Hi! This is my first story in English, but I hope you will like it. Obviously, neither Naruto or the characters are mine. However, every single song is. I wrote them, and that took a loooot of time. Anyway, please enjoy and don't hesitate to review, any little word of appreciation is welcome!

Chapter I.

Beyond the mountains covered in green,

I wait alone, with no home to be seen.

As hundred gems glitters upon my head,

I sing and dance and harp, as it was said.

For my music will sooth the beast to sleep,

And a hero will save me from this keep.

On a full moon, riding a stallion, came

A brave hero and I knew not his name.

As silver shone on his runes-covered blade,

The savage beast for me he fought and slayed.

I sang I am Illya of the tower

And brave Dalìn crowned me with a flower.

Today I am the fair lady Illya,

The wife of Dalìn the lord of Lolya.

The tower lies beyond mountains of green

But of my pain is no longer the scene.

And from my opal tower in my home,

I see the land that I may freely roam.

Hinata's fingers stopped dancing on the harp's strings. She had performed Illya's song for her tutor and the two other girls of her class; it was her favourite song and she loved nothing more but play and sing it. She sometimes dreamt to meet a knight like Dalìn who would save her and crown her with flowers too. The eight-years old girl looked up at lula Natsu, her tutor, waiting for comments on her music. The priestess gave her a smile and clapped her old hands. The two other girls attending the class did the same and Hinata felt her face heat up. Hamya and Hanika were older than her of two and three years, but she was the daughter of Lord Hiashi and they of the master-in-arms. They owed her respect, even though they were distant cousins for they were all Hyūgas. Nevertheless, it often bothered Hinata and she would rather be with her cousin Neiji who smiled a lot and remained honest.

"This was very good, Hinata. You still have to work on coordinating your voice and the melody, but both separate are excellent."

"Thank you, lula Natsu, Hamya, Hykina", she said, blushing as the two girls clapped alongside their tutor.

"Hamya, your turn", Voice Natsu said. "You had to work on your interpretation of the Fourth Hymn, correct?"

Hamya was grabbed her ornamented violin. As she was about to play the hymn for the fallen warriors, the door opened and they all jumped in surprise, turning to see who had interrupted the lesson. It was ser Kō, the best knight of the clan.

"My apologies for interrupting but it's urgent. Lord Hiashi has returned from Konoha."

Hinata's eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly open. Her lord father had left for the capital six years ago, right before her second birthday, and she had not seen him since. He would send gifts sometimes – dresses, a harp, books – but she could not remember his face. He was the twin of her uncle Hizashi so she assumed they were identical, but somehow, she could not picture his face. She wondered how he would look after so many years away from Yggalë and Pearlforest. What would he wear? What would he say to her? The most important thing was another matter, though, one that her lady mother would not stop rambling about if she were to drink some wine. Had he been selected by the Daimyō to take his place on the throne?

Hinata stared at the lord of Yggalë and Pearlforest before her. He was tall and had large shoulders, making him look like a mythical giant even though he was not wearing any armour. His eyes and hairs were similar to hers or any other Hyūga she had met, but his were cold and made of ice. He did not look like her uncle Hizashi, whose eyes were warm and always had a tale for her and her cousin Neiji. This man, her father, terrified her, but she had been raised well by her lady mother and lula Natsu. Hinata curtsied before the man, delicately holding the side of her lavender skirt as she did so.

"I am honoured to meet you, father", she said.

"Don't", the man replied. "There is no need to curtsy before your father".

She immediately obeyed and glanced at his face. His eyes had seemed to warm up and a small smile curved his lips in a way that reminded her of her uncle when he would bring her sweets in secret. Hinata authorized herself to smile a little; she had been wrong about fearing him. He was her lord father and fathers loved their sons and daughters. She had been so very wrong of thinking ill of him. Her lady mother had even told her how happy her father had been at her birth, naming Hinata in order to mock the nickname people have given to her, the Snowborn.

"Let's all have some tea", he offered. "I want to know everything about my daughter", he added with a warm voice.

Hinata felt like smiling wildly; her lord father had finally returned, and he was everything like her mother had told her. Strong, just and kind. He listened to her mother's stories of Hinata while sipping some tea, asked about her studies and congratulated her when she showed him her embroideries. She was still learning, but he waved her words away and asked her to make him a handkerchief that he would carry around should he leave Pearlforest without her again.

