Chapter 8: Interfering
Hours later, several peasants surreptitiously watched their young lord as he rode home along the edge of their fields. The men saw a tall, strong and forbidding figure whose piercing gaze seemed to exhort them to work even harder; they bowed respectfully whenever they saw him pass and hastened to return to their tasks. Women sighed furtively and cast longing glances in his direction, blushing at the indecency of their wicked daydreams. Sasuke, however, rode in total oblivion to his own people's scrutiny.
He was thinking that Sai had done a fine job in training the new gyrfalcon. The young bird had taken a crane in a fast, easy kill and had even gotten some rabbits Kiba's hounds had flushed out from the undergrowth. All in all, a fine day's catch hung from his saddle, as well as from several other noblemen's. He ought to be satisfied.
His head certainly felt better, no doubt because of the fresh air and the chance to be away from the confusing, annoying woman he was wed to. He admitted he was relieved to be away from the Baron too, and the need to keep his temper under tight control. Outside in the fields and the woods he felt his own master again, beholden to no one and in command of his own destiny.
This family estate was not a large one, but Norio had seen that it was well tended during the years of his fosterhood. The fields were laid out in neat rows, the crops growing in abundance, the buildings in good repair. As they neared the village green Sasuke heard the ring of hammer on anvil from the blacksmith's forge and the contented chatter of his tenants. As they cantered through the village his gaze fell on the alehouse, where the serving wenches were available to offer solace to the lonely customer. He supposed that was where Sakura thought the Baron should have stopped for services last night, though the idea of Orochimaru demeaning himself to visit the village alehouse for sexual favors was laughable. Sasuke could recall many instances where Orochimaru took without paying; he could recall, too, several jealous quarrels between women vying for the honor of laying with such a powerful lord.
There had always been quarrels about him, too, but he doubted his bride would be much impressed by the knowledge.
"What do you say to a race to the castle?" he challenged Kakashi, coming out of his reverie.
Kakashi reigned in his horse and surveyed him with mock dismay. "My poor beast against your demon stallion? And how would that be fair?"
"You make it sound as if your horse is an old nag," Sasuke complained. "Why don't we make a bet?"
"I thought you were sick," Kakashi countered.
"Hn." Sasuke ignored him. "Come on, old man. Prize to the winner."
"Well…" Kakashi hesitated, then suddenly kicked his horse into a gallop, taking Sasuke and his stallion completely by surprise.
Cursing, Sasuke spurned his own mount forward and soon Sai, Kiba and the other huntsmen were left far behind, splattered with the mud churned up by the horse's hooves. He narrowed his eyes and whispered in his horse's ear, urging the stallion to go faster with his knees. Air rushed past and made his hair and clothes stream behind him like banners in a stiff breeze; the game tied to his saddle bounced and jostled and threatened to tear free, but he ignored all except for the rider he was steadily gaining upon. Just another moment-
Then Father Eiji, his head bowed and his lips moving in silent prayer, stepped onto the road from one of the pathways leading out of the forest towards the village. With a cry the old man jerked back, but by then Sasuke had already checked his horse. Seeing that the priest was unharmed (though thoroughly surprised), Sasuke spurred his mount on again, but to no avail. Kakashi galloped into the ward first, mere inches ahead.
Sasuke yanked his horse to a halt and jumped down, scowling darkly. "That wasn't fair," he accused, stalking towards the other knight.
"Your horse made it unfair to begin with," Kakashi answered calmly. "Now what will I take for a prize, since you lost?"
Sasuke's fists curled. "I ought to take your ears," he snarled.
Kakashi grinned. "Well, they're not my most attractive feature, but if you insist…"
"Go to hell."
"Since I have sworn my allegiance to you, Sasuke, I always expected I would have to follow you there."
"Hn." By now Sasuke's scowl was mostly for show, as they both knew. They had turned towards the kitchen, deciding to get some ale by silent mutual consent, when Norio suddenly erupted from the hall. The man looked on the verge of tears- or the brink of an apoplectic fit.
"My lord!" the steward exclaimed, his tone one Sasuke had never heard him use before, "I must speak with you immediately!"
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, frowning. Although he was quite used to Norio's overwrought reactions to minor mishaps, perhaps something was truly amiss this time.
