*****

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.
~ Sydney J. Harris

*****

As Bulma trailed Radditz down the long corridor, she took the time to recover herself from Vegeta's kiss. She'd kissed him before, so why was this one affecting her so strongly? Her stomach rolled with confusion and turmoil; she didn't know what she was doing.

And Vegeta certainly wasn't helping her. How dare he!, she fumed. He treats me like I'm a piece of property. But then again, I guess that's what I am. The thought once again caused despair to swell within her. Her friends, her home, her life: all had been abandoned. Everything she knew, everything that defined who she was. Gone. All because of him. And yet, even after all he'd done, she couldn't deny her attraction. She felt like she betrayed, was betraying, the memory of Yamcha.

The night she'd had too much dragonsblood, Bulma had experienced ecstasy in Vegeta's arms. Granted, at first she thought she had been dreaming, but even in the dream, it was the Prince who touched her and made her feel as if she was going to die from pleasure. It was only when she'd awakened and realized that it actually was Vegeta making love to her that her mind had spurned him, even as her body yearned for his. She knew she should be angry with him for his violation of her person, but Bulma was angrier with herself. How can I be attracted to him, dammit?

Next to her, Radditz stoically guided them through the twisting cavern of halls that mazed through the palace. He was not unaware of her defeated spirit, for his furtive glances at the blue-haired beauty revealed tears shining in the corners of her azure eyes. The warrior wanted to help ease her pain, but was at a loss at how to do so.

Finally, when her delicate shoulders began to slump, he decided to break the ice. "Lady, what's troubling you?," he queried softly.

Bulma turned her lovely face upwards, the dim torchlight of the hallways making her tearstained cheeks glisten. "What makes you think anything is wrong?"

Radditz stopped walking and looked down at her. Instead of answering, he gently brushed a hand across her face and then raised it high enough for her to see the moisture gathered on his fingertips.

"Oh!" Bulma sniffled. "I didn't even realize..."

He gazed upon her with fatherly affection as she hastily wiped away the tears with a trembling hand. "Again, Lady, I ask what is so bad?"

Touched by his concern and utterly overwhelmed by his seemingly genuine offer of friendship, she cried harder. "I don't know. I'm alive, at least, and it appears I am to be treated better than I expected, but..."

"But you still have lost everything," Radditz finished in a rare moment of sympathy.

Bulma nodded her head vigorously, relieved that someone seemed to understand her pain. Anger flashed in her eyes as she thought about Vegeta's insensitivity. "He certainly doesn't care," she hissed. "And he is the cause of all my misery!"

To have verbalized his agreement would have meant betraying his Prince. So, Radditz simply stated, "Lady, all will be well. The Prince has grown a deep affection for you, despite what may be deemed his inability to show it. Why, even after only a few days, he has risen you to the status of a lady."

Bulma couldn't contain a burst of ironic laughter. "Lady? Is that the title afforded to a private whore?"

Radditz frowned in confusion. "Whore? You are not a whore, Lady. Being the Royal Concubine of the Prince ranks you as the second most powerful, non-Saiya-jin female."

"Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Lady."

"And that's why you keep calling me that? Before it was just 'girl'," she teased lightly, seemingly a bit more at ease now that someone had seconded Vegeta's promise of her respectability.

The Royal Guard flashed a grin, glad he had made her smile, if only for a moment. "That was before I knew of your esteemed position, Lady."

Bulma reeled with this newfound knowledge. She actually had power, as a concubine? The way of the Saiya-jins certainly was different from that of the Chikyuu-jins. Of course Vegeta wouldn't have told me, she thought darkly, slightly irritated once again. But her interest was piqued, and she pushed the Prince from her mind, if only for a moment.

"What sort of powers do I have?" she asked, already hoping to find a way to get back home.

"Not many really, Lady," Radditz replied, noticing the her interest in the news evaporate.

"Well then, what good does my new, wonderful position do?"

Her sarcasm seemed to be lost on the Royal Elite as he scratched his head, pondering her question. "Well, as you know, everyone must treat you with respect. You'll also accompany the Prince to various social functions, I'm sure, and pretty much do what the rest of us do around here: serve the royal family."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I'm beginning to think that I'd be better off mentioning this whole Key business."

