From her seat on the cushioned sofa in front of the hearth, barely able to fit comfortably due to her unusual height, Yuna looked up at the sound of steady footsteps. A familiar gait, and someone they'd both been anticipating since the alert that a hostile ship had been approaching their eastern coast only hours previously. She looked to her father expectantly, whose eyes held a deep worry that she'd come to expect in the past several months. They closed briefly, as if preparing himself for terrible news.
Captain of the Seiiki Kingdom's Navy, Daigon, appeared from the hallway outside. The older seaman was still dressed in his leather armor, sweat- and blood-stained, carrying the signature smell of salt that seemed to follow him wherever he went, no matter how much time he spent away from his ship. Upon seeing the father and daughter in the room, his arm rose in a salute. But it looked stiff. Forced, even. His weathered face took on a grim expression, but he tried his best to keep his composure. Yuna's eyes honed in on the bandage wrapped around his arm, and frowned severely.
"You're injured."
His eyes widened, but he shifted his arm closer to his body so as to hide the evidence. "It is nothing serious-"
She held out her hand, beckoning him closer with her long arm. "Then you should have no issue allowing me to heal you from it."
"Princess-"
"I'll order you if I must."
His pinched expression became even tighter, and he dutifully stepped forward when the king input no disagreement, unwrapping the crude cloth that covered the wound where the leather did not protect. The 12-foot tall young woman leaned down and took a closer look at the cut on his arm. It was small, as he'd said, but still bled evenly. With a gentle touch, she placed her hand against his exposed skin and watched as the tips of her fingers began to glow a gentle white.512Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6i5CCmN6W
The mark slowly closed, before fading entirely, and the Captain's skin was once again unblemished. Yuna sat back against the couch, careful to keep her face schooled in a neutral expression, ignoring the stinging sensation of pain that accompanied the use of her power.
"You are too kind, Princess." He said in a mutter, guilt still evident in his expression. The King cleared his throat, drawing attention away from his daughter.
"I can see it in your face, Captain, that you wish you had better news to give me." Yuna's wearied father gestured patiently, already lowering his shoulders for whatever the man may have to say. "Spare this old man the pleasantries, and tell me your report."
"The slavers were successfully repelled, however, we lost...Hanto and Botan, 2 of my veterans." The navy captain said with a regretful bow of his head.
"My deepest condolences to you, Daigon." Came her father's rumbled reply, aware that Daigon took every lost life in his command as a burden on his shoulders, a wound to the heart that even Yuna could not help heal. "Please see to it that the families are notified, and should they require anything, they may see me directly."
"Of course." He replied, but still did not move. He dared to raise his head and face his monarch directly. "Your Majesty...I should apologize for being blunt but it needs to be said. We can't continue on at the rate we are. The past week alone has seen a loss of 6 men, with 17 more sustaining serious injuries. The raids are coming more frequently, and their arsenals increase each time. I'm afraid we'll be outmanned and outgunned in a matter of weeks."
"So many? And you didn't come to me? Let me see to your injured." Yuna said immediately, but Daigon turned to her with a serious expression.
"Please understand...My men have refused to see you, as they would feel shame relying on the Princess in such a way."
"But-"
"Yuna," her father interjected, shaking his head slowly, "let it go. You cannot heal every wound this country sustains. Do not forget your ability has limits."
Chastised, the seafoam-haired woman closed her mouth resolutely, arms crossed in frustration. She loathed being able to do something but having to restrain herself for the sake of her own health.
"People are growing nervous, the former slaves especially." Daigon continued, head lowering sadly. "Many fear a day when these naval raids become ground assaults, myself included. We've seen evidence that several slaver groups have cooperated together, or at least shared intelligence about our numbers and tactics.
"I know your opinion on the matter, but..." Daigon looked at the King again. "We may have to consider conscription, Your Majesty."
A heavy sigh escaped her father, and Yuna winced as he reached up to take off his glasses, wiping them against his fur-trimmed cloak with a fatigue she tried harder and harder to ignore each day. The thought that her father was no longer a spry king in his prime was sobering. But now into his 60's, the signs of his age were more noticeable. The gray in his hair had overtaken the brown, and wrinkles had taken up residence under his eyes and on his forehead.
"We've gone so long without forcing the people into service. I have no desire to see them put their lives in danger again after enduring so much before their liberation." He said with a heavy heart, finally settling his glasses back into place. "'Seiiki.' Sanctuary. That is what we offer them, a place where they no longer have to expect hardship."
