Among The Daffodils
Chapter 6: Valerian & Valor
AN: I write where inspiration currently lies and for better or for worse it's with ATD. Also so sorry for the delay! I had a lot of this already written but to my travesty I have been working so much that I had little to no time to actually write. I finally got a weekend to myself amidst all my wedding planning and career moves.
Accompanying Song: Rhapsody by TwoSet Violin
Marron clung onto Trunks desperately, her eyes screwed shut as she felt the chill of the frigid evening air bite her skin. The blood and sweat that caked the Saiyan Prince's vestments were of little consequence to her as she was weighed down by the gravity of her dire circumstance.
The flight back was an eerily quiet one, shrouded in uncomfortable silence. Trunks' grip on Marron was almost suffocating, as his heartbeat became a thunderous drum in the quiet. His silence wasn't due to the fear of loss, or even a surge of anger that fueled such a reaction from him; it was the looming presence of the moon above. That pale moonlight that clawed at him, it's a tantalizing whisper of pandemonium.
As Trunks' gaze tried to meet the ground, the shadows of trees twisted into grotesque forms, as if the moon sought to corrupt his mind towards that of chaos. His own senses teetered between human and Saiyan. He found himself recounting the gruesome display like a cursed record. The growing lust for blood surging within him, an unwelcome craving that shackled him to the mighty Oozaru's legacy
As they landed at the Son Estate, his arms imprisoned Marron with a grip born out of pure desperation. The last bit of his own sanity was currently in his arms. But as he saw the familiar faces from earlier, he could feel his control slipping as Marron escaped out of his grasp.
He watched the delicate woman as she ran straight into her mother's arms. Trunks' mind was an incomprehensible haze, save for one clear stream of thought: She's safe. And, as Lazuli's arms enveloped her daughter, the world around Trunks began to slip away.
Krillin's voice faded off towards the background as nothing but just a distant murmur in Trunks' ear…save for the piercing ringing that took hold of his hearing. The call to the moon unrelenting as Trunks' gaze fixated on its haunting luminescence.
"Prince Trunks?" Krillin's voice was barely getting through to the Prince as he continued to study him closer. Though before the Prince could offer a response, Gohan and Goku began to realize the true gravity of the situation.
Trunks' usual blue eyes were glowing brighter, and far more ominously as his clothes strained themselves at the seams. He was transforming. Or, at the very least resisting it. Gohan recognized it so, as he too had suffered with transformations far too many times.
"Your majesty," Gohan began, his voice a bit darker than before as a hand landed on Krillin's shoulder. "The prince is beside himself right now…I suggest you take the Princess to her bedchambers for the rest of the evening."
Queen Lazuli acted swiftly, being able to listen in from a short distance. With a simple gesture she commanded servants to secure the Princess inside. However much to the Queen's dismay, Marron was resilient. Her gaze met Lazuli's as she strained against the servant's grasp.
Marron's eyes were not tearing from the prince for even a moment. She attempted to move her head to see him, but due to her short stature and his body being shrouded by several men now she was unable to see much at all.
"Your highness, you must head inside. It is much too dangerous for you to be out here," Shumay pleaded, grasping Marron's arm as she tried to pull the royal inside. But Marron was stunned, her limbs unwilling to cooperate.
"But– the Prince…" Marron could hardly get a word out as her mother blocked her view.
"Marron…" Lazuli's voice was utterly terrifying, her eyes wide as if she was concealing a threat. She held her arms out as she stood between her and her sight of the Prince. "Go inside now."
Marron met her mother's gaze, her expression framed with defiance. She kept her ice cold daggers on Lazuli. Marron didn't want to leave him; strangely enough, she felt she could be of some kind of help to the Prince. But she was to be the obedient child, Princess Marron…nothing more, nothing less. Though despite her deepest wishes she had to defy her wants once more
As she turned on her heel, she faced Shumay who urged the Princess inside.
There was an unfamiliar, foul odor striking Trunks' nose as he shot himself awake on the bed, his heart beat racing as he gripped the sheets of the bed he laid in. His clothes were far looser than he remembered and the room he sat in was distinctly dark, save for the flicker of a flame that Marquis Gohan had on, as he continued to thumb through his book.
"Did I…" Trunks began, his voice a mere whisper as his head was ravaged with a pounding headache. Waves of nausea washed over him, his stomach churning violently.
"You're sedated," Gohan replied without offering Trunks a glance as he shut his book. "And no, you did not transform, but you were very close." He picked up the vial, drawing a few drops of the potent and odorous oil on a rag and bringing it closer to Trunks.
