Authors note: Allrighty! This is my first fanfic. Please feel free to give me constructive criticism (nicely, of course) and tell me what you think of the story. I hope you enjoy it! R&R
Lilly of the Field
Chapter One
I am to be married today.
The snow had just fallen through the village hidden in the leaves, imprinting an image of a pure paradise. The bright red birds that flew through the area looked like little tiny crimson droplets that had accidentally landed on a crisp white handkerchief. Big icicles hung from the sides of buildings and houses like delicate transparent crystal. I quietly stepped out into the snow, before anyone else had stirred in preparations for the wedding that followed this evening. There was a soft crunch as my boot sunk into the powdered softness it came in contact with. I marveled at the stillness that followed the recent snowfall.
My heart gave a faint tremor. I didn't know the man I was to get married to. Not personally anyways. He was 5 years my senior. I was nervous and a little scared. I had known since I was little that I was to be in an arranged marriage. I didn't know what my life was going to be like living with an older man. I suppose I would grow to love him… but I was frightened about what would happen later that night when all the festivities were done. I have never been with a man before. In fact, I do not understand fully what will happen.
I let out a deep breath and study it. It turned into a deep bellow of white steam, swirling and spreading itself thin until it disappeared. I stared out at the seemingly pristine view for a few more seconds and then turn around to go back inside. I gently slide the door shut and closed my eyes. No matter what, I will be strong, I will be resilient, and I will be brave. I will not feel like a caged bird…
Soon everyone is up and buzzing in no time. I get tugged from one place to another. My hair is done by a lady with long spider like fingers. She clucks in disdain at my long loose curls but manages to fix my hair into a beautiful arrangement. I get dragged out of that room into the next, where another woman does my makeup with an expert hand. I get a glance in the mirror and stare for a while. Every bride on her wedding day looks beautiful, they always have an element that makes them glow. My face looks like a doll, beautiful, but frozen and lifeless. There is no glow. Next I get taken into the room where they dress me in the ceremonial robes of the wedding. It's pretty with its long white silken clothe and beautifully embroidered golden butterflies. It takes well over an hour to properly fit me into it all.
When it is all done, the sun is beginning to set. My mother and other female relatives have all told me what my wifely duties will be and I am given a pep talk on marriage. It's all very short and vague, and amongst their smiling faces, I can't help but feel a small spark of excitement. I have not even seen my husband yet and it's almost time for the ceremony. Oh, how I wish I could see his face before we were kneeling at the altar. I wonder if he is ugly, or if he is cruel. I am expecting the worst so I won't be disappointed. My excitement melts away quickly and is once again replaced with fear.
The actual marriage ceremony will take place in the main house of my future husband's clan. It's a nice building, plain and simple. The style is traditional, and I spy a dormant miniature arboretum in the courtyard of the mansion. Though I can't look for too long, I wonder if I'll visit it in the future with my husband.
When I walk in, it's all very quiet. I scan the room and notice my future husband's family. They all have conspicuously worn jackets that cover most of their bodies with high collars, making it near impossible to notice the lower halves of their faces. Some have more coverings than others, opting for hooded coats on top of their jackets. But all of them have dark sunglasses or some form of tinted eye-wear. I had known that my husband-to-be was from a powerful and mysterious shinobi clan. This was all very peculiar to me nonetheless.
I knelt reverently in front of the man I was going to be married to in a few short moments. From my bowed head, I tried to peek at him. He had a pale complexion. His hair was a deep brown color that I longed to touch to see if it felt as soft as it looked. He had on the same eyewear the rest of his clan wore, so I could not see his eyes. His eyebrows were gently furrowed together with deep concentration, and I wondered if he too, was stealing a glance at me. I blushed a little and averted my eyes. He was an attractive man, though he seemed stern and distant. I imagined that his normal clothing would be similar to what his clan wore. But while he was being married, he also wore the traditional wardrobe. I then wondered if perhaps he wore those darkened glasses because he was blind.
The priest's voice was droning and boring. I looked to the side and noticed my relatives beginning to enter an almost catatonic state. They were quickly loosing focus and had begun to let their mind wander. My husband's family, on the other hand, had unwavering concentration. Though I could not see their eyes, I could feel their intensity by the way their bodies stood in perfect disciplined position.
"Sayuri and Shino, you will now live your lives together in matrimony." The priest said, slapping his book shut. I jumped a little bit, not expecting the end to come so quickly. "I now pronounce you man and wife, part of the Aburame clan." I had not noticed I had been breathing so shallowly the entire ceremony and finally took in a big breath. I was careful not to let it all out in a huff, lest my new family think me rude by sighing at the wedding. There was no kiss at the end, that was not how it was done. We all marched on out and I said goodbye to my family. I was officially passed onto Shino. I was under his care, he was to provide for me now. We were bound to it by marriage. I felt a deep ache in my heart, yearning for the family and life I was leaving behind. Soon we were walking and I had noticed that we were alone.
