Chapter 59. Convention

The great hall on the ground floor of the of the palace was a hall of considerable size yet it was hardly spaceous enough for the amount of people inside it today. Not only the nobility of Vegetasei was there. Every single occupant of the palace seemed to be present and also many people from outside. Maids, scullions, cupbearers, cooks, concubines, soldiers, common folk from the capital, all had come to hear their new King speak. They were packed together in the space down the platform with only the merest path left from the heavy doors to the raised table with the high lords of Vegetasei seated around it. The large balconies on both sides of the hall were spilling over with onlookers as well.

Unlike the excited whispers down the platform and up on the balconies, the mutters shared amongst the lords at the counsil table were tinged with agitation for this latest insult. Vegeta already hadn't made that good an impression with his supposed absence from the palace all week and now this. The fact that they were seated around the table in this hall in stead of up on the higher level where was the original council chamber, that the lords thereby were forced to hold conference under the eye of the common folk and not behind closed doors as was custom, had them all outraged and in a nervous, agitated state. It was another break with convention and it didn't bode well.

The throne at the head of the table was as yet unoccupied. Still it continued to draw the eyes of every single person in the hall as they divided their attention between the high seat and the entrance to the great hall where the King would enter. Their new ruler was bound to arrive soon. While the common folk waited for him eagerly, the lords perceived this delay as just one more insult. How much longer would he keep them waiting? Most of the lords had been a guest at the palace for the whole seven days without catching a glimpse of him. Their tolerance with their new King was clearly spent.

Akane knew that they were in for some more unpleasant surprises when Vegeta did arrive. What was taking him she didn't know. She refrained from asking him through their bond. The Great Vegeta wasn't there either, nor Ruirdo or any of the other war council attendants so she could make the educated guess that it had something to do with the WTO. Her mate had left her that morning to assume his role as King again. Akane, zonked and satiated like him, resigned herself to maternity, feeling that Aina, and the ones watching over her, had suffered enough after being left to deal on their own when the kitten woke up.

The scouter that transmitted Ringo's continuous and panic-stricken rapports on how Aina was wrecking both the nursery and her nurse in her tantrum was quickly smashed beneath Akane's ruthless fist. Vegeta made no objections to it. He too needed to forget that this day was coming. Even his daughter's discomfort could not retrieve him from the oblivion in which he had buried them. Akane would have liked to forget longer, would have wanted to fall asleep with Vegeta in her bower where they had spent tireless hours reaffirming their bond and creating another descendant, but life did not work that way for them anymore. Their days spent withdrawn from the world and stowed away together with only the other to occupy them were in the past.

Akane was one of the only people in the great hall who wasn't looking at the empty throne. There were two more seats at the head of the table because normally the ruler of Vegetasei held court here. He did this in the company of his heir and his Queen. The smaller seat at the right side of the King, placed three steps back from the throne, was reserved for Trunks, but Akane's eyes were drawn to the seat that stood on the left side of the throne, placed two paces back from the King's seat. That would become her place very soon. She wanted to chringe. She tore her gaze away from the seat to look down the long table at which she sat.

Her brother sat at her side, silent and tired like she was. Biran had resumed his piss up in his own quarters with the tribes men and Turles last night after Akane sent them off. He looked like they hadn't stopped throwing back wine until the suns were well up this morning. Down at the far end of the council table sat the two tribes men, short sinewy Chieftain Ansgar with the chain of ears around his neck glowering, First Warrior Chief Bardock grinning his fiercest grin and giving her the eye every now and again. They did not look tired at all. It figured. In the South it was custom to have a piss up every night.

Their company last evening had been a delight to her. The Chieftain's many stories about her mother's victories in her young days were a treat to listen to and Bardock's black sense of humour and rough ways continued to amuse and amaze her. It also hadn't been unpleasant to have him so obviously interested in her. He was about as fierce an alpha as her mate was, the urges her knowing sense had picked up on very forceful ones. When she pointed out to him that if he liked to keep his head on his neck, he better get the bridles on it, the warrior Chief had grinned ferociously and told her that he was well able to control himself. He conveyed that he was bonded himself and that his mate would certainly hand his arse out to him for his interest in Akane when he got back home.

Akane in turn warned him that if he didn't keep his stares to himself when her own mate was around, his King would certainly do a lot more than just hand his arse out to him. Bardock had laughed appreciatively at that, intoning the saying: "Chief among Chiefs."

