Chapter 23
Breakfast that morning was an amusing affair. It was obvious to everyone at the table that Vegeta and Bulma had made up. Firstly, Bulma actually stayed for the full length of breakfast and had not run away as soon as she gobbled down her toast.
After finishing his breakfast, Vegeta had remained in his chair and threw his arm around the back of Bulma's chair relaxing and letting his food digest. At that gesture, the Queen smiled merrily, and Bulma's mother made a happy squeek which went completely unnoticed by Bulma and Vegeta.
Goku was smiling like an idiot and his father was in an awful mood, which was the only things that did not escape Vegeta's notice. After Bulma had finished her breakfast, Vegeta dropped his arm from the back of Bulma's chair to rest lightly on her shoulders.
As expected, this annoyed his father even more, which made Vegeta a very happy prince. Bulma relaxed into his arms, leaning more into him as she rubbed her tummy in a satisfied way.
"Honestly ChiChi, I didn't think it was possible but somehow your cooking gets better each day" Bulma said happily to ChiChi who was sitting opposite her and next to Goku at the table.
"That's what I've been saying!" Goku said through all the food in his mouth.
"Learn some manners Kakarot" Vegeta sighed at him.
"And that's what I've been saying" ChiChi said poking Goku in the ribs. "Although maybe you're just in a good mood Bulma" ChiChi smiled mysteriously.
"Hmmmm that could be possible" Bulma smiled back in response.
"Why are we pretending? Isn't it obvious that Vegeta and Bulma made up and are going to have babies now?" Goku said staring at them all cluelessly.
At his words, the King slammed his fist down on the table.
"Something wrong honey?" the Queen decided to intervene before things got out of hand.
The King's face was full of fury as he pointed to Bulma and Vegeta. "You two are going to go no further with this farce" he growled out.
Vegeta tightened his arm around Bulma's shoulders.
"No. There is no farce. Wake up and see reality father" Vegeta said threateningly, his tail unconsciously unwrapping from his waist and wrapping around Bulma's upper thigh under the table.
"I won't accept it! Any heir you two will produce will be a half breed brat. I won't have some disgusting half breed running my kingdom" the King said slamming his fist down on the table again that they heard an ominous cracking noise from the tabletop.
"Don't you insult my future offspring father" Vegeta growled out his ki starting to rise.
At his words, Bulma flushed. She felt her pulse rising at Vegeta defending their future children. She herself, had not even thought that far.
"I can do what I want when you two are playing these childish games!"
The Queen decided to intervene. "Honey, can't you see that they are both happy?" She said putting a gentle hand on his fist to calm him down.
"I don't care Vanessa! The future of the kingdom is at stake here! That's the sacrifice you have to make when you are part of the royal family!" he said his voice rising.
"Well, as far as I remember, when you were choosing a mate that was something you were not willing to compromise on" the Queen said softly. "Your happiness".
The King stiffened at her words. "That was different" he said under his breath.
Throughout this interaction, Bulma was feeling severely disappointed. She had worked so hard her whole life, serving this planet, creating the best technology the saiyan race had ever seen. She worked hard to earn the trust of the people, the trust of the King himself.
He had held her in high regard to the point that she became involved with Vegeta.
Was he not happy that after all her efforts for his people and kingdom she had finally found happiness for herself and was willing to protect his son in the best way she knew how? Had she not worked so hard to prove herself to him? Did all of that mean nothing to him?
Bulma felt her temper rise. She was never one to let other people fight her battles for her.
"Have I not proven myself to you your majesty?" Bulma said softly. At her words, she felt Vegeta stiffen besides her and could feel his gaze on her.
Vegeta could sense from Bulma that this was a fight she wanted to fight. He was not going to get in her way. He would let her have her moment.
"Have I not slogged for hours and hours to strengthen the saiyan race in ways you yourself didn't even think possible? Have I not been at your beck and call for every minute of the past 20 years? Have I not shown you the pride I have for your nation and my desire to protect your people in the best way I know how?" She said her voice becoming firmer and firmer as she looked up from her lap and looked at the King straight in his eyes.
It surprised Bulma how similar Vegeta was to his father. They both had the same intense gaze and dark black eyes that made it impossible to look away.
"Why do you want to throw me away?" she continued. "Why do you want to deprive me of the only true happiness I have ever known? You took me from my planet when I was just a child, you made me work for you, you made me serve your people, you deprived me of every opportunity I would have had on my home planet" she said her voice full of emotion.
Not wanting to lose her nerve, Bulma continued. "Despite everything you have done to me, I served you fully. I never once fought back. I never once tried to harm you or your people. I even made friends with the palace staff and your son."
"Don't you think you can let go of your selfishness for once and let Vegeta and I make our own decisions?" Bulma said her voice betraying how strongly she felt about this.
At her words the entire table had gone dead silent. The King narrowed his eyes, staring at Bulma intensely.
"You have nerve woman, I'll give you that" the King said leaning back in his chair.
"Honey if it makes any difference, I support them 100%. I wouldn't have Vegeta with anyone else" the Queen said from her place beside him.
