I want to meet you in every place I ever loved.

Listen to me—I am your echo.

I would rather break the world than lose you.

— Amal El-Mohtar, This Is How You Lose the Time War

She said the same thing she always did. He said the same thing he always did.

"You shouldn't have."

"But you're worth it! Lord Conqueror knows I adore you, my little flower!"

Nami smiled, feeling over the necklace. Each large gemstone made her smile grow as she leaned in closer to Sanji. "But what if your father catches you? I would miss you so." And these rubies.

"He's nothing! I could face him down any day for you, my love." Sanji reclined and patted the seat beside him on the bench. "Come join me. I'll show you how assertive I can be."

"But I couldn't," she said with a sigh, hand over her mouth. Her eyes trailed away, and she stared over the horizon instead, watching rays of sunlight disappear into the hills. "And if I stayed, what would they say of me? I would only stay with you for jewels. That's what they'd say."

"You said you couldn't wear them in front of the rest of the village. They wouldn't know what I gave you, my love. Besides, I want you here with me."

"It's what they say anyway." Nami bit her lip — the way that made his face steam. She whispered, "What if they say I'm a loose woman?"

She saw it in his eye — how he wouldn't care so long as that looseness was for him. Read it on his face.

"They wouldn't dare, my love!"

The tiny park didn't deserve the name Boar Park with its little tiny flowers dotting around the fruit trees. Too colorful for the name in truth. She might have liked to call it Bell Park or even Yellow Bunting Park for the birds that sang during the spring.

Boar Park was a boor.

She would rather give it the Lord Conqueror's name just to spice things up. Even if it was an awful curse to say his name.

"Lord Sanji, even if the love between us isn't frowned upon, we could never marry."

This he winced at, but he straightened. "Damn the law! Lord Conqueror, I — I won't marry then! You'll stay my mistress!"

Inwardly, she smiled, though she spun away regardless. "M'lord! That's crude!" It wouldn't be his first offer to make her his mistress. Such a thing might make noses turn up in the village, but she wouldn't be in the village anymore to see, so what would she care?

Except, a small part of her wondered how long Sanji would hold out. A tough man, Sanji's father always had Sanji bowing his head eventually. As his mistress, Nami would live well and treat her family with money that was certainly more legitimate than scamming jewelry out of idiots. Though, there was the issue of explaining where all the jewels he gave her had gone. She knew a sob story about needing the money for her poor family would get Sanji to shove his hands so deep into his pockets that he'd sell half his father's estate.

So she said the same thing she always did.

"If only I could stay with you."

And he said the same.

"Stay! Please!"

"You know I can't stay forever."

And she left.

Nami might have cried had it meant anything. She hurried home, the ruby necklace in her skirt pocket under all the folds. When certain that no one would think to connect her to the jewelry — the fool was never clever enough to hide where he bought her jewels — Nami would find someone to pawn it to. Perhaps next week.

A glance at the sun made her steps fly across the dirt path from little Boar Park.

While she sped through the village, its bustle had faded into nothing. Chopper, the priest, had finished with the sacrifice for the day. Only a black carriage rode through the sole street.

Its full team of horses — all white and shining in contrast to the black lacquered carriage — had her slow. Why had it stopped in the village? It was hours away to the next town where the closest hotel was. Cocoyashi only had that dusty inn.

A man with a long nose chatted with Chopper.

The blood puddle left behind on the altar funneled to a dip and ran toward the faded stone carving of the World Eater with its claws aiming skyward, but a tiny figure over it caught the leftover blood in a bowl.

Beside the two men, talking over an old bound journal, rested the head of the day's sacrifice — a pig already drained and dispensed.

Pork sounded divine, so even Nami decided a 'thank you' might be in order since Bellemere wouldn't have missed a sermon. She spared a thought for the pig. Poor thing, but its meat would go to the poor of the village. The priests kept the heads of their sacrifices and stuffed them with garlic for meals — she made a face for that. Garlic was next to disgusting. Their blood went to the Lord Conqueror. Nami knew the blood would just be dumped into the river though. As a little girl, she had come across that scene once.

The old priest had prayed about that too.

