Chapter 3
***5 year time skip***
She got a ride home from school with some friends, and faked a smile despite knowing what was coming the moment she would walk in the door. She hoped to sneak into the house and to her room undetected. The servants were gone…a bad sign. He never did it in plain view. She took her shoes to prevent the noise of walking. Tiptoeing, the girl almost made it through the kitchen when a burly hand shot out in front of her, blocking her from going any further. She could smell the reek on his breath before he even opened his foul mouth.
"Where you goin', huh? You know what time it is?!"
Videl looked at the kitchen clock, it was barely 3pm. Under the clock on the counter were various liquor bottles, strewn about. Some were shattered on the floor near the trash can. She braced herself, and he interrupted her before she could even respond.
"Don't you dare give me attitude, you whore!" Hercule spat. "You know what time you're supposed to be home."
Videl stood against the wall, trying to get away from him. His eyes weren't even focused.
"This is the thanks I get from saving the world from Cell? An ungrateful brat who is out all hours of the night? You know what I should do? Give ya some proper discipline. It's not right for the hero of the world to have an unruly daughter. What will that do to my reputation? You wanna put us out on the street?"
She winced, as she always did when he started screaming, averting her gaze. He grabbed her head and made sure she was looking him in the eye. He burped, then let go, allowing her to scramble into the corner.
"You wait here", Hercule drawled. "Daddy's gonna get some more. I'll be riiiight back."
The giant, hairy man stumbled through the kitchen, then rummaged through his pockets, pulling out keys. She had told him to not drive drunk many times before, but at this point, it wasn't worth the backhand. Hercule slammed the front door closed. She could hear the car sputter to a start, and a crash and he hit a trash can before speeding off down the road.
It was now or never.
The Hercule III gained altitude, at least as far as the young woman could guess judging from the altimeter. She had piloted this craft before, but not in this weather. The storm pounded sheets of rain onto the window, lighting threatened to tear her from the sky, and she could barely keep wiping away tears as she had to take the throttle in both hands. The radio began chirping, followed by the distressed calls of her father, telling her to bring the plane back.
"I'm gonna hunt you down if you crash that thing!" the drunken man slurred. "It costs more than you're worth! Where you gonna go, huh? You're worthless, no one will take you in after what you've done. You'll die out there on your own…you've always depended on me..."
"You are dead to me, Videl".
The girl quickly reached forward, turning off the radio mid-rant, wincing as a sharp movement caused the pain in her bruised neck to flare up. Looking back into the dark cockpit, her only belongings shoved into a small backpack, she couldn't help but laugh at the desperation.
The instrument panel started flashing red, beeping angrily. She looked at the control panel, trying to find the reason for the alarm. "Code 37" the display buzzed. What was that? Engine failure? No, everything was fine. Out of gas? She looked at the fuel gauge, it was full. She pulled out a handbook from the glove compartment, flipping to her notes.
Code 37: Dangerously close to foreign object.
Videl panicked, looking out the window. There was nothing but rain. She knew the area, she thought. It was just a huge field. Not even any mountains.
The craft made contact, the emergency parachute activated. The hard impact slammed her head forward, drawing blood. As the vehicle began to fall, it started quickly but thankfully slowed as the ship bounced and burned, being torn apart but also supported by some unseen force field. The mangled wreck landed in a heap on the earth as the ejection seat finally activated, launching her skyward.
It took a moment for her to finally realize where she was, looking down at the flaming wreck of her father's beloved aircraft. Her pleasure that came from destroying something he loved more than her quickly faded as she realized that everything she had taken with her was now going up in flames. She landed on the ground, the impact knocking her out cold.
Videl woke up tired, hungry, and damp in a cell. Looking around, there was a plate of food on the floor, surrounded by flies. How long had she been out?
A voice echoed on the stone walls, aggravating her headache.
"Ah, yer up now, ain't ya?
A guard, whom Videl noticed was sitting at a desk a few yards away, looked in her direction. He then pulled out a phone and pushed a few buttons.
"She's awake. Yeah. Nah. She didn't touch it. Alright".
