Chapter 8

The Prince's Nineteenth Birthday

Hello! Again! This is chapter 8 of my wonderful AU story. As far as I can tell, chapter 7 was a hit. YAY! Okay, so yeah, the good stuff is rapidly approaching...So, I bring unto you, chapter 8. Hope you all like it! This chapter takes place the day before Lee's birthday for a short time, which is November 27th, in case anybody didn't know.

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When Sakura awoke, she had no idea where she was or how long she had been asleep for, and had a sharp, aching pain in her lower back and right arm.

She felt of her surroundings, to identify exactly where Prince Rock Lee had taken her to. Her hands touched a bed; she couldn't pinpoint the soft, velvet like sheets, which meant she was not back in the cellar where she normally slept.

The past events of that night had gone by in a complete blur, and Sakura was trying her hardest to remember what precisely had happened.

She remembered the fire, and that Sir Sasuke had started the entire thing. Sakura remembered that he had slammed her to the hard marble flooring of the palace by her hair, and Sakura's back and right arm were still a little sore.

But most of all, Sakura remembered when Prince Lee had rescued her from the clutches of Sasuke, how he had held her so tenderly in his arms, carrying her from the burning flames…

"Naruto…" Sakura spoke in a raspy whisper "…Hinata…Yoko…somebody…"

Sakura opened her jade eyes somewhat and sat up at a snail's pace. She opened her eyes wider and saw that she was in an unfamiliar environment. This room was large and was much nicer than the basement she lived in. The bed she was in at that current moment was huge, and surrounded by thin canopy curtains, just thin enough for Sakura to see through. The wall was covered with white wallpaper with gold wavy lines sloping straight down, and the carpet was burgundy and spotless.

"Hello…" Sakura said a bit louder.

"Oh, good, you're awake." said an unknown voice.

Instantly, the almost see through curtains were pulled back, letting the bright sunlight hit Sakura directly in her eyes.

She blindly gazed upon the person who had answered her, only to see that it was Lord Neji.

"You must be Sakura Haruno." He said with an icy tenor to his voice.

"Y-Yes…M-My Lord" Sakura answered him meekly.

"Well, you've been asleep for almost four hours. Good thing His Majesty found you back there, otherwise you'd probably be dead now."

Sakura tried to take a deep breath, but when she was about half way there, she was overcome by series of coughs.

"You've just inhaled some smoke. You'll be fine once you breathe some clean air."

Sakura looked back up at Lord Neji, who was oddly smirking. Sakura did her best to try and find her voice.

"M-My Lord…" Sakura half-whispered "I…where…where am I?"

"This is Prince Rock Lee royal chambers. He insisted you be placed here until you awoke."

"I…okay…what about…Sir Sasuke…"

Neji's eyes became stern and his voice that was icy had a sharp point to it.

"Sasuke Uchiha is now an official traitor and no longer affiliated with Konohagakure. The Prince informed us what happened, and…I…I have a question for you, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura gulped and nodded timidly.

"Why do you think Sasuke would want to kidnap you from Konoha? Has he said anything to you?"

Sakura shook her head back and forth.

"No, My Lord. He asked me my name…that was all…"

Neji sighed in an annoyed fashion and ran his hand through the top of his long brown hair, letting the light of hope in his pale eyes shimmer away.

"Alright then…" Neji regretfully mumbled "I'll, uh…go tell the Prince that you're awake now…"

Subsequently, Neji walked away from her bed side, letting the curtain fall back into place.

Sakura sat inert for one or two seconds, then moved to the thin blinds and drew them back so she was open to the elements of the sun.

Truth be told, Sakura was kind of anxious about meeting that Prince face to face after she practically hugged him when the prince had rescued her from Sasuke, and she didn't even want to confront this perturbed reaction in her stomach.

Sakura crawled out of the soft, marshmallow-like bed as slowly as she could, not just because she enjoyed the feel of the pillows, but that the strain on her lower back, which sent aching waves all the way through her spine. How hard had Sasuke thrown her to the ground? Sakura found it hard to keep herself standing from the pain, but she didn't flinch one bit, she had felt strain on her muscles like this before, just from the hard work she did in this castle.

