Chapter 3
Vegeta instructed Bardock to clean them up and check them for wounds. He even forced Turles to move out of his room and in with one of his brothers so that the two would have a place to sleep.
After they were escorted to the room Raditz brought them food and they were left to their own devices. The room was small with few amenities as this ship was mostly for travel convenience not for comfort. It had a closet and a medium sized bed in the corner, with a small bathroom attached.
Gohan ate heartily at Bardock's suggestion and although Honour found it difficult to grasp the situation, she would be stupid to deny food.
After they ate Gohan curled up on the bed easily falling asleep, she could hardly blame him, this day had been more than a little exciting and they did not have real beds at their former master's.
For the first time in a while Gohan looked peaceful in his sleep he did not toss and turn. She wanted to smile at that but at the same time she feared that he could be lulled into a false sense of security by the promises these warriors made. She had only ever made that mistake once and she would never make it again.
She lay down beside him and watched him breathe for a while before she too fell asleep.
Vegeta instructed they be allowed 10 hours to sleep and recover their strength. After 10 hours Bardock was sent to fetch them. He opened the door expecting for them both to still be asleep, but he found Honour wide awake sitting with her legs crossed on the bed facing the opposite wall. Her blank stare caused a chill to run down Bardock's spine. She looked so lost, cold and detached. He had seen that look in the eyes of slaves before. Maybe it was the voice in his head or the images that ran through his mind when he first saw her, but on her that look caused him great pain.
"Did you sleep?" Bardock asked curiously.
She turned her gaze on him and blinked twice before her posture visibly stiffened as though he were interrogating her. "I did." She answered.
"How long?" He asked.
"….3 hours." She answered unflinchingly.
"Why only 3? Are you unsettled by your recent change in status? Is the bed not comfortable?" He asked quizzically.
She shook her head in the negative, "No the bed is very comfortable and although I am a little unsettled it is not the reason. I have only ever slept 3 hours a night at most." She replied matter of factally.
His eyes widened almost comically and their conversation stirred Gohan finally from sleep.
"Do elves not require sleep?" He asked bewildered, he had never heard such things about elves, and as a scientist he prided himself on knowing about a great deal.
"I believe so." Was her confused reply.
"You should try and sleep more then, it is unhealthy to sleep so little, even for saiyans." He explained in his fatherly manner. She nodded compliantly. "Now that you're both up I have orders to bring you to the training room."
"Training room?" Gohan questioned as they followed Bardock out of the room and down the long hall along the ship.
"Yes, we must determine your strength and abilities."
When they arrived Gohan became nervous, for not only were all the saiyans from the day before there but new faces as well.
"This is my friend Toma and my youngest son Kakarott." Bardock explained in a whisper motioning to yet another look alike of himself and a burly saiyan with pointed hair. Honour nodded solemnly to them and Gohan did the same.
The Prince immediately turned his eyes on them and once again Honour found herself afraid. Afraid of the intensity this man portrayed and that his intensity in that moment was souly focused on her.
"Toma you will test the girl first." He instructed. Both Halflings were confused as Bardock directed Honour where to stand facing Toma and he pulled a reluctant Gohan to the side.
"Ok girl," Toma started. "I am going to attack, this is the only time you'll get a warning. So fight back as best you can."
Honour did nothing to acknowledge his words just stood there.
After a moment of no response Toma shrugged his shoulders and shifted his stance. A second later he was throwing his first punch. It was slower than his normal attack, but he doubted that even saiyan the girl would be ready for his full strength.
He did not expect however for her to do nothing.
Honour did not attempt to move from the path of the punch and ended up being punched straight in the face. She staggered back a little but kept her feet.
Vegeta watched the scene unfold his eyebrow twitching in agitation as Toma threw another punch and she did nothing to dodge it. She maintained her stance after a few more were thrown, but did nothing to avoid them.
The child was screaming, being held back by Bardock, begging them to leave her alone.
