A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who still reads this and leave reviews on it. I know there are plenty of people who preferred the old version or simply do not like this version, but I appreciate each and everyone one of you who takes the time to read this and support it. This chapter is a bit longer to make up for the wait.
Kirsi spent most of her night in a delightful mood.
Finally, after years of watching, she found something that could be used against her. Ivory had never shown that level of interest in someone before now. Sure, she mentioned that she had found attractive creatures here and there, but she had never reacted to them the way she reacted to the Saiyan.
Allowing him to touch her and not dying immediately after, speaking to her so casually, making her blush of all things; it was unheard of! Ivory had never behaved this way in her life before, not at all. One could attribute that to her single-minded focus and devotion to the empire but that wasn't simply the case.
This new development served to explain why she'd been acting so strangely lately. She was interested in this man, interested in a way Kirsi had never seen before. Ivory had been around some of the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy yet never batted an eye at any of them. Yet this young man comes around and suddenly Ivory didn't know what to do with herself. And she could use that. She could use the interest Ivory had for the man as a weapon in her downfall.
However, there was one glaringly obvious problem in all of this: Ivory got bored easily.
Kirsi knew her daughter and knew her well. Ivory was like Frieza; it didn't take long before something she had previously shown interest in would bore her. Sometimes it took her a few days, sometimes it took her mere minutes, but Ivory had only ever been interested in running the empire and training. Everything else and anyone else Kirsi tried to get her interested in would bore her relatively quickly.
This could end up the same unless measures were taken.
Now, Kirsi had a few options to tackle this. For one, she could gently nudge Ivory in the Saiyan's direction and try to coerce her into pursuing him. She had done it before, sometimes successfully. But Ivory hadn't been very amicable to Kirsi lately; anything she told her to do, Ivory would do the reverse.
Which lead to Kirsi's second option, which was to forbid Ivory from ever seeing him again; she could reverse the situation and make Ivory rebel and pursue him out of spite. But that option quickly fizzled out when she remembered that Ivory didn't listen to her anyway. Forbidding her from seeing him wouldn't do much but piss Ivory off and she'd continue to do as she pleased.
If she could, Kirsi could just seek out the Saiyan himself and urge him to pursue Ivory. But after how Ivory exploded at her earlier, Kirsi was sure her life would be in danger if she tried that. And right now, with Ivory having such a short fuse, she wasn't sure that was the ideal option.
Which leads to her last and final option: using Ivory's emotions against her.
It was probably the riskiest of all her plans but guaranteed to be the most effective. Ivory had never been taught how to properly handle her emotions; she just bottled them up until they started to spill over. This happened on certain occasions but Ivory was…unstable to say the least. A few good pushes and Ivory would snap.
To anyone else, Kirsi might sound crazy. This was a risk to her life and she knew it. But she also knew Ivory. She knew that when Ivory made emotionally charged decisions, she slipped. She made calls that were crazy and ignored everyone else's advice no matter how sound it might be. This time would be no different, but the result would be the same. Ivory could be possessive when she wanted to, and if all her focus was on keeping the Saiyan under lock and key, she'd be vulnerable. And based on her actions earlier, jealousy would also play a key role in making this work.
Kirsi knew exactly what she had to do. She'd have to be meticulous about it as well, planning every step in advance to account for any situation that Ivory might bring up. Everyone thought of Kirsi as an airhead and just a pretty thing that hung off Frieza's arm, but she was more than that. Everyone underestimated her but that was their mistake.
Ivory would pay dearly for that mistake.
Ivory dreamed the city was completely frozen.
She was standing in the middle of a frozen city, watching as people helplessly tried to crawl away and escape their fate at the hands of her soldiers. For some, they had succumbed to a harsh death of being frozen alive, face twisted in terror or anguish. Others weakly tried to reach out to someone to help, trapped in the wreckage of different buildings as their bodies were slowly seeped of heat, either going to die from hunger, thirst, or simply freezing over. And for the unlucky few who somehow managed to avoid the worst of the damage, they were hunted down one by one by her soldiers.
She didn't care how her men disposed of the earthlings. Some of them wasted no time in annihilating them, blasting them away as if they were nothing. Some tried to crawl to Ivory in a vain attempt to beg for mercy, but she brushed past every single one of them. Even if she had been feeling merciful, she doubted they would appreciate how she'd deal with them.
