Behind Palace Walls ch 29
I'm not making any promises but I'm trying to work feverishly on this story while I have the time. Meanwhile I'm glad you all are enjoying, your feedback is appreciated!
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One minute he was holding her, the next she was on the ground. And then she disappeared.
Disappeared in the rush that is.
Tents and their food blew up from under them. The cement blocks used to house the tournaments detonated then rained down in a squall. Large chunks trapped people beneath them, others were struck by the raining ki strikes coming from above.
There was screaming and people. People running everywhere and flying away, and then they were struck down. There were people who took to the skies in retaliation and they were stuck down too. A few landed hits, before they were batted away like flies.
For the first time in his life Vegeta panicked. She was right there and then she was gone. He was too aghast to even scream for her. His mind had to catch up to what was happening around him.
People—his people—being slaughtered like animals under the merciless hand of Habba: one of Freeza's best in the Ginyu Force.
"Bulma!" He turned in circles and wretched for her blue hair. "Bulma!" he screamed louder this time but other screams over powered him. Panicked citizens bumped into him on their way to safety while he still combed for her blue hair.
Out of his peripheral he caught a group of cowering children about to face the wrath of their raider. One brave boy out of the flock—a future warrior by his own accord—stood forward to proudly accept their fate. He'd at least shield his friends and give them time to get away. He looked up to the sky with a snarl and courageously puffed out his chest, then dropped into a defensive crouch. Habba was glad to kill him, as brave as he was, and he shot carelessly into the lot of children. The boy crossed his arms above his head to shield himself then suddenly he was sequestered in shelter. They all were.
He looked up to see his hero, his Prince, fulminating in anger and prepared to unleash at the laughing man in the sky.
"Oh c'mon my Prince! This is no fun!" A flash of light came from his hands and blinded the Prince and his squandering people. It was a glint strike; used like a flash grenade that disabled the Saijin ability to sense energy. It kept them momentarily defenseless.
"Shit," Vegeta used his scouter to send out a distress call to his men but he knew they were already on their way. "Bulma dammit! Bulma! Where are you?!"
His panic still overwhelmed him but at the sight of the bloodshed in front of him, Vegeta knew he could wait no longer. He charged to the sky after Habba and landed a solid punch to his cheek. He was met with a round-house kick to the back but Vegeta caught himself and charged back with a blast that sent him into a mountain.
Then more of the Ginya Force were on their way.
"Shiiiitttt!"
"Vegeta!"
His heart skipped a beat and he thought for a second it might be Bulma but it was Goku. And he came with back up.
"There are women and children on the ground and there's a village not too far away," he reported promptly. "Keep them in containment and hold this line!" There was a transitory acknowledgement before they each powered up and charged forward.
Vegeta didn't have time to think but his mind was racing. It was dangerous to go into battle that way and if he didn't get his mind right, he'd suffer for it.
Habba came back for vengeance and Vegeta was there to meet him.
"Prince Vegeta," Habba was tall and blue skinned, with long hair and bulky muscles. He was a fair opponent but he was cocky, and he underestimated how strong Vegeta had become. "I've been ordered to kill you. Compliments of Lord Freeza."
Vegeta smirked. "Since the cunt won't do it himself; I'd be glad to rip your head from your shoulders and gift it to him."
Habba down casted the challenge. "Shall we?"
Vegeta charged before he could let out a finishing breath. They collided like thunder. At first they were met blow by blow but it soon became clear Vegeta had the upper hand. Habba was a fool to let Freeza talk him into carrying out this attack, and it didn't help that the Prince was enraged by his missing mate and slain people.
He managed to crash Habba to the ground, grinding him into a crater and bashing his face in. Habba struggled to fight back, but he was draining energy and draining fast. He was about to have his skull cracked open when suddenly Vegeta's attention drifted.
"Vegeta!"
The split second allowed Habba a chance to get the upper hand. He kicked the Prince into the sky and his men appeared like dust, holding the Prince by his arms and feet so Habba could punch mercifully in his torso.
Vegeta hollered then suddenly the men were gone. He caught a flash of orange and knew instinctively it was Goku. He didn't have to think about fighting with Goku because it was like fighting with a brother. Both soldiers punched Habba right back into his crater.
