"Wicked Game" Ch. 6
By Shawna
Katsu was disconsolate. Even she was not entirely sure why, but the rest of the day she dragged around as if trapped underwater, and nothing Shiro said could snap her out of it. He seemed genuinely upset by this fact and doted on her. Once he tried to kiss her on the lips, but she turned away and he ended up with a mouthful of her jaw line.
"What's wrong with you, Katsu?" He asked that evening, as they were getting ready to take out the dinner. "I'm seriously worried about you. Did Vegeta do something to you?" His face hardened at this and he clenched a fist.
"No," she said hastily. "He didn't do anything." Shiro eyed her suspiciously, but she just shrugged and looked away. There was no way she would tell him what happened. She could not get it out of her head, though; the way Vegeta's body had felt pressed against her, the hardness of his muscles, the feel of his hair, the heat of his skin, the way she could just barely feel the softness of his lips when he had come so close to kissing her. She shivered, feeling an electric tingle in her body. She didn't understand why thinking of what had happened should make her excited at all. He had said himself that he was drunk, and he had threatened to take her life if she told anyone about it. Why should he be so scared she might tell if he couldn't remember it himself?
He remembers it, she thought. He remembers exactly what he did and that's what he's scared of… everyone finding out that he came on to a servant. She had no intention of telling anyone, but she did not think they would believe her even if she did. She would most likely just get punished for lying, and Vegeta might even make good on his threat. She swallowed hard. Vegeta scared her, there was no doubt about that, but at the same time he excited her, drew her, aroused her. This thought caused a flush to come over her cheeks and she clenched her fists tight. She hated him as much as she was attracted to him; hated him for the things he had done and because she was attracted regardless. She had once been convinced that he hated her as well, but after what had happened on the previous night, she was no longer sure. Perhaps he had just been in desperate need of some company, and she had been most readily available. Or perhaps…
"I wish you would tell me what was bothering you," Shiro said, sounding frustrated by her reticence. She started when he spoke, her thoughts disrupted.
"Nothing's bothering me," she said again, firmly, irritated that he continued to ask her instead of accepting her silence and letting the matter rest. "I wish you would leave me alone about it. I just don't feel very good. My stomach hurts." This was an outright lie, and she hoped Shiro would not see through it. He did not look entirely convinced by this excuse, but said nothing for several moments.
"We better take out the dinner," he said softly when he finally did speak. He rose, moving away from her, taking up a tray of the food that had been prepared and leaving silently with it. Katsu watched him go, feeling suddenly bad for how she had acted. The last thing she wanted to do right now was alienate the only friend she had in this place. Shiro had always been kind to her, and he obviously cherished her as a little bit more than just a friend, given all of the kisses and embraces he had given her. At the same time, he did not pay all that much attention to her, given that she was the only one to whom he paid any attention at all. She was as confused about the true nature of Shiro's feelings as she was about Prince Vegeta in general.
"Are you going?" A kitchen maid asked irritably. "Shiro's waiting for you at the top of the stairs." Katsu looked up dully and then sighed as she rose. She picked up another of the trays and climbed slowly up the stairs, not making eye contact with Shiro when she met him at the top. He likewise said nothing, only pushing the door open and allowing her to go first. They walked to the dining room in silence.
"You know you have to go," the king was saying when Katsu and Shiro entered the room. "I don't want you to, of course not, but we don't have a choice. We must do as he asks…"
Vegeta held up a hand to silence his father, nodding his head toward Katsu and Shiro. The king looked at them, then back at Vegeta understandingly, and spoke no more. Katsu was instantly curious. It occurred to her that the things Vegeta had told her in his room the previous night probably had something to do with what his father had just been talking about. But what was that? Where did Vegeta have to go? And who could possibly command enough power that even these mighty Saiyans would fear him and do his bidding?
Shiro had to elbow Katsu to get her moving quickly again, towards the table. Her thoughts had absorbed her and she had been almost standing still in the middle of the dining room. She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts and storing away her current thought pattern for later. Vegeta's eyes were intent upon her face as she laid his tray down in front of him. She kept her eyes down nervously, but her gaze fell on his hand, resting on the table, and she saw the way it was tensed. Her gaze traveled up his arm, seeing that all his muscles were tensed. Her eyes fell briefly on his face, and she saw that he was staring at her, looking half angry. She looked away quickly, turning her back to him and hurrying out of the room. Shiro followed more slowly behind her. The heavy doors closed behind them, and then the king resumed talking to Vegeta, but his voice was too muffled for Katsu to make out his words. She hurried down the hall, leaving Shiro behind her, her thoughts a confused turmoil and her curiosity piqued by what she had heard.
It was later that night, as Katsu was just about to change into her sleeping clothes that her wrist cuff sounded. She groaned, feeling tired, not wanting to drag herself back up the stairs to see what the prince wanted. Refusing to obey the prince was not an option, however, so she dutifully left the servants' quarters, heading quickly back up the stairs, eager to see what he wanted so she could go to bed. It did occur to her to be a bit nervous as to how the prince might be acting this time, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she swallowed her fear and went a little faster.
She knocked upon reaching the door, something she barely noticed doing anymore, as it had become habitual. It had also become habitual to enter just after knocking, when nothing but silence was heard, so she did this as well. A light was on the room and the drapes were drawn, which was unusual, as the prince normally just opened the window to the light of the moon and stars. Tonight was exceptionally bright, as well, as Katsu could tell by the glowing silver line that crept in under the curtains. The moon must be brilliantly full and she wondered why Vegeta would shut it away.
