The Prince:
Chapter 3: Ambition
By: senzubean
I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.
Vegeta ran through the halls kicking his new ball. He had ordered one of the door guards to get it for him after his lessons that morning. He scowled at the thought of the five hours he spent sitting quietly in the study doing work instead of the usual two and half-hours. As soon as he was freed he ran to the guards at the front door and gave them the ball retrieving mission. He figured he was doing the guards a favor by giving them an interesting activity. He wouldn't want to stand at the front doors all day long.
Vegeta was having almost as much fun with himself as he did with the other kids. He kicked the ball off f walls. He knocked over paintings, vases, and anything smashable, leaving an enormous mess. He was having so much fun destroying the palace that he looked for the halls he hadn't been to yet. He was fast running out of spaces to wreak havoc on. He then realized that he could be smashing living targets. He smiled evilly.
He ran until he heard footsteps around the corner up ahead. He sped up and when he go there he pulled his leg back and gave a powerful kick. Instead of the ball knocking the target down it bounced off it and smashed into the prince's face, knocking him off his feet.
He pushed himself quickly into a sitting position to see whom he was going to eat for lunch.
"Father?" He said surprised.
King Vegeta stood five feet away from his son, holding the ball in a clenched hand.
"Having fun, Prince?" His father asked.
Vegeta paused a moment then responded. "Yes." He felt blood drip from his nose, he wiped it on his sleeve.
"That's nice." His father said in an almost pleasant tone. Vegeta couldn't believe his ears.
"Will you play with me?" He asked instinctively, realizing too late that he probably shouldn't. King Vegeta squeezed the ball until it popped, completely destroying it. Vegeta watched as the tiny shards of rubber floated to the floor. He was angry that his toy was broken but chose to say nothing. He could get another ball easily enough.
"I am very disappointed in you, Vegeta. Socializing with lower class saiyans?" His father shook his head. " I thought I taught you better than that."
Vegeta scowled and wiped his nose again. "They were strong." He disagreed. Tuce was nearly of elite power and he would have that title someday if The Prince had anything to say about it, which he most certainly would.
Fury passed over the king's face. "Strong? Don't tell me you found those pathetic weaklings strong?"
"Strong enough!" Vegeta replied.
The king gritted his teeth."Do you want to die? Because I was quite prepared to kill you before you opened your mouth. But now that I know you found lower class brats strong, I don't think you deserve to be my heir anymore."
That statement hurt Vegeta deeply.
"How do you know how strong they were?" asked Vegeta defiantly.
"Nappa told me." The king replied then waited for Vegeta's response. Vegeta was too enraged to say anything. Nappa was a two-timing scoundrel. He altered his story to fit his company. With Argo the night before he was completely approved of the prince's actions yet when interrogated by his father he gave the answer he knew the King would want.
"I was just having fun!" Vegeta bellowed. "What's so wrong with that?"
"You're the Prince, you have responsibilities, which you completely ignored for two entire weeks!"
Vegeta started to whine. "But I never.."
His father started to walk away, ignoring his son's whining. Vegeta stopped out of surprise.
"Come with me, Prince." The King stated in a neutral tone. Vegeta slowly got up off the floor, assuming they were going to either the training room or one of his father's private rooms. The King never disciplined his son in a public place and the corridors of the palace were considered public to the king. Elite and servants passed throughout the Palace all day long. . Vegeta followed wondering what his father was going to do to him this time. He figured whatever it was it would result in a lengthy stay at the palace treatment center. He wondered if the fun he had the day before was going to be worth it.
The King passed the training room and continued his way down the hall briskly. As usual, People were in the halls, servants and a few elite. The servants were busying themselves cleaning up Vegeta's messes. It suddenly dawned on Vegeta that perhaps he'd gotten carried away with himself, he was supposed to be behaving after all. The King was angry that his city was being destroyed, undoubtedly he would be even more displeased at the destruction of his home.
The servants paid their respects to their two superiors as they passed. The King ignored them all, but Prince Vegeta nodded back to them politely. He had the juvenile hope that perhaps one of them would have pity on him and help in some way.
One of the elite they passed was Zorn. Vegeta let his façade drop gave him a look of pure terror. Zorn returned a look of helplessness; there was nothing he could do.
Prince Vegeta understood. There was nothing more terrifying on Planet Vegeta than his father.
Vegeta followed his father right into the sitting room. It was designed to hold hundreds of people, all the King's parties were held there. A massive window acted as one of the walls, providing a breathtaking view of the city.