They had a second to breathe and Vegeta looked around, still frantic.
"Bulma!" he was calling into a sea of dust and debris.
"Where is she?" Goku asked. Vegeta had only a second to share in his despair with the look in his eyes before blue discs came at them like golf balls.
They evaded the attack and were on the offense, joining the others in combat.
XX
"Vegeta! Vegeta!" she didn't think he could hear her. She could barely hear herself, it was so loud.
When the cement stages exploded, the larger chunks topped together in a flattened tepee, entrapping her in a tight space beneath it. Thankfully she wasn't crushed but she was stuck and the constant blasts from above rattled the chunks of brink until pretty soon, they wouldn't be a tepee anymore.
"Help!" Bulma coughed from the luminous dust around her. "Someone please help me!" She could see feet moving but they were running heedlessly, not aware of others around them. "Vegeta! Anyone please help!"
Somewhere between panic and haste, her bond came to mind. Bulma called for him and she felt the click, knowing he was listening. But as he was about to reply, she felt him pull back. And then she became cognizant of the pain of one hit, two hits, three, four times. He was getting pummeled and then suddenly the click was gone.
The bricks rattled more and Bulma was getting scared. If she didn't get out of here soon, they'd tumble on top of her and there'd be no saving her then. Just recovery.
Unexpectedly there was a woman's face at the opening of the tepee. She was frantically muttering something and pointing at Bulma but Bulma couldn't understand. The woman was speaking too fast and Bulma was struggling to make the translations with the noise and her panic. "I can't understand you," she shouted back. "Please! Please get help! My foot is stuck!" She tried wedging her foot free but it was of no use. It was trapped in a tight confinement beneath a pole that was weighted down by brick.
The woman tried to reach her but her arms were too short and she too was nervous about the rubble soon to collapse.
She said something again and then the woman was gone. "No wait! Wait please! Help! Help me!"
Again the bricks rattled and one to the right of her finally gave way and fell flat to the ground. Bulma's eyes widened in horror and she tried harder to pull her foot out.
"Dammit! Help me! Please help!" Bulma tried to calm down. She knew that if she panicked it would make her situation precarious. Especially in light of her circumstances. She looked down at her belly and made it a promise: It's ok, we're gonna get out of here.
The woman's voice returned and there were more feet with her. Suddenly another face was at the opening.
"Oh shit it's you," he was shocked and annoyed he'd be responsible for this all at the same time.
"Turles! Turles please help me out! I'm stuck and this thing is about to slip to the ground!"
"I need to get help. These bricks are designed so Saijins can't move them. I can't lift it on my own."
The brick above her rattled again, reminding her of her imminent doom. "There's no time for help! Just lift the lower edge here so I can get my foot free and then I can crawl out."
"Oh shit," she heard him mumble, but he moved around the back edge anyway. She saw his fingers, then heard his grunts but the boulder barely budged. Still Bulma yanked and yanked at her foot trying desperately to get it free.
"C'mon Turles pull! Pull!" she encouraged. The warrior strained but his efforts seemed fruitless. Suddenly there were more fingers, more people carrying the weight of the boulder and it was begging to budge.
Bulma's teeth gritted. She was pulling so hard she thought her foot would rip from its socket. But they were close. "Almost there!" she shouted. "C'mon pull! Pull!" Another rattle shook violently above her and just like that her foot came out.
Bulma crawled frantically to the front of the make shift tunnel, just in time for the men to drop the boulder and the bricks to come crumbling to the ground.
The heiress breathed a sigh of relief and stood, almost at a smile until she saw the devastation around her.
The once bright day was now dark with dust and blood. People lay strewn like rag dolls, some lifeless, some in agony, while others wept in corners at the ones they had lost. The carnival was nothing but a memory, almost all traces of it obliterated in the attack.
Bulma turned around and suddenly remembered Vegeta. "Vegeta!" she called into the sky. "Vegeta—"
There was an arm around her pulling her away. "C'mon, we've got to get you out of here!"
"No! No!" Bulma was urged along, hobbling to catch up with her bruised ankle. "Turles, where's Vegeta?"
"He's fine but it isn't safe for you here. C'mon we have to move!"
