I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.

Chapter 3: The King's Court

 Recely absentmindedly ran her fingers over her crown jewels. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to handle the responsibility that they represented. As of an hour ago, she was Queen Recely Vegeta of the Saiyans. Sighing quietly she slid her dainty hand up her neck and felt the leather cord of her mother's necklace. She missed her family.

The day before, she had been informed by messenger that her Brother was happy that she was safe and told her not worry about the family. He sent the necklace back with the servant. Sage was going to give it to her when she reached adulthood. Recely understood that Sage assumed she was an adult now.

Recely was happy that her Family was safe, but she was positive that Sage would never stop worrying about her. Nor could she ever stop worrying about them. As long as she lived with the king they were potential pawns for His Majesty's use.

As for her mate, she accepted him. She had no choice in the matter. It was impossible to refuse him, not without having her family suffer. She didn't care what happened to herself, he could kill her for all she cared but she would not put her family in danger.

 Her reflection was broken by a question posed to her by an elite woman. The ladies she was mingling with after the ceremony were all older than she was. She had found out from them that the king himself was over twenty years her senior. Some of the ladies had children her age, which were off in little groups staring at her. Recely watched them. They did not seem to be unhappy. Something the King had said in relation to the children of the elite disturbed her.

A few days prior, when the King told her that he had scheduled their life bonding ceremony and her coronation; he also described who would be in attendance.

"The whole court will be there." He'd said

"The whole court?" Recely asked nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, there's not that many people in the court. It only consists of the elite, their mates, and their brats."

Recely cringed at the word "brats." He had said the word in a distasteful tone.

Is that his view of children? Recely wondered as she ran her fingers over the smooth blue stone in her mother's necklace. Her disappointment at that statement was extreme. She loved children, but it was obvious to her now that the king wanted a child for one reason and one reason only, to extend his power. The possibility of her ever loving the King was all but crushed now. Recely could feel her life getting more difficult every moment.

Again her train of though was broken by yet another, inane and uninteresting question. For the most part, Recely had no idea what the ladies were conversing about. She did not know anything of politics or city life, or even sociality for that matter. But what she did know was that these women obviously objected to her and she knew they were doubtful of her power. They were afraid to test it out none the less. The King had chosen her after all. Their approval did not matter. Recely was not impressed at all with them, nor with the men either. Super Elite was not a good word to describe any of them. They were all as brutal and crude as any ignorant savage from the deep woods.

The King was having a grand old time bragging about his new mate. The other men were astonished that she was so young and tiny and everyone in the room wondered where he had actually found her. The king was blatantly unconcerned with the new Queen's breeding. A very odd thing for an elite, let alone a king to do. She was not an established Elite and everyone was trying to hide their curiosity as to why the king would life-bond with a woman with questionable lineage. No one dared ask him this though, he was the king and as the rumors stated, prone to fits of temper.

"Hey Veg!" A voice called from the doorway. King Vegeta smiled at the owner.

"How dare you walk in late, Argo!" the King chastised as he broke away form the group he was conversing with. He walked over to his friend and grabbed his hand in casual, playful greeting.

"Sorry, I was occupied by unfortunate circumstances." Apologized Argo and stood by the king's side. He was about the same size as King Vegeta, not counting hair. Like most saiyans he had black hair, cut short and he was clean-shaven. He was ganglier than the average saiyan and was considered to be almost skinny.

"Oh really?" The king smirked unbelievingly. "And what were those unfortunate circumstances?"

"My mate and I had a late night and slept in."

The King laughed loudly. "But you informed me last week that Kimpu was already with child."

"Oh she is, but we can still have fun. Did you know that those good for nothing Tsoofur-jin wrote whole books on pleasure techniques for the body? I swear, Veg, you'll never want to leave the bedroom again."

"I guess they were good for something then. You'll have to lend me that book."

"Sure. I should've brought it over with me. You could probably use it tonight." Argo elbowed his friend, then scanned the room. "So where is the Queen anyway? I want to see if she's prettier than Kimpu."

"Kimpu is pretty, but Recely is gorgeous." The King taunted. Then he pointed to the group of ladies Recely was with. "There she is, speaking with Kimpu."