Her feet made little no sounds as she walked through the destruction, but even if they had, it would be drowned out by the cacophony of screams around her. She thought that it would be silent, but all of the sounds bounced off frozen walls and echoed like thousands of voices were wailing in despair.
But none of that mattered to her. None of the earthlings mattered to her. All that mattered were the two bodies encased in ice, like twisted, bloody sculptures.
Prince Vegeta sat imprisoned in something like a throne. His feet were frozen to the ground, body propped up by a wall of ice behind him. There was a nasty-looking blow in the center of the chest from where Ivory had kicked it in, rattling coughs shaking his frame. One arm was twisted in an unnatural position, bone poking through his shoulder. The other was a deep shade of purple from where it was trapped in ice.
Ivory found it ironic to trap him on a throne. She remembered the few times she crossed his paths, how he held himself in high regard for being a Prince of such a "proud" race. Now here he was, a prince with no subjects, no true title, only a pitiful throne to sit upon.
His companion had it worse.
Son Goku hung, nailed to a wall through his torso. He shivered badly and his skin was blue all over, his chest taking on an even deeper shade. His arms and legs were broken, sitting in unnatural positions thanks to Ivory's beating from earlier. He would've seemed dead to anyone else, body swinging limply from side to side, but there was slight, jerky movement to his frame.
She could've killed him a long time ago, but she kept him alive but only long enough for him to watch his home get destroyed. Once she was finished with her takeover, then she'd finally kill him and the Prince.
"How the mighty have fallen," she said as she observed the nearly dead men. "From murdering my father, emperor of the universe, reduced to this." She nudged Vegeta's chin up with her foot, taking delight in the broken look in his eyes.
"I knew you two buffoons killing my father was just a stroke of luck. Now it seems that your luck has run out. You took something important from me, so it's only fair that I return the favor. And you both get a front-row seat to watch."
She moved away, Vegeta's head dropping to his chest without her foot to hold it up. He wheezed once or twice, then went silent again. Ivory turned, expecting him to have finally died, but he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Still alive apparently and still fighting for life.
"I waited a long time for this. I wanted the both of you to suffer for what you did to my family. I'm going to take my time, make you suffer like I've suffered. And then, only when I've taken every last thing you love, will I kill you."
She heard footsteps behind her and turned, a much softer smile on her face as Gohan approached her. He had a smile on his face as well, coming to a stop just a step away from her. Ivory couldn't help herself and reached up, hooking her fingers into the ring on his collar. It was a small, simple thing really, but the perfect size for her to slip her fingers into and play with. Gohan would always make the sweetest noises when she pulled.
How cute.
"Anything you want to say to them?" She didn't suspect he did, but she asked out of pure curiosity. They had nothing to say to him or likely couldn't say anything to him regardless, but she had to ask.
"No," he answered simply.
She tilted her head back to look up at her companion, reaching back to slide her fingers through the loop on his collar and tug at it gently. "Truly? But they are the last of your kind. You really have nothing to say?"
"What more needs to be said? I'd rather not waste my time with them. I reserve that for you."
Ivory couldn't remember the last time she had an actual dream and not a nightmare. It was a welcome change; for once, she wasn't watching her father die in front of her and instead had been the one doing the killing. But it was still strange. Everything was fine, don't get her wrong; it was exactly as she had always dreamed it would be. But those last moments in her dream, when Gohan looked at her in such a daze, a blissful smile across his face, were what confused her.
She had recently been thinking about putting a collar on Gohan, a thought that plagued her mind with greater frequency nowadays. But it was always a passing thought, something that would flutter across her mind whenever they were together. Why had something so minor invade her dream like that, and why had it become so…so…intimate? The way he looked at her, that smiled, his excitement when she tugged his collar…
…like a pet.
Maybe that was it. She wanted a lot of things, like to avenge her father, take control of the earth, and wanted a pet. She didn't tend to examine her dream and she didn't care for people who sought meaning in everything, but all her dream was merely an extension of her desires. Ivory was a simple woman who wanted simple things and she'd do whatever it took to get them. That's all it was.
Just a simple dream.
"Biamuh, have our scouts found anything on their reconnaissance?" As preoccupied as Ivory had been with her own spying, she wondered if her scouts had accomplished anything while they were out. She hoped so, else what else did she have them around for?
