Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unfaithful ❯ Part Three: 12 ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

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................................................................ ...................Rhapsody~*



________________________~* Part Three*~: Diplomacy
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It wasn't until dessert was served and conversation had died down that anyone noticed the empty chairs in their midst. Bulma's absence was completely understandable, of course, but both Kakkarott and Prince Vejita were absent also, without explanation. Magdalene noticed first, and discreetly brought it to Bardock's attention.

"Vejita and Kakkarott most likely stepped out to escape boredom, Your Majesty," the older man replied. "It is not like either one of them to miss such an important event."

"You are right, of course," Magdalene said. But really, she wasn't so sure. Call it her sixth sense, but something about this was not quite right-- she could feel it. "I shall have to talk some sense into my son when, and if, he returns."

Yamcha picked up on her displeasure. "Is something wrong?"

Magdalene tried to smile. "Of course not. Enjoy your chocolate, Your Highness, please."

Just then Kakkarott came through the door as inconspicuously as possible and took his seat. He fell silent, and did not smile, which was not at all normal.

"Where have you been?" Magdalene asked. "And what of Vejita?"

Kakkarott made an attempt to grin and act normally. It did not work. "Well, you see, we decided to step out for a minute. Vejita seemed to be pretty stressed out. We were going to come back inside, but then he decided that he would take a walk alone. So... I came back."

Neither Magdalene nor Bardock believed this poorly delivered story, but hid it well.

"That explains it then," Bardock said, avoiding his son's eyes. "Let us eat."

It wasn't until Magdalene searched for her son's ki, only to discover that he was suppressing it, that she knew something was fundamentally wrong.
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Vejita moved from his position on th couch beside the sleeping form of Queen Bulma and moved over to the railing of his balcony.

Since they had first come out here, the sun had set and the stars and moon had come out to cast their eerie silver glow upon them. Below, the waves had calmed to a gentle pace, and lapped against the shore as if to further soothe the human woman to sleep.

There was no doubt that she needed it-- and not only because of their passionate lovemaking, either. Vejita doubted if she had ever been able to sleep in peace for her whole life. Judging by her deep sleep, she was making up for it now. Vejita did not mind. He would not have known what to say to her anyways.

The Saiyan Prince then leaned closer to the railing, where he could watch her from a safe distance. She was curled up in his cloak, positioned so that her breasts and waistline were covered, which must have come from years of experience. What you could see of her was more than enough, anyway.

The pale moonlight accentuated her white skin and delicate features, and it was hard to tell if she was real or simply a trick of the moonlight. Either way, she was the most beautiful thing Vejita had ever layed eyes on. She was the very image of every man's fantasies, yet married to the most undeserving man alive. Vejita found it screamingly ironic that the one woman worthy of his attentions was taken by his enemy. And the timing of the affair could not have been worse.

Vejita's jaw clenched in frustration as Bulma stirred a bit, revealing some more of her smooth skin and adopting a more relaxed expression. If he had had the option, he would have stormed into the meeting room at that moment and killed Yamcha.

He was not a passive man-- he usually fought for what he wanted, and won. But not this time. His hands were tied, and there was no winning for either of them. The prince glared out across the ocean, remembering how happy and at ease Bulma had been when he had taken her down there. Once she left the planet, it was more than likely that she would never enjoy herself like that again. He knew that he shouldn't have cared, but the thought of her being ripped from him and dying an unhappy, abused woman set his blood boiling.

This was how Bulma found him upon awakening-- angry and brooding at the railing of the balcony. She had been sleeping long enough for him to get dressed and organized again, also. That should have worried her, but it did not. When she was with him, she could not help but brush these negative thoughts aside.

The queen wrapped herself in his cloak and crossed the balcony over to him silently. He said nothing as she approached and embraced him comfortably.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, her voice muffled against his broad chest.

"The many ways that I could inflict pain onto your bastard husband."

Bulma pulled away from him, her expression serious. "If you did that, there would be a war for sure."

"There's going going to be one anyway," was the curt reply. "Why put things off?"