"Shit, Vegeta! I thought you wanted a kid right away?"

"I do, moron!" The King responded in childish annoyance.

"Well, explain to me how you're going to accomplish that with a 12 year old girl?"

"She's not 12, she's sixteen." The King corrected defensively.

"That's not much better, cradle robber!" Chastised Argo in mock appall.

The King laughed at his friend.

"So, she's this powerful female Zorn told me about? And you found her in the woods of all places?" He examined her. "She doesn't look that powerful."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

"How powerful is she? Are we talking landing a punch on you powerful?"

"We're talking making me bleed powerful."

"Really?" Argo asked amazed. "Dammit Veg, you get it all don't you? A whole planet, a mate who is young, beautiful and extremely powerful and soon you will have a child to top it all off with. What next, dominance of the universe?

"I highly doubt that." replied The King sourly.

"Frieza been giving you grief?"

"Frieza gives grief to everyone. Especially us Saiyans." The King looked to Recely. "Hopefully, I'll be able to turn the tables."

"Certainly, especially if this Queen of ours is as powerful as you say. You'll sire a Super Saiyan with her, Vegeta."

 "I hope so." The King replied solemnly and stared at his mate.

"Let's go." Argo Said and walked toward their mates. "I want to see what kind of personality this Queen has to go along with all her other endearing qualities."

"So, you're the unfortunate creature that gets stuck with King Vegeta?" Kimpu asked gravely and cocked an eyebrow at Recely. Recely stared back blankly and tried as hard as she could to mask her fear. She didn't know quite what to make of this woman who had just joined her side and began to converse with her, without paying the lengthy respects that all the other women had. The woman, tall, young and blonde laughed after a few minutes of silence. Her loud, boisterous laugh rang through the sitting room, interrupting every conversation and causing her to be stared at. "Don't look so upset. Think of it this way. You've ceased the anxiety of every other available woman on this planet, a lot of people will be grateful for that!" The woman punctuated this statement with more laughter and then lightly punched the queen in a friendly gesture and smiled. "Actually, he's not so bad as far as men go. He's the best ruler this planet could have." Recely regarded her with a confused expression, which gradually made way to a smile. Kimpu smiled warmly back. "Sorry for scaring you, your highness. I just can't control myself sometimes. I'm Kimpu"

Recely bowed respectfully and replied, "My name is Recely."

"I know, silly." Kimpu giggled. She side glanced at all the other women who were either smiling sheepishly or staring at the floor. The woman motioned with her head towards the refreshment table. "I need a drink, care to join me?" Recely nodded in affirmation and excused herself from the other ladies politely. Kimpu made no such gesture and merely turned away from them.

" Are you close friends with his majesty?" Recely asked making conversation. She was acting very familiar, not at all like the other women. Recely, knowing nothing of her mate, hoped Kimpu could tell her more.

"I think you can call him by his first name, Sweetie." Kimpu laughed.

"He told me I could." Recely replied simply. She didn't feel right about doing that yet.

"Than do it." Kimpu said sternly then giggled happily. "Yes, Vegeta and my mate are best friends, have been ever since they were children. They're like brothers. We don't see eachother much as we live fairly far away from Gardenia City in Foliage City. Vegeta built us a palace there when we life bonded."

Recely hung on to the words "Life bonded". Everything hadn't sunk in yet. Her happiness was fast fading into depression.

"So, " Recely started, trying to keep the conversation moving. "Your mate is a soldier too?" Recely wasn't sure if that was the right way to address a member of the king's army. The King vaguely explained what the elite did off world. It had seemed to Recely that they went to war on other planets.

"Oh no." Kimpu replied regretfully as she took a glass of water from a servant. Pausing only to ask if he was sure there was no alcohol in it. " Argo lost his tail in the last battle with the Tsoofur-jin . One of the dammed things severed it while he was transformed. He can't really help in occupying planets."

Recely looked towards Argo who was advancing with her mate. He had a tail.