"As a matter of fact, they have. Our person of interest from before, that woman? We've learned more." Biamuh presented her with a new set of pictures, most of them taken at odd angles and from above. They all had the same woman and child in them, doing mundane tasks. Neither seemed to be aware that they were followed and her scouts were able to get rather close to her. Ivory could easily commit her face to memory; she was very beautiful despite her and the child having very peculiar features. "She is indeed housing Vegeta. Likely his mate, which would make the child is their offspring."
"I'm not even that surprised that Vegeta chose someone so wealthy, if she is indeed as wealthy as you say, to be his mate. She is beautiful, she is rich, and she likely has a high standing in society. Everything Vegeta would want in a mate. Though, I am surprised that she chose him over anyone else she had to choose from. A flaw if you ask me." At least, she assumed that was what Vegeta would want in a mate. She wasn't too well-versed in Saiyan culture, but then again, why would she bother learning about the culture of a race of savages? It didn't matter though since almost all of them were dead, so there was no more 'Saiyan culture' nonsense to even try to learn.
"And they've been breeding," Ivory said with disgust as she eyed the child. So Vegeta had actually done it; he had bred a child (or maybe more as far as she knew) that was also running around in the world. The thought of someone producing a child with a Saiyan? Disgusting. "There aren't any more offspring I should be aware of, should I?" Many of the pictures were the same thing, mostly the woman and child. Vegeta didn't seem to be with them, which would work perfectly for Ivory. If Vegeta wasn't around as often, she could target the woman and child and hold them hostage, maybe use them as bait for Vegeta.
Ivory came across another picture and stiffened. On the photo, seeming to stare right into her soul, was Vegeta.
Her scouts had been spotted.
"Biamuh, were all of our scouts accounted for after this excursion?" To her knowledge, no one had been followed. In fact, it could all be a coincidence that Vegeta had looked in their direction. He could've just looked in passing. There was no way he knew something was up. It was all coincidence.
"Yes Princess. And we were not followed. At least, to my knowledge we weren't."
If they had been followed, that was a problem. Vegeta and his allies had been clever enough to take down her father; there was no telling what they could be planning if they knew Ivory was gathering information on them. "We'll have to be careful. I don't know if Vegeta is suspicious or if this was just him getting lucky. We can't take chances, not at this stage."
"What is your plan then?"
That…was an interesting question. Did she get more aggressive or did she play the long game? Playing the long game could result in giving the Saiyans more time to plan. Getting aggressive could pull the ball further into her court.
Maybe she had waited around long enough.
"We're going to increase the scouting around this woman. I want to know everything there is to know, including her daily schedule. I think I'm as well-versed in Earth culture as I want to be at this point. I don't need to know anything more. We need to start making moves before Vegeta gets suspicious and rallies his fellow Saiyans."
That would also mean she would need to press Gohan a little bit more as well. For now, he was her only clue to uncovering where the rest of the Saiyans were. She enjoyed their conversations, she really did, but she needed to learn more about him. She needed to earn his trust and get him to open up a bit more. Because at the moment, she knew next to nothing about him. She knew of his alternate identity but that was it. She needed to get closer, by any means necessary.
But…just how did she up the ante on this one?
Kirsi had to suppress a giggle.
This couldn't be more perfect. If Ivory was planning on luring Saiyans, she would use the one she was close to to get that information. And Kirsi knew how Ivory thought: she'd likely try to use bribery to garner his favor instead of playing into his weaknesses.
Saiyans were still males at the end of the day after all. They weren't interested in bribes. They wanted something more…carnal rather than gifts. Of course, Ivory didn't seem to understand that, which was exactly why Kirsi could use it against her.
With that in mind, Kirsi waited for Ivory outside her door, a plan in mind for what she wanted to say.
She only had to wait a few more minutes before Ivory came out of her room, scowling as soon as she laid eyes on Kirsi. "Eavesdropping again Kirsi?"
"It is my empire as well Ivory. And since I've decided to stay here with you, I have every right to listen when it comes to our empire."
"And why can't you ask your faction for information? Oh wait, I forgot. They all defected to me."
That stung by Kirsi wasn't going to let Ivory know that. Besides, not everyone in her faction had defected. She still had one or two loyal soldiers around that were double agents pretending to serve Ivory while they reported back to Kirsi in the meanwhile. "Regardless, it is my business as well and I couldn't help but overhear your latest development. You're trying to lure the Saiyans out, are you not? Because I believe that I have a plan for that if you're interested."
Ivory brushed past her. "Kirsi, there's nothing you could tell me that would assist me. I can handle this on my own."
