The castle was filled with life. Wedding preparations were being carried out. Families from various houses were turning up at the royal city, thrilled for the ceremony that would increase the reach of the royal domain, because when it came down to is that's really all that mattered. The prince was marrying the woman who would give him the largest claim after all, a nice piece of eastern land.
The halls were beautifully decorated and the bushes in the gardens were clipped to perfection. A long blue wedding gown had been put together for Sanji as she sat locked away in her room. She couldn't stand it all, everywhere she looked there was some reminder of what she would have to do. All the time they had been fitting her for the dress she had made terrible faces, never when her maids were looking though. She knew it wasn't their fault so she wasn't difficult for them.
There was only one day left until the event and Sanji already felt sick. She hoped that she threw up all over her husband to be while they stood at the alter, wouldn't that be grand? All of this pain might have been worth it just for that one moment of glory, barf all over Sir Crocodile. If only she could make herself puke on command.
Sanji glanced out over the grounds and saw people bustling to and fro, everyone oh so busy. Sanji she half expected there to be a backlash against this wedding for the little Lord she had killed, but the the fishmen had never been well liked, no one dared defy the royal kingdom, and the murder had been spun as more of an accident than something of malicious nature. Some still said that she was a pointy toothed witch though, she wished she was a pointy toothed witch. Then she would save her friends and fly away from this fucking cell. She knew that somewhere below her feet they were stuck in little cages and that made it even harder to function. It was hard enough with all the looks Crocodile was giving her. It seemed that she had killed any chance of him not violently harming her as soon as she was his wife. She hadn't though his face could get any colder but it had. She hadn't been allowed to go to the kitchens as the wedding neared, apparently it reflected poorly on the kingdom when the Princess cooked like a servant. At least she got to spent a little time with Nami.
Sanji did not sleep that night, although she knew she had to be up for various events in the morning, as tradition dictated. She had a breakfast to attend, people to greet, a lunch to go to, the actual wedding ceremony, the dinner, and the bedding.
The bedding. Every time she though about it her chest felt tight and she thought she might suffocate. The bedding was the most important part of the wedding, that was how it was made authentic. An unconsummated wedding could be easily undone. She didn't want to think about it, not at all. She was pushing it down every time the thought occurred to her.
When morning came maids washed her and brushed her short hair, painting her face to hide any weariness. She was put into a long and very pretty yellow dress that made her feel far too bright for her sour mood. When she was ready she was dragged from her room and into the hall for breakfast. The meal was only attended by family members and those close to the King and Queen. The rulers of this fair land had returned to their home two nights past in order to see their son married. How wonderful, wasn't that so sweet?
Despite her inner turmoil, Sanji slipped easily into the facade of the happy soon to be bride. The meal seemed to go on and on forever, at least Robin was there. Nami was not but it was better than nothing. Robin at least kept giving her encouraging looks.
The meal seems to go on and on endlessly. No one talked of anything particularly interesting and they were all wanting to hear how excited she was about being married that afternoon. It was terribly dull. She smiled and laughed and blushed exactly when she was supposed to even when she was dying a little bit inside.
After breakfast she was allowed to walk around in the gardens with Nami. While they walked guards walked close to them. Not near enough to ease drop but close enough to catch them if they ran.
Sanji was staring longingly at one of the castle walls. "I wish I had spider powers," she sighed wistfully.
"I think super strength would be better in this case," Nami commented, "Then you could bust us out of here and save everyone."
Sanji nodded, "I would bust them out of their cells and carry them all out bridal style, it would be amazing. Instead I'm the one who's going to be carried bridal style to my doom."
Nami tried to look reassuring but it looked more pitying. "Maybe a meteoroid will crash into the castle."
"Maybe," Sanji said dismally.
"Whatever happens I'll still be here for you."
"But for how long? You're going to be sold off as soon as they can find someone for you."
She winced, "For as long as I can be and when I'm not here I will be in spirit."
Sanji sighed, "I'm going to need some divine intervention to get me out of this one."
It was a rather depressing walk and it didn't lift Sanji's spirits what so ever. Lunch was just as full of shit as breakfast had been but more people attended and more people fawned over how beautiful she looked, although they chastised her for cutting her hair.
