Authors Note:

I wanted to introduce a lot more

characters in this chapter. I

think you'll enjoy them :)

...

Thank you to all you followers and to

all who reviewed :D

...

As for Zoro are stubborn,

God of War, and Chiyo are spirited

bride, I think it's time they met?

Don't you ;)

...

Enjoy the chapter 3

~*The God Meets His Bride*~

As she continued walking down the hallway she found herself wondering where it was leading. It was such a long hall; sort of felt dreamy and disorienting. The honey blonde began to wonder if her husband to be was playing chicken with her. Each step she took the hall seemed, at least Chiyo thought that the hall grew longer...

The blonde grew slightly annoyed by this, which added to the fact that her clothes were too long for her and caused her to nearly trip. Today she really hardly had to walk; in between being flown by Marco, getting thrown around by a bitter Goddess, and to top it all off knocked passed various doors and gates. She was getting a full taste of walking on her own in this ridiculous wedding kimono; a dangerous mission and the objective was to not break her nose.

I'm your bride aren't I suppose to be welcomed, or at least shown around she though in her mind.

Though it was just a thought, it was felt in the form of scorn; she'd just acknowledge she was his bride to herself. Strangely it made things more real, more poisonous and thick in the air. This was her reality, and it beat her with fear and wrapped her up with anger, and slapped her with regret. A sour taste seemed to fill her mouth.

"So this must be what malice feels like."

She felt this feeling strong, as if it were the only feeling to feel. Her eyes were clouded over with this feeling, so much so that she did not notice that down the hall a little girl had appeared at what was suddenly the end of the hall.

"Malice," muttered the girl.

Her green brown eyes blinked out of her daze and roved over the young girl, she was dressed up in a blue kimono, with light brown eyes and hair.

Chiyo took a deep breath, and tried to speak kindly, "Are you the one who is going to help me out of this corridor."

The little girl's big brown eyes just continued to stare.

The bride to be stared back; unsure of what to do in this strange situation, she decided to ask, "Is something wrong, your staring at me?"

"Yes there is something wrong." The little girl frowned.

Chiyo crouched down and softened her voice. She loved children; they had a tendency to make her go soft. "Are you lost, did you get hurt, do we need to find your mother?"

The little girl shook her head, "No. I just want you to leave."

Chiyo stood up feeling the cold that emitted off of this otherwise adorable girl in pigtails. "Leave, excuse me what have I ever done to you?"

The girl pouted, "Nothing yet," she paused clearly ignoring Chiyo's question and continued to speak as if she wear thinking everything aloud, "So then you're the Bride, hmm… I would have expected you to be taller and not so umm flat, dull and not his type."

Chiyo's eyes widened mortified that she was being insulted by a child she'd done nothing to, "Oi little girl who's your mother I have to go talk to her about her wonderful parenting! And I am not flat, it's this stupid kimono!"

"I was talking about your butt, but since you got all worked up, I suppose those are flat too." The girl smiled, her hair in pigtails made her seem so angelic to the eye, her contradictive words were so strange.

"Who are you are you and why on earth are you here? If you're going to insult me and not help me just go way! Brat!" Chiyo sputtered feeling her cheeks get red. She was on a short fuse today and this situation wasn't helping.

Just as the little girl was going to say something that would make Chiyo tick, an older women resembling the brown haired girl appeared behind her. She placed her hand on the child's head and bowed, forcing the girl to bow along with her. Chiyo blinked in confusion. The women stood up straight and the little girl followed suit, but stuck her tongue out at the blind bride when the women wasn't looking.

"You must be the bride! Forgive my daughter Rika, has she offended you in anyway, you looked upset?"

Rika suddenly became bashful, and nervous; Chiyo shot a look at the little girl and decided to spare her. She sighed. "No she's done nothing. I was just upset because I'd felt lost, but she was just welcoming me."

