Book I: Fate's Fury

Chapter 14

He watched her hesitate briefly before sitting beside him. Vegeta smirked, a hand resting on the underside of his jaw as he shot her a look, slightly amused at the nervous wiggling of her fingers, the way she fidgeted in her seat. He almost cracked a smile, watching the woman before returning his gaze to the occupants of the room.

After a brief respite, the King had started the delegation process once more, hauling slaves into the massive throne room to be shifted and picked over. One of the foot soldiers from below announced the arrival, and the prince straightened, slightly interested in seeing these beings. He had heard some whispers about these aliens being magical, that they had mind power or some such rot! He didn't believe the last part, but the magical inclination held more truth. He'd seen it firsthand while going on certain missions. It was a definite possibility.

The massive doors opened on the side, and they could hear the clank of metal chains as they were loosened, the ringing of metal against the cold hard stone echoing into the throne room. Vegeta shifted slightly, ready to get this done with. His attention sharpened on the movement down below as the first few prisoners came through. He looked over at Gena's soft gasp.

She didn't bother glancing at him, her gaze riveted to the alien race slowly filing in front of her. Her breath hitched again, and her body tensed. She stared wide eyed at them before slowly turning her head and meeting the prince's gaze.

His eyes questioned her, remaining silent as he watched the blood slowly drain from her face. Vegeta quickly glanced to the shipment, before returning to his mate beside him. He narrowed his eyes.

"What is it brat?" the prince asked, feeling his tail tighten around him somewhat. He watched her study the prisoners before looking over at him, almost having to tear her gaze away from the sight before her.

"Why do you have them hostage?" she whispered, her voice low.

Vegeta studied her for a moment, his brows furrowing. "Why? Do you know something about them?"

"What is it child?" the King asked from the other side of Vegeta, slightly bending forward to look at his sons' mate.

Gena turned back towards the prisoners, her throat working slightly. She could feel both Vegeta and the King watching her, wandering what information she could tell them about this odd race. She swallowed, suddenly remembering something about them and their special abilities. She whipped her head around, staring at the King for a moment with wide eyes before speaking.

"Do you know about them?" she asked softly, meeting the Kings' eyes. She held his gaze, her attention not deviating from him as he seemed to study her.

The King rested his chin on his fist, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Gena. She felt her body go cold at the gleam in his eyes.

"Know about what?" he asked, clearly knowing exactly what she was talking about.

Gena looked away from him for a moment, studying the occupants below them, shifting and sending them terrified glances before looking away. Her eyes settled on the large one in the middle of the room, his girth and height making him stick out like a sore thumb. She swallowed again, watching the others gather around the aged prisoner, memories of what she already knew about this race flitting through her mind. She took a deep breath, finally looking back over and meeting the King's gaze.

"If you kill them, you will never get what you seek," she said softly, watching the older man's jaw clench at her words. She hesitated slightly before continuing.

"You will never be able to use them," Gena stated softly, watching as the man scoffed, shaking his head as he turned away from her.

She didn't say anything else, slowly standing and ignoring the prince's questions. She grabbed her dress in her hands, lifting it a little as she walked forward, slowly going down the steps. She ignored the nervous chatter slowly erupting around her as she strode forward, her focus on the one situated in the very heart of all the others. Gena slowly stopped, ignoring the suspicious looks sent at her by the prisoners around her, never looking away from the alien before her. She slowly looked up, a small smile appearing on her face at being in such close proximity of such a great presence.

She watched him softly smile, seeming to sense her before him. Gena stayed silent for several minutes, letting him study her for a moment before squaring her shoulders, her hands tightening in the fabric of her dress for a moment before taking another hesitant step forward, vaguely registering the others moving closer to the great man in their mists, and the alien female they did not know. Gena bit her lip briefly, before clearing her throat and taking a deep breath.

"Hello Guru."

Vegeta questioned her thoroughly about the namekians for the next several days, wanting to know what special talents they had that he had heard of, wanting to know if there was anything he could use to his advantage. Gena skirted the questions mostly, earning scowls and growls from the man until he left, slamming her door behind him.

She didn't mention the dragonballs.

