The Robes of Royalty
Chapter One
He stood before the mirror and watched as his topaz-blue eyes of his reflection considered him. His fingers trailed across his own strong chin before continuing their path up his cheek. He ended the journey with a sweep through unruly blonde hair. There was something different about this face.
"Your Majesty," came a voice from behind him. Suddenly, he remembered what was different: This face was being prematurely aged by royal circumstances. He looked into the mirror and saw Shizune, the queen's lady-in-waiting, curtsy and straighten. He turned from his own reflection to regard her with interest.
"Yes?"
"Queen Tsunade wishes to speak with you," she said with a smile. Naruto shook his head with his own small grin and ran a hand through his mess of hair. Then, nodding, he exited his room. When he reached the corridor, however, he realized that he could hardly answer the queen's summons if he did not know where she was. He opened his mouth to speak this notion aloud, but Shizune beat him to the proverbial punch.
"Her Majesty is in the Royal Office," Shizune said, answering his unasked question.
"Thank you," he replied, turning in that direction with the lady at his heels. "Do you have any idea what she wants?" It was rare for the queen to go out of her way to call Naruto to her; He was usually running about the castle or else sneaking into the village under the cover of exploring the catacombs beneath the castle. These explorations usually left the servants flustered in their attempt to find him and thus Tsunade had given up sending for him.
"I believe, Your Highness, that she has hatched some ingenious plan and wishes to divulge the details of it to you," Shizune said. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he reached the stairs to the East Tower, the stairs that led to the queen's Royal Office.
"Shizune," He stopped at the foot of the tightly spiraling staircase. "I must ask two things of you."
"Anything, Your Majesty," Shizune answered, sweeping a brief curtsy.
"One, I ask that I speak to the queen alone. Two, I ask that you refrain from calling me 'highness' and 'majesty'. It's not right," he said with a grin, his hand dipped back behind his head in a characteristic display of his embarrassment.
"Yes, y-sir." With that, Naruto granted her a quick smile, a word of thanks, and began to ascend the winding stairs to where the queen sat waiting.
When Naruto reached the large mahogany door that led into the vast office, he raised his fist and knocked twice. From within the room, he heard a sweet-sounding "Come in!" Outwardly, Naruto tried, in vain, to stifle an eye-roll. If Tsunade was resorting to her falsely cheery voice, that meant that she was going to try to win him over on some harebrained plot. As he opened the door, he silently wished someone or something to grant him some patience.
"Ah, Naruto," Tsunade said upon realizing who had entered the room, as if the visit were a complete surprise. Naruto caught his first glance at her and was forced to gnaw on his tongue in an attempt to not laugh at her current state of attire.
Tsunade, though an old queen, had always insisted that she was at least ten, if not more, years younger than her true age. To keep up with the farce, she often shoved her overtly womanly body into the sort of gowns and dresses that one would expect to see on teenagers and young women. At that moment, she just happened to be jammed into a gown of periwinkle blue with an extremely tight bodice and a dangerously low-cut collar. Naruto averted his eyes and instead stared at the view offered by the window just beyond the desk.
"You called for me?" Naruto reminded her, the fine deep tones of his laughter trying to split his voice.
"Indeed, I did," Tsunade agreed, standing and walking to the same window that he was currently using as a distraction. As she crossed his line of vision once more, Naruto swore he heard one of his ribs break from his attempt to avoid laughing.
"Are you going to tell me what I am here for?"
"All in good time, all in good time. Sit," she commanded and Naruto was quick to obey. Though a just and good queen, Tsunade did have a very intimidating air and was known for her short temper. Naruto, in the last five years that she had been queen, had learned what came at the end of her brief fuse.
"Are you hungry?" She asked, gesturing at the array of crackers, fruits, and cheeses that had been settled next to her desk as she sat back down at it.
"No."
"Very well then, I suppose you can't be distracted." She paused an instant in which Naruto nodded, goading her on. "First, I have a request."
"What is it?"
"In three days, the Land of Wind will be celebrating their annual Sky Fire night. This one marks their two-hundredth year of being a recognized nation. There will be a grand festival in the capital, Suna, and I am expected to be in attendance." She paused, picked a grape off of the platter next to her desk and chewed silently for a moment. "I, however, will be unable to attend. I would like you to go in my place."
Naruto's jaw dropped comically. Not only had he never left the Land of Fire's capital of Konoha, he had never been allowed out of the castle. Naturally, he had broken the law many times. After he had met other citizens his age in the private boarding school Tsunade had built at the edge of the palace grounds, he had an insane craving to experience their world first-hand. However, to be disallowed to step foot out of the royal palace and then to be given permission to travel the span of two countries in one day was startling.
"I see you are surprised. Does that mean you do not wish to travel to Suna?" Tsunade seemed to sigh heavily at the thought.
