Damaged
Chapter Thirteen: The Downfall of a King
Days later Bulma watched her Lord leave the mansion with growing anxiety. Even though she had never truly wished anyone other than Frieza real harm, yet she found her self disturbingly anticipating his depart. She wasn't like the damsels you read about in fairy tale books, oppressed by their tyrannical husbands that they have not joined by love and have been forced into marriage with. Her case was not the same, very far from this one, actually. There was still no place for question whether she was oppressed or not. Her master's recent attempts to… how can you call it? Claim her sympathies? His recent attempts at claiming her sympathies had become rather out of any control. The man had no idea what he was doing in the first place!
True, he did try his best at showing respect for her. But that happened only because he wanted her to respond to him in bed. He did attempt to be romantic at times… but then he would continue his ravishing and cruel sexual ministrations that would make all his hard work meaningless to the Earth royalty. He did try hard to be gentler and understanding to her… but that happened only in bed and he never succeeded at any of his attempts. All he did, trying to be someone he was not just so he wouldn't have to enforce himself on her or wouldn't have a motionless rag doll beneath him in bed, was plain futile. She would never see him that way, for whatever reason. He was just not her type, as we'd like to say.
It was an enigma too why he did not wish to enforce himself on her. Very few were those types of Saiya-jins, Bulma had figured for all this time reading the very limited collection of books in the mansion's library. People who have such violent ruthless culture could never be gentle lovers. She figured that no Saiya-jin woman would want a gentle 'mate' after all, being, too, a Saiya-jin herself. And, for that reason, Bulma couldn't help herself but wonder… why had Vegeta been so gentle these five years ago? Was it because he thought her fragile? True, he had just transformed to Super Saiya-jin then, and he probably still had no idea how to control his power. But, had she not proved beforehand that she was not weak and breakable? Er, well, as far as physical fighting was concerned, that is… Had he wanted to be gentle with her? Did he take her for a nuisance even then?
The lavender haired woman stared after him, spacing out, as the burly Toma threw himself over the horse, and took a glimpse back at her, sending a very sly grin her way. Her face didn't move to indicate she had seen it, but she managed to force her hand to wave his way before he disappeared into the woods for God only knows what reason. Yet she welcomed the opportunity with open arms as she would be able to spend some more time with her friends, who she had no idea what were doing as servants in the house as there seemed to be done no chores… Dust was steadily building a fifth layer, making you sneeze just upon setting a foot over the entrance's doorframe. The sheets have probably been there for a decade. The only thing that was occasionally done was the dishes. That fact prevailed only because there was, much like the books case, but a limited edition of the plates in the mansion. Being a mansion did not mean it had to be tidy as those in the fairy tales…
As she watched her suppressor vanish into the shadows of the forest, Bulma let out a sigh that seemed to be torn from somewhere deep inside her lungs. It wasn't as if her husband had been any rougher than the usual these last few days. She had even grown accustomed to his cruel ways. Yet do not mistake the growing accustomed with something with being fond of it, or just accepting it in any way. That was far from the truth. She would never be fond of that man for his lack of hygiene, respect and understanding for any living being. He was cruel and ruthless and cared nothing about those around him. He didn't want her because he wanted to please her, mentally or physically. All his attempts to take her when in bed have hinted her only that the act he wanted to commit to her would be as one-sided pleasuring on his behalf as it could get. Frankly said, it would be no better than a rape, even if she did grow some affection for the man.
Bulma's thoughts were reeled out of their tracks as ChiChi entered the balcony slowly, not to startle her ruler too much. To serve the nonplus of the Earth Queen, the maiden, for once in these few days the group had resided the place, did not carry anything in her fragile hands. She was otherwise always doing something, always attempting to clean, to sweep the dirt away from the carpets, to brush the dust off… Yet all her tries ended the same way. She would end up giving up no more than a few minutes after initiating her assault to the uncleanliness, coughing her lungs dry or having her clothes covered with the dirt she had swept off the carpet. The case was serious and as long as Toma refused to let her friends and the other servants clean the mess that he seemed quite comfortable with all the dirt around, as unfathomable as that fact was to all the residents of the household, it would remain as hopeless…
"You seem happy he's gone?" It was truly more of a question, but ChiChi didn't really want it to sound that way. She knew that it was true, but as if the Queen's admittance would make it even solider. But, it truly would, wouldn't it?
"How can you tell?" The cyan eyed former royalty questioned her eye brow quirking. She had been thoughtful and her train of thought had reeled into a quite different direction from the grotesque householder. ChiChi merely shrugged.