She loved the man, but in the wrong hands, those orange orbs could do devastating damage. And although she trusted the saiyan prince with her life, she didn't trust him to use his sound judgment and sharp mind when it came to matters of granting anything your heart desired. Gena swallowed, thinking about what the King could possibly have up his sleeve. And the prince would be a hard one to convince not to go along with his fathers' plans if it meant a greater Kingdom for him. She swallowed again, doubts creeping into her mind about what they had done a few weeks ago, her hand coming up to trace the indention on her neck. Her prince had finally claimed her. Gena looked at herself in the mirror. But at what cost to him and his kingdom? She wasn't a full-blooded saiyan, she was human. According to Vegeta, a weak species that deserved their annihilation from the universe.

Her eyes went to the mark he gave her, now visible that she had disrobed. She slowly slid a finger over it. If that was how the prince felt, why did he mate with her, she coming from a species he didn't deem worthy of existing any more. Gena swallowed once again, closing her eyes. She hated these doubts that had begun to surface as soon as the deed had been done. She had wanted her prince, the man she loved, but these seemingly lingering doubts had started two days after he had claimed her as his mate.

She took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. She eyed herself in the mirror for another moment, biting her lip.

Gena jumped as her chamber doors were opened abruptly, whirling around and holding her dress to her chest. A sigh of relief escaped her at the sight of Vegeta standing there, quirking a brow as he quickly closed the door behind him. He crossed his arms as he strolled over to her, a frown on his face.

"Now woman," the prince said, his voice laced with impatience. "What do you know about that...namekian race? I demand to know," he stated, narrowing his eyes.

Gena rolled her own at his blatant attitude, letting the dress fall and walking over to the dresser on the other side of the room. She ignored the low growl coming from the man behind her, opening one of the drawers and pulling out some drawstring pants and a shirt. A soft gasp escaped her at the sudden feel of the arm wrapping around her middle, the prince's tail slowly sliding down her hip. She shivered, closing her eyes as Vegeta buried his face in her neck, his breath on her skin making goosebumps rise on her flesh. Another shiver went through her at the soft purr emerging from the man's chest, her head falling back to rest against his shoulder. His other hand came up to squeeze her arm gently, slowly sliding down until just their fingertips touched.

Neither said anything for several minutes, both wrapped up in the presence of the other. Vegeta tightened his hold on her for a moment before his hot breath fanned her ear.

"Why won't you tell me brat?" the prince asked, his hand moving on her stomach, his fingertips softly gliding over her skin, making her shiver.

Gena bit her lip, not wanting to answer him and get him pissed at her. It would be lonely and cold in the bed if she confessed to not truly trusting him to use his wits when it came to the dragonballs.

So she didn't say anything, just cocked her head to the side, giving the man better access to her neck. She knew, thanks to Vegeta educating her on Saiyan culture, that it was a sign of trust to bare your throat to someone, knowing they could kill you in two seconds flat. But she knew he wouldn't snap her neck, or rip her throat out with his teeth, which, yes he had told her has happened. A small moan escaped her at the feel of his lips sliding over her skin, reaching up and wrapping an arm around his neck. She felt his tail slid along her inner thigh, her breath hitching for a moment. The appendage was a tricky little devil, always catching her by surprise and doing things she didn't think a tail should do. Gena felt the furry appendage stop at the juncture of her thighs, rubbing the sensitive area on her inner thigh, before reaching up and flicking her abdomen.

One of Vegeta's hands moved up, softly clenching around one breast as he trailed kisses across her shoulder. His tail wrapped around the waistband of her panties, slowly pulling.

There was a loud knock on the door.

They both tensed, a muttered curse and sigh of frustration coming from Vegeta as he took a step back from her, his warmth going with him. Gena shivered, reaching down and picking her clothes back up. She quickly put them on as Vegeta went to answer the door.

She watched him yank the door open, his tail wrapping around his waist. Gena heard whoever was at the door take a step back, the person swallowing loud enough that she could hear it, without even seeing who it was.

"What!?" the prince growled, his jaw clenched.

Gena made her way over as Vegeta spoke, running a hand down her hair as she glanced out the door.

