This story is my second child basically, second only to prince charming, written for SasuSaku Month for the prompt of commitment. I love it, if I do say so myself so I hope you like it too.
ps. Don't forget about the Prince Charming Extra requests, hurry and send your requests
Even in the vast kingdom of Fire country, which was known for its fairness, justice and equality, arranged marriages are not rare. In fact, most successful marriages are arranged ones with the purpose of either joining powerful clans or stopping wars, and so on so forth.
It is for that reason that Sakura was not fazed when her father told her, out of the blue, that she would be marrying a complete stranger. What surprised her though was the identity of said stranger.
"Father, many ladies would absolutely love to marry his Majesty, why was I chosen?" The grandeur of the news had already sunk in and yet, she remained the same polite and prim girl that she was raised to be.
"I assure you, dear child, I was just as surprised, but the former king insists on having you as his daughter in law. I suppose my friendship with him made a good impression on you." Haruno Daichi is one of the most respectable dukes in Fire country, he is close friends with Fugaku Uchiha the former ruler of the same country, Sakura visited the palace frequently, Fugaku had taken the habit of complimenting her, always telling her that she would make a wonderful noble wife. She never understood why, until now.
"It will be announced at the Spring Ball tomorrow. That should give you enough time to discuss matters with your betrothed."
Betrothed, just yesterday she was free and now, she has a fiancé.
Her father beckoned her to come closer; she lifted herself with grace and kneeled beside his chair, bowing her head in a show of respect.
"I have great faith in you, dearest daughter; make sure not to disappoint me, alright?" His hands stroked her chin, lifting her head to see her smile.
"Yes, father."
"Good, now, go. Your betrothed will be here soon, you should look your best."
"Yes, father."
In two months time, she will no longer be Sakura Haruno, daughter of a duke, she will be Sakura Uchiha, wife of the newly appointed young king, Sasuke Uchiha and queen to the Fire country.
Day 1
When the king arrived Sakura tried with all her might to fight the nervousness that took over her but the butterflies in her stomach would not leave her. She had only seen the King a handful of times and that was when they were younger, he had been in a faraway part of the Fire country training and then fighting a war against its enemies for several years and this is the first time she would be seeing him in 7 years.
Her lady in waiting knocked at her door before entering when allowed.
"Your…his Majesty is here to see you, my lady."
"Thank you, Midori, I will be down shortly."
Even her maids were having trouble accepting the fact that she will be married, Midori, the woman that has been taking care of her for years, could not even say the word betrothed.
She practiced the elegant walk, the words and even the movements of her body in her head, before she smoothed her skirt and headed downstairs.
Her breath was taken away the minute she saw him. The rumors she heard the women speak about him did not even begin to do him justice. He was gorgeous, god's gift to the female kind. His features were every bit the aristocrat he really was. High cheekbones, perfect pale skin, dark hair that stood in the most unique style she had ever seen, she wondered if his locks were just as soft as they looked, his perfectly shaped lips were set in a polite smile, even through the many layers of his clothes she could tell that he was built, he was a soldier after all.
Someone behind her cleared their throat, she turned to see Midori that shot her a reprimanding look, and she quickly regained control of herself and faced the King.
"Welcome, your Majesty, we are honored to have you here." She mirrored his smile, albeit embarrassed because of getting caught staring.
"It is an honor to be here, my lady." How is it possible to have a voice to match his sinuous looks?
She distracted herself by changing the subject, "Shall we go inside?" they were standing in the foyer after all.
"Actually, if your ladyship won't mind, I'd prefer it if we go outside instead. I rather miss the fresh air of Konoha."
"Not at all, your Majesty, it is a beautiful day to take a walk. Midori? My cloak please?"
"Certainly, my lady."
The king was right to miss this place, she lived here and yet she misses the verdure for the hours she spends in her family's manor. They were taking a walk along the river that ran through the woods, it was a rather weird choice for the first outing, and yet she was glad he chose it. Midori and two guards followed closely and yet they allowed them their privacy. It was a good thing since she had a feeling that Sasuke wanted to speak to her.
