A/N: This is my new story, which is a Kanki x Sakura pairing. I see this as a little side project for fun and to try something a little different (sort of). For those of you who haven't read my other works, this one is a like a branch off of "The Last Princess of Zhao". If possible, it would probably be better to read that first to get a better feel for this one, but it can be read as a stand alone too. It follows the same storyline up to about chapter 14, then breaks away from the original after that.

This is a bit of a "what-if" story if things had taken a different turn in chapter 14. I plan on it being a bit darker than my other two stories, so just be warned. There will be adult content, smut, death, cursing, and all of the above. Don't like, don't read. That's the code I go by.

I decided to write this after the comments I've received about people liking Kanki and my friend bugging me about it, who's also obsessed with him. This was something I wanted to do for a while, but needed to work out how I wanted things to play out. The rest of the chapters will be longer, but this intro is a little short. Anyway, I hope you guys like it and tell me what you think!

It was late in the night... The only ones still walking the halls were the guards posted in different areas throughout the large manor. At a time like this, there wasn't much excitement, leaving the men tired and bored as they struggled to stay awake during their shifts. Soon enough, a different group would come and replace them, so they could return and get some sleep.

"Goodnight, Hime-sama. We should finish this conversation tomorrow, but I will take it into consideration. Ultimately, the decision is not mine. You know I would continue helping you if the lord would allow it... Riboku-sama is still busy with his work, so he probably won't be returning for quite a few hours. You might as well get some sleep or you will end up staying up all night..." The dark haired man outside of her door bowed slightly, showing his respect to the lady of the manor.

"Karu... Just because Riboku is back doesn't mean you have to act so formal, haha. I like it better when you have some attitude. After all the time we spent training together, it's okay for you to loosen up. He's not angry with you anymore... I think..." The woman grinned, giving the man a little push.

The guard smiled, not exactly reassured by her words. Now that the lord was back, he always felt the need to show his best colors, especially when it had to do with her. She wasn't just anybody...

Sakura-hime was the princess from their homeland, Zhao...one of the proud seven states of China. That was, however, until the king of Qin had begun his campaign to capture and subjugate each individual state, until the entire country was united under one flag.

After a falling out with Tou Jou, King of Zhao, Riboku had aligned himself with Qin after his king had sentenced him to death. The Prime Minister had escaped execution and helped the enemy state battle and conquer his own homeland, in order to save it from deteriorating in the hands of the overindulgent and corrupt Zhao king.

To ensure Zhao's defeat, its capital had been raided and brought to its knees within just a few hours after Qin soldiers had invaded its walls. The royal palace was raided and many had been slaughtered like animals. The generals leading the assault were the Riboku Army and Kanki Army. The former knew everything about Kantan, so it was an easy feat to plan the attack.

The palace, that was located in the heart of the capital, had been stormed by soldiers and bandits alike... It was a one-sided battle by this point. One by one, the royal family was executed as they were found by General Kanki and his men. Anyone else that had been discovered along the way had also met the same gruesome fate.

The only survivor of the royal family was Sakura-hime... The last princess of Zhao...

One of the rewards for the generals aid was that he would be able to retain his title of Prime Minister, yet also gain the position of Chief of Military Affairs. Riboku had used his influence and agreed to help King Ei Sei of Qin in taking over Zhao, but had a few conditions. One of them was to spare Sakura-hime from certain death and to hand the princess over to him. The clever strategist then used this fact to get the pinkette to agree to become his wife.

Although very reluctant, she eventually consented and the general brought her to live with him in Qin's capital, Kanyou. Many who were loyal to Riboku had also made the journey to the state and they built their own "Zhao compound" with their lord. The large manor that belonged to the general was located in the center of the compound, where the princess now resides with her betrothed.

It didn't take long, but the two fell in love, despite their rocky start. The princess had become charmed by Riboku's surprisingly caring and generous personality, while the general had already been long smitten with the pinkette. He had become very close and protective of the woman who had managed to capture his heart from the very beginning...