It was one of the King's guards, his nose twitching as he caught the scents wafting from inside the room. His cheeks reddened, and he looked away from the royal couple.

Gena watched the saiyan swallow, his eyes shifting away from her as he spoke, his voice slightly shaky in the presence of the angry prince.

"The King would like a word with the lady," the man said, not meeting either of their eyes.

Gena sighed, knowing it had to do with the namekians and the dragonballs. She ran a hand down her hair again, suddenly feeling very nervous and not knowing why. The prince must have sensed it because he glanced at her, furrowing his brows slightly as he studied her. She just shook her head, silently stepping out of the room and following the guard through the castle towards the private chambers of the royal family. She might have been mated to the prince, but she hadn't moved from her living quarters, not having any desire to be on the same side of the castle as the King, being under his watchful eye all the time. She was enough as it was at the moment without him looking over her shoulder every time she stepped out of her rooms.

They paused outside a set of massive doors, the royal crest laded with gold, the handles seeming to be made of the same material. The guard didn't knock, just grabbed the handles and pulled the doors, the massive pieces of wood slowly swinging outward as they went through, pausing yet again at another set of doors. These were less thick, although she knew she would have had a hell of a time opening them if she needed to. The guard gave one hard knock, and something akin to a grunt was heard on the other side. At the sound, the doors were opened, and they finally came to the King's chambers, what resembled a living room suite greeting them. The guard that escorted her seemed to straighten even more at the sound of doors opening from somewhere in the suite of apartments. He fell to one knee, his head bowed and a fist on the floor as the King strode in. The man didn't even bother acknowledging the guard, just studied Gena for a moment before speaking.

"Leave us," he commanded, crossing his arms over his massive chest.

The King took a step forward, slowly making his way over to her as he held her gaze.

"So," he said, once the doors had been firmly shut behind the guard. "What information do you have for me child?" He waited a beat before continuing. "And don't try to evade my questions like I know you're doing with my son," he threatened in a soft voice.

Gena shivered slightly at the tone, looking away from him before squaring her shoulders, turning her head to meet his gaze.

"I don't think the information I have would help you at this moment," she said firmly, folding her arms in front of her. She watched the King's eyes narrow.

"I will be the judge of that," he stated, his tail unraveling from his waist and flicking in the air for a moment before wrapping around his body once more.

Gena studied it, having been with them long enough to tell that he was agitated, even though he kept his face impassive, his tone commanding. His tail gave it away. She took a deep breath, averting her gaze once more. She clenched her jaw, listening to the King move as he sat in one of the plush chairs in the living area, silently gesturing for her to do the same. She paused for a moment before slowly sinking down into the one across from him, ignoring the amusement in his eyes as he caught the action.

"Why do you want the dragonballs?" she asked bluntly, meeting his eyes.

The King studied her for a moment, his gaze unwavering as he seemed to think about what he wanted to tell her. Gena clenched her jaw, her teeth grinding together as she held his gaze, neither of them speaking for several minutes as they analyzed one another. The King was the first to speak, his focus never moving from her.

"I want inevitability," he stated softly, smirking softly as slight confusion entered her eyes. "I want to know that my kingdom will forever be here, that my line will rule with unwavering loyalty," the King paused for a moment, rubbing his hands together before leaning forward, his gaze intense. "That the saiyan lineage will be around long after I'm gone...full-blooded saiyan lineage," he finished in a whisper, holding Gena's gaze as he slowly sat back.

Gena could feel the blood drain from her face, her skin seeming stretched with shock as what he admitted sank in. He wanted...oh Gods! The King wanted to...she shook her head, if only to stop the train of thought. She swallowed, a shuddered breath leaving her.

"So you want...what? To wish for more saiyan females?" she asked, her voice slightly shaking.

The King slowly grinned, his incisors flashing as his eyes lit up. "You tell me 'seer'," he said, his voice slightly condescending.

Gena studied the man for a moment, staring at him as her mind scrambled to come up with a solution to what he was insinuating. The next swallow was more difficult, her throat dry from the sudden realization of what this man actually had planned. She suddenly jumped up, moving away as he slowly stood. Gena shook her head, her eyes widening.