Stupid, she thought and turned toward home, wondering if Bellemere had cooked any of the pork meat for dinner.

Bellemere smiled when she looked from the pot. "Nami! Dinner's about done. Why don't you set the table?"

Nami set to it, clearing the table of Bellemere and Nojiko's knitting and little loom before she wiped it down. Beside Bellemere, Nojiko washed her hands at the little sink, drying them on her apron before she joined Nami with the cutlery. They had lucked out and been close enough to the village to warrant the pipes coming to their house. Though they had only gotten the sink and not the other marvels other homes received.

She still thought the little spigot was incredible anyway.

When she sat at the table, Nojiko slid in beside her on the bench only to raise a brow. "Why, Nami, what is that? Did your hips get bigger, or did your fingers get sticky again?"

The necklace! Nami flushed. "I didn't steal it! He gave it to me!"

Bellemere frowned as she set the pot on the table. "Gave you what, Nami? Hand it here then."

With a wince, she reached into her pocket, but said, "Just so you know, I didn't steal! He really did just give it to me."

"Who?" Nojiko pursed her lips only for her mouth to hang open when Nami pulled out the sparkling ruby necklace. Every five or so tiny chains was a little ruby — she had seen larger from a distance — but there were more of these, so that had to account for something.

Bellemere took the necklace with wide eyes. "Nami, you …"

"He gave it to me!"

"You mean you scammed it out of him," Nojiko said with an amused snort.

"Same thing!"

"Nami!" They both jumped as Bellemere put her hands on her hips. "I finally got it into your silly head to stop stealing, and this is how you fix yourself? Lord Conqueror, save my silly girl from herself! What am I to do with you?"

Nojiko smiled after a moment. "It was Sanji, wasn't it? The lord's son."

"So what if it was?"

Her jaw dropped again. "No way!"

Bellemere's eye twitched. "You may be a few days from your twentieth birthday, but that doesn't mean you can just start looking for a man yet. Besides, that's no man for you, young lady. He's a nobleman, and you couldn't marry the likes of him."

Nami turned her head away. "I don't care about any of that!"

Nojiko nodded. "Nami's gonna marry a monster."

"What!"

"A monster's the only one that would take you!" Bellemere scowled at Nojiko and Nami in turn as they lowered heads and hunched shoulders. She sighed. "Lord Conqueror, grant my silly daughter a brain in her next reincarnation. Nami, you have to return that necklace."

"No way!" Nami stood, doing her best to match Bellemere's eyes glare for glare, but she felt like a kitten rather than a tiger under her stare. "I was going to sell that!"

Their eyes bulged, and Bellemere appeared about to tilt forward to hit the table.

A knock at the door brought their heads up.

Bellemere lifted a finger first for Nami, then Nojiko before she saved the last one for Nami again.

She answered the door with a smile. "Hello? How can I help you?"

"Mistress Bellemere is it? Is your daughter here?"

Nami peeked around her mother and caught sight of a man with a long nose and curls. He tipped his hat first to Bellemere before he shared it with her and Nojiko.

"Lord Conqueror! What's she done then?"

He gaped, but hid it away with a smile. "Nothing wrong. Nothing to worry about."

"What is this that can't wait? We were about to sit down for supper."

"Sorry for the lateness, ladies. It's a matter of state."

Bellemere turned narrowing eyes on Nami, and she sat straighter. I didn't steal it!

"I'm just here with an invitation."

Nojiko smiled, glancing at Nami who sniffed. "To the lord's fort?"

"Fort? No! The Lord Conqueror's palace!"

Nami stared, growing pale while Bellemere raised a hand to her chest, eyes widening. "What did she do!?"

"Nothing, nothing! She's just won a lottery for a ball."

Straightening, Nami gaped at him. "What lottery?"

"A private one, of course. The Lord Conqueror has sent out for the rest of the winners as well."

She squinted at the odd, long-nosed man. Something of this stunk of a scam, yet why would the Lord Conqueror scam a bunch of women? Nami bit her tongue while the man went on. He seemed a bit too smarmy.

"Are you the lady in question then?"

"I'm no lady," Nami said. "I'm just a poor village woman."

