To everyone's surprise, Itachi's prediction turned out to be correct. Before long, Sasuke and Naruto were the best of friends. They irritated each other constantly, but their fist fights had evidently allowed them to establish a healthy mutual respect.

Naruto, with great reluctance, kept the dirty little secret Sasuke had trusted him with. He had little sense of self preservation or interest in serving the Uchihas, but he would not risk Sakura.

A date for the wedding had been set – far too soon, in Naruto's mind – and the whole family had been brought with great ceremony to the capital and assigned quarters in the palace. Sakura, to their consternation, was given a suite within the royal area, right next to Itachi's own chambers and quite distant from her father and brother. The message was clear: she is mine.

Thankfully, Sakura was not required to spend any particular amount of time in her rooms, and was frequently out and about, exploring the palace with her family and trying to enjoy the time they had left. She had not been to the royal city since she was thirteen and had forgotten how incredibly beautiful it all was.

She had just parted from her father and Naruto and was walking back through the rose garden when a shout caught her attention. "Forehead girl!"

Sakura turned around and laughed with delight. "Ino! Hinata!" The three girls embraced warmly. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"That's not our fault," Ino pointed out with a toss of her blonde head. "Your father stopped bringing you here as soon as you started acquiring a figure!"

"Ino," Hinata reprimanded in her soft voice. "He was only trying to protect her."

The tall girl snorted. "Yes, and look how well that worked."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the three old friends. "So… you heard, then?" Sakura finally asked.

Hinata nodded. "It's all anyone has talked about for weeks." She squeezed her friend's hand. "I am so sorry, Sakura."

Ino laughed weakly. "You know, I always thought we'd be congratulating you when some handsome man decided to overlook your pink hair and huge forehead." She squeezed Sakura's hand, too, then realized Hinata was staring at her in disbelief. "What? Itachi Uchiha is handsome. Dangerously insane, but gorgeous."

Sakura shook her head in amusement. She'd forgotten what Ino could be like. "Let's… let's not talk about it anymore." She linked arms with her two best friends. "Tell me what's been going on in your lives!"

Then Ino was off, chattering away about the brilliant rising tactician who was beginning to court her and the various proposals Hinata had turned down because she was still pining after Sakura's brother.

Unknown to them, a pair of red eyes observed their interaction with interest.

o-o-o-o

Sakura was nervous, but not especially surprised, when Itachi called on her in her chambers that evening. "My lord," she murmured, curtsying deeply. "May… may I offer you some tea?"

"Please," he returned politely, following her inside.

She willed her hands not to shake as she served him his drink and offered a plate of sugary pastries, which she had quickly discovered he liked. Sakura was fairly sure that, when a man called on his intended, there was supposed to be some sort of supervision from either her family or his. There were at least supposed to be servants around, but she never actually saw the ones assigned to her suite. I suppose rules don't apply to the Uchiha heir…

Itachi frowned when she sank down on the opposite edge of the sofa. "Don't sit so far away." He indicated the cushion right next to him with an almost lazy gesture. While she felt that she was sitting quite close enough, she obediently approached him and sat down. Immediately, his arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, tucking her against his side.

"Did you… have a pleasant day, my lord?" she managed diffidently.

"It is improving now," he purred, squeezing her slightly.

Sakura dropped her eyes and thanked him, praying that this was all he had planned.

Itachi took a long sip of his tea, still maintaining his hold on his betrothed. "I have news for you," he informed her as he set down the fragile china cup.

"R-really?" When did I turn into Hinata?

"I have appointed you two ladies in waiting. They will take up residence here tomorrow."

"Oh," she said in a small voice, wondering how she was going to live with two strange women. "Thank you, my lord."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Aren't you curious to know who they are?"

Was he teasing her? "Who, my lord?"

Itachi taunted her by taking another unhurried sip of his tea. "Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyuuga," he finally declared.

Sakura's face lit up in a genuine smile, the first he had seen since he stopped pretending to be a weasel. "Truly?"

He nodded and watched her clasp her hands together to keep from clapping them. How very cute. He leaned in close to her so that his lips were hovering above hers. "Aren't you going to thank me?" he teased.

Sakura blushed. Itachi's meaning couldn't have been clearer. "Thank you, my lord." When he continued to wait expectantly, she shut her eyes and her mind and pressed her lips to his.

