Author's Note: The other chapters are kind of plot heavy, so I'm trying to put more dialogue in this one. I'm new to writing stories like this, and I think that as the story progresses, I'll settle into a good writing style. I'm learning with each chapter, and I'm glad that you seem to like it. I'm open to constructive criticism, so don't be a stranger!
Komorebi-chama: Thank you for your reviews and input. I'm glad to see that you find it intriguing, and I'm happy that you are generating ideas about the plot line!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter 7: Apologize
It had been three days since it happened: Three days since the strangers took her away, three days since her uncle gave his life for her, and three days since since the Elder's brought her back to the compound. She had heard the cries of her cousin, mourning for his father's death. She had seen the casket lowered into the hard earth. She had felt the rain fall on her face, mixing with the hot tears. But she still couldn't believe that it was her uncle that was being buried. It was her fault her uncle had died. It was her fault her cousin was fatherless.
After the funeral, she sought after her mother. The maids had said that she was ill. It wasn't anything new. Her mother's health had always been weak, and the fact that she was with-child just added to the strain on her body. She very rarely left her rooms, but the nurses made sure she ate enough for her and the child growing inside her. They were worried for her well-being.
"Mother?" Hinata called as she slid open the door slowly. Her mother was laying down in bed, the fabric of the sheets straining against her bloated stomach.
"Hina-Chan," Her mother cooed. Her voice was rough, and her pale face was sheen with sweat. "How is my big girl?"
Hinata saw the look in her mother's eyes. She looked scared, and her small smile was forced. Her eyes were sunken, dark rings hugging the sockets. She had seen her mother when she was sickly, but she had never seen her like this before.
"Mother, are you alright?" She asked, eyebrows scrunching up on worry for her mother and the baby. She was excited to have a baby brother or sister to play with. Her father was excited too. He talked about the baby a lot. He said that they needed another child in case she failed to grow stronger. She was sad that she didn't make her father happy, but she would be happy for her younger brother or sister if they got to be a king or queen.
"Come here, Hina-Chan." She said softly.
Hinata pattered to the bed and crawled into her mothers arms. She was embraced lightly, and she could feel her mother's muscles jump because of the strain. Laying her head down on her mother's breast, she placed a small hand on her stomach.
"Is the baby okay?" She asked quietly, her lips brushing against the cold skin of her mother's chest. If she had looked up, she would've seen the tears in her mother's eyes.
"Your father loves you." She said, running her fingers through her child's silky locks. She wanted to make sure she knew before it was too late.
"Mama, what's wrong?" Hinata asked looking up at her mother's wan face. Her own tears threatened to fall.
"I love you too." She said, smiling. "And so does the baby." She placed a gentle kiss on Hinata's forehead.
"Hinata, I'm not sick like I used to be. Something's wrong." Her eyes drifted to the ceiling, and she let out a shaky breath. Hinata tried to leave, but her mother held her there.
"I'll get the nurse." Hinata insisted, tears running down her cheeks.
"No. Hina-Chan, you need to know something." She closed her eyes and sighed. Slowly, she opened them again and looked at her child warmly. The only child she'd ever have.
Her lips moved slowly, and it wouldn't be until days after that Hinata remembered what she said. It wasn't until she had no tears left to cry, that she would understand what her mother had told her.
She would never be able to forget her words. Or the glassy look in her eyes as her child's cries fell upon deaf ears.
He was quiet as he watched her and her maid swing on the bench near the lilacs. It had been a couple days since he had begun guarding her, and he was beginning to wonder if the job was as bad as he had originally presumed. She was quiet and rarely spoke unless she was spoken to. It didn't really bother him. If anything, he should've been glad that there wasn't a need to converse. He had never been one for words. Still, he caught himself wishing she spoke more. Her voice didn't bother him, and it was strange seeing a princess so reserved. Of course, the Hyuga were a reserved people, but in a completely different way. They were impassive and masked their emotions, and though her large eyes conveyed much of what she was feeling, she lacked the courage to voice her opinions. He wondered why.
