Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to I will never be loved, puppiescute a.k.a. Mic Mic, and rao hyuga 18 for your reviews! Every time I see an alert in my inbox, it helps inspire me and cheer me up. I love reading your thoughts on my writing, and am especially appreciative to hear everyone's in character. Thank you all again so much, and also to those who added this story to their alerts and favorites!

Author's Note: Some more backstory is set up in this chapter, as well as the introduction of a few more characters, both major and minor. I really enjoyed exploring part of Suna, and especially Hinata's new home, in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it too. And though Gaara isn't in this chapter, I can promise he makes his first appearance at the beginning of the next! Thank you so much to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

*~Chapter II~*

~Suna~

When at last the towering, forbidding rock walls of Suna came into sight three days later, Hinata fervently prayed she would never have to sit on a horse so long again.

"Finally." The word was breathed in one voice from several lips as the group approached the single crack in the otherwise solid cliff face allowing entrance into Hinata's new home.

Hinata felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickle as innumerable pairs of unseen eyes watched her from alcoves carved into the rock walls above her. The man at the head of their small caravan carried a flag with Konoha's symbol on it, and she wore her clan's symbol on the back of her robes, clearly proclaiming their identities. But still, she could feel the distrust simmering in the air as two figures on horseback appeared in the light at the end of the narrow tunnel through which they were riding. Behind them, a somewhat larger group stood, all silent and staring. Though they did not have weapons drawn, they made no effort to hide the presence of katana strapped to their waists or saddles.

Her hopes of finally getting a glimpse of her future husband were quickly dashed as Hinata grew closer to the group. Though one of the two riders in the forefront was male, he had dark hair, whereas Lord Gaara was rumored to have bright red locks.

Swallowing back her disappointment, Hinata allowed her pale gaze to drift to the female of the pair. Her ramrod-straight back and stiff shoulders bespoke haughty pride; her sharp features were filled with politeness which barely hid her underlying scorn; narrow teal eyes glittered with shocking hostility; and even the four ponytails into which her golden blonde hair was confined looked sharp and vaguely dangerous.

"I am Temari, the elder sister of Sabaku Gaara," the blonde announced imperiously. Her hard eyes rested only briefly on each of the three female members of the group from Konoha before moving on to the next. "Which one of you is Hyuuga Hinata, my brother's betrothed?"

Hinata nudged her horse forward a couple of steps. Her mare obeyed skittishly, sensing her rider's intense desire to turn and bolt in the opposite direction. "I am Hyuuga Hinata," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Clearing her throat, she repeated the words, louder this time, but with a waver in her tone. "Thank you for welcoming us t-to your home." She had planned a much different speech, but it had included words which could not be used in any way to describe the woman before her, who currently exuded barely concealed - was that hatred? Surely not! The two women had only just met.

Temari shared a brief glance with her dark-haired companion before she finally tilted her head towards Hinata in acknowledgement. "Who are your companions?"

Shifting slightly on her horse so she could better see those who came with her, she indicated each in turn as she introduced them. "My c-cousin, Hyuuga Neji, and his wife, Tenten. My maid, Yamanaka Ino, and my b-bodyguard, Nara Shikamaru." She started to introduce the others who were leading the horses carrying all her earthly possessions, but Temari made a quick gesture to cut her off before she could.

"My brother is currently in a meeting and thus unable to meet with you at this moment. He extends his apologies." The look on Temari's face made it clear she, too, wished to be in a meeting instead of meeting her future sister-in-law and her escorts. "He will, however, be present at dinner."

Hinata was torn between feeling relieved she didn't have to face her fiancé immediately and the dread of having their meeting put off until later. Would he continuously find excuses to be absent until they reached the alter? Would he abandon her then, too? What about after they were married?

Temari wheeled her golden horse around, seeming as at home in the saddle as she did in the harshness of her surroundings. "Quarters have been prepared for you. Pardon me for not taking you on a tour of the village, but everyone is a little too curious to see their leader's future wife. We announced this morning you would be arriving later than you actually did, so we could escort you to your future home as quickly and quietly as possible."

