Unwanted: Proposal

Unwanted


Chapter 3 - Proposal

By the time Vegeta had arrived at the dining hall, Bulma was already seated. Her hands were folded tightly on her lap as she stared at the floor, no doubt musing about what scheme had been cooked up against her. She would not have to wait much longer to know.


"I apologize for my lateness," he nodded without further explanation before taking a seat across from her. The table was long, capable of fitting at least six more guests down each of the two lengths, keeping the pair the greatest distance apart they could be from one another. Probably best, considering what he had to tell her.


The servants were called, and the table was quickly filled with an assortment of foods. Once the setting was completed, all serfs were dismissed, leaving Bulma and Vegeta to eat alone, in an uncomfortable silence.


Vegeta finished first. Though he had taken larger helpings than his companion, he was not following any rules of etiquette as she. He did not squarely cut his food, or nibble each morsel daintily, dabbing his lips when so much as a crumb was out of place. He used his fingers, swallowing food whole, and wiping his lips with his sleeve. He was a man who had no need to practice any form of etiquette when living on the battlefield. He felt no need to relearn such practices now, especially not for a woman who had seen him at his worst.


Swallowing the last of the liquor in his goblet, Vegeta set his cup aside. As much as the thought of being intoxicated for this evening appealed to him, he would not succumb to the mind-altering urge. He needed his thoughts to be clear tonight. He could not afford a repeat of their last encounter.


Stretching his gaze across the table, Vegeta could not help but allow himself a moment to observe Bulma's striking beauty. If anything, the years he had been in absence of her presence only served to enhance her attractiveness. Her features were more definite, her figure more feminine, and her disposition, certainly adult. He could tell merely by the way she had scolded him earlier that the little girl he had once known was clearly grown up. He surmised this had both pros and cons. Certainly her age was a benefit because she would be easier to reason with, but conversely, her lack of youth would likely make her harder to manipulate.


Unlike she was five years ago. Her naivety had delivered her into his selfish clutches. Back then he had been just bastard enough to use her innocence for his own greedy purposes.

~*~

His body quaked with a desire he had never felt for a woman. The experimental touch of her hand over one of his pectoral muscles was shockingly satisfying. Perhaps it had simply been too long since he had had a woman. Or perhaps the physical pain of battle had simply taught him to cherish the more delicate of pleasures the Saiya-jin body could experience. Either way, he knew he was going to bask in the femininity this dainty creature offered the moment she entered his room.


Her youth was insultingly apparent when she insisted he be more noble in his methods of warring. She clearly had been speaking to his softhearted brother, fool that he was to send his ladylove to try and reason with him. In the dead of the night, in his bedchambers, perhaps she had hoped he would advance on her? What other sane reason was there for her impromptu appearance?


Innocence.


Yes, she was as pure as they come. A most deliciously appealing trait any man would lick his dry lips over. But Bulma, she was more than just innocent, she was beautiful. In the last year he had more frequently been finding excuses to visit Toma's lands. And every time he came, he could scarcely ignore the girl's physical developments. Her breasts had rounded magnificently, her hips curved just enough to denote her womanhood, but still slender, as was her entire body, to maintain a gentility that would mesh ideally against his manliness.


She had certainly become an eye stopper with her exotic azure tresses and bottomless sapphire orbs. She was every man's wet dream, even his own in recent months, but no man ever dared mar her purity. As attractive as she had grown, she was still a cub of sixteen. And while he had learned the euphoria of coupling well before that age, females have expectations placed upon them, expectations that greatly differed from those of males. Bulma was a proper lady of an elite batsu; she was expected to wait until she was legally bonded to a man before learning all the secrets of mating.


Yet such important facts were only fleeting thoughts to Vegeta as he swelled with need. He wanted to strip her of every last stitch of clothing and absorb the nude sight of her. He wanted to lay her out on his bed and teach her the dance of old. He wanted her complete submission, and he wanted it at that very moment. "You do not really want me to stop, do you?" he placed a hand over hers, closing his eyes, he guided her delicate fingers down his torso, allowing her to feel his every muscle, and then finally, the most firm.


The shocked gasp she released as he placed her palm over his aching erection jolted his eyes open; it pleased him to watch as her confused face flushed. So innocent. "Do you know what this is?" he inhaled a shallow breath as he began circling her palm against his member. "It is the part of a male that brings a female her pleasure," he took another breath. Her grip tightened, she was curious. Good.


"I-I don't think I understand," the flabbergasted expression she shot him as she looked into his lust filled eyes was priceless. Her edification would be thoroughly entertaining.


"Of course not, but I can show you, do you want me to teach you the ways of a man and a woman, Bulma?" It was a greedily unfair question. She was merely sixteen, and did not understand that he was seducing her. Any honorable man would have surely sent her away the moment she walked into his room, but he was not an honorable man.


