CHAPTER NINETEEN:

The three females sat upon the low ornate bench that lined the hallway outside the large grandeur door, each lost in her thoughts. The agony of waiting and not knowing what was happening behind the closed doors worried them in more ways than one, especially the blue-haired woman who was having a hard time trying to sit still. Another long hour passed and just as she was about to scream out in frustration, the door opened up to reveal the portly nurse, who was wiping her hands upon a white piece of cloth.

“How is she?! How is she?!” The women asked in a rush of words.

The nurse cringed back in alarm for a moment, before smiling softly and stepping back. “It was another false alarm, my Ladies. But the baby is still doing quite well. We give it at least one more week.’

“Is she alright?!” Misaki asked, biting into the embroidered handkerchief she held tightly in her hands.

“Hai. She is resting comfortably now.”

Sasami asked quietly. “Can we see her now?”

“No…it will not be a wise decision. False labors can be quite draining on such a young body. Strong as she might be, she still needs her rest.”

Funaho nodded solemnly and tried to lead the other women away. “Thank you for your help, Akiya. We are forever in your debt.”

The nurse blushed and curtsied. “It is no problem, my Lady Funaho. My job is to care for you all and I will continue to do my best. And now if you will excuse me, I have to go prepare for the evening cleaning.” With another slight bow, she walked away, leaving the three women alone.

“Come, Sasami.” Funaho said softly, leading the younger princess away. “Let us not worry too much about Ayeka. I am sure she will be fine.”

Misaki seconded the comforting words with a nod. “We could go watch the men practice in the royal courtyard if you like.” she added cheerfully.

Sasami shook her head and withdrew slowly from Funaho’s grip. “I am tired. I need to rest for a moment. Will you have someone call me when Ayeka is ready for visitors?”

Funaho and Misaki exchanged puzzled glances at each other, each wondering why the usually vivacious princess seemed a bit…flat today. Attributing it to worry over her older sister, both women smiled, before Funaho replied. “Of course, we will.”

They watched her walk slowly into her chambers, and Misaki’s smile turned into a frown as she faced her counterpart. “Perhaps Tsunami’s worries are beginning to take over her. Do you suppose the goddess knows something that we don’t?”

“The goddess always knows all.” Funaho replied gravely, as they began to walk towards the courtyards where Azusa and Yosho could be seen sword fighting. “She has the right to hide whatever she sees fit from us. In due time all will be revealed, ne?”

They stopped and stood upon the porch steps, eyes taking in the two sweating men before them. They seemed to be taking the practice session a bit too seriously.

“Don’t you find it odd that Yosho would suddenly appear after all these years, ready to take the throne?” Misaki asked quietly.

Funaho stiffened slightly and crossed her hands before her robes. “Why should that be odd to you? He is the rightful heir and so it is his duty to take over as leader of the Jurai nation when his father passes away.”

“I am not arguing with you over that, Funaho,” the blue-haired woman said calmly, although her voice had a bit of an edge to it. “I am just worried about the fact that your son has been missing for over seven hundred years. And throughout that time, he has been on earth, never saying a word. All of a sudden, he is more than willing to take over….”

“Perhaps he had a change of heart,” Funaho snapped back bitterly. “Honestly, Misaki, I thought that you of all people would be happy at the fact that Yosho is finally here. They can get married and your daughter will still be a ruler of the Jurai Kingdom.”

“This isn’t about Ayeka and her rule as empress.” Misaki turned cold eyes on the older woman, her hands tightening into fists. “You know as well as I do that Ayeka does not enjoy being in the spotlight. If anything, she has shown that she is more than ready to give up her throne. You clearly saw how unhappy she was to come back here. You see that her heart does not want to be with Yosho any longer. Whatever feelings she had for your son has long gone!”

“So, you are saying that Yosho is not good enough for Ayeka?” Funaho retorted.

“All I am saying is that you should take a good look at your son, Funaho. Maybe you need to speak with him…”

“Speak to who?”

Both women spun around as they noticed the two men walk up to them. Azusa had asked the question and was, at the moment, wiping his face with a towel. Yosho stood behind him quietly, dark eyes staring into Misaki’s with a knowing look that sent the blue-haired woman’s blood running cold.