Daigon nodded slowly. Seiiki Kingdom was a place of freedom for those unfortunate souls who had experienced lives of hardship and brutality. Many slaves around the world sought to reach their shores, the promise of peace and happiness too great to ignore. And on rare occasions, even the Revolutionary Army had brought those they'd freed from the Celestial Dragons' clutches to them, knowing that the King would treat them fairly.
However, being a well-known hot-spot for former slaves, those in the business of profiting from their capture and sale saw Seiiki as prime hunting territory. Their reputation, in this case, was a hinderance to their ability to protect those who sought freedom.
They'd managed thus far to keep the slavers at bay, but each attack chipped away at their navy, picking off their men in ones and twos. Over time, a relatively small country like them would begin to buckle under the consistent losses.
Her father was unwilling to compromise on his people's freedom, even in times as desperate as this. If he had one flaw as a leader, Yuna supposed this would be it. Before, they'd always been able to seek other solutions to their problems, and so far have come out alright for it. However, in this circumstance, he was stumped as to what to do.
Yuna closed her eyes, having been formulating an idea for the past few weeks that she knew he would be wholly opposed to. She was his daughter, so she knew he would not accept what she had to say. However, she was tired of seeing him worry. She was tired of watching her people grow more afraid as each week their navy was attacked and weakened. And she believed this path offered them a chance to avoid the dreaded conscription. The Princess steeled her resolve and looked at the two men with a practiced calm.
"Father," his eyes drew to her, "there may be another way we can secure protection for the country, without having to force military service. We wouldn't have to sacrifice their safety in any way. I will accept it as my responsibility."
"Princess..." Daigon caught on after a moment, stiffening further where he stood.
The king frowned, before understanding soon followed by denial overtook his expression. "No. I will not subject you to such a fate. Your mother would not have wanted it for you either."
"We may not have another choice." She stated, eyes closing in acceptance. "Their safety is our priority, always, and if I should have to put my pride aside to ensure that, I will do so."
"It's not a matter of pride, Yuna, it's..." The King let out a breath, head shaking. "You are my daughter, and I could never condone taking away such an important choice from you. Who you marry should be decided out of love, not political necessity. What's more, there are many things to consider in a political marriage like this. Whether our nation retains it's independence is one thing. There are surely to be other stipulations they will demand. It's also extremely unlikely anyone would accept an offer of marriage from a bride with your extreme height-"
The King's words cut off, realizing how his words came across a moment too late to take them back. Yuna smiled sadly, masking the slight sting. She stamped down the feelings of being undesirable as he stuttered out an apology.
"I'm...sorry. I didn't mean it in such a way-"
"I know, Father."
A short pause permeated the room, and the King seemed to realize that his Naval Captain was still there with them. He cleared his throat, giving his man a small decline of his head. "Daigon, I believe the rest of this conversation should be kept between my daughter and I. Was there anything else you needed to report?"
"No, Your Majesty. I'll take my leave." He said with a respectful bow to them both, quickly turning in place and leaving the two royals alone again. The large wooden doors shut behind him, blocking anyone from overhearing their conversation.
For a time, they simply sat together in silence. The crackling of the fire in the hearth kept the atmosphere cozy, but she could feel an apprehension had settled on his shoulders in addition to his typical worry.
Her father sighed again, clasping his hands together. "Yuna...I can't allow this."
"No, you can allow it, but you won't. Which is completely unreasonable." She responded with a crossing of her arms. "We need to do something. Anything at all should be on the table right now. You heard Daigon, our people are desperate and afraid, and nothing is getting better. This isn't some wiling idea I've just come up with. This is something I've considered for several weeks now. I understand what it would mean if I go through with it."
"Are you sure you do? You will be whisked away to an unknown land. You will not be able to have a choice in who you spend the rest of your life with, something your mother and I always wanted you and your brothers to retain, no matter what."
"I know all of that."
"Then you understand why I do not agree with this decision."
"All the more reason why we need to consider it." She replied cooly, not backing down in the slightest. "I am the eldest of the children, it's expected I would marry first. In fact, I'm past the typical age of marriage already. If I haven't found a husband within my own country by now, I don't believe I ever will. This may be my only chance of finding someone at all."
"Yuna-"
"Father." She interrupted, leaning over the gap between the couches and grasping her father's much smaller hands in her own. "I've long accepted that my own freedoms may be sacrificed for the good of the people. And if this ensures that they never have to fear becoming a slave again, I will do it. Nor will I resent you for needing me to."
For a moment, his eyes lingered down to her long-sleeve covered arm. Her attire covered from just under her chin to the very edge of her palm, skin completely hidden away by the modest dress. He slipped one of his hands from between hers and laid it on her sleeve gently. "You take on too much in the sake of duty."
