Title: Patience
Author: kawaiichiisaikitsune (pirate-kiari)
Rating: K+
Pairings: LuffyxNami, NojikoxOC (may be more later on)
Summary: 'Balls weren't really what everyone said them to be. At least, to this young girl it weren't.' A story about a royal family, a farmer boy, a series of balls/dances, and everything between. AU, LuNa
Kiari-san is sorry for the delay in her chapter, but she doesn't have any excuses. She wishes she did though, but she could've been able to make this chapter sooner. She just put it off for later though. And now Kiari-san feels bad and hopes you all don't hate her. She's just a lazy teenager. But as of now she's putting of important homework to make this chapter so.. huzzah! Anyhow, Kiari-san should stop blabbering and get on with it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer- Kiari-san own nothing but the clothes on her back and the smile on her face.
Extra- Revised Version!
Patience
-Chapter Three: Back to the Castle-
Princess Nami gazed at her work in adoration. The colors were bright, the lighting was soft, and the shadows brought out the dark. It wouldn't have mattered if one liked it or not, because she did. And if Princess Nami liked it, one had to also appreciate it.
The carrot-topped princess wiped her face of dribbling sweat with a paint stained hand, for the sun shining through the open window had been beating upon her mercilessly. She hadn't noticed, however, because she was too absorbed in her work. Gently setting her palette and paint brush upon the oak table, she stepped to the window and drew the tattered curtains. The room darkened quickly with this action and she was temporarily blind from the loss of light.
"Stay for dinner will you?" Ace questioned as he rounded the corner of the hall and went straight to the kitchen section.
"I shouldn't," Nami protested, "If the guards were searching for me earlier that must mean my sister must be worried. I should probably go back to the castle."
"It's entirely up to you," the farmer smiled, slightly wrinkling the freckles sitting upon his cheeks.
"On the other hand," she began, most likely to herself as she continued in a mutter. After slow ticking seconds, Nami sat herself at the table with a small smile. "Perhaps I will stay. I am hungry and the walk home won't make it any better."
Ace said nothing, but nodded his head and began cooking a simple meal. He boiled some rice and fried it along with chopped vegetables and he cooked large helpings of meat. And not a minute too soon, Luffy came bounding through the hall and pounced upon a table chair. He was too preoccupied with drooling and dreaming of the food to notice the girl, in his shirt, sitting at the front of the table.
Nami, of course, could not miss the lad. He was still dressed in the attire he was working in earlier except that his sandals had been abandoned and his straw hat was hanging around his neck instead of upon his head. The carrot-topped girl gulped slightly. Why were there butterflies flittering about in her stomach?
The older boy finished with his cooking and set out the plates for everyone. Luffy dug in automatically while the other two ate quietly and reserved. Once dinner was complete Luffy was properly introduce to Princess Nami.
"Wow! You're a princess? Awesome!" the farmer boy exclaimed childishly.
The princess nodded uncertainly. "But-but I should really get back to the castle. It's getting dark. Nojiko must be worried sick," she said, half to herself as she started to pack up her painting supplies. She placed the closed paints and her sketch pad back into the bag. She set her painting upon the table and then went to wash off her used supplies.
Luffy pouted childishly as he watched her. He didn't want her to go yet. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. But, alas, she was already ready to start off.
"Thank you for dinner," Nami bowed very slightly to the farmer boys, then turned and started down the path she came earlier. Just before the village she stopped and threw her tattered cloak around her, and then she carried on. The princess was halfway through when she realized something. She had forgotten to put back on her dress and was still in Luffy's oversized shirt.
Nami growled angrily to herself. How could she forget to change her clothing! It was too late to go back though. She'd just have to deal with it, somehow. She sighed. Nojiko was going to freak.
After many long, boring minutes, the princess had made it to the front entrance of the castle. Stealthily, she walked around the huge castle and stopped at the large garden gate. The tall, metal gate was always locked. However, being the princess, she had the key. The princess grabbed her bag from her side and rummaged through it, looking for that silver key. Eventually she gave up, not being able to find it, and looked around her for any guards. Seeing no one around she began climbing up.
