A.N.: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you continue reviewing! I'll try to update as soon as possible too. Enjoy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 2
"My Lady?" The eldest chambermaid carefully knelt in front of Sakura before cautiously placing a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want some water?"
Sakura didn't respond to her question which caused the maids to look at each other in concern. Five minutes had already passed since Sasuke's dramatic departure from the chambers and she was still glued to the floor. She was slightly trembling, her emerald eyes were wide in panic and she was staring at the red carpet as though it would attack her any second.
To say that she felt traumatized over what happened would be a complete understatement.
What in the world urged her to mistake an Emperor for a lowly servant?
'Oh my God. He cooked me noodles.' Sakura thought and slapped a hand to her forehead. 'He cooked me noodles, NOODLES! How can I be so stupid to mistake THE Emperor as a freaking servant?! And make him cook noodles?!'
"Stupid... Stupid..." The maids heard her mumble over and over. "God... so stupid!"
"Stupid?" One of the maids hissed to her colleague, who shrugged in return. 'She really didn't know?'
"Excuse me, M-My Lady?", a timid, child-like voice interrupted Sakura's (rapidly degenerating) thoughts. When Sakura looked up, she took a noisy gulp and raised her sleeves so that it hid half of her face. "A-Ano... I apologize, but, it's cold there on the floor and you may catch a cold if you stay there. The bed is much warmer."
"That's right, my Lady." Another maid nodded in agreement. Sakura turned to face the red-haired, cherub faced servant beside her. "Maybe you'll feel better if you're tucked in and warm?"
She studied her newly installed ladies-in-waiting and inwardly wondered what the hell Sasuke was thinking. The Fire Country had a reputation for being cruel and merciless both within and outside the battlefield. Hell, they won't even hesitate killing one of their own once they are considered useless or worse, a threat.
So why is their Emperor pampering an enemy? She should be in a dungeon, lying in a cold, mossy floor wearing nothing but torn clothes and dying from both hunger and blood loss.
Heck, she isn't supposed to have her own set of maids!
"My Lady!" The eldest woman called out again and clamped both of her hands on her shoulders. Sakura turned to her and she stared back with both worry and determination etched all over her face. "Please, please tell us what's wrong...you're trembling, child."
'I was?'
"I'm... I'm sorry." She breathed and lifted her gaze. The maids looked at her, obviously puzzled about what was happening and she wondered if they thought she was crazy. She wouldn't blame them if they did. She must have made a horrible, horrible first impression."I'm-I'm so sorry for ignoring you... that was very rude of me."
Sakura made a move to stand. Two of the maids were quick to appear by her side and helped her up, while the others swiftly went to her bed to pull the covers down.
"I'm so sorry for letting you see all of that." She mumbled to the ones who were helping her before they lowered her to the bed. The two maids smiled in return as they lifted her legs and tucked them beneath the large comforter.
"There is no need to apologize to the likes of us, my Lady." The elderly woman responded gently while making sure that the comforter was neatly folded by her lap. Once she considered everything to be in good shape, she backed up a few steps and stood beside her bedside table, with the others following suit.
Sakura's jaw dropped when they suddenly bowed down. She was about to get out of the bed again but stopped when they raised their heads.
"It is an honor to serve you, my Lady," The eldest maid declared. "We are your ladies-in-waiting and starting today, we will attend to all of your needs. Rest assured that the incident from earlier on will not happen again, so please excuse our incompetence."
Sakura finally slipped out of the bed and crouched in front of them.
"Please, stand. There's no need for that." She said and much to their shock, held the elderly woman's hands. She waited for all of them to stand up before letting go and sitting down again. "Come on, there's really no need for all that."
"But my lady-"
"No." Sakura enunciated the word to make her point clear."No bowing."
"My Lady..."
"Don't make me repeat myself..." She warned with a raised brow and a taunting smile. She knew that she couldn't cut all of their rules, like the formalities and such, but she should at least get rid of the bowing. She's just not used to it. "No. Bowing."
"Very well then." The head chambermaid cleared her throat while the others smiled wryly. "My name is Hana, my Lady."
Hana had light grey eyes and black hair that was pulled up into a neat bun. Her face was adorned with wrinkles and freckles and Sakura could see a light, almost undetectable scar on her left cheek.
"I am the head chambermaid." She added before motioning to the little girl on her right side. Sakura recognized her as the one who had spoke first earlier on. She had dark brown hair and her caramel colored eyes that sparkled with interest and ethusiasm. "This is Ayame."
Sakura waved at her. Ayame was about to bow again when she met Sakura's glare, so she giggled and grinned in return instead.
"To my left is Saika." Hana continued and waved her hand to the bespectacled girl on her left. She had black hair just like Hana and she was the only one sporting bangs, but what caught her attention were her amazing lightning blue eyes.
"Good evening, Lady Sakura." She greeted formally and pushed her glass further into the bridge of her nose. She didn't smile or didn't react, just a blank face that reminded her a bit of Sasuke.
Sakura had a feeling that Saika would be somewhat hard to please.
"And this, is Chisaki." Hana pointed to the girl beside Ayame. She was the red-haired maid and her face reminded Sakura of a very cute doll that she kept in her closet.
"A great honor to serve you, Lady Sakura." She greeted with a hand to her chest.
"Well, it's a great pleasure to meet all of you." Sakura started and smiled apologetically. "Though I do apologize that we had met under certain circumstances. What happened was quite unexpected."
"No apologizing as well, my Lady." Hana answered and turned to look at her bandages. "Perhaps it would be best if we change your bandages as well?"
She looked down on her arms and glared at the dried blood that tainted the white bandages. The memories from last night began pouring back into her head and she remembered how Sasuke had easily dismembered the monsters as if they were nothing but rag dolls.
'What are you thinking, Sasuke?'
Though he was worn-out and exhausted, Sasuke still headed back to his office to do some last-minute work. The next day was packed with meetings and preparations for an upcoming festival, so he was determined to finish all of his paperwork that was due for today. God forbid that he has to attend a whole day meeting with the old geezers and worry about paperwork. If that happens, then if Naruto ever bothered him, he would end up possibly killing the guy.
"My name is Naruto and it is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady."
Sasuke sat on his chair and huffed. Why, of all names, did he pick Naruto's name?
"My name is Nana."