The guard then went back to ignoring her. A few minutes passed before a new pair of guards showed up. They were somewhat regal-looking in the blue and white uniforms. They had a little armor on, but Videl figured that it was mostly for show. She stood up and brushed herself off, just as the guards reached the door.
"Where am I?" she asked, as they pulled out keys and unlocked the door.
"Prisoner 74", the taller guard bellowed. "You have been found guilty of breaking the royal decree 901-b, which states that no one from outside of the Ox Kingdom shall be granted passage. You are also guilty of damaging our shield, both of which are…capital offenses. You are to be brought to the Great King for judgement.
Videl stared blankly as they shackled her. "Wait a minute!" she began. "This was an accident. I didn't see your shield in the storm, there were no signs. Hold on… OX KINGDOM? You guys are in the Ox Kingdom?"
The guards ignored her as they dragged her, bewildered, out of the cell.
The great wooden doors were impressive, and the symbol of an ox emblazoned on them was certainly impressive. She had heard of the Ox Kingdom, but it had been such a reclusive country for so long that no one knew anything about it. She couldn't wait to tell someone about this!
She looked at her chains.
If she could ever get out of here…
The guards opened the doors, letting Videl hear the voices of the court all around. About 40 yards away was a great, golden throne, atop of which sat a strange man.
He looked older than her, but that may have been the stern look on his face or the well-trimmed beard. Her eyes wandered up to his, but they were hidden behind stylish sunglasses. Odd that he wore them indoors, but he's the king she figured. The scars around his eyebrows and cheeks made her shudder.
The guards started walking towards the throne, nudging her forward. As she got closer to the king, they whipped her in the back of the knees, forcing her to kneel before their lord.
The taller, and Videl figured, senior guard spoke in a loud voice, addressing the king with the utmost respect.
"Your majesty", he began. "This vile woman was discovered at the crash site we found last night, violating decree number 901-b, which states that…"
The king interrupted, sounding annoyed. "I know the decrees, fool. I don't need to be reminded. That crash's effect on our glorious shield was felt by the whole kingdom."
The Ox King stepped down, steadily taking each step deliberately and calmly.
"You, woman!" he commanded. "You violated the laws of my kingdom. Do you have anything to say for yourself before I lay down my divine judgement?"
Videl looked up at the man. The magnitude of his stern, scarred face was almost undone by the sunglasses. She could feel his eyes bearing down on her, the glasses doing nothing to dampen his intense gaze.
"I beg your forgiveness, your majesty", she began. "I was merely trying to escape from a dangerous situation. I didn't see your shield, and by the time my ship's instruments detected your shield, it was too late."
The king stared silently at her, bent down slightly to get a better look. The entire court was completely silent, waiting for the verdict. The man stood up, then turned back towards his throne.
"The penalty for coming to the Great and Magnificent Ox Kingdom is death" he quipped, nonchalantly. He gave a waving motion with his hand as several large guards seized her and held her still.
Videl stared in shock as thoughts raced through her panicked mind. What has she done? She left one abusive man and ran right into the arms of a tyrant. She began to weep gently, trying to maintain her composure. She looked back up to the king, and was about to tell him where he could stick his verdict when a loud bang erupted from the far side of the room.
A small boy, looking to be about seven years old, had waltzed right into the room after throwing the enormous doors open with ease. He saw Videl kneeling, the King standing by his throne. He strolled past the trembling woman, then parked himself in front of the king, rocking on his heels.
"Father, you'll never guess what happened at the creek today!"
Videl's lips pursed in confusion. Who was this boy to talk to such a dictator and act like it's nothing? She saw the king wordlessly turn his head towards the boy, with a barely noticeable grin. He continued his tale.
"I caught the most giantest fish, just by that tree we saw yesterday. It was blue, and had whiskers, and was slimy, and huge! Can we have it for dinner? I already gave it to the lady in the kitchen. She said it won't taste good but I just think she doesn't like fish. Who's this?"
He pointed to Videl.
