Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He stumbled through the dark woods, seeing nothing but the black outlines of the tree trunks and barely able to hold his aching body up. The main support aside from his heavy limbs were the trees he braced himself against, without which he would have doubled over a long time ago, as he walked further along the nonexistent path.

A vast amount of blood flowing out of his chest continuously, and splashing on the mossy ground, left a trace behind him, though he couldn’t find it in him to care. It stung like hell, the freshly cut wound running deep from his collarbone all the way to his hip, hurting his every movement and obstructing his journey.

He’d won the fight against the ridiculously strong bounty hunter, but one lucky hit left him in the situation he was in now. With one foot already in his grave.

He told himself, he just had to get through the forest somehow. There’s supposed to be a Kingdom on the other side, and in it there would be people that could stitch him back together.

Even if he heard that the royal family wasn’t all that welcoming, there had to be someone who was willing to stitch him up, he was sure.

Though, the possibility of reaching said place was shrinking with every drop of blood he felt leaving his body. Every few feet he had to stop now, lean against a tree and stay put for a moment to calm his breath and attempt to relieve his trembling legs somewhat.

Some time ago, he didn’t know how long anymore, black spots started to dance around in his vision from the blood loss, which was concerning as well.

The swords at his right hip, usually comforting in their weight, began feeling heavier with every step he took and his feet refused to lift as high as he wanted them to, causing his shoes to get stuck in the roots of the surrounding trees from time to time.

But the last nail to his coffin was when suddenly, without him taking notice of their nearing, roughly 20 men erupted from the shadows of the forest. Until then he really thought it would be an easy way through the woods, but seems like he was wrong.

They surrounded him with raised weapons, swords and spears of all kinds, and some carried lanterns that seemed to consist of a glowing crystal only, making the metal of the blades shine in the bluish light. They also efficiently blinded his eyes that were so used to the dark, causing him to blink rapidly.

Had he not been wounded like he was now, those few would have been no problem at all, he would have had them on the ground dead in seconds. But as it was, it would be hella lot more challenging to get there. He wasn’t certain he’d manage it in the first place.

The men came towards him seconds later without hesitating, storming in with calculated attacks that were easy to read but hard to react to in time. He had barely any time to unsheathe his white Katana to fend them off.

Raising his arm with the weight of the sword made the wound only sting more, but his reflexes were faster than his brain or the pain and quickly another load of blood splashed on the ground as the men closest to him pressed against the blade.

Eventually, with all the strength his injured body could muster, he managed to push them back. All of them in one clean swipe. Followed by another swing with the second sword, right as he unsheathed it, in the other direction where more men were coming.

It hurt like hell but those too were pushed back rather quickly.

And to top it off, he threw a flying clash in both directions at them, causing most of the men to fall to the ground. They weren’t dead like they normally would have been, but the black armor cracked and he could see blood splashing from injuries he caused.

From behind a tree in the direction the soldiers also came from, a blue haired man stepped into the light of the crystals. Clothed in an equally blue colored uniform with yellow features and with a black cape covering his form from the back.

Obviously an officer or commander.

As he spat out a load of blood from the little combat exercise, the newcomer spoke with a thrilled tone in his voice. “How amusing. I thought this was gonna be boring, but seems like I found something interesting. Half dead and still that strong, huh. Bet father would like you in his royal ranks.”

A protest about that was on the tip of his tongue but before it could leave his mouth, the spots in his vision got bigger until eventually he passed out. The last thing he heard before the world around him went black, was the man ordering the soldiers to take him back with them.

He didn’t know for how long he was out after that and his concept of time was completely messed up when he eventually came back to the land of the living, so he could only guess how long he was out.

It didn’t matter much either when as soon as he opened his eyes and the doctors finished doing a quick checkup, two guards came barging in and bound his hands behind his back right where he was sitting on the infirmary bed.

Distinctly he remembered the men in the forest wearing the same type of armor, a dark gray metal that really was closer to being black. And even though his vision was still too blurry from being out for however long and his head wouldn’t stop spinning, he still recognized the red spots on the chest plate as two sixes.

‘Is that the symbol of the royal ranks the blue guy talked about’, he idly wondered before a tight grip in his forearms dragged him up and out of the room.

The black spots were back and one again dancing in front of his eyes but the two men, who he assumed were knights or guards of some kind, wouldn’t let him take a break to catch his breath.

They were entirely uncaring of his still healing wounds and just shoved him forward when his steps faltered. He didn’t get the chance to stop even for a second. It didn’t help that they wouldn’t support him either where he was struggling to keep himself upright.

His breathing came in heavy pants and it was clear that whatever medicine the doctors gave him to numb the pain was losing its effect rather quickly. There wasn’t enough strength in his body to even speak up about his discomfort.

The stinging returned full force and caused a pulsing pain to make its way along the cut running along his chest in perfect sync with his heartbeat. Each and every step now that the effect of the medicine was completely gone resolved in a pained grunt being forced from his mouth.

Just like every other attempt of protest, the sounds of agony that left his lips minutely went ignored though. He couldn’t even voice how little he appreciated the manhandling, not that they were likely to listen to his complaints in the first place.

Though he was mildly glad about them not letting go of him, even as they remained their tight grip on the spears, because he knew for a fact he’d collapse on the spot if they did. He would not be able to hold himself up for even a second with that unwanted support gone.

As they forcefully pulled him around another corner the gray colors of the corridor started to blur together again in a vague image of different shades. The amount of blood he had lost before being dragged to this place was likely to blame for that.

Though since he still wasn’t filled in on how long ago it actually was that that happened, he couldn’t say for sure that it was the whole reason. Neither of the knights had muttered a single word of explanation. The only thing they had said on the entire walk was that the King had requested to see him as soon as he woke up.

Supposably the same King the blue guy had been talking about.

He cursed them out internally for leaving him in the dark like that and wished he could lift his arms to punch their faces in. As it was though, both the pain and the exhaustion that made his limbs feel like they weigh tons prevented him from even lifting a finger to fight them off.

At least for the moment he could do nothing but comply with them.

The knights only ever came to a stop when they stood face to face with a huge wooden door. It was as dark as the rest of the castle, reaching as high as the ceiling and was slowly being pushed open. He was shoved forwards again the moment it was parted wide enough for them to go through. Much to his chagrin. The short pause had been quite nice.

His vision was still too blurry to make out details, but even he could see how massive the space was he was led into. It was clear to him that it was the great hall of the place.

It also meant that this was where he was going to meet the King.

Like everything else too, the room was in a cold gray color and had unnecessarily much empty space and he could make out five colorful spots by the far wall.

Presumably the royal family then. Though it was hard to tell anything specific other than that they were the brightest colors he had yet seen in this kingdom.

The next time they stopped, the next time the knight gave him time to breath, was when he was harshly pushed down to his knees right in front of the throne’s podium. With their grip adjusted the knights pressed down on his shoulders and since he was still not fit enough to protest further than low cursing under his breath, he went down relatively easy.

Only to have the movement and manhandling flare up the pain he was already in all over again. This time too they didn’t react in the slightest at the low scream of agony he let out. By now he wasn’t even surprised, it became clear that nothing would.

Not the futile resistance he provided, not the curses he hurled at them, not the painful grunts he made with every push and pull.

The one good thing was that, once his knees were touching the carpet covered floor, his vision started to clear up again and the stinging in his chest let up. Almost instantly he could breathe again, though it still came in heavy panting.

In a rush of strength he shook off the offending hands. They left him well enough alone but remained close behind him to interfere if necessary.

Seeing that it wouldn’t make any difference now to fight the situation, he just looked up to take the figures at the podium in. What had previously been nothing more than colorful blobs began slowly morphing into something that resembled living people.

He could now see that the person in the middle, who was obviously the King, wasn’t even standing up. With his vision all blurry as it had been before, he hadn’t been able to make it out. But since he reached about the same height as the other four, he just figured it was because he stood as well.

There was a question on the tip of his tongue, how tall he was if this was him sitting down.

Though his attention was soon drawn to the great emblem on the wall behind the man. It was a bird, with its wings wide open and skulls between the feathers. Again, it had two sixes. This time carved into the chest.

It was then that he realized that it could only mean he managed to reach Germa. The one place he had always tried to keep away from. Mainly because he highly disagreed with the views of the very king now in front of him.

But, as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. And bleeding out over a lucky strike wasn't the way he intended to go out.

His eyes then finally managed to stray from the king’s golden helmet and dirty blond hair to the people on each side of him.

Almost instantly his gaze fell onto a familiar face, thrice.

He questioned for all of a second where he knew it from before he spotted the reason. There, sandwiches between the king and an almost copy of himself, was the blue guy from the forest.

Dressed in the same uniform, he stood there as if he owned the place. And with a somewhat delayed realization, he understood that this was true and not just arrogance.

It took him until then to fully grasp that the guy was one of the princes. With that realization came the one of seeing the rest of the siblings that differed in only their hair color and slight height differences.

Beside blue on the right side stood one other man with green hair, though multiple shades darker than his own. He too looked down on him like he was the dirt on his shoe but for most parts he seemed rather bored.

Then his gaze wandered to the other side where another copy stood at the king's side. Again the only real difference was the outfit and hair color, red this time. But he was also wearing tinted glasses that hid how he was looking for most parts.