"What is–" Trunks gagged, his hand lashing out instinctively, only to be restrained by the rustle of a chain that bound him to the bed.
"Valerian root," Gohan explained, his tone highly clinical. "My mother found it to be wildly successful in sedating my brother when he was about to transform…"
"It smells foul—" Trunks grimaced, snapping his head away from the pungent scent
"And yet wildly effective," Gohan remarked, pulling a chair closer to the bed and sitting beside Trunks. Though right now Trunks was restrained by the man, it was clear he meant no true harm. "Not to worry, I will set you free once I know you are safe."
Trunks huffed, letting his head thud against the soft pillow of the bed. His brows knitted as he glanced up at the dimly lit ceiling. "Well…did she see?" Trunks' voice was laced with genuine concern.
"Her Majesty tried to shield you from view," Gohan sighed, wrinkling his nose as the odor was getting to him now.
"Good…" Trunks closed his eyes, relief coloring his voice.
He would be unable to forgive himself had she been exposed to such a barbaric form—though he supposed it was all the same in Vegeta-sei…though he'd never felt such a lack of restraint before. "I've never felt–"
"Yes, you and the rest of the Vegeta-Sei Saiyans here all seem to have a similar reaction to the full moon here on Earth…" Gohan interjected, his voice taking on a more theoretical approach as he leaned forward. "I've theorized on the possibilities of why that might be—though many of them were a bit inconclusive."
"I…recall a book," Trunks winced as he attempted to sit back up slowly this time. "My mother had it in her library on Vegeta-sei."
Gohan's interest was piqued
"You must forgive me, as I don't quite remember the details…but I recall the words blutz waves being used, it's been many years since I read it, as I was just a precocious and curious child," Trunks stumbled through his words as he wired his mind to attempt to recall the memories.
Gohan smiled. The Duchess of Briefs was always lauded for her brilliant and strategic mind, he was sure that after being courted on Earth by Vegeta she'd become increasingly curious of the Saiyans. "The blutz wave theory," Gohan began, the remnants of awe in his voice. "your mother's mind was unparalleled, truly."
"So I've heard," Trunks sighed. There was an air of familiarity in Gohan's face, as if he recalled his mother. Since arriving on Earth, Trunks' curiosity grew about his mother and her past–the life she led before being sent off to Vegeta-Sei.
"She observed that there was a certain kind of wave that emanated from the Earth full moon, a blutz wave– and something in our genetic code makes us more susceptible to such frequencies…the many moons on Vegeta-Sei somehow are not nearly as powerful as a single Earthling moon," Gohan said. "This is the most likely theory, but it still hasn't been conclusive."
"That's impossible–"
"Is it?" Gohan challenged, a hint of mischief in his voice. "Think of it this way, your Highness… Vegeta-Sei is a far smaller planet than Earth, it could even be considered a dwarf by many scholars and yet despite its many small moons and extra sun—there's never been a powerful full moon that's driven a high class saiyan into madness,"
"Yet one singular moon did all that damage…" Trunks murmured.
"Precisely," Gohan clicked his tongue, "rather than cutting our own tails…we typically drink a Valerian root tea to sedate us as the call to the moon is rather tempting…"
"Wouldn't this have been good information to bestow upon me sooner?" Trunks retorted back, his voice laced in a terse tone. It seemed the Saiyan Prince was rather vexed at the situation.
Gohan paused, scratching his face. His gaze averted awkwardly. What Prince Trunks spoke was the truth, it would have been much better to not simply assume that he'd know all of this. "I assumed someone would have informed you,"
"Clearly I am the only one who was unaware," Trunks snapped back. Marquis Gohan and the lot of the Son's should have informed him of such a dangerous occurrence.
Gohan ignored the Prince's snippy attitude, despite the fact that Trunks was of a higher standing than him…Gohan was still far older than him…and Prince Trunks acted much like his younger sibling, Goten. "Let's focus on the more pressing matter at hand—just what exactly happened when you found the princess?"
There was acid that crawled up Trunks' throat, the feeling of his anger choking him fully as he gripped the sheets. It wasn't fury alone that he was feeling at the bastard who touched what was his…it was possession. "She was being assaulted by some scrawny weakling, besmirching the Kame royals and my own family's name in the process," Trunks spat.
Gohan lifted a brow. Surprised at the lack of detail. "Is that truly all?"
