Bardock woke suddenly, his every muscle tense as he gathered ki in his palm instinctively. "What is it?" he rasped to the figure standing in the doorway. Despite the lack of light, he knew it was his son Kakarot and let the energy disperse.

"Vegita-ouji has exited the temple early…"

"Nani?!" he cried, standing abruptly to search for clothes to cover his nakedness.

"There is more you should know," Kakarot began as he and his half naked father walked briskly down the hall and towards the door. "Bulma is with him." Bardock halted in his tracks and turned an unreadable set of eyes on his son.

"You are certain?"

Kakarot nodded. "Absolutely."

"Gods, what has that girl gotten herself into?" Bardock mumbled to himself while stepping outside into the chilly night air. Vegita wasn’t due to exit until right after dawn. He was hours early… what did it mean? Vegita-sei’s dark night sky enveloped the two Saiya-jin warriors as they lifted into the air and shot towards the Saiya Temple. All day he had spent looking for his blue-haired assistant and now he finds out that the little minx has been lounging in the Temple with a hotheaded prince of Vegita-sei. Feh, I’m surprised she’s still alive with that tongue of hers. Ouji Vegita isn’t one to let insolence slide.

Vegita stood in the pale light of the night sky, watching with failing interest the pathetic audience still sputtering in awe before the Temple. They were scared, he knew, and wisely so. Waves of them stood below the platform and he appeared as only a small fish in an oh-so-huge ocean. A fish with golden scales and a raging power level. A smirk tugged at his lips. He was the most powerful force they had felt in… well, in forever most likely. And, he thought amusedly, they were about to see him in action as soon as his father showed himself. Vegita-ouji snorted. The old man was probably being woken at this very moment, in a daze at why his son had arrived early. Well, wouldn’t he get a surprise when he came.

A guard approached him warily, eyeing Bulma as if he wasn’t sure the prince wanted her present. "Vegita-ouji, you’re father has been told of your exit, and will be here shortly." It was obvious that the warrior was twitching with fear. Vegita was sure the power level the guard was picking up was terrifying the man to no end. Pity he wasn’t even exerting himself.

"That is good. I will wait for him here."

"Hai, ouji-sama." The guard nodded mostly to himself it seemed, and left.

Bulma looked around the temple grounds at the group of Saiya-jin that had decided to stay by the Saiya Temple all night long to wait for their prince. It was comforting in a way to see that some of the population cared about the future heir to the throne. Nervously, she twisted the ring on her finger, letting it slip to her fingertips. She grimly smiled to herself. This whole situation had been at the fault of this damn ring. What would the king say when he saw Vegita? More so, what would he say when he saw her and felt the small cargo she carried? Absently, she trailed a hand over her abdomen. There wasn’t a significant growth yet, but she could feel a difference in her body. Her sapphire eyes gazed out into the horizon where a few warriors were arriving to see Vegita-sei’s heir. Vegita had told her that most Saiya-jin warriors would come to see him and his new power. He was right. The sky was thick with small dark dots of Saiya-jins, quite the opposite of the brilliant display of twinkling stars on the blue-black night sky. It was nice to see the stars, and the sky for that matter after such a long stay without them. Finally, she was out of the cramped space and jagged confinements of the Temple interior. Not that the temple wasn’t fit for royalty … since that’s exactly what it was for. She had thought of this moment every day whilst being in the temple, but now that it was here the only thing she could think about was getting it over with. Beside her, Vegita shifted slightly. She had become finely tuned to him lately. She wasn’t sure if it was because they had been living together for nearly a year, or because of the child. Either way it made living around him much easier.

"I will take the throne today," he said nonchalantly, keeping a respectable yet aloof distance from her. "I will kill my father."

