Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unfaithful ❯ Part Four: 33 ( Chapter 33 )

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

..................................U N F A I T H F U L ........................................................................... ........Rhapsody~* ________________________~*Part Four*~: War.....The messenger arrived at the meeting room of Vejita's ship just as he, Valyn, and Turles were concluding their additions to the plans. He had obviously been fighting alongside the other soldiers, for his armor was stained with bright blood, and he wore a positively happy grin on his dirty face."Beggin' your pardon, Your Highness," he said after dropping a gracious bow. "I've come with news of the fightin' so far."Vejita already knew what was going on below. The flames could been seen with even the lowest-powered of his telescopes, and it had been a done deal anyway. For the sake of the entertainment of his friends, he motioned for the man to speak on."It was great, sire, one of the best battles I've been in in a long while." The man gestured to the small stains on his armor. "Hardly any effort required to conquer, really-- but its been a good source of fun while we're at it.""Perhaps we should have purged this planet before," Vejita commented half-heartedly. His mind was clearly somewhere else. "What of the casualty rate?""Nonexistent, Your Majesty," the man replied smugly. "Save for a few cuts and scrapes here and there, we trampled them without cost. General Nappa told me to tell you that he's having a grand time, even if he has to find fun for himself, seeing as you haven't presented him with a challenge.""We haven't even entered into real battle yet," Vejita corrected the man coldly. "The real challenge will come when we go after the capital. Yamcha has most of his armies there, and it will be heavily guarded and prepared for an attack at all hours of the night. Relay this message back to your general, and tell him this as well-- don't get too comfortable. You never know when your enemy will try and manipulate you." After a second of heavy silence, he spoke again. "You are dismissed."After the man strode out, Turles shook his head. "You sure know how to kill a good mood, Vejita.""Good morale is worthless," the king scoffed, leaning back into his chair with a heavy sigh. "The men have to keep their wits about them, and celebrating one pathetic victory will not do anything to serve the cause.""He's right," Valyn agreed, his expression equally serious. "The battle has proved to be easy so far-- almost too easy. I'm wondering if Yamcha is saving himself up for the final showdown. That is what worries me the most.""Bulma is defenseless in the castle, at Yamcha's mercy," Turles recalled, as if remembering the true reason for this war just now. To be truthful, he doubted that the majority of the soldiers even remembered. "You're right-- if I know Yamcha, that's what he's planning."Valyn studied the tight expression on Vejita's face and decided that a subject change was in order. "When the men are finished getting the major cities out of the way, what do you plan to do? Will you go down to the planet then?"Vejita nodded. "Yes. I'm not thick enough to leave Nappa in control of such an important mission. The dumbass would probably burn down the palace before he remembered what we are doing this for.""Can you feel any of her emotions as we grow closer?" Turles asked quietly. "Can you tell what she's doing right now? I've heard some pretty abstract stories about the bonds between mates before, and--"The king's black eyes and expression became guarded instantly, and the muscles in his arms twitched in frustration. "No. I can't feel a damned thing." He stood and stormed across the room, to the window. Below them, the Earth loomed. Somewhere down there, Vejita thought, Bulma was suffering. He didn't have to possess any form of telepathy to know that. He had been trying to block it from his mind, so that he could maintain control of his primal temper and Saiyan instincts, but it was becoming harder as they came closer. Feeling utterly helpless and impossibly impatient, Vejita rubbed his face with his hands, and kept them there. He could not understand the strong, almost consuming feelings he was experiencing over this whole ordeal.Valyn watched Vejita's gestures of helplessness, recognizable only by the closest of his friends, and his face fell. He knew exactly how Vejita was feeling-- after all, he too had a mate waiting for him, somewhere in the distance. And he couldn't even imagine what it would be like if it were her that was being threatened. Sympathetically, he motioned to Turles and the men left the room, leaving Vejita in solitude.Vejita didn't even notice their absence. He was envisioning the moment that he stepped off of his space pod and onto the fertile soil of Earth, just outside the capital. He would stroll through the carpet of bleeding bodies and up to the front steps of the palace, and there he would begin his hunt for Yamcha. Wherever the human king was, his fair wife would surely be. It was what Yamcha