I started to become greedy
I wanted to live with you,
Grow old with you
Hold your wrinkled hands
And say how warm my life was
It was just one blessing
After that short encounter
You cried like the rain
I wanted to be Happy for once
But that made you cry
~I Will Go To You Like The First Snow by Ailee (Goblin OST)
Episode 16
How Much Can I Do?
News about the Royal Crown Prince being in a public theater dating his alien girlfriend spread like fire across the royal city. Some couldn't believe the prince was doing something that's against the Saiyan Law. Publicly dating an alien slave could get him dethroned after all. They became curious about the girl. A weak, powerless Earthling. How she was able to stay with their ruthless Crown Prince's side could only be due to him playing at her, some others presumed. She could be the reason why the Selection of the Princess Successor was done two years earlier than what the law states to prevent the people from knowing the truth about the rumors. And now, the truth has been unveiled and there's nothing to hide. Everybody also found out that Prince Vegeta and the Grim Reaper, Sadara are the same person now - and he's indeed dating an alien slave.
When Vegeta came out of the theater, he was immediately greeted by noisy public reporters bombarding him questions and cameras flashing on his face. Bulma was being overwhelmed by the publicity and the reporters took time to ask her questions as well. It was all too much for her. Kakarot and Raditz knew it's their fault this ended up to become this way, and Vegeta's silence was terrifying them to the core. The prince could snap, lose control and kill everybody any minute by now.
"Take her home, Kakarot." Vegeta sent to his General through telepathy. "Now…"
Kakarot turned to see Vegeta's hard expression as if he was trying his best to control himself from murdering everyone around and he nodded. "Yes, your highness." He said as he grabbed Bulma's arm to teleport her away but…
"The girl will come with us, General. It is his Majesty's order." General Zorn appeared along with the king's soldiers. The crowd immediately made way for the soldiers to march towards the Crown Prince. Kakarot stared at Vegeta inconveniently. Zorn and the soldiers bowed down before the royal heir who kept that displeased scowl on his expression while Kakarot and Raditz did a salute.
Zorn looked around and shouted to the people around them, "What are you all staring at?! You are at the presence of the Royal Crown Prince! How dare you take pictures and ask him questions directly as if you're talking to some celebrity?! How dare you act so brashly and improper in front of his highness! Get down to your knees!"
The reporters, cameramen and paparazzis immediately halted what they were doing and fell into their knees. Zorn ordered the other soldiers to confiscate all cameras and technology belonging to the people around them and destroy them completely. The people helplessly surrendered their materials to the soldiers. Vegeta watched at them with a remorseless gaze before he turned his cold, dark eyes to his father's General.
"What are you doing in here, General?" he imperiously demanded Zorn.
"Your highness," Zorn put his head down for a moment. "You must return to the Royal Palace immediately. His Majesty wishes to see you as soon as possible. He also ordered the arrest of Bulma Briefs." Zorn gave the soldiers the signal to take Bulma away from Kakarot's grasp.
"What?" Vegeta muttered, watching as the soldiers grab Bulma by her arm.
"Eh? W-W-Why am I being arrested? Let me go!" Bulma protested as she squirmed in defiance of the Saiyan guards touching her.
"You are to be taken to prison for the scandals you were involved with his royal highness, which threatens the foundation of the Royal House."
"Eh?! You can't be serious! I… I was just following his orders!" Bulma protested.
"Stop that right now and let her go! I will deal with my father myself!" The prince commanded harshly.
"Your highness, this is his Majesty's royal order and his word stands more absolute than yours no matter how powerful you are! If you continue to defy him and the law then the woman would suffer the consequences and might end up to her death!" Zorn shouted. Bulma fell into silence at his words and gulped fearfully.
Vegeta's rage boiled at his words and he shot a threatening glare at his father's right hand man, causing Zorn to shut up. "How dare you talk back to me that way?!" he uttered in a dangerously icy tone.
Zorn fell silent for a few moments upon realizing what he just did. "My apologies, your highness." he said after a while as he bowed down humbly. "But like I said, this is his Majesty's royal orders."
"I don't care if these are my father's orders or not! I am commanding you to let the woman go now or I'll make you suffer the consequences of defying my royal command!"
Zorn sighed, "I expected that you would say those words given how rebellious you are, your highness. But orders are orders. I'm sorry."
Out of the blue, Zorn did an unexpected attack on the Saiyan Prince. A chemical aerosol that temporarily stuns any Saiyan. This technique is used to restrain Saiyans going berserk or having a hard time with controlling their powers. Surprised, Vegeta staggered backwards and Zorn quickly grabbed his left forearm to lock a ki restrainer in the form of a golden bangle into his left wrist. Vegeta gasped as soon as he sensed his ki being forcefully restrained by the bangle and he glared at his father's right hand man.
"Why you..!" Vegeta seethed with boiling ire as he tried to pull the bangle off his wrist with his other hand using his strength but was unable to pry it off. "How dare you do this to me?!"
"His Majesty's order is to take you to him immediately. If you resist, we are commanded to use whatever is necessary to restrain you from using your powers to cause more trouble. We just know you'll try to fight back to save the girl. Once she's taken to prison and you are done with your meeting with his Majesty, we may free you from being restrained." Zorn said. He turned to his men and gave them the signal to take Bulma away. She tried to protest again, and cries at how unfair it was for her.
"Please let me go! Let me go! It's not my fault! I was only forced to join him here because he ordered me to do so! This is unfair!"
Vegeta watched at her and stepped up but Zorn immediately stopped him.
"Don't try anything foolish, your highness. If you step up for her this time, she'll suffer more. Even if you command your Generals to do your work, they will be severely punished as well for defying the orders of the King. Just come with us and you might just save her."
Vegeta glared at Zorn with his most threatening glare. "I'll make you pay for this, General. Mark my words." he growled before he stormed out of the mall, followed by the three Generals and soldiers.
~=o-O-o=~
Once at the Royal Palace, Vegeta wasted no time and went to his father to plead for Bulma's freedom. She was sent to prison immediately while Raditz and Kakarot were with Nappa and Broly outside the King's Palace where the two rulers argued.
"How could you arrest my subject without further investigation?! It was my direct order for her to join me with watching that movie!" the Crown Prince bellowed as soon as he was in front of his father.
"Your direct orders or not, you still broke the law, Yon! You have dishonored the royal house by going on a public place dating with an alien slave! What the hell were you thinking?! You've been doing this on a disguise right from the start, and now the entire kingdom knows of your irresponsible acts! I warned you already about this and yet, you still kept your excuses! You even told me that you would rid of her and yet you said you wanted to keep her to watch at her if she is indeed a rebel or not! I agreed for you to keep her as your niehre because of what you said! Publicly dating her is out of our deal, boy! She shall be punished according to law for threatening the stability of the Royal family! Plus, she will undergo investigations of the Ministry of Justice to find out if she is indeed part of the rebels!" The King asserted.