He knew who she was. Of course he did, she was wearing a physician's robe that had the royal seal embedded in the collar. He knew all the Earth Country's royal staff, from the King down to the gardener. And it wasn't that hard to figure out who she was anyway, since she was one of the few people who are inside the Royal Family's inner circle.
"Your Majesty." His guard stood in front of him and bowed. "Hanazono-dono wishes to have an audience with you."
Sasuke did not even look up to acknowledge him and instead continued working. The guard, having served his master for years already, stood up and wordlessly left the room. Not a minute later an old man appeared. He had long, silvery hair that was pulled up into a ponytail and he was clad in an worn, off white yukata. He was hunched over a cane which he held in his right hand while the other was folded behind him.
Sasuke plucked his heavy golden seal and stamped the scroll that he was reading. "Hanazono-san. Kind of late for an audience, isn't it?"
Hanazono regarded him with his old, wise eyes. Soon enough, he turned to the two soldiers who were guarding the inner doors and cracked them a small smile.
"Would you be so kind to leave us be for a few minutes?"
The soldiers promptly left the room. Once the doors closed, Hanazono tapped his cane and walked closer to Sasuke's desk. He listened to Sasuke's scribbling for a few minutes before he let out a heavy sigh.
"Your Majesty."
"Hn."
"Care to explain to me why an enemy is within the palace walls?" He inquired and Sasuke immediately stopped writing. Seeing his reaction, Hanazono beamed and began running his free hand through his long beard. "And with your blessing, if I may add."
The young ruler set down his brush and sighed. He was fully aware who Hanazono was referring to. Practically because he was the one who took care of Sakura and mended her wounds.
"She is simply a woman who I had saved." He answered while he took a sip from his cup. "Nothing more."
"That too, surprises me." The old man continued brushing his beard. That was when his expression grew serious. "But Uchiha Sasuke, no matter how good you are in scheming and lying, I didn't know you have the audacity to do the same to me. Drop the act, child. Your grandfather was a better liar and that's saying something."
Sasuke rolled his eyes and put down his cup.
"Do you know who she is, Hanazono-san?" He asked and the old man shook his head. "She is a physician."
"Oh goodness me, I know that." Hanazono replied dismissively. "It takes one to know one. The cloak was a dead give away too. What I am concerned about, is whether she is the physician."
Sasuke fell silent for a few seconds, before nodding.
"Ah, that certainly changes things." The old man's eyes widened and he looked more interested. "But why is their physician here? She's reportedly close to the siblings, I doubt they'd send her in any medical missions here. That is, if there is one."
"Medical missions behind enemy lines?" Sasuke scoffed. "I know they are stupid, but not THAT stupid."
Hanazono's expression turned grim.
"Either someone sent her here." He mused aloud. "Or, there may be a loophole somewhere. What do you think?"
"At first she didn't know where she was." Sasuke replied and looked at him. "It's very unlikely that she was sent by someone. She doesn't even know what is going on."
"Well then...if there is a loophole..." Hanazono's voice trailed off. "Oh my."
Five days had passed since Sasuke's last visit and Sakura received not a single word from him, making her feel really agitated. She knew that Sasuke was fully aware of the fact that she was from 'the other side', so why is she being treated like a guest and pampered like a princess?
'If he is trying to bribe me for valuable information, then he is in for a great disappointment.' Sakura thought gravely while lying on her stomach and staring at the headboard. The image of a female warrior who was slaying a panther caught her interest and traced the carving with her fingers. 'I am loyal to my country.'
'Are you really?' Her inner self sneered. 'The country that loves your oh so precious Princess and oh so debonair Captain?'
'Shut up.' Sakura gnashed her teeth together and her fingers began clawing at the carving. 'That is an entirely different thing.'
'Eh. Suit yourself.'
While she mulled further about her situation and her circumstances, she swore to herself that if she ever gets the chance to meet Sasuke again, royal titles be damned, she would give him the scolding of his life. The mere thought of it made Sakura smile. Doing all of those would make the punishment of beheading oh so worth it. Not to mention that she was also homesick and she missed her family...terribly.
Sakura groaned against her pillow and delivered another punch to the mattress.
The thought of death was actually extremely enticing to her at the moment.
Princess Rina of the Earth Country had been alerted that their royal physician and her best friend Haruno Sakura had gone missing. Her brother Hisei, the Crown Prince, was kind enough to deploy his own unit to search for her even if Sakura's official position wasn't considered that important to be granted such an honor. He knew he was not entitled to do so, but Hisei knew how important the physician was in his younger sister's life. He had known Sakura since they were young and he was just as fond of her as he was for his sister.
He deployed his men not to search for the missing royal physician, but to search for a dear friend and a part of their non-formal family.
As of the moment, the said prince was now staring at his sister's figure while she walked back and forth inside his grand ornate office, wringing her long fingers and looking like a poorly managed bundle of nerves.
Rina and Hisei are actually just half siblings, with the former's mother serving as the current Queen. Hisei's mother died right after she gave birth to him, the action which took an immense toll on the former Duchess' fragile body. Nevertheless, even if this was the case they still took care of each other like full-blooded siblings, much to the relief of his father and of the entire palace court.
"It is impossible for her to run away." His brow rose at the sound of her voice. He could not quite place his finger into it but he knew that there was really something that was plucking his instinct.
"If she did." He interrupted with a sigh and lowered the gold fountain pen that he held. Hisei was a man in his late twenties, but due to the fact that he was a workaholic, he actually looked five years older. "She would've returned to her family, the one that is living here in the capital. And for goodness sakes Rina, stop pacing before you create a hole in our floor."
As odd as it may sound Sakura did not have any relatives save for her parents, so the notion of being kidnapped by other family members was quickly ruled out. The thought of eloping with a man was also far from possible, because the last time he checked, she was (happily) in a relationship with the Captain of the Royal Guard and their fellow childhood friend, Lord Kei of the Shimahara Clan.
Despite his warning, Rina did not stop and began to bite her thumb, a known habit when she is really agitated.
"Rina." He called out exasperatedly and gazed at her with sleepy, somnolent eyes. "With the way that you are fidgeting over this, it seems like there is something more to this. Something that you are not telling me."
Hisei knew full well that his sister was a good woman who had a blatant dislike for lying.
"W-What? Of course not brother." She stopped abruptly and gazed at him with wide eyes. "Why do you think so?"
What he didn't expect though, was the fact that she was this translucent.