"No! Of course not! I mean," Naruto paused and composed himself. "I mean, I want to go."
"Good, then it is settled. I will have your things packed immediately." She fell silent for a moment; She seemed to be deep in thought. "I will send Jiraiya with you," she added with a grin as Naruto groaned out loud.
"Jiraiya? Please tell me you're joking." Naruto's palm found his forehead with a slight smack. "We'll never make it to Suna! He will be drunk in every tavern from here to there." Suddenly, Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"He is the one I have chosen!" She barked. "He was your private tutor for long enough to know your tricks. He is also my top guard, next to Kakashi." She once again lost herself in thought, as if considering sending the latter as well.
"He's retired," Naruto grumbled under his breath.
"You are underage," Tsunade said, emphasizing the last word in the same way he had highlighted his. "And that brings us to our next issue. Your eighteenth birthday is the day you return from the Land of Wind. Your coronation will take place at sunset three days after that," she added with a sigh. Suddenly, Naruto's eyes met hers and she seemed much older than he had ever seen her.
"I understand," Naruto said.
"No, I am afraid that you do not." She stood once more and walked forcefully to the window in a huff. "Law says that you must have a spouse by the day of your coronation." Again, Naruto felt his jaw drop. This time, however, it was accompanied by a stupid sputtering noise.
"But I don't-"
"It is my fault. I guess I expected you to have a bride by now," she said, sighing as if he had failed her completely. Naruto felt the blood rise in his face and his anger began to bubble over.
"How can I have been expected to find love if I have been banned from leaving the palace?" His eyes were narrowed and his fists were clenched on the arms of the chair. Sensing his anger, Tsunade turned to face him.
"Why do you think I allowed you to attend that boarding school?" She paused and her head fell for a moment, as if the exasperation were a tangible weight on her shoulders. Slowly, she spoke. "In any case, I have thought of a plan that will serve both of us dually. The palace will host a grand ball. The ball shall take place over three nights. It will be, however, a ball grander than any the kingdom has ever seen. Grander, even, then the late King Minato's Wedding Ball."
For the first time during the visit, Naruto's eyes traveled upward to consider the pictures of the past monarchs that lined the wall. The first monarch, King Hashirama, was every female's description of tall, dark, and handsome. In his hand, defining his power, however, was the King's Sword, the royal sword that passed along the male coronation line. Next to him was his younger brother, King Tobirama. His sharp face was pulled to shrewd point that spoke of his brilliance. Again, the glittering rubies of the King's Sword shone near the painting's frame. Then came the third monarch, King Hiruzen. Naruto had sworn that through the picture, anyone could tell that the Third was known for his kindness. This image did not go without the King's Sword, either. Finally, obviously the newest painting of the bunch, was the fourth monarch, King Minato. The Fourth smiled easily in his picture, brandishing the Sword in a triumphant flourish.
Then Naruto's eyes dropped to meet Tsunade's diverted gaze. When the Fourth had died in an epic battle, the Third had come out of retirement and taken over the kingdom once more. Then, in a twist of events that occurred during Naruto's prepubescence, the Third had been killed. A twist of fate left Jiraiya, who, because he was captain of the guards at the time, was next in line for the throne, searching for Tsunade. Tsunade was, in fact, the granddaughter of the First and thus a more "perfect" heir to the Land of Fire. Her picture would be added when Naruto took the throne, though without the King's Sword.
Naruto, on the other hand, had been adopted by what everyone called the "crown". He belonged legally to whoever was on the throne at the time. It had always been known that when he was eighteen, he would take over. He had no idea why he was picked or by whom, but he was ready; He had been prepared all of his life. Between archery and sword practice to public speaking and ancient literature classes, there was no doubt that Naruto was prepared… with the exception of taking a wife.
"Naruto!" Tsunade's voice sliced through Naruto's thoughts like a blade through butter. "Did you understand me properly?"
"Err," Naruto stumbled. "Perhaps you might repeat yourself?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously and Naruto was sure that he had heard an audible growl.
"You will be expected to be in formal attire," she recited back to him. "There will be a lot of commoners present, but far more upper class. I am particularly interested in Duchess Hinata Hyuuga. She is a lovely choice," Tsunade goaded. Once more, sparks of anger flickered in Naruto.
"My choice will be my choice." Tsunade fought the surprised countenance that was threatening to peak through; Naruto had a firm note of finality in the edges of his voice and for a moment, Tsunade forgot that he was not yet her king. Taking advantage of her momentary silence, he stood and walked to the door.
"If you are finished, I will tell Shizune to gather my servants and prepare my things for the journey to Suna. I will leave at sunset by horse," he said decisively. "If Jiraiya is not ready by that time, I will leave without him. Until then, however, I plan to visit the catacombs to study some ancient documents that may help me along the way," he said vaguely. Tsunade nodded and waved him off.