That was why Karu had always tried to be careful about the way he spoke or behaved around the princess. After being caught putting the woman through some difficult training, the lord hadn't been lenient on the punishment he received... Sakura-hime requested his help to become stronger and they spent a month where the guard had pushed the pinkette to her limits, which was exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, Riboku-sama returned from a campaign earlier than expected and found them... He was quite angry about the matter... Just thinking about it made the short man shudder.

"Well... I guess it doesn't hurt to be careful..." The princess chuckled, knowing the guard was probably right. "Thank you for letting me know, Karu. Goodnight."

The dark haired man bowed, before walking away as the woman opened the door to her room. It was nice to sleep in the master chambers... The room was nicely decorated with ceramics and vases of all sorts. It was such a shame, but she would probably have to sleep alone again while Riboku was busy in his study.

Sakura stretched as she headed towards the large bed, ready to just pass out and hopefully wake up in her betrothed's arms. He was so busy with court matters, it was hard trying to spend time with him.

Pulling up the covers, the pinkette slid under and tucked herself in. It was already pretty late and she had things to do in the morning. The banquet being held by the king had come faster than expected and she would be expected to make a good showing by Riboku's side. Staying up all night will only make her look haggard... Tomorrow, she wanted to impress the general and show him what he has to look forward to as his wife.

The thought of spending her life with him made her feel giddy. Despite the way their relationship began, he showed her his true colors and intentions. The blond was a good man who truly cared about others, especially his comrades, from the bottom of his heart and would do anything to help them. That is what made the pinkette fall head over heels for the lighthearted general.

Curling up with Riboku's pillow, she closed her eyes and snuggled into the sheets, thinking of the man who was going to hopefully join her soon. Thinking about the banquet calmed the excited woman and helped her slowly drift off into a deep slumber...

...

...

Sakura stilled as she heard something move across the room.

'W-What was that?!' She heard it again. It sounded like one of the vases moving, but no one should have been in here. If it had been Riboku, he would have had a lantern or something with him. He usually doesn't put it out until he crawls into bed next to her.

Someone was in the room with her... Despite not being able to see in the dark, she could feel a presence. It was moving towards the bed, slowly...carefully.

Sakura tried to stay as still as possible, too afraid to do anything. Images from when she had been attacked in her old room down the hall resurfaced, making the pinkette panic. It had happened months ago, but the fear was still there.

A deranged Qin man who loathed the Zhao immigrants had attacked the manor, aiming for Riboku. During his rampage, multiple servants had been killed and Sakura herself had fought with him, which ended with her being stabbed. Riboku and his lieutenants, Kaine and Futei, had barged in and took the man down before anyone else lost their life. The night that happened, she had been sleeping in her room when the attack happened. This was starting to feel a lot like déjà vu...in the worst kind of way...

The princess kept her eyes closed, afraid of what she might see in the sliver of moonlight coming through the window. With her back turned, it was too hard to maneuver around to see the other side of the room without alerting them that she was awake. Perhaps if they just see her sleeping, they'll just go away...hopefully...otherwise she will have to fight. Hearing light footsteps, she froze, trying to keep her breathing steady despite her heart pounding so hard and fast.

Whatever it was in the room, was right next to the bed. The pinkette stayed as still as possible, gripped by fear. Someone was standing right over her...

...So close she could feel their hot breath against her bare neck. It was enough to make goosebumps break out along the woman's skin and send shivers down her spine in the cold, frigid air...

'Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!' If there were any regrets that came to mind, it was that she quit sleeping without a blade next to the bed.

Sakura panicked as she could have sworn she felt fingers touching her long, pink hair that hung over the pillows. What were they doing? Fingers twirled a lock, bringing it closer as they inhaled.

'Are they smelling my hair?!' She was freaking out. It wasn't just a robber or a killer, but also psycho...?

Loud footsteps echoed down the hall towards the room and in a mere second, her hair was dropped and she could feel the presence no longer hovering over the bed. Whoever was coming down the hall stopped in front of the door and started turning the handle.