wanted, and it was also what Vejita wanted.Bulma would be injured no doubt, maybe even beaten into unconsciousness, but nonetheless, she would be able to recover. She would wake up and remain that bright-eyed, pale-skinned, impossibly weak yet still unavoidably attractive woman that he had met back on Vejitasei. Wishful thinking, the cynical voice in Vejita's head sneered. She might be emotionally scarred, even traumatized, and in the worst case scenario-- beyond the reach of anyone, even him. And if that were the case... Yamcha would pay. He was going to suffer and eventually die for his crimes already, but if Bulma was lost to the world, if she was beaten beyond recognition, if she was permanently damaged... Vejita's fists clenched, and his black eyes were tinged with red as he thought of the merciless rampage he would go on if that happened. If she didn't recover, he never would. Which was why it was vital that he not make even the smallest misstep-- everything had to be perfect."Vejita?"He could hardly believe his ears. "What are you doing out of your chambers?!"Magdalene lifted her chin defiantly. She had entered the room quietly, slipping past Vejita's notice. Inconspicuously, a handmaiden stood behind her, hood drawn over her face. "I am here to strike a bargain with you. I think that I deserve an audience. I am, after all, your mother."Vejita surveyed her stubborn green eyes, and nodded. There would no dealing with her later if he refused. "Name your bargain.""I have been confined to this ship, to my chambers, for this entire ordeal, but..." Magdalene trailed off, leaving room for the compromise. "I wish to be allowed to accompany you on your attack of the capital. I can disguise myself as well as my maid as handmaidens of the queen, and can get contact with Bulma that you could not even hope to get. You could learn of her situation, of Yamcha's plans, even before you risk your life walking into a trap.""And what about the bargain part?" Vejita demanded. "As far as I can see, you are posing a request. What about the terms of the deal?""I did not forget," Magdalene responded. "If you allow me this, I will yield control of the planet to you, even after the war."Vejita could not mask his surprise at her statement. He had not even thought about keeping control of the empire, but the idea was certainly appealing. In the back of his mind, he knew that this was his wily mother he was dealing with, not a fool, but his interest in the possibility overruled that small, shadowy doubt. "Done. Risk your neck if you want-- I can only gain from this deal."Magdalene beamed. "Thank you. I suppose that my confinement to my chambers is suspended then, as I have to look over the floor plan of the palace."Vejita smirked. "No, it is not. I'll send the plans to your chambers. I may be power-hungry, but I'm not entirely stupid. You're working an angle here, Magdalene, and I'm not about to let you run away with it." Then, he seemed to notice the handmaiden for the first time. "Who the hell is this? Why do you need a maid on this ship?"Magdalene faltered for only the slightest moment. "If you were familiar with the workings of a corset, or the work involved in preparing an updo, my son, then you would understand." She smiled. "Even I cannot be in solitude for so long. I would drive myself crazy. And besides, I learned from Bulma that it is customary on Earth for handmaidens to be assigned in pairs."Vejita had the feeling that she was still not telling him the entire truth, but was too spent to care. After all, the chit was just a handmaiden. "Whatever. Now leave me alone. If I see you out of your chambers again, I'll be forced to do away with your plans."The two women curtsied (Magdalene carefully masked her disgust) and left the room. When the doors had closed behind them, and they had passed out of range of the guards, Chichi burst out laughing."He fell for it," she mused. "Without even a second thought!"Magdalene, however, was more solemn. "No, he didn't. He knows that I have ulterior motives. He is only allowing it because we may be his only outlet to Bulma. This was not just a way for me to get in on the action and check on her, understand. This is also an excellent and surprisingly accurate way for me to gauge just how desperate Vejita's getting as time wears on." She offered the other woman a conspiring smile. "Never accept anything at face value, my young friend."The women shared grim smiles, and then returned to the queen's chambers...