'Why won't she FIGHT BACK?' Vegeta's mind screamed.
Finally with a well placed kick she flew to the floor skidding and almost hitting the wall.
Toma stood there with a confused look on his face. Vegeta too was confused, but his frustration overrode it and he stomped over to the demisaiyan lying on the floor. She moved to sit up as he approached. "Why didn't you attempt to dodge his attacks?" He asked sternly.
She didn't look at him, which only served to irritate him more. "He outranks me if he wishes to hit me then I should allow him to do so." She reasoned.
A few mutters, gasps, and mumbled 'What's?!' were heard from the assorted saiyan peanut gallery.
"He does not outrank you." Vegeta explained curtly still glaring at her.
"But he does my lord. I am a slav…."
"YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE!" Vegeta shouted interrupting her. He reached down and grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and pulled her up to eye level. Her eyes darted back and forth looking anywhere but into his. She normally would just stare at the floor during punishment but this man's eyes did something to her she could not explain and she felt fearful and desperate for the first time in a long time.
"You are a saiyan. You will fight back. If this were reality and not the training arena he could have very well killed you!" Vegeta growled out.
"If that is his wish." She said detachedly.
Vegeta groaned and growled before throwing her to the floor. "PATHETIC!" He growled turning back to look at his men. His eyes held a frustrated glean and Kakarott piped up attempting to smooth over the irritation of his best friend.
"Well on the upside, she had high levels of endurance and healing."
"True, but her instincts are shot…" He grouched with a frown. "Now the boy." He said with an apathetic wave of his hand.
"Please, don't hurt him." Honour pleaded. She would break every rule she ever learned as a slave to save that boy from harm or pain.
"He will not be injured if he fights back." Vegeta spat still irritated. Bardock moved Gohan to the center and ushered Honour away.
"Alright, now you do your best to defend yourself. Dodge, fight whatever you got. Ok kid?" Toma warned.
Gohan gave a nod biting his lip.
When Toma charged Gohan managed a dodge and a shaky block. He was on the run from Toma's attacks but it was obvious to the saiyans that thankfully he at least had some form.
He dodged more than he blocked and his blocks usually only worked once. Toma had his back against the wall in no time.
Vegeta watched carefully, the boy had some technique but his movement halfhearted. As he continued to analyze the boy's strengths and weaknesses he came to notice the boy's eyes strayed more often than not to Honour's face.
Honour's face showed no emotion but she watched the boy intently. In an instant Vegeta made a decision to test the young demisaiyan.
Gohan had just blocked on blow from Toma and his arm was shaking from the force Vegeta knew the boy could not hope to block another strike. Before Toma could even wind up for another strike Vegeta sped across the room and wrapped his hand around Honour's neck. Much to his dismay she didn't even flinch, but Gohan, Gohan's eyes widened and he fought back. With a shout he caught Toma's strike and threw it back before faking a combination and attempting to swerve around Toma to come to Honour's aid.
He was stopped when Toma stopped him with a foot to the back pinning him to the floor.
Vegeta was doing nothing to harm Honour just holding his neck in his grasp, but it would seem that the boy's protective nature far outstripped his own survival instinct.
He let go of Honour's neck and sneered. "Pathetic."
"The boy has some basic form, but they both lack the necessary basics." Bardock commented scientifically.
"They lack determination and heart!" Vegeta spat before shoving Honour aside in his frustration. He marched for the door and stopped halfway to it turning to Kakarott. "You. Work on some basic stretches and endurance and strength training with them until dinner. I don't care how much they whine." He commanded before stalking from the room. Toma and Bardock looked at each other and gave a mute nod before following their lord as Kakarott preceded to instruct the two demi saiyans.
Toma and Bardock arrived at Vegeta's rooms and knocked, the door slid open to reveal Vegeta's back to them as he poured a dark heavily distilled liquor from the decanter on his desk.