From the other side of the door, Sakura could hear the muffled voices of the Lord Neji and Lady Tenten, but couldn't accurately make out just what they were saying, though Prince Rock Lee's voice was not amongst them.

Sakura gritted her teeth at the ache of her back, and decided to sit back on the bed that she was laying in before. When her hands touched the silk material, the alluring feeling to sleep was beginning to slowly overpower her. She wanted badly to leave; this atmosphere was unnerving and something she wasn't used to. Sakura yearned for the Prince to hurry so she could leave.

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Lady Tenten waited in front of the Prince's royal chambers, waiting on Lord Neji to come out of the bedroom with information from Sakura Haruno. Tenten could hardly believe how strange the last two days had been for her and the rest of the castle. Lee falling in love with a random woman, who had saved the life of three people, including her own, the return of a supposedly loyal knight with information of peace and then have the Konoha castle set on fire and the betrayal of that same knight. Tenten just didn't know what to do anymore.

But she owed Sakura her life from saving her from the fire, and Tenten would find a way to repay the favor. How, was the only problem.

Eventually, Lord Neji emerged from the bedroom, wearing a stressed look upon his face.

"What did she say?" Tenten asked enthusiastically.

Neji rubbed the side of his face and frowned deeply.

"She didn't know anything. Sasuke Uchiha never said anything to her. Just asked her what her name was. He hasn't said anything to anybody."

"Then why-"

"I…" Neji's voice was prickly and impatient "I don't know. His Majesty is concerned about it, mostly for Lee…because today is November Twenty-Sixth."

"NO!" Tenten groaned "Not now! We didn't get a chance to tell him yet!"

"I guess His Majesty will do it. We've got our own problems to take care of. Like Lee's birthday tomorrow, and that big Christmas Ball. Konoha is hosting it this year. All of the kingdoms will attend it. Sand, Rain, Mist, all of them."

"How on earth are we supposed to hold some gala if our palace is a wreck from the fire? Didn't we host it two years ago?"

"Obviously not. But, were getting ahead of ourselves. I told Prince Lee and that I would get him when Miss Haruno was awake, and she is. So…"

Neji walked briskly past Lady Tenten, leaving her with a troubled twang in her heart.

"Neji!" She called out, then he to circled back to her.

"Yes?" He mumbled.

Tenten walked to him and took his hands affectionately in her own, causing Lord Neji to flush, a bit.

"What's wrong? You seem troubled."

Neji bashfully looked away from her, his pale face making the redness and embarrassment apparent.

"N-nothing…"

Tenten was silent for a minute, but kept a tight grip on his hands. Then Tenten let on hand free, and used her own to move his head to face her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, more concerned this time.

Neji's eyes drifted east to avoid locking with hers, his nervousness level rapidly escalating.

"Y…yeah…"

Tenten sighed softly. It was normally like Neji to keep secrets from everyone when he was perturbed about something, so the Lady had no choice but to let it go.

"Okay, Neji-kun. But, if there is something wrong, you know you can tell me, right?"

"Yah…I'll go get Lee now." Neji muttered one last time and then walked away from the woman he loved in private, going to find the future King of Konoha.

'I can't believe this.' Lady Tenten thought somberly 'What am I going to do…'

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Lee and his father were sitting together in the main quarter of the palace talking, amazingly, not about youth…

Gai smiled a sparkling grin to his only son, and little by little soaked in the happenings of the past two days.

His son had fallen in love with a woman the law banned him to have, but had rescued her from the best knight and warrior Konoha ever knew, who turned out to be a traitor for reasons unexplained, and now…it was the eve of Rock Lee's birthday, his nineteenth birthday.

But Lee didn't look worried or sad or nervy about anything. He sat in his large chair, leaning forward with his chin in his hand, dreamily staring off into space with a particular gleam in his eye and his face flushed a light pink shade.

He was thinking about that girl…again.

