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: For the time being, Bulma was safe. Should things not go according to plan, Bulma might not make it off the planet alive.

LOYALTY

The other 9 girls along with Bulma slept throughout the night. They all were dreading what events would occur the next morning. The test was to gain the respect and loyalty of the people and some of the girls weren't liked by their neighbors, let alone the rest of the people. Bulma herself had her work cut out for her too. From the day she got there, people hated her because of her being Human. They all had alot of convincing to do in order to gain the respect and loyalty of everyone. At this point in time, child care was a big deal. Anyone who couldn't handle a child, didn't deserve to be Queen. They thought that way because any Queen would be expected to bare a child for the new King to ensure the survival of the royal family. Any Queen that could not bare a child, was not fit to be Queen at all. If they couldn't even handle a 3 year old child, it made it very obvious what their own parenting skills would be like.

All the girls woke up at 8am the next morning and got into something that was less formal and was for outdoor use. This way, they wouldn't ruin any of the gowns they were allowed to use. The guards show up at each of the rooms and escort them down to the main hall where the King, Queen, and Prince all were waiting to explain the test to them. The Prince stands up when the girls enter and couldnt help but notice that over half of them did not look pleased about this test. He shakes his head a moment before speaking.

"For the next week, you all will attempt to gain the loyalty and respect of the people. No Queen can be such without the support of the people. If the people refuse to accept you, then you will be eliminated from this competition. I know that at least 3 of you will be gone before the day's end. This is because you don't like children, don't know how to handle them, and won't go near them unless absolutely necessary. This will not do at all. I need an heir to succeed me when I become King. For that reason, any girl unable to handle children will be of no use to me. I need someone who can handle children, handle a high amount of stress, and be able to handle important diplomatic situations. Such a person would need a high level of intelligence, and I hate to say this, but 90% of you are lacking in that department."

The girls get a bit of hostile expressions at that statement and start growling. They knew better than to say anything though because that would be grounds for immediate dismissal. Bulma was just smirking in a way Vegeta would and was finding this whole situation funny. She knew the comments were not aimed at her and thats what was so amusing about the whole situation. She glances at the King and notices him scowling a bit. The Queen was smirking in much the same way Bulma was. Vegeta glances over at Bulma a moment and chuckles at the smirk on her face. The Queen glances at the girls a moment.

"You start your test at 9am this morning. Anyone who can't handle the test will either be removed or can leave on their own. I don't want to have to remove you myself, but if I have to, I will. I want whats best for my son like everyone else does. Anyone who shows a disdain for children, will be asked to leave. Go get some breakfast, stay clean, and make sure to be ready in an hour. Anyone not ready by then will be left behind and will be out of the competition...so eat fast. Go now."

The girls head towards the kitchen to get breakfast and eat it in a hurry. All but 2 were ready in the time alotted. Those 2 had willingly decided to quit the competition since they didnt like kids and were hated by society. They knew they would fail, so the saved themselves the humiliation of even trying to compete. This dropped the number to 8 girls, 6 of which were not too comfortable with facing the people. The other 2 were being very cocky and thought they could take on anything. Like all cocky people in the past, those people were usually the first to fall. Once in town, they head towards the children's playground area where the test with the kids would be held. Most of the adults there look at the girls and shake their heads but allow them in since they were candidates for the position of Queen. The two cocky girls go first with the kids and wind up getting sand in the faces by the kids. The girls start cursing and swearing and immediately get pulled away by the adults. Those two were out of the competition for acting that way in front of children.

The other 6 girls look at each other uneasily before approaching the kids. Bulma notices one girl that was all alone and goes over to her. She kneels down and notices the girl had scraped her knee on a rock. With gentle hands, Bulma takes some bandages from her pocket that she had brought from Earth and bandages up the girl's knee so it wouldn't get infected. The girl looks at her then grins and hugs Bulma rather tightly. The adults see that and look stunned that a Human woman was so gentle with a child. The other kids see that and tackle Bulma and start tickling her causing her to squirm and laugh since she was ticklish. The adults even get a laugh out of that. The other girls shake their heads and laugh too since it was actually a funny sight to see. In a way, they were envious of Bulma at this point because of her skill with kids.

The Prince and Queen were standing a distance away but could see all the action. They both start laughing too and grin at each other a moment. "Wise choice son, you may very well have chosen a keeper, regardless of what your father says. I think she would make a great mother someday. She's good with kids, she's beautiful in her own way, she's very intelligent, and she knows when to keep her mouth shut. All those are attributes any Queen should have. The question now is whether or not she can gain the respect of the people. Only time will tell and she has all week to prove herself." Vegeta nods to this and heads back towards the palace. The rest of the day goes smoothly for the remaining 6 girls and they get to retire early and sleep through the remainder of the night.

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Heres chapter 16. Read and enjoy. I'm trying to get at least a few chapters up since I had some a huge gap in between.