She desperately wanted to ask why, exactly, Temari and her brother felt the need for such secrecy, but she bit her tongue to hold back the words. Even at this early juncture, she felt her footing in the Sabaku household was tenuous at best. It would be to her benefit to observe quietly and learn before she dared open her mouth for anything but polite, expected platitudes.

Once again, Neji and Tenten took up positions on either side of Hinata as they proceded into the village proper. Temari and her dark-haired companion led the way, with the rest of the Suna welcoming committee falling into formation in a circle around those from Konoha.

The group slowly made their way down a series of back roads, sometimes more like alleys, and it didn't take long for Hinata to notice they were winding their way toward a towering building seemingly in the center of the village. A quick glance over her shoulder at the Suna guardsmen surrounding them made her feel like she was being herded like a lamb to the slaughter, as Neji had put it only a few days before.

Her mouth suddenly felt very, very dry. It had nothing at all to do with the desert air.

As a distraction from her own disturbing thoughts, Hinata allowed her gaze to drift to her future sister-in-law's companion. He rode only slightly less comfortably than Temari, his dark ponytail swinging side to side with his horse's movement as his coal-black eyes scanned their surroundings watchfully. A set of scabbords on his saddle held a matched pair of short swords, and she wondered if they were decorative or if he really knew how to use them. She had a distinct feeling it was the latter.

Temari said something in a low tone to him, and when he turned his head, Hinata had to bite back a soft gasp. She could tell by the way Neji tensed next to her he'd seen the same thing as she: a small insignia close to the neckline of the dark-haired man's shirt, a white fan beneath the inverted crescent shape of bright red flames.

The crest of the Uchiha clan, once a powerful force in Konoha until they were all but wiped out in one night, allegedly by the elder son of Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head.

Hinata felt the palms of her hands grow wet with nervous sweat as she realized it was that very son, Uchiha Itachi, behind whom she rode now.

"That's it," Neji growled softly. "I'm taking you back home."

Despite her fear, Hinata sharply shook her head. "N-No," she whispered. "Remember, he was absolved of any g-guilt for the crime."

Neji shot her a doubtful look before he went back to glowering at Itachi. "Just because there was no conclusive evidence doesn't mean the man didn't slaughter his family and completely eradicate his clan."

Not completely. His younger brother is still alive and living in Konoha. Hinata had a feeling mentioning the fact would do little to alter her cousin's views on the matter. Even though she couldn't help but fear Itachi immediately - something about which she did feel slightly guilty - she wished to give him the benefit of the doubt. Few others in her village had done so.

"We have time to be still and observe," Tenten noted quietly from Hinata's other side. "I think, in this case, it might be best."

Though he said nothing in response to his wife's words, the ticking nerve in Neji's jaw made it clear he wasn't happy. But he would play along, for now, until (Hinata hoped) he was proven incorrect.

Because, if her cousin turned out to be right in the end, she had nowhere else to go. Though she could send Neji, Tenten, Ino, and Shikamaru home in the end, she was doomed to spend the rest of her life in Suna. In sickness and health, for richer or poorer, till death do her part.

The inside of the stone building dominating the center of Suna was just as impressive in its sterile dullness as the outside.

Hinata, used to her former home in Konoha, found her new home in Suna dark and claustrophobic. Instead of beautiful pastel colors and a multitude of shouji doors open to the outside, dark rusty reds, muddy browns, and unrelieved black added to the enclosed feel of walls. High, narrow windows and very few doors added to the feel of the space, making it seem more like a prison than a home. The only door she could see which led outside was the massive pair at the front of the house through which the party had entered. It had required two well-muscled men to push them open, and then closed.