King Vegeta waited as his son caught up to him and joined him by his side, although at a safe distance. The monarch made a swooping gesture with his arm in front of the window.
"What do you see before you, Prince?"
Vegeta looked out at rows upon rows of buildings and streets. The Battle Arena erupted from the city center, dwarfing event he tallest skyscraper. The Top of the huge enclosement touched the pink clouds. It was designed to hold hundreds of saiyans in transformed state, thousands un-transformed.
The city was awesome, even aliens form planets far away had heard of its splendor and they came to visit and some even stayed. "It is Gardenia, the Capital City of our Planet." Vegeta replied to his father's question mechanically, every resident of the planet Vegeta knew that.
"What do you know about it?" His father prodded further. Vegeta took a deep breath ready to recite some things he had learned about the city.
"It is the largest populated land mass on Planet Vegeta, it is named after my aunt and it is called the City of Warriors throughout the universe."
"It is the finest city in all the universe Vegeta, and it will be yours someday."
Vegeta looked at is father without expression. He wasn't impressed by the information he had been taught
"Only the best of the best live here, Vegeta."
Vegeta did not answer this. He turned away from the window and folded his arms. Hoping his father would get to the point he was trying to make.
The King began to look a little annoyed. "Don't you care about what I' saying Vegeta? Don't you want this city?"
Vegeta looked up at him angrily. "A city, " He stated forcefully. "Is not what I need, Father."
His father was very unimpressed with his son's response. "Did I ask you what you needed, Prince? I asked you what you wanted."
Vegeta looked at him right in the eyes, then calmly replied, "I do not want a city."
The king's eyebrow trembled with rage.
Vegeta remained locked in his gaze, giving challenge to his father. He would prove that he wasn't a coward.
The King slowly began to chuckle. Perhaps top gain control of his temper, The Prince was unsure and rather unnerved by this reaction.
"Have you no ambition, boy? You do realize that you are the Crown Prince?"
"I am aware of my rank, Father." Vegeta replied almost sourly. "But my ambition is not to own a city. Or a planet for that matter."
King Vegeta started to look rather annoyed again.
"Then what is your ambition Prince?"
Vegeta turned and looked out of the window at the glorious city stretched out before him.
"To see it." Vegeta said. "I want to see the city, Father. .I want to see the whole planet. There has to be more to it than this." The Prince pointed at the windowpane. He had liked the taste of freedom he'd gotten the day before and the small amount of civilian life he'd experienced wasn't enough to satisfy his craving.
The King crossed his arms and leaned against the window casing, turning his back on the city. He heaved a very frustrated sigh.
"We have no time to go on a planetary tour, Vegeta. You must continue to train incessantly if you want to defeat our enemies."
Vegeta glared at his Father. He was not listening to him again! That was not his ambition and Vegeta wanted to know just how in heaven's name he had made himself enemies when he hardly ever left the palace. Vegeta knew that he had no enemies and he wasn't willing to defeat those of his Father's, especially if his Father was going to continue to treat him as badly as he did.
The Prince decided that he would never win the argument if he mentioned all this to the King. He surpressed the urge to snap all this out at the man angrily.
"Surly I have a right to see my birthright, Father. I owe it to my people to understand their lives and what they need to be happy."
"You can see it in picture books." The king replied ignoring the latter half of the Prince's argument, as if it were inconsequential. "I'll get you some more if you'd like."
Vegeta very reluctantly surrendered to this. "Thank you, Father."
"You're Welcome." The King replied curtly, then walked towards his son. He stopped just in front of the child and looked down at him. The Prince looked back. He was fast gaining his courage and thought it would be fun to tease his father now that he seemed to be under control. A little voice inside Vegeta's head was warning him not to do anything stupid and to remember what his mother had said to him the night before. However, another louder voice was pointing out how he could now see right up his father's nose.
"I.." the King started but was halted by a smile passing over his son's face.
"What are you smiling at?!" the King nearly shouted. The smile disappeared.
"Nothing." Vegeta relied quickly letting his rekindled fear show on his face.
The King calmed himself and proceeded. "I have another question for you." The Prince looked up at him expectantly. King Vegeta let his face morph out of his calm demeanor and replaced it with one of fury.
"Just what the hell were you trying to prove neglecting your training for two whole weeks?!?"
"I don't know." Vegeta replied hoping that hit would suffice but expecting it wouldn't.
"I want a better answer, Prince. And it had better be a damned good one!!"
"I was mad at you and I wanted to teach you a lesson." The Prince replied.