"My lord, I…" Norio looked around anxiously at Sir Kakashi and the other huntsmen trotting into the ward. "Please, come into the hall. I must speak with you alone!" He all but grabbed Sasuke's arm and nearly dragged him inside.
Sasuke shook him off with distaste. His steward knew he disliked physical contact as a rule- well, with one notable exception- and for Norio to be this desperate beckoned dark tidings indeed. He thrust the door closed behind them and faced his steward. "Well?" he demanded. "What is it?"
"My lord, it's her!"
"Who?" Sasuke stared at him, nonplussed.
"Your wife!" Norio cried, looking about nervously as if he expected Sakura to appear from behind one of the benches. "She wants to run everything! I tried to explain to her that I'm your steward, not a simple chamberlain, but she won't listen to me. She says the hall is her responsibility now, as well as the bedchambers and the food and the linens and who knows what else!" Norio assumed the air of a martyr. "Apparently I am no longer necessary. If that is so, my lord, I will leave. I have been steward to your family all my life…" here Norio drew a deep, shuddering breath, "but perhaps that is of no account anymore. Perhaps you think me too old and useless. If that is true, my lord, please have the mercy to dismiss me yourself at once. It isn't kind or honorable to have a woman do it, even if she is your wife!"
"Norio, I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke growled, growing irritated. "I gave my wife no such powers. Rest assured, I have no intention of turning over the running of my estate to a woman, or anyone else besides you."
Norio blinked. "Oh. Oh, well, then," he stammered, flustered.
"I will speak to her at once," Sasuke announced. He felt a tightness behind his eyes start up again. "Where is that… that… my wife?"
"She is in the kitchen, telling the cook what to do!" Norio burst out at once. "He's going to leave us, I'm sure of it, you know how sensitive Choji gets, and he's the best cook we've ever had, too. The look on his face when she started on the cost of his ingredients! I can sympathize with her, of course, but it would be such a shame if he were to go…"
Norio let loose a stream of similar complaints as he trotted in his lord's wake, struggling to keep up with Sasuke's long-legged, murderous stride. Sasuke tuned him out and headed towards the kitchen, steeling himself to face nothing short of a household insurrection.
But when he arrived at the entrance to the kitchen and surveyed the scene before him, he halted in shock. What the devil kind of merrymaking was this?
Choji, the inordinately vain and proud cook, was laughing uproariously and clutching his large belly as he watched Sakura rolling out some sort of pastry. Nearby two scullery maids were giggling uncontrollably, their faces lightly dusted with flour, and the spit boy was chuckling so hard he was leaning against the rod rather than turning it. Meanwhile Sasuke's wife, the new Lady Uchiha and mistress of the castle, stood at the table with her cuffs rolled back, some unshapely kind of sack tied around her neck to protect her gown and an old, stained wimple covering her pink hair. Even more astonishing, the angry, stiff-faced bride he'd left that very morning was laughing right along with them, her eyes sparkling vividly with merriment. The sight of her head tossed back, exposing her long, swan-like neck and the bright arpeggio of her laughter momentarily took his breath away.
Whatever problem Norio sensed had obviously been overcome. "What is this?" Sasuke demanded in a low voice, marching straightforward.
The laughter ceased at once and all eyes cut to him and then away, faces flushed with guilt as if he'd caught them stealing. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "We are preparing the evening meal," Sakura answered evenly, stepping in front of the others as if to protect them. He noticed she, for one, was neither flushed nor contrite. "Choji was instructing me on how to make a mince pie."
By now Norio had caught up to them and entered the kitchen gasping, clutching a stitch in his side. Sasuke ignored him. "I see," he said, moving close to the table. The aroma coming from the bowl of minced meat, fruit and spices did smell delicious. Sakura darted away, as if she dreaded touching him.
"Do you think you can finish unassisted, Choji?" Sasuke inquired, keeping his eyes trained on her every movement. "I need to speak to my wife and my steward."
"I believe so, my lord," Choji answered easily. "Your lady wife is such a wonderful student, she's not left me much to do." Sakura blushed at his praise. Sasuke watched the color spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears with fascination. "There's only the crust left to do, I can finish from here."
"Let's hope it rises properly," Sakura said, giving Choji a wink. For some reason this sent the scullery maids and the spit boy into peals of renewed laughter. Their reaction did nothing to lighten his mood as walked along the kitchen corridor back towards the hall, trailed by a reluctant Norio and a determined Sakura.