"Is there something on your mind, Your Majesty?" he looked startled that she could read him so easily so she explained, "It's just that you had a distant look and you have not spoken in a while."
"Call me Sasuke, I apologize, I must have bored you. I just wanted to thank you for your understanding, for not making a scene."
She stopped walking for a moment and then resumed her way beside him.
"Did you expect me to?" She did not sound annoyed or insulted, she was amused even.
Once again the young king was surprised, "Well, it has come to my knowledge that you are a strong believer of free will so I could only imagine your reaction when you were forced into this."
She stilled all of the sudden, and faced him a new fire in her eyes that made him slightly worried, "I was not forced into this, my lord. I believe in free will, yes. But I also believe in making the choices that are in my best interest and that of the people I love. My father thinks that this is a good thing, the choice of agreeing with him was mine to make." He smiled and laid his hand on her shoulder.
"I did not mean to upset you, my lady, I was making baseless assumptions and for that I am sorry."
She giggled all of the sudden and said, "You tell me to call you, the king of the most powerful country, by your first name, and yet you refrain from doing the same."
"I have granted you the permission to address me by my first name; you have not done the same."
"My! I thought a king should not wait for anyone's permission."
"Like you, my lady, I believe in free will and I respect the will of others, I have no desire to acquire a respect that my status has granted me."
"In that case, you may call me Sakura…Sasuke."
It was just a moment of mutual understanding; little did they know it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Hard, but beautiful.
Day 2
Whatever reassurance she felt yesterday, it was long gone, now.
She stood in a magnificent burgundy gown that made her drool, it had to be magnificent for such a grand occasion, her cherry blossom petal colored hair was piled over her head in an intricate up do, with all sorts of braids and curls, her emerald eyes were accentuated with black kohl, lips painted a deep red, she had dangling ruby earrings. She was busy trying to pick a necklace but was interrupted with soft knocks on her door.
"Enter." A perky young maid came in holding a velvet rectangular box in her hands.
"My lady, th- Oh, my! You look…dazzling."
"Thank you, Suzumi. Now, is there something you wanted to tell me?"
"Oh, right, his Majesty sent this, he wishes for you to wear it."
She beckoned the maid closer; she took the box from her hands and carefully opened the lid.
She was speechless, the choker that lay in front of her was perfect, stunning red diamonds and crystal diamonds contrasted beautifully with each other, the yellowish, but not quite, gold gave it an elegant look and it also matched the silver and gold trims on her dress.
"Ne, ne, his majesty seems to have a good taste."
She shot the girl, that was not much older than herself, a reprimanding look, before ushering her to put the necklace on her.
With practiced elegance, she descended the stairs towards the man that will be her husband. He waited for her patiently at the foot of the stairway, looking dashing in his black coat, grey waistcoat and crème shirt. He looked nothing like the overbearing Dukes and counts that took pride in their fine clothes and high status, instead he was more natural, he was made to be mighty.
His hand came up to grab hers the minute she was in reach; he placed a warm kiss on the back of her hand making her blush.
"You look stunning, my lady." They had agreed to refrain from addressing each other with their first names in front of other people for obvious reasons.
"As do you, my lord. I must thank you for the fine piece of jewelry you sent me, it was kind of you."
He looked at her neck for a few heartbeats and said, "A fine piece for a fine woman." He stated making her blush once again. "Shall we?"
"Y-yes, we don't want to be late."
The deep breathes she took as the carriage that carried them to the Uchiha Palace stilled did nothing to calm her heart, it only served to amuse her companion.
"The invites are people you have met before and interacted with, you shouldn't be so nervous."
"I've met these people as the daughter of a Duke, now, I will be speaking to them as your fiancée, and it is nerve wrecking."
"You'll do fine, now come."
He left the cart first; reaching to help her, his hand felt cool making her ashamed of her own warm and clammy hand. They entered the familiar palace and headed straight to the ball room and waited to be announced.
