Tadaaaahh...the long awaited chapter :D

I'll keep it short, but i still wanted to thank you for your patience...

And the reviewers for the reviews

So thanks and enjoy the chapter!

Chrystler Castle was still there, like a rock amidst the strong current of the river, unchanged and imperishable. No matter how much chaos ruled in the politic circles, no matter how much economic malaise was upon the empire, no matter how much pessimism and suspicion dominated the behavior of the mob, Chrystler Castle was and would always be there, like a beacon of all that was everlasting in these difficult times…perhaps the only thing that remained constant in the life of all those who occupied it.

The whiteness of the walls had made place for a soft and light shade of yellow, caused by the reflection of the hues of orange and ochre in the ever stretching sky, that was colored by the nearing sunset. The trees in the nearby forests seemed to sigh contently in the cool, but pleasant breeze, the high grass in the meadows seemed to be dancing a passionate and slow dance with the wind. The lakes seemed to be asleep after a long day of children playing in their cool waters; the stream of air made them stir occasionally, causing ripples to appear on the surface. Animals prepared for nightfall and sought for their holes, lairs or spots and the flowers closed their buds in anticipation of the coming darkness.

Against this background, the four Saiyans arrived at Chrystler Castle in the early evening and had they had an artistic or romantic nature, they would see that the exotic surroundings lend themselves perfectly for paintings. But, as they were neither artistic nor romantic, they failed to see that, though all of them (accept for Raditz, who was too eager to get inside) noticed that the castle and it's surroundings never looked more like a vision of a dream than now.

Gohan looked at the castle with a longing recognition, forgetting for an instant the chaos in his head and he sighed in satisfaction. The evening breeze flowed through his unruly hair and cooled down the high temperatures of the end of the day, giving the environment a somewhat sultry atmosphere. The General was caught up in a stream of pleasant memories about the Castle, until those thoughts were disturbed by a harsh voice.

"Well, are we going inside or are we going to stand here like stupid tourists, admiring the view?!" Raditz barked in irritation. "What's there to admire anyway, it's just a Castle, for heaven's sake…!"

"May I remind you, my most honorable uncle…" Gohan began calmly while his eyes never left the castle. "…that you are a guest here and that I, as the master of this castle, am very free to throw you out at my will, if and when your pathetic display of banal behavior displeases me in any sort of way. And mind you…I won't hesitate to do so."

Raditz rolled his eyes and muttered something about not hesitating to kick Gohan's ass, which the General heard but chose to ignore for the sake of honor towards older family members.

They eventually walked through the outer walls of the castle and Gohan nodded to the guards, who had seen the party coming and saluted their master now. After reaching the small outer courtyard and going through the inner walls, they reached the inner courtyard with the huge tree in the centre. With indifference, Gohan noticed that two rows of about dozen of slaves each had assembled in front of the main entrance. When their master came closer they bend their heads in respect, while Gohan and the others walked past them without giving them a sign of recognition, which was usual. And while Gohan strode forward in his usual manner, and in his eagerness to go inside, he failed to see a certain young, beautiful woman among the other slaves. The General and his guests climbed the stairs of the main entrance and when Gohan saw three humans at the top of the stairs, he smiled slightly.

The three humans were June, Ellie and Stella, who had bend their heads as a display of respect too, but they also carried a warm and friendly smile on their faces.

"Welcome home, General." They said all three in unison. And because they were older than him and he held them high in regard, he bend his head too, however so slightly, but not going unnoticed.

"It is good to be home." He replied. "It trust things went well…"

"Very well." June said reassuringly. "As usual."

"Good. How's dinner?"

"Almost served. The scouters sensed your approach, and we immediately started preparing. It'll be done in less than fifteen minutes."

"Excellent. My guests…" Gohan said while he nodded at Trunks, Bann and Raditz.

"…will be needing a room, of course." June finished. "It will be done."

