obeyed. A spirit as free as Laylyn's was no doubt a constant source of irritation for him, and Frieza could tell that Laylyn resented her father's domineering ways. He understood how overbearing parents could be; his own father was a veritable beast at times. He once again felt an urge to protect her from any harm, and he blandly commented, "Thank you sir, it is an honor, I am sure. I feel I must apologize, however, for your daughter's absence. She was detained from coming home because she was busy saving my life."

            All three Sivare turned to blink at him with the same expression of surprise. Though Frieza had addressed Nychalys as sir, his tone had been less then warm, almost as if he were chiding the other man. Which, he was. Nychalys was just not used to being called on his behavior. Laylyn was surprised he so readily admitted to being saved by a woman, she sensed he was a proud man and to admit to any need of rescuing had to be difficult for him. Of the three, Laysynda was the only one who truly understood what he had done. He was averting Nychalys' wrath from Laylyn onto himself, he was protecting her. Laysynda was certain neither her husband nor daughter was aware of this, but she definitely was. If she had harbored even the tiniest doubt that this man was infatuated with her daughter, it was now gone.

            An uneasy silence fell for a moment as Nychalys considered how to respond to his comment. Frieza's words had been congenial enough, in a backhanded way, and to be rude in reply would make Nychalys appear to be ill mannered. Laylyn was flattered by Frieza's acknowledgement that she had saved his life, but she knew her father was very angry with her at the moment and she did not wish to push him by making another snide comment like her earlier one. Laysynda was torn with being impressed by the stranger's desire to protect her daughter, and also being worried by it. Laylyn was as good as married, although she knew very well that her child had little liking for the union. This man could be trouble.

            "I see," Nychalys finally grumbled, his tone even less friendly then before. "And what were you doing that you needed rescuing from, stranger?"

            Frieza stiffened at the other man's hostile reply, his ire rising, but then Laylyn gently leaned into him, silently pleading with him to be understanding, and he calmed himself down with considerable effort. "I was simply listening to some rather captivating music beside a lake, and was attacked."

            "One of the Singing Serpents snared him, father," Laylyn rushed to explain.

            "And you survived?" Nychalys asked, clearly surprised. At Frieza's short nod, a new look of respect entered the other man's eyes. "Interesting. I have never heard of such a thing. But, more importantly, what were you doing loitering at that lake, and why were you there, Laylyn, when you were supposed to be training?"

            Now it was Laylyn who stiffened. "I had already finished my sparring, father. Rand is not even a challenge for me. I was there contemplating my bright, wonderful future."

            Again, there was sarcasm in her voice. Again, her father failed to notice. Frieza had to admire her spirit, although she was ruining his effort to draw her father's anger onto him instead of her. He wondered what she could be referring to. And as for why he was at the lake…he certainly wasn't going to tell the truth. But something similar to it.

            "I was at the lake because, as I said earlier, I heard the beautiful music these Singing Serpents make, and it drew me to the water, without me even realizing it. I had just landed and emerged from my ship to study my surroundings. I had heard of the wonders of Nayr, and was considering settling here," Frieza quietly explained.

            Nychalys regarded him with quiet speculation for several moments. "And what do you think of Nayr so far?"

            Frieza had to fight not to smile at the pride he heard in the other man's voice. Obviously Nychalys thought his world was a living paradise. Which it was. "I think it is one of the most magnificent planets I have ever seen."

            Nychalys gave a curt nod, pleased with this answer. "It is beautiful beyond comparison," he agreed. "I feel I should warn you that many of the inhabitants of this planet do not take kindly to outsiders. My people, for example. We Sivare are skilled in the use of Magic, and for this we are feared and mistreated. We have learned to keep strangers at a distance and under close watch. It seems you have befriended my daughter, so I will allow you to stay here until you decide if you wish to remain on this world or move on. But remember, as my guest I am responsible for you, and any action you might take will fall upon my family. Do you understand, boy?"

            Frieza had not been called a boy in ages, and certainly never by such a weakling as this. He was tempted to put the man in his place, but he did not wish to upset Laylyn, and so he simply said, "I understand, sir."

            "Good," Nychalys replied, smiling at the younger man with genuine warmth. "I am Nychalys Syndrylys, this radiant beauty is my wife Laysynda, and we are honored to have you here…?"

            Frieza gave a short bow to the elder man. "Frieza of the Ice-jins."

            "Laylyn, show your friend to the guest quarters. They are all vacant, he may stay wherever he pleases. Frieza, we come and go as we wish in this household, for the most part. Each of us has our duties, of course, but as a guest you will have none. The only formality we observe is dinner. All are expected to attend, and you are welcome to join us."

            With that, Nychalys turned and began speaking with his wife in a low voice, his conversation with Laylyn and Frieza obviously at an end. Laylyn led Frieza from the room quickly, relieved that her impending marriage had not been brought up. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Frieza glanced down at her with a wry smile.

            "What a charming man your father is."

            "Tell me about it," she muttered. "You should try living with him every day."

            "It looks like I am going to," he teasingly commented.