"His majesty, king Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan, and her ladyship Haruno Sakura of the Haruno clan.
His rod hit the ground three times, before the grand mahogany doors were opened. She was met with the sight of hundreds of nobles and royals and her breath hitched. Sasuke squeezed her hand reassuringly and led her to the middle. Fugaku took it as his signal to gather everyone's attention.
"As you know, dear friends, the Royal family hosts a celebration every year to welcome the spring, this year is different though, we do not welcome the spring only, but a new addition to our family, my son's betrothed, Lady Sakura, please let's drink a toast to bless this pleasant event."
Glasses were raised with a chorus of cheers, only to be followed by the hushed whispers and looks sent their way, she felt herself being led to the dance floor. They mingled with the dancers that occupied the floor quite easily.
Through the night she danced with multiple people, congratulated by hundreds of them. She was exhausted.
By the time they left the palace she was ready to fall asleep. And she did. On her betrothed's shoulder.
"Oh, my god. I sincerely apologize, I was tired and sleep t-"
"I hate to interrupt you Sakura, but it is fine, you don't need to apologize."
"It's so embarrassing."
They stopped in front of the gate that led to her home, a guard already opening it.
"I was terrified of what could happen today, but I believe it turned out nicely."
"Yes, indeed. Good night, Sakura."
"Good night Sasuke."
Their meetings were frequent after that, he took her on various outings, and dare she say dates. She remembered what he told her, a week after their engagement when she asked why he was being so nice.
"It's not an entirely unpleasant situation, I like your personality, we have interesting conversations and it's safe to say that there is a mutual attraction. If we try hard enough, we might make this marriage work. I don't see the point in ruining that by moping and sulking."
He was right about one thing for sure; she was attracted to him, alright!
Day 13
"So you believe that western cultures are corrupting Japan. And yet, you wear western dresses, you sleep on western beds and you even bathe with western water systems. That's a bit hypocritical, wouldn't you think?"
"Well, I do make use of some of their items, but I still believe that embracing their culture to the point where we don't recognize our own, is simply horrific."
"That I know. What do you suggest we do?" It had been a rhetorical question, to corner her; he did not expect her to answer.
"A festival!" she exclaimed suddenly, he rubbed his ears, looking at her disapprovingly, she continued as if she hadn't noticed, "A festival to remind people of their traditions, everyone should wear Kimonos, it would be great, don't you think?"
He looked at her softly. It is so easy to please her, to make her happy.
"A festival would be great. You should see to it with Mother, she loves these kinds of events."
Mikoto embraced the idea with the same vigor she embraced her daughter in law with, she immediately begun with the procedures necessary for such an event. Gathering ideas from all the personal of the palace and conversing with Sakura on the subject adding ideas of her own. Mikoto was made to plan grand events.
Day 20, the festival.
All the planning and coordinating paid off. That was her thought, as she watched the nobles interact with the public, equals in their traditional wear, participating in various activities that were prepared for them.
There was nothing in this world that could ruin it; at least that's what she thought.
Her blood boiled, heart pounding in her ears, because of the sight before her.
That red head thing had her arms all over her betrothed. She laughed and giggled as if she was his lover. Maids talked about her inappropriateness, and gossiped about the king not doing anything to stop her flirtatious actions.
She felt her nimble fingers tighten around her glass of sake, no fancy champagne in a festival about traditions; she felt an arm on her shoulder startling her.
"Oh, Hana, you scared me." Hana was Sasuke's Midori, she had been for him when His mother could not, and she was a second mother to him. That's what he told her.
"It was not my intention to scare you, my lady. However, I could not help but notice the way you stared at His Majesty and his…companion, so I came here to give you some word of advice. Young master admires those who know what they want and make an effort to obtain it."
She stared at the back of the retreating middle aged woman, contemplating her vague words before making up her mind. With elegance and power in her steps she stomped her way to where Sasuke and Karin stood.
"My lord? Could I borrow your attention for a while, if your companion wouldn't mind, of course?"