Her father was very impersonal towards her, and even seemed to be aware of his jabs at her capabilities, or rather lack thereof. The Main Family members that he had met seemed to regard her in a similar way. They were polite enough, but no one could mistake the disappointment in their eyes. Some of them even sneered when they spoke to her, blatantly showing what they thought about the timid heiress. It was starting to get annoying. He didn't see where her actions warranted such behavior. She was unlike any Hyuga he'd ever met, and he couldn't remember acquainting himself with any girl like her before either. It was puzzling.
Her maid was a different story. It wasn't as though the pink haired girl was overly obnoxious. She was mute. And, despite that fact, she seemed louder than the princess. She constantly gave him heated gazes, and he could tell she was admiring him. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that he was handsome. She also couldn't seem to keep her hands to herself. If she walked by him, a hand would graze his shoulder. If she stumbled, a hand would reach for his arm. He wasn't sure if she was aware of her actions, but he didn't particularly like being touched. Not only did he have to deal with her; the lusty looks the Hyuga women were giving him hadn't gone unnoticed.
He stood a good ten feet away, giving them enough privacy to have a conversation. He could still hear, but he pretended to ignore them. And, for the most part, he did. He couldn't help but catch a few of the princess' words. She had asked if her mute maid thought he was handsome. There was a pause, and he heard a faint giggle. She continued conversing, and it became evident that she understood what her maid wanted to say even if she couldn't voice it. A guard approached them.
Sasuke waited, hand hovering above the hilt of his sword. According to the details of the princess' attack, the attacker himself was a guard. It seemed the Hyuga couldn't even trust themselves.
The guard left and took the maid with him, her bright pink hair bouncing as she walked. He was a bit grateful for her absence; although, he wasn't particularly certain as to why. He found himself wandering closer to the princess, standing only a few feet away now.
"Sakura was needed elsewhere." She said quietly. As the days passed, she found that her shadow wasn't nearly as ominous as she had pegged him to be. He was curt and rude, but it didn't seem to necessarily be directed towards her. It was like he was annoyed at the world. She didn't exactly loath his presence, but it was a bit of a damper to her spirits.
"Hn." He replied in his usual indifferent tone.
She looked down, taking a sudden interest in her fingers which were currently lacing together. Standing, she walked to the lilacs, examining each flower somewhat meticulously. They were wilting, and the edges of the blooms were shriveling, a brow tint creeping it's way across the cluster of purples. She was getting used to his presence, but it had been a while since she had spent any substantial amount of time with anyone other than her silent maid. Of course, he didn't retreat with her to her rooms at night. His room wasn't far from her own in case he was needed, and she was grateful for the silence that her solitude offered. Not that being with him wasn't quiet. They rarely spoke, but the silence that passed between them seemed louder than any words that could have been uttered. She often tried to strike up a conversation, but he never seemed particularly interested in speaking.
"She fancies me." He didn't know why he said anything, but he was amused to see the princess' face flush at his words.
"S-she does." Was all she said.
"You might mention to her that I'm not interested."
"I will, b-but she means no harm by it."
"I'm not here to appease anyone. If she continues, I will tell her myself." He stated in a curt tone.
She turned and cast him a brief glance. He thought he saw a hint of anger in her eyes. So the maid was a soft topic.
"No one pays her any attention, so she's taken interest in you. You don't have to be so rude." She said. There was no waver.
He hadn't been expecting her to be so forward, and it took him slightly aback. For the first time since he'd began guarding her, she spoke with utmost certainty. He decided to leave the topic alone. He could deal with the brief glances and touches of the maid.
"I apologize." He said. His voice was no different than when he'd been talking earlier, but she could tell that he had meant it. And he had. He wasn't the kind to speak empty words.
Somewhere in the distance, a child began to cry, and Hinata left the dying flowers and began heading towards the sound, her guard not far behind. They came across a group of children. There were three girls, one of them sporting the Mark. She was younger than the others; they looked to be older by a few years.
