Teresa: flexing her fingers and yawning comfortably Yep, here comes part 4. I just keep popping these babies out like nothing else. Ha, even scary, slave driver jade can't complain. Isn't that right, jade?…Jade?…..Jade?…..Where are you? looks around in confusion
Jade: emerging from the kitchen Teresa, what are you doing typing? I want muffins!
Teresa: Wh-what? I thought…you wanted me to get this story out?
Jade: I want muffins. Apple muffins, with streusel on top.
Teresa: But…I'm typing.
Jade: MUFFINS!!!!
Teresa: Fine. But can't I type this chapter first?
Jade: Okay, but you better type fast.
Teresa: All right. You know, I am older than her. You'd think I'd be the one calling the shots. Grr. Oh well, on with part 4. I'd better hurry. Jade's hungry.
*****
The Best of Both Worlds
Part 4
*****
Vega got up early the next morning to get ready to go to the market place. He couldn't wait to go visit Aperu, and he was about to leave when he ran into Leturu just outside of his room. "Hello Vega, I was just coming to see you. Where are you headed off to?" asked Leturu. He rarely referred to Vega as Prince, but it wasn't disrespect. It was actually one of the things Vega most liked about Leturu, whom he had grown up with and had always called his best friend.
"I'm just going to visit the market." Vega answered, his hand gesturing to indicate his common attire and his disguised hair. "There's…something I wanted to see." He blushed as he saw Aperu in his mind's eye.
"Sounds good." Leturu replied, distraction evident in his tone.
"Hey, Leturu, what's wrong? Did you need to talk to me about something important?" Vega asked his friend.
"Okay, but you can't tell anyone. I'm going to ask Carnada to become my mate tonight." Leturu told Vega, nervousness thick in his voice.
"So that's it! No wonder you looked so upset. You must be nervous." Vega spoke sympathetically.
"Yes. I'm just nervous." Leturu admitted. "What if she refuses me? I don't know what I'll do if I can't be with Carnada. I love her, Vega."
"There you go." Vega nodded to Leturu. "What are you worried about then? You love her Leturu. That should be all that matters. And think of how lucky you are that you found a mate that you love. Not everyone can say that. Plus, you know she loves you Leturu. She'll say yes."
"Are you sure?" Leturu asked.
"Of course I'm sure. I see how happy Carnada is whenever you come back after a political mission. She's crazy about you, Leturu. She has been since we were little." Vega smiled warmly at the memories. "Do you remember how she used to tag along everywhere we went? She drove me crazy, following us around like that."
"I always thought she was so beautiful. Too good to be true, you know? Not at first, of course." Leturu laughed, "I remember I thought girls were the weirdest things, and I just couldn't figure out why she kept looking at me. Once, I told her to leave us alone, and she started to cry. I felt so bad. Something about those tears…it made me want to protect her, and that was when I started to see her as something more. The next time I came to see you, I brought her a flower for her hair, and I told her she was pretty. She smiled so I thought I'd fall over. That was when I started to make sure and schedule times to come see Carnada as well as you. I think she always had me, and she always will.."
"And tonight, when you ask her to be your mate, she'll say yes." Vega reassured him, "To tell you the truth, she swore me to secrecy, but she's been wanting you to ask her for well over three years now. Ever since she was old enough to have a mate."
"Why didn't you tell me Vega?" Leturu laughed, clapping him on the back excitedly. "I've been fighting my nervousness this whole time. I would've asked her then, if I thought she'd say yes, but I just don't have your confidence Vega."
"Don't tell me I'm confident. We're talking about the man who's afraid to leave the palace without a disguise, lest he be attacked by hundreds of power-lusting females." Vega joked, and both of them laughed richly.
"All right. I've got to go get things lined up for tonight." Leturu told him. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"No problem." Vega smiled as his friend left. "Good luck!" he called after Leturu. Vega continued on his way out of the palace, but then he heard Nabana calling out his name. In a hurry, Vega snuck around to take a secret way through the palace grounds out of the palace, trying to be sure that no one, especially Nabana, followed him. Once he was outside of the palace walls, he made his way to the gardens where Aperu was waiting for him. "Hello Aperu!" he greeted her as she smiled brilliantly at him, the warm flush in her cheeks contrasting with her pale yellow dress.