"Report." He barked gruffly before taking his drink and sitting stiffly in his desk chair.
Bardock knew his Lord was troubled. Vegeta hardly ever imbibed, he found such to be beneath him so the fact that he was drinking now did not bode well for the two new saiyans.
"Well the boy has potential." Toma started continuing to be professional in his own way. "He is not too old to learn, we can still make up for lost time in his training."
He paused gauging the Prince's expression, he could read nothing but the usual irritated scowl as he took another swig of his drink. So he continued.
"But the girl…"
"The girl…" Vegeta repeated in what Bardock could only call an astounded whisper.
"The girl won't even put up a fight…" Toma stated the obvious.
"Nothing I do causes any reaction from her!" Vegeta growled in frustration swigging his drink again until it was empty and violently slammed it down on the desk.
"Forgive me my lord, but may I be frank?" Bardock asked knowing that the Prince was in a foul mood and that he walked a thin line.
Vegeta nodded curtly.
"Violence and threats have been her way of life since birth, nothing we can do to harm her is likely to surprise her she expects it. We need to treat her completely opposite to what she is used to. Kill her with kindness so to speak. Perhaps a calmer hand will prevail in bringing her out of her shell."
Vegeta stared at Bardock with a deadpan look.
All was silent for a few moments before Vegeta spoke in a harsh halting tone. "Are you insulting me?"
Bardock shook his head fervently. "No sire, it wa…"
"Silence!" Vegeta shouted his was into his liquor and not in the mood to reprimand the third class scientist, especially since part of him knew the man was correct, he did have somewhat of a temper and he never did have a stomach for the weak. "All insults aside the idea has merit. I shall attempt to be nice to her." He said spitting out the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"But do not expect their training regiment to be any less rigorous."
"I would never expect such a thing sire." Bardock replied evenly.
"Have them report to the meeting room for dinner with us after their training. While we continue to make a go at this camaraderie." He said with a mocking tone dismissing the two elder saiyans with a wave of his hand.
Toma and Bardock exited quickly leaving Vegeta with his thoughts.
He stared at his empty glass as if in a daze. His mind running over the blank looks of Honour's face so different from all the horrorified expressions he had seen in the faces of his victims. He recalled every word she had said and the lack of feeling, the lack of hope…replayed a slideshow in his mind of all the times he had acquiesced to Frieza or been beaten into submission by his goons. He found himself wondering, who really had the strength to be saiyan?
After hours of strength and endurance training under Kakarott's careful tutelage Gohan was exhausted. He lay on the floor breathing heavily, form he had, but no endurance.
Honour on the other hand kneeled quietly staring at Kakarott expectantly waiting for further instructions. She was a slave forced to do task most beings found, repugnant, difficult and when they were feeling extra sadistic, damn near impossible. She had suffered tortures most grown men could not withstand Kakarott's training was nothing to her as a matter of fact she wondered at his leniency. He seemed to be testing them not pushing them to break as she was so often used to. Honour felt her lips tingle as though she wanted to make an expression. After a moment she realized she wanted to frown, to frown because these new masters were altogether too confusing. Such 'feelings' she did not like having.
Toma entered the training room inspecting the scene before him. "How do they fair Kakarott?"
"Good. The boy needs some strength training, but Honour is impressive." Kakarott smile proudly at his students.
Toma nodded at them in approval as well. "Good, Prince Vegeta will be pleased. He has requested you both join us for dinner in the meeting hall this evening. Bardock and Radditz are setting out our meal as we speak."
"Good I'm famished." Kakarott commented with a silly grin. "You two must be hungry too right?"
Both of them nodded, Gohan more enthusiastically. "Come then." Toma beckoned for them to follow.