"No! I can't," the pain of his pummels came back to her. "I can't go without him" It was foolish but she broke free from Turles and hobbled back into the rubble.
"Hey! What are you doing? Come back!"
"Vegeta!" Bulma cried. The energy was beginning to die down. The rumbles in the sky were settling. Those who were fading, now dead. "Vegeta where are you! I'm here! I'm ok! I'm here!"
Turles was at her side again. If she were going to do something this foolish, she might as well have him by her side to protect her (otherwise he was sure he'd catch hell from Vegeta later). His scouter was scanning for any looming activity and he was on guard, circling around her to trace movement at all angles.
"Vegeta!" Bulma cried again into the dust. It was beginning to settle quietly. The cries were starting to silence. The sound of death hung ominously like a thick humidity.
And then he touched down in front of her. And so did Goku, and Radditz and Brolly, Pragus, Mozzar and Yarmit.
"Vegeta!" Bulma clung to him like a second skin, kissing his ear because it was the first thing she could reach. His armor was cracked, half of it gone and the other half fell from her embrace.
Again Vegeta tensed at the idea of public affection, especially in front of his men but he was very relieved that she was alright. He had suffocated at the thought of losing her.
He grunted from the pain that tugged on what he was sure was a broken arm but he used his good one to palm the small of her back. Just close enough to hold her protectively, but far enough to keep the leering eyes his enemy bay.
"Don't ever do that to me again woman," he whispered in her ear.
"I won't," she cradled his head and kissed his cheek. "Promise I won't."
Vegeta eased her down and kept her within his protective proximity, then looked around to survey the damage.
This was the first attack on Vegetasei civilians in 80 years. No one but Freeza had been so bold. Since his grapple on the planet, Freeza kept his attacks on the military, attempting to behead the snake to get hold of the body. He wouldn't waste his time on the civilians but now he was trying to send a message.
It left the foul taste in the Prince's mouth that in such a pressing time, Vegeta's people were lax, confident that they had the upper hand. They should have been prepared for this but they weren't. This blood was on his hands.
"How many?" he asked to no one specifically.
Radditz just finished gathering the counts from his scouter. "226 sir," he said. His voice was low, but loud enough to hear he shared the same devastation. "52 women, 30 children. The rest men."
Vegeta hung his head low and Bulma looked around with tears in her eyes. She was glad to be ok, glad that Vegeta was ok but the rest didn't deserve this. They were innocent people. Innocent people like Bella.
Vegeta wanted to say something but he couldn't. The indignant nature of this kind of tragedy left him speechless. His proud people were lying on the ground like foot mats, dirty and dusted, and matted in blood. Their lives were taken away because he was the target. Planet Vegeta spent so long taking the lives of others that they forgot what it felt like to lose, and the feeling left a tonic of devastation and enragement. This was all his fault.
It fortified him to march up to Freeza's quarters and kill the smug bastard right now but it made him angrier that he wasn't ready to do so.
Vegeta cried out in agony. Initially his companions thought it was from the loss wrought in front of him but when his shoulder clipped and he toppled over on Bulma, his men were on the offense again.
Habba came out of nowhere, smirking in a cloud of smoke that cleared at his presence, his finger smoking from a fresh blast.
"Oh shit, I—"
A gaping hole clapped through his chest and prevented him from finishing.
Goku snarled a very Kakkarot like snarl and dropped from his fighter's stance just as Habba fell to the floor. "Missed," the warrior finished.
Then he turned to his companion who was on top of Bulma with his eyes closed and blood pouring out of his shoulder.
Bulma, was screaming.
XXXX
The last time the med-bay was this chaotic, Freeza had just launched an attack on the elite battalion, killing 90 and injuring 400. Bardock had worked for days without sleep, patching up soldiers and running autopsies, while he too shared the stress of what their planet was to do.
Now, years later, his med-bay was just as chaotic, with wounded soldiers and families of the dead, fluttering around like butterflies without wings, trying to get answers and medical attention. Because he was still responsible for the main medical compound located just off the west wing of the palace, he had to call in all available staff—including his son— and run back and forth between there and his own private office, in the heart of the palace.