The moment he reached the dais he rounded on his wife. "What have you been up to?" he demanded, looming over her.
She didn't cower for a moment, damn her. "I have been helping the cook and learning a new recipe," she replied, crossing her arms defensively across her chest and inadvertently drawing Sasuke's attention to her bosom. She flushed.
"Norio tells me you are usurping his position," he accused. "I won't allow that. He is my steward here, not you."
Sakura blinked, her slight eyebrows arching in shock. Sasuke had never noticed just how shapely they were before- and he shouldn't be noticing such a thing now, either. She turned to the red-faced Norio, the very picture of remorse. "Oh, Norio, I'm so sorry you felt that way!" she exclaimed, her voice full of pained sincerity. "I didn't mean to upset you. I only thought of my doing my duty. I truly didn't mean to offend you, or anyone else. Gomennasai, Norio-san," she finished, bowing her head.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Was she truly sorry, or merely acting a part? He couldn't tell until she smiled so sincerely at his steward that her entire face lit up, radiating friendliness and warmth. Norio blushed and shifted awkwardly in the face of her beauty, speaking instead to the ground. "To tell the truth, my lady, I have been the steward here for many years, and I thought… I felt…" his voice trailed off shyly.
Sakura went to him and took her two plump hands in her own. "Please accept my apologies, Norio. I have never had the opportunity to manage such a large household, and I need your advice. I only want to please my husband-" she shot a quick glance at him, then blushed and turned away- "and perhaps I was too anxious and abrupt. I beg your pardon."
"Oh, my lady, please!" Norio cried, utterly won over. "I spoke too hastily. Ask me anything, anything at all."
Sasuke squeezed his eyes tightly shut and opened them again. By Kami, was everyone going mad? Or was his pink-haired wife some sort of a witch, casting spells over the castle's inhabitants? What was it about her that made his tenants take to her so quickly and without reserve? Sasuke didn't know, and he told himself he didn't care either. "Since it seems you two are such great friends now and this misunderstanding is resolved, you can leave," he snarled.
Norio bowed deeply and Sakura dropped him the briefest of curtseys. Before they could leave Sasuke's hand shot out and gripped Norio's wrist. "Not you, Norio. There is important business I want to discuss with you." His eyes shifted to Sakura in a clear dismissal, then slid to her swaying bottom as she stalked furiously from the hall.
Sakura marched away from the dais, fuming. She knew she had a habit for diving into things head-first and could well believe she'd come across as unseemly and rude in her haste, but for Sasuke to exclude her entirely from their conversations!
Sakura had meant every word to Norio and was genuinely distressed that she'd upset him. She knew well that she would need Norio's support and knowledge to effectively run the household, but she had another important reason for not wanting to alienate the steward, too. Aside from Sir Hatake Kakashi, she suspected that Norio knew Sasuke best, since he had served the family for so long.
It was imperative that she learn as much about her husband and how to gauge his moods as she could, for he was much changed from the boy she remembered. She could ruefully concede she hadn't really known him then, either. In their childhoods he had been a distant figure, the object of every girl's longing, but she had rarely even spoken with him. She settled herself to wait in the hallway, but to her surprise it did not take long for Norio to emerge. "My lady!" he started, then bowed deeply.
"Norio," she acknowledged, then looked over his shoulder. "Where is Sir Sasuke?"
"He went to the armory, my lady," Norio answered.
"I hope I haven't angered him too much," she confessed, frowning
Norio grinned and patted her arm like a kind-hearted uncle. "Don't be too concerned, my lady," he said, then dropped his voice lower. "He can be ill-tempered, especially when he's tired. I learned long ago not to pay too much attention. Although it doesn't do to ignore his orders, either."
"Does he often go to the armory when he's upset?" she asked curiously.
"There, or riding, or hunting. He just goes, that's all. He's always been that way, even when he was a boy."
Sakura gestured for Norio to sit, grateful that he was in a talkative mood and glad of the opportunity to learn more about her husband. "Was he a… an unruly child?" she prodded.
Norio chuckled, his round belly quivering like one of Choji's simmering sauces. "Unruly? No, my lady, never that. He lived for the attention of his father, you see. He always craved to be acknowledged, but Lord Fugaku rarely had time for his youngest son."