When they arrived at the meeting hall the doors opened to medium sized room with a long table and high backed chairs. The room looked to be more for war strategy then dinner parties, but it served both purposes as the saiyans were not allowed much luxury from Frieza. The meal on the table was opulent, by most standards. The saiyans needed much food to sustain their massive fighting power and physique but Frieza would never allow them enough under his direct watch, but on missions the saiyans were able to get as much food as they wished without the cold tyrant's knowledge.
Toma motioned for Honour and Gohan to sit. Honour had only sat at a real dinner table once before, while she lived with Chi Chi and Gohan, and it still intimidated her. Sitting up high amongst people with no where to hide, all eyes on you. For a slave who had been the center of much unwanted attention in her life she did not like feeling exposed, but she did not show it.
Vegeta sat at the head of the table and eyed the two halflings uneasily until all the food was placed before them. He began to eat and the other saiyans quickly followed suit. Gohan and Honour did not move a muscle as they watched the others eat.
Bardock noticed this right away and motioned for them to take whatever they liked. "Eat as much as you want you must be hungry after today."
Gohan took the advice and ate heartily, Honour however was more cautious she only took a little and ate it slowly, although she too was very hungry.
All the saiyans noticed her behavior and Toma and Bardock both feared for Vegeta's temper.
Vegeta, however simply watched the girl eat. The slowness of her movements made it seem as though she were tensed for battle, ready for anything the enemy might throw at her. He would have admired this quality of awareness in her if did he not know it came from years of fear and abuse. He could see now what Toma and Bardock had been speaking about.
When she finished her plate she made no move to get anymore. She simply sat staring at her plate in silence. Vegeta noticed this and fought the urge to sigh, something he did not normally do. "Are you still hungry?" He asked her. She looked up at him and nodded her head.
"Yes, sire I am."
"You heard Bardock. Eat as much as you like I can't guarantee as a grand a feast on Lord Frieza's ship so eat your fill while you can." Vegeta's tone was even his words true he hope that she would accept them.
Honour took his suggestion as an order as that was the easiest way for her to follow it without causing argument or distress to her master. She continued to eat and the saiyans finally fell into a more comfortable calm in which they could converse.
"So how did the training go this afternoon?" Turles asked with a raised brow looking to his brother. Kakarott took a moment to stop stuffing his face and smiled. "It went very well. Honour is a natural." He praised.
Honour felt heat rising in her face and wondered what could be causing the sensation. She disliked being the center of the conversation.
"Truly?" Vegeta asked raising a brow in curiosity giving a sideways glance to Honour.
"Gohan has promise as well." Kakarott added smiling at the boy who although not as hardened as Honour was determined. "Gohan has some fighting training or so it would seem from his technique."
"Where did you learn to fight young man?" Bardock asked.
Gohan looked at Honour for assurance and she gave none but to look at him. He looked back at Bardock and spoke. "My mother taught me a little bit. She was a fighter and she said so was my father. She said he wouldn't have wanted me to know how to defend myself."
"She spoke of your father?" Raditz asked questioningly. Saiyans who were sent off world to purge did not ordinarily indulge in relationships with their prey, as more often then not the recipient would not survive.
'But then again..' Raditz surmised, 'the very existence of these halflings sitting before us is contradictory to all of that as well.'
Gohan nodded. "Only a little."
Vegeta mulled over the boy's words and caught himself watching Honour once again. He decided to give another try at being….nice…
"Perhaps there is hope for you both after all." The next words out of his mouth were the hardest. "Well done." Vegeta had never complimented anyone. Ever. At all. And to give one for so little an accomplishment seemed a misuse of the words but he wanted to prove to Toma and Bardock that he was civil and didn't need the two of them holding his hand.
The other saiyans at the table just about died at hearing those words come from Vegeta. Turles almost choked to death on a chicken leg. Nappa's eyes seemed to bug out of his head.
Honour too was a little taken aback by the compliment. She did not often receive them. Her only outward reaction however was to look up from the table at the Prince. His eyes were on her and she found herself once again amazed at the spark in those eyes.