There he housed the Prince in one of the rejuvenation tanks, along with Brolly who had suffered a blast to his back and Goku who only needed stitches to his bicep. The rest thankfully were ok.
On one of his runs back to his office, Bardock had reported that Vegeta was stable and he would need some time in the tank before he'd be ready to get up. He'd lost quite a bit of blood and had to rely on his mother for replenishment but he'd come out of it ok.
His family never left his side and neither did his men. And especially not Bulma who could only stand in front of the tank and cry.
She wasn't blubbering in light of the King's presence—who would probably get annoyed with her and kick her out—but there was a steady flow of tears, rolling down her dirty cheeks and splashing to the floor. She didn't bother to wipe them away, or clean his blood from her clothes. She wanted to wait with him until she knew he was ok. Until she could see it for herself.
When she was in the throes of morning sickness some days ago she felt Vegeta's nervous energy at his concern for her. He was scared that she could really be ill and there was nothing he could do about it.
Bulma put a lot of faith in Vegeta's strength so it broke her to see that someone overpowered him. He was ok, and then he wasn't. Then he was ok again, and then he was on top of her.
Being a warrior's mate meant that she had to be prepared for times like this and it was evident she wasn't.
Bardock came into the room again and he was met with silence. The warriors hung around like vagabonds without any place to be, waiting on news of their Prince. The Queen sat with her head hung low and the Princess at her side, and King Vegeta was pacing the room. Nappa was with him, prepared to execute an order in a moment's breath but the King had nothing to say.
Bardock caught his son's attention then motioned to Bulma with his head. She had two large gashes on the backs of her forearms from where the ki had pushed her and Vegeta apart. She ripped her shirt and bandana and used them to tie around the wounds but they were caked with blood and dirt.
Radditz came behind her carefully and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let me take care of that for you." For once he wasn't bothersome. He was quiet and soft.
Bulma pulled her shoulder away and kept her eyes on Vegeta. "I'm fine." When she moved, some blood trickled down to her palm.
Then Bardock was next to her. "Bulma," He reminded her with his eyes: the baby.
Bulma sighed when she remembered it wasn't about just her anymore; or just Vegeta. "Ok," she kept her eyes low and her hand lingered on the tank.
"I promise I'll take care of us."
XXXX
Vegeta was in the tank for 6 hours before he was moved to a bed. He was still placed on oxygen, still being monitored by the medical staff but his condition was improving.
The others had since moved on, the warriors on ground security and the King preparing the make his first press conference in years. This may have been his first since taking his seat as King.
Saijins weren't much for press because things like this never happened. There wasn't a need to assure his people because they were already self-assured.
But they all had a rude awakening. And the people of planet Vegeta awaited a response from their King as to how they shall proceed.
Valerie stayed behind in the med bay with her son, along with Bulma who had managed to squeeze herself into Vegeta's bed and snuggle next to him. She was still dirty but her arms had been cleaned and bandaged and she at least cleaned the dirt from her face.
He couldn't embrace her like he usually did so she clasped his hand and held onto him. She sang an old song that used to comfort her when she was young, though her tune was quiet and choppy.
Valerie stood because she couldn't sit any longer. She paced a little before she approached the couple in front of her. Bulma was aware she was around, but indifferent to her proximity. She kept singing to her Prince and holding on tight.
The Queen observed them for a bit, marginally reminiscent of when she and Vegeta Sr. had just mated and he was wounded in battle. Back then, visitors weren't allowed in the recovery rooms, not even mates, but Valerie camped outside the soldier's wing at the hospital and flagged down every doctor she could talk to. She had stayed there for days and became so cumbersome that the doctors finally gave in and let her see her mate. Vegeta liked to tell it a different way but he was pretty banged up and it took him a week to recover. Valerie never left his side.
Now looking at her son and his concubine turned girlfriend, she wondered why she has never said out loud what a good match Bulma was for Vegeta. She was confident and smart—which paired well with her cunning, short-tempered son—attentive and loyal.
She heard about Bulma's bravery during the attack and it was clear Bulma had long ago heeded the Queen's advice about strength she had given the heiress when she first arrived. And even though she was sure the heiress didn't feel it, she was plenty strong for her son in light of such dark circumstances. Vegeta had never had a girlfriend that was this loyal to him. When he was unavailable or wounded, his prior love affairs only spent his money or bitched about his absence when he returned. No one ever stayed with him like this; worried about him.