"Oh my good girl," the convinced mother said and patted a surprised Rika on the head before continuing. "Then Rika will take you to the room where you'll dine with the God of War. Is that good Rika?" It obviously wasn't a question and Chiyo held back her sigh. She'd rather not spend another minute with this little girl.

"Yes mommy!" Rika cheered most innocently.

"Good girl, I'll see you later in our room." The mother smiled and then bowed in her leave.

When the coast was clear she stuck her tongue out again at Chiyo, but the bride ignored the gesture and leaned down towards her, "Hey kid, I could of gotten you a lot of trouble how about you be nice, K?"

Rika giggled for the longest time, and then like the flick of a blade her expression became a glare. "He's mine."

Chiyo raised a brow, "Huh?"

"Zoro-senpai is mine; I won't share him with another woman. I'm letting you know right now that you can't take him from me!"

The blonde's green-brown eyes widened. She then grew very silent and stared at Rika's serious face. Flushed cheeks, furrowed brows, paired with a pouty, tightened lip. Her shoulders were tense and her tiny hands were balled in fists. It was sort of what you would call adorable. Her stomach started to feel tight and her shoulders started to shake. She placed a hand over her mouth but it wasn't enough. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it, Chiyo bursts out laughing.

"Hey it's not funny! He really is mine!"

Chiyo calmed. "Look kid,"

"Rika," the girl snapped.

"Rika. I'm not here to steal him from you. I don't even want this marriage." The blonde spoke softly.

The little girl stared with her big brown eyes for a long while. Her innocent crush on the god made Chiyo grow soft for her again. She found it sweet. Rika after staring for a long while gave another pout, "Follow me. I'll take to him."

Much to Chiyo's surprise Rika pulled her by the hand to a serenity garden. When Chiyo looked up at the sky any questions she had about the place she arrived in vanished. The entire place was not under water or underground, but when she looked above she see the ponds in sky and a big red moon. This was no place for mortals. Chiyo knew she was truly in a place only a god could create.

…

The God of War felt helpless as he fumbled into the robe of a very elaborate kimono. Deep blue with a dragon embroidered in black. He'd been in such a fowl move he'd wish his servants away and told them to take care of everything else but to stay away from him. He'd never put on a kimono by himself before. Since he'd watched his servants so closely for many years he thought he could do it himself, but the task was proving impossible.

One wall of the room was nothing but a mirror. He glared at himself in it. On the other side of the room was large and open window; bathing the royal room in moonlight that contrasted with the lit candles. This light made his sharp eyes the color of liquid gold appear like a bright amber yellow and full of fury. His hair, long to his waist and ever green was loosely braided. His face was fierce, like a wolves or a jungle tiger. His kimono was slipping off his broad shoulders and suddenly fell off exposing his ripped body. His skin tan and stretched over taut muscle. This body, this warrior's body was covered in scars; this body was not easy on the eyes.

Not to his and certainly not to a woman.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in Nami," the god groaned.

"How did you know it was me?" The ginger raised a brow.

He chuckled, "You knock like a debt collector."

She rolled her eyes.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked abruptly as he started once again to fumble with his attire.

"I'm here to dress you. You may have scared your servants away but I know a half wit like you would never be able to put on a kimono himself." She smirked.

He groaned, "Gee thanks."

The Goddess of Currency walked over to her friend and then examined his choice in kimono; soon she was rolling her eyes.

The God of War furrowed his brows. "What is your problem now witch?"

She sighed, "It's too obvious you want to impress her in this, which is cute but also way over kill."

"I'm not I just…" He paused unable to choose his words. "Oh whatever never mind."

"I'm not going to tease you, if I was I wouldn't tell you that you were making a mistake dressing too fancy. You're not getting publically married today. This is just a dinner; dress like it's a casual date. Be laid back, answer all her questions. Don't be to forward, but don't let her do all the talking. Be comforting."