She watched in shock as anger swept over Radditz's face. "Lady," he said with gritted teeth, "You will not find happiness if you reveal your true status now. You'd be killed."

"Then why the hell was I brought here? I'm starting to get sick of the 'you'll be killed' if you do such and such response!"

"You're the Key. That's why Vegeta took you."

"I know that! But what good does my presence do if he doesn't tell anyone?" she asked, extremely frustrated by Radditz's lack of comprehension.

"He will, Lady. He will," the Saiya-jin stated firmly, trying to calm her down. Damn, she's moody. "Initially, he took you with every intention of using you to enhance his abilities as the Super Saiya-jin, but then circumstances changed."

Her face crinkled with confusion. "How so?"

"The other night, when you had too much dragonsblood, and he, uh, the Prince, well...he tried to..."

"There was no 'tried'!" she roared. "He did take advantage of me!"

"Uh, well, right. Like you said," Radditz agreed reluctantly. "Anyway, you were able to power up enough to blast him off of you. It would appear that just like you are the Key to his power, he's the key to yours."

"Come again?" she asked incredulously. "That was me? I don't remember that night too well, but I know he got knocked into the wall. I just figured that it was you who'd rescued me."

"No, Lady," Radditz replied, shaking his head. "Nappa and I had just gotten out of the regen tanks when we heard the crash. I thought he'd done something to you, but when we went into the room, you were passed out on the bed, and he was leaning against the wall, surrounded by broken glass. His shoulder was also a bit singed."

"Wow," Bulma murmured. "I never even realized..."

"The Prince said your power level raised to almost 50,000. His tops off at 110,000. In just one blow, you surged to a level near half his own."

Her eyes widened in further disbelief. My gods, I never even dreamed...Many times she'd envied her friends their ability to fight and fly, but had also accepted long ago that she'd never be strong enough to join them in battle. But now it was different. Her mind reeled with the possibilities.

"That means I may be able to get off this hellhole..." she whispered to herself.

Radditz, however, ignored her seemingly oblivious state of mind and yanked her back to reality. "Don't even think about it, Lady. You may have fought off Prince Vegeta once, but that was mainly due to surprise. He'd be ready if there was a next time. Besides, you'd have to train for years to regain that kind of power without being under extreme emotional duress."

"Humph," Bulma sniffed. "Shows what you know! Maybe I'll just train then."

"Riight, Lady," Radditz said, grinning in amusement. "As if Vegeta would allow you to train above the settings of your ki diffuser."

"My ki-what?"

"Ki diffuser. Yours is set in one of those bracelets. It's a sort of dampening device. Weakens you capabilities. The Prince has yours set to 5,000, which isn't very much, at least here on Vegetasei. Most third class infants are born with a higher level than that. The only way you're going to get stronger is by the Prince's wish, and if you only want to train in order to defeat him so you can leave, he'll never go for it. Prince Vegeta has already proven that he has no intentions of letting you go."

Radditz tried to soften the bluntness of his words with a gentle tone of voice, but the hope that had lit Bulma's sky-colored eyes vanished all too quickly. Oh, well, he thought. The sooner she begins to understand that there is no escape, the easier it will be for her to grow accustomed to her new life.

Bulma felt to last vestiges of hope fly away from her, leaving in its wake a cold cynicism that told her she should never have given in to hope in the first place. Radditz was right. Vegeta was never going to let her go. Even if somehow she managed to get off the planet, he'd only hunt her down and bring her back. While she might convince him to let her train, it would be years, perhaps even decades, before she'd be on par with his level, and that didn't take into account any progress he might make. She understood her predicament clearly.

She belonged to Vegeta. Mind, body, and now, soul.

"I understand," Bulma stated finally, her quiet anger causing her to tremble slightly. "I understand now why he refused to remove the bracelets. He has me bound to him in all ways."

Though Radditz didn't agree completely with the way Vegeta had treated Bulma, he still felt honor bound to defend his Prince, even if it was only to a small degree. "He binds you in such a way to also protect your life."

"Riight!" she snorted.

"I speak the truth, Lady," he replied. "If other Saiya-jins were to discover your potential before you'd fully developed it, they would be free to challenge you, and Vegeta would be powerless to stop it. That doesn't mean he wouldn't try, though, and in doing so, he would lose his honor. So you see, he does this to protect you."

