"Well… I prefer death!"
That's what Chichi replied, and everyone was shocked by the precision and harshness of her words. If her father thought that threatening her with that stupid Sadala law would change her mind, he was very wrong. Vegeta clenched his fists disappointed to know that she preferred this fate to join him. His heart clenched tightly in his chest and a knot rose in his throat. Should he give up his hand to spare her life...?
"No!" Goku's eyes widened, and he ran to her, whose expression was one of pure sadness, but she stood with her chin up, convinced of her decision. "What are you saying? You can't do this, Chichi, I won't allow it." he then turned to the king and said: "I'll take Chichi's punishment, I'll die in her place!"
"What?! No!" Chichi sounded indignant and pulled him tightly by the arm, but he remained staring at the king, showing the seriousness in his words.
The Lord was stunned; if he hadn't been so upset by Chichi's desperate act of rejection, he might have given up on her, even if it had caused him pain and suffering, but seeing that the bastard had come forward and offered to die in her place, has have made things easier for him.
"No, Chichi, I won't let you do that! I won't let you die because of me." Goku affirmed and then turned to the king again. "If the price to be paid is death, let it be with mine and not with hers."
"Yes! Yes!" Duke Ox shook his head frantically. "Let Goku take the punishment, Your Majesty, he's guilty after all, for having bewitched my little girl. Let him pay for his sins!"
"Duke Ox, no man in the kingdom will be punished without proof or evidence that he has committed a crime!" alerted Whis, who, up to now, was amused by the whole Greek tragedy. "Son Goku has committed no crime. It isn't wrong for a woman to have fallen in love with him."
Ox opened his mouth to argue, but saw the counselor's stern look upon him and decided to shut up. He had nothing to prove that Goku had deceived his daughter, only the Lord's words and his daughter's stubborn insistence on marrying him, but nothing concrete to prove a crime or something.
"That is very noble of you, young Son Goku, but... unfortunately, it's not possible!" Whis continued and watched the Duke wither like an old flower. "The law gives the father the right to determine that his daughter marry the man of his choice or the penalty for refusal. And the penalty can only be applied directly to the daughter. No one else! I'm sorry, but you cannot take the punishment in her place. Even if you do this, Duke Ox will still retain his right to choose Lady Chichi's husband, and if she, even after your death, refuses to be betrothed to the man the Duke chooses, she'll still be subjected to punishment for disobedience. Your death would only be in vain!"
"Your Majesty, there must be another solution!" Chichi pleaded, her large black eyes conveying all the pain she felt at the moment.
King Beerus stared at them inexpressively, but with his air of superiority, his arms were folded in his back and under his huge cape, his chin held high and his gold crown was glistening in the light of his pompous crystal chandelier. He could see the determination on the peasant's face, he was willing to die for her and she for him.
"Your Majesty, if I may…?" Whis murmured. "I believe there may be another solution to this dilemma."
Beerus eyed him and, trusting the word of his faithful counselor, nodded saying: "Tell me what the suggestion is, Counselor Whis."
"A woman can be exonerated of her crimes if she chooses to renounce her ordinary life in society in order to live recluse, in a convent, as a nun. Accepting to dedicate her life to religious and church services, as well as to commit to chastity for the rest of her life, gives her the right to a second chance and therefore she need not be executed.
"Then I'm going to the convent! "Chichi exclaimed. If only her father wasn't so hard-headed, or if only Vegeta would give up this idea of wanting to marry her, she might be free to stay with Goku, but since that didn't happen, she would spend the rest of her life as a nun, even if her heart would break into a thousand pieces because she couldn't live next to the love of her life.
Ox breathed a sigh of relief to hear that his daughter had chosen this alternative. It was not ideal, but having a nun daughter was better than having a daughter killed for disobedience. Vegeta bit the inside of his mouth and, frustrated, crossed his arms. It wasn't possible that Chichi would rather die or become a nun than marry him... That was too much for his pride as a Lord.
"Hmhm" the king murmured, thoughtfully, and began to pace from one side to the other. The tension in the air was clear and even the simple act of breathing seemed to be difficult. "You are right, wise Whis, our law allows Lady Chichi to choose chastity and thus be freed from execution. However..." he paused dramatically, and everyone snapped their eyes expectantly in the king's direction, except Whis, who remained serene at his post. "We are in the middle of organizing an important festival, the most important in the kingdom. And you have already taken up so much of my precious time with this trivial matter... I don't wanna have to think about it anymore right now." The visitors exchanged confused glances, not knowing what they should do. Beerus yawned and turned away. "I will give the sentence that is appropriate for the case next moon. Until then, don't bother me any further with this matter." Not waiting for an answer, the king left the room. The truth was that he was lazy and sleepy at that moment, he couldn't wait to retire to his chambers to have a good sleep.