"Then I am certainly my father's daughter." She replied, a pleased smile settling on her lips as her met her gaze.
He matched the expression with a somber one of his own, acknowledging that his own passion for giving everything he could had been passed down to her. With a few pats on her large wrist, he gave a slow nod. "I make no promise to go through with your idea...but I will at the very least consider it."
Two weeks had passed since her conversation with her father. The waiting, wondering if he would actually enact it, made her itch. She didn't bother asking if he had made a decision yet, knowing that persistent questioning would decrease his willingness to pursue it.
But the longer they waited, the worse the situation would become. Merchant and trading vessels were also being targeted, beginning to take a toll on on their export profits. Slavers still regularly attacked their coast, the Navy never getting a moment's respite, for fear of missing one ship and having their citizens terrorized. She could see it in the seamen's faces, the constant worry, the pressure on their backs to protect the country raising as the odds stacked higher and higher against them.
One particularly bad incident saw Yuna down at the docks, where a merchant ship had managed to smuggle away a dozen or so liberated slaves. Slavers had attacked the vessel without mercy, knowing Seiiki's methods of hiding former slaves as inconspicuously as possible. The ship was in a bad state as it limped into the harbor, taking on water in it's lower decks. They'd had to resort to dragging in the ship for the last several hundred feet, keeping it afloat with a smattering of pulleys and ropes from their own escorting galleons.
Dressed in her modest long-sleeved gown, she hunched a ways back from where the navy were assisting the terrified slaves off of the merchant's ship, directing them to sit upon the various barrels and boxes that lined the wooden dock. She was careful to remain behind one of the buildings, not wanting to scare any of them with her imposing presence. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd made a person or two faint from shock. Their faces white from residual fear, no doubt the experience had shaken them, and there was no need to add to that until they were calmed.
The merchant spoke with Daigon for a moment, before shaking hands and boarding his damaged ship once more. The shipwrights would see to the repairs.
Daigon turned and addressed the slaves. "I'm sorry your arrival here was not a peaceful one, but rest assured, you are safe now. Welcome to Seiiki Kingdom."
"Sanctuary..." She heard several of the slaves mutter under their breaths. She smiled, always enjoying the moment of joy and relief that overcame their faces when they realized that they were finally in the clear.
After a short explanation of what this place was, and slowly easing them into a much less stressed state, he gestured to Yuna. She rose from her crouch behind one of the wooden dock buildings and began making her way towards the group.
"Princess Yuna of the Onegama royal family. She is here to assist with your injuries." He introduced with a bow, and all of the former slaves turned to regard her. Most couldn't contain their gasps of surprise, having to crane their necks upwards at the exceedingly tall princess. She smiled patiently, before kneeling on the wood of the dock so as not to come across as imposing as she knew she could be.
"I welcome you all to our island." She began, hands pressed together. "You will all be given food and shelter soon enough. We have plenty for all of you, so don't worry about having too much. And as Daigon explained, this is a sanctuary. Many of our people are former slaves like yourselves. You will be treated as an equal."
"Thank you..." A few of them sobbed, tears now streaking down their faces. The thought of peace and being considered equal was too much for them to contain.
"Before we send you on your way, I can heal you of your injuries with my devil fruit. Please come forward, one at a time."
They naturally formed a line in front of the large princess, several having sustained injuries in the final few leagues of their journey. The first, a broad-shouldered man with sandy-colored hair, looked up at her tiredly.
"I was lucky enough to not be harmed, Princess. There's no need to heal me." He said with a bow of his head, but she simply shook her head.
"Lend me your hand?" She asked, and he held out his limb as requested. She pulled back the sleeve of his tattered shirt, revealing many old marks. Scars, half-healed lesions and welts where the end of a whip had connected. The man winced at the sight, but she gave him a smile. "Fresh or scarred, it doesn't matter. I can heal them all."
His eyes widened just a fraction, before her fingers touched against the marred skin and began to glow. Before his eyes the signs of his past injuries began to fade. The darkened scar tissue lightened, the jaggedness smoothing and shrinking, until his flesh was left unmarked and free of past damage.
Yuna closed her eyes to hide the searing pain, and heard him gasp out an amazed breath. Behind him, several of the slaves did the same, no doubt watching with wonder as he was healed. When she opened them, the man's tearful eyes were staring up at her. His hand came to rest upon her own in a tight grip.
"Thank you...to be free of those marks is...I can only say thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
"Live here in peace, and forget the pain you have suffered." She told him, keeping her voice carefully neutral. With a squeeze of her hand, he gave a few stuttered nods, before stepping past her to join the guards that were waiting behind her to take them to their temporary shelter.
