Jurabi: Heeeeelloooo~! This is Espada4Jurabi here bringing you a Lunami Oneshot fic. I ended up making this oneshot a while back on tumblr because we held Lunami week there and it was so fun. There were so many amazing fanart that I was completely shocked. I didn't really think the Lunami community would have such talented artists. In fact, the artwork for the cover of this one shot was made by a blogger named sadomaruxsadaharu. I'm sorry if this one shot wasn't much, but I was so busy during Lunami week and I just did this as I went along, so please enjoy to your heart's content.
I Choose the Peasant's Life
"Y-Your Majesty, are you sure this is a good idea," An orange haired, beautiful lady asked as her raven haired king secretly guided her through the castle. "It would be bad for you if the guards catch you and me in here."
"Nonsense," the black haired king said, "I promised you that I would show you the castle garden, Lady Nami, and I meant it. If the guards catch us, I'll just tell them that I brought you here of my own whim."
"A promise, Your Majesty," The woman named Nami asked.
"Please, you can call me Luffy," The king named Luffy said, "I'm not much of a formalities man, but you remember when you said a few months ago that you always wanted to go visit the most beautiful garden in the kingdom, don't you?"
"I do but…I said I wanted to see it for myself," Nami said, "I'm not used to having other people do things for me."
"I see…you're thinking about your sister, aren't you?" Luffy asked.
"Yes…she may be my big sister who always calls herself strong, but…she's only one woman," Nami said as she sat down on a chair, "Ever since our mother died, it's just been me and her. Even with both our jobs, we still barely have enough to scrape by. I'm so sorry, Luffy. This must be an utter disrespect to your presence."
"Perish the thought, Lady Nami," Luffy said, "Hearing your story tears my heart up. To think that such level of poverty exists in my own kingdom…I am deeply sorry. If I had done better as king, you, your sister, and any other person living in poverty wouldn't be suffering this way. Please, when this is over, allow me to spare some of the royal treasury to your home."
"No, milord," Nami said as she stood up, "I…I appreciate your offer, but…it's not that easy."
"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.
"The peasant life is different from the life of royalty," Nami said, "We peasants have to grow our own food, hunt our own meet, and cook our own meals while royalty have the luxury of butlers and maids to do all that for them. There's one thing that peasants possess that is precious to them and that is the value of hard work."
"You're right about us royalty having luxury," Luffy said, "I've wanted to take the time to understand how things are done, but no one in the guard or my own advisor would allow me to do so. Tell me, Nami, what is the value of work."
"Well…the value of work is…well, this amazing feeling you get after you spend hours chopping trees to make firewood or when you finally kill the boar you're going to eat for dinner," Nami said, "It's difficult to explain in words, but easier explained through interaction."
"I see. You're life sounds so interesting, Lady Nami. How I wish to live that kind of life. It makes living seem more…fulfilling," Luffy said as he opened the doors to the gardens, "Well, here we are at our castle's lovely garden."
Nami was nothing short of amazed by what she had laid her eyes on. The garden glowed within the night thanks to the light of the moon. Its flowers sparkled and danced together in the wind as the dark blue lake swayed delightfully showing the shiny moon in its reflection. Such a sight would leave anyone mesmerized as Nami was.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Luffy asked.
"Absolutely marvelous," Nami said, "It feels like an elderly woman would feel young if she sets foot in this garden."
"That's not all this garden has," Luffy said, "Come. I'll show you," He said before he took her hand and led her to a bridge above the lake where most of the garden's beauty.
"Wow…you're so lucky, Luffy," Nami said, "I've never seen…*sniff* it's actually making me cry."
"Heheh, yep, this lake has that affect on a lot of people," Luffy said as he stared at the lake, "I used to always play here when I was young, but…I was always alone when I do so."
"Really?" Nami asked.
"I was the prince of this kingdom, after all," Luffy said, "Anything that could potentially harm me was not allowed at all, so the most I did for fun was just watch the sky, the lake, the grass…anything that doesn't move."
"Luffy…milord with all due respect, that is a horrible way for someone to live," Nami said.
"I know, Lady Nami," Luffy said as he looked at Nami, "Do you remember when we first met?"
"Yes," Nami said, "You had escaped from the castle one day as a child and explored the same grounds as us peasants. Then, you saw a bunch of bandits attacking me and my sister and your rescued us both. How could I ever forget that day, milord?"
"And then, over the years after I was sent back to the castle, I would always find a way to escape again in order to see you and your family," Luffy said, "You were all so welcoming and warming to me, especially you, Lady Nami. I had feelings back then that I would never have found all bottled up in the castle."
"Oh, how many times did you get in trouble for us? Your parents must have been furious," Nami said.
"They were," Luffy said, "But eventually, they grew to accept me for who I wanted to be and tonight, that's exactly what I will do."
"What do you mean, milord?" Nami asked.
"Nami, do you remember the words I said to you after our last meeting," Luffy asked but Nami shook her head, "I said that I would ask a question that will change the course of who I am to this world."
"I…do not understand," Nami said.
"Lady Nami, what I am trying to tell you is that throughout the years of being with you, my heart and my soul have fallen in love with you." Luffy said as he took her arms.
"Y-Your Majesty!" Nami shouted in shock as she blushed. "P-please, don't jest with me. I do not like jokes."
"This is no joke, Lady Nami," Luffy said with a smile, "I've been holding my feelings in for far too long. I've waited for the moment when I could finally bring you here. I didn't care about the risk, as long as I could get the chance to confess to you on this very night. I love you, Lady Nami."
"B-But…I am a peasant," Nami said, "What could you have to gain by telling me that you love me? I have no wealth, no lineage- not even a fireplace for our home. I'm not royalty, milord…and I never will be one."
"Lady Nami, I do not care at all what lineage you have or what wealth you have or even your status in life. What I care about is the woman I love standing right in front of me as the real her. I would rather live in a dirty pig pen with you than spend the rest of my life as a royal who does nothing but sit on a chair and look smart while all alone with no one to call precious in my heart. Lady Nami," He said as he held Nami's hand, "I choose the peasant's life for you."
With that, Luffy locked lips with Lady Nami. The kiss felt magical to Nami. At first, she felt like she was going to rob Luffy of his royal life, but then realized that this was what he wanted and that she wanted this as well. There was no other man she would rather be than with Luffy, king or not.
Jurabi: And there you all have it. I extend my gratitude to you for being willing to read up to this point. I know this looked bad, but at my best I can write long fics, given time. I'm a Lunami fan and I should give the pairing the kind of writing it deserves.
Again, I am very glad that you read and hopefully enjoyed this one-shot. If you want to share your thoughts, write up a great review. And if you haven't already, hit that favorite and follow button for both the story and myself! And until next time, I'll see you in hopefully another one-shot!