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1
The first Lord
My footsteps echo on the vault of the corridor, empty as always at this time of the morning. Instinct pushes me to increase my pace, but I force myself not to run. Despite everything, I want to appear calm and in control.
When I arrive in front of the huge door, the guards step aside with a slight bow. They were clearly waiting for me.
«Prince Cooler» they greet me in unison.
«Good morning to you.»
I push the solid gold door with ease and follow it as it slides inward, stepping into the throne room with an anxiety I haven't felt in a long time. This call came out of the blue: when ZeroOne arrived to tell me that Father wanted to speak to me, I had just dismissed my men after our evening training and was about to finally go and rest. The last thing I expected was a summons from him, as that has been rare lately. Usually, I am the one who goes to him to share my results or simply to hear him tell me his. If he sent for me, especially at this hour, there must be a specific reason. The most obvious possibility is that he wants to give me a mission, but why would he ask me when he has thousands of troops and excellent commanders at his disposal?
I refuse to waste any more time worrying about it. I push aside my concerns and walk.
The door closes behind me. I observe his figure, sitting on the enormous throne, standing out against the background of the galaxies that can be seen beyond the immense glass that runs the length and height of the throne room.
«Did you send for me, Father?»
The dark figure turns toward me as if he had just seen me, which I do not doubt given how immersed he was in his observation. He nods, making himself comfortable in his seat.
«Yes, Cooler. Come here.»
I move closer until our eyes meet. I realize we are alone in the throne room: not even his advisor ZeroOne is present. This can only mean that something great or terribly serious is about to happen. Or both things together.
He smiles at me, looks up again.
«The sky was clearer than usual tonight. There are stars that can only be seen on particular days, when the Second Star is at its most distant point and the darkness is so thick that it allows them to shine.» I raise my eyes to find myself in front of the majestic spectacle of the Universe, and I feel almost crushed by its splendor. It's absurd how tiny we are in the face of the enormity of the Cosmos. Maybe that's why I've always loved looking at the stars, just like him. And he's found even more pleasure in scrutinizing them since they've become his property.
«It's an incredible view» I smile. «Much better than the one I see from my room.»
«Maybe you lack the patience to watch.»
I can't deny it: the most beautiful skies I've ever seen were under his guidance, with his intense explanations. Observing has always been a shared experience; doing it alone doesn't have the same value, even though Father had a glass window built especially for me in my rooms.
The time for pleasantries seems to be over. Finally, he turns to look me in the eye.
«You know that sooner or later you will inherit part of my possessions, when I am too old or when I perish. However, I think it's time for you to start your own path. You've trained hard for this, and I've noticed.»
I can't believe what I've just heard. It's absurd how this news came to me so unexpectedly, despite my lifelong preparation.
«Are you entrusting me with a planet?» I ask, trying to conceal my joy and maintain a certain composure. I might have misunderstood; he could be assigning me a mission or just placing me as a vassal in one of his domains. But Father, attentive as he is, notices my hesitation and smiles, melting away all my tension. I let myself go too.
«I am» he confirms. «And it's a very good planet, too. I'm talking about the Twenty-eighth. I'm sure you'll make good use of it.»
My eyes widen. Planet Cold Number Twenty-eight is an incredible planet, at the crossroads of several important galaxies, some of which have not yet been conquered. Its location is no accident: all those planets not yet conquered will soon be taken, and King Cold wants me to do it myself. Father's pride in me swells in my chest.
«I will not disappoint you.»
I reach out to his hand, and he takes it immediately. He squeezes it with strength and complicity, bringing it to his chest, in that all-ours gesture that seals our bond. King Cold shaped me from ice with his blood: from the first moment I saw him, I swore to respect and honor him, and he swore to make me great and powerful. Today, he is keeping his promise as I have always done with mine.
However, a shadow suddenly falls on my joy, clouding my excitement. There's no ignoring it, no matter how much we try to avoid it. He also seems to have the same doubt as me, even if only I have the courage to express it.
«What are we going to do with Frieza?» I ask him, giving voice to that unspoken question that hovered between us. He shrugs.
«The time will come for him too, but it's not now.»
It makes me smile: those words are so naive that he doesn't believe them either.
«Do you really think he'll take all this lightly? You know how he is and how much he suffers from competing with me.»
«Of course I know, but I can't help it. I don't want to deprive you of what you deserve just because of his whims. It wouldn't be fair to you.»