Bulma felt her jaw slacken, but before a word could be uttered Vegita had moved away from her and towards a group of Saiya-jin approaching at high speed. One was the King of Vegita-sei himself, easily noted by his scarlet cape and escort of Elites. She watched as Vegita slowly lifted himself up to the level where his father was approaching. Bulma watched as the two exchanged brief words and she could have sworn she saw the King lighten to a paler shade before scoffing at Vegita. To her surprise, Vegita did not burst into a fit of rage, but rather smiled a self-knowing smile. In all honesty, that smile was worse than his usual anger. The King now knew that Vegita was serious and the space between them seemed to grow slightly. In less than the time it took her to blink, Vegita had tensed his entire body, growling in concentration as the power in his mind began to manifest into something much, much more physical. A light bright enough to compare to that of the sun began to swirl around Vegita’s body, and with each second that passed it grew stronger and more terrifying. The King’s jaw dropped in awe at the power his son, his own flesh and blood, now radiated.

"Dear sweet goddess, can you feel it?" a nearby guard said to no one in particular. "My scouter is reading a level off the scale!"

"He’s done it! Vegita-ouji has reached the Legendary!" Shouts erupted all over the crowd, and many began to chant his name, anticipating what he was about to do. Did they all want Vegita to take the throne? Did the fact that he planned on killing his father mean anything to them? Suddenly, her blue eyes swept past a familiar face.

Bardock!

No one noticed the small woman who slipped down the platform stairs and into the crowd. If she could just get in the back of the crowd, then she would be able to get the big Saiya-jin’s attention. That is, Bulma thought sourly, if she could get through the throngs and throngs of people on the floor level. It was hard enough being a small slave trying to get past hundreds of the thick, bulging bodies of warriors, but the fact that many of the people she was squeezing past were that of higher ranking soldiers made her a bit queasy. If it weren’t for the miraculous spectacle Vegita was creating simply by powering up, then every Saiya-jin wouldn’t be so conveniently distracted. Each dark haired warrior stood with their mouths slightly agape, and their heads tilted up and facing the pair of Vegitas in the sky.

Bulma could see the end of the mob, but no Bardock… she slowed slightly, looking around to see if he was still nearby… when something snatched onto her arm and squeezed almost painfully hard.

"Ahh! Let go of me, you—" A set of slate black eyes met her burning blue ones. "Kakarot!" she said almost in relief.

"My father is looking for you on the east side," Kakarot said, a small smile turning his lips upward. "You know," he began, "we’ve been looking for you all day."

Bulma had to pass up the opportunity to tell him that it had been longer than a day to her… much, much longer.

"He’s going to chew your head off over this one, girl." Kakarot chuckled at the face Bulma made.

"I know, I know. He hasn’t the faintest idea of what happened, though. But once I tell him, I’m sure that he’ll understand. At least I hope so." The two began walking towards the eastern side to look for Bardock.

The wide circle that had been around Vegita’s glowing form had now dissipated, and only the king himself stayed near his son. Whether it was honor or fear that held him was hard to tell. He had an obligation as Vegita-sei’s King and as Vegita’s father to recognize when his time as ruler had come to an end, and his heir had risen to the level of power great enough to take over. This was that time. Vegita-ou slumped slightly upon realizing that his plan had backfired… that he had doubted his son’s abilities, and now he was going to pay for it in the most primal and brutal way possible— death at the hands of his son. It was natural; this was the way of his people, but still it stung some cold part of him that he had thought dead long ago. As the Ou of Vegita-sei lifted his eyes to that of his son’s, he saw what he had feared he would. Hatred. Pure, undaunted, raging hatred. And all of it was for him. Worst of all was that he knew the source of it. Perhaps there was still time to make amends before passing on. Perhaps not. If he knew anything about his son, it was that he would never accept an apology for the death of his mother, especially one from him. If he could not seal the breach in Vegita’s mind, then he might as well push him on.

"She had a weakness, brat. I was not going to let Her infect you with it. She had to be disposed of before the situation became worse."

Vegita froze, his entire being simply hardened into a statue, looking directly into his father’s eyes. The two of them stared at each other, the younger sending waves of hate.

