01-04-2009, 07:00 AM
The party assembled for dinner was very small. Just Vegeta, a couple of aristocrats or nobles or something - Bra could hardly care less - and a few distinguished soldiers given the huge privilege of sitting with the royal family.
Vegeta had taken his seat at the head of the table - he was still king for the time being, after all - and Bra took her seat alongside Kirano. “So,” began the ruler of Vegeta-Sei. “You not only managed to kill my personal bodyguard, but you saved my daughter’s life as well?” the question was obviously directed at Kirano, who cleared his throat to answer.
“Yes, uh...”
“Vegeta’s fine,”
Kirano nodded. “I promised Bra that I’d be there for her. The fight meant a lot to her. I wasn’t prepared to break that promise, Vegeta,” the blond remained totally unfazed by the interrogative tone the king was taking with him, which surprised even Bra.
The raven haired saiyan put his hand on his chin, considering the response. “And I guess you did this out of the goodness of your heart, huh?” came the sarcastic reply. “I don’t suppose there’s not an ulterior motive to getting in my daughter’s good graces?”
“Dad!” the cyan haired hybrid protested. Kirano just waved her off.
“Look, I’m sure it’s pretty obvious by now that we... uh...”
“Dad, I love him!” Bra finally mustered the courage to say those words. Somehow it was a bit easier, since she wasn’t saying it directly to Kirano, but he heard it nonetheless. “It’s not like I don’t have a choice in this, you know?”
“You’re Bra’s father, so I’m sure you care a great deal about her well-being,” Kirano began. “And the truth is, so do I. If hurting her is what you’re worried about, you can relax; that’s the last thing I want to do. She’s a beautiful girl, and I’m sure you’re concerned about people manipulating her... but that’s not who I am.”
A long silence permeated the room, and for a long time, nobody said anything. Finally, Vegeta swirled his brandy, a stronger, saiyan brew, and slammed the entire drink back, setting the glass carefully back on the table. “If I didn’t think you weren’t totally incompetent, I’d have killed you by now,” he growled. “But... not just anyone can kill my bodyguard and stand up to one of my most powerful attacks in the same day... just let it be known, I’ll be watching you.”
Soon, the others engaged in conversation, and Kirano leaned in close to Bra, whispering softly. “Wow, tough crowd.”
“He’s just testing you,” the princess replied. “You came as close to a compliment as most people are ever likely to get.”
Kirano nodded, and the two of them ate more or less in silence while the distinguished company chatted amongst each other, and with Vegeta, if they could actually get his attention. Bra didn’t have much, she was nervous as hell. Just a tiny serving of noodles.
“Dad... this speech... what the hell am I supposed to say?” she inquired.
“Anything you want. Announce that you’re ruling now. Don’t be timid; you can’t give them any reason to question you. They have to know you’re in charge now. Inform them of what happened to the previous king. In my case... tell them that you intend for me to be an advisor to the throne. Tell them about any major changes you intend to make, if you’ve decided on any. Other than that, you can say whatever you feel is appropriate,” Vegeta replied.
“That’s it?”
“Get used to it; you won’t have much time to prepare a lot of your speeches,” replied the girl’s father.
“If you’re done, I suggest you go. You’ll make your address from your throne room, where you’ll be inaugurated as King of Vegeta-Sei,” the king replied.
“Uh... she’s not gonna be the queen?” Kirano implied.
“The ruler is always ‘king,’” Vegeta explained. “It’s a saiyan tradition,” he looked up, noticing his daughter’s hesitation. “Bra, go!”
“You’re... you’re not going?”
“Only the ruler goes. Your supporting staff works behind the scenes. This includes the human, if you decide to take him as your mate,” Vegeta explained, petrifying Bra on the spot. She hadn’t even considered the idea of... she shook her head. There was time for that later.
“Okay, okay, I’ll... see you all later,” she turned to Kirano, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Please come see me when I’m done,” she turned back to the table. “Thank you all for coming. Please, stay, eat and drink. Let this day commemorate all the things my father has done for our empire up until now,”
“Indeed, a celebration for our King!” shouted one of the soldiers. He raised his glass for a toast, and the others all followed suit. Bra excused herself, to which came shouts of ‘good luck’ and ‘long live the new king!’
- - - - -
Bra took her seat in her father’s throne - her throne - and had an attendant assure her one last time that she looked fine. She rubbed her eyes with thumb and forefinger and then stared into the camera, as someone behind it began counting down. She took a deep breath as it reached ‘zero.’ Her broadcast was going out across the planet. It would be picked up, no doubt, by off-planet networks as well.