It was unsettling to not know that, and the way he was holding himself even more arrogantly than even his brothers was not making it any better.

But that didn’t even come close to how unnerving the last sibling was.

The princess. The pink haired princess. Who he, for the life of him, could not read at all. At the same time though she seemed to be able to look right through him and see all the secrets he didn’t even have.

Like she could see all his thoughts just by meeting his eyes in a silent staring match.

That was before he inevitably got distracted by another thing the siblings, this time all of them, seemed to share. All of them had eyebrows in an odd shape that distracted him and had him end the eye contact. Each and every one of them, at least those he was able to see, were curling at the right end.

His eyes flicked between the siblings to take the weird feature in, but before he could even comprehend it enough for a question to form, the strong and loud voice of the king echoed through the hall.

“So you are the so-called ‘Demon of the east’, Roronoa Zoro. There is quite the reputation that precedes you, tales of your fearsome power and relentless pursuit of your goals, and moreover, some pretty nasty rumors." At the mention of an all too well known rumor, he growled involuntarily, but the king just went on. "What a pleasant coincidence that you would one day end up indebted to me and my Kingdom.”

In response to that statement, his eyes narrowed. He wasn’t aware of having encumbered himself with any debt, especially not with Germa. And he was absolutely certain that this was something he would know of.

Mainly because he tends to keep a close eye on his finances and any acquired debts he might come across. A crucial habit he developed years ago after befriending a certain redhead.

After all, she would bleed him dry money-wise if he tripped and fell into debt to her for a simple favor.

Though if the king was telling the truth and he needed to repay them for something, he would do as they say. And he was a man of his word.

He found out mere minutes later that the favor that indebted him was saving his life. Saving him from bleeding out. The king went on a short and direct explanation about it and he was sure to exaggerate about the severity of everything. At least he was darn certain that was what happened.

“To repay our generous aid in averting your assured death, you will serve in my royal ranks for the time being.” His eyes narrowed further and his brows furrowed into a frown. It was just like the blue guy had predicted.

There wasn’t any room for discussion, so he stayed silent until the king finished the explanation of what he was expected to do. It wasn’t as good an explanation as he had hoped for and left him with just as many questions as he came in with.

No word was said about how long he was out, nothing even close to how long he was supposed to stay and certainly no one told him who exactly he was to look out for.

It was just expected of him to follow his new orders blindly and before he had time to get more answers out of them, or even come up with any questions, he was already dragged back to his feet.

With just as much care as they had displayed on their way here, the same two knights pulled him up and out of the great hall, where he could hear one of the princes' voices in the distance. Asking the king when they would get to fight him, to see ‘if he was any good for real’.

He would have snorted at that if he had not already been back to being in excruciating pain again.

So as the massive wooden door slammed shut behind him, after taking several detours to different rooms - that each made him suffer as much as the first trip - to get his swords back to his side, he still had the king’s words echo through his head. “He is to remain in his room under any and all circumstances.”

Though he failed to explain who ‘He’ was.

His immediate assumption was to secure that person's safety in the room, and for all intents and purposes he was planning to stick to that until his debt was repaid - which meant he would be out of Germa as soon as possible - but the thought of that being the case was tossed out the window soon enough.

Approximately when he entered the room and before he had a chance to take in the surroundings, he was blindsided by something rushing at him.

Heading right at his head. And it was incredibly fast at that.

It would have hit him square in the face if it wasn’t for his quick reflexes that, once again, set in more on instinct. He dodged just in time and ducked before that something could land on his nose.

The sudden movement upset the cut on his chest even more than all the walking did before and he groaned loudly in agony.

As he ducked, he fell into a crouching position, but the pain and remaining weakness from being dragged around so soon caused his leg to give out under him, and he dropped to one knee in an instant. The stinging only got worse and began to spread beyond his chest, reaching most of his torso in no time.

He lifted his hand towards the bandaged covering the wound and pressed lightly. In hopes it would keep the stitches from ripping apart.

Another grunt left his lips at that before he finally looked up to see what it was that flew at him.

It all happened in a matter of mere seconds and only once he lifted his head did the crashing sound of something hitting hard against the wall behind him reach his ears. That alone showed him that the hit wasn’t only fast, it was strong too and surely would have knocked him out cold.

At the same time, an unfamiliar voice swore before him. "Damn Judge, sending another stupid knight after me."

Cursing lowly under his panting breath he followed the long black object as it lowered itself back to the ground a few feet before him and a thousand questions raced through his mind.

The main one being, why he was here.

Because this "object" wasn't so much a thing as it was a leg that belonged to the very person occupying the room. He glanced up the length of it and eventually he came face to face with the pale face of a young man.

Immediately, the thought of how beautiful he was flashed through his mind, and only after that did he register the obvious worry he was expressing. Oddly enough, he then realized that it was the first person showing real concern since he woke up here in the castle. Or the first one to even bother to appear that way.

The king, the princes, the princess, and even the knights remained stoic and indifferent towards his wounds.

But on this man's face, the distress was openly visible. And even if it turned out to be an act, it still felt good for some reason. To have that gorgeous person worry about him. For a few moments he just stared into the deep blue eyes, or the one that was not hidden behind a fringe of light blond hair, trying not to get lost in the beautiful color.

It wasn’t until after he caught himself again that he noticed another detail, more confusing even than the order to keep this man in here.

He had the same oddly curled eyebrow that all the royal siblings shared. The same one he had seen in the Great Hall, on the faces of what he thought were all of the king's children.

Though he wasn't so certain of that anymore.

The only difference with the weird shape was that the curl was on the opposite end. On the left instead of the right. Even more questions began to race in his mind, causing his head to spin lightly.

Did that mean the person before him was also one of the princes? Was he being threatened and kept in this room to be safe?

Surely not if this was how strong he was. It had to be something else. But the blood loss and overall confusion hindered him from thinking of anything.

Suddenly, the words from the king echoed though his mind, silencing anything else.

The more he stared, the more differences he actually noticed to the rest of the siblings.

He seemed smaller, leaner, and he definitely had less of that arrogant air surrounding him. But there was also the hair, not the dirty blond the king himself had, but not as unnatural a color as the siblings' either.

It was almost like gold. And it looked so incredibly soft, framing the pale face in light curls. His entire attention was captured by the way it highlighted his features

All his pain was momentarily forgotten and all he could think of was how damn pretty the man was. And with the strength he showed beforehand it really wasn’t surprising when he felt his heart skip a beat.

Then, suddenly, the expression on the pale face shifted and the odd eyebrows furrowed into a frown. The blue eyes had flicked down towards his chest and he was instantly pulled back to the present.

His own gaze followed after and he too took a look at the mess his chest had become.

“Oh shit.” It was said so softly he almost missed it. A soft mumbling that might as well have been in his head. Partially because that’s exactly the same thought that ran through his mind too at the very same second.

The hand he had pressed against himself slowly pulled away and revealed the dark red that had spread around. He immediately understood the worry he saw on the other person's face because his whole hand was covered in blood.

Both of them watched for a moment as little droplets of red made their way down his arm or fell straight to the ground.

All of the bandages that basically substituted for a shirt were also seeped through. The sudden movements the past few minutes had obviously ripped the stitches and left the fabric stained and bloody.

He couldn’t quite keep his body from swaying a little and all the lost blood caused a headache to make itself known. It wasn’t long before he felt lightheaded. So he lost his awareness of the surrounding room yet again and only in the back of his mind did he realize the prince had closed in on him.

What he also only then realized was, that it wasn’t him who had cursed out before, the voice an unfamiliar but calming one. Low and a little raspy yet also just as nice to hear.

That same voice spoke again as the man kneeled down next to him. “Hang in there Mosshead, lets get you somewhere more comfortable.” He felt careful hands supporting him lightly by his shoulders only a moment after he spoke.

Just as carefully and slowly he pulled him to his feet, giving him time to catch his breath and not forcing him forward like the knights had done. He was incredibly grateful for that.

Though he still couldn't let go of the comment about his hair.

So, while the man led him over to a comfortable-looking seat - one he hadn't even noticed yet - he shot back a comment of his own.

“Who’re you calling Mosshead, Curly brow.” His voice was hoarse as hell from not being used in quite some time, and it felt as if he had swallowed thorns when he spoke with how dry his throat was, so it came out more strained and croaked than intended.

Still, the gentleness didn't let up, and with just a little more cussing, the man simply sat him down on one of the arm chairs.

He still had no idea who this gorgeous man was or why he had to keep him in here, he just knew that he would love to get to know him better if he had to stay in Germa anyway.

Chapter Text

Zoro woke up with a cold sweat running down his back. It didn’t happen as often as it used to, but that in no way made it less unpleasant to relive what had gotten him here.

The recurring dream always made him feel restless.

An unwelcome reminder of one of his worst days of his life, of all the reasons that landed him in fucking Germa. In addition there was always this stupid, aching pain in the rugged scar that now decorated his chest shoulder to hip.

Like his body was craving to go back to his normal life far outside and this was it’s way to constantly remind him of how long he has been stuck here. He’d be all too ready to listen, pack his few things and leave.

