Northern clothes were better suited for running then Bulma would have expected. The soft soled shoes, and the simple skirt that was easy to hike up made it easy to run after Vegeta and Goku. Raditz- was he killed? Hurt? Who'd done it? The Cold family? Or- She thought of Piccolo and panic welled up inside her.

Oh no. He hadn't. He couldn't have- but some part of her knew already.

They chased Goku through the castle, all the way to the infirmary. If it was Piccolo, he was in trouble, if it was the Cold family, she was in trouble. Regardless of what he'd done she couldn't let him die. Not when she knew she had to come clean to the royal family about her healing powers.

They heard his screams of agony from down the hall. Vegeta paused at the shrill sound of it- but Bulma speed up- the sound of such pain egging her on to go faster to get to him and to make it stop. Even if he'd tried to rape her- that sound, from anyone made her frantic. Despite the screams, she wasn't expecting to see anything like what she found when she skidded into the infirmary.

Raditz was laying on his back, surrounded by family trying to hold him down while a doctor tried to help. His hands were gone, his hair was butchered, and his face more than a little bruised. The doctor tried to put a hot stone on the bloody stumps. Fasha was right at his side, wrestling one thick arm to keep it still- while Gina wrestled his other arm. Goku who'd arrived a moment before was rushing to Gina's side to help. King Vegeta stood at the end of the room, arms crossed, glaring at his shrieking son.

Bulma looked at Raditz, and healed him. Unlike with most injuries, this healing wasn't an instant wave of relief- but more agony as tiny hands shot out of his stumps horribly and grew. Nails ripped out of the flesh and bone cracked and popped into place until his hands were back.

Raditz gasped and thrashed in shock, and relief as the pain stopped, but it had stopped so suddenly his heart still raced. Bulma knew this pain. She stepped forward. He was half crying, half gasping for breath as he shook violently.

He looked wildly around for the source of the healing, and saw Bulma. His eyes bugged out of his head, and he pushed off the table. She couldn't tell if he had fallen to his knees, or if it was intentional- but he crawled forward regardless and pressed his forehead to the ground at Bulma's feet, startling her, his mother, sister, and Goku.

Both Vegeta's wore matching looks of distaste, and anger.

"Princess! I'm so sorry." He sobbed. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I promise, I'll never-" He gasped, and shook so much between each word that Bulma actually felt sorry for him.

She crouched down and pulled him up by the shoulder, gently. His face was wet with snot, and tears.
"I'm sorry." He cried. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you, Raditz. For your apology. It's okay now. I forgive you." She hugged him than, pulling him into her arms and cradling his head against her chest. "Take these new hands as a new start, and never assault a woman with them."

He nodded vigorously, and broke down into howls of regret, and pain. The physical pain was gone, and she didn't know how much of this was guilt, and how much was at the embarrassment of being found out by his family, but- She didn't care. That agony had to be enough of a punishment. She couldn't stay mad- not after seeing him like that. She wondered if she was weak.

"So it's true? He did try to rape you?" King Vegeta asked.

Bulma nodded, but to her surprise so did Raditz. Gina shook her head in disappointment, and covered her mouth with her hands while Fasha looked horror struck.

"How did you find out?"

"Ambassador Piccolo. He came to find me in the lounge and told me he'd cut Raditz hands for trying to rape you, and that Raditz was bleeding out in the hall." Bulma went pale, Raditz still shaking and crying into arms, having sunk a bit to her lap more than her chest.

"He- Your Majesty- Piccolo helped raise me, he's like a father to me. He was just- Please forgive him, Your majesty. Please don't-"

"There's nothing to forgive. If someone had tried to rape my daughter, he'd be dead. Not just wounded." That surprised Bulma. "My only concern, is that you didn't tell me, Princess. Just because he's my son doesn't mean he can do as he likes to a royal guest. I don't know how you got the idea that I would protect him after such a betrayal, but know now that such behavior will never be tolerated here in the North."

"Thank you, Your majesty. It would seem that today I'm losing a lot of my misconceptions about the North and it's culture." Bulma gently removed herself from Raditz, unable to bare touching him any longer.

