Alright guys. I'm going with a new tactic here. Let me know what all of you think. No flames please.

Breaking Chains

The boy twisted in his captor's grip. 'Get off her!' he screamed. 'Let her go!'

'Shut up!' a man, tall and desperately handsome, growled. 'I will tell them to let her go when I please and not before.'

The boy's eyes desperately roved over the 15 or so men gathered together, two holding a petite girl's arms. The girl was manacled and bloody, her body limp. He appeared unable to look away, his eyes glued to the girl in horror. Then his eyes flickered suddenly to the man standing behind the girl holding a whip, who appeared quite amused.

'No.' the boy whispered hoarsely. 'Don't hurt her anymore. She didn't do anything.'

The man holding the boy snarled behind him. 'Do you honestly think, even for a minute, that I would simply let my slaves escape? Did you not know that I would come after you?'

'Hey, Alevo!' one of the men holding the girl said.

'What?' the man snapped.

'I don't want to go against your judgment, but if you want to keep this girl, you should probably lay off the whip. She won't last much longer.'

Alevo considered this. 'Well...it would be a fitting punishment if she did indeed die...However, not today. Lock them up! I will decide what to do with them later. Our dinner is waiting for us now. Let's go.'

'Yes, sir!' the men shouted gleefully. They carried the girl over to a cell, and threw the boy in with her, then went off quickly, obviously looking forward to the food.

The boy crawled to the girl's side. 'Drea?' he said. 'Andrea, talk to me!'

After a while, her eyes flickered open. She licked her chapped lips, then opened her mouth. 'Hey, bro.' she murmured weakly. 'Why aren't we dead?'

The boy sighed heavily, pulling himself over to the wall and leaning his head against it.

Drea looked at him irritably. 'Well? What are they gonna do with us?' When he didn't answer, she seemed to get even madder.

'Sasuke! Answer me, dammit!'

He glared at her, but was saved from answering by Alevo and his men, who appeared to be standing near the cell door.

'What are you going to do with these kids, Alevo?' one of the men asked. 'You can't keep them here any longer. They keep escaping, and it is irritating to have to keep bringing them back again.'

'Maybe you should just kill them now.' another man said. 'You won't have to worry about them anymore.'

The siblings looked at each other in fear. Their attention was once again captured, however, when Alevo himself spoke quietly.

'I have been thinking about this, and I've come to a decision. Why kill them? Sure it would give us amusement for a little while, but then what? So, here is what we will do. I am going to give them to the king. They could really be useful. I'll need some insiders in the palace if my plan is going to work.' He laughed.

'Awww!' the men groaned.

'After everything that we've done to keep them here, you're just going to let them go? Just like that? Why do they have to be the insiders? It's not like they will do what you tell them to!'

Alevo deliberated. 'Well... I suppose we could give the brats something to remember us by-'

'Alright!'

'-and they will be the ones going inside the palace because they do not arouse suspicion. Security around the palace is nearly impossible to bypass. Any one of you thugs would be spotted for what you are and immediently thrown out. Now, go ahead and give them some incentive to obey my orders. Don't go too hard on the girl, though. She is already half-dead. I need both of them alive.'

Footsteps showed that the men were nearing the cell. Sasuke and Drea were staring at each other in terror. The door opened.

'Come on you brats. We got a little surprise for you!'

Their struggles and yells were pointless. The men grabbed them both and hauled them away.

Several miles away, a girl was sitting on the edge of a shimmering pond, sketching cheerfully.

'Hey, Saku!' a boy called from behind her.

She carefully put down her sketchbook, then turned around grinning.

'What's up Kiba? Here to swim?'

Kiba sat down next to her. 'Totally! Hey, first one to make three laps around the pond wins, okay?'

Sakura shook her head, laughing at him. 'Okay, fine, but I'm gonna win this time!'

He smirked at her. 'Yeah, that's what you said yesterday. And the day before that, and the day before that...'

She growled at him.'You're on, dogbreath!'

'Princess Sakura! Prince Kiba!'

