Written for GoChi Fall 2021 - Theme: Bonfire/Feast

Art by: /Lady_menta on twitter, made for the GoChi Fall event

Loud, lively music reverberated through the crowded hall. There were many servants, all taking care for the organization of the place remained impeccable. Drinks and food were abundantly served to the noble guests in an exquisite feast laid out on a wide oak table. The dazzling decoration of the palace's large walls and pilasters were adorned with flowers and fabrics in the colors red and green, representing the union of two kingdoms.

It was an engagement dinner, after all.

A celebration to formalize the engagement of the princess of Fire Mountain and everyone was excited about the event.

All except for one person.

Goku rolled his eyes when he heard another comment from one of the waitresses, extolling how handsome and elegant the prince was and how lucky Princess Chichi had been to find such a charming suitor.

He watched everything with the utmost seriousness on his face, unwavering in his position as a royal soldier, just guarding the hall and trying to ignore the comments. From where he was, he could observe the interaction of the guests seated at the table, with King Guymao of the Fire Mountain Kingdom of Fry-Pan, at the head and with his back to him, while the princess sat to his right and King Gowasu of the Holy Kingdom of Kaioshin, with his son, Prince Zamasu, to the left, but because of the distance, he couldn't hear what they were saying.

The princess' position was right in front of him, and it was hard not to look at her. She was simply stunning, wearing a huge sumptuous red dress with gold details, her beautiful black hair was tied up in a high, elaborate bun, with a few loose, curled locks falling delicately across her angelic face. When Goku saw her for the first time that night, his jaw dropped and he had to remember how to breathe, mainly because he couldn't do anything.

Every now and then she stared at him discreetly, but when their gazes met, she quickly turned her head away, which made him even more frustrated.

For Goku, that night was a real torture, as he had to watch his princess interact with her future husband and could do nothing to prevent it.

Obviously, falling in love with the princess wasn't something that was in his plans when he had decided to join the royal army of Fry-Pan. He had enlisted as soon as he came of age, four years ago.

But it was inevitable.

He had no contact with her from the very beginning when he joined the army, because military matters were handled directly with the king by his general, but he had seen her from afar countless times at some events, visits to the kingdom, and even in the palace grounds, and had always found her absolutely charming.

Goku was a young soldier with great potential, an excellent warrior in combat, who caused envy in most of his comrades and the downfall of all his opponents. He had a future, and his general saw this, which is why one fine day he was assigned to escort Princess Chichi, who was on her way to visit the kingdom of Paozu. There was no soldier better qualified for this mission.

And finally on this trip he had the opportunity to meet her in person, to see her up close and see that she was indeed the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. As for Chichi, when she saw the soldier, she was delighted, not only because he was handsome from head to toe, even with that unruly hair that defied gravity, but also because of his sweet, gentle manner and the most captivating smile she had ever seen.

And during the whole trip they shared gazes and sweet smiles.

But Goku knew his place well, he was just a soldier, and she, his princess, a royalty.

However, when they returned to Fry-Pan, he had noticed that the subtle flirtation between them continued. And every time they came across each other in the palace grounds, it was impossible to look away, the attraction was so intense and powerful that they could barely reason near each other. Until one day the soldier could no longer contain his repressed desire, much less the princess' provocations, and took her in his arms, in a corridor's palace when there was no one around, pressing his strong and robust body against her small and delicate one, leaning her against the cold stone wall, where they finally sealed a kiss. A passionate kiss, long desired by both of them.

After this, they began to meet secretly in the corners of the palace, something that had been happening for about a year. And what began as a simple exchange of glances turned into something more intimate and profound, to the point where Goku could no longer deny his deep feelings for the princess.

He went to play with fire, with the fire princess, and got burned.

But Chichi also didn't seem that excited about what should be a very important moment in her life. She was serious and hadn't even sketched a smile during the entire feast. She acted in a courteous and polite way, as any royalty would behave, but quite distant and uninterested in her suitor, who had tried during the whole dinner – and without much success – to get her attention.

