"Damn it, Masrur!" hissed Sakura as she healed another bruise on her arm. "Do you have to hit so hard?" Sparring with the red-haired Fanalis was always interesting. His fists were made of steel and he was an expert when it came to hand-to-hand combat. And Gods knew that it had been a while since she had last gotten some proper training done, what with all that had happened. She had sparred with a couple of the other Generals but she had to admit that Jafar and Masrur were definitely her favorite ones. Their fighting styles were closer to what she was used to and they were challenging. Masrur's brute strength was an excellent match for her own and Jafar had the agility and cunning of a shinobi.
The red-haired man crossed his arms across his muscular chest with his face as impassive as always. "You asked for a spar, Sakura. I never said I would go easy on you."
"That's right. I asked for a spar, not a one-way ticket to broken bones. And just so you know, fractures are a bitch to heal." she retorted and moved on to another bruise on her calf where he had kicked her in an attempt to make her loose her footing. She was damn lucky that he hadn't broken her bone.
"You can always go ask Sharrkan to train with you." he said with closed eyes as he leaned against the bark of a tree in the small clearing they had been sparring in.
"Come on, Mas! Loosen up." said Sakura with a wide smile and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder that earned her a sideways glance from the Fanalis warrior. "I didn't mean to offend you. After all, you know that Sharrkan isn't a good match for me when it comes to fighting. He'd probably make me want to kill him for real halfway through the spar, anyway." She laughed as her mind flew to the white-haired swordsman, who had developed a habit of teasing her every chance he got. She smiled as she stared off in the direction of the palace. Through the trees, she could see its impressive blue peaks that shone under the light of the sun. Somewhere is those walls, Alibaba and Aladdin were training hard under the guidance of their respective mentors. 'They sure have come a long way since the day I met them…..Alibaba, Aladdin, Morgiana….They have grown so much….' She healed the last of her bruises and turned to her red-haired friend with a wide smile. "Now, let me take a look at your head." she said and moved closer to the man.
"There is no need for that." he said and turned his head away from the pink-haired woman. Sakura rolled her eyes at him. 'Males and their egos…' Gently but firmly, she grabbed his head and pulled it down to her eyelevel in order to examine the slash above his eyebrow, completely ignoring the grunt of protest that escaped from his lips. He made a move to pull back but she didn't budge and continued to hold his head in her grasp.
"Stop being so stubborn and let me take a look, you big baby!" She examined the wound closely and placed a glowing hand over it, making quick work of disinfecting it before mending the torn skin back together. "Now, was it that hard?" She smiled widely at him as she patted his head like she often did with Morgiana, making him glare at her, though there was no malicious intent behind it.
"I hate you." he said as impassively as always, though she knew that he didn't mean it if the amused spark in his red eyes was any indication. Masrur was a hard individual to read but she dared say that she could understand him good enough and certainly much better than many others. After all, she had had much practice after spending so many years in the company of Kakashi, Sasuke and, for the past few years, Gaara. But their relationship had definitely improved since they started training Morgiana together and she could honestly say that she considered him a dear friend and a precious ally. And if the way he acted around her was any indication, then the feeling was mutual.
"Love you too, Mas!" she said with a giggle and smiled cheerfully at him before leaning back against the tree beside the man. She sighed in content and closed her eyes, focusing on the sound of the birds chirping around them and the sound of the waves crushing against the sand not very far from where they were resting. Taking naps in the forest was a habit that she had picked up from the male beside her and she could honestly say that she didn't regret it one bit. Shinobi almost never had chances at such serene and calming moments and she would cherish them for as long as she could. She didn't know how long they just laid there against the tree, side by side, with the blue sky above their heads and soft grass under their fingers, a cool breeze blowing through their hair and making the leaves rustle.
"Sakura, Masrur."
Two pairs of eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice and Sakura stood from her leaning position on the tree to look up at the white-haired male. "Jafar?"
"King Sinbad has requested your presence."
"Is something wrong?" asked the pink-haired woman as she stood to her feet, followed closely by Masrur.
"The delegates from the Kou Empire have arrived."
XxxOxOxOxxX
Sakura stood at the back, behind Sinbad and his Generals as they watched Kou's ship reach port. She didn't know what to think of this visit but she was sure that the Imperial Prince on that ship hadn't come to Sindria merely for studying. And if she knew Sinbad as well as she thought she did, then she could tell that he thought the same. She watched as soldiers from Kou arrayed themselves across from Sindria's welcoming party and instinctively inched closer to Alibaba, Aladdin and Morgiana. Sinbad might have negotiated with the Kou Emperor, but she was sure as hell that the Kou Empire wouldn't just abandon their ambitions and their claims on Balbadd. Alibaba was still in danger. Her eyes narrowed.
The first individual to disembark from the ship was a boy of average height with dark blue hair and blue eyes, the left one being a lighter shade than the right. There was a large burn scar covering the left side of his face and his clothes were fit for royalty.
'That must be the Imperial Prince…'
He came to stand before Sinbad and clasped his hand together before bowing in respect. "I am the fourth prince of the Kou Empire, Hakuryuu Ren."
