Tempt of Fate, Chapter Two
Mazes
...
"Can't get any rest around here." Bulma pulled her thin shawl tighter around her shoulders and stepped over the threshold. The latch on the door clicked as she pulled it shut and turned around to observe her surroundings, the same hallway she roamed earlier where her first encounter with the king had happened. The hour was late, and she was more than just tired and anxious to sleep in an actual bed instead of the cots on their ship. Atrono, having not slept with her since before they boarded, immediately curled an arm around her and slid it slowly beneath the shimmery satin of her nightgown before her head had time to hit the pillow properly.
But Bulma wasn't about to have sex with her husband on a foreign planet, let alone in the home of one of the most infuriating politicians she'd met yet, which was definitely saying something. We have to try again, Atrono urged. We're expected to provide an heir soon.
Was it just the sex she was avoiding? To be perfectly honest, Bulma would only admit to her closest friends that becoming pregnant was low on her list for the time being. She had so many things to do before having children. All the time spent on raising a child aside, the restrictions the Council forced upon a pregnant queen were so… confining. Bulma could respect their concern for the unborn, but was it too much to ask to be able to focus on her kingdom before bringing another life into the world?
She was only eighteen for goodness' sake. There were still plenty of years in her prime, but the same could not be said for her husband, who was more than twenty years her senior.
It's just hard to have sex with someone you don't love. She'd tried. Honestly, Bulma was in her prime and very amiable about the touch of a man, but something about Atrono... He just couldn't satisfy her in any way, let alone sexual.
They'd been married two years, but they weren't exactly emotional about it. "Friends, not lovers," she said out loud using both terms quite loosely.
"I see you're roaming the halls again. May I advise you that it's unwise to go looking for trouble around here." The deep voice startled her and was easily recognized by the way it made her hairline stand on end.
"I couldn't sleep." It was an obvious lie, but she couldn't stop while she was ahead. Now that he had her attention she observed her surroundings and decided she didn't recognize where she was in relation to her suite.
"Lovers."
"Huh?"
"You said lovers. A bit unladylike. A queen doesn't dare let anyone but a king touch her, or perhaps you're more of a harlot than you let on." He looked long and hard at her figure, barely hidden by the shawl over her thin dressing gown. He could see a touch of her silk bedclothes barely peeking out from beneath: the epitome of a faithful woman. She wasn't the type to show anything off. However, tormenting her with infidelity was amusing. It was good to be the king.
"You have a lot of nerve. I'm faithful to my husband." And then she bowed as proper as possible in her current attire, never taking her eyes off his. "If you'll excuse me for the night, I'm going to get some rest for tomorrow." She pivoted and stepped forward gently in case he had the mind to grab her roughly again, but she felt no familiar grip on her arm or the heated panting of his breath on her neck.
"You don't even know where you're going."
Damn it.
She refused to turn around but made no more moves in any direction.
"Don't you ever sleep?"
"I prefer to walk the castle and catch unsuspecting victims trying not to admit they're lost."
There were words in her mouth that beat desperately against her lips, begging to be free and make known her true opinions on King Vegeta—where he could stick that smug attitude—but if it came down to being manhandled by the arm and neck or biting back a few insults, it wasn't hard to choose.
"I'm perfectly aware of where I'm going, thank you." No, she didn't, but she'd much rather wander the halls all night than to admit needing help from the likes of him.
"I'm sure you do." Sarcasm: his best and oldest friend. His large hand took the curve of her shoulder and turned her to the left before tugging it in one direction. "Follow me. I'd much rather see you to your room than you getting lost for days." He walked ahead of her, and she followed his stiff back without argument. His last sentence was something she could agree with. And this way she technically wasn't asking for his help versus him offering it.
"Thank you," she said as the doors to her room came into view as they rounded a very familiar corner, "for leading me back."
His reply was only a grunt, but she continued to listen in case he wanted to add something. The wait would be futile, though. He simply looked fixedly at her.
Why does he just stare like that; doesn't he know it's rude?
"Well!" She figured the best way of escape was to jump right out of the awkward silence. "Atrono and I will meet with you tomorrow, then. Goodnight." Her hand reached for the elaborate door handle and had barely touched the cool metal before his hand appeared again on her shoulder, this time ripping her around to face him. "What is your problem?!"
