Secret Secret [AMMY]

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Blaze retreated to his home, taking the pod with him to be dropped off at a mechanic's. Ammy was with Serori, to go to the palace. They had decided it would not do to have someone dressed in a hidden fashion entering the palace; that might raise suspicion. Instead they chose the alternate tactic: the best way to hide something is in plain sight.

Ammy was dressed in her normal clothes, but had her tail hidden in her skirt. She had her arms crossed in front of her against the biting cold, shivering. Serori looked across her shoulder to her, worried.

"We're almost to the palace, Ammy. I have some warm clothes that will surely fit you."

Serori had already given Ammy her jacket; while she was still cold, she was much more used to it than Ammy was. Five years had adjusted her temperature tolerance to be able to go around the planet without having to bundle up and look like she was buried in a cocoon.

When they arrived at the palace gates, two strong looking Icers barred their way. All Serori had to do was raise her hand and wave, and they knew it was her, Touketsuki Yakedo's wife. However, they were more than wary of this other fleshy creature following behind their Ambassador. Serori smiled up at them.

"Don't worry, she's with me."

The guards still would not let her pass, and Serori gave a sigh.

"She's a friend from Earth, and alien, Ashley Whitley. Her space pod crash landed on Kold on her way back to earth from her home planet. She needs a place to stay while her space pod is being repaired, and I am fully prepared to show her the Arcosian hospitality."

These words came out hotly, and it was begrudgingly that the arms with ki blades were moved aside. Serori could feel their eyes on the back of her neck as she regally continued walking. She made straight for her room, making sure not to go too fast, and draw any attention.

Serori in fact had two rooms, one of which she shared with her lord husband, the other was hers to herself. It was to this one that she took Amaranth, for two reasons. The first, while her husband was having nightmares, and generally slept in a room of his own, he did frequent their shared room, and it would do no good for Ammy to be found out. The second reason was because her personal room had a spare bedroom connected to it, for a servant. While it was not the best accommodation, it was still a rather nice room.

Once they had got to the spare room, Serori stopped, turning to Amaranth. The room was richly dressed, and only slightly smaller than her own room.

"Well, this is where you will be saying," Serori said uncertainly.

[ammy]

Over the past couple months, Amaranth had gotten used to hiding. Hiding away as she left her planet in the middle of the night. Hiding as she came to Earth, careful not to alert the GSF. Hiding at the Crane School so that she didn't put anyone in any danger. And now, hiding out at Serori's home so that her blood didn't adorn Touketsuki's floors. She as the two approached the guards, she had no reservations in her performance. She hunkered in Serori's coat, visibly shivering and looking absolutely terrified of the two guards that stood before them. As she was let through, she walked quickly behind Serori, the nervous expression still on her face.

It was only when they entered her friend's private chambers did the Princess straighten, her face slipping back into that cool, soft smile. She slipped off the coat, thankful to her friend. She had been quite warm underneath it, truthfully. A perk to her cold skin.

"Ashley Whitley?" was all she said, raising a brow at her friend. She chuckled, removing the long caplet that was also around her shoulders. She was still dressed simply, in the same clothes that she had on when she left her ship. She didn't pack anything warm, so it didn't make sense for her to waste time changing. Her tail moved back in forth in a a lazy motion as she looked around, smiling.

"Thanks for letting me stay again. I promise to be out of your hair as soon as possible," she said, putting her caplet and bag on the bed. It was quite a nice room, even nicer than her one at the crane school. But in truth, Amaranth didn't mind. She had slept in far worse than a servant's quarters. Normally she would have been surprised to find no servant living here. But since it was Serori, she didn't.

