𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽 (one piece x reader)

Chapter 20: Back at the Starting Line

"Yes daughter, I'm glad you could make it."

My eyes shift to the prince as I ignored the two older men and was pleasantly surprised to see a very attractive man sitting across from the two kings.

His hair was dark blue and it was in a mid length wolfcut, his built body—much like Zoro's but more—was evident even under his suit and he had nice, black eyes that rested on my figure too. He seemed surprised as well as we both looked at each other before I sat down in my designated seat next to him.

"Y/n, It's been so long since you came to visit and then I heard you set off to be a pirate! I laughed at the joke though, but was worried when you were no where to be found when we came here!" Chen grinned with greed seeping into his tone, "I'm glad you finally came to your senses."

I didn't allow him the pleasure of seeing me affected by my words as I began to eat the food that was set out on the table, "When will the wedding take place?"

Before Chen could say anything smart, my father cut him off, "In half a week."

I nodded my head and finished my food, still in a princess manner which was hard after getting used to pirate like behavior.

Chen eyed me, his red eyes glowing with interest and satisfaction before he smiled to his son, "Y/n, why don't you take your fiancé for a tour around the kingdom. If I recall correctly, you two haven't met and he's never been here before. It'll be a great bonding time!"

The prince stood out of his chair and offered me a hand, which I took due to the stare from both Kings, "Thank you."

He nodded his head at me politely with a blank face as we walked out of the dinning room and towards the exit of the castle.

The atmosphere was silent, so silent that it wasn't—if that even made sense—it was only the sound of my heels hitting the floor and the muffled sound of his dress shoes following in suit.

"I don't think I've properly introduced myself," I figured I might as well get to know the man if I was going to spend the rest of my life with him and also the silence was killing me. "I am Y/n L/n, daughter of F/n L/n and Princess of Sinthaya."

The man seemed to observe me through the corner of my eyes as we reached the exit. He let out a small hum before introducing himself, "I am Daiki Chiyo, son of Chen Chiyo and Prince of Jigao."

I nodded at his response, remembering his name and repeating it so I don't accidentally call him a different one.

"I have to admit, Princess Y/n," He spoke once more, his voice laced with amusement and pleasant surprise as we walked out the castle and down the steps. "You are not what I imagined you to be."

My eyebrow twitched before I looked at him with a slight questioning gaze, not allowing my irritation to show, "What does that mean, Prince Daiki?"

He chuckled slightly, a sound that was weirdly nice to hear as he waved a hand in dismal, "Just Daiki is fine. You are my fiancé after all, it'd be weird if we were formal for our whole marriage."

"Then just Y/n is fine as well," I spoke while rolling my eyes away from him, not bothering to hide my irritation with the son of a devil.

"Right, thank you," Daiki cleared his voice as we walked into the start of the town. "What I meant was that, well I was expecting a snobby brat. I have to say, I'm not dreading this wedding as much as I was before."

I was a little shocked at his bold statement, before I regained my composure, "And what makes you think I'm not a snobby brat? You've barley talked to me."

"I can tell by the way you carry yourself."

My eyebrow rose, intrigued at his observation, but I couldn't say anything as some children and parents came up to me saying they missed me and asked how my traveling was. With the presence of my people that I missed so dearly, my strict and uptight princess act dropped and I spun a child around in the air like Ace does to me.

***

Daiki took notice of this as he watched with the ghost of a smile on his face. He assumed before meeting you that you were going to be an ugly brat who cared about nothing but money. He was wrong though.

The prince noticed right when you walked in the dining room that you were anything but what he thought you were. There was an unspoken confidence that roamed around you and he could tell through the obvious formal facade you put on that you were usually a lot of fun to be around.

Daiki was always one to be more observant than others, it's what made him stronger in battle, though his father didn't share the same sentiment.

The king was more pressuring on strength than brains. He discouraged Daiki's ideas and pleads to change a battle plan or try a new strategy. After all, their kingdom was centered around their ability to overpower anyone and anything. Smarts were not needed.

Daiki knew this was going to be their fatal mistake in the long run, but it's not like he was in any place to say speak up. His father was absolute.

For the first time, Daiki felt like his father hadn't been completely wrong as he watched you interact with your people.

Obviously, an arranged marriage was wrong. The idea of forcing two strangers together was nothing short of unfair. He knew that.

But as Daiki watched you he couldn't help but feel like if it had to be any princess he was glad it was you.

You were beautiful, breath taking even—at least to Daiki. He felt comfortable near you and he wanted to get to know you. He only wished it wasn't under these circumstances.

"Who is this, Princess Y/n?" A young girl with ginger hair and pigtails looked up at Daiki with heart eyes.

"Hello there little lady! My name is Daiki, what's yours?" Daiki bent down to the girl's height with a kind and welcoming smile.

You shook your head as the girl was more swoon than Sanji to a woman. Your lips twitched at the thought as your eyes shifted to the side.

"You okay?" Daiki caught your attention once again before you nodded and continued to give him a tour of the kingdom.

He watched you enthusiastically talk about your kingdom. Interacting with your people as you spoke in pride of the diversity and different places you could see.

Daiki admired how much you loved your kingdom, he was surprised you would ever leave it. After seeing you today, truly being a princess to your kingdom, he found a new respect for you and developed an interest in you as well.

***

I had finally finished showing him around so we headed back to the castle and stayed in one of the lounging rooms as our fathers arranged the marriage—specifically the benefits.

"Would you amuse me in a game of chess, Y/n?"

I raise an eyebrow at the mischievous smile that he held on his handsome face as he fiddled with the knight piece, "Is that why you've been sitting there fiddling with the chess pieces?"

He shrugged, making it so that all the pieces were in line and neatly in its place, "Can't play chess by yourself. It's been a long time since I've played with anyone."

Intrigued, I sat down across from him and moved a pawn in the center forward two spaces, "You don't have people in Jigao to play with you?"

Daiki chuckled at this, making his move next, "They're all too muscle-brained for that."

My lips twitched into a smile as he made of his own men in a playful way, "And you're not?"

He smirked, moving his bishop to capture my pawn, "I'd like to think I'm more on the smart side than the strong side."

"How odd for the Prince of Jigao."

"So I've heard."