Disclaimer: I'm poor and couldn't possibly be the owner of Naruto... or could I...? mwahahahha lol. I'm not.
Love's Hiding Place
Chapter 7: Monster
Hinata's face set aflame as she stumbled into the west wing of the palace. After the current events with her betrothed, she needed a bit of time to calm down.
"Gaara!" he turned to look at her. This was the first time he had called her by his name! "I know you don't like me, and frankly, I don't blame you!" she smiled at him now, "but I promise you, if you give me a chance, I will try my best to make you happy as your wife. I won't give up, no matter what you do, so please just give me a chance to prove myself to you!"
Just thinking back on her words made her want to slap herself. What had come over her? Not only had she yet again disrespected him by referring to him by his name, she had raised her voice towards the Crown Prince! Granted, he was her betrothed. Yet, their initial meetings and subsequent conversations had not led her to believe that referring to him that way was acceptable. Thankfully, he had not screamed at her or cursed her for doing so. She convinced herself that he probably just ignored her because he was tired of her antics. Instead of asserting his displeasure with her actions, he would rather just ignore her presence. Hinata hoped that wasn't the case, but even she knew it was.
Letting out a pained sigh, she barely even noticed it when one of the royal guards with whom she had engaged in small talk with on the day of her arrival, crossed her path. He rushed towards her, eyes wide with concern with another guard quick behind his tail.
"Milady," the guard exclaimed, "what ill fate has befallen you?" Hinata shyly smiled towards him as she managed to bow in greeting. The royal servants in the Kingdom of Sand were incredibly well mannered and trained. Compared to the light-hearted and friendly servants she was used to in her home Kingdom, the way they related to their masters and the royal guests seemed so indirect and cold. Though he was obviously worried for her safety, Hinata couldn't help think he was only doing so because it was expected of him. She would have to work on her relationships with the royal servants. She truly wanted to be their companions, and now, she was in a place where her father couldn't criticize her for "getting too comfortable with the help," as he fondly put it.
"O-oh, Hello…" Hinata stammered back in response. Lost in her thoughts, she had almost forgotten the two men standing before her, "this is but a small scratch." She motioned towards her knee. The guard looked at her skeptically while the other one made a move towards her. Instantly, Hinata stepped back. Unfortunately, she had used her injured leg to do so, and was now paying for it dearly. She bit back a pained whimper as she held her smile before the gazes of the guards.
The guard who had stepped towards her spoke, "I will lead you to the office of Doctor Chiyo. She is the royal physician, and will be able to give you the proper medical attention." Hinata wanted to tell the guards that she was perfectly healthy, that this was just a small scratch, but as she let her eyes fall to the gash on her knee, the blood staining her dress, she knew seeing the man would be the best thing for her to do. She merely nodded in agreement, and allowed the guards to lead her to the office of the royal doctor.
When she arrived, her escorts announced her arrival to one of the nurses who were cleaning the lavish office. The nurse gave Hinata a low bow Hinata was sure was uncomfortable and informed her that the doctor would be with her shortly. Hinata was led to what the two guards referred to as "the royal medical quarters," a large room with an amazing view of the exterior of the palace that was, in Hinata's opinion, overly decorated, for a medical room. The medical hall was a bit south of east wing of the third floor of the palace. Hence, by the time they finally arrived, Hinata only wanted to sit down. Her knee hadn't stopped bleeding, and she was feeling faint.
"I hope the brat didn't do that to you." Hinata's shot up in the reclined chair she had been instructed to sit in. She looked at the woman who had just entered the room. She opened her mouth to greet who she believed was the doctor she was here to see when the woman spoke again, "even if he didn't, the King will think he did." Hinata didn't know what the woman was talking about. Who was 'he'? "I hope you're a good liar, missy. I don't know how things are done in your kingdom, but that's how we do things here." The woman picked up what looked like a small pot and a few chemicals and sat them down before her. Then she shuffled towards her putting on gloves and holding a cloth like material. Hinata toke in the woman's features. She looked… old. Her hair was of a greyish-violet color and her skin was plagued with moles and age spots. Hinata wondered why such an elderly woman was still working. Lost in thought, she hadn't noticed the woman close their distance, "Now, how this this happen?"
Hinata swallowed as she began to recollect the events that lead to her injury, "I was talking to the Crown Prin-" Hinata ceased her talking when the woman shoot her a glare.
