Katchan <

Heir to the Throne

Some of you might recognise this one from my fanfiction page; but I thought I might as well post it to the group for those of you without WWW access. This story is a little bit grim -- I have no romantic notions about Vejiita's early life, or his sensitivity. It's also not for the squeamish -- consider yourselves warned ^_^ It had originally been written as a flashback in 'Saiyajin', but it took on a life of its own, and so I made it a story in itself. Please let me know what you think of it ^_^

Katchan

"I need to know," he told her quietly, "if I can depend on you."

"Of course," she shrugged. "Your wish is my command."

He growled.

"This isn't a game. If we don't succeed, we'll be executed."

"Only if we're caught," she grinned. "'Course, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to execute me." He moved swiftly to cuff her for her insolence, but Japhia was gone before he could reach her. He felt a tap on the back of his neck and whirled, scowling.

"I need your word," he snapped. She sobered, and folded her arms over her pristine armour. He was sure she'd never had a scratch on that armour, never had to replace it.

"You know I'm with you, Vejiita," she said, quieter. "Doesn't matter what you're doing." The mischievous twinkle in her eye was not gone for long. "Except, of course, when you're relieving yourself -- "

He lashed out at her again; she was behind him a second time, and grabbed his tail in her fist. Numbness shot up through his spine, and he stumbled, cursing. He sank to his knees, and Japhia crouched beside him. Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered to him. "You know I'm with you," she repeated, and let him go. "You tell me when and where, and I'll do it." He grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him.

"You," he said, "are going to get killed the moment you let down your guard for even half a second." She smirked. "I haven't planned it yet," he went on, letting her go. "I want it to be perfect. I want no mistakes."

"Nappa in on this?"

"I haven't told him yet. He's too slow, anyhow, I might leave him out of it."

"Nappa," she said, "might prove a convenient distraction.Everyone trusts him."

"Except you," Vejiita sneered.Japhia chuckled. He turned and headed out of his chambers; Japhia fell into step with him, at his right. Her tail brushed his leg now and again as they walked. He watched her from the corner of his eye, knew that her mind was working a thousand times more quickly than his own.

"You ready to swear fealty to me?" he asked her, hoping to catch her off guard.

"Not at all," she replied, not missing a beat.

"You can't be my mate," he reminded her, "if you're ranked among the commoners."

"How unfortunate," she said thoughtfully.

Vejiita gritted his teeth at her cavalier attitude, but said no more.

He surveyed the half-dozen warriors Japhia had recruited over the last four weeks. All loyal, she had assured him, all willing to sacrifice themselves if necessary. They knew their mission, though the identity of the ultimate target had not been revealed to them. Even Nappa knew nothing but that that he was to perform a particular task at a particular time and place; but that was all Nappa needed to know.

"Ja," Vejiita said, turning to Japhia. "It's time."

"Uhn," she said, and stretched her arms and yawned, impertinent. Was she really so unaffected, he wondered, by everything around her? Did she feel nothing, or did she simply hide it extraordinarily well?

For his part, he was sure his excitement was apparent, though he tried to suppress it. He could feel his palms sweating beneath his gloves, could hear his pulse in his ears.

He looked Japhia over; she wore an outfit identical to his -- tight-fitting combats, and the compact black armour of an assassin – no broad epaulettes, no flank guards or codpiece to give an enemy purchase -- only a chestplate guarded her most vital organs, and gloves and boots protected her extremities. He knew it was all Japhia needed; in the three years he'd known her he'd never seen anyone hit her with a solid blow, much less harm her, of course, unless she allowed it.

He missed the comforting weight of his own armour, but knew he would need perfect freedom of movement. He circled his arms, shook out his legs -- scowled down at them, for his lack of height and solid frame made him look younger than he was -- and stepped toward the six warriors who awaited his command.

"Move out," he said sharply. They saluted, swiftly, and were gone quite before his own voice had stopped ringing around the room. He looked at Japhia. "Let's go," he said. She smirked, and the two of them raced out of his chambers.

If Nappa had done his job, no one would be alerted before they were done.

With Japhia at his side, he sped through corridors in the palace that even his father did not know existed. Together, they crawled along narrow catwalks. They slid down unused refuse shafts. They halted, hidden by shadow; and Vejiita put his hand on Japhia's shoulder.

He turned his head slowly to look at her.She was quivering beneath his hand, every muscle tensed. So she was capable of excitement, he noted, and smiled. Her eyes shifted to him, narrowed with laughter.

"When there's killing afoot," she said softly, "who wouldn't be?" Her tail swung behind her a moment before slipping protectively around her waist, and she returned her attention to the broad, carved doors that opened into their ultimate destination.

