A/N: Um, ok in this one it helps if you have a better understanding of Dark Jewels because it brings in a couple of characters who play major parts for a bit. If you haven't read any Anne Bishop it's important to understand that before Lucivar and Daemon moved to Kaeleer and joined Jaenelle's court that they hated most females and would frequently kill/destroy the witches/courts they were forced to serve. I had planned on more Vegeta, but somehow this turned out more of a Bulma having issues thing… o.O Sorry 'bout that… kinda ^.~
Priceless Jewels
Chapter 25- The Mist
"Perfect!" His lips curled in a sly upward smile as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, gently stroking her face on the other side. "Let me tell you a secret about your beloved grandfather, little one… He lied. The Twilight's Dawn is neither the only one of its kind nor is it the most priceless jewel to ever exist." His soft laughter drifted through the mist eerily, tinged with a hint of madness.
…He lied… He lied…He lied…She felt the caress of his hand in the back of her mind, but she was too focused on trying to block out the words that rang mockingly in her ears, swam in her brain.
No, he didn't lie! He would never lie to me! Not about grandmother! Never about Jaenelle, never… never, never, never… NEVER!!!
~The Keep~
Bulma had gone in to make the Offering early Monday morning. In the four days since then Vegeta had trained with the Supreme Kai and learned about Blood laws and the protocol of Court from Saetan and Geoffrey, even a few craft lessons from Draca. Almost against his will, he was developing a deep respect for her family, for her culture. This was a society not so different from the one that he came from, as long as you looked below the surface.
Years before one of his illustrious ancestors had decided that his people's skills would be better applied by hiring out as mercenaries; the Saiyans had lived by a code very similar to the one embraced by the Blood. He had planned on restoring such values as soon as he became the King. More than anything else, more than the torture and beatings, more than purging missions on planets that had been friends with and allied to Vegeta-sai, he hated Freeza for that. He hated the evil, gender-confused lizard for destroying his dream for his people before they could become what they had the sheer potential to be. And Kakarott… He cut that thought short, struggling to bury it again because he knew his hateful resentment for the younger saiyan hurt his mate.
"I see you're wearing the ring," a deep baritone voice observed, jerking Vegeta from his thoughts, causing him to look up from his plate. He nodded, cautiously polite, as both Saetan and Geoffrey sat down, joining him.
"You didn't come in to eat with everyone else," the Keep's Librarian pointed out at almost the exact same instant.
"I stayed after for a bit to keep training," he responded to the challenge in Geoffrey's tone rather than deal with the implications he knew came with the High Lord's statement.
"I see."
"I doubt it."
They both were sitting comfortably in front of him, one slightly more to his right, the other his left, but both where they could easily see him… and be seen by him. Patient hunters both, they waited. And waited. And waited. Vegeta was being surprisingly stubborn. They glanced at each other with, a look of understanding passing between them before Saetan cleared his throat and tried again.
"Prince Vegeta, you are aware of the ramifications of accepting that ring aren't you?"
"I thought you already explained that, didn't you?" Vegeta asked softly, allowing an edge to come into his voice. "Or do you disapprove of my decision?"
"No, I don't disapprove. Not that my approval is an issue here," Saetan's golden eyes narrowed dangerously when Vegeta gave a grunt of agreement and started to eat his food again. The High Lord received a sharp mental jab from Geoffrey, who earned a small snarl for his efforts. Saetan carefully cleared his throat before continuing. "However, we just wanted to be sure you understood exactly what you were getting into. And that you were aware that Bulma would wish to be hand fasted."
"What's that?" Vegeta asked without looking up, although they felt the sudden dismay in his psychic scent, saw the tension in his shoulders.
"Oh nothing much. Just what the landens in Terreille refer to as marriage." They noticed the slight stiffness leave his shoulders and the small smirk cross his lips.
"Unnecessary."
"Oh, and how's that?" Bulma's grandfather asked with a sudden chill in his voice.
"We're already mated and bonded. Such a thing is pointless, and nowhere near as binding. Of course we can do so if it makes her feel better, but I personally see no point in it."
"Bonded?" Geoffrey asked at the same time Saetan demanded, "Mated?"
But before Vegeta could respond Bulma's other cousin Saediar's mental shout reached them.
*THE KEEP'S UNDER ATTACK!!!!! CONSTRUCTS!!! THERE'RE THOUSANDS OF THEM!!!!! *
All three men, jumped up…
~The Abyss~
Bulma turned around slowly, frightened, searching for any sound. The mist that had once been such a comfort when she descended into the abyss now an enemy that hid the danger waiting for her. She heard a soft noise behind her, it sounded like a small foot scraping against some flagstones. She whirled around and faced the direction the noise had come from. She relaxed when her mother's calm face appeared, golden hair piled atop her head with small silver combs. She was clothed in deep red spider silk and stared at Bulma with the clear blue eyes Bulma only saw that way when they were in the Abyss.
"Mama? What are you doing here? Never mind, I'm so relieved you're here! I was scared Mama!" She leapt forward to cling to her mother's comforting presence. Bulma abruptly froze when her cold voice rang out clearly like a frozen bell.
"Don't touch me." Bulma fell back a step, stared at her mother in confusion.
"What- Mama? I don't understand…" The icy blue eyes burned through her as her mother's face twisted in hatred.
"How dare you try to touch me after what you did to me?!" the older woman hissed furiously.
"Did to you?" Bulma asked in a small voice, hesitantly reaching one hand toward her mother. The tiny woman shrank back in revulsion from Witch's human hand that ended in sheathed claws.
"Look at me now, at what I became after I birthed you! This is what I was before you came into my life! Look at yourself! You're a monster! It's no wonder I slipped into the Twisted Kingdom after I saw what I had brought into the world. It was the only way I could deal with the horror I felt at your birth, with the disappointment in your father's eyes!"
