Chapter Four

The streets of Memphis were the same as many towns in Vegeta's kingdom, they were full of life as well as mindless droans that worked for him. The populus walked up and down the streets selling, buying, and trading goods with one another as if it were the end of the world. There seemed to be little on everyones mind's as Trunks walked past them, happy to be able to move freely, rather then his royal clothes he wore a brown hooded cloak to hide his royal status. It was so simple, it was genious!

Each street corner held a new form of entertainment from the other, weither it be dancers, merchants, jugglers, fire breathers, ect, this town had it. Trunks couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of all the commoners situations, they had the right to move are freely, to some extent, and to be there own person, he had to be a prince. He continued to contemplate as he approached a woman on a near street corner who held in her hands several flowers.

"Videl! Could I get a Lotus from you today?" Trunks asked as he approached the loud woman.

"Well of course you can, you know me, I am here to sell." She smiled as she handed Trunks the pink and white colored flower from her hand. "Going to see the girl of yours? What is she going to want with a slave like you?" Trunks smiled as he took the flower and handed Videl her money.

"I don't know, but there is something that I can't forget about her."

"It's called love. Now go and get her." Videl smiled and placed the money in a bag in her pocket. She smiled at Trunks and pointed down a street, Trunks thanked her as he took off in the direction that she had pointed. "What silly fools people are when they're in love." She laughed to herself and continued to sell her flowers.

Around the corner at the end of the street lay a booth that was very crowded indeed. People awed as the juggler would through his flaming sticks in the air and catch them without a second thought. The music played behind them was something very new and modern that Trunks did enjoy; as he approached he caught glimpse of the dancers moving to the music. They were in long dresses that came to their ankles as to not get in the way of their moving feet, rather then clothe they were made out of very cheap silk and had several stains all over them. The four dancers moved to the same beat and took the same steps but were all very different, their colors were yellow, green, red, and finally blue.

This woman in blue made Trunks' heart skip a beat as she smiled while moving her feet and kicking in the air. He golden hair was pulled back into a braid that fell to the small of her back with decorative ordiments in her hair. She too wore make up around her eyes that made them shoot out into the crowd, however the bottom half of her face was covered by a blue veil that left any many wondering about her true beauty. Trunks was in awe of her beauty and couldn't take his eyes off of her, he held the flower in his hand and found that he needed to wipe the sweat from his palms, he always got nervous before speaking to the blue clad beauty.

Suddenly the song came to an end and the crowd dispersed, some leaving money and some not, and going back to their daily ruitines. Trunks stayed back as he watched her lean down to gather up some of the change thrown to them and placed it in the jugglers hand and he then placed it in his pocket. She then stood and made eye contact with Trunks who had still not moved from the spot he had been for the past several minutes. Without warning the woman jumped from the stage and ran to Trunks, before he could think her arms were around his neck and they were kissing passionatly in the middle of the street.

"I've missed you." The girl said softly. "Where have you been?" She then looked around and pulled him back into an alley way near the tax collectors building.

"I haven't been anywhere, the only place I know is with you." Trunks said softly. "I am going to tell father about you. He will bless us, I know it!" Trunks said as he kissed his her once more.

"Don't! You can't!" She pleaded as a look of terror came over her face. "I'm an entertainer Trunks, you are a Prince, you are going to be a king. You're father would sooner have me killed then to see you with me."

"Nothing can keep true love apart." Trunks said as he looked at the girl before him, she looked both beautiful and happy as she heard Trunks say those words. "If I can't be with you, I would die. If you care that much, why don't we run far away. Somewhere where no one will know us and we could start over." Trunks said as he smiled. Marron looked truly happy as he said this but soon turned away from Trunks and began to walk with her head down.

"You know I couldn't ever do that to you. It was your fate to be a king, mine to be an entertainer. I know how much it means to you to impress your father, Trunks, maybe you should go."

"Marron, I am not going to leave you, I couldn't. With out you, there is no life, with out you there is no me. You complete me." Trunks grabbed Marron's arm before she had a chance to run further away, she wanted anything but to be held by him, he made her simply melt. She tried not to look into his eyes, but he lifted her chin with his finger and kissed her lips softly.

"Fine, I'll go with you to meet the Pharaoh." Marron said looking at Trunks with an annoyed look on her face as if it were a chore.

