For now, this will be a stand-alone story, though I think I wrote it in such a way that when/ if I ever get around to continuing it, there won't be any awkwardness. This really helped me to write the last couple of chapters of Tainted, which is what it was meant to do. I had a whole back story planned for each character and I left plenty of hints to their secrets: some I explained and some you will just have to see if you can figure out.
I may write more for this story as a sequel or I might move on to another fresh idea. Let me know what you think. I certainly have more ideas for this if anyone thinks it is worth continuing, but overall it was really fun to write this and I hope you enjoyed it too.
~*G*O*L*D*E*N*~
"Long ago witches and demons fought to near extinction. With only a handful of survivors on both sides, they made a pact, a magical treaty. Witches would submit to the authority of the demon royal family under one condition: the king must marry a witch. If at any time in the future a demon ruled without a witch queen, a hex would kill every last demon.
"Over the years, the new demon kingdom prospered and the witches were respected almost as much as the royalty for one of them always would become queen. Unfortunately, most had forgotten why it was necessary for a king to marry a witch. It just became a tradition that was a normal part of a prince taking the throne.
"However, that is not to say that witches were accepted. There were plenty of demons, who still held hatred for the witches and plotted against them. One of the greatest demons fighting against witches was the crown prince, Kyubi no Kitsune, who hated the thought of marrying a witch, a disgusting, horrible, evil witch. So, one day, a few years before he would have been crowned king, and therefore forced to marry a witch, he started his rebellion.
"The amount of terror and bloodshed he created had not been seen since the war. Entire villages were wiped out for even one witch. Because of the prince's many supporters, within six month, tens of thousands of witches were killed including every single female witch, except those from the two clans living in the capital city: the Hyugas and the Uchihas.
"Thankfully, the current king fought for the witches, even against his own son, and the female witches of the Hyuga and the Uchiha clans survived. But, the crown prince Kyubi was exiled and the next king must now be chosen from the six remaining princes. As a show of good faith towards the witches, the king has said that the future witch queen will choose the future king.
"The current king was also killed in the war and demons are already beginning to grow sick. A new king must be crowned quickly and married to a witch. However, all the surviving female witches except one were already old and married to others. The next queen would have to be the only female witch available from the Uchiha clan and she would have to marry soon.
"So, choose well, Sasuke," Kakashi, her tutor, finished. "By the way, you have two weeks to decide."
The young woman in question was currently waiting in her newly appointed room at the palace. In just a few moments, she would be introduced to the court and her life would be over.
"We will be meeting everyone in the main throne room," Kakashi reminded Sasuke once again. "You will be polite and pleasant."
"I know," Sasuke sighed impatiently, turning to give Kakashi an annoyed glare.
"Don't move," said the young maid currently doing Sasuke's long black hair.
Kakashi had escorted Sasuke to the palace last night and today they were scheduled to meet with the six princes for the first time. Currently, Sasuke was being fussed over by half a dozen maids doing who knows what to her hair and her face. One maid was even down on the ground cleaning every speck of dirt off the skirt of her formal dress.
No matter how beautiful the dress was, Sasuke could see it as nothing but an annoyance, because each piece had to be put on carefully, adjusted to fit perfectly, cleaned of every foreign particle, and held down as the next piece was added. With undergarments, slip, corset, petticoat, bottom dress, top dress, sash, cloak, and accessories, it took the maids nearly an hour to get her clothed.
As per tradition, Sasuke was wearing a black embroidered silk dress that covered every inch of her skin below her neck. Her mother had doted over how it made her skin look so pale, but she did not particularly care. The sash and trimmings were red, the color of her clan. Her accessories were made of sacred black pearls, though Sasuke did not have any particular respect or desire for them.
"I hate formal gatherings," Sasuke groaned again, wincing as the maid once again tugged on her hair to tie up another strand. All together, Sasuke supposed she looked like a porcelain doll, much to her displeasure.
"You had better get used to it," Kakashi teased. "You are going to be queen soon."
"The pact had to be maintained for the benefit all witches. Because of the supplies and protection from the demons, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans are able to study their magic without interruptions," Sasuke's father had told her as he practically shoved her into her carriage.
Sasuke snorted at the memory. She was not doing this to save the lives of thousands of demons, but so her family could continue to mooch off of them.
"Ow," Sasuke moaned as the maid doing her hair began shoving clips and flowers into her head. After a few excruciating minutes of stabbing things into her scalp, the maids finally left the room.
"Aw, you look so cute," Kakashi teased.
Growling, Sasuke walked past Kakashi and into the hallway. She was sure she looked like a complete snob, and so must be perfectly ready to meet the princes.
"Remember to present your hand and curtsey as you meet each prince," Kakashi called as he walked up behind her.
"I know," she snapped.
"Always smile and keep your back straight."
"I know."
"Do not eat with your mouth open and always use proper table manners."
"I know."
"No growling at anyone or shouting or arguing or swearing or glaring."
"Kakashi! Enough," Sasuke yelled, finally losing her composure.
"You can not loose your temper," he added, giving her a stern look for the first time.
"I understand my duty," she said, in a very queen-like voice.
Smiling softly, Kakashi patted her shoulder gently. "It will be okay. At least you will have a little bit of a choice. Try to remember that not all of the royal family is like Kyubi."
Sasuke only had time for a quick nod before they finally reached their destination.
A servant standing in front of the door gave one curt nod, a way of asking if they were ready to enter; Kakashi nodded in response.
"Now announcing the future Queen, Sasuke Uchiha," the servant exclaimed as he opened the doors.
With a deep breath, Sasuke strode into the grandiose room causing all other activities to stop. Of course, they all bowed in respect, but they still eyed her curiously. Suspicion, respect, disdain, lust: Sasuke noticed all of these as she moved throughout the room.
To avoid contemplating what these people thought of her, Sasuke began surveying the room. Of course she knew it would be ornate, but it still shocked her. Witches shared a close relationship with nature, so their houses were organically decorated, with many open windows. But, this room was all metal and stone with windows covered by artificially colored glass and woven curtains.
She did not fit in here.
It was rare for a member of the two main witch clans to become queen because they considered it their duty to maintain the purity of the witch traditions, which could not be corrupted by demon culture. As a result, Sasuke had never really been trained for court life, but the disaster of the war had left her family with no other options.