Not, of course, that what he was doing was entirely wrong. Actually, one could even argue he was doing her a favor. He would awaken her body with knowledge of the male touch, he would teach her how to pleasure a man, and receive pleasure in return. But he would stop before taking her virginity. He did, after all, not need a scandal to erupt. Deflowering a virgin of her title was an offense punished with the most horrid of penalties: marriage. And he sure as hell wanted no part in the ridiculous institution.


Yes, he was certainly doing her a favor. In exchange for her cooperation in bringing him some long overdue pleasure, he would give her a night to remember. However, his plan was highly dependent on her willing to participate in the lesson. So when she stepped away from him, releasing his stiffness, he found himself having to rethink his strategy. "No, Vegeta, this is wrong," she was as adamant as the first time she had told him to stop. Pulling her nightdress back into place, she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly appearing self-conscious. "I may not be an expert on what happens between a man and a woman in the privacy of their bedroom, but that is something my husband will teach me after we are married." She twisted around, showing her back to him. "I came here tonight because I hoped we could discuss what has happened to make you this heartless monster on the battlefield, but I suppose I was naïve to think you would be interested in a simple dialogue."


How right she was, but he was willing to humor her if it meant getting what he wanted, and if he knew women, an outpour of gut wrenching emotion would do the trick. Clasping her arms, he slowly turned her around to face him. He knew what she wanted to hear. So, in his meekest of voices, he began a meticulous string of half-truths and lies. "Do you think I am proud of what I have become? First my mother is murdered and then my father is executed, leaving me alone in the world. All I have is this battle to keep me going, and in this war, soft emotions and mercy will only get you killed. It happened to both our fathers, but I will not fall like them." He threw the comparison in for good measure, letting her think they were one of a kind would make her submission all the easier.


"Our fathers fought bravely and died honorably. You should be proud of them, not look upon them as failures. True victory can never be achieved unless, when you are the last man standing, you can proudly say you triumphed over evil, which includes the evil inside of you," she pressed her hand over his heart, as if to emphasize her point. Perhaps she had one, but all he registered was her soft flesh burning his once again. "And you are not alone either," she offered quietly after a long pause. Had he mentioned being alone? His duplicity was already long forgotten. "You still have your brother and," her face fell; he had the strangest feeling she was hiding a blush, "You will always have my friendship."


Ah yes, a subject he had been waiting for them to return to. "What if I want-need, more than just your friendship?" he used a free hand to raise her chin. She looked sympathetic. Excellent. Crawling his fingers over her jawbone, to her cheek, he stopped as he cupped her face. Leaning his forehead against hers, he demanded, "Prove to me I am not alone. Spend the night with me. Lay with me," he whispered his final request against her ear. He could feel her body tremble as the thought filtered through her mind. He would help hasten her decision.


Pressing his lips against hers, he plundered her mouth, using her shock at his bold actions against her as he slid his tongue inside her warmth. She tasted so sweet, he could have savored her for hours, but a continual pounding against his chest stopped him. Irately pulling her away from him, he watched, thoroughly affronted, as she wiped her lips off, "You taste of foul alcohol. How much have you had to drink today?"


He mentally kicked himself. How quickly he had forgotten his more typical retreat from reality, a mind altering bottle of whatever he could get his hands on to insure his inebriation. But he had just started his descent into oblivion before she came to him; he was far from completely out of his senses. How could he be, when he could see so clearly what he wanted? "I like to depart from reality at night; it helps me forget about my shame. But let tonight be different, be my distraction." He tried to kiss her again, but when she pulled away, he cursed under his breath. He was beginning to get sick of her reluctance.


"I do not want to be a distraction, Vegeta; I want to be loved by the first man I give myself to." Her confession was followed by a self-deprecating sigh that led Vegeta to believe there was a deeper meaning behind her thoughts, most likely the fantastic dreams of romance all young girls experience. How foolish she was to have such hopes. She would most likely have to take part in an arranged marriage, probably to a man she barely tolerated. If she wanted her fantasies fulfilled, now was her only chance, while she was young and could write off her actions as naïve.


Attempting one more try to entice her willingness, he made his plea, "You do not have to give yourself to me completely; just let me have some of you. Please, Bulma," he grasped her hands in his, practically begging her compliance. If he was not so damn erect, he might have cared what this facade was doing to his pride. "Don't make me go back to this war without knowing your touch. Every day I fight could be my last, and I would die an unhappy man if I gave up this chance to be with you. You have always been so precious to me, Bulma, please, just give me this night." His last cry came out almost as a choked sob. He could not remember the last time he was in this much pain. And being a man who prided himself on control, this was becoming down right humiliating.