"There." He pointed her with his pen before tossing it to the table. "That's enough evidence for me."
Trailing his fingers on top of his intricately carved mahogany desk, he rounded the corner before leaning on it with folded arms.
"I've known you long enough to read your every move." Hisei said a matter-of-factly. "Because my dear sister, you are a very, very bad liar."
"And you call yourself my brother?" A dry smile escaped her lips.
The Prince rolled his eyes and beckoned her to come closer. She hesitated at first but when she saw her brother's glare, a glare that brooked no denial, she huffed in exasperation before walking towards him.
When she was near enough, Hisei scooped his sister's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze.
"Look at me sister." Hisei pleaded in a hoarse voice. When she refused to do so, he tilted her chin up. Rina's beautiful grey eyes met his brown ones and the two of them shared a moment of meaningful silence.
"Tell me sister. It may help me in trying to figure this puzzle out. Father has heard of me deploying the search party and wants it stopped. Immediately. Five days had already passed and you know I cannot delay his orders any further."
Rina stared at him for a few seconds more and bit her lip before Hisei placed a hand on her cheek as a gesture of encouragement. Much to his confusion, clear crystal tears began to drop from her grieving eyes. "Brother…"
"Go on." He reassured her and nodded encouragingly. "You and I both know that you can trust me."
His words were more than enough to break the dam as Rina finally gave in and let out everything, not sparing a single detail or information. It felt like she was unloading a very heavy burden from her shoulders and dumping it to the floor. It felt good, but it also created a whole new ache in her heart.
An ache of uncertainty and fear.
When she finally finished, she was surprised to find that Hisei was just looking at her with no hints of surprise or astonishment. Unbeknownst to her, he just had his long-term apprehensions confirmed.
"So all of this was because of a love triangle?" It hurt him knowing this fact, hurting for both Rina and Sakura, but a different feeling was now brewing inside of him for the captain who had created this mess. "Rina, you loved Kei from the start?"
"I have, brother. Dearly. But Sakura told me her feelings first so I couldn't do anything. I just...had to support her."
Somehow he wasn't surprised to hear that either. "When Kei declared himself to you, was Sakura there?"
Rina shook her head. "I don't think so, no. We were alone in the gardens during that time." Then a pause. "Or that's what I think."
The Prince pursed his lips.
To call Kei a complete mess would be an understatement.
Worry and paranoia was slowly eating him away and his mind kept conjuring images of 'Sakura's death', which in turn made things even worse. Dark circles had rimmed his once youthful eyes and he was now suffering from chronic palpitations due to stress and immense lack of sleep.
Over these past few days he had formed the habit of sitting on one of the windowsills inside his office, watching the day pass by or inwardly hoping that he would see some pink hair popping up in the palace gardens. He regarded the beautiful scenery outside with blank, lifeless eyes before he closed them and let out a long sigh.
Not even the vibrant and beautiful colors of spring could cheer him up.
The day that he had declared his feelings to the Princess was inadvertently the same day that Sakura had vanished. Of course, he considered the thought of it not being a coincidence, but its chances of really happening was a paltry five percent to zero. But still probable.
Sakura. His thoughts lingered on her most of the time until they were replaced by his real lady-love. The guilt hit him like a plague and he knew he deserved every inch of it, maybe even more. Fortunately for him though, Rina shared the same feelings for him and it made him feel a teeny weenie bit better.
Apparently he had mistaken his admiration to the fierce royal physician as love and made the mistake of asking her out especially after much doting from the Princess who seemed like she supported them entirely. However, everything had changed when the topic of Rina being married to a duke had surfaced, and it drove him to the point where he was in. He felt anger, remorse...and most especially jealousy.
That was when he realized that he loved the Princess.
'What have I done.' Kei thought to himself and buried his face in his hands. Once they will be able to find Sakura, he will have the difficult task of explaining things to her. She wouldn't take it kindly, he knew, but he knew full well that any slaps or forms of retaliation from her (aka punches and heck, maybe even sword stabs) are something that he deserves. That is, if she is still alive. He smirked at the thought of her running through the halls and plunging a knife on his stomach...or maybe even worse.
You see, if Rina was like a delicate flower floating in a beautiful lake, Sakura was like a rampant spit fire. Gentle against fierce. Mild mannered against intimidating. They were complete opposites, but he cared for both of them.
Even if she was aware that she had the Emperor's permission to roam the palace so long as she would keep her guards with her, she chose to rebel against him and stayed confined in her quarters. Besides, the thought of roaming in Zalinia's Imperial Palace was like swimming with a bloody body in a tank full of sharks.
The notion of death may have been enticing to her these past few days but she wasn't actively wishing for it either.
She spent most of her dilly dallying days sitting on the marble ledge, watching with jaded eyes the changing of guards that of which, she noticed, occurred twice a day. On occasion court women would pass by as well, giggling while fully clad in their heavy, clearly expensive clothing, wearing hair ornaments that looked like they could buy a hundred warehouses dangling from their tresses and holding either a fan or an umbrella in their garlanded hands to shield them from the unforgiving rays of the sun. They talked in dainty, animated voices that annoyed her to no end.
"You're spending too much time under the sun, my Lady." Hana commented from inside the room and Sakura smirked. "Your skin is suffering. Besides, it's dangerous and very unlady like to sit on the ledge like that."
"I'm alright Hana." She replied dismissively and began swaying her legs back and forth. "You already are aware that I am far from lady like. And besides, I don't feel like I'm suffering. Come here, feel the sun. It's nice."
Hana joined her side and both of them watched the court women pass by. They looked scandalized once they saw Sakura sitting on the ledge, much more with the consent of her head chambermaid who was standing right beside her.
"They probably smell and look good, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had brains the size of a finger clam." Sakura commented idly and Hana raised the tip of her sleeve to hide her laugh. "Instead of eating grapes and gossiping, they should be making themselves useful for this country. Women shouldn't be mere decorations."
"Useful? My Lady?" Hana asked as the court ladies disappeared into a corner. "Like how, my lady? If I may ask."
Sakura shrugged and tilted her head. "I don't know... probably making antidotes for poisons? Studying and researching, something along those lines."
Hana spared her a glance.
"Man, get that stick out of your ass."
Their gaze quickly shifted to the grounds below them.