The king spoke again. "Son, you should know that as royalty, we should never point. Secondly, if you want to eat the fish, then that's what we'll have. Thirdly, this woman broke our laws and…"
The king stopped and looked at Goten for a moment, then back at the woman with a sigh. I'd rather him not see this, the king thought o himself. And the boy's cheerful demeanour had somewhat improved his mood.
"…she has been sentenced to work the kitchens, to repay her debt to our great kingdom."
The king turned his head to the boy again. "and tonight, she's going to help cook our fish."
He nodded to the guards, who lifted Videl to her feet and escorted her away. The boy, looking around at the somber, yet somewhat relieved court, realized what had been happening before he came to tell his super important story. The king turned, the boy on his heels, to exit the court.
"Was she special?" Goten asked the king.
"Not that I know of", the king replied.
"Then why did you let her live?"
"Because the servants in the kitchen needed more hands to cook the fish, of course", the king replied wryly. "Maybe she can make it taste good."
The boy rubbed his stomach. "I hope so. I'm really hungry!"
The king laughed, as they continued their walk to the library.
Videl stared at the giant hanging fish. She didn't even like fish, why does she have to cook this?
The gruff kitchen servant grabbed her by the shoulder and placed a knife in her hands.
"You don't have to worry about that", she laughed. "Just start cutting those vegetables". She pointed to a large pile of onions and peppers on a nearby table. Videl groaned as she talked towards the table and began chopping.
I can't believe I'm in the Ox Kingdom! She thought. I didn't think it would be such a a terrible place…but at least I'm still alive.
Cutting the onions began making her eyes water, she turned to look away and saw a few other cooks walking about, preparing the night's meal.
"Why is the king like that?" she asked, incredulously. "He was so mean! Sure, he was kind of exotic looking…but I thought I was going to die!" She noticed that she had been chopping a little too hard, but too late. Her hand slipped and the knife cut a small wound in her finger. The old servant walked forward, with a bandage already in hand.
"No one knows why the king is the way he is", she responded with a hushed tone. "Ever since that night years ago, he changed. He used to be a very sweet young man."
Videl nodded, looking at the bandage on her finger.
"But…why did he save me? It sounds like he normally doesn't care and will execute anyone on the spot".
The old woman shook her head as she started to prepare another dish. "My dear, no one knows why he spared you, but it might have something to do with his son, Goten. That boy is the only thing the king seems to care for in this world, except for the safety of the kingdom".
Videl nodded as she continued her duties.
A few months had passed, and despite the hard, unending work, Videl had grown accustomed to life as a servant to the Ox King, although it still nagged her that she was a prisoner. Honestly, she felt, it was still a better and safer situation than living with her "father". She never had to worry about where she was going to sleep, or where her next meal was coming from. She wasn't afraid of someone grabbing her, and although she couldn't leave, she knew that Hercule would never find her here.
Videl was absently scrubbing plates when the head kitchen servant squawked to get her attention.
"Videl!", she barked. "You need to take this platter of food out to the king and prince, and it needs to be there ten minutes ago!"
She froze. She hadn't even seen the king since the day she got here, and was perfectly content with that.
"Uh…um…I'd rather not. Can someone else do it? I'll even do extra dishes", Videl pleaded.
The older woman shook her head. "No, do as you're told."
Videl sighed as she remembered, this was one of the times that made her wish she could leave. She looked in the mirror to make sure she was presentable, then picked up the large tray and scurried out into the dining room. She had been there many times before, but only to clean up after meals or to set dishes. The few things she knew about the royal family was what she could deduce from their eating habits.
The king and Goten ate a lot, a feast every meal. She once oversaw keeping the bacon supply running and she had burned herself cooking the massive quantities of breakfast meat quickly enough to satisfy the royal family.
And that was just one sitting.
Today was no different. She could hear Goten's loud smacking and chewing before she even got through the door. The king was eating properly, with a more dignified posture and table manners. Goten caught a glimpse of Videl out of the corner of his eye while stuffing his face with waffles. He somehow found a way to speed up his chewing even faster, gulping down the plate-sized, syrup-drenched disk while simultaneously reaching for Videl's platter. Before she could even touch it to the table, he had already removed several dinosaur tail steaks.