Sakura's heart ached at the thought of a young and disregarded Sasuke. No wonder he wanted unquestioning obedience now. "No, my lady, Sir Sasuke was never troublesome. He liked to have his own way, of course, but there wasn't a mean bone in his body. I do miss the sound of his laughter," Norio reminiscenced. "He and his mother used to get me going!"
That was a little more difficult for Sakura to imagine. "He certainly doesn't laugh much now," she noted.
"No, no, he doesn't," Norio agreed sadly. "He hasn't since he came back from living with the Baron Orochimaru. I suppose it comes with growing up."
Sakura gasped. "Sasuke lived with the baron?" She shivered at the thought of spending any length of time with the leering, sly snake of a man.
Norio nodded gravely. "Aa. That's where he was sent to be trained in the ways of knighthood after his parents died and his brother, Itachi, disappeared. I kept things here for Sir Sasuke all the while," the old man added with noticeable pride.
"And you did your task excellently, too. I can tell," Sakura said kindly, but her thoughts were not on his skilled stewardship. She was envisioning a young, eager boy who knew how to laugh, before his gentleness had been stolen by the death of his parents and trained out of him by brutal teachers. Laughter had been her only salvation during many long, lonely days. She couldn't imagine a life without it.
Just today she had spent a very pleasant time in the kitchen, cracking jokes about flabby dough unable to rise- which, coming from a bride, had scandalized everybody. They had struggled valiantly to maintain composure until she winked, and then the giggles and guffaws broke free, especially as she continued to make such remarks with a perfectly straight face. Until she had fallen prey to the laughter as well, moments before Sasuke stormed into the room like a cold winter wind.
Norio rose and bowed, smiling pleasantly. "If you will excuse me, my lady, I must attend to my other duties."
"Of course," Sakura replied automatically, but as Norio walked away her thoughts had turned from the past to wonder what it would take to make the curt, forbidding Uchiha Sasuke laugh now.
Sasuke's mood did not improve after swinging swords about all afternoon. He stayed angry throughout the evening meal, especially when he noticed the way Norio, Ino and the other servants regarded his wife with a mixture of approval and awe. Somehow she had wormed her way into their affection mere days after making their acquaintance. Everyone was obviously comfortable and content, and quite unaware that he considered their good humor almost a personal affront.
Sasuke could almost hear Kakashi admonishing him for being childish again. However, the old knight was too engrossed in listening to Sakura detail how she spent her afternoon to pay him the slightest attention. Sasuke scowled. Kakashi acted fascinated, as if he'd never heard anything so interesting as her inane domestic chatter.
At long last the meal was cleared away and the company scattered. Some of the men began to dice; some couples took to the dance floor to the accompaniment of the minstrels; a large group of women departed to work on their embroidery. Sasuke very deliberately paid no attention to where his wife went or what she did. Instead, he left the hall altogether (no one seemed to notice) and went up to the battlements to walk around the perimeter of the castle.
Breathing the cool night air in deeply, he surveyed the lands spread out before him. A few dim lights showed in the village. Smoke rose slowly upward from wooden houses, curling against the rapidly darkening sky. Purple and indigo streaked across the horizon and stars started to make their appearance, undiminished by any clouds. The sounds of merriment and music from the hall drifted to his ears from below, mute and disembodied as if they came from another world far away. He took comfort in his distance and solitude.
Sasuke wondered where Itachi was. Many times during the years of their separation he had looked up at the late night sky, wondering where Itachi was or if he were even alive, trying to find some tenuous link with the elder brother who had abandoned him. How well he remembered the days after his parents' death, weeks after their desperate flight from Konoha! The image of their agonized expressions, bodies twisted by fever were forever ingrained in his memory. He remembered fighting Baron Orochimaru's men when they had come to claim him, unwilling to leave his home, so sure that Itachi would return. He remembered too how Orochimaru's lackeys had restrained him with pitiful ease, but promised him power to come.
It had taken years to dull the memory of their faces and the ache in his heart. If mere familial affection could cause such agony, then Sasuke would gladly do without any other kind of love. Such feelings were a fantasy anyways, concocted by lonely noblewomen and minstrels, something to lend excitement to their lives and make easier the pursuit of physical pleasure. Sasuke had no such need for fantasies. He lived in the real world, and in the real world there was no love. He didn't lack for female companionship, either, at least of one kind. He didn't need or want anything more.