"Oh my." Hana murmured in surprise with her mouth still hidden behind her sleeve. She then looked at Sakura, who narrowed her eyes. "It's His Majesty."
True enough, Sasuke appeared from a corner wearing his signature scowl, a dark blue collared shirt with the sleeves unrolled this time, paired with the same black pants and shiny black shoes.
She wondered indolently why she presumed he was a noble servant that auspicious night when right now he looked every bit of an Emperor. From the looks, the gait and the way he walked. Hell, even the frown.
And much to her own disdain, she had to admit, blue suited him veeerrry nicely.
'Very delicious still.' Her inner self clicked her tongue in agreement. Sakura chose to ignore her.
Along Sasuke's untimely entrance came an equally tall and good-looking man walking along side of him. Unlike the brooding royal though, his features were more boyish, coy, or even animated. He had sunny blonde hair and the bluest eyes that she had ever seen, which glowed under the sunlight and complimented well with his bronze skin.
'But nothing like Sasuke.' Her inner side sang while waving an ornate fan. Sakura rolled her eyes in response.
Upon closer observation, she noticed that the man had whiskers which instantly makes him fall into the demon category. A decorated demon at that. His red military uniform had numerous medals pinned on his chest and his red cape billowed behind him making him look oh-so-debonair.
But even if this was the case, for her Sasuke still looked like he was the alpha male despite his toned down appearance.
'Is that a biased opinion that I hear?'
"Who's that, Hana?" Sakura pointed the blonde guy with her chin. Hana craned her neck to see more clearly and smiled.
"Oh, that is Lord Uzumaki. Second-in-command in the army, next to His Majesty of course." Hana answered as she straightened up. "And he is also His Majesty's closest confidante. His best friend and in my opinion, the only one who can smack him in the head and get away with it."
"Huh." Just by looking alone, one could already tell that they are polar opposites. "Best friend huh."
Sakura snapped out of her reverie when the blonde man stopped and suddenly looked up to meet her gaze.
"OHHHHH." Her brow rose dubiously at his reaction and chuckled at the image of his mouth turning into a perfect O. Hana immediately performed a quick bow towards the two men. "Well hello there!"
With his call and gasp of astonishment, he began waving at her with such childish gusto causing her smile to widen. It continued that way until with exaggerated slowness, Sasuke looked up as well.
And their eyes locked.
And unfortunately, her growing smile disappeared in an instant.
She almost went into a full-blown outburst again when she felt her resentment slowly dripping out of her system. In an effort to save her pride, she looked away and shifted her attention to the blonde man instead. Actually, she was using all of her energy to stare at the military man even though she could feel Sasuke's glare boring holes into her body.
'Gooood good holes.' Inner Sakura crossed her legs and licked her lips.
"Well hello there Miss—"The blonde guy greeted loudly but turned to Sasuke. "Hey Teme, what's her name?"
Sakura had to suppress the laugh that almost escaped her lips. Did this person just call the Emperor a bastard? She liked him already.
And of course, with her glee, Sasuke's grimace grew deeper and showed his irritation by jamming his hands on his pockets.
Amazingly enough, the blonde did not mind Sasuke's silence and turned back towards her again.
"Hey miss! What's your name?" He asked aloud and Sakura, pleased at him, decided to return the gesture. She seductively raised her index finger and pressed it to her lips, before winking (specifically) to the man and jumped off the ledge. After that, she gracefully turned around and exited the terrace with an amazed looking Hana behind her.
She did not catch Sasuke's wide-eyed reaction after that.
"Whoa." Sakura heard the man gasp loudly while she hid in the walls next to the terrace doors. "Hey teme, I like her."
"Shut up Naruto." Was Sasuke's irate reply before he began storming off. "Let's go. We are wasting our time here."
Naruto. Sakura began to double up in silent laughter. So the name he used back in the kitchens was actually his close friend's name? Wow, very original.
'That's coming from the person who used her DEAD DOG'S name as an alias.'
She let out a pout.
With the two men leaving, she could hear Naruto barraging Sasuke with a series of interrogative questions like 'what's her name, really?' 'is she a noble?' 'Where did she come from?' 'Can I talk to her someday?' until his voice disappeared. Just as Sasuke was quiet, Naruto was talkative and loud.
Complete opposites. Just like her and Rina.
"Well that was interesting." Hana chuckled as she watched Sakura drop herself unto the bed. "Seems like the General has taken quite a liking to you, my Lady."
"Did I hear that right?" Ayame emerged from the bathroom with a bright smile on her face. She was wiping her hands on a small towel as her gaze travelled from an amused looking Hana to a grumpy Sakura on the bed. "What happened? My Lady?"
Sakura bundled up her blankets and buried her face in it.
"Alas, her heart is not with the General." Hana continued to tease her and sighed theatrically. This time, Sakura grabbed a pillow and covered both of her ears with it. "With His Majesty, perhaps?"
"Of course not." Sakura growled with a muffled voice. Both Hana and Ayame giggled. "Not funny, you two."
"Alright, alright. My apologies." The two maids bowed in unison. "We'll return with your dinner in a few hours. Excuse us, my Lady."
Sasuke was in a very, very bad mood.
He had spent the day doing his normal obligations, attending meetings with boring (and smelly) old men and signed heaps of paperwork, which never fails to make him want to pull his hair out of his scalp. As of now, he was having a meeting with the Council, consisting of twenty-five powerful demons, all waaaaaay older than he was and all of them annoyed him to no end.
Even if they just said hi to him, Sasuke was more than enticed to send one, if not all of them to ten days of torture using his Sharingan.
Usually, he would just zone out and try to drown their voices while daydreaming about walking the city streets, his favourite past time. However, tonight was different for they were conversing about a topic that irritated Sasuke to heaven and back.
Marriage.
"Your Majesty, my daughter holds the title of being the most beautiful—"
"Most beautiful Akira, but the most dense—I recommended my niece who is a scholar—"
"His Highness is intelligent enough to handle his own matters, what matters is a woman who is fit to be by his side!"
"And fit it is, for only a woman of intelligence is deemed worthy to be called Empress!"
"Your niece may be intelligent Rido, but I heard she is very shrewd—"
"Shrewd?! How dare you!"