It was a slight relief when the guardsmen did not follow the party inside, instead taking charge of the rest of the group's horses and vanishing around the corner of the building. Itachi, too, split off as soon as they were inside, heading off to parts unknown. Hinata wondered if he was going to report the arrival of the Konoha group to Lord Gaara.

Temari watched until he was out of sight before silently leading the way up several staircases and then down several halls. Hinata tried to remember every twist and turn, but rapidly found herself lost. She hoped it wouldn't take her long to find her way around, but had a feeling she'd be hopelessly lost for months.

The first door at which they stopped belonged to the quarters in which Neji and Tenten would stay. After Hinata's cousin and his wife had been hurried into their rooms, Temari continued to the end of the hall and up another staircase.

"This is the part of the house the family uses," Temari said briskly. She passed several more closed doors, turned a corner, and then led the way down a short but wide hall which dead-ended at two matching doors. "These are your quarters." The blonde opened the door on the right, stepping back to allow her future sister-in-law to precede her.

Hinata crept into the room, surprised at the spaciousness of her sitting room. She turned her head, blinking in surprise at the lighter, sandy brown color of the walls. She'd been expecting more dark, forbidding colors. While the room was still carrying on the motif of the rest of the house, it felt more like home than what she'd seen thus far.

Another door opposite the one leading into the sitting room from the hall opened into her bedroom. Once more she found herself surprised: the walls were painted with rolling green hills heavy with a multitude of fresh spring flowers. The massive rug underfoot felt as soft and plush as the grass on her walls, and though the ceiling above her was black, it was spangled with the diamonds of the night.

"Gaara had the room redecorated under the direction of several people who have been to Konoha," Temari said from the doorway. "He thought you would like a reminder of your home here to help you - adjust."

Tears filled her eyes, even though Hinata tried very hard to suppress them. "It's b-beautiful," she breathed. "Thank you." Temari said nothing, so Hinata went to investigate some other portions of the room. A small, feminine dressing table in the corner looked even tinier next to the massive bureau standing with its doors open, waiting for her wardrobe. The bed, much larger than the one in her old room in Konoha, stood elevated so high she knew she'd have to use a footstool to climb onto it. Frothy white curtains were tied neatly to each of the four posts, but she knew once they were drawn they would shield the bed from the rest of the room.

Hinata turned once again to thank her hostess, but stopped mid-motion when she noticed another door. As the rest them in the room were open, one leading into the bathing room and the other into the necessary, she found herself horribly suspicious of this closed door. Upon seeing her falter, Temari stepped forward to rest her hand on the doorknob. "This door connects your room with Gaara's," she said.

Her breath hitched in her throat. Suddenly the colors on the walls were too bright, and beginning to spin around her. She clutched at the high neck of her shirt, feeling suffocated and even more claustaphobic than before.

Shikamaru, who had been following the group like a silent shadow, was suddenly at her side, one hand on her arm to hold her steady as the other fell to the pouch at his waist. His dark eyes flashed from Hinata's face to Temari's, his usually lazily bored features tense and suspicious.

Temari, who seemed unsurprised by Hinata's reaction and Shikamaru's appearance, raised a reassuring hand at them. "My brother will wait until after the wedding to come to you," she said. "And, if you are still so concerned, there is a lock on both sides of the door. Unlocking one will not disengage the other, so I assure you there is nothing with which you should concern yourself."

Despite Temari's obvious certainty, Hinata still felt discomfited. Already she was on her last day of being an unwed woman, and everything was moving far too quickly for her to catch up and get used to things. Even though the lock offered her a facade of safety, she wondered what her husband would think if she kept him barred from her room - from her bed. Was he a man with a temper, who would turn upon her at what he perceived to be the slightest provocation?

Suddenly Ino appeared on Hinata's other side, arms crossed over her chest, sky blue eyes narrowed at the other blonde. "If you will excuse me," she said, tone icy, "I would like to see to my mistress's comfort before the dinner hour."