"Thank you, Mrs. June." He smiled genuinely as he looked at her affectionately. Over the years he had grown very fond of Ellie, Stella and especially June. He took counsel with them every once in a while, concerning how to govern the property and keeping the peace among his slaves and he had often found use in their advises. Because Gohan didn't understand the behavior of humans sometimes (like their emotions and the way they reacted to some of the decisions Gohan made), it was very useful to have them explaining the ways and nature of humans. The three women had some sort of foreign wisdom, something that Saiyans lacked and Gohan supposed only humans owned, but nonetheless he respected it.

"How are you?" He asked June like a grandson would ask his grandmother.

June laughed and brushed it off with her hand.

"Oh, I am fine, General. I'm fine indeed. And you look fine too, only very tired and hungry."

"Thank you, I am a little tired, I guess. Nothing a good night rest can't help." Gohan replied, before he turned his gaze to Ellie.

"Mrs. Ellie…how are your knees?" He asked with slight concern.

"They are a lot better." Ellie answered with a broad smile. "The doctor said I have to keep walking and then they'll loosen up in no time."

"That's good to hear, but don't push it."

"I won't, I won't." Ellie replied with a hearty chuckle, which made Gohan chuckle a little bit too, and he aimed his gaze at the third woman.

"Mrs. Stella…" He said greeted her with an affectionate smile.

"General Gohan…" She greeted with a slight bending of her head.

"How is your husband?"

"He is recovering slowly but steadily. He'll be on his feet in a month, I think."

"Send him my best wishes."

"We'll do, General."

Raditz followed the whole scene with disgust, as he didn't like the way his nephew treated the human slaves as his equal, and he tabbed his foot impatiently, for he was very hungry and wanted to go to the dining room. Gohan, who noticed and could not ignore the tapping of Raditz' foot, rolled his eyes in exasperation and looked at Stella apologetically.

"Would you escort us to the second dining room, please." He asked her and she obeyed politely with yet another bow of her head. And as she walked inside, Gohan send one last smile to June and Ellie and he and his guests followed Stella to a large and very comfortable room. In the middle of the room was a beautiful, but modest table, made of dark cherry wood, with graceful figures and patterns in beige-colored wood decorating the table-top, which would be seen if it wasn't for the cream-white tablecloth that covered the entire table. A chandelier of crystal was hanging above the table, lighting up the entire room with a soft, but clear light, creating a warm atmosphere. On the dark-wooded floor, under the table and it's beige cushioned chairs, lay a black and red carpet, with simple and ever repeating patterns. The room, with walls of creamy paint, was also decorated with various painting of scenes from Saiyan history in which food played a role, like a scene of the food poisoning of important politicians, a scene of the King of a few generations ago who displays his power through the amount of food, or scenes of famous banquets throughout history. A broad, doorless portal led to a smaller, adjoining space, which functioned as a small sitting room for the guests to wait for the following course. It held a big sofa, two armchairs, a fireplace, a broad bookcase and other, smaller things. The smaller room held the same ambience of the adjoining dining room, with the same colors and decorations. Altogether, one could see that the entire room was decorated with the utmost care, seeing how everything, the paintings, the furniture, the little details, just fitted together, like a puzzle.

Gohan thanked Stella and entered the room. The table was already laid for four persons, with cream plates, napkins, and the shining wineglasses and silverware and decorations of flower arrangements and silver candlesticks. He didn't want to use the first dining room, which was even bigger than this one and with a thirty-feet table and numerous chairs. He used it only when he had a party of more than eight guests. This second dining room was smaller, but Gohan thought this one was for more comfortable than the other one, just because the size added to the informal and friendly atmosphere of the room.

The General walked towards the adjoining room and pulled his crimson cloak off and he tossed it on the back of the sofa.

"Your affection towards those human weaklings is sickening." Raditz, who had walked immediately to one head of the table and took place on the chair, barked in disgust. "What's next, mating one?"

Gohan let out a bark of laughter as he too went to the table and took place on the other end, so he was facing the window behind Raditz.

