Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Prince and Princess Diaries ❯ S'uppacu Suru ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Note: Well, I hope that I get more reviews for this chapter than I did with the first one. And I would like to explain something. Just because Bulma is thirteen, that doesn't mean anything. She'll be turning 14 in the next chapter, and plus...well, you'll just have to read in order to understand, because I WILL not give it away. If you don't want to read this, then don't. Your loss....

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The Prince and Princess Diaries

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Chapter Two: S'uppacu Suru (Leave)

The entourage of gilded coaches, plumed white horses, and officers resplendent in the blue and gold uniforms of Vegeta-sei made their way through the great gold gates of the sprawling palace. They came to a slow halt in the center of the massive square, horses snorting and prancing.

"Look at those two carriages!" a dark-haired girl exclaimed with wide eyes as she hung dangerously far out of an upstairs window. "Why do you think they are here?"

"I don't know," the archduchess Bulma said, leaning out the window along with her companion. "I can't see what the big deal is though. It's probably just the Saiya-jin ambassador coming to visit my mother and check up on things."

"But look how ridiculous that is. Why is there a need to travel here as if he's coming to make an important announcement or something?" Lady Chichi said, huffing. She suddenly looked shocked, and leaned out farther as she gasped. "Bulma, I think those might be the Royal Officers all the way from Vegeta-sei! Maybe the Saiya-jin ambassador was called upon to come here and formally ask for your hand in marriage on behalf of the Prince of Vegeta-sei. You know that you have been promised to him for three years, and now you are at breeding age, the best time for him marry you."

Bulma frowned. "What? You are insane, Chichi. That is not the Saiya-jin ambassador, and he is not here to ask my mother to...have the Prince marry me or whatever. And anyhow, if the Prince has finally decided to marry me, then he should have come and get me himself. It is rather rude, don't you think? Marriage by proxy does not exactly appeal to me. It would be nice to get to know my own husband before we got married. The trip back to Vegeta-sei would be the perfect chance."

Chichi stared at her friend as if she had grown another head. "Bulma, you need to stop talking like that. Marriage by proxy is very common, and just because you are so egotistical, does not mean that they will have the Prince, who is very busy, come here and get you himself. You should feel very honored that the Royal Family of Vegeta-sei wants you to be their future queen. Now, stop acting so childish and let us stop leaning out the window. It is not very lady-like. Imagine what your mother would say."

Bulma sighed, pursing her lips. "I'm only thirteen, Chichi. If that is the Saiya-jin ambassador coming here to retrieve me and marry me by proxy to bring me to my future husband, then I am never going to see you again." The archduchess grasped her friend's hands as they both came back inside, and then they both smiled half-heartedly.

"You'll see me again, I promise. We are best friends, and best friends do not just forget each other. Now...why don't you lean some more out the window? It may not be right, but knowing you, you will probably enjoy it." Because, if I know anything about marriages, these next few days will be the last of your happiness.

Bulma rolled her eyes as her friend twirled away in an amazing display of crimson silk, her hoop swinging out around her. She decided to let Chichi have her fun and turned back to the considerably more interesting scene in the court below.

She suddenly got an interested look on her face, and she leaned further out the window, eyebrow raised. "Now I wonder who that could be," she mused aloud.

"Who? What? Where?" Chichi came back to the window, pushing Bulma to one side, her dark head a startling contrast to the aqua of the archduchess's.

"There. Dismounting from the black stallion. An Arabian, I think, from planet Earth."

"Yes, it must be. Look at the neck and face." Both girls were passionate horsewomen, and for a moment, the horse interested them more than the rider did.

"That is just so odd, I mean, that man has a black horse, yet all the others are pure white. But look how magnificent it is. It looks faster than yours, Bulma. And they are so rare. Imagine how much it most have cost and what they had to go through to get that magnificent creature."

The man who had just dismounted from the Arabian pulled off his black leather riding gloves, giving the court around him a thorough glance-over. Bulma felt her attention taken away from the amazing horse to the man, and she blinked a few times. His hair had to be the most remarkable thing she had ever seen. It was just a black flame that dared gravity to challenge it, the length and clean upsweep not taking away an ounce of appeal. Chichi waved her hand in front of her friend's face, wondering what she was staring at. Her royal friend did not even seem to notice, so Chichi followed her line of vision, her dark eyebrow jutting up a good inch.