Eventually, she reached the main throne, where six people were waiting for her.
"Welcome, young witch," the eldest man said.
He was wearing a thick gold crown, which made Sasuke pause. This man must be the king, which meant there were only five of the six princes here. She glanced towards the other younger men in front of the throne, checking her count again. No, there were definitely only five other men.
Noticing her stares and their implications, the King explained, "Naruto, my other son, was born of a different mother, so he is not in line for the throne."
"I believe you said I would be the one to decide that," Sasuke said smoothly. She did not really care whether or not this boy could become king, but she was just feeling frustrated and enjoyed letting a little of it show.
Besides, she had never expected to become queen and the thought of choosing someone who did not expect it either was appealing.
"I am sure you will see him around the palace later. Perhaps you should focus on the people that are here," Kakashi interjected smoothly.
"Of course," Sasuke agreed, glancing back at Kakashi momentarily before turning to smile cordially at the King.
"I am King Minato," said the man in the crown. Sasuke greatly had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "I am sure you know that, but it is nice to be officially introduced," he added, noticing the slight twitch in her eyes.
"These are my sons," Minato began, slipping his arm around hers to guide her down the row.
"This is Sasori my … eldest son," he stumbled over the word 'eldest.' Even though Kyubi had caused so much bloodshed, Minato would always care for him. He would never regret defending the witches, but he wished he never had to fight against his son. Eradicating his existence from the family made Sasori the oldest, but it was still hard to say.
Everyone waited patiently during the King's silent revere. Finally, the King regained his composure and continued his introduction, "He is excellent at politics. He really knows how to get people to do what is necessary."
"You flatter me, father," Sasori said, grabbing her hand and kissing it sweetly. "I am just helping in any way I can. I still require help, if I am to rule, perhaps from my charming wife."
A puppet master. Sasuke thought in annoyance. "I am sure you always know exactly what to do," she said, giving him a look that showed she was not fooled by his words.
"Thank you for your kind words," he replied, giving her a calculating look with his sharp brown eyes attempting to determine how he could get her to do what he wanted. His short red hair lay perfectly flat around his face as a testament to his perfectionism.
Sasuke nodded curtly then moved on to the next person in line.
"This is Deidara," the King said, pointing to a man with long blond hair the same shade as the king. "He is a brilliant artist. He created many of the works in this room."
Sweeping one of his longs bangs out of his face, Deidara proclaimed, "Art is the ultimate demonstration of intelligent beings. You, yourself, look as beautiful as a work of art."
A man unhappy with natural things. Just perfect for a witch. Sasuke thought sarcastically. She instantly hated the man who had created this unnatural prison she was currently standing in and only complimented her because several people had spent hours making her look as little like her natural self as possible.
"That is a high compliment coming from Deidara," the King prompted when Sasuke said nothing.
"Yes, thank you very much," she said absently.
Noticing her obvious displeasure, the King quickly escorted her down the line again. "This is Suigetsu. He is an excellent soldier, specializing in swords."
With Suigetsu, Sasuke was met once again with blonde hair and blue eyes. Despite his light golden hair and blue eyes, he had a dark and dangerous look to him.
"Hi," he said curtly, then promptly looked away uninterested.
"Hello," Sasuke responded harshly. She did not want to be here either, but at least she had enough manners to know to hide it.
"This is Kankuro. He is also quite good at politics," the king said, practically dragging Sasuke away from Suigetsu before his most … abrasive son could say anything offensive.
This son looked nothing like the others. His hair and eyes were far darker than the previous, and looking down the line, than all the others down the line.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kankuro said smiling.
A mini puppet master. Though, Sasuke admitted he did not look as stern as Sasori and his smile was a lot more natural.
"It is my pleasure to meet you," Sasuke responded cordially for the first time.
Kankuro nodded again happily. "You really are pretty this evening," he said quietly.
"Thank you, you look very stunning as well," she said, much to his delight. Sasuke smiled. He really seemed happy just to be complimented and not because he was thinking he would be king.
As they slipped into comfortable silence, the king decided to continue, "And this is Gaara."
Gaara stared curiously at her with wide, tired green eyes. He had red hair like Sasori, but it was much more unruly, showing off how much younger he was than the other princes.
The king coughed gently in his hand, trying to get Gaara to say something. When Gaara glanced at him in confusion, the king mouthed the word 'hello.'
"He..llo," Gaara said slowly, still looking at his father. His voice was really rough as though it had not been used in a long time.
"Hello," Sasuke said gently. He seemed like such a little kid, though he was probably 14 or 15. "How are you?"
Gaara only glanced at her for a moment before returning to look at his father. "Fi..ne," he read from his father's lips again. "Fine," he repeated, glancing hesitantly at Sasuke.
"That is good to hear," she responded. She felt like Gaara needed a good mother, not a wife.
"Well, now that the introductions have all been made," the King announced, turning Sasuke around to face the rest of the people in the room. "Let the party begin."
Almost before the king finished speaking, the band began playing and people began dancing.
"As king, I feel it is within my rights to have the first dance," Minato said, bowing to Sasuke and extending a hand towards her.
"It would be my pleasure," Sasuke replied, giving the king a curtsey before grabbing his hand.
Sasuke hated the awkwardly contrived dances of the demons. They were so restricted and precise that she usually felt like a doll being moved around by her partner, but this was just another one of the things she would have to get used to doing.
"You move so gracefully," the King commented.
"As do you, your majesty," Sasuke returned with practiced ease.
When their song was over, Kankuro came over for a chance. It was pleasant enough, but when Sasuke saw Sasori moving towards her, she decided she was done dancing and asked Kankuro to lead her to where she could find a drink.
However, he seemed reluctant to do so. He looked anxiously to where Sasori was still walking towards them. When Sasori noticed the look and Sasuke's disinterest in him, he glared at Kankuro, but turned around as if he himself was no longer interested.
"Um … this way," Kankuro mumbled, still glancing nervously towards Sasori. "It's over here. Come on."
That was odd. "Thank you," Sasuke said, eyeing him suspiciously after the weird exchange. This whole place was crazy.
Kankuro led her to a long table where several different bowls and pitchers were filled with all types of drinks. Without a second thought, Kankuro picked up a pitcher and began pouring it into the many empty goblets littering the table. How did he decide so quickly? There were dozens of liquids in every color of the rainbow most of which Sasuke did not recognize.
