Hope you all had a fantastic holiday! We're nearing the end of 2016. It's been quite a year, but I'm grateful for every minute of it that I've gotten to share with you guys. Thank you for all the continued support and feedback. I really appreciate you all.
If all goes as planned, I might have something else out, later today. Enjoy!
The feast began without a hitch. All the guests were thoroughly enjoying the festivities, the music, and the food. I had been so long since the kingdom had a celebration of this scale. The guests chatted in cliques, enjoyed the food, and some of the mated pairs dance. Everything was going by perfectly.
Vegeta was still counting the minutes he had until he could leave. For the first two hours, he had to greet all of the guests and thank them for coming. He gave them a canned response, or he just nodded to them. As Nappa warned, the old suitors returned just for the feast. Some of them looked just as excited to be there as he was – they were probably forced to go by their fathers, as well. Others were suddenly acting nice and gracious towards him, a contrast to how they acted, before. He made sure to sneak in an insult, when they greeted him.
One of the suitors looked at him, and batted her eyelashes. This one had been especially clingy, that night. "Hello, Prince Vegeta. This is a lovely party, you threw."
He shrugged. "It's passable."
She trailed her fingers up his bicep. "Would you like to dance, your highness?"
"I'm not interested in making myself look like a fool."
She continued until her arm was over his shoulder. "Oh, come now. I promise I'm a good dancer."
"I was not talking about the dancing." He glared at her.
She looked offended. "Well, let me know if you change your mind!" Then, she took her leave.
Vegeta rolled his eyes. He knew this wasn't going to be the last time someone did this, either.
The king called for everyone's attention, up on the balcony. He raised a goblet, in the air. "My noble subjects, I would like to propose a toast to my son. It's hard to believe that he is of age, already. Nevertheless, he has matured into a proud and strong Saiyan warrior. I have no doubt that one day; he will lead our people to prosperity."
The room cheered, and clanked their drinks, together.
As the king watched from above, he noticed how uptight Vegeta was still being, especially when around the old suitors. He would have not invited them, but leaving important Saiyan elites from the guest list would have looked bad, on him. He couldn't tell very well, but some of them looked to be getting very handsy, with him. Luckily, Raditz was there to chase them off and distract them.
Was this how all the meetings went? If it was, then it was no wonder that he kicked so many of them to the curb. The king was so worried about primogeniture that he didn't even notice this. He called Nappa, up to the balcony. He might have some insight on this.
Nappa bowed, as he approached the king. "You wanted to see me, your majesty?"
The king didn't turn around to face him – he was still looking at his son. "Nappa, be honest with me: have I been too harsh on the boy?"
He sighed. "Vegeta, you did what you thought was best, for your kingdom. I understand that. But the old ways aren't always the best ways. If we went by the old ways, you and I would have been cast out from the Saiyans a long time ago."
"What do you think Cauli would say?"
"If you want me to be honest, she'd probably yell at you and call you a stubborn oaf." The king chuckled. Of course, she would. "Look, Vegeta, I know you're worried about the boy finding someone. But you can't force love onto people. This sort of stuff takes time. You just got lucky, with your pick."
He nodded. "I know, I know that."
"Your son's not faultless in this, either. I love the kid, but he can be just as stubborn and selfish. I think you two should just talk, and lay everything out there. Maybe you can reach a compromise."
The king nodded. "Maybe we can. Tell Vegeta to meet me in my study, after the feast. We'll discuss everything, then."
Vegeta was so bored. He wasn't hungry, his legs were stiff, and the music was grating on his nerves. He just wanted this stupid party to be finished. The only kind of entertainment he got was making fun of the stuck-up elites with Raditz, who was already intoxicated. There were endless bottles and pitchers of wine offered to the guests, after all.
Raditz hit him, on his back. "Quit being such a grump! It's your party. Live a little, for once!"
He looked at him up and down. He was probably two more drinks away from being unable to stand up straight. "And end up like you? No thanks."
Raditz glanced up at the staircase, and a wry smile formed on his face. "Don't look now, but your girlfriend is here."
He looked at him, with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about?"
He pointed towards the staircase, as silence started to fall onto the crowd. Vegeta turned around and nearly gasped. Bulma was standing at the top, dressed in traditional Saiyan wear. Two leather straps held a piece of silver armor, over her chest. The skirt covered her feet, dressed in white and gold boots. She wore brown leather gauntlets and a gold and sapphire necklace. Her tail was hung loosely around her waist, decorated with beads and ribbons. She looked stunning.