Kirsi smirked. 'Of course. Keep believing that Ivory.'
The walk to school was different this time around.
Ivory let Gohan do most of the talking this morning only because she still couldn't shake her dream from last night. That look he had given her in her dream was still on her mind, happily occupying almost all of her thoughts. She knew her mind was just making up scenarios she wanted to happen so there was no telling if he would actually make that kind of face or have that kind of expression.
Now that she was thinking about it, she compared the smile from her dream to the smile she was used to. There weren't too many differences like she originally thought but the one from her dream was…softer somehow. Sweet and endearing. Not like his normal smile, the one that everyone seems to see. This one was more… personal. Hers. Of course, it was just a dream but she wondered what it would really look like. What would get him to make an expression like that?
"Ivory? Is everything okay?"
Ivory turned to look at him. He was so easy to read it was ridiculous. There was concern written all over his face, his head tilted just slightly to the side. Soft. Soft was the only word she could think of as she looked at him. Soft and gentle, not like the brutes he associated with and shared blood with. Nothing like Vegeta, who seemed unpleasant to be around. She couldn't even compare him to the gritty image of Son Goku they had recovered. Soft and different.
Once again, Ivory was stuck wondering how he could possibly be a Saiyan.
She could feel her lips pull into a smile and she let out a little laugh. What a strange Saiyan he was. She touched his cheek gently, as though not to startle him, then found herself cupping his cheek entirely, running her thumb over the skin. She was amazed at how warm he was and unsurprisingly, how soft. It made her smile widen. "Everything is fine Gohan. Perfectly fine."
He searched her face for any sign that she was lying but when he found nothing, he smiled as well, leaning into her touch. If he was bothered by her stroking his cheek, he didn't say a word. "Good. I'm glad."
Maybe she wasn't too far off in comparing him to a pet. She was really starting to like the idea of putting a little collar on him, perhaps even a chain.
Her little pet. How cute.
'How about we meet in the park where we met?'
That wasn't an issue for her. She knew the location and it was early enough in the morning that she could leisurely get ready and still make it long before their meeting time.
The issue was her clothing. What was she to wear?
Every occasion required the appropriate attire and this was no different. When she went to school, she stayed in plain and simple clothes as her peers wore; maybe once in a while, she would class it up a bit with jewelry or something fancier but it was mostly simple garments. Going on day trips with Biamuh required clothes of a little more elegance but suitable for long walks. Going hunting at night required clothes she wouldn't mind getting dirty or disposing of. This was different; she was going to spend one-on-one time with the Saiyan and she had no clue what the appropriate attire could possibly be.
"Black or red?" Ivory held up two garments to the mirror and compared both of them. One was loose, light red with lace trim and a sheer neckline, long enough to cover her knees and loose enough that it would sit comfortably on her frame. The other was more form-fitting and a bit more tasteful, but it was short and cut off right below her thighs; the neckline also dipped down very low, so much that it was indecent.
She huffed, throwing both dresses on the bed. No, they wouldn't do. They were far too…over the top. The lace was too much and she never looked good in red. And the black dress was far too short; she wouldn't be able to sit comfortably without the risk of her dress riding up. Maybe she should settle on a two-piece outfit instead…
Ugh, had she turned into her mother overnight? She had never agonized over her appearance as much as she was now. It was a simple outing, nothing more than that, but for some reason, she felt like she had to dress up, even if she dressed up just a little bit. It was silly but…she just felt like there was something different about today and that required the proper outfit for it.
Which left her in her current dilemma. Just what sort of outfit was appropriate for…well, whatever this was?
"Princess, may I enter?"
Ivory rolled her eyes. "Biamuh, enter."
"I'd like to-Princess, you aren't dressed yet?"
"I was having a bit of difficultly. Father used to do mission preparation all the time and believed in being prepared. I know this isn't a mission but I still hold onto that mentality. And such, I'm having an issue with my clothes." It seemed ridiculous when she said it out loud but she would feel a lot better if she was prepared and in the attire most fitting.
"You should wear something you could fight and run comfortably in. If, and I don't mean to insinuate that something will go wrong, but if things go south, you should be prepared for escape or a battle."
He had a point. Ivory hadn't even considered the possibility of having to fight or run (she likely wouldn't run even if something did happen but if she decided to continue to play the role of an earthling she would need to). She couldn't exactly wear the standard issue armor of the empire but she wasn't sure of the durability of the planet's clothes. Everything seemed so thin and the material so flimsy.