"Is there water?" she asked hesitantly, presuming that would be the safest choice. "You do drink water, right?"
"Of course," Kankuro said, chuckling.
After looking around for a few moments, he grabbed a large silver pitcher and began pouring it into the biggest and most elaborate glass he could find. When he held it out for her, she could only stare at it blankly. These people even made a fuss over water.
"Thank you," she said again, it seemed as if those were the only safe words to use all evening.
As she quietly sipped her water, Sasuke contemplated what it would be like to live here for the rest of her life. She supposed she was being a little bit pessimistic, but this was entirely new to her.
The war had changed everything. She hated the war not because it claimed so many lives, but because it made her life more difficult. Even in her anger, she knew it was wrong to think that, but she could not help it. It was very hard to feel bad for people she had never met, but it was very easy to feel sorry for herself and her own misfortune.
But, as queen, she would have to begin caring about innumerable strangers. Not to mention the fact that she was now being forced to choose the man who would be responsible for the very lives of every single demon and witch in the kingdom. How was she supposed to know who was the right man? She knew nothing about politics, but was being forced to make the most important political decision of her generation.
When her eyes scanned the room again, she noticed a young man peeking through a small wooden door hidden in the corner of the room. Desperate for any kind of distraction, she tried to think of a way to get rid of Kankuro and find out what that young man was doing.
"Kankuro," she began slowly. He made a small hum of acknowledgement. "Do you think you could find me something to eat? All that dancing has made me hungry. I am also a bit tired, so I hope you don't mind if I just wait here."
"Of … of course," he stuttered.
The minute Kankuro had turned his back Sasuke strode as quickly as she could towards the corner of the room without drawing too much attention to herself. Thankfully, almost everyone seemed too focused on enjoying themselves to even notice her. Even the princes were too preoccupied eating, chatting, and dancing to even notice the person this party was supposed to be for. But, it seemed to work to her advantage as no one had come over to stop her.
"Hello," Sasuke whispered once she had reached the door.
The kid jumped and snapped his head to look at her. "What are you doing?" he hissed, glancing quickly around to see if anyone had noticed him.
"What are you doing?" she snapped back.
"Noting. Nothing," he repeated, looking around suspiciously again. "Go away."
"No," she said simply. "Let me in."
"WHAT!" he yelled, then quickly put a hand over his mouth and ducked back behind the door.
Sasuke looked around. No one had heard the guy's shout over the loud music. "Please," she whispered, grabbing the edge of the door and pulling it open softly.
With one last look around, he pushed the door open wide enough for her to get through and motioned her inside. "Fine, but be quiet," he said as he practically pushed her inside.
The door led to a kitchen Sasuke noticed as she looked around. It smelled wonderful.
She looked behind her to the young man. He looked to be about her age maybe a little older, although she supposed she probably looked older because she was all dressed up while he was just wearing a simple shirt and pants. And, did every person in the demon kingdom have blonde hair and blue eyes?
"What are you doing here, your highness?" asked a gentle female voice.
The voice came from a middle-aged woman in plain clothes and an apron. Despite her simple attire, the woman was very beautiful with long brunette hair tied in a braid down her back and shining hazel eyes on her pretty face.
"I … I was hungry," Sasuke replied, caught off guard by being called 'your majesty.'
"There is plenty of food set out in the main ballroom," the woman explained softly. "But," she continued, when she noticed the sad look Sasuke gave the ballroom. "I suppose, since you are already here, it is my obligation to get you some food, your majesty."
"Thank you," Sasuke said sincerely for the first time that night.
"Naruto," the woman said, motioning towards the young man she had followed into the room. "Would you get her a plate from the cupboard?"
"Sure, mom," the guy, Naruto, answered.
"What would you like to eat, your majesty?" the woman asked, once Naruto had walked away.
"Anything would be fine, but perhaps if you had some tomatoes," Sasuke said, trying to be humble, but really hoping she could get some of her favorite food.
"I think we have some tomatoes around her somewhere," the lady said kindly.
"That would be nice. Who are you? And, who was that young man?"
"My name is Kushina. I am the main cook here at the palace. That boy was my son Naruto."
"Did you make the food for the entire party by yourself?"
"No," Kushina chuckled. "There are many other chefs. However, once the food is made, they are free to leave. I stay to handle any problems that may arise during the night, but usually I just sit around here until the night is over and make sure all the waiters are doing their jobs properly. Then, I make sure everything is cleaned up before heading to bed."
"Sounds fun," Sasuke said with a sigh, actually wishing she could do that job instead of becoming queen.
"There is no need to be nervous, little witch, I am sure you will be a good queen," Kushina assured her.
"You don't know anything about me. No one does and yet they are entrusting me with their lives. They just don't have any choice in the matter," Sasuke grumbled.
"Suck it up, princess," Naruto said, returning to the room with a silver plate. "You are going to be pampered for the rest of your life. Poor you."
"Naruto!" Kushina exclaimed, rushing over to snatch the plate from him and promptly smacking him in the head with it. "Behave yourself in front of the future queen."
"Why should I? She has done nothing to deserve to be queen; she was just the last person available. She is from the Uchiha clan. They hate demons, so what kind of queen could she possibly be."
"What do you know about me?" Sasuke snapped. When he spoke so frankly, she found herself able to do the same. "What right do you have to be mad? The only reason I have to be queen is because your snobby prince decided to slaughter thousands of witches just so he wouldn't have to marry one. Maybe my clan was right to hate demons. They just kill anything that gets in their way." It was exhilarating to speak her mind. She had never done it before.
"You don't know anything about Kyubi," Naruto yelled right back. "He was a good person and a great older brother. You don't know the real reason he …"
"NARUTO!" Kushina shrieked. She grabbed him and placed her hands over his mouth. "That is enough. Your majesty," she continued calming her voice quickly. "Perhaps you should get some food out in the main hall."
Sasuke glared at Naruto one last time before turning around and storming out of the kitchen. She would lose control if she had to think about this any more and she could not afford that. The ball was not yet over and she still had to make a stupid speech to the court. Kakashi would scold her forever if he knew about this little episode.
"I'm sorry, your majesty," Kushina's voice followed her out the door.
"That was interesting."
Oh, no. "What do you want, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked dryly.