The former slaves behind him looked much more eager to approach her now, and one by one she freed them from the last reminders of their previous captivity. Each healing left her more fatigued, and only her strength of will kept her expression from displaying the pain she was in. Keeping the visible shaking from her own body was a much harder task, but seeing the truly liberated expressions of these people made it all worth it.
After healing the last person, who threw their arms around her arm in a tight hug to show their gratitude, Yuna stood-thankful that her long dress skirts hid the shaking of her legs-and gave them a smile.
"I hope Seiiki can provide you all with a long, fulfilling life. Please follow the guards, and they will take you to your temporary housing until we can find you a more permanent place to stay."
A smattering of 'Thank you's' and 'Princess' were directed her way, and before long the slaves had all been escorted towards the housing block for new arrivals. Yuna finally let out a shaky breath, wobbling a little on her feet and trying her best to dampen the intense stinging sensation throughout her body.
"Princess, you did too much." Daigon said with a severe frown. "Return to the castle so the nurses can take a look at you."
"I'll be quite alright, but thank you for your concern. I know my own limits." She said, steadying herself and ignoring the frustrated expression on the Captain's face. To soften his irritation, she gave him a playful smile. "I already have one father prone to worrying over everything I do, Daigon. I don't need a second."
"Tch, I have to disagree." He ended, before turning to his men. "Get the ships prepared for the next patrol. We don't have time to stand around relaxing. Hop to it!"
The raiders had managed to make it to shore, for the first time in Seiiki's long history.
The news shook the ruling family, King Kuzo most of all. Though softened by the fact that no one had been taken thanks to the swift actions of their ground-standing army, it was still a stark warning sign that could not be ignored. The threat was growing, and their strength was not rising to match it.
The King had secluded himself to his chambers for the past week after the incident, requesting solitude so he could figure out his next step. Yuna and her brothers, Denji and Genji, wondered what their father would do to ease the citizens' growing anxiety. The general feeling was that having broken through their navy once, the raiders would put bolstered effort into doing it again.
"We aren't a poverty-stricken country, perhaps we can simply hire out a mercenary group to bolster our forces." Denji suggested with a shrug. The chestnut-haired middle brother stabbed through one of the vegetables on his plate before bringing it to his mouth.
Dinner had been served in the large dining room, one of the only rooms in the castle that Yuna could comfortably stand straight in with it's high ceilings. The siblings were gathered around the long table, once again without their father in attendance.
"He is concerned they would do more harm than good in the long run." Yuna replied, a large bowl of various fruit set before the table that she knelt at. Her stature prevented her from comfortably sitting on the chairs at the average person-sized table. But after years of doing so, she no longer found it strange. "We've already made the suggestion to him, but he's refused it before."
"Then...we increase the weapons and armor output at the factory, or even convert some of the caramel factories to weapons production." Denji threw out there.
Genji, the youngest and least outgoing of the three siblings, gave a small sigh. He swiped a hand through his dark green hair. "More weapons aren't going to help if we don't have enough people to wield them. Manpower is the real issue."
"I don't see why father doesn't just instate the conscription. We could fill the missing numbers in a matter of a few weeks."
"You know why." Yuna gave him a glare. "They've already been forced into captivity and slavery before they came here. He won't force them into military service, too. It goes against what this country stands for-"
"We won't be a country for long if we do nothing." Denji bit back in frustration.
Their age-old argument was no closer to being resolved now than it ever had been. They went silent, then, realizing that continuing this conversation in that direction would only lead to unresolvable anger.
Yuna bit her tongue, wondering if she should bring up her idea of marriage to her brothers. She'd kept it between her father and herself for the moment, unsure of what her brothers would think of it. Until there was a real possibility of it working, she didn't want to jump the gun and cause more issues.
Truly, she honestly wasn't sure what they thought of her to a certain extent. They may hold some care for her, but being as unusually sized as she was, how far did that fondness run? Did they see her as the expendable sibling, or-
Just when she'd nearly convinced herself to speak up, the door to the dining room opened, and their father walked in. His tired eyes took in his three children. Clutched in his hand was a letter, already opened and presumably read.
"Father, you decided to join us." Denji said with a relieved smile. They'd all worried after him for the past week, and seeing him out and about now relieved some of their concerns. "The chefs prepared a delicious roast. You'd love it, so have a plate."
"I'm sure I would, but there is pressing business that I must discuss with all three of you." He stated seriously, drawing the rest of their attention if he hadn't already. He paced over to stand across the table from where Yuna was knelt. With a glance between all three of his children, he let out a weary sigh.