"That's no issue."

"I don't have a ball gown for any balls."

"We'll have our seamsters working on that problem."

Nami glanced at Bellemere, but her step-mother's posture softened. Her lips pursed at the man's back while sweat dripped on Nami's brow. This had to be a joke. Couldn't Bellemere smell a scam like this from a mile away? She always saw through Nami!

See through him!

But Bellemere smiled. "A lottery from the Lord Conqueror himself? Why, that sounds wonderful. You did come with an invitation, didn't you?"

Brightening, Nami straightened. Of course! Bellemere was going to drag him through the river if this slick thought he could pull the wool over her—

"Right here!" He whipped a sealed letter from his inner pocket and offered it to Nami.

She gaped at the blood red mark as she would a viper. Someone had imprinted a skull over a sun into the red wax. No one would dare to use that seal, would they? Only the crazy might attempt it!

Nami glanced out the still open door.

There sat the black carriage she had seen.

A full team of horses in a splendid carriage would take her away to the Lord Conqueror's palace. Would people treat her like a real noblewoman there? If they were going to dress her in finery, wouldn't they have to?

Bellemere took the letter before Nami could. As she opened it, Nami stared at the odd man standing at the door. They hadn't invited him inside yet, after all, and only the most rude would not come inside uninvited. He glanced about their little one-room house though, craning his head back and forth from his vantage before he smiled at something behind them. When she peeked back, she only saw the counter and sink. What was this little toady thinking anyway?

Did he think it was funny they were poor or was the idea of dressing her in a ball gown the same as dressing a pig to him?

She scowled at him, but he seemed oblivious to the glare.

"It looks real," Bellemere said, awed as she offered it reverently to Nami — corners of the page clutched in both hands.

Nami winced, but took the page finally to read handsome lettering.

You have been cordially invited to stay, dine and dance at the Red Palace in Ruskaina's Capital City.

Nami frowned at her little sack.

She had already swiped her necklace from Bellemere. Nami had even dug out the jewelry she hadn't sold yet. Ungrateful was what Bellemere was anyway! They were meant to help at home. Thus, Nami could just wear the lovely pieces at the ball instead and afterward find a place on the road back home to sell them. That would make it next to impossible for Lord Judge to trace them to her anyway.

Still, the unfairness of it stared at her straight in the face in the form of a little wool satchel. Bellemere just didn't understand. Nami was helping them with her scams. Their house was the last one to get plumbing and only a sink at that. The lord's mansion had a bathtub!

It was the rest of what was in the satchel that made her wince.

A handkerchief? A comb?

Usopp — that long-nosed, weird weasel of a man — had told her that she wouldn't need to bring much.

Not that they had much at all! What a joke.

She at least had a change for a chemise. Nami had even stuffed in stockings and garter ribbons along with a clean skirt. They wouldn't be gone long, she had hoped.

If they were going to provide a gown for her, did that mean they would make her a new chemise and even petticoats?

The thought of a silk chemise to own rather than cotton or linen made a silly smile form on her lips. Wouldn't that be something? A poor girl like her with a silk chemise under wool and cotton?

She frowned though. If they let her keep them.

After the ball was over, perhaps, she could borrow a few things from the Lord Conqueror himself.

Nami paused at that thought before she chewed her lip.

Perhaps not.

What she knew of the Lord Conqueror was from the shrines and altars. Either dug deep into the earth to mimic the cave where he battled his enemy or out where no shadows could touch the gathered people. Or a mix of both with the alcove open to the sky. Cocoyashi had only the little altar where the young priest, Chopper — the last priest had died when Nami was an infant — preached about the immortal Lord Conqueror.

None could face him in battle or war. None could harm him. The Lord Conqueror was their salvation and mightiest protector who brought all peoples together under his watch.

For Nami, nothing was inherently bad about any of it, but it seemed silly sometimes to worship someone that they already sent taxes to. What reason should they devote so much to him?

What did he care?

She glanced around the little house. The counter and sink shoved in the corner to make room for a table Bellemere and Nojiko worked long hours on stockings and other such little things to sell for pennies. Their beds, tight and cramped in the other end of the house. He didn't care about them.