"Hello Vega." Aperu replied happily. "And what have you got planned for today?"
"I thought that we could take a walk around—" Vega suddenly cut off in stark fear as one of his more persistent female suitors walked by. He had momentarily forgotten that his disguise worked on almost everyone. Only his siblings, parents, and maybe some of his friends would be able to identify him without his hair in its recognizable royal style.
"Vega? Vega, what were you saying?" Aperu asked him in confusion.
"Oh, um, I was just thinking…Oh yeah, I brought you something." Vega suddenly remembered his drawing, safely tucked inside his shirt. "Come on." He led Aperu into the gardens. They walked around for some time, fingers interlaced, before he found a bench and sat down next to her. "Here you go." He pulled out the piece of carefully rolled paper and handed it to her shyly, afraid of what she'd think of it. She giggled happily before taking the paper and unrolling it curiously. Her jaw slowly dropped, and she glanced at Vega in surprise before returning her gaze to the portrait. Vega didn't know she was a princess who could easily buy expensive jewels and pretties for herself. Yet he had still managed to give her one of the few things she wouldn't have been able to simply purchase. That made it all the more precious to her.
"You drew this, didn't you?" She didn't even have to ask. Something about the drawing felt like Vega. The girl in the picture was obviously herself, but she looked so… "Beautiful." She murmured. Is that how he saw her? She had always thought herself at least reasonably pretty, but the girl in the picture was gorgeous, breathtakingly lovely.
"Do you like it? I'm not that good, but I tried my best. I wasn't even planning on giving it to you, but Nabana insisted that it w—mmph." Vega's apologies were cut short by Aperu's mouth on his, the portrait resting on her lap as she held his head to hers with both hands. After a few moments, Aperu's hands dropped slowly as the kiss broke.
"It's a wonderful picture, Vega." She remembered all the royal portraits she had been forced to pose for. They always looked like her, but this picture meant more to her than all of those put together. This was how she looked through Vega's eyes. "She's beautiful."
"Yes, she is." Vega answered, causing a blush to rise on Aperu's cheeks. Their faces were still close from the kiss, and Vega could feel himself sinking in the dark warmth of Aperu's eyes. "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever known."
"Vega, you are the first man I ever even wanted to kiss, did you know that?" She told him, twirling her fingers through his unruly black hair.
"Before I met you, the only woman I was romantically involved with was one that chased me down the streets and tackled me for a kiss." Vega admitted, blushing slightly.
"That's a lie! How handsome do you think you are?" Aperu laughed at his story.
"It isn't a lie! No man in his right mind would admit that, much less claim that it had happened when it never had." Vega insisted.
"Then why are you telling it to me?" Aperu narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Because, I'm not in my right mind. How can I think straight with beauty staring me in the face?" Vega told her sincerely.
"You are such a pain. You shouldn't spout poetic nonsense to a girl so often. She'll start to expect it of you." Aperu laughed to hide the deep flush of flattery in her cheeks.
"And what if she does expect it? Maybe she should expect better treatment than what she seems to be used to. Maybe this girl deserves to be treated like a princess." Vega told her. Aperu's body went tense at his last comment. "What is it?" Vega asked her in concern. Suddenly, she pulled away from him.
"Why should you treat me like a princess? Look at me, that's not what I am. I don't want that, not from you, not from anyone." Aperu's tone was unexpectedly cold. It even surprised her, causing her to clap a hand over her mouth. That was a lie. You know you're the Princess. Even dressed down, you're still so regal. She told the voice to shut up, but it continued. And Vega is the one person you like treating you like you're a princess. After that, the voice stopped, but she knew it was right. "Vega." She spoke softly, and he looked up tentatively, injury plain in his eyes. "Oh Vega, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I told you; you're the first man I've ever kissed, the first man I've wanted to kiss. All my life, I've had to deal with men who don't really see me, they see a pretty face and a nice pair of lips. I've always been suspicious of them, and you're the first man whose efforts have not harmlessly bounced off the stone wall I've built around myself. It is strange to simply believe that you mean everything you tell me when I've trained myself to never trust men."