She placed a small foot in between two of the bars and held tight onto both of them. Nami pulled herself up and did her best to grab the bar with her foot, as to not slide down. After a while of climbing and pulling up she made it to the top where she threw her leg over and proceeded to jump off. She looked down below as she fell from a height that seemed to be over six feet. Her cloak and shirt flared up as she pushed them down with one hand and held her painting items with her other arm.
She landed delicately, crouched with her head fallen between her shoulders. The princess stood up and made a quick getaway, glancing over her shoulder cautiously every now and again. Her eyes suddenly widened in horror at seeing a guard running after her. She whipped her head back around, making her bright orange hair follow the movements.
"Intruder! Intruder! Pass the garden gate! Toward the back door!" Nami heard the guard yell. She could feel her heart pounding faster; faster and harder. She felt as though her heart would push its way out her chest at any moment. Her feet moved faster as she willed herself to keep going without stop. Then she stopped. Dark brown eyes widened in confusion as she suddenly pondered on why she was running. It was her castle; she lived here--so then why was she running? It's not like they'd think she was an imposter or that they'd try to attack her, right? She'd rather not stay around and find out.
The artist sprinted in the direction of the back door, all the while searching through her pack for that key. Upon finding it she smiled toothily and slowed down when she got there. Nami jammed the key in and turned it until she heard a click. Then she opened the door, preparing to whiz by everyone. To her surprise, there was no one in that room. She took one last look from over her shoulder and saw how far behind the armored men were.
Sneakily, she walked through the rooms without being noticed. Up the stairs and into her sanctuary she carried herself. Heaving a long sigh, the tired princess shut the door and placed her canvas holder by the window with the new painting situated on it. Her tattered brown cloak was hung in the nearby closet and her painting utensils were place in a drawer until she was able to put them in their proper place.
Nami pulled the oversized shirt off her thin body and rummaged her closet a bit before pulling out a dress, to which she put on. The dress was of an orange-red color and cascaded down her long legs in graceful weaves of silk. The neck dipped low and exposed pale flesh of her chest and the sleeves cut off around her elbows and hung in strips of silk from there. She kept on her pale red sandals that had a slight bit of heel and fastened a couple golden necklaces around her thin neck. Then the princess quickly brushed out her short hair and pulled it back in a ruby clip, leaving shorter strands to fall in her face.
The carrot-topped princess grinned approvingly at her mirror reflection and exited her room, locking it behind her for safe measures. With the poise of a domestic feline she carried herself down the marble staircase and into the throne room where she expected to find her sister and brother-in-law.
They were there. Nojiko sat in her throne, her blue hair in a slight wreck and thin bags under her eyes. A green-haired boy sat on her lap, idly playing with the tassels of his step-mother's gown as she told him a story. And not far from them was a pacing King. His thick red robe flipping around every time he made a sharp turn.
The queen stopped her story a second to look up at her husband. "Please, will you stop pacing," she pleaded softly, "You're giving me a headache."
King Niwa stopped and wandered over to his queen. He gently stroked her cheek lovingly. "I'm sorry," he replied softly and placed a quick chaste kiss against her lips. Then he went to sit down at his throne.
"Continue the story, mama, please?" begged the young boy, gazing up at his mother with pleading emerald eyes.
She laughed warmly, petting her son's hair affectionately. "Yes, yes, forgive me for stopping," she thought a second to herself as she remembered where she had left off, "Let's see then. Have we gotten to princess's ball yet?"
The small prince furiously shook his head, receiving grins from his parents.
"Well then, there was planned to be a ball that evening, but the princess didn't want it to come. You see, she hated balls with all her heart and tried not to attend any when she could. But she was not able to squirm her way out of this one. Her parents had forced her. She had to decide on a king for herself, otherwise chaos would brew. At least, her parents believed so.
