This is the prequel to 'Can not belong to you', and tells what brought Eira and Zoro together. You can read it before or after reading
'Can not belong to you'.

In this story, you'll get a better view of the world in which 'Heaven in Hell' is set, the Demons and Devils that populates it and how it's complicated politic is going. Since even if you hate it, politic pretty much runs out lives...

Chapter I

Leaning his cheekbone against the knuckles of his right hand, the black haired male looked down at the young boy standing in front of his throne. Green hair and a stoic expression, he didn't even shiver as he looked up at the man sitting before him. And that was noted. Especially as the grown up men who had followed the boy from the Fourth Hell was shaking even as they tried their hardest to be still too.

"Well, welcome then, to the Frozen North. I hope that you will enjoy your stay here." Extending his left arm and showing against one of the giant windows in the hall, through which you could see an almost completely white scenery, he smiled a little. It didn't snow outside, and that probably had something to do with the guests. It wasn't unusual for the weather to act strange as other Devils was on a visit. He just hoped that it wouldn't cause permanent problems with a Fire Devil living here for a long time.

"Thank you." A light bow, and the boy payed his respect without bringing himself down. Such an arrogant child which had been put under his care... He measured the lad with his yellow gaze, and what he saw pleased him. This might not become such a boring task as he had thought when he had gotten the message that he would host a young political hostage.

"Now, I have some other things to attend to. Please visit the kitchen if you or any in your suite is hungry, otherwise, I will see you at dinner." Another bow, and the people left his hall. Closing his eyes, he listened as their steps carried them farther and farther away, until the big door finally was closed behind them with a thud which echoed in the now seemingly empty hall.

Opening his eyes, he looked to his left and into the shadows created by a red velvet drapery at one of the pillars. The light from the outdoors shone from behind it, and made the darkness even deeper. But he still knew that she was there.

"Are you having fun, eavesdropping on my meetings?" From the space between the stone and the cloth, a young girl emerged, about one year younger that the boy who had just left. Her black hair flowed down her back, only being hold from flying around everywhere by a hairband at the top which ended at the small of her back. In a simple red dress and boots, she could almost be taken for the child of a servant.

"I'm sorry, father... But I didn't hear so very much." As she took some steps against him, her eyes as glued to the ground, he smiled a gentle smile. This child of his always managed to make him forgive her, just by looking guilty.

"Sigh. Then, what did you hear?" When he had uttered those words, she walked up to him, standing even closer to him than his lifeguards. He guessed that this need of closeness had something to do with the fact that her mother hadn't been able to hold her for a long time before she passed away, as he picked her up and placed her on his left knee. Seeing her small hand reaching up and starting to play with the buckle in the shape of a hawk which held his cloak up, he couldn't keep from stroking some strands of hair which had escaped the band out of her pale face.

"Just that that boy is going to stay here. Who is he, father? What is his name? Why is he here?" The questions just poured out of her mouth, she didn't even breath before she was done and looked up at him, breathless.

"He is here as a guest from the Blazing Hell and his name is Lolonoa Zoro. He is one year older than you, so pay him respect during the time he lives here, okay?"

"And for how long is that?" She was sharp, he could see the glimt in her eyes which meant that she was calculating for how long she would have to act as the little princess she was.

"I don't know, until politics allows him to go home again, I guess." She made grimace at the last word, she hated it. It always just meant boring stuff, stuff which kept her father busy and made her have to act like someone she wasn't. As she jumped out of his lap, he raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she was up too now.

"Can I go talk to him? Joshua is in the shed right now, so they might not find their way to the kitchen if no one shows them the way." The clear eyes looking up at him reminded him so much of himself, but also of her mother. Gods, how he missed her sometimes, he really had no idea of how to raise a child. But this was the reality, it was he who had the responsibility to help their daughter to grow up into a fine woman, whether she liked it or not. It was just that... It wouldn't hurt if she would get to have her freedom for just a little longer, right?

