****************Chapter 5~ Whispers of a Deadly Secret************

The dusty red sun was beginning to set as Parsnal left Trunks in the hands of those who would ready him for the coronation, seven of the highest ranking servants, and four armoured guards, clothed in red and gold armour, showing they served the Prince. The five of the seven servants had a band of gold from one shoulder to their opposite hip, showing the same thing, the other two had blue strips, a sign they worked for the Council. Parsnal knew it would be these two the guards would be keeping their eye on the most.

"Come, Lushka." Parsnal said, beckoning her to follow as he escorted her back to her mother's rooms.

She picked up her heavy skirts and trotted after him till she caught up. "Lady Lushka." She insisted, walking beside him.

"Ha! A child such as you has yet to meet the standards of a Lady." He snorted, setting a fast pace to make it deliberately difficult for Lushka to keep up.

Lushka frowned, her elegant brows knotting together, he was referring to her chest size, again, and she knew it. "You will call me Lady when I am Queen. You will bow before my feet and call me Majesty." Lushka spoke with absolute confidence, she gave him a you're-not-worth-my-time look, one that included an eye roll.

"Until that day, child, keep up the acting, he was fooled."

*I wasn't acting* Lushka thought in defence, though she knew to be lying to herself, she glared at Parsnal but he wasn't looking. *I was not fully feigning friendship, I was...* "Who are you to speak of the Prince so informally." The girl changed the subject rapidly, " 'he', what happened to 'His Highness'? You cannot think getting close to Prince Vegita will earn you a closer seat to the throne."

"Can't I?" Drawled Parsnal, then called to a guard dressed in Council blue. "Take the young Lady home." He ordered.

"Indeed I was sent to find her, milord." The guard bowed to both of them. "Come, milady, you mother wishes you to begin preparations for tonight." He swept a hand forward, indicating that Lushka walk ahead of him. Without a second glance at Parsnal she stuck her nose in the air and stalked off, an air of bruised dignity about her.

Parsnal almost mirrored her action, after watching the guard disappear as the hallway curved back towards the east, where Lady Maroda's rooms lay. He did not poke his nose in the air, but he stalked off in the opposite direction. He too had plans to ready for tonight.

Trunks sat in some unfamiliar room, wearing unfamiliar clothes. He had been washed, dried, dressed, plucked, preened, brushed, shoed, he had new gloves, black ones, and black boots also. He was wearing a red shirt and breeches that fit so perfectly he knew he was going to have trouble getting out of them, the clothes had been practically sewed on him. Over top of his red, he wore a gold tunic that stopped mid thigh, belted by a black belt with a silver clasp. A cloak of more gold and red fell off his shoulders.

The servants dressed him, the same four he had seen that dawn, while the fifth, the female who had bought his breakfast, worked on his hair. Trunks sat still under the eyes of Lady Maroda, eyes that said if he moved of protested he would get it. They did not say what he would get, and Trunks was unwilling to find out. *Let them trust me to keep still.* He though. *And they will begin trusting me with more.*

"What colour scouter will he be wearing?" Maroda's sharp voice cut the silence in the spacious room.

"Red, milady." Said the female. Trunks made a mental note to find out her name, and the other four names, he couldn't keep calling them The Female, Bulky Arms, Crew Cut, Halftail and The Short One, it wasn't right.

"This will all clash horribly with his hair, you know that?" Maroda asked, in accusing tones.

The female nodded slightly, and Maroda looked down her pretty long nose at the shorter woman. "So dye it, black." Said Maroda. "Begging my Lord's pardon, but Your Highness's first royal presentation says a good deal about Your Highness's palace to the visiting Lords. The dye will wash out, I dare say ladies will swoon over Your Majesty's natural colour." She noted, and shooed Crew Cut off to find some black hair dye.

"I must leave to finish my daughters preparations." Maroda said. She curtsied to Trunks. "I look forward to seeing my Lord tonight, Prince Vegita." She said, and, her voice quiet, she said to the female servant; "I trust you shall not make a mess of his lordship's hair, girl. One drop out of place and the whole palace will know exactly who you are." The female shuddered and curtsied low, her throat closed in terror at the threat.

Trunks frowned in confusion, what had she meant by that?

"Miss?" He asked, not knowing how else to address her. The girl snapped her head towards him, and curtsied again.

"Yes milord?" Her voice was small and shaky.

"What is your name?" Trunks asked, taking her by surprise.

"Names are not for the serving class, milord, names are for nobles, and royalty."

"So your parents never gave you a name? Surely you call yourself something, all four of you." Trunks insisted.

The three males chorused, "no milord." The female saying the same just after, shaking her head as well, eyes on the floor. They were lying, Trunks could tell, no one could go nameless, even the androids had had to call themselves something. People went mad, else. Maybe it was different with Saiyan's, but he wouldn't believe that.

**************

An hour later Trunks stood in front of the long mirror, his now black hair pulled tightly back in the same style as the previous night, in a pony tail in the very centre of the back of his head, all hairs accounted for within the gold band that kept his hair together. The female was on her knees as his side, straightening the tunic out. "Very nice Prince Vegita." Trunks saw Parsnal in the mirror as he came in, and turned to greet him. "It is very nearly time to go. Guests will begin arriving in under an hour, and you need to be seated at the throne to greet them as they arrive." Parsnal said. "Is he ready?" He asked the female.

Trunks interrupter before she could say anything. "Yes yes, I couldn't be more ready if I tried. Let's go." He urged, sick of being treated like...well, a prince.

Parsnal almost-smiled in what looked like amusement. "Very well." He said. "Have his Majesties room ready for when he returns." He told the female, who hadn't said a word since Trunks had asked her her name, although he had tried to make her talk, and the others, but they remained stubbornly silent but for 'yes milord' and 'no milord'. She curtsied deeply, and he gave her a meaningful look Trunks couldn't fathom.

"Come prince Vegita." Parsnal said, and Trunks, giving her a confused What Was That Look About? look, left before him. Parsnal followed, but turned his head over his shoulder to look back at her once more. "Mess this up and the secret's out." He said quietly, making sure Trunks was out of earshot. The same look came over the female's face as after Maroda's threat. She nodded her head obediently, eyes closed.

"Parsnal?" Trunks asked, after realising the man wasn't following him. Parsnal turned back to Trunks.

"At your service, your Majesty."

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