Chapter Twenty-One: Welcome Back, Dear
Prince
Clarice stared, open-mouthed, as Vegeta strode
proudly forward, stopping a few feet ahead of her and bowing to his father.
King Vegeta, a strange half-smirk, half-frown on
his face, stood and made his way down the stairs, a threatening look in his
eyes. It was quite obvious that he didn't like his son, and only
needed him back to ensure that an heir was present to keep the throne within the
Royal bloodline.
He stood before his son, about six inches
taller than he was, and held his hand out to greet him. Vegeta, a look of
hatred and defiance in his own eyes, took his father's hand and shook it
roughly, a strange urge to tear the arm off suddenly coming over
him.
He respected his father yes, but not because he
wanted to - it was because he had to. He was forced to celebrate
the saiyajin heritage and look up to all who controlled it.
Clarice barely paid attention as King Vegeta began
speaking to the crowd, his words alien in her mind, as though she had
suddenly forgotten the language. How had Vegeta gotten back to the planet?
There weren't any earth-made ships that were able to make the trip there, it was
far too dangerous; and he had been so intent on staying with his family and
friends on earth... what had changed his mind?
Clarice suddenly snapped back to attention when she
realised that the King was speaking to her.
"I see that you have accomplished your
mission," he muttered quietly as he stood beside her, his hands behind his back
as he glared in his son's direction, who was mingling with the alien
leaders. "I congratulate you."
With that, he walked away, himself beginning to
speak with the guests.
Clarice, suddenly feeling dizzy, walked slowly to a
table and sat down, totally unseen in the dark corner.
She lowered her ki just in case anyone would come
looking for her - she didn't need to be bombarded with questions by the
guests at the moment. She had enough questions of her own.
**"Hey, Reesey," said Dryphus' voice over the
speaker.
"So am I," said Clarice, laughing as she finally let go of him and wiped the corner of her eye with her thumb. "...Do you know where Dryphus is?" "Yeah," said Mason, seating himself across from her. The only illumination in the dark corner was a small candle in the center of the table. "But I don't think she wants to see you right now. She's not used to doing nice things for people. She might be embarrassed." Clarice smiled, then propped her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm. "I can't believe how much of an ass I've been lately. I don't know what made me act so strangely..." "Act strangely?" cried Mason in disbelief. "Hell, if I knew I was going to die, I'd be acting pretty wierd, too. Don't be so critical of yourself." "Yeah, I mean really, you can be such a bitch sometimes. It gets on my nerves." Clarice looked up, her eyes widening with surprise as Dryphus sat down beside her, smiling. "I thought you didn't want to see me," said Clarice finally, still smiling in suprise. "Yeah, well," said Dryphus with a shrug, grabbing the champagne bottle from the ice bucket it sat in near the edge of the table. She hummed as she popped the cork with her bare hands, then poored some of the champagne into her glass. "Some bubbly?" she asked, smiling as she reached across the table and took the glass that sat in front of Mason, pooring some of the drink into it and handing it back to him, then doing the same for Clarice. "To life," said Dryphus, smiling. "To life," repeated Clarice and Mason, grinning as they sipped the champagne - Dryphus, however, swallowed the drink all in one swig. She slammed the glass back down on the table with a loud "Woo!" and shook her head, causing her blonde hair to fly about her. She grinned as she began to refill her glass, humming some tune that she appeared to be making up on the spot. "Hmm, hmm , hm! hmm-hm, hm-hmhm-hmhm HMM!...." hummed Dryphus before taking another swig of champagne. "Dryphus," said Mason in a warning vioce, "it's champagne, not tequila. And you'd better not get drunk before the dinner. You'll just get into trouble." Dryphus frowned as she slowly set the glass back down. "You're right," she admitted, sighing. "I can always get drunk after." "That's the spirit," said Clarice, smiling. "...So how did you get Vegeta to change his mind about coming home?" "Oh, yeah! I can't believe that I was stupid enough to leave them in my office! They're probably waiting for me to come back-!" "Who?" asked Clarice, frowning. "Oh, V-" "Dryphus!" hissed Mason, his eyes wide. He stiffly shook his head no when Dryphus gave him a questioning look. Dryphus suddenly nodded as if in understanding and glanced nervously at Clarice, rising slowly out of her chair into a standing position, as though afraid that Clarice were going to pounce on her. "Wow, I'm.. uh.. tired," said Dryphus with an all too fake yawn, stretching her arms upward. "I'd better get home and go to sleep..." "Dryphus!" barked Clarice, now standing up and glaring at Dryphus. "Who's in your office?" Dryphus looked desperately at Mason for help. Mason only shrugged and took another sip of champagne, a "You're on your own, now," type of look on his face. Clarice, fed up with waiting for an answer, about-faced and strode quickly toward the double-doors of the Main Hall and turned left, walking quickly toward Dryphus' office, the heels of her boots creating a semi-loud echo, which was only over-powered by the talk of the guests who were touring the castle. "Clarice, come on, it's just some personal guests that I invited for Vegeta's home-coming, don't get mad, please..!" cried Dryphus as she jogged to catch up with Clarice quick stride. Clarice turned another corner and jogged up the stairs, the short chains hanging off of her her gold headband jingling as she did so. "Clarice, I swear, I wasn't going to let anything happen to them-!" Clarice suddenly stopped, turning to stare at Dryphus, a look of horror on her face. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she were going to scold Dryphus, but it suddenly closed as she made her way up the rest of the wide staircase, weaving her way around the people coming down the stairs. She'd figured out who Dryphus was talking about, but she couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. Not until she saw them with her own eyes, anyway. Dryphus was known to be sort of an airhead, but she couldn't be that stupid. Could she...? 'So that's why he changed his mind,' thought Clarice, frowning. 'But why would he allow this to happen? He knows that if they get caught...' Clarice shook her head roughly, clearing her head as she finally reached the office. So who's in the office? Review and tell me who you think it is! Whoever guesses the right person/people earns three more chapters for the rest of the group!