"Alright. But don't forget your piano lesson this afternoon, hm?" She shook her little head, hair moving and hands clutching at her skirt as she made a little clumsy obeisance.

"No father, I won't." Then she spun around and rushed to the door, banking on it to make the guards on the other side open it for her. He watched as she waved a 'thank you' to the man before she ran off, dashing though the long corridors and halls of the Castle at the End of the North.

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"Attjoo!" The loud noise guided her towards their guests, and as she peeked out from around a corner, she saw them. About eight men, and that boy who would stay here, Lolonoa Zoro... "What a strange name!"

"Young master, you shouldn't wear so little clothes! If you're not careful, you'll catch a cold..." Tittering a little, she looked as they bended over their lord, all of them having a bit of a panicked look on their faces. Apparently they wasn't so used to caring for illnesses. Watching as he straightened himself and wiped some snot away from under his nose, she noted how stoic he looked as he stared at the men around him.

"As if! I'm not so weak that a little cold will disturb m- Attjo!" His oh-so-grown-up words were cut short by another sneeze, which forced him to bend over again. Irritated by his arrogance, she decided to take him back down to the ground. Walking around the corner, she met their surprised glances innocently.

"Ah, and who might you be, little girl?" One of them spoke up, scratching the back of his head as he smiled against her. Smiling back, she answered truthfully, just as her father always told her to do.

"I'm Eira."

"Well then, n-" His words were cut short by another man, who hit him in the back of his head and forced him to bow too.

"Idiot! Please excuse him, Eira-sama! He doesn't know who you are!" Pouting, she watched as all of them bowed before her to show their respect to the one and only heiress of the Cold North. Only the boy kept looking at her, not averting his gaze nor bending his head. Sighting inside, she motioned upwards with her right palm, to signalise that they could stand up again.

"It's okay, I don't care about that. But, are you guys hungry? If you are, I can show you to the kitchen!" A light shock played over their faces as they looked at her and then at their young master. He shrugged, a bored look on his face which irritated her.

"Sure."

Trying to ignore him, she turned around and waved with her left hand to show that they should follow her.

"It's this way!" As they walked along the hallways, down the stairs and through doors, the natural light from the white outside, which shone in through the big windows, were gradually replaced by lit torches hanging of the walls. It became warmer too, and the poor Fire Devils and Demons stopped to shiver as they went underground. For her, it was almost hot. But she was used to it, after having run down this way as long as she could remember, even if she preferred the cold snow outside.

As she pushed the door to the kitchen open, they were met by clatter and shouts, heat and strong smells hitting them almost like a wall. Inside the gigantic room it almost looked like a battle field, everyone doing everything while they screamed orders at each other.

"Oi! Where the heck is the pepper?!"

"Who took the last fish?"

"More wood to the fire!"

"Give me that steak before it burns, goddammit!"

She could never understand how the Ice Demons down here could stand the heat from the fires, nor how these rough men could prepare such delicious dishes. But they were some the best chefs in the whole Freezing Hell, and the warmth made their guests smile big, even Lolonoa seemed to relax as the fires crackled.

"Ah, Eira-sama! Who are these shit-heads?" The voice from one of her friends made her look to her right, smiling at the young cook apprentice as he walked over to them. But she didn't have any time to answer, before a loud voice made her and the others standing at the door jump high.

"Eggplant! Bloody brat, didn't I tell you to clean the floors?" The one-legged head chef grabbed the young devil by the back of his collar, lifting up the kicking boy in the air. Then he seemed to notice the others who stood there and looked at them, a shocked look playing over the faces of the strange Demons.

"Who are these people, Eira-sama?"

"Guests from the Blazing Hell, I thought that you might have some hot soup for them so that they won't freeze so much or catch a cold." Still smiling innocently, she knew that her words stung at the green haired boy and that he glared at her. She almost expected him to stick out his tongue against her, but that didn't happen.