"Papa! You can't be serious! All she did was obey an order given to her by the Royal Crown Prince! Punish me as you wish for my insolence and selfishness, just let the innocent girl go!" The completely upset royal heir argued.
The only punishment for the Crown Prince's crimes is dethronement but the king wouldn't allow that to happen. Not when Prince Vegeta is the best warrior of their kind!
"Stop that this instant, boy!" The furious king hissed. "Until the Selection of the Crown Princess is done, you are to be grounded within your palace and is prohibited to take a step out of the palace grounds unless I ordered for your presence! Your ki shall be kept restrained until then as well! As for the woman, I will face her personally after your fiancé has been chosen."
"Papa! Set her free! She had nothing to do with this! It was I who forced her to do what I want!" The Crown Prince pleaded.
King Vegeta stomped his feet as he roared indignantly, "Shut up! I told you to stop it! I don't care if you ordered her or not! The thing is I have to punish her to prevent you from being dethroned! It would greatly affect the stability of the Saiyan Empire and the people would be outraged if I don't do anything about this scandal you so carelessly made! Nappa! Take the Crown Prince back and lock him on his quarters!" the King ordered.
"Y-Yes, your Majesty!" Nappa immediately entered to do as the ruler ordered but the adamant prince defied quickly.
"Don't you dare, Nappa!" he snarled warningly, giving his burly attendant a deadly glare.
"Yon! If you continue this stubbornness I will bestow greater punishment to the woman! Just do as I say before I decide to order her death!" The king shouted. Seeing that Prince Vegeta doesn't seem to care much about his position as Crown Prince, the King decided to threaten the woman instead. He guessed it could be the only way for him to control his son's unbelievable obdurate attitude. He immediately received a menacing look from his heir as soon as he dared to threaten her life. His heart sank with terror but he had to use his authority to save his son from dethronement. He will not have Prince Vegeta's crown be taken away from him just like that due to his son's loftiness. The king glared back, refusing to be toppled by his first born's direful ire.
"Don't look at me like that, boy! I told you to think before you act and yet you continue this selfish actions! Also, did you honestly think I have forgotten how you stole our heirloom in my collection just for you to trade it with whatever useless thing you want in the merchant's ship?! Get on your feet and return to your palace with Nappa. Now!" the King barked.
The prince fell silent, showing his guilt with stealing his father's ancient sword. He was torn between obeying his father or fall to his knees and beg for his mercy. But then, if he does that second idea, it could only make matters worse for Bulma. He turned away, feeling disgruntled at the unfairness of it all as he stepped out of his father's chambers with Nappa, Kakarot and Raditz tailing behind him.
With his ki being restrained by the golden band Zorn had locked around his left wrist, he couldn't make use of his powers to act on a rampage so he could get his father's attention and get what he wants. He was completely irked at his father's decision to imprison Bulma and lock him in the palace. He just stomped his way back to his private quarters, his indignation obvious with the scornful look on his face. His father was being unfair! It doesn't matter to him how he will be punished for not abiding palace laws but having Bulma punished instead of him doesn't feel right at all!
Once again, his hatred and bitterness of his father returned. He knows his father was doing this to secure the throne for him but he shouldn't do something so unjustly just because of that!
The King has ordered that no one, aside from Nappa, shall visit the Crown Prince until the Selection is done. He knew he flared his son's ire towards him once again and this might cause another problem with their relationship as father and son. He hoped Prince Vegeta could someday understand why he's doing this.
~=o-O-o=~
"Let go! Let me go! I said let me go!" A desperate woman fussed as two burly Saiyan soldiers dragged her to a dark hallway only lit by torches on the wall.
Bulma was violently hurled by the cruel Saiyan soldiers inside a prison cell, causing her to stumble and roll on the dried straws filling the concrete floor. She shot a glare on the two soldiers who locked the metal rails and activated some kind of electric barrier on it before leaving.
"Hey wait!" she cried out after them but they ignored her pleas. She was left alone in this cold prison, completely innocent of her crime. Why must she get arrested for just following Vegeta's stupid demands for a date?! She didn't want to go with him at all and yet he was the one who forced the date to go on and drag her out of the blue! This is all his fault! She shouldn't let him do this to her! Now, she's imprisoned because of him and she wondered about how worried her family would be if she doesn't go home tonight.
She curled down on the floor, tears falling upon her eyes due to her anger. It's just so unfair!
So unfair!
~=o-O-o=~
A lone Saiyan boy who looked like a twelve year old, sprawled flat on a rooftop. He silently observed his target on his hiding spot. The electromagnetic ray gun set on his hand was ridiculously huge and heavily built for a boy like him to be carrying around. It was called the 'Atomic Destroyer', a super-powered electromagnetic laser gun developed and used by the Atijebu Military, a top secret army made for Training Mission Purposes.
Tonight is the 8879th Mission and the boy's mission is to successfully kill his target.
A kilometer away in front of him strolled a fourteen year old Saiyan on the way to his training ground. Every night he would come to this place with the purpose to satisfy the innate bloodlust he tried so hard to contain during his working hour. Now is the time for another bloodfeast that would surely make him grow stronger.
The Saiyan boy on the roof scowled deeply, gazing at the other Saiyan below him through the scope of his weapon and focusing its aim on the target. He knew he was attacking using dirty tricks and deep inside, he hated resorting into this cheap and cowardly tactic of a surprise attack. He knew he had no chance of winning if he just oppose the larger Saiyan face to face. That was the mistake his comrades did when they tried to kill this Saiyan themselves and failed miserably. He thought resorting to attacking the target through his blind spot and completely unguarded would finally kill him.
The target has never lost a real fight even once. All of his battles according to the data were victories, and he was continuously growing stronger and stronger every night. The boy dreadfully realized that if this Saiyan continued to grow stronger then he might truly become the Legendary Super Saiyan and truly surpass the rightful and prophesied to become one.
The boy gritted his teeth, feeling angry at the thought. He doesn't want anyone to become more powerful than the prophesied one and steal what was rightfully his. The thought of that despicable Saiyan claiming the title of being the Legendary irked the boy so much that he wanted to finish this quickly. He scowled once again, focused his aim at the center of his target's forehead. A single headshot would destroy this traitor!
