Her own prince

General Hunt ran through the empty ballroom and found the Queen looking out the large castle windows with a worried look. She was beautiful as always, fair complexion, long blonde hair, her crimson gown exquisite, although the effects of the war were definitely having an affect of her. Her first advisor Chaucy, a dapper thin wisp of a man, was next to her whispering something urgent. The two spotted the Generals approach and acknowledged his bow accordingly.

The Queen pulled her wavy blonde locks, a little more out of her face as she regarded the man and steeled herself for what she feared she was going to learn.

“General…how bad is it?”

“Your Majesty, I don’t think our defenses will last till sundown. The casualties have been too great and I fear we may have a spy in our ranks. No ones luck could possibly be as good as theirs. Every move we make is perfectly countered.”

Chaucys eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak a sudden idea. The Queen raised her hand to silence him. If the general used that weapon there wouldn’t be a kingdom left to protect. This war, it was essentially a neighboring country aiming to take over and assimilate the population, sharing their resources. They wouldn’t hurt the land or the people. The only ones that would die were the royal family. The symbol of the old leadership.

“When will the Castle be breached?” The queen couldn’t help wringing her hands as she returned her gaze to the window and the view of her once peaceful kingdom covered in smoke and battle.

The General hesitated.

“Worst case they will be beating on your doors by breakfast.”

The queen sighed heavily.

“So this is it.” She looked back to her two subjects and gave a wistful smile. “Chaucy, where is he now?”

“He’s bothering Chef Molto again I hear.”

“Could you please fetch them both?”

“At once, my Queen.” And the thin advisor was off.

“General Hunt, you have your kingdoms and your queens thanks. If it would not be too much trouble, I need you to stay and help me a little longer.”

The general nodded and hoped the softness in her voice would leave and take the threat of tears from his eyes. He wasn’t a fool. His many years of serving this royal family was going to come to an end much too soon.

“Of course, my Queen.”

“If you can help it make sure the people are happy and well cared for.” She was looking away again.

“Yes.”

There was a long pause and Chaucy re-entered followed by a stout man dressed in chef whites and short sandy hair and a small boy with short hair as golden as the queens. The boys formal blue silks were messed with flour and the queen could only chuckle as her son smiled up at her despite the verbal reprimand he expected.

“Sanji, you KNOW you are supposed to stay with ladies of the court while I’m busy, NOT bothering poor Mr. Molto.” The queen pulled the boy to her and wiped a bit of flour off his chin.

“Aw mom! It is so boring. Being with the ladies everyday, it is like everything is soft and covered in perfume.” He took a deep breath before finishing. “Not like the kitchens! You should see it mom! The smells! The pressure! That’s where the action is!”

“You might come to miss our fine ladies presence one day, young man.” She half admonished. Sanji snuggled his face into his mothers dress and she bent down to embrace him.

“None of them are as pretty as you anyway, mom.”

The queen squeezed him tighter against him and chuckled.

“What a charmer! You definitely take after your father. But he would always joke, that he couldn’t help but make sure I was still the most lovely when I caught him looking at the other girls a little to closely. I’d let him have it for using that line a little too often too!”

Chaucy and General Hunt exchanged glances with a smile, even in the middle of a war their queen was still showing that inner spunk the late king had loved so dearly.

“Chef Molto…is the offer we discussed still open?” The chef paled a bit as he realized what the Queen was asking him. So it had really come to this. He nodded the affirmative.

Sanji cocked his head to the side.

“What’s going on?” The small blond inquired. The queen smiled warmly and took a deep breath.

“You really like being in the kitchen and learning to cook, huh?” She began. Sanji sensed a trap but answered honestly anyway.

“I like it a lot. Chef was showing me how you can even make a rose out of a radish! I want to make one for you, and he said he’d teach me!”

“You’re so sweet dear. Listen now, we are in the middle of a war but Chef Molto has a friend who works on a cruise liner sailing all of the North and East Blues. He said you could go with them for a while until the war is over. He’d teach you how to cook! You’d like that wouldn’t you?!” The queens excitement spilled over into her son and he couldn’t help but grin.

“REALLY?!” His smile faded after a moment as he really considered this. “But won’t you be lonely without me? How long will the war be going on? I’ll miss you too much if it’s too long.”

The queen gathered Sanji in her arms and hugged him so tightly he feared he might break. She had been smiling as she drew her son in but now that his eyes were pressed into her the onlookers could see the beginnings of tears threatening to come out.

“Of course I’ll miss you sweetie! More than you’ll ever know! You’ll always be my little prince, okay?! Don’t worry…the war wont last much longer. I just…I just want you to take advantage of this opportunity while I’m busy with some unpleasant matters.”

“Mom…I can’t breathe!” The boy muffled out. The queen let go suddenly and wiped her eyes to collect herself.

“Oh, sorry! I got carried away loving my handsome prince! You’ll have to leave right away…so give me a big kiss and go pack. OH! And promise me you wont let anyone know your really royalty okay? Not until you are home safely, at least.”

“I promise!” The boy kissed his mom on the cheek and she cuddled him again and returned the kiss. “Thanks! I love you mom! See you when this stupid war is over!!” The blond haired youth ran cheerfully from the room waving a good bye to his mom over his shoulder.

The Queen straightened after he was well out of sight. The Chef stepped forward hesitantly.

“It really has come down to this, your majesty? Say it isn’t so.”

The queen could only shake her head in anguish as the tears she tried so hard to hold in started to fall.

“I’ll be executed most likely in some grand public event. For the sake of my country I can’t prevent this…but I CAN prevent my sunshine, my baby, from seeing it. From suffering the same fate, just because I am his mother.” She sobbed as Chaucy handed her a handkerchief. She accepted it and regarded her aides seriously. “This is a secret between the four of us. I will be gone. Sanji will be hidden. We’ll say I poisoned and then burned the body to spare him from the impending execution. Please try to keep him safe, but if the country needs a new king…find him. Help him help our people. Stay in contact with each other and help each other through these trials.”

“Yes, my queen.” Came the heartfelt response in unison.

She couldn’t help but smile through her tears.

“In the end I leave all my precious treasures in your capable hands.”

*One year later*

Dear Brigade General Hunt,

Congratulations on the promotion. A quick note of a topic that was discussed between our favorite lady, Chef Molto and ourselves some time ago. It seems the boy the Chefs friend took in has been doing well aboard the ship. He turned out to be a quick learner and a hard worker. However, a homesickness and worry over the length of his journey has taken it’s toll, making him more a cynical and sarcastic youth…already maturing much too fast. Moltos friend believes the boy has realized his homecoming may never come and is slowly coming to terms with it.

How goes things on your end?

Chaucy

*A few month later, the response*

Dear old friend,

Please stop with all the formalities when writing. It frankly pisses me off. If you must keep up your courtly manner at least do it for someone who’d appreciate it more than myself.

Anyway, I thank you for new of our mutual friend. I return the gesture. I found news the other day of a cruise ship and pirate ship lost in mid battle during a huge storm in the East Blue. Before you panic, there has been word of a smattering of survivors. Could you perhaps look into this for me?

Chef Molto heard the news and only sniffed saying, “In a few years if there is news of a fabulous blond chef with a curly brow then we’d have our answer.” He is extremely confident the sea didn’t see fit to take him yet and he’ll float back to us one day.

Quite frankly I like to share his optimism.

-Hunt

Ps. Stop asking me how things are on my end. They’ll be ready when I say they are.