________________________________________________________________ ________________________...Far below them, on the dreary planet of Earth, the war was waging. Even in the new daylight, the Saiyans attacked. Though they were in their normal form, they had done the bulk of the damage during the night as Oozaru, so the few fighters left were hardly a challenge. Stragglers, mostly.Yamcha, much like Vejita, was saving his energy for the final battle. He was securely hidden away in the palace, surrounded by his guards and the generals of his armies. Their situation was grim-- the attack during the night and the unexpected transformation abilities of the Saiyans had formed together to give the war-loving race the early advantage. Despite this, Yamcha had made his decision. His main armies would do nothing to assist the other major cities. It wasn't as if his people had ever been important to him anyway. As far as he could tell, the damage had already been done, and sending soldiers to meet the Saiyans could be considered mass suicide. They would wait around the capital for the siege that Vejita would no doubt head up later. In the meantime, all that the impatient human could do was sit and wait, while his people were murdered, for the Saiyan king to make his move.Lady Briefs meandered through the halls (the ones that were secured by guards, that is), as if searching for some trouble to stir up. When she convienently ducked into the elaborate church, she found it.Bulma was sitting serenely on one of the front pews with her hands neatly folded in her lap and her thin nightgown arranged around her. Her posture was perfectly straight and still, just as Lady Briefs had taught her since childhood. Her eyes were locked on the altar and the stained glass windows behind it. When the noblewoman entered the room, and the sounds of her footsteps echoed throughout the large space, she did not make a move. Lady Briefs sat down on the same pew, her posture identical to that of her daughter's."Yamcha told me that you stirred last night, when you were transported here," she said, her voice monotonous. "I find it quite suspicious that you should become aware only when it benefits you."The long eyelashes blinked against a pale cheek, and Bulma's sapphire eyes underneath were startingly clear. Lady Briefs had failed to notice this before. "Let us not argue in vain while in the house of the Lord."Lady Briefs was angered by the emotionless reaction she had received from the woman. She had been aiming to fire her up, not to inspire a tranquil reply. "Oh, spare me. It hardly makes a difference, with all of the blood being spilled just outside almost every other church on this planet."Bulma's jaw was set. She was curious about the occurences outside the heavy stone walls, but was restraining herself from indulging her mother's cruel fantasies. Lady Briefs wanted her to ask about the situation, so that was exactly what she was not going to do. Her decision not to show her inner pain and satisfy her enemies was hardening in resolve as her mind slowly creeped out of its reverie."Did you come here simply for the pleasure of bothering me, mother?" she asked. "Or is there an important reason for you to be here?""Hear me, child," her mother growled. "I don't know what you're thinking right now, and I really don't care, but let me straighten things out for you. Yamcha is keeping you alive so that he can parade you around before his generals, and to provide himself with some 'entertainment' during the low points of this war. If you have any false illusions about him keeping you safe and snug here in this church, then you had best drop them now. When your Saiyan King arrives here, Yamcha will put your life on the line, if only to provoke his enemy."Bulma's stomach turned at her words-- she knew what kind of 'entertainment' Yamcha preferred-- but outside her face was passive. "I've been assaulted by him before. I'm sure that I can endure for a little while longer.""Then you know not the brand of fun that your husband has come to enjoy lately." The foreboding words tasted sweet on the noblewoman's tongue. With a feminine sigh of boredom, she rose. Bulma's expectant eyes followed her. "But if you are truly that indifferent to your own torture, then I won't interfere. I'll leave you with this-- Yamcha can do nothing to you that he hasn't tried already, but others can."Bulma at first did not comprehend, but then she began to grasp the full meaning of her mother's parting words. Her eyes widened in terror, and she shot to her feet with an energy that she had possessed since leaving Vejitasei. One thought filled her mind-- escape now.She spun around frantically, searching for a way to get out of her sacred prison, but the doors that Lady Briefs had exited through were locked from the outside, and the stained glass windows were thick and far above the ground below. There was no way out; she was trapped.'Then you know not the brand of fun that your husband has come to enjoy lately... Yamcha can do nothing to you that he hasn't tried already, but others can...'Bulma's heart raced. With trembling legs and weak knees that threatened to give out, she carried her aching and bruised body over to the farthest corner of the church, behind the altar and up against the chilly surface of a stained glass window. She was curled up with her knees to her chest, bracing herself for the attack that was surely coming.Others can... The woman knew what Yamcha wanted to do to her; she hadn't lived with him for this long and learned nothing. He would come storming into the church, angry over the war happenings, and he would assault her in front of whatever cronies he had with him. He was a sick, twisted being who didn't even deserve to be called