“We were just discussing some personal issues, Azusa.” Funaho said with a slight bow. “Nothing that you should concern yourself with at the moment.”

“Is that right?” the emperor asked with a raised eyebrow. “If I were a suspicious man, I would say that you two were hiding something from me.”

Both women refused to look at each other and Misaki was the first to give a strained smile. “I will take my leave, my lord. I have other concerns to take care of.” And with a small curtsy, she spun around and made her way out of their presence quickly, her heart racing a mile a minute as she still felt the cold, almost dead eyes of the future heir penetrating into her back.

A cold dread filled her being as she made her way into her private chambers and she somehow sensed that Yosho was no longer the same man that had left the palace over seven hundred years ago.

~*~*~*~*~

Son Goku wiped the sweat from his brow as he landed back to the earth. Dark eyes flashed with excitement even as he panted with exhaustion from the rather intense workout. He watched the Namek land beside him on the grass, and grinning widely, Goku flopped to the ground and laid on his back, trying to catch his breath.

“Whew! That was some workout, ne, Piccolo?”

“Hn.”

“I bet that at this rate we could become much more stronger than before.” The Saiyan continued as if Piccolo had never spoken. “I will bet that…”

“Why don’t you just admit it, Goku.” The green-skinned man cut in rather rudely. “You are worried about Vegeta, aren’t you?”

Goku kept silent and turned his face away. “Why shouldn’t I be?” he finally muttered out. “He hasn’t been seen in over three months and naturally everyone is quite concerned.”

“Can you not sense him anywhere?”

The burly Saiyan shook his head sadly. “I have tried, Piccolo. But it’s as if he has shut himself away from the world. There are times when I think I sense his ki and then it’s gone again. I have nightmares. I see him in some desolate place and he is clearly crying for help, but his damn pride won’t let him give in, you know?”

Piccolo stared at Goku in genuine surprise. He had never heard the Saiyan speak with such candor, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure on how to reply. “I am sure that he will come around…eventually.”

“Who will come around eventually?”

“Ryoko!”

“Great, it’s the annoying woman again.”

“Nice to see you too, Piccolo.” Ryoko greeted with a grin, as she descended to the ground, only to jump onto the surprised Saiyan’s lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into him with a coy sound, sending Goku’s face into a flaming shade of red. “Ooooo….Goku, sweetie. I have missed you soooo much.”

“He is married.” Piccolo snapped coldly, as he rose to his feet. He stared at the spiky haired woman in slight disdain before nodding curtly to Goku. His eyes clearly stated what he thought of the situation and Goku tried to pry Ryoko’s arms from around his neck, but all to no avail. Sending an apologetic glance to Piccolo, the Saiyan resigned himself to having to deal with the space pirate.

“Don’t really care whether he is married or not,” Ryoko crooned, darting out her tongue to lick his cheek in a sloppy fashion. She laughed at Goku’s whimper and Piccolo’s snarl as she leaned her head against the Saiyan’s chest and smirked at the green fighter. “Why don’t you go away now, Piccolo, and leave us alone, okay?”

Ignoring her, Piccolo gave a strange glance at Goku. “I will see you later on, Son Goku. Remember you have a wife and son waiting for you back home.”

“Hai…I do,” Goku replied a tad bit miserably as Ryoko had made it a point of duty to press her voluptuous bosom against his chest. Watching Piccolo leave, Goku tried again to pry Ryoko off and was a bit surprised to see her leave willingly.

“Ryo…”

“It’s okay,” she replied with a small smile as she got to her feet and walked a few feet away from him. She placed her hands on her hips and laughed shakily. “Whew…got rid of him, finally. That man is sooo uptight. He needs to learn how to live a little, you know? I mean, my motto in life is to…”

“Ryoko,” Goku called out softly, “Is everything alright?”

