|
The days seemed to fly by, and Echo began to dread the coming of her eighteenth birthday more than before. Wasn't there a way she could escape? No, she thought, he's smart enough to make sure I don't go where he doesn't know I am..he keeps watch on me nearly all day. And if he...(Echo could feel her mouth going dry) ...then everyone will know. She began to be more fearful than ever. Why hadn't she thought of this possibility before? How could she have been so stupid? The only friend that she had now, it seemed, was Zarbon. If she had a complaint, he heard it out. If she had a problem, he listened. When she wasn't conquering planets, eating or sleeping, every spare moment she could get free was spent with him. Anytime they were seen together, the guards were always teasing them about being an item--something that Zarbon and Echo very much wished to remain a secret. What would Frieza say--or do, that would be the worst thing--if he ever found out? Some of the soldiers were even calling Zarbon and Echo twins. It was true, Echo's hair was braided exactly like Zarbon's, and she was often seen imitating his accent. Even Frieza seemed to notice this, but for some odd reason he chose to ignore it. Echo's eighteenth birthday--Friday, October the 13th, no more, no less. She found herself looking over her shoulder that day, somehow thinking she'd be in danger--but she soon figured out that she was in no danger--as long as there were so many people around. What she didn't count on was fainting. When Echo regained consciousness, she was in the hospital wing for the second time. She could barely open her eyes--that's how tired she was. She mustered the strength to sit up and she saw Zarbon across the room, sitting in a chair, sound asleep. The next thing she noticed was when she walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She gasped. Her hair was no longer at her shoulders--it was tied in a knot at the base of her neck. (It's a rule inspired by a book: "virgins wear their hair long") It was right then and there that she broke down and cried. Apparently, this woke Zarbon up, because Echo heard knocking at the door. As she came out, he said, "Echo, I'm sorry..I couldn't stop him. When I tried to.." He had a huge gash on his arm that seemed to speak for itself. "You know," he continued, "maybe his brother will do you a favor and kill you. In the meantime..he'll probably just be acting like he's done you a favor. Maybe you should read the rules again..there's one part that may really make you suicidal." Echo once again pulled out the RoR, and read it yet again. She found the a section that she had somehow overlooked, as she had the last time: Still another rule pertaining to this: the heir may be conceived in or outside of marriage, but if born outside of marriage, the heir is not legal. As she read this, Echo began to panic. "Zarbon," she said, "isn't there anything I can do--to terminate--?" He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. One more thing..I expect you'll be treated better, after all, you 'shall bear the prince a son," he chirped in an annoying, Frieza-like voice. "I can't even begin to imagine what my brother would say," she paused and said in a fake worried tone, "Oh, mother, I'm so worried..my brother said really bad things..and she'd be all 'tell me', and I'd be 'shall I leave out the profanity?' and she'll be, 'Please.' Then I'd say, 'nothing.'" She managed to laugh. "See there," said Zarbon, "just keep up that attitude. You may escape and terminate this condition yet." |