"Take him to the dungeons." The king barked at a guard once Bulma was on her feet again. She went to stand near Vegeta, out of habit, but he shook his head, eyes wide and angry.
"Tomorrow at dawn we execute him." The king said.
"What! Wasn't that punishment enough?!" Bulma gasphed, horrified. "He's-"
"Honey." Gine said, rushing to her husband and taking his hand in her own. "The princess forgave him. She is the one he wronged and if she thinks he's worthy of forgiveness we should- we should let him live."

The king pursed his lips, and looked over at Bulma.
"You think he deserves another chance?"
"I've felt that sort of pain, your Majesty. It will be as a reminder to him for as long as he lives. Weather he dies tomorrow, or in forty years."

"Very well. Raditz, I assign you to the southern border camp, and strip you of all nobel rank. You will remain a General, but you will ever marry a noble lady, and you will never own lands, and you are ineligible for the throne, and so are any children you may have and all of your descendants. They will hold no more power than any common citizen." The king stormed from the room, his cloak billowing behind him.

"Mother?" Raditz pleaded weakly. Gina wiped her face and turned to him, disgusted.
"I didn't raise you like this. To do things so horrible. No wonder god didn't heal you when Bulma got here. She knew what you were. But now, she had healed you. Which means apparently she see's reason to give you another chance. I wish I could see what she sees. But I don't. Good bye." The coldness of her words made Bulma's jaw followed her husband out of the room, leaving a sobbing Raditz on the ground.

Bulma had no idea what to do now. She looked around at Vegeta, Goku, and Fasha- but they were all glaring at Raditz, or the wall. Eventually, Goku extended his arm to Bulma.
"Come on, let's go."

Bulma took Goku's arm, and left with him. She threw one last look over her shoulder as they left and saw Vegeta crouch next to his brother and put a hand on his back.

"I had no idea the north was so…"

"So what?" Goku asked, frowning at her.

"I don't know. Pro-women, I guess? In the south if a man does such a thing… even if he's successful, it's hard to prove."

"Weird." Goku said, and shook his head. "I agree with father. I'd kill anyone who did that to Fasha, or Mom or- Gohan, or anyone I care about. Wouldn't your father?"

"Of course." She nodded.

"So, are you okay?" Goku asked and patted her arm.

"Yeah, I'm not hurt."

"That's not what I meant."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Honestly seeing him without hands might have been more traumatic than the attempted rape." She tried to chuckle, but it came out shaking.

"That's because you're too kind. He didn't deserve to be healed." Goku sighed. "You were only here a day, before he started. We knew he got a little handsy with some of the castle staff… but this…" He shook his head. Eventually they ended up in the family lounge again.

She ended up sitting by the fire watching Goku wrestle with Fasha, Gohan, and sometimes Treble. It was like a weird sparing, but no one seemed to be getting hurt, and they were having fun and distracting themselves from the day's earlier horrible events.

It actually made her grow a little more fond of Goku. He had a way with them that she found charming. He never let them get the upper hand, but he also wasn't using his full strength, as he was sufficiently taller, and longer limbed than all of them. Tarble was the first to stop, but he did so smiling as he went to sit next to his mother. Pretty soon, even Fasha was retiring to eat some of the cake set out with the tea and sit with her mom when she joined them.

Finally, Goku had to tap out when Gohan pinned him and twisted his arm in what seemed to be a genuinely painful way- Bulma healed Goku as soon as he winced for real and Gohan let go when Goku called mercy and roared with laughter.

"Good hold!" Goku praised, and flopped over to lay flat on his back, and catch his breath. Eventually, he climbed to his feet and grabbed a literal armload of the meat pies set out with the tea, and came to sit next to Bulma.

She thought it was a little odd at first but then she remembered that they were basically engaged, and that he was trying to do what was expected of him by engaging her. The whole evening sitting her felt odd. Like they were all trying to pretend today hadn't happened.

"That looked like it hurt." She said.

"Yeah Gohan is getting really strong! He's a fast learner! He's good with books too, but that's all his mom." Goku settled in started eating pies in only two bites each.

"What was she like? His mom?" She was sure her question would hurt, if he loved her. But she needed to see what his reaction was to such things.

"Chichi was…. Amazing." Goku smiled sadly at her memory. "She was strong, and smart and kinda bossy? But I loved it. She made sure Gohan got a good education."

"He's still getting a good education, dear." Gina corrected. Gohan nodded and smiled around his own mouthful of food.

"We stay in school until 21, in my country but my father always said only a fool stops learning." Bulma said, and took a deep breath. She forced her mouth into a smile while she tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat at the mention of her father.

