Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ but it would be a lot cooler if I did...
The escapees rode along as the forest cleared into a grassy meadow. The sun barely reached them through the gray mist. They had ridden hard through the forest to escape. Now they just trotted along to save the horses.
Biorr suddenly crashed to the ground with a thud. Vegeta seized the reigns and stopped the horse they were riding on. He called out to the other riders who ceased their progress and turned round. Vegeta looked down to see the grass turning red around the big man. His blues eyes were half lidded and he didn't appear awake.
"What happened?" Turles asked.
"I don't know he just fell over," Vegeta answered grimly.
Jenounes dismounted and went to check on the other big man. He moved his riding cloak aside and studied where the arrow went into his shoulder. It should have been a minor wound at best. This wasn't good. On top of that they had no healer with them.
"He's dead," Jenounes announced finally.
"Can't be," Kakarot said in disbelief. "It barely grazed him."
"Fuck," Turles swore, "I guess it doesn't matter how. He is gone."
They all felt the sting of sorrow. If they had been properly armored there was no doubt eh wound would have been superficial at best. With just a few pieces of fabric however, the arrow penetrated deep within. Adrestia and Iustitia said nothing.
"We need to keep moving," Vegeta said to no one in particular.
"We have to at least burn the man for fuck's sake," Turles protested in anger.
"And let the imperials catch up with us?" Vegeta reminded him.
"I agree with Vegeta," Adrestia said in a voice with measure calm.
"Ungrateful brats!" Turles shouted. "The man died for you. The least you can do is send him off properly to the next world so the animals don't get him."
Vegeta felt shame, deep shame. Turles was right. Even if he wasn't a Saiyan, Biorr deserved to the same funeral pyre he hoped someone would give him someday. Zelus would curse them for leaving a brave warrior to wander the earth alone.
He also had no idea how the man wanted to be sent off. Saiyan customs were not the world's customs. The giant was from north of Saiya where he knew little.
"We'll wrap him up for now and take him with us," Jenounes told them all. "We'll give him a proper send off when we put a few more hours between us and the enemy."
"Jenounes," Vegeta called out to the red giant, "Where are his people from?"
"He is from a place called Volsunga. I have heard of it. But never been there myself," Jenounes told him.
"Very well, I'll take his personal effects to his family, including his axe," Vegeta told him.
"I'm not sure that's his people's way," Jenounes pointed out.
"It doesn't matter, he is fallen warrior worthy of respect. His axe should be swung by kin in glorious battle in the future," Vegeta said firmly.
"Very well, I'll go with you," Jenounes said.
Vegeta hopped of his horse with Jenounes to wrap Biorr's body. He had only ever seen one other person die, and he didn't help that poor fellow. Not this time, this time he would help Biorr off. The gods hate the ungrateful, and Biorr had given everything to save them all.
0-0-0
The great hall of the Atreidae mansion glistened. Its halls were carved in green and black marble of the House of Atreus. Great portraits of its former lords covered the walls along with the customary religious painting for the season. Candles and torches cut through the dark, as the jewels from the guests twinkled like stars. The guests were attired in a sea of fine silk, velvet and leather.
The finest food and drink in all of Vegos was being served, the feast was just as glamorous if not more so than the royal ones held in the city. It was the Holy week after all. Cybelia Victor was only five days away and parties would be celebrated every night until the day itself.
Every Saiyan from the King down the lowest street rat was in celebration this week. And it was the perfect time and place for clandestine meetings. It was the reason Lords Malavai Harkon and Leto Atreus gathered so many other lords here tonight. They sat around a table with a third man, a spy, and looked to be playing cards. They were doing any but really.
"Word is Lady Adrestia slept with some foreign general so Prince Vegeta could go free," the spy informed them and picked up a card.
"So Adrestia whored herself out? How is that useful information?" Atreus asked as he laid down his hand.
"Lucky bastard," Mal said and threw his cards down, "Don't be so hasty Leto. It actually is."
"It's at most a minor scandal for the Warrior's faction," Leto said as he drank more wine.
"True as it is now. But maybe we can play with the details a bit and see where things go," Mal pointed out.
"Truly diabolical, should we put the spymasters on this?" Leto asked as he dealt the men another hand.
"No, this sordid story calls for a bard," Mal said and gestured for another card.
"A bard? You can't be serious," Leto replied as he gave Mal another card.
"Oh but I am. What better way to spread all the juicy gossip than a bard's tale in a tavern and I just so happen to know a few," Mal reminded him.
"I call," Leto announced after he looked at his hand, "You might be right there."
"I want every tavern from Caladan to Vegos talking about our version of the story," Mal said as he revealed his hand, two pairs of eights and sevens.
"Three of a kind," Leto said as he laid his own out revealing three tens, "You think it spread before the prince gets back?"
"Cheating bastard," Mal said with a toothy grin and pounded the table, "Of course it will, the plebs love nothing more than good story about nobles shaming each other."
0-0-0
Harmonia Tizona had come to the party to socialize with the other young nobles present. She was particularly keen on the young lord of Ghiedi, or she liked to call him when they were alone Mal. He was so different from all her other suitors. Most were just boys themselves or fathers trying to negotiate with her father for her hand, but Mal was different.