"You will not speak to me of Her ever again." Vegita-ouji’s words were all but soft in their vehemence. The King of Vegita-sei gasped wide-eyed as the black hair on his son’s head flashed a brilliant golden color. "You’re time has come, old man."

"So let me get this straight," said Bardock as he glared down at his small lab assistant painted in blue. "You’ve been inside the Saiya Temple with Ouji Vegita all day-"

"A year passed inside the Temple even though only a day passed outside. Well, almost a year, anyway. We left about two months early," Bulma corrected.

"Right, a year. In any case, you have some god watching over you, girl. I don’t know of another soul who has spent that much time in such close quarters with the prince and not been killed." Bardock’s eyes swept towards the sky where Vegita suddenly erupted in a pillar of gold flame. "Great goddess! Look at him!"

"The Legendary," Kakarot mumbled as he watched Vegita straighten his power-laden body and slowly lift his eyes to sear his father.

"He said he was going to take the throne today," Bulma said to the two Saiya-jin around her. "That he was going to kill his father." They both turned around to look at her.

"He told you? The prince told you he was going to take the throne?"

Bulma turned to Bardock. "Uh, yeah." She looked at him sideways. "I’ve been living with the guy for a year, Bardock. Of course he’s going to tell me." Kakarot glanced at his father and then back up at Vegita.

"We’ll discuss this later," Bardock said before settling his attention on the history in the sky. The Ouji was now shrouded in a gold aura crackling with raw energy begging to be let out. Bardock could only imagine the amount of restraint used to hold it in check. Vegita lifted one hand palm up towards the sky, focusing the majority of his energy to that point. A small burst of ki became visible and it grew until it was the size of a small child. All eyes were centered on the King at this moment. His face was steel, not an ounce of fear was present, though what he was going through in his mind was most certainly an entirely different thing. Just as quickly as Bardock had focused his eyesight on the King’s face, Vegita’s ki had swallowed him, leaving everyone blinded from the terrible brightness. A white light seared every eye watching, but even though vision was temporarily suspended, every mind was filled with the image of Vegita-sei’s King burning away into nothing more than ashes in the wind. A new King now owned the throne.

"The Royal Council has been summoned. As King I am obligated to attend." Vegita frowned as if he wasn’t sure he liked being obligated to do anything. "Besides, I must go receive their allegiances," Vegita said as he pulled on a sleek black training suit. He looked up at her sitting on his bed, still wearing that serene look from just waking up and wrapped only in bed sheets. Their gazes meeting for only that brief second. "I will be back in a few hours. You will stay out of trouble, out of sight. Not many people know you are here, and I intend to keep it that way." He lifted a set of armor over his shoulders and attached a long cape that was red on one side and black on the other giving him a look of supreme authority. It was fitting considering that he was now the King of Vegita-sei.

"You look nice," she said softly, reaching up to rub sleep from her eyes. "Very attractive."
Vegita snorted and smirked.

"I know, woman." Vegita slowly walked over to her, bracing himself on the bed by placing his hands in front of Bulma. He lowered his head until their eyes were level.

"You know, huh?" Bulma teased.

"I am Vegita-ou, King of Vegita-sei, of course I look good."

Bulma laughed. "You are one arrogant son of a bitch."

Vegita snorted again and leaned forward, pushing her flat against the bed, he captured her lips with his. "I will be back soon, woman. Stay here."