The door opened and Sakura could see a lantern, before anyone walked in. Not wasting any time, the pinkette threw off the covers and crawled over the opposite side of the bed, closer to her savior.

"Riboku!" The frantic voice startled the general as the young woman practically tackled him into the hall before he could step foot into the room.

"Sakura?! What's wrong?" Sakura was pale and shaken, frightened out of her mind. The blond had just left his study to curl up with her and figured she would already have been asleep by now.

"I-I think there's someone in the room. I was sleeping and I heard something moving around. You weren't here...and they were touching my hair..and.. Please, just get some of the guards to check it out. I know someone is in there!"

Riboku's brow furrowed as he listened. "No, that's not necessary. I'll check it out myself. There's no need to call Karu and the others just for one person. I'm more than capable of handling it myself." Going passed the princess, he pushed the door all the way open before walking inside.

"Wait, Riboku... What if they have a weapon and are dangerous?" The general looked at her with a raised eyebrow, motioning towards the sword strapped to his waist.

'Oh, yeah... What am I talking about? He's a general... He should be able to handle one person...'

With a lantern in hand, the blond walked into the dark room, now being illuminated by the light he brought. Looking around the large room, neither saw anything. Riboku went around to every nook and cranny, his green eyes scanning back and forth, but not seeing anyone or anything suspicious.

Sakura looked around the bed and by the large wooden chest that held robes, but...nothing. The only thing that was curious, was the small window that was open high up on the wall, but that was too small for someone to get in and out of.

'What the hell? I could have sworn there was someone in here...'

"Sakura... Are you sure you weren't having a bad dream again? Or perhaps you were half asleep?" The general asked as he continued to inspect the room.

The pinkette stood there, feeling foolish. Perhaps she had been asleep... After all, she had been having nightmares for some time now. Not only that, but Riboku probably thought she was silly, acting like a frightened child.

"I don't know...maybe there wasn't anything there. I'm sorry for worrying you over nothing..." The pinkette looked away from him, embarrassed. She hated him seeing her like this, it made her feel weak...helpless...

The general grinned, finding this side of her endearing. While he didn't like her being frightened like that, it still felt good to feel needed by her. Sakura was strong and smart, there wasn't a lot he was actually needed for...but it felt nice to feel wanted, like she depended on him for something. Whether it was protection, love or comfort, he just yearned to feel her need him in anyway.

It made Riboku feel more like a man...her man.

Walking over to the pinkette, he wrapped his arm around her, bringing the blushing woman close. Planting a kiss on her forehead, the general held her, knowing she must have felt humiliated. He didn't mind in the least.

"Sakura..." The princess looked up at him, her emerald eyes boring into his own. A warm smile spread across his face, he always loved looking into those green depths. Always so full of life...and emotion. "It's fine. Let's just go to bed. We need to get some sleep for tomorrow..."

The princess smiled, letting the generals large hand take her own as he led her to the bed. Riboku always made her feel safe, no matter what happened. To her and the Zhao people who lived in the compound, he was a symbol of strength and security.

He was the master strategist who had taken China by storm and had won numerous battles, who was also known as a genius who held incredible strength. Anyone in power or was of importance had heard of Riboku of Zhao, the man who came out no where to shake the very foundations of every state in the warring era.

Being beside such a man should make anyone feel safe, that was exactly how the pinkette felt. She trusted her betrothed with her own life...

Riboku lifted the blanket and laid down onto the bed, pulling the princess along with him, making her laugh. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her as close as possible as she snuggled up against his broad chest. Leaning over, he blew out the small flame in the lantern.

"Goodnight, Sakura." The general gave her a little squeeze as he laid back against his pillow, more than ready to get some rest after the long day he had.

"Goodnight..." Sakura mumbled against his robe, letting his warmth wash over her as it helped lull her back to sleep.

The couple held each other close as they drifted off to sleep together, enjoying the moment of peace. It wasn't often as of late for them to just be with one another without interruptions, but right now, just this alone was enough. As long as they had each other...

What the general and princess had missed however...was the dark eyes glaring from under the bed...and it's wicked grin...