For a moment Temari glowered back with equal intensity. Then she abruptly whirled with a flick of her hand, pausing in the doorway of the bedroom only long enough to speak two short, clipped sentences. "Someone will be sent to guide you to the dining hall at the appropriate hour. I suggest you be ready in an hour." A moment later, the door to the sitting room closed sharply.

Shikamaru finally relaxed. He shot a quick look around the room, checked the door leading from Hinata's to Gaara's to make certain it was locked, then left. His closing of her bedroom door was much quieter than Temari's of the sitting room one.

Hinata let out a shaky breath once she and Ino were alone. She could already tell her soon-to-be sister-in-law was an overbearing woman, used to being obeyed unquestioningly and unfailingly. That, added to her open hostility, made her wonder what the other Sabaku siblings were like.

Ino clicked her tongue with disapproval. "Oh, milady." She sighed as she locked the bedroom door behind Shikamaru, then went to double-check the door between bedrooms. "I offer you my sympathies for having such a woman as your future sister."

For the innumerable time since she left Konoha, Hinata's thoughts strayed to her blood sister, Hanabi. How was she adjusting to Hinata's abscence? "P-Perhaps she is only wary of me b-because she d-doesn't know me yet," she said kindly. "It is p-possible she is wondering if I am a suitable wife for her b-brother. She might not wish to accept me until she c-can b-be sure I am."

Guiding her mistress into the chair by the dressing table, Ino shook her head as she began to dress Hinata's long midnight hair with the brush she produced from her pocket. "You're a far kinder, more forgiving person than I am, Lady Hinata," she said. "I don't think I could be so nice in the face of such obvious scorn and distrust."

Hinata smiled tightly at Ino's reflection behind her. "Oh, d-don't take me wrong, Ino," she said. "D-Despite my b-best intentions, I am just as d-distrustful of Temari as she is of me. Unlike her, however, I am a little b-better at hiding it."

"Milady, you can still surprise me." Ino smiled, but then it faded quickly, taking the light shining in her pretty blue eyes with it. "I wish I could remain in Suna." She left off brushing Hinata's hair, moving around to kneel next to her mistress. "At least until I can be absolutely certain you're safe here."

Surprised by her maid's sudden show of loyalty, Hinata blinked. Once she recovered her voice and her wits, she assured Ino of how appreciative she was of the fact. Then, after a moment of thought, she added, "And as much as I d-desire having someone from home with me, I don't want to take you away from Konoha. Just b-because I had to leave d-doesn't mean you should have to."

Ino shook her head slightly, making her long, thick golden ponytail sway. "I am not the only one who feels this way. Shikamaru mentioned to me that he'd stay, too, if you wished. We're both with you, milady, no matter what, if you want or need us."

For the second time in less than half an hour, Hinata felt tears prickle at her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. She longed to take both Ino and Shikamaru up on their offers. She didn't know either of them very well, since Ino had only been with her for three years, since they were both sixteen, and Shikamaru for only a year, but they had both proved themselves loyal and honest.

Turning back to the mirror, Hinata met her reflection's eyes and read in them the grim resolve to accept her duty, no matter what it entailed. She couldn't ask anyone to share the danger with her and still be able to sleep at night. "Thank you, Ino. B-But I must remain here and face my future alone. Whatever happens, this is my d-duty, my fate, alone."

Ino said nothing, only continued to stare up at Hinata for another long moment. At last she sighed, rose, and returned to her earlier brushing. "Very well, milady," she whispered. "But if you ever need us, we will answer your call."

Those loyal, determined words gave Hinata the courage she needed to be courageous as she prepared to enter the dining hall less than an hour later.

At last she would know into what future her father had thrust her, blind, uncertain, and alone.

At last, she would meet her future husband face-to-face...

...Fewer than twenty-four hours before she married him.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: My apologies for any OOC-ness in this chapter, but I promise it will make sense later in the story. Though Gaara isn't in this chapter, I can promise he will make his appearance at the beginning of the next, which I'm really looking forward to sharing with you all! Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you next week!