He woke up with the pleasing yet disturbing knowledge that he now had a mate. It was pleasing for he had wanted her, he had loved her and though he had not consciously admitted it he had been yawning to make her his since almost the first day he had seen her. Vegeta smiled as she unconsciously nuzzled even closer to him. A warm feeling began to build inside him as an overwhelming desire to be insider her began to take hold of his senses. Out of habit he began to fight the desire. He could not just give into the feeling, he could not just give into her. That would be a sign of weakness and the Prince of the Saiyain's was not weak. But there are some things in this life that can not be fought and love more often than not was something that could not be fought.

So Vegeta found himself inside her once again. Her eyes fluttered open to the sensation of pleasure and… love, yes she loved the arrogant prince in whose arms she was not tangled. The funny thing was that she did not even know what in particular she loved about him except that she did. She loved him more than any other creature in this whole universe. She gasped out loud when something exploded inside of her and than the worlds that she had heard last night tore themselves once again from his mouth, 'You are mine, now and forever.' It was disturbingly soothing to her ears and to her heart.

'You are mine as well o great prince of the all Saiyains.' She replied in a voice faintly laced with amusement.

Vegeta grinned, 'Of course I am.' He said. It was than that the door slide open and with rapid heavy foot-steps someone entered the room.

'My prince I…what the hell.' Screamed a familiar male voice as Vegeta whirled to face the intruder with his most deadly glare.

Gohan was more than a little nervous as he made his way with Squad Commander to the big stone arena where he was informed that he would begin his training. He was nervous, he was scared. He had reason to be. Everybody he looked at seemed as if they were ready to drag him into a corner and beat him to a bloody pulp. There was a kind of curiosity mixed with assessment in their gaze that greatly unnerved Gohan. He could detect no hate in their eyes. The truth was that no one hated Gohan. No one save some purist far away in the heart of the capital could hate Gohan. They did not know enough about Gohan to hate him. The purist would hate anyone who was not fully Saiyain. It was a fact that they themselves only became aware of as Gohan's existence became known to them. In away even the purist did not truly hate Gohan. They acknowledged that they did not like the idea that hybrids could exist but it was a sort of a cold understanding. No, no one hated Gohan. They just wanted to test him, to see if hybrids were worth having as children. In a society were strength ruled this was only natural. But it was something that Gohan was not comfortable with.

Why should they have to test him? But than again were tests of strength any different than tests of mind he was subjected to back on earth? How much of his mind would also be tested in a battle? He did not know. But as he stepped throw the great stone archway of the arena so close to his grandfather that he was hidden completely from view of those who stood waiting for the Commander. As Gohan was hidden from their view they were also hidden from his young eyes. But as the Commander suddenly reached behind him and pulled Gohan up into his arms in a hold that was not quite affectionate but tender nonetheless, 'This is Gohan.' He said coldly to those who surrounded him as he showed them the little boy dressed in a black battle suit. 'He will train with us from now on.' so saying he dropped Gohan carelessly on the floor. 'I trust none of you shall complain.' He said sternly.

'Of course not, commander.' Replied a tall man with a Mohawk for hair. Bardock nodded.

The only girl present than crouched down to Gohan's level and began to study him closely. Finally she said, 'He looks like his grandmother.' She said with a touch of regret in her voice.

'That he does.' Agreed Bardock and for a moment there was a kind of sadness in his eyes that surprised Gohan. In his young life he had never seen such sadness, such longing. Beyond his age in maturity Gohan internally decided that he would, when the time was right, to ask about his grandmother. But now was not that time.

'What the hell are you doing here, Cumba?' demanded the Prince as he should before him with Ki kindling around him and totally utterly naked. Bulma scrambled to cover herself as best she could as and abject terror of what might happen pressed itself on her face.

'My prince, I was not aware you were engaged.' He said as he hit the floor before Vegeta, nothing in his voice betraying any fear. 'When you did not turn up for practice I thought it best to sought you out as I though it might have slipped your mind.' He said with a faint smile, 'As it had more than once in the last couple of weeks. Had I imagined for a moment that you were… I would not have dared enter.' He said, finding it every minute difficult to keep himself from rolling in laughter. After all he had been waiting for awhile for this to happen but more than that what he found most amusing was that Vegeta was naked before him and despite his angry demeanor was trembling like a leaf from that consciousness.

'Get out of here.' Vegeta finally growled, 'If you tell anyone of what you saw I will tear you apart.' Cumba nodded and left.

As soon as he was outside he began to laugh uncontrollable. His laughter drifted into Vegeta's ears and made him turn beet red. Normally Vegeta would have blasted the hell out of anyone who dared laugh at him. But this was not just anyone this was Cumba. Besides the fact that Cumba was about the only person Vegeta could halfway bring himself to respect out of all his future subjects he was Vegeta acknowledged about the only person he could trust with Bulma's safety. He turned to face her, his little human is going to require protection.

'We can't tell anyone what has happened here.' he told her flatly. Bulma looked confused, 'My people are more than a little conservative when in comes to the royal family. Whatever they might tolerate and encourage among themselves they will not often tolerate in the royal family. They will not tolerate the idea of me taking an alien mate while I am just their prince. When I am king and have their oath they will not dare go against you.'

'I… I understand.' Said Bulma, 'What do I do in the meantime?'