Zamasu didn't prove to be bad, he was handsome and well educated, and also the suitor she had chosen, after all. Her father gave her complete freedom to choose her future husband, no arranged marriages, as he himself had married for love and wished that his daughter could've the same option. But time was passing and she needed to make a decision.

For months now she had been courted by numerous suitors, all noblemen, from her own kingdom or from neighboring kingdoms, but the person she wanted to be courted by officially was the soldier standing a few meters away from where she was sitting. But Goku had never taken any action. He probably didn't have this interest and was just taking advantage of the princess' innocence.

He was no nobleman, just a commoner with good skills who had joined the army, but for her, it mattered little. To her, there was no better suitor, after all, her heart had belonged to him for a while now. But she knew that she would've to go against tradition in wanting to marry a plebeian, and although she knew her father would support her, she couldn't fight for this decision without Goku wanting to marry her. She couldn't force him to it.

And the last conversation they had, well… it was final for her decision...

They walked together in the palace garden, side by side, enjoying the early morning sun while she picked some flowers. To the outsider, this was not an unusual scene, since he was a royal guard and basically guarded the princess whenever he was available, accompanying her wherever she went. But for them, it was much more than that, it was the time they had a chance to chat, the time they could enjoy each other's company.

But the princess was worried about the decision she needed to make, and the pressure from her father and the royal council was only increasing.

"You know..." she casually began to bring up the subject. "This afternoon a prince from the Kaioshin kingdom will come here to offer his courtship..."

Goku's eyes widened, but he immediately tried to regain his composure. This wasn't a subject he liked to talk about, but he knew that sooner or later it'd happen, Chichi would choose her fiancé. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and said:

"Hmm, is that so?!"

"Yes..." she sighed and then looked at him curiously, but his expression was serious and cold. "Dad is running out of patience. He told me I've to make a decision soon."

"I see..."

"Well, word got around that this one is very young, handsome, strong..." she smiled sideways, trying to evoke some effect on the soldier, who remained with the same frown.

"Mm… Interesting!" he murmured.

She forced a smile.

"People also says that he's a perfect gentleman, very intelligent and well studied."

Goku clenched his jaw.

"He seems to be an excellent suitor."

"Hmmm... But I don't know... I don't think he's the right one yet..."

"Why not? He's a prince!"

"That doesn't mean anything!" she shouted, and Goku clenched his jaw.

"Yes, it does! He's better than the dukes, counts and barons who have courted you the last times. This is certainly the right suitor for you, your majesty!"

'Majesty!' she thought as she frowned and gritted her teeth. She hated it when he called her 'majesty', 'your highness', 'princess'. They'd long ago moved past that formality and she knew he was just doing it out of spite.

"I don't see how a prince can be any better than a duke, a count, or even a military man." She wrinkled her nose and went back to looking at the flowerbed. "To me, they're all the same! The title doesn't matter!"

"You only say it because you're royalty!" he mumbled. "If you were a commoner, like me, you would know that a title does make a difference."

"It makes no difference, Goku!" she turned around at once, glaring at him. "You know I don't care about this title nonsense!"

"Well, yeah, you should!" he replied, firmly. "Your Majesty is a princess and should marry someone of equal level. Nothing less!"

And as much as he wanted very much to marry the princess, Goku knew he didn't stand a chance. He was and always would be a plebeian, a soldier, and nothing more than that. How could he compete with men of that level? How could he compete with a prince? Chichi deserved someone better than him, who has nothing to offer her, who hasn't noble blood and no way to command a kingdom, after all, she was the only heir to the throne, anyone who married her would be the future king of Fry-Pan, and Goku was definitely no good at commanding a kingdom, his business was the battlefield, but how could a princess marry a lowly soldier?

The princess glared him angrily and folded arms, and in a sour tone of voice, she said:

"Then perhaps I should marry this prince anyway!"

"Yes, perhaps Your Highness should!"

"Great!"

