Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long. I had finals and papers due and yadda yadda yadda but I'm finally free! Thank you to all who reviewed - it was wonderful hearing from you (as always) and I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy.
Set Me Free
Chapter 4
'He wishes to see your presence at dinner tonight'
The comment continually played in Bulma's mind while Kakarott sat beside her, still staring at the young woman, awaiting a reply.
"Well? What should I tell him?"
Bulma quickly shook herself from her thoughts and turned her attention back to her friend. "Excuse me?"
He repeated the question once more, his grin still plastered on his face, eager for a response.
Bulma pondered the question, still shocked. She could not believe the prince of all Saiyans was asking for her to join him at dinner by giving a personal invitation. Her heart screamed yes but her mind screamed no. The blue haired woman was intrigued by him and craved the attention that he gave her. She longed for a good conversation, not just an occasional bout in the hallway or the one-time injury incident. She realized she never did have an actual conversation with the prince.
And yet, no matter how much she wanted to say yes to her dear friend for the invite, her mind continued to banter her with thoughts about Chi Chi, the prince's soon-to-be wife. How could she, Chi Chi's best friend, do this to her? Steal away her husband? No, she was better than this. She would not be the 'other woman' in the relationship. No matter how tempting this was, Bulma knew that she must not give in and ruin Chi Chi's life with this man.
Bulma bit her lip nervously. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline."
Bulma did not express her concerns to Kakarott about the dinner and the reasons why she declined the offer. He remembered seeing a perplexed look upon her face, as though she was immersed deep within her thoughts, but he casually dismissed it and went about his business to inform the prince of her decision.
As he walked down the corridor to find Vegeta, he caught a glimpse of a young woman staring out one of the windows of the palace hallway, silent tears running down her cheeks.
Kakarott faltered for a moment in his step and came to a stop, staring at the black haired beauty before him. He glanced around before taking silent steps forward. Finally, he was mere feet away.
"Uh miss? What's wrong?"
Chi Chi was startled and visibly jumped slightly due to the scare. She sniffed and wiped her eyes quickly before answering 'nothing' as she continued to stare out the window.
Kakarott was confused by the response and scratched his head for a few moments to ponder what he was going to say next to the woman.
"I'm Kakarott."
That was the best he could come up with.
He stretched out his arm and extended his hand, a solid grin on his face, waiting for her to introduce herself. She broke her gaze out the window and glanced at the man standing before her.
"Chi Chi." She answered, taking his hand into her's and shaking it.
"So what's so sad outside that it's making you cry…" Kakarott trailed off as he stepped towards the window, looking cautiously around the grounds of the palace.
Chi Chi giggled quietly, catching Kakarott's attention. "Nothing outside. I just miss my home."
Kakarott thought for a moment before remembering whom this young woman was: Vegeta's fiancé! He almost completely forgot about making that detour on the way back from a purging mission to Earth in order to pick up Vegeta's new bride. Kakarott mentally kicked himself for forgetting this information before turning his attention back to the dark haired woman.
"Earth, right?"
Chi Chi nodded, impressed that this burly soldier remembered where she was from. She peered closely at the man before her, examining him closely. Yes, it was one of the men who joined the prince on the mission to Earth to get her. She mentally frowned, longing to be back on her home planet.
"Well, uh, your highness-"
"You can call me Chi Chi" She smiled.
"Chi Chi. Would you like to go for a walk around the grounds with me? Perhaps that will cheer you up a bit!"
Kakarott's dopey grin made her giggle again and she gratefully accepted his offer. It would be nice to talk to someone other than her best friend Bulma and she was starting to feel lonely on this new planet.
The princess followed the handsome guard into the gardens scattered about the property as he gave her an exclusive tour of the grounds. All the while, she could not take her eyes off the attractive.
Kakarott told her stories involving himself and her future husband and stories that made her laugh until tears filled her eyes. She was having a marvelous time with this man; this new friend. They strolled in the gardens until sunset that evening.
Kakarott hummed a tune as he lazily waltzed through the hallways of the palace, in search of the prince. He had a great day with the princess and the smile on his face clearly portrayed it.
Now, he stood in front of Vegeta's office and personal study. He approached the giant wooden doors and knocked. Before Vegeta could welcome the guest, he invited himself in and had a seat in on the leather chairs seated across the desk, which sat Vegeta.
Vegeta was busy with paperwork, as usual, and looked up as the soldier entered the room.
"I never said come in." He growled in annoyance before looking back down at his paperwork.
"Oh Vegeta…" Kakarott trailed off, dismissing the comment while looking around Vegeta's office. A large portrait of the prince hung above the stone fireplace, which currently housed smoking embers and lacked fire. The opposite wall contained shelves upon shelves of books, much like his father's study. Leather chairs and couches were strewn around the room and random rugs were placed throughout.
Vegeta finished scribbling something and looked up again at Kakarott and frowned. "What with that stupid smile?"
Kakarott turned back to the prince, the grin still upon his face. He was debating whether he should mention his little outing with the prince's future wife or leave out that information. He decided on the latter. "Uh - oh nothing! I just saw Bulma again!" His cheeks turned a bright red as he nervously scratched his head.
The prince narrowed his eyes. "Well? What did she say?"
Shit! He completely forgot about her answer and now he was forced to give the news he was dreading. Kakarott knew that Vegeta would not be pleased; nobody refused an offer from him!
