Empire

Chapter 4: Raeni and Brolly

Bulma felt a hard jab on her shoulder that jarred her awake the next morning. She opened her eyes and came face to face with a pretty brunette woman. She screamed at the top of her lungs and sat up in bed as quickly as possible, pulling sheets around her. The woman just stood there, looking bored with the princess. Chichi emerged from her bedroom holding what looked like pot.

"Who the hell are you?" Bulma yelled. The woman crossed her arms and looked at Chichi, then back at Bulma.

"I am Raeni. I'll be one of your guards from now on, princess. You will not eat, sleep, or piss without me close by," she said curtly. Bulma relaxed a little, still not completely trusting of the newcomer. Raeni saw this and smirked. "You do not need to fear me, princess."

"I don't, believe me. It's just that being poked in the shoulder is not how I expected to meet my new guard." Then it dawned on Bulma what Raeni had said. "One of my new guards? How many do I get?" she asked.

"Just two, princess. I believe the other is a male," Raeni said. Bulma looked appalled. "Is something wrong?"

"I requested female guards," Bulma said. Chichi walked over to them. She had relinquished her pot and was now looking a lot calmer. Raeni eyed Chichi again. Chichi sat next to Bulma on the bed.

"Apparently Nappa thought you needed at least one male guard. He changed the queen's order," Raeni said. Bulma and Chichi exchanged glances.

"He can do that?" Chichi asked, looking at Raeni. Raeni shrugged.

"I suppose so."

Bulma shook her head. She rose from the bed, nearly knocking Chichi over. Raeni watched as Bulma stalked over to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She looked back at Chichi, who had the same stunned look on her face.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked. Chichi shrugged.

"I haven't the faintest. But, if I had to guess, I'd say it would be that she's going to go find the queen after she has a bath and give her a piece of her mind," Chichi said. Raeni nodded and looked back at the door.

"You're damn straight!" Bulma yelled from inside the bathroom.

Vegeta walked in the dining room, rubbing his head. He had been roused from his slumber by a violent scream and was definitely not pleased about it. He noticed that a hooded figure was sitting at the table. From the way this person was picking at their food, he guessed it was his mother. Two of her ladies were standing behind her.

Why is she wearing a hood? he mused. Vegeta walked around the table and sat in front of his mother. Her ladies bowed when they saw him. Vegeta inclined his head slightly. In less than a minute, food was in front of him, ready to be devoured. Mieke still had not acknowledged his presence. She seemed to be in deep thought. Vegeta began eating in silence.

That was when the blue-haired demon walked in.

"Good morning, Queen Mieke!" Bulma said loudly, completely disregarding Vegeta's existence in the room. Vegeta stared at the young princess. Bulma looked at the queen. Mieke looked up at her. Bulma could not make out the queen's face. All she could see was her mouth under the hood.

"Good morning, Bulma. I trust you slept well?" Mieke asked. Bulma nodded. Vegeta glared at his mother. Mieke then seemed to acknowledge her son. "Oh, Vegeta. I didn't notice you had come in. How long have you been here?"

"Not long before the loudmouth harpy came in," he said quietly. It was not quiet enough for Bulma not to hear him. Before she could retaliate, Raeni and Chichi caught up with her.

"Bulma! You weren't supposed to leave without us!" Chichi yelled. Mieke and Vegeta looked at her. Bulma turned and faced Chichi.

"You were moving too slow. Besides, I already said I don't need you to follow me everywhere I go," Bulma said, referring to Raeni. Raeni just narrowed her eyes and looked at Mieke for help. Mieke just sighed.

"Princess, Raeni will follow you to the depths of hell and back if I want her to. Where is your other guard?"

Bulma turned back around to face Vegeta and the queen. She noticed that Mieke was just stirring the food around on her plate. It was a far contrast to what she had been doing the night before. Shaking her head, she brought her thoughts back to what she came in the room to say.

"I came to say that I thought I was getting female guards? First I thought I was only getting one. Turns out I'm getting two, and one's a male. Raeni says that Nappa changed your orders," Bulma said. Mieke looked at Vegeta.

"Is this true, Vegeta?" she asked.

"I know nothing of what Nappa does, Mother. He is no longer under my command," Vegeta said, still eating. "But, I think the harpy needs a male guard. Maybe he'll toughen her up." He looked at Bulma slyly. Mieke pushed her plate away and stood up.

"I think that sounds rather twisted, but somehow I agree. Princess, you will receive a male guard. Raeni will stay on as your female guard," she said. Mieke left the dining room with her ladies following.

Bulma just stood there looking shocked and amazed. She then turned her head toward Vegeta. Chichi and Raeni could sense the oncoming argument. They stepped back a bit as Kakarrot and Raditz entered.

"You..." Bulma said in a low voice. Vegeta had to blink at the malevolence in the tone behind that one word. It almost sent tingles up his spine. ALMOST.

Kakarrot and Raditz saw the prince and princess of two different planets staring ferociously at each other. Or, the princess was the only one giving the ferocious look; Vegeta naturally looked that way. It only took a little extra effort to take it to another level.

