COAT OF ARMS

VII.

There are a lot of things the Queen of Leaf hates: Defeat tops them all. She rolled the parchment she received not long ago this morning. The sun has barely risen and her mood was already displeased. She glared at the scorching fire from her fireplace, There has to be a fucking mole she thought in her mind. Still currently dressed in her simple maroon nightgown she called for her righthand woman,

"Shizune!"

The sun has barely risen, in an ungodly hour, and the Council will receive a dark, grave news. So will the Uchiha.


She adjusted the leather reins of the mare the Uchiha king provided her as he fulfilled his word that they will explore for a while outside the castle. It was around six in the morning or so, her bright green eyes noticed the sun peaking through the clouds. She stole a brief glance to her left, her companion dare she say. He was dressed in a simple attire: black leather boots, black pants and a navy blue long sleeve shirt with his family crest sewn on the back. He did not wear his crown, she learnt he only wore it during formal events unlike in her kingdom where it was almost always required. He would look like a simple handsome young man had he not worn the blood red cape with black and silver trimmings from one shoulder and then encircled around the other ending at the back of his knees.

The cape made her feel underdressed to go outside with him. She donned the dress Lady Tenten suggested or rather shoved to her on the first light of the morning sun. It was a navy blue long sleeved gown, the neckline was a bit deep but shown none a hint of her breasts, sequined with gold circles, as well as the waist part of the dress. It was simple, light and for activities, she recalled the brunette lady saying. She tied her long tresses into a half ponytail to keep them from covering her view.

"Are you ready?" she heard her deep voice asked. In return she gave a small smile and nodded.


"You'll reach there before the day ends." The purple haired Queen's guard answered her question. She nodded and adjusted the strap securing her luggage on the white stallion her betrothed provided her. She frowned when she saw her betrothed scowled. Giving a small sigh, she called him

"Sai, stop that." She placed both of her hands on the pale man's cheek silently thanking him inside her head for not wearing his silver helmet. "I'll come back, okay?"

He tried his best to keep the scowl from his face as he watched his betrothed prepare her departure. They both know that she needs to do this. For the people, for the country. He held her hand on his right cheek and sighed, "Just be safe, and don't stop okay?"

"I promise." She gave a small laugh, "We still have to get married, you know."

"Lady Ino, we must get there before dark." The hound master from the Fire reminded the blonde woman the Queen sent for the Princess. His large white furred hound named Akamaru barked in agreement, walking beside his master's black stallion. She glanced at her companion, the brunette man and hound master from the Fire was one of the trusted men of the Uchiha king. She briefly wondered how the Princess was faring in the said country, silently praying for her good health. Her thoughts were broken when her fiancé kissed her lips farewell. She kissed back pouring her emotions. Anko and the hound master gave them their time for they never know when will be the end of the civil war.

"Stay safe." He whispered before her lips as they broke off. Blue eyes full of love and with a glint of melancholy, "You too."

The next thing Sai knew, he and Anko were watching their horses galloped in a distance, towards the horizon.


One of the mystery Sakura noticed was the lack of heavy guards. As the last of his line, should he not be protected at all cost? They handed their horses earlier to one of his men as they strolled around the busy market place. In her observant bright green eyes noticed the distance of his guards which are a good amount. She supposed that was normal. There were hear sayings that Fire was one of the most peaceful if not the most.

"Your Grace! I haven't seen you around these days." An old man, gray haired with hint of baldness on top wore a small spectacles as he cheerily greeted the King with a small bow.

"Arata-san." The king greeted back with a small nod and walked to the fruit vendor's stall. He beckoned the foreign princess to follow him. She did so, offering the old man a sincere smile, noting how the other people in the area smiled and gave small greetings to their king as they passed by. Now she knows why he kept his guards at a distance, His people love him. These thoughts made her think of home, of her people, how they greeted her and how she greeted back with sincere smiles.

"I'm sure you are very busy, my King." Arata replied, "But I have always kept these for you, Your Grace." He pulled out something under the table, a brown paper bag weighing at least three kilograms. He placed it on his table on top of the red apples he sells. The Uchiha King picked a round object inside to inspect it.

Tomatoes?

"Thank you, Arata-san." He placed more than enough payment as Arata's eye widened at the amount his king offered.

"Your Grace, that's too much. Let me get your change!" He opened the belt bag from his waist and started looking for the right amount of his change.

