While writing this, I was listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and it has greatly motivated me for this story. I will be rating this M just in case. This will be the prologue, introducing the situation that Sakura will have to face. This story is AU, so I hope you enjoy.
Come What May
I will never be the perfect woman I was taught to be. My mother, Mebuki, made me go through so many classes on etiquette and manners when I was growing up. "You must always be on your best behavior Sakura. Our family is not that of commoners, so you must not act as such. Do you understand?" "Yes mama," I would routinely reply, whenever she would give me one of her speeches. Most of my memories from my childhood are of my mother teaching me how to be a "proper lady", keeping my back straight at all times, knowing how to properly address people and to properly talk. As I look back on all of that now, I can't help but to think it was a waste of time. Ever since I was a teenager, boys and men, rich and even "poor", have shown interest in me, wanting to be my suitors and to marry me. I have always turned them down, much to my mother's dismay.
I am now nineteen, an age that my mother keeps reminding me that most girls are already married and expecting a child. "Why haven't you married yet Sakura? Why have you not given me a grandchild yet?" my mother echoes to me constantly every chance she gets. "Mama, I want love, I do not wish to be in a loveless marriage for the rest of my life." I confidently declare to her. "Sakura, your father and I were an arranged marriage, and we love each other." "I know mama, but what if I end up not as lucky as you." My mother sighs and waves her hand at me, as if she is trying to brush off what I just said. "What are you two arguing about now?" I hear my father, Kizashi, say as he strides in to the room, smirking at us. "Daddy! Your back!" I squeal as I run up to him, hugging him tightly. My father isn't like my mother when it comes to these things. He supports my decision in not marrying for money or power; he just wants me to be truly happy. "Your daughter and her nonsense with love, of course." My mother sighs frustrated. "Ah, there is no nonsense in that dear" he says almost tiredly as he looks at my wife with serious eyes.
My mother and father left to talk privately after a few more minutes, which was fine with me, because it seemed like things were becoming more and tenser. "Excuse us Sakura." My father says to me curtly, as he starts to stride out the room with my mother.
"It can't be true! How can this be happening?" Mebuki hysterically asks. "Mebuki, dear, please calm down. We will get through this, we will think of something." Kizashi says, trying to calm his wife. "How are we going to get through this? We are nearly broke; we don't have much money at all anymore! I cannot even think of what will happen when what little we have left, is gone! I can't be seen as a commoner to all of our friends Kizashi!" "Dear, calm down, you are being absurd. We will figure it out" he says tiredly, clearly getting annoyed. He watches as his wife is pacing around their room until she stops and looks back at him. "There is one way..." she says slowly, almost unsure of herself. "Go on?" Kizashi says half heartedly. "A husband's job is to take care of his wife… and family." Mebuki says matter of factly. "What are you rambling abou- NO. We are not doing this to Sakura. She doesn't deserve to have to throw her life away to keep us with money!" he promptly exclaims. "It is the only way, and Sakura already has many suitors from very wealthy families." "Mebuki, it's wrong, she wants love, not power or money!" he says frustrated. "Yes, I know, but she will learn to love. We will have a ball, invite all her suitors to it, and we will see what happens. Who knows, maybe she will meet someone on her own, dear." She says as she rubs her husband's back comfortingly. "This is wrong…"
Authors Note: Thank you to anyone and everyone who has read this chapter.
Please, give me some reviews! I appreciate any feedback you can give. I don't think I do too well with dialogue, but I wanted to try it out. Again, thank you for reading, and I appreciate reviews!