A/N: a combination of my story How To Make It Work (discontinued and taken down) with Quilla's story Sand Siblings Plus One (also discontinued and taken down) made into one story. With permission from Quilla, and her help in writing out the plot and characters, I am happy to give to you the first of many chapters for In the Moonlight!
Rated T for the moment, though it may be changed to M in later chapters.
In The Moonlight
- Chapter 1 -
In the early afternoon, when it was particularly warm in the village hidden in the Sand, there were at least a dozen or two young ladies standing within the courtyard outside of the Kazekage's tower. A few of these ladies bore clan symbols upon their clothing, some wore ninja headbands with the symbols of their village: Sand, Leaf, Rain and another few. They all held themselves with an air of dignity and high social status as they held small fans in their delicate hands and murmured to each other in idle conversation. Every now and then they might grow quiet, and their eyes would follow after a man carrying papers or a man on the council making his way to the Kazekage's office.
Among these ladies, one individual in particular stood with her back to the tower, standing a bit apart from the others as far as she could possibly be without seeming to be very suspicious - perhaps a few feet's distance between her and the other women. She did not partake in their conversations, for she found their little gossip to be rather annoying and the way they fluttered their fans and tossed their hair to be snobbish and distasteful.
Repressing the urge to roll her eyes and sigh, the girl observed carefully the cracks in the red, dusty walls surrounding the courtyard. She wondered when the walls had last been maintained, and if they might collapse on themselves should someone decide to perhaps throw a heavy object at the wall. How much longer would it be until they were called into the office? She wondered, eyes glancing upwards to where the sun was position in the sky. If her estimates were correct, she would say they had been waiting for two, no, two and a half hours outside of the tower.
Within this time she was allowed to be alone with her thoughts. She knew what the council would ask her, the looks they would give her. This wasn't the first time she had entered an interview like this, and she was certain it would not be the last. After all, she smiled to herself, she wasn't nearly the most suitable bachelorete out there, once they got to know who she truly was. She was well prepared to enter the meeting room, say her piece, and walk back out without having to hear the fake apologies and feigned interest in her as a candidate.
"Yuka Minami-san!"
At the call of her name, she turned her head to see a man dressed in robes looking around the courtyard, searching for the girl of this name. She turned around fully, smoothed her kimono, grimacing at the silky, slippery feel to the fabric as she walked slowly across the yard, eyes focused on the man. She gave a small bow to him and ignored the urge to smack the man for so obviously looking her up and down with a sort of perverse gleam in his eyes.
"This way, Minami-san, the council is awaiting your presence." He gestured with one arm to the door to the Hokage's office, the other wrapped around her shoulders, drawing her closer to his firm chest as they walked together.
Taking in deep breaths, Yuka remained silent and kept up the quiet, calm and warm persona she had perfected over the years. Patience is a virtue, she reminded herself, as she glanced up at the winding staircase leading to the top of the tower. They could not put their meeting room on the bottom floor for efficiency could they?
The man led her up the stairs, stealing glances at her face and squeezing her shoulder once and a while, almost as if to make sure that she was not an illusion. She was no illusion. He looked ahead, feeling as if he were on cloud 9, to be allowed to escort a lady to the council's office, and such a fine one indeed! Her features were soft, her movements were elegant, eyes a perfect blue that sparkled when they caught the light from the windows, and her hair was black as midnight. She had a pleasant scent to her, something that he couldn't identify, it was sweet and subtle, relaxing. Her lips were a soft pink, curved slightly into a gentle smile that could make a passerby smile in return.
Ah, he shook his head of these thoughts and looked at the door in front of him, waiting a moment he opened it and allowed Minami to enter. She was a marriage candidate for the Kazekage, he reminded himself. It was likely that she would be snatched up instantly, if not for social standing, but for her easy and soothing nature. Closing the door, he stole one last glance at the girl before deciding that he should forget the fluttery feeling in his heart and resume his professional duties around the tower.
Perhaps, if he had stayed a moment longer, he might have caught the conversation in the room.
Bowing politely, Yuka introduced herself to the council in a soft, low voice.
"I am Yuka, second daughter to the Minami family from Amegakure."
"Minami-san," the man sitting closest to the girl at the table addressed her, "Tell us about yourself."
A formality, with no real interest behind his tone of voice, Yuka noted. Raising her head, she stared at the group around the table, eyes searching their faces. For what she was hoping to find, no one, not even she herself knew. She frowned, eyes settling back to the man who had addressed her. No longer did she radiate warmth and a soft smile, but instead a passive, icy stare matched by her sharp tone of voice.
"I grew up in a well-to-do family surrounded by people I love and people I hate. My family is very wealthy, we have no kekkei genkai as no one in my family has ever been a ninja; all we can promise you is water resources, money, and my pretty face. My persnoality you saw before is a mere fabrication, a character which I have developed to use in front of important people whom my family wishes to keep good ties with and gain business from. In all honesty, it would have been better for me to spout nonsense about what I enjoy and how beautiful the day is to gain some approval from you - but I neither desire nor feel obligated to attempt to seduce you and the Kazekage into choosing me as a bride. I am quite certain that you desire a woman from a stronger family, one with power.."
At this point she paused to catch her breath and glance at everyone. She half-expected them to have their jaws on the ground or to pale at the realization that her personality was a lie - but they were all very stoic.
"Even if on the 25 percent chance you do pick me, I do not intend to be in a political marriage, and I certainly don't want children - especially with a man who does not have the balls to personally seek out for a wife and make up his own mind on if she is the one he wants and needs by his side. If that will be all, I will take my leave." Turning swiftly on her heel, Yuka hurriedly stepped out of the room and down the spiraling staircase, not daring to look back to the room.
A shame, since the minute she left, the Kazekage himself made himself present in the room in a swirl of sand. Having heard every word she had said, mint green eyes stared out the door, slight intrigue and irritation in his eyes.
"She was... interesting."