Akane and Turles were both glad that he took her words to heart. It would be a shame if Vegeta put an end to the awesome Warrior Chief, even if he would be in his right.

Bardock was the exact opposite of his benign son from Earth. Akane knew he met his son earlier today. She was kind of bummed out that she couldn't have witnessed Bardock's disbelief at what benevolence had sprouted from his loins, nor Kakarot's for the uncouth, wicked man that had given him life. She expected they would come to see past their differences in the end. Bardock took pride in strength and Kakarot was the strongest man in the universe. And Kakarot might not show it much, there was a Saiyajin in him somewhere deep down and that part of him could only appreciate the accomplished warrior his father was.

The seats on either side of the tribes men used to be occupied by other Chieftains, but Ansgar would speak for the South today so the places were now filled by very dissatisfied looking lords. Everyone had been moved down a chair or two to make room for three new council members that should sit closest to the King at the head. At the long ends of the table, the head of the council table was reserved for the Ruler of Vegetasei alone. Akane was given her place at Vegeta's left and The Great Vegeta would come to sit on his right side when he arrived with the King. Tragus, the third new member, was already seated one place down from the place reserved for The Great Vegeta.

Many of the lords, and the three forced to share the far end of the table with the tribes men especially, had sulked about the new seating arrangement because they were forced to occupy a different spot than the ones they usually took up. The further down the table one sat, the less honour one received in their highhanded opinion. It brought them to sit closer to the savages from the South after all. The fact that Akane insisted on having Biran at her side near the King hadn't helped matters much either, but a short look to either Akane's or Tragus' marred masks had kept the lords from voicing their displeasure.

Akane turned her eyes to the table top, following the subdued adornment of gold inlaid on its polished dark surface. Her crimson, armour-gloved finger came to follow a twirling golden vine that ended in a broad leaf. She noticed that her hand was less steady than it usually was. She was nervous. No matter what Vegeta's words, she did worry about making him loose face. She wasn't half the gracious Queen his mother had been. She grimaced. She was about as gracious as a cart horse and crude enough to match the two tribes men at the far end of the table who were being ignored so thoroughly by the lords, done away with as primitives that didn't deserve the time of day.

Akane was noble born. She knew the rules of court and she knew how ladies were supposed to behave. Her mother had never encouraged the development of good manners. Rather discouraged it. The fierce tribes woman had only ever hailed Akane for her warrior aspirations so that was where her focus had been growing up. Her father had learned her the little courtesy she possessed. He too hadn't given much about it. He had taken a tribes woman for his mate and not given a toss about the slights from his fellow lords. What did he care? He found the love of his life, the one to complete him, a strong mate to bear him strong, healthy children, descendants that would become warriors like them. That was all the Lord of Bethar had cared about.

Akane learned more about the rules of court in her time as The Great Vegeta's concubine, yet even in that position her courtesy didn't go farther than her respect and adoration for her King. He had taken her out of the forces, yet her warrior ways had not left her. Even if he had denied her to excersise them, it was probably what had interested him about her to begin with. In spite of all his grandeur and chivalry and his conviction for the importance of good manners and respect for the titles of nobility, The Great Vegeta too wanted himself some savage every now and then. He too was an alpha after all. The more unruly a woman, the more he felt the need to dominate her. He had wanted her on the side though, not as his Queen. Certainly not as his Queen. Not even as his main woman.

Akane had been his secret pleasure. Stowed away in his harem she had been a nice variety to all the courteous little ladies he kept. He had taken her to his bed as often as any other, but to have her stand at his side during formal occasions? The main woman had been far more fit for that. The Great Vegeta wasn't half as bold as his son. Not half as fond of her either. The new King loved him some savage, as he had proven with such drive again mere hours before. And the whole world was going to know about it very soon too.

As her brother already pointed out, Akane's reinstatement in the forces had quickly rekindled any dampening of her wild spirit during her time at the palace as a concubine. In the forces she learned discipline and respect for ranks. She was ever observant of that. She understood that sort of respect. Soldiers were nothing like lords though. She had no way of dealing with the men at this table. Her despise for them only made it harder to feel anything remotely close to respect. What had they done to deserve it? Feast and grow slack?

Akane deserved respect. Her men did. For their achievements as warriors, for all they had done and gone through for their people. A soldier gained his titles by climbing the ranks through hard work, not by crawling out of the right cunt at birth. Respect should be given accordingly. Akane would raise her whelps that way. Like her mother had. They would earn their stripes in life by becoming achieved as warriors, not by their royal descent, even if royalty was the only noble title Akane did recognize and honour.

