Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ At Odds ❯ Capital World ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Chapter Four

Capital World

Herding two dozen children is essentially easier than you would think. You just don't do it. After several false starts and one near miss where they thought they lost one, Raditz and Nappa ended up back in the room, glassy, wide eyes staring at them in fear.

Sighing deeply, they decided on barricading the room and taking a defensive position. After all, they were warriors, they knew how to occupy enemy territory and set a perimeter. However, what happened after that could have not astounded the two men more.

After one or two skirmishes, the attacking soldiers turned tail and fled before the Saiyans even had a real opportunity to engage them. Shrugging, they took up their stance at the door and waited to see what would happen next. They didn't have long to wait.

After about an hour, soldiers began to pour into the courtyard, stopping a dozen paces from the warriors and filing into organized lines. Raditz and Nappa crouched down in a defensive posture, certain that this fight may well be their last. Sure they had decimated worlds, but they were now staring into the hard eyes of Frieza's royal army. They could defeat a group of ten or fifteen at a time, but not forty or fifty and much to their dismay the ranks kept swelling steadily until finally slowing to a trickle.

Without warning, as if an order had been shouted into the tension filled air, the men knelt before the Saiyan warriors.

Raditz and Nappa blinked.

A purple skinned man stepped forward and the warriors instantly recognized him as a soldier named Domin, Frieza's Man at Arms, the General of his royal army and military advisor. He knelt before the Saiyans, his fist over his heart.

"All Hail, Prince Vegeta, the Lord of the Universe." He uttered with finality. Behind him, his men echoed the cry and it was all that the warriors could do to stop their jaws from unhinging.

The simple fact of the matter was that there had to be a ruler and Vegeta had already proven his worth by defeating Frieza. Sure the death of the warlord caused upheaval on Capital World, more like a celebration of sorts that had gotten out of hand, but with the arrival of the Lord's trusted men, it was time to get back down to business. The business of reclaiming their stranglehold on the filthy masses and reestablishing their dominance as the meanest, baddest army in the universe.

Everyone agreed that it was better to make the first move and pledge their allegiance to the new lord before he came back and punished those who dared to defy him. It was natural for the soldiers to assume that he had sent his men ahead to secure his throne and organize his affairs until he arrived. Nappa and Raditz set about doing just that.

By the time Vegeta arrived on Capital World, much to his consternation and Bulma's snide condescension, he found the planet to be running smoothly, the palace repaired and the cities rebuilding themselves. They stepped into the grand hall of the palace, accompanied by Zarbon and were greeted by Nappa, Raditz, and Delia.

"What is she doing here?" Growled Vegeta at the cowering golden woman.

She stood before Vegeta her head hung in shame. She had been dreading this for days. She knew that Vegeta would more than likely kill her for her treachery and her only consolation was that she had been able to see her son once again. She was surprised when she felt Raditz step into place next to her. He had been busy organizing the soldiers and they had barely spoken since the first night, much less touched. His silence had been deafening to her and she knew that she would never regain his trust.

She had made herself busy righting the palace, but every time she saw Raditz in the corridors she looked at him with sorrowful eyes, pain radiating out from her heart as he passed by her without even a glance in her direction. When Bulma and Vegeta had arrived she had been in the kitchen washing the dishes. She was humming a happy tune when Raditz had darkened the doorway, his implacable black eyes boring into her. The plate she had been cleaning fell from her numb fingers and shattered onto the marble floor. Stoically, he stalked up to her, taking her by the arm and led her to the grand hall, where they waited in silence. She was certain he would add his voice to her damnation, her betrayal of him ran just as deep as it did to the Lord.

"She has come to beg forgiveness and promise to be a loyal subject to you until the end of her days." Raditz met the eyes of his lord steadily, his impassive visage belying his trepidation. He couldn't believe he was willing to face his Prince for a woman. A woman that had lied to him and used him. A woman that he should be volunteering to blast himself.