Yet, he also knew better than anyone that he couldn’t. For one Zoro still had a debt to repay, which he didn’t take lightly. But there was also someone he would have to leave behind and there was no way he’d do that.

He heaved a sigh when he reluctantly sat up on his uncomfortable cot, not even bothering to open his eyes and shook his head to clear away the last bits of sleep.

The movement caused the golden teardrops on his ear dangle and clink together, making the cold material touch against his neck every so often in a comforting familiarity. A moment passed with him just sitting there in the chilly room, with only a thin blanket covering his legs, he focused on the calming feeling.

Only after another while did Zoro start to wonder why it was so eerily quiet around him. More so than any other morning he woke up here in these stuffed barracks.

There wasn't any sound of armor clattering while the other knights got ready, or the scraping of swords being slid into their scabbard. Not even the carefully uninformative chatter that some of them usually engaged in when he was around.

Confused by the lack of noise, he finally cracked open his eyes to take a look around.

At first his vision was still a little fuzzy, everything in the room was just a blurry mix of different grays and black.

The one thing Zoro could clearly see was that there weren't just no sounds, but also not a single movement in the entire room. His first thought was that, for whatever reason, he didn’t wake up and everyone else had already left for the day.

But then, once blinked a few times and his vision cleared up, it dawned on him. There wasn’t anyone moving around, because no one was awake enough to.

Through the window on the far wall, Zoro could see the almost full moon that still stood high in the sky. Much higher than normally when he woke up.

It was just enough for him to make out the bodies lying spread around the room on cots similar to his own, fast asleep. They looked a lot like puppets that had their strings cut. Almost too still to be alive and laid out like corpses at a funeral viewing.

A few years back it really creeped him out, but now it was simply the last clue he needed for the other shoe to drop. He hadn’t woken up to the other knights getting ready, because they themselves haven’t. And they probably wouldn’t for at least another two hours.

Zoro internally slapped himself for not realizing that far sooner. The signs were right in front of him in plain view after all and even his internal clock told him just how early it was now that he stopped to think.

With another tired sigh, he wondered if he shouldn’t just go back to sleep until his actual hours of duty started. For now there wasn’t much to do in that regard and getting some more rest started to sound very nice right about now.

To just roll over for the remaining time before he had to inevitably get up for real.

He lifted one of his hands to lazily rub at his eyes and swung his legs over the edge of the cot. For a second he let them hover an inch over the floor before planting his bare feet on the cold stone between his and the next bunk next to him.

Even if it would be the preferable thing to be doing right now, Zoro knew that there isn’t much of a chance that he would fall asleep again. Not with how constantly on edge he was around so many people he didn’t trust.

It was a wonder he even managed to get any in the first place.

And since he was already awake now, there was no reason for him to stay in this barracks. Might as well use the time he now had left to spend on doing something useful.

In the back of his head he was glad for the chance this opportunity provided him with. There was definitely a big plus to getting out of here before the rest woke up.

Namely the stares he wouldn’t have to deal with, or the badly hidden attempts of keeping any important information regarding the kingdom's plans from him.

There was also the fact that their emotionless manner, not unlike marble statues, was just weird.

Zoro took one last look at their sleeping faces that kind of really did look carved in stone with only the moon as a light source, before finally standing up to grab his stuff from the wall at the foot end of his bed.

Everything was right where he left it the day before. That excluded, of course, the uniform he leaned against the bricks in that very spot the day of his arrival which had been there to collect dust ever since.

He once again ignored the entire get up in favor of just picking up the white, ruffled shirt from where he had carelessly thrown it before going to bed.

In any and all aspects that worn piece trumps the heavy gear they would have him wear.

The tight leather that filled the gaps in the dark metal only restricted every one of his movements. Normally he would step up to the challenge, he’d just learn how to overcome the burden to his swordsmanship and come out stronger.

But in this case it also created an association to the other knights, and the kingdom that only exists in theory, but never in practice.

So Zoro had made it very clear from the beginning that this wasn’t a line to ever be crossed. He might serve here for the time being but loyalty to the king wasn’t in any way or form the reason why.

On the other hand, the long, loose sleeves and all in all light material of the shirt not only didn’t obstruct him in any way, he also kind of liked how it showed off his well-trained body.

Thanks to the opening at the front that reached down to his navel, all the scars and muscles are pretty much always visible. Showing off everything he worked for and telling a story of his past battles, lost and won.

Even the frills at the seams by his wrists and collar didn’t bother him nearly as much as any armor ever could.

Of course there was also the small matter of him being much more comfortable in the casual clothing.

He pulled the shirt carelessly over his head and tugged it into place until the fabric wasn’t awkwardly crooked anymore. And to keep it from flying off to who knows where, Zoro tucked the lower parts of the top into the waistband of his pants.

Just enough for the overflowing material to hide the belt he used to carry his swords.

Everything else was mostly muscle memory. Putting on his combat boots, fixing his emergency knife to the outside of his right shin - it had proven to be useful to have a smaller blade after all - and swiftly stuffed his black bandana into his left back pocket.

On his way out he then finally grabbed his three katana too.

The act of sliding them into the belt loops came as second nature to Zoro, so much so that he had no problem doing it while maneuvering past the sleeping knights on his walk to the door.

It wasn’t exactly an easy feat either, since any way out was through a maze of beds with maybe two feet of space between each one.

More than once he had to sidestep pieces of the uniform that rolled out from under the cot they belonged to.

Given that this was hardly his first day here, however, he managed to reach the heavy wooden portal without waking anyone else.

By then, the katanas had also settled into place on his hip and simply feeling the familiar weight put him just a bit more at ease. One of his hands automatically settled on Wado’s white hilt while he easily pushed the door open with the other.

Zoro didn’t even bother to close it silently after stepping out of the barracks, instead he let the bang echo along the hallway. The sound bounced off the stone walls for a few seconds before it eventually faded into nothing.

Not for the first time he idly wondered if it wouldn’t have died down much quicker were there some paintings, or any form of decoration really, covering the surface. As it was though, he was left standing alone in the silent and empty corridor.

With nothing but the pale blue light from an occasional glowing crystals on the wall to keep him company. It frankly just looked like any other part of the castle. A bunch of gray stones stacked on slightly differently shaded gray stones, paired with nothingness and depression.

For his part, Zoro always thought it looked like someone had sucked out all colors and happiness out of the kingdom.

And, unsurprisingly, all that made it hard to navigate and orient himself. Just another thing he missed about the wilderness – out there he found his way with ease but here nothing ever stayed where it was supposed to.

Looking from one side to the other, he pondered on his decision for a moment and then confidently turned to the right. If the rooms hadn’t spontaneously moved again, that was definitely the shortest way to the training grounds.

The echo of his heavy footstep as he set off in that direction fell to the back of his head while he mentally mapped out what exercises he would do first.

Once in a while there would be another wooden door, just like the one at the knights dormitory, sometimes they were opened and showed the insides. Each and every one was just as dull as the hallway or the barracks.

None of them were really where he wanted to go though, so Zoro just passed by them. The weaponry, various storage rooms, even the servants quarters where one of the maids just came back from the night shift. She didn’t even notice him and just slipped into the Servants' Quarters.

After that it only took a few more left turns and a short while of walking straight for him to reach the door he was looking for. Intent on doing a simple set of a thousand push-ups to start, Zoro grabbed for the metallic handle.

Before he had a chance to push down on it though, a familiar and very much unwelcome voice interrupted him.

“Tell me, why am I not surprised to see you here, Sir Roronoa?”

He closed his eyes for a second and exhaled sharply, bracing himself to face one of his least favorite people, possible on the entire plane.

In all honesty, he wasn’t surprised either. A little startled maybe but in no way surprised. Out of all the princes, the youngest one was the one he trained with by far the most.

Once, not because Zoro asked, but rather because everyone in that family loved to hear themselves talk, he explained that he ‘liked having a toy that wouldn't instantly break if he didn’t hold back his strength’.

So, meeting up like this wasn’t uncommon. But it also never happened this early in the day.

When he then finally did turn around, it was to the image of Yonji casually leaning against the opposite wall, where it was hard to spot him without directly looking, with his arms crossed and a shit eating grin on his lips. The dim lighting somehow hid him well enough until now, even with his striking green hair.

“Your highness.” That and a half assed nod-bow was all the greeting Zoro graced him with, before reluctantly answering. “One would assume it is the same reason I am not surprised to find you here.”

It seems that was the wrong thing to do, or at least not what was expected of him to say. The smirk on the princes lips turned into a thin line almost immediately, he furrowed his curly eyebrows and there was a vein threatening to pop on his forehead. All signs that he was about to lose his temper.

Yet he only scoffed and pushed himself off of the stone wall to close the distance.

Only then, once the bluish light enveloped him too, did Zoro notice that he was wearing his full gear. The entirety of his green uniform including the stupid cape.

There was something unnerving about seeing the unnaturally colored leather get up like that without knowing the reason as to why.

Usually he only wore it when there was a fight coming on, or he and his brothers had to be present in a meeting with their father. Neither of which was the case now as far as he knew, but there was always the chance that no one told him.

His thoughts were interrupted when Yonji spoke up again, sounding a lot less amused now.

“Please, what possible reasons could I have to come anywhere near the kitchen enough times for a peasant like you to expect it.”