His face flowed to a deeper red as he imagined the sight of Sakura sleeping peacefully on his bed, snuggled under the sheets and smiling and blushing at the gentleness.

Lee heaved a love-sick sigh and blinked twice into the nothingness he gazed at.

Gai smacked his hand to his forehead; even though Lee was not allowed to be with that girl, he still held on to her.

"Lee…" Gai said with a cracked voice.

But Lee just sat there, continuing to blush and sigh like the love-sick fool everyone thought he was.

"Lee…" Gai said a little louder, but the prince stayed motionless.

"LEE!" Gai yelled at the top of his lungs, punching him in the head to awaken his consciousness.

"Yes, father?" Lee exclaimed, sitting up straight and saluting.

"Lee, you do know tomorrow is your birthday…Your nineteenth birthday…"

Lee nodded with a very serious look on his face.

Gai coughed a small amount and cleared his throat as though he was about to make and imperative speech.

"You know Lee, being nineteen is a very important thing." The king began.

"How important, father?" Lee asked with enthusiastic eyes.

Gai scratched his head in confusion; he didn't know exactly how to break this news to his son.

"Well…being nineteen is important…because…well……"

"What is it, father?"

"Uh…um……"

"Hey, Lee-san." Lord Neji said, breaking up the conversation.

"Yes, Neji-kun?" Lee said turning away from his father.

"That girl, Miss Haruno? She's awake now."

Lee instantly leapt up from his chair with excitement, and sprinted past Neji, out of the room without saying a word to anyone.

Gai merely anxiously placed his hand to his face and shook his head, not bothering to stop his son.

Neji looked at Lee run eagerly back to meet the woman he fell in love with, and then looked back to Gai with a faintly agitated sneer.

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

Gai hung his head, not locking eyes with Lord Neji.

"Not telling him is just making it worse."

"I know. But he's so happy! His youth has never shined brighter, and I don't want to spoil it…"

Neji folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes to Gai.

"But it's what's best for him. You, Tenten, and I know that. You can tell him whenever you like, but the longer you make him wait, the sharper the pain will be."

Gai had to agree with Lord Neji. Even though Gai knew it would crush his son to hear the information that the king possessed, it had to be done.

"I'll tell him…after the Christmas Ball."

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'My angel, she is safe…' the prince mused as he ran down the passage way to his bedroom. 'I wonder what she will say when she sees me again.'

Left, left, right, then forward and Lady Tenten came into view, leaning on the door of his room nibbling on her thumbnail.

"Tenten-san!" Lee said and rushed up to her, making Tenten jump.

"Don't scare me like that!" she gasped, clutching her heart "What is it Lee-san?"

"Neji-kun said my Sakura-angel is awake! May I go see her now?"

Tenten rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop a sweet grin from sneaking on to her face.

"Sure, Lee-san." Tenten moved from the front of the door and leaned against the left wall. "Just don't freak her out by screaming or something."

Lee nodded frantically and moved to grasp the doorknob…but his hand froze two inches from it.

Lee thought of Sakura-angel laying there peacefully asleep, laying there under a mound of cushions breathing softly. Lee knew he was not worthy of gazing upon such a sight, but overall, he was nervous. What if Sakura didn't like him? What if she thought since Lee was royalty, he wasn't a good person? What if he said something to frighten her or that made her uncomfortable, and she thought he was strange? What if…

"Lee-san…" Lady Tenten's voice broke into his thoughts. "Are you going to go in there or not?"

Lee attempted to move his hand to grab the door handle, but his arm wouldn't cooperate with brain. Lee bit his lower lip and felt a droplet of sweat slip down the side of his head, and roll down his cheek; Prince Lee began to breathe heavily.

He couldn't do it. Lee was too anxious to face the loveliness his undeserving eyes were about to witness.

"Te-Te-Tenten-san…I-I-I cannot do it…her gorgeousness…her magnificence…I am not worthy of observing it…I cannot…"

"Not this again!" Tenten moaned and slid down the wall to the floor "I'll shove you in that door myself if I have to!"