For all of the festering rage that boiled under his skin, even deeper below was an underlying current of caring that he refused to acknowledge openly. He wanted to punish Delia for her treachery, but he didn't want her to die for it. He didn't want to think about what her absence would mean to him.

Delia blinked up at Raditz barely able to believe her ears. Without further coaching she fell to her knees, her head bowed in submission. "I plead for forgiveness, My Lord. My will was not my own and I am deeply ashamed of my actions. I vow to serve you and your family, if you would allow me too."

Vegeta snarled, his teeth gleaming under the sadistic curl of his lip. "Isn't that nice. I'm comforted by the fact that your life will be a short one." He raised his hand, a ball of indigo power forming in his palm. Raditz tensed, uncertainty swamping him. If he challenged Vegeta he would die, if he didn't his lover would become ash.

"Prince Vegeta!" Raditz barked before he could stop himself. He stuttered to a stop before regaining his courage. "I mean, M'lord. Perhaps a quick death would be too hasty. She should have to live with what she has done and I could find a way to discipline her appropriately." He met his Prince's gaze steadily, refusing to back down while ignoring the tiny voice that whispered of his emanate demise.

Vegeta listened to Raditz plea dispassionately, the ki blast still waiting to be released from his palm. "Pretty words Raditz, but it doesn't hide the fact that you want to keep your little backstabbing whore around to amuse yourself with. I will not have her filthy person lingering in my palace halls." Vegeta turned his deadly gaze back to Delia, who stood unmoving before him, acceptance of her fate etched on her beautiful features. Before Raditz could make the decision that would forever change his life, a shrill voice rang out.

"Stop! Just stop it Vegeta." Bulma grabbed Vegeta by the arm and he instantly extinguished his ki to prevent her from getting hurt.

"What are you doing woman?" He shook her off him. "Get off me so I can fry the bitch like she deserves."

"No, she doesn't deserve that." Bulma insisted, her blue eyes dark with anger. The same anger he had been unable to escape for weeks as they traveled to Capital World. She had quite literally made his life hell. He knew now why a man should never take a mate. To make matters worse, she refused to share her bed with him and he was feeling more than a little 'tense'.

"She is the one who ratted us out!" Vegeta's own anger ran deep. Delia had been the catalyses that led to him being separated from Bulma in the first place. She was the reason that he had lost his mate to the dark abyss.

"No it wasn't her fault. Frieza held her son. A mother will do anything to protect their child." Bulma accentuated the word anything while glaring deeply into Vegeta's eyes. He sneered in response, bone weary of hearing the same argument day in and day out.

"What is it that you want woman?" Vegeta felt defeated. At this point he was willing to give her almost anything if it made her shut up and leave him in peace. Anything but what she truly wanted. To leave him.

"Give her to me as my maid." Bulma demanded haughtily, already the cloak of queenship settling on her shoulders confidently.

"What? Have you forgotten woman, but she is the reason that you died in the first place. She betrayed us. She betrayed you, Bulma." He spat with exasperated frustration. Bulma's arctic façade remained impervious to his logic and her eyes stabbed him with icy blades. He looked away, unwilling to withstand the force of her displeasure any longer than he had too. "Fine, whatever, but don't come crying to me when she betrays your trust once again." Vegeta turned away disgusted, his hand massaging his aching temples.

"She won't." Bulma declared.

"Right, until someone uses her brat against her again." He spat.

Raditz cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the royal couple. "Actually we have retrieved the boy, along with several high ranking children. Frieza seems to have collected them from various aristocrats around the universe and was using them against their parents." Vegeta absorbed this information curiously. It wasn't such a bad idea. Based on what he had learned in the last couple weeks, a mother's devotion far outweighed any man's determination on the battlefield. If the children's mothers were anything like Bulma they were browbeating their mates into good behavior in order to secure the safety of their offspring. It wouldn't be such a bad idea to continue the tactic. He stiffened with realization and he slowly turned to face his queen.

