“Can I help you?” Vegeta asked in irritation.
His brusque tone didn’t seem
to bother the kid. “Guess,” he said excitedly, then, just like before,
didn’t wait for an answer. “I get to guard you.”
One of the Prince’s eyebrows
raised. “Oh?” he asked. He turned on his scouter. “And from whom?
Small, annoying children? I do seem to have a problem with them lately.”
The insult went right over
Seboll’s head. “Bad guys, of course.” Seboll spoke as if it were the most
obvious thing in the world.
Vegeta’s mouth twitched
again and his eyes lost some of their flintiness. “Bad guys? And
how high is your power level?”
Seboll’s spirit dampened
a bit at that. “Well…” He let it trail off.
“Let’s just see, shall we?”
Vegeta hit the button. “Hmm. 312. Not all that bad for a squirt.”
“Hey!” Seboll protested.
“How high is yours? I think mine is pretty good!”
“Oh, seven or eight hundred.
I haven’t checked in a while.”
Seboll’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
“You were saying how you
would protect me…?” Vegeta prompted.
“Well, maybe you’d have
to protect me,” Seboll said with a resigned sigh.
Vegeta heard alarm bells.
“Protect you?” He laughed cruelly. “And do you think I would?” He stopped
laughing and fixed Seboll with a sharp scowl.
Seboll looked up. “No,”
he said softly. But I’m only saying that because I know it’s what you want
me to say.
The only outward indication
Vegeta received the telepathic message was a slight widening of his eyes.
He did not respond in kind, but stepped forward and looked Seboll right
in the eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t,” he snarled. “You get any idea that I would
out of your head.”
Seboll looked shocked, then
accepting. “Yes,” he said, bowing his head. “Your Highness,” he added
quickly.
Vegeta studied him through
hooded eyes. Seboll appeared to believe it. And that was the
important
thing.
Seboll was also examining
Vegeta. He didn’t understand the Prince’s attitude. He was
not nearly as callous as he pretended. But if wanted to pretend he
was…
“So you’re guarding me?”
the Prince inquired.
“Yes. I’m training,
but I will be a good guard.”
“A competent guard?
What a novel idea.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Seboll
remembered something the Prince had said earlier. “When I’m guarding Your
Highness, no small, annoying children will bother you.”
The Prince’s eyes betrayed
his amusement. Seboll wasn’t quite sure what he said, but he was
glad to have gotten a smile—or a glint of amusement—out of his Prince.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Prince Vegeta’s tone was almost gentle.
***
Seboll began trailing the
Prince everywhere the latter went. He didn’t precisely ask, but Vegeta
never sent him away, so he didn’t stop. To Seboll’s credit, he never
tried to initiate friendship with the
Prince; still, his perseverance was amazing, considering Vegeta demeaned
and belittled the boy
every chance he got.
Vegeta realized he was getting
more and more attached to Seboll and told himself every day that he needed
to break off their acquaintance, but every day he didn’t. He knew it wasn’t
fair to keep risking Seboll’s life like that, but he so wanted a friend,
he kept on.
“My prince,” Seboll said
one day by way of greeting.
“What?”
“Guess. My power level’s
gone up. I’ve been training. Will you read it?”
Vegeta shrugged and clicked
the scouter on. When he read the number, he swore aloud. “530!” he
exclaimed.
“Surprised?” Seboll grinned.
“I thought so. See, I’ve watched you in training, then I would do
what you did when I got home. ’Cept my brother isn’t training, so
he’s really easy to beat.”
“You…copy my training?”
“Yes, if that’s all right.
I just want to protect you in case something happens. Is it…is it
all
right?”
Vegeta hated being put in
positions like that. Be merciful, or too mean? Either way,
he could lose Seboll. Fortunately, he was saved from answering by
Seboll’s own chattering. “Uh-oh, you’re going to be
late for training if we don’t hurry. Come on—maybe we can learn
something new today.” And he took off without waiting for a reply.
Vegeta couldn’t help sighing in relief.
***
The King watched carefully.