She was about to offer to play some harp for him, or sing one of her favourite songs, when the door of their solar opened. Hinata jumped in surprise and turned around to see who had entered the room, fearing something had happened. A smile softly appeared on her face. It was only her uncle Hizashi and her cousin, Neiji. Neiji was a boy of nine, one year older than her, but he was already much taller, and her head barely reached his chin when they stood next to each other. They often played together when they had the time.

"Hizashi, brother, you haven't changed! And you must be Neiji! How do you fare?", her lord father asked.

"Much better since I've heard of your return. You haven't written to warn us, why?"

"The Oplàn roads are not safe", her father replied, sighing. "I wanted to make sure no one knew about my return and which way I would take. It would put me and my escort in danger."

"I understand", Hizashi nodded. "Something must be done about the Oplàn roads. Yggalën ones are much safer. Cutthroats and criminals are afraid of us."

Hinata shivered. Cutthroats? Criminals? There were no such things in Yggalë. Their region was safe, and the roads too. If the Oplàn roads were unsafe, she wanted to stay home forever. But if they were this dangerous, surely the Daimyō was doing something about it. He would not let the people be in danger.

"Let's not speak about such things before the children", her mother suddenly said. "They're too young to hear about such things."

"Aye, you're right, my lady", her father replied. "Oplàn roads are not our problems, anyway. We must focus on Yggalë. For now, at least", he added with a proud look in his eyes.

Her mother gasped and grabbed his hands. Hinata glanced at her cousin, who did not seem to understand what was going on either.

"Am I hearing you correctly?" her lady mother said. "Have the Hyūgas been given this honour?"

"Yes, my lady, we have. Tonight, we will celebrate, for I shall take the Daimyō's place on the throne, and our clan will lead our kingdom to glory."

Hinata gasped, mimicking her mother's reaction by accident. She thanked the Mother Above All of this honour and a smile appeared on her face. Her father would surely take her to Konoha with him in a few years, and she would see the beauty of the capital, knights of every origin, beautiful ladies, tourneys, singers in every street, and she would find good and kind friends. A smile on her face, she looked at her uncle and cousin, only to be surprised at her uncle's face; his smile seemed strange and so very different from the one he gave her. Her smile fell, and she glanced at her father, who was chatting with her mother about trivial matters. Uneased, she got closer to them and tried to focus on their conversation.

But it seemed that she was afraid for nothing; at dinnertime, they all ate together, and her father and her uncle seemed to get along very well, talking of their childhood and their teenage years. They were reminiscing some "good old times" as her father said, and they laughed a lot. Hinata did not understand everything they were talking about and so she focused more on Neiji and his stories about his day, but her eyes were often drawn to her father. She had a hard time believing he was truly here, sitting in the lord's chair. She half-expected him to disappear at some point and when she went to bed that evening, she found her eyes wet, afraid that he would be gone the next morning.

But of course, he was there, retaking his role as lord of Yggalë day after day. She barely saw for he worked a lot, but she did not care. Every time they would eat together or see each other in the afternoon, after her lesson, he would take the time to tell her about Konoha, a small anecdote or a funny event, making her giggle. Her mother looked happier too and smiled much more than she used too. Her ebony hair seemed silkier, her pearl-like eyes shinier. She played more music, and the song she hummed were happier than they used to.

Hinata heard one day that celebrations had been given throughout all of Yggalë after her father's return. This was the last proof she needed that her father would be remembered as one of the greatest Daimyō of the kingdom. Yggalë already loved him, and it was only a matter of time before the entire kingdom loved him too. He would be, without a doubt, the best Daimyō the people could ever hope for, and he would rule wisely over the land of fire.

She herself would have duties as his daughter; she would not be Daimyō after him, and would not rule over anything but Yggalë, but she would most likely live at court with her father for a few years. After all, where would he find her the ideal husband but in Konoha? And who would pass the honour of spending some years at court? That meant, however, that she had to excel in everything a noble lady was to master. She made it her duty to work harder in her classes, and she happily discovered that her father was proud of her. It pushed her to keep going and becoming the perfect daughter he surely wished for.

