Three
An hour went by in a blur as Sakura politely greeted nobles who hadn't visited court for a while. As she drifted through the throng of guests, her mind didn't forget how startled she felt when she had found him looking directly her. Sakura had turned back to her friends, bewildered, and when she had looked back several seconds later, he was no longer there.
Her heart was still thudding, creating a drone that followed her wherever she went, a constant reminder of him and what this night was really for. The tension inside of her was slowly multiplying; any minute now, her father could announce her betrothal to these hundreds of witnesses, and what could she do then? There would be no conceivable way to revert the decision.
She remembered that she hadn't told Ino. She couldn't even imagine how her friend would feel once she found out her best friend was engaged from someone who wasn't her. She would probably throw a fit, Sakura thought. She would probably feel betrayed that she had been told along with the other guests instead of privately like she ought to have been.
Dutifully keeping a smile on her face, even though she felt anxiety pushing at the inside of her lungs, she wandered the room. This is it. There's no going back, not after everyone knows. She clutched her skirts, trying to calm herself down. In hindsight, she had been prepared for this since a little girl. But she still wasn't ready, not when there was so much on the line. Her whole future, as Queen.
It wasn't fair. Sakura had only just found out, hadn't any time to digest this information herself, and already it was going to be public knowledge. Because she was princess, she was certain the news would spread like rapid fire. It would become almost irreversible. To cancel the engagement could look suspicious. Though the people loved her kingdom, she had no idea of what they would think. What foul rumours would spread? Unless a valid reason was provided, one that did not question her purity, she could not predict what the outcome would be.
The music was still hauntingly beautiful. The sweet melody carried out across the hall perpetually. Sakura felt dizzy, the colours blending together as she twisted through the crowd. Her mind was trying desperately to find a way out of her predicament, but no feasible way presented itself. She had no idea where she was going anymore.
No. She did. She was going to find her father. She couldn't let this happen, just the prospect of having no hope at all to change his mind made her sick to the stomach. If she could just stop him for today, then she'd have more time.
And time was all she needed.
Spotting him standing near one of the many pillars in the ballroom, Sakura took a deep breath before approaching. He was smiling gracefully as he conversed with a few of the minor lords, and when Sakura reached them she overheard that they were complimenting the party.
She felt an inappropriate twist of distaste towards them. This was the night that would doom her, after all. And they were enjoying it.
The men bowed slightly upon her presence, and she instantly regretted ever thinking such abhorrent things about them. They clearly had no idea what this was all for, but soon would if she did not act fast.
"Father, may I speak to you alone?"
The lesser lords bowed again to the king before taking their leave.
King Haruno turned to her with kind eyes and a questioning glance. "What is it, my dear?"
She swallowed. Now that she had finally found him, all of the unspoken words she had planned on saying had vanished. She was left to search her mind for any remnants.
"I beseech you; do not to speak of the engagement tonight."
Her father stared silently at her for a moment, a slight frown creasing his features. "Why would you ask of this? You know what this is for."
"I do. But all I'm asking for is a little more time for me to process this..." She struggled to keep her voice steady; she did not want to gain any unwanted attention or cause a scene.
"Sakura..." the king sighed, "we've been through this."
"No, we haven't. You never asked me, or even told me, that you were going to make the announcement today. Not until after everyone had already arrived. Please, just wait until I'm ready."
The king looked at his daughter with a hint of sadness. "I'm afraid it's too late, all of these people have come from far for you, Sakura. And you don't wish for me to tell them?"
"I just ask that you wait until I give my word."
"You expect me to wait forever?"
"Not forever. I just need time."
When he didn't say anything more, Sakura was almost sure she wouldn't get anywhere with him. Why was it he was so eager to let the world know?
"Please," she breathed once again, putting everything into that one word.
He finally conceded. "All right. Where is young Sasuke anyway?"
Sakura couldn't help the blush that arose her cheeks as she remembered that she had left him, when her father had believed that she was still within his company. Her heart rate accelerated. "I..."
He mind struggled to come up with something credible, but her lapse only lasted a moment as her drifting eyes found a goblet in a hand, and the lie came to her as if she had been deceitful her entire life.
"He has gone to get us a drink."
Her father didn't think twice about it.
"Very well. Just be sure to not to have too much."
Sakura nodded, almost breathing out a sigh of relief at her ever trusting father.