'Play the slave.' Said Vegeta, 'Stay away from my father. If he sees you, you will excite his desire and you have already seen the consciences of catching my fathers eyes.' He said softly not really wanting to remind her of the sight that had had such devastating effect on her last night. 'You can trust Cumba, he hates my father for he took his wife for the royal harem.'

Shocked to her core Bulma exclaimed, 'What? And Cumba still works for you father? Unbelievable.'

'Cumba is loyal to the throne.' Said Vegeta, 'His loyalty to the throne prevents him from opposing my father directly. But he will not betray you or anyone else to my father. His loyalty stops with him not challenging my father directly. If he did the chances of my father surviving would be slime.'

Bulma nodded, 'But we can meet and talk and…' her voice began to quiver, she could not bare the idea of staying away form her prince after last night. 'How long do I have to 'play' the slave? I mean your father must be strong and healthy and will yet live many decades, I don't want to send my entire life in slave quarters and only become free when I am an feeble old hag imprisoned in the prison of my own flesh…'

'My father will not live much longer.' Said Vegeta, 'He will die within the next year.'

Bulma gasped and with real concern asked, 'Why is he ill? O Vegeta I am so sorry…'

'He is not ill.' Said Vegeta. 'When the heir to the throne, in this case me, is ready than he goes and challenges the current king. A battle to the death ensures if the heir wins, he becomes the king. If the king wins…well the king would need a new heir.'

Bulma sat still for a moment. 'That's barbaric.' She all but screamed.

'Some may suggested that the idea of letting people live so long that their flesh becomes their prison was barbaric.' Retorted Vegeta, 'Some may suggest that the idea of keeping an old feeble king on the throne when and young able prince sat on the sidelines twiddling his fingers was idiotic. It all really depends on your prospective.' Said Vegeta calmly.

'As a scientist,' said Bulma slowly, 'I must allow your system merit but that still does not make it any less barbaric.'

Vegeta just shrugged, 'Barbaric or not it is our custom and you better start getting used to them. As our next queen you will be required to follow them.'

'I can't accept all of them.' Said Bulma. Accustomed to thinking ahead she could not help but comment, 'Wait those this mean our children would have to be brought up with the idea that they will one day have to kill you? That's…'

'A long time away.' Vegeta cut her off. 'Let worry about matters at hand first.' Bulma was silenced for the time but even as she got dressed to return to her own quarters she resolved that once was queen she would find a way to change things. Suddenly a pang of guilt went through her heart. To become queen she would have to stand by and watch Vegeta kill his father. Would she not then be guilt of his blood as much as Vegeta?

Goku stood in the empty training arena waiting for his unseen sense to instruct him. Suddenly his vision began to become haze. In a minute he was face to face with blue catfish like creature, 'Well Goku can you see me?'

'Well,' said Goku a little confused, 'if you look like a demented catfish yes I can see you.' He said simply.

The catfish looked very miffed and said in an angry tone of voice, 'The young these days.' He grumbled, 'No respect. But I will forgive your insolence this one time.' he said, 'Now this is bubble.' He said pointing to a small monkey, 'He is my pet monkey. The very first thing you have to do is get used to the gravity of Vegitasei. Something you still haven't done properly.'

'Okay, so how do I do that?' asked Goku innocently.

'You have to complete a simple exercise.' Said King Kai, 'You have to catch Bubbles.'

'That's easy.' Said Goku a little surprised at the simplicity of the task.

'O don't be so confident, it's not as easy as it sounds.' Said King Kai with a smile, 'Ready Bubbles, go.'

Away went Bubbles as Goku straggled to give chase. Realising as he struggled to keep up with the fast little thing that it really wasn't as easy as it sounded. Bubbles went up walls and down trees Goku seemed to always get there just after Bubbles decided to move. It was sad but amusing sight to behold. Especially when you could not actually see the monkey that Goku was chasing. 'He's lost it.' said one of Goku's Saiyain guards as he watched Kakarott chase after something invisible through out the arena, 'Kakarott has gone totally insane. I mean look at him he is chasing an invisible…dog.'

The other guard nodded and made some sympathetic noises. After awhile however he asked, 'Um, how do you know it's a dog? It could be a cat.'

The other guard looked at his companion with surprise, 'A cat, a cat have you ever seen a person chase a cat?' he demanded.

'No. No sane person would ever chase a cat but since Kakarott is insane he might imagine a cat and chase it.' said the other guard innocently.

His companion stared at him for a long time than said calmly, 'I am going to recommend that both of us get reassigned for I think whatever mental illness allies Kakarott is catching we are beginning to sound as moronic as him.'

The other guard after a moment's reflection said, 'I agree with you a hundred percent.' After a moment's silent, 'I wonder if it's a black cat or a white cat.'

'That's it.' screamed the other guard, 'I am filing that request right now.' So saying he marched of to the com-station.

Bulma made her way from the prince's quarters swiftly to the lab. She had not gone far when she felt the footsteps of someone behind her. She quickened her strides but felt the strides quicken of whoever was after her. She hurried up even more but again the steps quickened. She was so scared that she began to run. But the steps behind her changed tones as well and this time apparently whomever they belonged to had lost their patience. Rounding a corner Bulma bumped into something large and strong. The owner of the steps that had been following her for.

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