"It's all right. You don't need to be sorry. But I don't understand why you don't believe that story about my first kiss." Vega mock pouted.
"Don't start with that." Aperu attempted not to laugh, but failed miserably. "Okay, I believe you, but that woman must have had serious issues."
"She gave me serious issues." Vega shivered lightly. "I was scared to look at any woman for almost a year after that." Aperu laughed at the idea of Vega being afraid of her.
"And how about now?" Aperu asked, her dark eyebrow arching slightly.
"Now…" he leaned in for a deep kiss, smiling as they broke, "I tolerate women."
"You tolerate them, huh?" Aperu laughed at his comment. "So how do you feel about me in particular?"
"How do I feel about you? I've only known you for ten days Aperu." Vega laughed lightly at the feigned indignation on her face. When his laughter fell silent, Vega's hand rose to bury itself in her luxurious black hair, cupping the side of her face softly. "Only ten days. Do you believe in love at first sight? Because when I first saw you, I thought you must be a goddess, and I still feel that way. I'm just hoping that you don't disappear any time soon."
"I don't plan on it, dear Vega." Aperu smiled warmly, covering his hand with hers and turning her face slightly to kiss his palm. "I wouldn't want to leave you."
They sat comfortably for some time before Vega realized he must have been missed at the palace by now. "Aperu—" he began, but she put a finger to his lips, silencing him.
"Don't say it, I know that you have to go." Aperu smiled, "Your family must have missed you by now. Some day I should like to meet them."
"M—my family?" Vega gulped thinking of what revelations that task would entail.
"Of course, Vega. So far, I've only met your sister…Nabana was her name, wasn't it? And I only saw her for a few moments. I probably wouldn't recognize her if she walked past us right this moment." Aperu saw the tension on Vega's face and kissed his cheek softly. "Don't be so worried. I care for you, and I'd like to see you again tomorrow. But if we are planning to spend so much time together, perhaps your parents should meet me. I'm sure they're wonderful people."
"Yeah. Wonderful." Vega paused before brightening, "Well, I guess you probably should meet them someday. Who knows?"
"Until tomorrow then?" Aperu asked as they both rose to go their separate ways.
"Until tomorrow Aperu." Vega spoke softly, his mouth inches from her ear, before kissing her goodbye.
*****
Later, Vega was sitting in his room thinking of Aperu. Did he love her? He had only known the girl for ten days, but he felt as though he did. What should he do? If he had to choose a mate, it would be Aperu, but he was torn. Vega remembered telling Leturu that love was all that mattered, but this was more complicated than that. If the Royal Prince Vegeta were to attempt to name the orphaned peasant Aperu as his mate, the King Vegeta would kill him. Suddenly, Vega was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of someone entering his room. "Nabana, go away." Vega told his sister.
"Oh Vega, I'm in love." Nabana exclaimed happily while munching on a cookie.
"I thought you would be forever in love with Leturu." Vega reminded her in a sarcastic tone.
"Huh?" Nabana asked in confusion.
"Nevermind. Who is it this time?" Vega asked, dreading whatever the answer might be.
"You know the guy that daddy hired to be my tutor?" Nabana began, but before she could go on, Vega cut her off with an overdramatic groan.
"Your tutor is almost as old as our father Nabana! That's disgusting! Added to that, he already has a mate, and four children." Vega told her in disgust.
"Fine! Be a big grump then! I just thought you'd understand, since you're in love with Aperu." Nabana pouted.
"I never said I was…I don't know if I love Aperu. Everything's so confusing Nabana. I'm glad I can talk to you about it." Vega paused, narrowing his eyes at his younger sister suspiciously. "You wouldn't tell father, would you?"
"No way, this is a great secret!" Nabana clapped her hands happily. "Think of how dangerous it is. Daddy would be so mad if he knew you were kissing with a peasant girl."
"I know." Vega sighed sadly. "It isn't fair."
"Did you get to see her again yet? And did you give her the picture? I bet she liked it, just how I said. Did you two kiss again?" Nabana smiled in anticipation, blinking expectantly at Vega, who frowned slightly in return.
