She Is Your Blood
Chapter 2
By Spitfire Maguire
Three decades prior, on Vegeta-sei…
Three year old Prince Vegeta stared down at the sleeping form of the newborn baby. His sister, Princess ChiChi of Vegeta-sei, had been born a mere two hours earlier. The young prince crinkled his nose at the babe.
"Why is her face all scrunched up like that? She's ugly," he concluded.
Someone chuckled behind him and he turned to see his mother lying awake in her bed, her black hair still clinging to her damp forehead. Her face was pale from the exertion of labor, but her eyes smiled warmly at her son.
"No," she admonished gently. "She is beautiful. All babies look like that."
"Oh." Vegeta was silent for a moment as he pondered this. "May I hold her?"
"Of course." The Queen inclined her head. She was too weak to even lift her arms. Vegeta's delivery three years ago had nearly been fatal; she was never supposed to be able to carry children again. But then ChiChi had come along, her little miracle. The King had feared for his wife's life and wanted her stop the pregnancy, but she stubbornly refused. She knew there was little chance she would survive her second delivery, but she had insisted on carrying the child to term. She watched now with proud eyes as Vegeta picked up his baby sister and held her, unsure of what to do but too proud to ask. He had his father's pride.
"My prince and my princess," the Queen smiled.
"Is she my princess too, Mother?" the little boy couldn't help asking. Although he was already training to be a warrior, he still had a glow of innocence. The Queen could not restrain a tear from falling out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes, she is. She is your little princess to love and protect. You will protect her, right Vegeta?" she asked.
Vegeta nodded. "I will."
"Do you promise?" She looked extremely worried about something.
"I promise," he stated with a solemnity not usually found in a three year old. "On my honor as a prince and Saiya-jin warrior."
The Queen leaned back and looked relieved. But there was still so much more to say and so little time to say it.
"Don't just protect her, Vegeta. Love her, and let her love you. She is your blood."
"Yes, Mother." He was beginning to be frightened at the seriousness of her words. She turned her attention to a figure standing back in the shadows.
"Vegeta," she said, but it was not her son whom she was addressing. The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing a well-built man dress in armor, with only a pendant hanging around his neck denoting his royal status as King. His dark, fathomless eyes looked over the delicate form of his wife, a woman who had once been so strong and had captured his heart with her beauty and strength. And now this second child was taking her away from him.
She knew what was going through his mind.
"Don't hate her on account of me," she said knowingly. He looked away.
"Do NOT hate her on account of me!" she whispered fiercely. "Aah…" she moaned in pain and clutched at the sheets. The King rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms.
"Vegeta…"
"Don't talk," he rasped harshly. "Save your strength."
"It is my dying wish, Vegeta. Just love her."
He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I can deny you nothing," he whispered. "And I will deny you nothing, even in death."
Upon those words, the Queen said with her dying breath, "I love you, Vegeta." She closed her eyes and her soul left them.
Tears poured out of the King's eyes as he clutched his wife's still-warm body to his bosom.
"Mother?" Vegeta said tentatively. He had been watching the whole time, still holding his sister. She started to fuss, then cried out in hunger and some unknown grief that her young mind could not comprehend.
That night, a planet lost its beloved Queen, a man lost his wife, and two young children lost their mother.