"I just can tell." Bulma nodded at that.
"It's true…" Her expression was wistful in one second, the next she exposed an angry expression and gripped her palms clenched. "Who the hell does that guy think he is, huh? And what's with this place, anyway? No light even during day if you don't go out. It's as dark as twilight during the sunniest of days! And it better be that way, or you'll see the dust balls rolling on the floor which is covered in layers, ChiChi, layers of dust! And that guy, ugh! He's so disgusting! I really find it very hard to stand in the same room with him, not to mention sharing a bed! Every time he touches my skin and I try to crawl my way out of the sheets, damn it. I think some of these days I may catch the virus idioticus bacillus, I swear!" She crossed her hands protectively over her chest as if that simple gesture would help her case in any way after her little rant. ChiChi didn't seem to have altered her expression even the slightest bit over her friend's tantrum.
"Even though you try to sound angry, you are never serious when word is brought up of that, are you?" A pair of cerulean clear eyes blinked the confusion of their possessor away as the woman in question eased her pseudo-mad mask and ran her hands through her long lavender locks. There was one good thing about being there. At least now she could brush her hair with the proper instrument – she had a hair brush all of her own. But so thought the female maid that it actually belonged to…
"I'm starting to think I'm really an open book to you, Cheech." The raven haired girl smiled lightly despite herself. But the feeling wavered fast as the heiress' lips did not curl into a smile in return. She was just looking over the railing of the balcony, staring into a spot unknown and probably unimportant. "It's true… I don't want to be serious about the topic… The details are not important to you or any of my friends. Such details about my intimate life should not be delivered to any one…" The onyx eyed girl's brows narrowed.
"And what if Vegeta was still here and hid somewhere in this fortress? Would it be any of his business what happened in your 'intimate life'?" It was truly a rhetorical question and ChiChi knew it. And so did Bulma, so no answer was given to it. But Bulma let a meek smile grace her features for a moment's worth as the thought crossed her mind.
If Vegeta was alive… She did not dare even in her most courageous dreams let the reverie cross her mind seriously… Otherwise it would certainly settle in a small corner of her mind, and each passing day she would dream of it to become true, that she would live the day she would see his handsome face again, that the golden light he emitted every time he transformed would always wear a light feeling of her presence beside him… She always knew he would also never forget the reason behind his Super Saiya-jin form… And for the years she spent all alone, locked up inside her own mind, she couldn't get rid of the reminiscence either… Every time her eyes closed, she would see the striking erect spikes of aureate colouring, the same familiar smirk that would make her want to slap him, to kick him, to hold him close to her… The piercing cobalt gaze of his harsh eyes, speaking mutely of years of oppression, depression, loneliness and hatred… When he transformed, all that had ran through his head that entire time, she knew it surfaced again, back to taunt him for his past weakness, to redeem of that time of subtle torture…
But in the end… had he really been able to come to peace with himself? Had he really made it to Heaven? Or was he tossed into the pits of Hell, with no question of redeeming available for his sinned soul?
A dark smirk crossed her features.
"He would've been berserk by now for you referring to him so disrespectfully." She said, her tone lifeless, just the way she felt herself too. Even though she was giving all she could to recover from her mental wounds, it was impossible to merely forget about someone that you have practically shared your life with… But that had almost never been really him… Just the memories of what he looked like, what he talked like, how he behaved like… Memories and thoughts of what he would say in a certain situation, how he'd belittle her for being so inferior, how he'd taunt her for being so weak-minded and shallow willed…
"Bulma… Dwelling on the past will help you none…" ChiChi released a pained sigh. No matter how frequently she led this discussion with her Queen, the stubborn woman still just wouldn't listen to her words of wisdom. Yet ChiChi could understand that well… Even the strongest of beasts would waver had their heart's desires and hopes been damaged… She could understand that, but it had already been an Earth's week and the Queen wouldn't stop going out on the balcony, thinking for hours on end, keeping her mute posture, making all the other servants in the mansion believe she was truly incapable of communicating. "You need to pull yourself together already. If you don't, that bastard is going to use you blatantly!"