"No, it's alright. Consider the rest as my gratitude for always keeping my share, Arata-san." Sasuke waved his hand as he took the paper bag and glanced at the nymph of a princess a step behind him as she gave him his time. She had a small smile and her eyes looked longing.

"Ahh, you always do that, my King." The old man bashfully replied as he collected the more than enough payment given to him by the generous king. The bespectacled man noticed the young king glanced at his companion who shyly smiled at him. He took notice of the young lady's appearance. Small faced, with big bright green eyes, a shade he just knew now, small button nose and pink plum lips. The lady did not wear any make up unlike women around her age used so. Arata believed that this lady did not need to. She was pretty and those long slightly waved pink hair? Otherworldly. It was a rare sight how his king shown a bit of concern. Could it be..?

"Hello there, my Lady." Arata gave a polite greeting to the woman who stepped closer out of respect and gave a small smile, "Hello, Arata-san."

"My... you look very pretty." Arata complimented and the king watched his companion's cheek blush a shade deeper than her soft hair. "Thank you. How much for your cantaloupes?"

She gestured at the mountain of green and orange veined sweet fruits as she took one and smelled. This one's sweet.

"Oh! It's free for you, my Lady." Arata waved his hand and gave a small smile, "Please accept it as a gift."

"I... um." She gave a small laugh, "Thank you!"

The young king had a ghost of a smile as she watched her freely interacts with one of his people. Maybe the marriage will not be so bad decision after all. The first time he saw the young princess, he wanted her. He was a hard love leader and she was kind, soft. The lost Queen his people deserved. Their conversation was tuned out to him as he thought of what the current situation at the Leaf.

"My king, is she your..." Arata leaned in closer as he asked him. He knew the man could keep a secret.

"Yes." Arata smiled before he send them off to whatever they planned on this morning. "Run along now, my King and Lady."

"Bye, Arata-san!" Sakura smiled as she waved, "Thank you for the fruits."


On the way to their destination, a lot have already greeted the King and whispers greeted the young princess. She felt a bit insecure for the future as thoughts of whether the king's people would accept even accept her as his queen or consort. Thinking back to Arata-san gave her a bit of hope. After five or seven minutes, they arrived at the wide town plaza/park where few children of different ages played. Sakura thought that maybe the other children are at schools.

Shouts and greets of "Your Highness!", "Your Grace", "Pretty Lady."

She never knew that the young king was well liked by children. It just didn't fit his cold, hard appearance. She watched him kneeled down on their level as he ruffled their heads.

"Shouldn't you kids be in school?" his smooth deep voice asked.

"Not old 'nough yet, my King." A boy with brown hair and gray eyes with two front teeth missing. Sasuke gave a small nod.

"She pretty!" Another boy with a darker shade of brown and same gray eyes pointed at the waving pink haired princess.


They were running pretty with no breaks longer than ten minutes towards the direction of the pristine Uchiha castle and by the time they reached the boarder's gate Lady Ino was exhausted. Never in her life did she imagined to travel like her life depended on it which actually was considering the unknown dangers in the forest lands.

The guards in black and red armor opened the gates once the saw the hound master took his hood off. With a small salute the Inuzuka gave, their horses galloped into the kingdom. Lady Ino followed Kiba as he lead the way to the castle. They have an two hours before the sun sets and she liked to think they got here earlier than intended.

Upon entering the tall silver steel gates of the castle, Ino was greeted at the sight of white roses and flowers decorating outside the palace. It was bigger than the Leaf's castle - so much bigger for just a lone survivor of the old reigning clan. Her horse was halted by one of the guards and a few helper collecting her things, she took this as a cue to climbed down with the help of the chivalrous guard.

"I already sent a messenger to look for the king and princess." Kiba told her as he lead her inside the massive castle. She took in the exquisite interior of the century old castle. Marbled white floor, sun shaped chandelier that gives a warm glow to the place and cream white curtains.

"Apparently, they went to the town." Kiba's last statement broke Ino off her reverie. And here, she thought her princess of a friend was treated somewhere in the castle like a prisoner.

"Oh, I thought she'll be holed up in somewhere here." Ino said her thoughts outloud before she could stop herself.

Kiba laughed, "He won't treat a future queen like that, Lady Ino."


After the young princess played with the children in the park, the Uchiha King took her in an old tea shop house he and his brother used to frequent. Like his older brother, the princess have a sweet tooth.

