"Within the Wind,
Within the Rain,
Your voice keeps echoing deep within my heart,
Just like a Ballad,
For the sake of Love,
For the sake of Dreams,
Even I who has taken away my pride,
Am lost in this battle."
Shin Oya (Love is like a Ballad, Vegeta's theme)
Episode 9
Revelations
A sudden loud explosion brought terror upon the Saiyans working within the palace grounds. The deafening burst made most of them jolt with utmost shock at the unexpected ignition. What the hell was that? Everyone hastily went outside to look over at the source of that eruption.
Vegeta was blinded with pure, frenzied rage. He has no idea where this absolute violent indignation had originated from and why he felt this emotion after Raditz told him about Bulma coming to Minister Horenso's quarters. At that exact moment, a sudden wave of uneasiness washed over him as if he could sense that she was in great trouble. Not just any trouble, something so threatening that he felt the fierce drive to stop it. It made him snap, being overwhelmed by such uncontrollable primal instinct to protect what was his and unlocking the dormant desire for blood he strongly tried to contain. There were no coherent thoughts running through his hazed mind anymore, just pure animal instinct. The scorching rage was taking over his senses that it's making him see only blazing scarlet. The color of blood he wanted to spill. Overwhelming wrathful energy burned his entire being, the sleeping beast inside of him furiously clawing its way out of its cage and it only wanted one thing - blood. The blood of the fool who puts his dearest in a great danger.
Finding the concupiscent Minister of Government Affairs on top of the protesting girl made his ire grow hotter and it burst forth with unbelievable fury. He violently propelled himself towards the horny Elder Saiyan, pushing him off of his servant woman and combatively slammed him into a nearby wall, which smashed to dust upon their potent impact.
"Your highness! Please calm yourself! Calm down!"
He sensed his three Generals, including Bardock materialize behind him using Kakarot's Shunkanidou Technique. There were also a few palace workers looking over in his direction. He ignored them because he couldn't care less about them at all for now.
"Bulma!" That was Raditz's panic shout. "Damn! Kakarot! take her away from here now!"
"Take her to Malaka immediately!" Bardock ordered.
Not long after that, Vegeta perceived Kakarot grabbing his arm from behind. He instinctively backhanded him but his general was able to dodge quickly.
"Prince Vegeta! Your highness! Stop it! It's us! It's us!" Kakarot cried out to him as he raised his hands in a defensive manner, looking like he was being arrested and that he was willing to surrender himself.
"Don't kill him!" Bardock anxiously shouted. Vegeta snarled furiously back, his dilated crimson eyes darting to the soldier's direction. How dare this low class trash order him that way?
"Don't do this, Vegeta! Calm down!" Kakarot pleaded.
Vegeta's eye twitched when he heard Horenso laughed at him like some psychotic bastard. It was a deeply insulting sound to him. Anger burst forth from within the indignant crown prince.
"What's the matter, Prince Vegeta? Kill me and you lose your crown!" Horenso taunted at him, provoking the incensed monarch into murdering him.
A loud furious snarl ripped dangerously through the wind and Vegeta lunged himself like a hungry lion aiming for the elder's throat. Fuck this sorry excuse of a minister! He will rip apart every piece of this shit to fucking atoms!
"Don't kill him, please. I don't want you to be dethroned because of her." Broly told him calmly.
"Kakarot!" Raditz cried out. "Bulma's lost consciousness. You've got to take her to Malaka now!"
"Okay." Kakarot obeyed.
"And tell His Majesty about the situation here! Quick!"
Vegeta sensed Kakarot disappear with Bulma, he probably took her to the public hospital where he temporarily assigned Malaka. He could have followed them, but he wanted to rip this man to pieces first. The Crown Prince was trembling and fuming with overwhelming wrath as his intense gaze focused solely on Horenso. A feral snarl furiously ripped from his chest and throat through his bared teeth. His right hand choking around the Minister's neck, lifting him up in the air.
"So it's true that you care for the girl. That look in your eyes was unmistakable, Prince." Horenso choked. "The rage that controls you upon knowing such trouble is coming for her. You've become soft. What a disappointment you turned out to be."
The mad prince's ire reached new unimaginable heights and continued building within the depths of his being. How dare he say that to his face? He wasn't definitely soft or a disappointment! And he's certainly not reacting this way because he cared for Bulma the way this fool thinks him to be! He growled threateningly, "I'll show you how soft I've become!"
Vegeta's eyes flashed as it turned from furious to cold, making the tensed atmosphere around him as dark and icy as possible. He slowly raised his left hand in the air, his fingers clawed with a desire to rip off the fool's heart. As soon as he attacked, Broly quickly raised his hand to grab the prince's wrist. Vegeta's frigid, murderous gaze immediately shot towards his expressionless General.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Vegeta harshly demanded.
"I told you not to kill him," Broly said in an emotionless tone.
The prince's eyes flashed once again with unbelievable fury, "How dare you order me around?!" Vegeta roared.
Broly immediately bowed down in apology, "My apologies, Your Highness but if you do that now, you will be dethroned for killing a member of the royal court. Please remember the Saiyan law that protects the members of the royal council." Broly reasoned calmly. "Please calm down and follow the necessary procedures to execute him properly of his sins in front of the royal court. If you are able to prove his faults, then and only then you could kill him the way you want to after you strip him off his position as punishment."
Vegeta grunted at that as he considered Broly's words. He was too blinded by his own anger that he was unable to think about that in the first place. He begrudgingly admitted to himself that Broly was right and he mentally slapped himself for becoming too aggressive once again and immediately relented by controlling his own fury. He cleared his throat, angrily snatched his wrist from Broly's grasp, straightened himself up and turned his intensely domineering glare at Horenso as he harshly tossed him towards Broly, who quickly grabbed the Minister's forearms and cuffed them together with Ki Rings.