"It will be a cold day in hell before that happens." Gohan said as he ridiculed the thought of mating a human.

"But…" He continued. "…there is absolutely nothing wrong with inspiring loyalty, even with humans."

By now Trunks and Bann also seated themselves, the first on Gohan's left and the latter on Gohan's right and they followed the conversation between Gohan and Raditz, while a female slave in her end twenties filled the glasses of the gentlemen with red wine.

"Bah…Gohan, the beacon of inspiration. Gohan, the patron of humans. Gohan, the slave lover, who treats his slaves as though they were equal to him. Whatever happened to Gohan, the invincible warrior, protector of his fatherland, which he makes unconquerable. The Gohan who stands in awe for nothing and no-one, who only responds to the authority of his King?" Raditz asked rhetorically and in a disdainful tone, while he watched the pouring of wine in his glass.

"I never was that." Gohan replied calmly.

"You should have been that." Raditz hissed, while he aimed his gaze at Gohan again. "But you are too much manipulated by modern philosophies about 'virtuous behavior' and ethics." He spit out the last word as though it was a hateful curse.

"Of course your mother also had her share." He Raditz continued and Gohan narrowed his eyes a little at him mentioning his mother.

"Teaching you to be polite and respectful to practically the entire world…if I'd been your father, I would have kept that woman miles away from you."

"Yes, but you aren't my father…"

"Thank the ancestors, no…I do not want a son that is weak."

By now Gohan felt the anger rising in his stomach and he looked at his uncle with a death glare, while his hands were itching to blast him out of the room. But he restrained himself from doing that and instead, he just took a sip of his wine, while his fury-carrying eyes never left his uncle.

"And you're growing even weaker, Gohan." Raditz continued. "Being friends with your inferiors…" By now he looked at Bann with a contemptuous expression, causing Bann to jump from is seat in anger.

"My family happens to be one of the oldest and most respectable families in the empire." He yelled, while he seethed and clenched his fists.

"Most respectable?" Raditz replied mockingly. "By kissing the King's ass…but what has your family really done for the empire? Nothing!"

"Raditz, I warn you!" Gohan interrupted with raised voice, before he looked at Bann, requesting him to forgive him for his uncle's behavior with one apologetic look, and though he still seethed, Bann sat down in his chair again although he kept on eying Raditz angrily.

"Bah, Gohan, you're getting way too weak!" Raditz yelled. "If you don't watch it, you'll be ending up sparing your enemies like that Namek did to you…"

"Will you just do us a favor, uncle, and shut that fucking hole in your face!" Gohan yelled eventually, while he slammed the palms of his hands on the table-top. Raditz looked at him wide-eyed and he felt he had gone too far now. With the very little wisdom he had, he decided to not push Gohan any further and to shut his mouth for a while, though not too long.

Trunks, who had been watching the entire scene calmly, though it was best to change the subject now, preventing the situation to go out of hand like he did exactly a few hours before when Raditz and Gohan also had a confrontation.

"Gohan…" He asked curiously. "If you don't mind me asking, why did the Namek spare you?"

"That's what I've been wondering too." Bann said while he bend forward in his chair.

Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but when he realized he didn't have one he closed it again. He had not even asked himself that question yet…but now when he thought about it, why did he spare him?

"I…I don't know." Gohan replied truthfully.

"Considering you would keep on leading the Saiyan armies and seek for revenge, I would call it foolish." Trunks said thoughtfully.

"Maybe the Namek was…just foolish." Bann replied with shrugging shoulders.

"Or worse…a pacifist." Gohan added.

"Namek are renown for their wisdom and though they're a peace loving race, they're not pacifistic." Trunks replied with a frown. "Just who in the world would spare one of the most powerful of his enemies, if he knows that he can expect a counter-attack? It's just…"

"Insane?" Gohan suggested.

"Yes."

They remained silent for a minute, thinking about the question that has been posed while taking a sip from their wine occasionally. Raditz looked at them with a cocked eyebrow and he opened his mouth again.