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, I recommend my cousin—"
Sasuke held in his sigh. He was more than aware that these old geezers cared nothing for his well-being and all they cared about was to obtain a position closer to the throne. Sasuke, however, had tried his best to delay this marriage issue because one: he never really had an interest on it and two: having a screaming woman who wanted nothing but to make herself pretty was enough to send him on the edge. He is doing fine running this country on his own, so why would he need a woman who would certainly add to his long list of problems?
Of course the answer was obvious. They need an heir.
"ENOUGH!" Roared Sasuke and his once onyx orbs were now basked in deadly crimson.
Hyuuga Neji, the prodigy of one of the known warrior clans as well as the Captain of both the Royal Guards and the Emperor's élite undercover unit, closed his strangely coloured milky eyes and smiled. He was standing in his usual spot, which was a few meters behind Sasuke's throne.
The vice general of the army, Uzumaki Naruto, leaned a bit towards him and whispered. "One of the many moments when I don't envy Sasuke's crown."
Neji nodded. People pushing you around and forcing you to do things that are unsavoury is a very big burden that accompanies Sasuke's title.
With the Emperor's flare-up, the room silenced.
"All this blabbering." Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "Is giving me a headache."
Rinzaki Ryouta, a clan leader, took a step forward. "But Your Majesty! You are of age and we need to secure your place in the throne by having an heir."
"Yes your majesty, the people are… starting to have their doubts." Voiced Chinosaki Sanosuke, one of Sasuke's most 'faithful' subjects. Sarcasm indicated.
His jaw twitched at his statement paired with a slam of his hand on the arm rests.
"I do not see why the people are having their doubts just because I do not have an heir." He growled. "Last time I checked, I am running this country just fine, without a woman by my side."
"We need to secure the continuation of the Uchiha line your Majesty." Another reminded him.
"I presume his Majesty just needs some time." Voiced Hatake Kakashi, one of Sasuke's mentors and a council member. While the clan leaders were arguing their tonsils out, he was silently reading his porn book in the far corner. Sasuke now noticed that the orange book was now nowhere in sight. "How about we give him an ultimatum? Say…two months?"
Buzzing filled the room and Sasuke's eyes widened at Kakashi. Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Two months is a long time! I say two weeks!"
"One week!"
"Four weeks." Kakashi said in a louder voice and enunciated each word to make his point clear. The room fell silent for the second time. "A month is fine. I don't think we'll die in a month, so we'll still see how it all turns out. What say you, Emperor?"
Sasuke began to do a glaring contest with Kakashi, who replied with a noncommittal shrug. He knew about Kakashi's role of aiding him in delaying the 'marriage' meeting, but he could only postpone it for so long. When he realized that he could no longer avoid it, Sasuke let out a very long defeated sigh.
"Alright." He raised both of his hands in defeat. "A month it is. And what if I cannot put up with my end of the bargain?"
Kakashi shrugged for the second time. "Easy. We will be the ones to choose a woman to become the Empress. No questions asked. And you do know sire, that we are highly looking at her most venerable Lady Karin as a worthy candidate."
Sasuke knew that Kakashi's last sentence was sardonic, but the crowd did not notice it for they began to hum in conformity.
Sasuke could not believe this. Kakashi knew how much odium he held for Karin and he was actually cornering him. Karin was the progeny of one of the founding families of the Fire Country, so she was held in higher regard than any other women in his line of candidates. Other than that, she was extremely obsessed with him and with her obsession comes several… unpleasant attitudes.
"So, what now Sasuke?" Naruto asked with full seriousness while leaning against one of the leather sofas inside Sasuke's office. "Where are you going to find her? In the harem?"
The Emperor's office was of course, the largest and the most magnificent in the palace. Like all the other rooms, his office floor was covered in a blood-red carpet that had faded with age. Five exceptionally tall bookcases lined a whole wall and three floor to ceiling windows complete with seats of plush red and throw pillows on the other.
Behind Sasuke's beautifully carved oak desk was another window which overlooked the private gardens. The office floor was also occupied by two living room sets: one made of antique leather and another of black and gold velvet. Above them hung three large crystal chandeliers, one on the left side, another on the right, and the last right above the Emperor's work area.
"They are all plainly for entertainment." Sasuke spat as he stood behind his desk. He had his back facing them and his eyes were trained on the water fountain just meters away from him.
"You should have been there in the meeting Shika, Sasuke's face was priceless." Naruto burst into laughter."Oh God that was fun. He was literally squirming in his seat."
Shikamaru 'hmped'. He had to tend to his mother's requests and had to run errands the entire afternoon to finish them all.
Their family has this odd curse of having headstrong women which is clear in his grandfather and his own father being scared of their wives. Even Shikamaru is deathly scared of his loudmouthed mother and would rather face Sasuke's wrath than hers.
"Well, there is Yamanaka Ino." Neji suggested while he cradled the glass in his hands. Yamanaka Ino was the only daughter of Inoichi, a nobleman and a wealthy flower merchant, who is also a good friend of Shikamaru's father along with Head of the Akimichi family. Their fathers formed a formidable triad, who were the royal family's group of choice for highly classified espionage missions.
"She's nice." Naruto nodded.
Shikamaru's lips pursed which did not fail to catch Neji's attention.
"Yes Shikamaru?" Neji asked calmly but the lazy genius could tell the hint of malice in his voice. "Any qualms regarding the suggestion?"
"No." Was the genius' quick reply before looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "Nothing. Ino will be a good choice compared to Karin. At least she already has an interest for the Emperor. Makes things easier."
"And bearable." Naruto smirked then winked at Neji, who gave a small knowing smile in return.
"What about the Lords' daughters?" Neji added after a few minutes. "Not one piqued your interest Sasuke?"
"None."
Silence.
"Shame, the other founding family had become extinct since the civil war. They might've produced a better choice than Karin." Shikamaru commented idly and let out a large yawn before leaning himself further onto his seat. "Maybe even something Empress worthy."
Sasuke raised a brow at him. "That family?"
He nodded and put his hands behind his head.
Naruto cleared his throat as he stood up to refill his glass. "By the way Sasuke, speaking of women, was that woman one of your candidates?" He asked quietly, eager to change the subject.
"Who?" Neji and Shikamaru chorused and Sasuke's brow twitched.
Of all things, Naruto had to exacerbate the situation by bringing her up.
"A newcomer." The blonde smirked while pouring alcohol into his glass. "A pretty, spunky, newcomer."
Sasuke pursed his lips and shot Naruto one of his infamous death glares.
