Hi, This is a collaboration with aksin_warrior on AO3!
Warnings: There will be mentions of Abuse/Rape/Sexual assault later on in these chapters, however there will be warnings afterwards.
This is for NaNoWriMo, and we will be attempting to reach 50k words by november 30th! If we can reach 20k by November 15th we'll be even more excited. Thank you!
CJ
It was never pleasant for Sasori, interacting with his grandmother, but it was even less so when she came to his chambers without any warning or scheduling.
"Sasori, you should change your clothes. Put on something cool, we're going north." She said as she walked in with little ceremony, slippers near silent against the cool marble floors of the room.
Sasori looked up from the letter he'd been working on writing, staring at her face and deciding against pointing out the several silver hairs that she had failed to comb back into her bun, though they did distract him. "Lady Chiyo, I would appreciate knowing what such a trip is for before I take it." He told her after a moment.
"You are to be married to the prince of the Northern Valley." The old woman told him. "Get ready, the marriage is tonight."
Sasori stared at her for nearly a full minute. ".. When was this decided?"
"Many years ago, before you could speak." He was told.
"Did my parents agree to this arrangement?" Sasori asked, knowing they would have still lived.
"Your parents are not the rulers of this land anymore." His grandmother told him shortly. "Now please, put down your quill and come. The servants will dress you in the appropriate attire and we will leave immediately after."
"Wait." Sasori said as he stood. "This will make me a Lord in the Northern Valley, but won't my marriage also make me take your place as Queen?" He asked.
Chiyo shook her head. "Of course not. You will belong to the Northern Valley. If there are no other heirs when I die, then you will take my place."
Sasori studied her. "So I am to move into their palace, after this wedding?"
His grandmother nodded. "You will still be able to visit, of course."
"You're kicking me out of my kingdom." He said. "You've been planning to since I was an infant."
"Don't think of it as kicking you out, dear." Chiyo told him gently. "It is simply a political arrangement."
Sasori was quiet for a long moment, trying to consider different options. "..And what is the name of the prince I will marry?"
"We are planning for you to marry Prince Deidara, though they may decide to marry you to his sister, Queen Amaya, as the agreement allows." She answered. "Now come, we must prepare."
Deidara was getting scrubbed from head to toe as his sister sat, reading outloud the marriage agreement their father had made years ago, "I, King of the Northern Valley, here give, on the date of the first of the month of the cold of the year of the snake, the hand of my child to the heir of the throne of the sand kingdom." She made a face and sighed, "I told you, there's no way we can get you out of this. Unless you want to throw me under the carriage, and we both know that worked out great last time there was a king."
Deidara gave her a miserable look, "I don't want to get married. I just want to grow old and pissed off while eating catfish all day and sculpting."
Amaya laughed hard, throwing her head back, letting out a loud guttural laugh. Her hair framed her face, cut in a sharp bob, her bangs twisted beneath her hair, a crown made from dried vines and flowers cupping her brow. Her deep set, almond shaped eyes, carried humor, "I imagine you will have no issue growing old and pissed off, my dear little prince." She said mockingly.
Deidara gave her a disapproving look, standing as the maid dried him and massaged oils into his skin, destroying all the disgusting lingering smell of fish and the sea on his body that remained after such an intense scrubbing.
She put a white shift on him, and tied a soft yellow silk sash around his waist, highlighting his hips. She then brought on a pale green gown to go over it, tying it tightly around him, and laced up the front, before having him hold out his arms and brought the large, soft golden waistline onto him, using hidden hooks to keep the stitching from showing. She draped the gold organza shawl over his shoulders, and began attaching the extra pieces that would keep his gowns from coming up, soft golds embroidered into each piece, the gathers coming two at his waistline, and she carefully tucked them beneath to make his gowns flow together as gorgeously as he did.
Next, she pulled his hair up, weaving gold threads into his hair and brought it up into a gorgeous bun, and placed the emerald encrusted gold hairpins in it.
Finally freed, Deidara took his sister's arm, her dull brown gown nothing compared to his wedding attire. With a deep breath, he nodded and the doors opened, and he took his first step, feeling the dread overwhelm him.