"Sasuke," Kakashi said, scolding her. "I know this is hard for you, but you have to do this."
"I know," she snapped.
"Look," Kakashi sighed. "I will go tell the king you are ready to make your speech. You can read your speech, have a quick dance with the remaining princes, and then go to bed."
Sasuke grunted, before Kakashi walked away to carry out his plan. With a deep sigh, she lifted her head and walked casually back into the party. The speech would give her a chance to calm down. Her father had written it several days ago and she had plenty of time to memorize it. She could say the speech in her sleep. It would allow her to focus on a task she did not have to think about at all.
After scanning the room, she noticed Kakashi talking to the King quietly. Kakashi noticed her looking at him and nodded to let her know it was time to give her speech.
The king held up his hand and the band immediately stopped playing. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned towards the King. "Our future queen would now like to address the court," he proclaimed loudly, waving his hand towards Sasuke in an overly grand gesture. The movement caused all eyes to turn towards Sasuke, who was hesitantly walking towards the throne.
"Thank you, your majesty," Sasuke announced in front of the throne. "Honored guests, I am grateful for your presence here on this special night. Tonight I present myself to you for your approval as the one who will presume the role of your queen. … ('blah blah blah') …. I hope to establish myself as a queen who serves her people, bringing peace between all peoples of our kingdom … ('some false humility') … taking your needs into consideration when I make my choice of any one of these wonderful young men… ('yadda yadda yadda') … I hope you will welcome me into your government and into your hearts. Thank you once again for celebrating this monumental turning point in my history, in the history of this wonderful kingdom. I implore you to enjoy the rest of your night as I know I will. ('yeah right') Thank you."
The echoing claps woke Sasuke from the trance she had fallen into while spewing her father's speech. With one last cordial smile, she walked away from the throne, hoping to finish the night quickly.
She spotted Sasori lurking about near the band and decided to get his dance over with while she was still numb with formal etiquette. "I hope I would not be too forward in asking for a dance," she spit out as sweetly as she could.
"Of course not," he responded, with a true politicians smile. "It would be my honor." He held out his hand in a perfect manner and once he had her in hold, began a perfectly executed waltz.
"Where did you disappear to earlier," he asked, feinting disinterest.
"I … went to look for some food. The dancing had made me rather hungry," she said certain he had noticed the slight hesitation in her voice. "I hope it is not too unladylike to admit to hunger."
"No," he responded pleasantly, "It is simply a part of human nature. People need to eat, even ladies." He let out a calculated chuckle and continued to twirl her about the dance floor.
"Thank you for understanding," she said, accidentally letting a small amount of annoyance leek into her voice. "Your food is excellent," she continued, hoping to mask her slip.
"We hire only the best chefs and strive for perfection … in everything, especially our rulers," he added with a sly look. "I have strived for that level of perfection my whole life, even knowing I would never be king. My only wish is to serve this country."
'Of course,' she thought sarcastically, thankful that her face was over his shoulder because it meant he could not see her roll her eyes. Unfortunately, Kakashi had noticed the motion and gave her a disapproving look. She raised her eyebrows to show him how little she cared about his opinion. In response, Kakashi glared and pointed towards the prince still dragging her around the room. 'Focus on the prince,' she could imagine him saying from his body language.
"So," she began, rolling her eyes one last time, "what do you do in your spare time?"
"I like to perform puppet shows with real … istic puppets," he answered with an oddly distant voice.
Thankfully, the song ended and she quickly excused herself under the pretense of promising the next dance to Kakashi. Unfortunately, Sasori insisted on taking her to Kakashi.
"I was hoping to dance some more with this beautiful woman, but it appears she must now fulfill her promise to you," Sasori said smoothly. "But, I was thinking perhaps it would be more prudent for me to spend some more time with her rather than someone she has known for many years."
Sasuke's eyes went wide. Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.
Kakashi gave a thoughtful 'hmm' enjoying the panicked look Sasuke was giving him, but he was not so cruel as to ignore her pain. "I am afraid this dance has been promised to me."
"But, perhaps if…"
"Prince Sasori," Kakashi interrupted. "Sasuke will be spending the rest of her life here, so there will be plenty of time for her to dance with you in the future. I believe as her assistant, I have the right to one dance. Besides, she has other princes to dance with as well," he finished with a subtle hint at his uncertain position. "Sasuke?" he asked, holding out his hand for her acceptance.
"Thank you," she whispered when they reached the dance floor.
"He may be stuffy, but he does have the experience to be king. Don't be too quick to dismiss him," Kakashi cautioned as they began dancing.
Sasuke made a grunt of acknowledgement then continued to dance in silence.
"You have three other princes to dance with," Kakashi prompted when the song began to wind down.
"Can't I just enjoy this dance," Sasuke whined.
"Oh, I thought you would like the chance to talk about them," Kakashi continued, ignoring her protests. "You might as well vent now, so you don't let any of the other princes see your frustration."
"You think Sasori…"
"Absolutely."
"Great," she groaned. "Well, I'm sure he will just continue to suck up to me anyway."
"Sasuke," he said her name in a warning voice. "Be nice."
"Why? I don't have to choose him. I have four … five other princes to choose from. Where is the last one anyway?" she asked.
"I think you met him inadvertently," he said mysteriously.
"What?"
"During your little adventure in the kitchen," he added.
"That was a prince!" she exclaimed and was quickly hushed. Thankfully the song finished after her shout and it appeared no one had heard her for the music had gotten louder just before it ended.
"Yes, now curtsey," he whispered, bowing at the end of the dance. She did so.
She grabbed his hand for another dance when the music started. "Explain," she hissed over his shoulder.
"That was Naruto," he started. She nodded to show she already knew that. "He is the cook's son, so I think you can see how it would be awkward for him to be an official prince."
"Stupid demons and their customs," Sasuke mumbled, smiling to hide her words from being evident on her mouth. "If he is the King's son, he is a prince."
Kakashi glared at her lightly before continuing, "The former queen was pregnant at the time with Kankuro and was even more enraged when the cook got pregnant at the same time. The king was unfaithful to his wife, that is a problem even for witch families."
"Yes, but that is the king's mistake, it should have nothing to do with the boy," she said with a frown.
"That is just not how demons see it." He sighed. "I would not recommend digging into that any further. It would cause a huge problem for the demons."