If she were an insecure woman, Valerie would worry about being the second most important woman in her son's life but she couldn't craft a better match for Vegeta if she tried. Even in light the conflict between her husband and the former concubine, Valerie hoped Vegeta would make a proud woman out of her. She'd make a wonderful mate and an even better Queen.
The Queen sighed. She needed some air but not before giving her blessing. She reached down and pressed a kiss to Bulma's forehead and then to her son's.
Vegeta twitched, and then inhaled at the touch. His eyes slowly strung open, blinded by the lights above, but soon his vision made out the most beautiful thing he ever did see.
Bulma.
Tears glistened in her eyes from joy and her hand reached out to his cheek. Vegeta looked up to see his mother, who was just as relieved from his awakening. He exhaled slowly when he realized where he was and that he was ok.
Vegeta clasped Bulma's hand and kissed her fingertips, then made to sit up. About halfway the warrior strained a groan in his throat when a searing pain lit his chest on fire.
"Careful Vegeta, careful." His mother and mate helped steady him and ease him up. "Bardock said you really did yourself in. It's going to take some time for your muscle to heal."
He didn't have time to heal. Flashes of death and despair flooded his mind and pushed him forward. He needed to train.
And then he remembered his missing mate, who was no longer missing. He didn't have time to ease into his relieve at her return because he'd been knocked out so quickly. He wanted to check on her wounds and put both their minds at ease, as their conversation before they were separated was tense yet. She for the most part looked ok, but inside she was a tangled mess, just like him.
Losing her was just as horrible as he imagined it would be, even for a second. He was making quite a bit of foolish choices but none as foolish as letting her go.
While he was asleep he dreamt of their life together. Planet Vegeta was at peace, and he was King, while she ruled as Queen and head of a booming technologies division. They kept order among the galaxy and their kingdom respected them. And most importantly they were happy. Vegeta got flashes of two little things that ran circles around he and Bulma; one with purple hair and one with blue. They were constantly laughing but they were all at peace. It was something Vegeta had never experienced before, not even in his own childhood. The feeling was foreign to him but it soothed him all the same.
And once he felt comforted, his mate felt the same.
For the first time since this all began, Vegeta truly embraced her, without shame of who was watching. "I'm glad you're ok." Bulma hugged him in return and let her tears roll onto his shoulder. "I love you."
XXXXXX
The next morning was quiet at the breakfast table. The royals had never been so quiet.
Prince Vegeta spent the remainder of the prior evening in intense training with Goku. Despite his injury he had to put all his energy in increasing his strength and reaching the legendary. Their timing was imminent.
After a press conference last night, King Vegeta was scheduled for another this morning, and then a meeting with his council to discuss defense and security. The papers, once dormant and ignored, were running wild at the state of the Kingdom. People weren't scared but their eyes were open, and they sought leadership while prepared for war.
Bulma had thrown up twice this morning, once from morning sickness the other from just sickness. She camped out in the training room the night before, not getting much sleep near the cold control panels. So she tiredly pushed around her food and looked up to see everyone doing the same. Not a one of them were hungry.
Suddenly Vanessa sighed, waiting to ask the question that would never be appropriate. Habba really put a wrench in her carefully thought plan and though she was sure of the answer, this might be her only time to ask.
"So what does this mean for me?"
Her parents looked up.
"Planet Jules?" she reminded them. "Can I—"she rephrased her question to a statement. "I'd still like to go."
"Absolutely not/We'll work it out." They answered in unison, and then looked at each other as if the other were a vile nuisance.
"Vegeta!" Valerie was on her last string of patience. "Have you lost your mind?"
"Valerie we will discuss this later—"
"Don't brush me off like one of your henchmen Vegeta. We are having this discussion now!" Prince Vegeta's attention had been hooked from his uneaten breakfast. His mother always felt that marital conversations were best held in private, and a lot of the time that meant that his father overpowered her in public and got his way. But Valerie was too close to the edge and her mate had now pushed her over. Her ki was on the incline and Vegeta Sr. responded by slamming down his knife and fork.