Her tone indicated that neither he nor the Sound princess can say no.
"Absolutely, it was interesting to talk with you, Karin-Hime, till next time."
The princess nodded smiling at Sasuke and Sakura, albeit halfheartedly.
She led him to a secluded area, behind the Town's square where the Festival was being held.
"Care to tell me what this is really about, Sakura?"
She paced in front of him, trying to find the right words before saying, "With all due respect, Sasuke. I do not appreciate it when you act so…so coy with other women…I mean it is highly inappropriate, people all around the great Five Nations know of our engagement, imagine how it would look if word got out that you flirt with women. Not good, I assure you-"
"Sakura-"
"You may be fine with it, but it is my reputation on the line-"
"Sakura-"
"No man shall say, that Haruno Sakura of the leaf cannot satisfy one man to the point that he seeks other women not a month after their betrothal-"
"Sakura!"
She stopped pacing abruptly, surprised by his raised voice and the irritated tone of it. He had never talked to her in such way.
"What…what in the name of god are you talking about? I have not flirted with anyone."
"Yes, you have, have you forgotten about Princess Karin already?" her own voice turned venomous.
"Princess K…Sakura, my relationship with Karin is of pure friendship, I-
"The hell it is!" She covered her mouth, horrified, the minute she saw his eyes widen at her choice of words. She had cursed, she a supposedly prim and proper lady, in front of her King and fiancée, no less.
"I am so sorry, no words can describe my remorse, and I did not intend to say that! It's just that, you may feel nothing but genuine friendship, but she…she feels a different kind of affection, I can see it in her eyes, I swear!"
She was shocked when he suddenly laughed, not chuckled, laughed, he had to wipe the tears of mirth form his eyes as she pondered on what was so funny about what she said.
"You, my lady, are jealous." She was baffled by his mocking tone.
"Jealous? I don't know what is this jealousy you speak of." She scoffed at him, arms going akimbo.
He approached her predatorily, backing her to a wall, amusement swimming in his eyes, he lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "You are jealous, and you have no reason to be."
He retreated to look at her flushed face and continued, "For I only have eyes for you."
That night she received her first kiss.
Day 34
"Are you sure your father does not mind these frequent outings of ours?" they were lying on the grassy ground in the middle of a field surrounded by thick foliage of trees.
"No, he trusts you immensely, all I have to say is, his majesty has requested to see me, for him to agree." He sat up, using his elbows to support his upper body.
"You don't use that excuse to leave the house do you?"
"No, I have no desire to go out with anyone but you."
Day 40
The grassy field, secluded from wondering eyes, became their sanctuary, whenever he had the chance to take her out; they'd make time to sit in the clearing.
His loud sigh alarmed her making her wonder what she had done wrong to make him sound so exasperated, she voiced those concerns, touching his arm.
"It's not you." An at length he continued, "It's the council, every time I leave the palace for something other than royal errands they accuse me of neglecting my duties, it's not like I leave that much."
She looked forlorn and saddened by his revelation. "So it is me. I don't like causing you troubles, Sasuke."
He cupped her face, smiling at her, "You're not. My council needs to realize that the palace will not collapse without me."
Still dejected she lied next to him, trying to find a solution that would please both parties; she was surprised when he came up with one himself.
"You should move to the castle."
"W...wha? I beg your pardon?"
"Move to the palace, it will be your new home soon, anyway. That way, I can see you more often and I won't be accused of neglecting my duties. There, problem solved."
"Ha…do you have any idea what you're proposing? What will people say? Sharing a house before marriage?"
"Well, we'd be sharing a castle, us and dozens of other people. You'll have your own quarters of course."
"Do you rule the country by making such hasty calls?"
"No, I rule the country by assessing situations quickly and coming up with the best course of action. I just did that."
She huffed, still not agreeing to his proposition; he knew what her answer will be anyway.
"How come you are the king anyway?" she hadn't meant to ask the question, it was simply a spur of the moment thing born out of curiosity. Sensing his mood change, she inwardly cursed her curiosity.