The woman let the glare subside from her face and slowly pulled a chair in front of Hinata. She looked deep into Hinata's eyes. Hinata felt a chill run up her spine. This woman was one of the most intimidating people she had ever crossed paths with. The woman let out a sigh; "You did not meet with the Crown Prince this evening. After dinner you retired to your own space, but after a while you grew bored and wanted to explore the palace. In doing so you hurt your self. Do you understand."? Hinata blinked back in realization. This woman was protecting the Crown Prince. Hinata could see that Gaara and his father, the King, did not have a good relationship. Thus, there would be nothing stopping the King from assuming that Gaara harmed her.
Clearing her throat, Hinata replied, "I was exploring the palace, unsupervised, when found myself walking about the outside gatehouse. I tripped and fell on my way doing the stairs, not paying attention."
The woman smirked at Hinata, "I'm sorry to hear that. You should be more careful." With that, the woman bowed her head to Hinata, and said, "It's nice to finally meet you, milady. I am Dr. Chiyo." Hinata bowed back in return. Soon, she was blissfully falling into a conscious slumber as the woman began treating her wound. Soon, her consciousness left her, and she fell asleep.
Gaara was not pleased with the way everything had been going. He recalled the events of the day his father had informed him that soon, he would have a bride who would take the title of Crown Princess alongside him. He knew that one day, he was expected to take the throne as King, and a King needed a Queen to bare the Kingdom's future rulers. It was an unwritten rule of their land, due to his inability to create bonds with all of the citizens and villagers of his Kingdom and their neighboring colonies and villages. As a child, he would wonder why it seemed as though all of the people of the Kingdom seemed to hate him without fail. Eventually, he grew to just accept their hatred of him. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to feeling as though people would be happier without him alive. Truthfully, his mother was the only human being Gaara trusted… loved. Though he would never speak those words, Gaara knew that he held her on a pedestal. He loved her with everything he had, and that had been the only reason he agreed to marrying the heir of the Kingdom of Leave's noble family.
Though he wanted nothing more than to make his mother happy, he was doubtful the girl he was meant to marry would stay around long enough to finalize the marriage. He thought he would have been able to scare the girl off in a matter of minutes. That was when he met her, Hinata Hyuga. He remembered reading the letter her father had sent the palace. After agreeing to the indentures, the man raved about his daughter's agreeable personality and shy ways. Reading this, Gaara believed the girl would have been an easy target. He would have been able to send her running home in tears in only a few days and we would once again, be alone.
However, Hinata Hyuga had ruined his plans. Who would have thought the girl would be so… infuriating, annoying, stupid, self-sacrificing, stubborn, and… Gaara stopped as he pondered over their earlier interactions, 'mesmerizing…' That was it; her behavior had left him in a state of utter confusion and resentment. Who was this girl he was dealing with? Was she truly the girl who had been promised to his Kingdom? Arguing with his mind, Gaara stopped in his tracks to look down at his hands. His face then set ablaze at the memory that slipped into his mind. He could almost feel the softness that had filled his hands when he had accidentally cupped her chests. He remembered the look on her face. She had looked up at him with a mix of defiance and intrigue. She had looked him directly in the eye even as he held her in such a way. Granted, her face eventually turned an intense shade of red when she realized JUST were his hands had been. She was embarrassed and her eyes began to dart around him, no longer able to look him in the eye, and Gaara had to admit that it was incredibly cute.
He hated himself. Why was he falling prey to these animalistic cravings? He was stronger than this! Pushing the thought of Hinata's blushing face and shapely body out of his mind, he kicked the wall near the door of his bedroom in frustration. He let the pain run through his body as he allowed it to crash into his senses and calmed down his anger. Letting out an exacerbated breath, Gaara grabbed the handle to his door. He opened his door, and his former calm was shattered. He looked at the figure that had invaded his private quarters.
"Your Majesty…" Gaara almost growled out. He glared at his father, wondering what the man could possibly want with him at this time. He hadn't left dinner on good terms, so seeing the man was not on his list of things to do. The King remained quiet, returning Gaara's glare with slightly more intensity. "What are you-"
Not able to finish his question, Gaara yelled out as he felt his body roughly slam against the walls of his bedroom. After a few moments, his vision cleared, as he was able to regain the use of his mouth. He tried to breath, and then gasped out as he finally realized what was happening. His father had him, by the throat, against the wall. He couldn't breath, and he was starting to panic. He could only choke out a "…wha…?"