As soon as lunch was finished with Sanji was bustled off to prepare for the ceremony. She was given another bath, her makeup was reapplied, her dress was laced so tight that she felt like she was stuck halfway inside a tube, and she waited. The wedding was at dusk, in light of the setting sun. The farther the sun sank in the sky so too did Sanji heart. And suddenly she found herself standing in the back of a cathedral. She would be married under the watch of one god, not the three that her people worshiped. The east had different marriage traditions.
Lady Robin stood at Sanji's side. It was traditional for the father to walk the bride down the isle but Sanji's father was dead and she had been allowed to choose anyone to walk with her so she had chosen Robin.
Sanji's stomach rolled and she wanted to fall down and go to sleep forever. If she did that though her friends would probably be killed. Maybe they were suffering a fate worse than death now, she did not know but she really hoped not.
"Head hight," Robin told her, putting a steady hand on her shoulder as music began to play. The two of them linked arms, waited for the cue and walked the lone isle, the train of Sanji's dress trailing behind them, to the Prince who was giving her the most sickly smile.
Robin moved away and Sanji was left to stand there, the focus of attention, every eye on her.
The priest began to read his words. Vows were exchanged, as well as rings. Two identical golden bands adorned their fingers, slid into place with careful hands. Sanji had to stop her hand from trembling, it was rage their were trembling with, not fear. Her fear was all but exhausted, now it was mostly resignation she felt. When they were bound they were called to kiss and seal the words.
Sir Crocodile pressed his lips to hers, they were warm and wet, it made her skin crawl when he did it, but it was soon over. She wasn't sure if the effect was due to the events in the desert or the fact that she had been kissed by him, but either way it was distasteful. And once again she was glad she had kissed Zoro, if she hadn't she might have thought all kisses were so horrible. But there it was, the deed was done and she was married. Now they were in the lull before they became truly wed. Again, her stomach gave a sickening lurch.
After the ceremony the crowd was ushered into the banquet hall where the feast began with Sanji and her new husband drinking spiced wine from their marriage goblet. A disgusting tradition, sharing a goblet with someone was not something Sanji had ever wanted to do, especially not with this man.
The dinner went on for an eternity and longer. People came up and told her endlessly how luck she was and her anxieties rose higher and higher as the night turned black. She ate very little at the feast and was sure that she looked as pale as the moon by the end. Nami kept giving her looks but she wasn't allowed to approach. They both knew that the bedding would come soon, everyone knew that. She had been to a few wedding and she had always found this particular tradition rather horrible. When enough time would pass someone would call for the bedding to take place. The bride and groom would both be dragged from the hall different ways. The groom by a horde of female guests and the bride by male guests. On the way they would lose their clothes before being dumped into a room to consummate the marriage, while the guests listened for proof. The men always seemed to enjoy the tradition more than the women. Sanji had seen enough terrified faces to know that much.
Sanji was tempted to drown herself with wine to make it easier, but then she thought she would rather stay clear headed and fight her way through. If not then she wanted the option of throwing herself from the window. And if she did end up in his bed she would be sure that the listeners wouldn't know she was not having a good time of it.
When the time actually came a majority of the guests were drunk.
"It's time for the bedding!" the king called out and was met by a roar of approval by the guests. Chanting began before people started to be pulled away by their groups. Sanji was clenching the table so hard that Robin had to remove her fingers. Sanji gave her a betrayed look as she was pulled into the crowd but Robin's expression was unreadable.
Sir Crocodile went out one door with his Ladies and Sanji was carried out another by the men. They were already groping at her when they were on the way out. Once they cleared the doors to the hall Sanji startled to struggle. There were at least ten men around her and they all wanted to tear off her clothes as they made their way toward the wedding bed.
She jerked her leg hard as one of the men took a a knife to the back of her tightly bound corset, allowing her a large gasp of breath, but it was only cut halfway down. They still had her legs from under her dress so she started to twist and kick. She did not cry out or some guard might come to drag her away. Some of them men were more drunk than others and she managed to trip them up when she squirmed but the sober ones held fast and she helplessly fought as they dragged her to her doom.
They were going down one of the halls further along. Sanji's dress was still mostly intact although some idiot had torn her left sleeve off as well as half the back of the dress, the only thing keeping her covered was her hand and the undamaged half of the corset that had yet to be torn off. Strips of the skirts had gone, leaving a trail of fabrics behind them. This march was going on for an eternity, but it was nearly at it's end.