"You were gonna teach me that move today, right father?" Goten squealed at the king, while gesturing with his arms.
The king's face had a pleased look as he tented his fingers and took a serious tone. "Perhaps…"
Goten's eyes widened, flailing about. "But…but you promised today you could teach me how to fly!"
Videl straightened. Fly? No one can fly…She looked at the king, who didn't seem to notice her at all. What kind of man was this?
"Yes, I promised that I would show you how…but you've been slacking in your studies. Your tutors have told me that you haven't been taking your schoolwork seriously".
Goten slowed down and looked at his plate, which had somehow become empty.
"…I just wanna go play, and train instead. I want to fight in your army and be as strong as you one day!" Goten beamed as he looked at the king. The man shook his head.
"My son", the king replied. "To be a good soldier, you need more than just fighting skills. You need the intelligence to follow orders, and even more so to lead. You're smart enough to make a great general one day, but I won't have an illiterate officer protecting my kingdom!"
Goten looked hard at the king, then nodded resolutely.
Videl suddenly realized that she had been standing at the table with an empty platter. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she loaded it with dirty dishes to take back to the kitchen.
Almost too quick to see, Goten took a stack of plates and dropped them nonchalantly onto the already full platter as Videl was lifting it off the table. The action caused the dishes on the other side of the platter to shoot upwards, greasy utensils and bowls summersaulting in the air. On pure instinct, Videl deftly slid the platter onto the table, and grabbed every item, stacking them before they could hit the ground.
"Oh wow, that was awesome! You sure are fast, lady!" Goten said, before continuing his breakfast.
Videl silently placed the dishes onto the platter and was about to head back to the kitchens.
"Wait", the king said curtly, his head turning towards her for the first time. "How did you catch those?"
Videl stammered. "…I trained with my father. He was the best fighter in the world, his name is Hercule".
Goten began choking on a roll, then cleared his throat. "Hercule?!", he shouted. "Hercule is your dad?!"
Videl nodded, as the small boy continued to stare at her, wide-eyed. "I'll bet he's super cool! He defeated Cell single-handedly, and is really smart and brave!"
Her face went neutral. "He's made a lot of people happy…" she uttered, turning towards the kitchen.
"But not you", the king mused before she reached the door. She stopped, looking back at him.
"That would explain why you were found here. Alone. I know of your father through my son's stories, but maybe he watches too much TV", he said, his face turning towards Goten who was finally finishing up his breakfast.
"Maybe there's something about this 'Savior of the World' that the world doesn't know about", the king said, leaning back into his chair.
Videl gave him a pained glance.
"May I have your name?" the king asked, his fingers again tented in front of him.
"…my name is Videl" she responded, pushing aside the doors to the kitchen and stepping inside.
Goten snapped towards the king. "Wow! She's like a princess!" he said, almost shouting. "You think her dad is stronger than you, father?"
The king's mouth turned up in a slight grin.
"Who knows?" Then he pondered for a moment before turning to Goten.
"Son…" he asked. "Why do you think Miss Videl left her father's house?"
Goten shrugged.
"I guess the more important question is…" the king thought out loud. "If this Hercule is the strongest in the world, what kind of person can defy him by leaving him?"
The king shook his head. "No matter who she is, she broke our laws and is lucky I showed her mercy." He turned to Goten.
"Son", he questioned. "do you recall anything on television about Hercule's missing daughter?"
The boy shook his head.
"So he's trying to keep her disappearance low profile…" the king said, narrowing his eyes. "It would be an embarrassment if someone as famous as him lost his child. It would be seen as a weakness, whether she was kidnapped…"
The Ox King sat up.
"Or…she ran away…"
He narrowed his eyebrows, turning to his Goten again.
"Goten," he commanded. "Breakfast is over. You are to report to your tutors. Each day you are late is one more day I don't train with you"
Goten shot out of his chair, making a crisp salute, then dashed out the door towards the library. The king rose, carefully pushing his chair in before departing on his way to his morning meetings, this mysterious servant dancing around in his mind. He dismissed the thoughts with a wave of his hand.
"The strongest man in the world…" he chuckled to himself. "And his daughter serves me".