"Fine, you want to discuss keeping your daughter here in this tattered battlefield then go ahead, let's discuss it!"
"If this land of ours is a battlefield than it's your own doing. You're nonchalance in the harem with those imprudent whores has cost us blood on our own soil and 226 souls."
"That has nothing to do with this—"
"It has everything to do with this! You're the one who's provoked Freeza! You're the one who's kept him here for all these years!"
"Valerie watch it—"
"You've done nothing to protect our people and even less to protect our children."
King Vegeta growled. "I am protecting them now!" He tried to fight back but his wife's words cut him deep. She was the only one with the authority to say what the others wouldn't; he fucked up. "Keeping her here is a mistake. Freeza will surely come after her. I will not have him tearing down the walls of this palace and snatching her up from under us!"
"And so we do what? Hoist her into the skies without a defense to withstand? We'd be serving her straight to him!"
"He can't take what he doesn't know is there Valerie."
"I don't trust anyone, to take care of her Vegeta. Not even…." She hadn't realized she stood up and hadn't realized she was yelling so loudly. "Not even you."
That one hurt the most. There was a deadly fire blazing in the King's eyes but mostly he was angry at himself. He was the only one who put himself here; put all his people here and he was losing the support of his own mate. His circumstances were now dire.
"Mom," Vanessa had never seen her parents argue like this. She heard them a lot but they were never this callous, never this unforgiving.
Valerie was coming down off of her high but was still infuriated, and so she looked at her daughter with misplaced anger. "What?"
"I already called Eric yesterday. He's on his way as of this morning."
The Queen tried regaining her composure and let half of her tension exhale through her nose. "Then we'll have to turn him around when he gets here." She replied. "You're not going anywhere." The last part was directed at her husband.
XX
No one really finished their meals, but Valerie had long since left the breakfast table to cool off. Vanessa left too, not to chase her but to sulk.
King Vegeta sat idly in his chair with his chin in his hand, soaking in the impact of his wife's words.
Prince Vegeta watched him keenly, for a moment feeling bad for his father's misfortune but his mother wasn't wrong. For a long time now King Vegeta had been doing nothing it seemed to rid Planet Vegeta of Freeza's terror. He planned defense strategies here and there, kept his soldiers in position orbiting in nearby space, but had never made a plan of attack. It was as if he thought Freeza would just go away and things would go back to the way they used to be.
King Vegeta never thought it would get as bad as it is now, and now that it is, he was thoughtless and contrite.
As the plates were being cleared around them, Vegeta Sr. finally spoke up. "Son," he began. Vegeta looked leisurely in his father's direction, prepared to be annoyed. "From now moving forward, I want Kakkarot with you as your right hand."
Prince Vegeta grimaced. "I don't need a body guard—"
"I'm not asking him to be. But he needs to be kept aware of our progress, minute by minute. And should this happen again…" he didn't want to think of the possibility but it was his job to. "I want him to be there. You two are our strongest warriors and best chances of defense. When it comes down to battle, you two must lead the line." It was the first smart thing he's said in years. So Vegeta nodded.
Just then Nappa entered, carrying a notepad and a few other papers in hand, one of which being the morning paper. "Morning sir," he clipped without greeting to the others. "Morning papers have a review of your press conference from the evening prior. The critics aren't happy."
He presented the paper in front of the King who couldn't take not another annoyance this morning. "When are they ever happy?" he grumbled and opened the paper to read for himself.
"They've never been as outraged as they are now your highness. They are quite displeased about the loss of children sir. And they think Prince Vegeta went into town purposefully, to guide the attack away from the palace."
"What?!" Prince Vegeta snatched the paper so he too could read for himself. "Fucking bastards." He slammed the paper down once he read the damning words.
…coincidentally Prince Vegeta and his concubine have escaped the attack unharmed, while they leave 226 souls in their wake. A militant source confirms that civilians have never been the target of Freeza's wrath, yet yesterday's attack leaves less to be desired. Local governments question the integrity of the Prince's visit to the fairgrounds yesterday, and if his intentions were pure to his people, or a cover for a battle the army was prepared to lose.