"What does it matter whether I'm conscious or not if he just decides it's all the same whether I'm willing or not when he forces himself on me?" ChiChi's eye brows narrowed. She couldn't bear to look up to Bulma's face; she wouldn't be able to withstand the look in her eyes… She would've been more pleased if it had been an expression of pure hatred, of complete revolt… But she also feared the regal no longer cared for either her body or her soul… It was the part that made the raven haired maid clench her small fists tightly until a point where she thought her hand would bleed from the pressure. "What does it matter what happens to my mind… But then again, closing it off in a small box inside my head… Wouldn't that help me preserve it a little while longer?" The hollow sapphire depths turned to lock with ChiChi's onyx eyes. The same onyx eyes…
"You have lost your will to live, your majesty. I cannot allow that to happen to my mentor and best friend…"
"What can you do about it? Even I can't help it, Chi…" Bulma turned her eyes back over the railing of the balcony. "I… I have… I have never been really strong…"
"That's bullshit, Bulma, and you damn well know it." The younger girl spat in malign. She had never wanted to see her ruler's downfall to such an inferior creature. Her composure had wavered, the fire no longer burned in her eyes, she did not smile at all anymore, even if she had never done it occasionally before…
"Do you know, ChiChi… why I chose to hate Vegeta all those years ago, even despite the fact he saved me numerous times from that scum that crawled aboard of that spacecraft Frieza stuffed me into?" ChiChi's jaw tightened. Of course she knew… But she had never thought she'd live the day Bulma would admit that to herself, not to mention speaking aloud about it… The regal had been transformed beyond belief, into something ChiChi could barely recognize as her late friend, Bulma Briefs, a fair Queen and heiress of the Earth fortune.
Turning sharply on her heel, the long haired maiden made her way over to the balcony's glass sliding door and paused for a moment before stepping over the frame. She spoke back to her friend, without turning around to face her.
"Pardon my boldness, milady, but I wish not to speak with strangers. Whenever you see my life-long friend Bulma Briefs pass by, please do tell her to go by my quarters so we can have a conversation. That's all I have to say for now, mistress." And with that, the girl disappeared into the darkness of the mansion's inside. Bulma felt her lips pull up from the corners of her mouth as the thought passed her head.
"I'm happy that at least one of us is still in high spirits, ChiChi,…"
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
A pair of tired once-tanned lids slowly slid upwards to reveal a pair of worn out onyx orbs. Their possessor's consciousness swam in and out, making his composure wither several times before the events penetrated his memory again, making his eyes snap widely open and he attempted to stand up from his lying position, yet his attempts remained futile as he could find no power in his drained body to do even as much as sit up.
'This is so pathetic…' He thought as he tried to recognize the room he had been placed in. All he could remember was this huge shadow over him, a menacing grin in place as the fiend bent over him. But all was dark afterwards, as he probably blacked out from the blood loss he had endured. 'Am I still alive…?' He wondered, finding that he was placed in a premise completely foreign to his royal self. He had never really been a King for praise, as he worried about his people's woes from afar, in his Palace's chambers. He had never taken trips in the country and especially recently after the warning of those bastards arriving on the face of Earth.
Earth… The woman… His woman…
"I see that you're awake, young warrior…" A mysterious voice turned to him, making him turn sharply around out of reflex but instantly regretting doing so as a sharp pain ran throughout his entire body. And that's when he noticed he was tied to a table…
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
The female's arms were folded together and laid on the railing of the balcony, the coldness of the stone-made parapet failing to each the heiress' senses. Her head was resting with her cheek against her arms, her eyes boring into the nearest tree by the balcony. She was, once again, thinking about everything that had happened, and this time she was mostly trying to pull herself together much like ChiChi had told her to, even though quite harshly…
The raven haired girl had always been Bulma's voice of reason in time of need and for that the heiress would be eternally thankful to her friend. But every time she mentioned it in front of her fellow earthling, the other girl dismissed her own kindness by saying it was all a part of her duty of being a friend. Even though ChiChi was also a girl and was… well, a bit far from her age as the two were separated by half a decade, the lavender haired woman had always known that the two of them would be different. Both had fiery characters and stood their ground whenever needed… but ChiChi was also more of a warrior at heart than her friend… or at least that's what she thought.
Bulma had always had the opinion that if not for her friends around her, surrounding her with love and giving her confidence in times of need, she would've never managed to go this far, to live through so much and still be able to breathe in the end of the day. It was true, she was ashamed to be the person she was today, but with time, she hoped she would be able to rise with the sun, look at herself in the mirror and not turn her head around in disgust… She wished all these wars the Saiya-jins led would be put to an end and that the Universe would be able to be a peaceful place again, as it had been once upon a time, in the most ancient of periods.