"Why, Bulma, I daresay you like that man. He is rather dangerous looking, however. I mean, he is nearly wearing all black. I think he might be wearing a stitch of blue, and that is all."

Bulma just nodded. "I wonder who he is. Isn't he handsome? I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful man."

Chichi laughed. "Since when are men beautiful? You are ridiculous. Now come, Your Highness, we must go back to our lesson."

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"Ah, Prince Vegeta, how wonderful it is that you could finally come," the empress greeted warmly. Marie Therese Briefs was a woman married to an intensely rich and genius king, and the mother of one child. She gave him her hand to kiss, and then leaned back on her throne as if she did not have a care in the world. The prince stood before her, looking arrogant, but pleasantly surprised at the Anausian palace. A first class officer, Kakarott, stood by just in case. He did not really like him because he always seemed to challenge his strength. That, however, was the last thing on his mind right now.

"Your Imperial Highness, I am here to collect my intended, as you well know. My father is growing rather impatient," the Prince said, wishing that he did not have to be here. Unfortunately, being extricated from the Saiya-jin throne was not what he wished.

Marie Therese waved her hand. "Of course. We were thinking that you would send someone else to wed her by proxy, but your father is a man that would rather send his son himself and wed as soon as possible. I hope that you will not be displeased with my daughter. I know she will not be with you. She knows her duty," she said sternly.

Vegeta frowned. He was going to be wedded to some simpering little debutante all because of his father, and he would be stuck with her until the day she died. Maybe he could make that day approach a little faster than fate intended....

"Servant, send for my daughter and her friend," Marie Therese said, waving her hand through the air. She smiled; wondering what the reaction of the handsome Prince would be when he saw her thirteen year-old daughter...

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Bulma stared at the older man in front of her, suddenly very aware of every inch of skin on her body. He was staring right back at her, scrutinizing anything and everything about her. She felt like she was being stripped naked, and she fought the urge to cover herself with her hands. He looked so cold...ruthless...everything that told her she should stay away, but just drew her all the more closer. She might be only thirteen, but she knew something was going on that she had not ever felt before. She alternatively felt warm and cold as he moved around her, taking in her faults, strengths, and weaknesses. She had the feeling that with the look he was giving her, he was not very pleased.

She suddenly felt very angry. He was not any better than she was...damn him. They were both heirs to thrones, and royalty. She fought the urge to stomp on his foot and run, but she knew that would not make a very good impression, and her mother would not be pleased at all. Her mother might be a ditz, but she knew what she was doing when it came to universal court life. If her mother knew that she even disliked this man at all, she would be in for it. She knew she had to please him as best she could, for women were nothing but toys. Life was cruel.

She gave him the deepest curtsey she had ever performed. "Your Highness...I have learned from my mother that you are my betrothed. I hope that you are not...displeased."

He snorted, turning away. She was happy that her mother and everyone had decided to leave to give them a little "privacy", but she had the feeling that Chichi was looking closely through a keyhole.

"You are only a little girl...you don't even have breasts yet." At her outraged gasp, he stopped. He smirked when he saw the look on her face, and she gave a childish stomp.

"How dare you say that! I have...I have breasts! And how dare you accuse me of being a little girl when I can bare children! A girl becomes a woman the first day she has her-"

"Be quiet. Your impertinence and shrill voice annoys me. Believe me, I do not wish this alliance any more than you do, but it must be done. I expect you to have your things packed by tonight, for we are leaving in the morning."

Chichi was listening closely, just as her friend knew. She probably looked absurd with her butt out in the air and her hoop sticking out along with it, but this was a rarely traversed hall and no one would see her.

Until someone tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped, gasped, and fell on her bottom. She looked up, her face turning red when she saw it was a man. And a cute one at that. She forced herself to act calm and smoothed down her skirt while she still sat on the floor, and then offered the man with the odd hair her hand. He looked at it curiously a moment before he took it and helped her up, watching her adjust her elegant gown some more.

"I um, I am sorry, my lady, but I was instructed not to let anyone intrude," Kakarott said, smiling at the blushing girl.

Chichi huffed. "Well I wasn't intruding. I was just listening. Surely that isn't intruding." She paused, looking at him closely. "Is it?"