"That, Sakura, is because of the unfairness of the hierarchical society." Seeing her bewildered expression, he explained further, "As you already know, my brother, that resides in a dukedom on the outskirts of Fire country, is already married, he and his wife are unable to give birth, thus, unable to provide heirs; therefore Itachi was denied his birth right."
His tone implied that he hated to receive what his brother was denied. An unfair society indeed.
Day 47
She was living not a floor away from him and yet, she rarely saw him, these days.
The Grand Leaf Palace was beautiful, built to impress. Her quarters were at the same floor as Sasuke's, being the top one. Her window revealed the most wonderful sight of green gardens and vast koi ponds and yet her mood remained somber.
A knock resounded on her door; she fixed her appearance and planted a smile on her face, before telling whoever it is behind the door to enter.
A maid bowed and said, "Her ladyship, Mikoto-sama, would like to see you, my lady."
She nodded at the maid before following her to where the glorious Mikoto sat.
She did a curtsey and said, "You sent for me, your Majesty?"
"Yes, child. It has come to my knowledge that our precious cherry blossom is feeling somber. And we can't have that now, can we?"
The all-knowing look on her soon-to-be-mother-in-law made her blush and stare at the floor like it was the most interesting in the world.
"It has also come to my knowledge that a certain king is free and able to receive visitors."
Sakura's eyes lit up at the revelation but she refused to succumb to the urge of running to the throne room out of respect to the former Queen.
"Go! What are you waiting for?" She received Mikoto's smile with one of her own before excusing herself as fast as she could without looking graceless.
She stood in front of the majestic double door before taking a deep breath and knocking. A calm voice sounded from the other end.
She opened the door and looked at him, sitting behind a desk filled with documents that he was no doubt revising earlier, his eyes reflected his tiredness and she felt bad for being mad at him.
"Am I bothering you?"
"Not at all, you are a welcome distraction."
He gestured to the chair at the other end of the desk. She took his offer, disappointed that she can't get closer to him after so long.
"I must apologize to you, I have been neglecting you quite a lot for a while. "
She waved off his apology and said, "You are the king of the most powerful country, I can't expect you to spend every minute of your day with me." To her surprise he chuckled at her.
"Funny you should say that, since I am quite sure it was you that was cursing me and my bloody royal duties."
Her blush rivaled his favorite fruit.
Day 5O
Jealousy ate her insides, princess Karin came back, and it seemed that now, ten days before the wedding, she was more than determined to come between Sakura and Sasuke.
How could a lady of her status act in such a demeaning way? Her behavior was a disgrace to her family, every person that saw her thought the same thing. Except Sasuke, apparently.
"I can't…I can't take it. How am I supposed to accept such a thing? I understand that…actually I don't understand."
Mikoto became the mother that she never had. Lady Haruno was well and alive and yet she never once acted like a true mother, always worrying about etiquette and status. A social climber that cared for nothing but what the nobles thought of her and her family.
"Hush, child. I feel for you, alas, thus is the life of the noble wives. We are supposed to care and support our husbands and yet, have no one to care and support us." The black haired beauty stroked the soft pastel pink hair of her son's betrothed. "But my Sasuke cares for you, never doubt that. And he would never care for anyone else." She wished that the comforting words could serve their purpose. No words will ever soothe the fire that blazed inside her.
"I…I'm afraid that he would care for what Karin had to offer more."
"Say no such blasphemies my dear! Sasuke is an honorable man."
"But a man no less! I apologize, my lady. But no man can resist the temptation of that red headed seductress. What do I have, compared to her?" Mikoto pulled her from her embrace and looked at her, wiping her crystal tears.
"You, Sakura, have his love. That is my lady's word."
"You really believe that?"
"I would not have said that if I did not believe it. Haruno Sakura, are you calling me a liar?"
"No! it's just that…" A genuine smile adorned her heart shaped face as she once again embraced her second mother. "Thank you…ka-san."
