Chapter 3
Bulma leaned over the railing and watching the preparation of the engagement dinner. It wasn't her intention to even pass by the area, but now she was lingering. Taking the advice of her part-time lover she was planning to make her way to trading post in outskirts of the city, but she was stopped by the hustling in the courtyards outside the royal quarters. The looming dark presence approached her quickly before she had the chance to flee the area.
"Watching your failed destiny evade you before your eyes." King Vegeta said as he leaned against the bannister watching the blue heiress straighten her posture over the marble railing.
"My destiny was destroyed when you let your brothers and sisters under Oozaru die at the hands of the man you invited to dinner tonight." Bulma said staring at the King in his dark and lonely eyes. He just stood there and watched the blue haired Saiyan stare him down with intensity of two suns.
"Woman, I warned your father again and again to stop his futile battles with the Cold Empire, but he continued. He brought war upon himself and his people. I made a choice to save my people and preserve my empire over his. That is the Saiyan way. Your father forgot that". The King said as he spoke in more eloquence that she'd ever heard from him. Turning to stare him in his face she only shook her head to him.
"No, Pride, Loyalty, Honor is there Saiyan way. You choose gold over blood. There is no honor in that, Vegeta." The king watched her serene face and shook his head to her.
"There is nothing I wouldn't do to preserve this empire, this dynasty. There is no blood, no child, no woman. I wouldn't spare to preserve this…EMPIRE. Including, you. So, do not continue stand in the way of what is best for Vegeta or Trunks. Because you will not win."
They stared each other down, until Bulma's smile finally broke.
" If for one moment you think you've ever done anything for anyone else, but yourself you're not only drunk, but you're delusional. You don't scare me, and you never did. I have something you never will and that is Trunks and Vegeta. No matter how hard you try…Vegeta will always cherish me and my blood will always run through your grandson's veins. There is no erasing that. So, fucking deal with it."
Bulma approaching the King as he clenched his fist along the banister making it crack under his strength. She could feel his anger raising with ever word that she spoke to him. Every truth that he refused to accept, and she knew that he wanted to ring her neck until her face matched her hair. Bulma turned her back to him and began to walk away, but stopped at his low tone.
"You…you still do not know the limits of the mouth of yours. It would be a shame if someone shut it up for you permanently you Sayia-Jin bitch. You have no place here and if you continue your dramatics and disrespectful manner. I'll make sure you won't be…"
She couldn't help but chuckle at his ideal threat. "If you think for a moment I'd be an easy as a target as those prostitutes you kill after your done than you've truly lost your mind. You will lose the remaining control you have over Vegeta and Trunks, well let's just say he won't take it well. Ha, you're not the warrior you use to be, and it shows. When was the last time you even trained, or would you send your goons for me"? Bulma asked sleeking past the King as she watched his anger build behind his obsidian eyes. His vein was pulsating in his neck all the way up to his widows peak. Bulma knew she hit ever soft spot in his brutish body, but she didn't care she knew that her words were never be as harmful as his past actions.
It was then she noticed a change in his demeanor and then he snickered. "You truly believe that I was alone in the actions that ended your people's reign. Ask your Prince where he was the day before Trunks was born and see where you lay your blame." The king said walking away with a chuckle. It was him who walked away from her with a sinister smile this time.
Later that evening, the grand hall was lit brightly as all the chandeliers sparked like diamonds above the large group of Saiyans and other royal members of the empire. The room bustled with people and creatures of all different origins of the galaxy. It was no surprise that such a large turnout came for the event. The king was known for throwing large and extravagant parties, he spared no expenses on the entertainment or alcohol. The Kings parties were legendary no matter the occasion. The occasion tonight was the Crown Prince's engagement to Kamil Nogi.
Bulma stood in the crowd with a drink in her hand as she did her best not to drown herself in alcohol. If she wasn't expected to save-face. She would never have attended the affair if she knew the kingdom wasn't expecting to see the Mother of the Prince. It was also no secret that Vegeta had never taken a mate, because of her and now the day was approaching, and no one wanted to miss the drama of the crown family.
So, there she stood to be watched and compared the woman who was to marry the father of her child.