What with them lacking a leader, the woman couldn't think of any other course of action but anarchy… She could imagine what the battles for the throne looked like and sub-consciously she wondered if her lord hadn't gone for so long to the city for that sole purpose. Her thin eye brows narrowed at the thought of that Cerberus becoming the King of the land. Vegeta may have been a harsh ruler; he may have been cruel in composure and rough when it came to conquering other planets… But he had his reasons, his goals, and his values in life… But he knew many things and possessed nobility not many could vaunt with any longer… At the end, she had always known he would make a great king to his people… After all, that was just another reason for her to give him another chance at life with the Dragon Balls…
Suddenly the sound of insistent scratching reached her ears that perked up immediately. For all the hours she had spent staring into the distance for these past few days, she had developed quite a sixth sense and impressive instincts. Bottling up inside her mind most of her other functions, for hours she would stare into nothingness, the sounds of the nature surrounding her the only music to her numb ears. She could tell if something was wrong or if anyone was around her as she had already memorized most of the sounds around her…
Standing up from her position by the railing, she made her way inside, coughing a bit upon coming in contact with the germs inside the premise. It was a rather hopeless condition with all the dust around and it was just another reason for her to be out the whole day.
She crept nearer the door, hearing as the scratching intensified there. Her expressionless façade didn't falter for a minute as her hand reached out for the door handle. She turned it slowly, sweatdropping as she noticed the small creature that had been intently scratching on her door for the past few minutes, granting it access to her quarters. The little trouble maker released what reminded her of a bark and she laughed lightly, bending over to pick her old friend up from the dusty ground. The being stared at her hungrily, and if it could it would've grinned widely. It tried to lick her face for a hello, but stopped only to sneeze as a dust ball rolled off its sensitive nose. Bulma laughed again.
"Hello, little fox!" It growled at that and attempted to release itself. "Now, now, don't tell me you want to get back on the ground where all those mean balls of dirt are lying around." As if seeing she had a point, the little creature ceased all movements, letting the regal collect it in her embrace. "I thought I lost you somewhere on the way…" She said nearly out of breath, bringing the animal closer to her. The innocent fox-like creature stared baffled at her but didn't release a sound as it let her do with it whatever she liked. "Where were you all this time, foxy?"
Had the Argida only been able to talk, it would've told her that her master had caught it and put it in a cage in the maze of the underground floor where are invaluable things have been disposed of. It was dark and moist in there, quite an improper place for an Argida that loved the light and needed to run around in order to stay perfectly healthy. After all, even though it lived on a different planet, it was still an animal and all wild animals need their freedom. Otherwise they'd become… well, they'd be in the same situation as Bulma right now…
But unlike its master, the little creature just barked again and brushed its head against Bulma's hand. The Queen smiled. No later than a few seconds after, she snapped her free hand's fingers in the thick air that filled the misty room.
"That's right; I never got to call you anything didn't I? Well, then, let's think of a name for you, little guy! You seem to mind the foxy thing a lot, don't you?" It growled at her to prove her right. She sweatdropped again. "Er, point taken…"
The woman put a thoughtful finger on her sharp chin and her eyes averted upwards towards the ceiling where some sun rays were penetrating the room, making all the microbes floating in the air visible to the unarmed eye. Yet she paid no heed to the sight, as she had already grown quite accustomed to it, but couldn't wait for the day she'd be able to exterminate all that dirt surrounding her fragile spoilt body. After all, you couldn't just shove a Queen that had always been treated with great respect and had always been given the best of quarters into a pigsty and expect her to be okay with it…
"How about my name? What do you think of being called Bulma?" The Argida growled at her and bit her finger lightly, playfully. The cyan eyed ruler sweatdropped again. "Yes, you're quite right, little one. I guess that's what I deserve for attempting to be 'creative'. Then… What do you think about… Roger!" Its teeth sunk deeper into its skin this time. "Ow, well that was uncalled for… I like that name really much! There was a guy in the Palace on Earth that was called like that and he was a really kind man and—" She stopped mid-sentence as she noticed the almost-bored expression the little beast watched her with. "Alright, fine! Jeez… Well then… Hmmm… This name picking business really sucks, you know…"
No answer came and she had expected none… She wished the little fiend could speak right now. It would surely understand the situation she found herself in… And what was she doing? Picking names for an animal, a pet long forgotten? Well, not that long… And she tried to tell herself she had remembered of it quite a few times already, but she knew that wasn't true. She had been so stuck thinking about the events of the passed days that she had forgotten all about her friends and 'minions' as Vegeta had once liked to call them… She had been so selfish all this time, not minding her friends being worried about her and the hardships her mind was going through…
She could start redeeming herself by taking a bit more care about her pets, for an instance. Now she understood why her parents never let her have any pets. They've probably always known she had a very selfish side to herself and would stay buried in that library of hers until she exhaled her last breath, probably with a shelf or two collapsing atop of her, making it hard to breathe… A disturbing thought, really… Your own parents mistrusting you… Well, she hadn't been one of the most reliable people until she turned nine, and even after that she had become rather, um… How do you say? Obsessed? That would be quite a correct shot…
"Trunks? Umm… Thomas? Rick? Jade? Shadow? Yori? Seraphim? Foxy?" All had been rejected, making a small vein on Bulma's forehead throb. "What's with you? Are you going to like any of the names I think up for you? Aren't you a pesky one…" The creature just stared maliciously at her, its fur looking stranger than before. "Are you that angry with me? And here I thought that you wanted a name…"
It took Bulma quite some time and staring before she realized something.