"No," she said stubbornly. "The demons caused plenty of problems for the witches and their atonement is letting me choose their future ruler. I get to choose."
"Not all demons fought the witches," Kakashi admonished. "These demons, none of whom hurt any witches, are showing a great deal of understanding by letting you choose, you could try and return the favor."
Instead of pushing the subject, Sasuke decided to stubbornly remain quiet. She was actually happy when her dance with Kakashi ended and quickly walked away looking for another prince to knock off the list. Suigetsu was the first to enter her field of vision. He was drinking something from where Kankuro had taken her earlier.
"You should not ask him to dance, get him to ask you," Kakashi counseled as she walked away.
Sasuke took a deep breath as his words agitated her brain further. When she reached the equally annoyed looking prince, she smiled at him, but did not ask him to dance.
He just glared at her.
"Hello," she tried again to get his attention.
He just glared at her.
"Look I was told I had to dance with each of the princes, so let's just get this over with," she snapped.
He just glared … so she knocked his glass out of his hand.
"Now your hands are free to dance." With that, she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. "Dance!" she commanded.
As Suigetsu moved to pull away, the King grabbed a dance partner and rushed over to them. "Let us dance together," he suggested, giving Suigetsu a firm look. You must.
With one last glare, Suigetsu began jerking Sasuke around the dance floor. The dance almost had Sasuke wishing she could dance with Sasori again; at least he knew how to dance. Well, maybe Sasori would not be better, but perhaps Kankuro.
As soon as the song ended, Suigetsu practically dropped her on the floor. She was trying to regain her balance as he stormed away. Noticing the stumble, the King quickly motioned Deidara to come over.
"Perhaps I can show you the true beauty of art in motion," Deidara proposed offering his hand.
His flamboyant voice made her cringe, but she could not refuse. At least, he did not have to go find him and get through the awkward conversation that would precede the dancing. The dance was nicer than Suigetsu's, but still awkward. Deidara was obsessed with how he looked and just moved her around in whatever way would make him look the best.
"You are a lovely dancer," she said as was expected of her.
With a slight frown, he scolded her, "Don't talk. It ruins the beauty of the dance."
Fine. She did not want to talk to him anyway; she was just doing what Kakashi had taught her to do. These dances were really beginning to annoy her and the talking just made her have to pay attention. If she did not have to talk, then she could just mindlessly go through the motions.
She thought about the boy she met in the kitchen. Naruto. He certainly looked like the king; he was handsome. When he had lost his temper, the boy had stirred something inside of her. It felt like a candle being lit by the harsh heat of fire. And, just like a burning candle, it hurt. Even if she felt alive, she could never act on her impulses. She was trapped and the more she was aware of her limitations, the more painful it would be.
Because she was lost in thought, the dance ended without her really noticing.
"Would you like to dance again?" he asked when she did not move away from him.
"Oh, no, I should probably dance with one of your brothers," she answered.
"Whom have you not danced with yet?"
Who did she still need to dance with? She had to think about it for a moment, running through the line of princes she had met earlier. She had danced with Sasori, Deidara, Suigetsu and Kankuro. Ah, yes. The little one was left. "Gaara."
"Oh, he will not dance with you," Deidara said dismissively.
"Why not?" she asked. All of the other princes knew how to dance. She thought it was a requirement. The youngest prince had acted a bit different than the others, but she just assumed it was because he was shy. Maybe he was just too young to have learned it yet.
Deidara looked at her for a moment before answering. "Gaara has never been good with people. He is only here because our father forced him, but he will not dance with you. I will be more than happy to take his place."
"No thank you. If you will excuse me," she said and walked away without waiting for his answer. She could probably leave now without Kakashi stopping her, but perhaps she would talk to Gaara first. The young prince was sitting in the corner with a bored demeanor.
As she walked towards him, Gaara locked eyes with her and watched carefully. He did not trust anyone; he did not even trust his father completely. So, when she gave him a simple 'hello,' he just continued to stare at her.
This person was the epitome of everything he hated and he would not let her get close to him. She was just like that woman, but this time he would not be too weak to protect himself. He would not give her any power over him.
However, he was slightly confused by what she said next, "I'm sorry." He did not make any indication that he acknowledged the apology, but that did not stop her. "I know this whole situation is probably hard for you: loosing your brother and now having to deal with all this uncertainty. Even though I was not prepared for this, I promise I will do everything in my power to be a good queen."
Gaara still said nothing. With a sigh, Sasuke walked off, determining to try to talk to him again under more comfortable circumstances than a crowded ballroom.
If Gaara did not want to dance with her, she supposed her duties were finished for the evening. She glanced over at Kakashi, silent begging to be allowed to leave. Kakashi gave her a slight nod of consent and nodded towards a side door near the kitchen. She knew she could not leave through the main door, but she was worried about getting lost because she had no clue where that door led.
As she moved towards the door, her fear of getting lost made grew and she looked around for someone to help her. In the process, she spotted the kitchen door again and her curiosity came back. She had quite an interesting experience the first time.
The woman, Kushina, was very nice and perhaps she could become someone normal to talk to in this place full of people so far from their natural selves that she wondered if they even had any skin cells left that had not been scrubbed off and replaced by expensive lotions. If she had a choice, she would dress like that sweet chef every day.
And, then there was her son Naruto, aka the missing prince. He was not like any of the nobles she had met before. Maybe he could be a light in this prison. He had emotions, something she had never been allowed to have. If she was bound to this place, she could at least talk about normal, simple things with him and his mother.
Perhaps she could even learn something interesting. He had obviously almost revealed a secret that no one else dared talk about. If she went back into the kitchen, she might learn something interesting. Technically, he was a candidate for king just as much as the others despite the fact that no one in the palace seemed to recognize it.
With one last glance at the exit, she made up her mind to go to the kitchen instead. Maybe she could even get some tomatoes this time.
As she entered the room, she could hear hushed angry voices arguing from behind the half open door to her left. Cautiously, she peeked around the door where she saw Kushina and Naruto bickering.
"Why can't I talk about it? Everyone knows it's true," Naruto snapped at his mother.
"No one knows everything for sure. It is just a rumor," Kushina countered.
"Come on. You know it is true."
"Naruto, I don't know anything for sure and neither do you. You are just guessing."
"It makes more sense than Kyubi going crazy. It is totally something Sasori would do."
