A/N: I have revised and improved the previous chapters. I might have added or changed a line here or there but everything is still mostly the same. Now I hope to continue this, with frequent updates.

Chapter 9

Maximitas Reginae

She had seen her wandering through the halls of the castle frequently enough. She was beautiful. And young. Too young to serve as a prisoner of war in Vegeta's castle. She followed her with her eyes. Her face was nearly invisible for her, even though the veil that covered her was transparent. Something in her attitude suggested that she was feeling dark emotions. And who could blame her for that? She knew what was going through the young girl. After all, wasn't she in the same position nearly fourteen years ago? Bulma's eyes narrowed.

She had heard about her from her husband. But she had never actually met or spoken to her. She was infinitely curious about her though. Another human being in the castle. What an interesting event. You can't deny feeling bonded with a fellow Earthling. Especially when that Earthling is a woman.

When she first heard of it she was surprised. Why did her husband need another human? He had her, didn't he? But she misunderstood. The other human wasn't there for him. She was a prisoner of war. One of Vegeta's captives, not his mistress.

"She fought in the army along side of thousands of men." He had said.

"She fought in the army?" She asked astonished. "Well, well. Much has changed since I left Earth."

Vegeta grunted. "She joined the army in utmost secrecy."

"Oh. In secret." She said. "That must be a very brave woman."

"Girl. She's a girl." Vegeta corrected.

"Are you serious?" She countered. "How old is she?"

He shrugged. "Sixteen? Seventeen? A teenage girl."

She looked at him perplexed. "But that's dangerous! Who is the girl?"

Vegeta didn't reply right away. He looked at his glass of red wine and seemed to contemplate over something.

"Vegeta," She repeated as she leaned towards him. "Who is she?"

The King sighed. "She's the daughter of Satan."

There was a long silence between the King and his wife. Vegeta didn't know where to look as his wife watched him with a mixture of shock, anger and revulsion.

"You captured Videl Satan?" She asked slowly. Vegeta could only nod. She shook her head in disbelief and rose from her chair. She walked to and fro through the room with her hands in her hair.

"Bulma, it is perfectly safe." The King muttered.

"Perfectly safe?!" She hissed angrily. "Do you even realize what you have done? You captured Hercule Satan's only child. Did it even cross your mind for one second that you made Trunks a target now. That next time they will come for him?"

"You are being an idiot." Vegeta muttered.

"I am being an idiot?!" Bulma yelled. "He's our child Vegeta! And he's in danger if you keep that girl here! There will be repercussions for this! Or do you think that they will just accept that the daughter of Earth is captured by you, their archenemy?"

"I have taken some extreme measures. Trunks will be guarded 24/7. He's completely safe." Vegeta explained, trying to calm his wife.

"I don't want him to be guarded! I want him to go anywhere he wants to without the threat of being captured above his head. I want him to grow up as a normal child, not a child who has to live under constant surveillance!"

Vegeta ran a hand through his hair. "What would you have me do then?"

Bulma stared at her husband. "I want you to release that girl and send her back to Earth immediately."

The King shook his head. "That is ridiculous. Releasing her is not an option. Understand, Bulma. This is the King's only heir. She is the key to winning this war."

"I think you're only throwing oil on the fire." Bulma said furiously. "How can you possibly believe that by capturing her you can win the war? The only consequence of your actions is that there will be more battles, more soldiers, more deaths!"

"Satan will do anything for his daughter. He will concede my wishes. He has to, or otherwise he won't get to see his daughter ever again." Vegeta explained.

"What wishes will he have to concede?" Bulma questioned suspiciously.

"Most important wish is that Earth surrenders and pays for all the expenses of the war."

"Like he's going to do that!" The queen yelled. "Do you know about how much gold you're talking?"

"He'll pay." Vegeta stated simply. "Or he won't see his daughter back."

Bulma shook her head and walked to the window. She stared at the dark night, knowing that her life and that of her son had grown darker now that these new events had occurred. Vegeta walked towards her and put his hands on the shoulders of his wife.