He was smart, but there were many educated nobles. He was handsome but noblemen tended to be good looking overall. If she had to pick what stuck out to her it would be the way he talked to her. He spoke very frankly and directly. There were lies in what he said, but no misleading.
He didn't want a wife who was a beauty trapped in a birdcage. Only brought out to sing and look pretty for guests. He seemed to want a real companion. It made her drawn to him. More than she realized, with each encounter she liked him more and more.
Tonight she was dressed to impress at the Atreidae gathering, she wore a fiery velvet dress that accentuated her curves just right. Her neckline plunged, and gave attention to the azure diamond necklace Mal had given her for birthday. She captured all the attention she could ever want as she walked about the room, looks of envy from the women, looks of longing from the men.
She finally caught him as he exited a room he was said to be playing cards in. His good friend and the host of the party Leto Atreus walked out behind him; along with a third man she did not know. She smiled at once as he looked at her.
"My dear Lady Tizona, you look positively exquisite tonight," Mal said so others could hear around them.
"Thank you Lord Harkon, I do try," She replied with a grin.
"I hope you are enjoying yourself," Leto commented with a smile.
"Of course all the court knows the parties you two throw are the best," Harmonia said with a smile.
"I am glad. I have other matters to attend to my dear, I leave you in good company," Lord Atreus said with a bow as he kissed her hand. He made his exit after giving a sly nod to his friend.
"Let's go somewhere more private," Mal suggested as he took her hand.
"Are you worried about how scandalous that would be? I am an unmarried maid," Harmonia said with sarcasm.
"Oh no how unexpected, the reputation of the good and chaste Lord Harkon ruined at court, should I leave to my lands in Ghiedi at once?" Mal joked with a smile.
Harmonia just giggled, "Let's go then."
They found a balcony that overlooked the city. The city gleamed with torches and braziers that glowed like the heavens. It was gorgeous view. They could see the Great Temple of Zelus with its blood red stones. The Odeon was also visible as its imperial white marble gleamed in the night.
"Why do you hate the royals?" Harmonia finally asked with no prompt as she stared into the pleasant night.
"I don't hate them. But you're right it's no secret they are not my favorite people," Mal admitted.
"Is it because you are a Ghiedian Saiyan?" Harmonia asked hesitantly. It was a sensitive topic, but she really wanted to know. She never met any Ghiedians before Mal.
"It's nothing as simple as that. Though I cannot deny that is part of it," Mal said with a sigh. "What you ask is a complicated question."
"Then enlighten me, if we are to be engaged, I wish to understand the source of your enmity," Harmonia said simply.
"Oh still want to be my wife? Even to one of the naughty Ghiedians? How the mighty Vegean Saiyaness has fallen," Mal joked and embraced her.
She loved that, when he just held her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. She looked deep into his striking blue eyes. He simply kissed her with a fiery passion. Her heart pounded fiercely as he did. Finally he broke their embrace and paused to consider his answer.
"Well you would think it would have to do with the War of Succession. Most Harkons were punished at the end of it. And many died during the war, including my father and uncles. But I was just a boy when it happened," He informed her.
"How old were you?" She asked.
"I was five when the fighting started and eight when it ended. After that my sisters and I were raised by our grandfather. He did try to instill a hatred of them into me for all that they had done to our family. Honestly we were just caught up with the rest of the country and followed our own Saiya King into battle. I guess he was technically royal candidate; he was still just a prince. So it's really our own fault for backing the wrong king," Mal commented dryly.
"I was not born yet," Harmonia said unsure of what else to say. She didn't understand, not completely. She didn't live through it. She only heard stories.
"It's hard to compare this world to that one. But the events were so recent that I can see why people think Leto and I are still bitter about it. I can't speak for him, but the reason I am doing all this is because I dare to ask why," Mal told her.
"You dare to ask why?" She repeated unsure what he meant exactly.
"Yes I look at the world as it is and I dare to ask why. Why should the Saiyas rule over all Saiyans? Why should the Ghiedians and the Atreidae be less than the Vegeans? Questions of that nature, I am not satisfied with how things are so. I will change them, and unlike my ancestors I have a plan that goes beyond success on that battlefield," Mal informed her.
He definitely will, Harmonia thought. In that moment, he seemed capable of anything. Her own worldview as a beautiful, young Vegean Saiyaness was challenged but in a good way. Perhaps it was time for changes in this country. Perhaps she would be Lady Harmonia Tizona Harkon after all.
0-0-0
It was a somber night in the tavern. It was half full of mercenaries and soldiers from the recent conflict. The mood was hardly festive. Most were just drinking their sorrows away. Some were played cards or dice in relative silence. Even the beautiful, blonde bard sang a mournful tune on her lute.
The Saiyans and Northman of The Vegeta Squad were also fairly quiet. They sat at their own table in the tavern surrounded by the remnants of the Silver Lion Company and other mercenaries. This time there were no crude comments or stares at the Adrestia and Iustitia. Kakarot and Vegeta now had several new visible scars that scared off any who would otherwise dare approach.