The only person who'd been there for her this entire time. The only person she remotely even trusted, but now that trust was compromised by the drunken king's words.
Vegeta watched his personal princess from across the ball room. The woman looked devilish divine as sipped on her burgundy wine. He knew something was bothering her by the way she was on her second glass of wine. The way her dark emerald dress clung to her feminine figure sparked something inside of him from across the room. Her dress was one shoulder and was held together at the shoulder with a golden insignia of the Sadalian Saiyans. The dress was tight on her toned frame. She was more petite than other female Saiyans, but that didn't take away from her threatening demeanor. The high split in the dress let her his imagination wonder. The dress was modest by Saiyan standards
He wanted to take her away from there and back to his room. Tonight, he couldn't have her. He doubted that he would ever have her again after tonight. Observing her long hair that cascaded down to waist and she stuck out like a bright beacon in the crowd. The room was full of Saiyans and other alien dignitaries, but she was still the most beautiful and exotic creature there. He craved her just as much as he did when he first laid eyes on her.
It was before he knew it that he had navigated closer to her on the clear other side of the room.
Bulma knew he was there before he did. She just stared at him as she beheld him in his regal armor made for the Prince. It was undeniable the spark between them had never been extinguished. They stood there for a moment just looked into each other eyes and until she felt him ushering her out the ballroom.
It was instant that she felt the eyes of the room on them as he attempted slid them out of the affair on to the balcony. There were a few stragglers on the balcony, but they excused themselves as the presences of both Bulma and Vegeta demanded respect.
"What's bothering you"? Vegeta asked as he tucked a strand of blue silk hair behind her ear. Pushing away from him she went to the banister and looked over the deserts of the plants. She almost laughed to herself as the ironic question. There she stood at the engagement dinner of the man she thought she was promised to. The man she cared about was going to start a family with another woman. Now, she would stand there and ask him to confess his sins.
"Where were you the night before we had Trunks"?
Vegeta just stood there and stared at her. He wasn't expecting her to ask that, he wasn't expecting the line of questionings that he was given, but there she stood asking him a question that could rip them apart.
He couldn't help but think that this had everything to do with his father's plan to destroy the relationship that remained between them. Sighing, he closed the distance between them and stood directly behind her as they looked over the balcony into the nights desert.
"I was sent on a mission to lunar outpost 8231, I destroyed the communication station. No one was injured, I was undetected on the covert mission." Bulma listened to him as if he was reading off a mission transcript. Shaking her head, she fought the emotions that welling up inside of her. It was hard for her to even look at him. No, he hadn't directly impacted the lost of her people, but he was apart of the sequence.
Vegeta watched her glance fall on him. Her eyes were usually unreadable, but he knew when those turquoise gems weren't pleased with him. Vegeta knew the displeasing look from her more than any other emotion.
"Why…why do this? Why lie to me"? Was all that she could utter to him.
"I was following or-"Vegeta felt the searing handprint burning into his skin. Bulma was far from weak, but her strength still compared to level of an Elite. He did not flinch, he didn't attempt to block her, he just accepted her strike. Of course, it hurt, but Vegeta wasn't going to let her know that. Vegeta couldn't think of a time that she had ever tried to intentionally hurt him outside of a sparring session that was few and far between. Bulma took a deep breathe and tried to compose herself, but it was all becoming too much for her.
"Don't you dare! Do not tell me with that same emotionless face and dead eyes that this was just following orders. Have you ever done anything because you knew it was the right thing to do? What am I to do now? Who can I trust now Vegeta"? Her voice cracked as she thought about branding him a liar and out casting him for her life as well. Vegeta watched her extreme reaction and listened to her emotional words. He only sighed as he thought about his actions and how he would have never committed them if he knew how they were linked to her.
Vegeta asked no questions about the missions he was sent out on, he completed the job and went on with his life. He thought nothing about the mission until he father delighted him with the information upon his son's birth morning that his hands were just as dirty as his own.
