'What the hell are you doing?' yelled Bulma as Cumba steadied her. 'Why were you following me? You scared me…'

'And so you should be scared.' Said Cumba. 'You the Prince's mate will be the prime target for every patriot with a death wish.' He whispered as he let his gaze wander the shadows surrounding them. 'But we need to talk.'

Bulma calmed herself. Vegeta trusted Cumba, she herself felt safe around him. Her fear of just a moment ago had also last just as long as she had remained in doubt of who he was. She could trust him. 'What do you think we need to talk about?' she wondered.

Cumba regarded her for a minute, 'Many things but not here follow me.' So saying he began to lead the way to his own private quarters. Bulma hesitated out of fear, for anything Saiyain even Vegeta to a tiny extent, for a moment but soon followed.

Toma was more than a little sceptical about Gohan joining their training session. He was in truth sceptical about Gohan being raised by his grandfather period. He did not have a very high opinion of Radditz, as such he did not have a high opinion of Bardock's ability to raise children. Bardock was the best commander in the entire Saiyain Empire. Toma would have the head of anyone who tried to tell him different. He was a great friend, who Toma knew would switch places with a condemned friend to save the life of that friend but as a parent Bardock had serious shortcomings. He bore the loss of his mate badly and he tended to be too emotional towards his children. A little emotional was good but Bardock took the emotionality part too far.

Although, Tome acknowledged ruefully, Radditz would have turned out a chicken weakling no matter what Bardock did. The brat was more interested in chasing skirts than training. Toma glared down at Gohan being quizzed about himself and his fighting experience by Celipa. Gohan's answers were not promising. He had never had any fighting training. He did however go on camping trips with his father and thus had some survival training. But than again at the end of the day that amounted to little as even Saiyain infants instinctively knew how to survive.

A scowl Toma was not conscious of having deepened. This was a bad idea. The hybrid might distract Bardock far more than he first suspected if he was that untrained. He could not be sure how much of the Saiyain fighting instinct was present in the hybrid. Hopefully enough so Bardock didn't have to expend too much energy training the brat. But sighed Toma Bardock was likely to mother this one just as much as he mothers Radditz during his crucial teenage years after the death of his mate. In short, Gohan was already a lost cause as far as Toma was concerned.

'I am a brave Saiyain warrior.' Said Cado as he approached the com-console to place a call to one of Lord Cumba to request transfer from Goku's guard duty, 'I am strong and mighty. People tremble before me.' He said as he attempted to steady his nerves. He had tried to get the transfer approved by a junior officer but no junior officer would touch it with a mile long stick. As a result he had to contact Lord Cumba himself. He sat down in front of the com-console and pushed in the com sequence as the console on the other end began to ring his nerves also began to ring, 'Now calm down.' He told himself, 'I am a brave Saiyain warrior,' the com-channel was opened, 'whose about to get his butt kicked, long distance.'

'What?' demanded a less than amused Lord Cumba.

Cado had half a mind to say wrong connection and hang up but he forced himself to speak, 'Lord Cumba,' he stammered out, 'I wish to request a transfer from my current assignment.'

Cumba narrowed his eyes to near slits, 'Why?' he demanded in a voice that made Cado shiver.

'Well sir it's Kakarott he… he,' stammered Cado, 'chases invisible things around the training area and it's effecting me and Avo.' He said. 'I mean we found ourselves in the discussion about whether he was chasing a dog or a cat and then Avo asked me if it was black cat or white cat and the whole think got rather weird and…'

Cumba held up a hand for silence, 'Tell me did you ask Kakarott what he was chasing?'

'Um… no.' admitted Cado.

'Than go and ask him.' Said Cumba as if Cado was brain dead, 'That way you and Avo will not have to ponder if it's a cat or dog or if it's a black cat or white cat. I can see how all this pondering could be stannous for your pea-sized brains.' So saying he disconnected.

Cado sat in front of the now blank screen for a long minute. At last he got up. Sighing to himself he said, 'Avo was so keen to go and see his wife, he is diffidently going to take it out on me. Big time.' than he squared his shoulders and once again began his chant, 'I am brave, I am strong, I am about get my butt kicked.' He added as his face fell. Sighing he headed for the door. Better to get this over with.

Cumba turned of the com-console in irritation and turned back to Bulma. She looked at him slightly concerned. She had picked up the word Kakarott and that alone interested her, 'Is everything alright with Goku?' she asked.

'Yes, yes, he's fine. Going slightly crazy but fine. Now where wore we?' He wondered.

'You sneaked up on me and told me we had to talk and brought me here.' said Bulma with a slight tone of anger.

Cumba laughed a low echoing laugh, 'You are not yet the queen but already you are acting like one. But you might to live to be queen if you are not careful.' He warned.

Bulma turned her head away, 'What makes you think I want to be the queen of you barbaric race in which children are brought up to kill their parents? In exchange for my love I might just want Vegeta to set me and my planet free.' She said in voice a tad louder than he would like.

Cumba looked around to make sure that no one heard her. He trusted nothing within the palace walls. They only time he had he had lost the one thing that was most precious to him, 'Look I know this might be hard for you to comprehend but in Saiyain society nothing is more disgraceful than dying of old age. Since very few diseases can touch us if we do not die in battle the only other option for us is to become feeble beings that are scorned by all.'

'Why should you be scorned due to your age?' wondered Bulma, 'On earth we honour and respect our elders.'

Cumba rolled his eyes, 'O yes, is that why you stick them in old peoples homes and forget even to call during festive seasons?' Bulma brushed, she had forgotten that Cumba knew all about her planet. He knew about the good, the bad and the ugly. 'Face it.' he said, 'Age might bring you wisdom but it also brings on feebleness and even the best of hearts can't always be patient with the weak and feeble. No trust me when I say there is no cruelty in being killed by your own children. But there is pain in being scorned for your wrinkles.'