"But I've already got a diffuser on. The others will know I've got some ki capabilities," she argued.

"True," Radditz agreed. "However, a scouter can't read the ki levels of a person fixed with a diffuser. Besides, most slaves are fitted with one if they have a level over 100 as a precaution. No one will think anything of it."

"Well, it looks as though Vegeta has himself prepared from every angle," Bulma replied sardonically.

"Not only is the Prince a fierce warrior, but he is also an excellent strategist," Radditz granted. "Now, if you'll follow me, we must continue."

He took her silence to be consent and began walking down the dim corridor once more, content to let the blue-haired concubine trail behind him.

Little did Radditz know that there was one angle Vegeta couldn't have thought of, and that was Bulma's technical ingenuity. While these new developments did set her back, she was determined to find a way to break her bonds. As she began developing different ideas, she knew it'd only be a matter of time before she was free.

*****

Vegeta watched as Radditz guided Bulma through the main doors to the rest of the palace before he himself entered the throne room. It pained him to send her away so soon after their landing. However, with Frieza and Zarbon planet side, there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell he was keeping her anywhere near them. The only place she'd be safe was in the Hall of Concubines with Len'ah. The King's Favorite would ensure Bulma was well-cared for in the Prince's absence.

Usually Vegeta would be troubled by his sudden concern for the woman's comfort, but he was too fucking tired to worry about his lapse into weakness. He knew perfectly well both Nappa and Radditz had been horrified by his kissing the blue-haired woman right in front of them, but Vegeta found himself not caring. The Prince convinced himself he was just practicing such tactics in order to prepare the woman for her public duties as his concubine. It was wholly permissible to touch and kiss one's property in front of others. He had just never made a practice of doing so.

Until now.

The thought of being able to touch and kiss Bulma anytime and anywhere he pleased put the Saiya-jin no Ouji in a good enough mood that he felt he would be able to tolerate Frieza and Zarbon for a few minutes at least. Then he'd collect the woman and whisk her away to his private home off the palace grounds. His father wouldn't like his son's absence after his trip to Chikyuu, but Vegeta wasn't about to let Bulma remain in the palace overnight. He'd just tell his father to go fuck himself.

The relationship between the King of the Saiya-jins and his heir was a strained one at best. Vegeta, though he'd been out from under Frieza's thumb for almost ten years, still could not forgive his father for turning him over to the tyrant at the tender age of five and leaving him to Frieza's 'tutoring' for another decade. The pain and humiliation Vegeta had endured under the lizard and Zarbon would have broken a lesser man, but the Prince had been able to break the yoke of his servitude at fifteen after defeating Zarbon in a challenge. Vegeta wasn't supposed to have won, but the gods had been on his side that day.

After returning to Vegetasei, he had resumed his royal duties, though he'd treated the King with barely-concealed contempt. The first few years had been spent trying to put his horrific childhood behind him, but then Frieza had reappeared to enter into an alliance with the Saiya-jins. If the ruthless warriors would purge planets for him, they'd get a certain percentage of the price the newly 'cleansed' planet brought when it was sold to the highest bidder.

With greed in his eyes, the King had agreed and made his son personally in charge of all the purging missions. Though he didn't like the idea of an alliance with Frieza, Vegeta had thrown himself into his new line of work, relishing the bloodshed and destruction he caused. It helped him grow stronger so that one day he'd be able to overthrow his father from the throne and then exact revenge on his enemies.

And the day for my vengeance is soon at hand, he thought darkly as he entered the throne room. His father looking at his smirking son, clearly not pleased with Vegeta's blatant display of confidence. Frieza and Zarbon looked as though they chocked the Prince's wicked grin to the natural superiority displayed by all royalty. They didn't seem to consider him a real threat. Just you wait...

"Well, brat," the King boomed, interrupting his heir's inward gloating. "Now that the blue-haired bitch is taken care of, do you have the time to spare to discuss the business at hand?"

"Don't address her as such!" Vegeta bristled. "And why the fuck should I discuss Saiya-jin business in front of these two?," he asked contemptuously, glaring at Frieza and Zarbon.

"My dear Prince," Frieza said, "I have no desire to keep you from your prize any longer than is necessary. I do, however, have a great interest in the how the rest of your mission on Chikyuu went."