A few weeks after the breakfast incident, the king had not given Videl much thought. He was in his study, a secretary reporting the most recent numbers in the kingdom's crop yield. The king was performing calculations in his head when the door opened. Goten popped his head in and whined.
"Father, it's almost lunch time!" he spoke in an anxious tone. "It's so beautiful out, can we have a picnic in the gardens? Maybe even go fishing?"
The king thought for a moment.
"I'm sorry, son. I'm too busy right now with…"
Goten's face started to deflate. The king could hear his mournful sigh. His secretary leaned forward.
"Sire, we are almost done, go have lunch and enjoy your day".
The king turned again towards his son. "Very well, let's go".
Goten beamed as the king rubbed his temples. He nodded at his staff in gratitude before Goten quickly grabbed his hand and let him out the door.
The pair made their way into the kitchens, which, at this time of day, were almost barren. The lead servant came up with a pad and pen, asking for their order. Goten rattled off a large number of items, the woman scribbling quickly as the king put his hands on his son's shoulders.
"Just a few sandwiches and some drinks, we won't starve to death", he retorted amusingly. The woman nodded, then turned to put the basket together. Goten suddenly started stamping his feet with excitement.
"Miss Videl!" he cried, waving his arms in the direction of the servant, who was currently cutting vegetables for the evening meal. She waved at him awkwardly, a knife in her hand.
"Fatherfatherfather!" Goten pleaded with the king, as he ran up and grabbed her hands in his. "Can Miss Videl have lunch with us? She can tell me stories about Hercule!"
The King shook his head in exasperation.
"Well", he responded. "You should probably ask her if she wants to come. And she's probably very busy."
Goten looked up at Videl, his wide, puppy dog eyes pleading with her. "Oh please come with us! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!"
Videl looked at the boy, then looked at her supervisor. The older woman nodded, then turned looked down.
"I would love to have lunch with you, your majesty."
Goten squealed with delight, his fists pumping into the air in victory. The king picked up the lunch basket and headed towards the door, Goten not far behind.
The small group, led by Goten guiding Videl, picked a secluded spot in the palace gardens for the lunch trip. Videl was extremely nervous, both at the prospect of talking about her abusive father, as well as spending time with the king, who almost had her killed when she crashed here months ago. The king must have picked up on her anxiety, because he immediately started unpacking as though everything was completely normal. Before he even got the blanket out, Goten let go of Videl and ran towards a nearby stream, stripping down to his royal briefs as he went. She covered her face, embarrassed, as the boy shrieked with glee before jumping into the water.
The king chuckled as he heard the splash. "Don't be embarrassed", he said. "Children will always find a way to be free. Might as well let him burn some energy before he talks your ear off".
Videl nodded, her stomach unknotting slightly as the two watched the young prince splash around, frightening the fish. They sat down in the shade, the king asking her what she would like to drink, startling her.
"I'm sorry, your highness. I thought I was to be serving you", she inquired.
"Nonsense", the king retorted. "Goten invited you, you are our guest. So again, what would you like to drink?"
Videl blushed. "Oh…water will be fine". The king nodded, then hesitated for a moment, looking at two separate pitchers. She noticed his nose twitching, then his mouth tensed as he reached for one of the pitchers. He filled her glass from the pitcher and handed it to her.
Videl accepted the glass, confused as she was handed a glass of juice.
"What's wrong?" The king asked.
"Nothing", she lied he had given her juice. "Thank you". The king nodded, then turned his face towards Goten's splashing.
"He's a handsome little boy", Videl spoke gently. "You should be proud of him. He'll make a great king someday."
The king nodded. "I hope so. He's…almost too gentle of a soul. I worry he won't be able to command the respect needed for his position."
Videl was silent for a moment.
"May I speak freely, your majesty?"
The king looked at her, nodding.
"I don't believe being gentle is a weakness. Gentleness turns to compassion, which encourages those you govern to love and respect you."
The King sighed. "Because of past experiences", the king responded, "I have found that compassion leads to pain". He thought of his old advisor's treachery, a wisp of anger coming to bear at the thought of the devious man.