“Greetings, Vegeta-Sei. I am Princess Bra of the Vegeta Dynasty, Daughter of Vegeta II, King of Vegeta-Sei,” she began, doing her best to sound as authoritative as possible. The saiyan people had no use for weakness. She kept her back arrow-straight as she spoke. “Two days ago, I challenged my father to the throne. For the right to rule this mighty empire. I am pleased” that was a lie “to inform you that I have defeated King Vegeta II in formal combat. It may surprise you to learn that I did not kill my father, as is tradition. Instead, I have decided his knowledge and experience was far too valuable to throw away. As young a ruler as I will be, it is prudent for me to keep an informed council. As a result, my father will preside as my chief advisor, and will serve on my royal council,” she explained.
The cyan haired girl paused for a moment, ensuring she collected her composure before continuing. “As your new king, I have decided it is imperative we rise above our enemies. Our people fought long and hard for their sovereignty, for our freedom to live our lives as we chose! Therefore, it is unacceptable that this planet - that this government - condone the practice of slavery. Just as it was unjust for our people to suffer under someone else’s thumb, it is unjust to pass on that suffering to other peoples!” Bra’s voice was deadly serious, now, and she did her best to sound as commanding as possible. “Thus, my first decree as King of Vegeta-Sei is to abolish the practice of slavery, of any people, cultures, or races. Anyone found violating this decree will be punished by death,” she declared.
“Finally, I wish for peace for our people, but not weakness. I assure you, while I would prefer to resolve any conflicts that arise through diplomacy, I am not afraid to use force to defend our people. We will continue to train our armies, we will continue to fight any who threaten our way of life. Do not confuse my want for peace with a fear for combat. I, myself, will take to the front lines if ever the need should arise. Today marks the beginning of an age of glory for our people. An age of prosperity!” she declared, standing on her feet to finish the speech. She struck as proud a pose as she could, and then nodded to the chancellor who waited out of sight of the camera with the crown. He nodded back, and approached Bra, who turned to face him.
“As Chancellor of the people of Vegeta-Sei, I am proud to crown Bra!” he boomed. “Please take a knee,” he instructed to the demi saiyan, who did as she was told. “By placing this crown upon your head, I declare Bra no longer princess, but King of Vegeta-Sei!!”
Bra stood up again, nodding to the Chancellor as he directed for the cameraman to cut the feed. The speech was over, nothing more needed to be said. Bra smiled, returning the crown to the Chancellor, an elderly saiyan, who hobbled off to return the treasure to it’s rightful place. The crown was for the crowning ceremony only, it was otherwise closely guarded in the palace vault.
The newly crowned king heaved a sigh of relief. She couldn’t be more thankful that the speech was in front of a camera, and not actual people. Of course, this meant she couldn’t gauge their reaction. She shook her head. It didn’t matter.
Bra exited from the throne room, and was surprised to find not just Kirano, but Vegeta waiting for her just beyond the doors. “Thanks for waiting, you guys,” she smiled, before turning to her father. “Well, uh, I guess that’s it. The ceremony’s over.”
“Not as difficult as you’d imagined, right?” came the reply.
“You are going to help me run this government, right? I... I’ll be honest-”
“I know. You’ve never received any preparation for this. Yes, I’ll take care of the day-to-day until you’ve learned how to do it yourself. I can’t just stand by while the empire falls into ruin around us,” Vegeta smirked.
“Thanks, dad,”
“Alright... It’s been a long day...”
“Dad?”
“Hm?”
“You okay?”
“My daughter was just crowned king over my people. I may have lost my throne but... I think I still have a reason to keep my pride,” he flashed his smirk again. “I’m going to speak with your council. Make sure everything’s up to speed. As for you... you kids have fun,” Vegeta instructed, and then took his leave, stalking down the hall.
“King, huh? Just... sounds so weird. You’re too beautiful for ‘king,’” Kirano smiled.
“That is so brutally corny,”
“Tch, as if you don’t like hearing it,” the male retorted, pulling Bra into his arms. “I could say something a little more risque if you like.”
“I think I could one-up you... Kirano... I’d like... uh...”
“What?”
“I... was wondering... if...” Bra sighed, closing her eyes. She shook her head, and bit her lip before continuing. “...I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it scares me to death to ask this, and I hope I don’t sound too forward, but... I’d, well, I’d like for you... to spend the night... with... me.” she watched Kirano with great trepidation in her eyes, paralyzed with fear and anticipation at what he would do or say next.