"You're not male, are you? All the names I came up with were male… So… How about… I call you Vega?" Suddenly the creature eased its tense frame and jumped around her on the bed. "So you like it that way, don't you?" Bulma leaned back on the back and caressed the soft fur of the Argida, smiling lightly all the while. "Well, Vega, now that we gave you a name, how about some… what time is it anyway?" She looked at her watch. "It's already noon! Jeez, I really do seem out of it a lot, eh? But you know what?" Vega stopped and looked at the sapphire eyes with her crimson ones. "I think that you just seem to load me with some much needed energy. Who knew I was such an energy vampire, hahaha!" She laughed ridiculously and hugged the Argida to her chest.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Man, what's with those people… A Queen can't seem to get a snack around here without someone tailing her, telling her don't eat this, don't eat that, jeez… I'll eat whatever I like; I'm the freaking mistress around here anyway!" Bulma rioted as she sat herself back on her bed, an hour or so later. Vega jumped over the edge and made a few circles around her self before settling down, pulling its big ears close to its head, and letting out a slight yawn. The regal smiled at her pet friend. "Yeah, I know what you mean… After such a nice snack, I'd love a nap myself…"
However, remembering about her little friend brought back memories of Bulma's time at the Palace. But she decided to skip that part and rewinded back to the time when she was given that super-computer that contained all the data that the Saiya-jins have gathered. Instantly she couldn't help but wonder if Vegeta hadn't foreseen that too and that could be the reason why he had given all that precious information to her so lightly like that… Maybe he thought that with her, the secrets of his people were safe. Or maybe he had merely attempted to atone for his selfishness and possessiveness and for keeping her in one and the same room with no touch with her friends over the time whatsoever… Whatever it was, she was quite thankful now that it had occurred so… If it hadn't been for the little device, most of the important information would've been lost to the collapse of the Palace, as all experiments and researches went down with the labs…
Pulling out a capsule from her pocket, Bulma felt thankful to her father for inventing those in the first place and for taking some with her when she boarded that spacecraft that time ago… She couldn't even remember how much time it had been since she left Earth, for the last time… A month? Two? Time had become something of no value at all for those past few weeks… She had been so lost that even ChiChi probably thought her a nutcase already.
Throwing the capsule on the ground, it created a small hurricane of dust and smoke, making Bulma wave a hand in front of her face while coughing.
"Damn this place… If it wasn't a refuge from those bastards that destroyed the Saiya-jin Palace, I would've had Goku turn this place to ashes a long time ago…" She picked up the computer and typed her password in. She grinned as she began scanning the files with her eyes. "Enough sulking. I better get back on my solid feet and get some data on just who those idiots were… Vegeta insisted he didn't blow up my planet, so it's probably the same culprit…" She put a thoughtful fist to her chin and turned to the purring Vega, caressing the animal's fur again. "What do you think, Vega? Are we going to be able to do something to avenge our King?"
The being's purr sounded much more affirmative than any of us would've imagined…
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
The spiky-haired Saiya-jin struggled against the binds that were tying him to the bed that he was lying on currently. It looked like a medical bed… He had no idea how he got there, but he could figure that this person had brought him here after he blacked out.
"Now, now, don't struggle so much, little King… I'm not going to hurt you…" The shadowed persona said from the entrance of the premise, closing the door after themselves quietly, as if not to disturb anyone.
"Don't come near me, or I'll blow this place up!" Vegeta threatened, his eyes adopting a horror that a caged animal would feel knowing its end neared. But the proud regal wouldn't let his emotions drive him too further. All he had to do was release himself and get away from this place.