"Take this fool to the throne room immediately, Broly." The Crown Prince sternly commanded. "Raditz, have someone inform the members of the royal council that I am calling an emergency assembly at the throne room now. Tell them that if anybody is not in the throne room within the next five minutes then I will definitely hunt them down and drag them forcefully when I found them! Warn them not to make me wait for them unless they really want to feel my wrath as I personally drag them out! Bardock, have Kakarot tell my father to come to the throne room."
"Yes, your highness!" His Generals bowed down obediently and went to do as they were ordered.
Horenso laughed with mockery, "But don't think I'll be the only one to lose my position here! I'm bringing you down along with me, your highness." he confidently threatened.
Vegeta's hard gaze followed the Minister's path as Broly take him away, "Hmph! We'll see about that." he told him before he teleported himself to his private quarters to change to his royal armor.
Kakarot took Bulma to Malaka to be treated by the reptilian doctor. The royal doctor immediately tend to Bulma as soon as the Saiyan General brought her in. After he was able to find the fake order in her pocket, he heard of his father telling him the orders of the crown prince through his green lensed scouter on his left ear. He immediately teleported himself to Zorn to tell him of what happened. The King's attendant quickly went to the ruler's quarters with him to report the trouble.
"What do you mean Yon almost killed Minister Horenso?!" King Vegeta gasped in trepidation.
"Long story, your Majesty. You would know once you arrived in the throne room but please hurry up or his highness might go into another berserk rage." Kakarot said.
The anxious king let out a desperate sough as he turned around to take to his royal armor.
Since most of the councilmen were already outside talking to themselves about what was happening, Raditz was able to find them immediately. He thought he heard the Ministers of Finance, Kabu and Minister of Technology, Nasu say in a low voice, "Just as Horenso thought, he will definitely come to save the girl."
Raditz frowned to himself hearing those words. Do they know something about this? And how the hell did they know that Bulma is close to Prince Vegeta?
Paragus turned curiously at those words. Seems he has no idea what they meant at all. He was about to open his mouth to demand the two Ministers of what they know about what was happening when Raditz decided to show himself to the Ministers and told them of the crown prince's orders.
"Prince Vegeta's direct royal order is for me to tell all members of the royal council to come to the throne room at once for an emergency assembly. He also said that everyone should be at the throne room in the next four minutes or he will personally drag anyone absent to the throne room himself and that you wouldn't want to make him do it. Please hurry up and go prepare yourselves now."
The councilmen turned to look at each other anxiously.
"What is happening, General?" Paragus asked.
"My apologies but I cannot tell you. You should come to the throne room and see for yourself." Raditz responded before he turned around to return to his prince.
"Your highness! What has happened out there?" Nappa anxiously asked Vegeta as the prince came out of his palace wearing his royal crown prince's armor. Nappa hastily chased after him like his shadow.
"You'll find out once you arrived in the throne room, Nappa." Vegeta harshly replied. Raditz and Kakarot arrived and walked beside Nappa behind Vegeta.
"Uh, your highness. Here is the fake order you probably want to use as evidence." Kakarot said. Vegeta halted and took the blue envelope from Kakarot's hands without turning or looking back at his General. He opened the letter quickly and became very displeased to see his royal crown prince's seal and a handwriting similar to his written in golden ink over the dark blue scented paper.
His facial expression only turned colder with his rage but he didn't say anything about the letter. It made the three Saiyans gulped in fear at his silence. He continued to walk to the throne room without much words. His Generals followed him behind in trepidation.
All members of the Royal Council were present before the King and Crown Prince of all Saiyans in the throne room. The heir's four Generals stood in attention in front of him to protect him while Zorn was standing beside the king who was sitting in the new golden throne, a high back chair with a red velvet cushion at the center-front, elevated by a platform above a staircase that overlooked everyone in the throne room. Above the throne is a huge golden crest of the royal house of Planet Vegeta.
Prince Vegeta stood proudly on the right side of his father, glaring daggers at the Minister of Government Affairs. Horenso who was restrained on a metal chair at the center of the room, ropes made with purely concentrated ki tied him against the chair with his arms tightly shackled behind him, the ropes burning against his olive skin. Elite guards surrounded the criminal, armed with torture devices. The other members of the royal council stood in a line next to each other on either sides of the aisle before the throne, with Prime Minister Paragus on the throne's left side, standing closest to Zorn. All members looking at Horenso with wide eyes. What has this fool done for him to be arrested like this?
After assuring that all members of the royal court, the royal family and his witnesses are present, Prince Vegeta finally spoke in his cold, imperious tone.
"I have summoned all of you tonight to witness how I punish those who would dare defy my orders and to remind all of you once again what I am capable of doing to those who dared to go against me! As you can see, I ordered the arrest of the Minister of Government of Affairs, Horenso for several crimes he did. First, is his defiance of the decree I specifically made to protect those working in my palace. Second, is his attempt to sexually assault a member of my kitchen workers against her own wishes. And third is of releasing a fake order under my name using the seal of the royal crown prince in order to take advantage of my slave." He raised the fake letter Kakarot just surrendered him to show everyone. "I have a fourth reason. Treachery to the Royal Crown."
Horenso laughed, "Treachery? Tell me who's the traitor in here again. It has been a big talk across the palace that the blue haired bitch you assigned as your cook is a woman of your interest! You know it is against the law for a crown prince like yourself to have an intimate relationship with an alien slave!"
Everybody's eyes widened with outmost shock at Horenso's words. What does Horenso mean by the heir to the throne having an intimate relationship with an alien slave?
"Yon! Is his words true?!" King Vegeta demanded in disbelief. He looked quite aghast and angry at this revelation.
"What? Me? In an intimate relationship? Fah!" The prince spat bitterly. "I know the law very well, Horenso. Don't make me laugh! You used rumors to find some proof to dethrone me? That's low."
"Why? Your actions of rescuing the woman is my proof!" Horenso pressed.
Vegeta sneered back at the criminal, his lips twisted into a mocking grin. "That's all?"
"And the rumors! The witness!"
"Who is your witness, then?"