Akane refrained from telling the complaining lords to stuff it, refrained from talking altogether. She had the growing urge to snarl and swear, something she was certain wouldn't be appreciated by her fellow attendants, the two tribes men and her brother excluded. The lords were peering at her, the smarmy gits, assessing her, weighing her carefully, making her very aware of the scowl on her face and the way she had come to slump legs spread in her chair as she adopted a carefree pose to contradict the worry that made her insides churn. She sat up straight, hating that she had to, and laced her gloved fingers together on the table top. She would hate it more should she be the cause of Vegeta loosing face with the leaders that were about to ally themselves to him. She would never forgive herself for it. Never. That was why she did sit up, no matter how she hated it.

Her scowl wouldn't be smoothened out so easily. Apart from the fact that it came to her so naturally and was only enhanced by her scars, her troubles would not allow her a more agreeable expression at the moment. She was just too nervous. Her mate somewhere on the higher levels of the palace gave of a similar feeling, but where she was dreading to become the Queen, this was the one thing that he did not worry about. One of the few things he actually looked forward to on this day.

Like Vegeta did not share her doubts about her position, Akane did not share his uncertainty. She trusted that he would do well today. There was no reason for him to worry. This was what he was destined to be. No, he was not the forthcoming King his father had been. Not a man of smiles or grandeur or courtesy. He would not throw feasts and indulge in the luxury of his title. He would be a sober and pragmatic leader. One who found little comfort in his position, but felt the weight of his responsibilities and worked hard to meet them. A King that made the right decisions for his people and not for himself, regardless of whether it fit his own needs. He had already proven this by sacrificing himself to his war councils while all he longed for was getting back in the field to further hone his battle skills.

Vegeta may have been born a Prince and he may have the attitude of one, in his heart he was a warrior, a soldier. Hardworking, determined and fully alive to his duty. His whole life was dedicated to the goals he set himself and all his effort went into attaining them. Up until now his goals had been selfish ones. Gaining strength, seeking immortality to free himself from Frieza, matching his power with the oponents he was challenged with during his time on Earth, surpassing his adversary Kakarot, being the strongest warrior in the universe, making her his own. All those goals he had pursued with unrelenting determination and he had not spared himself or others on his path.

His latest goal was not a selfish one. He wanted to protect his people and bring them peace. For all of them, because they deserved it. He chased after this with the same conviction as any goal he had ever set himself. That was why Akane loved him like she did. It would not be so easy for his people to love him as well, unsociable and straightforward as he was and it would be especially hard on the lords that sat at this table with her. Vegeta was not going to play out the rules of court with them like their old King had. He had no mind for the political ploys of his father, no patience to be observant of their needs. They would do their duty like he did his whether it pleased them or not. Since he demanded the best of himself, he also expected it from his leaders. They would all have a part in the war that might come and if it did not come, everyone would have to contribute to restoring the damage that long years of war had already done to their planet. In return for their loyalty he would bring them peace and prosperity. And they would come to love him for that. Eventually. Even the lords at this table.

Akane swept the crowd in search of Turles and Ringo. She found her men close to the exit, bantering like always, although Turles looked as hung over as her brother did and Ringo had fat dark rings around his eyes. His guard duty after their piss up had not given him any time to sleep off his headache. Akane smiled. Her men would have high places at her side as the Queen. They deserved it and they would probably hate it as much as her. They could all hate it collectively.

Kakarot was there as well. He was holding Aina up in front of him and making silly faces at her. The kitten had charmed him since he first he laid eyes on her during the journey to Vegetasei and it was no secret that the good-natured Earth Saiyajin was absolutely smitten with her. And, unbelievable as it may be, even Vegeta had not been able to find fault with that.

Trunks and his little friend Goten stood aside Kakarot and the widened blue eyes of the young Prince proved that he too was nervous. This was a big day for all of them.

Finally the large doors to the great hall opened. Vegeta appeared on the threshold with his father beside him and the war council at his back. The gathering inside sank down to their knees as one being when his arrival was announced by one of the guards at the doors, the whole chamber suddenly plunged in silence.

Akane had to bite back a snicker at the three that remained standing in the midst of the kneeling gathering. Kakarot looked around sheepishly with Aina in his hands making use of the silence by gabbling in her mysterious kitten language while Trunks scanned the room in cocky satisfaction and Goten scratched the back of his head in the fashion of his childlike father.