His smile disappeared and he became very nervous. "Well, uh, she regrets to inform you that she is busy and cannot make it tonight."
Silence fell upon the room and all that was heard was the quiet crackling of the burning embers. Vegeta's gaze bore into Kakarott and he nervously fidgeted in his seat.
After what seemed like hours, Vegeta spoke calmly. "So be it."
He turned his attention back to his papers and books that lay upon his desk and once again, he was scribbling away, ignoring the soldier's existence.
Kakarott nodded to himself before leaving, glancing behind him as if expecting the prince to attack. Finally, he was out of harms way and he quietly shut the double wooden doors behind him as he made his way to dinner.
"Where is my son?" The king bellowed, startling the nearby servant who was pouring the wine.
"I-I-I have no idea, your majesty. P-P-Perhaps on a mission?" The servant offered.
The king shook his head feverishly, agitated by the response he received.
Kakarott paused in shoving food down his throat for a moment to answer the king. "He's in his study working on stuff." And once again, he was back to his meal.
The company at dinner tonight consisted of the king, the queen, Kakarott, and Radditz. Bulma declined to eat in the dining hall this evening due to her fear of running into Vegeta while Chi Chi decided against it for "other reasons".
Moments later, Vegeta walked briskly into the hall and took a seat next to Radditz. He quickly poured himself a glass of wine before beginning his meal when his father abruptly interrupted.
"Son, you're late. Where were you?"
"Working." Vegeta was annoyed and irritated with the events that occurred that day and his father was making it much worse.
"Well, I just wanted to inform you that we are hosting a royal ball in your honor, for your engagement to Princess Chi Chi."
The prince sat back in his chair, taking in the news. He did not care for balls because he was not especially fond of dancing and socializing. He usually stood in the corner, watching everyone else and after about an hour, then would leave. But since this ball was in his honor, he had no escape and could not leave until it was finished. Damn.
He silently cursed but said nothing. Instead, his frown deepened as his annoyance seemed to increase.
"It'll be fun, Vegeta. We've already started inviting the guests." The queen smiled at her son as she sensed his agitation with the situation.
After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat. "When is this taking place?"
"In a week." The king answered, in between gulps of wine.
Bulma stood in front of her armoire, searching intently for the perfect dress to wear for the ball that was taking place that evening. She was very excited but frustrated at the same time. She had to pick out her outfit and look stunning at the same time. So much to do!
She blew a piece of hair out of her face as she stood with her hands on her hips, gazing into the closet. Suddenly, she whipped out several beautiful gowns and scattered them about the floor of her private chamber. The young woman managed to narrow down her search from about a hundred dresses to about twenty. She groaned in annoyance.
Then it happened. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a magnificent silk gown that was sure to catch everyone's attention. She grinned mischievously as she sauntered over to her closet to put it on. Oh yes, this dress would catch everyone's attention.
The prince stood in front of his mirror, surrounded by servants as they aided him in dressing for the royal ball. He was dreading this night since the moment his parents announced that the event was taking place.
Vegeta watched as the servants tirelessly worked to perfect his look. He was wearing pinstripe black pants, with a pinstripe black long-sleeve button up shirt and topped off with a deep red vest. After the servants finished, he quickly rolled up the sleeves on his shirt just below the elbow. He hated long sleeves, especially on dress shirts.
The prince dismissed the servants so that he was left alone in his private quarters. He pondered whether he would see the blue-haired woman that interested him so much. A small smirk made its way on his lips as he secretly hoped he would.
The guests were arriving by carriages and ships, coming from all over the galaxy. Hundreds of people filed into the ballroom, waiting to catch a glimpse of the prince and his future bride. The king and queen were already seated at the head of the hall, greeting the visitors as they arrived. Music played calmly in the corner of the room as guests settled and prepared for the night's event.
Bulma was found mingling with the other guests, keeping her eye out for a certain someone, when a hand suddenly found its way on her shoulder. She turned to find her dear friend, Kakarott with a huge smile (as always) planted on his face.
The young woman squealed quietly as she hugged her friend. She was lonely ever since she arrived at the ball and he was the first person she recognized as someone she could have a delightful conversation with.
"Oh Kakarott. You look great!" She pulled back from him, examining his look.
"I look great? Look at you! You look… wow… I don't even know how to describe it…" He paused looking her up and down. "Beautiful, to say the least."
She blushed. "Oh you!" She swatted his arm playfully.
Suddenly, a few trumpeters sounded the alarm that the prince and princess were ready to enter the room. Everyone stopped their conversations and full attention was turned towards the double doors that hid the couple from sight.
Bulma waited impatiently for the doors to open and reveal the prince. She longed to see him again, even though she would never admit it anyone. The young woman had not seen him since his little accident. She was so curious about him; she wanted to know more about him but at the same time, she scolded herself for such an idea. As she pondered these thoughts, her gaze never left the doors, waiting to see the mysterious man that she hardly saw or spoke to.
The seconds seemed like hours until the doors opened slowly and the couple walked leisurely into the room, past all the guests.
The prince looked around the room at the visitors that were smiling and clapping as he walked by. He was looking for someone in particular but could not seem to find her. His search continued as he ignored the other guests that waved and called to him. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of blue hair.
She turned and saw him. The prince. Their eyes met and time stopped.
Author's Note: Well? What did you think? I hope you liked it because it was fun writing this chapter. Thanks again to all my reviewers - I love hearing your thoughts and comments. It's why I write! So please review.