Biamuh eventually helped her settle on an outfit but Ivory was once again thinking about her father. Where would they be if he was still alive? Where would they have traveled at this point? How big would their empire have been at this point?
There were so many things they could've done at this point. They could've conquered the galaxy and then some. Their names could've been spoken and feared by everyone at all reaches. They might've had a full army on every planet they could think of.
She wouldn't have had to do any of this either. None of the dressing up, the lying, the cautious planning. None of it. No worrying about the Saiyans every day. They could've had so much ahead of them. So much potential.
Son Goku took that from her. But pretty soon, Son Goku would be under her foot, dead.
So for the time being, she would play the role for as long as she needed to. And when it was time to drop the act and finally let things come full circle, she'd enjoy the satisfaction of what their world crumble.
Despite it being a short walk, Biamuh insisted on tailing her to the park. It wasn't needed but Biamuh was good at what he did: Ivory lost sight of him a few times during the walk despite the crowds being thin and the streets fairly clear. He was doing his diligence as her guard but more than that, he admitted that Vegeta staring at them from the photo was very concerning. And the more Ivory thought about it, the less likely it seemed like a coincidence. Ivory didn't like to risk coincidences and Vegeta had escaped for this long. As loathe as she was to admit it, Vegeta escaping for so long meant that he deserved some credit for being crafty.
There was a lot she had to consider and talking it through with Biamuh would help. "Do you suppose Vegeta would start looking into finding us?"
Biamuh's reply was immediate. "There is no way to confirm whether or not the angle was just a coincidence or if he was actually suspicious. If that picture is to be taken seriously, and I would take it with a grain of salt, then we should gamble that he would try to rally his forces. Princess, I advise you to keep in mind that together, the Saiyans are more powerful than we think."
'What happened to my father is proof of that.'
She spotted Gohan sitting at a park table, engrossed in whatever book was in his lap. Another two books sat on the table near him but he didn't seem to notice anything else around him. He had a serious, almost comically so, look on his face and his eyes quickly darted across the pages. He wasn't even aware that a butterfly had taken residence on his shoulder, wings flapping slowly as it rested.
It shouldn't have been as easy as it was to sneak up on him but Ivory couldn't help herself.
"Starting without me?"
The look on his face when he jumped was comical. Ivory couldn't hold back her laughter as he stuttered and tried to calm down.
"S-Sorry. I got here a little early and couldn't help myself. Videl bought this for me and I've been wanting to read it for a while."
Ivory took the seat across from him and tried not to let her derision show. No one seemed to notice it but she and Videl didn't exactly get along. They weren't outwardly cruel to one another nor did they quip at one another, but neither of them went out of their way to speak to the other; Erasa ended up doing most of the talking anyway. But Ivory rarely spoke unless directly spoken to and when she did talk, it was always short, practiced answers. Videl would give her a strange look now and then, but she wouldn't comment whenever Ivory spoke. No one seemed to notice the tension between them and Ivory wasn't interested in confronting her: whatever development came from this would have to be dealt with when appropriate.
"Your book must be interesting if it held your attention for so long. I had been standing behind you for quite a while before I made my presence known." She reached out with her fingers and gently brushed the butterfly off his shoulder, keeping her fingers outstretched so that it could crawl over her hand.
"It's a part of this series I like. I told her how I never had the chance to read the latest one and she managed to find it for me. I guess I got sidetracked while I was waiting for you."
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long." She had to make a very important stop beforehand and though it shouldn't have taken very long, Ivory had agonized over the decision.
"No, not at all. I just read pretty fast." His eyes dropped to the book she had clutched against her chest. "Is that the book you wanted to practice from?"
All of a sudden, Ivory felt her cheeks get warm. She tried to speak, but her voice wasn't cooperating, forcing her to clear her throat and tried again. "N-No. I saw this in a store window and recognized the cover. It's similar to the one you loaned me, is it not?"
'The same book you would rather cuddle with than open.'
"Yeah. I didn't know it was part of a series!" The pure excitement in his voice was worth the embarrassment Ivory felt at doing this. "But, why did you-"
"As a thank you!" She said quickly. "This…I…You've been helping me a lot lately. I thought it necessary you got something in return."
It was his turn to blush this time, averting his gaze as she handed the book over to him. If he wasn't going to say anything about the way their fingers brushed when he took the book, then neither would she. Though, now that she didn't have the book to hold, she didn't have anything to ground herself. She settled on letting the butterfly flutter between her hands, focusing on the swirling pattern on its wings then the Saiyan across from her.