Cat-like eyes shimmered a bit as they stared into the concerned dark eyes before them, turning away quickly. “Of course, I am alright,” she snapped. “Why shouldn’t I be?” She crossed her arms across her chest and floated off the ground, only to yelp in surprise as she bumped into the solid strength of the Saiyan behind her. She pushed him rather roughly away and wiped the tear that had slid out from her eye. “Damn you.” She muttered softly, angry with herself for being this weak and vulnerable. Why had she come here? Why had she been following him all day, watching him spar, admiring the way he seemed to move with a grace that made her want to crawl into his arms and sob onto his shoulders? What was wrong with her?

“I guess you are going to lecture me on my despicable behavior, right?”

Goku shook his head and smiled softly. “Nah, I leave that to Piccolo. He is the more serious one.”

He hovered in the air, uncertain, before asking rather quickly. “So, how is your mother? I haven’t been to Capsule Corp in a while….”

“She is driving them crazy over there,” Ryoko replied, glad that the topic was finally changed. “She has converted Dr. Brief’s lab into hyperspace so she can work in more…free…environment.”

Both laughed at the image of the two scientists arguing with each other, before falling back into awkward silence again. Ryoko wanted to scream and shout out the conflicting emotions that raged within her, but…

“Goku…will you be honest with me?”

“Sure, Ryoko. What do you want to know?”

The pirate twiddled her fingers and floated a bit higher before moving in closer to Goku. She wrapped her arms around his neck, idly noticing that he stiffened at the contact for the briefest of moments.

/He has a wife and a son….don’t you forget that, Ryoko./

“Can I…may I…kiss you?” she asked quietly. “Just a small one. Please…let me imagine that for one moment, you really do belong to me.”

“Ryoko, I…mmmm…”

His words were silenced as the pirate leaned in closer to cover his parted lips with hers. Her eyes closed as the slow warmth flowed through her body. Her blood boiled with a fever that could not be quenched even as Goku opened up his mouth to allow her questing tongue in. She moaned as his strong arms wrapped around her slender waist and not giving it a second thought, she pressed herself closer to his body, her heart singing for joy as she felt his clear approval of her contact. She slid her tongue against his, the rough sensation an aphrodisiac as she captured his and suckled on it hungrily. Goku felt like he was about to fall down…which did happen as they both collapsed to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Releasing each other quickly, they both stared into each other’s eyes, Goku reaching out to brush away the stray tear that had slipped out of her eyes again.

“Ryoko…”

She shook her head and pressed a finger against his lips, leaning closer to snuggle against him. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, before whispering out softly, “Don’t say anything, Goku. You don’t need to say anything at all. I understand, completely.”

“Ryoko.”

“Just hold me for a little while longer and then I will let you go back, okay? Please, Goku.”

The Saiyan nodded and wrapped his arms around her, shielding her seemingly frail body with his in a warm cocoon. He placed a light kiss on her forehead and spun around to stare into the fading light sky.

If only things had been different…

~*~*~*~*~

The pains were intensifying and the princess thrashed back and forth on the bed, her frail body tightened into an arch as she tried to control the agony that flared through her body. She was drenched in sweat and the nurse could barely keep up with her wild movements.

“Please, Princess Ayeka. You must calm down…Oh, dear.”

A loud scream was torn from the woman’s mouth and the nurse could only hold her hands to her chest and watch in growing bewilderment. This was something she had never seen before. She had helped Misaki and Funaho deliver their own children, but this…this was different.

Ayeka clenched her hands into tight fists and bit down on her lower lip, her eyes opening wider as they seemed to see something unknown. Drawing blood in the process, she howled her agony for the entire planet to hear, her breathing becoming harsher and more ragged with each passing second.

The nurse tried to wipe down her face again, but had to cringe back in alarm as the woman raised up her head from the bed to snap at her with bared canines. Ayeka’s normally well-groomed purple hair now looked wild and untamed. Her usual tranquil rose-colored orbs looked deranged. Her skin color had gone from its normal porcelain creaminess to a dull flush of red. There were marks of bruises on her skin that she had inflicted on herself, or so it seemed.

The nurse reached for the sedative, and with trembling hands, tried to give Ayeka a shot. In mere seconds she found herself sprawled against a wall, holding her throbbing head in pain as the irate princess had clearly knocked her to the side.