Bulma watched him walk to the door to put his boots on and heard the great doors shut behind him. Today was going to be a long day. She sighed and began to comb out her long blue tendrils with her fingers and winced as she tugged too hard. Long day or not, it might as well begin with a bath. Bulma stood and strided towards the luxurious bathing room that was adjacent to Vegita’s sleeping quarters, leaving the soft bed sheets behind. A whistle filled the air around her. "Damn." Bulma shook her head. "Look what I’ve been missing." Although the size alone was enough to impress her, even more so was the ornate and meticulous detail that was carved into every piece of wood around her. Marble statues and luscious green and wild colored plant life sprang up in corners and niches. The hard labor and dedication to do such work must have been intense. Bulma trailed a hand over the carved handles on the waterspouts, admiring their beauty before turning them on to fill the tub. Flower petals had been sprinkled in and around the basin as well as on top of the counters so that the steam of the water carried the scent throughout the room. Inhaling sharply, Bulma let herself relax. The soothing sound of the water falling from the tap left her in a serene peace; it was like having a miniature waterfall in your bathroom. There was no one or nothing that could take this moment away from her. After a nice hot bath, she would dress and perhaps begin working on some small project. In quarters as nice as these there was bound to be something worthy of taking apart. Suddenly she froze. The air around her felt different, uncomfortable, alien. Her azure eyes widened. Why had the water stopped running? Bulma’s stomach dropped as a deep baritone chuckle sounded from behind her.

"What a lovely shade of blue."

Bulma opened her mouth to scream but a sharp pain in her neck left her paralyzed and nearing unconsciousness. Still, she was able to think one word. Vegita!

Vegita stiffened in his seat at the head of the Royal Council. Beyond these idiots blabbering nonsense and shrill bickering and his splitting headache he thought he’d heard Bulma’s voice. He looked briefly to the door. It had been shut for three hours. Three hours he had been inside this room and had since then been bombarded with every "suggestion" imaginable by the Royal Council members. Gods, how he wished to leave this forsaken place. If one more of these weak, sniveling, pathetic excuse for a Saiya-jin "suggests with all due respect" that he do something for "the good of Vegita-sei" he would wave and blast them all to hell, smiling as he did so. It was ridiculous to think he was hearing Bulma’s voice, but nonetheless he could not shake the feeling that she was trying to contact him. As he reached deeper within himself, towards the bond that united them as mates, he could sense her. Vegita tensed more. She was in danger of some kind. Waves of her fear and distress echoed insanely in his mind.

"ENOUGH!" Vegita shouted as he slammed his hands down on the table, sending splinters flying through the air. Every one who had been speaking stopped and turned gaping to face the seething King of Vegita-sei.

"Until any of you can present me with a reasonable situation that requires my attention, I will be in my quarters. I suggest that you consider what topics are in dire need of Royal management before you bring them to this Council. I don’t consider the uniforms of the Fourth Regiment a worthy topic to be discussed here," Vegita said as he glanced sharply towards the Council member who had brought that certain detail to his attention. The King of Vegita-sei pushed his chair back sharply before he vanished in a swirl of his cape out the double doors, tail lashing behind him in frustration.

One Council member fidgeted with sweaty palms. "Do you think he suspects something?" he rasped to the others.

"For our sake I hope not," another said under his breath. The very scent in the air was tense and cackling with nervous energy.

"Fools! Don’t you realize that we are doing this for Vegita’s own good. If we let that alien slut get close to him then Vegita-sei will be doomed. It is better to do this now while they are not as attached," the Council member seated near the opposite head spoke swiftly.

"Kaleron," the previous voice spat accusingly, "this was your idea in the first place. You would have the whole Council dead if it benefited you! How can we be sure this isn’t some scheme of yours?" Kaleron, the very epitome of disgust among the Saiya-jin Empire, inclined his head haughtily.

To all those present it seemed that a smile fought to creep up on Kaleron’s dark face. "Now, now, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say, Celerot." Kaleron walked toward Celerot, his junior of at least a decade, until they were face to face. "I am just trying to keep a strong King on the throne, and I can’t do that when he is fawning over an alien girl, can I? Vegita-ou is the strongest we have seen in millennia. I will not let this bitch cloud his vision."

Celerot stepped back toward the door and left amongst his fellow peers without so much as a word. There was nothing much he could have done anyway. When a senior member pulled rank, you were just shit out of luck. He did, however, manage to send Kaleron one baleful look before disappearing down the hall. Others filed out as well, leaving only Kaleron and Baroun in the great Council Hall.