Whis, who already knew his sovereign too well, had already understood the message of what he had to do, and so he said:
"Well, you have heard King Beerus, no decision will be made at this time. Come back the next moon, on the day of the festival, to resume this subject. As for you, Lady Chichi," he looked at her seriously, "take this time to think about your decision, think it over, my dear. Whatever you decide, it cannot be reversed later." He gave her a wink. He believed that the king had used this 'excuse' to give the girl time to think better about her decision, so her father could better evaluate his daughter's other suitor and also so the lord could reflect on his feelings for the lady. If everything worked out, who knows, maybe the unfortunate lovers would have a happy ending. Ah… he has always been an incurable romantic!
"Thank you..." she smiled warmly and bowed slightly to him, holding up the skirt of her dress.
"Okay, you're free to go! Except for the Duke and the Lord, there are some royal matters I would like to discuss with you two." They both nodded in response and followed him.
Goku was walking beside Chichi on the road that led to Duke Ox's estate. He was disappointed, he couldn't deny it, his plan to ask for Chichi's hand had fallen apart because of Vegeta. Perhaps if his rival hadn't stepped forward and filled Ox's head with mischief, he could have convinced the Duke of his true intentions towards his daughter.
But, it was too late. Vegeta was the man Ox had chosen to marry Chichi, and there seemed to be nothing that would change his mind, not even the will of his own daughter.
He felt lost, desolate, his heart was in pieces. He had found the woman of his life, his great love, and by a twist of fate, he couldn't be with her. Chichi would become a nun, or at worst, be executed – which he would never let happen.
Soon they were in front of Chichi's house and she seemed to be as desolate as he was, her gaze was low and there was no color on her face. Goku felt his heartbreak even more at seeing her like that. Trying to give her some minimal kind of comfort, he hugged her lovingly.
"Oh, Goku... Why does my father have to be so stubborn? I'm sure that if my mother were alive, she'd change his mind. I just... Urrrg!" She let out a frustrated grumble. "I just wanted to get out of her… Disappear! Along with you."
Listening to his beloved's sad venting, Goku's mind lit up and his eyes widened. Suddenly he pulled her a little away from the embrace and said, without blinking: "Okay! So let's go!"
Chichi frowned and looked at him confused, with one hand she wiped the salty tears running down her face before asking: "What do you mean?"
"Let's run away, Chichi! Let's get away from Sadala!" he smiled and held her tightly by the arms.
"Run away? But where to?"
"To the north! I have an uncle who lives there, he's very rich and, I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to take us in, he likes me very much, I'm like a son to him." Goku sounded positive and saw Chichi's eyes sparkle with a glint of hope. "It's beyond the lands of Sadala, in the Paozu kingdom, so the laws here do not apply there. It's a peaceful kingdom."
"Can we get married there?" she asked, amazed at the possibility, cupping both hands in front of her chest.
"Yes, we can!" He confirmed and then took her delicate gloved hands in his. "Whaddya say, my dear, will you run away with me?"
"Of course I will, Goku!" replied Chichi, without a second thought.
Goku grinned from ear to ear.
"We'll do this tomorrow night. Wait for me in the woods, where you usually make your offerings to the forest beings, as soon as night fall." Goku pressed her hands tight, making sure she confirmed his request, and Chichi agreed. "I'll wait for you, my beautiful Chichi!"
He gently ran his fingers over Chichi's cheek, who held his hand as if to keep the touch on her skin longer, and then captured her lips, tasting the incomparable honey flavor of her mouth that always left him in the clouds from the first moment he tasted it.
When their eyes met after their lips parted, she smiled and said, promising: "I will be there, my Goku!"
She tried to act natural all morning, after all, no one could suspect that she was planning to run away with her boyfriend at night, so she used her free time to prepare some cream cookies as an offering to the forest beings, cooking was her hobby, so no one would suspect anything. But it was much more an excuse to occupy his mind from thinking about the escape plan with Goku, than an actual desire to cook. But, since she had made a lot of cookies, she decided to take some to Bulma, her best friend – as well as an excuse to see her one last time.
Upon arriving at the beautiful and huge mansion of the Briefs family, the richest family in all of Sadala – only except for the royal family – she was soon greeted by one of the mansion's butlers who announced her arrival. It didn't take long before the figure of a beautiful young woman with sky-blue eyes and hair of the same color, tied in curls in a sophisticated bun, appeared. She was fair-skinned, wearing a thin white dress with an empire silhouette and white gloves that covered her elbows.