She made her way down the stairs, with much grace and confidence. It was as if she didn't even notice that everyone was staring at her. As she reached the floor, the crowd parted, as she walked towards her destination. She stopped, when she came face to face with Vegeta.
Bulma smiled at him, and curtsied. To everyone's shock, he bowed back, to her. No one outside of the palace had ever seen this girl, before. Why was the prince treating her with more respect than he gives anyone?
The king didn't ignore this. Quickly, he sent someone down to dim the lighting and someone to make the band play a waltz or something dance-worthy. When they got the order, the band abruptly stopped their song, and turned to another page in their books.
As the music started up again, she held out her hand. "Would you like to dance, your highness?" Without hesitation, he took her hand, and she led him to the dance floor.
"You're late, woman," he whispered to her.
"Sorry. Had to put the finishing touches on the dress. I think it was worth the extra effort." He couldn't argue with that.
The song began at a slow tempo. Bulma led, as she had taken dance classes, before. Once he understood the rhythm, he followed through. He was surprisingly light on his feet. The dance floor was completely cleared, as the crowd of guests stopped to watch the show. Not that either of them notice – as far as they were concerned, they were the only people in the room.
She looked down at their feet, then back up at him. "Has anyone told you you're a wonderful dancer?"
"It's no different than fighting."
As the tempo picked up, Vegeta took the lead. Bulma was only barely managing to keep up with his steps. The tempo continued to increase, to the point where he was just doing all of the dancing, and she was just along for the ride. He spun her around, and dipped her before pulling her back up against his chest, right as the song ended. She was breathing heavily; he was still calm and collected.
Suddenly, the crowd started applauding, and they finally took notice of everyone else. He took her hand, and went back to the wall. "I hope you're hungry, woman."
The king was overjoyed, by what he saw. He never thought he'd see that day, but Vegeta was falling in love. He recognized that look in his eyes – he had the same one when he met Cauli. Even before he knew she was his intended, he was completely smitten by her. Saiyans had a knack for telling who their future mate was, and it looked like his son was no exception. Still, he wouldn't go back on his earlier offer. He still wanted to work out a compromise.
The king staring off into the crowd – this was what Frieza was greeted with, when he returned to the balcony. "Your majesty, is something the matter?"
The king chuckled. "It's nothing, Frieza. I think my son may have finally found a suitable mate."
This got his attention. He never thought he'd hear that. "Is that right? Who is the lucky maiden?"
The king pointed towards the back of the room. Vegeta was talking with the princess, while they were eating and drinking. "I knew there was something different about that girl. I think Vegeta's realized it, too."
Frieza didn't disagree – he still felt that there was something off about her, even after their encounter last night. Vegeta was acting a lot more sociable and casual towards her than he was with most people.
"So, how long until the boy proposes," Frieza asked.
The king shook his head. "I wouldn't get that far ahead. This is my son, after all."
Yes, this was Vegeta. Yet, he was acting so friendly towards a girl he had known for only a day. Frieza excused himself, and went down to the main floor. He needed to get more information.
He only brought his two highest-ranking officers – Zarbon and Dodoria – to the party. Dodoria immediately approached him, as he entered the main floor.
"Lord Frieza, have you noticed anything suspicious about that new princess?"
"No, I have not. Have you, Dodoria?"
"When I saw her, I thought she didn't look like a Saiyan. She's way too scrawny and small to be one of their women. As she was with Vegeta, I realize something – she looks a lot like that Earthling girl you told me to get for you. She even sounds like her, too. I know you said you left her on that planet to rot, but is it possible that she made it off of there, herself? If she was her, I'd say that explains why Vegeta's so cozy with her."
Frieza groaned. Dodoria only stated the obvious. He supposed that she might have found a way off planet on her own, but Planet Polaris was practically a desert. Unless she found something that could have aided in her escape, she should be dead, by this point.
And that's when it hit him. He had no real proof of this, but it was the best explanation. If the princess really was the Earth girl, then the only way she could have gotten to where she was now must have been through divine luck.
Or magic.
Somehow, she must have found the Dragon Ball on Planet Polaris, and wished herself back to Planet Vegeta. And if she used that second wish to become a princess, she might still have it, somewhere. It all suddenly made sense.
"Dodoria, tell the others that I'm enacting the plan, tonight. As for you, I want you to bring our deceitful princess to me. Alive."
"Yes, Lord Frieza!"