"You all know that I love you dearly and equally." He began, causing the princes and princess to exchange confused glances. "I would never purposefully put anything above the three of you, if I had a choice in the matter. But in this circumstance, I find that we have no other feasible options. Given the escalation of the attacks on our country, and considering that this came from your sister herself..."
With that, he turned to look at Yuna, holding up the letter in his hands. "Several weeks ago, Yuna came to me with a willingness to accept an arranged political marriage in exchange for protection from another country-"
"Marriage!?" Denji and Genji cried out in shock, gazes swinging over to look at their taller and older sister, who nodded slowly.
"Yuna, you can't do this." Genji said. Caught off guard by her Father's admission to her plan, she decided that there was definitely no use in hiding it now.
"Why not? None of us can see any other way to keep the people safe, but this won't require great sacrifice."
"Yes it does!" Denji exclaimed, arms coming up to display his outrage. "You think we would just sit back and watch our sister throw away her chance at marrying someone she actually loves? How is that not a sacrifice? You're going to spend the rest of your life with this person, and there's a good chance neither of you will ever love each other."
Their persistence in trying to change her mind warmed her heart, but she could not back down now. In her mind, this was the best solution to the growing problem. The princess crossed her arms. "It's a freedom I am ok with relinquishing. Better that than forcing conscription on our people."
"It's too much."
"Not from my perspective."
"Why didn't you tell us about this before?" Genji followed up, looking pained as he met her eyes. "You said this was several weeks ago?"
"I had a feeling you would react just like this, and it wasn't set in stone at the time anyway." She admitted, rubbing at her sleeve-covered arms. "I am serious, you know. Like Father said, this was my idea."
Denji scowled, pushing his chair back and standing to regard them. "It doesn't matter whose idea it was, I don't agree with it."
"Neither do I." Genji stood from his seat as well in an unusual display of outgoingness, both brothers facing their father with determined looks. "There has to be another way we can solve this."
"Unfortunately," their father interrupted with a clearing of his throat, waving the letter in his hand as a reminder, "whether you agree or not matters little at this point. I have received a reply from Totto Land, the territory ruled by the Yonko, Big Mom. They have already agreed to offer their protection in exchange for Yuna accepting a marriage to one of their sons."
Yuna's eyes widened alongside her brothers, not having expected such a swift reply. What's more, she hadn't even realize her father had gone forth with the idea. He hadn't said anything to her about writing the letters. A nervousness settled into her chest, having expected more time to truly get used to the idea of marrying someone she knew nothing about before it actually happened.
Not only that, but the fact that such a large and powerful country had given a small one such as them the time of day was a staggering revelation as well. Totto Land was well-known and feared for the ferocity of their fighting force. Yuna couldn't recall the details on the country's political structure or much else other than their feared reputation. With the goal being to stave off slavers, she supposed Totto Land was the best ally they could have asked for, given the circumstances.
"Father, you can't actually be thinking about going through with this." The youngest prince prompted. When he received no other reply than a pitying look, he shook his head. "She already gives too much of herself for the sake of this country. She cannot be expected to do any more."
"That is for me to decide." She huffed, though both brothers were now focused entirely on their father.
"Do they know about her...unusual height?" Denji asked, glancing her way at the mention of the touchy subject. Since she was a child and first showed signs of being abnormally sized, they'd been careful about bringing up the topic of her height.
"They do." The King nodded. "From their reply, it actually sounds like they are more inclined to agree to this arrangement because she is so uniquely tall. Of course, a monthly supply of a portion of our caramel exports may also have something to do with it."
"Who have they arranged for her to marry?" Genji questioned then, since that tidbit of information was definitely important.
The King referred back to the letter in his hand. "The 2nd son of Big Mom, Charlotte Katakuri. He is one of their military Commanders, and a minister of Komugi Island."
None of the siblings had an idea of who that might be, but her future husband's accolades made her swallow. With no idea of what he looked like or what sort of person he may be, Yuna was already intimidated.
But this had been her idea, and she'd resigned herself to whatever might happen after agreeing to following through with it. For the good of her country. For the good of her people. Yuna would accept this marriage, like it or not.
"The matter is settled. They have already accepted, and Yuna has agreed to go through with it. It is not the solution I prefer, but it is a solution, and as you all are aware, we have a duty to this country to keep these people safe. If this accomplishes that, then Yuna's efforts won't be for naught."
Denji and Genji could not come up with anything further to say, perhaps too stunned to voice further concerns. The King looked up at Yuna reaching out to take a hold of her hand. She wrapped her fingers around his hand, accepting the comfort he sought to provide her with.
Her future from here forward would be incredibly uncertain, but Yuna trampled down the ache in her chest at the thought that things weren't going to be as easy as she was hoping them to be.
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