"You should not make speculations about the future king."
"HE'S NOT KING YET!" Both Naruto and Sasuke yelled at the same time.
Kushina and Naruto snapped their eyes to her in shock. Neither had heard her come in nor ever expected someone like her to be here. This was a servant's room and the 'important' people never came in here.
"Do you need something, your majesty?" Kushina asked, stepping in front of Naruto to hide him and stop him from getting into any more trouble.
"What were you talking about?" Sasuke asked, tired of being in the dark about the secrets of the palace.
"Nothing, your majesty," Kushina said quickly. "Would you like some tomatoes now?" She walked nervously around the room, searching the shelves of food for the fruit in question.
"No," Sasuke said, reaching out to stop her from moving. "No. Please just tell me what you were talking about. I promise I will not tell anyone. I need to know what is going on around here."
"As I was telling Naruto, it is just a rumor. Please do not concern yourself with it," Kushina implored her.
With a deep sigh, Sasuke tried a different tactic. "Please leave then, and I will ask Naruto." The young prince certainly did not seem to have any reservations about talking about whatever the big secret was.
Kushina glanced at Naruto with large eyes. It would not be a good idea to leave her son alone with the future king. She had no idea what he would say without her there to temper him. "I don't think that would be wise, your majesty."
"You keep calling me that and yet you are treating me like a child," Sasuke snapped. "If I am going to become queen, I don't want to be some mindless puppet shoved wherever the king wants."
"You would be the first," Naruto huffed, which earned him a "Naruto!" from his mother.
"Leave! Please, Miss Kushina. I promise your son will not get in any trouble. I want to know about the royal family and all their secrets." As she thought about it, Sasuke decided she was done playing princess and began pulling off unnecessary pieces of clothing and taking down her hair. The whole time listening to Naruto laugh hysterically. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy this odd display.
After a moment, she was standing there with her long hair falling freely down her back and dressed only in her simple bottom dress. "And, you can take all this with you. Keep it if you want or throw it out if you don't." With quite a bit of difficulty, Sasuke gathered the large pile of fabric in her arms and handed it to Kushina, who by now was mumbling random syllables in complete shock. "Do you have a rag that I can use to wash my face."
"I … uh … er … guh … it … um …" Kushina rambled, constantly readjusting the huge bundle in her arms.
"I'll get one," Naruto said, still laughing. He scrambled out of the room past his confused mother. He came back in a moment with a simple brown rag wet with water. "Here."
"Why don't you leave mom? I'll be okay. (a skeptical look) I'll be nice. I promise." With that, he began pushing Kushina out of the room. Kushina spluttered one last uncertain litany of syllables, then walked out of the kitchen in a daze.
While Naruto was convincing his mom to leave them alone, Sasuke had finished washing her face, so when Naruto turned back to her he was stunned by her appearance. She was stunning. He had never found the dressed up dolls of the court particularly appealing, but if any of them looked half as beautiful without their primping as Sasuke, he would have to reconsider his opinions of them.
"Stop staring," Sasuke said in a monotone voice, although she did like the fact that he appeared to enjoy what he saw. He would be the first demon she had met so far who did not seem to find her overdressed self more beautiful.
He scrutinized her for anther moment. "Sorry," he said finally. "I just did not expect a witch to do something like this. You guys are always so prim and proper."
"Where did you get a crazy idea like that?" Sasuke was genuinely startled. "What kind of witches have you met?"
Naruto shrugged. "There have been plenty of witches here over the years trying to win Kyubi's affection. All of them would have fainted at the thought of going without their fancy dresses."
With a grunt, Sasuke explained what she figured had happened based on what her father had told her, "Those witches were only the desperate snobs that probably had no other skills in their lives except being pampered." She shuddered at the mere thought of the pampering she had gone through to get ready for this ball.
"Most witches just leave the position of queen to the worthless women like the ones you have met," Sasuke continued. "Certain witches are chosen from each village to be candidates for queen and they are usually not taught normal witch lessons because no one wanted the demons to learn their secrets. You should not judge all witches based on those you have met so far."
"So," he said sardonically, "what are real witches like?"
She glared at him for his skepticism, but she could not really fault him for it. The witches had started this trickery, wanting to hide their true selves from the demons. "A secret for a secret," she compromised. "You tell me the thing about Kyubi and Sasori and I will tell you about witches."
"Agreed," he said with a sly grin. "Sit down." He pulled over two chairs from the kitchen and sat heavily in one.
Tentatively, she walked over. Naruto gave her a goofy grin and patted the chair next to him. She looked him over once again. There was nothing obviously dangerous in his demeanor, but she had yet to meet a demon without an ulterior motive. However, all the demons she had met so far had been a part of the upper class and this boy just seemed to be a kitchen boy despite his status as a prince.
As she looked at his smile, she decided to give him a chance. His smile was more genuine than any she had seen since her childhood. Her lip twitched upwards in the corners. Though perhaps not enough to be called a true smile, the gesture was as close as she expected she would ever get in this awful place. She sat down without any more hesitation.
"So," she said softly, "what is the secret behind Kyubi's rampage?"
Naruto's smile disappeared. He looked away from her slowly to stare absently at the far side of the room. "Kyubi was a good person, really good. He would never have done all those horrible things."
"But he did," Sasuke interrupted, which got Naruto's eyes back on her with a glare.
"You want to hear the truth or not?" he asked in annoyance. He crossed his arms and scrunched his face in displeasure. "If you are just going to believe the propaganda of the council, then there is no point telling you anything."
"Fine, go on," she said, struggling not to laugh. He had looked like a pouting child and she had found him … kind of cute.
"Are you even going to listen?" Naruto whined.
This time, Sasuke did let out one soft giggle and then promptly covered her mouth with her hand. Uchiha's do not giggle. It had been trained out of her by the time she was nine. She could let out an appropriate chuckle to appease a noble or a well timed laugh to charm someone into doing their bidding, but to let a true sound of joy to escape was unforgivable.
"What?" Naruto asked in surprise when he noticed her bizarre reaction. "You don't laugh?"
"Not unless absolutely necessary," she quoted her father.
"You have never laughed just for fun of it?" He frowned, suddenly distracted from his story in favor of his own curiosity.
"You were telling me about Kyubi," she said instead.