"'But I don't want to, father,' the princess argued, 'I am still too young for marriage and there's no one suitable around here!'
"'Then we'll just have to find you one suitable from another country,' the King concluded and left her alone.
"That afternoon the princess decided to run away. She packed various things into her bag and sneakily jumped out the window of her room on the second story. It wasn't a hard fall, for bushes were there to catch her. And they always did.
"And then she ran. She didn't know where she was going or anything of that sort. She just ran where her legs took her. She passed out of the nearest town and came across a small farm. She decided it a good idea to stay there for the time being. So the princess knocked at their door and was greeted by a handsome young fellow.
"'Princess?' he questioned her, but the princess had an excuse hidden up her sleeve.
"'No, no, I'm not the princess, but I am confused for her often. I need your help. Could I perhaps stay in your hut until they stop searching for me? I did nothing wrong, nothing at all, but they're after something that I have in my possession. Please, say you'll help me,' she lied, and the fellow believed her story.
"He let her into his cozy little hut and there she stayed for hours, talking lively with her host.
"Now, we'll finish the story later," Nojiko stroked her son's hair and smiled warmly, "But now, it is bedtime."
"But mama!" whined the small prince.
"No buts son," King Niwa interfered, standing from his throne, "Now, I'll take you to bed." And with that he picked up his son and playfully threw him over one shoulder. The prince laughed and tried squirming out of his father's grasp. It didn't work.
All the while, Princess Nami had been watching them from the doorway. Once her brother-in-law passed her with a nod of acknowledgement she entered the throne room. She walked over to her sister and sat at the throne next to her.
"Where have you been?" the blue-haired queen asked calmly.
"Sorry," Nami smirked at the wall opposite her, "I wanted to be on my own a while so I went into town. Sorry I didn't consult anyone first, but I wouldn't have expected you to send out the guards to find me."
Nojiko was quiet a second. Then, suddenly, she began laughing.
The princess turned to her in confusion. Why was she laughing? What in the world was so funny? "Nojiko," she started with a stern voice, "What is ever so funny?"
"Excuse me," the queen giggled, wiping a small tear from her eye. Soon enough she settled herself and began her explanation, "I was just thinking. Thinking of old times when we were little. You always used to run away from the castle and we'd always find you somewhere around the village nearby. You're still so childish Nami." Nojiko shook her head lightly; "Now I'd suggest we'd get to bed as well. The preparations for the next ball tomorrow will be a bit tiring and we'd best get all the sleep we can. Good-night sister. Sleep well." And with that she stood and started out of the throne room.
Nami, however, stayed behind a while. By the time she got to bed she was exhausted. Her day had been rather exciting and tiring. And now all she wanted to do was sleep.
So she dressed in her silken pajamas and hopped into her four-post canopy bed. When her head hit the feather pillow she was fast asleep, dreaming of times when her sister and her were but young children.
-TBC-
Man, Kiari-san was so brain dead this chapter that she had to ask her sister's help for some trouble spots. Her sister is such a helping soul.. sometimes. Anyhow, she hopes you enjoyed this chapter and she'll get the next one up when she can.
--Review Replies--
-Prologue-
star pana- Thank you.
-Chapter One-
star pana- Thank you again.
-Chapter Two-
star pana- Thank you again, again.
Invader Hog- Yes, Kiari-san also like the part about Nami needing a shirt. But really, who would want to walk around in wet clothes? Kiari-san certainly wouldn't.
tori007otaku- Yay! Kiari-san glad you happy. Ooo, sound like fun, week in FLA. She wishes she could've come.
Cleora3- Thank you. You don't know Ace? Boy, you're missing out. He's awesome and hot and always shirtless. -drool- You really need to learn more. You'll love him just like Kiari-san and her sister!
Big R- Thank you.
Kiari-san thanks all for reviewing. She's so happy. -happy tears- Flames are ignored, constructive criticism is highly appreciated, and praise is great for Kiari-san's ego.