The other Saiyan stared at the empty training field. It seemed to him that his training partner didn't show up today. He just stood there with a bored expression, wondering about something.
Destroy the Legendary Super Saiyan.
The boy's finger raised towards the trigger and without any hesitation, pulled it. A thunderous roar ripped through the sky and a potent green blast of energy fired from the Atomic Destroyer's muzzle towards the completely unaware Saiyan below.
But…
The blast collided with a green barrier that suddenly engulfed the other Saiyan's form and the next instant, rebounded back to the boy's direction.
"What?!" The boy dreadfully squeaked when he realized what just happened. He staggered backwards, nearly avoiding the deadly blast of energy that would have destroyed him completely.
Frozen with his terror and humiliation at his failure, he turned his dilated, fearful eyes below and found the other Saiyan glaring at his direction with murderous intent.
Without thinking, the boy turned around to at least, try to prolong his remaining life for a moment. He had no other chance to defeat such a monster after all and it was foolish of him to confidently think that he will be able to finish the job.
Within the blink of an eye, their roles had been completely reversed. The hunter who was hunting his prey earlier is the one being hunted now. The boy dashed through the hallway and was immediately met by the mastermind of this brutal survival game.
"How foolish of you to dare to incur the Legendary Super Saiyan's wrath? Do you think you can easily kill him by a surprise attack?"
The boy stepped back at the sight of the newcomer and glared. He hated this man. It was due to this man's selfish ambitions that his comrades are being murdered by the other Saiyan who was chasing him.
He only stopped when he hit into his hunter. He turned around to find the towering figure of the mastermind's offspring right before him. The giant Saiyan's power was building and rising, his body and his hair glowed a bright neon green color.
As the enormous hunter grabbed him by the jaw and effortlessly lifted him up, the boy's last thoughts were of his other comrade, who their leader sent on a secret mission to gain the attention of the Saiyan Royal Crown Prince.
"Please help us, Ouji-sama…"
~=o-O-o=~
It was already late at night when the guards at the Crown Prince's royal palace were disrupted by a sudden commotion. They found who they thought was the Crown Prince running around the hallways and escaping out of the palace grounds. Nappa and the guards went after their troublesome prince who flew somewhere and disappeared like some ghost.
Meanwhile, Vegeta, who was trying to sleep on his bed, was jolted up by the noise and he found a crumpled piece of paper fall on the window. He took the paper to unfold it and read, "I distracted them for you. You may come and visit the woman but be quick before His Majesty or anyone else notices."
He looked around for a moment, wondering who did this thing. He smirked and silently thanked the stranger for this unexpected help. He pulled his Grim Reaper's cloak on and silently dashed towards the prison where Bulma was put into. He was confused when he found out that the guards were cleared out of his path as if the mysterious person did him this favor.
Bulma looked up at him angrily as soon as she found him in front of her. He stole the keys from an unconscious guard and unlocked the rails and the electric barrier that surrounded the prison. He came inside and locked the rails once again but didn't activate the barrier at all. Ignoring the furious look he was receiving from the woman, he stepped towards her and sat next to her.
"What do you think you're doing in here?" Bulma demanded angrily, sending him a furious glare.
Vegeta unceremoniously threw the keys out of the prison before he replied "Punishing myself for what I did."
"Why would you do that?!" Bulma thought he was crazy.
"I am the Crown Prince. I am allowed to punish anyone and decide how I'll punish them. So I am punishing myself and imprisoning myself with you."
Bulma rolled her eyes at him, "Tch! So now, you are a convict?"
"My powers have been restrained by this device Zorn has put on my left wrist. I'm pretty sure my strength is also affected by it. My father told me I would keep it until the Selection is over. That's alright with me, though. So long as I pay the price for my foolishness. I'm sorry that I dragged you into this mess."
"Hmph! You really should be sorry!" Bulma huffed as she looked away with a frown.
Vegeta didn't say a word for half a minute though.
"I feel bad it ended this way. I was supposed to take you somewhere really cool after the movie and then… I give you something. Oh well, I guess I'll do that some other time." He finally said after that silence.
"If there will be next time!" Bulma angrily barked and then she turned her head away.
Vegeta flinched at her harsh words, and turned his head to stare at the furious girl, "I see you're not happy with seeing me today."
"Am I supposed to be happy to see the reason why I'm being thrown in here when I'm innocent?!" she retorted without looking at him.
"Don't worry. I'm sure you were just thrown in here to keep you locked in until the Selection is over." Vegeta assured her.
She looked at him finally, "And how long am I going to stay in here?" she demanded.
"For a while." The prince responded. Bulma's glare turned more indignant. "But I will find a way to release you as soon as possible. It would only get you and your family into greater trouble if I allow you to escape now so you'll have to wait for a while and I will seek your freedom in a proper way." he said before she could rant.
"Can you really do that?" Bulma asked, not sure if she should trust him or not.
"Tch! Who do you think are you talking to? I am the Crown Prince of all Saiyans and this entire planet and I can do anything I wish to do!" Vegeta snorted with pride.
"Are you really allowed to defy palace laws and abuse your authority as Crown Prince?"
"I can defy all laws because I make them! I may use my almighty authority as Crown Prince because I'm the great Vegeta-sama!"
Bulma finally laughed a hearty laugh. The conceitedness of this man never failed to astound her. His jokes had somehow taken away her anger of him.
Vegeta made a childish pout, looking as if he was offended, "Why are you laughing? I'm being serious in here."
"And yet you were being punished for defying the palace law." Bulma reminded him, stifling her laughter.
"Like I said, I was the one punishing myself. No one else may punish me for defying laws. Why? Because I'm Vegeta-sama!"
"Hahahahaha!" Bulma laughed once again. Him and his vain jokes could easily lighten up the atmosphere in between them.
Vegeta finally smiled and laughed with her. It was almost the same light hearted laughter they shared back then when they were in his meadow, back when she knew nothing about who he is. Ahh~… Those good old memories… They stared at the railings in front of them for a while in silence until he spoke again.
"Don't be afraid. I swore that I will fight for you. I know it wouldn't be an easy fight but I never know how to give up. Just put your faith on me and don't ever let go. Okay?"
Bulma stared him for a moment before she stressed, "I know we gave this relationship another chance after all the lies had been cleared. But what if it still doesn't work?"
The prince reassured her with a warm smile, "You worry a lot, woman. I just told you to put your faith on me."
"I know you are a strong man. But even the strongest isn't almighty. What if it comes to a point when I can't hold on any longer? What if I let you go?" she tested.
Vegeta immediately frowned at her words, feeling affronted at her pessimistic words.