Naruto however had grown used to his antics, so he only raised his glass in return and muttered a jovial 'cheers'.
"And who is this woman that Naruto is referring to?" Neji asked, now alert and paying attention. Sasuke shifted from where he stood and cleared his throat. His mouth also formed a grim line, something which Naruto noticed with glee. He was getting uncomfortable and seeing Sasuke squirm was just... enjoyable.
"Someone that I had saved."
Eerie silence enveloped the four men before the white eyed Captain raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry Sasuke, I thought I just heard you that you saved—"
"You heard right." Naruto quipped happily and pointed the Emperor with the hand that held the glass. "He saved a woman."
Shikamaru was now sitting straight on his seat with an amused smile tugging on his lips. "What's this?" He asked while he rested his head on his right hand. "Pray tell us, Your Majesty what had happened. I am more interested as to why than who."
Sasuke turned around and his eyes widened when he realized that all three of his friends were now staring at him with sheepish grins on their faces.
The thought of killing Naruto made his fingers twitch in excitement.
"The story is nothing exciting. I was doing my undercover patrol of the city—"
"You mean your guilty pleasure of sneaking out of the palace." Naruto corrected. Sasuke's eyes turned into slits but Naruto paid no heed. Neji rolled his eyes. He always had to cover up for Sasuke when he does his nightly rounds and sometimes he follows him around for the sake of his safety.
"You can call it whatever the hell you want." He grumbled and ran a hand through his jet-black hair. "She was making a ruckus and the guards were, much to my unease, were asleep. She was about to be eaten by barbarians."
"Figuratively or literally speaking?"
"That's not the point Naruto." Shikamaru waved him off. "So, next question, why didn't you just let her be eaten by barbarians? It's a daily casualty. Did you save her to bed her?"
"No." Sasuke murmured, with more disdain than he liked. "I haven't touched her."
'Not yet.'
"Now THIS, I want to listen to." Neji placed his now empty glass on a nearby table before crossing his arms. "You saved a woman from a bunch of barbarians just because she was making a ruckus. In addition, you have not bedded her yet. Forgive me Sasuke, but I am still quite confused."
Shikamaru nodded in agreement and Sasuke gave them the nastiest glare that he could muster. Sometimes, he wished that he could tear these three blasted people apart and send them off to hell.
"We're waiting Sasuke." Naruto sang and Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Why I did it..." He finally said and threw a small knife to Naruto's direction. His second in command caught it with ease and winked at the Emperor, causing his glare to worsen. "Is none of your business. So drop it."
Of course, the three may declare their defeat now but badgering Sasuke was far from over.
Right after her small encounter with Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura spent some time mulling over several things while lying in bed. She unknowingly drifted off to sleep a few minutes later and was only awakened by Hana's voice and gentle nudging.
She opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of the sky. Night time has already fallen.
"My Lady." Hana whispered and Sakura noticed the boredom in her tone. "Please wake up. You have been in slumber for five hours already. Are you sure you don't want to eat dinner?"
"Hrumphhmgh." Was Sakura's reply before flipping to the other side.
Hana pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips, her eyes boring holes onto the figure that lay under the lush sheets of crimson. The head chambermaid was not surprised of her acts however, for they have had numerous encounters like these within the past five days.
At some days, Sakura was even worse. Kicking and screaming included.
"It's dinner time, my Lady." She said, her voice firm this time.
"I won't go." Sakura snapped back. She was already awake but she was not in the mood of rising from the pile of sheets that protected her from the chilly night air. Her mood soured further at the thought of her invitation. Just the thought of joining a dining hall full of vain, mongering women was already giving her a headache.
"And as always, I'll just bring your food here." Hana sighed and raised her hands in defeat. Sakura smiled. She knew that the woman was fond of her and it felt great. It felt like she was having a second mother in the Fire Country. Unlike the other servants, Hana did not put up a fake act just to please her and will scold her when it was deemed necessary.
Mother. Her family.
Sakura frowned.
"Hana." Sakura yawned and sat up, before she began rubbing her eyes. "Don't. Instead, why don't you accompany me? I want to take a walk." Another yawn escaped her lips before she gave Hana a toothy, childish grin.
The head chamber maid could not help but laugh at her antics. "About time."
Apparently, a simple walk is... not so simple in their vocabulary.
Sakura did not know what the fuss was all about. It's just a simple walk! Can't they just let her go out without the ornaments and silly frills that the women of the Fire Country usually boasted? She did not want to become like them. She was not one of them.
In addition, even though Sakura had told them so many (freaking) times that she is capable to dress on her own, the servants were unyielding in doing their obligations. Soon enough, she decided it would be easier if she let them do things their way to avoid all the fuss and arguments.
"Done." Hana clapped twice which effectively stopped her daydreaming. Slowly, her vision returned to the present time and both of her eyebrows rose at the sight.
She was dressed in a fitting long-sleeved emerald empire cut gown with the belt being adorned with jewels of different shades of green and much to her horror, she realized that each one of them were real. Gold ornaments decorated her jet black tresses, for her hair was now in a messy bun held by a beautifully bejewelled pin comb in the shape of a cherry blossom.
"What is with all this Hana?" Sakura inquired in a clipped tone and deepened her frown. Hana shushed her as she made final arrangements in her now decorated tresses.
"You'll know later. Now hush up and let us go." She said, too excited for Sakura's taste.
Once the double doors opened, Sakura felt a wave of cold air hit her pale skin and shivered in response. They found themselves in a cloister that surrounded a large, beautifully lush garden that boasted a multitude of exotic flowers of different colours. Numerous wooden doors identical to hers lined up the wall to her left and wall lamps in between of them illuminated the stone hallway giving the area a soft, almost romantic glow.
"Look here my Lady." Chisaki called to her in her signature soft voice. Sakura and the others turned and saw her pointing at a beautifully carved stone door that took up the whole end of the hallway. It was right beside her door.
"That's a beautiful door. And obviously special." She commented in awe then looked to the other four servants. "Who owns that room?"
"It is reserved for the Empress my Lady." Hana whispered to her ear with a smile. "And since His Majesty is still unmarried, it remains vacant."
Sakura's mouth pursed involuntarily and felt something unexplainable boil within her. The Empress huh? She could imagine a faceless woman standing beside Sasuke, looking glorious and loved by everyone.
Somehow it left a nasty taste at the back of her mouth.
