Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The King and Queen Diaries ❯ Chikara ( Chapter 8 )

Author's Note: This chapter was harder for me to write than a lot of the others because of the development. This story is going to start getting deeper and darker into several different aspects. It is going to center around Bulma as she deals with this war alone, as she handles losing Vegeta and not knowing if he is alive or not, along with the upcoming birth of her child without her husband. Don't blame her if she goes a little crazy *wink wink*

 

 

Chapter Eight: Chikara (Strength)

 

 

Turles had never met a woman who had so much strength.

 

Not literally strength, but a sort of aura that allowed him and others to see that underneath the delicate exterior of beauty and poise, that Queen Bulma could be the leader that she really was.

 

When it was discovered that the King had been abducted, both Turles and Bardock had assumed that she was going to fall apart and become a totally useless, hysterical woman.

 

But they had both been wrong. When they had found her, or more like when she had found them, she had nearly embedded a dagger into Bardock's throat, thinking that he was her husband's would-be killer. Once everything had been sorted out, the two Captains had sent out every available man to search for the King until the two suns had risen above the horizon.

 

When nothing but a bloody shirt and the King's remaining weapons were found thrown into a bush, Turles and Bardock had stood a few feet away, awaiting the panic-stricken and frantic cries of a woman who had just possibly lost her husband, a man who she loved with every fiber of her being.

 

But what they had discovered instead was a woman who was silent and oddly detached. She had stood there, her broken fingers clutched to her chest, staring off into the distance. When her anxious eyes had fallen on them, they had both stiffened in alarm, waiting for the heart-wrenching sobs.

 

“Call the men back. We will leave within the hour.”

 

Turles, shocked at her order, had done as told. Neither of the men had ever received orders from the Queen; hell, no one ever had. The woman, who was now in charge of the entire Saiya-jin Empire, had always been taken care of by everyone else. The King had pampered and babied her, which was what was accepted, of course. But now, the King was gone.

 

For the first time ever, a woman controlled the most powerful empire in the universe.

 

What commenced after they left was akin to torture. The Queen pushed the men through the entire day and night, with no rests and no breaks. It was as if she was a woman possessed. Possessed with what, they did not know.

 

Bardock and Turles rode beside her, almost scared of the pregnant woman who was now riding the King's horse and wearing his weapons. What terrified them even more was that she had not bothered to clean the blood from them.

 

Was it Vegeta's blood?

 

They rode in silence. She hardly moved. They wondered if she even blinked. The men started whispering if she even had a bladder, for they certainly did and they would not mind relieving it. It was when these murmurs started that Turles finally had enough, and he turned to the still woman.

 

“Your highness, I do not mean to disturb your...tranquility, but it would be a good idea if the men rested. You have pushed them through the entire day, through the night, and now it is morning. Let them rest for an hour, at least.”

 

She continued staring ahead. Turles watched her, hoping the piercing black glare of his eyes would reach her in some manner. But she remained unmoving, as if she was unaffected by his words, or she had not even heard them.

 

Turles leaned back until he could see the Queen's Captain, Bardock. He frowned at him and got his attention, at which he flicked his head in the direction of the Queen, telling him silently to catch her interest.

 

Bardock rolled his eyes, as if the task was that hard.

 

“Your highness, you should rest for your child for a few minutes. I can get you something to drink and eat if you wish.”

 

She stared, unblinking. It was as if she was in her own world. Was she even truly there, with them? Bardock's expressive face flickered with anxious emotion when she did not reply, and then the older man frowned harshly.

 

“Your highness, the King would not like how hard you are being on yourself.”

 

Her face twisted in such an unbelievable manner that both men jerked away. They had never seen such a violent look on her delicate features. Her mere expression could disembowel a man.

 

“The King is not here, now is he? I am in charge now, and I order that we continue.”

 

Bardock looked exasperated. It was not only the men who wanted to stop, he did as well. Surely it could not be good for her to ride so long when she was with child.

 

“Your highness, with all due respect, I think that we should stop. We have no idea where we are, and—“

 

“I know exactly where I am. Two more miles and we should be out of this forest. I do not know about you, but I would like a warm bed and some real food, and I am perfectly willing to push my men until they fall out of their saddles to get there. Now,” she said, turning to Bardock, “if a woman can do it, I am sure that a man can too.”