When she looked at him the Prince, similarly, found himself staring right back into helpless blue orbs the color of noon day sky. It was the first time he had really looked in them. There he could see the ghosts of every emotion she would never convey. They haunted him just as much as her past haunted her and he was forced to look away.
With the meal finished Vegeta dismissed them all. He looked to Honour and Gohan. "Get some sleep." Was the closest he could get to 'sleep well'.
The two former slaves returned to their room and Honour helped Gohan clean up before they both lay down to sleep. Gohan kept fidgetting and Honour sighed. "Gohan what is the matter?" She asked sincerely.
"I…I was just thinking about the saiyans." He answered softly.
"What about them?"
"They aren't so bad…they are a lot nicer to us then master was. Don't you think?"
"Mhm." Honour mumbled her agreement placating the boy, but she could tell he had more to say.
"Honour, do you think I will ever meet my father?"
Honour sat silent for a moment. Deep down inside her she knew that Gohan would never meet his father. If these saiyans didn't know him and they were the last of their kind then she was sure his father was long since dead. Honour had always been honest, painfully so, but she couldn't shake this foreign feeling of wanting to comfort Gohan. She was all he had in the world and he was such a sweet child he deserved to be happy and feel assured that these saiyans were good masters. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think…" She paused trying to find the words to convey the emotions she could not name. "that these saiyans are honest men and will help you to find your father someday."
When she finished she was shaking with her effort. It hadn't really been a lie, but it was only a half truth. The saiyans had yet to lie to her and even if Gohan's father was not alive she believed that they could somehow fill that void in his life. She was trying to fill the void of his mother, but she had big shoes to fill and her emotionless instincts inhibited her from showing him all the care he needed.
"Now go to sleep, Kakarott says we will be arriving at Frieza's ship tomorrow."
Gohan nodded and snuggled closer to Honour. She pulled the blanket tighter around him and closed her eyes praying that she would sleep and that they would not find a new master in the morning.
The next day their ship docked with Frieza's larger main station at around noon. Bardock, Radditz, and Kakarott had spent the morning doing physical training of and instructing the two Halflings on how they should act around Frieza. Honour found their instructions silly and redundant as they were after all slaves…
"Keep your eyes down don't look up unless specifically asked to by Frieza of Vegeta. You will walk two steps behind Vegeta and kneel when he kneels. Don't speak unless spoken too and above all else make sure your tails stay hidden beneath your clothes."
Bardock retucked Gohan's shirt for the second time to make sure that it was inconspicuously covering his tail.
"Got it kid?" Raditz asked Gohan who looked frightened and uncertain.
Gohan nodded tensely and Honour looked down at him. "Don't worry Gohan, just do what I do and you'll be fine."
"And whatever you do don't get curious." Turles added as he sauntered into the room to fetch them. "Vegeta said its time to get this over with."
All seven saiyans and two Halflings disembarked the ship into the long wide hallways of the Kold Empire's main station. The halls were traversed at regular intervals by warriors all dressed alike, some jovial others strict or frowning, all alien.
After a while they reached a large set of doors with guards posted outside. The uglier of the two guards stepped forwards and gave a wheezing laugh. "Well I'll be the monkeys have returned. Can't say as we missed you."
"The feeling is mutual. Now stand aside Slimo Lord Frieza is expecting us."
The guard in question hissed and glared at the saiyans before stepping aside as the doors opened to allow them into the throne room.
When they entered Frieza was in the middle of a conversation with Zarbon, Dodoria no where to be found much to Bardock's relief. He truly hated that pink blob.
Frieza stopped talking with Zarbon the moment he noticed the saiyans. He smirked cooly at them "Ah, Vegeta." He drawled.
Vegeta kneeled his fist over his heart, eyes to the ground and a bitter taste in his mouth as there always was when in the presence of Frieza. The other saiyans followed suit while Honour and Gohan bowed even lower in a more prostrate form.