"Then I'll let you go." He responded bluntly, looking away. "I told you I won't give up but if you'll be the one to do it then I'll let you go. For real once that happens." he abruptly stood up, deciding to leave. Bulma finally noticed his anger and immediately relented.
"Vegeta." she called before he could leave.
"What?" he snapped at her, looking back at her irately.
She gave him a forced smile as she took his hand on hers, relenting "Thank you. I'll do my best."
That melted away his anger and his expression shifted as he smirked mischievously. "You should be. Remember that you are in a relationship with the best man this universe could offer. You should be proud."
Bulma chuckled. "Yeah. Sure. Sure."
~=o-O-o=~
The following morning, King Vegeta discussed the matter with the royal council. As expected, Prime Minister Paragus immediately suggested Prince Vegeta's dethronement for defying royal laws.
"A Saiyan of royal blood is not allowed to show emotions of affection towards another being in public. It is considered a disgrace and betrayal to the Royal House, most especially if it turns out to be an alien slave. Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's rebellious nature has always been a problem. He's known to defy palace laws under that horrible disguise and yet you continued to remain blind and ignorant with it. However, this time won't be ignored as the public already knew of his defiance! It is only rightful that the Crown Prince be dethroned from his position as the heir to the throne!" The Prime Minister declared.
The king was furious at Paragus' suggestion and yet he knew the Prime Minister was correct. However, he cannot allow the crown be taken away because of his own heir's foolishness. "No! I will not allow it!" King Vegeta roared as he slammed his fists on the armrest of his throne.
"Your Majesty, the people are completely outraged by Prince Vegeta's inappropriate actions. Even if we select the Crown Princess now, it is very impossible to save him from this scandal." Kabu disagreed.
King Vegeta seethed with rage at such absurd advices. "Then I will do whatever it takes to put an end to this outrage! I will select the Crown Princess soon and deal with Yon's stubbornness in some other way! I will not allow his dethronement! Never! The people must have forgotten about the prophecy! Yon is the one to become the Legendary Super Saiyan and save us from the Galactic Empire! I will not allow anyone or anything like some absurd scandal take away his rightful place! Minister of Rites, Daizu! Present to me the three finalists for the Selection by tomorrow!"
"Y-Yes, your Majesty." Daizu responded in a timid voice.
The Royal Council realized that the king must have been influenced by the late Queen Saya and Prince Vegeta's unacceptable persistence. This family could truly be crazy!
"I say no, your Majesty!" Paragus argued.
The king turned to the Prime Minister with a furious glare, "What did you say?! Are you defying my royal command?!" he enunciated in a threatening tone.
"That is true." Paragus gibed. "How can we defy your royal command? After all, we are just your advisors. But not considering the Minister's proposals isn't how a king should behave! Your Majesty, the people have already spoken! They believed that if Prince Vegeta were to become the Future King, even if he is the most powerful among all of us, his rebellious and irresponsible behavior would cause the fall of the Saiyan Empire! Most especially if we are suspicious of the girl being part of the alien rebels. If you continue to protect your uncontrollable first born then you shall lose the people's trust in you. A king cannot rule his people if the people does not follow him."
"Shut up!" The king warned, abruptly rising from his throne. It effectively made Paragus shut up. He knew Paragus was right about his words though but he cannot have his only remaining heir be dethroned and let the opposition win. "What do you think is the reason why I had the woman arrested? Yon is my only rightful heir! He could be a troublesome and haughty brat yet he is young, immature and foolish! We all know if he takes things seriously, he could become a great ruler like what we expected him to be! Do not forget he is the prophesied one to become the Legendary Super Saiyan!"
"Prophecies can change, your Majesty. He cannot become the Super Saiyan of Legend if he continues to become this soft and an absolute disgrace as a Saiyan warrior." Paragus countered.
"Shall we put that to a test, Paragus?" The King challenged, having enough of Paragus' nonsense. Despite noticing the change in Vegeta's ruthlessness these past few days, the king cannot allow his son to be called a disgrace.
"Minister of Strategy! Set the Annual Power Assessment and have the Crown Prince be the first to be evaluated through a match!" The furious king commanded.
The 'Annual Power Assessment' is a yearly evaluation event on Planet Vegeta that determines a Saiyan's Battle Power Level and Abilities, and their Warrior Class Ranking. There were originally three current class ranks, the Low Class Warriors (Levels 0-1500 karos), the Middle Class Warriors (Levels 1500- 5000 karos), and the Elites (Levels 5000-10000 karos). A new rank has been added after the birth of Prince Vegeta, whose newborn power level has surpassed that of an Elite and his own father's current power level. They called it the Super Elite, and having the power level of above ten thousand karos. In the 1.5 million population of the entire Saiyan Race, 60% of the Saiyans are ranked as Low Class, 38% are middle class and the rest 1.9999994% are Elites.
"As you wish, your Majesty." responded the Minister of Strategy.
The other Ministers' eyes went wide in horror while Paragus couldn't help the smirk on his face at the King's foolishness. He got caught in his trap. Now that the Annual Power Assessment will be set, it is time to show everyone just how much disgrace the Crown Prince turned out to be. He couldn't wait to see the pride of that arrogant fool be shattered to pieces when he came face to face with his match!
~=o-O-o=~
Raditz and Kakarot waited outside the throne room until the Royal Assembly was done. As soon as the ruler of the Saiyans came out, the two fell to their knees and Raditz cried out, "Your Majesty! I beseech of you to please let go of his highness and Bulma Briefs! It's all my fault, it was I who deserved to be punished!"
The King who ignored the two Generals at first glance, halted his steps and without turning to his son's loyal subjects, demanded, "What are you saying, General?"
"I-It was m-m-my suggestion, your Majesty. I suggested that the Crown Prince take her on a date at the public theater." Raditz confessed.
"And it's because of my actions that he came up with that idea." Kakarot admitted.
The King finally turned to them with an indignant glare. He immediately commanded Zorn to put the two guards on prison.
~=o-O-o=~
"What did you say?! Even Raditz and Kakarot were sent to prison?!" Prince Vegeta bleated at Nappa's report. He was able to return on time before his father or anyone notices that he's missing. But then, it seems that nobody ever noticed a thing at all. Nappa's reports didn't please him.
"They admitted that it was their suggestion that you went out with her and it was because of them that you two were busted in the public theater. Maybe they thought it would save you and Bulma the trouble." Nappa explained.
"Those damn fools! They just made matters worse! My father wouldn't be pleased with me listening to their absurd suggestions! And now they added to the list of people I needed to plead for!"
The prince furiously paced back and forth, "You said Paragus has once again suggested my dethronement." he rasped.
