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Two years after the coronation of the new prince, Juniper ran through the royal gardens, searching for her friend.
Her mother had been found dead after a protest of certain new security laws decreed by the King. Somehow the King had discovered this, and taken pity on her, welcoming her into the castle as his own sister.
Lemone, who was a maid in the castle, would only smile at Juniper when she would ask how the King found out.
" Veegeetaa?! Where are you?" Juniper cried.
"Over here!" Vegeta laughed, tackling her from behind, " Shouldn't have dropped your guard, Juni!"
After a half-hearted struggle, Juniper found herself on her back, looking up into the king's face. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, but that was to be expected, it was in his blood.
" What is it? Why are you looking at me like that??"
"N-no reason! It's just you're on top of me and its lunchtime!" Juniper said quickly.
The king laughed, and got up, brushing himself off, before offering his hand.
Juniper scoffed and knocked his hand away, standing up herself before saying, " I do not need your help to stand, your highness, last I looked my legs were fine."
Vegeta smirked and said, " Good, I was beginning to wonder if you were Saiyan or not."
Juniper gave him a side-long glance as she brushed herself off, knocking bits of leaves and grass out from her hair, and said, " You're not exactly a shining example either, you know."
The king gave her a mysterious look, then headed into the castle. Juniper followed closely, lost in thought.
As she walked through the castle halls, a tall young man caught her eye. His skin was darkly tanned, his hair was in eight spikes: four in front, three in back, and he wore a stained red bandana; he was covered in cuts, bruises, and dirt.
The young man was leaning, against a wall, apparently lost in thought. From his ragged breathing, however, perhaps his 'lean' was simply a disguised slouch.
" The boy's name is Bardock," Came the voice of the king, " His father died trying to protect my father, amazing he can handle the shame of it. Don't bother trying to woo him, though your charms are dazzling, it would take nothing short of a goddess to snap him out of his revenge-induced slump. Besides, he's chased by every girl in the palace that doesn't chase me...though there are admittedly few of those."
" Ahh, couldn't resist adding that, could you?" Juniper chuckled
The king only scoffed, and said, " I'm not kidding, Juniper, all he cares about is revenge; see that cross-shaped scar on his cheek?? The man who killed my father and his gave him that, and now all he does is train, thinking of nothing else but to become a Super-Elite stronger than the man who killed his father. Naturally he would wish find and kill him as well."
" The villain escaped?" Juniper asked, surprised
" Well, he had originally. Now he is quite dead however." The king said nonchalantly, then continued ignoring her previous comment, " We have obviously caught him in-between training sessions, even a revenge-consumed nut case like him has to take breaks, you know."
" Doesn't he know??"
" Oh yes. He just doesn't care. You see, he seems to think becoming a Super-Elite of sufficient strength will bring back his father." The King replied, with the interest of a scientest speaking of a rare and bizzare species of lizard. " A real nut-job he is. Gotta be careful with that one."
The Strange alien who went by the name 'Frieza', sat in his throne; contemplating the planet before him, swishing the wine around in his delicate glass.
" Tell me of this place, Zarbon." he said absently
" The Planet Vegeta, Milord?It's inhabited by a race called the Saiyans, apparently they overthrew another race that was ruling a few generations ago, and renamed it after one of their primitive 'gods'....pathetic really, though I suppose it is better than the previous name 'plant'. They are a primitive warrior race Milord."
" Hmmm..... Perfect indeed, but I think I shall wait awhile before I take them, let the fruits ripen on the vine awhile, if you know what I mean." Frieza said, " How about that one planet instead, Yamara?"
" But Lord Frieza?--" Began Zarbon
" Is there a problem?" Frieza asked, looking at him from the corner of narrowed eyes, with a deceptively calm voice. Only a fool would believe his placid tone, however. Zarbon's predecessor had made that very mistake; Zarbon unconsciously glanced at the view screen, as if to see what remained of his other. Frieza, catching the nervous glance, smiled slightly and said, " Well, Zarbon?"
" N-no Lord Frieza....I'll inform the navigator at once!" Zarbon gulped, bowing
"....Good..."
Three years later:
Juniper took a deep breath, so it was finally time to do this.... she had finally worked up the courage to talk to him face-to-face. With another deep breath, she knocked lightly on the door.
He could not really be as bad as the rumors had he?
For a moment there was silence, and she almost turned around, but then she heard a voice come from the room.
" Come in."
Breathing deeply to steady herself once more, Juniper opened the door and walked in. Bardock sat in a chair across the room, sixteen and every bit a man, he'd finally became a Super-Elite last month, and Juniper silently hoped he had put his dreams of revenge behind him.
Bardock turned his head toward her slightly as she came in, his eyes runiing from her feet to her own eyes slowly, as if he were searching for something.
" May I sit?" Juniper asked, and silently congratulated herself that she had made it come out as more than a squeak.
" You are the King's lover, right?....Juniper. come, sit." Bardock said cooly, gesturing calmly with his hand. Juniper felt her jaw hit the floor, one comment from him and she could barely speak. She quickly started to say he was wrong, but it came out incoherant babble. Luckily, Bardock seemed to understand.