Clarice groaned.
"I'm gonna be borrowing your ship for a quick trip back to Earth, okay? I want take one more trip to the mall. I'll bring it back in one piece, I swear."**
Clarice gasped. 'Dryphus.' She had to talk to her. "Psssst!" Clarice jumped slightly as she turned to see Mason kneeling beside her, grinning. A smile broke upon her face, which only widened as he stood up and hugged her. "I'm glad you're still here," he whispered, squeezing her more tightly."So am I," said Clarice, laughing as she finally let go of him and wiped the corner of her eye with her thumb. "...Do you know where Dryphus is?" "Yeah," said Mason, seating himself across from her. The only illumination in the dark corner was a small candle in the center of the table. "But I don't think she wants to see you right now. She's not used to doing nice things for people. She might be embarrassed." Clarice smiled, then propped her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm. "I can't believe how much of an ass I've been lately. I don't know what made me act so strangely..." "Act strangely?" cried Mason in disbelief. "Hell, if I knew I was going to die, I'd be acting pretty wierd, too. Don't be so critical of yourself." "Yeah, I mean really, you can be such a bitch sometimes. It gets on my nerves." Clarice looked up, her eyes widening with surprise as Dryphus sat down beside her, smiling. "I thought you didn't want to see me," said Clarice finally, still smiling in suprise. "Yeah, well," said Dryphus with a shrug, grabbing the champagne bottle from the ice bucket it sat in near the edge of the table. She hummed as she popped the cork with her bare hands, then poored some of the champagne into her glass. "Some bubbly?" she asked, smiling as she reached across the table and took the glass that sat in front of Mason, pooring some of the drink into it and handing it back to him, then doing the same for Clarice. "To life," said Dryphus, smiling. "To life," repeated Clarice and Mason, grinning as they sipped the champagne - Dryphus, however, swallowed the drink all in one swig. She slammed the glass back down on the table with a loud "Woo!" and shook her head, causing her blonde hair to fly about her. She grinned as she began to refill her glass, humming some tune that she appeared to be making up on the spot. "Hmm, hmm , hm! hmm-hm, hm-hmhm-hmhm HMM!...." hummed Dryphus before taking another swig of champagne. "Dryphus," said Mason in a warning vioce, "it's champagne, not tequila. And you'd better not get drunk before the dinner. You'll just get into trouble." Dryphus frowned as she slowly set the glass back down. "You're right," she admitted, sighing. "I can always get drunk after." "That's the spirit," said Clarice, smiling. "...So how did you get Vegeta to change his mind about coming home?" "Oh, yeah! I can't believe that I was stupid enough to leave them in my office! They're probably waiting for me to come back-!" "Who?" asked Clarice, frowning. "Oh, V-" "Dryphus!" hissed Mason, his eyes wide. He stiffly shook his head no when Dryphus gave him a questioning look. Dryphus suddenly nodded as if in understanding and glanced nervously at Clarice, rising slowly out of her chair into a standing position, as though afraid that Clarice were going to pounce on her. "Wow, I'm.. uh.. tired," said Dryphus with an all too fake yawn, stretching her arms upward. "I'd better get home and go to sleep..." "Dryphus!" barked Clarice, now standing up and glaring at Dryphus. "Who's in your office?" Dryphus looked desperately at Mason for help. Mason only shrugged and took another sip of champagne, a "You're on your own, now," type of look on his face. Clarice, fed up with waiting for an answer, about-faced and strode quickly toward the double-doors of the Main Hall and turned left, walking quickly toward Dryphus' office, the heels of her boots creating a semi-loud echo, which was only over-powered by the talk of the guests who were touring the castle. "Clarice, come on, it's just some personal guests that I invited for Vegeta's home-coming, don't get mad, please..!" cried Dryphus as she jogged to catch up with Clarice quick stride. Clarice turned another corner and jogged up the stairs, the short chains hanging off of her her gold headband jingling as she did so. "Clarice, I swear, I wasn't going to let anything happen to them-!" Clarice suddenly stopped, turning to stare at Dryphus, a look of horror on her face. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she were going to scold Dryphus, but it suddenly closed as she made her way up the rest of the wide staircase, weaving her way around the people coming down the stairs. She'd figured out who Dryphus was talking about, but she couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. Not until she saw them with her own eyes, anyway. Dryphus was known to be sort of an airhead, but she couldn't be that stupid. Could she...? 'So that's why he changed his mind,' thought Clarice, frowning. 'But why would he allow this to happen? He knows that if they get caught...' Clarice shook her head roughly, clearing her head as she finally reached the office. So who's in the office? Review and tell me who you think it is! Whoever guesses the right person/people earns three more chapters for the rest of the group!