Yamcha's plans weighed heavily on Bulma's mind. "He never wanted peace," she admitted quietly. "He planned to use this trip as a means to give him more time to prepare for a war. He's gathering up all of the manpower and technology that our planet posseses."

Vejita frowned deeply. "You could be arrested for treason for telling me that, woman."

Bulma's blue eyes glazed over. "I know. I could be arrested for being with you, also. Even killed."

"That horny son of a bitch wouldn't kill you."

Bulma was not so sure. "If he were to find out, he would go mad with jealousy, and there would be no telling what he would do. Besides, living with the consequences would be much worse than death."

"You don't seem to give a damn," Vejita commented.

"I have been living my entire life under the rule of those who wished to use me to acheive their own selfish dreams!" Bulma burst out suddenly. "I am sick of being his whore! I no longer care what happens-- just so long as I am allowed to enjoy myself for a few moments, at least." Her blue eyes shone brightly with emotion. "Not a single thing that I had always wanted for myself has come true. For once, I would like to feel what its like to acheive at least one dream. Just one."

Vejita studied the woman next to him. He could not imagine what it would be like, living in a cage such as hers. "So that means that sleeping with the strongest man in the universe was not one of your dreams?"

Bulma coudl not help but smile through her oncoming tears. "Happiness seems so easy to come by here," she said. "You are extremely lucky to live in a place like this."

Vejita's black eyes grew steely. "You could have all of this too, woman."

Bulma's eyes widened, and she took a few steps away from him. "Do not make insinuations like that. Its dangerous, and I just might be tempted enough to do it."

"Would that be so fucking bad?" was Vejita's challenging reply.

Bulma moved over to collect her wrap and shoes. She began to dress herself quickly. "We must get back to the dinner," she said, her words contradicting her true desires. "They are going to wonder about our whereabouts."

Vejita watched her dress, silent until she had finished and was attempting to resecure her hair. "Return first, and tell them that you got lost."

Bulma finished readjusting her hair and looked at him worriedly. "And what about you?"

"I'll return when I am ready."

The human woman nodded, then wrapped her arms around herself uncertainly. When she looked back up at Vejita, her eyes were wet with tears. "Thank you," she muttered. "For helping me to forget... things." When she did not receive a reply, she managed a smile and turned to leave, her head down.

"You're welcome," Vejita finally responded, almost inaudibly.

Their eyes met, and they both knew that they would encounter each other again.
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Bulma closed the doors of Vejita's chambers slowly, and paused before walking on. It was hard to believe what they had just done, but at the same time, it seemed like the realest thing she had ever experienced.

She began to walk again, slowly, dreading every step that took her closer to the dinner and Yamcha. Remembering the way that Vejita's warm, muscular body had felt against hers, and the mutual, carefree emotion that took her over whenever she was with him, she was half tempted to run back and never leave again. But that was not possible-- she was a married woman. Her finger suddenly felt heavy with the diamond wedding ring that adorned it. If she had been with Vejita, she might have been tempted to rip it off and cast it into the sea, which was precisely why she had left. What they were doing was extremely dangerous, and that was something that she must never let herself forget.

"Never again," she muttered as she neared the fork in the hallway where Vejita had caught up with her. Even as she spoke the words, however, seh knew that they weren't true. Adultery was like alcohol-- addicting.

The doors of the meeting room loomed near, so Bulma slowed her steps. She dreaded having to lie to everyone, most of all Yamcha (for obvious reasons) and Magdalene. The Saiyan woman might be able to see right through her, and the mere possibility of that made Bulma weak in the knees.

She stopped in her tracks and leaned up against the wall to gain her composure. She could just barely make out the sounds of the Saiyans' and Yamcha's laughing coming from the room down the hall. She reached up to adjust her hair and pinched her cheeks to make them pink. It would not help her to look disheveled at all.

As she was struggling to take deep breaths, her thoughts strayed to her mother and her whereabouts. In appreciation for her harsh upbringing of Bulma, Yamcha had probably stationed her in the most luxurious suite the palace had. She was probably soaking in her bath there now, thinking of how getting rid of Bulma's father and marrying off her only daughter had payed off. Bulma hoped to Kami that the ornery old hag drowned.