"You come here a lot?" He heard her ask from across him as she finished her meal. Like him, he learnt that she will only talk after the meal.

"Yes, my brother and I." She gave a small smile and her bright green eyes showed sadness. Maybe I asked a wrong question.

"Worry not, it was a long time ago." He replied and silently hoped the topic of his beloved brother will be dropped. She bit her lower pinkish lips in regret and tried to shook the awkwardness away by changing the topic of their new conversation.

"Sorry," she immediately replied, "Their anmitsu is nice. Maybe we should get Lady Tenten or Kakashi-san some?"

Whatever she likes. He nodded and raised his hand to call one of the waiters making their rounds in the quiet tea shop.

"So tomatoes, huh?" Sakura gave a small smirk of her own after speaking to the waiter for the go-to desserts they plan to take back in her new home. Even though she wasn't married yet, Sakura thought that she had to get used to calling it her new home. In a few months or so, whatever the tides of the civil war will dictate when.

"It's healthy." He replied and finished his oolong tea.

"But it's a lot. Do you really take it as a snack?"

Before Sasuke could answer one of his station guard from a distance entered the tea shop and whispered something near enough for the king to hear the new information. He stood up and motioned the guards to pick their horses. Sakura watched and a new nervousness bubbled inside her chest as Sasuke's hard King appearance surfaced again. He placed more than enough money on their table and stood up.

"We must go back." his stern voice demanded, gone was the approachable king, "Immediately."

She nodded and followed him outside. Sakura supposed she was lucky enough today as she spent most of the day getting to know who he was as a king to his people. It was more than enough.


The rose haired princess never got off a horse as fast as a lightning when she saw the long platinum blonde hair. She would recognized that hair and posture anywhere. Her bright green eyes took her best friends appearance in and it was a rare sight to see as Ino rarely travels. The blonde noble would always want to be in her best sophisticated flowy dresses but now, she was dressed in a forest green light quarter sleeved gown with brown ivy embossed in the chest. Her travel boots muddy from the trekked in the forest.

Ino looked at her friend whom she felt she hadn't seen since eternity. She remembered her purpose and the people depending on her. She remembered Sai who was probably worried to death even if it wasn't evident in his features. And most of all she remembered inside the western part of the city, one of the center trades. She broke down.

The next thing Sakura knew, she was tackled in a tight hug and Ino was crying.

"What happened, Ino?" She shook the woman off her and placed her hands on her reddened cheeks. The blonde then sobbed and Sakura felt something heavy in her chest she almost can't breathe.

"Not here." Sasuke's voice cut through the tension as he proceeded to his study with Kiba on his tail. Sakura guided her torn friend inside.


"The western part of the country - the center for trade was attacked by Danzou's men late at night." Ino started her narrative once she calmed down and sat on one of the chairs in the King's study. Her bright blue eyes watched her princess grew weary and stood up from her seat.

"Apparently, only a squad of the Fire was station in there and the rest of the soldiers were from the Leaf's." Ino recalled the information the Queen told her this morning. Sakura took in whatever she said and started to pace, brows scrunched in thoughts as Ino continued,

"Lady Tsunade believes this as a work of an insider, a mole or someone else funding Danzou for his ambition."

"The alliance is only at betrothal. I cannot send more men to fight in Leaf, you all know the International Laws on these things." Sasuke sternly replied, even if he desired to send more he'll be breaking international treaties that were made.

"I know. The Queen knows of this as well. She asked to round up male sixteen and above and capable to be trained currently back home." Ino countered to prevent misunderstanding that the Leaf was ungrateful, "She also knows that it is a whole different story when marriage is pushed through as both of the houses will combine."

Sasuke did not know whether to be pleased or not at the Queen's hint to get married soon, he watch the pinkette bit her lower lip in nervousness (he learnt.). He made a mental note to discuss it with his righthand man Kakashi later in the evening. How soon will be the marriage will solely depend on the princess.

"Ino, tell me who died there." Sakura broke through their conversation as she got the hint of the Queen's message. Someone in position probably died there as the Queen resorted for a haste marriage.

"Sakura, I don't think..." Ino was about to continue when she met the darken green eyes of her princess. She breathed deep to prevent her tears from flowing,

"There was Asuma, Kotetsu," Ino watched her keep her brave face, "and the council for travel, Haku."

She sharply inhaled, "I understand." she hugged her blonde friend before turning to the dark haired king,

"We'll get married in two weeks."