The skies were filled with streaks of lightning and the boom of thunder on Vegeta-sei that day, so long ago.
She, her mother and her brother, cornered and surrounded by soldiers, blasters in hand. Lightning flashed, illuminating the bodies of the palace guards littering the floor. She clutched her mother's hand, Her brother stood in front of them, as if to shield them.
Bura could still remember the way her father's shoulders trembled with rage. The strange, coppery smell that polluted the air. The body of her grandfather, laying completely still, while rivers of crimson stained the pristine, white marble floor of the throne room. And standing over him, the horned demon, Frieza.
"I always win Vegeta, that's the lesson here."
Her father, so proud and fierce, on his knees before that monster, she had never seen him so powerless before.
"I don't want to kill you, you and your little planet are a very valuable asset to me." Frieza grinned wickedly, pressing a scaly purple foot into the neck of the fallen king. "So, as I see it, we have two options your highness, you will honor our previous agreement, serve me faithfully as you always have and all will be forgiven. Or I will kill your wife and children, you will rot in a cell and I will destroy this planet and every living thing on it."
Her father's dark eyes usually so clear and focused, now bottomless voids, staring blankly at the corpse of the once-mighty King.
"Do we have an understanding, your Highness?"
Those eyes. Red, and practically glowing with malevolence. They made her want to flee, flee as far a she could and never look back. She wouldn't ever forget them. Those awful eyes surveyed her father amusedly. The Prince did not meet his gaze, he had no words, only silence, and a penitent, somber nod.
The sound of a knock at her door broke Princess Bura from her trance.
It was 10 years ago, her grandfather King Vegeta attempted to rebel against the Cold Empire. And he'd failed. She'd only been a child at the time. A royal banquet was to be held tonight in honor of the Empire, in honor of that monster. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Every so often, the Emperor would grace them with his presence, to ensure that his pet monkeys were being obedient, and to remind them of their place, under his thumb. She scoffed inwardly. Every time she had to endure looking upon that monster after watching him murder her grandfather and bring her father to his knees in surrender, it was enough to make her wretch.
Another knock sounded "Your Highness?"
She moved away from her place at the balcony, rubbing her hands over her face tiredly, trying to push the thought of that awful day from her mind. She strode across the room to her large, lush four-poster bed, retrieving her white silken robe and sliding it over her shoulders. "Come in!"
"Good evening, your Highness." The large double doors creaked open and in walked a woman with long silky, straight blonde hair worn in a thick braid carrying what appeared to be an assortment of fine silks."The Queen sent me to draw you a bath and help you dress for the banquet."
"Very well," Bura replied bitterly,"I suppose the sooner this night is over with the sooner that lizard will slither back to whatever hell he crawled out from."
The armory was full of chitter chatter as Son Goten strapped on his chest protector, followed by a pair of fresh, white gloves. He, his brother Gohan and his grandfather Bardock would be on guard duty at the palace that evening. His father Goku, however, would be stationed to guard Freiza's fleet that night.
"Goten! Get a move on son!" His grandfather barked, he and his Uncle Raditz were waiting somewhat impatiently by the armory doors. He quickly finished fastening his cloak to his pauldrons and rose to join them.
"Why are we throwing a banquet in honor of the empire again?"
"Freiza likes to have his ass kissed every now and again, as usual," Bardock grumbled as they passed some sparring soldiers in the courtyard. "You just keep your head down, do your duty, and those imperial asswipes will be gone by morning, and then it'll be back to business as usual."
Business as usual, Goten thought sourly, Back to being the Empire's attack dogs.
"There'll be a tournament, on the first day of the new year. I look forward to seeing you and your brother fighting in it." His grandfather changed the subject as they came to a long outer walkway leading up into the palace with a railing made up of elegantly carved alabaster stone.
"We should be fighting the Empire, not entertaining them."
The trio came to a stop, Bardock turned to study his grandson for a moment. "…You've heard of the planets Shikk, Imecka, and Tritek?"
"Yes."
"Know where they are now?" His Uncle Raditz scoffed with a roll of his eyes.
"…They're gone."
"Exactly, gone, stripped of all their resources and blasted into oblivion." Bardock gestured beyond the railing. For miles and miles, the city stretched, small dots of light shone in the darkness of the city paling in comparison to the blanket of stars above them. "We don't have the numbers we once did, son."
No, the Empire had made certain of that. Goten recalled a time, when he was still a young child, when Frieza's soldiers marched down the streets of the capital, kicked down the doors to the hospital, and destroyed every birthing pod in sight. Lord Frieza's way of keeping the 'monkey population' in check. His mother had just recently given birth to a baby boy, and had rushed to save youngest her child's life… Goten clenched his fists at his side at the memory.