"Did everything go as planned, Baroun?" Kaleron asked.

"Yes. The girl is in our care." A smile. "I’ve heard she has quite a mouth on her."

Kaleron laughed, the flawless skin on his face creasing slightly. "Oh really? Well, perhaps she is just upset that we have kept her waiting. Come then; let’s not leave our pretty guest alone with Tofun any longer than possible. That fool can’t seem to keep his pants on around women of any kind." Kaleron smiled. "I might decide to be generous and give that dirty whore to him as payment."

"Woman?" Vegita shut the door behind him as he paced towards the bathing chamber. The Council had left him with a jaw clenching headache and more than enough negative energy to pound in a few heads. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small version of himself snickered at that and jabbed repeatedly in the air, smiling all the way. The Saiya-jin King shook his head. This was no time to be daydreaming. He had to find his woman. The uneasiness he had felt earlier had not dissipated and he was sure that if he didn’t do something to take this edge of his earlier idea would be a reality and a few heads would roll.

"Woman?!" he called out more aggressively. Surely, she wouldn’t have ignored him. Vegita felt a strange thickness in his stomach, like someone was tying it into a tight knot, over and over. The short, dense fur on his tail stood on end and suddenly he felt like he was suffocating. Vegita stopped short as he entered the bathroom where he was sure the feeling was radiating from. Nothing was physically out of place. The countertops were bare except for the occasional bottle of oil fragrance, but still… He turned to face the tub, which was full… he stepped closer and dipped a finger in… of cold water. Vegita’s hard black eyes narrowed. He inhaled again and clenched his jaw hard to prevent himself from falling over. He could smell her… he could smell her fear. It was fading, like it had happened almost hours ago. Then, as if a blast had struck him square in the face he heard her calling to him, not aloud but a mindscream deep from within their bond. He nearly collapsed with the effort it took to keep his feet under him. Good gods, that woman was loud! She was scared, angry, and vengeful. Her emotions filtered through him with sheer will. She was sending these things to him… but why? His brows folded. Where in the hells was she? Another wave of feeling drenched him and he rocked unsteadily, one thick arm shooting out to steady himself on the ivory countertop. Vegita clenched his stomach with his free hand. Some…someone was hurting her! Unbearable and relentless pain seared his every nerve. Goddess, what was going on? The King of Vegita-sei grit his teeth and concentrated on blocking out Bulma’s link to him. As horrible the thought of being unattached to her was, he could not think rationally with her mindscreams of fury in his head. As the seal was coming to a close, he could see her bright face twisted in pain and staring out widely in horror. In horror at his separation or at the torture she was enduring, he could not tell.

No! Don’t leave me, Vegita! PLEASE!

Those impossibly blue eyes were all he could see of her now and they screamed out for help. Panic and desperation flooded his senses until his throat clenched shut in a fear that was not his own, but rather Bulma’s.

The seal clamped shut and the searing pain was gone. The terror and panic vanished. Vegita’s fist gripped the edge of the counter hard, cracking the stone, and fell forward to his knees, smacking the cold tiles with a snapping echo. Sweat and tears slid down his face. Ragged, harsh breath heaved his lungs until they burned with incredible flames. The pain and fear may have gone, but so had the surrounding warmth that had lasted in his heart for months. The soothing heat was gone. She was gone.

"Bulma." Vegita-sei’s king knelt awkwardly on the floor, the shadow from his bowed head covered his face but not the tears the flowed freely down his cheeks and splashed loudly against the cold white tiles.