"Nuh uh," he negated her attempt to change the subject. "It was secret for a secret, right? I told you Kyubi was not the true mastermind behind the war, so now you have to tell me something."
He stared at her expectantly, eyes wide like a puppy.
"Not since I was a child," she said curtly.
"Why not?"
"No. You tell my what made you think Kyubi was not the one who attacked the witches. A secret for a secret."
"Touchy," he grinned. This was kind of fun.
"Just tell me." She was not as amused as he seemed to be. She did not want to talk about things she could not change. She had to be serious. She had to hide herself. Otherwise, she would not be able to stand this place. It never occurred to her that having a friend could be even more helpful …
"Fine," he grumbled. "Well, Kyubi used to talk to me a lot. He treated me nicely even though no one else acknowledged me as his brother. In the weeks before his attack, he was acting really strange. He would barely talk to me. Whenever I tried, he said it would be best if I stayed away from him because he was about to be caught up in something really bad."
"What happened?" she prompted when he had been silent for a minute.
"My turn for a question," he said thoughtfully. "I was just thinking of my question."
"That must hurt your brain," she muttered.
"Jerk!" he exclaimed, bumping her shoulder with his.
"Ask your question, idiot."
He puffed his cheeks in annoyance. She stared at him straight in the eyes. Sparks flew between them, but eventually Naruto slumped down in his seat. He was silent for a moment before asking quietly, "Do … do you have any friends?"
Sasuke just stared at him blankly. She really did not know how to answer that. Acquaintances were common, connections were expected, but friends were forbidden for her. Though because she had never had a real friend, she did not long for the experience. "No."
"I could be your friend …"
A sudden uproar from the ballroom startled both of them. "Come with me," Naruto said quickly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to one of the shelves. He pushed it aside and slid open a door hidden in the wall. "Get inside." Without waiting for her to move on her own, he shoved her into the opening. After he had crouched into the compartment himself, he pulled the shelf back against the wall and slid the door shut behind them.
"What is going on?" Sasuke whispered carefully, though no one else had entered the kitchen yet and so no one could probably hear her. She did not feel particularly panicked, but the trepidation rolling off Naruto prompted her to be cautious.
"In my experience," Naruto whispered back, turning on a lantern above their heads. "it is better to hide first and then figure out what happened. I'm like a super ninja." Naruto turned to giver her a thumbs-up only to bump into her.
This room was really small. For some reason, the warmth from Naruto's body being so close reminded her of his offer to be her friend. As she saw him blush, she desperately hoped she was not blushing as well.
Suddenly the door to the kitchen slammed open, causing Naruto to fall forward in surprise.
A kiss. Nice. Warm. Kiss.
Naruto's fall had caused him to inadvertently kiss Sasuke on the lips. They stared at each other with wide eyes. Neither one wanted to admit how nice it felt, so they pulled apart quickly and rubbed their mouths in disgust. "What are you doing, idiot?"
Before Sasuke could say anything else, she heard several people storm into the pantry. "Where is he!" a man's voice said.
"The back door is open," another shouted from farther away.
"Find him," a man said from the kitchen, a voice Sasuke knew: Sasori.
The sound of men stomping away filled the room for a few more minutes before it went silent once again.
By now, Sasuke was thoroughly confused and slightly afraid (not that she would ever admit it). A glance towards Naruto confirmed her idea that whatever was going on was indeed about him and not in good way. "What is going on?" she repeated when she sensed no one else in the kitchen only to be hushed angrily by Naruto. "I don't hear anyone else." Naruto hushed her again and put his hand over her mouth.
With a huff, she shoved his hands away. He was acting like a crazy person and she did not know why. She really needed to know what was going on in this place. The demon aristocrats seemed even more secretive than her clan, which was quite a feat. "Just tell me what is going on around here!"
"Be quite!" Naruto hissed. "I will tell you later, but right now you have to be quiet or I am doomed."
"What are you talking about! I don't understand anything about this place. I wish I had never come here. I never wanted to be queen!"
They were both cut off from their argument by the sound of wood scraping against wood and within seconds someone was pulling away the door to their hiding place. As light flooded in, Sasori became visible from the entrance. His face held a cruel smile as he reached out to grab Naruto. "Come out quietly or you mother will be killed."
Though Sasuke was sure Naruto would yell at him based on what she knew of him so far, instead she saw him calmly and quietly follow his command and in a moment followed him.
"What do you want, Sasori?" Naruto snapped eyeing him carefully.
"Miss Kushina was found by a guard carrying Lady Sasuke's dress," Sasori explained, pacing the room with a superior air. "As you can imagine, that caused quite a lot of confusion. She was rather far from Sasuke's room, so what would she be doing with her clothes. Perhaps Sasuke asked her to take them to be washed, though she was nowhere near the laundry area. Had she stolen them?"
Sasori merely chuckled at Naruto's defensive growl and continued on dismissively. "Naturally, we had to find out, so the guards went to question Lady Sasuke only to find she was not in her room and had not appeared to enter it since before the party. We could only assume that something had happened to Lady Sasuke and your mother was the only clue."
"I asked Lady Kushina to take my dress back to my room," Sasuke explained, thinking that this situation was really about her dress.
"He doesn't care," Naruto hissed at her.
"Of course not," Sasori smirked. "I now have a way to keep you in line."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. Demons are all crazy.
"You do what I say, marry me, name me as king, agree with my every command, or I will kill the Cook and little Naruto, here."
Demons are really, really crazy. She lowered her head to hide her face. Her life had changed so fast as she was swept away by the will of others. Now, someone else was trying to destroy the last free choice she was allowed. If she did what he said, two people that she had just met would be spared, but she would die. A person with no free will was just as good as dead.
Her anger swelled up. No matter what she did a lot of people would be in danger if this psycho were allowed to run the country. She trembled with her newfound determination. If she did what he wanted, she would never laugh. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to laugh for Naruto.
"What was that?" Sasori asked, smirking. He was sure she was shaking out of fear and defeat, as so many others had done before. That stupid little pet of his father's had given him the perfect opportunity to control the witch. It was so easy to manipulate people.
"No," she said firmly, snapping her head to look him in the eyes. "You are the one who needs to do what I say or every single demon will die including you."
Sasori glared at her, his anger growing rapidly. This was not going according to plan. His plans always worked. He had spent years perfecting this one. "We can just find another witch." Though, he knew the chances of that were not good.