"I beat him into a bloodied pulp," Trunks added, his voice just a bit more smug than previously. He could still taste the blood of that man dancing on his tongue
Gohan leaned forward, his onyx eyes drilling into Trunks'. "Did you kill him?" He asked carefully.
"I—" Trunks could feel himself getting choked up once more. "I think so…I was not of a right mind…"
Gohan pinched his brow as he leaned back. "I have my brother doing some reconnaissance work around the area—we will find out soon enough who attempted on the Princess' life…for their sake I pray you did kill them."
Trunks sighed once more, closing his eyes as he allowed his anger to settle once more.
"I must say though," Gohan began as he got up, "I found it most surprising when I heard you jumped head first to search for her."
Trunks didn't have a response for the Marquis, he remained silent as he glanced down to his hands. He must have seemed rather foolish searching for her with such desperation. Though his reasoning for such a thing was justified that this was the future Queen of Vegeta-Sei— protecting her was essential, especially if her measly guard lost sight of her.
Another thing that bothered him. Princess Marron's barnacle of a guard, Shumay, who somehow was simultaneously far too careless. Allowing the princess to take an unsupervised stroll, especially with such a fragile constitution…it bothered him to no end. Had this been on his home turf, he wouldn't allow such a thing to occur.
"I simply did what I had to do for Vegeta-Sei and Kame," Trunks responded.
"But you could have killed the assailant, was his crime grave enough to get third class blood on your hands?" Gohan's question was laced with a certain sprinkle of snarkiness that Trunks immediately recognized as a tease.
"Certainly…an eye for an eye…" Trunks replied back, ire bubbling at the pit of his stomach as he recalled Princess Marron's bruised neck and tattered form. It wasn't right of someone of her standing to be brought to such a level of disarray.
"I see," Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose, denoting a bit of frustration, "rest well, your highness, I will come back at day break."
Marron sat alone in the bed of the guest bedchambers, only moonlight shone through the window casting a glow upon her milky skin. Her fingers twirled with the ends of her hair absentmindedly as she attempted to quiet the chaos in her mind.
A fear like no other gripped her, the chill of adrenaline throbbed in her veins
Her slender fingers gently ghosted atop her neck, pressing lightly where the assailant dared lay his hands on. Vivid images haunted her— a spray of blood etched to her mind, for as much as she wanted to…it seemed impossible to tear the thought that her betrothed behaved in such a way before her.
He protected her, enacted revenge…for her.
His enigmatic gaze, paired with splattered blood across his cheek, a sight that for all intents and purposes she was unable to shake. The contrast with his gentle voice, begging her for an ounce of understanding.
She hardly knew him, yet his behavior was ferocious. His embrace was terrifyingly tight—nearly suffocating—and yet paradoxically felt as if despite his monstrous form and terrifying glowing eyes, she had an unsettling trust in him.
But what if she were wrong? The doubt kept her alert, her hands trembling with a fear of the unknown. Perhaps Prince Trunks could have gone to her to save face, after all, she was an instrumental member of what she presumed to be Vegeta-Sei's grand plan.
She wanted to believe that Trunks was merely putting on a performance for her, because the alternative — that the brutish Saiyan Prince actually harbored some feelings of affection towards her — was frankly terrifying. Who knows what a man of such strength and power would do to get his way?
Rising from the bed, she pressed her hand against the door of her bed chambers, tempted to go search for him. More than making sure he was okay, she wanted to confront him and gain the clarity she desperately sought. As she stepped into the hallway she glanced towards the long corridor of the guest wing. She presumed Trunks would be somewhere in these rooms, wouldn't he?
"And just what are you doing here, your highness," A familiar voice asked, amusement in his tone. As she turned to find Lord Goten watching her.
Marron's shoulders hitched. How did she get caught so quickly? "I–" Marron's voice faltered, unable to come up with an excuse. "I'm looking for Prince Trunks,"
"He is not in a state where you can see him, right now," Goten replied sternly. He was surprised Marron was so bold as to go find him after everything. He wondered just what compelled the princess on her boldness.
"Well, is he safe?" Marron asked, her gaze breaking from Goten's. "You made such a spectacle out of him I couldn't help but worry," she quickly added, afraid that she may be leading Goten with the wrong impression.
Goten couldn't help but feel a small tug on the side of his lip. For as much as Princess Marron is a woman of a higher standing…she was demure as ever before him. "The prince is safe, and doing well," Goten reassured, watching relief wash over her face.
"Then… Why did you take him away?" Marron asked pointedly. Her ice cold eyes analyzed Goten with much scrutiny. Her main goal was to appear worried for the prince, not wanting to raise suspicion on her own fears.
