Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Prince and Princess Diaries ❯ En Iriyou Tame Hia Itto ( Chapter 27 )

Chapter Twenty Seven: En Iriyou Tame Hia Itto (I Need To Hear It)

The Prince had not been to a formal lunch, let alone a formal dinner, in a long time. He was so used to dining with high-ranking officials, dignitaries, nobles, even other royalty, that eating with a third-class solider and his Anausian wife-now turned noble-was almost offending. He respected the fact that his wife was there, as she should be, but seeing Kakarott and his annoying mate almost made him want to call the non-existent guards and have them booted out. But alas, there were no more King's guardsmen, let alone his own guardsmen, or his wife's, to call to his attention, or even if he had wanted to, he could not insult his wife in such a way.

Instead he opted to eat his gravely pathetic dinner that held no fancy sauces or any special delicacies that he was used to. The fact that the plague had killed 90% of the guards in any of the palaces on Vegeta-sei suddenly made him feel less than imperial. It also did not help that the palace seemed to be getting filthy (lack of maids and butlers), the food was disgraceful (the cooks and chefs had all perished except two, who were hardly qualified to be making his food), and-Vegeta stilled when he lifted a fork to his mouth and realized with sudden clarity that his Royal Tasters were also dead. He cursed under his breath at the lack of luxury. He could not believe that he had taken all of it for granted. He had never once in his life acknowledged the maids, or butlers, or cooks or chefs, or even his damn Royal Tasters (who were, of course, changed constantly for various reasons).

He glanced across the ridiculously long table to search out his princess, who seemed tiny and remote so many yards away. The "noble" and his "lady" were sitting somewhere in the middle, but he just ignored their unwanted presence and frowned. He thought it absurd that his wife had to sit clear down at the opposite side of the table when there was obviously no one around to dictate to them whether or not something was inappropriate. The only thing that was in the room besides him, his wife, and the two "nobles" was an alien maid, who nearly quivered with fear every time she came near him or his wife. He snorted. Pathetic creature must be afraid of the astute imperialness of royalty.

He motioned for the green creature to come to his side with a flick of one finger. She quickly curtsied and then rushed to his side nearly shaking to death, and then curtsied once again. "Yes, your highness?"

Vegeta snickered to himself at how low quality the service was, but pointedly ignored it because there was nothing he could do about it.

He flicked his wrist in the direction of his wife. "Bring her down to me. I abhor the distance."

She curtsied and nodded at the same time, and then rushed as neatly and delicately as she could down to the other end of the enormous table. Vegeta could not hear the words that were spoken because they were so far away, but he did see the smile that brightened his princess's face. He almost smiled himself, but then realized where he was and frowned instead.

Bulma carried her own plate, followed by the servant girl who precariously balanced her drink, silverware, and other objects used by his wife to eat. Once it was all settled at his end of the table, Vegeta excused the girl to stand in her lonely corner once more, and promptly forgot she existed.

Bulma smiled so brightly at him that Vegeta feared he was going to be blinded. She seems so sickeningly happy just by me asking her to sit next to me. I hope she realizes that this will probably never happen again.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked as soon as she sat down, the smile still on her face.

He shrugged and played with his inadequate food like an adolescent. "I have been pondering the situation here at the palace."

Bulma gladly stuffed food down her gullet like she had not eaten in ages. She hardly realized the change in the quality, for she had never been one to fidget over something so trivial. "Whaf sifuafion?" she mumbled around her food.

Vegeta scowled at her indelicacy, but she just smiled with the food still in her mouth. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Do not be a fool, woman. The situation of no servants or guards. It is highly improper for my own wife not to have her own guards, and while I do not require them, I am also obligatory to have my own guard. And if you also have not noticed, the palace is in need of some severe cleaning. The quality of food is atrocious, and I would like to have some clothes not only altered, but made as well. I imagine that it is difficult to keep wearing the same black and gray clothes every day. We need more made for the span of mourning we are required to adhere to." Vegeta frowned and forked down a bite of something he had no clue of what it was. "Which brings up my deceased parents. We are going to have to lay them to rest soon. Tomorrow, at the latest."