The Prince’s heart was not in his training today. Still, he was doing
remarkably well: giving out bruises and burns and getting hardly any
in return.
The session ended when the
trainer went down and didn’t come back up. Vegeta put his hand to
the man’s throat, then relaxed his grip. He did not have to kill
his trainers, just get them to the point where he
could. Vegeta got up and started to fly away when he spotted
the King. “Your Majesty,” he said with a
slight nod.
King Vegeta nodded back.
“I require new trainers.”
The King’s eyebrow raised.
“I beat these ones too easily,”
Vegeta explained. “They are no challenge to me whatsoever.”
King Vegeta pretended to
consider it. He’s finally taking an interest in his training, he
thought. After
all this work, he’d finally conditioned his son. “All right.
I’ll get one. What’s your power level?”
“973, Your Majesty.”
973, the King rejoiced inwardly.
In an eight-year-old! “Then it will have to be an Elite,” he
mused. Then, curtly, “You are dismissed.”
Prince Vegeta nodded. “Thank
you, Your Majesty.” He stood up and walked away.
The King kept his emotions
under tight control. Still, he was extraordinarily pleased that the
Prince
was finally getting harder, angrier, better. He was getting better.
And that was what all fathers wanted
for their sons, wasn’t it?
***
Seboll had watched his Prince
train. Impressive didn’t even begin to come close to describing it.
It
was overwhelming, dazzling, astonishing…Seboll didn’t have the adjectives
to depict it. The Prince’s aura
had fairly crackled with power, had become almost incandescent.
And his fighting style had stunned
Seboll. Unpredictable and volatile—he had been truly amazed the
trainers had landed any hits at all.
Seboll had instinctively
followed Prince Vegeta from the arena. Now, he realized that he was
keeping pace with the Prince and was following him, unwittingly, as if
he had always done this. “Your Highness?” he ventured.
“What?”
“Do you—do you like fighting?”
What an asinine question, Seboll realized. Still, he wanted to know.
The Prince was incredibly powerful, but he didn’t always seem to take pleasure
in it.
Prince Vegeta seemed to
actually consider it. “Yes,” he finally answered. “I do, and I do my best.
I don’t see why—” Then his eyes widened and he shut up quickly.
“Why what, my Prince?” Seboll
asked politely.
“Nothing.” Prince Vegeta’s
tone brooked no argument whatsoever.
Seboll nodded, a bit disappointed.
The Prince was about to confide in him. Why had he stopped?
What did I expect? he made himself think. That I would become his confidante,
just because I follow him
around like a puppy? Fool!
“Why are you here?” the Prince
suddenly asked.
“Oh.” Seboll grinned slightly.
“Well, Papa doesn’t really have time for me when he’s working. And
you’re close to my age…I figured it couldn’t hurt to try and hang around
you. Besides, you’re so strong…maybe it will rub off on me.
I think I would like that.”
Prince Vegeta didn’t respond,
although he began walking a bit faster and his tail began lashing from
side to side.
“I was watching you train,
and you’re so strong. You picked up those techniques so fast, and—”
“That’s enough,” the Prince
said savagely. He spun and face Seboll, grabbing the younger boy’s
shirt and pulling him up so their eyes met and Seboll was forced to balance
precariously on his tiptoes. “You will never say anything like that again.
Ever. I trust I won’t have to repeat myself.” But, strangely enough,
the words were not spoken cruelly. His voice was unsteady. The Prince
almost sounded worried. But what could he possibly be worried about?
Puzzled, all Seboll could
do was nod and surreptitiously try and smooth the wrinkles out of his
shirt when Prince Vegeta finally released him. “Yes, Your Highness,”
he said meekly.
“Good.” He looked like he
wanted to say more, but…
…“Prince Vegeta!” a strange
voice called.
The Prince turned on his
heel to face the guard. “What?” he asked, his voice one of a person barely
able to restrain from violence.
The guard faltered slightly,
but bowed and delivered his message. “Your father wants you, Your Highness.”
Prince Vegeta growled deep
in his throat, but nodded and started for the throne room.
