Chapter Text
The extravagant invitation announced yet another of Prince Cavendish's monthly balls.
Sanji loved these balls, as it was there that she met up with her group of friends and planned their next adventures. Neither the King nor the Queen cared much for these so-called "adventures," but they always allowed Sanji to participate because they knew the princess and her group, the "Mugiwara", were strong enough to protect each other.
Sanji promptly confirmed her own attendance and that of her brothers. As for them, she didn't even need to ask, as the answer was obvious: her brothers would never miss Prince Cavendish's ball, an event that gathered princes and princesses from the most distant kingdoms.
"Cavendish's ball will take place in a few weeks, so we need to prepare for our trip to Bluejois,"
Sanji informed Cosette. She was her lady-in-waiting, and Sanji made a point of including her, as Cosette accompanied her to every event. The lady immediately assented and informed Sanji that her family was waiting for her for breakfast.
Sanji then quickly got ready and went down to the dining room. Upon her arrival, the employees present made a brief and respectful bow to the princess, who greeted them with a small smile.
At the table sat Queen Sora, King Zeff, and her brothers, the Princes Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji.
"You are late," the eldest prince said, without preamble.
"Yes, I know," Sanji replied. "I was busy, but what matters is that I am here now."
Before the siblings could start a discussion about punctuality, Zeff spoke up:
"In two weeks, the ball in Bluejois will happen. Since the event will attract people from the most varied kingdoms, you, Ichiji, should try to find a fiancée there."
"Oh!" Queen Sora brightened.
"It's true, my son. Now that you've come of age, we should find a good wife for you."
Ichiji knew this moment was inevitable; that at some point he would have to take on responsibilities, especially being the crown prince. However, he didn't feel ready for marriage, not at that moment.
Ichiji dismissed the subject with a barely noticeable nod. He brought the mint tea to his lips, sensing the warmth and aroma before sipping the liquid. Only then did he reply, in a tone that closed the discussion:
"We can talk about this another time, can't we?"
Niji, on the other hand, was eager for his brother to marry as soon as possible. That way, he could marry soon after, given that tradition dictated younger siblings could only marry after the elder brother's wedding
"Ichiji, you know that if you don't get married, we," Niji pointed to himself and his two younger siblings, "won't get married either, right?"
Ichiji let out a long, heavy sigh. Yes, he knew about that stupid rule. He didn't want to jeopardize his siblings, especially Sanji, since the older a girl got, the harder it was to arrange a good marriage and that applied even to princesses. But, even so, Ichiji didn't want to get married.
Before he could answer Niji, Sanji interrupted him: "Niji is right. If you stall too much, I'll get too old to find a decent groom. And if I stay single for the rest of my life, I swear to you, I'll kill all your descendants!"
Everyone present, even the servants, frowned, shocked by the threat.
"Since when are you so interested in getting married?" King Zeff asked, visibly surprised.
Queen Sora lightly touched Zeff's hands. She was happy about her daughter's sudden interest in marriage, as she had always thought Sanji would never marry, at least not with certain attitudes that some deemed "too masculine for a princess."
"Darling, it doesn't matter when it started. What matters is that one day we're going to marry off our little girl," Sora said, excited.
"Honestly, I don't understand your reaction. I never opposed marriage, I just never mentioned anything about it," Sanji was genuinely confused. Ever since she started liking Zoro and had her love reciprocated, the princess had always dreamed of marrying the future king of Kuraigama. Of course, only the Straw Hats and Cosette knew about their relationship; anyone on the outside would swear they hated each other, as they constantly exchanged barbs.
"That is definitely strange..."
"Shut up, Yonji! There's nothing strange about me wanting to get married!" Before Sanji could get up and kick her brother, Sora intervened:
"That's enough, you two!"
Sanji pouted and whispered softly, "He started it." Sora merely gave her a warning look.
"Sanji, how do you expect to find a good husband with such attitudes?" the Queen asked.