She almost screamed as one of the men supporting her back fell, letting her dip dangerously toward the floor. She took it as an chance if lash out at the other surprised men. She kicked one in the face, causing him to stumbled back into another man and tumble to the floor. Once she had one leg free she kicked at the men at her other leg, they did not fall but did not look pleased at being kicked in the face. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt the while left side of her supporters fall with various cries of pain. She began to fall back but someone reached out to catcher her before she hit the ground. She was expecting arms and fabric but she felt hooves and fur.
She looked quickly over her shoulders and her eyes widened. "Chopper?" It was Chopper in one of his larger forms, he scooped her up just as the other side of the men were felled. Chopper set her back down as Zoro flicked the blood from the end of his katana, and it was his katana, the others were at his waist as well.
Sanji looked at the two of them carefully. They both looked slightly thin and dirty, probably from the dungeon. "How-?" she stammered.
"We'll explain later, now we have to go," Zoro told her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her stumbling after Chopper who was already ahead of them. Running was hard in her stupid puffy dress and the corset wasn't quite cut low enough to let her lungs expand all the way. Luckily,
they didn't have to run far. They stopped in a dark and empty hallway and Zoro shoved a tunic and breeches into her shaking hands.
"Put this on," he told her. They would be less conspicuous this way.
She took the clothes but then realized she would have to be taking off this multi layered and complex dress so she faltered. "You're going to have to cut me out of this," she told him. There was no way she could take it off quickly. Zoro made a face. "Don't worry, I do have underclothes on," she rolled her eyes.
Zoro drew his sword and cut the rest of her corset along with the many other layers of the fabric.
As he worked Chopper watched her worriedly. "Are you okay, Prince?" he asked, keeping the alias she had adopted. He seemed to be the only one who made the effort, that was sweet of him.
Sanji tried to smile reassuringly, "I'm just a little shaken up. I think at this point it probably doesn't matter if you call me Sanji," she decided.
Chopper opened his mouth but Zoro cut him off, "Whatever, wonder-brow," he scoffed as he tore through the last layer of the dressed, leaving her only in her slightly torn under clothes.
Sanji glared at him, shifting awkwardly as she took the new clothes and began to put them on. She was almost naked after all.
"We tried to come as fast as we could," Chopper was saying guiltily.
Sanji smiled, "I'm just glad not to have made my destination. How did you two escape, are the others out too?"
"We'll explain it later, now we have to go." Zoro put a knife into her hands, one that she hadn't noticed before. It wasn't hers but she recognized it as copy of one of her first knives. Maybe he got it from Franky, she thought distantly.
They started to run again, farther and farther from the hall and the bedding room. Sanji found the idea of Sir Crocodile sitting naked in the room waiting for her now incredibly amusing. She wouldn't want to be in the vicinity when it became apparent that she had ditched him.
They saw some people on their way but most were just servants or drunk guests. Sanji wasn't really paying attention to where they were going, she was just following, but eventually they turned up at the empty door.
The large doors to the portal were open and the guards where either unconscious or dead, it was hard to tell. Usopp was waiting for them, dead sheep at his feet and blood covering the stone door.
"Come on!" he squeaked, "The others are already inside."
They waked to the doorway and Chooper went through first. Sanji stood there for a second, so Zoro shoved her through. When Zoro came through Sanji kicked him in the stomach and he almost fell back though the door. Usopp was the last to come through.
They were in another door room, it was distantly familiar to Sanji as she looked around, but then all door rooms looked basically the same. Inside the room were Luffy, Usopp, and Nami.
"How did you all get here?" Sanji asked.
"These guys brought me," she beamed. Nami had left the hall earlier that evening, not wanting to see Sanji dragged out. She had only stepped into her room when someone jumped through the window and smacked against the wall beside the door. She had let out a muffed shout, but was confused to see that is was only a dark haired boy who had jumped though her window, despite it not being anywhere near ground level.
She had watched as Luffy picked himself up and put the straw had that had fallen to the ground beside him back on his head.
"Are you okay, Nami?" he asked, cocking his head as he observed her.
"I'm fine, why the hell did you come through the window?" she asked.
"Because I was outside," he said like it was obvious. "We have to go, Usopp is waiting for us." He pulled her out the door and down a hall where they met Usopp. Nami didn't know why Luffy had to come through the window when his friend was inside waiting for them but she decided that it was probably because he was an just idiot. She would have to punch him for that later.