"It was fruitless," Vegeta answered, figuring the best way to get away from the alien was to respond to his questions. "The planet had no merits of which to speak, and its population was too weak and stupid to be of any use as slaves. I destroyed it."

Frieza's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And yet you returned with a rather delectable souvenir..."

"So?" Vegeta replied belligerently. "She was the only thing on that mudball worth saving."

He could see the doubt in the alien's demeanor, and it only angered him more. The sly bastard wasn't enough supposed to know he'd been gone. How the hell did he find out I was going to Chikyuu? Vegeta had originally traveled there in order to retrieve Kakkarot. As far as he knew, Frieza should not have been aware of the infant purging missions of long ago.

"Do you think to challenge my honor?" he growled.

"Of course not, princeling," Frieza said soothingly. "I only mean to point out that perhaps you were a bit hasty in your complete annihilation of the Chikyuu-jin population. If you had reigned in your bloodlust, perhaps we could have discovered more jewels such as yours. However, patience was never a skill I could instill in you, so your actions are not surprising."

The lizard being smirked as he saw Vegeta's face flush with rage at this dressing down and at the reminder that the Prince had once been at his complete and utter mercy. However, Frieza did have to rethink his opinion about Vegeta's lack of patience when he realized that it was that virtue that prevented the Saiya-jin from trying to blast him away right then and there.

"Well, Lord Frieza," the Prince replied with gritted teeth, "some things must be developed by oneself and not another."

"A very true and very wise observation, boy," the King interrupted, hoping to forestall any other arguments. "My son was perhaps too overzealous in his desire to bring about chaos and destruction, but what did the planet really have to offer? Simple pleasure slaves are to be found in abundance throughout the galaxy. While Vegeta's newest acquisition is quite stunning, there are plenty of her type to be captured and used."

Vegeta wanted to scream at the blatant ignorance that his father displayed. No other woman like Bulma existed in the universe, and she had more uses than just simple fucking. The Prince smirked as he realized yet another effect the blue-haired woman had had on him. Before her, he'd had no use for women other than for a few hours of pleasure. With Bulma, he knew he wouldn't be satisfied with just that. She stimulated him mentally as well as physically. Vegeta should have shunned the emotional upheaval she caused in him, but he found it too beguiling, too addictive, to not give in. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to get back to Bulma.

With that thought in mind, he demanded, "What else do you want of me?"

Frieza turned his gaze to the King, sensing that the Saiya-jin monarch wanted to speak further with his son. Probably to warn him to treat me with more respect. The tyrant would have loved to see Vegeta fall further from grace, but knew the King would not air his complaints in front of guests. "There is nothing more I require from either of you, my lords, for now at least," he stated. "Come, Zarbon, I do believe father and son have much to discuss."

Frieza bowed his head to both royals and motioned his lieutenant to follow him. The blue-skinned alien gestured his deference to the King, but only spared the Prince a fierce glare, which was returned with equal fire and hatred. However, Zarbon said nothing until he was sure he and his lord were alone and a good ways from the throne room.

"The Prince has grown more powerful and more arrogant."

"Yes, indeed, he has," Frieza agreed with some resignation. "I'd had high hopes for him, but his time away from him has only made him more unruly. It is a pity."

Zarbon's handsome face twisted in confusion. "How so, my lord?"

"He will have to be dealt with."

"Ah, I see," murmured his second-in-command. "Dare I ask for privilege of destroying the monkey-prince?"

Frieza snorted in derision. "What makes you think you can? He has defeated once already, and as you so astutely pointed out, he has only grown stronger. No, no. Don't whine. I'm not finished yet. I don't want to risk losing you, so Vegeta must be dealt with subtly. You cannot directly challenge him, not without ruining my plans for this flea-bitten race. Harm to his heir would only anger the King at this juncture."

"Then how shall we go about constructing Vegeta's downfall?"

"A very good question, my dear boy. I propose we don't lift a finger, at least not right away."

"What?!?"

"Ah, Zarbon, even after all these years, you still cannot see the bigger picture, so I will lay it out for you. Follow me carefully. Did you not see the way the Prince looked at his little toy?"

"Yes, of course. Who could have not noticed it? He is completely infatuated."

"I would agree. He has allowed himself to become weak with his obsession with her. The Saiya-jins will not tolerate it."

