Okay so i recently got asked a whole list of questions by someone, lol. and i guessed that maybe some of you had similar questions so ill answer them right now.

to answer question 1: Having Lotus feet is seen as a great physical hindrance, you can't walk properly for the rest of your life, you can't run, play, jump, dance, take long walks, walk on uneven grounds without potentially hurting yourself. and when the feet are binded in cloth and are in shoes, they are really cute and adorable, but take that off and you're left with an ugly mess of a foot. Men saw binded feet and the way women walked with them as being extremely erotic, but a Chinese emperor himself had stated that once you see the actual lotus feet, you'll never feel the same way about them again. And quite literally you're walking on broken feet, the snap your arch in half and bend all your toes except the big one into the arch to create narrow small feet.

to answer question 2: The reason the maid apologized mentally to Tenten was because she knew that lotus feet sounded beautiful and amzing, but really it was a painful process, that (as i stated before) hindered you for the rest of your life. For some women their feet would reak during the summer months because it was so hot and sense the feet were bent and folded so strangely many womens feet would reak and leak strange fluids, along with puss. At times to prevent toe nails growing into the skin they would rip them off to make it easier.

to answer question 3: Tenten's father as all other men, don't know and have never been exposed to the process of foot binding, it's usually left to the mother. Now mother or father the child would always go to the matchmaker for professional help. The matchmaker, or someone professional they get, is usually the one to bind the young girls feet since family can be too emotional to do it. Also, after the girl would get her feet binded she would meet another girl who would become her laotong. This girl becomes her best friend, and their relationship becomes closer than that of a husband and wife. Also the matchmaker is there for the future to keep rebinding the feet, and to help find the young girl a suitable husband.

to answer question 4: well...thatll be answered later on in the story (;

I hope this helped enjoy!

Pain; Chapter 4

Summer 1848- Chongqing, China

A five year old Tenten skipped happily down the street, her dark chocolate buns bouncing with ever step. Baby blue silk swished with every bit of her movement making the warmth and excitement in her eyes shimmer more brilliantly than ever. Her step slowed as she began to near the matchmakers home. She opened the door and slipping her shoes off at the door made her way to one of the seats in her quaint little waiting area. She continued to hum as she kicked her legs back and forth starring down at her bare feet. She really shouldn't be here yet, but her băomŭ had to go pick up vegetables for lunch. So she entrusted Tenten to go down and ask the matchmaker if she needed anything for this afternoon 'and if I make it back in time, ill be able to greet Neji when he first come! Oh how I've missed him!' She closed her eyes while smiling and giggling in excitement, a slight flush came to her cheeks as she thought of him. To think he would be present at the time of her binding was a wonderful thought to her! She opened her eyes and reveled in the idea of her feet finally being small and pretty. All they did was get bigger and bigger each year. Even though countless elders and women alike told her father how naturally small her feet were, she didn't see it. 'Will Neji like my small feet?i hope he does..'

A sudden noise interrupted her silent musing it sounded like a crack and a muffled cry. She whipped her head to the side starring at the thin wall between her and the next room. The noise was followed by sudden movement, it was clumsy and wild. She then heard the voice of Madame Bai,

"Keep her still or I will not continue."

" Lan, stop it!" A small cry,

"b-but mama, It hurts!"

"Beauty is pain my child, to have beautiful feet you must experience pain." Tenten's curiosity had peaked much to high for her to simply ignore it. She stood and neared the wall to hear better. She was slightly startled as another crack broke through the thick silence followed by a much louder cry of pain and a harsh slap. "You insolent girl. Dishonoring your family in such a way." She heard muffled crying as more continuous cracks followed. She didn't understand, what was happening? What were they doing to that poor girl? Why was she crying? These questions racked her brain over and over, she turned her head to the door and bit her small lip before succumbing to the temptation. On hands and knees she crawled over to it, and ever so gently and ever so quietly she slid it open. Her eyes widened as she saw the mangled broken foot of a sobbing girl being wrapped in purple strips of cloth. Her mouth had dropped open in a silent scream, but she was too shocked to make a sound. She continued to stare at the foots as she heard the matchmakers voice.

"The binding of your feet will truly ensure you of a wonderful husband with a wonderful home. This is a painful road you will travel." She set the young girls foot down with the other finely wrapped one. Both of the women stood in front of the young girl,

"get up and walk", her mother commanded. The girls moist eyes looked up, stricken by her request. She grabbed her daughter's hands and began to make her stand.

" Now walk!" The girl slowly began to move, squeaking and biting her lip every time she took a step, tears streaming profusely down her face. Tenten's own eyes began to water at the sight 'i-is this...?'

"Soon enough your feet will also be beautiful lotus'." In a blind panic Tenten ran from the matchmakers home and began to run down the streets. Fear clenched painfully at her heart, the need to get home was dire.

She ran through the open gates seeing the carriage which Neji arrived in already outside of the house. She made her way to the gardens where she knew he would be. She continued running when she abruptly stopped, with wet eyes she starred at the boy seated in the grass in pristine white robs. His eyes were closed as he breathed slowly.

"Neji.." She whispered her voice breaking with barely contained hysteria. His eyes snapped open as he turned to look at the familiar person.

"Tenten.." He breathed her name with obvious relief. Ever since the incident he had completely changed; he was quieter now and rarely spoke along with never showing emotion. He only ever opened up to certain people, and obviously now to the person most dear to him, Tenten. He was startled, though, to see her eyes pouring out tears and her body visibly shaking. He stood and neared her, being seven he was quite a bit taller than her now and looked down as he spoke.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Her bottom lip trembled as she threw her arms around his waist. He was shocked at the sudden contact, yet slowly placed a hand on her head. She then looked up,

"I-i saw it Neji! I saw what they did! To that girl! It was horrible!" he was at a lost, he had no idea what she was even talking about.