 

Turles, having heard her words, felt insulted. Of course a man could do it! A man could do it five times over! If only he did not have to piss so badly....

 

The Queen was right; they reached the end of the forest within the next two hours, before it was even afternoon. When they saw the small village nestled along the wooded area, the men hooted and took off as fast as their weary horses could go. When everyone had gone, leaving the Queen and her two Captains, she let her whole body, which had previously stood straight and tall in the saddle, completely sag and slump.

 

She said quite sadly, “I am tired.” Then she closed her eyes as she whispered, “I have no idea how he did it.”

 

Bardock caught her just as she started to fall out of her saddle. Turles smiled forlornly.

 

“I guess she really did push herself until she fell out of the saddle.”

 

 

 

**********

 

 

 

“She will need a handmaiden of some sort. There will be four guards posted around her rooms at all times. She will want a bath, food, and more than likely a change of clothes when she awakes.” Turles paused. “Ah, yes...and please clean these weapons for me.”

 

The innkeeper blinked in astonishment when the Captain handed him the King's very weapons, which the Queen had held in her very possession. He stared in awe at the blood.

 

“Of course, my lord, I shall do whatever I can for the Queen and her men. Please accept our hospitality and know that you are safe now.”

 

Turles nodded wearily and turned to Bardock, who had just deposited the Queen in a room upstairs. Two men who worked for the inn were guarding the room until the real soldiers were fed and rested enough so that they could take over. A woman was currently standing by as a doctor tended to any wounds the Queen had acquired during their journey.

 

“I suggest we eat and then sleep. I do not know if we are going to have a repeat of our never-ending journey without rests or stops, so I am getting as much food and rest in me as I can before we start again. I think you will agree with me.”

 

Bardock nodded tiredly as he ran his hand over his face. “Yes. There should be enough rooms in this inn and the other one in town if the men double or triple share the rooms. Even a few taverns have rooms as well. The men will eat and sleep, and we should be on our way again by tomorrow.” He ran his hand over his face. “Damn this situation.”

 

Turles flicked his head in the direction of the room that he and the other Captain were going to share. “Make sure to remind me when we awake to gather supplies. I have no idea what the Queen is planning, but if I were her, I would be heading to Versai to see what is left of the capital. I have no doubt in my mind now that we are being deliberately attacked after what the innkeeper said.”

 

Bardock nodded in compliance as they walked to their shared room. “We will have to discuss things gently with her, Turles. She has never had to deal with anything like this. King Vegeta protected her.”

 

Turles opened the wooden door to their room and promptly flung all his weapons and armor on the nearest surface. Bardock followed swiftly behind. “I agree. We shall be more like advisors to her now. The generals know nothing about her, and she knows nothing about them. She is going to need someone that she knows and who she can trust. I know that she thinks highly of you,” he said, plopping down on his bed and lying there for a few moments before he started stripping off his remaining clothing.

 

Bardock smirked. “She just feels safe in my presence. It is a respect thing, too. You know, any woman is going to feel safe in the presence of the most skilled fighter on the planet.”

 

Turles snorted. “You know that you won the tournament only because you tricked me. Otherwise, I would have been the Queen's Captain. But I am pleased with my position. I have more action instead of just sitting on my ass all day, pretending to have something to do. I attend all functions with the King at all times, and I am always at his right hand when the Queen is not with him. I must say that I have more responsibilities than you do. All you do is make sure to schedule the men to protect the Queen. I have to be everywhere because the King is constantly everywhere.”

 

Bardock snorted as he collapsed on the bed, undressed and ready for sleep. He folded his arms behind his head. “That is why the King chose me to guard the Queen, right? No! It is because I am the strongest, smartest, most skilled fighter on the planet. He wanted to know that the Queen was protected at all times, which is a level of trust not too many men will ever achieve with Royalty.”

 

Turles punched his pillow a few times before it was obliterated enough for him to lay his head down on. “Yeah, yeah. But we all know that the Queen will take my advice before yours.”

 

Bardock rolled his eyes. “I never knew it was a contest, but if you want it to be that way, then fine. We will see who the Queen comes to first for advice.”

 

Turles smirked and closed his eyes. “It is a deal.”

 

 

 

**********

 

 

 

When she awoke, it was to the silence of a dark, unfamiliar room. She lay there, unmoving, as the last few days' events came back to her.