"But they've never had a problem with alien concubines before. Even the King himself has kept one, the same one, for almost thirty years," Zarbon argued.

"Yes, but the King never ventured to make Len'ah his mate."

"And you think Vegeta will?"

"I know he will," Frieza stated smugly.

"This should be interesting."

"Don't get snippy with me, Zarbon. You may be my favorite, but even you must be bound by respect. Never forget that," Frieza warned.

The blue alien dipped his head in apology. "I am sorry, my lord."

"I know you are," Frieza said warmly, patting his lieutenant on the shoulder, his quicksilver temper returning to good. "Anyway, I know Vegeta. He will make the blue-haired bitch his mate."

"But how do you know?"

"In all the years I trained him, I learned many things about the Saiya-jin Prince. One is that he never does anything halfway. Two, try as he might not to, Vegeta feels...deeply. Whether it is anger or hatred or any other emotion, it burns within him with a fierce intensity. He is never indifferent."

Zarbon was mildly disturbed by the power of his lord's perceptive capabilities. How much does he know of my true character? Though always outwardly loyal to Frieza, he did not live for the lizard's pleasure alone, as Frieza wanted. Zarbon's number one priority was himself.

But thoughts of his lieutenant's other activities were far from Frieza's mind as he continued. "I did my best to squelch any love that Vegeta may have possessed, but the little whore has awakened something inside him that closely resembles that vile emotion. It is through this that the mighty Saiya-jin Prince will fall."

"But how can you know for sure?" Zarbon asked, still confused.

Frieza frowned at the green-haired man, displeased by the density of his mind sometimes. "It is clear as day, you fool! Vegeta is already beginning to love the girl, though he may not call it love. But what he calls it doesn't matter. All that matters is that his feelings for the bitch will intensify to the point of no return, as is Vegeta's nature. He will instinctively want to consummate their relationship to the fullest. For Saiya-jins, this means to forge a mated bond."

Zarbon's eyes lit with understanding. "If he always himself to bond with her, it will be his end. The Saiya-jins will not accept an alien queen, and Vegeta will be made even more vulnerable. He couldn't kill her once their bonded, for to do so would mean his own death. Were anything painful or harmful to befall her, the Prince would feel it as well," he said wickedly.

"Yes, yes dear boy!" Frieza hissed. "Finally you comprehend. Once the bonding is complete, we can either kill the girl or use her to control him."

Zarbon's amber eyes gleamed with lust at the thought of Bulma at his mercy. "I would prefer the latter, Lord Frieza, at least for awhile. I too must admit being stunned by the girl's, er, charms."

"I noticed," his master replied dryly. "It does not have to be decided yet what will be done with girl, for it will take time for the bonding to occur. Until then, we bide our time, comforted by the knowledge that Vegeta will be the cause of his own destruction."

Both men continued towards Frieza's ship, evilly delighted by their plan to bring down the mighty Saiya-jin no Ouji.

*****

Vegeta watched the two aliens exit with a sneer twisting his saturnine features. "I don't know why you tolerate them."

"Because one is the most powerful being this side of the galaxy, and the other is his bitch," the King snapped. "You must tread carefully with those two, Vegeta. We cannot afford to offend either of them at this juncture."

"I wasn't aware that the Saiya-jin Empire bowed down to the whims of a psychotic tyrant and his lackey," Vegeta challenged.

"Normally we don't. However, that 'psychotic tyrant' has expressed dissatisfaction with our current alliance."

"So? Let them break the agreement. What the fuck does it matter?"

"Because he has hinted at the desire to add Vegetasei and her territories to his own expanding empire," his father replied in resignation.

"What?!?" Vegeta raged. "That is ridiculous! He goes too far!"

"I know, but we don't have the power to stop him."

The Prince snarled in frustration. It was just like his father to capitulate to the tyrant. "We could still stand up to him!"

"And have all our warriors die?" the King asked belligerently.

"At least we would die with honor!" Vegeta roared back. The Prince knew Frieza would never overtake the empire, not now that he'd become the Super Saiya-jin. But he was thoroughly disgusted by his father's unwillingness to make sacrifices.

"What good does honor do a race that is extinct?" the King demanded. "Look, this question is not going to be answered by us shouting at one another. We've a more pressing issue facing us. There is a traitor in our midst."