"Yes, your highness."
The prince sighed. How does a prince watching a movie in a public theater with his niehre relate to the kingdom's future anyways? They might be worried about the next heir being an alien half-breed.
"Paragus, that sneaky bastard…" Prince Vegeta growled. "Just as I thought, he'll use this scandal as a chance to make his move. I'm quite surprised that my father didn't give in though."
"Of course, your highness. He always wanted to secure your position as the rightful future king. That's just how much he cared for you. He tried to cover up your crimes and ignore your defiance as much as possible, associating your actions with being a hot blooded teenager you really are. However, this time, there was no way to hide it any longer since it has been publicized. His only chance to save you is by Selecting the Crown Princess as soon as possible and rid of Bulma."
"Is it true that the people are completely outraged or was it all just a fraud set by the opposition to make my father worry and force him to do as they say?"
"Not much outrage but they are indeed in shock, your highness. Some also think that if you continue to be this way, then the kingdom's future may become hopeless. They even think you've grown soft and that your ruthless reputation is now questionable. They think Bulma is the reason why you'll fail the Saiyan Kingdom and they wanted to execute her."
"Hopeless, huh?" Vegeta sneered, halting his steps. It was obvious he was unimpressed with the low opinion of the royal court and his people about the scandal he just did. "Sometimes, it's easy for those brainless fools to criticize something they clearly know nothing about. Damn it! I wanted to kill them all for their insolence!"
Nappa stared at the raging prince, trying his hardest to suppress the terror he felt when he heard the prince say those things in a voice seething with wrath and bloodlust. He knew that even without his ki, Prince Vegeta is capable to go through his plan to murder given his immense knowledge of weaponry and battle tactics. That's what made him the most dangerous warrior in the universe.
The furious prince turned to his attendant, "Once I am free of these damn restraints, everyone shall be reminded of the fearsomeness of the Legendary Destroyer!" Vegeta swore through his clenched teeth.
"Your highness, You must control yourself. If you go berserk and threaten the Kingdom with your power just because of the scandal then you really might get dethroned!" Nappa fretted.
"How dare they doubt my capabilities as a ruler and as a warrior?! They talk about my scandals, presume I'm losing my edge and going soft but they don't remember how I can destroy them so easily! What the fuck is wrong with these fools?! Have they completely forgotten what I am capable of doing? I just destroyed an entire galaxy more than a week ago!" The heir retaliated heatedly.
Nappa shrugged his shoulders and mumbled, "Well, not everybody knows about that. Most Saiyans might have turned into uncontrollable Oozarus and lost their senses of themselves that night. They won't even care about that if they're busy going wild."
"Well, damn it all!" Vegeta snapped, wondering if he should perform another galactic destruction show for them to be reminded of his overwhelming power.
"But that's exactly what his Majesty was trying to tell the royal court about. However, there's no telling the people about what you did with that Galaxy two weeks ago. These people may not believe until they see you giving them proof. His Majesty thought that aside from choosing the upcoming Crown Princess, he'll need something else to divert the people's talk away from the scandal into something else that would remind them of your reputation as the most powerful among all Saiyans. That is why he ordered the Annual Power Assessment to be set with in one month. There will be an evaluation match set up for you to test your power as you shall be the first to undergo the evaluation. This will be publicly announced and televised so everyone on Planet Vegeta would see your power." The burly attendant explained.
"Tch! Who would they put up against me again if I'm the strongest being on this planet?" The prince bitterly sneered. "I hope they hire some aliens who'll last at least ten minutes against me. Even so, who'll be suicidal enough to challenge my greatness?"
"Prime Minister Paragus suggested he'll find someone. I have no idea who he was talking about though." Nappa reported.
"Paragus? Really?"
"Yes, your highness."
The Crown Prince wondered who Paragus would put up against him. Will it be worth his time? He smirked, that man could find anyone capable of killing him anyways. "Well, isn't that interesting?" he smiled malevolently. "I'll look forward into meeting these warriors who Paragus think could defeat me! Tell the CPRD to continue building the Gravity Simulator Project even without me or Bulma."
"Yes, your highness."
~=o-O-o=~
"Yo!"
Bulma heard Kakarot's cheerful voice greet her from the prison next to her. She turned her head to find both Raditz and Kakarot in there.
"You two! What are you doing in here?" Bulma asked, surprised.
Kakarot grinned sheepishly, "Well, we got punished by his Majesty for admitting that we're at fault in this scandal. We're sorry we put you into this trouble."
"What do you mean?" Bulma inquired in puzzlement.
"Don't you remember? We are the reason why Vegeta was busted from his disguise in the public theater. We thought admitting the truth would set you free from this prison and prevent Vegeta's dethronement but it looks like we're wrong."
"W-What? Dethronement?" Bulma gasped, concerned.
"Prince Vegeta defied palace laws by going out of the palace to date an alien commoner in public under a disguise. It is forbidden for a Saiyan of Royal blood to have affections for anyone, especially an alien commoner, and publicly show it." Raditz explained.
Bulma wasn't listening to Raditz's words anymore. So that's the reason why Vegeta denied her confession back in the lantern festival. It was true that he was not allowed to love anyone. No wonder why he felt lonely and became a troublemaker. It may look like he was some happy-go-lucky man with his jokes and all but she always had a feeling he was hiding his loneliness through his laughter. And because of her, he defied that law and still pursued her.
"Vegeta…" she thought grimly.
~=o-O-o=~
The Saiyan Crown Prince quietly nibbled through the dinner Nappa and his servants had brought in his private room. The dinner set before him had three tables and a hotpot. The largest round table in front of him was the main table which contains a bowl of rice, egg noodle soup and nokma stew, a side dish of mashed gahbi and fermented vegetables. The small round table at his left contains the dessert, a bowl of long, red berries, a big cup of Vegeta's favorite special chocolate ice cream, a plate of milk cookies and a hot pot of tea. This table is also used to store the covers of bowls and dishes used in the main table. The rectangular table at his right contains eggs, sesame oil, various raw vegetables and several sauces. Once he saw the red berries before him, he recalled that Bulma said that her favorite food were red berries. These particular berries were rare across Planet Vegeta since the plants these can only grow in wintry areas. Just like Nokma, only royalty may have the pleasure of eating them.
He knew Bulma was not allowed to eat anything while on prison and he imagined just how hungry she could be right now. So he nibbled silently, bit by bit until Nappa and his servants got bored of waiting for him and fell asleep on him. Once he was sure they were completely unaware of their surroundings anymore, he carefully packed up the rest of his dinner into a plastic bag and wrapped some on paper before he cautiously escaped his room.