Itachi walked back to his chambers thoroughly pleased. Sakura had kissed him. True, he had asked her to, but she had done it. And soon, when he had her fully in his power…

o-o-o-o

Sakura needed her friends' support in the days leading up to her wedding. Ino chattered about everything, distracting her mind nicely, while Hinata was unbelievably thoughtful and perceptive. They visited the gardens together and giggled over Hinata's attempts not to blush around the ever-exuberant Naruto.

"You know," Sakura teased during one of her wedding gown fittings, "now that Naruto is a retainer to one of the princes, your father might be willing to accept him as a suitor."

Hinata's face took on a decidedly crimson hue. "H-he might… If N-Naruto ever asks…"

Ino grinned and draped her arm around the shy girl. "We'll make that our new project, then! Getting Naruto to notice you!"

Sakura giggled while remaining as still as possible so the dressmakers could work. "It'll be fun! Come on, Hinata, let's have one more game before…"

Silence fell as all the girls tried not to think about Sakura's impending fate. "It's so wrong," Hinata finally observed quietly. "You did nothing to entice him, and still…"

Ino sniffed and hastily wiped her tears away. "No one could possibly deserve this," she said heatedly.

"No, they couldn't," Kakashi grumbled from the door.

Sakura turned her head and smiled at her father. "Father! What are you doing here?"

"Your fiancé summoned me." He walked in and took her hand, looking at her glamorous, but far too revealing, wedding gown. "You look… beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thank you," she managed, glancing down uncomfortably at the expanse of creamy skin the dress displayed. "Are you… are you cured, then?"

Kakashi sighed and ran one hand through his silver hair. "Apparently."

"How do you feel? Are there any rushing fluids? Has the swelling gone down?"

He glared into space. "I'd feel better if I weren't about to lose my daughter."

"There's still a few days left," she reminded him, trying to stay positive. A mischievous thought crossed her mind. "Why don't you and Naruto join us for dinner this evening? The princes have a meeting with their father during that time, so… it'll be safe."

o-o-o-o

"You should have seen that royal prick's face!" Naruto exclaimed jubilantly, taking a huge bite of roast pheasant. Mouth full, he waved the drumstick expressively. "I thought his creepy red eyes were going to pop out of his skull!"

"You shouldn't talk about the prince that way," Ino scolded him. "And close your mouth when you chew!"

Naruto sat up and grinned messily. "Oh, calm down, Pig. We've reached an understanding!"

Sakura shook her head at her brother's antics. "What sort of understanding is that?"

"I give him crap, he gives me crap, and we don't allow anyone else to give the other crap!"

Kakashi looked askance at his children. "Is it bad that what he just said makes perfect sense to me?"

Naruto took this as encouragement to launch into another narrative about how he was quickly disrupting Sasuke's well-ordered life. Sakura and Ino exchanged grins as they noticed that Hinata was listening with all her heart, as if Naruto's exploits were something wonderfully daring.

"Hinata," Sakura asked when her brother paused for breath, "is that a new dress?"

"Y-yes," the lady stammered, blushing as all eyes turned to her.

Ino grinned wickedly. "It's a very pretty shade of blue," she praised slyly. "Almost the same color as Naruto's eyes!"

Said eyes widened. "Really?" Suddenly he was beside Hinata, pulling her sleeve next to his face for comparison and striking a pose. "What do you think, Sakura?"

Whatever his sister had been about to say was cut off as Hinata fainted dead away.

Instantly, Naruto was concerned and puzzled. "Hinata? Hinata?" He grabbed a cup of cold water and, before anyone could stop him, splashed it across the lady's face.

Far away, in his father's private dining room, Itachi smirked at the information his scrying spell was providing. Such a lovely laugh. I will have to find a way of eliciting it.

o-o-o-o

All too soon, the day of the wedding arrived. Quite suitably, from Sakura's perspective, it was cold and wet, with not a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds. The weather did nothing to help her morbid reflections as Ino and Hinata carefully arrayed her for her impending doom.

She half-heartedly observed that it was a splendid ceremony. The bishop himself conducted the wedding and preached a beautiful sermon on marital love. What a farce. Everyone knows exactly what's going to happen. Why pretend anything different?