"Enough of this, Yon!" King Vegeta harshly cut in. "Regardless if it was true or not, you are not supposed to be rescuing a slave!"
Prince Vegeta spun around to face his father, driven to the outmost extreme of his rage. "Papa! I made a decree that all of those who work for me are protected under my power! That anyone who would dare to touch or endanger them would receive a gruesome punishment from me! Regardless who it was, be it Celerie or Malaka, I will have to deal with their offenders!" He roared with uncontrolled fury. He stabbed a finger on Horenso's direction. "This fool has attempted to rape one of my cooks! Saiyan law considered rape as one of the crimes punishable by death! Plus, he released a fake order under my name and using my royal seal to do this crime! All three of which are punishable by death! Because of this, Minister Horenso has to be stripped off his position!"
"Horenso is claiming that you are having an intimate relationship with this cook." Paragus pointed out. "How can you prove yourself that the rumors are not true at all?"
Vegeta was absolutely mad. How can he convince everyone that he did not rescue Bulma because he was having an affair with her? Well, he and Bulma were never in a deeper relationship other than being friends. He couldn't count it as being friends either when she didn't even know who he really was.
"I can attest to that, father." Broly proclaimed in his usual cool tone. "Prince Vegeta's reasons for rescuing the cook doesn't have to do with anything but the Slave Protection Decree he has made."
"How can you say that?" Paragus said.
"Because the woman has no idea who he is at all. I cannot call that an intimate relationship. They could see each other but as complete strangers or the likes of a master and his slave."
"Yes. Even if you try to ask her that, then she would deny she knows of him as well." Raditz said.
King Vegeta let out a breath as he looked at his son with pleading eyes. "Yon, tell me the truth." he begged.
The crown prince tilted his head on the side with gritted teeth and squinted his eyes, growling impatiently. His patience was running thin and he wanted to satisfy his desire to kill this lecherous bastard as soon as possible.
After a few moments of calming himself down, he lowered his head and let out the breath he was holding in. He opened his eyes and stared at his father, "It is true that I usually see this cook in a disguise in an effort to conceal my identity to her. I accompany her because I find her quite entertaining. But I can assure you that I feel no mutual feelings towards her as I only see her as my cook and a slave who serves me. Nothing more and nothing less than that." The crown prince coldly and truthfully declared. "You see, if the rumors are indeed true, why would I even let Horenso say it in front of the royal court instead of shutting his big mouth up for good? "
King Vegeta looked at his son and nodded in understanding, or rather, in submission. His son was right. He had the chance to make Horenso silent for what he knows but he was here being prosecuted in front of him. Even so, he could feel that his son was making excuses since he's been hearing the same rumors too but pretended not to hear them. He didn't want to push the issue even further as to not deal with his son's foul and murderous mood. He decided to talk about this matter some other time and in private.
"I see then," the King said. "Minister Horenso! How could you accuse the crown prince without much evidence? I'm disappointed!"
"What?! You think I'm lying?! There won't be any rumors if it isn't true!" Horenso immediately protested.
"Watch your mouth, you are talking to his Majesty!" Zorn warned harshly, which made Horenso quickly shut his mouth.
"The rumors you speak of were exaggerated and were only made to destroy me in order to find a fault that could be used to dethrone me." Vegeta said back.
Horenso's only reaction was to sneer back at him. This only made the king angered and he decided to deal with this traitor once and for all.
"Deal with Horenso's punishment the way you want it, Yon." the King ordered.
Vegeta turned his eyes to the Prime Minister who simply cleared his throat. "I second to your order, Your majesty." Paragus said to the king before he turned to the prince. "Your highness, please proceed with Horenso's punishment before the royal court."
Horenso's eyes widened in horror towards the Prime Minister's direction. He cannot believe that the Prime Minister just said those words!
"Don't look at me. You put the royal council's respected name in humiliation, you prurient fool. From now on, you are not a member of the royal council!" Paragus announced, which made Vegeta want to roll his eyes. The hypocrisy of this piece of trash is unbelievable!
Vegeta turned to the criminal before him and imperiously announced, "Then, Horenso, accept your punishment before the royal court and the royal family. After defying the crown prince's decree, rape attempts of my palace worker, and using the crown prince's royal seal and name to release a fake order, you are to be stripped off your position as Minister of Government Affairs. The Saiyan law that protects the royal court has also been removed along your title and for all the crimes you did, you are hereby punished by death under my command." Then he let out a menacing smirk.
"But as you all know, I do not have the mercy to give a swift and painless death. You are going to die slowly and painfully. Prepare yourself, for I will make sure that you are going to continuously scream in agony tonight," he said as he raised his right hand on his side. Dust rising around him as blue tendrils of electricity snapped off his fingers.
The night became filled with Horenso's agonizing screams as Vegeta slowly castrate him inch by bloody inch using an iron dagger he created using his ki. (With the same method he used with the iron sword in Episode 6). Having ordered a pleasure slave to arouse the wanton criminal, it only made his asexualization much excruciating as the cruel prince gradually slit his erected penis bit by fucking bit.
"Aaaaaaaah! Gyaaaaaah! Waaaaah!" Horenso's torturous screams reverberated through the air it probably could be heard for miles. The excruciating pain in his expression was unmistakable and Vegeta loved everything about it.
"Ah, how I missed hearing the agonized screams of those I tortured," Vegeta muttered in a distant tone. His face was cold and indifferent as he watched at what he was 'operating' with his seemingly soulless, crimson eyes.
"Fuck you! Curse you, monster!"
Horenso spat back with curses against the prince in between his agonizing screams, which made the prince's cold, scarlet gaze fall into him. Vegeta simply shut him up by forcing his hand over Horenso's mouth. His malevolent stare freezing the air in their surroundings.
"It's good to know that you've finally remembered what I truly am," The prince said icily, the tone he used was horribly deathly and unemotional. The hand he used to shut Horenso's mouth started to glow like a hot iron rod and the rapist let out a series of tormented muffled cries as he felt the skin of his face under the prince's hand begin to smolder.