Within one beat of her heart his lips were crashing onto hers. His lips were on hers. His body against hers. She subconsciously felt the design of the door pressing into her back but ignored it as he took her deeper.
Atrono had never been that forward. Here was a man she barely knew practically assaulting her, and she could do nothing but respond to him. The tension in her shoulders began to decrease as both of them were battling it out with their tongues instead of their words. Was this really something sexual or just a trick he used to get close to her, take advantage of her?
His hands followed the curve of her slim figure gathering the thin layers of fabric and sliding against her in a way her husband had done not even an hour ago, yet here she was just responding to him in a way she'd never been able to with Atrono.
Is this what it's like to kiss another man?
She let a moan slip in between the heavy breathing of their nostrils and the muted sounds of their knocking against the door frame, but it was enough to break the magic and cause Vegeta to back off quickly, gone in a flash and hiding in the darkness watching her.
Bulma stood there with her back still pressing against the door where the cool metal hardware felt amazingly chilled against her heated skin. Nothing in her sexual experience had even come close to that, and she couldn't help but wonder what else she was missing out on in life.
Twp people can't kiss like that if there's no emotion between them.
Which left her to ponder more questions without answers as she touched the front of her violated lips.
Lust, she decided. It was pure lust on his part, which had probably been his game the entire time he was stalking her in the halls.
Damn him and his kisses.
Vegeta watched her reaction from the protection of the shadows down the hall. Her flushed face and slim body still supported by the door, the ruffled nighclothes, the heavy breathing… He'd been the one to do that to her, and the very thought gave him a deserving swell of pride when he realized she'd never been taken like that before. It was plain as day she didn't truly love her husband, and the woman looked as if she'd never had a real screw in her life. She wasn't broken in.
The thought brought a side of him to the surface that hadn't been seen for years.
Bulma became swiftly aware of her body cooling down to suffer the chill that replaced Vegeta's presence against her. Her hand dropped from her lips, which still pulsed with the blood rushing through them, and she realized she needed to go back inside. Atrono would be deep asleep by now, so it was safe to assume she could get a good sleep for what was left of the night.
If she could ever get the thoughts of King Vegeta out of her head, that is.
Sleep was restless that night, and Bulma looked a little worse for wear the next day, though she'd vowed upon waking to avoid being alone with the King at all costs. It was only the second day, too. This might have been a new record for her. There were meetings to attend with free time in between, and there were meals where she would be joined by Vegeta—and possibly stared at most of the time. Other higher-ups would join them to hopefully dilute their tension, and of course, Atrono at her side. But what would protect Bulma from the stares he was sure to send her way at every possible moment, and how would she protect herself from the way such gazes made her feel?
"Yep, avoiding him." She nodded as she sat on the edge of the empty bed. Atrono was early to rise, which left the room to her for the morning. Perhaps she would just hide out there for a while, but one look out her window to the busy port below her caused her stomach to turn. She didn't have anything to occupy her time for the time being. Her duties were on her own planet, not Vegeta-sei.
She settled for brushing up on her dialect with the help of a small book she brought with her in case. It was a real page turner. The sounds of the paper swishing back and forth as she flipped through was more interesting than focusing on something she felt comfortable in. Not to mention the fact that her mind played over and over the video of Vegeta practically molesting her the night before. But could she not be blamed, too, for feeling something? The way he touched her and kissed her was heavier than she'd experienced yet, and for lust to even be the driving factor in such a powerful interaction was truly surprising.
For the longest time, Bulma stood at the balcony facing towards the east of the port with the forgotten book lounging in her limp hand. The sea was before her. Se wouldn't have thought this place to have such beautiful surroundings with the people on it being so detestable, yet it sparkled from the suns floating above. Bulma looked at the glistening sea beside the port, silently wishing that all of Vegeta-sei was like this. Where she stood it was beautiful, between the palace in its height of luxury and sophistication, but other areas were severely lacking, not excluding the attitude of some people there, Bulma wandered about the room trying to concentrate on her language studies, but it was no use. She was way too antsy; her mind hated being cooped up in one place for too long.