Shortly after that, it was announced that the late King Vegeta had been executed for treason.
"Not saying we wouldn't give the bastards a fight," His uncle smirked briefly, then frowned, "it just wouldn't be a fight we'd live to tell the tale of, Nephew."
Bura sighed as she sipped her wine and listened to the soft music floating over the chitter-chatter of the hall, the princess had resolved to get very, very drunk this evening. The palace was filled to the brim with imperial soldiers, eating their food, drinking their wine and the air was thick with their mindless jabbering. She had smiled politely enough when the Emperor Frieza's brother, Lord Cooler, was bold enough to compliment her gown, it wouldn't have been very princess-like of her to do anything else. She would have liked nothing more than to lock herself in her chambers until the whole pack of them left the planet.
But as much as she'd like to, she wouldn't do that, she refused to cower in her room like a frightened child, her pride wouldn't allow it. She would be brave.
Her brother seemed to be handling things better than she was, seated at her side, conversing with one of the imperial generals about the new scouting technology they had recently launched. Her Mother sat regally in her throne seated next to her father's larger more elaborate one, quietly surveying the hall. Her father was currently entertaining the rest of their guests in the council chamber.
"Princess Bura, would you do me the pleasure of joining me for a dance?"
Bura looked up from her glass.
Salza. One of Frieza's top intelligence officer's, Leader of the Armored Squadron and a major slimeball to boot.
"Not if you were the last male on this planet." She scoffed, draining the rest of her goblet.
"Now now, Princess you wound me." He mockingly pressed a hand to his heart. "And an insult to me is almost as bad as an insult to the Emperor himself. You wouldn't want to do that would you?"
He smirked, extending a blue-skinned hand once more.
Bura glared at the offending appendage, The simple act of blinking could be considered an insult to that Beast, the princess thought sourly.
Salza didn't wait for a reply before grasping her hand and wrenching her out of her seat and all but dragging her onto the dance floor.
"You know what I look forward to the most on these little visits?" He snaked a hand around her waist forcing her to brace her hands against his shoulders to keep him from pulling her too closely. He smelled very strongly of wine, his yellow eyes were glassy and somewhat unfocused. "Seeing that lovely figure of yours, you look particularly lovely tonight, it's a shame I'm going to be leaving soon. Perhaps I'll ask Lord Frieza if I can keep you as a pet."
"You're disgusting." She spat back at him, he only laughed in response.
"It's not like you're your father's heir, I'd be happy to take you off of his hands, and finally find out what you're hiding under that dress." He grinned deviously.
"Go to hell Salza." She hissed, wrenching herself free of his embrace and shoving him away.
Goten could hear the soft murmur of voices and soft music sounding out from inside the hall, as well as smell the delicious assortment of dishes being served as he stood at his post.
A noise of softly clicking heels could be heard as a figure walked briskly through the open doors and out onto the terrace. A girl, she came to a halt at the railing overlooking the garden.
It was the King's daughter. Princess Bura. He'd never been this close to her before. He'd heard from other guards how lovely she was. In a gown made of shimmering silver silks that left her back bare, her exotic blue waves flowed freely down her back apart from the sections braided intricately away from her face, adorned with elegant pearls.
"Careful Son," His grandfather chuckled. "I wouldn't get your hopes up with that one, King Vegeta would have both your hands and your head before you could blink."
"I wasn't-" Goten's cheeks burned. "I wasn't looking at her like that."
"I've seen that look plenty of times in my life, and I'm telling you to forget about it."
Another figure brushed past them to join her, it was Prince Trunks, he put his hand on the Princess's shoulder in what appeared to be a comforting manner, only for her to swat it away. He wondered, what could have distressed her so.
"I'm going to go take a piss," Bardock grumbled.
His grandfather shuffled through into the banqueting hall, shortly followed by Prince Trunks escorting his sister back into the hall, her arm in his.
For the briefest of moments, her eyes met his. They were the bluest eyes, he'd ever seen.
King Vegeta led his guests brusquely down the corridor to the main dining hall. As they entered the hall, every soldier rose to greet them. The Saiyans more so to show respect to their King rather than the red-eyed Ice-Jin beside him.
"All of this for little old me? King Vegeta you're too kind."
They took their seats at the high table just below the King and Queen's thrones and the hall resumed their eating, drinking, and festivities. A garbled murmur enveloped the hall once more.
The King turned briefly, catching his Queen's eye. If she was uncomfortable, it didn't show. She gave him a small reassuring smile and he turned away, his steely wall in place once again.
"Ah Vegeta, I really am sad to see this little visit coming to an end," Lord Frieza said in a sickly sweet tone.
"Hn." Was the King's response.
"I expect the improved scouters to be complete before the first day of the new year."
The King said nothing.