I don't need to find anything, because I already have someone to marry, Sanji thought.
As if he had read her mind, Ichiji snapped: "That sudden urge can only mean one thing!" He narrowed his eyes, staring at Sanji.
"Sanji already has a suitor!"
The princess's eyes widened, and she stared at her eldest brother, wondering if Ichiji could now read minds or if some kind of quadrigeminal connection had awakened after they came of age.
Shaking off those thoughts, Sanji asked:
"What? Where did you get that idea, you stupid oaf!"
The other two brothers agreed with Ichiji. In their minds, this was the only explanation for the sudden change. At that moment, Sanji hated the fact that her brothers knew her so well they could figure out such a thing. But she couldn't make anything official before talking to Zoro, so she just kept denying it.
The King and Queen were genuinely confused, wondering if their daughter already had a suitor and hadn't told them.
And then a loud noise was heard. Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Sanji, seething with anger and shame over the speculations about her love life.
"That's enough! I absolutely DO NOT have a suitor! I just want to get married and start my own family, just like Mom and Dad!"
And with heavy, angry strides, the princess stormed out of the dining room.
Yes, it was true: she already had a suitor. However, Sanji did not want to tell her family, as she knew her brothers would cause a huge commotion, and she simply wanted to avoid all that unnecessary drama.
Upon reaching her room, she found Cosette arranging some dresses in her closet. Sanji threw herself onto her bed and sighed loudly, burying her face in the pillow.
The lady-in-waiting gave a small, understanding smile and sat beside the princess, starting to stroke her hair.
"What happened this time?"
she asked, her voice gentle.
Under Cosette's comforting touch, Sanji felt a little calmer. She considered Cosette more than a friend; she loved her like a sister. They had grown up together, and at fifteen, Cosette was formally titled Lady-in-Waiting to the Princess of Baratie. Since then, they had never been separated.
Sanji insisted that Cosette accompany her to every event and absolutely would not tolerate her being treated as inferior. This loyalty almost cost King Zeff a war between kingdoms when Sanji kicked the face of a duke from another kingdom who dared to mistreat Cosette in front of all the ball guests. Fortunately, thanks to Queen Sora's persuasion, everything ended well, with the duke being forced to publicly apologize to Cosette
"I guess Ichiji doesn't want to get married right now,"
Sanji sighed, snuggling into her lady-in-waiting.
"If he doesn't get married, I can't get married, and well, as we all know, Zoro is the diamond of the season. Every princess wants him as a husband."
Sanji rolled her eyes. Zoro said he loved her and that he wouldn't marry anyone but her. But still, Sanji felt insecure. Everyone always praised the Prince of Kuraigama: he was handsome, strong, one of the best swordsmen in all the kingdoms, second only to his father, Mihawk. And Sanji? She was always seen as a princess with no manners, too masculine, too problematic. Unlike Zoro, the princes always ran away from her—except for a certain prince who was irrelevant for the moment.
"I understand, my dear. Don't worry, Sanji, Zoro loves you. He has never even looked at other girls. I'm sure that if he needs to, he will wait for you for as long as it takes,"
Cosette gave her a sweet and sincere smile.
"Maybe you're right..."
Sanji closed her eyes, lulled by the gentle strokes Cosette was still running through her blonde hair.
Just before she drifted off to sleep, her lady stopped caressing her. Sanji sighed in frustration and pouted, asking
"Why did you stop?"
Upon opening her eyes, Sanji noticed Cosette was visibly apprehensive, her hands restlessly intertwining. Sanji stood up from the bed and faced her, concern evident in her tone:
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Cosette hesitated, her voice choked with emotion, but she knew she had to talk about it.
"Do you promise me, truthfully, that you won't freak out?"
The princess frowned, her nervousness increasing.
"Yes, yes! By our friendship, I swear I won't. Just tell me already!" Sanji gestured, impatient.