"That's smart. Gohan will be a much better leader than me, one day. He's way smarter." Bulma noticed how quickly Goku had steered the conversation away from his dead wife, so she didn't push but listened while he prattled on proudly about his son. He made her happy, in a roundabout way. Gohan was a nice and smart boy, and if Goku was this good a father to Gohan, he would be a good father to the child they would one day have together too.

She could be happy with him. She was sure of it. She had to be.

Vegeta came in the room then and looked around at his family, and Bulma. She noticed his sleeves were still rolled up to the elbow.
"Vegeta, where have you been?" Gina asked.
"Organizing the castle guard to best protect our new guest. I've had some of the higher ranked soldiers from the army fill in, while Nappa trains the new guards from the tournament." His eyes flicked to Bulma. "And I hand the princess's belongings moved. I think it would be best to have her stay in the west tower for now."

"Why?" King Vegeta asked.

"If King Cold was trying to kill her, and he's not above sending assassins, than the Pink room is a bit too obvious a place for her to stay."

"Mhm. Yes, I suppose that's true." King Vegeta agreed.

"And, I was arranging Raditz' departure." Vegeta added, more quietly. Everyone was quiet.

So he'd been working while they'd all sat around. That made Bulma's stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Oh! Well, you're done now though? Come join us." Gine patted the spot on the lounge next to her. Vegeta looked at Goku and gave a short, approving nod before joining his mother. Bulma wondered if Vegeta had asked Goku to spend more time with her, given their engagement. Vegeta sat next to his mother, crossed his arms and stared into the fire with an air of annoyance.

Bulma didn't have any siblings, so she didn't know what it was like. She imagined how annoyed she'd be if she had to do everything herself while her siblings played around.
"Thank you, Prince Vegeta. I'm sorry for the trouble my visit has caused you."

"Blame the Cold family for the trouble." He said, before picking up a meat pie and starting to eat.

These northerners sure could put it away. Bulma had never seen a group of people eat so much. Since there was no formal dinner that night, they were all eating here in the lounge in a very casual leisurely sort of way. No one in the family felt up too a formal meal, with Raditz leaving. They all seemed to be mourning the loss of him, or rather the him they'd thought he was.

Bulma knew her guilt was misplaced, but she still felt it. She wanted to tell them it was fine and that Raditz should stay- but the thought of seeing him around, even if she had forgiven him made her skin crawl. She didn't want to be around him ever again. Even in a crowded room. And he did deserve some sort of discipline. Not just for her, but for however many women he'd actually raped. Women who felt powerless to speak up.

As the night came to a close, Goku offered his arm to Bulma to escort her to her new room. She accepted, and walked with him contently, though she wished it had been Vegeta walking her to her room.

As they meander the halls, It seemed like Goku was trying to work up to saying something. Bulma was patient, and felt no need to rush him.

"Bulma, can I be honest with you about something?" Goku asked. "It's not the kind of thing my parents would approve of me telling you, but it's the truth and I feel like I need to be honest."

"Sure, Goku." She nodded, and looked at him while they walked so he'd know she was listening.

"I love Chichi. I miss her, and I don't think I could ever love you as I loved her." He said, rather quickly.

"Goku, it's an arranged marriage. I don't expect you to love me, or to stop missing Chichi. She sounds like she was amazing. I wish I could have known her."

"You would have been friends." Goku said with a relieved smile. "I just- I fell in love with Chichi and it was arranged, so…" He shrugged. "After everything that's happened to you, I thought you deserved the truth." He stopped walking and turned to face her. "But Bulma, that doesn't mean I don't like you, and it doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to be a good husband. I like you a lot, actually! I think we'll be good friends."

"Goku." Bulma took his hands in her own, and noted how unlike his brothers they were. He'd bitten the nail down to stumps, and while strong they lacked Vegeta's grace. "I think the best thing most could hope for in such a marriage is friendship, and I think we've already got that. I care about you a lot. I'd even say I have a lot of affection for you. I think we can be very happy. Seeing you with Gohan…. Makes me think of how good a father you'll be to our children one day."

"Oh yeah! We're going to have to have kids I forgot!" He looked genuinely surprised by that knowledge, and looked up while he thought for a moment. "But, you're real pretty so I don't think it'll be a problem on my end." He mused, and that made Bulma laugh. Goku wasn't a bad looking man, that was for sure. He had an openness, and a kindness to him that made his otherwise decent looking features down right handsome.