He shook his head, waving his hands in front of him. "Of course not, I mean, if you don't think so."

She nodded, grinning. "That's what I thought. Now, move out of my way."

When he did not move she tried to shove him away, but he did not budge. She growled and pushed as hard as she could, not understanding why he was not moving. Bulma might be the brains, but she was the brawn, and could take down almost any guy she got her hands on. This made her mad as well as intrigued.

"Will you just move?! And how are you not even budging?! Surely you are not that strong. I am stronger than half the men in this palace are, and you are making me mad! Don't you know that you have to listen to a lady, and people of higher authority?!"

Kakarott scratched his head. "But aren't you just a palace maid? And I guess I'm just really strong...."

"Uhhh!! Are you stupid?! I am the archduchess's best friend, and goddaughter to her Imperial Highness!! I am right below the Princess!!!"

It looked like Kakarott paled. He stepped aside, and she nearly fell forward. She growled again and then ordered him to leave or she would call the palace guards. He did not know what else to do besides listen to her, so he left, wondering what had just happened. That girl was weird.

Chichi went back to peeping through the keyhole, muttering the word "idiot" under her breath. At the same exact moment, she got quite the surprise when she saw Bulma running right to the door she was behind. She quickly moved out of the way before her friend plowed her over, and then chased after her when she dashed down the marble halls, tears pouring down her face. Chichi followed her to the princess's suite, and she closed the door behind her as Bulma collapsed on the bed. She walked up to her friend, wondering what had happened. She had not had the chance to hear it all because of that infuriating man.

"Bulma? Bulma...what happened?"

The archduchess sniffed. "It was so horrible, Chichi. He is just so cold and mean...he does not even like me...he will not even try to like me. He told me that tonight is my last night here and that I would never come here ever again. Oh, Chichi, I am never going to see you again!!"

Chichi rubbed her friend's shoulder as she cried into her arms. Had that man really said that? How could a person be so...cold? She sat next to her friend as she cried, thinking of a plan. She smirked, hoping it would work.

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"Oh mister...you were that cutie I saw earlier. Well, I'm just here to tell you that I'm really, really sorry, and that I want to make it up to you for being so mean."

Kakarott blinked. If he did not know any better, he would say Lady Chichi would be flogged if the empress knew she was talking like that, and then kicked out of the palace forever.

"Um, Lady Chichi? You know you should not really be talking like that. You...well, we could get in a lot of trouble," he said, backing away from her when she started creeping closer. They were in a secluded hall in the art gallery, and he was amazed she had been able to find him. He was on his break right now, and the Prince was currently scouting the planet he would own the day the Royal Family died. He did not seem too displeased with it, just displeased with the girl he would be marrying.

"Um, Kakarott was it? Well, Kakarott, I came here to tell you something. You see...I like you. A lot. I know I might seem a little forward, but-"

"A little forward?!" he almost yelled, ready to run in the other direction. Who was this girl?! "My lady, you're only how old, and I'm almost eighteen. Surely you shouldn't even be near me without an escort."

She fought the urge to chew on her lips. "I'm not that young, I'm two years older than the princess, and the Prince is your age as well. So, you might as well not even try to sway me."

He felt his face scrunch up. This girl was smart for fifteen...damn. "Um, well, ok. So, you like me. Maybe I don't like you."

Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly looked around before she stepped up to him. He was so shocked that he could not even move, and he nearly fell over when she pecked him on the lips. He felt his face turn red, and then he started stuttering, not knowing what to do. "L-Lady C-Chichi, I-I don't t-think you s-s-should h-have done t-that. W-we c-can get in a l-l-lot of t-trouble."

She shrugged. "So what. Maybe we will get caught and you'll be forced to marry me...."

"Marry you?!" he nearly choked out. This girl was crazy!

"Yes...you see, I know this might be stupid, but can I tell you a secret?"

He took a few safe steps back, drawing in a sigh of relief. "I guess...."

She nodded. "Good. You see, it goes like this. I don't want to leave the princess...."

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Author's Note: Aw, the things Chichi will do in order to stay with her best friend. But, what's going on with the archduchess? What will become of her life? Will she be able to handle the torture that Vegeta constantly delivers out to her? Find out next time....