Bulma gasped, and then nearly choked on her food. "Tomorrow?" she said with horror, almost having completely forgotten about her mother- and father-in-law. She ran thoughts and calculations through her head quickly, and then looked pleadingly back up at her husband. "Vegeta...do you not think we can wait a little while longer? Maybe another day or two? I am not ready to-"

"Woman, it does not matter whether or not you are ready to put them in the ground or wherever we are planning to put them. What matters is that we lay them to rest so we do not have to worry about it later." Or more importantly...so you do not have to worry about it when I am gone....

Bulma noticed a sudden change in her husband by the softening of his severe facial features. He reached out and took the hand that was resting next to her plate, and gave it a gentle squeeze. His dark eyes were no longer glaring, but giving her a thorough, caring stare. "I know that you do not want to let them go, my princess," he said softly, so as not to let the other two occupants of the table hear. "But we cannot just let them stay in that cold drafty place we were married in. I know you want them rested properly just as much as I."

Bulma just knew that she was giving her husband the most adoring look ever seen in the universe. She almost caught herself saying "by the gods, I love you" but stopped herself. She wanted to wait for the right time, and she was also sure that her husband wanted to as well. She knew deep down that he loved her, whether or not he had acknowledged it yet was unknown to her, but she knew that she would say it soon.

Bulma caressed the top of his hand with her thumb, and watched his eyes darken to an impossible black. She smiled shyly, and then wickedly as she pulled back, giving him a wink that had him gawking at her long after lunch was over.

*********

Vegeta let his wife leave after lunch to go see her injured horse. She squealed and gave him a very thorough kiss, one that he knew he would have to pay her back for later that night when they were alone.

He caught up on some interstellar communications and correspondence, since it had been piling up since his father's death. He also imagined that there were quite a few other things wrong that he had not been able to attend to since they had ceased doing the weekly court that was held in the main Vegeta-sei palace in Versai.

He was sitting in his father's old study connected to the throne room through a secret passageway when he realized that he should do something about his upcoming death.

He wondered at his dullness when approaching the subject. He really did not seem to care about his death, except for the fact that he did not want his wife left behind without something to make sure she was protected. He knew that once he died hell would break loose not only throughout what was left of Vegeta-sei, but through the several galaxies that he now controlled.

He lifted out a sheet of paper and began to write. He knew he had to leave instructions upon his death, else no one would know what to do. At least this way, his wife would not have to worry about her life, and neither would Anausia-sei, or anyone else that he truly cared about that might happen along the way.

*********

Bulma was brushing continuous, monotonous strokes down her horse's back when Vegeta appeared by her side. She smiled and made an "Mmm...." sound as she dropped the brush in her hand and latched onto him. He chuckled as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, promptly saying, "You smell like horse."

She just giggled and kissed his cheek. "Well, you smell like the leather seat in your father's oh-so-secret study. What were you doing?"

"Catching up on correspondence." And making sure that you will be safe for the rest of your life.

She rolled her eyes and poked his nose with her dirty finger. "Already turning into your father, and you are not even king yet."

Vegeta shrugged, a small smirk on his face at his wife's boldness. He could not believe the liberties she took with his person. "Yes, well, someone has to do it. I do not have a liaison or someone that can do it for me when I do not feel like it. Everyone is dead, or something near it."

Bulma shuddered and clung to him harder. "I am so worried, Vegeta," she said quietly, afraid to breach the subject. "There is hardly anyone left on Vegeta-sei besides aliens, me and you, and very few Saiya-jins that are trying to dodge the plague. I am afraid that Kakarott might catch it, like you did. No one thought you were going to get it because the palace was off limits to other Saiya-jins that might contaminate it, but you got it anyhow."

She looked up and saw how severe his face looked. She wanted to fight it, but the pain was there, no matter what she did. Vegeta was trying to pretend that he did not have it, but they both knew that he did, and he was not going to live much longer.