She glanced around, not seeing Vegeta in his usual chair or on the bed. She took a few more steps into the room. The bathroom door stood open; the light was on, streaming into the main room, and she could see herself in the large mirror on the wall, but the bathroom itself was clearly empty. She heard a very soft rustle behind her and braced, about to whirl around when Vegeta's hand slipped around her, flattening on her upper chest as he pulled her backwards, against him. She gasped as he pressed his lips against the back of her ear.
"I trust you haven't told anyone about what happened," he said softly, his voice having its usual sharp edge. His other hand came up and wrapped lightly around her neck. "I wouldn't want to have to kill you now."
She squirmed, but it was impossible to break out of his grasp. "I haven't told anyone," she said desperately, chills sweeping through her body as his hand tightened slightly on her neck and his other hand slid lower on her chest. Her stomach felt like it was twisted in knots, but for some reason it felt almost good, despite her fear. She willed herself to relax, to stop fearing him, because she knew he could sense it. She took a deep breath, eased her tightened muscles.
Vegeta snorted. "Yes," he said sarcastically. "Relax your body. Then I won't think you're scared."
She cursed inwardly. He had known what she was trying to do.
"I know you fear me," he said silkily. "All I have to do is clench my fist and you become terrified. You're just like the others in that respect. However, you don't cower like them. Its one thing I think I like about you: you don't act like a sniveling dog around me."
He was right, Katsu did fear him, but she was surprised that he had said anything along the lines of liking something about her. She had little time to think about it, though, as a second later she felt something sliding up her leg. She squirmed again, but Vegeta was holding her tightly now and she could barely move. She reached a hand back as far as she could with Vegeta's arms around hers and her fingers just barely touched something covered in soft fur. It was the prince's tail that she was touching, and it was definitely his tail that was sliding up her leg. Her breath quickened and her muscles tensed again without her volition as his tail slid up under her dress, up her outer thigh.
Vegeta's chest was rock-hard against her back, and it rose sharply, falling back again quickly as he exhaled, warm and heavy against the back of her neck. She felt flushed, and as they had the night before, her nerves seemed to stand on end, and she was sensitive to every sensation in her body. She could feel the curves of Vegeta's muscles against her back and the backs of her legs. She straightened her arms, reaching them back slightly until she could touch the outer sides of Vegeta's thighs, and she gripped lightly at the perfect muscle curve she found there. He breathed in sharply, his hand sliding down fully onto her chest. His other hand still gripped her neck, and he used it to force her head to one side. He nuzzled the newly revealed skin of her neck, breathing deeply, inhaling her smell. She moaned lightly when he ran his lips across the pale and sensitive flesh. She realized suddenly that her eyes had been closed since she had first felt his tail on her leg, the tail which was now sliding up and down her inner thigh. She opened her eyes, and saw herself reflected in the bathroom mirror, Vegeta wrapped around her from behind, his lips pressed against her neck. He looked up then, too, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror. For a moment they stared at each other in the reflection, and then Vegeta's face hardened, and he released her, taking a step back, away from her and out of the mirror's range. Katsu was left feeling cold in the places where he had been in contact with her, and confused as to why he suddenly pulled away. She turned around to face him.
His back was already to her. "You're dismissed now," he said casually as he walked away, all his previous ardor gone. She stood staring after him, amazed at his attitude; the way he acted as though absolutely nothing had just been happening. He stopped walking, turned his head to glare at her.
"I said you were dismissed," he growled. "Why are you still here?"
She blinked a few times in rapid succession. His eyes narrowed, so she turned and walked calmly out of the room, still feeling shocked about what had just transpired.
She had barely made it into the stairwell when she broke down, collapsing against the wall, pounding her fists on it in a fit of rage. What is he doing to me? Is he just playing with me again? Is this a game to him? She could not understand his actions. One minute he drew her to him intimately, and as soon as things got hot enough, he backed out. He had yet to even kiss her on the lips, and she was doubting that he would ever get that far. She fumed, and her body felt suffused by her powerful rage. She stood, breathing deeply, feeling it coming over her. But why did she want him to? She cursed herself for every kind of a fool, taking any pleasure from the touch of one who had caused her so much pain. She would not let him touch her again. She swore to herself that if he tried anything, she would fight back, even if it meant getting killed. She would not let that monster take any pleasure from her body, the body he had told her so many times didn't interest him.
The more she thought about, the more her anger, frustration, and bitter disappointment soared beyond anything she had felt before. Her fist clenched, and she drew it back, feeling as though she was in slow motion. She slammed her fist into the wall, and it broke through with a splintering crash. She froze, shocked at what she had just done, and the warm feeling in her body vanished. She stared at her fist, imbedded in the stairwell wall. She had never thought she was anywhere near strong enough to put her fist through one of these walls. A few seconds later, the stairwell door was thrown open and the prince stood atop the stairs, looking down at her. His eyes widened when he saw her slowly draw her fist out of the wall. She turned to look at him, and there was fear in her eyes, not just of him, but of what she had just done. She looked for a few seconds, and then she turned and ran down the stairs. He did not follow her.
She hurried down the stairs in a sort of haze, wondering what had come over her in the stairwell, remembering how her anger had increased and seemed to spread throughout her until she had the burst of strength that had sent her fist through the wall. Something inside her told her that amplifying her power like she had just done was something natural, something she could do quite easily when she was angry enough. It was another memory, a memory of being trained on her planet to harness the energy that all of her people naturally created. She stopped in her tracks, letting the memory sink into her brain. She had been trained to fight, trained to increase her power with her anger as she had just done. She was not a born fighter, but she could be a strong fighter nonetheless. A feeling of excitement ran through her; she had power. She could test her power on the guards, see if when she amplified she was stronger than these Saiyans. Her ability might be her ticket to freedom.
**To be continued…**