She had never made the way to Sasuke's quarters before, despite having been told about its' general direction. It took two tries before she stood at the door of his bedroom. It was night, the hallways of the secluded area empty. Who would dare to sneak around their king's bedroom anyway?
She opened the door without knocking; Sasuke rose in his bed immediately, blade ready, his sharp senses detecting the stranger in his room. He recognized her right away, after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, but he rubbed his eyes for good measure, not believing what he was seeing.
"Sakura? Did something happen?" He lit the lantern beside his bed, and for the first time, she could see his half naked body.
She fought the embarrassment and cleared her throat, "No, nothing happened." She approached the bed slowly, intent on keeping a straight face and a strong will.
"Noth- what are you doing?" He instinctively moved away when she sat herself on his mattress. He took notice of her choice of sleepwear and averted his eyes. Engaged or not, she should not be seen in a skimpy nightgown by anyone other than her husband. And they certainly were not married yet.
In a movement that surprised both of them, she cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. It was a great struggle to keep his gaze above her neck.
"Listen to me Sasuke; this may sound straight forward and unbecoming of a lady. But frankly, I don't care." She posed dramatically and continued, "I love you and I will do whatever I can to keep you. If it means I have to sink to a level that is unbefitting of me, then so be it."
"What…I don- Sakura what are you doing?" He inched away from her wondering hands, horrified at the sudden change in the attitude of the once innocent Sakura.
"Sasuke, don't fool me, I know you are an honorable man and that you would never betray me if you can help it. However, what if you can't help it? This period of abstinence certainly took its toll on you and it's only a matter of time before it starts to show."
She was unfazed by his surprise and kept on talking, "I am aware of the fact that you are no virgin, I know of your previous…sexual adventures and your life style has been altered. I can see it in your eyes, the desire to succumb to Karin's seduction, you're holding back, yes, but for how long? Don't blame me for doing what I must."
Her hands went back to his chest, pushing him to the bed. He was willing this time, surrendering his body to her demands. Her lips found his in a passionate kiss. She used to shy away from his innocent pecks, and yet, here she was, initiating the sinuous act. Intuitively, she climbed on his well built physique, allowing him access to her scantily clad body. His hands wondered, while hers explored his soft dark locks, lips never parting. She was just getting lost in the heat of the moment when his hands gently pushed her away from him. Both panting, he laid his forehead on hers, caressing her heated face.
"Have…have…I done…something wrong?" Her breathing had yet to go back to normal.
"No, Sakura, no." He pulled her to lie next to him, his arm tight around her waist. His other hand, that wasn't holding her, went to cover his eyes, she realized immediately that he was in thinking mode.
Tears pricked her eyes, and despite herself, she let out a sob. He turned to her abruptly, alarmed by the choked sound.
"Why are you crying?"
"I just made the hardest decision of my life, and now you must think I'm a slut with no morals."
"No, no, I'd never think that of you, it's just that…" she waited patiently for him to finish, eager to learn the reason for which he refused an offer that other men would have jumped at. "You have come to me Sakura with the idea that, as a man, I will betray you to fulfill my body's needs, if I bed you tonight, then I would be proving you right, and that's not what I want you to think of me."
Her lips could not form the words to convey her awe, what had she done to deserve such a wonderful man?
"I…I, what exactly are you made of, Sasuke Uchiha?"
"Flesh, blood and bone, just like, you have yet to know the real me, that's all."
"I look forward to doing so, your Majesty."
She made a move to leave his chambers when his hand shot out to grab her arm, stilling her.
"If we can't share a night of passion, then perhaps we can share a bed?"
The childlike anticipating expression on his face was too good to pass up. "I don't mind one bit, the other occupants of the palace might have something to say against it so we might want to keep it between us."
With a smile, he pulled her to him.
Day 51, caught!
the warm rays of the mid May sun felt good on her skin as she stretched on the large comfortable bed covered with dark sheets, that were not her own. The thought of last night made her smile. Until she realized that it was not the singing of birds or the warm sun that woke her up but the fact that there was knocking on the door.