"If-If I do this, will I no longer be a virgin when we are done?" Her voice was shaky, but she was considering it. About damn time. "No, I will not take it. I promise. Tonight, I will bring you nothing but pleasure, and no one, not even the perfect husband you are waiting for, will ever have to know." But he would, and damn it, right now that was all that mattered! "Say, yes."


She was quiet for some time, clearly weighing her options, before she softly asked, "Will you stop if I do not like what you are doing, or I change my mind?" He frowned as he gazed down at her. She looked about as excited to lay with him as a lamb does before being taken to the slaughter. But that was only because she was afraid of what she did not know. He would show her differently tonight. There will be no rejection.


"I swear it," he was about ready to pounce on her, but she had to make one more demand. He would have said yes to anything if it meant getting her on his bed.


"You will stop the senseless violence as well? I could not lay with a man who makes sport of innocent women and children." She was still worried about that? Yes, of course, he would make the damn promise. It would mean nothing after they left, but if it gave her peace of mind, where was the harm?


After he made his final false pledge, he swung one arm under her knees, and then the other behind her back, lifting her into the air with a start. He barely heard her final affirmation. The moment he laid her on the bed, he forgot all of the manipulation he had to use to get her there. All that mattered was that she was there, and nothing was going to spoil his having her...

~*~

"I asked you a question, Vegeta. Now I want an answer!" The king was quickly snapped from his daze as he stared across the table at his irate guest, a woman he had scorned so deeply those short years ago. He briefly wondered where he found the gall to face her now.


"Yes, you want to know why you are here," Vegeta assumed as he ran his fingers through his hair in a physical gesture to calm himself. Now was not the time to remember, not when he needed to stay levelheaded. "I will not keep you in suspense any longer then." He rose from his seat and walked to the side of the room to pull out the document that verified what he was about to tell her. Once the papers were claimed, he returned to her side of the table and took a seat at the chair immediately to her right. "I intercepted these last month." He set the text before her. "This, my lady, is my ulterior motive for bringing you here."


She looked at Vegeta, then down at the document, then back to her host, seeming to assess if there was some danger to looking at what was placed before her. Then, not a moment before she felt secure in grasping them, she did so, and began to silently read what was inside. When she finished, she threw the papers back at Vegeta and rose from her chair, knocking it over in the process, "Lies, all of it! You fabricated that document!"


Of course she would assume that. What loyal child would wish to see their parent proven to have committed treason? But she had to know exactly where her mother's alliances lay, and then she would have to choose where hers did. His hope, with him. "What purpose could I possibly have for weaving such lies? You know I have the utmost respect for the Tomabatsu. Without your people's support, this war could not have been won."


She twisted away, anger clearly in her eyes. She must have realized he was telling her the truth, and in her frustration to determine what other possible excuse he may have for lying to her. She seemed to have come up short on an answer as she snapped a juxtaposed question, "Why would my mother betray her own people, her own daughter, desecrating the memory of her dead husband!?"


Good, she was thinking, perhaps she could be reasoned with. "You know better than anyone your parents had their differences when it came to politics. While your father was content to live in the peace of country life, your mother wanted power. I cannot say I was surprised when I learned of her interest in an alliance with Nexus. If the Tomabatsu and what lingers of the Nappabatsu were to join forces, my batsu, or what is left of it would be obliterated, and your mother and Nexus would reign supreme over the planet." He hit a nerve. His logic was too sound, and her knowledge of her mother's power lust was more than enough to eliminate any chance of preposterousness. But she would not admit to the reality without reservation.


"Even if I believe this," she did, he knew, but she would never acknowledge it to him, "you did not need to drag me all of the way out here to advise me against accepting Nexus. That bastard is the offspring of the man who killed my father. Not to mention among his recent sins, he is very likely the murderer of the man I loved. I would sooner pour hot wax over every inch of my body than let that beast touch me, in a legal marriage or otherwise."


He felt the momentum of their conversation come to a grinding halt. By the gods, she did not understand. He would have to spell it out for her. "It is not enough that you simply reject Nexus, Bulma." He rose from his seat; taking a careful step forward as he grasped the chair she had knocked over and returned it to its proper position. "If your mother agrees to the match, you will have no choice in the matter." He returned to his seat, wanting as much distance from her as he finished his point. "There is only one way to ensure Nexus can place no claim on you, and that is by taking away your mother's rights over you."


It must have finally clicked in her mind, because a wide-eyed expression fell suddenly upon her anguished features. "Taking them from her, and giving them to you." Judging by the frosty glare she shot at him, she had every intention of looking at the situation from the most pessimistic of perspectives.