She walked towards the door, but was stopped short by the envelope barely sticking still under the door. Cautiously, she pulled it from its lodge and surveyed the room. No one else was here. Bulma quietly cracked the door to peer into the hall either way, but silence answered her unheard call.
She shut the door and turned to the piece in hand. It was a subtle white with a royal blue border containing a paper folded three times like a pamphlet.
A sadistic smirk gathered on her mouth. It was a map of the castle... and there was only one bastard that could have had the balls to slide it under her door. He was mocking her, mocking her for last night when he had to lead her back to this room And then he...
She cupped her face again trying to push the thoughts away. If the act of kissing him was going to come back to her every few minutes, she certainly was ruined. She dressed for the day in a cream tailored dress, all the while humming a tune and thinking of nothing in particular, and stepped out the door toward the left. She slipped the map into the pocket of her dress and adjusted the fit with a sudden confidence that she could face this man without feeling for the rest of their trip. There was no reason to hide out in her room for fear he might, what, do it again?
She slipped into the already in-progress meeting without commotion and attended to the aspects of the contract that would affect their relationship with Vegeta-sei. To her surprise, King Vegeta paid her no attention as he and Atrono fought out the minor details about trade and efficiency, and even Bulma found herself trying to catch his eye every so often to no avail.
A few hours later, Bulma stepped from the meeting room and stretched before any of the other gentlemen could see her unladylike back bending and contorted faces from popping this joint and that. It wasn't hard to slip away before either Atrono or Vegeta could see her. This was free time, and she wasn't about to spend it catching up with either of those two men, especially not when, she assumed, Vegeta was no longer distracted enough to pay her no mind.
Although she didn't want to, in some way Bulma had to thank Vegeta for the map. If there was something she was uncomfortable with, it was relying on people to get around, but she suspected that he was not doing this out of kindness and that it was more to make fun of her than anything else.
When mid day had come and gone, Bulma had been glad she'd been occupying herself exploring the castle, but her stomach growled in demand for sustenance. She'd skipped breakfast that morning and was on the far end of skipping lunch at this point.
"Maybe I can get a quick bite to eat in the kitchens." Vegeta probably hadn't counted on her actually using the map. Bulma heard faint voices even as she approached the aromatic end of the wing.
"Yes, thank you. I'll go ahead and take lunch in my suite." Bulma almost ran in to the woman speaking to the chef.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there!" The young woman turned towards Bulma in a wave of black hair and robes.
The woman took a moment to reply and seemed to be sizing her up. She was a little older, deep hair and matching eyes, and had lovely, pale skin. Bulma wasn't sure what to say to her. What was protocol for introducing yourself on this planet?
"I'm Bulma."
And older woman in a black staff uniform approached her, breaking up the almost awkward silence for the blue woman. "Are you here to order lunch as well?"
She began to nod when the other woman finally spoke. "Send hers to my room as well. We'll be dining together."
Bulma was about to thank her for the invitation and properly introduce herself. She'd have to thank her for saving her from another meal cooped up in her room, but without a beat, the woman slipped her arm through Bulma's and started out the door where she continued to speak.
"My name is Chichi. You must be the new resident beauty everyone has been talking about. I'd know you anywhere with that blue hair."
Bulma blushed. She was often praised for her looks but never from someone as equally beautiful and certainly not without underlying intentions. "I am here on a treaty mission with my husband, King Atrono. I suppose I'll be here in this palace until he and King Vegeta come to certain terms."
"Which could definitely take a while. I guess it's annoying that the queen has to accompany her king on these trips. I see them arrive and sit around their rooms all day without regard to the politics or international relations. But you're less the sitting down type, aren't you?"
Bulma opened her mouth to agree but couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise as Chichi made her observations and assumptions.
"So, if you're here, who's running your kingdom?"
"Well, we've left our advisor in charge of the day to day with constant connection about larger decisions."
Chichi waved her hand as they slowed to approach a set of doors. "Pish posh. I get enough about politics around here. For once I'm going to have a social life. You seem intelligent enough to hold a conversation for more than five minutes."