"You look almost frightening, harpy," he said. Bulma squeezed her fists together. Raeni and the others were sure if she were Saiyan she would be emitting some form of energy by now.

"Stop calling me that! My name is Bulma!" Bulma yelled. "I've known you a total of two measly days, and I already have confirmed that I hate you! You're a total jackass! Can you even conduct yourself as a prince would?" she yelled. Vegeta raised an eyebrow in question.

"To others, yes. To you, I have to make an exception. I don't act 'princely' to weaklings," he said. He stood up to walk away. Bulma still was amazed at how he could manage to look down on her when they were almost the same height. Yet, it still pissed her off.

Vegeta watched her for a moment before walking off. She obviously could think of nothing else to say. Smirking, he knew he had gotten the last word. Vegeta turned and sauntered off. Kakarrot and Raditz followed.

Raeni stepped in front of Bulma once Vegeta was gone. She looked at her face. Bulma was so red in the face, it was a miracle she did not give herself a nosebleed. Her eyes were trained on the door Vegeta had disappeared through.

"I think you should calm down, princess. You'll give yourself a migraine," Raeni said. Bulma just shook her head. She was actually starting to get a headache. Raeni touched Bulma's shoulder. "Princess?"

Bulma shrugged off Raeni's hand and turned around to stalk out the other door. Chichi just shook her head.

"Best to just let her go destroy something in the suite. It'll probably be in shambles when we get back there. I'm starving, though. Maybe you could tell me about Prince Vegeta's guards, though," Chichi said, sitting down at the table. Raeni raised an eyebrow and sat down next to her.

"Which one?" she asked. Chichi smiled as some servant girls placed a tray of food in front of her.

"The one with the shorter hair that sticks up. I think he's pretty cute, in a boyish way," she said. Raeni just looked confused. "What's his name?"

"His name is Kakarrot. He's not the brightest star in the sky, if you know what I mean. He's good at one thing," Raeni said.

"And what's that?" Chichi asked through a mouth full of food. Raeni just laughed.

"Fighting. He's a dunce in all other areas minus eating. Believe me. Many girls have tried and failed miserably with him. He's just too damn stupid to know what a relationship is. You're better off trying with his brother Raditz," Raeni said. Chichi laughed.

"Nonsense," she said, wiping her mouth. She looked deviously at Raeni. "What Chichi wants, Chichi gets."

Bulma threw a hairbrush at her mirror. It shattered loudly on the floor. She stepped on the pieces of glass with her bare feet, disregarding the pain. She pushed open the door to the suite's living room. Her eyes darted from side to side, searching for something else to throw. She grabbed a vase full of flowers and picked it up. She carried it to the balcony and lobbed it clear over the edge.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" someone yelled.

Bulma gasped and ducked. The vase had obviously shattered over some unsuspecting person's head. Bulma peered over the edge, ready to apologize and beg for forgiveness.

That was until she saw who the vase had hit.

Vegeta looked up to where the offending glass vase had come from. Kakarrot and Raditz were trying to cover up their snickers from behind him. Raditz was doing it a lot better than his younger brother. Vegeta ignored them and saw the blue-haired demon again. She was looking down at him. At first she looked repentant. Then it was as if she realized who he was and the look turned to one of sheer, unadulterated hatred.

Shouldn't that have been the other way around, Vegeta thought. He crossed his arms. He had never seen someone glower at him the way she was glowering at him now. It was almost intimidating. ALMOST.

"Don't you have something to say to me?" Vegeta said.

Bulma stared at the impudent and conceited prince. She thought about her retort for a good thirty seconds and decided to keep it simple. She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Nope," she said unenthusiastically.

Vegeta kept staring at her. He took in her general appearance. He had never seen Bulma with her hair down before. While she was ripping her room to shreds, it had been freed from its bun and now hung around her shoulders. She was indeed very pretty, but that was not going to dissuade him from having an aversion to her.

"Do you mind telling me why you threw a vase over your balcony?" Vegeta asked. Bulma blinked. Where had this sudden civility come from?

"If you must know, I threw it because I am pissed at you. I'm venting," she said, crossing her arms. Vegeta snorted.

"Typical of a spoiled human princess to act like child when all does not go her way. Are you going to destroy your quarters whenever something happens that doesn't appeal to you, harpy?" Vegeta derided.

Kakarrot and Raditz looked at each other.

"What's he doing?" Kakarrot asked.

"I think he just wants to get a rise out of her. Shut up and watch," Raditz whispered.

Did he just call me "spoiled?" That asshole! Bulma thought. She stalked back in her room.

Vegeta smirked, thinking he had won again. He turned to walk away, only to narrowly miss a glass shard fly past his head. It came so close that he felt the air being displaced. He whirled around and saw Bulma standing on her balcony holding several more of them. How had he not sensed them?

"You bitch! Do you know the damage you could've caused?" he yelled at her. Bulma just smiled impishly.