Bulma turned away, 'I still don't like it. I still refuse to except it.'

Cumba shrugged, 'Like it or don't like it, it matter's little. The damage, if indeed it can be termed that, has been done. King Vegeta will fall soon enough. No one is expecting the Prince to even entertain the notion of ascending to his father's throne for another decade to come. So the prince will have the element of surprise in his favour.' Said Cumba. Thoughtfully he added, 'He will probably make his move just before the festival marking his father's ascension to the throne.' He said, 'But that's still five months away…'

'Five months…' echoed Bulma, 'Have I been here a month already?' she asked herself.

'Time tends to fly when you are in love.' Commented Cumba in an amused tone of voice, 'But that matters little. The point is the your will have to spend five months even more cautiously.' He fixed her with a hard glare, 'Don't behave any differently around the Prince than how you have been behaving for the last month. Don't make any new friends.' His tone softened as he said this and Bulma knew that he knew about Sula's recent change of duty. 'Still clear all the other scientific slaves. I will try to get you your own lab, away from the others. It is likely to breed jealousy but will likely keep any slip ups on either yours or Vegeta's part secret.'

Still not satisfied he began to try and see what else he could do when Bulma spoke up, 'My work,' she said cautiously, 'can be finished within the next month or two. I am trying to…' she looked away.

'Stretch it out I know.' Said Cumba, 'I know the three Saiyains assigned two you have been complaining about your low opinion of their intellect. One of them owes me a favour and like all true Saiyain's all three are itching for more physical duties. I will only assign the one who owes me a favour to you. He will keep his mouth shut about the time length as long as it is done before the festival. He will also protect you with his life against anyone, even the King.' Cumba looked down into her blue, blue eyes, 'It seems the Prince is not the only person in love with you.'

Bulma jumped, 'One of them is in love with me?' she wondered.

'Well actually all of them are lusting over you.' Admitted Cumba, 'But Quish is head over heels in love with you.'

'Quish?' wonder Bulma as she tried to place a face to the name. Than she remembered, the shy one with the strongly marked sharp features. The one who tended to stay as far away from her as possible. 'But he acts as if I have some sort of contagious disease.' Complained Bulma, 'Every time I go near him he backs up as far as he can.'

'That's because he is always fighting the desire to jump you.' Said Cumba. With a smile he added, 'You are going to be a handful when you are the Queen.' He acknowledged, 'We will have to neuter male guards before assigning them to you and warn the female guards not to let their mates anywhere near you.'

Bulma could not help but blush and say, 'Well I can hardly blame them. I am so alluring.' She said with a smile. Cumba burst out laughing. 'What so funny?' demanded Bulma.

'I was just thing what yours and Vegeta's children are going to like given the fact that the two of you have the biggest ego's in the universe.' Scowling Bulma crossed her arms and looked away, Cumba just laughed again. But sobering up he said, 'It's time you headed towards the labs.' Bulma nodded and left the room. When she was gone Cumba sat down on the bed and whispered softly, 'Kami help me keep her safe from the lust of the King.'

Avo sat looking at Cado with a blank look in his eyes for so long that Cado became worried about his companion, 'Avo, Avo… are you alright?'

Avo said nothing. He got up and walked out into the training area where Goku was busy chasing something that was not seen by them. As Goku got close to him he held up a hand, stopping Goku dead in his tracks, 'What are you chasing Kakarott?' he demanded.

'A little brown monkey called Bubbles.' Said Kakarott innocently.

Avo stood in silence for a moment longer than said slowly, 'I see.' Turning to Cado he demanded, 'Why did I let you talk to Lord Cumba again.'

'Because you once made a pass at his sister while being drunk out of your mind,' Cado reminded him on a stammer, 'and he has the thing against you since.'

Avo growled, 'Noblemen, can't the ever let things be. That was a long time ago. I have been happily married since.' He said as his face morphed into an angry. Than it fell, 'My wife, my beautiful wife why am I cursed to not enjoy her company?' he wondered.

'Because you are a common palace guard and she is one of the kings elite guards who is also a noble.' Offered Cado.

'Cado.'

'Yes.'

'Shut up.' Said Avo as he stalked away.

'Is he going to be alright?' asked Goku with concern.

'Yes.' Said Cado, 'That's what he gets for mating out of his class.' He added with a shrug, 'I don’t mind though, no peasant cares much about these things but the nobles can get very petty about things like that.' he said. 'But than Lord Cumba is not like them, so I guess we just caught him on a bad time.' he said mostly to himself. As he walked away from Goku, satisfied that it was not a dog but not pleased in the fact that it was not a cat. Goku looked after them for a little while wondering what just happened. Than he shrugged and continued with his training.

'Okay, Gohan we will start your training from the very beginning.' Said Bardock, 'Firstly we have to build up your confidence.' He said thinking, 'I am going to leave you in the forest for a month…'

'A month.' Screamed Gohan, 'You can't leave me in the forest for a month, I'll die.' He sniffled.

'You are not going to die.' Said Bardock in calm even tone. 'You are a Saiyain, Saiyain's tend not to die that easily.'

'But…but…' stammered Gohan.

'No buts.' Said Bardock decisively. 'We are leaving now.' So saying he picked up Gohan with the nape of his neck and flew towards the nearest forest. Once their he dropped the protesting Gohan down to the ground and flew away.

'Grandpa, Grandpa…' screamed Gohan for a several minutes before settling down to ponder his position.

Just out of Gohan's sight Bardock hovered watching his grandson thinking to himself, 'Like I am really going to let something bad happen to you.'

* * * * *