Naruto sighed in both relief and tension when the door shut behind him. It was a relief that their meeting was over, and yet Naruto felt a burden of harsh reality settling down on his shoulders. In under two weeks' time, he had to make a journey between two countries, meet other royalty, celebrate a foreign festival, make the return journey home, host a ball, find a wife, and experience coronation. His hand found his shock of blonde hair once more and carved a path through it.
He descended the stairs, feeling a slight dizziness that had nothing to do with the tightly spiraled staircase. At the bottom, Naruto found Shizune standing exactly where he had left her. Apparently, the signs of stress were clear in Naruto, because Shizune addressed him with concern.
"Your-" She paused, mentally reprimanding herself. "Sir? Are you feeling alright?"
"I… will be fine, Shizune. Thank you. I do, however, need something."
"Yes, sir?" Shizune prompted, pulling a notepad and pencil from who-knew-where. Naruto smiled at her; She was always so eager to serve.
"Please assemble my personal servants and tell them that I will need clothing for a journey. We will be spending approximately two days traveling to the destination, a day and a half at the destination, and two days returning. I will need formal, riding, and sleepwear," he finished in one breath. Shizune nodded, still scribbling away.
"Anything else, sir?"
"Yes, actually," he said. "Prepare one of them to accompany me and also prepare two horses. I would like to ride Alfa, if it is at all possible. If not, Battalion will suffice."
"Yes, sir." Naruto thanked her and began walking away. Suddenly, he turned back over his shoulder.
"And Shizune?" he called.
"Yes, sir?"
"I am headed to the catacombs. I will not be disturbed," he added. Shizune nodded knowingly. No, she thought to herself, smiling. It would be bad if someone discovered what you were really studying, sir.
[]
Naruto glanced up at the sun as he drew his black cloak around his shoulders. I don't have long to find her and let her know. He looked down at his feet as they began to tear off in the direction of the broken part of the castle's defense wall. I hope that she isn't too upset. He vaulted crumbling stones easily and ran down the hillside into the cover of the woods that encompassed the entire kingdom of Konoha. From there, he followed the trail he had beaten in his many escapes to the town.
Had he left the castle in the emergency tunnel under the library, Naruto would never have found her. She was nestled in the very woods he was using as cover to make it to the town without being noticed by the guards. He stumbled on her outstretched leg that he had not seen until too late.
"Hey, idiot! Do you think you could-" Her green eyes met the blue ones of her intruder and brightened immediately. In a blur of pink, Naruto was instantly being throttled by a surprisingly powerful female in a startlingly strong hug.
"S-Sakura," he sputtered in shock. She gave a small "oh!" and released him.
"It's so great to see you again!" She exclaimed dancing from foot to foot. "How long do you have out this time?"
"I'm not sure," Naruto said with a grin. Sakura smiled widely and took his hand.
"Come on! I just met this awesome group of people!"
"Then what were you doing hiding in the forest?" Naruto asked with a laugh as he was pulled down a hillside and into the middle of town square.
"I wasn't hiding!" She said with a hint of reproach in her voice. "One of the girls is studying to be a doctor, like me! She gave me this great book," Sakura said, gesturing to what was in the hand that was not pulling Naruto. It was large and leather bound with a peacock feather glued to the spine. Though he was being pulled at a high speed and he only was granted glances at the book, Naruto could not help but to think that he had seen it somewhere before.
"Wait! Sakura!" Naruto dug his heels into the ground, forcing both bodies to a stop. He suddenly remembered where he had seen the book: on a mahogany desk in one of the classrooms at the boarding school. "Did you say a girl gave you that?"
"Yes?"
"Was she tall with rather long blonde hair? Talkative? Blue-eyed?" Naruto questioned feverishly.
"Yes. Yes. Yes," Sakura answered back, confusion etched into her young face.
"And I can only assume she is hanging out with a rather large boy with long hair, whose best friend is medium height, with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail?"
"Well, yes, the guy she hangs out with is kind of big," Sakura said. "And I saw them talking to a young man like that earlier, but he said something about having to pack for a trip." She shook her head, her eyes full of questions. "But how do you know all of this, Naruto?"
"I went to boarding school with these people," he said quietly, looking around to see if anyone had noticed their presence. "They know who I am."
"Oh," said Sakura, still obviously confused.
"Let me explain. The boarding school was for the children of the most prominent families in Konoha. I was forced to go there. There I met Chouji Akamichi, the son of our head chef, Shikamaru Nara, the son of our military tactician, and Ino Yamanaka, the daughter of our police unit and the 'future royal doctor'," he said ringing the last three words with a mock-girl's voice.
"Oh," Sakura said once more. "But that still doesn't tell me why we can't go see them," Sakura added.