"Vegeta...I do not want to lose you."

He stiffened in her arms, but relaxed only a second after, making her believe that she had imagined it. She stroked his cheek with her dirty thumb, making both of them smile at the grimy feel to it.

"How dare you touch me with that filth, woman," he said, his playful words sounding husky and deep to her ears.

She lowered her eyes seductively as she stroked his cheek once more. "Punish me," she whispered, breaking contact with him and stepping away. A feral grin lit his features, and she shrieked with the sudden shock of him looking at her so wickedly. She took off out the stall, giggling madly when he took off after her. She ran into the palace, and one of the few guards still protecting the palace jumped in alarm when the princess flashed by him in a streak of gray, the prince following not too far behind in a blur of black. He blinked several times at the display, and then shook his head as he smiled. I would guarantee many long years of love between those two, if only the prince wasn't going to die....

*********

Later that night, after a small dinner and relaxation time in Bulma's drawing room in her suite, Vegeta stood and announced that he was ready to retire. Chichi and Kakarott looked at him oddly, for it was still early in the evening to be going to bed. Bulma looked at him with concern, thinking that maybe he was in pain or that he did not feel good.

She stood almost immediately after the thought and went to his side, agreeing with him as she placed her hand on his chest above his heart. The last thing on her mind was the first thing on Vegeta's mind, which he was planning only seconds after the two "nobles" left.

Chichi and Kakarott nodded respectfully to them, said their goodnights, and then closed the door behind them. The second the door clicked Bulma squeaked, for she was suddenly tossed into the air and over her husband's shoulder. She blinked at the sight of her husband's backside, grinned evilly, and grabbed a hold of his firm behind with both hands.

"Mine," she said pointedly, making Vegeta laugh as he walked through her room and into his through a secret adjoining door. He paused at the sight of his bed, and then decided against it. Instead he strode through the double doors to his bathing room, at which he deposited his wife on the marble floor gently. She looked at him, her face flushed, and said softly, "You should not strain yourself, Vegeta. You have to conserve your energy and not stress your lungs."

Vegeta frowned at her as he remembered how horribly his chest had hurt after their little "chase" earlier that afternoon. He had not told her, but he had the feeling that she knew.

He opted to ignore her and walked over to the black and white marble bathing pool. He had always admired the sprawling structure, for it was the largest in the palace except for the one in the king's suite.

One whole side was a set of stairs that led to the top of the pool, and then led down into it, at which it steadily declined towards the middle until it went over your head. On another side there were three enormous faucets that released the hot liquid like a waterfall. The other two sides were seats and reclining chairs built into the marble, which he utilized often. It was relaxing to sit back in scalding hot water and do absolutely nothing.

Bulma stepped up to the side as he turned two knobs on the side and let the hot water blast into the massive pool. Only seconds after he turned the water on he turned back to her and began to undress her.

She blushed a bright red as he turned her around. "What are you doing?" she said pathetically as he began unlacing the back of her gray dress.

"What do you think I am doing? I am taking a bath with you. Both of us are disgusting after the experience with your horse, and we need to bathe. Do you object?"

Bulma smiled and told him that she thought it was a grand idea. He chuckled near her ear, and she closed her eyes at the soothing vibration it sent through her. Oddly she did not feel embarrassed, or even in the mood to do something sexual with her husband. He finished undressing her quickly, leaving her naked in front of him in the bright light. She smiled shyly as his eyes devoured her, and then stepped up to him to begin stripping him of his own clothes.

He did not help her as she deposed him of his garments, in fact, he let her stumble along all the buttons and just smirked at her as she struggled to remove all of the articles of clothing. By the time she was done she was red in the face and wondering how he could just stand there and laugh at her while she exerted herself so blatantly. He seemed to think it was funny, and he just told her, "You will have to learn some time or another."