Sinbad smiled kindly at the boy. "His Majesty spoke to me about you. Welcome to Sindria."
"Even without my stepfather's command, I have long wished to meet with you, sir."
"I am honored." The purple-haired King glanced behind the boy. "By the way, who is that lady behind you, Lord Hakuryuu….?" Sakura immediately recognized the woman. How could she not? She fought down the urge to groan and glared at the red-haired woman.
"Lady K-Kougyoku Ren?"
In any other occasion, the look on Jafar's face would have been almost comical but Sakura was trying really hard to keep her temper in check to pay him much attention. "You mean the one who has the hots for Sinbad!" She resisted the urge to march over and tell Hinahoho to 'shut the hell up'.
"So, she followed him here!" said Pisti with a giggle and Yamraiha nodded in agreement.
"Thank you for the other day. It's a pleasure to see you again." the Princess said and Sakura tried hard to keep the scowl off her face. The princess and she hadn't parted on the best of terms and the pink-haired woman still hadn't forgotten how she had ordered her lackeys to kill her friends or the heart-broken expression on little Aladdin's face.
"Likewise." answered Sinbad. Behind him, Jafar was a step away from biting his nails off in nervousness. "Hey, they are acting normal." observed Pisti and the white-haired man sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, it looks like nothing happened." Sharrkan pouted. "Aww, snap! And here I thought it would be interesting."
'Remind me to kill him next time we spar…..'
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" said Sinbad and smiled charmingly at the young woman. "We never got the chance to meet while I was in the Kou Empire, did we? Well, I'm truly happy to be reunited with you right now!"
Despite her annoyance, Sakura couldn't help but raise a questioning eyebrow at the way the Princess's shoulders were shaking and the sound of her voice as she spoke. "Did he say 'never got the chance to meet?'" Multiple pairs of eyes widened and mouths fell open when the Princess pulled a sword from inside her kimono and attacked Sinbad, who barely managed to jump back. Sakura growled and in the blink of an eye, she was standing protectively in front of a dumbfounded Sinbad with a kunai held tightly in her hands and her face set in a hard expression. However, the Princess didn't even spare her a glance and continued to glare heatedly at the purple-haired king.
"Curse you Sinbad! I'd resolved to swallow my tears and endure it for the sake of my country if you apologized, but I can't forgive you after all!" She pulled the ornament from her hair and with a burst of light, a familiar blade appeared in her hands. Sakura tensed and readied herself for an attack as a jet of water rose to the sky behind the Princess. "Duel me, Sinbad! For the barbarous act of violating the body of a maiden, you deserve to die ten thousand deaths!" Sakura's mouth fell open in pure shock and her grip on her kunai slackened. All previous thoughts of battle forgotten, she stared at the red-haired woman with eyes as wide as plates. 'V-Violated…..her?!'
"I knew it! W-What did you do to her?" yelled Jafar accusingly and pointed a finger at his King.
"I-I didn't do anything!" retorted Sinbad in an attempt to defend himself.
"What's the meaning of this, You Highness?" Jafar exclaimed and turned to look at the princess, who, before the very confused and equally shocked eyes of everyone present, broke down and tears started to run down her face.
"Jafar made her cry!"
"Um….Um….I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"
"Excuse me!" interrupted a new voice and Sakura got over her shock just enough to turn and look at the familiar man with the strange hat that she recognized as the Princess's follower and advisor. "It would be cruel to force the princess to describe what happened herself. Please allow me to continue." He made sure that he had their undivided attention before continuing. Sakura didn't about the others, but he certainly had hers. "According to the princess herself, this is what happened…..On the last night of King Sinbad's visit to the Kou Empire, a farewell banquet was held. When morning broke, and Princess Kougyoku awoke in bed….she found King Sinbad sleeping beside her naked!" Jafar was as close to having a heart attack as one could get. "If, after all this, you insist that nothing happened, I would very much like to hear your explanation….King Sinbad!"
One look at Sinbad's face told Sakura everything she needed to know. The man seemed like a deer caught in the headlights with his face being a mask of shock and his eye twitching. She really wanted to believe that he hadn't done it. And he probably hadn't. The Sinbad she knew would never fall so low and he certainly was no fool. He would never dare lay a finger on the Princess, especially while being in enemy territory.
"Curse you, Sinbad, for defiling the body of a Kou Empire princess! Duel me, right now! Should you refuse, I will kill you, and then I, too, shall die!" The Princess continued to shout with her sword held in shaky hands as more tears ran down her cheeks.
"Ah, my poor princess….What a scandal! You must be in such pain, Your Highness!" exclaimed Ka Koubun dramatically as he stood near the red-haired woman.
While Sinbad was trying really hard to remember whether he had really done it or not, Jafar glared at his King's back. "A lewd act by the King of Sindria….Followed by the Princess's suicide….Leading further to war with the Kou Empire!" Sinbad gritted his teeth as his advisor's words began to sink in and he narrowed his eyes in an attempt to concentrate and at least try to remember that night.