"Oh, now, that'd be a hard thing for you to do…" The female voice explained, sitting next to his bed. The dark eye brows of the King knitted together and narrowed over his eyes.
"And why is that? Last time I checked I could blow up whole planets with so much as a single blast!" He tried to release himself again, but the same pain ran through his body again upon the impact of his bones being rubbed hard against the material that was holding him down. "This is pathetic…" He muttered under his breath. He couldn't look up at his kidnapper… All he could do was lie down and hope for mercy… What had he been reduced to?
"Look… I see you're not from the type of people who like to be tied down, so let's just cut this short… Will you promise me not to take any drastic decisions if I let you go?"
"What kind of promise is that?" The Saiya-jin spat, his eyes blazing with fury.
"I like your spirit, kid. Just remember you're not supposed to be here in the first place and that you're very weak right now and everything will be tip-top." A few seconds later, Vegeta felt the relief of his body being released from the clutch of the cloths that had been wrapped around him and his tense muscles relaxed a bit. He sat up and looked around. No matter how he looked at it, it still looked like a deserted premise of some sort… And a very soggy one… Not to mention dirty…
"Where am I? And who the hell granted you permission to address me so disrespectfully?" The King growled his temper back in track. His captor just grinned at him. He couldn't quite make the outlines of her face, but she didn't sound much older than him… And he was already twenty-eight, going for his twenty-ninth year… How dare that woman call him a child?
"You are in no position to threaten me, your majesty…" The woman stood up and walked slowly towards a table of some sort that he couldn't see the contents of from that angle. A pair of dark eye brows narrowed over onyx eyes.
"And just in what position am I?" He snapped back, already fed up with the entire conversation that they were having.
"Do you remember your fight with the androids, my lord?" Oh, so now she goes back to politeness with him, eh? It reeked of someone who just plainly disrespected his entire bloodline… And he hated Saiya-jins like that. But then again, was she Saiya-jin? So many questions rounded his head like a dark cloud and he could give them no answers, nor was he willing to ask this cocky female for any of them… At least he thought so at that time.
"How do you know about my fight?" His fists clenched tightly and he took a defensive stance. "It was supposed to be one-on-one combat within the Palace limits and everyone was already evacuated!"
"Well, let's just say that I know everything." He could almost sense her malicious smile from afar. Crossing his hands over his chest, the man made a grimace but still decided to play along for a while before he ditched this joint. He had more important matters to attend to, like killing those tin cans and returning to his ruling as a King of Vegeta-sei.
"So what about my fight with them?" He urged her to continue; as much as he hated conversing it was still a part of diplomacy and an important part of being a good master to his subjects. Even though Saiya-jins were the strongest race in the Universe, they could not afford to conquer every single planet. Some of them had just given themselves in upon hearing the sole name King Vegeta and knowing the rumors he had been the first Saiya-jin ever to reach the Golden Warrior state they knew the entire planet's fire force was going to be but a little to no obstacle at all for the bloodthirsty King. Vegeta smirked at the remembrance but was soon brought back to reality by the woman's calm voice.
"You wasted most of your energy on them and since they have been first designed to feed on ki, you have merely served them a wonderful dish." She was making something on that table of hers but the King was too stubborn to approach and see what it was. He frowned at her back.
"So? I couldn't let them escape under no condition, so I drained myself in a last attack. What's so bad about that?" He snapped at the woman that he knew would no doubt have absolutely no combat experience at all. After all, it was a man's duty to protect his land.
"What's so bad is that if I didn't pick you up at that river bank, you wouldn't have survived with wounds like yours."
As she mentioned it, Vegeta took some time to himself to check his body's condition. There were obviously new scars, some deep wounds that were already starting to heal, and there was some lint around his forehead but he could feel no pain anywhere over his body. His deep gaping wounds that had oozed with his blood were now reduced to what he liked to call minor scratches, even though they were better than scratches with the fact they didn't hurt at all, unlike the real ones…
"So what am I to you? Most of my subjects, even though I try to be a good ruler, would backstab me without a second thought. Why would you want me to be alive?" His curiosity was starting to pick on him, nudging him and making him ask questions like that which he could no longer dare answer himself. He had no idea where he was, what he had to do and how much power he had in himself. He had no idea how long he had slept or what had happened to him… He just knew this woman had taken quite good care of him but had no idea with what kind of intentions exactly…
The woman turned abruptly around and looked at him with intense… clear cerulean eyes. Vegeta was quite taken aback by their colour as it reminded him awfully much of his minx's eye colour… Oh, how he wanted to see her again. He thought he had already died and that the two of them would never meet again… But now… Now he felt fulfilled! He was already eager to see her. He wondered how she felt about him after all he had done…
"I need you alive, my lord. I need you alive so you can win against those androids…" She told him and approached him. "And I know how you can do it." She grinned strangely at him. The Saiya-jin grimaced.