With a curt nod, she began to walk through the deserted hallway with her servants trailing behind.
"Not for long however." Ayame piped in to continue the conversation. She was shortest among the brood and the most hyperactive. "I heard that the consuls released an ultimatum to His Majesty."
Sakura's brow rose. "Ultimatum to what? Marriage?"
Saila nodded. "They gave him four weeks to find a bride, or else the Lords themselves will choose a bride by default."
"Oh hush all of you." Hana scolded and sighed dramatically. "Haven't I told you to stop gossiping with the other maids? Your unnecessary vice can get us all into trouble."
"Forgive us, Lady Hana." They chorused.
"It's alright Hana." Sakura smiled as they turned into a corner. "Gossips are necessary sometimes. Speaking of, I wonder why that bas—The Emperor doesn't have a bride already. Why not pick one of the women in his harem?"
Hana chuckled. "It seems like he just likes to play around, His Majesty I mean. The other rooms are occupied by the candidates to be the Empress and some handpicked girls by His Majesty himself…"
"Candidates to be the—"Sakura stopped abruptly causing the other servants to yelp in surprise and bump into each other in the process. She turned around and faced Hana, her eyes wide in alarm. "Did you just say… the other rooms?"
Hana raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Um, yes, my Lady. The other rooms."
She gulped. "Do you mean that I am residing in the—"
"This is the West Wing Lady Sakura." Hana explained further and motioned to the rooms behind them. "As what you have seen, we also have here the Empress' quarters. This is actually the Emperor's Harem."
Sakura's nose wrinkled in disgust. Harem. That geezer.
"Ah, it's Hinata-dono." Ayame pointed something from afar. The others turned to look at where she was pointing at and by the time they caught sight of her, the woman named Hinata slipped so all Sakura saw was flying jet-black hair.
"Oh my God is she—"as if on cue, giggles burst from behind and they all looked to see who it was.
A few feet away were three women, but the one that caught Sakura's attention was the evil looking one at the center. She had an odd hairstyle, for it was long and sleek on one side and short but very unkempt on the other. On her right was a chubby brown-haired woman and on the other was a lanky and pale black haired woman. They were all dressed extravagantly (even by court standards) and Sakura now was appreciative of the fact that she was dressed to impress. If not, then she would have been mistaken as a simple court servant if she stood beside these pompous women.
"What's wrong Hinata? Is it difficult to have two left feet?" The weird haired woman teased and the other two laughed louder. Sakura turned back to where the woman named Hinata was and much to her horror, the poor woman was now covered in some sort of dark oil. She cursed underneath her breath and raised the hem of her skirt before rushing over to the woman's side, which made the evil trio to chorus 'oooh' sarcastically.
"Are you alright?" Sakura asked once she was close enough but was mindful not to step onto any of the oil that was spilled on the stone floor. Hinata tried to stand up again but failed in her attempt, before she let out a loud sigh and looked up to her.
She had the oddest eyes Sakura had ever seen. They were white, but after staring at her for a few more seconds she realized that they were in a very light shade of lavender. She had a very pale complexion and even underneath all that oil, she could tell that she was a very beautiful woman.
"I'm…I'm alright." A bushed Hinata replied with a shy smile and hesitated at Sakura's outstretched hand. "A-Are you sure it's—it's-alright-? You may—"
Sakura grinned and grabbed her hand instead, before mustering up her strength to hoist the poor lady up. Hana, Saika and Chisaki were holding onto Sakura's waist to make sure that she will not slip into the oil as well; however, their attempt was futile for her sandal had stepped onto the area and she, along with the other three, fell into the puddle.
The trio howled in laughter.
"Your Majesty! What a surprise to see you in the harem!" A distant, very feminine voice sounded and echoed off the walls of the large building. The trio fell quiet. "Good evening!"
"His Majesty is here, let's go and greet him." Said someone from the trio, as to who, Sakura didn't know. She was still stuck on the puddle with Hinata and her servants. "Let's go."
Soon enough, the sound of their heels clacking against the stone floor disappeared and Hinata let out a quiet groan of frustration. The clacking sound returned soon afterwards but another group had appeared.
"My goodness Hinata! Look at you!"
Sakura looked up to see another beautiful woman, with silvery blonde hair and blue eyes that could compete well with Naruto's. Adorning her slim figure was an equally outstanding one shouldered canary yellow gown that waved and billowed along with each of her movements. Two servants followed the blonde woman and while she was making their way towards them, Suki and Aya, another servant of Sakura's, began to aide her and Hinata.
"Come on my Lady, let us not lounge in this puddle." Ayame's kind remark snapped her out of her reverie as she graciously took her hand. After a few more failed attempts, Sakura was finally able to stand up properly then helped proceeded to help out Hinata.
Much to her discomfort, the blonde woman was staring at her the entire time. "Ah, a newcomer. I did not have the pleasure of meeting you. You are?"
Sakura had to fight the urge of raising her brow. Seriously? She's asking her to introduce herself in her current state?
"My name is Sakura." She said, sputtering the distasteful oil out of her mouth. Hana took hold of the balustrade beside her and helped her get out of the puddle. "A pleasure."
"Sakura. Pretty name." She clicked her tongue. She then watched Hinata get out of the puddle as well. "Careful Hinata. And you are from which family?"
Sakura almost sighed in frustration. "I do apologize. However, under the current circumstances, I cannot introduce myself properly." She said and cursed at herself for failing to mask the sarcasm that dripped her voice.
Thankfully, the blonde just chuckled. "You got spunk. I like you."
Hinata thanked her quietly and pushed a bunch of hair from her face, before smiling at Sakura as well. "T-Thank you for trying to help me Sakura-san and—and I do apologize that you had to get caught in this mess…."
"Who was that woman anyway?" Sakura grumbled while Chisaki and Saika were trying to wipe off the oil from her face using their handkerchiefs. Hana was grumbling under her breath while trying not to slip and holding onto the balustrade with her dear life.
"You don't know her?" The blonde replied as she watched her own servants wipe the oil from Hinata. "She is Karin, a good for nothing spoiled brat and a member of the founding families. The first candidate to be an Empress. Oh and by the way, I myself am a candidate. The name is Yamanaka Ino. Pleasure."
The blonde was, to Sakura's amusement, a bit haughty and proud. But she knew she was a good woman, unlike the bad vibes that she got from standing too close to Karin. It seemed like the woman exuded an evil aura without even trying.