"I suppose you want us to return them to their families?" He grit out between clenched teeth. Bulma returned his look with the haughty gaze of an ice princess.

"No, I don't." Her voice was even and calm. He heard that tone before. When she told him that they needed to murder Magin Rox in order to set their plan in motion. Vegeta blinked at his mate, uncertain of what was going on in her head.

"Why?" He questioned, honestly interested in what she had to say.

"Frieza was right. Their presence does guarantee good behavior from your subjects. However, he went about it the wrong way."

Vegeta cocked a wary brow at her. "How so?"

"He told them that he would kill them if they misbehaved. That was unnecessary. He should have couched it more in the terms of an opportunity. Their children would be raised in the heart of culture in the royal court. It's the perfect place to make political matches and strengthen a family's power by earning favor among the ruling household. Frieza caged the children, but we should educate them. More importantly we should treat them as our own foster children. Like family. When they grow up and take over their family's business then their loyalty to our household will be assured."

At the end of her pragmatic speech every one could only blink at her. Vegeta felt pride bloom in his chest that this beautiful, intelligent creature was his mate. She was the perfect queen. Delia looked on with horror, stunned that her friend could be so ruthless as to separate entire families for her own political gain.

"Well then, I will have to talk to them about that. Perhaps some of the children we have belong to the ruling households of the words that have broken away from the empire." Vegeta smirked down at Bulma and for the first time in weeks she returned his smile.

"Perhaps you had better let me speak to them Vegeta. You can stand behind me and look intimidating." She snickered at her mate, who humphed back at her. "Let's face it. I'm better at talking than you. I'll handle the diplomacy and you take care of the show of power. The sooner we whip the empire back into the shape the sooner we can get our son. Right Vegeta?" She clasped her hands in front of her, raising her blue eyes to meet his black ones. He gave an almost unperceivable nod and she released the breath she had been holding.

"Very well, if you will excuse me, I wish to freshen up." Bulma nodded to the men and turned on her heel, her long skirts twitching in a feminine show of victory. Delia scampered after her, throwing a worried look over her shoulder as she followed her new mistress from the room.

Vegeta watched Bulma go, his head pounding from her constant demands, his chest aching with the urge to make her happy and his groin swelling with the need to have her in his arms. In all he was a mess of conflicting desires that all centered on Bulma.

"I don't understand her." He muttered absently to himself, but Zarbon's keen hearing picked up the words.

"M'lord, the sooner you realize that women are beyond understanding the sooner you will be a happier man." He chuckled indulgently, ignoring the nasty look Vegeta tossed his way. The men followed their lord to his war room, already deep into a discussion of battle tactics, the enigma of women left for a later time.

By habit, Bulma returned to her old chambers, leaving the door open so Delia could follow her into the room. She walked up to her bed, smoothing her hand over the fur pelt that was still draped like a comforter across the frame. Tears welled up in her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time since she had awoken to the realization that her son was indeed gone. How had everything gone so wrong?

Delia made a small noise behind her, alerting Bulma to her presence. She dried her tears and stretched a false smile across her quivering lips. She turned to face her friend that she hadn't seen in many months and found herself engulfed in a ferocious hug. Such a show of affection broke the dam that held back her rioting emotions and she sobbed brokenly into her friend's arms. Delia's own stress mixed with Bulma's obvious grief, rocked her own wall of courage and she soon joined her in the outpouring of tears.

Snuffling loudly, Bulma pulled back, wiping Delia's golden hair back from her face and staring into her tear drenched violet eyes.

"So you found Jarrell?" It was more of a statement than a question and Delia nodded in response.

"I'm so happy to finally have him safe, but I was so worried while we waited for you and Vegeta." She dropped her head down, unable to look into her friend's gaze when she spoke of her betrayal to her. "Thank you so much for saving me Bulma. I owe you so much. I can't even begin to repay you. I want you to know that I will do anything that you ask of me. It is only right that I honor you with my service." The woman swore quietly. She would spend the rest of her life a loyal maid to her lady and she would not regret a minute of it. This woman had given her trust when she could have turned her away.

