Chapter Text
"Are we there yet-?"
"For the last time- Yonji- NO-"
"You will know if we have arrived-"
"Ichiji is right-"
Sanji sigh deliberately and turn to their father, "Why don't you get in the carriage, old man-?" he tilts his head slightly towards the horse carriage that Yonji driving, "I'm fine-" the older man grunts and Sanji could see his breath.
The snow has covered the path, and everything is so white, they have been walking for hours now and either they make it to the north before dark or they have to camp outside again, tonight. "Is that what we are looking for-?" Niji pointed to the air and Sanji immediately look up mirroring the others.
A flag- A black flag with a hawk and a rose, they have arrived at the north.
"Yeah- good job broccoli- I don't know how longer I can walk today-" Zeff grins manically, "Sanji just told you to sit the fuck down in the carriage with mom and Reiju-"Niji scowled but the old man just shrugged which make Sanji and Ichiji to laughs.
Sanji walks back to the carriage and open the door, "We will be there soon- how do you feeling, mother-?" he asks, and concerned lace in his voice at the same time the other 3 of his siblings pop up beside him to check inside the carriage too, their sick mother is sitting fully covered in blanket, her skin so white as snow but the laughs line decorating her face and eyes bright as sky, "I am fine- how are you four doing out there? are you hungry-? I still have-" "-mother- they are fine-" Reiju stop her from moving drastically to grab the small wooden chest.
"I am though-" Yonji mutters and receive a light smack at the back of his head by Ichiji, "-you are always hungry-" Niji scowled at him and before their argument start, Sanji close the door and walk towards their father with Ichiji, "old man- get in the fucking carriage now- we are going to move fast to reach there before sunset-"
"You want to say I'm a burden?" Zeff gritted his teeth, "No- but you are slow- get in and get cozy with your wife-" Niji said nonchalantly that's make Sanji to sputtered and Zeff red as tomato before stomping to the carriage like spoiled child.
They started moving again, and after a while they reach a massive gate with watch towers, there's tall wall around it and guards that patrolling the area.
"It's heavily guarded-"
Niji said slowly, "Well- everyone know the north are different-" Sanji sigh in defeated meanwhile Ichiji take out a brown envelope from his waist pouch and walk towards the guard that standing near the gate.
"Do you think they will let us in-?"
"Why are you asking that-?"
"You did say the north are different-"
"I don't know Yonji- but we do have the permit-"
They watch as Ichiji come back with someone in black uniform and have 3 swords at his waist, but the one thing that caught Sanji's attention is the man's face, he looks rough and devilish handsome with a scar on his left eye. The man is frowning while looking at the letter in his hand, it's their permit to enter the north, Sanji wonder if they need to turn around.
"He wants to see everyone on the paper- and the guards will check on our belonging-"
Ichiji said and Sanji snapped towards him, "HUH?? we can't let mom come outside in this weather-", Ichiji arched his eyebrow at Sanji like 'do you think I haven't told him that?' look- "I can carry her- we need someone to look after the old man- I think his leg already worn him out-" Niji whisper loud enough for the siblings to hear.
"Can he just take a look inside the carriage-?"
"Sanji- stop with your excuses- you know this is the procedure, right?"
"I know- but she's sick-Ichiji-"
"I am aware of that-"
"How long do I have to wait-?"
Come the deep and velvety voice that have their attention, the sibling turns to the man and finally Sanji could see his face clearly, he has a silver eye like a storm, and it's made his heart flutter when the man look is staring at him in surprised.
They could see the way the man glance between them four siblings, a quadruplet, blonde hair but different styles, brown eyes except for Sanji that has blue eyes. The man accessing them slowly before back to Sanji and his face relax.
"Um-- guard-" Sanji said and the man snapped from his thought, "Guard-?"
"You are not-?"
"Do I look like a fucking guard to you-?"
Sanji arched his eyebrow and anger bubbling inside him, "If you are not the guard- why are you here-?" The man grins and Sanji's heart skipped a beat, "Well- I was just finish checking the border when you come- thinking of turning you away due to lack of official signature on this permit but now it's depended on you-"
He knows it, he has this bad feeling since he gets the glimpse of the permit a while ago but, wait- what
"What did you just say-???" Sanji questioning in confusion, "I'm saying- the lack of approval on this permit can be ignore- with one condition-" The man take a step closer towards Sanji, and Ichiji move to stand between them, "Take another step and you will find out the consequences- you will be dealing with me about the permit-"
The man looks taken back but didn't press further, he didn't look angry or irritated- just smile and amused, "Why don't we hear his condition first-?" Niji said and they look at each other before turns to the man
"Yeah- What's your name?"
Sanji blinks slowly on the question, "-Sanji-", he answers carefully, the man nod and turns to the guard that standing not far from him, "Open the gate-", was the command and the guard gasped
"But Prince! - we can't accept them because of the permit-"
"-I will be responsible of them entirely-beside- this is Monkey's court sigil- I'll handle this matter-"
Something about the conversation caught their attention in new light, "You- are the prince of the north- Roronoa Zoro?-" Sanji said slowly watching as the man smile at him, "-well pretty brow- you are my responsibility from now on-"
Sanji blush red meanwhile his other siblings scowled at the prince.
