Chapter X
In Which the Princess Breaks her-

Ino got better, which was unfortunate for Temari, but not so much for the actual sickly girl. She'd come down with something that had the royal family and her parents a little edgier than usual, as the symptoms started much like the King's had. But when she was fully recovered and allowed to see daylight again it was quickly announced that a chill had wracked the pretty girl, and nothing else.

"Don't look so sullen," Ino pointed out, sliding Konoha, A History across the table towards Temari. "Even if I had been bedridden for longer, the Queen would have found someone else to tutor you."

"I'd probably have a better chance in making them quit."

It was much against Temari's better judgment that she admitted that Ino was actually not so bad. Sure, there were times that she inexplicably wanted to beat the girl's face into the ground due to her unnaturally good looks, but most of the time, Ino was more than just barely tolerable. Perhaps it was the constant companionship that Temari was now beginning to rely on, or perhaps it was because she had seen the camaraderie between the blonde and her prince and was shocked into realizing that friendship was a powerful thing. Or perhaps it was all because Temari simply liked the girl, despite the reasons she had not to.

In that moment that she admitted it, while Ino began to dictate all the ways to be a proper princess, Temari had a compelling nerve to talk to the blonde about Shikamaru. It had been days since the afternoon spent on the grassy knolls of Konoha, but an unsettling tingle had taken over her heart since then, and any mere mention of Shikamaru brought the feeling back full strength, causing the Princess much distress.

Temari did not know about unsettling tingles or the fluttering that occurred in her stomach when she saw Shikamaru. She'd never experienced something like it, and while at first she had been quick to label it "intense hatred," she was starting to doubt it very much. The truth was, she enjoyed speaking to Shikamaru. Arguing with him became the highlight of her day. The mental scoreboard she kept of their exchanges made her carefully analyze the conversations she held with him to figure out where they stood. Often times, they were neck-to-neck, the winner barely victorious by a point.

"You know," Ino said suddenly, stopping mid-tirade about royal females giving birth in front of those in Court to make sure the baby was not switched after birth. "You and Shikamaru are very similar."

"What?" Temari couldn't be bothered to mask the astonishment in her voice. That had been quite out of nowhere.

"There's no doubt you two are beyond different, but surprisingly enough, you are so alike."

"Explain."

"I don't know. He might be extremely lazy and nonchalant and rude, but he's incredibly intelligent. And you, despite being obnoxious, loud, and arrogant, are also incredibly intelligent. You've both got analytical minds. I don't know what it is, but when I see you two together, I can't help but think that you'd be so—"

There was a curt knock on the door, interrupting Ino mid-sentence, allowing Temari a moment to release a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Without waiting for permission to enter, the door opened. Shikamaru stood on the other side with his hand still on the doorknob even as he took a few steps in. He looked as if he'd stumbled into Temari's room completely involuntarily and against his will but there was no Queen standing behind him with a sword to his neck.

He nodded in greeting. Ino smiled warmly and stood before bowing deeply. It was the first time Temari had ever seen the girl greet her Prince properly.

"You can go, Ino."

The smile slipped from Ino's perfect face, replaced by a frown Temari recognized as the one she wore when she was particularly annoyed at something.

Ino gave him a slight nod. "Your highness," she said. Mumbling her way out of the room, Temari overheard, "They should just get married."

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Shikamaru alone in the room with her.

Suddenly, she felt sweat begin to form in the palm of her hands, a dreadful feeling creeping under her skin, into her bones, and settling in the pit of her stomach like a heavy stone. It was such a strange thing, unknown to her, but she had a sneaking suspicion it was something called nervousness.

Preposterous. It was just Shikamaru, alone in a room with her, a chess set in his hands. There was very little reason to be nervous, especially with Shikamaru.

He neared her desk. He placed the board in front of her and offered her a half-hearted smile. "Want to play?"

Her throat closed up momentarily, forcing her to cough through the obstruction. "I should be studying. Gaining knowledge on how to be the perfect princess."

Shikamaru shrugged and took Ino's empty seat. "You're already a princess. There is little anyone can teach you about that. It's something you're born with, right?"

Temari couldn't help it when her eyes narrowed and her analytical mind began to dissect his words and tone of voice. "What's gotten into you?"

He looked genuinely surprised at that. "Huh?"

"You're acting weird. You're agreeing with me."

He frowned, setting up the pieces slowly. "No, you're acting weird. Do you know how to play?"

"Of course I know how to play. How am I acting weird?" She reached over, careful to keep from accidentally touching his hand as she picked up the white pieces and began to set her side of the board.

"I was just asking. And you just are. Look, you're shaking."

She ignored his claim but paid closer attention to her hands, which were, indeed, shaking just a bit. "Why did you want to play chess with me?"