With a stiff nod, Vegeta eased his posture as he curved his back to fit the contours of his chair. He might as well be comfortable as he dealt with what was shaping up to be one of the most difficult offensives of his life. "I could sit here dancing around the subject for hours, but since time is of the essence, I will be frank. You have to marry me. Kakarrot is dead, no doubt because Nexus wanted him out of the picture so he and your mother's plans would not be ruined. So unfortunately, I am all that is left. I need to ensure the unity of our peoples; our wedlock will do that. If you refuse, I will not force you, but be fully aware that if you return to your mother, you will be without my protection. You will be forced to marry Nexus, regardless of how determined or capable you believe you are to avoid the union. Our peoples will then war, and blood will be spilt again, unless," it may have sounded as if he was pausing for dramatic effect, though in truth he simply needed to breathe. His tone was becoming too harsh as he spoke of Nexus' insurrection, he did not want to vow his allegiance to her with such a disposition, "Unless you marry me." He locked eyes with her, softening his tone as he did so, "You will not only prevent another war, but I can assure you that life with me will be much less painful than with Nexus."


Her lips curled up slightly and for a moment he expected her to laugh at his promise, but she did not, instead her lips began to tremble before she turned her back to him once more. Taking what he assumed was a few moments to compose herself, he heard her take one long, deep breath before returning to face him. "There are two men on this planet who I would rather spend an eternity alone burning in the fires of hell than marry, and you are telling me that I have to chose between them? I have to try and determine which one is less detestable? Not to mention," she walked closer to him, her expression pure contempt. "The man I wanted to be with is not even in his grave yet. No body has been found, his funeral has not even taken place and you want me to-" She choked as her head lowered, barely able to speak as she grasped the top of her chair to steady herself. "You are asking me to betray him."


She fell into her seat, her elbow propped up on the arm of the chair as she rested her face in the palm of her hand. A strange urge compelled him to reach out to her, wanting to ease her suffering, but he extinguished it as fast as it ignited. This was not a woman who would welcome his affections; he had made sure of that five years ago. "Kakarrot would understand." Vegeta's tone was dispassionate. "He loved you, for longer than perhaps you even realize. He would want to see you safe."


"With you?" she swung her gaze up to meet his, something close to indignation dancing in her sapphire orbs. "What protection will I have with you? You are no more a gentleman than Nexus."


His fists tightened. If anyone else had dared to make such a brazen comparison, he would have struck him or her. But she knew better than anyone the depths of his depravity. It would be counterproductive to reinforce her beliefs. "Though I could argue with you on that point, I realize my efforts would be wasted, so let's simply be practical shall we?" He rose from his seat and glided towards the opposite side of the room, his cape swaying almost angrily behind him. Upon his return, a piece of parchment and a quill rested in his hand. "Marry me and I will grant any terms you demand." He set the blank sheet before her. "And since my word holds such little value to you, we can place it in writing. Insist upon any consequences you like, should I fail to adhere to your demands."


She did not even glance down at the parchment as he made his offer. She maintained a probing stare, an unnerving stare to be precise. And then suddenly she blinked, several times, as if whatever deduction she was trying to make was finally decided. Glancing down at the writing instruments he had set before her, she pushed them away. "I want a chaste marriage. That is my only demand so let us not waste a sheet of parchment. Give me your word, on your brother's grave." She looked back towards him, as if challenging him to ever considering desecrating such a vow.


"A chaste marriage, then. You have my word." An easy allowance, he would have never lain with her anyway. He had already vowed as much five years ago. "I will have a private ceremony prepared for the day after Kakarrot's wake. We will keep this quiet for as long as possible."


She nodded, barely, as she rose from her seat, her hands folded in front of her as she stated quietly, "I am tired. I believe I will retire now."


In respect, Vegeta too rose from his seat, offering to escort her back to her room, but she quickly rejected his offer. No doubt she wanted him nowhere near her chambers. Not a surprising reaction.


Once left alone, the king sunk back into his seat. Remaining motionless for a moment, he allowed his anger to boil until in a fit of rage he swept his arm across the table, thrashing everything in his path to the floor before he stood and finished the job by flipping the table over completely. "Fuck!" the curse was growled as he stormed out of the dining room, opting to take a different exit than his 'fiancé.'


He did not know what was wrong with him. He should be appeased that Bulma had, with less resistance than he anticipated, accepted his reasoning for their joining. But he was not. Her numbed expression as she departed had brought back memories, memories he had wished to keep dead and buried. Yet that seemed impossible now that she was here, so close to him, and now soon to be bound to him, legally at least, in a matter of days.


How ironic that after five years of avoiding one another, blocking out what had happened between them, they would be forced into marriage and no doubt to one day broach the subject neither dared to speak of. "May you forgive me one day." A vision of her tear stained face flashed across his mind's eye as he arrived at his chambers. He did not doubt what would haunt his dreams tonight, the same subject that had haunted him every night for the last five years.


The night he betrayed her.


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