Chapter 6 - Meeting for Brunch
Buruma awoke to a loud knocking on her chamber door. She stood up groggily and moved towards the entrance to her 'apartment' as she had come to call it. The door opened with a swish and Radditzu entered.
"Have you been out there all night?" Buruma asked with a yawn.
He nodded, "I have guard duty. The prince has requested you join him for Brunch. You are to dress appropriately-" he took that moment to study the training spandex she still wore, "-and meet him in one Chikyuu hour."
She crossed her arms in a failed attempt to cover herself. "I don't even know the guy and he's asking me on a date!" she sighed, "Fine, where am I supposed to meet the prince?"
"I will escort you there. Get ready now, the prince is not a patient man." The door swished shut again.
"You think I haven't already figured that out!" she stuck her tongue out at the closed door. "Baka-yarou."
Buruma stormed into her bedroom and to the shower. "What kind of man goes around ordering me like I'm his puppet. Humph, baka Saiya-jin no ouji. I'll show him not to mess with Buruma Briefs!"
*****
One hour later, Buruma was following Radditzu to meet the prince. She wore a light blue sundress and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She tromped after the Saiya-jin before her with her matching Chikyuu flip-flops.
Radditzu stopped before two large silver doors and pushed them open. Buruma entered the large room. It was nowhere near the size of the throne room, but it was large nonetheless. Radditzu remained beside the doors as she walked deeper into the room. There was a long table set with many different kinds of foods and next to it a much smaller table set for two. On one wall, three huge windows let bright light filter into the room.
In front of one of these windows stood the prince. His hair seemed to resist gravity like black flames. He was not wearing the crimson cape he had before, but was now dressed in black spandex and royal armor. His white- gloved hands were folded in front of his chest and he didn't budge as Buruma timidly walked closer to the center of the room.
"Leave us, Radditzu." The Saiya-jin saluted and left the room. "You are late, onna." He didn't break his gaze out the paneled window.
Her tiny fists clenched tightly against her sides. "My sincerest apologies, your majesty, but I had to wash my hair," She spoke sarcastically through tightly gritted teeth.
His head turned, and he met her eyes dead on. "Do you take me as a fool?"
She practically snorted her reply, "Do you take me as a slave?"
He appeared within arms reach of her and smirked. "Why else would you be here, onna?"
She growled and threw a fist in his face. He easily caught her fist and moved it away. "How dare you," she said. "You take me from my home and bring me here just so you can insult me. Have you no respect?"
His eyes lowered to the tiny fist he still held. "I have plenty. Do you for your betters? Did you for your parents?"
"Who are you to speak of my parents?"
He turned her fist over and opened her palm. "I know much about your father's ingenious, and I knew of his daughter who is said to possess even more knowledge than himself." He traced the lines on her open palm with a gloved finger.
Buruma pulled her hand away from his touch. "What is it you want, Saiya- jin?"
"To put it bluntly, your intelligence, your influence." He held his hands behind his back and walked around to her back. ".your grace," he whispered in her ear.
She spun around quickly. He was gone. "Childish games." she whispered.
"Au Contraire." She gasped as she found him facing her again. "Have a seat." He gestured towards the smaller table set for two.
She sat down and crossed her legs. "What is it you want me to do?"
Prince Vejita sat across from her and clapped his hands. Three alien slaves came from another door opposite where Buruma entered. They served the two and left as quickly as they had come. Buruma took a sip of her drink and awaited the prince's answer. He smirked at her again. 'What is it that makes his smirk so sexy?' Buruma thought. Her blue eyebrows lowered.
"My people have been under a treaty with an Tsiru-jin tyrant named Furieza for a very long time. My father grows old and tired of dealing with such affairs. I, myself, worked for Furieza for many years and have seen well how he works. I have the scars to prove it. He has used Saiya-jins to do his dirty work by making us purge planets and put them under his rule." He took a sip of his wine before continuing. "He knows how dangerous we can be and has decided he no longer needs us. Therefore a war has broken out, and things for my planet are looking grim."
"Good," Buruma commented.
His eyes flickered with anger. "Chikyuu was not one of the planets on the Tsiru-jin's list to be purged."
"Then why did you bring such chaos to my planet?"
"Quiet! I am not finished yet." His lip curled in an abrasive way. "We went to Chikyuu for the simple task of retrieving a lost Saiya-jin that was sent to your planet years before our arrival. The infant was sent on a purging mission ordered by the king of Vejita-sei. My father saw things on your planet that would benefit our culture."
Buruma stood up, her chair fell back and she slammed her palms against the table. "You want me to help you? Well you got another thing coming, pal. I would rather die than help the people that practically destroyed my planet and killed my family!" She turned and ran for the door she entered in.
Prince Vejita growled and stood up. He flashed before her and lifted her by the throat. "Don't test me, onna. I am not a power to tamper with!" He squeezed a little harder. Buruma grabbed his wrists, trying to ease the pressure on her throat. She opened her eyes and looking into his onyx pools. Inside she saw a flash of desperation and loneliness. She choked out. He released her throat and she fell to the floor, coughing. "You will help me, Buruma Briefs. If you give us the technology we lack, we will finally be able to defeat Furieza. You would be saving billions of lives, including your own."
She held her throat tenderly, "That would not save the billions that have already been lost."
He growled softly and walked out of the room. Buruma stood up shakily and exited the room. Radditzu was outside and glared at her. "Things did not go well." It was more of a statement than it was a question.
"T-take me to a doctor." Buruma choked out.