Or so he told himself.
All Sasuke had expected from marriage was a wife to oversee his household and bear his children to help rebuild the Uchiha clan. He hadn't thought his life would change overly much, but Sakura…
Frustrated by his inability to remember, Sasuke picked up a spare stone and threw it over the side. It hit the moat below and made a small sound in the stillness. He never lost control, but he must have done last night. In the kitchen she had flinched away from him as if fearful of his slightest touch. A sentry gave a warning cry and hurried towards him, mail jingling.
"Be at ease," Sasuke said to the startled soldier, who stiffened when he saw whom he had challenged. "I am pleased you were so alert." The sentry relaxed the merest fraction of an inch. "What is your name?"
"Neji, my lord."
Sasuke surveyed the man's dark hair, pale violet eyes and delicate brows, immediately placing him as the new maid servant's brother. What was her name? A giggle that quickly changed to a low, pleasure-filled moan drifted towards them from somewhere beyond the moat, and they turned to face the sound. Sasuke peered below and his eyes immediately zeroed in on a couple embracing enthusiastically, the taller of the two very clearly one of Sasuke's men-at-arms.
Neji slid sideways towards the parapet, his back still absolutely straight. "Daichi," he said dismissively, clearly distasteful of the passionate scene below. "He is not on guard duty tonight, my lord."
"Daichi is the one with half a thumb?"
"Hai."
Sasuke vividly recalled the incident months earlier where Daichi, inebriated with wine, had stolen away to the kitchen to cut a loaf of bread intended for the morning meal, losing half his finger in the process. Choji had been outraged by the pilfering in his domain and the bloody mess that ensued, but Sasuke had deemed a finger price enough to pay. From what he had heard from Kakashi, the man hadn't touched wine since. A wise decision. Perhaps one he himself should have chosen to emulate on his wedding night.
"Dismissed," Sasuke said shortly. Neji saluted him smartly and returned to his station, walking briskly. Sasuke's gaze followed the sentry as he rounded the curve before swinging once again to the dark night sky.
Sakura decided not to wait for Sasuke's return from wherever it was he had gone. He had spoken no word to anyone when he left the hall, neither of his intentions nor his destination. No, Sasuke had stalked out with the same grim face he had worn beside her the entire meal, when he had sat as stiff and solemn beside her as an effigy in a tomb rather than a newlywed groom by his bride. She was grateful to have the recovered Naruto and the ever courteous Sir Kakashi to converse with, otherwise the meal would have been most unbearable.
The whores in the village alehouse came to mind as a possible explanation for her husband's absence- after all, he had sworn not to touch her again until she asked it- and her chest tightened painfully before she could tell herself it didn't matter. In fact, she should be relieved to be spared his onerous presence. But the truth of the matter was she found her husband's difficult and often surly company far more interesting than that of the chattering noblewomen with whom she was currently sewing. Sakura bent her head and forced herself to stitch in discreet, industrious silence, ignoring the meaningless words fluttering over her.
When she could stand the idle activity no longer, she stood up and thrust her embroidery frame to side of her chair. The other noblewomen paused and looked her way curiously. "I find I am tired this evening. I bid you all goodnight," Sakura said, careful to keep her tone polite and betray no hint of the boredom she felt.
Naruto sat nearby, embroiled in a game of dice that she had no wish to interrupt. Sir Kakashi likewise looked occupied, listening to the minstrel sing a mournful ballad with tragic lyrics. Ino started to her side and she discreetly signaled to the maidservant that she could retire without assistance. Sakura ascended the stairs to her bedchamber without any further goodbyes. As soon as the door closed behind her, she drew off her headdress and sighed with relief, massaging her aching neck. She would have to adjust her embroidery frame tomorrow. Or avoid the senseless activity entirely.
Sakura headed to her small chest and withdrew her brush, taking it to the narrow window seat so she could sit in silence and observe the starry night sky. The twinkling lights above made her think of fireflies, which made her think of Konoha, and she blinked back sudden tears. Slowly she brushed her hair in long strokes, the rhythmic motion soothing her like always as her tender scalp relaxed. She sighed as she completed the hundred strokes, wanting to linger by the window.