Thick, tangible, cold darkness was all that Bulma could sense. The hulking beast of a creature that had carried her into this place had gone for the moment. The memory of his touch left her nauseated. Bulma breathed in deeply, trying to rid herself of the feeling but the overbearing blackness that was the air she breathed made her cough and gag. She had screamed every curse imaginable at him, bit and scratched his impenetrable flesh until her fingers were sore and her nails were torn. The bruises on her legs and arms explained how the Saiya-jin had responded. Her shoulders trembled and she crawled along the smooth stone, feeling the wall until she met another. The small woman folded her legs and leaned into the corner, trying to get a grip on the situation she was in. The cold bit viciously at her bare skin leaving her shivering in the corner. Her body ached from the hard, uncomfortable stone floor that she had been unceremoniously thrown onto as if she were nothing more than an animal. Then again, she realized with unwanted logic, she was a slave again. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. If anything she would be able to conserve her warmth in this manner. Even though she was cold and sore, nothing hurt more than what had happened moments ago. The muscles in her throat tightened and the sobs threatened to return.

Vegita had completely severed their link. She winced at the jagged spear that shot through her heart and cringed as the first sob peeled forth from her lips. He had felt her.

She knew he felt her.

It was as if he had simply cut the cord that bound them together… their precious bond. Uncaring of the sudden loss of her presence. Hiccups echoed in the black air around her, bouncing off of walls that she knew not of. No one knew where she was. Not even Bardock knew that she had been staying in the king’s quarters. Vegita hadn’t let her tell anyone. She was alone. Completely alone. The sobs had ceased, yet the tears continued to flow as she sat bundled up in the corner.

She twitched and gasped almost silently as voices could be heard nearby. She fidgeted as she realized that in her hasty attempt to find a corner in the darkness, she had lost the direction of the door. Bulma held her breath as the door swung wide open to her right letting in rays of light that slightly blinded her. She remembered when Vegita had erupted into the Super Saiya-jin only days before. The memory left her sick. Through her blurred vision, be it from the light or tears she wasn’t sure, two shadows passed under the doorway to stand a few paces from her crumpled form.

"How is our guest doing? Peachy, I hope." Bulma did not recognize the voice, but it sounded amused and that left her nearly trembling with rage. Or fear. Her vision cleared and Bulma saw the one who had spoke. He was a Saiya-jin, a Council member by the black and yellow serpent crest on his armor. Contrary to most in the panel, this Saiya-jin had pursued training as well. The muscling that thickly covered his frame made her shrink back slightly. He was taller than Vegita, but then again so was most every Saiya-jin in the Empire, but he also had a well-balanced physique.

Naked, and quite knowing of the fact, Bulma shifted so that he legs folded over in a concealing manner. Her bright ocean-colored eyes glared defiantly and narrowed as he swept his black eyes over her bare flesh.

"I hear that you are unsatisfied with the accommodations." A toothy grin shot onto his tanned face. "I apologize, but this is the standard for the King’s pets. I do hope that you get accustomed to it."

"You dirty bastard! How dare you speak to me that way! When Vegita-ou finds out what you’ve done he will kill you painfully. You will die with no honor." Bulma hissed, covering her chest self-consciously.

The brawny Council member swiftly dropped the grin and frowned angrily at her. A strong hand whipped across her face, sending her skidding over the floor.

"Shut your mouth, you disgusting whore!" Kaleron trembled with rage, staring down his nose at the cowering slave of soft ivory flesh and flowing blue hair. She was truthfully a beautiful creature. It was now that he noticed the bruises that marred her skin and he grinned. "Did you enjoy your time spent with your captor? I am contemplating giving you to him as a gift. What do you think, Baroun?" he asked the other. A mere ‘hmf’ was given in reply.

Bulma pushed herself up on shaky arms, spitting out blood that coated her tongue. She reached up to wipe the bleeding cut on her lip. This bastard was really going to get it once Vegtia found him out.

Kaleron crouched down next to Bulma, his face now perfectly calm and betrayed none of his emotions. Gently, he reached a hand out to clasp Bulma’s chin. She flinched and lifted a hand up to grab his wrist. The tendons in her arm bulged, yet he merely sat there looking at her. Gritting her teeth she leaned her weight into it, yet still he did not waver.