Bulma and Vegeta took a break from the dancing and the partying, and went out onto a balcony, overlooking the planet. The view was gorgeous. The half-moon shined over the dry desert, reflecting shadows of the mountains overtop it. The dark red night sky was dotted with bright stars. The pair didn't even talk. They just stared at the stars, together.
"That wasn't all that bad, was it?"
He shrugged. "It was decent."
"Didn't I tell you so? You're so lucky that you have me with you, during all of this."
"Let me know when that luck runs out, please."
She playfully punched him, on his shoulder. She looked bad up at the stars. Maybe she could see some of Earth's constellations, all the way out here. At least that'd give her some piece of home.
She grabbed Vegeta's shoulder, and pointed at the night sky. "Look: There's Orion. He's named after an Ancient warrior, back on Earth."
He narrowed his eyes, but couldn't find anything. "It's just a mass of stars. There's no warrior up there."
She pointed again. "See the red star? That's Betelgeuse. Those three stars going up are parts of Orion's belt. That's another star down in the bottom corner – Rigel. And there's Orion's shield. If you focus hard enough, you can kind of see a man's figure."
"I am focusing, but I cannot see a man there. Is this some odd Earthling custom?"
She shook her head. "Not really. Before our astronomy got really advanced, people used to map out the stars with constellations. Sometimes, it helped people learn directions before we had maps. My dad and I used to look for all of them, when I was a little girl."
Suddenly, she grew solemn. She sighed. "The last time we did it was the night before I left Earth..." She blinked back tears and looked down. "I really miss them."
Vegeta felt awkward. He had never had to comfort someone before, and didn't know how to do it. Hesitantly, he held one of her hands in both of his. He rubbed it with his thumbs, hoping this would give her some comfort.
Bulma could tell that he was hesitant, but the gesture warmed her heart. At least with Vegeta by her side, she wouldn't feel alone. "Do you think I'd be able to explain all of this, to them?" She gestured to herself.
"You're the genius. You should be able to make up an excuse. Say you got caught in some genetic experiments or something."
She laughed. "My parents would probably buy that." She started laughing more, thinking about all of the crazy experiments she came up with, when her dad wasn't looking. Vegeta was relieved that she wasn't so glum, anymore. For the first time since he was a child, he smiled a genuine smile. It didn't even falter when she returned his gaze.
He brought a hand up to her head, running a piece of her hair, through two of his fingers. "The dark hair suits you, but I think I prefer your lighter hair, more."
As it fell back to her head, she brushed it behind her ear. "You really think so?"
He nodded. They continued to stare at each other for several moments. Bulma pushed down her nerves and decided to take her chance. Now was better than ever – a beautiful night overlooking gorgeous scenery with a handsome prince. It was like something straight out of one of her mom's romance novels.
She leaned into him and closed her eyes. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled back. "What are you doing?"
"You've never kissed a girl, before?"
"What's a kiss?"
She smirked at him. "I'll show you."
Once again, she leaned in and closed her eyes. Gently, she pressed her lips against his. His eyes got very wide, as she did so. Was this another Earthling custom? It was more intimate than what he was used to, but it felt nice. She puckered her lips against his, and he slowly did the same.
She pulled away from him, her lips lingering on his. "That, my dear prince, is a kiss."
He was almost too dazed to speak. He cleared his throat. "Do your people do this often?"
"Not really. Only with someone we really care about. There are different kinds of kisses we give to different kinds of people. However, you shouldn't really do it to someone at random, unless you know that they're into that sort of thing."
His voice nearly cracked. "Noted."
His nervousness wasn't unnoticed. She could have some fun, with this. She clasped her hands underneath her and swayed her shoulders. "Did you at least like it?"
"Passable."
"Would you mind if I do it, again?"
"I-I don't know. No."
She held his shoulder and leaned her head against his forehead. His face was a red as a beet, at this point. "Just tell me if you want to stop." He nodded.
She pulled him towards her and their lips touched, rougher this time. She gently bit on his bottom lip, making him gasp. She swiped her tongue around his mouth, moving it with his. Vegeta gave into the sensations, breathed out of his nose, and closed his eyes, allowing her to take control of the kiss. He pulled her closer to him, desperate for more contact. It was as if the planet stopped turning and they were the only ones there.
Bulma peeked one of her eyes open and noticed that they were floating a few inches off the ground. She smiled, and pulled back from him. He didn't even open his eyes for a few more seconds.
He exhaled, loudly. That was intense. He never thought that he would enjoy another culture's customs that much.
Vegeta glanced back at the party. Most of the guests had gone home, and some of the servants were already taking down decorations. He sighed. "I should go. My father wanted to speak to me, after the feast."