"They'll be ready, he knows what will happen if they aren't." Cooler chuckled at his side.
"All hail Emperor Frieza!" An imperial soldier proclaimed hoisting his goblet high over his head, lurching to his feet and stumbling towards the alien in question.
"AARRRGHHHH!" The man was obviously quite drunk, as he did not see the Saiyan soldier crossing the hall directly in his path. Without warning he collided right into the soldier, knocking him off his feet, right into the high table, causing a large decanter of wine to topple over and shatter, all over Emperor Frieza.
The banquet hall went silent, The horned Ice-jin wordlessly swept the offending red liquid away from his face and stood from his place at the table. "What a clumsy little monkey, Look at the mess you've made…"
King Vegeta recognized the soldier, Bardock, he had served the royal family all his life, along with his sons' and grandsons'.
Frieza's red orbs clashed with Bardock's dark onyx ones, but he did not find any fear there, much to his displeasure.
The King's breath caught in his throat and he closed his eyes, he knew what would come next. Every soul in the hall seemed to know what was coming next, but no one said a word, no one except his daughter, the Princess Bura.
"No! Father Don't let him! you can't let him- It was an accident!" His daughter begged, angry tears welling up in her eyes as the prince struggled to hold her back.
"Be silent!" The King hissed through gritted teeth.
"Listen to your father, child." Frieza chuckled, walking around the mess to stand properly before the Saiyan Soldier.
Bardock rose to his feet, the Emperor's crimson gaze, burning into him all the while. But the soldier still didn't appear to be afraid, in his dark eyes, a fierce resolve. He knew it was over for him. They all did. Frieza never passed up an opportunity to make an example of someone. He wasn't going to beg. He was going to face it like a man, like a true Saiyan.
The Ice-jin raised his hand, a small glimmering orb hovered above his index finger.
Bardock heard a cry and the last thing he saw, before the flash of blinding crimson, was his Grandson Goten, looking on the scene before him in horror as his son Raditz held him back.
Later that night, the palace was quiet, eerily so.
King Vegeta pressed a series of buttons on the control panel of his study, before grabbing a large decanter from a shelf, and pouring himself a stiff drink.
A staticky, fuzzy noise sounded from the panel and a man appeared on the screen, he had olive colored skin, slightly curled navy colored hair streaked with white covered his head, on his chin a small pointed beard. His expression a mix of suspicion and alarm.
"Do you really think it's safe for us to be talking like this?"
"If it weren't, we wouldn't be talking, would we?" King Vegeta scoffed.
"Very well, What do you want?"
"I have a proposition for you."
The man on the screen had a measuring, uneasy look on his face. "What sort of proposition?"
"I'm done watching my people suffer under the rule of the Empire, as are you I'm sure."
The man was quiet for a moment.
"…How do I know you're not just trying to trick me? To gain favor with the empire?"
"If you're too cowardly to fight, Admit it and don't waste any more of my time." The King glared, his hand hovering over the 'end transmission' switch.
"What other planets have pledged to fight with the Saiyans?"
The King was silent.
The man rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "That's what I thought. Perhaps I could be persuaded to 'take up your cause', as it were... if I had certain assurances..."
"Assurances?"
"You have a daughter, lovely thing if rumors are to be believed, to prove you're intentions, you will wed her to my son."
"What?"
"She will be treated well here, and have every comfort to which she is accustomed, my son is a brave warrior and it is past time that he's taken a wife. Grant me this, and we have a deal."
The King paused. He knew his daughter, she would not be pleased. But she loved her people and she would agree to it if she knew it would give her people a chance at a better life. He hated to admit it but his heart still sank at the thought of sending her away, he'd always had a soft spot for his daughter, but he also knew that this was the safest option for her. The further away she was from Planet Vegeta-Sei, the better.
"Well?"
"We… We have a deal." Without another word, the King ended the transmission.
The door to his study creaked open and in walked the Saiyan Prince and a tall, thickly muscled Saiyan with closely cropped grey hair, tired brown eyes, and a short stubbly beard. Over his traditional Saiyan armor, which looked somewhat ragged, he wore a long dark blue cloak.
"What did you find out?"
"There's a small planet, it's called Namek, we'll find these 'wish orbs' there." The older man informed him gruffly.
"So the rumors are true."
"Yes, Father." His son replied.
"Leave me now, we'll talk later."
King Vegeta stood quietly, gazing upon a large tapestry. Painted upon it was a symphony of stars and brilliantly colored planets, and at the center of them all, a shining warrior with wild blonde hair.
He was done biding his time, it was time to act.
A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this first chapter. Special thank you to Lust-the-Avaricious for the beautiful cover art! It is just what I wanted! Please show her some love on her deviantart page if it's not too much trouble!