"I did get to see her this morning, and you were right. She really liked the picture." Vega admitted, blushing slightly.
"Yes, but did you kiss?" Nabana wanted to know.
"Nabana, you don't tell people that type of thing." Vega's blush deepened a small amount. "It isn't polite, so you shouldn't ask."
"Oh, I get it. You did kiss. Lots of times, huh?" Nabana asked, giggling at Vega's obvious discomfort. "It's okay Vega. I know you love her, because when you drew her, she was so pretty. It was because you love her. Even I can tell that, so you should know better than me." She told him, wisdom sounding odd coming from her. "Vega?"
"Yes?" he answered, touched by her sudden serious mood, a rare thing in his sister.
"Do you know where more cookies are? I ran out of those ones you gave me the other day." She pouted pitifully, her return to cheerfulness catching Vega off guard.
"Um, I don't know, but I'm sure you can get the cooks to make you some. Or you could ask one of the servants. You are a princess Nabana. You don't have to ask for cookies." Vega reminded her.
"I know, but it's polite to ask." She smiled an over large grin at him before skipping out of the room. Vega growled slightly in irritation as she left. At least she was gone, but she had given him plenty to think about. He closed his eyes, and immediately pictured Aperu's face in his mind. Did he love her? It was so soon, but who knew how long it took to fall in love. How could he know for sure that what he felt for Aperu was the same type of feeling that Leturu had for his sister Carnada? As these thoughts wandered through his head, a knocking came at his door.
"Nabana, go away." Vega answered automatically, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"Ah, Highness?" a confused feminine voice replied from the other side of the door. "This isn't the Princess."
"Oh, my apologies." Vega stood up, smoothing his shirt nervously and clearing his throat in embarrassment. "Come in." he allowed, wondering if it was a maidservant or just one of Nabana's friends that were always swooning and flirting around him.
"No apologies are needed, my Lord." Came the answer as a man…or was it a woman…entered his chambers, bowing elegantly. "But yours are most humbly accepted."
"Enough, Tomashe." Vega waved his hand dismissively at the Saiyan kneeling before him. "You needn't act so formally. It isn't as though this is a ceremony or anything so important. You may only be a minor advisor, but that doesn't mean you have to act as though you're a servant."
"Oh, I know that sir." Tomashe giggled lightly as he stood up, one hand planting itself on his hip while the other waved through the air on a seemingly limp wrist, giving Tomashe an altogether feminine air. This appearance was only added to by Tomashe's odd hair, which flowed down to his waist, typical of a female Saiyan. True, more than one male had similar hair, but none of them possessed the feminine voice and attitude Tomashe did. Also, the odd Saiyan had a small frame, and though he was well muscled, he still gave off the impression of femininity. "I just love practicing that type of thing though, sir." Tomashe continued, interrupting Vega's thoughts.
"And you don't have to call me sir. Vega will do just fine. I'm not as strict as my father, you know that." Vega told him, "You don't need to use a title with me all the time."
"As you wish sir." Tomashe winked at him and Vega rolled his eyes in defeat. If he didn't know better, he'd think that Tomashe was flirting with him.
"What did you need?" Vega got to the point.
"Oh, silly me." Tomashe giggled, one hand over his mouth. "I just needed to tell you that the King Vegeta requests an audience with your Royal Highness, the Prince. I tried to tell you this morning, but you ran off in a big old hurry."
"Great," Vega grumbled, "an audience with the Great King Vegeta. Just what I always wanted. You're dismissed, Tomashe."
"Good day, your Highness." Tomashe bowed quickly before retreating. Vega grumbled a bit more before checking his appearance quickly in a mirror and trudging toward his father's chambers. Once he reached the elaborate double doors, Vega knocked halfheartedly on them, hoping bleakly that his father wouldn't be in his room right then.
"Who is it?" came the quick, impatient reply. Vega sighed, rolling his eyes at how ridiculously strict his father was about propriety before continuing with the only reply Vegeta would allow.