Goten sighed as he shook his head. He knows that she was sheltered for many good reasons…but it surprised him that Marron was unaware of so much thanks no less to Queen Lazuli's insistent protective nature over her. "There are many things you don't know about Saiyans," Goten began.
"Well wouldn't it be a good thing I found out?" Marron uncharacteristically snapped, watching as he was taken back just a bit by the increase in volume. Marron was endlessly frustrated at the lack of information being given to her. At every turn in her life, information was constantly withheld from her as though she were still a child who could not process the realities of the world.
But Marron was old enough to be married off to a foreign prince…she'd reckon it's high time for her to discover what more she isn't aware of. "I'm to be betrothed to him, Lord Goten—" Marron insisted, her tone dripping with desperation.
"I am very aware of your circumstance, your highness," Goten interrupted, not wanting to fall for her skillful tactic of guilt tripping him. They may have been friends since childhood but there was a certain level even he couldn't cross.
Marron furrowed her brows, her arms indignantly crossed across her chest. "Then help me understand," she hissed out.
"I fear that is not my place," Goten replied gravely.
"What do you mean?" Marron asked, feeling her spirit breaking at the lack of sway Goten had. Even he wouldn't tell her what was going on. She was almost killed by a madman, her betrothed saved her…and was locked away with no apparent explanation.
None of it made any sense.
"All I can tell you, your highness is that Prince Trunks acts with great restraint—and I think to find out more, you will need to speak to him directly," Goten stated firmly. "Please, do not make me disobey an order."
Marron was upset. No one would speak to her about anything, there were certain walls and barriers put up around every conversation topic regarding her and her supposed future husband. Had no one had but a shred of decency to share just what was so monumental that she simply wasn't allowed to know?
"Then tell me where he is," Marron demanded, her eyes ablaze.
Goten breathed in deeply, his resolve palpable "Speak to him in the morning, once he is fully recovered," he said as he gently walked towards her. "Your highness, I will escort you back to your bed chambers…you are not to speak to him tonight."
"And who are you to order me?" she challenged, attempting to force his hand.
"Marron," Queen Lazuli's voice reverberated through the halls as her heels clacked towards her. Marron could feel the rush of cold that washed over her. Her mother's full might was present in the room. "It's an order from the crown—return to your bedchambers at once."
Goten sighed at Marron watching as she cowered back down, turning towards the door but present within her was a seed of frustration and anger that was yet to be quelled. As Goten stepped aside, Lazuli brushed past the hybrid. "Pardon me, Lord Goten–but it seems I must speak to Princess Marron myself."
Goten bowed out, turning away from the two…a small sympathetic glance Marron's way.
And as his footsteps faded, Marron turned to face her mother. There was an ever present sense of defiance within her as Lazuli ushered her into the room, dismissing any maids that were nearby.
"Marron," Lazuli began, a mixture of gentle authority and her own personal maternal concern. "I know you are worried, you must be in shock at what happened…I understand that…" she sighed out heavily as she turned towards the bed and sat down. "But you must trust the decisions of the crown, your father and I…we want what is best for you—we want to protect you…"
Marron's eyes were filled with frustration. "Then how, pray tell, how can I trust what I am yet to understand mother?" she questioned her voice barely a whisper. Her throat aching as though barbed wire were wrapping itself around her. "Why must everything be shrouded in secrets?"
"You are our only daughter, you are the jewel of Kame—" Lazuli gently stated as her hands traced along her daughter's cheek.
"Is that why you are marrying me off to the Prince of a barbaric planet with a missing Queen?" Marron hissed out. "How do you expect me to understand when you're sending me off to an all but assured death sentence?" she implored.
"This isn't about marriage ...there are alliances about protecting you, me…your father, our people," Queen Lazuli pressed as she sighed. "Prince Trunks…for all intents and purposes has no plans to harm you—I would never send my only daughter in a march towards death."
"But what of Queen Bulma—" Marron huffed as tears welled in her eyes. "I deserve to know," she pressed. "If I am to stand by his side as his wife, shouldn't I know?" her voice cracked as her emotions washed back over her.
Lazuli could see the same pain, echoes of a past she had long forgotten. When she was but a mere princess and betrothed to a duke. A union not bred from love, but from warring nations attempting to make peace. "In time, my beloved," Lazuli whispered as she held her daughter close, feeling as her body heaved softly. "You will know everything—but you must remain patient."
Marron could feel as her mother's words calmed the anxieties that burned beneath her. "And what of Prince Trunks?"
