21.
"I thought rolling in the dirt was beneath you, glad to see you working on your image."
Yuna heard his words, but she was too lazy to look up. Of course, the little episode she had under the fireworks had stained the kimono.
Not that he cared about why she had been on the ground in the first place.
"I learn from the best," was her acerbic retaliation.
Madara nudged her shoulder, "Get up."
It was early in the morning already and the lingering silence was enough to remind Yuna just how much she missed the chirping of birds. It was unsettling how quiet the world turned as the seasons changed.
Madara snapped his fingers in front of her face impatiently, pulling them away when Yuna tried to smack his hand, "Take your freakish fingers out of my face! Do you even have a reason to wake me up so early in the morning?"
Nevertheless she kicked off the covers and tossed the nightgown over her head. It landed perfectly on the bed.
The fact that Madara was often in the room while she changed did bother her, but one of the many things that Yuna had learned while staying there was that it was nearly impossible to make him bend to your will. His own beliefs and desires forbade him from doing so.
"Any reason why you're staring like a creep?" she asked while rummaging through the closet for a suitable outfit.
"You're my wife."
"So sexual harassment is fine if there's a paper to prove your undying love?"
Yuna could almost hear him roll his eyes.
"Just get dressed, I have something to discuss with you over breakfast."
She turned around a moment later. Madara's fingers curled around her wrist and tugged her along.
"I can walk on my own!" snapped Yuna and yanked her hand away from him. Rough mornings made her groggy. Actually, scratch that, mornings generally made her muzzy.
Breakfast was uneventful and silent as always, at least until Yuna got her hands on some green tea. After the fourth cup she was ready to engage in polite conversation.
"So, Madara, are we adopting a fuzzy animal?" Yuna asked with a straight face. She couldn't keep it up for long, the mere image of Madara handling something cute was enough to draw a chocking noise from her.
"South from here lives a lord, named Tanaka."
"What a dull name…"
He ignored her comment, continuing as if Yuna wasn't there.
"He has extended a proposal to me, to aid him in his petty skirmishes. You see, he lacks manpower that I could easily provide."
Yuna felt her jaw drop, "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, absolutely baffled at Madara's stupidity.
"We just were in a war, I refuse to let you do something so stupid!"
Madara covered her mouth with his hand, successfully shutting her up.
"Don't interrupt! Of course we're not going to actually aid him."
Yuna sighed, "Please tell me there is an ulterior motive."
"Of course, I need you to steal back something that belongs to the clan."
That drew some surprise from her part, "Why would he even have something like that?"
"Won it in a duel once, fair and square, but I want it back."
Her eyes narrowed, "I can't believe it…you have an ulterior motive, besides your main ulterior motive. Something like that could be accomplished by anyone."
Madara frowned, "Can't you just accept a distraction and shut your trap?"
"That's it," she exclaimed victoriously, "You're bored."
He rolled his eyes, "Whatever makes you happy."
What a silly woman. This was his way of repaying her, by getting her away from the Uchiha and keeping her occupied. Well, he was going to gain a clan relic in the process, but it was the thought that counted. Luckily, she decided to stop probing.
"Alright...do you know where it is? I'm guessing his mansion is ridiculously inflated like the man's ego."
Madara purposely waited for her to bite a large chunk of meat before answering.
"It is located in his bedroom, right beside his bed."
Her reaction was well-worth the wait. She nearly spat out the half-chewed protein. They both knew that there was only one way into a lord's bedroom.
"Absolutely not! Do you really expect me to flirt with some dirty old geezer?" She questioned, voice heavy with disgust.
Madara rolled his eyes, "Your lack of logical thinking still manages to baffle me…He's perhaps seven years older than me, and no one is ordering you to sleep with him...seduction is enough. You just have to get to his bedroom, knock him out and get out of the castle before anyone notices, and believe me they won't want to disturb you."
She raised her finger, "One little question," Madara appeared to be listening for once, which was surprising enough to almost make her forget her original intent, "What makes you think that he'll be interested in me?"
A mischievous glint was in Madara's eyes, and she didn't like that look in his eyes at all.
"Well...we've had our disagreements before in the past, and his conquests could rival mine to some extent; you'd be his little trophy. It would be his way of trying to mess with me, by sleeping with my dear...precious wife." The 'precious wife' made a gagging noise.
"You're a vile, shameless man." Yuna said, revolted.