Bulma's body flinched as she felt each word strike at her mind and heart like a blow. "You…you fell into the Twisted Kingdom because of me? That's… why you act you so confused all the time? You went… insane… because you…" she had to pause to gulp back the sob threatening to escape, "couldn't stand the sight of me?"
"Exactly. You're the reason that I'm no longer what you see before you now. In the Abyss is the only place that I can be whole because of you! I just came here now to tell you never to come back home again, ever. Or I swear I'll do what I should have done when you were an infant! Trust me, my resentment is such now that I won't hesitate to kill you!" The blonde woman turned her back and glided back into the mist.
"Kill me? Kami! Mama, no! Don't leave me here alone! Please, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, but I'm stronger now I can save you! Please just let me help! Mama, please don't leave me alone… I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, don't leave me…" Bulma fell to the stone floor weeping as her mother's figure vanished without a backward glance.
"You know, you shouldn't let that bother you so much Bulma," a familiar voice said, "If I were you I'd be more worried about what the Sadist will do to you when he realizes that you were responsible for Jaenelle's death."
"Uncle Lucivar?" Bulma asked, through the sobs wracking her body, looking up to see the long black hair, the lazy arrogant smile. He sat on top of the altar and the smile he gifted her with couldn't hide the rage and loathing in his hard cold eyes.
"I'll get whatever's left of you of course. Compensation for killing my sister, maybe Daemon'll even let me help." He launched himself into the sky and his dark wings huge against the roiling mist, until he vanished as completely as her mother had.
"Responsible for… No, she didn't die because of me! She died because of the presence in the Abyss… didn't she?" Silence greeted her query, accusing and heartless.
"No." The seductive, cruel voice shivered along her skin, the hatred undisguised in it. Bulma jerked toward the sound of the voice and stared.
"Grandpa Daemon? I thought you were dead…"
"Wrong again little witch," the beautiful face was sculpted into a hard mask. The malevolent smile chilled her, and something savage glittered behind his sleepy glazed eyes. A ring of ice formed around his feet and Bulma began to tremble as he walked toward her.
~The Keep~
"It looks like they're coming back again," Daemonar observed. Goku and Vegeta nodded in agreement. The astral constructs had begun their attack hours ago, swarming in and then suddenly falling back, attacking in no discernable pattern. Each wave had been met with the combined jeweled strength of the Kaeleer born males and the strength of the Terreillian fighters' energy attacks. Even the Supreme Kai had added his power to defending the Keep. As it stood now, half of the males who had helped defend the castle were wounded and thirty-seven were dead. They all launched themselves into the air to meet the creatures that were rushing toward them yet again…
~The Abyss~
"Grandpa? What's going on? What did you mean?" Bulma asked, terrified by the cold rage now being directed at her. She had never seen her grandfather look like this, never seen the side others referred to as the Sadist.
"Let me make this simple little Witch," he bit off. "You're a queen and Jaenelle might actually have cared for you, so I can't punish you for killing another queen even if it is the one I served faithfully for years and your own grandmother. And there is no law against murder among the Blood. So instead I will demand another price for my loss… how about your prince?" his lips twisted into a malicious smile on the last word.
"Vegeta?! No! You can't kill Vegeta! I WON'T LET YOU!!" Bulma screamed at the evil double of Daemon Sadi.
"And just how are you going to stop me? Listen well, I was killing Terreillian queens long before we tried to waste our time making something good come from the mistake that was your birth you ungrateful little bitch!" he grabbed her wrists, grinding her delicate bones together until they were about ready to break. "I'd go ahead and kill you anyway but that would be too easy for you. I want you to suffer as I have suffered Lady. And it is a fair trade. My love for your love, granddaughter." He shoved her back to the ground and strode off into the darkening mist, leaving only vicious laughter in his wake.
Bulma stood up and reaching out a hand stumbled blindly into the fog, began running after his retreating figure. Amused golden eyes gleefully watched her. Soon she would wander into the Twisted Kingdom, freely without being pushed. The watching figure's lips curved into a gentle, angelic smile.
And all of the threads would then be in place…
Awww, aren't Saetan and Geoffrey so cute when they're into the protective father, 'If you don't agree to marry her I'm gonna beat your ass' mode? That's about the only thing I can think of offhand after writing all that. . Sad isn't it? Oh well, Daniela has a cool story called Sinister One you need to check out! Also we've updated Dark Fools and it's listed under Grimsister if you want to check it out. ^_^ *hint, hint *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thanks for Reviews~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Empress Sarah-sama: I haven't given you his name yet so don't worry about it too much, lol. As to his screwing things up, well you can't be too surprised that he's giving it his best shot here... Icia was right; it was really weird in Harry Potter that so many people acted shocked that the bad guy drank the unicorn's blood, especially when you consider that he was the bad guy. I'm glad you're getting into it though. ^.^
Sailor Purgatory: It warms my heart to know that you approve of my description. I really didn't think it came out right, especially since I got my Invisible Ring book and found the Shalador fire dance ritual described in it… but I was rather satisfied with it overall. Please be gentle on Vegeta, it wasn't anything personal, just the protective instincts of a Warlord prince kicking in (amplified by his basic Saiyan nature) so all things considered he was actually being very well behaved toward Geoffrey. ^.~ Thanks for the review.
Raksha: O.O Sorry that my cliffies cause you extreme mental trauma when coupled with Fanfiction being down… Lol, I'll try to have a new chapter in my Surreal fic up by today or tomorrow, FF.net permitting. At any rate, the new villain should be revealed in the next chapter or so and well, he's kind of different… but I like him. Thanks for your support and the Darkness embrace you dark sister.
