Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Prince's Captive ❯ Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

<<<<One Week Later>>>>

"Mommy, where are we going?" Gohan asked.

Chi Chi looked down at her son and smiled. "Your grandpa, Bardock, asked us to meet him somewhere."

"Oh." Gohan let go of her hand and ran ahead of her down the hallway.

"You know, I was thinking," Amara began. "You must be one strong woman."

"What makes you say that?" Chi Chi asked.

"You were able to tame Kakarot," she said.

Chi Chi laughed. "It wasn't a difficult task."

Amara smiled. "I suppose it only takes the right woman."

Chi Chi nodded. "Do you know why Bardock wants to see us?"

Amara shook her head. "Turn in the door coming up on the left."

Gohan slowed down and let his mother catch up to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and led him into the room. Amara joined them in the doorway of the dimly lit room.

"What's going on?" Chi Chi asked.

"Bardock what did you call us here for?" Amara asked, in an exasperated tone. She moved into the room and flicked on the rest of the lights. "And why do you have it so dark in here?"

Bardock was standing in front of a console, looking up at a large screen. He turned to Amara. "Why do you have to ask so many questions?"

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I have a surprise for you all," he said. "Come here."

Amara walked over to him and Chi Chi and Gohan followed. Bardock hit a few keys on the console. There was a moment of fuzziness before Bulma's face emerged on the screen.

Amara frowned slightly. "Bulma?"

She nodded. "Hey guys. How are you?"

"Bulma!" Chi Chi cried. "We're doing okay."

"Woman, I thought you said we didn't have much time to talk." Vegeta came up behind her and put his hand on the back of her chair.

"We don't," Bulma said. "We just wanted to know if everything was okay there on Vegeta-sei. We haven't heard from you in a while."

"Things are just the same as you left," Bardock said. "Perhaps the fighting has picked up a bit, but other than that…" He shrugged.

"Has my father made any moves to stop the fighting?" Vegeta asked.

"He sent out soldiers to try and contain the fighting."

"Is it working?"

Bardock shook his head. "Nothing has gotten much better."

Vegeta's hand tightened on Bulma's chair.

"What's going on with you two?" Amara asked. "I thought she was a spy and…"

"We cleared things up," Vegeta interrupted. "She is a spy, but she wasn't relaying information to Frieza."

"Then who was?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Bulma said.

"Where are Kakarot and Radditz?" Chi Chi asked, suddenly.

Amara nodded. "I would like to know, too."

"They're here," Bulma said, rising from the chair and gently moving Vegeta aside.

Radditz and Kakarot moved onscreen. A smile spread over Gohan's face. "Daddy!"

Chi Chi picked him up so that he could see the screen better.

"Hey," Kakarot said.

"Daddy, when are you coming back?"

He smiled. "I don't know, Gohan."

Gohan's face fell.

"Don't worry, it won't be too long from now," his father assured him.

He smiled again. "Okay."

"We've only got a little more time." Bulma's voice came from off screen. "We don't want Frieza to find us in here talking to them. I can only keep us blocked from being tracked for a few more minutes."

Kakarot nodded. "Bye Gohan and Chi Chi stay strong."

"Of course," Chi Chi said. "Come back safely."

He nodded and stepped off screen. Radditz smiled at Amara. "Hey babe."

She returned the smile. "It's really nice hearing your voice. I take it you're all working together now? Have you got some sort of plan?"

He laughed. "You know us too well."

"I hope you all can get back here soon," she said. "I have a bad feeling."

"It'll be all right," he said. "We'll come back as soon as we can."

She nodded. "Goodbye."

"See you soon." Right after he spoke his last sentence the screen went black.

Amara turned to Bardock. "That was one hell of a surprise."

He laughed. "I knew you'd like it. As soon as they made contact with me I sent for you because like they said, they didn't have much time."

"Well thank you," Chi Chi said.

He nodded at her.

"Come on, Chi Chi, you and Gohan can stay in the palace tonight," Amara said. "I don't think the King will mind. In fact, I haven't seen him around lately."

"He's been in meetings with the council and in his private quarters lately," Bardock said.

Amara sighed. "I wonder what the council has been talking about. Obviously they haven't come up with any solutions to this problem. I should try and find my father. Maybe I can help."

>>>

Amara saw Chi Chi and Gohan to the vacant room next to hers in the palace before setting out in search of her father. She came down a flight of stairs and heard someone descending them from behind her. She turned and spotted Nappa.

"Hey," she said.

He grunted.

"I know that I'm not one of your favorite people," Amara said, very matter-of-factly. "But could you please tell me where my father is?"

He walked past her and moved down the last couple of stairs. "I haven't seen him."

She pushed past him and he grabbed her arm. "Let go of me, you big oaf."

"I was going to help you look for your father, but now…"

She frowned. "I don't have to kiss your ass to get your help. I can find him on my own!"

"Hmm. Suit yourself."

She walked down the hall and that feeling hit her again. It was stronger than before and it made her breath catch in her throat and her stomach clench. Something was wrong.

She passed a pair of double doors that were thrown open. She stopped and turned. Those were the doors leading into the King's private quarters. Why would they be open?

She turned back to the doors and noticed Nappa was following her. "What do you want?"

"Why are you snooping around?"

She frowned. "Mind your own business and I'm not snooping."

"Liar."