They had run to the door, where Usopp had knocked out the guards with his slingshot and they were inside.
"We travel with a strange group of people," Nami said thoughtfully. "The question is, are you okay?"
All eyes were on her but she held her chin high and gave her honest answer, "I'm fine, where are we?"
"The East Blue," Usopp supplied.
Sanji felt her heart thump in her chest at that, but she pushed the thought aside. "How did you all get out?" she asked the boys.
"Robin," Zoro said, "We can explain that later. Now we have to take out the Lord of the castle." He was a man on a mission.
Sanji blinked. The Lord of this castle was a scumbag of a knight with a band of mercenaries to enforce his rule. That sounded like an amazing way to relieve some of her pent up agression. "Well, what are we waiting for then?"
They crept down the halls as silently as they could manage. Sanji felt like she was in some strange dream, she recognized these halls somewhere in the back of her mind. The way was shockingly empty, even suspiciously so. She wondered just how well laid out this plan was. If Robin had planned it then it must be completely fool proof, which was good because they were all a bunch of fools, minus Nami, of course. Nami was an angel of putting up with them.
They snuck toward what Sanji recognized as the Lord's hall. Chopper and Nami were told to hang back and stay out of the fighting. Nami could fight when she wanted to, Sanji knew as much, but she didn't much like risking her neck when she could avoid it.
When Zoro was about to open the door, Sanji kicked it open before him, knives clenched in her fists. The hall was filled with people, most looked to be advisors and such, rather unimportant but there were some mercenaries among them as well as the Lord himself, sitting in a makeshift throne at the end of the hall. Sanji was fairly sure he wasn't supposed to throne himself like a King, but that wasn't what was important right now.
"Give yourself up or we'll take you by force," Sanji shouted, her voice ringing through the suddenly silent hall, pointing toward the Lord in the throne
There was a pause before the Lord began to laugh, which prompted others to laugh with him. "Put that knife away, little girl, or I'll have to have one of my men cut your pretty face off."
Sanji had been slightly surprised when he called her a girl, forgetting that from the neck up she still looked ready for a wedding. Although, her hair was a mess.
"I'm no little girl and you're sitting in my chair," she said.
"Oh? And who do you think you are?" the Lord leered.
"Sanji of the house Black," she grinned wolfishly.
The Lord considered this for a moment before he snapped for one of his mercenaries to rise. "If you could please show Lady Sanji to a nice room in the dungeons."
The mercenary approached slowly, an ugly smirk on his ugly face. He didn't even bother to draw his axe. Sanji waited until he was close enough before she knocked his feet out from under him and stabbed through a gap in his chain mail. The hall erupted in chaos.
There weren't quite so many as Sanji had expected somehow. They were hired hands, so they knew how to fight. She may have caught one off guard, but now they wouldn't be fooled. People ran from the halls and were difficult to avoid, even when she did her best. It felt good to have steel in her hands after so much time without it, although as she held it she could feel the wedding ring pressing against the grip. She had almost forgotten about that, now she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She would have to have the marriage undone at once then they would see what happened.
At her back Zoro stabbed a man in the eye and shoved him aside. They were both covered in blood. Luffy overturned a table on a set of people and at the back of the room Usopp was shooting arrows at mercenaries, then ducking out the doors again.
The number of enemies was dwindling and the bystanders were all gone. Sanji noticed that the Lord was still in his throne, clenching at the sides of the chair. He was either very stupid or he had far too much faith in his hired hands. None of her friends had touched him, although they could have quite easily if they had wanted to. She realized that they were saving him for her. This man was sitting in her chair, she had to fix it herself.
She charged toward the chair, ducking under a swinging sword and drawing out the unnamed knives at her side. The Lord opened his mouth to say something, there was fear in his eyes. She stuck a knife in his throat and drew it back. She watched the blood flow from the open gash. When had death become so familiar? When had she lost sensitivity to it? She was a different person now than she had been.
She pushed the body from the chair, but did not sit in his place. By right of birth this should have been her seat but she had been gone too long from this land and she was of the wrong gender. Once this might have been her chair, but that was in another life. She rejoined the fighting as a surge of people from outside joined their cause. By the end Sanji was exhausted and spattered with blood. Bodies were being dragged away and she was approached by a older man with an important looking countenance about him.