Zoro blinked in confusion at that answer. After all, he didn’t say anything about him being in the Servant’s wing.

He was about to tell him something to that effect, but paused again after opening his mouth. The scent coming from the door at his back really didn’t smell anything like the training grounds. It carried none of the stench that normally haunted the fields.

No amount of cleaning would be able to get rid of the sweat and blood that hang in the air there.

Which could only mean that, without him noticing, the rooms had moved places. It also meant that Yonji was right and he was now standing in front of the kitchen.

Instead of letting him know that though, Zoro just mirrored his posture and crossed his arms too. There was one more thing about that statement that didn't quite add up, so he raised an eyebrow and asked the prince about it.

“Then, pray tell, what are you doing here?”

The glare that earned him would be enough for lesser men to cower, but he wasn’t affected by it in the least. All it did was show him that the prince was about to snap and he should take it down a couple of notches.

For a moment Yonji just studied him, even leaning his head back a bit to further the effect of looking down on him.

“Looking for your ugly mug. And since I just came from the training fields, there are only two other possible places for you to be. With the other knights, or here. You know, joining my useless brother in his ‘secret cooking sessions’ like the loyal dog that you are to him.”

It took everything in Zoro to not growl and leap at him for the comment about Sanji. He was well aware that that was exactly what he wanted to happen though. So he only clenched his hands to control himself, digging his nails into his palms.

With a last deep breath he calmed himself enough to manage pressing out an answer.

“And what is it, exactly, you want from me.”

From one second to the next, the smirk from before was back on his face but the annoyed undertone had yet to disappear when he spoke up. Though it didn’t seem fully directed at him anymore.

“I want to beat you up right now, with my usual go to punching bag out of the question and all.” He paused for a second to roll his eyes, like the situation as a whole bothered him.

Yet he didn't elaborate about what the hell he meant and it gave him an ever growing feeling of unease inside his stomach.

Though at the same time he was glad, because whatever it was, for some reason Sanji got a break out of it. And if someone deserved that, it was him.

"But what I’m actually here for is a message from the King."

At that, he tensed up for real. The mention of the Judge never meant anything good, nor did the fact that he sent one of his beloved sons as messenger.

Something big was coming, and Zoro wasn't gonna like it. That much was for sure.

And, as if to prove him right, Yonji confirmed his fears just a blink later.

“He has finally found use for the little failure, so it is more important than ever that he stays in his room. Unharmed.”

That said, the prince shouldered past him aggressively - even though there was enough space to pass by him normally - and left him standing alone with his thoughts.

A cold shudder ran down his back at what that could mean for Sanji. Thousand possible plans and questions ran through his mind but since Yonji already left, there was no possibility for an answer.

Chapter Text

Zoro hurried down the empty hallway, moving as quickly as possible without breaking into a run, and kept his eyes practically glued to the barren stonewall in search of something particular.

Each door he passed that didn’t have what he was looking for seemed to come with a new question. About the no doubt awful scheme Judge was up to and how it would affect Sanji’s somewhat ‘peaceful’ life.

None of the bleak wooden beams offered any answers though, and he grew increasingly frustrated that he wasn't privy to any useful information.

It didn't exactly help that his head was still reeling from Yonji's words. Nor did the fact that there was a clear emphasis on Sanji remaining unharmed. The more he thought about it, the more panicked and confused he became.

A single drop of anxious sweat rolled down his temple when the prince’s complacent expression flashed before his mind’s eye again and almost instinctively, the firm grip he had on Wado’s hilt tightened.

He rounded what felt like the hundredth corner when finally, finally, the thing he had been looking for came into sight. The only difference in the identical hallways that always let Zoro know he was getting close to his prince’s chambers.

It was also the one constant he could count on to never stray far from the rooms, no matter how much they moved – like a cruel reminder that this wasn’t a safe place.

Not for Sanji anyways.

The broken stone stuck out like a sore thumb, and the memory linked to it was even worse. He only vaguely knew what had happened there, but based on what he'd witnessed over the past few years, it wasn't hard to guess.

Especially if the cracks have that much of a resemblance to a small body’s form being violently slammed into the walls.

Never mind the shudder that made its way down his body at the thought, an involuntary sigh of relief simultaneously escaped him while passing the shattered rocks. With it some of the tension in his shoulders fell away.

Soon enough he would be right by Sanji’s side again and see him lounging in a chair, reading one of his stupid romance novels. Just like every other day, when going to the kitchen was out of the question.

But in the end, the moment of relief was short-lived.

Zoro sped up his steps for the remaining way before taking one last turn to the right, only to then falter and nearly stop altogether. His eyes widened in a mix of surprise and shock when the door came into sight.

A guard stood on either side of the entrance, clad in full armor and holding their spears crosswise to block the way in. What little he could see of their faces beneath the helmets was as emotionless as usual, even as he approached and they spotted him.

This was definitely new.

Unsure what their orders were regarding him, he made his way over cautiously. Hoping to appear much more casual than he actually felt. Though internally, he was well aware that he wouldn’t fool anyone who paid the least bit of attention.

If anything, the tight grip he still had on Wado was a dead giveaway.

On the other hand, he could name all but three people here in Germa who really understood body language like that. So it came as no surprise when neither of the two men reacted to his inner turmoil.

Their only reaction after he stepped in front of them was an acknowledging nod, subtle as it was.

Zoro was about to inform them, not so nicely, that they were in his way - that he had to get past them - and had already opened his mouth to speak when both of them suddenly started moving on their own.

Almost in sync, they lowered their spears and planted the butt ends on the cold ground. The loud thud echoed in the hallway for a moment, lingering eerily on the empty walls.

Startled by the sudden movement and noise, he just stood there until the sound faded. As soon as the silence fell over them again, he walked past the guards and up to the door.

Before he had a chance to knock, as Sanji had spent so much time beating into his head, another loud thump, though muffled by the thick wall, came from inside the room.

Like something heavy dropping to the floor, followed by a lingering rumbling and rustling. A kind of commotion that was completely out of character. The panic that came after hearing it overshadowed all rational thought. It didn't even occur to him that there might be an explanation that didn't involve anything bad.

Abandoning any intentions of "good manners" he ever had, he threw the door open - not caring that it was too hard and ended up slamming into the wall.

So hard that it bounced right back and slammed shut.

Immediately Zoro started frantically looking around for whatever had caused the sound, searching the entire room for anything out of place. And with the sun now almost fully up, casting a soft orange light over the whole area, he had a great view of everything.

At first glance, though, there was nothing wrong. Except, that is, for the painfully obvious lack of blond prince.

The somewhat worn leather chairs of the sitting area still stood right next to the door, surrounded by shelves filled to the brim. With lots of romance novels, various trinkets his sister had apparently gifted him, and, of course, books about cooking.

Some of them even spread to the low coffee table between the seats, either left open or bookmarked to specific pages.

But ultimately there was nothing strange about any of it.

Zoro then whirled around - abruptly enough for his swords rattled against each other and his earrings clinked together with the jerky movement - before walking further towards the center of the room.

Stopping just short of the faded, gray rug in the middle and he skimmed over what came into view as he turned.

His eyes darted from the wooden divider in the back corner that hid a small dressing area to the huge, rustic wardrobe filled with probably more clothes than he had owned in his entire life.

Neither looked any different than they did the day before, even when he went over there to take a closer look. The closet door was slightly ajar - but it never fully did so he wasn’t concerned - and Zoro couldn’t see any shadows in the gap under the divider so nothing was there either.

Finally, his gaze snapped to the bed. An oversized king, too big for one person alone, with wooden posts all around and canopy drapes hanging from the top. The dark wood of the frame stood in stark contrast to the light fabric of the sheets and curtains.

Either would be enough to draw attention to this part of the room, but it wasn't what made him stop.

He froze because it dawned on him in a moment of clarity that this was where the rustling sound must have come from. A sound that was clearly caused by someone getting under the gray sheets and one that had stopped the moment he threw open the door, but went completely over his head.

For a moment he just stood there, staring in direction of the bed and listening carefully. As if that would somehow cause the rustling to start again, or make an answer magically present itself.

Unsurprisingly, though, nothing happened.

A few beats passed before Zoro managed to regain his composure and move in to take a close look.

Few people ever came here, fewer came with friendly intentions, and fewer still came at this time of day, so he hoped it would be his prince he would find there.

When he almost reached the first post and could make out the shape of legs under the cover, Zoro called out to the figure. Just loud enough for the sound to be carried to them, yet still cautiously, in case his fears that it wasn't Sanji came true.

"Swirls?"

As if somehow startled by his voice, the person visibly twitched in response.

Without even having a chance to question the reaction, though, a gasp followed, along with any explanation he might have needed.

"What the shit are you already fucking doing here?! Stupid, overgrown, muscle-headed Moss." In the second half, the words trailed off into more of a mumble than anything else, but the tone alone did its part.

Zoro would recognize that voice anywhere, even with his head under water.

Though even without, there was just no way of mistaking that sailor's mouth for anyone else's. Any remaining panic dissipated like smoke after hearing that, and despite the insults, he instantly relaxed.

Or maybe it was because of that foul language.

He let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding and finally loosened the death grip he held on Wado. Only then did he take the last step it took to come face to face with his prince.