Lazuli sighed, her eyes heavy—the role of a queen still evident on her face, "Prince Trunks carries burdens that we hope you shall never have—he will be fine with time."
Marron glanced at her mother once more, their eyes meeting as Marron searched for sincerity in her words. "I feel as though I should seek him out, and speak to him directly…" Marron began, her voice steady and edging on daring.
Queen Lazuli paused, considering the precarious implications of such a meeting. "If you feel so inclined, I can arrange it—under supervised conditions."
"Why would you need to arrange such a thing between him and I?" Marron pressed, was there more information she wasn't allowed to know? "He is my supposed future husband–I should be able to speak freely…"
"You more than anyone should be aware that an unwed princess should not be in close quarters with any man…and certainly not during a betrothal…" Lazuli gently scolded her for such carelessness. Even she should know better than that.
"But he is my betrothed—you and father said so yourselves," Marron shot back, her arms crossed in frustration.
"You know and understand what society expects, Marron…" Lazuli began before her arm encircled around Marron's shoulders, causing the younger woman to slink back into a calm state of mind. "I urge you to rest, darling…you must care for yourself first and foremost…"
Marron allowed her mind to rest, though the looming unease still settled over her as her mother's cold and hard gaze returned shortly after. Anticipation and anxiety coursing through her veins.
Though Shumay knew it was directly against Her Majesty, the Queen's orders, she was beckoned to follow her Princess' desperate plea. The spiral staircases of the Ox Kingdom's Palace seemed to twist endlessly downward—Shumay's thoughts only seemed to justify themselves with loyalty. The Marquis had taken Prince Trunks somewhere deep within the castle–far away from any prying eyes.
Though she seemingly didn't like the man, one thing Prince Trunks said to her echoed in her mind: Shumay should have never taken her eyes off the Princess, not even for a mere moment…as a result of her own negligence a disaster ensued. If she hoped to remain in the service of her Princess, she would do anything to right her wrongs—no matter the cost.
Even if it meant bowing to the Saiyan Prince himself.
The room where Prince Trunks was held was cloaked in darkness save for the glow of flickering torches, with the repugnant odor of Valerian Root covering the entire room. Shumay paused, her heart rattling within her chest as she locked eyes with the savage Prince.
The only thought she held—was of Marquis Gohan's recklessness to leave the Saiyan Prince alone—especially when he was seemingly so volatile.
"Your highness," she began, taking a step toward him. Her voice remained steadied despite the fear that gripped her. "I trust you are in control of your faculties once more?"
Trunks' gaze narrowed down on the green-haired woman. The barnacle has graced his sights once more, and yet this time ire came along with it. "The Princess' Royal Guard came all the way over here to see me?"
Shumay's expression remained calm and collected despite the Prince's clear jab to get a reaction out of her. "I am here not out of my own volition but purely to assist you by command of the Princess, your highness."
Trunks sat up, the rustle of the chain stopping him from moving further. He considered Shumay's words carefully. He could have asked her to release him from the shackles that bound him to the bed, but he knew better. The pull of the Earthling moon was evidently too dangerous, and in his current standing he couldn't afford to lose control once more. "Assist me?
Shumay nodded, her tone still the same "I have been entrusted to assist you temporarily, as per the Princess' orders. I am at your command."
Trunks' expression darkened as he recalled the treacherous actions of the weakling that dared attack the Royal Family. This was not some random act of violence–the vitriol and dissent for the royals existed long before. "Search the barracks," he instructed, his voice cold as ice. "We have a mole among the troops—I'm sure of it."
Shumay bowed her head. "As you wish."
It was late into the evening when Queen Lazuli entered the dimly lit drawing room with King Krillin, Queen Chi-Chi, Prince Consort Goku and Commander Caulifla. Lazuli observed the tense atmosphere unfold from the foreground as Chi-Chi paced fiercely about.
Chi-Chi's brows were knitted with a certain ferocity that Lazuli hadn't seen in quite some time– Not since the battle between Kame and Red Ribbon. "Do you realize what could have happened had the Saiyan Prince not found Princess Marron in due time, Commander Caulifla?" Chi-Chi questioned, her arms crossed as her gaze scrutinized the younger woman. "A war…something neither Kame, Vegeta-sei nor the Ox Kingdom could bear to stand at the moment."
Goku stepped forward, uncharacteristically serious in tone. "Do you have anyone searching the perimeters for any missing soldiers?"