Vegeta had taken his seat at the head of the table - he was still king for the time being, after all - and Bra took her seat alongside Kirano. “So,” began the ruler of Vegeta-Sei. “You not only managed to kill my personal bodyguard, but you saved my daughter’s life as well?” the question was obviously directed at Kirano, who cleared his throat to answer.
“Yes, uh...”
“Vegeta’s fine,”
Kirano nodded. “I promised Bra that I’d be there for her. The fight meant a lot to her. I wasn’t prepared to break that promise, Vegeta,” the blond remained totally unfazed by the interrogative tone the king was taking with him, which surprised even Bra.
The raven haired saiyan put his hand on his chin, considering the response. “And I guess you did this out of the goodness of your heart, huh?” came the sarcastic reply. “I don’t suppose there’s not an ulterior motive to getting in my daughter’s good graces?”
“Dad!” the cyan haired hybrid protested. Kirano just waved her off.
“Look, I’m sure it’s pretty obvious by now that we... uh...”
“Dad, I love him!” Bra finally mustered the courage to say those words. Somehow it was a bit easier, since she wasn’t saying it directly to Kirano, but he heard it nonetheless. “It’s not like I don’t have a choice in this, you know?”
“You’re Bra’s father, so I’m sure you care a great deal about her well-being,” Kirano began. “And the truth is, so do I. If hurting her is what you’re worried about, you can relax; that’s the last thing I want to do. She’s a beautiful girl, and I’m sure you’re concerned about people manipulating her... but that’s not who I am.”
A long silence permeated the room, and for a long time, nobody said anything. Finally, Vegeta swirled his brandy, a stronger, saiyan brew, and slammed the entire drink back, setting the glass carefully back on the table. “If I didn’t think you weren’t totally incompetent, I’d have killed you by now,” he growled. “But... not just anyone can kill my bodyguard and stand up to one of my most powerful attacks in the same day... just let it be known, I’ll be watching you.”
Soon, the others engaged in conversation, and Kirano leaned in close to Bra, whispering softly. “Wow, tough crowd.”
“He’s just testing you,” the princess replied. “You came as close to a compliment as most people are ever likely to get.”
Kirano nodded, and the two of them ate more or less in silence while the distinguished company chatted amongst each other, and with Vegeta, if they could actually get his attention. Bra didn’t have much, she was nervous as hell. Just a tiny serving of noodles.
“Dad... this speech... what the hell am I supposed to say?” she inquired.
“Anything you want. Announce that you’re ruling now. Don’t be timid; you can’t give them any reason to question you. They have to know you’re in charge now. Inform them of what happened to the previous king. In my case... tell them that you intend for me to be an advisor to the throne. Tell them about any major changes you intend to make, if you’ve decided on any. Other than that, you can say whatever you feel is appropriate,” Vegeta replied.
“That’s it?”
“Get used to it; you won’t have much time to prepare a lot of your speeches,” replied the girl’s father.
“If you’re done, I suggest you go. You’ll make your address from your throne room, where you’ll be inaugurated as King of Vegeta-Sei,” the king replied.
“Uh... she’s not gonna be the queen?” Kirano implied.
“The ruler is always ‘king,’” Vegeta explained. “It’s a saiyan tradition,” he looked up, noticing his daughter’s hesitation. “Bra, go!”
“You’re... you’re not going?”
“Only the ruler goes. Your supporting staff works behind the scenes. This includes the human, if you decide to take him as your mate,” Vegeta explained, petrifying Bra on the spot. She hadn’t even considered the idea of... she shook her head. There was time for that later.
“Okay, okay, I’ll... see you all later,” she turned to Kirano, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Please come see me when I’m done,” she turned back to the table. “Thank you all for coming. Please, stay, eat and drink. Let this day commemorate all the things my father has done for our empire up until now,”
“Indeed, a celebration for our King!” shouted one of the soldiers. He raised his glass for a toast, and the others all followed suit. Bra excused herself, to which came shouts of ‘good luck’ and ‘long live the new king!’
- - - - -
Bra took her seat in her father’s throne - her throne - and had an attendant assure her one last time that she looked fine. She rubbed her eyes with thumb and forefinger and then stared into the camera, as someone behind it began counting down. She took a deep breath as it reached ‘zero.’ Her broadcast was going out across the planet. It would be picked up, no doubt, by off-planet networks as well.