“Tsunami!” the poor woman cried out in despair. “What manner of childbirth is this?! Never in my life have I had so much trouble! I must get Lady Funaho and Misaki.”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

Akiko froze in her steps as Ayeka’s scream filled the room. She pressed herself against the wall as the heiress tried to reach for her again. “Please, do not hurt me, Princess Ayeka!! It is I, your nurse!! Akiko!! You remember me, surely!!”

Her reply was only an enraged growl and before she could think, Akiko found herself choking for air, as Ayeka had somehow managed to get off the bed and was currently wrapping her hands around the woman’s neck. “Get me out of here!!!” she bellowed in fury. “Get me out of here!!!”

“STOP IT THIS INSTANT, AYEKA!!”

A sharp slap rang out in the room and the princess staggered back in pain, holding a hand to her cheek as she released the almost comatose nurse. She raised dull-rimmed eyes to the older woman before her and trembled slightly. “Tsu…Tsunami…help…me…”

She broke down and began to sob helplessly, her body quaking with the harsh sobs. The goddess’s hardened eyes softened in understanding before strong arms lifted the young woman and placed her back on her bed.

“Akiko.”

“Hai, my Lady.”

“Do not fear, for Ayeka is with child. A child with a blood that runs hotter than any Jurain.”

The nurse’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh, my…I sensed it earlier, but I couldn’t be sure…”

“Hai, Akiko…we have a Saiyan in our midst.”

“How much longer now, my Lady?” the nurse asked as they both stared at the now sleeping female on the bed.

Tsunami walked towards the bed and brushed away the damp locks from Ayeka’s forehead. “As soon as the father gives the final say so.”

“Nani?”

“His heart is heavy and filled with anguish. Once he lets go of his inner demons Ayeka will be free to deliver the child.”

~*~*~*~*~

Misaki released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as she pushed away from her eavesdropping position beside the door. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her chest, smiling softly as she knew that Tsunami had answered her feverish prayers. Ayeka had finally calmed down and now all they had to do was wait for the final hours before this curse or blessing, Misaki couldn’t tell, would be born.

How ironic, that a Saiyan would be born in the household of the Jurai royal family. She wondered how Azusa would take the news when he finally figures out that the child within his daughter’s womb was not of pure Jurain blood.

“It doesn’t belong here,” she whispered softly, as she began to walk down the long hallway. “We would have to send them away or I fear for my daughter’s life.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Lady Misaki.” Yosho replied calmly, stepping out from the shadows he had been hiding. Dressed in the royal robes, although his were white in color, his dark eyes flashed with something unreadable, something that left Misaki with that same feeling of dread and worry.

“Why…why do you say that, Yosho?” the lady asked with as much calm as she could muster.

The heir walked around her slowly with a slow smile coming unto his face. “You really shouldn’t meddle in things that are of no concern to you, Misaki.”

“Is that a threat, Yosho?” Misaki asked coldly, her blue eyes hardening into cold chips even though her heart rate had sped up considerably.

Yosho stopped and placed his hands behind his back, his smile widening. “I didn’t say anything, did I, my Lady? All I said was that there are certain things that need to be left alone, that’s all.”

“Don’t you dare harm my baby! Don’t you dare touch her or her child!”

A cold smirk came unto the prince’s face, his own eyes hardening with brute determination. “She is clearly not the bearer of my seed, is she, Misaki? She dares to carry the child of a Saiyan in the royal household?! I will not allow it!”

Misaki gasped at the implications. “Please…don’t do this, Yosho…Don’t send her away…”

“I won’t need to do that, Misaki, so you need not worry. I will still marry Ayeka as is the custom, and she will bear the child. However…he will not be raised in this household. I refuse to allow a Saiyan within the hollowed halls. Surely you can understand my predicament, Misaki.”

“Yosho…”

“How would it look? I, the future emperor of Jurai, unable to make my own wife pregnant? My wife, the mother of a Saiyan child? Surely my reputation will be tarnished.”

“I cannot believe you are saying this,” Misaki muttered, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She staggered backwards weakly, her hands raised to her throat as she began to shake her head slowly. “You wouldn’t do this to Ayeka. Allow her to raise her child on her own, it’s the least you can do.”