"None of that is necessary Delia. I told Vegeta what he wanted to hear so he would spare you. That is all." Bulma waved her hand dismissively, her sadness reappearing with her words. She moved lethargically over to her vanity, fingering the scattered cosmetics that still lay untouched after her death. Delia ignored her muttered words, knowing in her heart she would find a way to repay her friend, but right now she felt the urge to assuage her friend's obvious depression.

"What's wrong Bulma?" Delia questioned softly, but Bulma kept her back to her. At her words, Bulma's shoulders slumped and in the mirror, Delia could see her cover her eyes with her hand.

"Trunks is gone. Someone has stolen him." She uttered brokenly and Delia was instantly by her side, comforting her with open arms and wordless mutters of condolence. Once Bulma had calmed herself enough to speak, Delia asked the question that ate at her.

"Why aren't you and Vegeta searching for him?" The question hung in the room like a death knell and Delia gulped as the silence stretched for an eternity. Finally, Bulma turned to face her friend, her eyes blazing with barely checked fires of anger.

"Because he had to rush back here and play king of the castle." She spat vehemently. The old smoldering fury roared to life and she began to pace the room like a caged tigress. Delia backed away and slowly sank onto the edge of the bed, folding her hands neatly in her lap while she watched the queen of the universe hiss to herself. The golden woman's mind raced for a way to defuse the situation and came up unbearably short. There was no way to console a grieving mother whose only child was missing.

"I'm sure that Vegeta wants to find Trunks as much as you do, but he does have certain responsibilities that he has to see to now that he has defeated Frieza." Delia tried to make her voice soothing and calm, but her words only lent Bulma more fury.

"Yes, the Empire. The end all be all. Why can't I just have a normal life, Delia? Why can't I just be happy, with a home, a husband and my children surrounding me? I'm sick and tired of court intrigue and men who think they know everything." Bulma was pacing in circles now, her long hair coming undone for the twist on the top of her head.

"You know that isn't true Bulma. You live for court intrigue; it's the very air you breathe. If the Empire collapses think of all those families that will be torn apart. Look at how much death already the upheaval of Vegeta's ascension has caused. Hundreds of worlds have broken away from the protection of his rule and lawlessness is running rampant. Many people are suffering and Vegeta has to do his duty as the Emperor." Delia watched wide-eyed as her words had a chilling effect on Bulma. Her pacing ceased and she stopped twisting her fingers into her blue tresses. The anger cooled inside of her and when she turned to Delia the golden woman felt a shiver skitter down her spine as Bulma's icy eyes locked with hers.

"You're right. I'm being unfair. Vegeta has a duty to the empire. I promised him the throne and I delivered. He can scamper off and play Lordship all he wants now. All I want is to find my son." Bulma's cool words feathered over Delia causing goose bumps to rise at her flat tones.

"Why don't you go look for him yourself?" Delia gulped as she asked the question. Somehow she knew the answer to that would only infuriate Bulma even more, but she couldn't stop the words that escaped her lips.

"Because, mister high and mighty has decreed that I never leave his side." Bulma snapped, but then something darkened in her eyes and her forehead creased with worry. She turned back to Delia, crossing the room quickly and kneeling before her. Delia looked down at her in shock as she let Bulma clutch her hands in her own.

"Something happened to Vegeta while he was on Namek, Delia. I don't know what, he won't talk about it. But it was something bad." She whispered the words to her friend, as though she was afraid of being overheard.

"Well fighting Frieza must have been really traumatizing." Delia whispered back just as quietly, their heads drawing together as they shared their secrets.

