Hmna: I've started my third fan-fiction yet. I'm uploading this chapter to see if you all are interested in the plot. Sadly, there's no point continuing if you are not… Hope you enjoy it and let me know it if you do…

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"So sweetheart, what do you think? Would you like to go?" asked the king to his seven-year-old daughter.

Princess Sakura didn't respond. She kept twiddling with her pure white teddy bear, playing for time.

She knew that if she didn't want to, her father would never make her. But yet, it sure was interesting to meet a prince of her age.

Her father told her that there was a prince in a country they had allies with and the king there would be more than happy to host her during the summer holidays.

Her father's even hinting that the prince might be the one she marries when she got older.

"Who knows? The prince might be a handsome one just like in your fairy tales, dear. Princesses often have to find their princes, you know," the queen told her with a gentle smile.

"Okay darling, will you go? Shall I contact the king?" the king asked her again.

Princess Sakura didn't know what to say. She couldn't find a reason why she should not go. She looked at her maids, Ten Ten and Ino, who were just about the same age as her and also her closest friends. They were both looking at her with sparkled eyes, which plainly said that they really wanted to go.

"Can I take all my maids? Also the trainees?" Sakura asked her parents.

If she could go with all of them, it would just be the same as her palace only without her parents. Even then, she wouldn't miss them much since they don't exactly spend time with her much.

"Of course dear. All of them would have to go with you as you would be spending a long time there," the queen told her reassuringly.

"Shall I take this as a yes?" the king asked his daughter fondly who nodded happily.

"Well then, I'll arrange the trip to begin tomorrow."

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"You two seemed really sad. I guess you don't really want to go?" princess Sakura said teasingly to Ten Ten and Ino, who were excitedly throwing about her clothes and stuff.

Ten Ten laughed and said, " Yeah, we don't really want to meet the prince, unlike someone."

Princess Sakura blushed at this and threw a pillow at Ten Ten, who easily dodged it.

"So do you like this gown? Shall I pack it?" asked Ino who was confused what to pack among the hundreds of dresses that princess Sakura owned.

"And stop fooling around, Ten Ten. We are supposed to be packing," Ino scolded Ten Ten.

Ten Ten threw the clothes she was holding to Ino, and started pulling dresses at random into the suitcases.

"Stop this. We don't even know if she likes these. Do you want to pack these, princess?" Ino asked princess Sakura.

"Oh, don't mind. I like all of these. Just hurry up. Then we can play."

"No, we can't. Shizune had called us a meeting," Ten Ten told the princess, making a face.

"Oh, I hope that Shizune wouldn't be coming with us! She's always calling meetings and bossing you around," princess Sakura replied.

"That can't be. You know that Shizune is our leader and there's no way she's going to let us go loose to a far-off country," Ten Ten told the princess, giggling at the very idea.

"I think the other maids don't know that we are going on a trip yet. Shizune's probably going to tell that at the meeting. Wait till Hinata finds out. She would probably faint at the announcement," Ino told the two.

"Why would Hinata faint?" asked princess Sakura.

"Because that's her way of showing excitement," Ten Ten told the princess fondly.

"Well, I'm quite excited too," the princess told her two beaming maids.

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"Princess, princess, we've arrived. Wake up!" Ten Ten gently shook the princess as they approached the entrance of the palace.

Princess Sakura woke up and looked around from her carriage window. There seemed to be a group of people waiting for them.

Apparently, she was supposed to get down and greet them.

The leader of the group greeted the princess and asked her to get onto the carriage again as the place where the royals were waiting was quite far.

When they arrived at the main hall, the king and the queen welcomed the princess. She thought that they were a bit too formal. But that's how royals act all the time. Even her parents were formal when they meet guests.

Behind the king and the queen was their son, the prince. He was somewhat expressionless at the princess's arrival.

But he kissed her hand and stated his name all the same. "Sabaku no Gaara" as he stated.

He's not too bad, princess Sakura thought. Not exactly as handsome as the princes in the fairy tales but she couldn't deny that there was something about his a-bit-messy-but-cool reddish hair and emerald green eyes. She very hoped they became good friends.

Then she realized the servants kneeling around the prince. They were all boys and round about their age. They all wear the same navy blue robes. There must be about fifty of them. So, just like her, the prince had his own maids too.

But she had to admit that this palace was a tight too formal. In her palace, the servants never kneel. Her maids are just like her playmates and they teased her and played with her. She tried to imagine Ten Ten and Ino kneeling at her side. It was too strange. Too abnormal. But yet, they were there, the boys were kneeling and their heads were bent down. Not one looked up.

"Well, they are Gaara's personal servants," the queen told her seeing that she was staring at the group. "I see you have loads too," she said indicating the line of maids behind her who also seemed stunned by the way the servants were serving. Even the excited chatter among them had gone.

"Gaara, I'm sure you will arrange things for the princess. Make sure she finds her trip pleasant," the king told his son and he left the hall with the queen.

Gaara seemed very powerful among his servants by the way he was ordering them. Princess Sakura looked at him, thinking that she never give orders to her maids. Well, not the way he did. Even Shizune didn't treat the maids the way Gaara did to his servants.

A group of Gaara's servants were ordered to show the maids where they were staying so all the maids followed them except Ten Ten and Ino.

"And princess, while at our palace, I would suggest that two of my servants guard you all the time." With that, Gaara called from his remaining servants, "Sasuke, Shikamaru, you two are to guard the princess and if there was something wrong, you know whom you will have to see."

The said boys stood up from their place and bowed to their master. Then indicating the door, one said to the princess Sakura without looking up, "Your highness, if you please."

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Hmna: Reviews would be well loved and appreciated. Especially since this the first chapter, they are greatly required to drive me on!