"Woman, I played a part, but it was never against you. Your father was foolish. He antagonized Frieza for years and when Frieza showed up on his door step he gambled with his people's lives and yours! Despite, my actions that say your father sealed his own fate and the fate of all Sadala when he looked Frieze's father in his face and cursed them all to hell". As she went to strike him again out of anger he caught her petite wrist in midair. Backing her up against a palace pillar he shoved both of her wrist above head and stared her down with deep intensity. Vegeta caught a rare sight from her and saw a singular tear roll down her porcelain face. He wanted to kiss her and hold her tightly to him, but he knew they were far past that now.
"I won't let you continue to disrespect me, woman." Vegeta inhaled her scent tried not to get lost in her beauty, her sadness and rare display of raw emotions.
"I'm not angry with you. I'm sad and angry that you will never be the Saiyan I want you to be. I'm livid at the fact that fate gave me to a man who would never fight a day for me. I'm saddened for you not me Vegeta. I accepted the fate of my people along time ago, but I will probably never get over the fact that I lost you to your father."
Vegeta pulled away from her as her words stung him deeper than they had ever before. If anyone could cut the heartless Saiyan it was her with her honesty.
Bulma wiped her face and began to walk away from him and this masquerade of an engagement. It was enough for tonight, she couldn't take any more of their lies.
There he stood alone. It had been a long time since he had felt alone since Bulma had arrived in the palace. So, tonight the frost of her glance and the harshness of her words were like salt in his fresh cut wounds she had inflicted on his ego. He had neglected to make her feel what she meant to him. Sure, he had his moments, but they were fleeting. He chosen his crown and his duty over her numerous occasions. It wasn't a surprise that this last but of forgoing knowledge was the breaking point in their relationship. It didn't help in the least that they were quarrelling on the balcony of his engagement dinner to another.
"Fighting with your gangin on our engagement night isn't very romantic". A voice cracked breaking his thoughts as she made her presence be known on the balcony. Vegeta was willing to ignore the woman for the rest of the evening and then far after that as well. Vegeta tightened his fist at the derogatory term. That basically meant "royal whore". He turned his head and to her and bared his teeth.
"Call her that again and I'll snap your damn neck, woman". Vegeta said with no hesitation as he looked at the formally dressed woman. Kamil didn't back away from Vegeta or even bat an eyelash to his idled threat. She only sighed to him and began to approach him with a sultry strut. Eyeing the woman, he wondered just how desperate or brave she was. Vegeta wasn't known for his patience or tamed behavior.
"Oh Vegeta…when will you come to the understanding that, I want what you want." Kamil said dragging a manicured red nail down the from of his chest plate. He smirked and looked down to her hands and slapped her hand away from his person with just enough force to get his point across.
"Woman, I highly doubt our agendas are the same. You did whatever was necessary to get into the palace and now you'll see this is no child's fairytale. You've won and now you'll see this place isn't nothing short of disappointments and that will start tonight-." The flamed hair prince left her there alone to her thoughts. Kamil held her wrist as she watched him bluntly disregarded her and strike her on top of that. She didn't know the Prince, but she knew that he was a Saiyan male and they were all the same. His eyes only lite up when he was in the presence of the blue haired wench and she wasn't going to allow that. In Kamil's mind she was going to be his Queen and mother to his heir and that heir would be stronger than their lavender bastard.
The next few days in the palace went by like stagnant water. Trunks routine remained the same, but he could feel the tension between his parents beginning to mount. It was every morning he spent with his father doing an intense five-hour period of training that his grandfather often watched in on and he spent the other half of the day with his mother having lunch and committing to his studies. His father wasn't one to show affection, but he was subtitles with his mother never went unnoticed by hm. It had been since the evening of the engagement that they had been as cold as ice to each other. His mother was always very indifferent even more than his father at times, but his father hadn't pursed her in the least, so he knew something must have been very wrong between them. So, there they sat in the gardens and he looked up to his mother and smiled to himself at how effortlessly regal she looked. The bluenette's hair was pulled back into sleeked ponytail and she wore a long flowing chiffon dress as they enjoyed their meal in silence. His mother would always be a Queen to him despite her birthright been stripped away and the constant reminders of her pain being so closer in terms of proximity. Trunks looked up as his conclusion to what he believed to be his parent's problem walked over to them in his mother's secret sanctuary of the gardens.