The lady-in-waiting then took the princess's hands, her touch warm and trembling, took a deep breath, and began to whisper her story. She told how she and Niji had been meeting in secret and how the nocturnal meetings had become a moment of refuge and affection, where he made her feel loved and special, oblivious to any title or protocol. She described the joy of sharing moments beneath the starry sky and how difficult it had been to hide these feelings from Sanji. Finally, Cosette shed a few tears of relief, asking for forgiveness for having hidden the truth about the relationship from her best friend for so long.
The princess was utterly stunned. She knew about her lady's late-night escapes, but she had never dreamed the reason was a romance with her own brother.
"Does Niji know you're telling me this?" There was urgency in her voice, which confused the lady-in-waiting.
"No, he doesn't know. Why are you asking like that?"
Sanji, forcing herself to appear composed, softened her expression.
"Nothing... I was just genuinely shocked. I never imagined Niji falling in love. But you are so incredible, Cosette, that I think I understand my brother."
Sanji forced a smile, hugging her friend tighter than usual.
Cosette smiled, tears of happiness in her eyes, and returned the embrace.
"Thank you for understanding. I'm so relieved I don't have to keep this secret from you anymore."
Sanji tried to match her joy, squeezing her friend.
"I'm happy you told me, too."
Breaking away from the hug, Cosette stood up, made a brief bow, and left the room, under the pretense that she needed to place some urgent last-minute orders for the trip.
The moment she heard the door click shut, Sanji's smile vanished. Her face was overcome by a scowl of blind fury. Her anger was burning and directed squarely at her brother. She saw Niji acting like the worst parasites of the nobility, the ones who preyed on innocent and humble girls like Cosette, filling their ears with empty vows and promises just to satisfy a whim. Seeing someone she considered a sister fall into the trap of such an illusory and painful fate made her blood boil in her veins. Sanji clenched her fists. She would not let this happen; she would make Niji pay for every lying word.
Niji was sitting in the vast library, absorbed in a romance novel Cosette had recommended, when he suddenly felt a murderous aura approaching him. The prince turned just in time to dodge a kick aimed directly at his ribs.
"What the hell, Sanji! What are you doing?!" Niji yelled, leaping back and assuming a defensive stance.
Sanji ignored him, landing a precise kick that made Niji double over, clutching his stomach with a groan of pain.
"I can't believe you're doing this to her!" Her voice was thick with contempt.
"What? Who? What are you talking about?" Niji stood up, confused and breathless, wiping his mouth and looking at her with a furrowed brow.
His genuinely confused look made Sanji even angrier. She lunged again, her eyes flashing.
"I'm talking about Cosette! You're deceiving her, taking advantage of her innocence, just like those disgusting nobles!"
Sanji's fury intensified with every word, every image of Cosette sad and disillusioned after Niji tired of her. The rage then crumbled into a bitter sadness. It wasn't just for Cosette, but the pain of discovering that the brother she cherished could be as repulsive as the nobles she despised. Niji and Ichiji had always been her protectors, even Yonji. Seeing him do what they always feared would be done to her was like plunging a dagger into her heart. A solitary tear escaped her eye, unnoticed by her.
"So she did tell you,"
the prince sighed, relief disguised in his voice, slowly lowering his arms. He was glad to finally not have to live their relationship in hiding, meeting on the cold nights of Baratie as if it were a dirty, ugly secret.
Hearing from his sister that he was taking advantage of the woman he loved hurt deeply. It hurt even more to know his little sister thought that of him. Niji approached Sanji, his hand outstretched to wipe away the tear. Sanji took a step back instinctively, but stopped, allowing his hand to briefly touch her. Niji used the brief contact to lead her to a sofa, but Sanji sat on the opposite edge, maintaining her distance.
"I am not taking advantage of Cosette." When Sanji tried to interrupt, Niji stopped her, raising an open hand between them. "Let me finish, please. The least you can do is listen to me after attacking me like that." The princess frowned and muttered an 'hmpf', but allowed him to continue, her arms crossed rigidly.