"Does it really matter?" Raditz asked after he drank his wine. "The Namek spared the kid…It's his own stupid mistake, his own loss, where he eventually has to pay for. So you can either crack your brains to find the answer, which you won't find anyway, or you can stop whining about it. And I suggest you to do the last and save me from dying from boredom. Ah, there's the food…"

By then the food was indeed brought in. A few slaves carried a whole turkey, a one-and-a-half feet fish, a few giant pieces of meat, bowls with various kinds of vegetables, potatoes, rice and bread, a few plates of lobster and pawns, an entire pig, a goose and much, much more, until the table was stuffed with food.

Gohan's guests started to eat, but Gohan just stared absently to the window on the other side of the room. The sun had completely set, he noticed absently and the sky was getting darker and darker by the minute. He still thought about Trunks' question…why did the Namek spare him.

Suddenly, he remembered the words of the Namek spoke to him when their battle had ended.

"They say you have the power to ascend above all else, general… And you have. You just…have to find it in a different direction."

He never really gave those words much thought. It was just now that he remembered them. What they meant, Gohan didn't know…was it some sort of cryptic message, of which he was supposed to find out the meaning by himself?

Different direction…what direction? What did he mean with direction?

While Gohan was deep in though to find the answer to that question, he failed to see who came into the room. It wasn't until he heard a sweet feminine voice that he was awoken from his thoughts.

"May I pour some more wine, Milord." The voice said and Gohan immediately shot his head towards the direction where the voice came from, which was next to Trunks. And what his eyes met was someone that made his heart skip a beat from the first second he saw her.

A young woman had walked into the room, immediately drawing everyone's attention. Gohan noticed she had shiny, wavy hair, of the darkest shade of black, that came to the mid of her back and the slightly curly locks reminded him of the waves in the oceans. The thick, raven hair encircled the sweetest face he had ever seen, that was as pale as ivory. Her features, though he could not see them very well, as he only saw her profile, were soft, carrying all the innocence and yet all the wisdom in the world. Her mouth was small, with full and rosy lips, giving them a sensuous look that made him wonder how they felt like. Her body was hugged by a blue dress, that outlined her curves so perfectly that no men could ever fail to see them. Though the dress was simple and covered almost everything of her body, it only complemented her figure and she would not had looked better had she wore something more elegant. He saw her hands, her small hands, holding the bottle of wine. They were so tiny, his hands could be twice as big. Then it dawned to him that he was looking upon a human. A fairly familiar human, for that matter.

Gohan notice Trunks was also awed by her breathtaking beauty, but he managed to utter a 'no, thank you', after which she smiled a little at him (which made Trunks actually blush, Gohan absently noted). Gohan followed her movements with slightly parted lips as she made her way to Raditz and he swallowed when he saw her slightly swaying hips.

Raditz looked at her with a sleazy smirk, which, Gohan saw, made her a little bit uncomfortable. She repeated the question for him and he bared his teeth when his smirk grew.

"Of course you may." He answered in a low tone and when she poured the wine into his glass, he glanced at her openly and insolently. Raditz let his eyes go from her legs to her face and growled in satisfaction, which was probably not even heard by her, but it was definitely heard by the Saiyans. Gohan frowned as he felt anger and disgust rising from within. After she poured the wine into Raditz glass, he raised it to his mouth and he drank the red liquid as his eyes never left her, while Gohan clenched his fists in anger. After smiling nervously at him she walked past him, but Raditz managed to run his other hand across her lower back. At that moment, Bann's scouter made the sound it always made when it read a fluctuating source of energy. Bann looked at it questioningly and his gaze went from a smirking Raditz to a staring Trunks until they rested on Gohan. He eyed him suspiciously as he saw the fierce frown on the General's face as Gohan looked at Raditz. He averted his gaze when the human asked him the same question as she had asked Trunks and Raditz.

"Oh, yes please." He answered and she poured in the wine.