"Welcome back, how was your mission in the outer rim?" He asked in a mocking tone.
"Uneventful." Vegeta answered. After a moment Frieza waved his hand allowing them all to stand as they did Vegeta caught sight of Zarbon's curious gaze and sadistic smile.
"Uneventful…?" Zarbon questioned.
"How can it be uneventful when you return with two slaves?" He slithered closer to the Prince daring to enter his personal space to eye the slaves standing with their heads down behind him.
Vegeta resisted the urge to growl at the slithering henchman. Instead he stared forward not feeling obligated to answer the fool's question by any means.
"Slaves Vegeta? How unusual for you." Frieza wondered.
"They were the last ones left after the purging. For such a strong will to survive I thought what more befitting a fate then to reward that obstinance with a life of servitude." Vegeta bit out his smug composure maintaining.
Frieza nodded his head in agreement. "Well done Vegeta, I dare say I am proud of your improvement in cruelty, there is more hope for you than I previously thought."
Vegeta had trained himself long ago to remain stone faced in the presence of Frieza he would give him no expression which could be used as leverage against him, but if he did not have such strength of will he was sure he would be gagging at the implication Frieza made. Vegeta had heard rumors for years that Frieza had wanted to groom him to be his right hand, his heir so to speak, and that's why he had been taken from Vegeta-sei. But the rumors also said he was beyond hope and secretly he far preferred being a failed experiment to a puppet.
His answer however seemed to appease Frieza's interest in the slaves although Zarbon's eyes still burrowed into Honour. The talk turned to more trivial matters concerning the mission.
Frieza waved his hand to dismiss them but as they all turned to leave he said, "You, girl." He called out to Honour. Vegeta froze and turned to look from Honour to Frieza his gaze momentarily lighting on Zarbon's leer.
Honour looked up through her bangs meekly. "Yes, My Lord."
"Make sure you are good to our Prince. He is a lonely sort who I am sure is in need of a good lay."
"Yes My Lord." Honour answered nodding her head.
"And Vegeta…." Frieza continued. "Do keep your slaves in line, I know you've never had any, but that's no reason to be lax about protocol."
Vegeta nodded his head. "Of course, Lord Frieza."
With that they were finally allowed to exit the lizard's domain. They all left in quick military timed steps heading to their quarters on base. As they walked around the belly of the large ship they passed still many more soldiers, but one in particular would take close notice of the saiyan horde…..
When they arrived at their corridor Vegeta halted the precession. "You two come with me." He ordered the two demi-saiyans.
"Kakarott and Turles go find the two of them some more clean and decent clothing to wear. We reconvene tomorrow in the training chamber, early."
With that said the group parted ways. Vegeta entered his suite followed by the two demi-saiyans.
He threw open the door connecting to the smaller 'guest' room. "This will be your room. You two can wash up in here, when your new clothes arrive." He said motioning to the bathroom.
"Yes master." Honour answered automatically her run in with the Ice-jin emperor having unsettled her more than a little. She had never felt a presence so cold and dark. It made all the tortures she had ever suffered pale in comparison to the promise of punishment he carried. It made her even more sure that she was still a slave and that she would do her best to please the Prince to at least keep the burden from Gohan.
"I am not your master. I am your Prince. If you must call me anything call me Prince Vegeta as the others do." Vegeta instructed fighting down his frustration.
"Alright…Prince…Vegeta." Honour said tentatively.
Turles and Kakarott returned with some clothes and when Honour and Gohan disappeared into the bathroom.
While Vegeta waited for them to come out he removed his armor and his shirt and then sat at the table in his suite thinking. Zarbon's reaction to the 'slaves' was to be expected, but Vegeta most certainly did not like the way he was staring at Honour. Zarbon's sexual appetite was well known throughout the ranks and many a pleasure slave had been confiscated by him. Vegeta would never let such a thing happen, even if he had no intentions towards the girl other than as his personal project. There was still so much to do regarding their training and teaching as well as making special allocations for their being there.