"I'm sorry, oh vertically-challenged one. I missed," she said. Vegeta growled something unintelligible. Bulma put her free hand to her ear and leaned forward. "What was that? I can't hear people who are so low to the ground when I'm way up here!" Bulma laughed. She turned and left the angry prince and his guards standing there.

Kakarrot and Raditz just stood, too shocked to even giggle. No one had ever gotten the best of Vegeta in a verbal sparring match. The Princess of Earth had just proven herself to be more than a worthy opponent, and she was not even Saiyan.

Vegeta turned around and left in a huff, picking up the glass shard in the process. Bulma may have won this battle, but the war was still there to be fought...

Later on, Bulma was lounging on her balcony with Chichi when Raeni came in with a taller man. Chichi was sleeping and Bulma was almost asleep. Raeni snapped her fingers and Bulma sat up, looking around.

"Yeah?" she mumbled. She saw Raeni smiled. Then she noticed the heavily built Saiyan man who looked like he was on steroids of some sort. Chichi was still asleep. Bulma nudged her roughly and Chichi rolled over. She opened her eyes and looked at Raeni.

"What is it?" she asked.

"This is Brolly. He's your new guard," Raeni said. Bulma and Chichi nodded numbly, not even really paying attention to Raeni. All they saw was muscles upon muscles. Brolly noticed they were staring at him like he was going to devour them at a moment's notice. He bowed.

"Your highness, Lady Chichi," he said quickly. Bulma looked a bit shocked. For someone so large, he definitely had a soft voice. She inclined her head slowly.

"Don't you think you two should get ready for dinner?" Raeni asked. Chichi snapped her head quickly to her. She looked at Bulma, who giggled softly. "What's so funny?"

"Well, I think the princess and I will take our dinner in the suite tonight," Chichi said. Raeni raised an eyebrow in question. Bulma was trying desperately not to laugh. She was failing miserably. Raeni looked at Bulma.

"What's going on?" she asked. Bulma looked up. She was red in the face from trying to hold her giggles in. Raeni just rolled her eyes. She decided maybe a fear tactic was in order. She cracked her knuckles. Bulma and Chichi watched her do this with wide eyes. "Why do you want to eat in here?" Raeni asked.

"Because Bulma had another run-in with the prince," Chichi said quickly. Bulma looked away from Raeni. Raeni crossed her arms and looked at Brolly.

"Have you seen Prince Vegeta lately?" she asked. Brolly shook his head. Bulma looked confused.

"Why are you asking him that?"

"To gauge what the prince's mood is. I take it you must've gotten back at him if you're...sniggering...like that. He might not be in the mood to be in your presence and therefore, we can't very well risk your safety, can we?" Raeni said. Bulma stared at her for a moment.

Brolly and Chichi both got the feeling that this was the wrong thing to say. A few seconds after she finished talking, Raeni realized that she might have just encouraged Bulma to attend dinner. From the few hours she had known the princess, she had figured out that Bulma would never be the one to back down. A war had obviously been started between Vegeta and Bulma.

"Well, I think I'll go get dressed now." Bulma stood up and walked back into her living room. There were still chambermaids cleaning up the broken glass shards from her mirror. Bulma looked at them. "I'm really sorry about this, girls. Thanks for your help. I promise not to do anything like this again," she said before disappearing into her bathroom.

The chambermaids looked around at each other in awe. Had the princess really just spoken to them? Had she really just thanked them? The human princess not only looked strange, but she acted just as strange.

Vegeta rubbed his knuckles on his left hand. He almost winced visibly when he felt a slight twinge of pain. He looked down at his hand and saw the slightly bruised flesh on his hand. He frowned, thinking of the poor sap he'd taken his anger out on after his row with Bulma. The soldier was now in the infirmary, clinging on to life.

It's not my fault. It's that damn harpy's fault, Vegeta thought with a low growl. He looked up at his mother. She was no longer wearing a hood, but her hair was strategically covering the left side of her face. Vegeta narrowed his eyes. He looked at the dining room doors, expecting the blue-haired demon to walk through.

"Where is that spoiled brat?" Vegeta asked, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. Mieke looked up at her son. She took in his position and noted it.

"You're doing a fine imitation of a spoiled brat yourself, my prince," she said calmly. Vegeta glared at her. Mieke just stared back at him with her right eye. Vegeta could never quite understand how his mother could smile at him without actually smiling at all; it was all in the eyes.

"We've been waiting here for thirty minutes, MOTHER. I'm fucking starving. Why do we have to wait for the harpy anyway? She doesn't eat a damn thing," Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, we will wait. Besides, your father isn't even here yet," Mieke said. Vegeta frowned and turned towards his guards.

"Kakarrot, go to the kitchens and get me a bottle of liquor," he said. Mieke sighed and rolled her eyes. Kakarrot nodded. Before he started walking, he looked at Vegeta again.

"What kind?" he asked. Vegeta shrugged.

"Anything, dumbass. Just make sure it's strong," he said. Kakarrot nodded and headed for the door. When he pulled it open, Chichi fell into him.