[Please note that the rating has gone up. It was done for a reason, this chapter contains some mature-themes. You have been warned.]

The last of this tale is now to be told, of how Eira and Zoro met and started to love each other.

Happiness and sadness, they walk hand in hand when you let your love go to where he or she belongs. But if you never stop believe in them or their feelings, then you can meet again.

The last jump has been done, two more years has passed, filled with...?

She really didn't know what to say as she heard him open the door and step inside of the room. So she kept talking to the tailor, keeping her hands occupied with the golden silk in her hands. Another dress was made, another ball was planned. But this one was going to be very different from all her earlier. Forcing those thoughts aside in her head, she smiled at the bearded Demon as he picked up all his things and started his sortie, as their discussion about his work now was finished.

"Well then, Eira-himesama, I'll have it done by the next occasion you will attend to."

"Thank you, please take your time. There is no reason to hurry." "Or please do hurry, I'll need every little thing which can make me smile then, even if it's just a beautiful dress..."

Bowing, he and his helpers walked past her towards the door to the big corridor, never turning their backs at her. And she in her turn, also moved with them so that she could follow them with her eyes. But someone else stole her attention even before they reached the heavy wooden door.

He also wore tailored clothes, a black suit with grey vest and white shirt, he looked as handsome as always. No where to be seen was that little boy who had arrived here eight years ago, proud and stoic.

Not that those traits had disappeared, no, they had just intensified over time. Now he was a tall, proud and stoic male with hard muscles, able to scare the most High Nobles with just a glare. A male she had fallen for, body, heart and soul.

And not even she went unaffected by his gaze, one look at her when the door closed behind the artisans was all it took for him to tell her what he wanted her. Which made her lick her lips and turn around, she didn't have time nor strength for that now, not when her heart was in such a sensitive state.

But almost even before she was able to pick up the sound of his heavy footsteps behind her, a warm and calloused hand gripped her left wrist and spun her around, making her come up against a hard body which radiated heat. Another hand circled her waist, pulled her even closer and then she lost all ability to think as burning lips crashed into her cold ones. Whimpering as their magics whirled around each other, matching and getting wasted before it washed over them, she pulled her hand free of his grip and put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Her heart started to beat hard and fast, the feeling of his Fire warming her blood making her whole body tingling. Pain could wait couldn't it?

Focusing on this, this which could be the last, she didn't notice how the hand at her waist travelled upwards, before it pulled out the hairpins which held up her coiffure. First when the black cascades fell down her back she noticed it, as Zoro pulled his fingers though it. Shivering at the touch, she broke the kiss and craned her neck, so that he could press his scorching lips to her skin there instead.

At the Dark King, she always lost to this man, she was chained to her own cravings of his touch, his warmth. Running her fingers through his short green hair, she sighted as he licked at her neck, biting back the urge to just let it go. But she knew that this wasn't the right time for this kind of things.

"Stop it... We don't have tim-" As usual, he cut off her protests my kissing her. Fighting to maintain her ability to think as his tongue stroke against hers, she furrowed her eyebrows and pulled at his hair, her heart breaking. Still, even if he stopped kissing her and instead raised his head to look into her eyes, his hands didn't stop touching her, his body didn't cool down for one bit.

"Then let's make some time..." The hand playing with her hair cupped her head instead, the other stroking the small of her back.

"I can't..." Shivers running all over her body, up and down her spine and making the hair on her arms rise, she felt how her heart speed up and she ran hot between her legs just by the fire in his eyes.

"I can't let you touch me, it will hurt too much later. Damn it all, it's hard as it is already!"

"Please." But he saw through her as always, instead of letting go of her he leaned down and pressed his scorching lips to her pulse point. Sucking in a trembling breath at the sensations born from that simple touch, she couldn't keep from moaning as his teeth grazed her skin.

"Just give up, it's okay to forget reality for now..." The words he whispered against her almost made tears pool up in her eyes, since it was what she truly wished to do. And so did he, she knew. Pressing her aching body against him, she tried to make her voice work again.

"Alright, but give me back my heart afterwards." The only answer she got was a searing kiss, leaving her in a desperate need of more. As always.

~\+/~

Burning heat and numbing cold, wasted magic spending them and making their breaths heavier. Hands touching and stroking, pulling closer with nails scraping at skin in the dusk. Trying to keep it slow, but getting urged on by her hands and voice, he speed up as she wanted. After all, it was the last he could do as it was him who had persuaded her into opening up to him even if she was so fragile now.