Vejiita glanced around; he knew the six warriors were somewhere near, though he could not see them; and he had not brought his Scouter, in order to lessen the chances of detection, so he could not pick out their sentou ryoku.

Still --

"Now," he said quietly, and a flurry of arms and legs and swiftly lashing tails appeared from nowhere, bursting through the doors and quickly silencing the first shouts from inside. Vejiita turned to Japhia, noticed her eyes were half closed in concentration. "Dou?" he snapped.

"Sh," she said, putting a gloved hand on his arm. She nodded a few times, rhythmically, as though counting; and then, suddenly, she was gone, and he saw only the heels of her boots disappearing into the room.

He sat back to wait.

Come, Japhia's thought startled him from his own thoughts.

"Hayai," he murmured, slipping out of his hiding place and into the chambers. It had taken her half the time she'd told him she needed.

He did not hesitate to step over the bodies; he surveyed them with the cool detachment he had learned from Japhia and from his father. Careful not to slip in the blood on the floor, he made his way through the outer chambers -- noting with some pride that none of the six warriors Japhia had chosen had fallen there -- and to the inner chambers.

There, four people awaited him, surrounded by at least a dozen bodies. Only two of the six warriors survived, and they each bent on one knee as he entered. Japhia was the third; and the fourth, a female wearing the white and gold armour of a warrior bearing royal blood. She knelt on the floor, one arm twisted behind her back and her tail wrapped twice around Japhia's wrist. Japhia stood over her, her armour still unscathed, her skin still pale and unmarked, and watched Vejiita dispassionately.

"Konnichi wa, okaasama," Vejiita smiled. She looked up at him and spat a curse. He crouched so he was looking into her black eyes. "You thought I didn't know, didn't you?"

"How did you find out?" she snarled. Japhia tugged gently on her tail, and she gasped, falling forward slightly.

"People talk," he shrugged. "Eventually everything comes to me. It only befits a future ruler to know what his people are thinking and saying and doing -- ne, okaasama?" She bared her teeth at him.

"So you brought your playmate to do your dirty work for you?" she hissed. Vejiita smiled again, and touched her cheek. She pulled her head away from him. He slapped her; she recoiled, then turned her face up to him again. After all, he reasoned, he did outrank her, despite the fact that she had given birth to him.

"What good is it being Crown Prince," he wondered, "if I can't relegate certain tasks that I find distasteful?"

"Do you really find this distasteful?" she asked. Japhia smiled, but said nothing.Vejiita glanced up at her, smiled as well, then turned his attention back to his mother.

"I don't enjoy it as much as Japhia does," he shrugged. "But I can't say I'm particularly repulsed. I am a Saiyajin, okaasama, and a warrior, after all." He looked down at her swollen middle. "How far along are you?" he wondered.

"Five months," she growled, panting. "One more month, and he would have been born."Vejiita chuckled.

"Then we came just in time." He looked up at Japhia. She raised one fine eyebrow, still said nothing.She could play the part of a faithful servant, when she chose to; and Vejiita felt a stirring in his stomach now, watching her act on his behalf. He looked down once more.

"My father the King will know, naturally," he said softly, "that I had a hand in this; but he'll have no proof. He will be too wrapped up in grief over the loss of his mate to worry much about finding proof. And, after all, if you couldn't defend the child yourself then neither one of you deserves to live, ne?"

"I defended you," she howled, "when your brother attempted to kill you!"Vejiita smiled.

"I don't recall," he confessed.

"You were an infant, only weeks out of the womb," she told him, blinking as a drop of sweat rolled into her eye."He was your age, and he thought to rid himself of any competition for your father's throne. I managed to protect you."

"But I was the one who had to kill him," Vejiita mused. "That was only a few years ago. Ah, well," he said, smiling again, "that's all in the past. This little brat won't have a chance to try for the throne -- and there will be no other contenders, once you are dead."She made a strangled noise, struggled briefly; she weakened, suddenly, as Japhia drained her strength. He leaned forward, whispered into his mother's ear. "You might be pleased to note, before your death, that I intend to procure Japhia's fealty, restore her rank, and make her my consort. She will not be so weak a Queen as you." He pulled back, smirked at his mother's astonished expression.

He stood, held out one hand toward her, and released his power. What was left of the body slumped to the floor.

"Oh, thanks, Vejiita," Japhia sighed. "Now I have to get clean armour."

"It's about time," he said, turning and walking away. She fell into step beside him, wiping her face and armour with her gloves. He paused before the two remaining assassins, still on their knees. "Take care of them," he told Japhia."Wash, and change, and meet me in my father's dining room. I'm hungry and I want you to join me at dinner."

"Huh," Japhia grinned, and stayed behind as he continued to his quarters.

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End
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