"Honestly? Because my father always beats me, and no one else in this palace is a challenge. I figured you, out of everyone, would stand against me the longest."

Temari paused to glance at him. "Are you that good or is everyone else that bad?"

He smirked. "I don't want to sound cocky—"

"I've heard enough; don't even finish."

"—But I'm pretty damn good. And I think you'd be pretty damn good, so I want to play you."

For some odd reason, Temari had the greatest urge to smile. Those words, as presumptuous as they were, made the weight in her belly lift just a bit, warmth spreading through her limbs and making her feel lightheaded and happy.

Somehow, she had finished putting the pieces in their proper places and made a move. Shikamaru took it as the start of the game and made his move as well, watching her with a gentle smile on his face.

"Why on earth are you looking at me like that?" Her voice was harsher than she intended it to sound. She moved a piece without thinking.

"I wasn't even aware I was looking at you." He studied the board and made a move.

"Well, you are. And you can stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Staring at me."

He averted his eyes, concentrating instead on the game before them. When Temari looked down in an attempt to distract herself, she was surprised to find that she was suffering major losses and that Shikamaru was quickly gaining advantage and would soon beat her.

"I came here for a reason."

"Naturally." The stone in her stomach suddenly became twice as heavy. Disappointment quickly wrapped itself around her. She moved a piece without thinking and winced slightly as Shikamaru pelted it aside with his own piece.

"Will you spend the day with me?"

Temari gasped—and then hid the gesture by slamming her hand down and disturbing some of the pieces on the board. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I've been thinking that I haven't exactly showed you much kindness, and as your future husband, I should."

"Well, don't."

"Won't you simply accept the gesture?"

She didn't want to. Temari was far from a stupid girl and she could instantly tell that something in the air had changed around them. Something was different and she couldn't place what it was, only that it made her heart feel as if it had been shocked by a bolt of lightening, made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, made her eyes follow every one of Shikamaru's distinct moves. If she sat there and let the good-for-nothing Prince shower her with gentle words, she knew that her heart would sway. She'd never been showed any sort of sweet acts of kindness before, and to have them bestowed upon her would make her vulnerable.

And she couldn't be vulnerable.

But when she looked up to deny Shikamaru, to let out snide remarks, they stuck in her throat. She was drowning in he depths of his eyes.

"What would we do?"

"I've invited my friends to the palace. I want them to meet you. I want you to get to know me."

"I know enough about you, and let me say: not very impressive." Her hands were shaking as she placed them in her lap, away from his eyes. She was lying through her teeth, which frightened her beyond all measures.

When had Shikamaru gone from nuisance and unimpressive to kind and more-than-slightly impressive? When had her opinion of him done a complete 360?

The clouds, she thought to herself. There was something in the grass, there just had to be.

"Good," he said lightly. He moved his queen and smiled at her. "Checkmate."

When he left, Temari had a gnawing feeling that his last words had been about more than just the game.

Temari stood outside of the room, the voices within loud enough for her to hear. She felt a sense of dread begin to well up inside her, threatening to drown her. She knew this was a test—if she failed to get even Shikamaru's friends to like her, then she would undoubtedly fail in getting the nation to approve of her. A tiny part of her knew her chances of getting out of the marriage were slowly disappearing, and an even smaller part of her knew that she didn't mind nearly so much in living the rest of her days in the Palace of Konoha. But she knew all about beheaded queens and coups d'etat, and she had no desire in becoming one of those stories.

She was just about to head inside, her hand on the golden doorknob, when she heard a sound behind her. Turning her head, she felt her heart stop mid-beat as she recognized the person.

"I didn't imagine I would find you out here."

Temari let go of the doorknob. "Lord Sasuke." She did not bow.

He took the insult with a small smile as he bowed his head in turn. "Princess Temari."

"I didn't think you would be invited."

He laughed. "This is purely political, as you must have noticed. This isn't a fun little gathering—we're here to make our minds up about you."

The more he spoke, the more she disliked him. It was something about his eyes, the sound of his voice, the way he seemed to care about nothing except himself. She wanted to kick him and stalk away, but she was frozen in place, as if fear were pinning her to the ground.

"I'm sorry, have I insulted you?" his voice was mocking, sarcasm dripping from the tips of his teeth as his smile widened.

"No, I fear I may have insulted you. But if you'll excuse me—"

He moved quickly, grabbing her arm and wrenching her away from the door. "No, I would enjoy your company even more. Take a walk with me."

She stiffened immediately, even as he dragged her with a force she couldn't have ever imagined in a human. She wrenched her arm away, only half succeeding, and came to a stop.

"Let me go."

His grip on her arm tightened. "I insist you take a walk with me."

"You are being too forward in my own home."