"Well, I guess we could get something for you guys. What do you want?" Still standing with his blond adoptive son held up in the air, the cook gazed at the other males. "Do you want curry, or is a minestrone okay for you?"

"Ah, minestrone is fine with us. Right?" The man who had recognised her as Mihawk's daughter looked at his fellow soldiers, a little bit uneasy at the sudden offer. But all the others nodded as they felt their stomachs rumble at the tempting scents flowing from the many pots.

"And you, do you want some soup too or will you wait until dinner?"

"I'll wait." As Lolonoa said those words, she saw how Sanji grew irritated, his visible eyebrow being drawn against its invisible twin. As his step-father turned to shout at some of his chefs to get the soup ready, she heard him whisper.

"Spoiled brat."

And apparently the target for that insult heard it too, as he quickly shot back an answer.

"Dart-brow." Then, a full-scale fight broke out between the young boys as the Ice Devil wriggled out of Zeff's grip at his collar and kicked at the Fire Devil's head. Staring at them in shock as they became really violent, kicking and blocking, hitting and wrestling before the grown ups finally reacted and pulled them apart, she thought once again, that boys were really strange creatures.

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It was too damn cold here! Shivering as he removed his shirt and pants before putting on a nightshirt, he cursed under his breath over and over again as the cool bit into his tanned skin. Sneaking down under the thick cover, he tried to focus some of his strength to make the fire in the hearth burn stronger as his teeth clattered. Watching as the flames rose even higher, he let out a satisfied sigh. Now it was getting better, as the bed also started to warm up by the heat his little body gave of.

The room he had been given was big, and it took some time to warm it up. But he was glad that there was a fur mat on the floor and thankful for the fireplace at the opposite wall. The bed was big and comfy, soft as snow he guessed. He wasn't really sure, he hadn't tried to lay down in a drift yet. Shifting and shivering as his legs came in contact with some chilly linen, he expressed his disliking.

"Why did I have to be sent to such a freaking cold place?" His words disappeared into the air and he stared up at the ceiling, unable not to think about and miss his warm room back at home. But it was no surprise that he had been sent here, he knew that even if he was quite young. Politic was boring and irritating as shit, but you had to get a grip on it early in this world if you wanted to run your own life. Otherwise, people would just move you around like a chess piece.

He had been sent here as a political hostage since the Blazing Hell was getting in a pinch with the Freezing Hell. And the reason it was just him who had been sent, was that his family was almost High Noble. Or they had been. Anyway, apparently the high ups in the Council of Fire had thought that it would be a good idea to send a firstborn son and at the same time humiliate the Fifth Hell in secret.

So now he was stuck in this ice castle until things got better between the two countries, unable to do anything but to just be. Luckily for him, the lord of this freezer was a famous master swordsman and he had said the he was willing to train Zoro. So when he got back, the youngster wouldn't be behind the ones of the same age as him in swordsmanship. He might even surpass them during his absence.

On the minus side, there was that irritating curly-eyebrow idiot in the kitchen. But he would probably keep himself down there, so he wouldn't be able to pester him all too much... And even if he did, the blondie would get to know that he lived if he ever started a fight with the green haired one again.

As he yawned big, he felt how the long trip he had done through the two Hells started to catch up with him. Tiredness made his limbs heavy, his thoughts started to become foggy as his eyelids started to fall down. The last thing he remembered, was that he wondered why he was thinking about the Princess, Eira. There was something about that girl, she irritated him, just not in the same way as the cook-kid. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

Slipping down into sleep, he started to dream of his home country, of the burning sun which gave every Devil and Demon their power and strength, made their inner fire burn stronger than anything else. This cold place with its pale sun and crystal white snow, it was no home to someone Born of Fire. And as he dreamed, the sky was clear of snow clouds, not a single flake falling down to the frozen ground.

The changes for this "freaking cold place" had started, and from now on nothing would be as they had been.

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This is how everything started, and the following four chapters will tell the rest.

Please review this, and tell me what I could have done better!