The Prince's eyes widened in shock. "I don't believe it. No Saiya-jin worthy of his name would betray us."

"I once would have said the same thing, but someone has been leaking information to Frieza. How do you think he knew about your mission to Chikyuu?"

"It wasn't like my destination was a big secret. Plenty of people knew where I was going."

"Yes, but not why," his father answered. "Frieza knew you were going to retrieve a lost Saiya-jin warrior."

"Fuck me!" Vegeta hissed.

"Exactly, my son. We were lucky this time that the information leaked was not that sensitive. Next time, who knows?"

The Prince's vision blurred red. How dare the cowardly bastard betray his own race! "Father, I will hunt down this traitor, and he will pay. I swear it!"

"Good," the King nodded. "Until then, any royal business is on a strict need-to-basis. Don't even hint about this knowledge to anyone, especially Frieza and Zarbon. And don't go spouting off any of this to that new bitch of yours either---!"

"I know all of this!" Vegeta shouted, irritated that his father dared to instruct him in anything. As far as he was concerned, the King didn't have any rights to do so. He'd given those up twenty years before.

"Vegeta," the King snapped. "Listen to me! We...I...cannot afford to lose you---"

"It's a bit too late for fatherly concern, Your Highness," Vegeta spit out.

Shame immediately clouded the King's face. He had learned bits and pieces of what Vegeta had suffered at the hands of Frieza from Len'ah and cursed himself everyday for handing his son over to the tyrant. The King would give anything to take back that decision. "Son, I..."

"Forget it, old man," Vegeta cut him off. "What's done is done."

With that, he turned sharply and exited the room, leaving his father to sag his shoulders in regret, burdened with the knowledge that his cowardice had cost him his only child.

*****

Bulma was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that Radditz had stopped walking until she ran right smack into his back. She stumbled, but the warrior steadied her before she fell on her ass. Looking at her surroundings, she saw that they'd stopped in front of a large, heavy-looking set of doors.

"Where are we?" she murmured.

"The Hall of Concubines," Radditz replied. "It's the only place in the palace you'll be safe until Frieza and his men leave."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought we were going to Len'ah."

"We are. She's in there."

"Oh," Bulma said meekly, having mistaken Len'ah for a place.

Radditz turned from her and slowly pushed one of the doors open. "Follow me, Lady, and please be quiet. Speak to Lady Len'ah only when she addresses you."

"Who is she?"

"The King's Favorite. The Head of the Hall of Concubines. She's the only non-Saiya-jin woman who outranks you. She's been the King's Royal Concubine for almost thirty years, and as such, commands almost as much respect and reverence as him."

"Oh," she said again, unsure of how to respond.

The Elite Guardsman led her down another dim passageway to a curtained entrance way guarded by another Saiya-jin. He spoke at some length with the guard in what Bulma could only assume was the native language of Vegetasei. After several moments, the guard pulled aside the heavy curtain and gestured her and Radditz through.

When Bulma stepped into the next room, she was struck by its beauty. Natural light kissed the cream-with-silver-veins marble walls through a skylight high in the ceiling, making the circular chamber seem much larger. A small pool with a variety of fish and plant life gurgled in the center of the floor, and several gauzy curtains draped over several different entrances.

A sudden movement in of those entrances caught Bulma's attention, and her eyes fell upon perhaps the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. The female was about Bulma's height and size, but her coloring was more exotic. She had a coal-black complexion, sparkling silver eyes, and a thick fall of shiny, ruby-red hair. Everything about her screamed femininity and elegance, and she moved with the litheness of a panther. Bulma could easily see her as the embodiment as of what it meant to be a pleasure slave. Sensual, exotic, and mysterious.

The woman beamed a welcoming smile at the blue-haired concubine. "I know my son has good taste," she said in a low, warm voice. "But I never knew this good."

Bulma was caught off-guard, still trapped by the woman's stunning appearance. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Oh my dear! I know he's selfish and arrogant, but at least he could have told you where you were going."

"Your-your son?"

"Yes, my dear. Since he obviously didn't tell you who I was, please allow me to introduce myself," the woman said.

She extended a long, graceful arm towards Bulma, grasping her hand and squeezing it gently.

"I'm Len'ah, Vegeta's mother."

* * * * *