"Bulma! How nice to see you!" Chichi smiled as soon as her friend appeared in the living room and ran to give her a tight hug.
"Chichi! Is everything okay?" Bulma was surprised to notice the slightly raised voice of her childhood friend. The two had known each other for a long time and considered each other practically sisters, so there was no way to tell that anything was wrong.
"Yes. Yes, it is!" She softened and then turned to pick up the plate of cream cookies she had prepared. "I came to bring some cookies. I made them as an offering, but I overdid it..." she shrugged and Bulma took the plate with her hands.
"Oh, my! That's very generous of you. I'll ask my assistant to prepare some tea for us to enjoy it together!"
Bulma motioned to one of the servants, who didn't take a second to follow her request. They sat down on the armchairs in the living room, and then Bulma shot up:
"I've heard you were at the palace yesterday... With your father and with... the Lord." she tried not to sound so bitter when referring to him, but she couldn't help it. The news was flowing fast, so it didn't take long for the gossip to reach Bulma's ears. They were already saying that their visit at the palace was to make their union official, after all, what else could it be for? All kingdom knew his interest in Chichi.
Bulma was known to be the daughter of the kingdom's banker and one of the most coveted girls in all of Sadala. Not only because of her noble title or the wealth of her family, which of course attracted many suitors, but mainly because of her beauty. The only problem was that Bulma had no eyes for any man other than Vegeta, her ex-boyfriend who decided he wanted nothing more to do with her after meeting her best friend. Her friendship with Chichi was a little shaken after that, but as soon as Chichi revealed herself to be in love with Goku, she softened her attitude towards her childhood friend, but still, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that her beloved liked someone else and was her best friend.
"Yes, it's true," Chichi admitted with a slight note of guilt in her voice. She knew about her friend's feelings for Lord Vegeta, but there was nothing she could do about his feelings that didn't correspond to hers. If only she had that power, she wouldn't now be having her last conversation with her friend because she was planning to flee the kingdom in the company of her true love.
"And what matters would you have to discuss with the king? About your union with Lord Vegeta?" asked directly, she had no reason to beat around the bush, she wanted to know what they were doing there and Chichi's sudden visit to her home this afternoon only made her more anxious.
"In a certain way..." she murmured and Bulma tensed. "But that wasn't exactly it. You know my father wants me to marry Vegeta…" Bulma nodded. "Well… he found out about Goku and me, but he didn't accept our union and went to explain to the king about my disobedience, taking the lord and Goku with him."
"Oh!" Bulma exclaimed in surprise. Perhaps the fact that Goku was a lowly peasant had made him hidden from gossip, as his presence went unnoticed by the palace gossips. "And how was it?"
The tea was ready and served, briefly interrupting their conversation, but as soon as Bulma's servant left the room again, Chichi sighed deeply and told her friend all about the previous day, her father's insistence and the punishments for her actions if she didn't comply with his decision. Bulma, of course, was already aware of these laws, as everyone in Sadala was, although these days it was very rare to have to resort to something like this, perhaps because the women ended up accepting their parents' suitors or because the parents were satisfied with their daughter's choices. Either way, it was hard to believe that Duke Ox was so resistant to the idea of his only daughter marrying Goku, just because the boy was of humble origin, which was also not a problem for the kingdom's laws, there was nothing to prevent the union of people of different classes, although there was still great segregation in this regard.
Bulma sipped the rest of the tea in her namekian porcelain mug while reflecting on all Chichi had told her and then said in disgust: "It seems to me that you don't have much choice left if you don't marry Lord Vegeta."
"No, Bulma, I won't marry him. I refuse!"
"Then what are you gonna do? Become a nun? Be executed in a public square?" Bulma frowned, indignant. She couldn't accept that her friend would choose one of those fates, even if it hurt her that her better choice was to marry the man she loved. "Don't be silly, Chichi. We both know what's the best solution to your problem."
"No, Bulma. My heart belongs to Goku, and he's the one who I'll marry, no one else!" Chichi replied, but this made Bulma slightly irritated.
"What's wrong with you, Chichi? Vegeta loves you and he's a good man! Do you really prefer a cruel fate like the blade of a harvester on your neck, or to live confined in a convent for the rest of your days?" Bulma sighed deeply, trying to control her temper. "Your father won't change his mind!"
"But that's not going to happen!" Chichi admitted a little unwillingly and then took a deep breath, taking courage. She didn't want her last moment with her best friend to be marked as something bad. "Listen to what I'm going to tell you now, Bulma, but you can't tell anyone else about it! Goku and I will run away from Sadala, to the north!"
"What?" Bulma startled and her eyes widened. "What're you talking about?"