Seboll automatically trailed
the Prince, considering the interchange that had just occurred. What
had the Prince meant? Why couldn’t he admire his Prince? Actually,
the question was, why couldn’t he vocalize his admiration? The Prince
had said not to say anything. He was just a child, but he knew he
didn’t like this word game that he seemed to have been dragged into.
***
“Your Majesty summoned me?”
Vegeta asked, kneeling, glad to hear his voice was perfectly neutral,
betraying none of his present anger.
“Yes. I’ve found a
trainer.”
“I’m ecstatic. I’ll
meet him tomorrow, then, unless there’s a pressing need to meet him now?”
The King apparently didn’t
notice his impudence, much to Vegeta’s relief. “No. I just thought
you would like to know.”
Your overwhelming concern
for my feelings touches my heart, but he didn’t dare articulate those words.“When
I’m training is fine, Your Majesty.”
“Good.” The King seemed
inordinately pleased. “Who is that?” he unexpectedly asked, pointing at
Seboll.
Vegeta felt his blood run
cold. Now was Seboll’s trial. The boy’s life depended on Vegeta’s
performance. “The son of a guard, Your Majesty. He claims to want
to protect me.” His voice was
completely impartial.
The King laughed—a singularly
unpleasant sound. “I assume you’ve disabused him of the notion?”
“Many times, Your Majesty,
but he persists.”
King Vegeta shrugged. “It
happens.” Then he looked closely. Vegeta knew he was looking for
signs of affection towards the guard-in-training from his son. Vegeta
was careful to keep his face disinterested.
Apparently he satisfied the king, for he continued, “Don’t depend on
him. You’re dismissed.”
Vegeta nodded, stood, and
left, heading directly for his private chambers.
“Your Highness, I—”
Vegeta turned to Seboll
and looked at him coldly. “You will be summoned when your presence is again
appreciated.”
Seboll nodded. “Yes, Your
Highness.” He bowed his head and left.
Vegeta stalked into his quarters
and summarily emptied them. He wanted to be alone while he considered
his relationship with Seboll and what to do about it. He sat cross-legged
on his bed and his mind went immediately to Seboll’s praise. “…You’re so
strong…maybe it will rub off on me. I think I would like that.”
Vegeta was still amazed
that Seboll would say such a thing, especially in front of witnesses.
He was
either insane or suicidal. Or maybe…
Vegeta paled and his mind
began racing. Could Seboll not know the consequences? How old
was he—four? Something like that. Vegeta hadn’t had friends
for the past three years. That would have made Seboll one when it
started…and he didn’t know what could happen to him. He didn’t know
he could get killed for hanging around. That was the only explanation.
But how could Vegeta tell him the truth?
***
In the end, he didn’t.
He began to avoid Seboll, taking irregular routes and dodging his normal
hangouts. Then, one day, Seboll appeared in front of him as he sat
in the garden, absentmindedly forming ki balls and launching them.
“Excuse me? Your Highness?”
Seboll added quickly.
Vegeta looked over, a bit
startled. “Yes?”
“Is my presence appreciated
yet?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You said I would be summoned
when my presence is again appreciated. I was just wondering if that
would be any time soon.”
Vegeta stared at him.
“Even if it isn’t, I would
like to be allowed back in your presence. I would still like to train
under
you.”
“You consider this training?”
“Well…if not training, practice.
Your Highness.”
Vegeta shook his head in
disbelief.
Seboll misinterpreted it.
“Oh, please, Your Highness. I won’t be a bother. I can be quiet,
you know. It’s just…I, well, I like you, and I want to hang around.”
Vegeta let his breath out
slowly. He’d avoided Seboll for a week, and the boy still wanted
to hang
around. He had to admire the kid’s persistence, if nothing else.
He looked into the earnest face and,
against his better judgement, nodded. “All right. If you want
to follow me around, you may, provided you
are quiet. Mindless drivel—” he fixed Seboll with a hard look—
“bores and bothers me. I take it we
understand each other?”
Seboll grinned. “Thank you.
Your Highness!”
Vegeta nodded again. “Come.
It’s time for my training.”
Seboll nodded and soundlessly
trailed after him.