Her composure gained and hair fixed, Bulma was ready to make her appearance. She lifted her chin, mustering up whatever courage she could, and crossed the hall to the meeting room. The guards stationed there bowed and opened the doors smoothly. Bulma entered slowly, cautiously, as if someone might jump out and attack her.

The people in the room looked up when she entered, their chocolate-covered forks poised in mid-air. As she took her seat across from Vejita's vacant chair and beside Yamcha, she could feel Magdalene's steady gaze, evaluating.

"What took you so long?" Yamcha asked, more than a little perturbed and clearly reluctant to show it. "You've missed almost the entire dinner."

Bulma turned to him and smiled stiffly. "I was walking the halls, and I got lost. A passing maid was kind enough to give me directions back. Besides, what use is a lady in political matters?"

Yamcha was shocked at her sarcastic response, but covered it well. "True. The same however, cannot be said about Prince Vejita. Where the hell is he?"

Magdalene shot a glare at the doors. "When Vejita makes up his mind not to do something, it stays that way." She leaned back in her chair and sipped her wine worriedly. "Besides, this dinner's purpose was to introduce only. The real work starts tomorrow."

"The queen is quite right," Bardock assured him. "There is no forcing Prince Vejita to do anything."

Yamcha was clearly displeased at the Saiyan's negligence, and overlooking his own. "Whatever you say. Let us hope that this never happens again."

Magdalene nodded, but her eyes were on Bulma, accusing but not sure.

Bulma truly did hope that it never happened again.
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Down the table, Kakkarott listened in on their conversation. It was clear that both Magdalene and his father did not believe his false alibi, nor the one he had concocted for Vejita. At least they would never suspect the truth, he thought.

The image of Bulma and his prince entering the Prince's chambers together would forever be burned into his mind, and the secret would no doubt haunt him for as long as he kept it. Yet, he could not deny that the match made sense. Bulma was the most beautiful woman anyone could remember meeting, and trapped in a marriage that held her like a prisoner, and Vejita was the boldest, strongest man he knew. If anyone was capable of setting Bulma free, it was him. And the way they looked together-- flawless. Kakkarott could not even imagine what a powerful pair of monarchs they would make. It would be the best thing to happen to both planets.

But then there was Yamcha, and the law. Adultery was considering a capital crime, and on some planets punishable by death or a lifetime in somebody's dungeon. Neither one of those fates seemed suitable for Bulma. Kakkarott sighed heavily at the burden that had been set on his shoulders.

"Its about time," Turles commented from beside him, shattering his thoughts.

Vejita entered the room leisurely, as if everyone else was at fault instead of him. Kakkarott looked closely, and concluded that the prince's actions during the past hour or so were nearly undetectable. In spite of this, Magdalene still seemed suspicious-- and rightly so.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" she asked coolly as her son took his seat.

Vejita smirked and met her gaze equally coldly. "Of course. Where's my dessert?"

"Nonexistent, along with the progress of this meeting," Yamcha snapped.

Vejita raised an eyebrow. "I must be mistaken-- wasn't the purpose of this dinner to make introductions, not war plans?"

Bulma inhaled sharply at Vejita's bold mentioning of Yamcha's obvious intentions. Yamcha narrowed his eyes at both his wife and the Saiyan man. "Who said anything about war?"

Vejita recovered quickly. "Nobody had to. If you were truly interested in peace, you wouldn't be so wired up all of the time, nor would you have bothered to waste your time in coming here."

Yamcha was about to make a hot reply when Magdalene cut him off abruptly. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, there is not point in dragging this meeting out any further. I hope to see you all tomorrow evening, at the first meeting."

The Saiyans stood, clearly relieved, with the exception of Magdalene and Vejita, who remained seated. Slowly, the guests filtered out of the room. Bardock stayed behind, his lips set in a tight line.

"You are compromising the treaty with your quick temper, Vejita-sama," he snapped.

Vejita's expression turned to one of sincere malice. "I'll be the judge of that, third-class."

Bardock blinked, stunned, at the out-of-line insult. "Forgive me, my prince."