The ride back had been relatively uneventful after they burned Biorr on a funeral pyre. Now they carried his ashes and his personal effects with them to be delivered to his family. They managed to avoid the pursuit force, and luckily the Martean Army didn't bother looking for them either. It seemed everyone just looked the other way as the mercenaries from both sides streamed into Narbo to catch a ride home.
So here they came, back to the same tavern that started their journey, in what felt like a lifetime but was about a year and half ago. The comely, brunette tavern girl brought them out a luscious platter of crab, fish, shrimp and lobster. She also left two pitchers of honeyed wine for them all. They dug in without much ceremony.
"What are we going to now?" Kakarot asked. It was something that was on all their minds.
"We're going back to Saiya," Vegeta said somberly and took a drink. "After we resupply and refresh, I'll go on to Volsunga. You all can decide if you wish to come with me or not when we're back in Vegos."
"What about me?" Jenounes asked a little curious with this plan.
"You'll stay with me as an honored guest until we are ready to leave again," Vegeta told him. "I'll pay you the same wages in silver that you make at here with the Silver Lions."
"You really think your father will just let you go?" Iustitia pointed out.
"He might give us some trouble but I doubt he'll stop me or any of us," Vegeta said.
"Here I was about to offer you a place with me," Turles said as he walked up with a cup of wine.
"I was going to say much the same to you," Vegeta laughed.
Turles shook his head and said, "I can't do it. Someone has to rebuild the Silver Lions. It's my life's work. Can't let it go now."
"The offer still stands, you are welcome anytime to join me in Saiya," Vegeta said as he stood up and held out his hand.
Turles shook his hand said, "Likewise Vegeta, You are welcome to hire the Silver Lions anytime or come back to us as a full-fledged officer."
Vegeta just smiled. He rather liked being a mercenary. Despite the recent bad months they had, it was quite fun to fight in relative obscurity. No guards fussed over what was safe. No lords tried to impress him with their daughters. He was treated like a normal soldier for once in his life.
He would miss it along with the rest of the Silver Lions. But for now he and his knights had to go back. They were in need of resupply badly. They also needed more time to recover from what was done to them by the imperials. A few weeks of good food and medical care back in the Capital would do them wonders. Then they could worry about what was next.
0-0-0
King Vegeta sat in his study. It was a private room in the palace he often retreated to in his wing of the palace. It was filled with books, scrolls, maps, treatises and reports. It was dominated by a large desk that had been since before his father was king. The walls were mostly covered with maps of the surrounding areas of Saiya and their neighboring Kingdoms.
He poured himself drank an entire glass of wine and poured himself another. He read the latest report from his spymaster again in disbelief. The news was the same as before. In every bar, brothel and Inn from the Vegean Valley to Ghiedi Primus they were saying the same thing. Lady Adrestia gave away her virginity to protect Prince Vegeta. They tales varied by region and quality but they all had that one common truth between them. A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter," He commanded.
Nappa entered sheepishly in his palace uniform. The look on his face did not bode well. The man was slightly dirty from the road. He approached the desk slowly and looked the king right in the eyes.
"What do your sources say Nappa? I need to hear the truth of this," the king demanded.
"I can only confirm that the Prince has escaped capture and is on his way back," Nappa said.
"And the rumor?" The king pressed.
"I cannot say for certain only that it is possible," Nappa admitted.
"Damn," the king said and he pounded the desk.
This boded ill. The nobles were already on edge with the crown prince away from court. The king was not sure how this would play out. The girl's father was a Vegean Noble and an influential one, but he was not known to make too much noise at court. At this point however, the truth mattered little now that the common people talked about it.
It was the door burst open. Queen Galatea stormed in and looked ferocious despite the exquisite, green satin dress she wore. The king did not like the look on her face.
"Is it true?" She demanded not asking any man in particular.
"Is what…" King Vegeta began but was cut off.
"You both know damn well what I am talking about," the queen said in a low and threatening tone. "I let you play your little spy games and pretend to mind my own business when it doesn't concern me or you don't screw things up. But this is too important to let go."
"My queen I can't say for certain. It is true only that they are on the road here," Nappa informed her.
"You inform me the moment the prince and his party arrive," the queen said to both men with a tone that would not be argued with.
"My love, is that really necessary? Even if it is true we can always find him another bride," the king suggested.
The queen moved so fast he had no time to react. Before he could even protest, she slapped him so hard his cheek felt numb. Nappa just stared wide eyed and pretended to see nothing. A heavy silence fell about the room; no one said anything for what felt like an eternity.
The queen broke the silence first and threatened, "Get this straight both of you, women are not disposable. That girl was Vegeta's blessing from Cybele, anything happens to her and that spells major trouble for us all."
"You can't seriously believe," The king started before he went silent as she met him with a furious glance.
"You followers of Zelus like to forget that it the Goddess who granted your precious founder the power to unite all of Saiya with his first queen. Without her this kingdom will fall to ruin," the queen said in a serious tone that suggested no argument. "Remember what I said Nappa. I want to know the moment he arrives."
The queen left the two men in stunned silence. Nappa simply excused himself and pretended not to see the king rub his red cheek. The king merely sat in deep thought. Things were not going well.