Chapter 10 Carnival Palace
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Carnival (n)-a celebration of the flesh
A bracelet adorned Hinata's wrist. The bracelet was made of multiple metals: copper, silver, iron, and gold. Dunk it in you tea. If any of the charms changed colors, she won't drink it.
Sasuke kept food in a locked clothing trunk. She had a key to it on her bracelet. There was enough cheese, powdered bread rolls, water, apples, and dried meats to last the two of them a week. She was told to eat as little as was offered in the palace as possible, especially dry foods like pastries or steaks.
When Hinata sat down for the banquet, there was a servant behind her. Like all the other royals, Hinata would feed the first bite to the servant in case there was poison. The approach was full of folly, Sasuke pointed out. For instance, Sasuke could use poison salts on half the steak and leave the other half clean—the servant would know to eat only a clean piece, and leave the whole poisonous steak to the master. In addition, most poisons used kill you hours after you had eaten. It would appear as if you only had a heart attack.
Kurenai and Hidan took turns keeping guard outside Hinata and Sasuke's bedroom. Inside their bedroom, Sasuke kept watch as Hinata slept. When Sasuke slept, Hinata was on her guard. She would practice her daggers in the dark to stay awake.
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The first night she had stayed there, she pulled open a drawer. Another drawer launched out causing her to fall, then the drawers retracted themselves. The entire teal wardrobe chest descended upon her. Sasuke quickly shoved a trunk in her direction to prop the wardrobe up, and she crawled out from beneath the wardrobe. Otherwise, the wardrobe would have crushed her.
On further inspection, there was a large metal levee behind the wardrobe that would cause the furniture to collapse on its user. Whenever a shelf was pulled on, the mechanism was sprung. It was a trap.
As Sasuke inspected the room for traps, Hinata told him she wanted a different room. Sasuke insisted they stay in their assigned room. A new room meant new traps.
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Her entire stay at Versailles had been a carnivalesque nightmare. Within six days at the palace, Hinata had begun to become delirious. Between the events and guarding Sasuke, Hinata only got three hours of sleep each night. She hasn't showered since she left Caen. She felt hungry, tired, and grumpy. Hinata felt like punching Sakura in the face.
"Rumor had it that you used to be a nun. Perhaps it's because you act so holier-than-thou."
"People will talk, Sakura." Hinata shrugged off her old friend's backhanded comments. Life was about survival not competition. The soft answer turns away wrath. Naruto had taught Hinata that.
Sakura's eyes brightened like she saw something she wanted. Let's humiliate Hinata. "We haven't heard from you at all. Where have you been these last five years?"
"I wasn't a nun. I just studied healing at the Women's Abbey in Caen." Hinata gave a short reply.
"Impressive!" Ino said, the eagerness in her eyes indicated honesty.
Tenten played with her sleeve nervously. Hinata's father had developed a gambling problem. The brunette knew this was true reason why her in-law, Hinata, was sent to the abbey.
"How charming!" Sakura scoffed. "How very like you to mingle with the orphans."
"What have you been up to these past five years, Sakura?" Hinata turned the question back on Sakura. Hinata was getting tired of the attention-good and bad.
"Oh, you know, I have been studying dance and music. I attend debutante balls." Sakura answered.
"Any suitors?" Ino asked in innocent curiosity.
Cherry red colored Sakura's face in embarrassment. No. Sakura Haruno had no suitors.
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Hunger made Hinata return to her room. A servant was leaving the room Hinata shared with Sasuke. The couple had requested no servants.
Hinata drew a dagger from her sleeve and threw it. Her dagger pinned the servant's dress skirt to the ground. Swiftly, Hinata drew a dagger from her other sleeve and held it to the servant's neck.
"Why were you in our room?" Hinata asked. She forced all compassion out of her voice.
"Miss, miss, I-I didn't want t-to. P-Please, spare me."
"You didn't want to what?"
"Poison miss, poison your food trunk."
"Who ordered you to?" Anger seeped through Hinata's voice. She was hungry! Starving! This servant had went and poison the one source of food Hinata had. Hinata wanted to cry in frustration.
"I can't tell you."
"Was it-his majesty? Go on, tell me, I won't tell anyone." Hinata said kindly.
The servant nodded.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Hinata tried to sound kind, her voice clear as a bell. The servant shook her head.
Hinata knocked the servant in the temple with the handle of her dagger. The girl fainted.
HInata dragged the girl into a corner. She felt the servant's body for weapons. The girl was stocked. There were bladed pinwheels, vials of poison, and a hairpin that doubled as a needle. There was a dagger in each sleeve and in the side of each boot.
Carefully, Hinata removed the weapons. She made sure not to touch the blades, in case they had been laced with toxins. She placed them in her leather bag to study later.
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King Orochimaru had the servant girl, Matsuri, killed. The girl had failed to kill Hinata.
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Sasuke told her she would have to starve until they had an audience with the king. Afterwards, they could go home to eat, drink, and wash where it was safe. She did not voice it, but by now, Hinata hated the king.
Sasuke explained that Hinata's stay at the palace was more treacherous than other royals. Wives of the head of espionage were historically tested. The late Kushina had spar with a dozen guards, no one was harmed, it had been merely a test of skill-that had been the way of the old king. The current King Orochimaru enjoyed crueler tactics.
What kind of king wastes people and resources with his sick games? Hinata thought.
Hinata had been kind. Any other noble would have killed the armed servant girl.
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"Hehmmm! He-Hehmmm!" The king drawled in a very queer manner. Our king looks more like a clown than a leader, Hinata thought. The king circled Hinata and considered her.
Orochimaru eyed Hinata Uchiha. She was the splitting image of Hitomi Hyuga, except for the eyes-they were far too wide and kind. It was just the way he liked them, naïve and innocent. When Hinata was a fourteen year old girl, Orochimaru had wanted her for himself.
Sweeping his gaze over the woman before him, he was no longer impressed. He preferred to sleep with little girls not grown women. Very well, Sasuke could have her.
"Well, well, well. You chose well S-sasuke! S-she s-survived! Ahahaha!" The king cackled, his voice echoing in the cavernous court. Their king had a penchant for hissing on "s" words like a snake.
Sasuke did his best not to glower in Akatsuki court. They were currently in the catacombs. The court was underground. The floor had a checkered pattern and there was a lofty waterfall gushing behind the throne. They were like pawns on a chessboard.
Then, the mad clown king cocked his head. "Does your husband s-speak of me often?"
"Pardon us, you highness. My husband does not speak of work or politics at home." Her bell-like voice echoed in the cave.
"Ahahaha! Good! Good! A family man! Those are quite easy to control! Ahahaha!" The king moved his fingers as if he was playing with imaginary puppets.
He walked around, gawking like an animal. His neck was extended ahead of him. His crazed eyes bulged out of his head. The king was having a manic episode today. The servants would know to avoid him whenever he would piss out wine colored urine. Unfortunately, Sasuke and Hinata had an appointment with the king that exact day. One wrong move, and they'll be dead.
"I'm bored." The king whined.
"Ugh! You guys can leave now." The king flapped his right hand.
Sasuke and Hinata Uchiha stopped holding their breaths.
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