"Oh Great and Powerful King Vegeta, Mighty Ruler of Vegeta-sai and many lesser planets, your humble son, the Royal Prince Vegeta, being much weaker than you and not worthy of your awe-inspiring presence, begs most humbly for an audience." Vega quickly went through the memorized request in a bored monotone. He didn't understand why all that was necessary, especially considering that Vegeta was the one who wanted to talk to him, not the other way around. But his father had made sure Vega was taught that formalized address as soon as he could speak, and if he said anything else, Vegeta would not admit him into his chambers. Once, when Vega was only two years old, he had dared to ask his father why he had to "say all that stuff" to enter his chambers. Vegeta had scowled at him angrily and told him that it taught him respect, something that he obviously lacked, according to his father.
"Fine, come in." barked Vegeta. Vega snorted incredulously as he pulled open the doors. For someone who worried so much about propriety, Vegeta certainly did not adhere to the traditional codes of speech and conduct at all when it came to himself. But he was the King, and who would dare to correct him? Surely someone with a death wish. Vega smirked at this thought as he entered the large room, pulling the doors closed behind him. "I need to talk to you."
"Oh boy, I can't wait." Vega mumbled under his breath sarcastically.
"What was that?" Vegeta leaned forward in the chair he was sitting in comfortably.
"Nothing, Oh Great One." Vega replied in a tone that almost mocked his father. Vegeta narrowed his eyes in warning before continuing.
"You are nineteen years of age, are you not?" Vegeta asked.
"Yes m'lord." Vega nodded.
"Don't say that. It is not becoming to your position. That term is used by peons and weaklings, not by their Royal Prince, the heir to the throne of Vegeta-sai." Vegeta's lip curled in distaste.
"Yes, My Lord." Vega enunciated clearly, repressing an impatient sigh. "I'll be twenty next month." Vegeta raised an expectant eyebrow and Vega rolled hi eyes in annoyance before correcting himself. "I hope to live to the age of twenty, which I will reach next month if the Mighty Lord Vegeta allows it."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Vegeta continued, pleased with Vega's proper, formal response. "Have you got a mate in mind?"
"I…uh," Vega cleared his throat nervously. He had not known what to expect, and he had especially not expected this.
"A suitable mate, mind you." Vegeta clarified. "From a powerful family that I approve of."
"At this time I have no intended mate, oh Great King Vegeta." Vega stumbled over his words, frightened of the image forming in his mind of what his father would have to say if a wandering peasant orphan named Aperu was declared as Vega's intended.
"Well, get one!" Vegeta snapped, "If you don't, I'll be forced to denounce you and give your title over to your brother Celeru. And I'd much rather have you as king after I am gone." Vegeta coughed quickly to detract attention from the admission, but Vega was not distracted. He arched a thick black eyebrow in surprise at his father's words. "In fact, I will not have Celeru be King of Vegeta-sai after me. He is far too weak. If you cannot find a suitable mate in two weeks time, I will find one for you. I refuse to denounce you."
"Uh, Great and Powerful Vegeta," Vega chewed his lip nervously, "am I to believe that you find me strong, or that perhaps…you care for me?"
"You are weak, but Celeru is far weaker than even you." Vegeta snarled begrudgingly, "But I care for no one! Now leave!" Vegeta pointed at the doors indignantly.
"Yes sir." Vega mumbled, leaving quickly. That was how the rare talks with his father usually ended. Vega would accidentally say something that offended Vegeta, then Vegeta would become enraged and kick him out. But Vega knew that he couldn't ever expect an actual father-son moment from Vegeta. When your father blocked out all emotions besides anger, you learn to accept it, and to read emotions into vague insinuations. Vega knew that the talk he had just had was probably the closest Vegeta would ever come to saying he loved his son.
Vega didn't dwell over this revelation though. He had no time to think of such things; he had his father's ultimatum to worry about. It was more than troubling to think that he may not even have a say in whom his mate would be, in the end. But naming any woman other than Aperu would make him feel as though he were being unfaithful. Shouldn't that mean that he would be no better by not naming a woman, thus allowing Vegeta to choose for him? Everything was so confusing, and Vega could feel an ache forming in his head and seeping through the rest of him.
*****
***The End (Of Part 4, That Is)***