"We met when we were quite young, as you know," Niji paused and sighed, rubbing his chin, thoughtful. "Okay, it's cheesy and cliché, but I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. We were kids, I know, but I felt all those things our parents talked about during their sappy moments." Niji smiled, a genuine and nostalgic smile, but Sanji only maintained her frown, waiting.
"I used to get so mad at you when you wouldn't let go of her! And then I had to stick to you too, just to be near her."
Now Sanji understood the reason for her brother's sudden change in attitude in childhood. The princess narrowed her eyes in realization, but the expression of suspicion didn't leave her face.
"And when she took the position of lady-in-waiting, I was even happier knowing she would live here in the castle. It was around that time that we started our relationship. Now that we can finally get married, I'm not waiting any longer. I'm going to make it official to everyone," Niji finished, leaning slightly toward her.
Sanji hesitated for a long moment, the silence filling the space between them. She lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper, relief fighting against suspicion. "You... you swear? You're not lying to me, Niji?"
"I swear, Sanji. By my life and my title. I love her," Niji replied, the seriousness weighing in every syllable.
The princess looked up, and slowly, her soft, warm smile began to emerge, easing her scowl. She moved from the corner of the sofa closer to him. "Alright. I... I believe you. Now she will officially be part of our family." Sanji's smile finally reassured Niji; knowing his sister approved of the relationship warmed his heart and made him genuinely happy.
But a bitter feeling soon overcame the prince. "Sanji, do you think everyone will accept the marriage?"
Sanji hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. "Look... Dad will be a little hesitant, but Mom will accept, so Dad will accept. The real problem will be the kingdom's advisors."
It was just as Niji suspected. He clenched his hands on his thighs. "As I imagined. But it doesn't matter. I will marry her, full stop," Niji declared, the determination returning to his gaze.
Sanji smiled at her brother's unwavering determination.
"If they oppose, we can just kill them."
Given the princess's casual tone, Niji was unsure if she was serious or not. "That's an idea worth considering," he replied, letting out a nervous laugh.
"It is," Sanji insisted, nodding seriously.
"But let's save that idea for if everything goes wrong," Niji suggested cautiously.
"Fine, suit yourself."
Sanji then stood up, satisfied. She smiled and questioned: "You better really marry her, or else I will kill you." A menacing aura briefly flared around her, but quickly dissipated when Niji nodded quickly, swallowing hard. "Alright, now I'm going to choose which dresses I'll take to Bluejois. Goodbye, my brother."
And with that, she left the room, leaving Niji alone, rubbing his neck and still thoughtful about what to do if the kingdom's advisors did not accept Cosette.
Finally, the day arrived for them to depart for Bluejois. The journey was smooth, without surprises. The King and Prince Cavendish were already awaiting them in front of the castle to receive them. The reception was warm and extravagant, as usual, with a grand banquet waiting. The Akashi family arrived two days prior — anticipating the other guests — because King Zeff had urgent diplomatic matters to attend to. These matters involved the kingdoms of Dressrosa and Kuraigana, which was why the Kings of Dressrosa and Kuraigana had also arrived two days earlier, along with their respective heirs.
It was a pleasant surprise for Sanji to encounter Zoro two days earlier than expected. The green-haired prince was accompanied by his sister, Princess Perona. Sanji, walking among her brothers, immediately went to greet them. Ichiji, the Crown Prince, Niji and Yonji, the Princes, offered a brief and formal greeting to Zoro, who responded with a quick, uninterested nod.
Sanji greeted Perona cheerfully, asking how she was and complimenting her beautiful pink dress, holding her hands with genuine enthusiasm. She then turned to Zoro, without the previous excitement, and greeted him.
"Marimo," she said, crossing her arms with a sneer.
Zoro gave a small, sidelong smile. "Cook," he replied.
Such a greeting was sufficient; the princes and princesses generally reserved royal formality for the kings.