Madara sighed with an uncharacteristic smile, "This is what marriage is all about. Making sacrifices for each other, so from now on...you're my very loose wife." Yuna had a sickened look on her face before she smacked Madara. She grabbed a rice ball to eat on the way back to her room.
"I think I just lost my appetite!" Yuna snapped before marching out of the dining room, making sure to slam the door as hard as possible.
A few moments passed in silence before Madara snorted and rolled his eyes. He opened the window and peered outside.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Izuna." He said sternly. His younger brother, sensing no true irritation, grinned.
"You caught me!" he sang innocently, raising his hands.
He stood up and without asking for permission, jumped in the window and sat on Yuna's spot and finished her meal. Not before giving her chopsticks a thorough rub with a napkin.
Madara sighed at his brother's childishness. Sometimes he began to wonder if it was truly an act. Perhaps Izuna was secretly dim-witted.
"What do you want?" Madara asked.
While it was clear that Madara wasn't a sentimental man, it didn't take a genius to sense a change in his entire demeanour when talking to Izuna.
"You're being awfully generous with Yuna...Distracting her from her trauma, utilising her for the clan's benefit and defeating boredom." Izuna's voice was playful. Madara's brow on the other hand was twitching with annoyance.
"Well, at least you're faster at grasping concepts than Yuna."
"Faster, meaning I missed something?"
"I hate Tanaka."
Izuna sighed, "That hardly counts. You hate everyone."
Madara rose from the ground, "Well good for you," he said, patting Izuna's head, "enjoy your meal."
Yuna's eyebrow twitched violently as she sat next to Madara. She folded her legs in a comfortable position before grabbing one of the many books that she had taken from the library. Several hours away from her husband had done little to improve her mood.
Madara glanced at the paperbacks with his eyebrow raised, "Are you going to read all of those?" He asked, voice littered with doubt.
His stubborn wife on the other hand was already turning her full focus on the lines. She had put the rest of the books as far away from Madara as possible, blocking them with her feet.
As if that would stop him.
If she had to seduce some random ass then he deserved no less than to be bored out of his mind.
It was a childish action, she acknowledged that, but it was one of the small pleasures of life for her to cause inconvenience for Madara, no matter what it was. Well, only because he deserved it right now.
Madara leaned back in the chair and opened up a window to allow some air to flow in.
He tried to picture Yuna as a classical, obedient wife...yet it seemed too unnatural. Her attitude that was shifting between serious and childish, her actions, and her pain...all of it was captivating. She had a personality, had something to offer him besides her body.
Speaking of which, she had managed to keep it all to herself.
Madara had, for reasons unknown to himself, stopped going to his nightly appointments. Was he hoping that Yuna would sleep with him, now that they were on civil terms?
Perhaps.
But so far, nothing. To be fair, she had other things occupying her mind, but that's exactly why this day was a favour. Though it seemed that she still hadn't realised it.
The fresh air cleared his mind a little. The only sounds that lingered in the small room was the rattling of the carriage.
"What are you reading?" Madara asked, yes he asked instead of just yanking the book from Yuna's grasp, accompanied with the words: "I might give it back."
Yuna's eyes flashed and a dark grin formed on her lips, "Oh, you're literate?" She asked with amusement dripping from every word that passed her lips. Madara didn't even bat a lash.
Without saying a word he pried the book from Yuna's hands, ignoring her loud protests, and threw it out of the open window.
"If I'm bored, then you're bored with me." Madara was irritated; it was clearly visible on his young features.
They had an intense glaring competition for several minutes before Yuna broke it off.
She put her legs on the bench across them and shifted herself in a more comfortable position. She could take another book, but knowing Madara he would just throw it out of the window again.
"You're going to sleep?" Madara questioned, trying to hold back the victorious smile that was aching to creep onto his face.
Yuna popped her right eye open, "Well you woke me up...stupid. Ruining my beauty sleep." She grunted and let her body go limp.
"Don't bother, there's nothing left to save," he snapped scornfully.
It wasn't long until she was snoring away. That's not Madara meant when he thought about sleeping with her.
His foot was tapping impatiently on the soft carpet while he counted the seconds in his head.
Lucky for him, Madara considered stealth to be one of his many underestimated skills. Quietly, and slowly his hand started moving towards the pile of books that was stacked away in a corner.
His eyes read the titles and the corners of his mouth curled into a frown. The titles were...good. Irritatingly good, but Madara refused to acknowledge something as trivial as that.
He leaned back in the seat and opened the book with a triumphant smirk, just ready to gloat.