"Great!"

Chichi then picked up her basket of flowers and marched, stamping her feet, back to the palace. Goku shook his head, annoyed and nervous, and followed her silently, but remaining at a certain distance from her.

After that day, Goku and Chichi didn't speak to each other again. She accepted Prince Zamasu's courtship, and less than a month later, the celebration was set.

Besides being devastated, Goku was surprised when he received the news of the engagement, as there was a part of him that still believed Chichi could refuse the prince. However, seeing them there, that night, together, seeing his Chichi interacting with that guy, was slowly killing him inside. And when he saw him get up and walk over to the princess, inviting her to a dance, which she accepted, Goku needed to gather all his strength to stay calm and cool-headed.

It was at this moment that his general decided to grant him a break from his post, placing another soldier to take over temporarily. Goku then went to the hall where several couples were dancing and, from a distance, watched the princess and the prince join them.

The young soldier felt a horrible pain deep in his chest as his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He was losing Chichi, losing his princess.

Chichi was being led majestically by Zamasu in his precise dance steps, but it wasn't long before her pair of dark eyes met the soldier's, which showed sadness and heartbroken. She was then spun around by the prince and when she looked in Goku's direction again, he was no longer there. He was gone. She kept looking for him with her eyes through the crowd, but there was no more sign of him.

Politely, Chichi asked Prince Zamasu to excuse herself, saying that she needed to leave for a few minutes. She walked through the lightly lit corridors of the candlesticks on the wall, until she found Goku, leaning over one of the windowsills.

There was no one else in the place. It was empty because this corridor led to the back garden of the palace, an area that no one was walking around in at the moment, since the party was taking place all inside.

She approached slowly, not knowing if what she should do was the right thing, since her supposed fiancé was waiting for her inside the palace, but she needed to see him, needed to talk to him, feel him, touch him. It was like a damn magnet that dragged her close to him every single time, because she couldn't stay away from the soldier and she couldn't not love him. It was stronger than she was.

He heard footsteps approaching and when he turned his head to see who it was, he felt his heart into his mouth, his breathing quickened and his throat closed, preventing him from saying anything.

Chichi came face to face with him and caressed his face. The contact of her warm and delicate hand caused an instant thermal shock in their bodies and, placing his own hand on top of hers, Goku couldn't resist and moved forward, gluing their lips in an effervescent kiss, tasting once again, that sweet flavor that he liked so much.

She couldn't resist either and wrapped her arms around the soldier's neck while his right hand held her by the head, keeping her there, firm, as his left hand held her by the waist. Their tongues waged an incessant battle inside their mouths. It was an intense kiss, deep and passionate.

When they separated for a moment, with their eyes still closed, they stuck their foreheads to each other, still numb from the impact of that act. Goku didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to let go of her, because it seemed that if he did, she'd leave, she'd return to the feast, to the prince, she'd be gone from his life forever, but he opened them as soon as he heard her whisper:

"I love you, Goku!"

He smiled slightly, and his heart seemed to explode in his chest.

It was the first time that Chichi had said the L word to him, he never said it too, tho. But it was the first time he had heard his princess say she loved him, just when he thought she wouldn't love a lowly soldier like him. And if she loved him, if she was being sincere as her look showed she was, then he had a chance. He could fight for her and her love. Then he asked:

"Don't marry him, Chichi... Don't marry him!"

"Goku..." she looked at him, confused.

"Don't marry him, Chichi! Marry me!" he took her by both hands and squeezed them tightly. "I love you! I love you more than anything!"

Chichi's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't really expected this from him, because she didn't know exactly what his feelings for her were, but she also felt her heart melting instantly.

"I'll talk to your father right now. I will! I'll talk to him! But please don't tell me... Don't tell me that it's too late, don't tell me that you don't want me because I'm just a soldier, don't tell me that you want to marry that prince."

"No, Goku, no. I don't want to marry Prince Zamasu. I want you!" she affirmed and squeezed his hands. "I have always wanted you! I love you!"