They looked at each other and groaned. 'Margaret', Sakura muttered in disgust.

A large, matronly woman came striding towards them. In charge of all the servants, she exercised her authority constantly. The younger servants were all terrified of her. She seemed to take enormous pleasure in ordering around the royal children, and they hated her.

'Get over here now!'

Sighing, they stood up. Sakura gathered up her art materials, then they walked over to the lady.

'Yes?' Kiba said uncomfortably.

She reached them and stood in front of them imperiously. 'Your father demands that you see him in his throne room right away. Sakura, you look terrible. For heavens sake, child! You are a princess, not a prostitute! Take off that swimsuit and go change into a modest dress before you go to see your father. Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!'

Sakura walked away angrily, muttering curses under her breath. Kiba caught up to her easily, grinning.

'What's so funny? She just said I looked like a prostitute! This isn't even a revealing swimsuit! She is so...so...ugh!'

Kiba attempted to arrange his face into a sympathetic expression, but couldn't quite pull it off. He ended up looking like he had swallowed a lemon.

Sakura glanced at him as they reached the doors of the castle. 'You are so insensitive! I honestly can't believe I'm related to you!'

He started laughing. She stalked off.

'You wished to see us, Father?' Sakura said calmly.

'Oh, yes my dear. Lord Alevo wishes to have an audience with me. You remember him? Since I may not be around much longer, I want you and your brother to learn what to do. Alright?'

'Of course, Father' Sakura said, slightly irritated. She hated the thought of one day maybe having to rule the country. Plus Alevo slightly scared her.

I could never do what Father does. I'm just not cut out for it. But Kib's oldest anyway. I probably won't have to rule at all.

She was snapped out of her musings when her father spoke again. 'Is that okay with you, Kiba?'

'Sure, Dad' he said cheerfully.

'Alright,' the king said to a guard standing next to him. 'Let him in.'

The huge doors at the end of the hall opened, and a quiet-looking man stepped in. He bowed gracefully. 'Hail, King Haroll!' he murmered. 'I have brought you a gift, my king.'

Haroll bowed his head in acknowledgment. 'Why, thank you, Alevo.'

Alevo turned to the man standing next to him. 'Go get them.' He turned back to the king. 'I found these wandering on my land. I would be honored if you would accept them from me. You will enjoy them, I am sure.'

Sakura leaned over to her brother sitting next to her. 'What's he talking about?' she whispered.

'No ide-'

Sakura stared at him in confusion. 'Slave trader.' he sighed.

'Nani?'

She followed his gaze. Now there were 4 figures standing at the foot of the king's throne. Two of them were in chains, barely standing.

Sakura's P.O.V.

A slave trader. What a terrible man. Those poor kids! They can't be any older than me and Kib. How terrible would it be to have the life of a slave! They look as if they are going to collapse at any second! But- but, why are they here? Father doesn't like having slaves around. What would we do with slaves around here, anyway? We have our servants to help us.

'Alevo?'

Hah! Father is totally going to blow up! Serves that guy right!

'I do not need any slaves at the moment. You shall have to find someone else to keep them.'

I wish Father wasn't always so polite. I would really have liked to see him get mad at that guy. He's creepy.

There was a silence. 'If you say so, my king. But I must say, if you do not take them then I will be forced to...dispose of them. I do not have the income or the time to support slaves that cannot serve me, and neither does anyone else in this area.'

I gasped. Kiba is growling next to me. How could anyone kill someone simply because they don't have enough time to take care them?

I turn to Father. He is hesitating. I know that he really does not want slaves in his castle, but also does not want to be responsible for anyone dying.

'Father, please' I beg. 'Don't let him kill them!'

He turns to me and sighs. 'Sakura' he says.

'Yes, Father?' I said eagerly.

'I will make a deal with you. I will arrange to take the slaves, but you and Kiba must be responsible for seeing that they are returned to full health. Alright?'

I agreed instantly, not realizing what I had just gotten myself into.

So what did you guys think? I'm not sure how I like this one. Should I continue or not. Reviews very much appreciated!

-Supah out!