"It's a prosthetic." Kimpu answered Recely's question before she could ask. "The Elite all know that it's fake, they don't care. But the citizens don't show the same respect towards a saiyan with no tail. Traditionally, punishment for crimes such as treason and murder and adultery were punishable by the severing of the tail. Some of the elders still consider it justifiable, although it's been decades since the King had a tail severed for a crime." Explained Kimpu.

"What's the punishment now?" Recely asked curiously.

"Actually, it's never come up. The King is so feared that crime is rare and the citizens themselves usually settle what crimes are committed quietly among themselves. The two great cities are virtually crime free." Kimpu sighed. "Vegeta is a good man, but he has a horrible temper."

Recely glanced at her advancing mate nervously.

"Anyway, " Continued Kimpu. "Argo feels that he's not powerful enough to fight with the elite. Foolishness, I told him, but he's quite stubborn. Vegeta appointed him the Prime Minister of the City Foliage, but he seems to be getting tired of that job. It's mostly all paper work, I suppose once a warrior always a warrior."

"Oh." Recely stated. She tried to think of some way to change the conversation but she was saved the trouble.

"Hey Kimpu, you're not frightening the Queen with horror stories about Veg are you?" Argo demanded as he and the King walked over to them.

"Of course not!" Kimpu said in mock anger and winked at Recely.

"So, Queenie, how do you like court life? It must be a hundred times better than rural life, hey?"

Recely was offended by the question. She'd trade the dingiest hole on the planet for her crown in an instant. "It's different." She replied simply, not admitting that she liked it but not rejecting it either.

Kimpu elbowed her mate angrily; she had not liked the question either. Argo's face fell, realizing that he'd done wrong.

"Well, You'll get used to it, soon enough." Argo replied submissively with a touch of warm-ness on his voice. "We've all come from the woods originally, Right Veg?" Argo prodded his friend who nodded and smiled.

Recely forced a smile. She had no choice but to get used to it. The King came beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. Recely stood there as naturally as she could, not wanting the discomfort she felt around the king project to the company.

"Kimpu, you and Recely seem to have hit it off." The King observed with a smile.

"Oh, I think so, don't you Recely? I dare say that I consider myself lucky. I just know we're going to be best friends like you and Argo." Vegeta smiled glad that Kimpu approved.

 "Why don't you come over for supper tomorrow evening?" Vegeta asked.

"Hey cool." Argo Agreed. "I'll bring that book with me." Then he winked at the King.

"What book?" Kimpu asked. Argo just smiled. "Oh." Kimpu laughed in realization. Recely didn't like where this was headed. She had no idea what the three were talking about and she hoped this wouldn't be the way things would always be in her new home, everyone knowing more than she did.

"You two will have a child in no time with that piece of literature in the palace." Argo Laughed. Recely liked where the conversation was headed now even less.

"Don't rush." Kimpu warned, "You two have all the time in the world to have a child." She smiled warmly right at Recely. Recely smiled back in gratitude, her new friend understood that she was not ready to have a child yet.

"Don't be silly Kimpu, Veg wants a child right away." Argo blurted out without thinking, again.

"But perhaps Recely does not." Kimpu argued sternly.

"Why wouldn't she?" Argo demanded a little offended at his mate's tone; she was questioning the King after all.

Recely could feel the tension grow and she didn't want to have to answer that question she knew would be asked.

"Do you have children?" She asked of Argo and Kimpu.

"Not for another eight months." Kimpu replied and giggled, patting her stomach as she did so. Argo smiled proudly. "That reminds me, maybe tomorrow at dinner you two could help us with baby names, Argo and I are positively stuck." Kimpu had entwined her arm through Recely's and led her away from the men and toward the huge picture window. Recely counted her lucky stars that she had found a friend in Kimpu.

Vegeta and Argo looked after their mates.

"Women." Argo Shrugged. Then he looked at his friend mischievously. "Let's go get a fight started, Veg, I'm bored and I heard that Gourd and Chock are incredibly pissed at each other." Argo hurried off to provoke an argument. Vegeta shook his head and smiled. Then turned back towards his mate and her new friend. He knew Recely was acting distant but he hoped she would become more comfortable with time.