Chichi, from Bulma's opinion, was a political wife and as dominating as they came. It was nice to meet something of a kindred spirit around the palace. Her suite was about the size of Bulma's but contained photos of Chichi and two men. Flowers dotted the apartment and it generally looked more homey and lived in with full closets and chests. Bulma might not have unpacked had the palace attendants not done it for her.
"Wow, Chichi. How long are you here for?"
The dark woman smirked. "For the long haul, I'm afraid. I live on this planet and don't have to freedom to come and go as others do. My father is the Ox King, who is a well known diplomat for Vegeta-sei. But I don't often get time to see him these days, even on his visits." She motioned to a small seating area in the corner, surrounded by grand windows with a much lovelier view of the main kingdom than Bulma's. It overlooked the main part of the village and the larger homes around it then dissipated into a lush forest far to the west.
"So, you're a princess living on Vegeta-sei? Must make for an interesting life, especially with that king running around." Bulma let a bit of the frustration seep into her voice at the last line.
Chichi cocked her head. "Vegeta has his days. He's cocky, but he's very good at what he does. Being proud never hurt anyone on this planet, at least."
Bulma grimaced at the truth in that fact. How much of her life had he already changed when he pinned her to that door and introduced her to such passion?
"I've gotten used to dealing with politics when I must and generally avoiding people like Vegeta the rest of the time," Chichi said.
"So what brought you here?"
"Father's empire fell years back, and because of his strong relations with Vegeta-sei, he was able to move and establish a life here working for Vegeta, while our people either went to other kingdoms or moved with us. Most of my friends and companions unfortunately moved to other nations. Father gave me the option to go with them and travel, but..." Chichi blushed. Her hands moved to her lap and fiddled with the edge of her shawl.
"What made you stay?" Bulma felt herself lean forward in the slightest. She wasn't so much of a gossip but enjoyed a good story when there was one to be had. "It had to be something special for you to refuse traveling and take up permanent resident in this uptight community."
"On our missions to Vegeta-sei when I was younger, I met a young Saiyan youth here. I was immediately taken with him, and you could call him my childhood crush. The option to stay on this planet and be close to him was too tempting."
A knock at the door signaled their lunch had arrived. Bulma stood to answer it, and quickly returned to her new acquaintance's side. Her interest was peaked. "So, who is this guy you're in love with ?"
"Goku, my husband."
…
After lunch, Bulma snuck back to her room for a rest before joining the others once more. She'd said farewell to Chichi and promised they'd meet again for lunch before her trip was over. She took the long way back to her suite so she could think about the way Chichi talked about her husband, the love she felt for him. The thought of marrying someone for love was such a foreign concept to her, though she'd dreamed about it many times, but there was no point in mourning something you could never have.
"Made a new friend."
No question there. She might have visibly jumped if she weren't so used to his voice popping up out of nowhere when she was alone in the halls.
"Do you do anything but wander the halls and scare people deep in thought?"
His smirk turned into a menacing one, sadistic and joking at the same time while his eyes never moved from hers.
Something about his face set her off right then and there. Her body grew hot in the cool corridor, and she couldn't help but flick her eyes down to his lips and back up again. Those strong, muscular lips had been all over her own the night before.
And suddenly they were again.
She had a thought to ask him about all the random kissing they'd done in the hallway, especially this session in broad daylight, but the feeling of connecting with another human being in this romantic, sexual way was too much for any brain functions to go on at the moment. Her husband had never touched her like this. No one had.
"No," Bulma said, peeling her body from his. "You were just lecturing me on being faithful last night. For all I know, this is just some sadistic plot to embarrass me." Why couldn't she get her words straight? Bulma guessed it had something to do with her flushed cheeks and her tingling body parts.
"Ah, but Woman, I believe my words were, You wouldn't let anyone but the King touch you—and I am in fact the King." To punctuate his words, he grabbed her around the waist and threw her into the nook in the walls where he'd emerged from. He didn't really have to justify himself, but it was amusing sometimes.
Her beauty called to him, woke something deep inside. Her attitude and spark of life in those bright eyes became a beacon of light in his dark world. And while she was there, he would definitely take the chance to enjoy her company.
TYK~ Aaaaaand there's two!