"Home?" He laughed, the sound grating, like Ino's long nails dragging along a blackboard. "This is not your home. You were practically sold to this family, your dowry to come in soon. You're just a tool—"

Anger bubbled inside her. "Let me go," she said again.

"How would the public react, finding the future queen in a compromising position with a noble's son?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"This is where you're wrong, my Queen." He pulled her harder, into a room she had never noticed before. The only light flickering in the hallway suddenly disappeared as Sasuke closed the door, making everything go dark.

"What are you doing?" Fear threatened to creep into her voice but Temari would never allow it. She was strong and nothing could break her. Not even some twisted boy like Sasuke.

"My family… we've spent so long in the shadows of this silly kingdom, of this silly king. Of course, when my father found out the King had turned ill—that was when we realized it would be the perfect time to strike. And then you waltzed into the palace, the perfect bait. Everything depends on you, you see. You must get married to the Prince, you must be accepted by the kingdom. But when everyone has found out about your indiscretion—"

"I may seem like a damsel in distress," Temari interrupted, spurred on by fright and desperation, "but I could probably crush you. My thigh is probably as big as your whole body."

Suddenly, she was thrust against a wall, her hands pinned above her, a warm body keeping her still.

"We'll get to that soon enough," Sasuke said. She felt his mouth near her ear, warm breath stirring her hair. "I assure you, I don't do this for pleasure. I am merely doing what I must for my family."

"Get the hell off me!"

"It will only be a moment."

She squirmed. Never before had she felt so weak. She'd been so proud of her strength back in Suna, beating so many of the noblemen's sons at sparring and dueling, until her father told her a princess could not act that way and forbid her from ever venturing to the training grounds.

No. This was not going to happen.

She tried to fight him off. She lifted her knee with all the force she had, slamming it into his groin. Sasuke tumbled back, howling in pain. A moment later, he was reaching forward again, grasping her hand, pulling her forward. She kicked blindly, hoping to find a bit of him in the dark, hoping to hurt him enough that she could find the door and get out—

The door opened. Light flooded the room. Sasuke kneeled on the ground; one hand was holding his groin while the other was wrapped tightly around her hand, bruising her wrist. He glared at her, eyes flashing red.

"Let her go."

Never had Temari been so glad to hear such a voice. It was welcoming; warmth filled her, threatening to spill out from her eyes. She wanted to melt to the ground from gratitude and relief.

Shikamaru was there.

But Sasuke did not let go.

It happened in one short moment. She pulled at her hand and felt her wrist break; there was a howl that she was sure did not rip out of her own throat; she felt an arm around her waist, pulling her out of the room; and then the pressure of someone pushing her into a chair, making her take a seat as she cradled her hand and felt pain begin to pulse through her entire body.

"Are you okay?"

Shikamaru's voice sounded so concerned. Temari let her eyes focus on everything around her. She found herself in the kitchens, on a stool, a worried Shikamaru staring at her and holding her hand.

"No," she said. "My wrist is broken."

"Is that it?"

She scowled, mostly from the pain. She was very tempted to scream. "Yes, that's it. Isn't that bad enough?"

He sighed, his other hand reaching for her free, unbroken one, and gripping it tightly. "Thank goodness. I thought he'd done something to you."

"He did. He broke my wrist!"

He laughed. She swore she saw his eyes glistening, as if about to cry; but when he blinked it was gone.

"I'm so glad."

"Well, don't just hold my hand. Do something."

Shikamaru nodded, letting go of her good hand, and held the other so delicately, as if he was afraid he'd hurt her even more. The sheer gentleness of it made the pain lessen just a bit.

But the knot in her throat only grew until she had to hide her face away from him.

"I didn't imagine this happening when I invited everyone here."

She nodded, unsure she could speak.

"I'm sorry, Temari."

"It isn't your fault."

"I'm sorry all the same." She felt him mending her wrist, setting it straight without warning, making her wince and bite her tongue to keep from crying out. When he finished wrapping it, he laid it on her lap and helped smooth out the wrinkles of her dress. "I promise never to let something hurt you again."

"You sound awfully romantic."

"I mean it."

She didn't like how serious he sounded. She didn't like the way her heart began to pound in her chest and her blood began to thrum in her veins. She didn't like that she liked the possibilities that came with his words. So she said, "Do you want to marry me now or something?"

She felt his hand under her chin, forcing her to turn to look at him. His eyes were half-lidded, gentle, staring at her with such genuine tenderness that she felt she had to look away but found she couldn't.

"I do."

AN: I've been trying really hard to post more often. Please review so I know my efforts are not in vain. Besides, reviews feed my ego and make me feel like I'm appreciated, and since I'm human, I thrive off of love and appreciation and stuff.

So yeah. Review. PLEASE!

Don't I just seem desperate?