Three weeks after her father's return, Hinata glanced up from her knightly tale to look at the landscape surrounding Pearlforest. As her eyes were admiring the luxurious plains, she noticed a column of horses coming towards the castle from afar. She jumped on her feet and leaned on the stone balustrade; eyes widened. Who was coming? Allies or enemies? She squinted her eyes, hoping to recognize a banner from this distance but she failed; they were too far away.

She entered her bedroom and stood before her mirror, studying her dress. She sighed, relieved; she was well-dressed, and her hair were silky and tamed. She would be presentable for the newcomers. Nevertheless, she put on a Hyūga clan medallion and left her room, looking for her parents to share her discovery. She first knocked on her mother's door, but her bedroom was empty and went to her father's office, where he worked tirelessly for the clan and the region. She knocked softly and heard his deep voice from the other side of the heavy dark wood door.

"Come in!"

She easily opened the door and came in, curtsying politely.

"Oh, Hinata, I didn't expect your visit. What can I do for you?", he asked.

"I saw a column of horses approach, father. I couldn't recognize their banner because of the distance."

"Ah, I see. They're our bannermen, the Yamanakas and Inuzukas. I invited them to celebrate my return. Your mother told me it could be a good idea to surprise you, you've always wanted to see a tourney, from what I've heard.

"A tourney?", she repeated, suddenly ecstatic, an immense smile appearing on its own on face.

He chuckled softly and walked towards her.

"It would seem your mother was right. We will indeed host a tourney. It won't match Konohan ones, but it will be a good training for those you'll see at the capitol, won't it?"

"I'll go to Konoha?", she exclaimed, smiling.

It had to be one of the most beautiful days of her life; not only a tourney would take place, but she now had the confirmation that she would follow her father to Konoha when he would become Daimyō. He chuckled again and invited her to follow him in the great hall to greet their first guest. If she had been allowed to, Hinata would have jumped and ran throughout the whole castle, but she restrained herself. If she did not act like a proper lady, she would be ridicule, et her parents ashamed.

When they arrived in the great hall, Hinata noticed that the tables had been moved to form a "u". Her mother and Neiji were already sitting, chatting. If Hinata had to take a guess, she would say that her cousin was telling training stories to lady Cho. She sat by her mother's side, on her father's right side, the heir's seat, whilst Neiji was on her father's left and had left a seat for his father.

The first bannermen to arrive were the Inuzukas; their lady was named Tsume but Hinata realised, much to her disappointment, that the woman had nothing of a lady, and found in her no trace of her mother's grace, although she showed nothing of it. By lady Tsume's side stood her eldest daughter and heiress, lady Hana who, despite more graceful and beautiful than her mother, wore a sword at her hip and held herself like a knight. What could she possibly find exciting in sword fighting? It seemed exhausting and the sweat from the effort had to stick one's clothes to one's skin. Guards should suffice to protect them. Finally stood lady Tsume's son, Kiba, who seemed to be of Neiji's age. He had his mother's unruly dark hair, and his family' tattoo shone on his cheeks.

They were introduced by Hizashi, who spoke in a serious and deep voice Hinata had scarcely heard him used and sounded so different from the one he used when playing with her. Lady Tsume and her household put a knee to the ground, and Hinata felt herself blush. No one had knelt to her before this day. However, as future High Lady of Yggalë and head of the Hyūga clan after her father's coronation, her bannermen would have to kneel before her. Nevertheless, she could not stop her blush and thanked the Nine that it was not required of her to talk. She would have lost her words and voice, without a doubt.

Food and wine were brought to the guests, who sat at a table was the Yamanakas arrived and were presented by Hizashi. Lord Inoichi Yamanaka had two children, twins, the young Inojin and lady Ino, with golden hair and sapphire eyes. But for all the beauty the Nine had given to the twins, they had taken it from their father, who scars-covered face filled Hinata with a wave of horror for a short second. His skin was redish and swollen and, from the state of his hands, Hinata guessed that the scars covered a large part of his body. The young lady suddenly felt horror leave her to be replaced by pity; the man may have a repulsive and terrifying appearance, but she could not begin to imagine the pain he had had to go through.

"My friends! Let's eat and celebrate! Tomorrow, we may begin the tourney!", her father said.