human, and she was sure that he would enjoy himself completely. She didn't have to wait long for him. He came barging through the doors in an hour's time, just when the sun was starting to set. The light filtered through the colored windows cast eerie shadows around the room, making it look like someone's nightmare-- no, Bulma's nightmare. He was followed by two men that she vaguely recognized-- Earth's top generals, probably reserved at the palace for Vejita's attack. They wore identical grins that put quaking fear into Bulma's heart."Get up." Yamcha looked more agitated than Bulma had ever seen him as he strode towards her. Dark circles beneath his eyes made him look almost feral, and his hair stuck out at odd angles, like he had been running hands through it all day. The generals behind him waited expectantly. "I know you can here me, your mother said that you spoke to her! Get up!"She didn't know where the energy came from, but somehow Bulma made it to her feet. "What? What do you want?"The men cackled, and Yamcha joined in with them. The faint smell of alcohol floated over to Bulma's nose. "Only to spice things up around here! I was thinking of a way that I could keep my friends here entertained, and something just popped into my head. Can you imagine that?""Leave," Bulma demanded feebly. She hadn't meant to sound so vulnerable. "Find entertainment elsewhere. There is no to be had here."One of the men stepped closer, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "Oh, to the contrary, Your Highness. You see, your husband here promised that I could have a go with you, and--""Hey, you don't get all the fun!" the other man interuppted. "Don't tell me that I skipped dinner for nothing."Yamcha gestured for them to be silent. "Don't worry, boys, there's plenty to go around. Did you know that sometimes, she lasts all night? All night-- without breaking a sweat!"Bulma would have tried to run, but she had nowhere to go. The three laughing men were blocking her escape. Yamcha caught her look of distress and smirked-- a very different smirk than the one that she had seen Vejita wear countless times."Don't worry, dear, this won't take long." He quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards him. The other men stepped closer."No!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with tears that she had denied herself for so long. "No! Yamcha, please..."Between the three of them, it took almost no time to shred away her useless nightgown, and they had her on the floor in less time than that. As they took turns molesting her, Bulma tried to separate herself from her body, as she had always done, but found that her prison was not only physical, but mental also. She couldn't do it-- she felt every jerk, push, and rough caress that the men delivered, plus the humiliation of being violated in front of all-too alert eyes. She had claimed to be indifferent before, but this was a new kind of punishment, one that left her reduced to a screaming, sobbing, frantic woman that she didn't even recognize.They left after they were through without so much as a parting word or threat. Bulma remained on her face on the floor, trembling and teary-eyed. Slowly, painfully, she moved her arms so that she could rest her head on her hands, and tried to calm herself. But the harder she tried, the more she shook.Across the floor a foot or so away, one of the generals' pocketknife lay on the floor, discarded before the rape began. The shiny silver razorblade glinted in the fading light, and the attraction of death to Bulma had never been so great. Shakily, she reached a shaky arm out for it.The pain was unbearable now-- how would it feel when Vejita arrived and would witness her helplessness for himself? The shame was almost too great to comprehend. Bulma was certain that he would never want her now that she had been damaged beyond repair. She knew that she would rather die than face him now. Mustering up all the reserves that she had, she rolled over onto her back, and then into a sitting position, hunched close to the floor. She didn't even have to remove any clothing-- the men had done it for her, with pleasure.The first cut hurt, but the second and third didn't so much. In fact, as she continued her deadly ministrations, she became numb to the pain altogether. She was unable to separate herself from her body this time, also, but she didn't much care. She wanted her soul to die, too. Before her head began to spin, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the red liquid that was spilling forth from her frail body. Her formerly beautiful countenance had, in her eyes, diminished somewhat. She didn't even recognize the sorrowful, battered woman in the torn corset who stared back at her. For some reason, she felt some satisfaction in this revelation. If she wasn't the same, then she wouldn't be killing herself, would she?The last mental picture she harbored before giving in to the darkness was the image of the man who had loved her, the stubborn Saiyan King whom she was now leaving behind......_______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________