"I know what the King thinks of you, girl. That is why I must do this. He will never meet his fate if he is fawning over an alien woman." The Saiya-jin whispered softly near her face, the heat of his breath sickening to her senses. Kaleron tugged her forward until his lips met hers. Bulma cried out and pushed against him as she felt his tail wrap around her waist in the same manner that Vegita’s did. His tongue snaked out to lick the blood from her lip. "So soft. You would have made an excellent bed warmer. Too bad you have to die." Bulma tore her chin from his hands and sneered up at him from her shadowed position on the floor.

"Vegita will never let you get away with this. I don’t care if you think you are doing is for the good of the King, he will kill you!" Desperately Bulma tried to call for Vegita but the seal was still in place, there was no way he could hear her. Oh, Vegita, she sobbed mentally.

To her surprise Kaleron made no move to strike her. He simply straightened himself and shot her a grim smile. His eyes rained pure malevolence and it shook her to the core. "I know he would make you his queen, girl," the bitterness in his voice was palpable. "An alien slave will not serve as Vegita-sei’s Queen," he snapped. "I will not have it!"

Shouts beyond the glowing doorway were heard above Kaleron’s rising voice. Suddenly, Kaleron and Baroun turned towards each other, both blanching to a shade so white that it seemed they became ghosts. The air thinned and became chilly, making Bulma blink at the shift in pressure. A half second later it became blisteringly hot as a searing yellow fire blazed in through the door. Like a vacuum had sucked it past the door, it reached its fiery arms within, snatching wildly at the occupants. Bulma had less than a second to realize what was happening, her mind simply froze as she watched the flames lick closer and closer to her.

I’m coming, woman…

Vegita! Her mind snapped back into awareness and she threw herself to the side just in time. The flames skimmed over her shoulder and collided with the wall. Slowly, Bulma lifted her head and she saw a golden haired, emerald-eyed Vegtia standing in the doorway, that implacable frown plastered to his face, every muscle in his body tensed and ready to attack. His eyes found hers and she recognized the adoring passion he had for her, and then it abruptly changed to rage. Fury greater than any should ever hold, fury towards those who had done this to his mate.

Bulma let her eyes drift to Kaleron and Baroun, both of whom were standing off to the side of the door, still between her and Vegita. Their respectable, tidy Council garments were now charred as well as random marks along their skin. Both warriors held their jaws clenched tight and their eyes wide against their will. It was well known that Vegita-ou was the strongest alive. What fool would dare to challenge him or harm those close to him?

His eyes zeroed in on Kaleron and he summoned the power that flowed through his every vein.

"You took what was mine. How dare you touch what belongs to the King of Vegita-sei?!" Vegita’s voice boomed with superior authority and the power that danced around his body only added to his threatening appearance.

"S--she will only drag you down, wagakimi. Please, u--understand that we are only trying to help you. Th--this girl," Kaleron pointed at Bulma, still sitting bare against the smoldering room, "clouds your vision as King."

Vegita calmly lifted a hand, palm out towards Kaleron. His golden tail free of his waist and completely at ease swayed out behind him. "You know nothing of what you speak of. This woman is nothing but that: a woman." Vegita’s eyes shifted to something much more dangerous and his voice became a barbed lash. The physical manifestation of his power increased its speed and intensity around his body, like a broken current of electricity. "However," Vegita said, energy beginning to crackle around his hand impatiently. "I will not stand the open threat you have against my woman, my mate."

Kaleron’s jaw slackened and he slowly turned his head to look dumbfounded at Bulma.

"Her, or my unborn son," Vegita finished.

Both Kaleron, Baroun, and the recently gathered audience outside the door gasped, all eyes turned to the small, battered, blue-haired woman seated on the floor. Bulma felt her cheeks heat at the attention.

"The Royal Heir cannot be a hybrid!" Kaleron cried, lunging suddenly at Bulma with a small ki blast readily growing in his palm.