"Thank goddness!" he let out a relieved breath and pulled her into a tight hug. "I was so afraid of losing you, my princess! I... I... I didn't ask your father for your hand before, because... because I thought you wouldn't want to be with a commoner soldier like me... I didn't think I deserved you."

"How can you say that, Goku?" she stared at him with her big black eyes, perplexed. "You know that I don't care about titles. I'd give up my crown to be with you!"

"Would you do that for me?" he stared at her, thrilled.

"Absolutely!"

He hugged her again as he caressed her arms.

"But you can't turn your back on your people, Chichi. You're the heir to the throne! I can't ask, while I'm no nobleman, nor do I have any royal blood..."

"It doesn't matter! You don't have to command!" she soothed him with a sweet smile. "This part you can leave to me. You take care of the battlefield, our armed forces, the alliances... We'll manage, and I'm sure Papa will support me!"

"Oh, my princess!" he murmured, rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.

"I love you, Goku, and we'll be together!" she affirmed and then pulled him to seal their lips once more.

Goku smiled in the middle of the kiss. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His princess loved him and she wanted him, she wanted to marry him.

The euphoria was so great, it was too much, his body was boiling, his heart was pounding and his mind was hallucinating.

He pressed her tightly against his body, his lips running from her mouth to her neck to her lap, while the princess's throat let out a few short, sensual moans and her hands gripped his unruly hair, making it harder and harder for him to breathe.

His strong hands slid up the back of her dress to the princess's slim waist, and then up the front again to her firm breasts.

"I want you, Goku!" she whispered, and Goku felt the heat rise higher and higher beneath his uniform.

"I want you too, my princess!"

They then heard a noise, but before they could wait to see what it was, Goku unhooked one of the candlesticks from the wall and they ran out of there, entering the first door they saw and shutting themselves inside, barely noticing that it was the garden tool shed.

To them, the place mattered the less, they just wanted to be together.

Goku fitted the candlestick to the wall inside and kissed Chichi again, pressing her against the cold wall.

"Are you sure about that?" Goku asked her, with a worried tone.

"Yes! Don't you want to?"

"I do, yes I do!" he answered. "But are you sure you want to do it here and now?"

It wasn't the first time that they make out hard in the corners of the palace, but they never really did anything beyond, because Chichi had always stopped at the right time and Goku had always respected the pureness of the princess, who was to be preserved until marriage, even though he'd always wanted her very, very much in her most intimate and deep state.

"Yes! I want you, Goku, and nobody else. We're going to get married, so there's no need to wait!"

Chichi was convinced. She was sure of this, more than anything else in her life. Nobody had to know about it, though. They would announce it to her father as soon as they returned to the feast, and they would get married as soon as possible. She trusted Goku and knew that he would never do anything to hurt her, but she simply couldn't wait any longer, not even for a second.

Goku giggled and kissed her once more, alternating between her lips, chin and neck. While his nimble hands tried to lift the hoop skirt and the various tulles of the petticoat that gave all the volume of her sumptuous dress, Chichi's hands were busy unbuckling the belt and fly of his pants.

The second he touched the bare skin of her body, underneath all those cloths, he held her up by her thighs, making her wrap her legs around his waist, pushing their privates against each other. Goku was already hard and Chichi was soaking wet.

The princess leaned her arms on his shoulders, kissed him eagerly, and the next second, felt him slowly shoving into her. She closed her eyes tightly and pressed her lips together, trying to hold back the cry of pain, and as much as Goku was completely ecstatic at the sensation of feeling her taking his manhood like that, he held back and waited until she was comfortable.

"Are you all right?"

"Yep!" she nodded. "Don't stop, keep going, keep going!"

Goku then kissed her again, trying to relax her as he moved slowly and gently, drawing more and more constant moan from the princess. Her black onyx was lost in the shimmering pearls of Chichi, who soon began to feel immeasurable pleasure with each thrust from the soldier.