And why this lottery?

Why did she have to go the night that the letter came? And Bellemere was practically pushing her out the door!

Nami's eyes narrowed before she scooped up her satchel, stalking for the door where Bellemere and Nojiko were fussing about her going still.

"It won't be long," Bellemere reassured, and Nami blew out hard for a rude sound, but smiled.

Nojiko frowned. "I just don't understand why she has to go at all."

Bellemere nodded sagely as if it didn't concern them and theirs. "It's the Lord Conqueror's will, so we must follow it. If nothing ends, nothing begins. This is her opportunity to see the world, Nojiko."

She would have shook her head if Bellemere hadn't turned to her.

"Are you ready?"

Something punched her in the gut. She stared at her family, and for a brief moment, Nami wanted to dump everything in her satchel back into their little cabinet — to hide her ill-begotten necklaces back in their hiding spots. She didn't have to leave them. Why did no one think this was ridiculous?

Still, this was an opportunity. Just not the one Bellemere thought it was. She could sell off the trinkets Sanji had given her after all with little to no repercussions like it would cause in the village.

This was for them.

Always.

"I'm ready."

Nojiko was the one that hugged her, so tight, but she had smiled. "Don't rob the Lord Conqueror while you're out there."

"Lord Conqueror, no!" Bellemere laughed though, pinching both of their cheeks. "Behave yourself. Maybe you'll learn some manners out there."

"Not likely!"

Nami smiled as she rolled her eyes. What was she so worried about anyway?

But she knew.

Their god was summoning her to his palace.

As Nami stepped out into the yard, she had to pause, blinking at the sight of another young lady in the carriage. She appeared bored as she picked at her nails. Prim, this young woman with flaxen curled hair was dressed in the latest fashions while another young man — dressed in blacks like Usopp murmured into her ear. She appeared uninterested in Nami entirely. Her skirt took over that side of the carriage bench with a collapsing hoop skirt, and the man beside her was careful not to crush it.

Nami had never seen a larger skirt before. Young noblewomen sometimes came to what few balls that Lord Judge held, so Nami had seen some at a distance while she dreamed of joining them if only to swipe some jewels. This skirt dwarfed all others she had seen.

As such, the noblewoman had a much more impressive spread of presence than Nami with only her small rump bustle to make her hips seem larger.

The young woman only glanced at Nami when she entered.

Usopp smiled at her from the step, one foot on it. "Shall we then, Lady Nami?"

"I'm not a lady," she said again, scowling before she looked around him at Bellemere and Nojiko. "I'll be back soon!"

"Stay out of trouble!" Just Nojiko.

"You be on your best behavior in front of the Lord Conqueror! I won't have you coming back a disgrace!"

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Mistress Bellemere! Of course!"

Usopp grinned as he climbed in after her to sit beside her. The door shut, but Nami peered out the window at her little family as the carriage team took a moment to start its travel.

Nami glanced over at the noblewoman who finally seemed to watch her with narrowed, amused eyes.

"When we stop for the night, we can get your measurements ready for the gown patterns. Are there any colors you might like?"

She thought of the ruby necklace, but she said, "Not exactly."

"Please, Master Usopp, she wouldn't know what's fashionable anyway." The woman across from her tittered, pouting at Nami as if she were embarrassed for her. "Don't worry, dear, I'll help you out. It's only natural for one of higher station to aid one of the lower class."

Nami raised a brow. "Really."

The young noblewoman must have thought it a question. "Of course! You're in dire need of help! You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself."

With a smile, Nami said, "I don't think I'll be able to learn that from you."

For a moment, she only stared at her before her gaping eyes grew wider in rage. "You—!"

"My lady," the servant beside her fussed over her. "It's not your place to teach. Leave that to us!"

Usopp nodded. "We're your teachers here."

"Who cares! As if he'd pick you anyway!" The young woman narrowed her perfectly painted eyes before she snorted. "You're just a little tramp from some afterthought village. Or was it a hamlet?"

"Are you so uneducated that you can't tell?"

"Lady Lily!"

"Lady Nami!"

