A few hours later Ashen, Chiaki, Nicole, Truce, and Kabocha were sitting in the royal space ship to take them to Gastavia. The ride was making Nicole seriously nauseated as she sat beside Chiaki. She put her head to her knees.
Chiaki noticed this and said, “Are you okay?”
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a spaceship,” groaned Nicole.
“Are you feeling sick?” asked Chiaki.
“Very,” said Nicole.
Chiaki stood up and walked to a compartment on the wall. He then returned with a black bag for Nicole. Nicole took it and said, “Thank you.” She then opened it and vomited in it.
Chiaki sat down back beside Nicole and rubbed her back to comfort her.
Ashen was sitting on the other side of Chiaki and was watching them. “Don’t worry, Nicole, we’ll be home soon and off this ship.” He then looked at Truce and Kabocha, who were sitting on the other side of Nicole. “It’s great that you guys want to pay a visit.”
“I was getting tired of Planet Vegeta,” said Truce, “A change of scenery wouldn’t hurt. Nicole is giving Kabocha a treat for how kind he was to her on Planet Vegeta.”
“Is that so?” said Ashen.
“Oh yes,” said Kabocha, “I am extremely humbled by this opportunity! I treated the princess here as if she were my own son – well, during the time she was thought to be just a boy!” He laughed at the thought. “It sure did surprise old Kabocha that she was a princess.”
Ashen laughed and said, “Sometimes I wish she was my brother instead of sister. I missed all the fun.”
Nicole looked at Chiaki and said, “I’m going to go lie down in the back and see if I can sleep or something the rest of the ride.”
“Okay,” said Chiaki as Nicole stood and walked to the sleeping compartments in the back of the ship. He wanted to follow her so she wouldn’t be alone, but he stayed where he was a little while longer.
“Nicole is to be married in two weeks,” said Ashen to Truce and Kabocha. “The whole kingdom is excited. Plus there’s the coronation a few days after and then Gastavia will finally have a queen and king again.”
“Wow,” said Kabocha.
Truce stayed quiet.
“I bet Princess Nicole is sure excited,” said Kabocha, “I can’t wait!”
Chiaki sighed and stood up to walk back to the sleeping compartments.
Ashen, Kabocha, and Truce watched him go.
“Someone doesn’t seem too excited,” said Truce.
Ashen then whispered to them, “Don’t tell Nicole this ever. Before she was betrothed to the prince we have coming, Chiaki was to be married to her.”
Truce and Kabocha were both surprised.
“No way!” said Truce, “Does Chiaki know?”
Ashen nodded. “He’s been extremely moody since the day he found out,” said Ashen.
“Who would blame him?” said Kabocha, “The poor guy.”
“Remember,” said Ashen, “Never tell Nicole that.”
“Don’t worry,” said Truce, “We won’t.”
Chiaki entered the sleeping compartment and saw Nicole lying on her side on a bottom bunk away from the entrance. He walked over to where she was and sat on the bed. He then heard sniffling.
“Nicole?” said Chiaki, surprised, “Are you crying?”
Nicole didn’t say anything to him. But she was crying. Everything that had happened to her over the past couple of days had finally caught up to her.
“Please, you can talk to me,” said Chiaki, laying his hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Chiaki,” said Nicole, “I’m just tired. A lot…has happened. And a new life awaits me when I get back to Gastavia. Sometimes I just wish I was born as someone else.”
Chiaki looked at Nicole with sadness in his eyes.
“It’s just too much,” said Nicole.
“I know,” said Chiaki, “I wish things had turned out differently too…” He then laid beside Nicole and said, “Please, look at me, Princess.”
Nicole reluctantly faced him.
Chiaki wiped the tears from Nicole’s face and touched her hair. He then couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” said Nicole.
“I was thinking of the day you surprised me by cutting your hair,” said Chiaki.
Nicole smiled and said, “I admit, it was a rash decision on my part, but I don’t regret it too much. It was an adventure for me.” Her expression then darkened thinking of King Vegeta’s attack on her.
Chiaki saw her expression. “What happened on Planet Vegeta?” he asked.
“Nothing too much,” said Nicole, “Nothing to worry about.”
“Doesn’t seem like nothing much to me,” said Chiaki, “You can tell me anything, Nicole.”
Nicole sighed and said, “It’s nothing I want to discuss right now.”
“Then when you feel up to it,” said Chiaki, “For now, rest.”
(I do not own any of the Dragonball Z characters or any of the story line directly linked to the series. All said content rights go to Akira Toriyama, the creator of DBZ)
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