"Alright! Alright!" Lee stammered, fearful of Lady Tenten's uncontrollable wrath.

The prince took a deep breath, and held it as he felt his hand touch the cool metal of the handle and turned it, bit by bit, then moved his arm to fully open the door, letting out his breath with every squeak it made.

Lee could only stare mystified, as he saw the most beautiful creature sitting upon the bed that he himself slept on each and every night, keeping her gaze down and holding her hands fretfully to her heart.

The prince couldn't help but redden at the spectacle of her brilliance, Sakura's emerald gem eyes creeping up to look at the person who had entered the room just then.

Sakura silently gasped when she saw Rock Lee standing there in front of the door, just staring wide-eyed at her, like she was some sort of rare, precious jewel that many people were looking for.

After minutes of silence, Sakura was the first to find her voice.

"Th-Thank you for…saving me earlier, Your Highness. I'm sorry about before…in the garden…you just caught me by surprise is all, please forgive me…"

"No…" Lee said firmly, walking up to her, kneeling and grabbing both of her hands "It is my fault. I am so glad I was able to come to your aide…Sakura Haruno…and please, call me Lee-san. I detest the sight of you calling me 'your highness'. You are" –Lee gulped- "Much too beautiful to say such honoring this to me…I am not worthy of it, not like you are."

Sakura could hardly believe what this prince was saying. Her, beautiful? It just didn't fit.

"No, Y-…Lee-san, it is I who isn't worthy of such kind words. I am a simple castle hand, wearing rags and cleaning your palace every day. I'm not royalty like you are..."

"Oh, Sakura, but you are in my eyes. When I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were something special, thus, you should be treated so. Is there anything I can do for you? Anything your heart desires, name it…and it shall be yours."

Sakura felt her lungs contract with every syllable he uttered. Sakura was totally taken aback by this, she had lost her voice again, not knowing what to say, or do.

"I…" Sakura sensed what little tone of voice she had left slink out of her gullet. "Not…not at this moment…but thank you…if I need you again, I promise…I will let you know."

Lee tightened his grip on Sakura's hands, causing them both to blush. "Of course. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you, and I would gladly do it……Sakura, are you in pain?"

Sakura instantly shot a shocked, wide-eyed gaze at the prince; she didn't understand how he was able to tell that her lower back was sore, Sakura had not shown any signs that she was in pain.

"I…" Sakura began to stutter. She wanted to lie and say that she was just fine, but Sakura found it difficult to be untruthful to this prince that cared so much for her. "When…when…Sasuke…he threw me kinda hard onto the ground…I…I hit my back on the marble floor…it hurts…but only a little…"

"Then this day, you shall rest! I do not want you working when you are in pain. Truthfully, I loathe like the thought of you working at all, and I will try to fix that…but, today, you rest and heal. You may stay here, if you wish. In fact, I insist that you stay here. I have seen where the servants of the castle sleep, and it would do you no good."

Sakura nodded with a small, embarrassed smile on her face; she did not argue with this declaration of his, Sakura enjoyed the thought of sleeping in that wonderfully relaxing bed again.

"Thank you very much, Lee-san. You are too kind."

Lee right away flushed deeper and leapt up from the bed taking Sakura with him and bringing her body closer to his, which in turn made her color as well.

"Sakura-angel…may I ask you something?"

Sakura shyly whispered "Yes…"

"There is a ball, A Christmas ball, which Konoha is hosting this year. All of the kingdoms will be there…and…and I wish for you to accompany me to it."

Sakura struggled for breath "I…I…"

"I will provide the necessary accessories. Clothing, and jewelry, all of it. Please say you will."

"I…I…I…I don't know what to say…I thought only royals were-"

"Yes, but no one will know but me, you and possible Lady Tenten and Lord Neji."

Sakura stared deeply into his profound ebony eyes, searching them for deceitfulness, but found no more than kindness and passion.

"Alright…I'll go with you…"

The prince was jubilant at her answer. "Thank you so much, my Sakura-angel! Now, rest up so you may be healthy! I will leave your presence for now, but I will return in the evening!"