Soon, the stone cold expression on the prince's face gradually changed as the corner of his lips crooked up in a broad, sinister grin and his red eyes glinted with sadistic delight. The next moment, the former minister's mouth burst as if a firework had just exploded on his face. Vegeta fired at it with a ki blast enough to render the former Minister from speaking coherent words. Blood, teeth, saliva and other disgusting bodily fluids ruptured from Horenso's face that immediately became like bitten fruit. A grisly hole was on his physiognomy, replacing his mouth and allowing to see the insides of his lower face. His earlier screams had turned into bloody gurgles and incoherent cries.
Vegeta tilted his head, looking over at his gory work with satisfaction as if it was his art masterpiece. He rolled his tongue across his lips and his malevolent smile grew more fiendish. Fresh blood was on his face, hands and his armor. He looked as terrifying as a real Grim Reaper, as if he was a demon that came from the deepest pit of hell who was looking for fresh blood to satisfy his unquenchable thirst.
"Your big mouth is annoying. Plus your ugly face makes me wanna puke everytime I see it. There, I have renovated it for you. It's my greatest pleasure to do so. Hehehe…!" He chuckled darkly before he threw his head back and cackled maniacally for a minute or two until he found that Horenso was about to lose his consciousness. The prince gently held the criminal's chin and said, "Hey, don't pass out on me yet. I'm not done having fun with you. Plus, your other operation isn't finish yet. You still have to endure it a little more. Well then, shall we continue before you decide to rest?" then he smiled as he continued with asexualiazing the criminal who could only cry out with agonizing howls and gurgles.
All other Saiyans within the throne room shrugged away as they quaked with terror and disgust at the brutal scene before them. It has been a long time since they last witnessed the Saiyan Crown Prince being this extremely ruthless and sadistic with his punishments. Most of the time, he would simply obliterate his victims with a potent blast without much ceremonies. But when he feels like he really wanted to satisfy his primal bloodlust, he would pleasure himself with his victims' racking screams as he slowly torture them to death. This is Vegeta's true nature, the one whom everyone feared the most. The most ruthless of them all. His inhuman cruelty was terrifyingly malevolent and beyond anyone's comprehension.
After completely removing the offending sexual organ, Vegeta unceremoniously picked it up and showed it to the horrified Horenso.
"Ah, since you like having sex so much, why don't I give you your last chance at pleasuring yourself, you filthy bastard?" he growled in a low voice.
The prince proceeded with putting it inch by inch inside Horenso's wrecked mouth and forced it down Horenso's throat until the criminal broke into seizures and choked to his death. The merciless royal enjoyed every bit of cruelty he did while those who stood around him were frozen in horror at the implacable scene in front of them. The heartless prince was sadistically cackling like a madman at his own brutality.
Vegeta wasn't impressed much when he sensed Horenso's last breath. That's all? Just as he was enjoying every bit of it this fool had to die that easily? He slowly turned his head over his shoulder to look at the petrified Saiyans behind him, who cautiously stepped back in trepidation. They had an uneasy feeling that their bloodthirsty prince didn't have enough with the bestiality he just inflicted and thought he was going to look for another victim to satisfy his bloodlust. He smirked smugly at the terrified looks he was receiving from the horrified councilmen. Ah, he liked that.
"Ho… What's the matter now? Finally reminded who you're going up against, huh?" he said with his typical haughty tone while he slowly raised his right hand with his palm facing the corpse of the perverted former Minister and released a potent blast that completely obliterated Horenso's remains. Oh, the fear upon their faces as he did that was completely intoxicating!
Vegeta let out a wide, cruel grin and chuckled evilly, "Good. That's good. Don't forget that feeling. Think well before you decide to do your move against me or you might end up with the same fate as your friend, right? Kabu? Nasu?" He turned his intense gaze at the Prime Minister before he turned around and imperiously declared.
"It seems to me that you were all forgetting just what I am truly capable of! May this incident serve as a reminder to all of those who would dare to oppose me! If you are foolish enough then I dare you! I will never show you any mercy and I will laugh as I slowly pull out all of your entrails and feed them to the Gushopeyas!" He darted his domineering eyes to each and everyone before him. "That's all. We're done here!" he finally announced as he regally walked out of the throne room while the remaining council members just stared back at him with mouths agape while the crown prince's Generals silently followed him out.
Once out of the throne room, Vegeta ordered for Nappa to prepare him a bath and a fresh set of his royal armor. He also commanded for Kakarot to check on Bulma for him and report through his scouter about her condition. He told Broly and Raditz to wait for him on his private quarters.
On the throne room, King Vegeta sighed heavily as he put his face over his hands and rest his elbows on the arm rest of his throne. He didn't know why he was feeling uncomfortable with the rumors about his son meeting an alien slave. Maybe he was being insecure after what happened to Tarble. He dismissed the royal court members and after he and Zorn were alone, he opened it up to his right hand man.
"I pretended not to hear the rumors but I am afraid that I doubt Yon's claims earlier. I have a feeling he was lying but I didn't speak much about it for it would only anger him even more. I wouldn't want to risk inciting his rage even further."
So the king didn't push the issue beyond because he saw that horrible temper his son was in and was afraid to provoke it even worse. The irate prince could have lose control and destroy them all.
"Is there anyway for me to assure that he won't end up becoming like Tarble?"
"Your Majesty," Zorn bowed down humbly. "The only way for you to assure that Prince Vegeta will not end up mating with an alien woman is to decide on his marriage soon. As the only heir to the throne of Planet Vegeta, he has to marry a Saiyan woman of noble blood. It is only you who can choose his rightful mate, your Majesty."
"It's still two years before he will be allowed to mate. It's too early for us to force him to marry someone just to secure his position as future king."
"Your Majesty, you can assure the crown prince's marriage if you will have him engaged to a worthy noble and powerful Saiyan lady." Zorn suggested. "If this happens, then the rumors would eventually die down. If not, then I'm afraid it would only bring disaster to the royal family's status."