"Bulma, this is war." He stated. "And in war, one must do anything to achieve victory. For the people. For the Kingdom. For the glory."

"Including sacrificing your child." Bulma muttered softly.

"He will do anything to get his daughter back." Vegeta said.

Bulma's eyes narrowed to splits. "I wasn't talking about Satan."

The King looked at his wife and the cold expression on her face. He chose to ignore her remark.

"The war will end soon." He continued. "And nothing will happen to our son, I am going to make sure the best men are there to protect him."

"I want Praetorians to protect him." Bulma insisted stubbornly.

"I will make sure of it." He said.

"I want Gohan to be one of them."

Vegeta pulled away from his wife and turned his back to her. "I will put my best men on it, but not Gohan." He muttered softly.

"Why not?" The Queen demanded immediately, her anger flaring.

"I've put Gohan on something else. He can't protect both Trunks and…"

Bulma waited for him to finish. "And who?" She asked when he didn't.

Vegeta sighed. "The girl."

"The girl?" Bulma hissed. "Why? Why Gohan? Let someone else do it. I want Gohan to protect my Trunks."

"That won't work. Gohan is going to guard the girl." The King decided.

"But why? Isn't our son your main concern?"

"My main concern is winning the war."

Bulma stared at her husband in disbelief. His harsh words hurt her personally. Their blood was less important to him than an endless war.

"So this is what you choose?" She said softly. "This is where your priorities lie?"

Vegeta shook his head. "After all these years that you've lived here with me you still don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Bulma, I am a son of the Kings of Vegeta. I descend from a mighty bloodline. My place in this world has been determined before I was born. I am King. Lord and ruler of this land. That is my duty. The task that has been given to me by the Gods. I owe it to them, to my ancestors and to my people to fulfil my task. It's not a choice, it is what has to be done. And if sacrifices must be made along the way, so be it."

They stared at each other for a while. They were both too stubborn to look away. For a human and a Saiyan, they were awfully much alike.

"I see." Bulma muttered eventually. "I must have been blind indeed for thinking you had one drop of humanity in your blood."

"I am a Saiyan, woman."

"Oh, you know what I mean."

Vegeta sniffed. Bulma looked at him contemptuously.

"I've had enough of you for tonight." He said as he rose from his chair and walked to the door that let to a different chamber. Her fire-spitting eyes watched him walk away from her. She had urges to jump at him and strangle him, an urge she didn't feel for the first time.

"Good luck passing down the throne without an heir!" She yelled after him. He ignored her words and walked into the other chamber, his hard eyes crossing hers for a second as he closed the door behind him. They didn't speak for days after that.

And now the reason of her concern was walking right there. She probably didn't know in how much danger she was putting her son. After all, when you take another person's blood, you might end up losing your own. This has become a question of honour revenge. Her Trunks might end up being killed just because her husband was too stubborn and too proud to understand the consequences of his actions.

As the young princess of Earth strode through the great halls of the palace, Bulma followed her with her narrowed eyes. It was time to take matters into her own hands. It was time for action, although she knew it would get her in grave danger if she was caught. But then, better her than her son. She was encouraged by the protective power only a mother can possess.

All of a sudden, the young woman stopped in her movements. Bulma curiously cocked her eyebrows and watched as the girl turned around and looked her straight in the face. The Queen didn't know how the girl knew she was being watched but she made no attempt to get out of her sight or to retreat into the shadows behind her. Instead Bulma was looking at her boldly and unflinchingly. The girl, who grew nervous under the older woman's intense stare, didn't know what to do. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it almost immediately as words died in her throat.

The two women stared at each other for a while, before Bulma turned around and stepped out of Videl's sight. With the dignity of a Queen she walked into the many shadows the palace offered, leaving Videl to wonder who that mysterious, yet beautiful woman was with the statue so unlike a Saiyan. As Bulma made her way to her quarters of the palace, her brains were working on a plan. A plan that might cost her life.

A plan to free Princess Videl Satan.

And she knew exactly who could help her.