Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing! Oh, except for my character Taita. Other than that, I own—you guessed it—nothing!

Once again, I'd like to thank ShadowObscurity and Albinofrog88 for your great feedback. Without you two I probably would have given up on this story. You guys are great! And an extra thanks to ShadowObscurity for your help with my type problem. It did work, as you can see. And since you both are such loyal readers, I'm going to treat you to the following little scene, featuring me the psycho, and…well, just read on! And if you are offended by my use of your author names, feel free to tell me or, uh, I don't know, threaten my life or something.

SCENE:

Me: "First of all I want to say hello again and thank my legions of loyal fans." *crickets chirping* *a lone person coughs* *a tumbleweed rolls by* "Okay, okay, so I don't have a lot of fans, but--" *realizes room is now empty* "Dang."

*door opens* Me: "Oh hey, it's you, Albinofrog88 and ShadowObscurity! I knew you guys at least would show up!"

ShadowObscurity: "Sorry, forgot my hat."

Albinofrog88: "Oh, wait, this isn't"*insert name of some other fanfic* "Sorry if I got your hopes up."

Me: "Uh, that's okay. Well, if you two change your minds, you know where to find—" *door slams*

Me: "…me." *I realize I'm alone with the crickets and tumbleweeds* "Aw, crap!"

END SCENE.

One more thing and then I'll shut up and get on with the story. If you find parts of this story which appear to be plot-holes or oversights on my part, or any details that don't make sense, well, there's a very good explanation for it: A wizard did it.

Chapter Five: Lost Innocence

          "Well, well, what do we have here?" King Vegeta said as he looked Taita over appreciatively. "This can't possibly be the same dirty peasant girl I saw earlier!"

          Taita bristled. She knew she should keep quiet, but she wasn't just going to stand there and be insulted. "Dirty? I most certainly was not dirty! How dare you—"

          He cut her off with a slap to the face. It left her cheek stinging, but she sensed that he hadn't been using much of his strength this time, as if his intention was not so much to hurt her as to give her a warning.

          "That quick tongue of yours is going to get you in trouble someday," the king said calmly. "You really must learn to control it, little one." He ran one finger gently down her cheek, chuckling lightly when she flinched at his touch.

          Vegeta dismissed his guards, and as much as Taita hated all of the soldiers and palace guards she'd encountered, she had to fight the urge to cling to them and beg them not to leave her alone with this man. When the doors had shut behind them, she turned back toward the king fearfully, and was startled to find him staring at her as if she were an alien he'd never seen before in his life. She instinctively put her arms over her small, barely concealed breasts, blushing at his penetrating gaze. Why is he looking at me that way? She thought. Am I so repulsive he can't believe what he's seeing?

          Nothing could be further from the truth, however. Vegeta was having difficulty believing what he was seeing, but for a very different reason. He had never seen a more beautiful woman, and he'd seen a lot of women in his life. If he hadn't known better, he'd have been convinced that it was a goddess who stood before him now, instead of a bold but frightened young girl.

          How could this stunning creature have escaped the eyes of every man on the planet up until now? He thought. On second thought, maybe she hasn't.

          "Girl!" Vegeta said sharply, making Taita jump. "Has any man touched you before now? And know that if you are not a virgin, I will be able to tell."

          "Of course not! I would not give away my virginity to just anybody!" Taita said indignantly.

          The king smiled. "I see. And am I 'just anybody'?"

          "You seem very sure of yourself, Your Majesty. Tell me, does it make you feel like a big man to take women against their will?"

          She fully expected to be hit again, but Vegeta seemed to ponder her question, stroking his goatee. "No, actually it's destroying my enemies that does that. My women's purpose is to insure my family line, although I admit the conception process is quite enjoyable," he added with a sly smile.

          "Your women?" Taita asked angrily.

          He nodded. "There are currently twenty-four women in my harem. Twenty-five including you, of course."

          Taita forced herself to disregard the last part. "And what gives you the idea that you own these women?"

          "The fact that I do own them."

          She had no reply to that.

          Vegeta sighed. "I'm bored with talking." He unfastened the clasps of his cape, letting it fall, then scooped Taita up and set her on the huge bed before she even realized what was happening. He straddled her body, one knee on each side of her, effectively preventing any escape, and began to remove his clothes.

          Taita started to panic, her terror growing by the second. The king got off of her long enough to take off his pants, but she couldn't run. She knew there was nowhere to hide, and even if there was, she was paralyzed with fear when she saw his already stiffening manhood. Oh, gods, I didn't know it would be so big! She thought. What am I going to do? There was little she could do, she knew. He was much stronger physically than she was.

          When Vegeta had finished with his clothes he started on Taita's. She didn't protest when he removed her shoes and dropped them onto the floor. He gently pulled her thin dress off of her, though she tried to hold it on.

          "Gods, you are beautiful," he murmured, his eyes roaming over her naked body. He stroked her hair, and then bent down closer to her. Taita seized her opportunity when he put a hand on either side of her face to kiss her. She turned her head and bit his right hand as hard as she could. Vegeta swore and jerked his hand away. He cradled it in his other hand for a few seconds, noticing the girl had drawn blood. Then he smiled at Taita.

          "You are feisty! I like my women a little wild, so I'll let it slide this time. But that's the last one. I am not an infinitely patient man, and you would try even a god's patience!"

          "If you will just set me free, Your Majesty, I will not bother you ever again," Taita said desperately.

          "You do bother me, but I'm sure you will be worth it," the king replied. He reached down and his hand found the place she'd never allowed a man to touch. Anger replaced fear, and Taita did the only thing she could think of. She raked her sharp fingernails over his back, his chest, his neck, and even his face. A feeling of deep satisfaction came over her when he gave a cry of pain as she clawed at his face and drew more blood. He grabbed both of her wrists in one of his hands.

          "I warned you," the furious king said through clenched teeth. "You are going to pay dearly for that. You will learn your place right now." Having said that, he took the girl by force, abandoning any gentleness, and not caring who heard her screams.