"Thanks." He muttered as his gaze went to Gohan again.

The female made her way past Bann and as she walked closer to Gohan, the latter could not help but wonder where he knew her from. She looked so familiar and yet he never saw someone that possessed so much enchanting beauty as her. And it wasn't until she locked her eyes on him that he remembered.

A warm feeling washed over him, that almost divine sensation of forgetting all around you and that made the knob in his chest loosen up and disappear again, as it did all those weeks ago. It was as a mother's voice that rocked her child too a calm and peaceful sleep. It was like a medicine that numbed your body and made you forget your pain. It was like a salving slumber, that absorbed all the fatigue in every corner of your body. The sigh after the inhalation of air. A cool hand against the heated skin. And he knew, for sure, who he was facing now. There could be no misunderstandings that this human, this young woman, was the slave he purchased not too long ago.

Videl.

And as Videl came even closer, he could clearly see the deep shade of blue in her lively eyes, the color that made him buy her. 'Seize the blue eyes', his grandfather said in one of his dreams. The could be no mistake that he meant her. Not a single doubt that it was her.

"Shall I pour some more wine, General?"

Gohan crashed back into reality again and as he looked up at her face, he saw her looking at him with curiosity. He swallowed deeply before he nodded and gave her his permission to pour the whine into his empty glass. She bend over to reach for the glass and Gohan could not help but smell her scent. It reminded him of the lotus flower. He looked at her figure more closely. The last time he saw her she was horribly thin and although he could still see she was not on an entirely healthy weight, this suited her. She was thin, but delicately…

While she had her eyes fixed on the glass, she noticed his staring gaze and she nervously threw him quick and short glances that made the beating of his heart go faster and faster. When his glass was filled again, she walked past him, giving him no smile and not a single look and she walked to the door fast-paced, almost rushed, as if she wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible. Gohan followed her with his eyes in bewilderment, until she left the room.

When she left the room, Gohan leaned back into his chair again and he sighed deeply, though inaudibly. What was not so inaudibly, was the reaction of his uncle.

"Man oh man, Gohan!" He said between his devilish chuckles. "You've got yourself a fine slave there! Where'd you get her?"

Gohan turned his gaze to his uncle Raditz and he eyed him suspiciously.

"At the Tauvegian Market." He replied slowly, with a frown on his face.

"Ha, it's a shame you found her first." Raditz said as he drank the last bit of his whine. "I wish I had been earlier, I would have a fine…servant in her." He added.

Gohan narrowed his eyes and leaned forward in his chair.

"Please, do tell us why…" He said menacingly with a false smirk.

Though Trunks and Bann didn't understand the behavior of their friend Gohan, they immediately saw through the façade Gohan put up and they understood that it was meant for Raditz to share his story. They didn't know why he did it, but they were on their guard instantly.

The tension in the room was incredibly heavy, but Raditz mistook Gohan's expression for a devilish smirk and he shared the story with the whole room.

"You all had…sexual intercourse, right?" He asked everyone in the room. When they all nodded, Raditz went on.

"And I presume you all had this intercourse with a female Saiyan, am I correct?" When they all nodded again, he continued.

"But of course. I had this too with a few female Saiyans, but I never found the experience satisfactory. The hard muscles on their skin that I couldn't squeeze, the loud moaning and panting in my ear, the absence of curves that gave me the idea I was having sex with a man…they all added up. It made me crazy and almost made me feel I hated sexual intercourse. But I'm still a male, right?"

He smiled his sleazy smile again as he took a bite from the food on his plate.

"Saying that I don't like sex, would be like saying I don't like food." He continued after he swallowed his food. "And that would be impossible for a Saiyan like me. So I decided to try something new. I decided to try with a female human."

When he said that, Gohan clenched his teeth together and looked at his uncle in anger and Trunks and Bann looked at him in disgust, but they hid it pretty well.