Buruma awoke to a loud knocking on her chamber door. She stood up groggily and moved towards the entrance to her 'apartment' as she had come to call it. The door opened with a swish and Radditzu entered.
"Have you been out there all night?" Buruma asked with a yawn.
He nodded, "I have guard duty. The prince has requested you join him for Brunch. You are to dress appropriately-" he took that moment to study the training spandex she still wore, "-and meet him in one Chikyuu hour."
She crossed her arms in a failed attempt to cover herself. "I don't even know the guy and he's asking me on a date!" she sighed, "Fine, where am I supposed to meet the prince?"
"I will escort you there. Get ready now, the prince is not a patient man." The door swished shut again.
"You think I haven't already figured that out!" she stuck her tongue out at the closed door. "Baka-yarou."
Buruma stormed into her bedroom and to the shower. "What kind of man goes around ordering me like I'm his puppet. Humph, baka Saiya-jin no ouji. I'll show him not to mess with Buruma Briefs!"
*****
One hour later, Buruma was following Radditzu to meet the prince. She wore a light blue sundress and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She tromped after the Saiya-jin before her with her matching Chikyuu flip-flops.
Radditzu stopped before two large silver doors and pushed them open. Buruma entered the large room. It was nowhere near the size of the throne room, but it was large nonetheless. Radditzu remained beside the doors as she walked deeper into the room. There was a long table set with many different kinds of foods and next to it a much smaller table set for two. On one wall, three huge windows let bright light filter into the room.
In front of one of these windows stood the prince. His hair seemed to resist gravity like black flames. He was not wearing the crimson cape he had before, but was now dressed in black spandex and royal armor. His white- gloved hands were folded in front of his chest and he didn't budge as Buruma timidly walked closer to the center of the room.
"Leave us, Radditzu." The Saiya-jin saluted and left the room. "You are late, onna." He didn't break his gaze out the paneled window.
Her tiny fists clenched tightly against her sides. "My sincerest apologies, your majesty, but I had to wash my hair," She spoke sarcastically through tightly gritted teeth.
His head turned, and he met her eyes dead on. "Do you take me as a fool?"
She practically snorted her reply, "Do you take me as a slave?"
He appeared within arms reach of her and smirked. "Why else would you be here, onna?"
She growled and threw a fist in his face. He easily caught her fist and moved it away. "How dare you," she said. "You take me from my home and bring me here just so you can insult me. Have you no respect?"
His eyes lowered to the tiny fist he still held. "I have plenty. Do you for your betters? Did you for your parents?"
"Who are you to speak of my parents?"
He turned her fist over and opened her palm. "I know much about your father's ingenious, and I knew of his daughter who is said to possess even more knowledge than himself." He traced the lines on her open palm with a gloved finger.
Buruma pulled her hand away from his touch. "What is it you want, Saiya- jin?"
"To put it bluntly, your intelligence, your influence." He held his hands behind his back and walked around to her back. ".your grace," he whispered in her ear.
She spun around quickly. He was gone. "Childish games." she whispered.
"Au Contraire." She gasped as she found him facing her again. "Have a seat." He gestured towards the smaller table set for two.
She sat down and crossed her legs. "What is it you want me to do?"
Prince Vejita sat across from her and clapped his hands. Three alien slaves came from another door opposite where Buruma entered. They served the two and left as quickly as they had come. Buruma took a sip of her drink and awaited the prince's answer. He smirked at her again. 'What is it that makes his smirk so sexy?' Buruma thought. Her blue eyebrows lowered.
"My people have been under a treaty with an Tsiru-jin tyrant named Furieza for a very long time. My father grows old and tired of dealing with such affairs. I, myself, worked for Furieza for many years and have seen well how he works. I have the scars to prove it. He has used Saiya-jins to do his dirty work by making us purge planets and put them under his rule." He took a sip of his wine before continuing. "He knows how dangerous we can be and has decided he no longer needs us. Therefore a war has broken out, and things for my planet are looking grim."
"Good," Buruma commented.
His eyes flickered with anger. "Chikyuu was not one of the planets on the Tsiru-jin's list to be purged."
"Then why did you bring such chaos to my planet?"
"Quiet! I am not finished yet." His lip curled in an abrasive way. "We went to Chikyuu for the simple task of retrieving a lost Saiya-jin that was sent to your planet years before our arrival. The infant was sent on a purging mission ordered by the king of Vejita-sei. My father saw things on your planet that would benefit our culture."
Buruma stood up, her chair fell back and she slammed her palms against the table. "You want me to help you? Well you got another thing coming, pal. I would rather die than help the people that practically destroyed my planet and killed my family!" She turned and ran for the door she entered in.
Prince Vejita growled and stood up. He flashed before her and lifted her by the throat. "Don't test me, onna. I am not a power to tamper with!" He squeezed a little harder. Buruma grabbed his wrists, trying to ease the pressure on her throat. She opened her eyes and looking into his onyx pools. Inside she saw a flash of desperation and loneliness. She choked out. He released her throat and she fell to the floor, coughing. "You will help me, Buruma Briefs. If you give us the technology we lack, we will finally be able to defeat Furieza. You would be saving billions of lives, including your own."
She held her throat tenderly, "That would not save the billions that have already been lost."
He growled softly and walked out of the room. Buruma stood up shakily and exited the room. Radditzu was outside and glared at her. "Things did not go well." It was more of a statement than it was a question.
"T-take me to a doctor." Buruma choked out.