Vejita glared as he left the room, leaving he and Magdalene alone. The queen dismissed the servants and then took Bulma's seat across from her son. The soft smell of the woman's perfume still lingered. Vejita waited for his lecture.

"Both you and I know that Yamcha wants war," she began evenly. "We have already established that, and decided that we could handle it. Now, I know that you aren't set off to the point of jeopardizing diplomacy easily. Would you mind telling me what you were doing while you were gone?"

"Did you not hear Kakkarott?" her son snapped.

Magdalene crossed her arms. "Then share with me why you're being so defensive."

Vejita considered for a moment. "No," he finally said.

The Saiyan Queen nodded. She hadn't expected him to. She stood and smoothed down her dress. "Come to me when you're ready to tell the truth, hm?" She then exited the room.

Vejita leaned further back into his chair and massaged his throbbing temples. At this rate, they were doomed.
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Yamcha remained silent and seemingly content until they reached their chambers. Then all hell broke loose.

"You sneaky, lying whore!" he accused, shoving Bulma to the floor violently and without warning. "What did you and that asshole do? What?!"

Bulma could only cover her face with her arms as Yamcha delivered a savage kick to her ribs. "What are you talking about?" she exclaimed between attacks. "I was not with him! I give you my word!"

Yamcha stepped back reluctantly, with a glance across the room where Nataliah was watching with a pale face. "I suppose you're telling the truth. Women aren't capable of making a good lie, especially the ones like you. But nevertheless, you deserve a good beating for your comments at the dinner! I'll talk and you sit and look pretty, got it?" He then threw in another swift kick for good measure.

"I understand," Bulma insisted, hiding her face so that Yamcha could not see her tears. "Please-- stop."

Her husband studied her for a moment, then grinned broadly. "Here we are again-- me dominate, and you cowering like a good bitch. Its a vicious cycle, isn't it?" He brushed himself off, still grinning like a fool. "I am going to take a shower, and then retire. I am going to expect you to be ready for me when I get out." He turned and headed for the bathroom, then stopped in the doorway. "Wear something black or red, Bulma. You know how that gets me going."

Bulma resisted the urge to vomit until the bathroom door had safely closed behind her husband. Then she crouched down and threw up the wonderful Saiyan dinner she had consumed. Her bruised ribs and torso felt like they were on fire as they protested the movements.

From across the room, Nataliah rushed over to assist her lady. As her handmaiden cleaned her sweaty, pale face, Bulma began to sob.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," she whispered, remembering the day she had muttered the same words to Maylene, so long ago it seemed. "I don't want to do it-- I don't want to sleep with him again."

"I understand, m'lady," Nataliah soothed as she mopped up Bulma's face.

Bulma knew that she didn't. How could she? She had never been beaten and violated by her own husband, and she had never slept wth Prince Vejita. No one could ever understand. And no one could stop it.

The queen attempted to stand, but even the simple movement was too much for her. The tears came again, steadier. Nataliah helped her to stand, and led her to the bed, where Bulma collapsed, her azure eyes staring blankly ahead, like those of a doll's. Or a corpse's.

"He said black or red, did he not?" Nataliah asked as she searched through Bulma's lingerie. When she received no reply, she hurried to her lady's side. "You must have courage, my lady. Its only one night."

Blma did not respond because it wasn't just one night. It was the rest of her life.
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The next morning found Yamcha training on the other side of the palace, which gave Bulma the opprotunity to tend to her wounds, which had been made worse by the forceful lovemaking that Yamcha had subjected her to the previous night. Nataliah, sensing her queen's pain, was eager to do her bidding.

"Draw me a bath, please," Bulma instructed her as she examined her torso for more wounds. "A hot soak would do me good, don't you think?"

Nataliah nodded, then disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water could soon be heard, and steam floated from the room as a result of the warm water.

"Thank you," Bulma called. Then she wrapped a robe around her naked body and went to the balcony. It was much too early for many people to be on the water, even by Saiyan standards, so she stepped out. The crisp smell of the sea relaxed her, at least mentally. And the warm summer weather helped, also.

At that moment, she would have done just about anything to have this balmy planet as her home. The girl sighed and followed the white-tipped waves with her eyes, dreaming of what could have been.