"Lady Sanji," he said with a stiff nod of his head.
She squinted at him, "Do I know you?"
"I was advisor to your father when he was the Lord here," the man told her. "It is good to see you back after so long, although I would have hoped to see you in a different state." He glanced down at her.
She couldn't blame him really, she looked quite the sight. A girl with short hair, smeared make up, in boys clothes, holding two knives she had just used to kill multiple people with, and still wearing the wedding ring to mark the marriage she had not consummated. She grinned at him none the less. "Before you say something important, can I ask to see a priest, I would like to fix this as soon as I can." She held up her hand and pointed to the ring.
His eyes widened slightly and and he called for a servant to fetch the high priest.
"We have much to talk about, my Lady," he told her when he turned back to face her. "Do you intend to take his place?" he said it with distaste, whether it was for her as a person or as a female she was unsure.
Sanji shook her head, "I don't know what I'll do, but not that." The people wouldn't accept her here. She may be a member of the last family that ruled this land, but she had been gone most of her life, this place was strangely unfamiliar to her after so long and the people wouldn't trust her not. They would probably think she had just been sent by the King to them. They probably wouldn't accept her as a woman either. She didn't want to rule anyway, but what would she do now? She would have to talk to Luffy about it.
The man looked both relieved and concerned at her words. "If not you then who will take the place of Lord here?"
"We can resolve this later." she said tiredly. She turned to Zoro who was standing not far from her. "So how did you guys get out?"
"That creepy lady with the black hair got us out," Zoro said.
"Robin, you said it was her before."
"Yeah, she used her freaky pedal arms to unlock the doors and bust us out. The blue haired guy gave me my swords back."
Sanji was very confused about the reference to 'pedal arms', but it made sense that Franky had been the one to take care of Zoro's swords, he did have a shop near the armory after all and Robin had always trusted him.
"What do you mean pedal arms?" she asked. As she said it a pale arm bloomed from the ground and waved at her. Sanji's eyes widened and looked to the doorway where she saw Robin and Franky standing. Franky was laughing at her shocked expression and Robin was giving her an amused smile. "What-?"
"Devils fruit," Robin said when she was close enough to be heard. The arm disappeared in a scatter of pedals.
"You kept it a secret?" Sanji asked, slightly hurt that she hadn't known something of this magnitude.
"I wanted to keep you safe and if anyone had known I wouldn't have been able to do that if anyone had known. I would have been dismissed."
"I wouldn't have told anyone."
"Maybe so, but some secrets are better kept until they are needed," Robin smiled. "I am very glad to see that you are okay." She tucked a strand of hair behind Sanji's ear with her real hand. Sanji was still a little angry, but she hugged her none the less. Luffy then announced it was a group hug and everyone was pulled in. It was an awkward and too tight mess, but it was full of sappy love and friendship.
When they were released the priest had shown up with a holy book in his hand. It was the book of the Eastern gods, but it would still work to break the marriage off legally. He told her to place her hand on the book, said some words, and it was done. The marriage was ended, a letter would be sent through the door to the royal city at once.
When it was done the ring was take from her finger. "What would you like done with this?" asked the advisor.
"You can sell it for all I care, I'm just glad to be rid of it."
"I'll take that," Nami said, plucking the ring from her hand. "Think of it as payment of everything you owe me.
"Good riddance," Sanji sighed happily.
"Well," Robin said as there was a lull in conversation, "It has been a thrilling night. I suggest that we all get some rest, it is very late."
The advisor nodded to her and called some people forward to take them to rooms for rest. Sanji suddenly found that she was dead on her feet, her energy had gone. The journey to the room was a haze but her room was separate from all the others. She was confused at first but then she stepped inside. It was the room she had grown up in, empty but still in its same form. The maid who had taken her there left, closing the door as Sanji walked to the window. The view was gorgeous even when it was so dark out, the moon reflected off the dark water and the stars twinkled in the sky. She allowed herself a little smile of content. For now she was happy; happy and very tired.
Despite the uncertainty of the future, Sanji flopped into bed, not even bothering to remove her bloody clothes. She fell asleep wondering what she should do next. That could wait until morning, at least.
XxxX
A/N: I'd never let Sanji marry that bastard :) I also wanted Sanji to not be saved like a damsel in distress so she got to kick some ass this chapter. Because she has larger testicles than all the dudes.
Thanks.