"Does your husband sleep with you?" she asked, sitting on the bed. Amaranth had caught the two bedroom, one obviously more lived in than the other. She knew that Serori loved Touketsuki. But, she was starting to wonder if the Lord of this planet felt the same way about her friend. And if so, was there any physical attraction between the two of them? Amaranth had to admit, she was curious. And if Touketsuki were to come here every night, she'd have to be careful.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

"Ashley Whitley, one of my friends in elementary school. It was the first name that I could come up with. After all, it would do no good to utter your true name under these ceilings. I understand that I have put you at great risk, but trust me, I can handle most of what's thrown at me; the only one we would need to worry about would be Suki. And I can deal with him." She winked at Amaranth, before sitting next to her on the bed.

"We have nothing to fear about him coming in here. He knows that if I'm here, then I do not want to be bothered. That's why we're here, instead of in our master bedroom. Some times we will sleep together in there, but lately..."

Serori gave a small sigh. It was depressing what had been happening to her husband, but it was time she began to get things out.

"My lord husband Yakedo has taken sick. He is always having nightmares, tossing and turning, even attacking in his sleep. He fears that should we sleep together, I may get hurt. He doesn't say it though," there was a twinkle in Serori's eyes. "But I know he loves me. He just tells me things to throw me off. But these nightmares...they worry me, Ashley." Serori needed to use Amaranth's nickname many times, so she would not slip up during her stay.

"He says they are awful, angry. And I've seen the effect they have had on him. He is having anger issues, ever since he unlocked his new form. Its terrifying. He nearly destroyed the planet, but I stopped him, the same way I did on Earth. I don't know, he just...he listens to me, hears my voice, and I talk and soothe him.

"The doctors have him on this medication, that's supposed to be helping, but I think it is what causes the nightmares. And almost every day now he goes back and requests a larger dose. The medicine is tearing him up, but if he quits, what will happen? Will he return to his angry self? I know that I've tried to help him, and I feel like I've changed him, Ashley, but I don't know. Maybe this whole relationship was in vain..."

Serori hung her head, staring at the ground. She hadn't realised how she truly felt until now. She'd never had anybody to speak to about it. She'd tried talking to anybody on her Tore Squad, but the words wouldn't come out in front of them. She felt seperated, pushed away from everybody on this planet. Tears threatened to play down her face, but she held them back. She was a strong Saiyan woman married to an emperor. It would not do well to cry in front of her friend.

And yet, at this very thought, the tears came unbidden. With large, racking sobs, Serori buried her face in her hands, water trickling through her fingers, splashing against the carpeted flooring.

[ammy]

"Serori...." Amaranth said softly. With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around her weeping friend, hugging her tightly. She had no idea what to say to make the girl feel better. She wasn't good at these types of situations. So she sat there on the bed, rubbing the weeping girls back softly. She had no idea that Serori was so unhappy. She had always thought that if Serori choose Touketsuki, and stayed with him that that meant she was happy with her choice. But here she was, crying and possibly regretting her choice. Amaranth sighed and pulled away. She had no idea what impact her words would have on her friend, but she had to try.

"Serori...I don;t think your relationship is all for naught. You love Suki, I can see it when you speak of him. And, I can only guess that he loves you too. Why else would he not want you to be hurt? He's worried of hurting you. Maybe it is the drugs that are doing this, maybe not. Believe me when I say that the realm of dreams isn't always a nice place, and people experience it very differently. Maybe you should speak with him, tell him how you feel about all of this?" Amaranth suggested, smiling softly.

It was true, she knew better than anyone how dangerous dreams could be. But she wondered, what was Touketsuki seeing that caused him such distress? Were they memories warped by guilt? By anger? It had been but five years ago that Touketsuki had battled Nam on Earth. That defeat might have done something. Or maybe, now that he had calmed down, had seen what his desire to rule had done to other planets. Amaranth didn't know. She had never met the man, had no idea what he was like. Stories were all she knew, and stories were seldom trustworthy. She gave her friend a tender smile, reaching out a squeezing her hand.

"I can't even pretend to know about how Suki feels, or how he thinks. But he'd be silly not to love you Serori. Speak with him on this..."

[Geurin]

Serori 800
Ammy 750