"You didn't have to," he said quietly. "I meant it when I said I like talking to you. A-And being around you is a…well, a nice bonus."
Ivory froze, her dream coming back to her full force. 'You can't just say things like that Gohan. It makes me think…'
She shook away the thoughts. Now wasn't the time for any of this.
It was once again difficult for her to focus on anything, not even the façade she was supposed to be putting up. She read from the pages without even thinking about it, stuttering due to her embarrassment rather than inadequacy to read the words.
They had started out sitting across from one another but that hadn't been appropriate for what they were doing, so Ivory ended up sliding into the seat beside him and ignoring the way their knees were pressed together. Then they both got uncomfortable sitting at the park tables and ended up settling down under a tree, their shoulders brushing lightly every time one of them turned a page. At least they were making some sort of progress, though she still couldn't meet his gaze.
'What is wrong with you?'
This wasn't like her. She should be focused but instead, she couldn't think of any of her training nor what Biamuh had told her. They sat so close that Ivory was sure she could smell the Saiyan, and while that would've disgusted her any other time, she felt somewhat comforted by the scent.
'You're beginning to look like a disgrace.'
"Ivory, you-"
His voice startled her out of her thought and she quickly turned to face him. It surprised her just how close their noses were and she could've sworn she saw his gaze drop to her lips. She felt…it wasn't nervous, but there was this feeling in her stomach that wasn't going away. Where she couldn't meet his gaze before, now she felt as if there was nothing else in the world but him. She heard it when his breath caught in his throat and felt his fingers atop her own. Her mouth went dry as she leaned forward an inch. "Gohan…"
"Ivory…"
She wasn't sure who moved first and she wasn't sure she cared. The first brush of their lips was gentle, just a light kiss more than anything. Something changed after that first touch though, because when he kissed her again, there was something deeper behind it, something more insistent. She felt trapped; she didn't know anything about this and let him take the lead, but she found she didn't mind. She didn't care as he took control of the kiss, pressing closer to her.
Her first kiss, and with a Saiyan of all people.
Too soon though, it was over. Reality rushed in as Gohan tore himself away from her, almost violently. Ivory quickly covered her mouth, a cold shock hitting her as she realized what she just did. 'I kissed a Saiyan.'
Gohan had jumped nearly two feet away from her, hands covering his mouth as he refused to look at her. He was blushing just as fiercely as she probably was, shoulders heaving as he tried to control his breathing.
"We shouldn't have-"
"That wasn't-"
Ivory felt her lips tingling from the contact and while she didn't mind the feeling, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of complete mortification by the whole thing. 'I kissed a Saiyan.'
He didn't say much to her after that. He refused to look at her and when she tried to find something else to say, he seemed to flinch at the sound of her voice. But there were no words to describe what happened. She couldn't even explain it to herself. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?
Later on, she would be mortified about everything that transpired today. But right now, all she could think to do was flee. And a small part of her was hurt. But whether it was from the kiss or because he didn't chase her, she wasn't sure.
'I kissed him.'
Shame quickly turned into anger.
"I want every able-bodied soldier out there in the city collecting data. The soldiers who look most like earthlings should stay in the epicenter while those who cannot fit in should stick to searching the outskirts and densely populated areas for any signs of the Saiyans. Not one word is to be spoken to me unless it's relevant information. If I have to be asked what counts as relevant, then I obviously need more capable soldiers in the army."
"Of course Princess."
Biamuh had only spoken when she gave orders, not a word more. She knew for a fact that he had seen the kiss but was wisely keeping his mouth shut. Ivory knew that he wouldn't say anything not just because he valued his life but because he knew more about her than her mother did. He knew she wasn't in a pleasant mood after everything had happened and knew she was likely to have extremely volatile mood swings following this.
He wasn't keeping himself safe, he was keeping her grounded.
'Why did he pull away like that? Was it…me?'
Ivory growled, a throbbing sensation forming behind her eyes. She didn't want to think about anything anymore but the empire needed her. She didn't have any more time to waste or any thoughts to spare on…unnecessary distractions.
'It wasn't unnecessary. You enjoyed it.'
Kirsi found Ivory sulking in her room later.