Kisses and licks, his teeth grazing at her pale skin. Watching how she arched her back into his touch, how dark his hands seemed against her flesh in the dim light, he took a pause from tormenting her bosom.

"Zoro..."

"Mm?"

"Don-don't stop... Ah~!"

"I won't." Catching her left nibble between his fingers, he rolled the rosy bud before he blew some hot air over it and licked at her sensitive knob. Moans rising from her lips, he gently sucked at her.

Never that he would be able to forget her, forget this the time he had spent with her. Not the many times they had fought, argued or been irritated as hell with each other. Not the countless times they had laughed, talked or loved with a tumulting passion. Her taste of mint and honey, it would always be his favorite, the scent of jasmine flowers would always make him smile as they made him think about her.

Eira, pure snow, she were just as the season when she had been born, he tough as he palmed her breasts and kneaded the creamy flesh.

When he licked at her solar plexus, she muffled the cry which almost escaped her lips with her hand, making him grin and repeat the action. An everlasting spring, always carrying the promise of more. Damn, he knew that he was the one closest to her, that he was the only one she told her dreams and beliefs, still he didn't know everything about her. And he would give his right arm to be able to know it all.

Rising up on his arms and looking down at her flushed body, he fisted the white linen as the harsh reality slipped uninvited into his mind. "This might be the last time..."

Gritting his teeth and pushing the paining thought away, he bended down and pressed his lips against hers to catch her cry as he slid his aching length inside of her wet and hot cavern. A deep shudder went through both their bodies and he felt how her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her tongue entering his mouth with a moan. Kissing back, he withdrew his hips before pushing back inside of her again.

Once again, her heat amazed him, sent his otherwise focused mind reeling. But at the same time the fingers which gripped at him were cold as ice, the magic she emitted were as ice water keeping him down to earth. Loving the contrast, he pulled back and pushed in, feeling her slick muscles squeeze him tightly along with her thighs which encircled his hips.

Repeating the action over and over again, he let her lips go as she turned her head away as she panting tried to say something. Not wanting to hear it, to let anything break this little control he still had, he pressed wet kisses to her neck, sucking at her soft spot. The groans and silent cries that made her throat vibrate made him speed up the pumping, driving them both closer to the edge.

"Ah- Zo... Zoro! Look a-at me~! Damn!" The curse made him snap his head up and look down at her. And what he saw made him stop all his movements, only the heaving of his chest and the sweat which rolled down his back moving. Blushing cheeks, open and rosy lips, teary eyes. Her shaky hand reaching up and cupping his jaw, trembling lips whispering words which made him see himself through her eyes froze him.

"Your eyes are red... Fy annwyl." A little smile from her, and he lost the control he had left. Drawing back and pounding inside of her again, he clawed at the sheets, tearing them to shreds in frustration as he couldn't keep from growling.

Why did she need to be so bloody accepting, forgiving him for everything which wasn't his fault but others looked down at him for!? For the first time ever, he squinted his eyes shut, didn't stand to look at her as passion overwhelmed him and he emptied himself inside of her as she arched herself against him and her body clenched him for the last time, milking him dry. Her cry rang in his ears, but he didn't really hear it.

Fighting his hands free from the ruined linen, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, crushing her against his chest and roaring his anger into the pillow and her hair, not caring if someone might hear him. He hated this damn bloody fate which were laughing at them right now, playing around with their lives and making them as miserable as it could.

The feeling of her chilly lips pressing kisses against his neck made him come back to the present, to the half lit room and the scent of their lovemaking lying heavy in the air of the little hidden chamber. Groaning as he pulled out of her and her legs straightened themselves out, he rolled over on his back so that she was lying on top of him instead. Stroking her hair as she nuzzled close to him, he watched her eyes fluttering closed as sleep started to take her away.

But the smile she used to fall asleep with was nowhere to be seen, instead he felt how she pressed even closer to him than usual. And he wasn't surprised. Sighting and looking up at the ceiling, a memory came to him, of how they had found this haven. He wasn't sentimental or anything, he just couldn't stand the thought of sleeping right now, anger still coiling inside of him.

That time, about one year ago, he had been sexually frustrated as hell and all but captured her against one of the bookshelves in the private library, to kiss her as much as he could before anyone came. He groaned softly at the memory of her response, her arms around his neck and kisses just as desperate as his. But the memory of the shock which had came when the shelf suddenly disappeared and they fell flat to the floor of a secret chamber made him chuckle, waking Eira up.

Looking down at her sleepy face, he pulled some of her hair behind her ear, smiling at her.