She did not have much of a chance to stare at him like he had her, for only a moment after he turned off the water, he picked her up and held her cradled in his arms. He stepped into the pool as she pouted at him, and he chuckled. "This marble floor is freezing, woman. You will have plenty of other chances to see me nude."

This made her smile, but she gasped only a second later as the hot water touched her. It felt nearly boiling, but after getting used to it, it felt incredible. It felt even better by the way Vegeta was holding her, right up against his strong, muscled chest, protecting her from all harm. She felt so wonderfully safe that she sighed and laid her head against his shoulder, allowing him to do all the work. She felt his chest rumble with a small laugh, and she just smiled as he sat them down into the water.

They sat there for a long time, simply enjoying each other's company. Bulma continuously cupped water in her hands and dribbled it down his chest, a part of his body that she was absolutely fascinated by. Men on Anausia-sei could never compare to the perfection that her husband was...she could have sworn to herself that he had not an ounce of fat on him. He was all smooth skin, sleek muscle. She sighed. Yummy....

"What is wrong?"

She jumped, startled at the sound of his exotic voice. Men on Anausia-sei would only ever wish for the deep, mesmerizing voice her husband had. It thrilled her to her toes just hearing him say her name.

She looked up at him, her hand coming to lay on his chest as was becoming habit to her. His dark eyes watched her with concern, something that was recently new. His hand came up and flicked a stray strand of wet hair off her cheek, making her smile at the seemingly thoughtless gesture. Only a moment later she felt his soft lips against that same cheek, and she closed her suddenly watering eyes. By the gods, who would have ever thought that Vegeta-Vegeta, the hateful, spiteful prince that used to despise her-would ever care enough for her, for anyone, to actually kiss their cheek?

"Oh, Vegeta!" she cried, flinging her arms around his neck. Sudden overflowing bursts of emotion hit her hard, sending her into a spiraling upheaval of emotive ups and downs. She spilled her whole soul out to him at that moment.

"Vegeta, I do not want to lose you! I am so worried about you; I have no clue what to do! I am so worried about Vegeta-sei, about Anausia-sei...but if it meant saving your life, I would gladly throw all of them away! I would do anything to save you, even if it meant my own life! I want to spend the rest of my life with you, not the rest of this month! I wanted to have happy moments like these...I wanted to hold you and kiss you and tell you...tell you about how much I love you." She blinked her watering eyes, letting several tears fall down her flushed cheeks. She gave him a hopeful watery smile at his blank stare. "Vegeta...I love you."

He just stared at her, his face and eyes blank. For a moment she thought that he was going to reject her, or just simply ignore her, but the faintest, almost undetectable smile touched his lips.

She felt her heart clench when his hands found hers and his fingers threaded through hers. He brought them together between their bodies, and she stared at the warmth that surprisingly filled his unforgiving eyes.

"I never thought that I would say this, let alone to you." He kissed her lips softly. "You are my princess, and you always will be...here," he said, placing their hands over his heart. "You will always be in my heart, and in my soul..." his eyes seemed to acquire a certain suspicious gleam, but only a second later it was gone, making her wonder if she had imagined it. He took his right hand that was still holding hers and caressed her soft cheek. "I love you, Bulma. I will always love you, whether or not I am with you for the rest of our lives, or for the rest of this month. I will always love you."

Her eyes overflowed with tears, almost to the point where she could not see. She closed her eyes and sobbed as she flung her arms around him once more and pressed her lips feverishly against his. Only a second passed before Vegeta took her into his arms and surged to his feet, water rushing down their bodies. Their lips never let go as he ran with her in his arms to their bed, where he placed her down on the sheets gently, and made love to her.

Bulma knew that she would always remember that night, just like she would always love her husband, her prince, her lover. She promised herself that no matter what happened, she would not let her life dwindle into nonexistence after Vegeta left, for she knew that he would have never wanted that.

Just before she drifted off to sleep with Vegeta holding her in his arms, she kissed his cheek just like he had hers, and told him that she loved him again. He smiled sleepily, and whispered it back right before they both fell asleep.