"I never thought that I have to do this earlier than I expected. Knowing Yon's rebellious nature, it is going to be hard to make him obey if he truly likes this alien woman. I have no plans to kill the girl as it might upset him like Horenso just did. So I think your advice is the most efficient measure. Do you have any idea as to whom is a rightful one to become a future Saiyan crown princess?"
"There were only three daughters coming from the royal council's noble families, your Majesty. Karifura, Kale and Mizuno. We also have Queen Saya's cousin's daughter, Kinoko."
"Kinoko? Ah, I remember now. She used to come to the palace grounds to play with Yon and Tarble when they were kids. She only stopped coming around when Yon started to isolate himself after Saya's death. I wonder how she is now. Zorn, find a way for her to meet me and Yon."
"Yes, your Majesty."
Bloodshed always felt good to him especially when he was so angry and wanted to vent by killing people. Now that his thirst for blood has been satisfied after that grisly punishment he thrust upon Horenso, Prince Vegeta was in a state of blissfulness as he entered his bathroom after Nappa reported that his bath was ready. He washed his face on his bathroom's sink and after he was done with removing the blood off his face, he took off his clothings one by one starting from his royal armor and then his bloodied gloves, boots and blue jumpsuit, dropping everything on the tiled floor beneath his feet. He turned around and walked completely naked towards his bathtub and immersed himself on the water filled with fragrances. The water was warm on his tan skin, relaxing his tensed muscles. The remaining blood that had caked on his skin had melted away and all grime on his body had immediately been removed. He leaned on one side of the tub and closed his eyes in relaxation, a satisfied smile on his lips as he reminisced the fearful look on the council's faces after they were reminded of his true nature and the heart pounding ecstasy the sight of bloodshed he felt. Oh, it was so intoxicating that he could still feel the euphoria it brought him until now!
Vegeta opened his eyes when he was suddenly reminded of something. How did the council know about what he has been doing all along? Did they send a spy to stalk of him and his every move and report it to them? He also couldn't help but think that someone close to him was probably betraying him and that person was reporting of his activities to the royal council, one who knows of even his disguise as Sadara. Because it seems to him that Horenso has an idea even of those things. Could it be one of his Generals? Or his servants in his palace? Come to think of it, who was the messenger who gave Bulma the fake order? He could be the one who was betraying him.
There could only be one person he knows who could do that.
Broly.
He closed his eyes once again and concentrated his senses, he could hear Raditz talking to Broly about what happened with hushed voices. Despite their low voices, Vegeta could make out the words they were saying. Raditz was blaming himself for not following his own instincts when he doubted about the fake order and any of this couldn't have happen if only he had stopped her back then.
"I wonder if she saw him," Broly said in his usual emotionless tone.
"She was looking his way before she's lost consciousness. I think she did." Raditz said.
"She hit her head, we can use that as an excuse to doubt what she saw. Everyone could say that it was Prince Vegeta himself who saved her since the rumors about the incident earlier should spread like fire by now. The only way we could protect His Highness is by saying that Sadara was not with us and that he was on some errand the crown prince sent him."
"That could be. But still, would it be a lot easier for him to just tell her the truth?" Raditz said.
"That is if he's willing to sacrifice his friendship with her."
"But the more he keeps on hiding his true identity while seeing her, the more things get complicated for the both of them. It would be better if he reveals her the truth before something bad happens to them. If he keeps this up, not only His Highness will be in a risk of being dethroned but also the woman's life will be in great danger. Most especially now that the king and the council have an idea that he usually sees her. They could use it as means to dethrone his highness. If his Majesty would take this as a threat to his son, he would have Bulma killed. When that happens, I am afraid of what would become of Prince Vegeta." Raditz said.
Vegeta gradually opened his eyes, a look of sorrow replaced his earlier satisfaction. Hearing Raditz's conversation with Broly, he started to think of the consequences this incident brought to his and Bulma's camaraderie. If it was true that Bulma saw him as he rescued her from Horenso, and heard of the rumors that the Crown Prince saved her instead of Sadara, then she would start to doubt his identity. His only way to hide the truth is to show himself to her as Sadara and apologize for not being able to rescue her. If she says she saw Sadara then he could lie and use the excuse of her hitting her head for hallucinating. It would be easy for him to make her believe. Since he also has another excuse about Sadara's resemblance to the Saiyan Crown Prince as being the identical trait of the Saiyans. Most Saiyans look like each other even if they are not blood related but that's only according to the class a Saiyan belongs to. (Like how Turles looks identical to Kakarot and Bardock because the three of them belongs to the low class).
"The question in my mind is… Who was the one reporting his every move to my father and the council. It is certainly not me." Broly said.
"It could be someone close. We have to be on alert."
Vegeta rose from the water and stepped out of the tub. He flared his aura for a very short moment to dry himself. The moment he came out of his bathroom, his burly attendant immediately handed him over his clothes. He quickly dressed up into his fresh crown prince's armor and walked over his two conversing Generals who stood and bowed down in respect. The prince looked over at them, his eyes narrowing with suspicions as he concentrated his senses to feel any lapses to their ki. There was none.
"I was beginning to think who was the one reporting my activities to the council." he said. "It could be someone nearby. Someone working in my palace."
"We are also thinking of the same thing, your highness." Broly said.
"Perhaps, we could ask Bulma who was the Saiyan who gave her the fake order." Raditz suggested.
Vegeta considered Raditz's suggestion as he picked up his red lensed scouter and called Kakarot.
"Report," he ordered as soon as Kakarot answered his call.
"Bulma's stable now but still unconscious, your highness. Doctor Malaka said that she might wake up within two or three days." Kakarot informed.
"Alright then. Just keep watch at her for now. Do not leave her until she wakes up. Understand?"
"Yes, your highness."
"Also, if she wakes up and asked about what happened, tell her it wasn't Sadara who saved her."
"I understand, your highness."
"Inform me as soon as she wakes up."
"Yes, your highness."
Vegeta hung up after that. Raditz and Broly were looking over at him.