“Greetings, Vegeta-Sei. I am Princess Bra of the Vegeta Dynasty, Daughter of Vegeta II, King of Vegeta-Sei,” she began, doing her best to sound as authoritative as possible. The saiyan people had no use for weakness. She kept her back arrow-straight as she spoke. “Two days ago, I challenged my father to the throne. For the right to rule this mighty empire. I am pleased” that was a lie “to inform you that I have defeated King Vegeta II in formal combat. It may surprise you to learn that I did not kill my father, as is tradition. Instead, I have decided his knowledge and experience was far too valuable to throw away. As young a ruler as I will be, it is prudent for me to keep an informed council. As a result, my father will preside as my chief advisor, and will serve on my royal council,” she explained.
The cyan haired girl paused for a moment, ensuring she collected her composure before continuing. “As your new king, I have decided it is imperative we rise above our enemies. Our people fought long and hard for their sovereignty, for our freedom to live our lives as we chose! Therefore, it is unacceptable that this planet - that this government - condone the practice of slavery. Just as it was unjust for our people to suffer under someone else’s thumb, it is unjust to pass on that suffering to other peoples!” Bra’s voice was deadly serious, now, and she did her best to sound as commanding as possible. “Thus, my first decree as King of Vegeta-Sei is to abolish the practice of slavery, of any people, cultures, or races. Anyone found violating this decree will be punished by death,” she declared.
“Finally, I wish for peace for our people, but not weakness. I assure you, while I would prefer to resolve any conflicts that arise through diplomacy, I am not afraid to use force to defend our people. We will continue to train our armies, we will continue to fight any who threaten our way of life. Do not confuse my want for peace with a fear for combat. I, myself, will take to the front lines if ever the need should arise. Today marks the beginning of an age of glory for our people. An age of prosperity!” she declared, standing on her feet to finish the speech. She struck as proud a pose as she could, and then nodded to the chancellor who waited out of sight of the camera with the crown. He nodded back, and approached Bra, who turned to face him.
“As Chancellor of the people of Vegeta-Sei, I am proud to crown Bra!” he boomed. “Please take a knee,” he instructed to the demi saiyan, who did as she was told. “By placing this crown upon your head, I declare Bra no longer princess, but King of Vegeta-Sei!!”
Bra stood up again, nodding to the Chancellor as he directed for the cameraman to cut the feed. The speech was over, nothing more needed to be said. Bra smiled, returning the crown to the Chancellor, an elderly saiyan, who hobbled off to return the treasure to it’s rightful place. The crown was for the crowning ceremony only, it was otherwise closely guarded in the palace vault.
The newly crowned king heaved a sigh of relief. She couldn’t be more thankful that the speech was in front of a camera, and not actual people. Of course, this meant she couldn’t gauge their reaction. She shook her head. It didn’t matter.
Bra exited from the throne room, and was surprised to find not just Kirano, but Vegeta waiting for her just beyond the doors. “Thanks for waiting, you guys,” she smiled, before turning to her father. “Well, uh, I guess that’s it. The ceremony’s over.”
“Not as difficult as you’d imagined, right?” came the reply.
“You are going to help me run this government, right? I... I’ll be honest-”
“I know. You’ve never received any preparation for this. Yes, I’ll take care of the day-to-day until you’ve learned how to do it yourself. I can’t just stand by while the empire falls into ruin around us,” Vegeta smirked.
“Thanks, dad,”
“Alright... It’s been a long day...”
“Dad?”
“Hm?”
“You okay?”
“My daughter was just crowned king over my people. I may have lost my throne but... I think I still have a reason to keep my pride,” he flashed his smirk again. “I’m going to speak with your council. Make sure everything’s up to speed. As for you... you kids have fun,” Vegeta instructed, and then took his leave, stalking down the hall.
“King, huh? Just... sounds so weird. You’re too beautiful for ‘king,’” Kirano smiled.
“That is so brutally corny,”
“Tch, as if you don’t like hearing it,” the male retorted, pulling Bra into his arms. “I could say something a little more risque if you like.”
“I think I could one-up you... Kirano... I’d like... uh...”
“What?”
“I... was wondering... if...” Bra sighed, closing her eyes. She shook her head, and bit her lip before continuing. “...I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it scares me to death to ask this, and I hope I don’t sound too forward, but... I’d, well, I’d like for you... to spend the night... with... me.” she watched Kirano with great trepidation in her eyes, paralyzed with fear and anticipation at what he would do or say next.
![[Image: Sage.jpg]](http://rebecca.florizone.com/sig/miscsig/Sage.jpg)