"And how am I going to do that if I keep the chit-chat and don't go fetch those tin cans?" He snapped, trying to make his way out the door but was stopped by the insistent female.
"You cannot go now, master. You're too weak!" She warned him. "You're in a fortress amidst the woods that were by your Palace. It is a safe place that they will not think of raiding. You have to recover here before you do anything rash." She explained, going back to her table. Vegeta growled as she turned her back to him.
"How dare you call me weak? Who do you think you are, woman!" He barked at her and jumped from his position on the medical bed (or something) and instantly winced at the impact his decision had on his injured body.
"Do you see now why you have to be a little bit calmer?"
With an intense frown on his features, Vegeta crossed his hands over his chest again, demonstrating stubbornness. He sneered and looked at the woman again.
"So what do you suggest, huh? That I just walk around this mansion, having Saiya-jins recognizing me. And what do I do after that, eh I-Know-It-All?"
"You are quite as sharp and foul-mouthed as they say, milord." Vegeta gritted his teeth at the statement. "And this is exactly what is going to allow you to walk around the Mansion, talking and taking part in any kind of activity you want without being recognized."
"Cursing everyone around?" He lifted an eye brow. That sounded plain ridiculous…
"No, this!" She held up a bowl of something that was still streaming and poured it into a glass. "You have to drink this in order to be able to walk around here without anyone recognizing you."
"Are you a sorcerer or something?" He sneered again, not trusting her enough to take the suspiciously streaming glass from her hand. Her blue eyes looked up at him and she smiled… oddly.
"Why, yes, I am. You catch on quite fast, mister King." Her grin made his skin crawl. That woman was dangerous and he knew it. But what she said made sense. "Now drink it so we can get up and I introduce you to the staff."
"What staff?" He lifted up the crystal glass, looking into its contents with great suspicion and doubting he would let this stuff pour down his throat.
"The servants' staff of the Mansion, of course." Had he drunken from that vial, he would've spat it out this instant.
"Servant! Are you mocking me! I am a King, not a servant! How dare you make me stoop to such a level, you—
"Now let's not say mean things, milord. In order to survive you must play along…" The woman explained to him calmly as ever, yet her Lord seemed not to take things so easily.
"You are not going to make a servant out of the King, you witch! I refuse to drink this! I have no idea what it could actually do to me if I do!" He saw her indifferent shrug as she put the bowl back on the table and continued packing her things neatly near each other.
"Alright, don't drink it. It's only a matter of time before the androids find your ki pattern from here. And your woman as well as all Earthlings and Saiya-jins will disappear off the face of the Universe and then soon the Universe will quite follow their lead and we have an eternal "happy ending", don't we now?" Vegeta's eye brows narrowed in thought. She was right… If he didn't win this time, he would probably never wake up… The woman would die next, as well as all her friends and all his subjects. He didn't give a damn about the Universe… But all of his torment, all of his woes and cares when he had been back at Earth collecting Dragon Balls with that woman, the time on his planet as a ruler for only five mere years in Earth date when he could barely keep his mind off a certain lavender haired girl that had bloomed into a beautiful woman… All of his life would have been in vain; he would've failed to protect her… Again…
"What the fuck does this thing do?"
"It will mess up your natural genes a bit." Vegeta cocked an eye brow. "Oh, it sounds worst than it actually is. It will make your hair fall down for an example. No, you will not be bald; I mean that your genetically passed-down-the-generations hair style will be reduced to something still spiky yet not as erect. And it will probably reduce some muscle mass."
"How can a drink do that?" His eyes had widened slightly in his disbelief. The woman smiled at him her eerie smile.
"Don't forget I'm a sorceress."
Vegeta gave the drink another glance.
"And what will happen after I drink it?"
"You'll change and we'll go on the first floor and introduce you to the others."