Blue eyes immediately met his own golden ones with a sharp glare - full of the annoyance he had made known before - though Zoro just stared back unfazed.

What he felt on the inside, however, didn’t really match that. Just one more look was enough to have him pause in confusion.

Sanji had pulled his blanket up to his chin - holding it up so tightly that the visible parts of his knuckles turned white - in a way that was completely out of character for him.

Even more so than him being in bed at all when he usually rose with the sun.

His hair also wasn't nearly as disheveled as one might expect, given all the tossing and turning that usually happened the minute Sanji fell asleep. It looked nothing like the bedhead he typically sported in the early morning, and Zoro had to stop himself from thinking what a bummer that was.

After a moment of silence that hung over them, he eventually countered with a question of his own. "No, what exactly are you doing? Now's not really the time for whatever drastic measure it is you no doubt have in mind."

That sparked an immediate reaction from Sanji. First, an annoyed twitch of his eye before he abruptly broke eye contact and let his hair fall over his face in an unsuccessful attempt to feign innocence. “I don't know what the hell you're on about. What even makes you think that?”

He stared at him with an expression that, hopefully, conveyed the intended message of, ‘Really? We’re doing that now?’ and raised an eyebrow for emphasis.

"For starters, whatever you've got going on here." Using his free hand, he vaguely gestured towards where the man was still essentially hiding under his blanket. Because everything about this strongly suggests that he just slipped back into bed, probably as soon as he heard the guards outside plant their spears in the ground. “You can’t honestly think this looks normal.”

Zoro paused for a moment to see if this was enough to get Sanji to speak up. Yet he wasn't too surprised when the only response he got was the clenching of pale fingers, causing the light fabric to crease even more.

“But also, you surely noticed that something is going on with the minions Judge stationed in front of your door.”

With each of his words that followed, he could see the facade of nonchalance begin to crack, and pieces of frustration were already shining through. It probably wouldn't take much more for it to fall completely.

Since that was often the only way to get anything out of the stubborn man, he just kept going.

"Did you ever just stop for a second to think before doing something incredibly stupid like, I don’t fucking know, running away when neither of us has any clue what is going on in the first place?"

It seems his guess was spot on, because Sanji's head whipped around in an instant to glare at him. He threw back his blanket, sat up straight, and left the comfort of his bed in one fell swoop, effectively revealing what he had been trying to hide.

His silky, lace-trimmed nightgown Zoro had still half-expected was gone, as was the usual combination of dress pants and a thin button-down. Instead, what he was now faced with could only be described as a servant's winter wear.

Sanji’s long legs were covered in heavy wool, and rather than the blue shirt, he wore a thick tunic. Both had clearly seen better days, yet they were perfect for traveling through the cold lands of Germa and a hell of a lot more practical in his opinion.

They offered protection from the elements as well as unwanted attention, seeing as his outfit didn't scream "prince" for once.

It looked good on him. Really good.

Just the different set of clothes almost gave the illusion that they somehow weren’t worlds apart, as if they were something akin to equals in society’s fucked-up worldview.

Like there was one less thing standing in the way of his desire for them to ever be something more.

Before his thoughts could stray too far from the more pressing matters at hand, Sanji started to speak and pulled him back to the present. Though, it was arguably closer to shouting.

“What, so you think I should just stay here!? Twiddle my thumbs, stick around, and find out whatever horrors Judge decides to throw at me this time!? I know all I need to! He’s planning something, and from my experience, that doesn’t mean anything good. Never did, never will.”

Zoro couldn’t even tell if it was worry or annoyance that made his eyebrow twitch as soon as the words fully registered, because that was entirely beside the point he was trying to make.

However, he only got as far as opening his mouth to say as much when the words got stuck on his tongue. In an instant, and with just three steps, Sanji had closed the distance between them and came to a halt right in front of him, well within his personal space.

Suddenly, his heartbeat was speeding up for a completely different reason. Without meaning to, his gaze flicked down to those damn soft lips momentarily, then back up again to meet the still glaring eyes.

This close, he could see all the different shades of blue swirling together, ranging from pale tones to deep ocean ones, and eventually fading into a thin black ring circling the iris.

He could also see the slightest hint of unease shining through the confidence and irritation. It made it seem as if he was telling himself as much as he was Zoro.

Only when Sanji spoke up again did the finger poking him right in the center of his chest register in his mind.

“We both know that whatever it is, it probably comes at the expense of what little freedom I have left, or worse, maybe even my life this time! So like hell I’m staying! And before you try to stop me, don’t bother. I am leaving.”

Towards the end, the shouting died down to a more conversational level, although the prodding didn’t stop and Sanji managed somehow come even closer.

Just one more step and their noses would be touching, which wasn’t nearly enough distance for Zoro to keep thinking straight.

On top of that, he could still feel the cold finger against his much warmer skin.

All that didn’t help him string together an intelligible answer, and what eventually left his mouth was anything but. It failed miserably at getting across what he meant.

“Right… That’s gotta be the most moronic idea you’ve had in a while.”

Instantly, a wave of emotions washed over Sanji’s pale face - shock, disbelief, confusion - and he breathed out a silent 'what'. Zoro almost wanted to take back having said anything when, for a split second, it settled on a mix of hurt and irritation.

But then the corners of his mouth twisted into a scowl that hid everything but the annoyance to the naked eye. He also stepped away again, finally putting some much-needed distance between them.

“Why!? Why would it be stupid, huh!? This godforsaken castle is nothing but a prison to me! Hell, I’d probably be treated better if it was!” Almost like a dam had broken, he rambled on about everything he had to endure without letting him get a single word in.

“To Judge and my brothers, I exist as a target for all the shit they can possibly throw at me - and that's on good days! I can't even count how many times I've had to stitch myself back together, long before you got here! And Reiju barely comes by anymore; she's too fucking busy being the heir to the throne, so I have no one to talk to all day long! Besides you, of course, and you don’t count because given the chance, you too would leave and go back to your freedom and normal life!”

Sanji probably didn’t mean to, but that stung.

While his supposed debt to the king may have been the reason he came here, it played only a small part in why he stayed.

Especially since it became clear early on that Judge never planned on letting him go anyway.

In an attempt to cover up how hurt he was, Zoro somewhat defensively crossed his arms over his chest. That, along with the way his lips pressed into a thin line for a moment, went completely unnoticed by the prince though, who just kept on shouting until he was finished.

“So why, why is leaving this rotten place such a stupid idea!? Why should I stay even a second longer when, for all I know, Judge could be planning to get rid of me for real this time!?”

With that said, there was finally a pause in the rant for Zoro to speak, and thanks to the space now between them, he could actually think before opening his mouth.

He took one more calming breath and tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

“That’s not what I’m saying. You know damn well that I want you out of this shithole.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Sanji stopped glaring and instead looked him up and down, as if searching for something that would make him more believable.

When he apparently didn’t find anything, he asked instead.

"Do you, Zoro!? Because you don’t freaking sound it!” At the accusatory tone, his eye involuntarily started to twitch. He had the sneaking suspicion that Sanji was now purposefully hitting where it hurt to get a reaction out of him.

Unfortunately, the prince was also one of the few people who knew exactly where to push to get under his skin and grate on his nerves.

So, despite trying not to, he snapped and raised his voice in frustration.

“Damn it! For once, can’t you listen to reason!? Just because you’ve read all about the world outside the castle, doesn’t mean you’ve got any clue how to navigate being out there by yourself. One small mistake and you’re pushing up daisies. It doesn’t matter how clever or strong you are - accidents fucking happen!”

Immediately after the words left his mouth, Zoro shut his eyes and took a calming breath. He hadn’t even realized that his thoughts had gone there.

But now that it had slipped out, images of a too-small body lying lifeless among the rocks at the bottom of a cliff flashed through his mind. She stood no chance against nature itself, and it didn't matter that she was the strongest person he knew.

No one can fight the elements.

After a second, he released a sigh and opened his eyes. The fear that his outburst had given away too much - about him and his past - was nagging at him, so he didn’t give Sanji a chance to question it too much and just carried on.

"All I’m saying is, that going alone, like you’re so clearly planning, is unnecessarily reckless.”

When their eyes finally met again, most of the ire on Sanji’s face was gone and made space for an annoyed confusion. This time it was him who crossed his arms, right as he also snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Okay, genius. Name one person that can, and would, go with me.” He seemed confident that Zoro wouldn’t be able to answer, which felt a little insulting. And the longer it took him to find the right words, the more tense the air around them became.

Like Sanji was still disappointed he couldn’t.

But to him, the solution was obvious.

What better way was there than to just leave together? Neither of them wanted to be here and, although for different reasons, nor are they really welcome. Also, given that he had spent most of his life on the road anyway, there probably wasn’t anyone who could be of more help out there.

Yet, maybe, it wasn’t all that clear.

So, he just raised a hand and pointed to himself. “Me, you dickhead. I will go with you.”

Zoro could basically see the cogs in his head start to turn with confusion and silence settled over the room while they both just stared at each other. He watched as pink lips slowly opened and closed around a question that didn’t want to come.