"So, are you planning to tell her the truth now?" Raditz asked.
Vegeta's gaze turned hard on his direction.
"Regardless if she begins to doubt you or not after she saw you rescuing her and the rumors about this incident, you must tell her soon. She'll eventually know the truth, your highness." Broly said.
"I was planning to tell her the night of the lantern festival but - " Vegeta said but stopped himself before he could tell them what happened. He shrugged uncomfortably, feeling a flush on his cheeks as he looked away and mumbled, "- something urgent came so I was not able to tell her the truth back then."
"This time you should tell her the truth. We have no idea if she did saw you or not, but please hear our pleas, your highness." Raditz said.
Vegeta contemplated his Generals' advices for a while. Overhearing their earlier conversations while he was in the bathtub, he was sure that these two were only concerned for his and Bulma's well being despite having their friendship on the stake.
"Fine, I will consider it." he said. After all, he did plan to tell her the truth once but only failed to do so because of her rash behavior.
"Thank you for hearing our advice, your highness." Raditz and Broly said.
"But before anything else, I would like to see her one last time as Sadara, in order to learn something about the traitor in my palace."
"Why not have Cabbe do it, your highness?" Raditz questioned.
"I'd like to personally question her. Also, I'd like to see her reaction if she learns it wasn't Sadara who saved her but me."
The next day, Vegeta was told by Zorn and Nappa that his father wanted to see him on the King's private quarters. So the crown prince came over his father's room.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived." Zorn announced. The king told his first born son to enter and the doors opened for the Saiyan Prince to come in. Prince Vegeta walked regally towards his father and sat on the cushion seat in front of him without even bothering to pay his respects to his sire.
"You want to see me, papa?" he said.
The king could only let out a breath at his son's disrespectful behavior. Even if they had settled their differences, the prince will never bow down before him. He didn't know if he should just let it slip this time or to tell him to start being respectful to him.
"I called you in here to discuss about your upcoming marriage, Yon." the King said blatantly. He figured out that being straightforward with his son would lessen the tension in between them.
The prince's eyes widened in horror upon hearing those words, "What?" he could only mutter out of shock.
"You heard it, boy. You are to be mated soon." King Vegeta said rather harshly, the prince could only blink at him. It was the first time his father used that firm tone again since they made up with each other.
"But I still have two years before I am allowed to mate." The prince said.
"I know that but your rash behavior had brought you this potential scandal. I've been hearing the rumors too but decided not to say anything about it. Seeing a slave every night in a disguise? You know very well a crown prince like yourself is not allowed to do such thing."
"I assured you that I feel no mutual feelings for her."
"I'm afraid I doubt that, Yon. I cannot allow you to do this too. Not after what happened to your brother."
"I'm different than Tarble, do not compare me to that pathetic child."
"Regardless of your slave protection decree, it was pretty obvious you really cared for the girl. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so mad last night."
"…" Vegeta was stumped at that. His eyebrows furrowed together as he scowled deeply.
"It was obvious by the way you reacted. Even so, if you truly did care for the woman, you should have known better than see her secretly at night. Now that everyone knows about it, you have placed her in great danger. If it was true that she has no idea who you truly are, then she has no idea her life would also be threatened because of your selfishness!"
"I… I don't… " Vegeta couldn't believe he was stuttering now. Did he ever thought of that? Was he really being selfish that he didn't even thought of the consequences of his own actions and how it would affect her? To him, it was only for the sake of entertaining himself that he sees Bulma every night. He couldn't care less of the rumors spreading wild like fire but how about her? The only thing he cared for was himself. That's why he couldn't tell her the truth of his true identity because he didn't want to lose her once she learned he was Prince Vegeta, the man she loathed the most. He didn't really care if she gets hurt emotionally or whatsoever. But then, why didn't he accept her feelings back in the lantern festival? He thought he cared for her because he didn't want to see her hurt. Or was it really because he didn't want to lose her?
"It's because of your impulsiveness that I have to come to this decision. This potential scandal you have caused could be used by the opposition as means to dethrone you! In order to secure your position as the Future King of the Saiyans and Planet Vegeta, I will have to issue the Marriage Restriction Order to choose your mate as soon as possible. This could rid of this trouble you did."
The Marriage Restriction Order will ban the marriage of all Saiyan ladies between ages fourteen to eighteen in order to select the rightful candidates to become the Princess Successor.
Vegeta's eyes turned cold at those words, looking up to his father with a defiant glare.
"No!" he declared.
"Stop being so defiant, Yon!" The king scolded. "You caused this problem and this is the only way to prevent you from doing an even greater trouble due to your impulsive behavior! You should have thought about this in the first place before you acted so selfishly!"
"Revoke your decision. I will deal with this problem by myself."
"How are you supposed to deal with this problem?!" the furious king roared.
Good question, the heir wondered to himself. Considering the situation at hand, he only had one choice. That is to rid himself of Bulma.
To rid himself of Bulma, he had two choices. The convenient way is for him to kill her. He'd rather kill her by himself than having his own father order her death or someone else do it for him. But would killing her in his own two hands get rid of his growing emotions for her or would it continue to bother him until his last breath?
He had a second choice, that is to let her to do it. He will rid of her because she will rid of him first. That's by revealing her the truth of his real identity. Her anger of him being the one who destroyed her life, her family and her home planet would rid of everything they shared together. To him, that was a more convenient choice for the both of them. Anger, hatred and bitterness would replace their mutual feelings and it would be easy for them to forget each other that way without any regrets.
Vegeta has made his decision. He had to do it after all. He cannot risk his pride and power when he had it all in his grasp just because of foolish emotions that would never be reciprocated. He had to. For if he continues this foolishness, he wouldn't just lose her but also everything he ever had. He knew he wouldn't want that.
"I will get rid of the woman. Rest assured that by this week, I will no longer see her." he told his father with unwavering determination.
The king's jaw dropped at that. How was the boy planning to get rid of the woman? He doubted that he would kill her himself, though that would be a better choice than to let her live.