Crying out sensually, she threw her head back, unable to say a single word at that moment, as Goku, who, in the candle's dim light that illuminated the room, was delighted to admire the expression of pleasure on the face of his dearest princess.

She dug her nails into his uniform and almost pierced them, causing Goku to roar with each loud, sexy moan she echoed, spurring him to pick up the pace.

"Ohhhh... Gokuuuu!"

"Oh, God!" he roared. "Chiiichi, I love you! I love you so much... Ahhhhnnn! So much..."

"Me too... AhAhhhnnnn... I love you... so much... Gokuuuuu!"

His strong arms held her firmly in his waist and his body pressed her hard against the wall, while his fingers squeezed her tightly as his thrusts increased more and more to the point where Chichi had already lost her composure, completely surrendered to the pleasure and love of her soldier.

An electric, overwhelming current took over her entire body, making her contract her intimacy and curl her toes, moaning loudly and softly. And Goku couldn't hold on a second longer as the flood of sensations exploded in his body and he finally gushed out his seed.

Chichi was gasping heavily, feeling immense difficulty in breathing inside the corset that squeezed her under her dress, but with an absolute grin on her face. Goku was grinning too, as happy and in love as she was, and they kissed eagerly.

The excitement at having consummated their love was so immense that neither of them could stop smiling.

She uncrossed her wobbly, trembling legs from around his waist and stood up again, with the skirts of her long, voluminous dress tucked impeccably. Goku wiped himself on a tissue he found among the materials there and straightened his pants. He then looked at her once more and held the princess's hand before saying:

"Are you ready to announce to the whole kingdom that you are mine and no one else's?"

"I sure am!"

They both smiled before sealing another kiss and walked out of there together.

The feast was served!

It was a table five times as big as before, and with much more food than before, after all, this time not only the nobles were invited, but also all the people of the kingdom, as well as all the soldiers "although they had to take turns to guard the palace one way or another, since they could not lower their guard under any circumstances. The servants were also free, but there were still some who needed to take care of some tasks and take turns with others, but whenever possible, they could join in the feasting at the table or the dancing in the hall.

It was a night of celebration, after all.

It was Princess Chichi's wedding to Soldier Goku.

Together, side by side, they dined at the huge table. Goku, in high spirits, was never one to refuse a good plate of food and was stuffing himself with everything he had a right to. Chichi, this time, was grinning from ear to ear, just watching her husband eat, satisfied and happy that they'd finally made their union official.

King Guymao was at the head of the table, also eating a lot and chatting with his closest guests. He was fully satisfied with his daughter's marriage. Goku was an excellent soldier, soon to be a lieutenant, an honorable and good-hearted man, the ideal match for his daughter. It couldn't be otherwise, and their love were all over their faces.

The king had been surprised when his daughter came to him on the night of her engagement to the prince Zamasu to inform that she was going back on her decision and she wanted to marry Goku, who immediately presented himself as an official suitor for the princess and claiming that they were in love with each other. Guymao, being a king who had married for love and not for political alliances or obligations, saw no reason to stop this union, even if Goku was not a noble of title. He knew that he was noble at heart.

However, he also knew that it'd be delicate to inform King Gowasu about Chichi's decline, but she wasn't yet married and engagements could break up, there was no marital commitment and she'd never been promised to the prince, it was always very clear that it was her decision, but he also knew that could imply a complication for the business between the two kingdoms. Thus, the king summoned them privately to his office and together they reached an agreement that would benefit both sides, thus maintaining the alliance between Fry-Pan and Kaioshin kingdoms. Guymao had to give in a lot, but it was worth it for the happiness of his beloved and only daughter.

And a month later, there they were, happily married, enjoying a delicious royal feast together. Side by side. As it should have been from the beginning.

Smiling, Goku turned to stare at his lovely wife, admiring how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to have her love. Maybe he was always going to think that he didn't fully deserve her, because she'd always be royalty and he, a commoner, but he loved her immensely and would do everything for her never regret her decision to choose him.