She sat up with a start; she conveyed her panic to Sasuke through her eyes, afraid to make a sound, who made a gesture to keep quiet.
He opened the door cautiously, now wearing a shirt, allowing a narrow angle of vision into the room.
"My lord, I'm so glad I could find you! It's Sakura-hime, she's gone missing, and I can't find her anywhere! She might have been kidnapped!" the alarmed voice of Hana reached her ears and she cursed her memory for forgetting that she was supposed to come get her for the wedding dress fitting.
"Calm down, Hana, I know where she is."
"You do?" The clever woman caught up quickly despite not seeing Sakura. "Oh! Oh! She's here?"
"Keep it down, Hana, we don't want to alert the whole castle to Sakura's whereabouts, now, do we?"
"No, we don't. Just, tell Sakura-Hime that I'll be waiting for her, after you…ah, finish." And with that she disappeared mumbling about 'Kids these days'.
"She thinks we…you bedded me, doesn't she?"
"It would have been the case, had I not stopped you, am I wrong?"
He was teasing her, she knew. Her genius reaction? She threw a pillow at him.
Day 55
Another tiring day of wedding preparations had her exhausted beyond belief. She was heading to her chambers to rest when she heard the commotion coming from the general direction of the outer part of the palace.
She turned to the maid that was accompanying her with a questioning gaze, the young woman explained immediately, "The residents of the castle and some outsiders gather around the training ring when an interesting spar is taking place. Usually, it's his majesty sparring with one of his subordinates. I can lead you to the dojo if you'd like."
Suddenly, all feelings of tiredness disappeared in favor of watching her beloved do what he did best.
The majority of the maids and noble women gathered around the grounds that held an epic match. No wonder that the hallways of the Leaf were empty.
Sasuke made the powerful punches and kicks he delivered to his blond best friend seem effortless, she cringed and flinched at every close call, but other than that she was entirely impressed with his battle skills. The match ended in her betrothed's favor followed closely by cheers.
He bowed to his opponent, who did the same mumbling something that sounded like 'I'll get you next time, teme'
The crowd noticed her and greeted her with a bow, she did the same.
Kakashi, Sasuke's trainer, stepped into the ring, commenting on the match when he turned to her.
"What did you think my lady?"
"Interesting match. It is very comforting to learn that the safety of our country lies in such capable hands."
It was Sasuke that replied. "You flatter us, my lady. Although, it has come to my knowledge that you are quite versed in the art of swordsmanship, am I right?"
"You flatter me, my lord. I simply mastered the basics necessary to defend myself."
"Oh? Would you do us the honor of showing us these basic skills?"
"Oh, Kakashi-dono, I highly doubt that it would be proper of me to wield a sword in such a situation."
"Why not? I don't see anything wrong with it. Kenjutsu is a well respected art, after all."
"Naruto is right, my lady. If you wish to spar, no one will think anything less of you."
"It is settled, then. I would love to be the one to test your skills." For a man that is supposed to be a deadly warrior, Kakashi sure can be cheerful.
"Alright." She replied, still hesitant. "If his majesty sees nothing wrong with it, then I will be glad to."
She was handed with a sword and inwardly smirked. Let the fun begin.
She faced her third opponent, hand and wrist going into the familiar position quite easily; out of the corner of her eye she caught the sight of the defeated Naruto and Kakashi.
She should be offended by the look of shock that crossed Sasuke's face as he watched his wingman and teacher fall at her hands, but the only feeling that settled itself in her was amusement.
"I have to say, the skills you have manifested surprised me." Her betrothed circled her, blade drawn and poised.
"In a good way, I hope." Her own blade threatened to kill at the slightest wrong movement.
"Yes, actually, now I can be a little less worried about you. Though, let's be honest, your style is predictable, exactly what you'd expect from a lady that spends too much time watching people fight. It's too tedious, a good style needs a few surprising moves. "
"A little less taking, a bit more sparing don't you think?" she swung her sword at Sasuke, the king countering her hit with an elegant twist of his wrist.