"W-what's going on?" Hinata asked worriedly.
"T-t-they hit m-me." The younger girl cried. Sasuke cringed slightly at the trail of snot running from her nose. With soothing fingers, Hinata gently pulled the girl's hand from her face and revealed the angry welt on her pale cheek. It was red now, but would certainly bruise later.
"Why did you strike her?" Hinata asked the two older girls. They exchanged uneasy looks and hesitated to answer.
"She keeps following us around. We don't want to play with her. Our friends make fun of us when they see her around." One of them complained, nervously wringing her hands behind her back.
Sasuke raised a brow. It had been a while since he had been around children, and their rash decisions never ceased to intrigue him. That was hardly a reason for striking the girl, but their unnecessary need to fit in prodded them to do so.
"They aren't real friends if they laugh at you. What if she just likes you and wants to spend time with you?" Hinata asked, rubbing small, soothing circles on the little girl's back.
"She's annoying, and she's Branch. Why would we want to spend time with her?" The other girl sneered.
The little girl let out a sob. "Y-you used to play with m-me everyday." She said, her small hand reaching up to touch her forehead. "U-until-" Her large eyes stared at the ground below.
Hinata narrowed her eyes in realization. Something similar had happened when Neji got branded. Many of his friends turned there backs on him because of the mark and the stigma that accompanied it. No doubt the children's parents played a role in their behavior. This kind of prejudice was learned. Children weren't born with the idea to hate that which is different.
"Apologize." She said sternly.
The girls looked at her with wide eyes, and Sasuke studied her for a moment. Her actions had a kind of resolve to them, but he could tell she was putting on a brave face. It wasn't hard to see the nervousness bubbling behind her eyes. But, even so, the older girls paled slightly at having offended the princess.
"W-we're sorry!" One of them rushed, bowing slightly. "Princess Hinata, we didn't mean to offend you."
"Don't apologize to me." She said, her pale eyes flicking to the sniveling child.
The girls mumbled an apology to the little girl, and Hinata stood, turning from them. Sasuke eyed her curiously as she let out a long, shaky breath. He wondered if the children intimidated her that much. It was slightly surprising to see the Hyuga princess act so kindly towards a Branch member when there was such a divide in the people. Of course, he wasn't sure what he'd expected from Hinata. He tried to picture her reprimanding the child for acquainting herself with the others, but he just couldn't quite imagine the heiress doing so.
One of the older girls eyed Sasuke suspiciously, a devious sparkle in her eyes.
"Hinata-Sama? Who's he?" She asked.
Hinata looked back at the girl and followed her gaze to her silent guard. He was standing a few feet away, eyes trained on the trees. He seemed to feel her gaze because his charcoal orbs turned to meet her eyes.
"H-he's my guard." She said, looking away from him and back to the older girl. The girl studied the princess' face for a moment, taking in the slight flush of her cheeks.
"Are you guys together?" She asked loudly. The girls snickered at the princess' reaction, amused by her distress. Several glances were cast in their direction.
"A-ah, n-n-no!" She managed to blurt out. The older girls squealed in delight. "W-we don't have th-those kind of f-f-feelings!" She insisted.
"Are you s-"
"You should go play." Sasuke intercepted levelly, eyeing the girls. While the topic of conversation was amusing, he was beginning to get annoyed at the children's antics. He also idly wondered if the princess was going to have a heart attack.
The girls looked up at him and clamped their mouths shut. They mumbled a string of incoherent apologies and scampered away. He watched as they cast frightened looks back at him. Children never did like him much.
"U-umm, thank you, Sasuke-San." She said to the ground.
He gazed at her for a moment before turning his eyes to the swaying trees. The leaves had changed color and were beginning to fall.
"Look up when you speak. They think you're weak because you act like you are." He said. She raised her head but kept her eyes averted.
"S-sorry." She said quietly.
"Don't apologize to me." He echoed her words from before, staring into her eyes.