To Trunks is was an insult for her to even be there right now. He eyed her and then looked to his mother as she cut into her medium rare piece of meat and continued to her wine. As usual, his mother was as stoic as usual and didn't even give the girl her attention. The Prince knew his mother's keen senses picked her up before she even decided to make her way to them in the gardens. Trunks wondered why Kamil always seem to be wearing less than everyone around them. There she stood waiting knowing that it wasn't proper to speak or sit with a member of the royal family without on invite. Bulma was very aware of that too and despite her lack of a title, she demanded the same treatment. Despite his dislike for the woman he smiled at her as he knew she was waiting to be addressed.
"Afternoon Kamil did you come to join us"? Trunks said breaking the awkward silence at the table. He wasn't going to make the girl stand there all evening. Kamil finally gave him a fake smile as she tried to not to show her relief. Trunks stood and offered her his seat and watched his mother eye his motion.
"Thank you, My Prince."
"Trunks go start your lesson, I'll be along shortly after I finish things here". Bulma said dismissing him and finishing her glass of wine. Trunks only nodded to his mother and left both women alone in the blossoms of the flowers and gentle breeze. Bulma finally made eye contact with Kamil and she wasn't impressed by the girl the King had selected for Vegeta. She was a pretty face, but Bulma had bested her once before in battle and the girl fought dirty without any honor. It seemed like her desperation extended also into her social life. Only a desperate woman would make a deal with King Vegeta.
"Bulma, I didn't think I'd see you again after the tournament, but here we both are now, sitting in the celebrated gardens of the Prince. You know I once thought that Saiyan man were brutish and unemphatic, but than I heard what the Prince had done to celebrate the woman who had given him the most powerful heir in decades. I thought wow he must have been so infatuated with you, but then I heard that you weren't to be his mate after all his affections and years by his side. I was enlightened, he didn't do any of those things because he loved you. It was out of mutual respect, because no Saiyan would choose a mate over the woman he loved. Am I right"?
Kamil said confidently as she felt like she had finally bested Bulma and figured out their complex relationship. Bulma couldn't help but crack a smile at her. "If that what you think Kamil, I'll take the humor that is your assumptions, but it makes me no difference of what you ever once thought of me". Bulma said as her smile disappeared and failed to reappear for the remainder of the conversation. Kamil could fell her temper rising, Bulma always had away of calling people stupid with intricate words and insulting their intelligence at the same time.
"Then why have I been invited into your home to be a mother to your son and a bride to your supposed mate Bulma. If you have the answer to that I'd be surprised. You can sit there and pretend to be unphased by everything like you always have, but I know it's going to get under that pale skin of yours when I'm impregnated with his heir and mothering your son!". Bulma had listened to her babbling nonsense long enough, she wanted a rise out of the Sadalian and she would give her a hint of her temper that she was oh so keen to want.
Bulma stood from the table and Kamil instantly was prepared to defend herself.
"Listen, you pitiful excuse of a Saiyan warrior. If you haven't noticed, Vegeta hasn't even spared you a decent glance since the announcement of your forged union. If I wanted him, he would be mine and only mine and I'd send him back to you on the weekends, but I have more honor than you have in your entire existence. If he does become lonely and decides to grace you with the presence that is him be grateful because his cold heart has already been given to me. As for my son" … Bulma said leaning over the table to the still sitting Kamil whose fist were clutched in irritation and humiliation. "Stay the hell away from my son, you will never be a mother to my son, you will never be anything to him, but a figure he passes in the hallway. Have Vegeta as much as think you are capable, but I will not hesitate to kill you if you ever stand between me and son and you know I'm capable of it. Now, get the hell out of my garden before I toss you out on your ass." Bulma said without another word and didn't spare her another glance.
Kamil wasn't strong enough or dumb enough to even try to pick a fight with the Saiyan Princess today, so she tucked her tail and exited the garden as requested.
"That girl is going to be a problem." Bulma said as she poured herself another glass of the best year's white wine.
A/N: Sorry for the LONG update, but wow thank you for the overwhelming support. I'm excited for this story and I've already developed the ending in my head! Please continue to read and review and I'll keep with the updates.