" Am I wrong?" He asked
"I...uhm...am the king's adopted sister....um..." Juniper mumbled
" Ah! Forgive me, I had thought that the two of you..." Bardock began, but Juniper only smiled, embarrassed, and he got the message to change the subject, waving her over saying, " Anyways, come, sit."
Regaining her composure, Juniper managed to walk over and sit across from him, but she could not manage to summon the words to speak to him; so she settled on staring at him silently.
" So, you're the girl that always used to peek around those corners while I trained, and stare moon-eyed at me when you thought I wasn't looking," Bardock said, trying to start a conversation, " You must have come here for a reason?"
Juniper winced at the fact that he had stated to bluntly that he had known about her 'spying'. One thing was for sure, the man had no tact, but some how his openness was much better than the King's forced politeness.
Bardock caught her growing blush, and smiled, " I like that about you; while the other girls come barging in without even knocking and profess their undying 'love' for me, then expect me to swoon over them, you, on the other hand; are so...diferent....you are so beautiful when you blush....It's nice that you do it so often."
Shocked, Juniper did not know what to say, and the slight chuckle he had made at the end of his sentence had given her goose bumps.
What is wrong with me? Acting like a little girl??
Despite her self-berating, Juniper could only seem to stare at him open-mouthed, her flush growing immensely. Without warning, Bardock leaned over and kissed her.
Shocked, Juniper leapt up, and bolted to the door in a panic; frustratingly the door did not open.
" Leaving without saying goodbye?" Bardock said from behind her, walking up and pressing a panel on the wall; causing the door to slide silently open.
For a moment Juniper stared up into his onyx eyes, and she was flooded with conflicting emotions, she felt like she should kiss him, or embrace him, or...or....something....but she was afraid that may cause them to do something they both may regret. What was most terrifiying was that part of her wanted that to happen. She was just too confused!
She scarcely dared to hope that the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes betrayed similar feelings in him; they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, before she mumbled 'goodbye' and hurried out.
Suddenly Bardock caught her arm, and said, " I hope I can see you again."
Struggling for control, all Juniper could do was make a sound in her throat and try to pull away. Luckily, he let her go without further adiue, though she could feel his eyes burning into her back until she turned a corner.
Spent, Juniper leaned against a wall, panting, she was very much afraid of what she may have done if he had not let go so easy; and she knew he had been all too aware of that as well. She loved him for not taking advantage of her momentary confusion, as the king no doubt would've.
Suddenly, she broke out laughing. Momentary?! She still felt like going back, and somehow, gentleman or no, she knew Bardock would not let her leave so easily again.
Swallowing her confused emotions, she walked determinedly down the hall to her room.
She had only made it a few steps when the king turned a corner, and nearly bowled right over her. Panting, he said, " Juniper! There you are, I was looking for you!!"
" I-is there a problem?" She asked nervously, her mind absurdly drawing the conclusion that the king had seen her and Bardock's little interaction.
" Well...Yes and yet no."
" What do you mean?" Juniper asked, trying desperately not to sweat.
" Well...I need to have a Queen," He said, dramatically pausing a moment, as if he had forgotten what to say, and was trying not to look like an idiot, before saying, " But that is all right, because I already have her!"
" Who?"
" Who?? Oh come on! You! That's who!" The king said excitedly, grasping her shoulders and shaking her
"M-me? But I'm your sister!"
" My adopted sister, that means nothing!"
" But...Why? I...I..." She stuttered too shocked and flattered for words, but still too enchanted with Bardock to be happy, she almost felt unhappy.
" Because I want you to be my Queen, of course, what else is there to say?" He replied confused.
Shocked, Juniper stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. Her every childhood dream was coming true, but now she was beginning to realize just what they were, childish. It was crazy, but she now felt an uncontrollable attraction to Bardock, yet she barely even knew him!
Juniper backed away unconsciously....she could not marry the king now, perhaps someday, but as for now, it seemed like she would be betraying the Super-elite whom she had fallen for so quickly.
" What's wrong?" The king asked, noticing her backpedal.
" Y-your offer is very flattering, to say the absolute least...but I cannot accept it, please understand--"
" What??!!!!" He gaped, flabbergasted.
"--I know Lemone would love to be your Queen...she's always loved you!"
"Is that all? She is only a maid, do not concern yourself with her!" He said, thinking Juniper was trying to match a friend up with him.
" Y-you... are not the boy I saw become King..." Juniper said, backing away.
" So....you refuse to take my hand in marriage....Fine. Guards!!!! Take this woman away!!" He cried. Instantly, super-elites appeared and grabbed her by her arms.
" What have you become?!" She sobbed, as she was carried away.
" That was boring." Frieza complained, downing his glass.
" Where to next?" Asked the horned, pink, alien named Dodoria; whom they had captured from the last planet.
" hm.......Earth, perhaps?" Frieza mused, as Dodoria refilled his cup.
" Where, Lord?" Zarbon asked, confused, he had never heard of THAT planet before...
"....Never mind.Let's try say.......Briga."
" I shall tell the navigator, Lord Frieza." Zarbon said.
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AN: More revision.
Read my other works at www DOT fanstory DOT com! (i go by yusagithewhiterabbit)
Yusagi Sombermoon
Yusagi Sombermoon