The wedding feast was also magnificent, and Sakura tried hard to enjoy it, but it was hard to savor anything with the night approaching quickly. She considered taking the knife by her plate and killing herself before Itachi could trap her in a living death, but knew that it would only result in Naruto and Father being tortured and killed. Maybe Ino and Hinata, too.

She smiled and responded to the perfunctory congratulations with appropriately feigned gratitude. Beside her, Itachi radiated both satisfaction and a predatory hunger. She didn't dare look up at him.

Sakura almost asked if they could stay for the ball – anything to put him off – but knew it would be useless. The bride and groom never stayed beyond the first dance. No man wanted to wait well into the morning for his wedding night.

"May I say goodbye to my family?" she asked as the dance ended to thunderous applause. It was traditional, after all, but she still thought it better to ask.

Itachi released her slowly. "I will wait for you in our suite," he informed her. "Your ladies will escort you there shortly." He kissed the shell of her ear and whispered, "Do not keep me waiting." And with that, he was gone.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as her new husband vanished. She turned around to search for her family and was nearly knocked over by a tight hug from her brother. "Naruto!" she scolded half-heartedly.

"Idiot," Sasuke scoffed. "You'll wrinkle her dress."

Naruto hugged her tighter and actually stuck his tongue out at the prince. "Oh, shut up. She's not on display anymore!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You think she's quietly and anonymously having the breath squeezed out of her lungs by an idiot brother in the middle of the ballroom?"

He released her to give his new best friend a piece of his mind. Not that there's much to spare… Sakura giggled softly. Between Hinata and Sasuke, her brother would have a happy life. She could fade away in peace knowing that.

"Sakura."

"Father," she said softly, looking up.

Kakashi's mismatched eyes were filled with tears as he hugged her close. "My little girl," he murmured, rocking her in his arms. "We'll never forget you, sweetheart. Never."

"I know," she whispered back, tightening her arms around her father's neck. "I know."

o-o-o-o

Sakura took a deep breath as she finally entered Itachi's rooms. Ino and Hinata had said farewell to her at the door, and the three girls had cried together. Ino had made sure to clean any smudges from Sakura's face before they parted. And now, here she was, alone with her new owner.

"There you are," Itachi's deep voice commented. He rose from the sofa with his fluid grace and came over to her. "I was beginning to worry."

Worry? Well, thank you, Itachi. At least she would get to hear one more joke before the end. She bowed her head to hide the flash of irritation in her eyes.

"Nothing to say, blossom?" His deft fingers removed the veil and tiara from her head, laying them carefully on a chair. "How disappointing." He placed his hands on her bare shoulders and guided her over to the sofa. "Sit down."

Obediently, she sat and watched him pour two glasses of wine. This was it. The potion that would put her in a trance-like state while her mind was destroyed would be administered now. Sakura watched him remove a small black phial and hurriedly composed a final prayer in her mind.

Then Itachi unexpectedly tossed the phial onto the floor and crushed it under his heel. "No," he growled, an indecipherable light in his eyes.

"N-no?" What did he mean by that? He wasn't going to strip her mind while she was awake, was he? Even Itachi couldn't be that cruel, could he? "I-I don't understand."

He sauntered toward her and took her face between his hands. When a frightened tear escaped her eyes, he leaned down suddenly and licked it from her face. "I mean no, Sakura. I said my price was you, and I meant it. Allof you, everything you are, will be mine."

Did that mean… "Then… you're not going to make me a thrall?" she asked, scarcely daring to hope.

"No." He handed her one of the goblets. "You look pale, my dear. Have something to drink."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled faintly as she took a sip of wine. Itachi would spare her consciousness. She would be his, but she would remain a person. Of course, he had probably only kept her intact so he could enjoy torturing her – he was Itachi Uchiha, after all – but she would still have the freedom of her mind. Thank you, Lord. Thank you so much.

Itachi reached out and took a plate of delicate meat pastries from the table. "You barely touched our wedding feast. Here, eat something."

She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he had put in that food, but she didn't dare offend him by refusing. "Thank you," she managed, reaching for the pastry he was holding out to her. She wasn't expecting him to pull it back. "My – my lord?"

"Itachi," he corrected, looking at her with his too-intense eyes. "I am your husband, and my name is Itachi."