Vegeta was once again helped by the mysterious person that night so he could visit Bulma, Raditz and Kakarot that evening. Just like the other night, Vegeta locked himself in Bulma's prison. He brought her food he saved from his evening dinner. She thanked him while Kakarot and Raditz looked on.
"How about us, your highness?" Raditz asked as his stomach grumbled at watching Bulma eat the food Vegeta has brought. She was about to share some on Raditz and Kakarot but Vegeta held her back.
The prince glared at his battle partner. "The both of you deserved to starve as punishment. To think this entire scandal shouldn't have happened because of you. I really shouldn't have listened to your worthless suggestions." he scolded.
Raditz and Kakarot looked down in guilt, "We're sorry, your highness." They apologized.
"But then, it was my fault for listening after all. It was I who decided to go with your stupid plans so I guess; it really wasn't your fault entirely. I'm just furious that Bulma, who is completely innocent and was only dragged against her own wish, was the one being punished and you two had to step in and made matters worse by admitting to my father! Now I have three people to plead for! What am I going to do with the two of you?"
"We're truly sorry, your highness."
"Were you really serious with letting them starve? It wasn't really their fault, you know." Bulma asked.
The prince sighed and grunted, "Fine, do what you want."
Bulma reached out to give Raditz and Kakarot some of the food. The two thanked her awkwardly, seeing the killer glare Prince Vegeta was giving them. She later found the long, thin and bright red berries and gazed down at it curiously.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Those are called 'puraberi', some kind of rare red berries on Planet Vegeta. Only the royalty are meant to eat them but since they happen to serve me a bowl of it, I remembered that you once told me that your favorite food is red berries so I thought you might want to get a taste of it."
Bulma smiled to herself, a wide and heart-warming one. Pleased that he remembered, she felt like squealing but kept herself from doing so. How sweet of him to do this. She picked one berry and observed it quietly. It looked exactly like red labuyo chilli on Earth but it give a sweet scent that made her mouth water.
"Thank you!" she said as she put the berry on her mouth and chewed. The sweet juices so exquisitely rare burst forth inside her mouth and she moaned in pleasure and squealed.
"These are good!" she complimented while still chewing the berry on her mouth and she picked another one to look at it once more.
Vegeta only snorted back and forced himself to look away, feeling flushed at the sight of her joyous face.
Abruptly, he sensed a sudden change in her mood through her ki and he looked back at her. Her earlier mood was replaced by an anxious one. He wondered what made her mood change all so suddenly.
"Hey, Vegeta." Bulma called.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Is it true? Are you really going to be dethroned because of what happened?" Bulma queried.
The prince was surprised at such question. How could she know that? He realized who the fools were and he loured and sent a baleful stare at his two chowder headed Generals for telling her that. The two looked away immediately in trepidation. He returned his cold gaze towards Bulma.
"It's true." he replied emotionlessly. Bulma gasped in guilt, her heart breaking to pieces. "Don't worry. My father won't allow it. They cannot dethrone me as easily as that knowing that if I lose my position as Crown Prince then I will be free to kill the entire royal council for what they're doing. Not to mention, I could blow up this entire planet to oblivion if I wanted to."
"Are you crazy?! Why are you even going to do that to your own people?!" Bulma abruptly screamed, exasperated.
"Well, they go against me and I punish those who go against me with a brutal death." Vegeta pointed out.
"You can't be serious!" Bulma shot back.
"I am dead serious."
"You cannot do that!"
"I do whatever I want. I am Prince Vegeta and I am free to do whatever I wish to do! They should have known better than to go against me in the first place!" The prince boasted.
Bulma stared at him as if he just grew a second head. She shook her head in disbelief at his words. If these people he was talking about knew of Vegeta's reputation, they shouldn't be challenging him. Yes, he was correct. He cannot be dethroned because they will be afraid of him. She sighed, giving up the argument and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Hey Vegeta." she called after a while.
"What is it?" the prince asked softly.
"Have you ever heard of the story of the Little Mermaid?"
Vegeta frowned. "Mermaid? What kind of stupid story is that?"
Bulma chortled, "It's not stupid, silly."
"Mermaids aren't real." Vegeta said in a matter of fact tone.
"There is a reason why it's called a story, duh!" She shot back.
"Fine, what is it about?"
"Well, it was a children's story on Earth. It's about a mermaid -"
"Hence the title," The prince badgered.
"Of course, will you just shut up and listen to me?" Bulma snapped back irately.
"Fine, fine." Vegeta mumbled, looking away.
"Do you remember what you told me the other night? You asked me if all women dream of marrying a Crown Prince." She began.
"Uh-huh," Vegeta responded with a murmur.
"Well, the story is like that. A mermaid who lives in the sea fell in love with a human prince."
Vegeta smirked, "Is the prince in that story as cool, handsome and badass as I am?"
Bulma laughed at his conceitedness. "Yes. In fact he can be a little slow at taking hints but he gets to kill something."
"Oh… So what happens to the both of them?"
"Out of her love for the prince, she went to the sea witch to ask her to turn her into a beautiful human girl. The sea witch sells her a potion to drink which would give her human legs in exchange for her tongue and beautiful voice, and she warns her that once she becomes a human, she will never be able to return to the sea. And that also she would suffer excruciating pain with every step she makes. The mermaid agreed just so she could be with the prince she loves.
"She rose up to the water, near the palace, drinks the potion, becomes a human and was found by the prince. She tried to make the prince fall in love with her by dancing for him despite the excruciating pain she suffers with every step she makes. The prince loved to see her dance. Soon, she became the prince's favorite companion. However, despite all that, the prince never realized her love for him and married someone else, a princess from a neighboring kingdom. Their marriage was arranged by his parents and he had no choice but to obey. The little mermaid became melancholic as she watched her love marry another woman. Later on, she was given the choice to return to her mermaid self if she kill the prince and have his blood drip to her legs so she could gain her mermaid tail and beautiful voice back. But because of her love for him, she was unable to kill him and she eventually turned into sea foam and she ceased to exist."
Vegeta fell into silence about the tragic ending to the story. He felt like he could relate to the story of the mermaid for having to choose between power or his growing emotions for her, or the prince who'll eventually get married to someone arranged by his father.
"What a foolish mermaid." he muttered after a while.
"Well, when you are in love, you will endure anything, even the greatest of pains, even give up your life for the sake of your beloved. You may think it's foolish but I think it's romantic. Hmph!" She asserted.
"So why exactly are you telling me this story?" he asked indignantly.
Bulma turned to stare at him in confusion. Where is he getting all these ideas? Is he comparing himself with the characters from her story?
