Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. If I did I wouldn't be writing fanfics.

First, the usual notes:

Albinofrog88: Thanks again for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the scene at the beginning, and I'm very glad you liked the chapter. That was the hardest to write so far, and I was worried about how it would be received by my readers. You really made me feel better, and I'll keep writing as long as I know someone out there is enjoying my story.

ShadowObscurity: Thanks again! You're so great for sticking with me! I'm sorry to hear about your hat, but I'll buy you a new one when Akira Toriyama buys my story to make into a DBZ special. (Yeah, right, that's gonna happen!) Let me know if you catch that evil crow! And I'd really hate for you to "seek and destroy", so I guess I'll keep writing. Not that I'm scared, of course! *looking around fearfully* Nope, not scared! But just in case, here's the next chapter.

And remember: when in doubt, a wizard did it.

Chapter Six—A Real Friend

          Taita sat in the gardens of the palace harem, under a huge shade tree. She couldn't believe such beauty could exist in such an evil place, but she was grateful for the trees and flowers nonetheless. In her village there were few trees and even fewer flowers, and those that had grown there were not pretty and colorful like these. I could use a little beauty right now, she thought with a sigh.

          It had been a week since she'd been brought to the palace, and King Vegeta had summoned her to his bed every night. Although none of the past nights had been as terrible as the first, each time was still painful, and she was given no time to heal. She had continued to fight the king at first, but by the fourth day Taita had stopped struggling altogether. It was better that way, she decided. Her body was already bruised and sore. There was no reason to make it worse.

          She'd been given a room of her own in the harem, and she was free to do what she wished during the day. Well, not exactly, Taita thought ruefully. What I wish is to leave this place, but I can never do that now. The harem was closely guarded, both by female guards and castrated male slaves. The men were not Saiyans, but Taita didn't know what planet they were from. She'd never even seen a person who wasn't a Saiyan before last week. Everything in her world had changed so much in the course of one fateful day! Would her life ever be her own again?

          Taita's head went up at the sound of shrieks and giggles coming from the other end of the gardens. Three chubby toddlers chased each other through the flowers while their mothers watched them lazily, chatting together at the edge of a pond. Taita smiled as she watched the little girls play, but her smile faded when she realized the mothers were looking at her and whispering among themselves. Her cheeks burning, she looked away quickly.

          I could endure being the king's concubine if only I had someone I could talk to! Taita thought. But I have no one here! All of the women had avoided her, even shunned her, since she had arrived. She knew they were talking about her. Gossip seemed to be a favorite pastime among the women of the harem. Why won't they talk to me? I'm no different from them! I have no more choice about my life than they do! She thought angrily.

          "Hello!" a friendly voice called. Taita looked up and saw a lovely young woman with dark hair and even darker eyes. The woman carried a tiny infant in one arm and held the hand of a little girl of about three years. She was followed by another little girl who looked to be around five years of age.

          "You're the new girl, Taita, aren't you?" the young woman asked. When Taita nodded, she continued. "I had heard about you. The rumors of your beauty were not an exaggeration, I see. May I join you?"

          "Yes, of course," Taita said quickly. The woman and the little girls sat on the grass in front of her. The baby slept in the woman's arms.

          "I am Khali, princess of the planet Vegeta," the young woman said. "I was given as a wife to King Vegeta by my father as part of a peace treaty when I was no older than you are now. Believe me, I know what you are going through. I was a scared young girl in a foreign place once, so I feel for you."

          Taita blinked back tears. "Thank you. You are the only person in this place who has shown me kindness, besides a slave girl my first day here. I am grateful. But tell me, if you are married to the king, why are you not a queen?"

          "The king agreed to marry me, but he told my father I would be a princess and nothing more. He had a queen once, years ago, but she died of the sickness that spread through this city. That was before I came here. The queen was pregnant when she died, and the royal doctors said the child was a boy. My husband the king was heartbroken. He had truly loved his queen, and he wanted a son so much. To lose both at the same time…" Princess Khali hesitated. "I know he is a hard man to live with, but I also know him better than most. I know, though he has never told me, that he made a vow to himself never to love again. He has great affection for me, but…he doesn't love me the way he loved her."

          "How can you live your life knowing your husband doesn't love you?" Taita asked. "Doesn't it tear you up inside?"

          "No. I am content," said the princess. "And he has given me the three most precious gifts in the world—my daughters."

          Taita looked at the two little girls who were now making necklaces out of flowers, and at the sleeping infant in Khali's arms. "They are beautiful. What are their names?"

          "The oldest is Romaina, the younger one there is Carri, and the baby is Selrie. She is almost two weeks old. Carri just turned three and Romaina is five."

          "You must have been very young when you had her," Taita said.

          "I was sixteen when she was born, older than you," Khali replied. "But anyway, tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What was your home like?"

          Taita began to tell the princess about her home village, and found herself warming up to the kind young woman. She told Khali about her family, though it was difficult, and in return the princess told Taita about her family and childhood. They talked for a long time, while Khali's daughters ran around the gardens and picked flowers for their mother. When little Carri presented Taita with a messy bouquet of yellow and blue flowers, the young slave girl nearly cried from the emotions springing up inside her lonely heart. She thanked the tiny princess, thinking, I may be a slave to a cruel king who will never love me, but I finally have a real friend here! Princess Khali is a wonderful woman, and her daughters are so cute and sweet! If I have to live here, I'm glad, at least, to have a friend.