hogwartsalumni211
"Arm chopping is not a love language!"
Vivi wasn’t unused to political missions where she had to go and talk with neighboring kingdoms to keep Alabasta’s political relations, being invited to a Prince’s Ball even though she’d refused the invitation 3 other times, was unfortunately part of that duty to keep up appearances especially since Alabasta was just getting back on its feet after the trouble with Crocodile.
Vivi knew that this mission was of the utmost importance for trade routes and because there had been rumors that the Queen here had been discussing ideas of invading while Alabasta was still recovering and Vivi wanted to put her citizens at ease while also perhaps strengthening some relationships. However, this involved spending quite a bit of time with the country’s obnoxious Prince Scias was everything Vivi knew that a Prince shouldn’t be, the first time she’d met him when they were children she’d thought he was obnoxious, spoiled, rude, and unethical.
Over time, those thoughts hadn’t changed, he was still all of those things and unfortunately his personality hadn’t developed in a positive way either. Since she’d stepped off the ship, Scias had made a show of escorting Vivi from the ship, which wouldn’t be a problem if he hadn’t turned it into a spectacle like he had turning the whole thing into a parade with carriages, confetti, and the likes. Vivi thought it was all a bit much, Scias had even gone as far as when Vivi politely refused the carriage so she could ride Karoo to take one of the white horses that he clearly didn’t know how to actually ride so he could ride beside her.
Vivi was also surprised by Pell’s self restraint when Scias snapped at him and tried to demand that he lead the horse for him which he refused and now one of Scias’s servants was doing so as Pell walked on the other side of Vivi and Vivi could feel his own frustration with every backhanded compliment that Scias gave her clearly thinking he was making a good impression as Vivi was carted through the streets of the capital city. At least until everything suddenly stopped with a lurch that surprised everyone
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Scias immediately snapped with an angry huff, Vivi hopped off of Karoo to look ahead wanting to investigate and ignoring Pell and Igaram’s protests. From the looks of it, someone had fallen into the road and the local guards were trying to get them to move though rather aggressively which Vivi would have been upset about to begin with but then she realized the orange hat that sat in the road beside them now and it clicked that she knew this person. This was Luffy’s big brother! She remembered meeting him and how he’d helped them and travelled with them for a couple of days when they were trying to get to Yuba
“Well don’t just stand there you idiots,” Scias huffed Vivi hadn’t even realized that he’d approached behind her “Do something, cart him off to prison, call the marines.” Scias said waving his hands dramatically and Vivi knew that was an issue, if anyone called the marines they’d know who ace was in an instant and Vivi couldn’t let that happen to Luffy’s brother.
“Ace!” she said quickly hurrying over and quickly standing between Ace and the guards turning to face Scias with as innocent of a face as she could “Forgive me Prince Scias, I meant to send word that I was sending someone ahead to ensure that everything was safe for our arrival.” Vivi said as there were a few confused looks, Vivi did her best not to make a face that would show she was lying through her teeth right now, especially when she saw the looks from Pell and Igaram (particularly when they were able to see Ace’s tattoo on his back.
“Ace is my personal bodyguard.” Vivi lied Scias quirked a brow
“I thought Pell was your guard? He asked her clearly uncertain and Vivi nodded agreeing with him
“He is! Ace is his apprentice.”
God she owed Pell so many vacation days after this as she saw the look on his face as Scias turned to him and thankfully Pell nodded agreeing with her much to her own relief as Vivi turned to Ace to see if he’d woken up and was very careful in stepping close to try to hide the tattoo on Ace’s back, Karoo even helped by tugging at the cape on Vivi’s shoulders to throw over him in an attempt to hide it as the clasp released
“Right, he’s uh still training clearly we’ll have to talk with him later about what scouting ahead entails but he is with us.” Vivi assured him and then turned to Ace to poke at him hoping he’d wake up, Luffy said he was narcoleptic right? It had to be what happened, just bad timing.