"A servant…" Vegeta growled to himself, gripping at the vial for his dear life. He thought back to her words… They'd kill the woman. Nothing else seemed to matter but the fact the woman would be destroyed. This woman that he had guarded under his protective wing for so long he could not remember anymore. When had it become so that most of his thoughts drifted off at her direction? When had she become such an obsession? When had she managed to grow and mature so much that he noticed a lot more things about her during her stay at his room before the demolishing of the Palace? Why was it that he no longer refused to admit it even to himself that he would not let any harm come to her? Was it after their first night together? Or maybe it was after their journey for the Dragon Balls? Maybe it was his permanent distraction during those five years of her absence that had turned him into a protective fool.
What it was, it didn't really matter anymore. How low would he stoop for one weak woman; that was the question that prevailed. A king turning into a servant? Can you name anything more embarrassing than that?
With a painful sigh, the King lifted up the vial and drowned its contents. A whole new world of humiliation waited ahead of him…
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Everyone, this is my nephew, Rain. Please treat him well and don't give him too heavy tasks to carry out. Bow to your elders now, boy." The woman told him. The youth next to her refused to oblige. Her eye brows narrowed. "I said bow to your elders, boy!"
This time he was forced by his guardian into a respectful bow, but his eyes were clenched shut as he felt the pain crawling in his skin at the thought. He had been the one everyone bowed to upon so much as seeing. Now what was he? A mere servant boy who had to bow to his elders! The humiliation… Thank goodness his father couldn't see him now…
A girl grabbed his hand and dragged him somewhere. The back of her head seemed quite familiar to him…
"Come on, let's leave those old people to their 'respectful' stuff, we should go off and collect the dishes from the driers! Hurry up, Rain, we have much work to do before the master gets back." It was Bulma's right hand maid, ChiChi. But what was ChiChi doing in such a place. And even she ordered him around. Carrying dishes… That shouldn't be a hard task…
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
The boy fell down on the dusty floor, his eyes blazing with fury. He had just got a taste of the embarrassment that was to come and he already hated it. Everyone here ordered him around, do this, and do that, treating him like a real servant! He had been reduced to a mere boy for everything, for everyone to kick around. So that was what they called the downfall of a King. He had fallen after the moment he had laid eyes on that woman. It was inevitable to becoming closer to her after all that time they spent together, but he was afraid maybe it would turn into something more of a devotion on his part. Thank goodness she couldn't see him like that. She'd probably mock the daylights out of him. And that hair was getting him his eyes!
He growled and pushed it away only for it to return to its previous state. He growled again and was ready to punch the ground in anger. Why must this happen? Why did he have to be… this! He couldn't even use the proud name his whole clan carried because he was too weak to counter attack… So pathetic… So weak…
A sickeningly pale hand reached to fetch a few of the fallen dishes by him, putting them neatly one over another. He looked up to meet the eyes of the one woman he had sacrificed the last thing that remained his – his pride of being a King, a ruthless ruler, who now… carried dishes around the house. The goddess just smiled a weak smile at him. She looked like she had been through a lot for the time he had slept…
"Aren't you a strong boy, taking so many at a time." Her warm smile touched corners of his soul he thought he'd never feel alive again. "Me and my little friend Vega would like to help, right beast?" She ruffled the Argida's hair, the same animal he had given her as a pet in the Palace. "Though I must attend to this work I have ditched for so long, so I guess we'll see each other around, okay?" She smiled warmly and stood up, the little animal jumping towards him and rubbing itself against his lap, letting out small sounds that resembled a purr. "What would you know, Vega likes you! She liked only one person besides me! See, don't despair! Just keep going forward, like Vega and I, right?" She picked up her pet and waved at him, disappearing into the darkness of the mansion.
Vegeta stood there in shock, still not believing what had just happened to him. The animal had recognized him yet his mate did not? Was he so different? Not to mention that she now… Did she even care? She no longer looked like herself and she treated him in a completely different way…
He collapsed forward on his hands, looking down at the dirty floor.
"What the hell have I been reduced to, goddamn it…" He muttered bitterly to himself, wondering where his old life had gone…
x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x
I am SO ashamed of myself. I have no right to ask for reviews and I know that perfectly well. I'm so sorry for the late update you guys, but I was into reading manga so much that I forgot about writing. HUGE author's block, if I may say so myself. I was even thinking of quitting fanfiction writing. Thank goodness for Shades of Crimson. She's not reading this fic, but I want to say that I LOVE YOU WOMAN! Reading others' work is such an inspiration! Hohoho... So here I am again, and sorry for the long wait... Hope you don't hate me completely for this chapter… I'll probably lose readers this way, but I think it's a neat idea for now. Besides, you have no idea what will happen next and if you still care, stay tuned with me, your loser of an author! xD
