Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. You wouldn't get anything even if you did. *hides my DBZ tapes*
Warnings: implied violence, mentions of hostile actions
quotes -- talking
italics -- thoughts or flashbacks
Previously: "Well done, you pass the cooking test. Be grateful girl. Very few have ever impressed me like this. Your use of these glazes as you call them was a very bold move and made the dishes that much better. You may now eat and rest for the remainder of the day. Be ready by 9am tommorrow morning for your next test." Bulma nods and wanders off to the kitchen to get her own meal set up then takes it back to her room. She eats it quickly, gets a quick bath, then goes to bed after that very long, stressful day.
Chapter 15: Exam? What Exam? The Queen's Intervention
For the remainder of the evening following the tests, the girls trying to gain Prince Vegeta's affections were given a chance to rest and have some time to themselves. The Saiyans that Bulma was up against were not pleased that she was doing so well on her tests. Another one that wasn't pleased was King Vegeta. He dearly wanted the best for his son, but he did not want a Human female to be Queen over the entire Saiyan race. Such a concept was laughable and completely unheard of. Two more tests remained before the Prince would get to choose his new mate. Once he claims his mate, he would be crowned King within the month.
One of the final tests was very difficult and probobly the most difficult out of all of them; to gain the respect and devotion of the people. If the people refused to accept the girls, whichever one was refused would be out of the competition and would not be Queen. Should the people accept more than one of the girls, the final choice would be up to the Prince. The King and current Queen would also have the right to either accept or decline the girl. Should the King decline Vegeta's choice, the final say would fall on the Queen. During the last couple weeks, the Queen had been away on a diplomatic mission on the other side of the planet. She had just returned that morning and had been completely informed on events that were taking place. In order to gain more information on the girls, the Queen paid a surprise visit to each girl in their rooms. The last one she got to was Bulma's room. She lightly knocks and waits. A moment later, she was greeted by Bulma and allowed into the room.
"I heard some interesting information about you Miss Bulma. I heard you are Human, could cook well, and that you're a technological genius. Tell me why I should allow you to be the one to take my place as Queen."
The shock of being near the Queen momentarily made Bulma's mind go blank. She snaps out of it quickly and faces the Queen. "Well, to be honest, I don't know if I'm good enough to be Queen. I mean, Vegeta did choose me from all the girls on Earth, but to rule a race thats not my own seems almost scary. I do like Vegeta alot, and if he chooses me, I would be the happiest girl alive. My main concern though is the King. He had made it very clear that he doesn't like me. He even mentioned something about an exam of some kind. I heard about this exam through a girl that works in the kitchen and she mentioned about a brain scrambling. Apparently the exam is part of a process to make a girl part of the King's harem. The way he said it makes me a bit nervous because I fear he plans to do that to me."
The Queen goes from having a shocked expression at the mention of the exam, to having a look of fury. "Don't worry, he won't harm you. I will make sure of that. You will not undergo that exam, as it would be your death should it happen. My mate clearly does not want a Human female for he position of Queen. I, however, see no problems with it. I'll speak to him personally about this to find out what he's thinking of doing. I make the final decision on who takes my place as Queen. Anyone who is close to taking that position will be guarded by me and my personal guards. Rest easy Miss Bulma. If my son chooses you for his mate, then his mate you shall be. Perhaps in time, you two will even have a child and if luck is on your side, that child could someday be a Super Saiyan, halfbreed or otherwise. I will speak with you again later about this. For now, just relax."
She exits the room a moment later leaving Bulma standing there in stunned silence. A thud sound could be heard next as Bulma faints from shock. This goes unnoticed however as the Queen goes downstairs to talk to her mate. She steps into the main hall and immediatly notices everyone go silent. She walks over to her mate and drags him to a private room. Once inside, she shuts the door, turns around, and slaps him hard across the face. "How dare you, to think you would do such a thing. These girls are here for our son, not for you to block that and make them part of the harem. Have you completely lost your mind?" The King looks at her in shock a moment before shaking his head. "I will not have that Human woman being Queen over our race. Her dna could contaminate the entire royal line. Have you no sense of pride in our people?"
The two continue the fighting for another hour before the King finally backs down and agrees to let things go in the direction they were headed. If Bulma did, by some miracle, manage to become Queen, then so be it. Her life was no longer in his control. The Queen herself had made certain of that. There had been an agreement made, that if Bulma became Queen, she must have a child for Vegeta within 2 years or risk losing her position. If she bore a child for him, that child must ascend to Super Saiyan level before the child reached the age of 21. Otherwise, if King Vegeta was still alive, he would have his chance to do as he pleased to the woman. The Queen steps out of the room smiling since she had won the battle for now. For the time being, Bulma was safe. Should things not go according to plan, Bulma might not make it off the planet alive.
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Heres Chapter 15. Sorry it took a very long time to update but work has kept me away plus a very bad case of writers block. Read and review please.