Caulifla met his gaze, her usual laid back demeanor was a bit unbecoming due to the situation, as she rested her forearms on her knees, scoffing in response. "Yes, we have plenty of eyes around the barracks as we speak…we shall know soon enough—if Lord Goten doesn't find a body first that is…" she said with a deep chortle that unsettled King Krillin.
"Do you truly believe Prince Trunks—" King Krillin began before being interrupted.
"He's as much a Saiyan and he is human—" Caulifla interjected, a mocking edge in her tone as she glanced at much of the mockery may have flown over the Prince Consort's head—it was not lost to the others in the room.
Queen Lazuli stepped into the light, breaking her silence and announcing her entrance into the conversation "Wasn't there an altercation during training today at the barracks?" All heads turned to look at her as she approached the group, finding a seat beside her husband.
Caulifla's confident and lackadaisical demeanor faltered for a moment. "Yes…" Caulifla admitted slowly, "his highness got into it with a weakling Saiyan…"
"And have we observed his sleeping quarters?" Queen Chi-Chi pressed.
Caulifla's gaze shifted momentarily upon the realization that would have been the wiser thing to do upon the disappearance. That Mato had always been troublesome, but to think he would act so irrationally in the presence of not only Prince Trunks, but the Kame Royals was not befitting of her troops. "I haven't…"
Chi-Chi's patience snapped. "Then what exactly are we wasting time here for?" she demanded, her gaze keyed in on the Commander.
Lazuli watched as Caulifla's expression hardened under Chi-Chi's scrutiny. Though Ox Queen Chi-Chi's vindication was certainly satisfying to watch…Lazuli's thoughts remained at the attempt on Marron's life. The fears that had been locked away came back up to the surface—of enemies who would stop at nothing to disrupt the fragile peace Kame and Vegeta-Sei managed to maintain.
As the tension int he room thickened, Lazuli's calm composure began to slip—images of Marron bruised and tattered still etched freshly into her brain. Noticing his wife's distress, Krillin gently placed a hand on Lazuli's
Lazuli knew it'd be insanity that King Vegeta would allow someone to hurt the Princess, there was no explanation for him to be the root cause of a rogue Saiyan. But Saiyan Soldiers are uniquely loyal to their kings…even if there stirred disagreements—they respect power and their legacy over many things.
"This individual—when did he come into the barracks?" King Krillin questioned. "Do we have any records of their allegiance to Vegeta-Sei…or could they have been a mole that snuck in…"
Chi-Chi glanced over to Krillin, a sudden realization dawning upon her eyes. "You couldn't possibly mean—"
"It's exactly what I mean—" The king furrowed his brow as he looked towards Prince Consort Goku.
In a quick flurry, higher level soldiers for the Ox Queen busted through the doors. "Your Royal Majesties—Who ordered a search through the Saiyan Barracks?" Their voices panicked as the entire room looked at one another in a state of disarray. "The Kame soldiers are tearing through the Saiyan's barracks—"
"Impossible how could that—" King Krillin bega, but his words trailed off as he exchanged a glance with Lazuli. Their thoughts aligned as they both focused on their daughter's energy signature.
In his hands, Trunks held a single tablet. The cool aluminum surface was a direct contrast to the fire that burned beneath Trunks' skin. The communication tab that Shumay brought him was nothing special at first glance—on Earth this is a standard device. But the inscription on the top of the tablet was ared bow, with two white Rs.
A haunting relic of the days of the past—a symbol of an empire that is no more yet haunts the present day. Trunks' grip tightened as his eyes bored into the device—knowing full well his next command would not be taken lightly.
He tried to remain calm at the face of betrayal and dissent yet the familiar rush of anger clawed its way back and ripped through him. The words were flowery, and carefully strung together—a deceptively polite tone and yet threatening beneath every line. And at the end—a signature. 4 letters: Movi.
"We need to lock down the palace," Trunks growled, his fury barely contained. "We need all those conspiring against the crown found, hunted…and executed like the vermin they are."
His mind continued to race, piecing together the fragments of the conspiracy this Movi orchestrated beneath the Saiyan and Kame Royals noses. Non-Saiyans hiding within the troops, a festering wound has torn open within the ranks. The orchestrated attack against the princess—the seeming growing unrest…
Everything pointed to one single conclusion. The Red Ribbon Kingdom, long thought as dead, was stirring beneath the underbelly, its tendrils reaching out from the shadow. And at the center of it all the supposed enigmatic figure who dared to weaken the crown.
Movi.
AN: And now we begin the rollercoaster ride muahehehe