It felt like an eternity had passed before Sanji finally managed to gather his thoughts and ask what was puzzling him. “I-… What about your debt? All those years Judge had an ironclad hold over you with that as an excuse, and now you’d just toss it aside like it’s nothing?”

While speaking, he narrowed his eyes skeptically, and the expression made it clear that whatever Zoro said would be taken with a grain of salt. He wasn’t surprised by the obvious suspicion, nor was it unwarranted.

But telling the truth wasn’t an option - not in this case.

Sanji wouldn’t understand that the main reason he was still here, even after realizing Judge would never call off the debt, was him.

“I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not. And if Judge wants to put a target on my back because he’s a sore loser, so be it. Let him try and fight me.” He finally dropped the hand that was still awkwardly hovering in mid-air and settled it onto Wado’s hilt defiantly.

Despite his words leaving virtually no room for argument, and rather than finally giving in like he’d hoped, Sanji looked like he was ready to double down. If anything, he seemed more agitated than before.

Within seconds, the glare had come back, and he opened his mouth as if to start yelling again.

At the same time, he uncrossed his arms and planted them on his hips to emphasize how obviously unhappy he was about the decision Zoro had made.

Yet, even after another moment passed, nothing came.

Not a word left Sanji’s mouth.

Only the sound of his teeth eventually clicking together echoed through the room. Then, all of a sudden, his entire demeanor shifted from ready to fight him tooth and nail on this to contemplative - as if he was actually thinking things over for once.

Zoro didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he couldn’t help frowning in suspicion. His gut told him there was almost definitely more going on behind those eyes than what was being let on.

And he doubted he’d like it.

Before he had the chance to finish that thought, though, an audible sigh broke the silence.

“Fine… Whatever. If you’re so desperate to end up on Judge’s bad side by pulling an unnecessary, not to mention stupid, stunt like this, be my guest.” He paused for a second then and turned around towards the window. It sounded as if there was more to come so Zoro just watched him and followed his gaze quietly.

While they had argued, the sun had made its way past the horizon. The light didn’t do much to brighten up the perpetually depressing fog that hung over Germa, but soon enough, people would start waking up.

Even before Sanji opened his mouth again, he knew what that meant for the both of them.

“Thanks to you we missed our window though, and leaving now would be like asking to get spotted.” With one last glance back at him, he walked back to the bed and pulled something out from where it was hidden behind the frame.

Zoro could see his arms tense up when heaving the backpack onto the mattress and, as soon as it came into view, realized that this had to be what caused the thump he’d heard from outside.

It must have dropped down when Sanji climbed inside. That, or he pushed it out intentionally.

Whatever actually happened, the fall apparently made some of the things spill onto the ground because, while explaining their next steps, he crouched down multiple times to gather everything up again.

“It’s better if we wait until tomorrow morning to leave. I already have the perfect route planned out. All you have to do, if you really need to come, is meet me by the stables. Before dawn.”

Despite still not being entirely convinced this settled matters, Zoro grunted in acknowledgement and just quietly walked over to where Sanji had started rooting around the bag with an unreadable expression on his face.

Chapter Text

For a moment, Zoro paused the set he was on and loosened his firm grip on Kitetsu’s hilt to release some of the tension that had built up. His fingers felt incredibly stiff after holding onto the sword for hours, and stretching them only did so much to ease the aching.

Nor was it really helping to shake each hand alternately.

Even the light breeze that occasionally swept over the training court didn’t do anything. It only made the already cool night air seem colder and sent a shiver down his sweaty back.

Sooner rather than later, he’d need to take a break to let his body rest and unwind before taking off tomorrow morning. Given that Judge wasn’t exactly known to be the forgiving type if anyone dared crossing him, any rest was better than none, but at least an hour or two of sleep would go a long way.

Especially since the journey wouldn’t exactly be easy, not with the endless stretches of dark, lifeless forest surrounding the kingdom, and no real way of knowing when they might get another peaceful moment once they got out.

Despite being well aware of that, though, Zoro was reluctant to cut his training short. Mostly because, at the end of the day, it’s just as unpredictable how soon he’d get another chance to work on his swordsmanship as it was to catch a break. So, after taking a moment to shake off the soreness, he moved on and sucked in a deep breath.

Then held it in while bringing all his limbs back into a more stable position. It was muscle memory, more than anything else, to shuffle his feet along the sandy ground until they were shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and hips centered for balance.

His calloused finger tightened around Kitetsu’s red hilt as he lifted the katana into the air, visualizing clearly in his mind’s eye what he wanted to do. Zoro waited another blink before letting all the air out with one fierce strike, stopping the blade just short of actually cutting through the ground.

Immediately, the pleasant burn from hours of relentless training started up again, muscles in his shoulders, arms and back strained with the movement of driving down the sword but the blow was still just as he pictured. A fresh line now joined those already sitting in the dirt though, right where he aimed.

It was always satisfying to see that his hard work paid off.

And no amount of fatigue could manage to affect the precision he’d honed basically all his life. While backing up for the next Kata, Zoro didn’t even bother fighting the pleased grin that tugged on his lips.

Some more time passed where the only sounds around were heavy breathing and a swishing blade cutting through darkness. All the while, his thoughts wandered off to what might await them tomorrow morning.

He hadn’t exactly asked, beyond what he’d already been told, how Sanji planned on sneaking past the guards. Both those now stationed in front of his chambers and those already watching every exit. All he could do was trust the man knew what he was doing and hope nothing would go horribly wrong until they’d meet by the stables at the asscrack of dawn.

Before his mind could drift too far, the calm atmosphere was suddenly broken by a low, continuous noise - one so unexpected and unfitting to the near silent night that it startled Zoro to an instant stop. Kitetsu froze along with his hands in mid-air, halfway through an unfinished strike as his focus snapped towards whatever caused the disturbance.

It pretty obviously came from one of those oversized entranceways opening up. The creaking of the hinges slowly giving way to let somebody through was unmistakable, even more so when everything else fell silent around the training court.

Rather than turning around to check whether or not that was actually true, though, he kept his eyes fixed to a random crack in the wall and quietly considered who’d possibly come through.

Hardly anyone ever dropped by this late. The other knights usually spent a couple hours in the morning and early afternoon here, but otherwise stuck to the combat areas or weaponry.

As for the guards, he briefly wondered if there might now also be some stationed at the nearby gates leading off the castle grounds and into the upper city. But even that thought was fleeting, because Zoro knew perfectly well that neither a guard nor a knight would bother to try and be silent were they to come here whatever the reason.

Then there was also the fact that, whoever it was, deliberately turned the knob and pushed through at a snail’s pace. Almost as if they tried to make as little noise as possible.

Like they wanted to sneak away and leave in the dead of night.

It couldn’t be chalked up as simply coincidental, not this close to finally getting out of here. With only hours between them and leaving Germa behind altogether. All of it felt way too intentional.

An unsettling thought that, somehow, somebody caught wind of Sanji’s plan and got to him before he had any chance of seeing it through crossed his mind momentarily. Not a single person in the entire Castle trusted him, so the idea of them suspecting he had some involvement wasn’t really far-fetched.

Zoro didn’t stop to consider the obvious – that this might just be someone else entirely – when he spun around toward the heavy, wooden door. On his ear the golden teardrops clink together softly with the sudden movement. Instinctively, he dropped into a more alert stance, bringing Kitetsu to hip height and pointed it at whoever came outside.

He turned just in time to see the right wing stop moving and as a result, the low creaking died down too. The gap now there was barely wide enough for someone to comfortably slip through, maybe twenty inches at most. None of the heavily muscular men he’d expected could possibly fit, especially if they wore their armor.

Either for an unusually late training, or fight him in like he still half suspected.

Yet, the person that ended up stepping out didn’t seem to really struggle much – not one of the knights then. Even with the huge ass backpack slung over both shoulders, it was a relatively smooth exit.

Or it would have been.

But then, at the last moment before fully slipping through the gap, and despite obviously being careful, their cloak got caught on the doorknob. Zoro could only stand there and watch with growing confusion as they frantically fumbled to free the dark brown fabric as quickly as possible.

In the dim light it was already hard to make out many details, but the hood cast an even deeper shadow over the person’s face so any features he might have seen were hidden away anyway. Although, the frustration building up when their cloak didn’t immediately untangle was still just as unmistakable.

Without realizing it, his arms had gone slack and dropped further while he was too busy staring at what unfolded in front of him. By then, the caution from before was completely forgotten, replaced with an odd sense of intrigue.

Clearly this wasn’t at all what he had expected. Though, if they were looking for a fight anyway, he wouldn’t complain.

It took some more struggling and another harsh tug but eventually, they managed to pull themselves free. While visibly letting out a quiet huff of relief, the figure then quickly straightened up again to step away.

However, whether they forgot to hold on in the distraction or simply lost their grip, less than a second after getting untangled, the door slipped from their hand. It slammed shut with a low groan of well-worn hinges and the resounding thud echoed through the night.

Almost instantly, a distinct – yet startlingly familiar - voice hissed a sharp, “Shit!”. Zoro caught more muttered cursing after that, but the initial outburst was enough to finally clue him in on exactly who was trying to sneak away.

The realization of what was happening hit him like a kick to the face, and his posture relaxed the moment it did. He stood up straight, calmly rested Kitetsu’s blade over his shoulder, and let the other arm drop to his side.