"I just thought I wanted to share it with you. Why are you being angry?" Bulma
"Because that story is absolutely asinine! What kind of idiot would sacrifice their most valuable thing, voice, power, eternal life or whatever, for the sake of an honorless bastard?! If I were her I would have killed that fool!"
"Well, she cannot do that because she loves him!" Bulma argued.
"That's her biggest mistake, then." he said. "We have a similar legend to your story. That is the reason why a Saiyan warrior is never allowed to become soft due to having affections for another being."
Bulma marvelled, "Really?"
"Yes. It's about a rebellious Saiyan Prince who cut off his tail to discard his Saiyan pride and identity in exchange of gaining the affection of a beautiful alien woman."
She giggled in amusement. "So is he your ancestor or what?"
Vegeta made a childish pout, "I don't think so. It's only some stupid legend they tell me and make me believe when I was a little boy."
"Oh…"
"But I knew better than to believe those legends. They're just fictional folklore stories passed down from generation to generation to demonstrate moral values or the like with accordance to cultural beliefs and history."
"I heard from Huiston that your people see you as a prophesied one to reach some legendary state."
"Oh, that. The Legendary Super Saiyan…" Vegeta sighed. "Everybody believes that just because I am the most powerful of my kind and that I was born a royal blood and the direct descendant of the first Super Saiyan."
"So what's this legend about?" she inquired curiously.
"They say a Super Saiyan appears once in every three thousand years and holds the pinnacle power of the Saiyans." Vegeta narrated. "According to legend, the first Super Saiyan can only maintain his overwhelming power in his transformed state, he had no equal in the universe, but he was so primitive to control it. He was eventually consumed by his primal rage and he was destroyed by his own power. They say it was the reason why Planet Sadara, the original planet of the Saiyans was destroyed."
"That's a pretty interesting story." Bulma commented. "I guess that's where you got the code name you used as the Grim Reaper, huh?"
"If Planet Sadara still exists, I will be named Sadara instead of Vegeta despite my father or my ancestors' name." the prince revealed.
"So you, your dad, your grandfather, and your ancestors are all named Vegeta? In what order of succession are you exactly?" she asked.
"I'm the fourth." Vegeta answered. "But I was the one who broke that trend of naming the first born son of the royal family to the current king. I'm actually named after the planet and my mother's favorite flowers rather than my father. Planet Vegeta was named after my ancestor though… I was named after Planet Vegeta because I was considered very special when I was born. I'm the first ever Saiyan to reach a level of power that surpassed anyone who has ever lived even for a newborn. So if we still lived on Planet Sadara, I will be called Sadara instead of Vegeta. That's where I got that name."
"I see. I missed calling you by that name. Sadara-sama…" Bulma said.
The prince chuckled. "Too bad for you then."
They heard someone coming all of a sudden and they turned their heads towards the sound.
"Shit," Vegeta cursed under his breath. It looked like he spent too much time with Bulma tonight that the guards have awoken already. He turned to Bulma and his Generals. "I need to go. I'll see you three by tomorrow."
Vegeta pulled out a hook attached to a highly durable wire string from his pocket, and tossed the hook towards the keys on the other side. He pulled the hook back and caught the keys on his hand. As soon as he sensed the guard closer, he quickly raised his head to look for a pillar to haul and tie his strings at. Once he found a good spot, he hurled the hook up a wooden frame at the ceiling and pulled himself up. He quietly stayed in there and waited until the guard leave.
As soon as the guard entered and found that the electric barrier within Bulma's prison was inactive, he immediately assumed that someone must have broken through the prison and was helping her escape. He was about to report to his superiors of what he found out but he was immediately knocked down by a steel ball that hit the back of his head. Vegeta just used a slingshot to knock the guard out. As soon as it finally cleared, the prince jumped down the floor, gazing down the fallen soldier and snorted.
"Hmph! Don't let your guard down and let yourself be defeated by just that." he said coldly before he turned his head towards his friends, gave them a wave and left.
~=o-O-o=~
The following morning, the prince received the news that the King finally released Kakarot, Raditz and Bulma from prison from Nappa. He immediately asked where they are. His attendant reported that the three were asked by King Vegeta to meet him at the King's private quarters. That made the Crown Prince extremely anxious and he quickly rushed towards his father's quarters.
~=o-O-o=~
Meanwhile, King Vegeta was currently having a conversation with Bulma. At first, Bulma was extremely anxious that the king would kill her but he assured her that he only wanted to speak with her. They were at the king's coffee table, having served by the king's servants some milk tea and snack. Once the servants cleared the place, the king smiled at the blue haired girl who sat at the other end of the table in front of him.
"Don't be afraid. You may help yourself." the king said as he motioned for the tea and snacks in front of them.
Bulma nodded, said thank you in a low tone and proceeded to nibble on the snacks. The king must have thought she has not eaten anything for two days straight.
King Vegeta started with his food too, carefully studying the girl. She looked so beautiful with her unique color, he noticed. No wonder his son was so fascinated by her since he's so fond with the shades of blue. And according to what he heard about her from the Crown Prince, she is also very intelligent. Too bad that this woman is an alien slave and that the law states that a Saiyan Prince could only be mated with a powerful Saiyan woman. He could sense that the girl in front of him held no superpowers at all. Perhaps, if not for the Saiyan law, perhaps he may accept this woman to become his daughter-in-law.
"I guess you have an idea about the matter we are to discuss about, woman." the King began. "It's about your unlikely relationship with Yon... Prince Vegeta as you know him."
Bulma's round sapphire eyes looked up to the King. Just as she thought.
"I know you have an idea about who he is. He must have already told you. Among all Saiyans, he is the most powerful and ruthless. Being the strongest and the heir to the throne, he has a great responsibility to his people. It is said by the prophecies in the visions of various seers across the Planet Vegeta that he shall reach the pinnacle power of our race, the Legendary Super Saiyan who is meant to destroy the Galactic Emperor in the future. Yon told me that you were making something that could help him reach his goal. Is it true?" the king asked.
"Yes," Bulma answered. "He ordered me to make modifications to his training chambers."
"I know he's very impish, demanding and capricious. He has a short fuse, very easily angered and impatient. Even if it is only right to just kill you for being a threat to the Royal House, I'm afraid it would incite his rage. And I know better than incurring Yon's wrath. It is nothing anyone could ever handle."
Bulma frowned. This old man must have thought she is nothing but a mere, lowly woman despite being one who would help his son reach the state of that so called Legendary Super Saiyan.