"Your previous prince made sure you can not, which is the exact reason you have no power over me."
"Your kind needs us. You have to marry me."
"There are other princes."
"Kankuro will do whatever I tell him. Deidara has no interest in becoming king; it's too much work. Suigetsu is content to be a soldier and not king, who he feels must sit behind in battle. Gaara will never marry you because he hates witches. So, as you can see, there really is no other choice."
"There's him," Sasuke argued, pointing to Naruto.
"Him?" Sasori said, laughing. "No one in court will ever accept him."
"Well, it is my choice. I have to agree to the marriage willingly or the spell will not be satisfied. And, that is only if I decide that I actually care enough about the family who shipped me off to the demons for their own comfort. They are the ones who benefit from the alliance with the demons. It has nothing to do with me. I marry him, you live in luxury as a prince for the rest of your life! Or, you try to force me to marry you, and you DIE along with all the rest of your little pawns!"
By the end of her speech, she was shouting. Her breath had quickened. She smirked. She was ready to die. She was alive. Never had she expressed so many of her own thoughts. These were truly her thoughts. Her mind was clear. Nothing else mattered.
As she calmed down, she noticed Sasori leaning against the wall looking absolutely murderous. It brought her anger back full force. Suddenly, she could see things more clearly. A small red light began swirling inside Sasori's chest. It formed slowly into the shape of a panther. The panther paced back and forth across Sasori's chest. It turned towards her with a roar and at the same time, Sasori lunged forward.
However, his movements seemed to be in slow motion. She could see every part of his body as it moved even a millimeter. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, ducked under his now clawed hand, and punched him in the stomach. She quickly dove around his side, so she was now standing behind him.
Sasori clutched his stomach more out of surprise than pain. No one had been able to land a punch on him in over a decade. The shock did not last more than a moment before he had turned around to attack her again. However, when he looked at her face, he froze once again.
Naruto, who had stood immobile since Sasori had threatened his mother, finally spoke up. "What happened to your eyes?"
Confused, Sasuke slowly reached up a hand to touch her cheek just below the eye. 'Could it be?' she thought. Sharingan?
It was too bad she did not have the time to think about her great accomplishment as Sasori began attacking again. He threw punch after punch, but she could see them all long before they could connect. At first, she merely dodged, getting used to her new eyesight, but soon, she was countering with moves of her own.
Unfortunately, the room was very small. Sasuke was used to fighting in wide-open spaces where she had room to jump back and observe the situation. Before too long, Sasori had recognized the hesitations in her movements when she would find herself unable to move because of some piece of furniture or the walls. He quickly changed tactics.
Sasori began throwing punches that he knew she could dodge, but only by moving a certain way. There were many ways to manipulate a person. Within a minute, he had driven her into the corner and was sure of his impending victory. What he did not expect was to be tackled from the side and thrown across the room. He crashed into one of the shelves, which broke and let all its contents fall on top of him.
"Get out of here, Naruto," Sasuke said, panting.
"No way am I gonna let a girl have all the fun from bringing down this villain," Naruto proclaimed loudly, giving her a wink.
"It is already hard to fight in this small space. You'll only make it harder for me."
"I can handle this! Believe it!"
During their argument, Sasori had recovered and grabbed a sharp piece of wood that had splintered off the shelf. Naruto's back was turned from him because he was facing towards Sasuke, but Sasuke had a clear view of him. So, when he rushed Naruto with the makeshift weapon, she jumped up and pushed Naruto out of the way. Unfortunately, she did not have time to get herself out of the way as well.
The splinter pierced her chest.
Though injured, she had enough strength to push Sasori away. Her body was weakening quickly. She had to act fast. Her hands formed the signs. She aimed at him. The fire shot away. She hit him. Game over.
His painful shout was her only indication that he was defeated for her vision had faded. Than another voice entered her ears: Naruto. "What happened?" He had hit his head pretty hard when he was knocked to the floor and only now regained his senses.
"My body just acted," she whispered with a ragged voice. Having finally exhausted the last of her power, she collapsed to the floor, but instead of hitting the hard surface, she was caught by Naruto.
"Why did you save me?" Naruto asked softly. "I didn't ask you to!"
Sasuke could barely see his face, but she had something to tell him. "I hated your kind." She paused to take a deep breath. "But, then you smiled. No one had ever smiled at me like that, without any lust or greed or jealousy, not even my own kind. I have never had a friend and never really wanted one, but for just a moment, I thought maybe you could be my first friend."
Naruto let out a breath above her, physically affected by the weight of her emotions.
"There is not much time left. Grab my left hand with yours."
"Wha … What?"
"Just do it," she yelled, though it was barely more than a breathy whisper. It seemed to work, though, as she felt a warmth around her left hand. "Upon the sacred earth, I pledge myself to you. Two become one. Joined in life, separated only by death. The spirits bear witness to our spell of love." A vine of red light wrapped around her wrist and then Naruto's.
"What are you doing?" Naruto yelled. He tried to pull his hand away, but the cord held him tight.
"If we marry, you must become king or the hex will kill everyone."
"Why would you do that?" His voice was soft. No one had ever spoken to her in such a gentle way. She was even more certain now of her decision.
"I am dead, but you can live. You can save the world … like a super ninja. Repeat the vows. Hurry." She had lost all of her vision and her hearing was getting weaker.
"Upon … pledge to you. Two … life …. By death … witness to our …" That was all Sasuke could hear, but she felt the spell activate as something wrapped around her wrist.
"Thank you," she whispered. She could feel his breath near her face. He was holding her so tightly. Without her sight, she could not see the ugly masks of this world. Without her hearing, she could not hear the horrible lies of its people. She could only feel, but she had never felt more aware of her surroundings.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. It was the last thing she heard.
"No," she said slowly. She could not be sure if her next words were said aloud or just in her thoughts, but she was at peace. A warm touch would carry her to darkness.
My father has always made my decisions for me, so I have always been like a ghost, dead to the world. This was my choice. I wanted something. I wanted the truth. I wanted you. I found my courage for you. The courage to open my heart. I wanted to smile for you; I wanted to see your smile. I wanted a friend and so much more. This one day has been more valuable to me than all the years of my life. Death can not hurt me anymore because for one day, I was truly alive.
~*A*N*G*E*L*~