She went to stand in the doorway and peered inside the room. "Go to hell, Nappa." She stepped into the hallway just past the double doors.

"Those are the King's private quarters," Nappa said.

"Gee, thanks, I would have never known."

"Private. As in you stay out." He followed her down the hall.

"Isn't there a spot outside the palace that needs guarding?" she asked.

"You're especially bitchy tonight," he sneered.

She came to another set of doors and glanced over her shoulder. "A minute ago, I said I wasn't one of your favorite people, well you're not one of my favorites either. I try to be nice to you, but I only have so much patience for hulking idiots like you. So why don't you just leave me alone now?"

He frowned at her, but didn't say anything.

"What is it with you?" She turned on him. "Do you like to piss me off or are you just naturally a pain in the ass?"

"You're going to get Radditz in trouble," he said.

She blinked. "What?"

"You are going to screw Radditz over, just like that spy did to Prince Vegeta."

"Spy? Oh, you mean Bulma."

He nodded.

"Ah, it's all becoming clear to me now. You're looking out for your fellow soldier and friend's well being. Well let me tell you something, I'm not forcing him to do anything. He's with me by choice, okay? So if that's what this is all about, then thank you for your concern, but it's not needed." She smirked. "But if you're just jealous of Radditz, you're out of luck. You're…not my type."

"Just because you're the daughter of one of the King's top councilmen, you think you can throw your weight around here," he spat.

She turned towards the doors again. "I don't give a fuck about your opinions so deal with it Nappa. What I do shouldn't bother you too much. It doesn't bother anyone else."

She knocked on the doors and waited for a response. When she didn't receive one immediately, she called out, "Your Highness?" She opened the doors a crack.

"You're crossing the line," Nappa said. "No one is allowed to enter his quarters without his permission."

"It's funny that you keep telling me I'm not allowed in here, yet you keep following me." She stepped into the room.

"I'm trying to make sure you don't harm or steal anything," Nappa said, stepping into the room as well.

The room was large and filled with beautiful and expensive furniture. Amara scanned the room and her eyes fell upon a horrific sight.

She gasped and clapped her hands to her mouth. Nappa looked too and made a low sound in his throat.

The King was lying on the floor near a large chair. There was a puddle of blood on the floor near his mouth. There was a half-shattered glass near his right hand and a puddle of whatever had been in the glass on the floor.

Amara ran over to him and took his head into her lap. "King Vegeta?"

He groaned and opened his eyes. "Raina?"

Amara felt as if her heart had stopped. He'd just called her his wife's name. "No, it's me Amara, Cole's daughter."

He tried to focus on her face. "A…mara…"

She nodded. "Hang on." She looked towards Nappa. "Go get help."

Nappa looked at her with wide-eyes before bolting out of the room.

King Vegeta's hand touched the glass. It made a sound on the floor, drawing Amara's attention back to him. "Pois…" He cut off the word and squeezed his eyes shut as if in great pain.

She frowned at him and then looked to the glass. "Poisoned?"

He gave one curt nod.

"Who poisoned you?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out and execute whoever it was," she assured him. "Nappa will be back soon and we'll get you some medical attention."

"No…time…" he managed to say. "Give…this to…my son." He touched his fingers to the necklace he wore around his neck. "He can take…my place…as King. I never was…much of a father…or a King, but maybe he can do better."

"Oh King Vegeta…" She removed the necklace from him. "Okay I'll give this to him."

He managed to smile. "I'm…going to see her again. I'm finally going to see…my Raina."

Amara's eyes filled with tears. She'd never thought much of him as a King, but watching him die in her arms and speak of seeing his wife again was unbearable.

"Yes, you will," Amara whispered. "You'll be with her again. I hope you will be happy, you have suffered so long without her."

"Yes…" The King's body quieted and his head slumped back. His ki had faded. Amara touched his eyelids gently and closed them. He would never open those dark eyes again and look down on his planet or his people.

"Amara?"

She turned to see her father in the doorway with a few other people. She set the King's body down on the floor, softly and got to her feet.

The people with her father ran over to the King's body, but Cole stayed near the doors. Amara made her way over to him, trying to keep her composure. She picked up her pace as she neared him and fell into his arms.

"Daddy, he died in my arms," she choked out. "He called me Raina. He was poisoned! He didn't deserve to die."

"Amara," Cole said, stroking her hair. "Shh. It's all right. We'll figure this out."

Malem pushed into the room and took in the scene. "What happened here?"

"The King was murdered," Cole said. "Amara and Nappa found him here, but he died shortly after."

Malem looked at Amara as she pulled away from her father. He looked at her with hungry eyes and she turned away from his gaze.

"Malem," Cole said, sternly. "Contact the Prince immediately. If they won't let you talk to him directly, tell Frieza or his men that it's an emergency."

He drew his eyes off of Amara and nodded. "All right." He took one last glance at the King before disappearing out the door.

>>>

Celestial Princess: Oh goodness! A murder! Who could be responsible for the death of the King? Who would want to kill him?

Amara: Couldn't have been me. I stumbled in on him.

Celestial Princess: (Dons a detective hat). A likely story. If you'd like to find out keep reading. I hope they find the killer soon and give him/her what he/she deserves. Not to say that King Vegeta was a very good king, but no one on Vegeta-sei had the right to take his life away! Boy, I wonder what Vegeta will have to say about this when he finds out…

Amara: There she goes rambling again!