 

That was when the first wave of violent tremors started. She drew in several trembling breaths, and buried her face in her hands as she fought the urge to wail in despair uncontrollably.

 

Vegeta is gone.

 

The only thing she could think was, oh gods, over and over again. He is gone. He is really gone.

 

She could not breathe. Her body felt paralyzed. Pain spread like fire through her limbs, and the only thing she could do was lay there and cry.

 

I want to die.

 

She cried for what seemed like hours. Her body felt sore and ached in places that had not felt pain in ages. Her legs were numb and the muscles in her thighs were stiff from sitting in the saddle for so many hours. She was filthy, smelled, and she was starving.

 

But it was nothing compared to the loss she was feeling inside her heart.

 

She stared at the empty spot beside her, picturing him lying next to her, facing her. His eyes would be closed, and he would be sleeping, his face peaceful and relaxed. His arm would be looped lazily over her hip, as if he had flung it over her on a whim in his sleep.

 

But he was not there.

 

Would he ever be there again?

 

“Oh gods,” she sobbed, her fingers digging into the skin of her face, wanting to feel anything, even if it was pain. “Oh, Vegeta. I love you. I love you so much,” she cried, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking back and forth. Her chest ached as if someone had torn into her ribcage and removed her heart, and then on second thought, replaced it and then sewed her back shut. She wished blindly that they had taken her heart so she would not feel this pain.

 

She cried for what seemed forever, until the tears just stopped flowing. It was then that the second wave of tremors began, so violent in their intensity that her whole body overflowed with misery.

 

“Why,” she whispered to the dark room. “Why did this happen to me?”

 

What was she going to do with Vegeta gone? He had always done everything...he knew how to run a planet; he knew how to run an empire. He had been taught his whole entire life on what to do, not her. She had been taught to dress beautiful and look pretty and please a man. In between she had learned how to fight for fun.

 

She was going to have to rely on the discipline she had learned all those years ago now. She was going to have to return to Versai and find out what was left of the capital, and figure out what had happened—what was happening—to their planet.

 

If they were being invaded, she was going to have to fight a war. A war. How could a mere Queen fight a war? She only knew how to slice a man's throat...not on tactical maneuvers and technology and battalions and military hardware...and...and—!

 

She was doomed. She had heard in the past few months of Vegeta and his generals talking about advancing their technology. From what little she had seen and heard of their enemy, they were far more advanced than they were—they, who were supposedly the most powerful empire in the known universe. How could they be now? They had been completely taken off guard in this, the time where they had started rebuilding after the plague.

 

They might have to leave the planet. Bulma knew of several outposts and colonies close to Vegeta-sei so they could wage war on stations close to home. She knew that many of the men trained to be in the army left to learn on these outposts, so they were more than likely already outfitted for war. And if they could not wage war close to home—well, there were always the other planets they protected, or even Anausia-sei....

 

She blinked in sudden shock. She was actually thinking about fighting a war. She was just a woman! She was never meant to do this sort of thing—she had only ever learned to fight for fun and so she would know how to protect herself, which had saved her life on several different occasions, but war...?

 

Wait a second, she thought to herself. I might just be a woman...but I am the Queen of the Saiya-jin Empire. I am the first woman to ever control Vegeta-sei and her territories. I...I must do this...if not for myself, but for the sake of every Saiya-jin alive...and for the future of my child.

 

She curled into a ball and continued to tremble, but not as fiercely as before. Her hands found their way to the tiny curve of her abdomen...her only reminder of her husband. Their child lay nestled inside her, safe for now. She was going to protect the heir to Vegeta-sei more fiercely and with more determination than she had ever done anything in her life.

 

She was going to fight for Vegeta-sei.

 

 

 

**********

 

 

 

“We will need more supplies than this. I do not care what you have to do, drain the town in my name if you have to. They should know that we are being attacked—we need everything that we can get. In fact, gather any available men and horses. On our way to Versai, we are going to collect any able-bodied men, horses, and supplies. Do you agree with me, Bardock?”

 

Bardock nodded, smirking in Turles' direction as the Queen directly asked him if it was good enough in his opinion. “All men between the ages of sixteen and forty should be sufficient. No sickly or otherwise unable men. Any horses you can get unless they are dying. We should try to get a few carts to carry more supplies and anything we can possibly use. We also might need them if we take on wounded. Weapons of any kind will be useful. Alert the town of the situation.”

