Hurrying within the castle walls, the princess runs to the ballroom. She was late! Worse yet, she was the host of this whole ordeal! She didn't want anything to do with this, but being told that it would help her find her future husband or get to know the fellow kingdoms around her, she didn't have much choice.

Heels clicking against the floor, her hands nervously grip her ball gown. Prayerfully, she wouldn't trip on the darn thing! There were too many layers for her not to worry about tripping over the material!

Distinguishing the sound of music from the party, the princess dashes around the corner and into the ballroom. Allowing her gown to settle against the floor, she lifts it enough for her to walk without any issue. Entering the room, Chi-Chi analyzes her guests and discovers many of them are already enjoying themselves. Catching sight of them enjoying themselves, she makes her way down the stairs and onto the ballroom floor. Instead of flawlessly making herself known, she notices a male not far from where she was. His hair was horrendous! What was he doing here?! Caught in her thoughts, Chi-Chi accidentally steps on her gown and falls forward.

Before she knows it, she's caught in mid-fall— by who?

"Woah! Gotta be careful there! That could've ended up poorly!" A baritone voice remarks. Helping the young princess to her feet, the lad smiles wide. "Hey, you're Princess Chi-Chi of Portugal, right? We've been waiting for you. Everybody was questioning whether you skipped out or not. Ehehehe!"

Crinkling her nose, the sixteen-year-old scoffs. Who was this man to say that she was practically late?! There was no such thing as far as she was concerned - well, she had been anxious about the entire thing, making her lose track of time. "...And you are?"

Upon being sure that the female is on her feet, he nods. "Son Goku of Poland. I've heard a lot about ya." He bows, her grin never escaping his lips.

"..." Left speechless, the young woman refrains from saying anything. As far as she was aware, this man was from a pagan kingdom. Why was he here?! She couldn't have anything to do with the man when it came to her livelihood in the eyes of the Church. Staring at the male like a deer in headlights, her body freezes.

Holding a hand close to her face, the king waves once. "Hey, did I say something?"

Lashes batting, she shakes her head. "It's nothing…just thinking…."

Goku presses his lips into a thin line, not convinced that everything was alright. "...Well, can I have this dance?" Holding a hand out, he waits for the female to take it. "So, what do you say?"

Glancing between his eyes and hand, she contemplates her father, the nobles, the Pope, everyone. He relied on her to stay faithful to the Church. Swallowing, she politely declines his proposal. "I'm sorry…I can't….."

Having his suspensions, the male king smirks. "Is it 'cause of your religious upbringing? You know that all the Church is striving for is to have control over your kingdom, right?"

Eyes widening, she's flabbergasted by his accusation. It took every nerve and fiber in her not to smack him across the face right there. Then if anyone caught her, she'd be publicly shamed for the rest of her life - women weren't seen on equal terms as men were. "..." Gnawing her teeth, she growls. "How dare you….."

"It's the truth. Don't deny it. You're brainwashed just as much as anyone else in the Church."

Chi-Chi struggles with her hand raised, ready to give the male a piece of her mind! "Get away from me, pagan! I don't know why you're here, but I don't stand for this hypocrisy!" Caught a few eyes on her, her hands clasped against her mouth - stunned by her foul tone.

Appalled by her language, she twirls around and hurries out of the ballroom. She hadn't been there for a half-hour. That tortuous man made her the whisper of the castle, more after everyone left what was supposed to be her opportunity to find a husband!

—

Behaving as if he had nothing to do with the female's bizarre reaction, he thought that it wasn't his fault she was brainwashed by the Church's logic. He was the one putting reason in her instead of having her waste her life away on the Church. It was a sham. He saw potential in her too, but here she was a puppet.

Analyzing the room, he drags his fingers through his hair. Perhaps, his regents were right about him putting his hair down. All he wanted was for people to know him by who he was instead of the image people wanted him to go by; he's had enough of that!

His portraits displayed him as a kempt man, but he couldn't care less for keeping up with appearances. Ensuring that all his citizens were taken care of was his top priority - something many didn't manage to do. It was despicable what these rulers found suitable for their kingdoms. They were going based on the words of the Pope mostly, weren't they? They had more access to the faithful head of the church than anyone else of lower status. The money they stole from people was also unforgivable in his eyes.

"You there. Don't you have better things than to provoke princesses too good for the likes of you?"

Twisting his head, Goku catches sight of a lean, tall male. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are? I'm Son Goku of Poland." He retorts, innocently smiling as if he had nothing to hide.

Lips distorting, the twenty-one-year-old scoffs, unimpressed by Goku's words. "Emperor Tien of the Holy Roman Empire."

An unimpressed shrug and the teenager walks around the male coolly. He didn't have time to waste on the biggest devotee of them all.

"You're walking away from someone who could be your kingdom's biggest key player. You're a pagan, correct?" The bald young adult taunts, having enormous control of the continent and approval by the Pope.

"All it'll say about you is how desperate you are for control and approval of the Pope. I couldn't care less about establishing anything between us." He dictates. Scanning the ballroom, he sees that everyone else appears to be enjoying themselves. The only reason he had come to this whole ordeal was to establish relations with other countries - so much for doing that.

Mouth agape, Tien didn't grasp what this young man didn't understand. Was he ignorant or an idiot? He didn't know which one or if it was a bit of both. "...do you not understand what soil you are on?"

Deep within the Church's territory, the Polish royal was as horrible as the rest of the world that didn't believe in its teachings. "I'm aware. I won't allow it to control every motive and objective I do as for yourself, I don't allow some man who says he's anointed by God to rule over me."

Looking down upon the other, Tien snickers. This man indeed was the definition of stupidity and ignorance. "...don't blame me when your soul is damned for eternity. You'll be lucky enough to get into purgatory while you're at it."