A small sound alerted her and she turned abruptly, catching sight of Sasuke standing in the doorway, his hand frozen on the latch and his eyes fixed on her with their usual dark intensity. She stared back at him, startled. His lips quirked Sakura suddenly realized she held her hair brush defensively before her, like a sword. Quickly she lowered the brush and her cheeks blazed. "You have beautiful hair, despite its unnatural color," he said, finally coming fully inside and closing the door behind him.
Sakura felt a twinge of anger at the semi-complement. "Thank you," she replied tartly.
He came further into the room and then halted, his gaze still fixed on her in a penetrating stare. Silence fell heavily between them; Sakura suddenly became horribly aware of the sound of her own breathing, and she struggled to keep it even and steady. The only motion came from the flickering candles on the walls. Did he feel the tension between them, too, as strong as the odor of melting beeswax?
Then Sasuke wordlessly raised a hand to the clasp of his cloak, and all rational thought fled.
Sasuke struggled not to laugh as his wife blushed and turned away, amused by her modest reaction. He was glad that she had turned to the wall, though; that way she couldn't see the unsteadiness in his own hands as he fumbled with the laces of his tunic.
"Everyone seems quite taken with you," he remarked, unveiling several inches of bare skin.
He saw her take in a deep, steadying breath. "I'm not trying to usurp anyone's position," she defended herself. "I'm… I'm only trying to..." her words trailed off into flustered silence.
"Be a fine example of a nobleman's wife?" he suggested smoothly, closing in behind her. She sucked in another deep breath at his approach and he paused, not wanting to frighten her. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders and let them rest there for a few moments before slowly turning her to face him.
Sakura's knees trembled. His light touch sent a torrent of emotions raging through her, from confusion to fear to something breathless she couldn't name. Sasuke scrutinized her face as if scanning the notes of a score; nervous that she wouldn't be able to hide her vulnerability, Sakura settled her gaze on the broad expanse of his chest. She watched with fascination as it started to rise and fall with a rapidity to match her own. Was it possible she could make him as nervous as he made her? She doubted it.
His hands rose from her shoulders to softly stroke the pink silky strands of her hair. Sakura briefly allowed herself to close her eyes and luxuriate in his gentle touch. Was this how he would have touched her last night, if only she had let him?
"I will not touch you again unless if you ask it… and you will."
His earlier arrogant words floated to the surface of her mind and brought Sakura sharply back to her senses. Clearly this was another attempt to assert his authority over her and put her in her place. "Norio told me about your family," she found herself babbling, trying to back away from his touch and that nameless, dangerous feeling. "I'm sorry about their deaths."
Sasuke froze. "What?" he asked sharply.
"I know about your mother and father now, Sasuke. And… and I know about Itachi."
His fingers clenched painfully on her shoulders before falling away. "Don't," he said curtly, his voice full of quiet menace which Sakura recklessly ignored.
"Is that why you always push people away? Is that why you-"
"Shut up," he growled.
"I will not," she flared back. "I have a right to help you run this castle. I have a right to know-"
"You have no rights," he said coldly. She recoiled as if slapped.
"I am your wife!"
"You have no rights," he repeated. "And you know nothing!"
"I'm not a simpleton," she spat, her voice low and hard. "I know what you want. You want obedience. You want a dull, unthinking creature who will run your household, without upsetting the servants, of course. A wife who will lie in your bed and gladly submit to your embraces and bear your children and never question your orders."
Sasuke stared at her, stunned. Apparently she took his silence for agreement, because in the next moment she had yanked off her shift and thrown herself naked onto the bed where she lay with arms crossed, glaring up at him defiantly. "Very well. Here I am, Sir Sasuke. Do what you will. For my part, I will do my duty and submit while you take your pleasure of me."
Sasuke's faced darkened into a scowl at her challenge and he moved towards her, his tread as graceful and ominous as a stalking cat. He kept his gaze firmly fastened on her face, refusing to allow himself more than a glimpse of her shapely, tempting form. He sat upon the bed, coming closer to her with agonizing slowness, watching her eyes widen.
"Is this what happened last night, Sakura? Did you make me so angry that I hit you?" he asked. She shrinked away from him and his face hardened even more. "Or perhaps you like to take your pleasure with a little bit of pain?"