Before thinking any better of it, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind – perhaps a bit louder than he should have considering the current situation.

“You sure are a stubborn fucker, aren’t you.”

Immediately, the figure whipped around with striking blue eyes blown wide open and alarm written all over their face. Though, that quickly shifted to something closer to annoyance – maybe even anger.

“What in the ever loving shit are you doing here, Mosshead?!” Sanji used a low, sharp tone to hiss at him, like he was holding back from shouting outright and it looked like he wanted to say more too but seemingly decided against it at the last moment.

Instead, he made his way over in just a few strikes of long legs and poked an accusatory finger right at the center of his shirtless chest. Now that they were practically face-to-face he launched into a quiet tirade, punctuating each word with another jab to Zoro’s skin.

“How the fuck is it– “ This close, the frown tugging curled eyebrows downwards was unmistakable, even though most of his features were still hidden beneath the cloak’s hood. It didn’t look quite as intimidating as he probably thought it did. “–that you get lost, no matter what, and are never where you’re supposed to be, except today?!”

For once, he completely ignored the comment about his sense of direction, partly because being here was purely coincidental, but there also really wasn’t any point in saying so. His eyes briefly flicked down to where the cloak parted slightly, revealing the same thick, worn tunic from that morning.

It was painfully obvious that Sanji had been – and still was – trying to leave on his own, despite agreeing to the opposite.

“Counter question, why the fuck are you so damn insistent to do this by yourself? I already told you I’d come along.” Zoro copied the same whispered tone, keeping it as even as possible, and raised a brow to drive his point home.

All the while, he skillfully ignored the very familiar flicker of glee the lack of distance caused and that stubbornly tried to mix in with irritation and frustration. His quickening heartbeat got much of the same treatment, pushed down while he focused on the prince still frowning at him.

The whole time, Sanji’s glare didn’t waver once. Not even when he eventually dropped his hand, leaving behind a cold spot where the finger had pressed against Zoro’s scarred chest.

Instead of pulling back, though, he chose to lean in even closer, until their foreheads were basically touching and everything besides the two of them blurred into the background.

Like this, every gorgeous detail usually too subtle to notice became clearly visible – from the slight crook in the bridge of his nose to the tiny scars scattered across pale skin. But the most captivating, at least to Zoro, were hints of green he could see mixing with all the different shades of blue in Sanji’s one uncovered eye.

“You don’t fucking get it! Just because your mossy brain can’t grasp it, doesn’t mean there isn’t a very real reason to not underestimate Judge! This isn’t some stupid bar fight or whatever, he has literal armies at his disposal!”

The implication that the king would most definitely send his men after them hung heavily in the air. Despite already being well aware and far from being threatened in the slightest, Zoro realized then how this was still tied back to the debt he’d allegedly been under.

It’s like their talk just that morning hadn’t even happened.

More out of instinct than active thought, he closed the remaining distance until their heads bumped together completely. By then, they were both worked up to the point of breathing in heavy pants, and Zoro could feel the warmth of it against his lips.

“There is nothing to grasp!” He pressed out between gritted teeth, doing his best to keep the building frustration about the situation from showing and probably failing miserably. “If the bastard wants a fight, he can have it. But you are not leaving alone.”

For a moment, nothing was added to the argument by either one of them, even while still fiercely glaring at each other.

Nor did they make any move to put some much needed distance between their faces.

The silence that settled over the training court following his statement was tense enough to cut clean through, and the longer it dragged on, the worse it got – especially with neither being willing to budge on their stances.

Standing there, butting heads and arguing, basically presented them on a silver platter to anyone who walked by and gave the guards plenty of time to notice that the prince wasn’t where he’s supposed to be.

If Sanji was this adamant about leaving immediately, fine by him but at this rate, they might just miss another window.

Eventually, after what felt like hours, Zoro accepted that waiting for Sanji to see reason was pointless, and frankly a waste of precious time. With nothing more than a frustrated grunt, he leaned back to stand up straight and turned towards where he had placed his other two katana before starting the training session.

Both Wado and Shusui still lay neatly crossed on the ground near the weapon racks, along with the rest of his things. His discarded clothes and the untouched water pouch, though, had just been carelessly thrown to the side.

From behind him, a quiet, questioning “Huh?” broke the tense silence in response to the sudden movement, and he could feel the glare boring into his back now. Most of the irritation was lost to confusion, but the frustration stayed every bit as strong.

Zoro brushed all of that off in favor of heading over to the wooden racks with only a few quick steps. On the way, he finally lowered Kitetsu’s blade to smoothly slide it back into the sheath on his right hip while fishing out the black bandana from his left back pocket.

In one swift motion he wiped the sweat off his face and what he could reach of his upper body, then immediately stuffed the now damp cloth back where it came from.

All of this only took a short moment before he crouched down to pick up the white shirt. But that seemed to have been enough for Sanji to figure out what he was doing.

“I’m fully capable of making it on my own!” The protest was less hushed this time, just loud enough to carry across the space now between them, but as predictably unyielding as ever.

He didn’t bother with an actual answer, simply shot a look behind him that made it clear exactly how convinced he was before pulling the shirt over his head. The fabric clung to the still-sweaty spots on his back, so he had to tug a bit for it to settle around his waist.

For now, though, he left it hanging loose – there’d be time to tuck it in later.

Sanji hadn’t moved at all since stopping in the middle of the training court, and he made no attempt to now. Instead, he gaped at him with a mix of irritation and something close to disbelief.

As if he still couldn’t understand why Zoro was doing any of this, but was also too stubborn to actually ask. Not that he’d know how to truthfully answer and keep his intense feelings to himself at the same time.

Without getting out of his crouch, he shot back one more glance before reaching out to pick up the other two katana. Only once both Wado and Shusui were firmly in his grasp, did he make any move to stand up.

Sliding them through the loops on his belt was a much more familiar movement in an upright position, as natural to him as breathing, and soon after, they joined Kitetsu at his hip.

Their weight was comforting, grounding even, especially given the tense and frustrating situation.

Zoro gave Wado’s white hilt a quick squeeze to calm himself even more, then finally bent down to get the remaining items. With one hand, he clipped the still untouched water pouch to his belt, opposite the three scabbards, while the other nonchalantly tossed the dark green coat over his shoulder.

He didn’t wait for the thick fabric to settle before swiftly straightening up and turning around, but kept holding on so it wouldn’t slip off. It’s a good thing everything he owned and valued was already on his person now, since going back inside to get anything else was out of question.

When their eyes met again, it seemed like Sanji had finally realized there was no changing his mind – and that they were running out of time. Even the dim light couldn’t hide how much the fact annoyed him.

And he continued to defiantly glare at him while Zoro began walking over, as if to make sure it was known too. The frown tugging on curled eyebrows slowly came back into view as he got closer, along with the sound of frustrated grumbling.

Once they were face-to-face, Sanji ended his rant by hissing “Just so you know, I’m only allowing you to tag along, because the patrol in the lower city makes their rounds again soon and we need to be out before that! Not because I need, or want you to!”

It was probably as much leeway as he’d ever get, so he accepted the win for what it was. Still, that didn’t stop him from blatantly rolling his eyes and grunting a quick, “Let’s just go.”

Without bothering to wait or check if Sanji followed, he stepped around him and headed towards the gate. A second pair of hurried footsteps joined his own a moment later, cutting through the almost eerily quiet night as they left the castle behind.

Zoro had to admit, though, that the mention of patrols made this sound a lot less spur-of-the-moment and more like some genuine thought had gone into planning this get-away.

Even if he’s still a little unsure what the plan actually was.

Sanji had yet to explain how he expected to leave unseen – or how he’d managed to get out in the first place – and not knowing the answer to either was unnerving. Especially since the guards outside his room hadn’t budged all day and could’ve easily seen or heard any attempt at slipping past them.

Unless there was some secret passage he wasn’t aware of, Zoro couldn’t think of many ways out and his mind kept circling back to the possibility that one of the men might have already run off to tattle to Judge.

The thought alone put him on edge, more so than simply being in Germa already did.

And every moment that went by without anything happening to either disprove or confirm his worries only made it worse. Under different circumstances, he might’ve chalked it up to luck and moved on, but years spent on the run had taught him better.

Right before they reached the gate, the unease finally won out and made him look back.

He turned his head just enough to glance over his shoulder and searched for any sign of worry on Sanji’s face. Because, as inexperienced as he was at navigating life with only nature at hand, the man knew more ways to get around the castle unseen than anyone else.

If he wasn’t overly concerned about having been noticed, or at least not more tense than he normally was outside his safe spaces, maybe there wasn’t any real reason to be. And while that probably wouldn’t get rid of all of Zoro’s unease, it’d go a long way in the right direction.

So, looking back to find that the irritated frown from before hadn’t left was oddly reassuring. Especially since, besides the white-knuckled grip Sanji had on the backpack’s straps, nothing in his posture suggested any actual alarm.

Even the way his eyes cautiously flicked around the area wasn’t unusual, nor out of character for someone who made it their mission to spite the king as much as possible by continuously going to the castle’s kitchen.