 

Turles nodded, agreeing. “A few men have already been asked to join us. So far we have about ten men with some fighting experience. Any other men who are inexperienced are going to be trained on one of the army outposts in space as soon as we reach Versai and obtain a shuttle of some sort. We will need to reach all of Vegeta-sei's outlaying territories and alert them of war status.” He glanced at the Queen. “We will need to reach your father, the King of Anausia-sei. I have heard that he is a genius. He should be able to help us with any technological improvements we may need.”

 

Bulma nodded. “So far this sounds good.” She turned to one of the soldiers standing nearby. “Gather several men and search the town for recruits. Tell whoever else is available to sweep every home for an extra stored food, clothes, weapons, or anything else you think we might need without directly hurting the town. Search the stables for horses. If anyone gives you any trouble, this is in the name of their Queen. No hostility will be allowed. We are declaring war on whoever has taken the King.” She looked around at the men gathered around the table. “Every town we come to we must ask if they have seen or heard anything, and tell them what is going on if they do not know. Alert the town as well that we are at war, and they are to take any alien men, women, or children as possible threats. Anyone who is not Saiya-jin or unknown is a threat as of now.”

 

Bardock stared at the Queen, who was wearing a man's clothing, had King Vegeta's sword strapped to her hip, and his daggers tied to her arms, sides, and ankles. Her glorious blue hair was tied up in a simple ponytail, which flowed down to her waist. Her gloved hands were resting on the table where they were laying out the plans for the next few days, and she looked more determined than he had ever seen any woman.

 

They had awoken early in the morning to find the Queen already preparing to leave the town. That was when she had started discussing her plans, but of course she always asked them if they seemed appropriate. They had all agreed that she seemed to know what she was doing, and had not once disagreed with her. Only a few hours had passed since they had started planning, and already she was oozing confidence. Bardock, along with Turles, were both shocked at her knowledge of the situation. She was smarter than she looked, that was for sure.

 

“I want to leave within the hour. Make sure all of the men are stocked to the fullest on their horses. If any carts are available, we will allow the men to deposit some of their supplies in there. I want to travel light, but I have no idea how long it is going to take to find a town or city that has not been destroyed that will be able to transport all of us to Versai's continent. I will be willing to take any ships or air cruisers to get there. This will take several days. We will not be taking many breaks, just to warn all of you.”

 

The generals standing around the table nodded. One of them spoke up. “We all heard the bombing in the distance. This tells us all that there have been other towns and cities bombed that we are not yet aware of. We are lucky enough to have found this little village as it was. An innkeeper has informed us of troop movement to the south, as he was told by a farmer. This means that we are possibly being invaded.” Everyone nodded, for they had all been briefed by Bardock and Turles earlier that morning. “We need to be prepared for a long journey if we cannot find a city or town to transport us. The cities along the oceans are the biggest; they have more than likely been destroyed, just as Jighu was. I agree with the Queen when she says that we should collect any men we can. We have no idea what we are in for, but I think you will all agree with me when I say that Versai is more than likely wiped off the face of the planet.”

 

Bulma looked away, but nodded with the rest of the men. She prayed that there was enough left of the palace in Versai to allow them to contact the outlying stations in space. Only the major palaces on the planet had the communication devices they needed.

 

They waited the allotted hour before men started returning with two or three recruits in tow. Bulma had several of the generals mark down their names, ages, and where they lived for records. Most of the men came with a sack filled with food, water, extra clothing, and even a few with horses and weapons. What men did not have supplies were given the extra horses and weapons. The few men that did not have horses available to them were made to sit in the single cart that they were able to obtain. Overall, they collected almost fifty men. Bulma smiled with hope.

 

As they left the small town, Bulma noticed many women and children crying and waving goodbye. The men that they had recruited waved back, and she saw several of them openly weeping. She closed her eyes and fought back the pain. She was sorry to have taken their husbands and sons, but it was necessary. She hardened her expression, and turned to the men.

 

They had a war to fight.

 

 

 

Author's Note: Like I said, this story is going to get a lot darker. Bulma is dealing with a war, the loss of her husband, and the upcoming birth of her child. In the next few chapters we are going to learn more about the enemy and what happened to Vegeta. Can't wait! Please review!