"Because all of them frequent the castle, where I live. Imagine that Chouji tells his father that he saw the prince in the square today. Then imagine that he tell Shikamaru's father, who tells Kakashi, captain of the guards. From there it would either go to Jiraiya, my tutor, or straight to Tsunade. I would be under constant surveillance!" He exclaimed.
"Okay, fine. I get it," said Sakura, a moody pout cloudy her otherwise pretty features. Naruto sighed and collapsed at the foot of a large tree, followed shortly by one of the only people he had ever considered a friend.
"And by the way, the trip that Shikamaru is packing for… I'm going on it, too." Naruto's head fell a little and Sakura put a hand on his knee.
"What's wrong? Where are you going?"
"Oh, it's not the trip that bothers me. I'm actually going to the Land of Wind for a festival. What's troubling is the mess that I'm coming back to," he replied.
"What did Queen Tsunade do this time?"
"It's nothing she did; It's simply the law. The law says that I must be married before my coronation," Naruto recited.
"Oh, that's no big."
"My coronation is three days after my eighteenth birthday, which is in six days," he corrected. Sakura's gaze lifted from the flower she had been tearing the petals off of. Their eyes met and neither pair held the bright lights of mirth that usually shone in them.
"So… So… Y-you're getting married?"
"I'm afraid so," Naruto concurred.
"Who?" It was the only word that Sakura could manage. Naruto had been her best friend since the first time he had ever been out of the castle to see the town. Back then, he had been allowed to go out with his then-best-friend, Sasuke Uchiha. The three, upon meeting as seven-year-olds, had become inseparable. Then when they were nine, Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, had committed murder: Sasuke's parents, both a Lord and Lady of the Third's court. Itachi had run and Sasuke went after him, only to be captured by the palace guards. Sasuke had remained in prison the entire time and Naruto was banned from ever leaving the castle grounds again. Naruto had still snuck out to see Sakura, though. Together they mourned the loss of Sasuke as a friend. Together they grew past it. Together they just… grew. What Sakura faced now, however, was not a feeling of friendship but more of a longing. Outwardly, she wondered why the news of Naruto's engagement hurt so bad; Inwardly, though, she knew the real answer.
"I don't know yet," Naruto admitted. "Tsunade is holding a ball over three nights and inviting all of the royalty she can muster. But I think she already has someone in mind."
"Hinata Hyuuga," Sakura predicted and Naruto nodded. "Oh, Naruto. I feel so bad for you. I mean, Hinata's nice, she really is, but she's quiet and bashful. She isn't a powerful woman and that's what you need," she diagnosed. Naruto chuckled.
"Tsunade said she will be inviting some commoners," he hinted. Sakura grinned his way.
"Do you really want me there?"
"I can't imagine anyone who'd be more of a comfort. I'll have Shizune sneak in and make you an invitation." The end of his sentence was punctuated with the whinnying of horses on the wind. Naruto cursed and stood. Sakura followed suit. She hugged him a long time, knowing well that the next time she saw him, he be considering his bride. They said their goodbyes and while he was running off in the direction that they had come from, Sakura thought not of comforting the prince, but of being considered by her best friend.
[]
"This is beyond troublesome," came a groan from behind Naruto as he tightened the saddle on his horse. He turned to face Shikamaru, a boy his age, if not a little older, who was making faces at the amount of baggage on his horse.
"Shikamaru?"
"Hn?"
"Can you not call me 'sir' or anything after we leave?" Naruto asked slyly, hoping that the dark-haired male would not make a big deal of it.
"I hadn't planned to, but hey, thanks for the permission." Shikamaru grinned and Naruto tried to match it. The two males shook hands and mounted their horses.
"We have to meet Jiraiya and Tsunade at the front gate," Naruto said. Shikamaru nodded and, in a silent agreement to race, the two young men kicked their horses to top speed and whipped around the side of the castle.
"Too much more of that and I will put you on an ass!" Tsunade warned as Naruto slowed to a stop beside where she stood. Naruto grinned jokingly, causing the older woman's countenance to soften to a smile. From behind her back she pulled a sword, sheathe, belt, and all.
"It's not the King's Sword," she said. "But, should you need it to, it will get the job done." Naruto, almost lost for words, searched for the proper ones to thank her. He fastened the belt around his waist and tried his hand at the gold handle. His fingers fit perfectly into the grooves, and the upper hand guard shielded his hand and wrist in the form of golden flame.
"Thank you, Tsunade," Naruto said, trying to squeeze meaning into every syllable as Jiraiya rode up beside the prince and his servant.
"About ready to go?" Jiraiya rumbled happily. Naruto nodded, and gave a mock sword salute to the queen before giving Alfa a kick and tearing off out of the gates.
"That might have been an impressive exit if he'd had people following him," Jiraiya laughed. "But now he just looks like an eager brat." Tsunade chuckled appreciatively as both Jiraiya and Shikamaru urged their mounts to a slow trot and left the castle grounds.