"That's exactly what you heard. We're leaving! We're going tonight, it's all planned. As soon as the sun goes down, we'll meet in the woods where we usually bring our offerings, and from there, we'll leave for a new life far away from here."
"Oh my God! Chichi, this is crazy! You can't do this..."
"This is the only way Goku and I can be together, Bulma!" Chichi affirmed, showing that her decision had already been made. "And I'm sure that Vegeta will soon forget about me and be free for you. I hope he recognizes what an amazing woman you are and you can finally seal the bond of matrimony."
Bulma bit her lower lip, hesitating. True, with Chichi out of the way, Vegeta might look at her again, but still, she didn't want her friend away from her, that's why she was so angry with her for not wanting to be betrothed to him when her punishment would bring her death or exile, but Chichi seemed content and determined to go through with her plan and, of all things, she also wanted her friend's happiness and knew that she'd only be truly happy with the man she loved.
"Are you sure that this is what you want, my friend?"
"Yes, I am." Chichi smiled radiantly. "I've never been so sure in all my life!"
"Then I won't tell anyone, Chi, and I wish you all the happiness!" Bulma smiled in reply and came forward to hug her friend tightly. Now she understood what was happening to Chichi when she arrived at her home. And she also shared the same feeling: it was a sadness to know that they wouldn't see each other again.
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon slowly darkening the sumptuous temple of Shen Long where Bulma stood. She was happy for her friend, for Chichi following her heart and running away with the man she loved, but she was also fearful about the implications of her running away, so she went to say prayers for the couple.
Just as she left the temple, passing through the huge ornate wooden door, she felt her body accidentally bump into someone passing by.
"Hey, watch out! You almost ran over me!" she grumbled, but as soon as she turned around, she was startled to see that it was Lord Vegeta.
"Forgive…" he started to apologize when he realized who he had bumped into, then rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's you! Don't you look where you're going, woman?"
"Is that any way to talk to a lady?" she shouted and put both gloved hands on her waist as she faced Vegeta.
"Tch!"
"Especially coming from a lord!" she wrinkled her nose in contempt. "Someone from whom politeness and good conduct are expected! Oh, there are no gentlemen in this kingdom anymore..." she mumbled and opened her fan to freshen up herself, even though the sun was setting, Sadala's summer heat was still intense.
Vegeta cracked his jaw at the comment.
"As if you behave like a proper lady, right?!" he teased, eliciting an irritated growl from the blue-haired woman. "What are you doing here anyway? Aren't you following me now, are you?"
"Hah, you wish!" she stuck her nose up and continued to shake her fan that gently swayed a few strands of hair that had fallen from her elaborate bun.
"So what are you doing here?" he asked, crossing his arms. "As far as I remember you're not the religious type."
"That's none of your business!"
"Humpf! Whatever... Get out of my way, I have business with the priest!"
Bulma moved a step to the side, giving way to the Lord, who waved his hands at her to signal her to move away, which made her even more irritated.
"What is it, Vegeta?! Are you in a hurry to confess your sins?" she scoffed and he rolled his eyes, ignoring her teasing. He had no reason to respond to her teasing, but he had nothing to hide either, so he decided to answer:
"If you really want to know, it's regarding my union with Lady Chichi!" he sounded convinced. He was sure that the Duke's daughter would eventually choose to marry him at the end of the deadline given by the King, she might be reluctant now, but the Duke would convince her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to the priest about my marriage."
"Pfft!" Bulma held the mocking laughter in her throat. "I think you are going to waste your precious time, my dear Lord..."
"On the contrary, my dear, I am only anticipating the inevitable!"
"Forget it, Vegeta, Chichi will never marry you. Her heart belongs to Goku! You should look for someone else, someone who is available!"
He let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Who? You?"
Bulma frowned and swallowed dryly.
"Idiot! Chichi is right not to want to marry you." she grumbled, but her heart twisted painfully in her chest. He hadn't always been like this with her, there was a time when Vegeta treated her well and adored her, but after he met Chichi, everything changed. She didn't deny that she missed that, she still loved Vegeta and her heart always jumped every time she saw him, but it squeezed just remembering that he liked Chichi and bled whenever he stated that.
Vegeta turned his back on Lady and walked through the wooden door, but before he took another step, he turned and said:
"I WILL marry Chichi! Her father has already given me his permission and she won't dare to go against his decision."
"It doesn't matter much if she's not here, does it?" she sounded provocative, but she spoke without thinking. Only after the words were out of her mouth and she saw the shocked expression on Vegeta's face did she realize what she had done.
She brought both hands to her mouth, as if in an attempt to put the words back in, but it was too late.
Vegeta took a step towards her and, irritated, asked: "What are you talking about?"