"Thank you, Goku. Let's not worry about that just yet though, hm?"

"Oh! Right. I just- I kinda forgot about it, you know? I really only think of Chi-chi when I do think about sex. Man she was something else, that Chi- Oh! I shouldn't be telling you this! Not yet, I'm sorry! Anyway- I'm glad we're both being honest, and that you're okay with me missing her."

"I could never ask you to forget her, Goku. I never will. I think, once things are settled a bit and we're both back in the Isle of life- we should have a portrait of her made, and hung in the castle in a place of honor."

"Wouldn't that be a little disrespectful to you?" Goku asked in amazement.

"I don't think so. Would that be the case in the North?"

"Yeah… I mean, my father doesn't have a portrait of Vegeta's mother up anywhere in the castle, out of respect to my mother." Goku mused. "I guess things are different in the south."

But Bulma's jaw had dropped.
"WHAT!?" She gasphed. "You mean- Gine isn't- she isn't Vegeta's birth mother?!" Bulma whispered and looked around to make sure no one over heard.

"Yeah, she died in childbirth, apparently. My father remarried shortly after, so Vegeta never knew her. My mother was the only mother ever knew, so she's kind of our mother."

That shocked Bulma so much that she didn't have anything else to say the whole rest of the way to the west tower. "So royals can marry widowers in the north. Than why did Gine think that they couldn't in the Isle of Life?" She wondered.

"We thought you guys had strict marriage laws down there." Goku shrugged. "Up here we're much less strict on little things like that."

"I guess that makes sense." She mused. By now, they had reached the west tower and were climbing it's steps.

"Thank you for your honesty with me, Goku." She said as they reached the top of the tower, and entered the room.

"Oh woah, Vegeta must have redecorated in here!" Goku said in amazement.

It wasn't as elegant as the Pink Room, that was for sure. But The round stone room had clearly been made up. Every inch of the stone walls were covered in thick tapestry, and the floor was a patchwork of different, thick, plush fur rugs. There were two fire places, and both were blazing. It still wasn't as warm as The Pink room had been, because it was so small, but it was still much warmer than the hall.

"It doesn't always look like this?" Bulma asked.

"Uh-uh. I bet Vegeta noticed that you're always cold and did this to warm it up. He's real thoughtful. Wish I had thought of it, since I'm supposed to marry you." He scratched the back of his head guiltily.

"I'll have to thank him in the morning. But for now, Thank you Goku for walking me here and for being so honest with me. Tomorrow I have something to tell you and your family in the interest of honesty.

"What's that?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow, with the rest of the family. Goodnight, Goku." Bulma got on her tiptoes, and pecked him on the cheek. He smiled widely at her in his usual open way and bid her goodnight.

Unus closed the door behind him. Before she could say a word, Bulma hugged her.
"I'm sorry for wandering off, and for leaving you. I shouldn't have. It was stupid. You could have been hurt! I'm sorry. Unus. I'm sorry for everything." She'd been waiting to say that all day, but they hadn't been alone together since that morning, when she was still too mad to speak to her.

"It's okay, Bulla. I forgive you." Unus hugged her back, the armor dugin to her a bit, but neither woman cared. "If I had been there, he never would have…"

"You're right. He wouldn't have been able to order you away. It was stupid and impulsive of me to just… wander out there like that. Honestly, after seeing you drop Nappa like that I just… got a little… I just needed a bit of air." She lied. She hadn't found it sexy in the moment at all, but later she when she thought back to it…

"You've always had a thing for strong people." Unus smirked, and began undoing the straps on her breast plate. Bulma helped, and they barred the door to spend an evening together, huddled under the warm, thick covers.

The stress of the day, the worry of tomorrow, and the knowledge that somewhere King Cold was likely torturing someone because of her, kept Bulma from being able to enjoy any pleasure. But she was happy to lose herself in the task of pleasuring Unus until the woman was panting and stifling her moan in a pillow so the guards outside their door wouldn't hear her.

Bulma slept fitfully that night. Unable to relax due to the stress of the day, and what the future promised. But she did at least manage to mend the divide with Unus. In the morning, she'd have to come clean to the King. But that was for tomorrow. For now, all she had to do was isleep./i