Bulma picked up the discarded paper to read for herself while Nappa and King Vegeta discussed damage control for this morning's press conference.
"What's your strategy sir?"
"We obviously need the people on our side. The more we can control the verbal mutiny, the less likely we'll have tyrants running around the streets."
"Perhaps we should have the Prince speak? Explain his presence at the fair yesterday?"
"And give that monster a head's up about Bulma?" Vegeta interrupted. "Absolutely not."
While the King was irritated at his motion to protect her, he was right. Any invitation for Freeza to make his way into the palace was not needed.
"You should offer to pay for the funerals." She said it without thinking. Her head was buried in the paper and she wasn't talking to anyone in particular but it came out. And when the others stared at her she realized she said it out loud.
"Excuse me?" King Vegeta was growing more irritated by the second. Breakfast was over she should have been long gone to tend to whatever frivolous business she had to attend. Her presence was not welcome in this conversation.
Bulma used to be timid in front of the King but not anymore. Though she didn't mean to say it out loud, she meant what she said and in their stumbling awkwardness, they could use an opinion that wasn't half ass.
"No one is going to believe a word you say, if they're already angry about the attacks. They blame the palace, so the palace has to right the fault." she elaborated. King Vegeta was breathing fire out of his nose, enraged with every word but her mate was paying carful attention. "You have to prove to them that you're on their side. You should pay for the funerals. Especially for the fallen children."
"And just who the hell do you think you are?" The King slammed his fists on the table and stood from his chair. "If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it—from the harem where you belong! Keep your wretched nose out of royal business."
Prince Vegeta was about to jump to her defense but Bulma beat him to it. "It's the right thing to do." Maybe it was high time she stood up for herself, maybe it was his grandchild's courage, not liking the way he spoke to its mother. But Bulma found that her eyebrows were furrowed together and she herself was growing irritated. No one could be this clueless. "If you really give a damn about these people then you'll show them the compassion they haven't seen in two generations of leaders."
King Vegeta snorted. "Well thank you for that brief lesson in Saijin history, but if you're done now, I have pressing issues to discuss with my men."
Bulma arose from her place and glared him down. Prince Vegeta stood with her, shielding her from his father, but she chose to throw her napkin down and walk out instead.
King Vegeta grimaced and furiously sat back down. Angry that everyone was angry with him today.
XXXXX
"What is it Vanessa, I can't stay for long."
When Pragus entered as he usually did—through the balcony window—he found the Princess pacing her room. She called him to come by but since the attack, the entire army was on heightened security, himself included.
"My mother is cancelling the trip," she looked up briefly at him but kept pacing. "She won't let me go." Finally she rested on the edge of her bed and Pragus sat down with her.
He knew this would be the end result and couldn't figure out why Vanessa was surprised by it. Sending her into space was like shooting a target into the sky for Freeza to toy with. Pragus wanted to be with her just as badly as she wanted to leave but her safety meant more.
"It's ok." He put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure something else out."
"We don't have time to figure something else out Gus', Freeza is on our backs now." She paused a beat before something radical came to mind. "We should take his ship."
"What?"
"Eric. He's still coming. He's on his way to pick me up but my mother is going to turn him away once he gets here. We should take his ship and fly to Namek."
Pragus stood. "How in the hell are we going to do that?"
"I don't know, we'll figure it out but it's the only way. His ship will be like a mask to Freeza and the Ginyu force. They aren't interested in Julens, only Saijins. We'd be able to get to Namek safely. "
"No," he had thought about it for a moment. She was right but his better judgment got a hold of him. "No Vanessa, it's too risky."
"Pragus—"
"Vanessa you said it yourself. Once people have found out that you've left, and that I'm with you, I'd be a dead man."
"They won't find out. We'll think of something."
"Vanessa—"
"Pragus please! Please," she didn't know when she had become so desperate. "At first…at first I wasn't sure about leaving but now it's all that I can think about. I can't take it here anymore Pragus, I need go. I need to be with you." By the end she was in his arms and Pragus was looking around for a solution.
His scouter beeped calling his attention. "I have to go Vanessa, we'll talk about this later." He kissed the top of his head. "But please don't do anything until we talk ok?"
Vanessa didn't respond, she just watched him go.
