Princess and Jester #2

She continued. "Here is my conjecture on the country as it is and has been since a long time… my father the current king was not able to win over his brother without support but during that time many families were supporting the crown prince so it does not make sense. My guess is that outside forces had intervened and gained control over my father, once the nobles went into chaos over the swift change of heir and many power struggles broke out between them the other influence began to creep further into the country and gain a further hold of various underground places and had also infiltrated the palace. My guess is that the maid he loved was never truly someone that he loved but was someone planted next to him by them. What they and father did not expect was that my mother would be successful in giving birth to me before her death and the nobles complete antagonistic attitude towards that woman and her daughter. She was executed and the daughter exiled, how could a royal daughter with potential to inherit possibly survive without outside support and survive assassination attempts from the noble families? It just does not make any sense for that to happen unless they had such a supporter that had control over that part of the country."

She sighed… "They strengthened their forces in the dark and even promoted their own people to work in the light and gain titles or high positions ready for the king to step out of his seclusion and bring back the other princess to inherit. The king needed justification to send me to my death to the nobles so used our history to lead me down this path. So far we have routed out many of their people and rid the country of that corruption but much still remains that has not been dealt with because I have been forced to deal with everything else and face harsher tasks but even after the nobles had pleaded for my return, the king denied their request."

She looked to be very tired as she spoke helplessly. "I getting closer to my answer and would soon return to confront my father and his precious daughter but it seems that father and those who control him are far too anxious. Now I know for sure who they are.. or at least who or where they are associated with. My guess would be the underworld of the New World, one of the big influences there must have gained control over the country for various illegal purposes and continuously exploited my country for the sake of profit. Many missing people and mysterious deaths have been reported but never investigated ever since my fathers ascension to the throne. It seems that I will not get the chance to face him and get my answers. Perhaps my country will fall or be swallowed up by those peoples greed."

The jester slammed down his drink and spoke. "Do not say such things princess! We will find a way, we always have done so!"

She looked at him and smiled but the look in her eyes was filled with helplessness.

She had calculated the losses, the escape routes and every variable but there was no hope of escape. "You have served me well even if you shouldn't have… you may have been better as you were before. Perhaps you would have lived a longer life."

The jesters voice cracked as he spoke. "Please do not say such things.. I.."

Suddenly he felt a little powerless and was weak in the knees so as he tried to stand he very quickly found himself back in his seat. "You.."

The princess looked at him coldly. "I am truly grateful for all you have sacrificed for me but sorry. You have given your heart to a princess despite knowing that our differences in status make it impossible to be together, even if I had won this battle and succeeded.. I would never be able to look your way. I would marry a noble son and his son would become the next heir, you would still be nothing but a jester in name even with your grand achievements, nobody would believe it."

She looked at him struggling to remain conscious. "If you happen to live, try to find a more worthy master or partner than myself and forget about me. Live a long life and be truly happy mr jester."

He fell into a deep sleep and the princess then turned gentle and spoke in a soft tone. "Sorry but what they want is me and if you are by my side you will only suffer more hardship. This is the end of our long relationship, farewell my closest friend, my best supporter and ally but also my forbidden love. Forgive this foolish princess for being unable to abandon her country and her duties over choosing you."

She removed his makeup to reveal the looks of a cute and beautiful seventeen year old male with dark brown hair and pale skin and kissed him on the forehead after brushing his hair back with her fingers. "Farewell my jester."

The jester had never revealed his name even to her, it was like he stuck to his identity and role completely and abandoned his previous life and whatever name he had been forgiven.

He would make up excuses and jokes saying that he had forgotten or that it was because he did not wish to break the mystery or spell that it left upon revealing his name.

He had got the chance to meet the princess as the jester and would never of got the chance to even glance at a princess as his old commoner and orphan self so he preferred to always be known as his job which had provided him the opportunity to spend his life around someone of this status far beyond his reach.

She took out a knife and began to check to see if he was in a truly deep sleep, as she confirmed it she began to draw several knife marks on his cute face. "Sorry for ruining you… but this way you may be safer if you are captured by those people… it is best if they cannot recognise you and you are not too beautiful. I cannot possibly imagine the cruel masters that would wish to purchase you if your looks are revealed."

Two knife markings had been made near the middle of each eye which were a little similar to a jester or clown marking where the upper markings start at the eyebrow and go up halfway up the forehead and the lower markings begin under the eyes lining up to the other markings and go down in a straight line stopping near where the tip of the nose and cheek bone is.

She appreciated the markings on his face that would leave a permanent scar and placed began to treat it and placed a bandage over the wounds as his sleeping face displayed visible discomfort and pain. "You finally earned your first visible scar from war for all to see but I guess this does not really count. How about we just say that this is my gift to you mr jester. I gift you your jester markings and hope that you can live on. For the both of us."

She quickly arranged him to be placed on a small sail boat and be sent to drift away from her ship after he had his clothes changes into rags unlike his previous slightly comical clothes that he was used to wearing even during combat.

Later as she saw the approaching ships who were circling her, she hoped that he had gotten away safely or would find a way out of whatever situation he had gotten into.

A cold and cruel light flickered in her eyes suddenly as the enemies all arrived on board her ship and began to slaughter her people. 'They will never take me alive.'

The treatment a captive woman would face was always terrible but she was also a princess…

Even if she died in combat, her body would be paraded around and displayed by her enemies to make her last allies within the country either think to surrender or attack and possibly fall into a trap.

She would not allow herself to be humiliated in her final moments or after her death so her gaze become resolute.

She raised her hand to signal her people and shouted. "It has been an honour to fight alongside each and every one of you! If we have a chance to live again, let us all meet again."

As the ship was losing most of the crew and the enemies had taken control of most of it and approached the princess, instead of seeing panic in her eyes all they could see was that she stood back and watched them come and smiled towards them as if welcoming them.

Suddenly the ship blew up, killing many people on board and what remained was burned by the flames or claimed by the sea.

After that the princess was declared dead but no body was found because the destruction was too much to be able to identify or find her body within it.

Meanwhile the small sail boat was discovered by some groups that were related to those people but the jester was identified as someone who had been wounded during a previous battle and attempted to escape or was sent away by someone else to avoid them undergoing further harm.

It was believed that the princess and the jester both perished on the ship together and no one that survived thought otherwise, even if they did suspect him to be alive very few would recognise his face since he always wore makeup.

The ship that had participated in the war had picked him up and were a group of low lives who got involved with many underground dealings and even human trafficking.

They planned to sell him at the slave auction house but they heard of a possible sighting of a Mink near G-5 which was worth a high price so they took up that task.

The leader was a very strong fighter and was used go using various types of weapons while his partner was slightly weaker but good at shooting.

Some time ago, they had saved enough berries and purchased her a devil fruit which gave her the powers of a snatch snatch human.

They had hidden this fact from the others within their crew who were untrustworthy and held back their power until the battle turned for the worse and displayed the power.

However the power only seemed to be more of a burden to them both after snatching Alyssia's and Nica's weapons.

After they died, the fruit began to respawn in the world once again.

Like several instances where a fruit respawned nearby the death of the person who previously used it, the snatch snatch fruit respawned in a fruit bowl on the same ship.

Just like how Smiley the slime died and the devil fruit respawned nearby where some fruits had been purposely left behind right by where it blew up, the snatch snatch fruit abilities latched onto the closest compatible fruit nearby and formed only to be consumed by the jester.