Swiveling around, Goku had enough of this. The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire could declare war on him, and he wouldn't give the slightest. Forcing religion on people was absurd; didn't they realize that the crusades were a meaningless battle? He couldn't grasp the appeal of Christianity.

"HEY! YOU GET BACK HERE! SON GOKU OF POLAND! I'M NOT DONE TALKING TO YOU! HAVE YOU HEARD ME?!"

Picking up the emperor's voice, the chaotic-haired king waved him off. "Yeah. Yeah. I know. I know. Enough already. We didn't come here for you."

Nobles and royals gaping over the disagreement and disapproval of each other quietly gossip about the affairs once the two individuals exit.

Alone with her fiance, the English Queen hums. "That Goku… I've heard stories about him, but I never imagined he'd be here." Pressing her wine chalice against her lips, she glimpses over at Prince Yamcha of France.

"I've met the lad on a few occasions - never behaved in such a regard…." A man at her side, Prince Yamcha retorts. A bit concerned about all three individuals, he peered around the room for anything noticeably off. A faithful member of the Church himself, he swore his loyalty to Pope Piccolo and the future Popes after him. "Goku had always been kind and courteous when we met… we've made a few agreements and trades the last few years."

Lips curled, Bulma's eyes twinkle, recognizing almost immediately that the Polish king had his heart set on the Portuguese Princess. "He's after Princess Chi-Chi. I know it."

"HUH?!" Almost spilling his wine, the French heir stares wide-eyed at his fiancee. She couldn't know what she was saying! Making such an accusation was absurd— it would be less strange had she performed a miracle like a saint. "Bulma that doesn't make the-!"

"How about you stop talking and drink your wine while I specify, okay?" Having enough of the male's preposterous assumptions, she wished that he'd accept the fact that she could quickly tell when someone was romantically interested in another. "Do you remember when you and I met one another? How we clicked? Well for some, it doesn't happen automatically like that…there can be circumstances deciding whether it works or not. Anyway, there was a look in his eye, and he instantly went for the princess first chance he got - no one else got an opportunity to talk to her."

Gulping a majority of his wine, it trails down his cheek.

Within seconds Bulma races to his side and cleans him up. She couldn't be seen with a slob. "Careful…I won't have everyone seeing you make a pig of yourself… you're to be anointed as king within a few months."

Exhaling, the prince gazes into her azure orbs. "...It's not easy having you rule over in England, Bulma…I hate it…why can't we join our kingdoms?"

Shaking her head, she refutes. "I can't… I'm sorry, Yamcha… that's not how it works - not for me. My heart lies within the Church and for my people… I'm sorry."

Discouraged, the heir had always been told to gain his power. Yet, this proved futile. His beloved and future bride expressed that he meant less than her own people. How was he supposed to react to that? Should they be spending more time together? That could have been on his end, considering he had canceled a few of their meetings. Was she resenting him for that? How was he supposed to read into that? He couldn't read women all that well! When people told him women were complicated, they meant it wholeheartedly.

"Yamcha? Are you okay?"

Brought into reality, the sable-haired man sneaks a quick sip and locks his eyes on his lover.

"...You know, you make me worry about you sometimes." Closing her eyes, the blunette rests her knuckles against her hips. "Couldn't you be any more subtle?"

Laughing it off, her lean fiance rubs the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm aware…sorry, Bulma. I don't understand how you women think ..."

"You women?! Excuse me?..." She realized she had fewer rights as a female, but she didn't have it for him to phrase it as he did. Downing her chalice, the young queen storms off – desiring to stir away from her significant other. Without a word, she leaves the ballroom. She doesn't know the Portuguese Princess all that well; maybe it would be worth the effort to find her. Though that may have been something for another day, that interaction with Goku had really set her off.

Wandering down the castle halls, the royal mistress longs to discover the garden if there is one. She assumed every castle had someplace to disclose and bury life's troubles away in nature - at least her palaces did. She couldn't imagine not having one.

"Bulma of England?"

Startled, she jolts, ready to attack at the nearest convenience. Processing who it was, she cocks a brow. "King Goku of Poland? ...What are you doing out here?"

Staring off into the night sky, his body rests against the outer castle wall. "...getting away from the public scene. How about you? I thought you liked these things."

A bit astonished that he assumed or heard such a claim, she shakes her head. "No … they're not my favorite. I'd rather be at home - believe me."

With a slight nod, Goku acknowledges her statement. From that, he'd guess that no one enjoyed these occasions for the future of their kingdoms. For all he knew, this was something planned to benefit the Church and that emperor - something he'd rather not have anything to do with. "You and me both…."

"You and Princess Chi-Chi, what about that? That's why you're here, right?"

Eyes going round, the soft black-eyed king stared silently at the female, speechless. "..."

"...it is. I know it. I can tell you want to make her your queen." Bulma's lips curl, proud of herself. She was a professional when it came to these sorts of ordeals. She couldn't help but want a piece of the juicy gossip - not that she thought of it like that.

"Even so, that emperor wants her." He discloses, eyes still locked in the dark abyss of the night sky. "...I think it has something to do with that faith of hers…."

"The Church?" with a deep sigh, Bulma brushes her loose hair strand behind her ear. "I see. Portugal and the Holy Roman Empire are both heavily intertwined with the Church…."

"Yeah…they are."

"The girl's still young, you know. You may be able to sweep her off her feet and take her home with you…or settle an agreement. Portugal may require the approval of the Pope before any decision is made. Yamcha and I had to wait for his approval… I'm sure it won't set well with the princess if you don't abide by the Pope's requirements. Who knows? Maybe he'll allow it in hope to gain Poland."

Narrowing his eyes, Goku's expression hardens. He didn't like anything about this, but she was right; that was his best chance.