Trunks kissed her once again and as he pulled away had the largest smile he had ever had before. Marron tried not to laugh at his goofy state but found it hard as he began to speak twently million words a minute. "OH! He will love you just as much as I do, ok, not as much as me but he will love you so much!" Trunks smiled and kissed his love once more before running towards the palace, leaving in Marron's hand a single Lotus flower.

***

"Pharaoh, Queen how are you?" Pan bowed as she spoke before the two sitting in their thrones. Rather then a colorful gown like most of the other ladies, Pan wore a white clothe dress with some gold around the edges as a trim, her hair was rather long and worn down with a veil over the top made of a sheer white silk. Her, like all the ladies eyes, were outlined with the same black liner making them stand out to anyone who looked.

"We've been better." Bulma smirked towards Vegeta making him want her even more, in the reality Bulma was a lusty carefree individual that, well, Vegeta loved. "Trunks should be here soon, don't worry." Unlike Bulma's bedroom clothes, she was in a richly color gold dress that flowed far past her feet in the back forming a train of gold, her arm was covered in body art that Vegeta had not seen prior to but found it rather interesting, and on the other she wore another golden snake that matched most of her jewlery.

"Pan!" A girl ran into the room rather informally and did not bow before Vegeta and Bulma puzzling Vegeta greatly. She was in a very rich gown, similar to Bulma's only shorter, ending at her ankles rather then having a train behind her, she too had the snake ordiment around her arm, and blue hair. As Vegeta inspected the girl he noticed how similar she looked to Bulma with her outfit, body, and blue hair.

"Who is that?" Vegeta asked his mate quietly making Bulma turn to him with a shocked and almost disgusted look on her face. Before she could answer the girl ran up to Vegeta and kissed him on the cheek, taking him aback. Vegeta looked at the girl who ran back down towards Pan and then to Bulma who looked so utterly confused it made Vegeta uncomfortable.

"That's your daughter Vegeta." Vegeta gasp aloud because it seemed everyone in the court turned to him.

"What? I have a daughter?" Vegeta couldn't grasp the idea as the girl returned to their side and bowed before her two parents.

"Bra why aren't you with your hand maiden?" Bulma questioned as Vegeta continued to stare with his mouth hung open.

"She was with Goten last I saw her." Bra thought outloud. "I can't very well be around a soilder with his woman, it isn't right."

"The girl, I knew there was something wrong with her." Bulma motioned for Piccilo to come to her side, he complied and bowed. As he leaned over Bulma whispered something to him in a tounge that Vegeta had never heard before and couldn't make out.

Piccilo stood and bowed once again before exiting the room without saying a word. Vegeta looked at his mate who was rather regal, he couldn't help but think he had rubbed off on her more in the world then the other, but decided to calm his curiosity.

"What is he doing?" Vegeta asked.

"He is going to get that whore of a hand maiden and send her to the streets. Slave!"

Bulma grabbed the attention of a woman who was on her knees in the large throne room, she was hidden behind one of the statues and appeared to be washing the sand off of it and polishing the floor as well. Her hands were red and sore as she stood and walked towards Bulma who seemed to have no compassion towards the blond worker. As she walked up to them Vegeta noticed something very familiar about her, her blond hair, body shape, and before he knew it A-18 stood before him.

She wasn't nearly as lively as she was in his reality, she was obidient and didn't speak. Rather then her fashion sence in the present time she was only given a brown gown that was dirty with stains from cleaning the large palace, her hands were scabbed and worked down to the bone it seemed as Vegeta inspected her boney body with his eyes.

"Yes queen?" A-18 asked with her head bowed.

"It's your lucky day." Bulma smiled as A-18 looked up for the first time. "You are to be my daughter's new hand maiden." A-18 looked more excited then Vegeta had ever seen her and tried not to laugh. Before Vegeta could speak A-18 was following Bra and Pan out of the throne room and towards another.

"What the hell are you doing? That's an android." Bulma looked at Vegeta like he was crazy as she felt his forehead and felt her own.

"Are you ok?" She asked looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Never mind." Vegeta said as he leaned back in his throne. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, this Bulma wasn't the same, just like this world. He missed him home and he missed having Bulma arguing with him, that was one thing that intriqued him the most about her, before her, no one challenged him, and he loved a challenge. He truthfully wanted to get home and be with her and his cat.