Nami smiled while Usopp and the other manservant attempted damage control while the young woman steamed in her anger. Did they really not plan this? By the Lord Conqueror, why did they think that a commoner and this upstart noblewoman traveling together was a good idea?

So it was that they convinced the young noblewoman — and Nami though she had certainly started nothing — to no longer talk to one another. She had readily agreed as it meant that the ride was quiet.

It was when they arrived at the next town over that they stopped, and Nami could clamber out with a huff. She didn't know whether it was the ride or the cushions that were worse. Either way, she limped a little circle before she felt relieved enough to stretch her back.

She peered around the town, and the idiot made some comment about commoners gaping at larger buildings. But Nami had been here before. It wasn't something new to her in the least.

A nice port town, Orange Town had enough streets to get lost on, not helped by the taller buildings, but it was much too clean for a port. Nami had had to dig deep to find anyone willing to buy unscrupulous jewelry. She knew they were scamming her too — besides, if she was caught, she might face some serious charges. The necklaces were worth far more than what they paid for them. But she couldn't travel much farther than this town.

If she revealed her necklaces now though, would Usopp grow suspicious of her? He must already be wondering what they had been talking about when they had come for her last night.

Nami clutched her satchel closer before she turned to follow Usopp when he bid her over.

They had stopped in front of an inn.

As she came inside, she had to gape around the entryway. The hall was packed with an array of young women around her age with a man or woman dressed in black serving garb.

She stared at the lot before she asked Usopp, "What kind of lottery is this? So many women won it."

Usopp shrugged. "The Lord Conqueror does this every few years, I hear. He likes to talk to the people, you know. He's a benevolent god."

Fidgeting, Nami peeked around the full hall.

"As if he'd pick you anyway!"

Nami tensed as her eyes widened. Just what was this ball?

The night had passed quietly.

When she peeked outside, she realized the extent of her trouble. For she was certainly in trouble now. Guards surrounded the inn. Each alley had two guards posted on either end besides the ones at each exit. Nami had tried to visit an outhouse to spot a way out, but found a privy instead — where a marvelous contraption was explained to her which flushed away everything that went inside. On her way back, she had discovered while eavesdropping that the entire inn had been rented out to the ladies and the Lord Conqueror's servants.

It was clear even to Nami now.

The Lord Conqueror was searching for a bride. His last wife had died decades ago, and he always looked for another before long. Most of this she heard from noblewomen chattering and tittering about in the hallways. Wouldn't they have known more about this though? Nami had certainly not cared to pay any mind to the going-ons of the Lord Conqueror.

He hadn't bothered to care about them after all.

But with all the guards about, what could Nami even do? She wouldn't be able to run back home anyway. They knew where she lived.

She considered finding her contacts in the town, but did she trust any of them? More than likely, one would sell her to the Lord Conqueror rather than keep her safe.

Or perhaps sell her out in general. Even the Lord Conqueror had abolished the selling of commoners into slavery.

Nami didn't feel particularly free at the moment, however.

Outside, the guards switched their posts every hour or so, and when it grew too dark, Nami had to withdraw back to her room.

Usopp waited outside her door.

Nami tried to walk around him. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you whenev—"

"Have you picked out a color at least? I have some samples for you to choose the fabrics for the gowns."

Nami squinted at him, watching the sweat bead on his forehead before she sighed. "Fine. You're just doing your job, I suppose."

"Thanks for your consideration," Usopp said, though she raised a brow at the dryness.

Perhaps he wasn't really that bad.

Usopp came inside with some kind of luggage and pulled out bolt after bolt after bolt of cloth. Her jaw loosened, threatening to drop before she clenched her teeth. The fabrics were gorgeous. She goggled despite her tight jaw. The opal green was a shiny gloss of — what was it? Satin or silk? Nami had no idea.

Dark blue — so dark she had thought it black until it moved under the light — made her reach out to stroke it, only to jump. Velvet! A pearly cream fabric had embroidery in it already, and she reached to poke it gingerly. Roses and tulips and delicate leaves danced in a rainbow of colors. This was what the Lord Conqueror was going to offer to the likes of her? A common, low-class nobody?

When he put a claret violet fabric in the mix, Nami sat in the chair with a huff.