"Come to think of it, the king wasn't drunk at all that night." Said Sharrkan and Spartos nodded in agreement. Sinbad's head snapped up at the sound of those words and he turned to look at his Generals with hopeful eyes. "Right? I only had a sip or two as courtesy. Afterwards, I headed straight to my bedroom."
"And we definitely saw that you did." Added Spartos.
"Right! I just went right to sleep! Like I said, nothing happened between the princess and me."
"Then tell me, why was I in your room?" yelled the Princess from her place on the ground.
"Your Highness, I unfortunately have no memory of that…"
"Then tell me, why were you naked? Did you have some reason to remove your clothing while asleep?"
Sakura's eyes widened. 'Naked….?'
Sinbad nodded with a small smile. "That is not an infrequent occurrence."
Sakura fought down the urge to slap her forehead at how straightforward he was and didn't even make a move when the woman pulled out her blade once more.
"Don't insult me!" she yelled in his face as she held her sword close to his throat, though Sakura highly doubted that she would actually use it. "If you are going to insist on playing innocent, then why don't you hear my version of what happened? That night I stayed in a corner of the room at the banquet. But the festivities were over before I got a chance to speak to you…And after that…I was assaulted by some unknown person, and lost consciousness…The next thing I knew, I had woken up in Lord Sinbad's room!"
"Meaning…what?" inquired Jafar.
"Meaning….this is most likely what happened…." Exclaimed Ka Koubun. "In order to satiate his own twisted desire, he knocked the princess unconscious, after which he committed the deed!"
"That's twisted!"
"That's why I've been telling him to take a wife!"
"How heinous!"
Sinbad turned to his Generals, who were watching him accusingly. "You guys-have some faith in your own king, will you? For crying out loud….do you really believe that I'd get drunk enough to act so disrespectfully in the middle of a diplomatic mission?" The looks on their faces spoke volumes of what his Generals actually thought and had the situation been any different, Sakura would have burst out laughing at the look on the purple-haired man's face as he stared at his allies' accusing faces.
"I do believe it." deadpanned Jafar. "As far as your drinking habits are concerned, I have no trust whatsoever in you."
"It's always the same old story after all." added Masrur.
"There's an endless stream of complaints from women you've hit on." Said Spartos.
"The other day, we even got a complaint from a really old lady!" followed Pisti with a cheerful smile.
"You guys….." Sinbad's mouth fell open as he stared at his General's with wide eyes before turning to Sakura. "But you believe me, right Sakura?" Despite the gravity of the situation, knowing that she believed him was far more important than anything else…
His eyes were hopeful as he looked at her and Sakura found herself at a loss of what to say. "O-Oi, don't look at me like that….." The look on his face at her answer made her feel horrible and she felt like such a traitor, but what was she supposed to say? She really didn't know what could have possibly happened and while she was almost sure that he was innocent, she couldn't just say it in front of a princess of a rivaling royal family, who so strongly believed that she had been defiled by him. What if her word made things worse for Sinbad? And there was also that small possibility that clawed at her gut. What if….What if he had really done it?
Sinbad hung his head in defeat. "What's up with that? W-Was the trust between us nothing but a lie?"
"As if we can just stand here and listen to the rumblings of a drunkard!"
'Ouch….That was a low blow…' the pink-haired woman thought as she glanced sympathetically at the distressed purple-haired man.
"To take responsibility for your actions…" stated Ka Koubun. "You have no other choice but to marry the princess!"
Sakura's eyes widened at his words. 'Marry?!' It was then that her mind took a different turn. Alarming bells went off in her head as she processed the man's words a bit better. 'Wait….What if….' Her eyes narrowed as a series of thoughts entered her mind.
Sinbad abruptly turned to look at the robe-clad man. "Marry her?"
"But of course. If you had done such a thing as her betrothed, the princess's honor would remain unscathed. Our Emperor would surely be willing to offer her to such a man as you."
"Hold up! Who are you to…..?"
"It can't be helped." said Jafar.
"A political marriage with the Kou Empire?" inquired Yamraiha.
"If it's a matter of either war or good will, he probably doesn't have a choice." continued the white-haired man. "There's no way around it! To share the fate of a disgraced master…is a vassal's job after all."
All Eight General's took a step forward. "King Sinbad! Please come to a decision!"
Sinbad looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he shifted his eyes between his allies and the Princess before fisting his hands in his hair. "I can't take this anymore!" He turned to blue-haired water mage. "Yamraiha, use your power to prove my innocence!"
TBC
Difficult times for Sin! XD I hope you liked the chapter. I have to say that the episode where Kougyoku accuses Sinbad of defiling her is one of my favorites! I was laughing so hard halfway through the episode that I almost missed the rest of it when I watched it for the first time. Sakura is a bit uncertain about whether Sinbad has really done or not, but I'm sure that deep down she believes him. She is going to be more active in the next chapter. There was no actual SinXSaku scene in this one but Sakura did get a tab pissed. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter is coming up soon so stay tuned. Until then…READ AND REVIEW!
Lots of love!