"Pharaoh, praise you." Krillun said as he walked into the large room, Bulma smiled and nodded at the new member of the court. Vegeta jumped forward and almost fell from his chair as he looked at the short man before him.

"What are you doing here Q-ball?" Everyone looked up at Vegeta with terror in their eyes, Krillun looked confused at the tone the Vegeta had used and the remark he used to great him. Bulma looked at her husband and then at Krillun.

"Pharaoh, that is the high priest." Bulma said pointing to Krillun. Rather then the small skirt that Vegeta was accustumed to people wearing Krillun was in a long green garb with the eye of Ra in the middle of his chest, and he also held a staff. He walked in plain sandals and wore no jewlery or make up as other men seemed to too.

"Baldy there? Why?" Vegeta asked coldly.

"Because you chose me several moons ago Pharaoh." Krillun said. "Have you been effected by an evil spirit? Come we must get it out of you mighty Pharaoh." Krillun said as he began to run towards Vegeta.

"I'm fine, never mind, I don't need a God damn exorsism! You may leave us." Vegeta said matter of factly towards the very confused man. Krillun bowed as he turned to leave, he didn't want to be there either, the king was acting strange, and he was going to find out why.

Bulma then stood and motioned for the two guards to close the door and leave them, they did without a word or question and soon the room was silent. Bulma and Vegeta looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Bulma got the courage to speak.

"What's wrong? You haven't been yourself lately. Are you ill? Do you need me to do something?"

"Have you noticed? You don't say very much for me to think that you do." Vegeta looked away from his mate and towards the floor without making eye contact with her. Before he could look up he saw Bulma kneel before him and place her hands on each of his knee's. He looked at her hands and then at her to see only concern and worry in her eyes.

"I'm not supposed to speak to you like this Pharaoh, but I can't hold it in anymore. First you don't know your own daughter, second you say someone is an android, whatever that may be, and then you call the head priest a Q-ball! The Gods could damn us, don't you care."

Vegeta stood and took hold of both of Bulma's hands making her stand close to him. Their breathing was the same as Vegeta gently kissed Bulma on the lips and then her forehead. "I'm sorry, I know I haven't been the same, I guess, but there is all a good reason for this. Would you like to hear it?" Vegeta asked as Bulma looked into his eyes. She smiled and kissed him hungrily throwing Vegeta off guard once again, but he wouldn't complain, before he realized anything they were on the ground in each other's arms just as Trunks walked into the empty room.

"I have never oh my mighty Ra!" Trunks said as he saw his parents on the ground making sweat love. He quickly turned around as Vegeta and Bulma stood fixing their attire.

Vegeta stormed out of the room mumbling, "Not even in a different dimension, damn that child!"

"You were saying Trunks?" Bulma said as she stood and took her sons arm and walked towards the hall. It was very large and the two seemed like ants compared to the large pillars and ceilings rising above them.

"I have never been so happy in my life mom! Can you meet me in the throne room at dawn tomorrow with father?" Trunks asked sheepishly.

"I suppose so, why?" Bulma asked, she was rather confused with Trunks and Vegeta's attitudes as of late, they were both acting very, very different.

"You'll see. Thanks." Trunks kissed his mother on the cheek and then ran to the armory where he met Goten leaving Bulma alone in the empty hallway.

Goten was not his usual self as he stood guard in one of the many hallways of the palace, his eyes had the life taken out of them and seemed to stare into space. "What's wrong?" Trunks asked as he approached his friend.

"I got Paris banished. I didn't mean to, but Bulma didn't want me to leave." Goten said with sorrow.

"It's ok, there are plenty of others in this kingdom. But only one for me." Trunks smiled and leaned against the wall. Goten followed his best friends example as the two drank some water and talked all after noon.

"This girl sounds like quiet the catch, a lot like Paris." Goten said.

"Why don't I go and talk to my mother about letting Paris back in the palace." Trunks said plainly.

"Would you?! You are the best friend a guy could have!" Goten said quickly.

"Prince! The king and you are needed with the war counsel." Piccolo said as he looked at Trunks who was sitting on the ground. Goten quickly stood and avoided eye contact with Piccolo. He was the head guard and someone that you didn't cross.

"Very well. See you later Goten." Trunks said as he walked with Piccillo towards one of the large rooms in the middle of the palace. Goten bowed his head and stood in attension until the two turned the corner.