Vegeta was still deep in thought when the two finished their bathing and returned to the suite.
When he finally looked up what he saw took his breath away. Her skin now clean and her hair shining she was very pretty, pale and blonde like a feminine version of a super saiyan. The dress she wore was simple, cream colored with gold trim at the waist and halter. Her pale blues were even more set off now as he noticed for the first time the blue jewel hanging around her throat bound tightly to a leather cord. He did not know how a slave could have kept such a bauble all these years and reminded himself to ask her of it later. Vegeta had to blink to remain in control of his physical reaction to her. Of course Turles and Kakarott would find her a concubine's gown.
He glanced to the boy and saw thankfully that the boy was dressed in appropriate attire for a trainee. Short sleeve navy blue spandex top black over vest and matching blue high waisted looser training pants and boots with wrist bands as well.
After scrutinizing their appearance he walked over to them. "We will have to get you sashes to cover your tails and show that you are my slaves." He said in a soft matter of fact tone. He looked to Honour and although she still refused to look straight at him, he stood right in front of her and continued in a soft tone. "You shall have more appropriate clothes made tomorrow."
She nodded imperceptibly in silent agreement with his will.
"Unfortunately…" Vegeta said moving towards a computer console on the wall. "As slaves you will not be allowed into the dining hall with us. However, we are fortunate enough that food can be delivered by droids." He punched a few buttons and hit send turning back to the two immobile creatures before him. Vegeta had never explained himself so much in his whole life, but Bardock and Toma's advice still stuck foremost in his mind.
He motioned for the two to sit down at the table. Gohan bounded over with much enthusiasm hunger overpowering his fear of the intense Prince, while Honour moved slowly and gracefully into her seat when they had he joined them.
"Tomorrow you will also learn the safest routes to walk and where you are allowed to go. I would prefer it if neither of you went anywhere alone, but that will not always be in my control." Yet another fact that Vegeta was loath to admit…
"And most importantly stay away from Zarbon." He looked pointedly at Honour, her newfound beauty only making him more determined to keep her safe. "I don't care what he says to you. You are not to do anything or go anywhere with him." His eyes moved back and forth between as he spoke trying to emphasize his point. Gohan nodded eagerly his fear of this man 'Zarbon' already starting to peak.
"He is dangerous."
Honour's head snapped up a little at his words. "Why do you warn us about him, sire?"
Vegeta was glad to see her looking up even if her eyes haunted him, he was even more shocked she had asked a question. Perhaps there was merit in the elder saiyans suggestions after all…
"Because, I want to protect you."
'Protect…?' Honour thought tentatively. She had heard the word used before and even believed that is what she did for Gohan but never had it been used in reference to her. It made her unsure of the word's meaning.
Vegeta could almost see the confusion in her eyes it was small, but a severe enough change to her normal blankness he could not help, but prod the emotion.
"Do you wish to say something else?" He inquired calmer and more intrigued than ever.
"I….I'm afraid I do not…understand…your words… Perhaps we do not speak the same dialect?…" She struggled out.
Vegeta smirked slightly. "Do not worry, I will help teach you the language…" Truthfully Vegeta did not understand his own words either, but for the first time in a long time nothing he did felt forced or restrained. "All you need to know is that I will keep both of you safe." 'What am I saying?' Vegeta asked himself fighting the urge to frown and blink.
'Safe' another word foreign to the ex slave. Gohan expression seemed to soften at Vegeta's assurances and as they all sat in a contemplative silence, the droid arrived with their dinner. After they all ate hearty, at Vegeta's insistence Vegeta instructed them to sleep. "Sleep well tomorrow begins early."
As the two demi-saiyans moved out of the room Vegeta felt sleepy. He laid down and for the first time in many a year fell into a dreamless sleep.