Videl took a sip of her drink.
"Why did you let me live?" she asked abruptly. The king sat silently, thinking.
"I don't know", he lied.
"I think you do", she pried.
"I think you should remember your place", the king growled, silencing her.
Videl awkwardly looked around, noticing that the tree under which they were sitting was a peach tree.
"Peaches are my favorite", Videl said abruptly, standing up quickly, startling the king. "My mother used to make me peach cobbler often before…she passed away". The king looked up at her, then stood up as well, brushing leaves and dirt from his pants.
She pointed towards the fruit on a low-hanging branch. "I think I can get this one!" she spoke excitedly. "Would you like one too?"
Before the king could respond, she grabbed a branch and started climbing the tree.
"Be careful up there!" the king warned, out of mild concern.
"I'll be fine", she responded. "I used to climb trees all the time as a little girl. This one time, my grandmother wanted me to get a few apples from about halfway up her tree, so I got a running start and…"
The tree started creaking as a strong gust of wind rocked the branch Videl was on. The branch snapped, and she instinctively let go in a tumble towards the ground. The king, who had heard the branch give way, was already under Videl, ready to catch her. She fell, her arms twisting for a practiced fall, when she accidentally knocked the sunglasses from the king's face. The man stood, stunned, as the young woman stared up at him.
He was younger than he looked, she thought. Was he the same age as her? He couldn't be much older. The glasses and beard made him look so much older. His eyes…were grayed out. Was he blind? That would make sense, although he seemed mostly capable. A circular scar, accompanied by a strange symbol, was next to the edge of his left eye. She looked at his eyes again. They were enchanting, even with the scars. Was he looking into her soul? She could not hide from those eyes.
She blushed, realizing that the king was still holding her, staring.
"…I'm okay. You can let me down now".
"Oh…" The king placed her down, letting her stand up. She went to grab his glasses, but his hands beat her to it, brushing against hers. She blushed again as their hands briefly met, her face red.
"I'm sorry, my lord", she stuttered, turning her head to avoid his gaze.
The king deftly placed the sunglasses back on his face.
Goten suddenly appeared next to them, his hair dripping with water.
"Are you okay?" He asked Videl. "I heard the branch break but I wasn't fast enough."
"I'm fine", she smiled at the little boy. "Your father caught me so I wasn't hurt".
"Oh good", Goten said with a sigh of relief. "So, you can tell me more about Hercule now, right?"
The king folded his arms across his chest. "I'm sorry son, Miss Videl should probably see a nurse, and still has work to do. We need to take her inside. You can ask her about her father later".
Crestfallen, Goten nodded, then pulled a sandwich from the basket before his father and Videl finished packing, then began chewing on it as they walked back into the palace.
Once inside, the king called for another servant to take Videl to the infirmary.
"Take care, Miss Videl", the king said, then stepped forward, quietly placing a peach in her hand. "Enjoy this", he quipped. "Their sweetness suites me", he said with a grin, before turning to leave.
Videl was still staring at the fruit when the nurse came up and dragged her to the medical area. She stashed the peach on the counter before the nurse looked her up and down for any injuries.
"Alright, what's wrong with you?" the nurse asked callously.
"I'm…fine?" Videl stammered. "I was having lunch with the king and fell from a tree".
The nurse looked at her blankly. "You were having lunch in the tree?"
Videl shook her head. "No, we were having lunch under the tree, and I climbed the tree to get a peach".
"Huh", the nurse mused. "The king likes peaches as well." She began to swab Videl's scrapes with alcohol and cotton swabs. "No wonder he didn't try to stop you".
Videl winced.
"I have a question", Videl asked between bandages. "Does the king…have trouble seeing things?"
The nurse pursed her lips tightly, stopping mid-wrap. "We don't speak of this, but he is blind. It's best you don't mention it, either." She continued to bandage Videl.
"What happened?" Videl questioned.
"It's none of your concern", the nurse snapped, looking at her watch. "Isn't it time for your shift in the kitchens?"
Videl nodded, then walked out of the infirmary, picking up the king's gift on her way.
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