"How could you lay your hands on the girl?!" the king bellowed, "she's barely been here a few days, but you've already injured her? Are you an idiot!?" He tightened his hold around Gaara's neck, taking pleasure in watching the boy's eyes glaze over. This was the way he had to handle his son. Out of all his children, Gaara had proved to be the hardest to handle. Physical punishment was the only thing that worked to discipline the Crown Prince, or at least, that was what the King believed. "I know you are not an fool, so what made you believe putting your hands on her was a good idea?!" he bellowed, tightening his grip, "ANSWER ME!"
Gaara didn't answer. Instead, he attempted to form what his mind could barely register as a scowl towards his father. He wanted to speak, to tell the man that he hadn't done anything, but he knew his efforts would have been in vain. The man would never believe him, and even if he did, the King had instilled in Gaara a conditioned fear. He feared his father, especially when he behaved this way.
Gaara then felt his face muscles begin to move on their own. He couldn't tell what face he had been making, but what ever it had been, it sent the King over the edge. Now, Gaara really couldn't breath. He could feel the sweat drops forming on his temple. Unwelcomed tears began to cloud his vision even more, and he was fighting to stay conscious, alive. Light. He was feeling light. He was losing consciousness, yet the grip around his neck did not loosen. Everything began to fade away.
Gaara blinked his eyes open. A little boy has just run past him towards a man. The boy was grabbing on to the man, trying to tell him something. Yet, the man would not believe what the boy was saying, and shoed him away. Gaara turned his head away from the scene when he saw the man's hands rise to strike the boy. Then he remembered. That boy was him. That man was his father. No matter what happened, his father would never believe him. He would always take the sides of the very people that were really at fault. Gaara remembered this one particular instant. He was 6. He had been playing by him self when a group of noble children joined the playground. Not only was he the Prince, as a child, he had been extremely shy. So to walk over and ask to play with his fellow mates had been an emotionally tasking job. Yet, after all his turmoil, one of the boys had seen it fit to attack him with a ball while another bigger child dragged by his hair. By then, he didn't have a choice but to fight back. Yet, he didn't want to harm the children, only stop them from harming him. Nevertheless, when the fighting ceased and his father arrived at the scene, accompanied by royal guards and a few of the boys parents, some who were a member of the Royal Regency, Gaara tried to tell him what had happened, his side, only to be stroke down mercilessly by his own father.
Gaara felt the hands around his neck loosen, and he rushed to take a greedy breath. Grabbing his chest, he toke pained breaths in-between dry coughs. His throat seemed to be on fire, and he couldn't see straight. Everything was spinning, and he didn't understand why. "I…" he coughed out.
The King didn't wait for an explanation. He merely glared back at the figure that was now leaning against the wall on the ground desperately panting, trying to breathe. Punching the wall, he left as swiftly as he had come, leaving a disorientated Gaara behind.
After finally catching his breath, Gaara staggered towards his bed. He hadn't been afraid of the man in so long. Falling down into the heavy sheets, he berated himself for still letting that man have such an affect on him. He clutched the sheets, cursing the man's name. Gaara questioned everything in his mind, running the scene over and over again, thinking of ways it could have gone differently. After pondering for a while, he realized what now seemed to be obvious. Why had he been attacked? He thought over his father's actions and words. When he realized everything, he shot up and grabbed for the first thing his hands could reach. Unlucky for his expensive chair, it was the closest object.
In mere seconds, the Crown Prince's room was in utter shambles. Papers, decorative plants he loathed, and royal furniture were destroyed and shattered in pieces all through the wide space. He stood there in the middle of all the chaos, in a perfect and almost chilling serene state. It was only for a mere second did a flash of complete and utter hate flash through his features, and at that moment, he silently chuckled to himself. He needed to get out now.
Summer in the Kingdom of Sand was always extremely hot and dry. There was scarce wild life and people only came out during the mornings and the nights. Coming out at any other time was far too bothersome. The mornings and nights were as cool as it would ever get in the desert kingdom, so Gaara was taking advantage of the calm and light wind. Whenever he father attacked him, much like earlier that night, he would take a stroll around the kingdom. Nighttime was the only time he didn't have to deal with the cold and hateful stares of the kingdom's people boring through him. He could just relax and appreciate what a beautiful place the kingdom truly was. Over the years, he had grown to hate this place, and only stayed because of his mother, but at night, he didn't have to think about his father, the people, or his own annoying inability to kill the man who only seemed to want him dead.
Gaara stopped and allowed a grey cat to pass in front of him. Stray, he thought. There were always stray animals wandering about during the nighttime. He wanted to grab the damned animal and break its neck. Smiling to himself, he turned to check if was still around. It wasn't. Damned cat.
