Unexpected Fate

Kingdom in Peril

Unexpected Fate

Chapter 39-Kingdom in Peril

The gates of the castle seemed so far away and it did not make matters any better that Bardock felt rocks or other objects thrown at him. Ignoring it, he seemed more troubled than ever and he realized his son too received his fair share of the grief. He was still confused about why he was called the 'deserter' of all things and wondered whatever happened to his counterpart. Wingdof had told him that his counterpart had perished, but he wondered even now if that was the truth.

By the time they finally reached the abandoned entryway, the crowds had all but halted their advance and turned away. Prayers were heard being muttered while they filed past them. For the first time since they had started their long trek, Vegeta looked back at both of them and saw that they were covered in various forms of trash. Their armor was no worse for wear thankfully despite the slight singe marks that pocketed the chest plate in various places.

"What did you two do to piss them off?" Vegeta questioned with a smirk on his face. In a way, their expressions seemed rather priceless.

"I didn't do anything!" Bardock yelled at the Saiya-jin prince.

"Really, tell me why were they sending such hateful glares and throwing things at you then?" Vegeta questioned.

"It's because of what our counterparts did in this timeline," Goku thoughtfully replied. Bardock had no idea how right his son was suggesting this was the case considering his previous visit to the kingdom resulted in the king wanting his head. "I mean I don't know much about what happened here, but it seems like it was a horrible thing since everyone seemed sad seeing you walking among them."

"I figured something must have happened to me if they looked like they were going to cry," Vegeta dismissed their expressions with a grin. He began to walk down the hallways of the castle without looking back. It seemed that his curiosity growing by the minute and he wanted to learn more about what had transpired.

"My prince, from what I learned when I first visited this timeline, I..." Bardock stopped talking when Vegeta stopped before a familiar red stone statue.

The very statue was one of a woman whose expression seemed to have peaceful and serene look to her complexion. Her hair fell to her slightly exposed shoulders and she wore decorative armor that made her look like a goddess among mortals. Despite the statue being damaged, Vegeta gently touched the face of the carved woman with longing in his eyes. Surprisingly, his expression seemed unguarded and his tail nearly went slack from around his waist. It was a rare moment that he allowed himself to be truly open like this and he was not worried in the slightest since the two other Saiya-jins were with him.

"Mirasta..." Vegeta murmured softly beneath his breath. He was young when she and his younger brother were sent off-world out of concerns of Frieza planning to use them against the king, his father. Instead, he was used as a token gift to the despot which ended poorly for the man he used to look up to with admiration and respect. Vegeta had longed to say farewell to his mother personally, but never had the chance. He had no idea how his mother died, but he knew his father had felt her passing prior to him being sent away.

'The late queen of Vegeta-sei... Queen Endris...' Bardock thought to himself. He recalled a time when she ascended the throne with her mate when the former king stepped down. It seemed like ages ago, but he recalled the day almost though it happened recently.

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"Bardock," Turnipa called to her mate who was currently resting after a long mission. "Come on! You're going to miss the coronation of the king and queen!"