Zoro shook his head, "She's afraid of me though Nami! She probably won't talk to me. She'll see me as a monster whether I dress up or be casual. No matter how sweet my tone…" He paused and glanced at the long scar that violently decorated his chest. "She's going to fear me…"

Nami shook her head at Zoro's words as she rummaged through his chest of clothes. Her eyes lit up when she found the yukata she was thinking of. She pulled it out and then wondered back over to him. His face was hidden behind his long green hair. She sighed and gave him a look that let him know to look her in her taupe eyes, he did.

She spoke, "Zoro I can't stress this enough. She's not afraid of you. She's only afraid of being married off and taken by a stranger. Don't be strangers; let her into your life. Show her kindness and the fear will go away."

The God of War shook his head. Nami sighed and placed the yakata she'd picked in his hand. It was grey with black and white and green embroidered goldfish and coy. He often wore this one to festivals. He looked it over and frowned,

"Are you sure it's… not very…"

He felt her pop him on the head, "Ouch, what the hell was that for?"

Nami rolled her eyes, "Quit being so stupid, she's going to think your lame. You know for someone who's so manly; with a title like yours, you sure do whine like a prom queen."

"Hey that's not true I just….. Oh get out, maybe not a kimono but a yukata I can put on myself!"

Nami laughed loudly as the door was shut behind her. A grin found her lips. She knew he was ready now. The lonely, brooding, arrogant God of War was ready to accept his greatest fear and desire.

He wanted to be loved.

…

Rika left the blonde bride to be in a room all by herself bidding her goodbye with of course another remark which Chiyo ignored. The bride had bigger problems then a bratty little girl with a crush. What was Chiyo supposed to think? How should she act? Here she was seated at a table for dinner waiting for her husband to be. Soon he would to present himself to her. The man she'd live under and coexist with and more than likely under his rules. She'd felt bold when she walked into the hallway, but sitting at his table was like being a mouse in a lion's den.

The room was like many of the other rooms she'd passed briefly with Rika, lit by moonlight and candle light. This room was especially red, and so strange to her eyes. From her simple life that consisted of modest homes and huts for the poorest of her village, this lavish room was so alien to her. All the wood was polished to shine and deep black. She'd never been in a place with such shiny furniture and deep red walls. The most starling thing was that one wall wasn't really a wall at all. It was glass and it exposed a florescent lit tank filled with fish she'd never seen.

Sometimes when it rained back in her village she would see a ribbon of colors in the sky. The fish in this huge tank came in all those colors and beyond. The light from the tank combined with the moonlight coming in from large windows overlooking the garden, set a blue haze in this portion of the room. Feeling small, she walked with caution over to the tank and peered into it. The coral itself was also elaborately colored.

Her eyes spotted a lion fish. The venomous creature was beautiful to her; she absently mindedly followed it with her eyes as her thoughts began to drift back into negative places.

What would he be like? What would he think of her... or did she even care about what he thought? Would he be the cruel type, or would he be kind to her? Would he be handsome, or would his features be hard to stomach. Would he be a cold narcissist or the simple minded and sweet type? What would life be like here? What was going to be her situation and place? Questions so many questions... she only prayed he would be kind enough to answer them.

The notion that a little girl was so fond of him was sort of comforting. It meant that he couldn't be too bad a person and maybe good looking as well, but this of course was not enough to convince her of anything. He might treat children differently than he does his women. The silence was unbearable but Chiyo was thankful for it, it meant that nothing was starting. That she still had time to breath.

Chiyo's vision seemed to come out a blur. She'd lost sight of the lion fish, but a bright blue fish was staring right at her. She started to feel tears forming again. She'd been killed today by her own people. Abandoned and betrayed by her parents. Her fated betrothal decided by a strange woman who clearly disliked her. Now her she was going to meet the man who was causing all her emotions to jump off the brink.