He smirked at her, his expression telling her that he was not going to go easy on her.
In the end she realized that Sasuke's skill were way too superior to her own, or those of his companions, it's like his sword was an extension of his body and his brain sends orders to his kusanagi also.
"Don't feel too bad for losing, you held your own for an impressive amount of time, not to mention I'm dressed for training, while you have all these clothes that weigh you down."
"You're just complimenting me; even if I was dressed appropriately I wouldn't have won."
He smiled at her and led her out of the dojo, the crowd now dispersing.
Day 60
She lay in bed next to him, running her hands across his chest and drawing circles on his torso while his arm held her tight. No, they were not married yet. It was the night before and her nerves urged her to run to her fiancé's embrace, he welcomed her with open arms.
"Are you still nervous?"
"I can't help it, all brides are nervous, not to mention that it is not a normal wedding."
He bent his neck to look at her and said, "Why not? You are marrying a man that you love and who loves you back, what is abnormal about that?"
She gasped loudly, her hand covering her mouth, a surprised look crossed his face and he looked at her questioningly.
"That…that's the first…time you said you…you said you loved me.
He smiled at her, realizing the reason for her stupor, "Don't I?"
On an impulse, she reached to kiss him on the lips, her kiss conveying all the feelings that her lips could not pronounce.
When she settled back against him, a question that has been haunting her thoughts threatened to leave her lips.
"What if we can't have children?" She finally blurted startling him.
"What brought this on?" his tone suddenly turned chilly with hints of old pain.
"You said that your brother was denied his birth right because he could not produce heirs, what if we can't too? What would happen?" she turned to lay on her stomach waiting patiently for his answer.
"We're not the same, we…I'm not…barren, unlike Itachi."
Her mind processed his words, mulling it over and over again until she deciphered the meaning behind his words.
"You…you have a… you have a child?" the last word came out harsher than she intended causing him to explain quickly.
"NO! I mean, not anymore. What I mean is…its' best if you just hear the story, so settle down."
She went back to her laying position and listened to him. "I had a…companion before, back when I was 18, she…we were intimate, many times, and it just happened that she carried my child. Somehow, word got to my father about it. Three weeks later, she was found dead"
She gasped at the revelation, eyes going wide with horror."His majesty, told me that it was a theft gone wrong, they wouldn't even let me see her body."
"And you don't believe him?" she asked.
"No, Sakura. Who would want a commoner as their queen and a bastard as their prince? No one. My father did what he had to do. You must be wondering, what kind of person would accept a throne that his lover and child were killed for? I did it because I have no proof, and my mother, she didn't need to know what her husband was capable of." She couldn't help but weep at the loss that Sasuke suffered from at such a young age, he was her age at the time and she could not see herself surviving from such a tragic incident.
"My child…he or she would have been 5 now. Every day, I wonder what it would have looked like."
She wanted to tell him that she would give him as much children as he wanted, even if she knew that it would not make up for the one he lost, but she couldn't, not when she didn't know for sure.
"Sasuke…what if…what if I'm barren? What would you do?"
He cupped her face, kissing her swiftly and whispered, "Then my father would have to look for a new heir. I will not give up a person I cherish, never again, Sakura, I give you my word."
And in his eyes, filled with sadness, pain and love, she saw the truth.
Through the ceremony, Sakura did not feel the same fear she felt 2 months ago, in their room, she knew that she would be giving up something that she had saved for 18 years, something so dear to her heart and still, she felt no fear; because it was Sasuke, her husband, her king, her beloved.
As her majestic wedding dress hit the floor, she thanked the lord, for when she agreed to marry Sasuke, she thought that with time, she would learn to love him and he would do the same, she thought that maybe after they lived together for a while they would have the closest thing to the fairytale she thought she had lost.
She never thought that her fairytale lay right before her eyes in the guise of an arranged marriage. She never thought that within 60 days of engagement, she would complete the road to happiness.
So, did you like it as much as I did? Tell me.