"And Sakura. I hope to be seeing the two of you together this night," he said. His tone was slightly reprimanding. Perhaps, Sakura thought, perhaps he had been able to sense the lie on her after all.
Sakura could've sworn she had been searching for hours.
It had actually only been a few minutes since she had left her father's side, and she could still feel his watchful glance on her as she strayed further away from him.
She knew he was waiting for Sasuke to appear beside her, as she had told him he would. But she had no idea where he had gone.
Stupid Sakura, she scolded herself. You couldn't have endured even one moment with him?
Chancing a glance behind her, she saw that the king was no longer watching. Her body began to relax again.
She had managed to convince her father to hold off the announcement for tonight. Though that small victory sedated her temporarily, her mind was still plagued with the worrying after thought of what happened next. She knew it would not be forever that he would indulge her wishes; he had said as much. She would have to act hastily.
Suddenly, she was overcome with the realisation that she had no idea of what she was going to do. Her plan hadn't gotten that far in her head to manifest. She already knew that talking to her father about it was going to get her nowhere. What else could there be?
When no idea presented itself, Sakura could feel herself getting anxious again. She was supposed to be renowned for her intelligence, so where was that now? It was quite comical how everything left her when she needed it the most. The sinking feeling grew deeper as she scoured her inner mind to no avail. Sakura could just not think of a solution.
Maybe there was no way out.
She gasped as she felt a cold hand grip her arm, searing her skin.
"You've gone pale."
Looking sideways at the person who had interrupted her strange reverie, she was unexpectantly met with Sasuke's dark eyes for the second time that night. She couldn't tell if he was concerned or just stating the obvious, but either way, she felt strangely irritable. Why was he always catching her off guard?
"Get off me," she spat, looking down at her arm accusingly.
He made no move to let go of her, only serving to further aggravate her.
"Are you always so hostile?"
"Are you always so haughty?"
He merely blinked at her.
Sakura gritted her teeth. She amended, "I would be very grateful if you let go of me now."
This time, he seemed to sense the mock warning in her tone and let go of her. Sakura rubbed at her arm where his fingers had dug in, though it had hardly hurt.
"Does your skin bruise that easily?"
Oh Kami, he was even more arrogant than she had first thought.
"Yes, in fact. Clearly I am made of the most delicate glass."
"You must be easy to break, then."
"No. Try as you might, but it takes more than just a simple touch to shatter me."
As if testing her declaration, he raised the back of his hand to lightly brush her cheek. Sakura tried to remain still, but she couldn't help flinching back when his fingers started to trail down her neck.
"That wasn't an invitation."
"No?" he said, his devious smirk returning.
She took a step back. "What is it you want?"
"Who said I wanted anything?"
"Oh, that's right. Because you already have everything you could possibly need."
"Not quite everything."
Sakura tried not to let his insinuating comment affect her. "Greed is not moral, Sasuke."
Sasuke went silent, his eyes fixed on Sakura's lips as she breathed the last word. His name. He seemed to be taken aback, as he did nothing but stare. But not in the same way he had done when they had first met. This seemed... less intimate. Or more intimate. She couldn't be sure. But it was as if he was looking at her like he was stunned she had said it, and didn't know how to react.
He closed his eyes.
Sakura noticed a slight furrow to his eyebrows. His features seemed confused, baffled even. But at the same time satisfied. Looking at him like this, when his face was less guarded of emotion, Sakura was intrigued.
He was imagining her saying it again, in different circumstances, and though the thought awed him, he tried not to dwell on the strange feelings.
When he opened them again, he was met with the sight of an unabashed gawking Sakura.
She blushed immediately, righting her head again which had been unconsciously cocked to the side.
Sakura was a little amazed at how quickly his face closed off again. It had seemed like she had caught him off guard. She guessed that didn't happen very often.
She cleared her throat. "Would you like a drink? I am particularly parched."
"I have no use for your abominable wine."
Sakura rolled her eyes. Never in her life had she heard someone describe wine as abominable. "Well, I'm getting one."
Before he could say anything else, Sakura put her hand in his in order to guide him away. The way he stared down at their joined hands and then back up to her threatened another blush to surface on her face. So she turned away as if this meant nothing, and pulled him along to where she knew a table of filled goblets lay in await.