At the council table the nobility had not gone down to their knees, but had risen from their seats in wait for the King to join them. At last they would get to see their new ruler. Every single lord scrutinised Vegeta thoroughly as he came on them, his face impassive as it always was. The war council members remained at the doors that closed behind their backs. Only The Great Vegeta joined his son to the high platform. He gave Akane a quick smile as he froze next to his seat aside Tragus. Akane returned it and looked to her mate.

Vegeta crossed the dais to the throne that stood waiting for him at the head of the table, but he remained standing beside it, folding his arms in his usual pose. He wore battle gear like her, but he had finally left the lost Prince behind for real and donned more traditional Saiyajin attire that made him look like his father. Black battle suit, gold and black brigandine, white gloves and black boots with golden coloured steel noses. Yet where The Great Vegeta bore his usual large shoulder plates, Vegeta's broad shoulders were left unprotected. The new King wore no adornment, no mantle like his father or the other lords at the table, nothing but the chain of his position around his neck. He was more impressive than any of the men at the table, formidable in all his simplicity. He needed no enhancements to put forth his magnificence. He needed nothing. Nothing but that noble face and the careless elegance of his posture.

"Rise." he ordered the gathering in his low voice.

Akane had ever been proud that Vegeta took her for his mate, but now she truly felt like the luckiest bastard in the universe. He was so imposing that a shiver ran up her spine. His dark eyes fell on her, a second, shorter, yet long enough to make her weak in the knees at the fire that burned in them. His doubts held no more sway over him. He had abandoned them, lost them to the task at hand. And he was perfect in his conviction.

The lords remained standing beside their seats, unsure what to do now that the King did not seat himself at the table because they were supposed to take theirs only after he did. Akane fell back in her own seat and The Great Vegeta and Tragus across from her took theirs as well. They knew the King was not going to sit, was not giving anything about convention. Akane pulled her brother along with her. She merely shook her head at Biran's questioning look. One after the other the remaining lords retook their seats, sharing uncertain and incredulous looks over the table. All but the tribes men who were merely exchanging wicked smirks while they sat down with their lethal suppleness. The King's breaking with the rules of court obviously pleased them much.

"My father has requested to address you first." Vegeta announced, looking to his father.

The Great Vegeta rose and gave his son a nod. He spoke eloquently to the gathering about his abdication and his regret for the fate that had befallen their noble race, admitted his failure and declared his son the leader the Saiyajins deserved and needed to prosper again. The love they bore their old King despite his transgressions was evident in the way the crowd was hanging on his every word. When he was done speaking, The Great Vegeta nodded at his son again and sat back down, signaling the end of his speech, the pride he felt for his son clear on his handsomely whiskered face.

Vegeta set out to pace back and forth on the platform under the intent gaze of all those hundreds of people, his warrior's body powerful and well perceivable in his battle suit, his movement lethal and nimble as shadow. He had already started speaking and even if his deep voice was subdued, it was loud and carrying, giving Akane more shivers. He was the King she had envisioned him to be and more. So much more.

Despite his misgivings he was made to have reign over others. Not just because it was his birth right, but because it came to him naturally. He belonged in a position of power. That was the kind of man he was. And the fact that he doubted if he would be successful, the fact that he feared the power he had as their King, made him only more right for the place. He would never take his rule lightly. This was where he should be.

The new King spoke of Vegetasei's destruction and restoration without digressing into the details of his time in the WTO or his life on Earth. He told them exactly what they needed to know to understand the fate that had befallen them and their planet and how he had made it undone. No more, no less. When he was done recounting their history none had any doubts left that he told the truth. He gave them no room to question it, invalidated every possible protest that could be made beforehand. Even Biran who had remained sceptic despite Akane's elucidation on her own history last night, had no more doubts when the King was done speaking.

Vegeta at last took his seat at the council table, nonchalant, handsome, regal. The silence inside the great hall was deafening as the Saiyajins took in his recount of their demise. Then a male voice from one of the balconies called: "Hail King Vegeta!"

The salute was repeated by the gathering in a single devout declaration of fealthy.

Akane looked to her mate, sending to him through their bond: 'And you were ready to bugger this for a game of soldiers. Didn't I tell you that you would do well?'

'Don't unclench those fine arse-cheeks just yet.' Vegeta sent back and he laughed wickedly inside her head as he added: 'It is almost time for the real fun to begin. You're number is coming up, little one.'