“Enough! My word is law now, Misaki!” Yosho barked out coldly. “The decision is final. Once the child is born, he is to be sent away to the Wastelands, where the commoners will raise him. Do I make myself clear?”

Misaki lowered her lashes, a few tears slipping out of her eyes as she stared at the floor in sorrow. “Hai…I understand.”

Yosho placed a hand on her shoulders, not flinching as she seemed to cringe from his touch. “Everything will turn out to be fine, Misaki, you’ll see. I will treat Ayeka like the empress that she was born to be. After all, she still loves me. She just needs a little refresher course on that emotion.”

Misaki couldn’t find the words to reply, her sorrow so great at the misery that would befall her young daughter as soon as the news was relayed to her.

~ Tsunami, Ayeka, my love. What curse have you brought upon this household? What curse have you brought upon yourself? ~

~*~*~*~*~

The bounty hunter was a bit surprised at how easy her job had turned out to be. Picking up her cabbit, she stroked his ears and eyed the still figure that sat upon the cliff, high above them.

“Good job, Ken-Ohki,” she purred in appreciation. “We won’t fail to get him this time.”

With a quick leap, she landed a few feet behind him, hands reaching within her cloak to whip out her sword. She placed it against the unmoving figure’s back, before clipping out coldly,

“I have you as my prisoner now, Vegeta. Why don’t you make this easy on both of us and come with me.”

The Saiyan prince remained seated, refusing to turn around. “Quite an entrance there. Are you sure you wouldn’t want to kill me now? I just might retaliate and destroy you.”

Nagy laughed and shrugged. “I know that you do not have the willpower to fight at the moment. I have allowed you to escape for this long, but no more. I am getting impatient and I need the money anyways.”

“How much am I worth?” Vegeta asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“About fifty million Jurian dollars. Enough to buy a small planet. Apparently, Emperor Azusa has great plans for the one that captured his daughters.”

“Baka! Did you not see the way…” He snapped his mouth shut and clenched his jaw, hands fisting into the ground as he tried not to remember the humiliation and pain he had suffered those many months ago.

Nagy snorted and turned her sword around, using the hilt to tap against his head in exasperation. “Kuso! Look at you! And you say that you are a prince? Whatever happened to your pride? Are you just going to sit here and mope for the rest of your life over something that you can’t control?!”

Vegeta snarled and got to his feet, almost stumbling in his haste. “What the hell are you talking about?! What the hell can I do?! If you haven’t noticed, I do not have an army of Saiyans waiting at my home planet that no longer exists!! I am the only one…Well, aside from that excuse called Kakkarrot!”

“That is not the point, Vegeta, and you know it!!”

“Then what is the fucking point?!”

“If you claim to love Ayeka as much as I know you do…”

“Shut up…”

“Then you will be willing to go…”

“I said shut up…”

“You would be willing to follow me to Jurai as soon as possible to get her back!!!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!!”

Ken-Ohki hissed at the roar and bared her canines in anger towards the irate Saiyan, while the bounty hunter maintained her ground with a cold smirk on her face. With a snort, she spun around and began to walk away.

“My offer still stands, Vegeta. I will leave this planet in a few days and it is up to you to make up your mind on what you plan to do with your life from here on out. Ayeka is still having problems delivering her baby…and you know why, don’t you?”

Vegeta, who was about to retort, closed his mouth and lowered his gaze, quite aware of what she meant.

“Put her out of her misery, Vegeta. Put yourselves out of this pitiful situation and find the happiness that you both deserve. I will take my leave now. Remember, I leave in only two days, and much as I would like to take you prisoner…” She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I can’t seem to do that anymore. I must be getting too old. See you around, my Saiyan prince.”

And with a slight bow, she got ready to leap away only to freeze at the soft words that came out from Vegeta’s lips.

“Wait.”

This brought a knowing smile to the bounty hunter’s lips.

~*~*~*~

Light years away, on a small but powerful planet, a loud cry was heard.

A cry that echoed throughout the hollowed halls of the Jurain Palace.

A cry that sent a shudder through the many that heard and listened.

A new heir had been born.

A Saiyan prince amongst a Jurain nation….