"Fine, let's have a deal then. I will let you do as you wish but if you don't go to your word, I will issue the Marriage Restriction Order and choose your rightful mate whether you like it or not." the king said. "One week, Yon. Just one week. Do you understand?"
Vegeta didn't say anything as he rose from his seat and turned his heels to leave. He didn't even bother to bid his father goodbye.
The king watched at his son's back, feeling a new invisible wall being built once again in between them. He ran his hands over his face as he let out an anxious sigh. What was he supposed to do with this stubborn, rebellious brat?
The prince returned to his quarters with a terrible mood. Nappa was silently and hastily following behind him. He angrily sat on his cushion seat, a deep scowl over his stony features. He harshly told his attendant to get out for he wanted to be left alone. The burly General obediently did as he was commanded.
Once he was alone, the proud and ruthless prince broke down as he finally let his emotions out. Tears had fallen and an anguished cry resonated from his throat.
It's over.
He didn't know why he was hurting at the prospect of the consequences of his decision. He should have been prepared for it since the lantern festival, why the need to postpone the inevitable? It would only hurt much more if this goes on. Why the sudden regret and doubt? Why was he even angry when it was his own fault that it had come to this? Was he angry because after this he will be as empty and lonely just as the days before he met her? Or was it due to his shattered pride knowing that he was doing something so cowardly and being helpless for not being able to get her?
He wanted no one else to be by his side but his dearest little Bulma. No one else but her. But as powerful as he was, he cannot do anything to have her after everything he has done to cause her misery.
For the rest of the day, he isolated himself from the rest the world. He wanted to be left alone, to hide himself away from his people to prevent them from seeing his tears.
The next morning, Nappa had arrived to awaken the prince.
"Your highness, have you awaken?" Nappa asked by the door to the Crown Prince's bedroom.
After the several times he tried to call out, he became worried of the heir's well being and announced. "Your highness, I'm coming in. Please forgive my interruption."
The moment he opened the sliding door to the crown prince's bedroom, Nappa was taken by surprise at the mess he found on the crown prince's bed. Vegeta's royal armor laid over it but the prince was nowhere to be seen.
Nappa straightened himself as he let out a sigh, "Your highness, of course, you have awakened since you aren't here. I guess I should prepare myself for another round of scolding from his Majesty."
Vegeta received Kakarot's report that Bulma has finally awakened and was coming back to the palace. Wearing his black General's armor as Sadara, he patiently waited for their arrival on the palace's gate. Broly and Raditz stood beside him.
As soon as Bulma and Kakarot stepped inside the palace gates, Vegeta and Bulma looked into each other awkwardly. He silently told her to follow him inside a room in the palace. She followed him without saying anything though.
"The Crown Prince's order is for me to interrogate you about the Saiyan who gave you the fake order," he told her as he put out a sketch pad and a charcoal pencil. "But before anything else, how are you feeling?" he asked without even looking at her.
"I am feeling a little better now," Bulma muttered.
Vegeta stared at her and noticed how she was looking down on the table instead of looking back at him.
"Why aren't you looking at me now? Are you angry that I was not the one who saved you?" he asked.
Bulma didn't respond.
"It was your fault for being such an idiot! Didn't you even had the slightest suspicion of what's happening around you?! Why didn't you even fight back?! What's the use of me and Cabbe training you?! You should have ran away when things went bad! No, since you like biting people like some rabid dog, you should have bitten Horenso!" Sadara yelled.
"…"
When she didn't even respond after he teased her with being a dog, Vegeta waved his hand and mumbled, "Forget it, just tell me what the person who gave you the crown prince's fake order looks like."
It took a few moments before she finally said something.
"Sadara-sama," Bulma muttered again.
"What is it?" Sadara said, looking at her curiously.
"Horenso told me something… About you… I find it hard to believe his words. I don't believe him." she said.
Vegeta's brows furrowed together at that. "What did the fool tell you?" he inquired.
"He said that the crown prince was making a fool of me and that I do not know who you actually are."
"So?"
"Also, I heard that it was the crown prince who saved me from Horenso. But…"
"But what?"
"I saw you. I really saw that it was you who saved me. But everybody was telling me it wasn't you but that monster who saved me. Even Kakarot told me that you were sent by the crown prince to do his orders the time I was on a pinch of danger. He even said that I was only mistaken because you and Prince Vegeta looked quite similar. Please tell me, was it really the Crown Prince who saved me?"
Vegeta shrugged his shoulders and cleared his throat. Kakarot did a good job on doing his command. "You were right, Bulma. It wasn't me."
Bulma's eyes shot up to him in shock. "B-but… I'm… I'm sure of it. I'm certain that I saw you. I can't be mistaken."
"Bulma, Raditz told me that you hit your head hard. You were probably hallucinating that you were thinking that I was the one who saved you. It was really the Crown Prince, you should feel grateful." Vegeta told her firmly.
Bulma shook her head in disbelief.
"Now, let's get on to business. Tell me what the person who gave you the letter looked like. I want you to be specific."
"What are you now? A police officer? An artist?"
"I can be anything I want. Now, stop changing the topic and answer the damn question, woman!" he snapped at her.
Bulma described the tall and lanky palace guard who gave her that letter while Sadara sketched the image she was telling him. Vegeta immediately recognized him to be the palace guard in his quarters, Celerus. The same one he met on Citao's street eatery the night he first dated Bulma.
"Do you remember this guy? He was the one who Citao was being nice at the first time we ate at her eatery." Sadara said as he showed her his artwork.
Bulma looked at the picture Sadara just doodled and was amazed at how incredible his detailing was it could be mistaken as a black and white photograph and not a drawing. She could barely agree with Sadara's observation.
Vegeta noticed that after that small participation she gave him with this activity, she was still feeling very uncomfortable and suspicious of him.
"I'm sorry that it wasn't me who saved you." he told her in a low voice. "I'm also sorry that I told you to feel grateful that the crown prince saved you. You don't really have to do it if you don't want to."