Ivory wouldn't call it "sulking" preferring to use words like "strategic planning" but it was sulking plain and simple. She was laying on her bed, head pillowed on her arms, eyes closed as if sleeping. But Kirsi had seen this before when Ivory was a child and didn't get her way. She would just collapse on her bed and refuse to do anything, no matter who promoted her. It was rare to see her so upset and as her mother, Kirsi felt a tiny bit bad for her daughter.
But there was an enormous opportunity here and Kirsi couldn't lose her chance.
"What's wrong my dear?"
Ivory lifted her head and glared, though Kirsi noticed that it lacked a lot of heat. "Nothing," she grumbled flatly.
"You can talk to me Ivory. I'm still your mother even if we do disagree." 'Disagree' was putting it lightly but Kirsi had to choose her words carefully.
"Can I Kirsi? Because you like to tear me down whenever we talk. And anything I say, you throw in my face at a later date."
"I'm your mother darling. I'm trying to lend you guidance."
"I don't need guidance I need-"
"-To find the Saiyans, I know. But what happened today? Why the sudden change in plan?"
Ivory looked over at her nightstand and Kirsi noticed the book from before. The book that Ivory had been snapping at everyone about it and refused to let anyone else touch it. What significance did it have? Why did it mean so much to her?
Then the realization hit and Kirsi had to hold back a smile. 'Of course.'
"…the Saiyan eluded me," Ivory eventually said. "And now I don't know what to do."
"Oh Ivory." Kirsi put as much fake sympathy as she could muster into her voice. "What happened? I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened."
Ivory stared at her, conflicting emotions dancing across her gaze. She looked like she wanted to agree but had her guard up, likely thinking Kirsi was deceiving her. Whatever Ivory was deciding, the agreement won out in the end and Ivory sighed.
"I don't know what I did that disgusted him," she admitted. "The way he recoiled from me…well, I do think I know why. But the look on his face and his reaction…" Ivory laid her head back done, seemingly done with the conversation.
Kirsi just smiled, tenderly brushing some of Ivory's hair behind her ear. She tried not to flinch at the touch but there was still that tension in her form. They had been at each other's throats so much that Kirsi wasn't surprised that Ivory was tense around her. "You need help Ivory. You aren't used to dealing with men like this."
"…go on."
"You are intelligent, beautiful, powerful, and above all, you are your father's daughter. But like him, you can be rather dense when it comes to a matter such as this."
"What do you mean?"
"Saiyans are hot-blooded, male creatures. And like all hot-blooded creatures, many things get their blood pumping. Can you think of what those things might be?"
"Fighting and killing," Ivory answered, almost practiced in the response. Of course, because her father had drilled that into her head over and over.
Kirsi laughed. "You truly are your father's daughter. Even he was dense in manners that didn't revolve around his empire. The only difference is that he is so set in his ways that it was hard to teach him new things. You, however, are still learning. My darling, there's one other thing that Saiyans enjoy. Think carefully."
Ivory didn't answer, her brow creasing as she thought of the answer. Kirsi didn't expect her to actually find it but she would give Ivory time just to let her stew things over.
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer."
"Ivory, my dear. The only other thing that would get a Saiyan's blood pumping…is flesh."
"What?" Ivory bolted straight up, her cheeks bright red. "Surely you don't mean-"
"You aren't feeding into his more…carnal desires. You're just…around him. You aren't enticing him or offering him what he really wants. All Saiyans are alike; show them a bit of skin and they'll rampage."
"That isn't what I want!"
"That is exactly what you want. You want him to surrender everything to you. And the easiest way to do that is by enticing him."
Ivory was silent for a long few moments, so long that Kirsi was beginning to wonder if Ivory was boiling in rage. But Ivory took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's say-" she began slowly, "-that I decide to change tactics and go about things your way. Let's say I try…this. What would you propose I do?"
Kirsi smiled. She had Ivory right where she wanted her. "Alright my dear. Listen carefully."
Very deep apologies for the long wait. I tried to make this chapter just a touch longer to make up for the wait.
So, a lot happened in this chapter. Ivory's coming into conflict with her feelings versus her duty; she's feeling attraction to someone for the first time but it's a Saiyan! What would her father say if he saw her now?
Once again, thank you for all the support! It's a lot easier to focus on the hate you get rather than the love (and I've seen my fair share of hate or displeasure with this) but I love and appreciate every single one of you who continues to follow, favorite, and leave reviews, you guys are amazing! Sorry I didn't answer any reviews this time around but thank you for continued support. See ya in the next one!
Bye~