I pause to consider Father's words, and I come to the conclusion that he's right: if this is his decision, Frieza will have to accept it without question. I admit that I feel a certain satisfaction: I can already savor his expression when I reveal the truth to him, even if at the same time I fear he might overreact. Frieza is unpredictable. I have no idea how he would react to an outrage like that, perhaps the worst anyone has ever done to him.
«We've always argued about who would be first...» I whisper.
«Of course he thought it would be him, didn't he?»
I nod, and it amuses him.
«I'm not surprised. I wonder how he'll take it.»
How do you think he'll take it? We'll be lucky if he doesn't destroy half the Palace...
«Can't you even give him a small planet? Just as a palliative» I urge him. He realizes that I'm genuinely concerned, and perhaps he shares this worry, but he attempts to appear superior to it.
«Would you ever trust Frieza with something?»
The question is incredibly rhetorical. I shake my head no.
«Exactly. He won't get anything from me until he learns to control his anger. Every planet is a precious source of resources and men, and we can't waste it by putting it in his hands only to see it destroyed within a few days.»
«You know you're right, Father.»
I have no intention of insisting on a matter that doesn't even concern me. If Frieza had behaved like me, he wouldn't need to wait now. But his character is very different from mine, and that has made all the difference between us. A difference that cost him dearly, giving me the pretext to taunt him forever.
«So be it. Prepare your men for departure, choose a ship, and go. I'm confident you'll be worthy of this task.»
«I hope I am» I smile at him. «See you soon, Father, and thank you.»
I turn just as the door begins to open and leave the room, and I feel a strange impatience take hold of me as I realize what has just happened. Finally, after years of hard training and successful missions at court, Prince Cooler will finally become Lord. And before Frieza. I can't help but revel in my satisfaction.
Neiz and Dore are waiting for me in my personal gym after being urgently summoned. This is the first time I've called them at this time of night, and even though I have very good reasons, they don't know it yet. They become alert as soon as they see me arrive.
«Prince Cooler, is there a problem?» Dore asks me, but my smile makes it clear that there isn't.
«No, but I have some bad news. Unfortunately, we won't be able to train here at the Palace tomorrow morning» I reveal. I enjoy their doubtful expressions for a few moments before continuing. «I also have some good news: we made it.»
I don't need to say anything else. My men look at each other to make sure they understand correctly and, when they understand what this means, they grin with pure satisfaction. Neiz kneels before me, followed closely by Dore.
«We are proud of you and ready to serve you, Prince Cooler.»
«Indeed, Lord Cooler.»
Lord Cooler... that sounds just right. It's clear this was my place all along. I gesture for them to stand.
«Neiz, gather my troops in the hangar immediately. We'll leave at sunrise. Dore, you come with me; we'll take the ship.»
«As you wish.»
With an eagerness that I share, Neiz sprints toward the door, but I stop him.
«Only one thing: discretion is key. I don't want my brother to know, not now.»
«Haven't you told him yet?» Dore asks, visibly worried: my brother's bad temper is well known by now. I shake my head no.
«I'm waiting for the right moment. I'm partly afraid of his reaction, partly I can't wait to see what face he'll make... but all things come in due time.»
«I'll be invisible» he assures me before leaving the room, and I know he will.
I head towards the door, and my man follows me. I can feel his doubts and nervousness. Unlike me, everyone in this Palace is afraid of Frieza, almost to the point of terror. I'm certain that none of them would ever want to have anything to do with him, especially at a time like this.
«Prince Frieza won't take this well» he tells me. «He's always felt a great competitiveness towards you, and his nature is violent.»
Prince Frieza... Lord Cooler... my title sounds much better.
«I know» I say. «But if I don't tell him, sooner or later, he will realize it by himself when he doesn't see me in the Palace. Besides, I think it's my father's problem. Once I get to Planet Cooler Number One, Frieza will be out of our sight.»
«Yes, I hope so.»
I smile. I hope so too.
We arrive in the main hangar, and my eyes immediately slide to the ship I've been eyeing for a long time: a spacious eight-thousand-man ship that has never been used, reserved for some special mission that hasn't been arranged yet. It'll do just fine for a start.
«What do you think?» I ask Dore. He nods.
«Good choice. It's a solid compromise between speed and range.»
I rub my hands together, excited. The engineers in the hangar look up as I pass; I gesture for one to stand.
«Is that ship free?»
«Free, freshly polished, and in excellent condition» he replies. «Shall I have it prepared for departure?»
«Yes, make it ready within the hour.»
«Understood» he bows.