Then it all came back to him. He remembered why he was outside the palace in the first place. That Hyuga girl had sabotaged him. She told his father he had harmed her. He kicked a wall in anger. How dare she lie about him? Had she not feared him? That was it, she didn't fear him. She had even dared to call him by his name! He kicked the wall again. How stupid had he been? To think he for a second believed she would be different from everyone else. How could he have believed her naive words? He kicked the wall again, and again and again. Then before he knew what was happening he was punching the wall. Then over and over again he felt his fist connect with the hard stonewall of a building near the palace. Breathing hard, Gaara began to panic. He needed to find something and fast. I he was growing angrier and hungrier by the second. He hadn't felt that way in so long time. That was when he heard the sound of footsteps. He stopped dead in his tracks. There was someone coming. He could hear the person. A male voice... One two... Three. Three adult male voices. Perfect, Gaara thought. Closer and closer, they came. They were like pigs to the slaughter. He could now here their nonsensical discussion about a discotheque they frequented. In truth, and they were the perfect, oh so perfect prey.
"Watch it, fucking idiot," was the phrase that left the biggest of the groups' mouth as he deliberately bumped into the Crown Prince. Funny, he thought. Couldn't they recognize him? Oh what idiotic prey he had chosen. He began to turn to face his opponents when a sharp pain coursed through him. He could see his mother's face in his mind telling him not to hurt them, but she wasn't alone. There was another voice there and this voice was practically begging him to harm them! Make them pay for their insolence! Make them all pay! With a few mumbled screams, Gaara pushed the unwanted voice back into the depths of his mind and turned to glare at the three idiots that were surprisingly still there.
He toke a better look at them. They were well dressed and exuded the sort of attitude that only the wealthy possessed. These idiots were probably the sons of wealthy nobles or respected businessmen in the kingdom. Gaara looked at them with a raised pale eyebrow. They all had grins on their faces.
"What's the problem punk? You scared we'll break your nose." the fat one stated more than asked.
His two goon-ish friends chuckled behind him encouraging him on. Gaara smirked at this. Were these really people of the Kingdom? Did they not know who he was? He had grown accustomed to people fleeing from in him fear or glaring at him hatefully. These men were just like that girl, clueless.
He stepped towards them, and there it was. The look he hated so much, the look that made hid blood boil and send him into a murderous rage, the look of utter contempt and hatred, of disgust. It seemed one of the men had just realized who he was. He made a mad dash towards the street, but Gaara was too fast. Before the other two even realized what was happening, Gaara had the runaway pinned down to the ground, lean hands wrapped around the latter's neck, face red with rage, eyes glazed with madness, a silent chuckle between breathes. The crown prince had lost it.
The other men tired to help their friend before the younger man killed him, but to their dismay, they weren't strong enough. For such a lean person, he was incredibly strong. They screamed for him to let the man go, to stop this madness. They cursed him, told him to go to hell, but he couldn't hear them. He was engulfed in a mad rage. He watched as he saw the man's pulse lessen.
"Get off him you freaking monster!" that was it. They called him that word. HE HATED TO BE CALLED THAT! THEY ALWAYS CALLED HIM THAT! He slammed the barely living man down and grabbed the fist of the bigger one as he tried to land a sloppy punch on him. The other one tried to land a punch as well and was slammed down to the ground by Gaara's leg.
"Staaaaay down..." Gaara growled out. The big one was now staring at him with fear in his eyes. He finally understood what wad happening. He would die here. Gaara smirked at him, with his hand firmly around the man's neck. He could hear the man's muffled screams to be spared and his companion's plea for mercy. He could hear the silent tears streaming from the eyes of the fallen prey. That was when he heard it again, his mother's voice, telling him to stop, telling him he didn't have to do this, that he wasn't a monster. That was when he finally snapped out of his rage. He let go of the man in his hands, straightened up his clothes, and left. However, a witness was hiding in a dark alley, and she knew she would have to tell her master what she had just seen. She knew the kingdom would be in an uproar once more. Nothing had changed. The crown prince was still a murderous heathen.
Hope you guys liked that chapter. It was supposed to be longer, but if I stayed with my original plans, it would have turned into a novel. Secondly, I think you all will be pleased to know that there's only one more chapter left before we get some GaaraxxxHinata fluff! Finally, right?! Also, if you guys are dying in drama and need a little humor, try out my other fiction, The Kazekage's Chef. It's a GaaraXOC story. Til next time!