Zoro really wished he could just take this as the answer he was looking for and turn back towards the gate without reading anything into the fact that something still felt off. But then every bit of unease he managed to push aside came rushing back when those blue eyes landed on something right in front of them and widened in panic.

The sudden shift in Sanji’s demeanor almost made him trip on air and before he even had the chance to ask what brought it on, the question already answered itself.

In the corner of his eye, Zoro noticed some movement and instinctively whipped around, both to see for himself and to check whether it could be a threat to them. His earrings chimed softly with the sharp turn – a sound that normally grounded him in the moment.

Much like the feeling of Wado’s hilt beneath his fingers did when his hand wandered there the second he understood what’d gotten Sanji so rattled. Distantly he heard the faint thump of his coat hitting the ground after he let go while moving but it was drowned out by the moment.

Another hooded figure had stepped out of the gate’s shadow and into the dim light, stopping just as Zoro’s gaze landed on them. He couldn’t make out who exactly it was at first, not even when he squinted to try and get a better look, but their presence alone was too unsettling to be just about anyone.

Least of all any of the other knights.

Thankfully, though, Sanji didn’t seem to have any trouble recognizing who it was standing before them and snapped out of his stupor soon enough.

“Reiju?!” He hissed the name in a tone that was equal parts shock, confusion and disbelief – and Zoro was right there with him. Especially when she took off the cloak’s dark hood with one hand, revealing unnaturally pink hair underneath, and the full weight of her being here hit him.

Out of the entire royal family and court, it had to be the crown princess. The one person he just couldn’t, for the life of him, get a read on or even begin to understand the motives of.

Worse than that, she clearly had him and everyone around her figured out to the bone, in a way that made his skin crawl every time she so much as glanced in his direction. Just like it did when her eyes now landed on him, calculating and void of emotion as always.

She definitely saw right through them and knew exactly what they were doing.

A shiver ran down Zoro’s spine when their eyes met and his guard immediately snapped all the way up, higher than it already was. Without thinking, his grip on Wado’s hilt tightened, ready to draw the blade in a split second should Reiju try anything.

Because if he knew one thing for sure, it was that her loyalty lay with Judge alone, so assuming she’d come here on his orders and with every intention of stopping them wouldn’t be far-fetched. At the very least, he couldn’t imagine she’d risk her own neck by showing up just to say goodbye.

The words ‘Fuck off if you’re just planning to get in our way’ sat right on the tip of his tongue.

And that’s exactly where they stayed too.

“Do keep your guard dog in check, Sanji. I am not here to stop you from leaving Germa.” Reiju cut him off before he had even opened his mouth, as if she already knew what he was going to say and what slipped out instead was an unintentional, defensive growl.

Then, the second her words sank in, the sound promptly shifted into something openly distrustful, low and entirely unconvinced. Zoro really wanted to believe she was being truthful, but he knew better than to just blindly trust anyone.

Especially here in Germa.

Before he could stop himself, a deep scowl pulled at his brows and he sharply glared at Reiju, carefully watching her for any sudden movements. Zoro never once took his eyes off her, despite barely being able to make out details in the dim light. Not even when, a few seconds later, a pale hand came up to pat the tight muscles of his bicep.

The touch was light, almost mockingly so, and oddly enough, that’s the most reassuring part. He knew it was all for show, though, because Sanji was still just as tense as before.

Reiju’s appearance didn’t seem to make a difference either way.

“It’s okay, Zoro.” While speaking, he carefully stepped forward until they stood side by side. Only then did Sanji finally address his sister directly, his voice firm and leaving no doubt about how serious he was. “If you’re not here to keep me from ruining whatever use Judge thinks he suddenly has for me by up and leaving, then what do you want?”

As soon as the words were out, Reiju’s attention shifted toward him and her demeanor immediately changed. It was subtle, yet she somehow appeared softer, almost gentle. For a split second, Zoro even thought he saw a smile tug at her lips but that couldn’t have been real.

He didn’t have time to dwell on whether he imagined it, though. After studying Sanji for a moment and seemingly failing to find what she was looking for in his expression, she eventually responded.

“My dear baby brother, do you think I am not well aware that the mere hint of father planning anything actively involving you would prompt you to act preemptively? And seeing as you showed up here as I suspected – evidently without a clear notion of what is actually happening – only serves to prove my point.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sanji wince and the tension in his shoulders visibly worsened at being called out. It probably didn’t help that Zoro said something pretty similar in the morning, when he first tried to get away.

But Sanji never wavered in silently demanding an actual answer, so Reiju continued after only a second.

“Alas, I can assure you that I truly do not wish to stop you from departing nor do I intend harm in any way. However, I thought it wise to make sure you brought all the necessities with you. It is a first for you to be leaving the castle after all.”

As if to further prove that she was telling the truth, she pulled something out from behind her.

Zoro hadn’t even realized one of her hands was still hidden underneath the cloak’s fabric until it wasn’t anymore. Suddenly, there was a leather backpack being held out to them at arm’s length and, if he were to trust her words, it was apparently filled with things she’d deemed important to bring along.

Despite the obvious weight, there wasn’t the slightest hint of strain on Reiju’s face. Not even when he refused to take it from her for several long seconds and instead just kept glaring warily.

He still wasn’t entirely convinced that this wasn’t some kind of trick. Or a trap laid out by Judge because he suddenly found some use for the child he’d spent years ignoring out of existence.

The fact that Reiju only watched with the same patient indifference as always didn’t help. If anything, it made him feel more like she’d just tossed out bait and was waiting for the fish to bite.

On the other hand, that brief moment of silence while nobody moved was apparently all Sanji needed to snap out of his own daze. And once he did, he quickly reached out and grabbed the offered backpack.

Any other time, Zoro might have made fun of the way his whole arm sagged when the weight clearly caught him off guard. But he was still too focused on the possible threat in front of them to even think about that.

So focused, in fact, he almost missed when Sanji spoke up.

“Thank you.” Even though it was quiet, there was genuine gratitude in his voice and the smile he gave his sister was soft and sincere. “I know it’s hard for you to go so directly against Judge to help me out, so this means a lot.”

Sanji paused for a second, looking like he wanted to say more but wasn’t sure if he should. It frankly seemed like he was debating whether he actually wanted to hear the answer to a question or if he’d be better off not knowing.

Before the silence had any chance to drag on again, though – and before Zoro could step in and tell him they really needed to get going – he blurted it out anyway.

“What is it?!” As soon as the words were out, he awkwardly cleared his throat and took a deep breath right after. Only then did he clarify what exactly he was asking. “I mean, what is it that Judge has planned?”

For a split second, even Reiju looked slightly taken aback. Stranger still, her expression then turned openly sympathetic and, naturally, that got Zoro’s full attention quickly.

“Father wishes to make an alliance of sorts. However, Queen Linlin – whose name you are surely already familiar with – only ever does so through marriages between the ruling families.” That name did ring a bell with him, but it wasn’t in a good way, and despite his sheltered life, Sanji seemed to agree because recognition dawned on his face too.

He didn’t know much beyond the drunken ramblings he’d overheard about the Queen and her absurd number of children, but it was enough to keep him away. From what he did know, it only spelled trouble to go near the Totto kingdom and risked a fight he realistically couldn’t win. Not yet, anyway.

Especially because, out of the many alliances that had already been sealed, every single one was with a powerful kingdom or a strong guild. And since the Charlotte family was full of tough fighters to begin with, Linlin soon had an enormous and nearly unbeatable army to her name.

Although he was sure not everyone in there went willingly. Those types of arranged marriages throw someone’s freedom out the window and they either die fighting for the kingdom or spend the rest of their life serving the Queen.

But refusing her would probably just end in death anyway.

Reiju apparently took their silence as her sign to continue and did so without waiting for either of them to find their voices.

“Evidently, he chose you for this role. As you may know, the groom is expected to relocate to Totto so sending either one of our brothers would be unwise. They are, after all, valuable whereas you are expendable in his eyes. Therefore, he offered your hand to secure the alliance.”

Sanji flinched slightly hearing that, but almost immediately started nodding in understanding. They both knew that despite her words being blunt, it was still just the plain truth. Judge had no love for any of his children, he only saw them as tools to be used as he pleased.

So this wasn’t any more surprising than what else he had done for the slightest scrap of power.

Zoro didn’t wait for either of the two siblings to say something more, though, and instead crouched down to finally pick up his coat again. “Right, are we done here, then?” His voice seemed to startle them both a bit, probably because he hadn’t said a word since Reiju stepped out of the shadow, and instantly their attention was on him.

“Time is running thin while we’re just standing around, and getting out is only gonna get harder the longer we wait.” With that, he snatched the second backpack from Sanji and started walking through the gate. There was definitely a lecture coming his way for being so unnecessarily rude, but hopefully they were far away from the castle by then.

The last thing he heard before he stepped ahead into the upper city was Reiju saying her final goodbye to her brother. She told him to be careful and promised to hold off the search for them – though it likely wouldn’t buy them more than a few days.

Zoro stopped listening after that and gave them some privacy to talk one last time before, optimistically speaking, never seeing each other again. He also trusted Sanji to follow him eventually and to not try anything stupid for once.

Soon enough, he could make out the sound of graceful footsteps catching up to his steady pace and without another word, they both sped up to get out of this forsaken kingdom just that much faster.