He hurtfully realized that she will never see his act of kindness and be grateful to him. Her hatred of his true self was beyond anything else he could imagine.
"Why would he save me? It could be anyone else but him. Of all people, why him?" Bulma asked, her voice was unsteady with her emotions. She could not accept the fact that it was Prince Vegeta, the one she loathed the most, was the one who saved her. Someone whom she owed her life now. She would rather choose dying or being raped a thousand times rather than having owed the heartless monster who destroyed her entire life for saving her.
Why? She asked the same question Vegeta was asking himself since yesterday. He don't know the reason behind his anger at the time either. Even if he made the decree as an excuse, it still wasn't a good enough reason for him to use. Anyone could have saved her, he could have ordered Kakarot or Raditz to do it, but why did he save her personally? What force possessed him to do such a thing?
"Good question," Vegeta muttered. "I have no idea either."
He saw that she was truly ungrateful of him saving her life instead. How stubborn was her pride? It amazed him deep inside. She could have been more grateful if anyone else saved her but not him. She'd rather die than having her owed him with her life. It was what made him realize that he had enough.
"Bulma…"
She looked up to him, waiting.
"Come to the meadow tonight." he told her coldly. "You'll find out."
Vegeta quickly disappeared via Hibiktus as soon as he said those words. Bulma blinked her eyes in confusion. Find out what? The reason why Prince Vegeta saved her life?
Vegeta had ordered Celerus' arrest only to find out that the traitorous Palace Guard has never been seen since last night. He also received reports that the Saiyan was not on his home and that his family didn't know where he was. He suspected that the coward had ran off somewhere he couldn't possibly find. It made him so frustrated that he furiously commanded his men to search even the scourges of the galaxy.
When Vegeta tried using his Hibiktus to appear before the damn guard, knowing how he specifically looked like since he has already met him, his teleportation ability brought him to an empty dampsite. It was then he finally realized that the fool had been killed by someone before him. Someone who probably saw this coming. Someone from the Opposition in the Royal Council.
Vegeta returned to his palace, ordering to halt the search for Celerus because of what he just found out. He decided to let it off because he thinks it was good that someone else did the job for him. Whoever it was, he was grateful.
For now, he has to prepare himself for tonight's revelation. He reminded himself of the words he told himself the first time he was supposed to tell her the truth. Just be who he is. Not as Sadara, but as the Crown Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta. He told himself that this was his decision, and that no matter what happens after this, will no longer be his concern. It would be much better if she would reject him once she learned the truth, and then they would seperate their ways. Nothing can be done about whatever happened to the past after all. What matters most is that he will be able to protect her from the troubles he caused due to his rash behavior.
So when it was finally time for him to come to the meadow, he dressed in his royal armor, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, summoning his usual overconfidence from the depths of his strong and proud heart.
Goodbye, Sadara.
That's the last thing he ever thought as he opened his eyes. His form became engulfed with his energy as he disappeared to thin air, teleporting himself to his meadow.
It was late at night already, the two red and blue gibbous moons hung into the starry night sky with all their glorious beauty. The wind was cold and blowing softly against the tall, blue green grass of Diose Bejiita in the meadow. Bulma silently waited for Sadara to arrive as she watched at the stars above her. Thinking about the ridiculous thought of owing her life to the one who destroyed it in the first place. Remembering Sadara's words about dead loved ones looking over the living from the stars above them, she asked her family on what she was about to do now.
"I could never forgive him. I swore to myself that I will kill him when the day comes for me to meet him in person. But now I owe him my life? How absurd! Please tell me what am I to do now?"
Not far away, Vegeta silently strolled towards the meadow. As soon as he found her watching the stars alone, he immediately felt a sudden nervousness creeping in his chest. He shook his head to snap out of it immediately and regain his bearings. He's not a coward. He will do this no matter what.
He suddenly remembered Broly's words to him last night, "You must tell her soon. She'll eventually know the truth."
Several memories he spent with Bulma on this meadow abruptly came back to him.
"Do not trust anyone! Not even me!" That was what he told her the first night he brought her here. (Refer to Episode 4)
"What do you mean for me not to trust you? I thought you are my friend." Bulma asked that.
"Friends? Since when did we become that?"
"If we're not friends then what are we?"
"Are you trying to be a barber now? From the prince's protector, to a guard to part time cook to a nurse then an assistant librarian then a martial arts trainer and a barber. Seriously, what the hell are you?" Bulma asked him that too when she seemed to notice that he took a lot of jobs and that he does many things. (Refer to Episode 6)
"Heh! You wouldn't want to know." That was how he answered her. It was true. She wouldn't really want to know, but now she has to know it.
Their friendship has come to a point that it became more than that. He grew so fond of her that he fell into Limerence everytime he thought of her. (Refer to Episode 7)
She also fell for him, without even knowing who he really was. (Refer to Episode 8)
"I like you, Sadara-sama!" Those were the words that brought him back to reality. The words that urged him to stop this foolishness as soon as possible.
He will put an end to this once and for all and get on with their individual lives.
This happens now.
Vegeta walked regally towards the center of the meadow where Bulma stood with her back on him. Overwhelming confidence and high pride spoke volumes in his presence as he revealed himself from the darkness.
Bulma noticed the sound of his footsteps and turned around but was taken aback by the sight of him as he confidently strolled forward in his royal glory. Bulma gaped at him, completely mesmerized by his domineering presence. Damn, Sadara looked so good in those clothes. He looks like a real… royalty?
Once he was in front of her, the moonlight beamed over him as if it was a spotlight that illuminated his features to reveal his magnificent royal beauty. Bulma didn't even notice herself gaping at him the entire time.
"You once asked me what am I back when I was training you. Now, here I am standing before you in my true self." he said as his lips gave way to a wide smirk that made him look even more handsome. Bulma felt her heart flutter inside her chest at that look.
"I am Vegeta, the Crown Prince of all Saiyans and of Planet Vegeta."