The prince brought one of her hands to his lips and placed a chaste kiss upon it, leaving Sakura astounded as he bowed slightly and began to leave. Though Sakura had the urge to ask him to stay, she spoke not a word, only nodded timidly in thanks, fighting the persistence of her mind telling her to say something.

"Please rest well, Sakura." Prince Lee said sweetly to her before departing the room and closing the door quietly behind him.

Sakura's legs felt wobbly and caved in under her, bringing Sakura to her knees on the sleek carpeting of the bedroom, vaguely convulsing from backache and surprise.

"Is he…for real?" she questioned audibly

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When the door came to a close and he released his grip on the on the doorknob, Lee dropped to his knees and cried comic tears of happiness, and unfortunately for Lady Tenten, she had to witness the entire episode, which caused her left eye to twitch somewhat.

"Oh, she was even more divine up close! Her voice was sweet and her eyes were sparkling! She was gorgeous!"

"What did you say to her?" Tenten questioned him. "She didn't shriek from terror and run away this time."

"I…I invited her to be my escort to the Christmas Ball…and…she…SHE SAID YES!"

"WHAT! Lee, only nobles are allowed to attend that party! And-and she's a servant! She'll have nothing to wear!"

"Tenten-san, Sakura-angel is a beautiful woman, and she'll fit right in with the other nobles. And I am sure if I ask Lady Ino to help, we can make her look the part as well. And maybe you could help, if you would be so kind."

"Well…what about your father? There's no way he would agree to it."

"Well…he…he does not have to know about it…if I keep my distance. Then he will never know! We will keep it a secret."

Tenten was staggered "You're going to lie to your father, so see a woman…"

"Not lie, per se; just not inform him that my Sakura will be attending. I will tell merely you, Lady Ino and Lord Neji. Possibly Lord Shikamaru, if he is with the Lady Ino at the time. But my father will have no knowledge of this, and if he doesn't know, it is not technically lying…because I am not fond of keeping the truth from my father…but this is a once in a lifetime chance! Do you understand?"

Tenten laughed lightly, and smiled slyly to him, which confused the prince a great deal.

"I think you're a love-sick fool, but…okay, I'll help you."

Lee immediately sprung up from the ground and pulled Tenten in a tight bear hug, crushing Tenten's lungs in the process

"Oh thank you very much, Tenten-san! You will not regret it that is a promise!"

"Ok-ay…Lee…you…you're crushing…me…I can't…breathe…"

"Sorry, Tenten-san!" Lee exclaimed and let her go; she straight away started to refill her lungs with air, changing the color of her face back to normal.

"Well, your birthday is tomorrow, how do you feel?"

Lee simply shrugged

"It is only another birthday. But I am going to be nineteen. That is only one away from twenty…I wonder how old Sakura-angel is…she looks about my age…"

Tenten felt a small sting of sorrow when Lee said that his birthday was just one more day…

Because, even in he didn't know it yet, it was a good deal more than that.

And not just because he was getting older.

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A/N:

Well, Chapter 8 is done, thank goodness. I'll be updating less because I'm about to go back to school, and where I live, they believe children have no real lives so they give a ton of homework and stuff, but I promise to bring to you this story as much as I can.

Our Crazy Summer Vacation is progressing smoothly; I'll be updating that one, maybe this weekend. Like on Sunday. Last time I checked, I had 16 reviews for OCSV, and I am so happy! TP&tCM has 82, so I'll have 100 by no time, and check and see if you are my lucky 100 on The Prince and the Castle Maid, cuz if you are, you will win a special prize! Hooray…yeah… On to the important stuff!

Next Time:Chapter 9: The Christmas Ball

Teaser: 'Lady Ino had beyond doubt worked her magic upon the woman Prince Lee had fallen in love with, for the brightest star never shined with radiance and the most lovely flower had never bloomed the way Sakura Haruno looked that Christmas Eve, it took his breath away just to glimpse at her exquisite divinity.'