"Did he just flirt with Sanji-?"
"I'm pretty sure he doesn't even give a good look at any of us except Sanji-"
"We have curly brow too- so we have pretty brow too-"
The Prince, Zoro- give a pointed look at Yonji, "Geez- I get it- If you think you can have Sanji as the condition just because you are the prince- you will be wrong-" Niji said firmly and Zoro perk up on that, "- what condition? -"
"You were the one said there's one condition-"
"Yeah- and I just asked him-"
"His name-?"
"So, what-? there are 7 names here- and I don't care about it but his name-" Zoro wave the permit and shrugged, they are staring at him like he just growth another head, they were expecting of some blackmail or anything- but not this.
"What is the ruckus about-?"
They heard the gruffy voice and stomping, the old man walks down the carriage with a glare at Zoro, "Oi- cabbage- you look good-", Sanji and the others swiftly turn to Zoro because of the nickname, "-It's you- shitty old man Zeff-" Zoro grunts under his breathe
Zeff laughs loudly "keep calling me that- let see if I let you come near my eggplant-", Zoro perk up instantly and glance at Sanji, "I heard everything- didn't think you are interested in romance- kid-" Zeff tilt his head toward Sanji
"Not until I met him-" Zoro smirk, Niji gagged at the side meanwhile Sanji is trying hard to not to combust right there, "REIJU-!! COME OUT-!!! I NEED TO TEST SOMETHING-??!!" Yonji shouted towards the carriage.
Zeff scoffed at the same time Reiju come out "What is it-?", Zoro arched his eyebrow at Reiju before turn to Sanji, "-why are they all look the same but you-?", Ichiji grunts meanwhile Niji is laughing at the side. "Sanji did as a favor-?" Reiju give knowing smile at him, "No- I- I didn't do anything-" he stuttered red.
Zoro gives the permit to Zeff, "Never thought you decided to come back- I will let the old man know, you should be expecting his visit soon-" Ichiji turns to Zoro with narrowed eyes, "-and welcome to the north-" Zoro about to get closer to Sanji but his other siblings barricading him from the Prince
"Thank you for the WARM WELCOME- PRINCE-" Ichiji said firmly
"We know our way from here on- you may go back to where you came from-" Niji smirk
"You will be dealing with us from now on- either Ichiji, Niji or Yonji-" Yonji grins
Reiju just chuckles softly when Zoro pout at them, but suddenly he walked pass the 3 of the brothers easily to face Sanji but halted when Reiju has a dagger at his chin, "My brothers- a little overprotective of Sanji because he is the kindest among all of us- they may be loud but-your tittle is nothing to me if any harm would befall on any of them-"
Zoro stares at her for a moment before smile wickedly "You must be the eldest-" he pushes the dagger away slowly with his sword and lean closer to Sanji, "Will you have this-?" Zoro take the silver sigil plate from his waist and offer it to Sanji.
His face reddened again because - Zoro- the prince just presents his own sigil to Sanji- it's a declaration of romantic interest from the royalty to let the other knows that they have intention of courting for marriage-
Sanji glance at his family, Yonji and Niji is holding Ichiji back from attacking zoro, Zeff just sigh in defeated, Reiju look amused. He wonders what his mother thinks of all this, he turns towards the carriage and found his mother is looking at him with small smile from the window.
"Do you need time to think-?"
The question makes Sanji to look back at the prince, "Well- time is not only what I need- we just know each other a while ago- and I don't think I am the good choice you will have-" he said softly, Zoro arched his eyebrow "-You don't have any right of questioning my choice- pretty brow-"
"-and the name calling-"
"So, what-? you have pretty brow- curly too-"
"What do you feel if I call you Marimo???"
"We are on name calling basis now-? sweet of you, Curly-"
Sanji scoffed but his cheek still warm from the attention, "-very well-" Zoro take back the sigil and Sanji feel a pang of disappointment eating him alive, it must have shown on his face because the next thing Zoro talk is "I don't know what's make you think you are less than the others- but- I want you- hold onto this and give me your answer on the white festival-"
Zoro take Sanji's hand and put the sigil plate in his palm, "-You are worth everything-"
Sanji watches Zoro leaving them, his heartbeat so loud deafened everything round him
"Sanji-"
The voice that he loves dearly makes him turn to the carriage, "-Mother-?" he asked in confusion and walk closer, she pushes open the door and touch his face with both of her hands, "we can do this- both of us- I want you to live your life to the fullest even we don't find the cure- you are my son, you are strong like me-" she kiss his forehead gently.
Sanji doesn't feel the different when their skin touches, and tears flowing from his eyes when his siblings hug him and spreading warm all over him.
He wants to live.