"Go back to sleep, mêl."

"Mm, you do the same, we need to go soon..." The sad look in her eyes made him cup her head and bring her up so that he could kiss her cold lips, trying desperately to erase reality.

He had brought fresh linen to the bed which stood unused in the room, stealing himself time to clean it up. His goal had been as clear as water to him, and he had gotten what he wanted. Their first time together had taken a lot of persuading from his side, it had been nervous and scaring as she had bled when he entered her. Still, it had ended good and the pride he had felt when he held her afterwards...

He wouldn't trade that for anything in Heaven, on Earth or in any of the Hells.

"Not even for the chance to stay here?" The little voice in his head made him end the kiss and let her lay down her head on his chest again. Yes, that might be the only thing. Since, what did he have to go back to?

Sure, he had his friends, but who knew how they had gotten during the years. "Wonder if Ace still is depressed, or if Luffy has learned some control..." The memory of his friends made him smile a little, meeting them again would actually be fun. But it wasn't like he had any family to return to or anything, his only living relative was his uncle.

"Sleep, annwyl." Smiling at her murmured words, he stroke her head, hair and back one last time, before he let a blessed sleep wash over him and take him away to someplace were none of all these questions nor reality mattered.

~\+/~

Looking up at the clear blue sky as he stood beside Eira when he heard a Snow Bird chirping as it flew past, the little reindeer tried to make out his confused thoughts. No one had ever told him that Zoro didn't belong here, that he was only here as a political hostage and therefore must go home when politic called for it.

Yes, now it made sense that he used Fire based Magic instead of Ice as everyone else, but it still had felt like he belonged here just as much as anyone else. It would get very, very empty when he left, and everyone else seemed to think the very same thing. Even Sanji had taken a break from helping his foster father in the kitchen to say farewell to his rival/best friend.

Glancing over at the greenhaired teen as he said goodbye to his friend Saga and the other's father, Chopper felt how his eyes started to become watery. Why did he have to leave if he liked it here?!

He watched as the swordsman ended the conversation after a halfhug and turned against the blond Ice Devil, both just standing there and staring at each other before grasping the other's hand in a frim grip. The half Beast couldn't make out what Sanji said, but the other male started to grin and his lips moved in a respond.

Some other High Nobles shook the Fire Devil's hand, he kissed the hands of some ladies before he stopped and bowed before the Castle's Lord.

"Thank you for hosting me during these past eight years, Lord Juracule."

"It has been entertaining having you here, Lolonoa, and I hope that you will visit us again sometime." A quick pull at the corner of the swordsman's mouth, so quick that Chopper almost thought that it hadn't happened. But whatever mirth there had been in Zoro's expression disappeared as he looked at the last person he would take farewell of.

For the first time since they came out here on the courtyard, his proprietress lifted her gaze from the paved ground and the snow whirling slightly in the wind. Something in the way the two looked at each other made the reindeer swallow down hard and his eyes to widen, before he looked away because of the intensity.

Not a word were uttered, and from the corner of his eye the half Demon could see how a tanned and rough hand gripped Eira's pale and delicate one, lifting it up.

"Is that how you will say goodbye, just a kiss on her hand? Aren't the two of you so more to each other!?" Getting shocked at his own reaction, the feeling of a hand ruffling his hat made him look up at the older male standing before him.

"Take care, Chopper. Make sure to treat everyone here in the castle if they get sick or injured, 'kay?"

Only being able to nod in respond, not trusting his own voice, the little reindeer felt how tears started to pour down his cheeks in floodes when he saw his friend turn around and walk away, not even glancing back. The Fire Devils and Demons who were there to escort him back to their mutual Hell greeted him again, and then they left.

Not having the strength to grasp it as he saw them disappearing away, Chopper looked up at the female standing next to him, to ask her if he really was gone now. But what he saw shocked him, even made his tears stop welling up.

Down Eira's cheeks rolled tears, and as they went they turned into pearls of ice, falling down to the ground, shattering into millions of pieces. He had heard about it, that when an Ice Devil carried true pain and sadness in their heart they cried ice. Her lips shivered ever so slightly when she opened her mouth and spoke to the vlackhaired male standing next to her.

"Father... It's cold."

~\+/~

The end of the tale has been told, but is this really enough for covering everything which led up to
'Can not belong to you'...?

A/N: 'Fy annwyl' means 'My beloved' and 'Mêl' means honey. It's Welsh, and so is Eira's name which means snow. And there will be a epilouge on this story before 'For you I will'.