Prompt: "humility"
Note: So in case I forget to say it in the chapter, basically with each new piece, they're both a year older. So in this chapter, they're fourteen, and in the next, they'll be fifteen and so on. Enjoy!

iii. the spar

When he was told that he would no longer be travelling with the army and, by extension, his brother, Sasuke was thoroughly displeased and made no effort to hide that fact. To be told that he would be residing in the Castle, at that, didn't make him any happier. As someone who grew up traversing the Kingdom's borders, to be rooted in its urban centre was rather stifling to Sasuke. But he made the best of it. Despite his childish tantrums, he knew his father didn't quite have the choice of declining the "offer" for the position of Councilman. Although he wasn't particularly pleased with being grounded in one city (and one ridiculously large building), Sasuke did get to spend more time with his mother. Moreover, he was given the opportunity to learn under the Kakashi Hatake with Prince Naruto. He knew Sakura also trained with Kakashi, but her lessons were private so he never saw her in the training rooms.

What Sasuke did not like about staying in the Castle was, well, the Princess.

It wasn't that Sasuke disliked her, per se, but in the past fourteen months that he'd been living in the capital, the Princess was always watching him. Perhaps "always" was a stretch, but whenever they were in the same room or she was just down the hall from where he was standing, Sasuke could feel her eyes trained on him. He couldn't understand what was wrong with her. She didn't look at him the way Lady Ino did, ravenous and wanting, as if she were stripping off his clothes with her eyes. That particular gaze made him irritable and jumpy. The Princess certainly didn't look at him the way the older ladies did, like the elderly Lady Hyuuga who felt he was a threat to her nephew's place in the court. Sakura simply looked at him as if she was reading his every movement.

She made him uncomfortable.

Had she been any other woman, he simply would have sneered her way and avoided her presence. However, as she was the future Queen, Sasuke had to approach the matter with more grace and tact. Or, of course, he could take the more classic approach of just not approaching the matter at all and be done with – which is, naturally, what he did.

Which is why Sasuke panicked when he absent-mindedly stumbled into the training room to practice what Kakashi had taught him earlier that day and came across Sakura, not in her silken gowns and jewels with an elaborate hairstyle full of flowers and braids, but in simple linens with her dainty-looking sword in her hand.

Both of them spent a few moments taking the other in before Sasuke remembered his place and bowed. "My lady," he greeted.

Sakura returned the gesture. "Come to practice, Sasuke?"

"Yes, my lady." He saw her frown at the title and winced, remembering the many times she requested he just call her "Sakura" if they weren't in the company of their parents or any other overbearing adults. "I mean, yes, Sakura."

The frown fell from her lips and she pointed to his blade in its sheath at his side. "Would you like to spar?"

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

"Spar," she repeated slowly. "Would you like to spar with me, Sasuke?"

He stood in his place by the door stiffly. "Uh." He managed to swallow despite his discomfort. Spar? Spar with the Princess? Sasuke felt himself sweating and felt irritated with himself for losing his cool over a hypothetical fight. How did he go about this? If he injured her, she would probably cry and have him beheaded even though it would be her own fault for challenging someone stronger than her. Really, what on earth was she thinking? Sasuke gulped. "I—"

But his silence was enough to annoy her. "You think I'm weak, don't you?"

"No, my lady," Sasuke said automatically. Reverting back to her proper title gave away his lie and Sasuke stiffened under her glare. How typical of Sakura to change moods so swiftly, he thought, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at her. Future Queen that she was, Sakura was also just such a girl.

"I know you think I'm just a weak little girl," she hissed, stepping towards him. She stopped a few feet away from him and pointed her blade at his throat. "Everyone thinks I'm just a weak little girl."

At her angry words, Sasuke couldn't help but pity her. He'd heard the whispers that claimed Sakura was unworthy of the throne. Her birth mother was never wise enough to be a worthy opponent for Kushina's title and her father was a stupid man who drank himself to death. And her hair was pink. The sorceress in the north claimed the girl was bad luck and many of the lords and ladies of the court whispered of how the best route for the Leaf Kingdom would be for Naruto and his future bride to take rule. Of course, Sasuke knew, this was so that the parents of the girl Naruto chose would gain an ounce of power.

The gossip was another reason Sasuke hated being in the castle. There were no virtuous people, which said a lot considering he grew up around fighting and death. The members of the court were all snakes.

"I don't think you're weak, Sakura," Sasuke said slowly, raising his hands to show he was not trying to fight her.

"You're a liar."

But she only pressed harder. She could kill him, he realized. She could slit his throat if she wanted to. No matter what, he was at her will. If he defended himself, he would be killed. If he didn't, he would be killed.

"I'm so sure you don't," she sneered. "The Leaf may be a led by women, but these Queens have all been puppets to their all-male Councils." The girl laughed snidely. "But that's not the kind of Queen I will be," she declared. Finally, she moved the sword away, allowing Sasuke to take a relieved breath. She tapped Sasuke's own scabbard, telling him to take his own blade out. "I will rule wisely," Sakura added. She spoke as though her small utterances of insecurity were never revealed. "And justly."

Their blades clanged as Sasuke fought, not daring to hold back. When she managed to cut him ever so slightly, he took a few steps back, prompting her to smirk.

"And strongly."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. "And humbly, my lady?"

She glared at him over a small blush. "Yes, and with humility indeed."

Sensing her displeasure, Sasuke had to grace to present her with a bow. "I did not mean to offend you, my lady. I do believe you will make a great Queen one day."

"Of course I will," she replied. Sakura shrugged. "I will be proficient in all parts of my Kingdom." She looked at him pointedly. "Perhaps I will even aid you on the front lines one day, Sasuke."

Something in him churned – a foreign feeling of protectiveness. Sasuke lowered his sword. "Or perhaps you would like to leave the fighting to me and your brother?"

"That would be foolish," Sakura pointed out. "While I know not of how well you fight or strategize, Sasuke, I do know my brother would make a poor leader of men." She smiled grimly, as if anticipating the day her brother was promoted simply because of his blood. While brawn was always important, without the brain, it was utterly useless. "My brother can easily win a battle, but he could never win a war."

Sasuke stilled at her cold tone. "We're not in a war, my lady."

She waved a hand carelessly. "But we may be one day," she suggested in such a girlish voice that Sasuke would have taken her for a meek little seamstress girl living the village instead of the soon-to-be Queen. "What will happen when the Leaf Kingdom isn't enough for me? What if I want more?"

"My lady…" Sasuke began slowly, unsure if he was out of place. "I don't think you should be speaking like that."

The Princess only shrugged. "I'm ambitious."

He snorted, thinking back to her rapid mood swings in the span of the past fifteen minutes. "No, you're just crazy," he muttered. His eyes widened when he realized what he had said to and he turned to Sakura, expecting her to be about to pounce. Instead, however, she was smiling. She laughed, throwing her head back and holding her sword off to the side. Sasuke shifted wearily. Perhaps the Leaf Kingdom was in for a second Mad Queen? "Um…"

"I like you, Sasuke." He felt his cheeks grow warm at her soft words. "You're very interesting," she added. "I'm glad you're living in the castle now."

"…thank you?"

She beamed at him and straightened her posture. "Now. Would you like to spar, Sasuke?"

He nodded and readied himself for her strike.