She was disappointed, but nodded. "Happy birthday, Vegeta. I hope you enjoyed your present." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, before leaving the balcony.
Vegeta lifted a hand to that cheek. She did that same gesture at the port. Was she harboring those feelings for that long? He shook his head. No, she mentioned that different kisses mean different things. Maybe that meant something different than it did, now. He decided not to think too much of it. It probably wasn't wise to be thinking of her right before he went to meet with his father. With that, he left for his study.
Bulma skipped down the palace corridors, feeling as light as a feather. She hadn't felt this elated since she was a teenager. She was in love with Vegeta, and she was confident that he felt the same way. Never had she felt this deeply about anyone, before. She knew this had to be true. For the first time in years, things were finally starting to go right.
As Bulma continued down the hallways, she felt odd. She turned around, but she was alone. She continued, but she still felt that something was off. It was as if she was being watched. However, she was the only person around. She couldn't hear or see anyone around her.
Then, out of nowhere, she was hit in the back of the head. She let out a cry, and grabbed the back of her neck. She looked around, trying to find the culprit. The next thing she knew, she was tossed against the wall.
She heard someone cackling above her. As she tried to get back up, she looked around. "Who's there? If you're trying something funny, I'm not gonna take it, quietly!"
Whoever was laughing just started laughing more. "I never realized you were such a little firecracker!"
Now, she started panicking. She knew that voice all too well. She looked up and saw Dodoria standing above her. He grabbed her tail near the base and pulled on it. She groaned in pain, and fell back to the floor. All the beads and ribbons came crashing to the floor, as he moved it up the furry appendage. She felt completely violated.
"I know you were just a pathetic Earthling, but being a monkey is hardly an improvement. Given that you were so ready to mount that royal brat, I shouldn't be surprised."
She glared up at him. "You going to actually do something, or just monologue me to death?"
Dodoria suddenly grabbed her hair, and brought her up to his face. "Actually, I plan on delivering you to Lord Frieza. He knows all about your little secret, now. He's going to finally be dethroning these monkeys, and there won't be a damn thing you can do about it."
All she could do was spit in his face. He growled and hit her, against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. "You're lucky he wants you in one piece, girl. I would have killed you already, if that weren't the case. Now, let's get you down there."
Just then, he was kicked into the wall. Before Bulma could fall, someone caught her. As she regained sense, she looked up at her rescuer. Her eyes lit up, with relief.
"Piccolo!" she said.
He set her down, and put an arm in front of her. "Get out of the way, kid. This might get messy." She didn't need to be told twice. She stumbled further down the hallway and sat up against a wall.
Dodoria rubbed his head and looked up at his attacker. "Who the heck are you, punk?!" Piccolo didn't say anything, and glared at Dodoria. "Wait, you're a Namek, aren't you? What are you doing all the way out here?" He still didn't respond. "What, are you deaf? Too dumb to speak? Wouldn't surprise me, with your kind."
"Shut the hell up," Piccolo said, in a calm tone.
Dodoria growled. "I'm through playing games, you overgrown slug. It's time we see how strong you actually are."
"Alright, then. Come at me."
Dodoria lunged after him, but Piccolo effortlessly dodged his attacks. He didn't even uncross his arms. This charade went on for several turns until Dodoria was getting frustrated. It was bad enough that a Namek was besting him in a fight, but he was acting so calm and stoic while doing so. He attempted to punch him, but Piccolo easily caught his fist in an iron grip. With a squeeze, Dodoria's hand was broken. Piccolo took his arm, and elbowed the crux of it, instantly breaking it.
Dodoria hobbled back, holding his broken arm and glared at the Namekian. He couldn't believe that a Namekian could be so strong. He thought they were supposed to be weakling pacifists. Where the hell did this one come from?
Piccolo walked up to him, just about finished with their fight. He had better things he could be doing, right about now. He kicked Dodoria in the stomach once, sending him flying into a column. The impact wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough to knock him out cold.
Bulma sat against the wall, in awe. He took down Dodoria effortlessly. She didn't think he was that strong.
Piccolo walked back over to her, and knelt down in front of her. He pointed a finger in front of her face. "Follow my movement." As he moved his finger around, her eyes followed it without trouble. At least she didn't have a concussion.
She pushed his hand down. "How did you even get here, in time?"
"I was meditating when I felt your energy spike, and I came to see if you were alright. Now get up. You're going back to your room." He grabbed her arm, hoisted her onto her feet, and started dragging her back to the hallway.