He watched as Sakura sipped from her wine, his hand now long removed from hers. The event her father had thrown was extravagant, though he would not admit this to her. Everyone seemed content as they danced with their partners or chatted with their friends. The hall was bathed in a dim but bright light, giving it an appealing atmosphere. He supposed this was why she looked on straight ahead, instead of making conversation with him.
Sakura swirled her wine around absentmindedly. Her brain was still constantly seeking a way on which she could get herself out of this mess. She had almost forgot he was standing beside her.
"When is your father to make the announcement?"
"Hm?" Sakura said, her mind far away.
Sasuke obviously did not like to say things twice, for he did not repeat what he said.
Sakura sighed, unconsciously remembering what she had listened to but not quite heard. She hadn't realised he hadn't known. Usually, it was her who was kept in the dark. She felt good that she knew something he didn't for once. "He's not. At least, not tonight."
If Sasuke had any quarrels about this, he did not voice it.
"I asked him not to, as I felt it would be better to tell family friends first before it went public."
Lie.
But he had no reason to disbelieve her.
And it wasn't technically untrue either. She did want time to tell some people she hadn't had a chance to previously. She also wanted the time to acknowledge the truth herself since it hadn't fully sunk in. But more than that, she wanted to find away to undo it, without arousing her father's suspicions.
Sasuke had his head turned away from her toward the mingling crowd, so Sakura used this moment to study his stoic features once again. It was foolish, but she thought that gauging his expressions, however nonexistent, would reveal the answers to everything. Like why he wanted to marry her in the first place. Somehow, she thought it wasn't about the endowments he would gain. But could she really be sure?
As if he had felt her stare, his head turned to the side to look straight at her. This time she wasn't unprepared.
"It is quite astonishing how you manage to keep your face full of apathy."
"Hn. I have no reason to do so otherwise."
She contemplated this for a moment. "No, but it wouldn't kill you to be a little more jubilant. You have won the most glorious prize, after all."
Sasuke remained still, ignoring her sarcastic remark and thus causing Sakura to huff in displeasure. She had secretly been looking forward to how he would answer that one.
"Does my lousy company bore you?" he said, seeming to notice her slight exasperation at his lack of reply.
Sakura blinked. "Not as much as it should," she admitted, though she had no idea why. "I find you quite enthralling."
He raised a brow, the corner of his lip twitching upwards slightly. He was trying to repress one of those haughty smiles, for her sake, as this would only prove her earlier point right.
"Oh, do not think I meant that in a flattering manner. But rather, a simple desire to uncover your true motives."
The faint amusement from Sasuke's face disappeared. "A clever girl like you should be able to realise that my motives are unhidden."
Sakura laughed softly to herself. Once again, he had managed to compliment her and insult her at the same time.
For a moment, she met her father's gaze from across the hall, and he nodded approvingly upon seeing their interaction.
"So, do you go to these things often?" she queried, turning back to him.
"No."
"That's actually quite lucky. I have to attend or my father would probably banish me from the lands." She was joking, but he looked at her with a passive stare.
"You really are like one of those guards."
"I am not a guard."
She lifted her eyebrow, a mischievous smile tugging on her lips. "Oh? Expressionless, detached, unresponsive... All traits of a guard."
He clenched his jaw, giving her a hard stare, but she wasn't looking directly at him.
"Isn't that what you do? Guard stuff?"
He was about to berate her, but she broke out into a fit of giggles that made him pause.
"Can't take a joke, Sasuke?" she said his name mockingly. Sasuke had to control his inner indignation.
"Hn."
She giggled again, before putting her empty goblet down with a little more force than needed.
"What is it you actually do?"
His face darkened. "A lot of things you don't need to know of."
Sakura rolled her eyes. She should have expected him not to give her a straight answer.
Just as she opened her mouth to say something more, her father arrived before them. So there he was. She had lost sight of him moments ago in the crowd.
"Father," she greeted, inclining her head respectfully.
"So nice to see the two of you spending time together." His smile was bright and genuine. "And I expect to do so for the rest of the evening."
Sakura tried not to let her dejection at his words cross her features.
It was going to be a long night.
I had a major case of writers block, hence the late update. Also, a lot of things got in the way of me writing more. Sorry I suck /.\ Not sure if this was even how I intended the chapter to go, but I never could quite remember how it originally played out in my head. Hope this will suffice! Might come back and edit it a bit later. Feedback is much appreciated :)