Nataliah cut her fantasies short. "Your bath is ready, m'lady."

"Thank you," Bulma said, turning back to enter the chambers. "I will not require your assistance at the moment. You may do as you please."

Nataliah curtsied gratefully. "Thank you. If you should need me, I'll be napping in my room."

Bulma nodded and entered the bathroom, sore all over. As she stripped down, she noticed how obvious the purple bruises were against her white skin and winced. It would take Nataliah at least an hour to successfully cover them up. She then grabbed a jar of potpurri and sprinkled it across the surface of the water. The flowery mixture sizzled and emitted fragrant bath oil and rose petals into the warm water. Bulma then watched as a filmy layer formed over the surface of the water, and stepped in.

Her pain felt temporarily cured when she settled down into the bath, and she closed her eyes in relaxation. There was nothing better than a soothing bath, in her opinion. She was so lost in her relaxated state that she failed to notice the open bathroom door. If she had, she might not have even cared. Who would be so bold as to enter a monarch's private chamber? Eventually, the sweet smell of the potpurri and the comforting sensation of the water lulled the human to sleep.

Meanwhile, out on the balcony, a man landed with practiced ease. He surveyed his surroundings quickly, then moved across the balcony to the doors.

Nobody was in plain view, but he already knew the whereabouts of King Yamcha anyway. The idiot handmaiden however, could have been anywhere. Then he caught sight of the telltale steam coming from the bathroom and decided that the handmaiden was not a large problem.

Silently and smoothly, he crept closer to the room, all the while keeping an eye out for the maid who could ruin everything.

In the tub, Bulma awakened and opened her eyes groggily. To wake herself up, she splashed some of the scented water onto her face. Outside the door, she heard soft footsteps. Assuming it was Nataliah, she stood, exposing the back of her naked body, and motioned to a garment hanging nearby.

"My robe, please," she instructed, backing out of the tub so the 'handmaiden' could slip it on.

The hands that came with the robe, however, were not Nataliah's. Bulma's eyes widened in alarm and she nearly screamed before her mouth was covered with a smooth motion of the man's hand. She was then whirled around to face the intruder, who turned to be none other than Prince Vejita himself. When he saw her recognition, he removed his hand from her over her mouth and motioned for her to speak quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Bulma whispered, not sure of how to respond. "Yamcha or Nataliah could walk in at any moment!"

"Yamcha is sparring with Kakkarott, who was the only man tolerant enough to go easy on him," Vejita responded. "And as for your handmaiden, who gives a shit? She's disposable."

Bulma raised an eyebrow at his assumption. "Oh really? Then its a good thing I dismissed her so that she could nap." She then went to don her robe, but Vejita stopped her.

The Saiyan Prince knew that Yamcha hit his wife, but was never certain of the extent until now. Bulma's torso was dotted with dark purple and blue bruises, as well as her inner thighs (Vejita cringed at their obvious cause) and on her wrists. There was even a developing mark on her left cheekbone. The mere sight of them made him want to hunt Yamcha down.

Bulma followed his gaze and allowed him to look passively, almost ashamed of her 'battle scars'. The truth hurt-- quite literally.

"He suspects that we were together last night," she said gravely, shrugging on her robe. "And I suspect that Magdalene does as well."

Vejita scowled. "She wouldn't dare to cross me unless she was absolutely sure."

"And Yamcha can be easily made to forget." Bulma's dark eyes told the whole story of her terrible night. "When he's rutting on me, he forgets everything else." Before Vejita could reply, she spoke again. "Why are you here, really?"

The Saiyan smirked in a way that suggested that he had something up his sleeve. And he did. "Would you like to see the ocean again?"

Bulma's heart swelled with pleasure and excitement. "Yes," she replied with a broad smile. "But what of Nataliah and Yamcha?"

Vejita did not seem concerned. "What about them?"

Bulma was about to explain, but Vejita stopped her.

"Worry about the fools later," the prince brushed off, already exiting the bathroom.

As she followed him, Bulma began to feel the same carefree sensation. He was right-- she would have plenty of time to worry later.
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Rhapsody~*
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