"Wait, Piccolo! We can't go back to my room! We have to warn the king about Frieza!"
He almost groaned. He thought he could go for one night without getting wrapped up in the royal family's business. He had to get stuck serving a nuisance magnet. "Fine. We'll go check up on him." He took off down the hallway, and she trailed behind him.
Vegeta went up to his father's study. When he entered the room, he saw his father looking out of a window. Knowing that is what he wanted him to do, Vegeta walked up to stand beside him. The window overlooked the now quiet city streets. Looking over the streets made the king nostalgic. The Saiyan culture evolved quickly, ever since his family came into power. The sight made him think of something he always took for granted – progress.
Finally, he spoke to his son. "Did I ever tell you how your mother and I met?"
Vegeta wasn't expecting this. He shook his head.
"It was arranged, actually. Your grandfather wanted to negotiate an alliance with another Saiyan tribe, just to the west of here. This was before our family controlled the whole of the planet, mind you. I was like you; I didn't want to go through with it, at first. I was a moody, self-absorbed Saiyan who just wanted to fight and feast, all day. I thought a mate would slow me down. Your mother once told me she felt the same."
A small smile formed on the king's face. "Then, I met a girl, at my coming of age feast. She was lively, charming, and so very beautiful. I couldn't believe such a woman could exist. I swore we talked for hours about our lives and troubles. I didn't make my move yet, though; if I did, there would be no way I'd be able to go through with mating with my betrothed. Despite everything, I didn't want to disappoint my family.
"The next morning, my father told me I was supposed to be meeting my future mate. I still had the girl from the night before on my mind, but I reluctantly went ahead and followed him." The king chuckled. "Imagine my shock when I found out that girl I met at the feast was to be my mate. The look on her face was priceless. The courtship was short, and we were mated by the end of the month."
King Vegeta looked over to his son. "You're wondering why I told you this. I'll be honest with you – I persisted with the law for more reasons than you think. I know you think that love is a weakness. And you're not entirely wrong. However, it can also be an asset; one of the greatest ones you'll ever find. I thought there might be someone out there who would become that asset to you."
Vegeta couldn't believe his father told him this. It was rare for Saiyans to mate for reasons other than procreation. He knew his father cared for his mother, but he didn't know he cared for her that deeply. There was a lot more to this than just traditions. He felt like a bit of a brat, for not trying to listen to him.
"Father," he began. "I rebelled against you because I thought you were being selfish. I understand you now, but I'm not like you. What works for you and your fathers might not work for me, by default. And it's my fault for acting like a brat and not talking this out with you, sooner."
"No, Vegeta: I'm more at fault than you are. I was thinking of you as a prince before I was thinking of you as my son. I agree – we both should have begun discussing this a lot sooner. My son, above all else, I want you to be happy. I know that according to the law, you are supposed to choose your mate by tonight. However, if you don't want to do it just yet, we can put it off until you find someone worthy."
He nodded. Though he had someone worthy in mind, he decided not to rush it. "Thank you, father."
The king patted his shoulder. "Go and rest. We can discuss the arrangements more, in the morning."
Vegeta nodded to his father and left the room. Bulma was right – there was a lot more that needed to be said between them. They should have talked this out a lot, sooner; it would have saved him a lot of screaming tantrums. Despite everything, Vegeta wanted to work everything out with his father. At least now that they've laid out their differences, they had an opening to do so.
He was almost back at his room. Just then, he felt his father's energy spike, suddenly. Just as quickly, it started fading away. Immediately, he took off running. As he raced down the hallway, the energy was getting dimmer and dimmer.
He looked up. "Screw this!" He raised his palm to the ceiling and blasted a hole almost through the roof. He flew up two stories and ran as fast as he could down the hallway.
He nearly broke down the door, when he got there. What he saw made his heart nearly stop.
"FATHER!"
EXTRA, added 2/25 - The idea for the kiss scene came from a few other fics I've read. It's not a particularly common trope, but I've seen it pop up a few times - the first time I saw it was in Blue Galaxy by Vegito Princess. That and a few other stories say that Saiyans just don't kiss their loved ones. It made sense, to me. Kissing isn't even universal among humans, so why would it be universal with aliens? The kissing scene in the Goku Black arc of DBS came out while I was writing this, and that kind of strengthened that idea a bit. Whatever, I thought it would make for a cute scene, and would make for an interesting piece of Saiyan culture. Nothing too important, but I thought I'd mention something about it.