Zoro and Perona left the room after a brief and visibly tense conversation between Zoro and Ichiji. Honestly, they had no common interests to sustain a good conversation, but whenever they met, they tried their best to maintain diplomacy. Ichiji, as the direct heir to the Akashi Throne, and Zoro, as the heir to Kuraigana, knew that maintaining a good relationship was essential for a long and prosperous reign.
The Akashi brothers didn't notice, but there was someone else present in the room: a rather mysterious figure seated in an armchair in the corner of the room. Upon noticing his presence, they immediately recognized him: it was Trafalgar Law, Crown Prince of Dressrosa.
In the eyes of the brothers, he had always been peculiar, if not strange. The prince rarely participated in events like this, and when he did, he socialized as little as possible.
"Trafalgar," the four said in unison, offering a small formal nod.
Prince Law then slowly rose from the armchair and, with the grace of a predator, walked directly up to Sanji. He took her right hand, bent down with a subtle, deliberately slow smirk, and deposited a kiss there.
"Princess," he murmured, maintaining eye contact with Sanji for an extra second. He then straightened up and exited the room, completely ignoring the other three princes present as if they were pieces of furniture.
The gesture left everyone speechless. Sanji pressed her hand to her chest, still processing the prince's nerve, but her brothers exploded.
"What an ill-mannered bastard! What a lack of decorum!" Ichiji fumed, his eyes wide with disbelief, his royal composure completely gone.
"That creep completely ignored us! He walked past a Crown Prince and two princes as if we were statues!" Yonji exclaimed, clinching his fists and kicking the air in frustration.
"That damned weird prince," Niji muttered, before flinging himself into the armchair Law had just vacated, as if trying to disinfect it. A question, however, arose in his mind. "Sanji, why did he only greet you? Is that Dressrosa's protocol now?"
Sanji, still not fully understanding what had happened, looked at her brother. "I don't know either. I swear I'm as surprised as you are."
The young men exchanged quick, suspicious glances. The princess, noticing the silent conspiracy, snorted. "What are the three clowns plotting now? Stop communicating by telepathy!"
"Well," Ichiji began, regaining his composure (and his older-brother posture). He walked up to her and faced her, the seriousness of his gaze comically contrasting with his earlier fury. "It's strange that you start worrying about marriage, and suddenly this happens. Do you and Trafalgar have some kind of involvement we don't know about?"
The accusation raised Sanji's perplexity level; she couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Of course not! Are you insane?!" The princess prepared to leave the room but was blocked by Ichiji, who stood in front of her.
"Get out of my way!" Sanji ordered, exasperated.
The Crown Prince sighed, adopting a calm and controlled tone. "Sanji, we're not fighting with you. We just want to know so we can handle this in the best possible way. A way where you are not harmed or poorly spoken of."
Sanji noted the sincere concern in her brother's tone and knew they just wanted to protect her. A chill ran down her spine as she realized that if they were so paranoid because of Law, what would they do if they found out about her real romance with Zoro? She pushed the thought away, focusing on the present. After a long sigh, the princess declared:
"I swear on Mom and Dad's lives that Trafalgar and I have absolutely nothing going on."
The three brothers let out a sigh of relief so coordinated that it made Sanji roll her eyes, rubbing her forehead.
"Thank goodness. That man is so strangely scary, he gives me the creeps," Niji said, patting the arm of Law's armchair with a grimace.
"Thanks for sparing us that, Sanji," Yonji muttered, shaking his head in dramatic relief.
Sanji let out a playful laugh and then left the room. She didn't agree that Trafalgar was scary, but she admitted he had always been a mystery. The few times he appeared at events, he always invited her to dance, which was always a surprise she never refused. There was something about his subtle smile and the way he looked at her that made her feel, well, interesting. It was fun, especially the part where Zoro would get jealous, sending death glares from afar at Law.
Sanji found him handsome and attractive, just like the other princesses, but her heart only had room for a certain moss-head, whom she was eager to meet alone.