Furious, Sakura lifted a hand to slap his face, but he was quicker. Fast as a hawk, Sasuke caught her fragile hand in his own strong grip, his fingers like talons. Her knee rose and almost connected with his groin; his cock, ignorant of her true intentions, stiffened in response. Sasuke closed his eyes to hide the blaze of lust that instantly shot through him as Sakura struggled futilely against him. "Leave me alone!" she cried.
Her panicked voice reached his brain and he released her, leaving the bed in an instant. He stared down on her with a cold, unreadable expression as she scrambled away. Sakura shivered, suddenly very conscious of her nakedness and the knowledge that she was utterly in his power. If she did cry or scream, who would notice- or care for that matter? They would merely assume Sasuke was asserting his husbandly rights and she was proving recalcitrant.
"I won't hurt you, Sakura," he said, tearing his eyes away from her trembling form. Shame was rushing through him, hot and thick and curling in his belly like a snake. For a moment- just a moment when she'd lay squirming, trapped beneath him- a cold voice that sounded suspiciously like Orochimaru's had whispered that he could do it. That he was her husband and he was perfectly within his rights to plunder her soft, beautiful body. That no one would come if she fought or screamed anyway as he satisfied his burning desire. Sickened by himself, Sasuke turned to the door. "If I did before, you… you have my apologies."
"Where are you going?" her soft voice surprised him by its intensity.
He paused on the threshold, shoulders tense. "I plan to visit one of my estates further north, closer to Sound. It seems a good as place as any to go. Why do you care?"
"You are my husband," she whispered.
"Rest assured, Sakura, you have my word I will never touch you as your husband again," he grated, voice harsh. He let his eyes rake her tempting form once more before swiftly turning away. "Perhaps I would have done better to let the baron have you, after all."
Sakura gasped and hunched protectively over herself at his cruel words. "Unfortunately what is done cannot be undone. Farewell… Sakura."
She forced herself to wait until his footsteps had retreated to bury her face in the soft pillows and sob.
Outside in the inner ward under the shadow of his castle's walls, Sasuke leaned against the cold stone, sickened. For years he had prided himself on his cool detachment, on his ability to think rationally. And although he'd never admitted it aloud, he'd prided himself on his skill as a lover, too. Sakura had torn all that away from him in the space of a few days.
Alone in the darkness he could admit that he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted any woman before. Just the simple act of watching her brush her hair had unleashed a wave of liquid heat through his veins. He'd been overcome by a desire to run his hands through those pink tresses himself, to bury his face in the crook of her neck and press passionate kisses down the line of her throat- and lower. Then she'd flared with temper, throwing herself on the bed like a sacrificial maiden offered up to an ogre, eyes brimming with defiance and challenge.
Sasuke's lips compressed to a thin, grim line. Sakura was like an itch he couldn't reach, finding ways to dig under his skin and distract him from what truly mattered.
Dawn, and the chance to ride away from her infuriating presence, couldn't come fast enough.
Author's Notes: Phew, that was a big one! Hope the longer-than-usual chapter compensated for the longer-than-usual wait. :) As always, heartfelt thanks to my followers, readers and ESPECIALLY my reviewers. You guys are the best!
To LadyFlick, I'm glad I have your approval to rough Sasuke up a bit! :) To LightThePyre, I had lots of fun writing that scene and I'm glad you liked it too. To sasukesakura7 and Hitomi of the Sand, he will definitely discover the truth- but that's a plot twist for another chapter (which I'm really looking forward to writing!) To groundedangel2, ILoveSxS, JessiCeleste89 and Miss Konoha, I'm so glad you liked the last chapter and I hope this one is every bit as good! To Rizu, my lips are sealed on Itachi for now, but all will be revealed in due time. :) To Arisu-NHandSSlove, I've always thought Sasuke and Sakura had a weird start to their "real" relationship- I mean, he knocks her out and leaves her on a bench for Pete's sake! Thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts, hope to hear from you again! To pink-strawberries, Princess Ren, Cherry and miloaisbancuh, I hope the update came fast enough and I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Many thanks to all my guest reviewers, I appreciate all your feedback! And lastly, to Zutara, I couldn't rock without all of you! :)
Arigato and adios until next time!
-Lalita88