"What is going on!?"

Usopp jumped, gaping. "Uh, Lady Na—"

"I'm not a noblewoman! Stop calling me that!"

"Well, uh, Nami? Mistress Nami. We're making you a ball gown, so if you could just decide on the fabric, the seamsters can get to work on getting it ready. We'll have a dress-maker come by for their draping measurements too. Oh, and we'll get your cage skirt ready so they can have the right measurements." He cleared his throat. "And a new corset, of course."

Nami just blinked. Her own corset was just fine, if maybe old and surely not in any style fit for a lady. She had never dreamed of wearing a hoop skirt except in her musings about becoming Sanji's mistress. He would have paid for gowns. Though her dreams had looked nothing like these fabrics.

Biting her lip, with her eyes still on the vibrant textures, she said, "That's not what I meant. I heard … the ladies said the Lord Conqueror was looking for a wife. I don't want to marry him! It's a lie. Why in the Lord — in his name! would he invite us for a ball?"

As she gazed into his wide eyes, she realized she had stood in her furor. Nothing about this situation made sense in the least. She was going to get an answer. She would shake it out of him!

Usopp seemed to sense that.

His hands went up. "It's just a lottery, I swear! He's done it every few years. I even looked it up myself!"

Narrowing her eyes, Nami stepped closer, and he gulped.

"Every few years?"

"I — I mean, the last one was — yanno, twenty somethin' years ago? Twenty-two? Twenty-five? And it was another thirty or something years before that too!"

She leaned in close enough to smell the scent of his sweat running down his face. Finally, her nose twitched, and she straightened.

"Fine. I believe you."

"I uh, La — Mistress Nami?" He coughed when she directed her gaze back at him. Usopp squeaked, "The fabric?"

Nami sniffed, but she glanced at the selection. "What else is there?"

The swatches he pulled out next were smaller, but she picked out a pretty light blue from a swatch, and the shimmering pearl gray. While the other colors were beautiful, they were also so flashy that she figured the Lord Conqueror would spot her more easily. She already had to contend with her orange hair. If she could avoid him instead …

"Now I have these fashion plates for you to peruse. Let me know which gowns pique your fancy."

She pouted, but her eyes darted to the fashion plates on the desk. Beautiful ladies in gossamer and silk gowns taunted her.

"And what if I don't want to look my best?"

Usopp's face fell. "You don't want a pretty gown for the ball?"

Squinting at him, Nami considered. Something still didn't seem right here after all. He could state dates all he liked. That didn't change the feeling in her gut.

"Suffice it to say I don't want to stand out."

"You have nothing to worry about," Usopp said as he packed away the fabrics. "There's so many of you pretty women, you'll just be another face in the crowd."

She raised a brow. "You're not very good at flattering women." Or hiding what it's all about.

"Uh. Oh. Sorry. I'm just saying there's so many women coming to the ball. I mean if you still don't believe me, and you don't want to marry him, it should show at least. Besides, when it's all over, these gowns will all belong to you."

Nami jolted upright. "What?"

"What are we going to do with them? They're only going to fit you anyway. I suppose you could have them resized for someone else, but the Lord Conqueror certainly wouldn't want to keep them. Besides, this decade of fashion has such huge skirts! When the fashion changes, there'll be so much fabric to work with for the new fashions when it comes around. You would make a mint, right?"

Smile forming, Nami settled back in the chair, staring at the packed fabrics as he headed for the door.

"Just tell me which fashion plates you like best. The seamsters will do the rest."

"Right …"

What were the odds anyway? She was going home after all these silly balls, and afterward she could sell every stitch. He was right, they would pay a pretty penny for fabric this rich. Nami would just have to make sure she had the right paperwork from the Lord Conqueror's staff or else she would have the same problems that she did with the jewelry.

When the door clicked behind Usopp, she fetched the jewels from her satchel and frowned. None of them would match the colors she had chosen. And in actuality, the idea of wearing them would draw attention she didn't want.

She grinned.

Why worry about the Lord Conqueror? He would be charmed by all the noblewomen twirling in their sparkling gowns while she danced out of his life with fine gowns to sell.