Bulma threw her arms up defensively, ready to block the blow. She saw Vegita throw a blast straight at Kaleron who was right in front of her. As she watched her death fall out before her in the slowest motion possible, a huge body slammed into hers, carrying her meters away from the blast site and from Kaleron. She gulped for the air that had been thrust from her lungs. Thick, strong arms wrapped around her body and she felt the day’s fatigue rapidly grab hold of her. Her shoulder burned with recognition and she fought the urge to touch the wound.

"Are you alright?" a familiar voice asked. Bulma slowly looked up into the scarred face of Bardock. He stole a glance at the scarlet flesh of her arm and the seeping blood that had already begun its sticky clotting process. For a split second his eyes swept over her bare body.

"I-I’m… fine," she managed between gulps of wanted air. Then she blushed, suddenly more aware of her nakedness than ever before. "Uh, I need to get some clothes on."

Bardock smiled gently, as a father would smile down at his daughter, and chuckled. "I think someone would like to see you." He stepped backward, turning so that Vegita could see her intact and still breathing. Vegita met her eyes briefly before looking up at Bardock with mixed emotions.

"Wagakimi, I think this is yours."

Vegita nodded. "Your loyalty will not go overlooked. Your house will be honored, Bardock."

Bulma watched her old friend and overlord nod, pride sparkling in his eyes. Vaguely, she heard Vegita call her name. Things around her began to darken, the edges of her vision turning black until all she saw was Vegita’s worried face staring down into hers, and even then he was slowly fading into nothingness.

"Bulma?" Vegita said, shaking her gently. The look on his face one of severe apprehension. Had they harmed her? Had they poisoned her? His black eyes found the bloody mess of burned flesh on her shoulder. Other bruises marred her butter cream skin and he thought he noticed a trickle of blood near her lip. Gods, what had they done to her?

"She’s passed out, Ou-sama. I’m sure she’ll come to in a few hours," Bardock said. " Her pulse is still strong," the older warrior said while resting two fingers on her jugular. Vegita did not reply. Instead he gathered Bulma’s limp body in his arms and walked towards the door. Bardock soon followed, making sure to stay a few paces back. One did not leave the King without being dismissed.

Those who caught a glimpse of the new Saiya-jin king, burning brightly with the light of the Legendary, and his nude bundle stopped dead in their tracks in sheer shock. As he swept down the hallways, a trail of blue wisps flowed freely over his arm.

The King had already taken a bride?

Who was this strange blue-haired goddess? For sure she was a divine creature. What else had hair the color of the deep blue sea and eyes that contested only with the sky? Where had she come from?

In the King’s Royal chambers, a small glow dimly let light exist in the corner far from the bed. Below the silky sheets an inert form laid, a rounded chest steadily rising and falling with the familiar pattern of slow breath. An occupied chair sat alone in a dark corner nearly facing the doors. A flame of hair darker than the blackness of the room would alarm anyone who walked through the doors who was sitting in that chair. One of the doors was pushed inward and a tall, respected figure slid inside, taking care to shut the door quietly.

"Vegita-ou," Bardock whispered, "the doctors said that the burn was deep but that her time spent in the regen tank will heal the tissue and it will mend well. They also wanted me to tell you all is well and healthy: she will have a son in seven months."

Vegita stood from his seat and dismissed the warrior.

"Sire," Bardock pressed a fist to his chest before turning to leave.

Vegita walked to the bed that his mate slept upon, still completely unconscious from the incident yesterday, and leaned into it so that he was nearly face to face with Bulma.

"Woman, I—" he began, but stopped himself, frowning deeply.

"I know," she whispered. "I know, Vegita."

He became rigid and leaned down closer. "You’ve been awake all this time?" he asked, avoiding the subject.

"No," she said. "I wanted to get some sleep. I didn’t think I’d sleep all day." Then she smiled knowingly. "Besides, what’s one day?"