Ino walked down the long corridor with a scowl. Sasuke was supposed to have a small breakfast with her. He didn't show. Fugaku-sama, the King and Sasuke's father, had told her he knew nothing of Sasuke's lateness. That he might be in his room. So now she was chasing him down. He would not be let of so easily for standing her up in the dinning hall. It had been so embarrassing! The servants had whispered about the ordeal behind her back. She would make sure things did not become worse. When she got to his door, she knocked quietly. No answer. Maybe he wasn't in here. What if he had gone into town for something? No, that would be for a servant to do. She was tired of being civil, her hands latched onto the handle, ripping the door open.

Her face paled instantly at the sight. He was fast asleep in his bed, sprawled out on his back with legs thrown out and one arm thrown over the side of the bed. The other arm was outstretched under… the chamber maid! That pink haired servant was on her back, her side pressed into Sasuke's side with her head pressed on top of the arm. His face was angled down as if he had fallen asleep watching her. And the damn servant girl was looking up at him too, their faces close. They were both asleep and knew not that she was there watching them. Ino felt her rage kicking up, a deep hatred boiling. She would not let this be, and she would not let that wretched slave take what was hers. She closed the door, and left them in the room.

Sakura woke to the sweet smell of her master's spices. His natural smell and that of the bath he had taken the previous day filled her nose, making her think of him. She stirred, peeling her eyes open. He was sleeping soundly, looking down at her with a clear face.

"Sasuke-sama." She found herself sitting up. "It is late in the day. You need to-" His bedroom door was opened, a strong guard strutting inside. Once he saw the chamber made, he let a slow grin take place on his lips. Caught with a false wrong.

"Did I say you could come in?" Sasuke snapped at the guard, sitting up on his elbows. All humor had left the poor guys face now. "Or was you're hearing replaced with stupidity?"

"I…I am sorry, my Lord. You're father the King has sent for you. He wants you in the throne room immediately." The guard looked at Sakura, looking her over with disgust. No doubt thinking every wrong thought known to man.

"Do not look at her! You will look at me when I am speaking to you, and when you are speaking to me." When the guards head snapped back to look at Sasuke he said: "You do not even think of looking at her again or I will have you out of that uniform and in a pig trough before you can even bat a eyebrow. Do you understand me?" When the guard nodded, Sasuke let himself smile and wave the man away.

"Sasuke-sama, I am so sorry. I should have been gone by now. Before any one saw that I was even in here." She looked down.

The raven was off the bed now, tugging on a clean shirt. "No, you were invited in here by me. Be sorry for nothing." He smiled lopsidedly. "If you would, go about you're business." Then he was gone. She thought of all the rumors that would be started about a slave girl getting bedded by the Kings son. A man who was promised to the richest mans daughter.

Sakura groaned, running down to a storage closet. She grabbed a maid's uniform that would fit, slipped it on and got right to work. Not that she was able to get much done. She got the dirty laundry from her master's room and then headed for the laundry room. The shouts she heard made her stop in front of the throne room. The King stood in front of the throne, his wife by his side. He was fuming and positively red in the face. Two servants stood on the far side of the room with looks of dread. Almost like they were afraid of getting hit themselves. Itachi lounged casually across a plush red chair, his legs dangling over the side of the chair. He was enjoying the display that was going on at the moment. His eyes locked on hers for a moment, then he smiled. He definitely saw her watching what was going on. Itachi went back to watching his father. Sasuke stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed and a glare etched in the face. Ino was also there, standing on the wall. What was going on?

"How dare you? How dare you bed a chamber made! Do you know how much embarrassment has been put upon the family because of you?" His father was practically spitting the words. But Sasuke stood his ground, not even flinching at the vulgar things that were said to him. "You find a whore and jump right in-"

"Don't"-he pointed a finger at his father, voice like venom-"talk about her like that. I swear to you I never touched her."

Ino scoffed from her spot in the room. "You just let women sleep in the folds of you're sheets for sport then?"

"Are you upset because I turned down the request from you yesterday?" The Uchiha snarled, looking back to his father. "I did not lay a hand on the woman. We slept. Nothing more. You are being told false accusations by a woman who did not get what she wanted."

"Lies! You-"

"I wont have a whore as a wife, father." Sasuke took a step toward the King. "And that means I will not marry her." He tilted his chin to look at Ino.

"The marriage is set as it is. There is no saying no in this." The boom of his voice made Sasuke cringe. "You will not disgrace me further."

"I refuse to marry her. And I refuse to let you throw Sakura out onto the streets simply because you believe a liar over your own son." The King glared at the raven in front of him, storming over to him. The slap echoed through the room. Sakura watched as the boy was backhanded by his father. When he made a move to do it again, Sakura ran into the room, dropping the laundry on the floor.

"Sir, please wait!" She dashed across the room, Sasuke's head snapping to look at her. Dear, God, why did she come in like this?

"Sakura-"

"How dare you interrupt!" Ino stormed over, hands balled into fists. "You should be scrubbing the floor, not wasting the Kings time!"

"He never touched me!" Sakura pushed past the blond woman standing in her way, going straight to the King. "The master let me sleep in his room, because I had trouble sleeping. Nothing more than that, I swear to you."

"Take her away. Take her away this instant!" The King backed away, shaking his head.

Three guards walked into the room, taking hold of the servant. She did not resist. Sasuke cursed, moving at them. "Don't! Father stop this!"

"I want him taken to his room, now!" The King declared. "Do not let him out until I have said otherwise." The guards that had taken hold of Sasuke dragged him forcefully to the set of double doors. He was thrashing and screaming with curses as they manhandled him through the heavy set of oak.

"Father, don't do this! You can't do this to her! I am the one who did this!" The King refused to look back at his son.

Itachi smiled. "That was better than any thing I have seen all day. No, all week."

Sasuke was shoved into his room, the doors slammed shut. He hit his fists against the heavy wood, yelling for the guards to unlock the door. He needed to get to Sakura. She would be taken to the dungeon for a proper punishment. And it was his fault. She was going to be hurt because of him! Sasuke threw his entire weight against the door, cursing his father to the deepest depths of Hell. Damn it! He was getting nowhere. He hit his back against the door, sliding down slowly until his body sat on the floor. He shot his hands into his hair, groaning. They would take her to the dungeon and let the head guard do as he pleased until he felt it was enough. That was what happened to those that broke the law or rules of the house. She would be begging for it to stop and when it didn't, she would think it was until death that the pain stayed. Then the guard would leave her to cry and wallow in her own grief until the King let the maids take her back to the rooms. She wouldn't be seen for a week. He had to get to her…