Snickering, the King encircled his son. "Teach me a lesson? Perhaps you should have remembered some of the one's I taught you before venturing to do teaching of your own." He halted, and loomed over his son with a vicious scowl twisting up his face. "Ungrateful brat! How dare you be angry with me! You get everything you want. Food, a comfortable home, more attention than any child ought to have and plenty of encouragement. How would you like to be a third class saiyan and have to scavenge for food like a rat? Or how would you like to be one of those pathetic little creatures on those planets we destroy? You don't know how good you've got it!"
The Prince was angered that his father thought so little of him to say such things. He wanted to defend himself and demand that the promises made to him a long time ago be honored. But his anger clouded his words and instead he said, "Maybe you should get me some picture books with those things in them, Father. So then I could appreciate that I'm not like that."
Shocked, King Vegeta stopped his pacing
"Just shut up, Vegeta, before I kill you!" The king said disgustedly. Vegeta shut his mouth realizing too late that what he'd said was much worse than what he'd been afraid to say
King Vegeta took a few deep breaths and continued in a normal voice. "Since you are so enthusiastic about getting away from this palace and since you think that you are powerful enough to disrupt the carefully balanced training schedule I've arranged, you're going to train elsewhere."
Vegeta gaped in horror. He never thought his disobedience would get him exiled. " You will fight real opponents , who will not show mercy to arrogant little brats like you. Nappa is taking you to planet Serano. I am going to oversee another occupation. We will discuss your misbehavior further when I return."
Vegeta could not utter a word, he gaped at his father as he started to leave the room. "But Father……" Vegeta yelled behind him. He needed more information.
"You have an hour to prepare yourself." The King added without looking back.
"But..." Vegeta started but stopped after his father rounded the corner.
Vegeta cursed loudly when he was sure that he was alone. He was angry with himself. He never thought that his father would punish him like this. Who knew what kind of warriors were on that planet? Moreover, what was even worse was that his father was going to punish him again when he returned later that week. There would be no discussion between them.
"Forgive me for saying so, Your Highness, but I think you may have gone too far this time."
Vegeta turned in direction of the voice not angered by the chastisement.
"I believe you are right, Zorn."
Zorn joined the Prince by the window and gazed upon the city.
"It is a glorious place. My Prince. It is the most beautiful city in the universe to be sure. It is the wealthiest and, the cleanest.
Vegeta chuckled at that, it was no secret that Saiyans were in general unclean creatures. The royalty took extra pains to be the exception to this rule.
"It pains his Majesty to see it destroyed by the people he had it built for." Added Zorn Sadly.
"The riots are still going on?" Vegeta asked.
"They've stopped for now." Zorn replied. "But no one knows for how long. Many of the alien residents have left the planet altogether."
Vegeta looked up at his tutor in shock. He was amazed that his father had been so calm knowing that. The planet was becoming even poorer.
The Prince looked forlornly at the cityscape. The sunlight shimmered on a large river running through it and he could see tiny moving people going about their business on the streets.
"I wish I could experience it." Vegeta replied, thinking diqustedly about the unwanted picture books he would soon receive.
"You will, be patient."
"I have been patient."
Zorn sighed. "True, your highness."
Vegeta was grateful for Zorn's friendship but understood that the conversation would not solve anything. The Prince had concluded that talk would not get him anywhere and only training would. He decided that he had better start redeeming himself.
"I had better go prepare myself for my..uh.. trip." Vegeta said in an attempt to dismiss himself politely. He had no idea how to prepare himself though.
Rising his head to Zorn, he asked. "What preparations are in order for this sort of situation.?"
"Well, I suppose I'd want to warm up a bit first. It's hard just jumping into a fight, especially with opponents you've never met before."
"Oh." Vegeta replied, feeling his uneasiness grow. "Could you…."
"Spar with you?" Zorn finished Vegeta' sentence.I am afraid I cannot. His Majesty has given me a list of things he needs done." Zorn replied pulling the list out from under his cape. The Prince examined the huge list, scribbled messily in an almost illegible fashion. It indicated that Zorn had a lot of paper work to do. Vegeta would have felt sorry for him if he weren't busy feeling sorry for himself. Of course, he knew that he only had himself to blame.
"Perhaps, her highness, the Queen, will spar with you." Suggested Zorn.
"She does not like to." Vegeta replied with a shrug.
"But perhaps if you asked her she would." Zorn smiled and winked at the little Prince.
Vegeta returned the smile and then ran out of the room.