"Itachi," she repeated, looking at the floor. A hand under her chin turned her to face him once more. He was still holding the pastry and watching her expectantly. She reached for it again, only to have it lifted out of her reach again.

He smirked at her confusion and leaned in closer. "Let me feed you," he purred.

He wanted her to eat from his hand? What sort of game was this? He held the morsel near her lips again, watching her intently. I guess I have no choice… Hesitantly, she opened her mouth and took a bite.

Itachi's eyes glowed in response. He took a bite of the pastry, right from where her lips had touched it, and chewed slowly, watching her. When she swallowed, he held it out to her again.

She had read once that some animals shared food as a mating ritual. Perhaps the Sorcerer Kings were less human than they claimed. She meekly ate with him, letting his free hand slowly undo her elaborate hairstyle and play with the pink strands. He coaxed her into holding the next pastry they ate and allowing him to lick the crumbs from her fingers. God, why is he doing this?

"You seem… tense," he murmured, finally letting her hand drop. He stroked her cheek in the same slow, sensual fashion as he had licked her fingers. "What can I do to change that?"

He wanted her… not to be tense? You could stop looking at me like I'm your dessert, she thought rebelliously. "I… nothing, my lo- I mean, Itachi."

The deadly prince clicked his tongue disapprovingly and slid his hand down her exposed arm. "I don't believe that." He drew her onto his lap and brought his face closer to hers. "Sakura… sweet Sakura… tell me. Tell me what you would enjoy."

Was he offering her a choice about how he took her? Just how sick was his sense of humor? "Nothing," she whispered.

"Nothing?" He pressed a soft kiss on each of her eyelids. "Nothing at all?"

Sakura turned her face away. "Just take your pleasure and leave me to mourn," she told him through gritted teeth, then froze at what she had just blurted out.

"Mourn?" Itachi tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and lightly kissed her neck. "What do you have to mourn for, my lovely Sakura?"

She swallowed hard, and felt him follow the motion with his lips. "Nothing. Please… forget I spoke. It… it meant nothing."

He chuckled softly. "You are a terrible liar, you know." He took her face between his hands and captured her eyes with his burning ones. "Tell me."

There was something hypnotic about his eyes, and she felt something compelling her to tell him the truth. "It was just the dream of a foolish girl," she said evasively, struggling against this mysterious force.

"Tell me what you dreamed," Itachi insisted. "What do you want that I cannot give you?"

Oh God, the compulsion was so strong now… "A… a dream of a future," Sakura finally gave in. "A future with… with a husband who loved me. Someone… kind, someone gentle. Someone who would touch me softly and never… never hurt me." The feeling faded away as quickly as it had come and she was left trembling under Itachi's stare. What did I just say?

"And… you think you have lost that?" He pressed his lips softly to hers. "You think I cannot be this husband you dreamed of?"

Another tear found its way out of Sakura's eyes. She looked up at him helplessly, begging him not to make her answer that.

Itachi's voice grew soft, seductively gentle. "You think I am incapable of kindness? Have I ever handled you roughly?" He kissed her forehead lingeringly. "I truly mean you no harm."

She couldn't answer. If she did, she would start sobbing in panic.

He drew her against his chest and held her. "Has it never occurred to you," he murmured into her hair, "that that might be why I sought a wife? To have one place in my life, one person, where I could be… soft. Gentle. Something other than the dreaded Itachi Uchiha."

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. I can't believe him. Lord, I can't. This is just another game of his, he'll shatter me if I play it.

"And such a wife," he purred softly, trailing kisses across her shoulder. "So sweet. So lovely. So tender. So very, very dear to me…"

That was it. If she sat on his lap a moment longer, listening to his pretty words, she would fall into Itachi's trap and be ripped to shreds. She rose and began unlacing her wedding dress. "You may have me as you wish," she choked out.

Itachi's hand covered hers, halting her progress. "I would prefer to do that myself," he murmured.

"Oh." She lowered her hand and clasped it in front of her with the other one, head still bowed as the dress slowly fell away from her body. "Of course. Anything you want."

"And if I want you to smile for me?"

Sakura raised her head and summoned a brave little smile. Itachi took it in with pleasure and lifted her in his arms, carrying her back into his bedchamber. "Thank you… my darling Sakura."