"Say for yourself," Raditz continued while he studied his fork. "They look almost exactly like us, they have genitals and they couldn't slam your face to the wall when you're hurting them. And so I chose a human from my own slaves, a beautiful, young girl of…I don't know…twenty summers? She was terrified but she didn't struggle. I guess she was much too afraid I would kill her. I wouldn't have minded a little fight though. But anyway, I soon undressed her and I was delighted by the sight I saw. I saw breasts…real breasts, a bosom and not the muscular chest I was used too. I saw a soft stomach with a little layer of fat and not the tightness caused by muscles. I saw the curves of a real bottom. Pure beauty. And I took the human. I guess I was kind of rough on her…she bled and she cried…oh she cried, but it encouraged me even more. She bit her lips to suppress her cries, until I saw the deep redness of her blood. I caught her lips in a kiss and taste her and her blood, and the ecstasy it felt…just beyond words. I did not let her go until the morning. Had the best night of my life."

Gohan, Trunks and Bann looked at him in disgust. Not because he raped a human, but because of the way he did it and the proud manner in which he told it.

"You could have impregnated her." Bann said in a tone which expressed his own indignation.

These words made Raditz burst with laughter.

"That's the best part. Can anyone tell us why?"

"Because a Saiyan must first bond himself to that person." Gohan answered through his clenched teeth.

"Exactly." Raditz said as he pointed his finger at Gohan. "And who would ever bond with a human. It's nature's way to prevent us from impregnate someone we never wish to be with. Brilliant, isn't it?"

No-one replied as Raditz chuckled again. Gohan and Bann kept looking at him in disgust. Raping a human was not illegal and it was done by many Saiyans, but it was also not something you boasted about.

It wasn't until Gohan heard Trunks' voice that he noticed the young prince had rose from his chair.

"Sorry, Gohan." He apologized with a frown. "It think I've lost my appetite."

Gohan nodded in consent and after Trunks gave a small nod back to him and to Bann, he made his way to the doors of the dining room.

"Don't be so arrogant, boy." Raditz called after him. "You have lived your entire life in a place that is filled with human slaves. I've seen them. Don't tell me you haven't."

But Trunks ignored his words and kept on walking until he walked through the door and he left the dining room behind.

When Trunks had left the room, Gohan fixed his gaze to his uncle again, who was fiddling with the food on his plate.

"That was the last glass of whine you had in this house."

But Raditz only laughed.

"Ah, you don't know what fun is."

Gohan, Bann and Raditz ate their meals in silence and Bann was the first of them to finish and to leave the room. When Gohan was done, he also rose from his chair and he walked towards his uncle, who was still stuffing himself.

"Letter…" Gohan said curtly when he stood next to his uncle and held out his hand. Raditz chuckled with full mouth and pulled the letter from under his armor, where he had kept it all along. Raditz held it in his hand but instead of grabbing the letter, Gohan grasped Raditz' hand and squeezed it until his uncle let out a cry of pain.

"You are already a nuisance, Raditz." He said in a low and menacing voice. "But this I can still tolerate from you."

Raditz' eyes widened as he felt the grip from Gohan's hand around his tighten and he looked at the cold face of his nephew with horror. Gohan bend forward and gritted his teeth, looking at his uncle with a furious expression.

"If, however, you lay one finger on that female slave…" He hissed, seeing the fear on Raditz' paler growing face, and he bend forward to his ear to whisper the end of the sentence. With one more menacing glare he looked at his uncle as he let go of his hand, before he exited the room, leaving a horrified Raditz alone.

Raditz looked at his shaking hand, which had turned almost blue by the lack of blood in it and shivers went through his spine when he thought about the end of Gohan's sentence, a threat he never thought he would receive from him…and in his head, that sentence kept on repeating itself on and on:

"…I…will…kill…you…"

:O

Angry Gohan, Poor Raditz hehe XD

Does this chapter count as fluff, or is it too dark?

Anyways, next chapter is almost done too, so shouldn't take very long...but until that...

...please review :)