"Why would you do that?" she asked softly, staring at the man she had come to admire, but was slowly losing faith in his decisions.

"Do what child," he asked coyly, the tip of his tail tapping against his thigh as he watched her.

Gena took another step back, pointing a finger at him.

"Why would you change us without asking our consent first!?" she asked loudly, her voice slightly shrill. She thought about her unsuspecting friends, one of them actually mated to the madman in front of her. She watched him grunt, her heart sinking a little as he looked away, his face hardening before looking back at her.

"This is my kingdom," he stated firmly, straightening a little. "Someday it will pass on to Vegeta."

The King took a step towards her, his eyes narrowing slightly as she took a step back. This kept up until Gena's back hit the wall, her eyes trained on the older saiyan slowly advancing on her. He stopped a foot from her, a frown marring his face as he glared down at her.

"I want him to be the best King he is capable of..." The King's eyes narrowed a little more as he laied a hand against the wall, leaning down towards Gena. "And that means no fucking half-breeds."

Gena's eyes widened, staring at the man, her breath catching slightly. "Then why did you let me mate with him?" she asked softly. Her face hardened a moment later. "Why did you mate with one of my best friends? One, by the way, that is fixing to have your half-breed!"

The King snarled, and Gena's head hit the wall behind her as she reared back. He'd never shown this animosity towards her before, and she wasn't sure if it was him thinking about his mortality, or from the presence of the namekians, in possession of such mystical powers that it was slowly changing the King into someone she didn't recognize. She swallowed. Guess the promise of power really does change a person!

The King curled his lip, looking her up and down. "My son will not have half-weaklings bred to him by you, a race that didn't even have the strength to stay in existence. Pathetic!" he spat, his eyes snapping.

"I have a means to fix that, and you are not going to stop me," the King stated in an eerily calm voice, slowly wrapping a hand around her arm. Gena's eyes widened.

The doors burst open, and both of them whipped their heads around.

Vegeta stood there, eyes narrowed to slits as he caught sight of them, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His tail bristled like an enraged feline, the appendage doubling in size in less than a second. A growl emitted low in his throat.

The King dropped Gena's arm, stepping away from her, his eyes never leaving his son.

"What can I do for you Vegeta?" he asked simply, clasping his hands behind his back.

The prince's lip curled, one of his incisors showing as he snarled. His gaze shifted to Gena, watching as she rubbed her arm, where his father had held her. His eyes shifted back to his father, a low feral growl emitting from his throat.

The King's eyes widened at the sound, a little surprised that the boy was vocally challenging him. He felt an answering growl move up his throat, but bit it back. Now was not the time for a power struggle. He studied his son for a moment, briefly flicking his gaze to the man's mate before returning to him. The growl coming from the prince intensified when he looked over at Gena, which made him raise a brow. Did the boy think he was interested in her?

"My son-"

The King cut off as Vegeta lunged at him, catching him completely by surprise. They both flew back, smashing through one of the walls and landing hard in one of the unoccupied bedrooms.

Growls and snarls emitted from the scuffle, Gena having no clue what just happened, but knowing it didn't look good. She swallowed, slowly moving across the room to get a good look into the massive hole in the wall, keeping her distance as she heard liquid splattering and the crunching of bones. She'd witnessed too many sparring matches not to know what those sounds meant. She winced as someone howled in pain, a shiver going down her spine at the sound of a snap. She didn't look over as the doors flew open behind her, the Kings' guards coming up even with her. They didn't bother looking at her as two of them rushed forward, intent on breaking the fight up. She ducked when one of them came flying back a second later, the sounds of an intense fight not abating. The other saiyan guard came through the wall, landing unmoving on the floor. The others kept their distance, letting the King and his son duke it out. Gena bit her lip, looking down at the bruise on her arm before slowly looking back to where her mate and his father were currently beating the shit out of each other. She swallowed, suddenly feeling very lightheaded.

Was Vegeta fighting his father for possession of the crown!?

A/N: I'm not too sure about this chapter. The only part I like is when Vegeta attacks his father. Oh well! I'm posting it anyway! Figure you all have had a long enough wait! ^_^