"You must be mistaken. It was your son who came to me and continued pursuing me despite knowing that I hated him for destroying my world. It was him who showed interest on me and I cannot do anything about it because he kept on being importunate!" Bulma defended.
"I know that he's been chasing you around but Yon is a very determined boy. When he wants something, he would stop at nothing until he gets it. However he is also childish and has a very fickle mind. Once he has a grasp of what he wants, he'll eventually throw them aside after using them.
"As his father, I know him very well. When he was a child, he would forcefully take away Tarble's toys and after a while of making his brother cry, he would eventually throw the toy away. You may even ask Nappa or Raditz about it if you wish to but I'm afraid this might also be the same for you. Right now, he sees you the same as those toys, something to entertain him. He loved to play around. He may find you useful with whatever you were working for him right now but heed my warning, woman. Once you're done with that thing, and your usefulness to him has come to an end, he'll eventually set you aside."
Bulma just stared. So was his father saying that Vegeta is just using her? But the prince said something like… "I swore that I will fight for you. I know it wouldn't be an easy fight but I never know how to give up. Just put your faith on me and don't ever let go. Okay?"
"That is why I'm ordering you to let go of Yon and just do what you must do as his engineer and niehre. Distance yourself from anything he orders you that is more than that. Don't believe about his affections for you. A Saiyan Crown Prince like him is never allowed to have affections towards anyone and he doesn't even know the true meaning of love. I'm not just saying this because of Yon, it's for your own sake as well." King Vegeta said.
Bulma was in too much consternation to respond to the King's words, suddenly feeling dubious about Prince Vegeta's promises.
"Your Majesty, the Royal Crown Prince is -…" They heard Zorn announce at the door, making their heads turn towards his direction.
"Stand aside, you bastards!" Prince Vegeta sassed hatefully and they heard a snapping sound, some grunts and then thuds on the floor. The Crown Prince indignantly burst into his father's chambers and stomped his way next to Bulma. A stun gun on his hand zapped a few electric currents. He rudely grabbed Bulma's arm and tugged, "Let's go." he harshly commanded, sending his father a dark vexed glare but didn't utter a word.
Sensing that Bulma has no plans of standing up, he forcefully dragged her out of his father's chambers. The King immediately called his attention, "Yon! Get back here! I'm not done talking to her yet!" but his son was bent on completely ignoring him all the way. The king ordered his guards to bring the two back to him and they obeyed his order.
Vegeta approached Kakarot and Raditz, who were waiting for him outside the King's Palace. "Kakarot, take us away from here now!" he ordered.
The guards immediately knew what was happening and they quickly dashed forward to stop them, however Kakarot was quicker to move and the four of them teleported themselves outside of Bulma's home.
Vegeta turned to his Generals, darting his onyx eyes on the side to silently order them to distance themselves. Kakarot and Raditz walked away upon his order.
Once they were left alone, Vegeta consoled to Bulma. "Don't believe whatever my father has told you."
She turned to him with a distrustful look, "What is there to believe or not?" she asked him. "Should I truly trust you?"
"You already know the answer to that. I told you to have faith in me." he replied.
"Yes, you did. But if I do, how am I going to be sure that you will not betray my trust?" she tried to reassure his words.
The prince's eyes turned cold at those words. If anything, he should be the one saying that! "I already told you, I will continue to fight for you unless you go against me."
"I don't know what you mean by that. Did you just admit that you don't trust me completely? If so, why the hell do you persist in this relationship?"
"I didn't say I do not trust you! I know you wouldn't be foolish enough to betray me." the prince retorted.
"How about you? Would you betray me?" Bulma asked.
Finally, Vegeta's patience snapped, "Damn it, woman! Are you believing my old man's words than mine?!"
"Because you already lied to me a lot of times!" Bulma shouted back.
Vegeta's expression suddenly turned ice cold, "So just because I lied to you in the past, you think I'm still lying to you until now?" the prince said in an icy tone, trying his hardest to hide the hurt in his heart of her words.
"You once told me that you were always a good liar you could lie about almost anything without anyone ever knowing the difference between the truth and the lie. You said you are especially good at covering up most of your emotions because you are not allowed to."
The Saiyan prince fell into silence for a moment, staring icily at the woman he cared for like she was saying him the most ridiculous things in the universe. After all he did for her; it wasn't enough for her to trust him completely. He was deeply hurt and angered and it was obvious by the tone of his voice when he spat bitterly, "Fine then… If that's what you think… If you believe my father's words than mine… Then I guess I was completely wrong about you. I was a fool. I'm sorry that this happened because of my selfishness. From now on, I'll stop pursuing you. Forget about everything I told you since all of those were just lies."
She gaped back at him with guilty and regretful eyes. It was obvious to her that he was indeed hurt by her words.
The prince gave Bulma his coldest yet most imperious glare. His eyes darkened with bitter hatred. "From this day onward, you are nothing to me but a mere servant who would finish the job that I command you to do. Do not ever think you'll still get the privilege of standing next to me ever again." And then, with a heavy heart, he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Bulma frozen on the ground where she stood. Vegeta was infuriated that he was not able to give her the present he was planning to offer her. It didn't matter anymore. His pride was humiliated and broken; trying to chase a woman he thought was worthy to be on his side.
He had enough. There was a limit to a man's patience, and Vegeta was not really that patient. He was usually a short-tempered man. He was an extremely proud Saiyan Prince after all. He shouldn't be wasting his time chasing a woman lower than him and unworthy to be on his side. Perhaps, being betrothed to Kinoko was only proper.
She wanted to stop him from leaving as soon as she regretted her words, to apologize to him or whatsoever but… Her doubts, her fears and her pain were stopping her from doing so. Unknowingly, tears fell from her guilty, cerulean eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... I couldn't help it at all."
However, before the angry prince could leave the island, the main door to the Briefs' home opened and Doctor Briefs walked out of the house with an old man along with him.
"Oh, Bulma! Prince Vegeta! You're back!" Doctor Briefs greeted with a smile.
The prince just turned his head at the blue haired woman's smiling father, his expression was stoic and stony.
"Good timing, your highness! Didn't you say you wanted to meet Doctor Gero? Well, here he is!" Doctor Briefs told him as he pointed at his acquaintance.
The Prince of all Saiyans turned his eyes to the taller doctor standing behind Bulma's father and immediately felt something he's been dreading since Zorn had told him about their suspicions of who the alien rebels are. Most especially when he saw the familiar red ribbon logo on the right chest part of the Doctor's vest being the same as the one on the rebels' clothing. His eyes turned colder as he darted his dark gaze towards the blue haired woman, who stared at him with her pleading eyes.