There was a knock at her door shortly after and the Princess sighed. It was good he was gone but she didn't feel like visitors at the moment unless it were him.
She opened the door to reveal Bulma who welcomed herself inside. "Your father is an asshole." She declared and Vanessa acknowledged with a retort stare.
"Well yeah," she agreed. "What else is new?"
"God he just...he just..." she snorted with frustration. "Must he be so hardheaded? I mean people died yesterday and all he cares about is himself!" Bulma sighed, taking a moment to calm down, then she looked at the Princess in front of her. She wasn't listening and she looked distressed like everyone else around the palace.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine, just fine," she twirled around her bedroom and flopped on her bed, releasing pent up air on her way down. "Just awaiting my inevitable fate." She grumbled out the last part. The ladies were silent for a moment, Bulma finding it now inappropriate to rant about Vanessa's father since she was in her own funk, and then Vanessa spoke up again.
"Bulma, do you remember telling me about your father? And what he was inventing before you came here?"
Bulma had to think about it for a moment. They had the conversation awhile back when Vanessa was showing the heiress around the palace and buying her clothes, and while she wasn't much for remembering conversation, she remembered everything about her father. The way he smelled of coffee, pine and expensive cigars. And the way he shuffled around and about, his feet dragging on the floor because he never picked them up. She remembered how his smile touched the corner of his eyes and she remembered every little wrinkle on his perplexed forehead when he tried to solve a mechanical glitch.
Her father was her greatest hero and his inventions always awed her. She was his personal assistant without the official title and she knew his work forward, backward and inside out. Before she was brought to Planet Vegeta he was working on—
"The camber-net?"
"Yeah, you told me it was some sort of shield that would protect Earth from invaders right?"
"Yeah. It was just a prototype but I'm sure he's must've finished it by now."
"Do you think," Vanessa didn't want to ask selfishly so she rephrased her question. "Do you think you'd be able to make something like that? Would it help us with Freeza?"
The heiress exhaled. "I can try but I don't know if it would work." Vanessa lost some hope in her eyes so Bulma explained. "The camber-net is designed to hide a planet from other's that don't know it's there. As my father explained it to me, it's like a throwing blanket over yourself. But if someone knows where to find you under the blanket then…"
"It's pointless," Vanessa finished.
"Yeah, it's more like a preemptive strategy, not a line of defense."
The Princess nodded, it seemed like she was grasping at straws and what little options she had left were disappearing. She had nothing left to say so the two ladies sat in silence again.
And then Bulma broke it. "What were you talking about at the breakfast table?" Bulma asked. "About Prince Eric coming by?"
"He's supposed to take me to planet Jules for a few weeks for vacation. He left this morning before all of this happened." She twirled her finger around the room.
"Prince Eric?" she wasn't sure she heard right. "You actually want to go to his planet?" Bulma sat pensively while Vanessa only shrugged.
"Shocker right?"
"But I thought you and Pragus…" She said the next part quietly and Vanessa looked her in the eyes knowing she could no longer keep Bulma in the dark. She was a smart girl, eventually she'd figure it out but the two of them had grown quite close and she felt she at least owed her friend some sort of explanation.
"Blue," Vanessa sat up Indian-style and faced her friend. "There are some things I can't…tell you." She almost felt guilty for her confession. "Not because I don't trust you but because if I do, I risk the chance of things getting ruined. The less people that know, the better"
"Know what?"
Vanessa didn't look Bulma in the eyes but then again she didn't have to. Bulma was around when Vanessa confessed what her father was up to and she knew firsthand what it felt like to be carted off like property into a decision that wasn't yours. If she were Vanessa, she'd probably do the same thing.
Run.
The heiress sat down next to Vanessa and took her hand. "I understand," her eyes were pressing and gave Vanessa the reassurance that her lips would be sealed. Then when the weight of it all finally hit her, she took in a deep breath. "I'm gonna miss you." Again she said it softly, so only the two ladies could hear.
"Thanks," Vanessa said and embraced her in a hug. She would miss Bulma too. She would miss everyone, especially those she might never get to meet.
When they separated, Vanessa pressed a hand to Bulma's tummy.
"And Congratulations."
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