She started to hear sounds coming from the next room over. Rika had explained two rooms over from the private dining room was the kitchen, then the next room is where the servants fixed the platters and made everything presentable. Chiyo sighed, it was clear her time alone would be over soon. She looked around the tank for the lionfish but he was doing a fine job hiding from her. Disappointed, she made her way back to the table, where she stared blankly until her precious time alone came to an end.

It was nearly impossible but she managed to hide her fear when an overwhelming parade of seven women with sleek black hair and tiny bodies wrapped in red and gold kimonos flowed into the room. Before Chiyo could understand what was happening they all lined up in a formation, except for the seventh. She was an older looking woman and her kimono was silver and her obi was designed with spiders. Unlike the other girls her hair was short in a bob. Her eyes were so brown they appeared black. Her skin was tanned, she was slightly masculine but Chiyo found her startling appearance beautiful. The sort of beauty you feel when looking a brightly colored venomous creature., she emerged in the center and came over to the table. She held a black tea pot and placed to cups on the table before the bride. One cup for Chiyo and one for the God of War; the blondes stomach flopped inside of herself.

Chiyo smelled the woman's tobacco as she poured the tea and the blonde instantly felt the dryness of her tongue. She could see the steam rising from the cup but picked it up regardless; lightly blowing on the siring liquid in a poor effort to cool it down.

"Hime-sama! That's much too hot for you to drink."

Startled like a frightened child Chiyo dropped the cup, spilling the hot liquid on her and the table.

The blonde bride to be widened her eyes when she saw the mess she'd made. "Oh, I'll clean this right away!" She squeaked as she tried to get up and looked frantically for a rag.

The woman waved her arms. "No you are the bride, and are Hime-sama. You do not lift a finger. For the rest of your time here in this palace I, Shakuyaku, call me Shaky though, and these other six ladies will do anything you ask of us, except allow you to work."

Chiyo blinked as Shakky began giving out orders to others. One was going to clean, another going to get new cups, and the others she herself was instructed to follow. Her white kimono was covered in green tea. As if she were being rushed by medics to hospital, Chiyo was hurried to a small room. The girls disappeared and reappeared a few moments later with a light kimono that resembled a sunset.

Striped of her heavy white garments, Chiyo felt some relief. This kimono felt better and looked better. It was much easier to walk in as well. The girls smiled when they saw the expression on the brides face.

"This suits you Hime-sama!"

"Yes indeed beautiful, Hime-sama!"

Chiyo raised a brow, "You keep calling me Hime-sama? I'm no princess."

They shook their heads. "You are going to become the lady of this palace. You are the bride of the god we serve, naturally that would make you a princess."

"Might I ask who told you to say that?" Chiyo inquired.

"Roronoa Zoro Kami-sama. He said to make you feel comfortable."

The blonde stared for a moment unsure of what to make of this information.

"Well Hime-sama, let us go you don't want him to wait on you." They giggled and then each grabbed Chiyo's hands, pulling her a long back to the dining hall.

…

Chiyo was seated back at the table, wiped clean of tea and set up accordingly. She wasn't sure about how she felt about being called a princess. This made her think that the god was just trying to win her over with his luxuries. Feeling annoyed by everything, she drank her tea which was now at the proper temperature.

"Just a few more minutes Hime-sama," Shakky whispered.''

Chiyo nodded.

Shakky pointed at the other six girls. They spoke in unison. "Dinner will be brought to the two of you in five minutes. Roronoa Zoro Kami-sama will be here soon."

As they made their rehearsed exit through the back behind the elaborate red and emerald tapestry the bamboo door at the front entrance began to slide open. There he was. There was no way that was anyone else. This was it this was her husband to be, her future, no her present time. Chiyo felt her lungs release air but she could not seem to get them to fill up again. Was that her throat closing up on her? Was her face turning red? Was she really shaking that hard?

Her tea cup slipped out of her hands again, thankfully it was empty but she didn't notice. Her eyes met a pair of sharp ones from across the room. Their color was like the yellow sun blending with an orange sky. The blue moonlight intensified everything about him, but Chiyo wasn't sure what was happening to her.