"My name is Hyuuga Hinata." Hinata said shyly and smiled. Sakura instinctively smiled back. "Again, thank you Lady Sakura."
"Please, you can call me with no honorific. Sakura is fine."
"Let us talk some other time Sakura, maybe in a more proper venue. Hinata, my quarters are nearby, you go and clean up there. I think Tenten already went ahead. Good thing she thought about distracting those three." Ino said in a motherly way as Hinata nodded in return. "In the meantime I'll try to find out who was the servant who carelessly dumped this thing on the hallway."
"It was her." Sakura said immediately. Ino and Hinata looked at her. "Karin."
"Oh? You know how dangerous accusations are Sakura, especially if we're dealing with her." Ino said, but with piqued interest.
"This oil is for removing dye from one's hair." Sakura said, rubbing the oil between her thumb and forefinger. She knew for she had used this oil several times. "It also leaves a scent that is very attractive to insects. One could tell that it was her doing, since Karin had numerous fireflies circling her head like a crown earlier on."
Ino and Hinata seemed taken aback by her statement and even seemed impressed.
"We'll see." Ino replied with a smirk. "We'll see. But in the meantime, let's get ourselves all cleaned up."
Sakura had to agree.
"Chisaki, Ayame get the others to clean this up." Hana ordered and began to walk away, with an arm cradled around Sakura's shoulder. They were walking quite awkwardly and seeing this made Sakura to laugh, followed by the other servants.
"Oh and Sakura." Ino called out once again and Sakura turned around. "I'm not sure if you are an official candidate or not, but I assure you that if you are, then we are going to be rivals."
Sakura smirked, nodding at her challenge then continued in their awkward exit.
Upon returning to her chambers, Hana and the others wasted no time and began to prepare a bath for her. Since the oil was a dye remover, the black dye began to drip out of her tresses and onto the gold ornaments and her roots began to show the soft pink hair that had remained hidden for many years.
While she busied herself in removing the pins from her hair, Chisaki, the closest one to her, took notice of her odd hair color.
"Lady Sakura—is your hair—"
"Yes, it is." Sakura replied rather regretfully before placing the gold pins carefully on the nearby table. Taking a strand of pinkish black hair in her fingers, she idly wondered if going back to pink wouldn't be so bad. It may be a good choice, since she is in a foreign place and having her normal hair back would lessen the chances of anyone recognizing her. Besides, she missed her old self. "I know. Odd, isn't it?"
"No… no." Ayame interjected while she looked at her from the dresser mirror, a bunch of towels bundled up in her arms. "Rather, I could say it suits you well." She complimented with a genuine smile, before she took her place beside Chisaki and continued to study her hair. "Although it is an odd color, it suits you my lady."
Sakura blushed, not used to the fact that someone would compliment her natural hair color so easily. She had expected rejection.
"Oh stop it you two, you are making me blush." She joked and playfully rolled her eyes, before she yelped in surprise when Hana suddenly tossed a towel onto her head.
"Yes, it suits you. Why did you ever try to hide it?"
"Bullying."
Hana's face dampened. "Ah, I see. Well, let us just be thankful that this happened, for you now have the chance to have your real hair back." She clucked and clapped her shoulders. The other servants nodded in agreement. "Now, go and enjoy your bath. We'll tend to your pink hair afterwards."
Sakura stood up and kissed Hana on the cheek. The elder woman smiled warmly in return. "Thanks a million Hana. While I'm in there you can go and clean yourselves up as well."
"Is that an order or a request?" Hana asked teasingly but the servants were already making their way towards the door.
"Both."
Sakura's bathroom was humungous and was now her second most favorite place aside from her bedroom. The room was painted white with a trio of small chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, which, like the other chandeliers, emitted a soft affectionate glow. In the middle was a large, circular marble tub that had five wide-mouthed gold faucets that were strategically placed around her. It created a mini waterfall whenever they turned the water on and the room, along with the aroma of the scented candles and the sound of the water, was enough to send anyone off to scented dreamland.
Her own, watery paradise.
Sakura immersed herself further into the warm water and watched the black dye slip out of her hair and created little black wisps on the water. She imagined that her worries, her angst and her homesickness was like the dye that was slipping from her hair, being washed away by the comforting water and leaving her as a new and refreshed human being. Five minutes later, her pink hair was in full view and Sakura never felt so...enlightened. It was like taking off a mask that had been stuck in her face for more than a decade.
By the time she had finished, she carefully slid out of the water and reached for the bathrobe that had been laid nearby for her. She was tying the belt when she walked towards the mirror and gasped when she was finally able to see her reflection. She could barely recognize herself. Seeing all that pink hair made her remember the time when she was just five years old, before all the bullying and the self-awareness even began.
It was like having the real Sakura return to her after such a long time.
Since the servants were still out to clean themselves up, Sakura decided to finish dressing by herself...something that she had missed doing. She happily sat on her dresser, before she reached out for a towel and began the process of drying her hair. Just as if on cue, the bedroom door opened and Sakura smiled.
"Wow Hana, you clean up pretty fast." Sakura called out with her head still underneath the towel, before she handed Hana the brush that she held on one hand, which she took quietly. Hana liked to indulge herself in brushing Sakura's hair and sometimes, she noticed that the elderly woman would get lost in her thoughts while doing so.
Silently, Sakura closed her eyes, let the towel slip from her hair and into her lap then flipped her hair back. The brush began to automatically make its way through her now pink locks as Sakura sat further into her seat, eyes still closed and her lips set to a contented smile.
In the middle of the brushing, Sakura caught a delicious, very familiar scent which was enough to awaken her. Right when she opened her eyes, she saw a wide-eyed Hana towards her right, in freshly laundered clothes and holding a tray which she presumed was her dinner. Chisaki, Saika, and Ayame followed along, before they gasped at her in horror.
"Your Majesty!" Hana said and Sakura froze in her spot. The servants bowed down low to show their respect and Sakura felt the familiar sensation of loosing the feeling of her arms and legs. Apparently, she was stuck in her seat.
On her dresser mirror, she saw Sasuke smirking right at her, brush on one hand and a bundle of her pink hair on the other.
And for the umpteenth time, Sakura wanted to die.
A.N.: Read and review! No flamers allowed! ;)