"Me too!" Goku added.
"Ugggggh the whole lot of you are intolerable" the King sighed rubbing his hand over his face. "What do you have to say about this Vegeta?" he added looking at Vegeta.
"Bulma is the only mate I will take. I will not have anyone else by my side as I ascend the throne" Vegeta said puffing out his chest slightly.
The King gave a long pause and they could all see him thinking deeply.
Finally he spoke. "I'm not happy with this, but I hear your points of view. I will accept your union. You have my blessings" the King said staring at Bulma and Vegeta.
At his words, Goke gave out a sudden "whoop", Vegeta smirked in his classic Vegeta way and Bulma let out a "Thank you your majesty".
"Just no more public displays of affection. I'm still getting used to this whole thing" the king said pointing at them as he turned back to his sausage and toast.
"Oh like this?" Vegeta said and suddenly bent down to give Bulma a peck on the lips.
"Grrrrr boy! What did I ever do to have a son like you?" the king grumbled, shovelling the rest of his breakfast into his mouth.
The days that followed the incident at the dining table, passed in a blur to Bulma. She was so busy juggling the last bits of her future queen training and the work she had in the lab.
The royals had said their farewells to Aubrey and her father soon after Vegeta and her had got together. Aubrey and King Garick had insisted that they had been away from the battlefield for too long and needed to go back. Bulma had provided them both with a set of battle proofed, long range scouters that they would still be able to contact the palace if they needed to.
The farewell went rather smoothly, all things considered between Vegeta and Aubrey, they had all shook hands amiably before Aubrey had shot Vegeta a disgusted look and boarded her ship ahead of her father.
Vegeta didn't care much, as she never meant anything to him anyways. She was just a means to an end.
Bulma though had felt a weight leave her shoulders once she saw their ship disappear into the distance. It felt like the close of a chapter and the beginning of a new one.
Bulma knew she had a big task ahead of her. Once she saw them leave, it finally set in on her that she was going to be crowned queen in the next few days. She had never imagined that she would actually be taking the throne after all her training the past few months. It was the first time her brain processed what was really happening.
She was going to be queen.
She was going to be Vegeta's mate.
It was an extraordinary feeling. Bulma felt both scared and excited. She was happy that finally she would be able to be with Vegeta but scared as to what her new life would be like.
Bulma was letting these thoughts sink into her as she fiddled with some machinery on the lab table that evening. She had managed to finish her future queen duties early that day and decided to make the best use of her free time in the lab. The lab workers had all left for the night, which was a welcome feeling for Bulma as she could enjoy the peace and quiet.
Tinkering with the wires in her hand, she heard the door slide open behind her. Not really caring to turn around, she just assumed it was Vegeta as more often than not it was him who would visit her in the lab.
"I don't have time to help you today Vegeta, I really need to fix this, otherwise the healing tanks won't be able to work tomorrow" she said bending down closer to the table to examine a particularly tricky circuit.
"I'm probably not the Vegeta you are expecting" she heard a deep voice from behind her.
Whipping around, she turned and saw the King standing a few feet from her.
"Oh your majesty. I'm sorry I didn't know it was you" she said, bowing her head slightly in greeting.
"Pfft forget the formalities. You're going to be a Queen now" he said sneering slightly.
Bulma could sense something weird from him. A bit of hostility mixed with a sense of curiosity.
It set her on edge.
The King could see her stiffen at his words and slightly back away from him towards the table behind her.
He sighed to himself and rubbed a tired hand over his face and through his hair.
At his actions, Bulma was thrown back. He looked so much like Vegeta in that moment, it threw her off balance.
"Look. I'm sorry Bulma. I've behaved like an absolute pig" the King said softly, carefully meeting her eyes.
Bulma didn't think it was possible, but she was even more shocked than before. The King apologising? And apologising to her of all people? What was the world coming to?
"Uhhhh" Bulma responded lamely.
"I just wanted the best for my son. In my pursuit of him being the perfect King, I never stopped to realise if what I was doing was best for him or best for the kingdom" he said his eyes dropping to the floor. "I pushed whore after whore at him, without seeing what I was doing".
"Vegeta respects you more than you think sire" Bulma said gently.
At his words, the King looked up at her meeting her eyes.
"The only thing I don't regret, is bringing you to this planet. I'm grateful you have managed to give him happiness where I have not."
He then turned around to leave. Bulma panicking, she felt like she had to put him at ease.
"Sire" she said her words stopping him in his tracks.
"Vegeta and I won't disappoint you. We won't leave Vegetasei without a proper King and Queen. I know that I am not saiyan, but I will do everything in my power to make sure our kingdom is safe and Vegeta is happy" she said firmly.
The King tilted his head slightly and raised his eyebrow at her words studying her curiously.
He then smiled to himself and turned around to leave, shaking his head in mirth.
"Welcome to the family" he said before turning away and slipping out the door.
Author's note:
Awwww looks like our big bad King was a softie all along. Maybe that's where Vegeta get's it from (yes we know deep down you're a softie Vegeta)