She felt so sick all of a sudden, she wasn't even sitting upright anymore. This man was rushing toward her. His hair was so green and long; down to his waist. It looked so silky. Could this be the God of War? So many questions spun in mind and none of them were answered. The man's voice called out to her. Her eyes were locked on the tank. The lionfish was looking back at her, but she couldn't look at him for too long. These black dots fluttered around her vision until they over took everything. A world of black and silence...

…

The God of War stared down at the girl in his arms. He was holding her upright and against his chest. It was apparent to him that when she met his eyes she became so overwhelmed that she passed out cold.

"Well so much for Nami's advice." He muttered and then sighed looking at the table.

The food had arrived a few minutes ago. Delicious looking elaborate platters of sashimi, sushi, steamed white rice and a salmon sashimi salad decorated the table. Once the servants finished placing the platters he excused them all from the room. He was so hungry, but he thought it odd to eat with a passed out girl in his arms.

"Are you going to wake up anytime soon?" He asked, his stomach growling.

Nothing, not even a groan, he sighed. "Well gee if I had known I was going to scare you so much I wouldn't have bothered coming at all."

He let out another irritated sigh and stared down at the blonde. It's not like holding her was that much of a burden. He'd never really held a girl before but his assumptions were correct. Girls are very soft, and they sure do smell nice. Chiyo gave off a scent that was somewhat floral and soothing to him. He also noted the way her mouth was so deep pink despite not wearing lipstick. The green haired deity felt strange, he was staring at her mouth for way to long.

"Shit, what am I doing, she'll think I'm a perv if she wakes up and I'm looking at her like this." Zoro muttered under his breath.

What else was he suppose to do though. He had to watch her, but he was to curious not to let his eyes be filled with wander lust. This girl was supposed to be his bride, and right now she was out cold in his arms. What was he suppose to say to her when she awoke? Would she be angry with him? Would her first expression be one of total disappointment, or would she seem surprised and content. Would she slap him in fury for holding her while she was out cold, or would she thank him?

"She's really c…. fuck." Zoro snapped at himself, "I can't turn into that stupid cook and call her that… she's passed out damn it."

She was indeed cute to him. With her fair skin contradicted by her naturally flushed cheeks and deep pink lips she was exactly that, too cute for Roronoa Zoro's own good. He frowned at this thought. He didn't like the thoughts in his mind. Fluffy, unimportant things, completely different from any of his other thoughts; which revolved around weaponry, battle tactics, answering prayers, getting stronger, and most beloved of all his blades. These things were just too far from his mind right now.

He felt like a hypocrite. He'd always told that chain smoker of a god to quit preaching about women, and at the moment his thoughts consisted of the same frivolous things he'd thought were pointless. Questions like what sort of voice would she have; high, sweet, or soft, or maybe tomboyish? Why does she smell so good? What will her smile be like? Just how busty was under that kimono, kimono's always hide that. Even an expert pervert wouldn't know.

He pinched himself in the arm, "quit thinking that way he muttered feeling a heat on his cheeks.

He heard a tiny groan escape her lips. In excitement he resisted the urge to shake her the rest of the way awake.

"Hey women, you're umm waking up right?"

She gave a moan. He started to shake her a bit. He really wanted to know what her reaction to him would be. When she awoke would she look at him with the same wanderlust he did her, or would her face grow disgusted the minute she saw him? The fact that she passed out from looking at him really didn't help his self esteem in this situation. Maybe he mortified and overwhelmed her?

She started to mutter something unintelligible and squirmed in his hold.

"Are you alright now? Shit umm… maybe I shouldn't shake her so hard?" Zoro noted his grip was strong and he might possibly bruise her.

As he leaned down, his long hair began to tickle her a bit, he heard her make a few more sounds before her bright eyes opened to look disoriented into his.