The two of us were moving through the Aburame clan's housing settlement. Shino had gotten a house for himself and me near the outskirts, away from the main circle. The night was quiet and you could once again here the crunching of our feet in the snow. I looked up at my husband. He was taller than me by a head and still maintained a serious look on his face. I noticed that he had not spoken a word to me yet. This only served to increase my anxiety. Perhaps he did not like me? Was he not pleased in my appearance? Maybe it was because I was not a shinobi and he had expected to marry a woman who knew how to fight.
"We're here." He said suddenly, stopping at the foot of a small house. His voice was deep.
I looked at the house and couldn't help but smile. It was a charming little home, well maintained and groomed. Its walls were cream stucco and the windows and doors were framed in a dark wood that I adored. It was a warm and inviting house. I was surprised that he would pick out such a nice place and I thought that my mother probably had influence about where I was to live and how it was to look.
"It's beautiful." I said, walking up to the door and resting my hand on the frame. I smiled at him and he seemed perplexed. I don't think he understood why I would receive so much enjoyment from the aesthetics of a house. He didn't say anything as he unlocked the door and followed me inside. It was too dark and I was too nervous to look around the house. Instead, I opted to let him guide me to the bedroom where he was headed.
I shut the door behind me and almost jumped at the clicking noise it made. It was a small bedroom with a queen sized mattress. It had nice sheets on it. I identified the drawers and opened them, noticing that my things had already been put into place by someone. I pulled out my p.j.'s, not looking at Shino and refusing to pay attention to what he was doing. Then I began the monstrous task of taking off my dress.
I heaved, I stretched, I spun around in little circles, but in the end, I couldn't get it off of me. In defeat, I sat on the bed, my back still turned to Shino. I glanced behind me and noticed that he still hadn't moved. He had been staring at me the entire time with his eyebrows furrowed even deeper than before.
"Could you help me please?" I asked. Surely, he could see how difficult this was for me to do by myself. He didn't budge. In fact, he was so still I couldn't even tell if he was breathing. I looked at him curiously and I carefully got up and walked to him. He still didn't move. I moved closer until I was right in front of him. Still nothing. I cautiously waved my hand in front of his face.
"What do you know about me and my clan?" He suddenly asked. I jumped a little bit and stumbled back on the bed. I sat up quickly and straightened out my dress.
"Nothing much, really. I know that we had an arranged marriage by my parents and your father. Your name is Shino. You are of the Aburame clan. Your clan is very mysterious and no one knows much of it. Uhm… You are a Jonin, 25, quiet and…" I trailed off and bit my lip. I knew nothing about him.
"That is all?" He asked.
"Yes."
"I see." He stood in more stillness. I sat patiently, but my anxiety was slowly mounting. Fidgeting nervously, I began playing with the hem of my skirts. He seemed to look over me in disapproval, his eyes boring silently through me behind his goggle-like sunglasses.
"I have the Kikaichu insects living inside of me."
"Excuse me?" I asked a little confused at his statement. Had I just heard him correctly? Maybe he meant something else, like a metaphor or a simile or-
"The kikaichu is an insect that my clan members are infused with at birth, which includes me. We have a symbiotic relationship with them. They feed off of our chakara and we use them in battle."
"What?" I was still confused.
"I have thousands of them living inside of my body. I just thought you should know because we're married now." He said rather indifferently. I froze on the bed, unable to move and paralyzed with new found fear. His body seemed to stiffen very slightly at my reaction. He must think that I'm repulsed by him.
"I don't understand…" I began again. He had insects living inside of him? Was this normal? Why wasn't I made aware of this by my family? I still didn't really understand. It wasn't registering in my head. His facial expression didn't change, but I could sense annoyance beginning to build.
I looked up at him once more, this time with a more attuned eye. Little holes began appearing where the pores of his skin were, becoming larger and larger until small insects began pouring from them like droplets of blood flowing freely from an open wound. Hundreds of little black ant-like insects suddenly gushed forward and engulfed both him and the air around him, filling it with a faint buzzing noise. His posture didn't budge and he stared hard at me.
I broke out of my frozen trance and bolted to the other side of the bed, my entire body rigid with fear. I backed myself into a corner and eyed him warily. I didn't want him to come close. He went around the bed and started making steps towards me. I cowered in fear at the sound of his footsteps getting closer and closer until finally he was in front of me.
"Normally, I would have just walked away and not said anything when you reacted like that." He said. His voice was flat. Void of emotion. He was expecting me to react this way. He was used to it because so many others were disgusted by him. "But…" he started. I knew he didn't want to finish this sentence. It was one he had probably never said before "I wanted you to know. To be honest. Because you are my wife now."
In my fear, I felt a prick of guilt and pity for him. He walked out of the bedroom and closed the door gingerly behind him, leaving me alone to my thoughts.