            She paused to smile up at him, but when their eyes met, a shiver passed through her as she recalled the way his lips had felt upon hers. Frieza felt her tremble and saw the bewildered look in her eyes, and knew exactly what she was thinking about. Knowing that she was thinking about the way he'd kissed her made him want to do it again. And since he was Frieza, master of all, he did. Only this time he did not settle for a short kiss. This time, he pulled her into his arms, wanting to feel her against him. His lips were still gentle, but more demanding. His tongue lightly slid against the curve of her mouth, and she opened to him. The taste of her was incredibly sweet, he found himself drowning in it, and he kissed her with increasing passion. Laylyn was intoxicated by the feel of his strong arms around her, the strength in his hard body as it pressed against hers, and the fire that seemed to leap between them. She wanted to touch him everywhere, she wanted to have him run his hands all over her in return, she wanted…

            Frieza abruptly released her, pulling away from her as quickly as he could without harming her. He was dangerously close to losing control of himself. Something that almost never happened to him, yet around her it seemed to be a common occurrence. She had some strange power over him, and he was independent enough to feel a little frightened of his reactions to her. Every taste of her left him wanting more, like an obsession. He had never belonged to another being in his life, but he could sense that the longer he remained in her presence, the more he would become hers.

            Laylyn was bewildered. One moment he was kissing her, the next he was standing away from her as if he couldn't bear to touch her, and there was an odd look in his eyes that she didn't understand. To cover her confusion, she said, "The guest quarters are this way."

            Frieza simply nodded and then followed her as she led him back through the house in the direction of her own rooms. He did not trust himself to speak or even look at her in that moment, afraid he would lose control and kiss her again, despite his fears. The walk seemed interminably long, strained and silent as it was. The guest quarters turned out to be right next door to her own, much to Frieza's mingled alarm and joy. He chose an enormous set of rooms that were across the hall from Laylyn's. She quickly showed him around, pausing to explain how to operate the gigantic natural geyser in his bathing chamber. It flowed out of the wall from near the ceiling, and pooled on the floor, forming both a shower and bath. It constantly ran and was always warm, but she informed him to simply ask aloud if he wished to change the temperature or pressure of the water.

            "I will come and get you when it is time for dinner," she calmly remarked as she left the room, still embarrassed by their kiss.

            Frieza watched her leave, letting her go against his will, but afraid to ask her to stay and too proud to explain his actions. He was Lord Frieza, Prince of the Ice-jins. He explained himself to no one. He needed to remain focused on his reason for being there. To observe the Sivare and their mastery of Magic. Not to chase after some girl like a fool. He was doing exactly what he had feared Zarbon would do, and that was unacceptable. He needed to put distance between them while he still could.

            Laylyn spent the next few hours pacing in her room. She was nervous, dazed and confused, and it was all Frieza's fault. They had been getting along so well until that second time he'd kissed her. She wondered if she'd done something wrong and somehow offended him. She wasn't sure, since she didn't have much experience with that kind of thing. She was too embarrassed to come right out and ask him she'd kissed him wrong. She dressed for dinner with care, changing the hue of her gown into a rich red that made her look quite alluring. She was very nervous when she walked up to his doors, but when Frieza emerged he seemed to be perfectly fine, without a care in the world. As if he'd never held her and kissed her with such passion.

            This annoyed Laylyn to no end, but she refused to let him know it. She gestured for him to follow her and then took off without saying a word.

            Behind her, Frieza visibly swayed and then leaned against the doors for a moment, trying to draw on his internal resolve and finding it difficult. She looked absolutely fantastic in red, and his fingers itched to touch her. But he vowed he would not. He had spent the afternoon going through his rooms, studying the way his bed made itself every time he so much as moved a pillow, the way the water in his shower would increase in pressure at his slightest command. Any time the Magic acted, he felt an enormous surge of power shift in the environment, but he was certain it was a collective effort rather then an individual one. The Sivare had built Seres using their Magic combined, and that was why the surges felt so intense. Individually, they were rather weak, but as a whole, the race was quite strong.

            He found that walking behind Laylyn was not a good idea, because his eyes were drawn to the firm curve of her back and the way her hips moved when she walked, so he quickly caught up with her. Once at her side, he found that was no better. He had an unimpeded view of her stunning cleavage and the way her breasts moved when she walked, and the scent of her was incredible. He began to sweat as his treacherous body tried to draw closer to her. He sensed the night was going to be hell.

             When they walked into what was no doubt the dining hall, Laylyn came to an abrupt halt, her eyes wide. Frieza looked around, taking in the sheer size of the room. The table could seat a hundred people with ease, and was elegantly set. At one end, he could see Laylyn's mother and father. But there was a third person with them, a man Frieza hadn't seen before. He was very attractive, by any race's standards, tall and well built, with a regal air that hinted at royalty. This man was looking at Laylyn in a most possessive way, and Frieza found himself wanting to tear the other man's eyes out. At his side, Laylyn had slowed down to almost a crawl, her face devoid of any expression. Frieza was about to ask her what was going on, when Nychalys rose and gestured them forward.

            "Here he is now, milord," Nychalys was saying as Frieza and Laylyn finally reached the table. "Frieza of the Ice-jins, I would like you to meet Lord Thage, Prince of the Sivare. Might as well introduce you right away, since Thage dines with us every night. He's practically family already, seeing as how he is engaged to my daughter."