"What? What girl? What did you see?"

"Her feet Neji her feet! I saw them bind her feet!" She sobbed at the last part and the realization struck him. "I don't want that Neji! I don't want them to bind my feet!" Her grip around his waist tightened. "Don't let them do that to me Neji! Please! Don't let them break my feet!" Out of sudden instinct, that he thought no longer existed in his cold heart, he wrapped his arms around her small body and pressed her tightly to him.

"I wont let them touch you." He was adamant on keeping this promise. She no longer wanted this, she quietly whimpered.

Ai hobbled through the garden with his cane searching for the children 'that damn maid! I specifically sent her to see the matchmaker! There's a reason why I did not send Tenten!' He hardly took notice of the man behind him trying to calm him and ease him a bit, but there was truly no time. He had just finished beating and firing that maid for her insolence and now he had to take Tenten to Madame Bai as quickly as possible and get this done with before anything else happened.

"Tenten!" he finally found her with Neji. He had his arms tightly around her in a protective way, her tear stained face turned to look at him, he felt his heart stop 'She knows.' He did his best to make it seem like he didn't notice as he approached them. "Come along my little lóng, it is time to see the matchmaker", as he attempted to grab her he saw her eyes widen in fear before she was moved away from his grasp by Neji himself.

"You wont lay a hand on her" Ai was slightly taken aback at the cold venom twisted into the young boys words. His eyes had not deceived him, Neji had most definitely changed.

"Neji" he started firmly "this does not concern you, these are family affairs, now stop this foolishness immediately." He made another grab for her but she was once again taken from his reach. She was now behind the young Hyuuga as he stood in front of her protectively.

"She doesn't want this, only you do."

By now Lord Chu's blood was boiling, just as he was about to yell at the boy another voice beat him to it.

"Neji!" Hiashi Hyuuga approached him "You dishonor our family with your behavior. Now do as Lord Chu says and cease this obscene behavior." He stood his ground as he defiantly starred into his Uncles eyes,

" I. will. not." He bitterly hissed. In the next moment he was struck across the face with a harsh resounding slap before the older Hyuuga roughly grabbed Tenten from behind ignoring her cries as he shoved her towards her father. Ai immediately picked her up, ignoring her pleas for him to stop before she quickly chose to scream for Neji while stretching out a hand to him over her fathers shoulder.

"Neji!" she desperately cried. His uncle held him firmly by his arms, his once pale cheek was now a stinging red as he reached out to her

"Tenten!" Their cries for each other were heard loud and clear.

"Neji!" she tried again.

"Tenten!" he responded before his Uncle roughly grabbed him and once again slapped him. By the time he was able to focus again he could no longer see her and could only hear her cries for him. He could do no more as he was grabbed and forced back into the carriage they came in.

The Matchmakers Home

Ai hauled in his daughter as she kicked and screamed for his release.

"Stop it Tenten this instant!" She ignored him though as she continued these actions. He dragged her into the back room where the matchmaker awaited.

"Lorde Chu!" The said woman yelled "Did I not tell you to say nothing to her!"

"I didn't!" He grunted as he did his best to restrain her. "She saw you bind another girls feet by accident!" Her eyes widened before they narrowed dangerously as she stared at Tenten 'stupid brat.'

"Hold her." Madame Bai walked over to the bowl of boiled water and herbs with a pile of beige strips of cloth. She kneeled down next to it and moved the bowl aside. 'This'll teach her to not be nosey and to mind her own good for nothing buisness.' She grabbed onto Tenten's small foot. Her screams grew louder as she knew what was coming. Tightly wrapping the first strip around her ankle she brought it up over her smaller toes leaving out the largest one, and then brought it down bending her foot towards her arch pulling it tighter and tighter until she heard the crack. A scream came from the young throat at the breaking of her foot. She sobbed as her foot began to be brought closer and closer to the arch of her foot. She cringed and screamed again as she heard another crack and her toes met her arch. She looked down in stricken horror at her now disfigured foot. It was bent too much at the arch as she only saw her big toe, the rest of her toes were under her foot. She cried as the cloth began to wrap around her broken foot; tighter, and tighter, and tighter.

"It hurts!" No one headed her pleading voice though as the cloth became tighter. Then in a pretty bow it was tied off on the front of her "foot". She sniffled and whimpered at the still burning pain.

" Now the other one." Madame Bai carelessly dropped her broken foot to the floor causing another cry. She grabbed the next one and Tenten's previous hysteria returned full force once again. After going through all of that for just one foot she couldn't just have it happen again, she didn't want it to happen again, it was too painful.

CRACK!

She screamed.

As the pedestrians passed by the matchmakers home a young childs agony filled cry was heard clearly through the thin walls, yet they ignored it as if it was merely the wind playing tricks on their ears. Young children continued playing, large footed maids and mothers continued to buy food and care for children, men continued their loitering and drinking, and the small footed woman continued to walk through her towns streets. Her ever recognizable swing admired by all as the jewelery in her hair glittered and jingled together

Ting...ti-ting...ting..ti-ting...ting...ti-ting...ting...ti-ting..

Good? don't worry this is most definitely not the end. review please!

Side note: any questions you'd like to ask please inbox me! thanks for reading guys :D