«Dore, wait for the troops and let them acclimatize to the new ship. Once everyone is here, arrange for extra training and then ration out breakfast. I'm going to go and resolve this situation with Frieza before he finds out in other ways.»
He doesn't seem thrilled, but he can't object, so he nods with a bow.
«As you wish, Lord Cooler.»
I turn and, while my first man prepares what will be my army, I head towards the exit of the Palace. I don't need to go to his rooms to find out that Frieza isn't there: I know exactly where he is.
The Abyss is already in full view, even from a distance. The chasm plunges into the earth's depths, so immense that from this distance and height, it seems to go on forever. In fact, for all I know, it might not actually have an end.
I search for him with my eyes, probing the ground, and soon I see him sitting cross-legged on the dark grass, his head held high, his eyes closed. I was sure that I would find him here, meditating: this is the only rest he allows himself in his many moments of solitude, when during the day and night he escapes the Court and retreats far from anyone else.
My brother has always been a mystery to me, and he certainly does nothing to reveal himself. But I've learned to understand him over time. When we settled on this planet, and I saw this chasm that drops straight down to the earth, I immediately knew that Frieza would be attracted to it. And he did not disappoint.
It takes me a few moments to land next to him, dipping my feet into the grass soaked in night frost. He heard me coming, but he didn't let on and this allows me to observe him in silence. Now that I am closer I realize that even if he is meditating, an activity that should relax him and empty his mind, his body is trembling to escape that condition. He's clearly not at ease or at peace. I am certain that the only reason he allows himself to rest is to prevent his body from collapsing: if it were not for this, I truly believe he would avoid resting altogether.
I'm about to speak when he surprises me, breaking the silence without moving.
«I hope you have a valid reason to disturb me.»
I smile, I can't help it. The desire to reveal my victory takes hold of me, but I pause, determined to savor every moment.
«Who says I want to do it?»
He doesn't move. He remains still, legs crossed, with his face turned towards the Abyss. In the dim light of the hidden stars that shine on the nearby planets, I notice that he has opened his eyes.
«I don't see why you would be here, otherwise.»
«Is it forbidden to get close to you? No one informed me of that» I tease him. He snorts irritated.
«Speak or go, Cooler.»
His attitude doesn't surprise me. Everyone knows about his aversion to any living being he can't give orders to, and lately even to those. However, he seems to have a particular intolerance towards me for some reason. I have no idea what I did to deserve so much hatred, and I think I can only guess.
I decide to speak before he loses patience: I want to see the anger that appears on his face, not take advantage of an anger that has already exploded.
«You're right, obviously. I need to talk to you. I prefer to do it clearly before you realize the situation on your own.»
He turns to face me, waiting for my continuation. In his eyes, I see a complex mix of emotions, and it's incredible how there isn't even a positive one: the closest thing to it is the surprise of hear my words. Yet I'm ready to swear that, in some corner of his mind, he is keenly aware of what I'm about to say and would do anything to ensure it isn't true.
«Father summoned me a few moments ago» I continue. «He decided to entrust me with a planet.»
I would like to continue, but I can't. It doesn't surprise me. Frieza jumps to his feet with vehemence, every muscle tensed, especially the forearms clenched in fists.
«What did you say?»
«You heard right.»
«And why didn't he summon me too?»
I can't help but smile, and my expression clearly indicates my answer. Just as I wanted, his fury inflames him. The aura intensifies, surrounding his body: I can feel the energy he emanates even from this distance.
«Don't worry, little brother. You can continue to call me just Cooler, without the Lord.»
It's too much for him. His urge to lash out at me is palpable, but something else seems to take priority. Before I can say anything else, he leaps upwards and hurls himself towards the Court, leaving a trail of light behind him.
I laugh at the thought of what poor Father will soon have to face, but I can't deny I'm satisfied.
As you can see, my dear, I am always right.
Next chapter:
Brothers
Author's note
Hello everyone, welcome to this new story!
This story, written entirely from Cooler's POV, will tell the origins of this character according to my point of view, totally tied to the canon. It will therefore be a missing moments and the events will intersect with those told in "Frieza: Origins", my other story, since the events start from the same point.
For those who have already read the previous story, this will provide a sense of completion to the narration. Also, it will show what Cooler was doing while Frieza conquered the Universe and delve into a character I learned to love while writing.
If you have landed in these shores for the first time... I welcome you!
I hope you like what you read. Don't hesitate to leave a trace of your presence!
See you soon,
- Gio