"Yes, I know that, but I think something else happened. Something that had to do with me." Bulma thought back to their many arguments on the ship on the way to Capital World and it always came back to one thing. She was not to leave Vegeta. Ever. At first she was flattered at Vegeta's possessiveness, then angered, but now she was becoming more and more disturbed. She had the unyielding sense that what he felt for her was twisted on the inside. So many years of emotional neglect wouldn't allow him to admit his feeling towards her, so he turned her into something else. An object that was to be owned, to be locked away from the prying eyes of strangers, in an uncrackable vault of steel. A key, he had called her during one of their many fights. She was his key and he would never let her go.

"How is that possible Bulma? You were dead." Delia forced the strangled words out of her closed throat. The thought of her friend's death brought her terrible grief.

"I know, but something did happen. I'm certain of it." She looked away from Delia's piercing gaze, unable to face her during her next awful confession. "I'm frightened. I'm so very frightened of him." Bulma's words were a betrayal to the love she felt inside for Vegeta, yet she couldn't stop them from being true. Vegeta's irrational behavior set her on edge, making her panicky and nervous. Something wasn't right and deep inside, past the shadows of her mind lurked the answer. She just couldn't pin it down.

"I know that Prince Vegeta is quite scary." Delia shuddered from personal experience. "But, surely he would never hurt you. You are his queen." Delia paused uncertainly. "Right?" She questioned awkwardly. Her knowledge of Vegeta was limited at best, but what she did know of him did not lend her any confidence. He had already killed Bulma once and even if it was under duress it only proved one thing. Vegeta could hurt anyone if he put his mind to it.

"Vegeta has changed and until he finds a balance inside of himself, I can not live with him." Bulma absently rubbed the rune on her chest. The same rune that she had cut away, only to have it grow back unblemished, the crimson mark forever a reminder of her death.

"What are you planning, Bulma?" Delia's voice quivered with trepidation. She knew that tone, it could only mean trouble. Bulma shook her thoughts away and darted her eyes up to her friend's. She gave a weak smile and stood up.

"Nothing." She moved away so her friend couldn't see her face, but Delia was unconvinced.

"Bulma." Delia's one word warning cut through the room and the queen stiffened.

"What? I'm just going to do what I was told. I will help Vegeta put the universe to rights and then we will find our son. The first thing we have to do is set up a conference with all the rebelling worlds so we can come to an understanding." She moved to her desk, already sorting through the numerous items that needed to be taken care of while dismissing Delia and her pressing question from her mind. Delia sighed deeply and walked to the door, knowing she would get no answer from her friend today. She paused at the open portal, looking back to see Bulma hunched over the desk, desperately scratching some ingenious plan onto a pad of paper. Delia shook her head sadly and left the room, vowing silently to help her mistress however she could.

Days melted into weeks and Vegeta and Bulma worked non-stop to put the empire back into order. Not surprisingly they made and excellent team. What one lacked the other made up for, completing a whole. Once word got out that Bulma was still alive, those loyal to her began to appear at the palace, the first one being her trusted assistant Jace. Slowly her network of spies settled into place and she used information gleaned from the subspace web to bring together the universe. Bulma was a frenzy of activity. Working until exhaustion finally claimed her in the deep of night and barely eating. Nothing that Vegeta could say or do would halt her pace.

Bulma was in charge of diplomatic relations and treaties while Vegeta advanced his ever growing troops and began to reclaim worlds. Their ultimate goal was a conference between the Shari-Reaves union and the newly established empire. Though they were slowly gaining ground, many worlds were still ceded from Vegeta's domain, defying his law. His first instinct was to visit the words and instruct them in a flurry of blood that might makes right, but Bulma convinced him otherwise and the whispered words of Frieza echoing in his head stayed his hand. He did not want to be a tyrant, but in the end he would rule.

His queen organized 'peace talks' as she called them and he was impressed with her ability to get everyone in a room together to speak. He wanted nothing more than to see Bulma smile at him once again, to be in the same room with her for more than a handful of minutes before she walked out, so he conceded to her wishes to hear out the demands of the world leaders before he blasted them. All seemed to be going well, until the eve of the day he was to leave for the conference. Then all hell broke loose and the tenuous cease fire that he had with his mate blew up disastrously in his face.