The Queen, along with a few of her personal servants trailing behind her, was wandering along the corridors of the majestic castle. She was worried about how her youngest son being rebellious and could not help but be anxious about his relationship with his father. After talking to the King, she decided to pay a visit to Sasuke.

As they turned left, a few screams were heard coming from her son's room. She looked at her personal maids who looked apologetic about the situation. And after a few minutes of non stop shouting, a clearly distressed Sakura came running out. Mikoto was about to call her, but she had already stormed off to the opposite direction making her way to her room.

Sakura did not bother to close the door when she left. Mikoto sighed and decided to ask her son what exactly happened... only to be surprised to see a fuming Sasuke clenching his fists with a big red mark on his cheek. She ordered all of the maids to leave them and quickly made her way towards Sasuke. She placed her hands on each side of his face, but Sasuke stubbornly keep on looking down.

"Sasuke, my prince, what happened?" She inquired. And, when he still refused to answer, she took his hand and pulled him towards the couch.

"I know things are harder for you now, my dear, but can't you just treat the princess better? I did not talk to you about this before, but seeing Sakura cry often..she does not deserve this kind of treatment especially from you. Please understand her more; she must have been lonely after separating from her friends and parents. All she have is you." Mikoto said in her soft, calming voice.

Mikoto smiled a little when Sasuke seemed to have calmed down.

Sasuke, however, did not plan for any of this. He did not know that she will barge in his room like that; he also expected a bad reaction coming from her, but not like that. When she said that she was tired of him, he lose it. Suddenly, he was angry; he did not realize the consequences of his actions not only after Sakura had actually slapped him. That was the first time somebody laid a hand on him. The stinging pain on his cheek reminded him of how he had been harsh to her for the past days.

His mother's right, but he did not know how to fix this. It was never been this long since Sakura and him had a fight. They would always make up after couple of hours. He exhaled heavily, and a reassuring smile that only his mother can give made him felt a little better.

As days pass by, Sakura tried to ignore her fiancee altogether, and considering the fact that they basically spend the entire day together, Sakura is having a hard time. And the thing is, Sasuke does not seem to notice at all or he does not care much to Sakura's frustration.

He kissed her and acted like he truly cared for her and her family. But she's never been so wrong. He lead her on. He is playing a game where he wins every time. And she is tired of figuring out what is on his mind, of guessing, of trying to make things better for the two of them. She never wished for this. All she wanted was to finish her studies and be a doctor someday. And now, she knows she has to give up that dream to fulfill her responsibilities...or she can run away.

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the palace guards opened up her side of the door informing her of their arrival in Konoha U. She quickly get off the car and walked without turning her back, leaving a still impassive Prince Sasuke.

During the break, Sasuke left the classroom just like everybody else. Weeks ago, the couple would usually stay in the room and spend their time together eating their lunch. But apparently, things change. Sakura silently opened her bag to bring out the bento the maids had prepared for her. It's okay to be alone for some time, she thought. It will give her some time to process and reflect on her earlier reverie.

Noticing the tension between the young Konoha's prince and his wife-to-be, Gaara took his chance and sat next to Sakura. "What's been bothering you that keeps you from eating your lunch?"

"Oh..Prince Gaara..I-I did not notice your presence. I apologize." Sakura, embarrassed to be caught staring at particularly nothing with her mouth slightly opened.

"How many times do I have to tell you-"

"Right. Gaara." Sakura smiled brightly, and Gaara can't help but to be mesmerized by it.

"You should smile more often. You are even more beautiful when you smile like that." Gaara said which earned a now flustered and blushing Sakura on her seat. Gaara chuckled at her expression and tucked some of her bangs behind her ear.

With a shocked expression, Sakura abruptly stood up in the process making an incoherent excuse of having to use the comfort room. She left the room leaving her lunch on her table.

Gaara frowned when he looked at her untouched lunch. He stood up to follow the said girl only for Sasuke to enter the room with a glare towards him.

"In case you do not know Sunagakure prince, she is my fiancee." Sasuke said in a low, dangerous voice. Hearing that, Gaara scoffed. "For now perhaps. Anything can happen." When Gaara tried to move past Sasuke, Sasuke blocked his path. "Sunagakure prince, I do not like the way you speak to me. Remember that you are in Konoha. So should obey who rules in Konoha. Stay away from Sakura."

It was Gaara's turn to glare. "An intelligent, kind, stunning lady like Sakura does not deserve to be with someone who does not treasure her. All you do is make her cry. And I believe I can be the shoulder she can cry on. Give her to me and there will not be a day she will shed a single tear."

It was then Sakura made her presence known. "Gaara! I-" She looked at the two young prince standing and well, glaring at one another. Not understanding what was going on, instead of asking Sasuke, she grabbed Gaara's hand. "Oh I see. Let's just have our lunch outside."

Picking up her lunch with her and pulling Gaara towards the exit door, she was surprised to feel a strong grip on her right arm. She looked up to see a livid Sasuke. "You are coming with me." He said and distangled her hold on Gaara's hand. He threw one more glare towards Gaara and dragged her outside.

"What the fuck is your fucking problem you conceited jerk of a prince! Let me go!" Sakura yelled as they go upstairs to the rooftop, not caring about manners, etc of princesses. Once Sasuke opened the door to rooftop, he released his hold on her. Sakura swears that will leave a mark.

A heavy silence settled between the two. Trying to calm himself down, Sasuke turned his back on her and faced the scenery straight ahead. He glanced side wards to see Sakura rubbing her arm. Apparently his hold on her was too strong, releasing all of his fueled anger for the past days.

"Do you wish to continue ignoring me?" He said, turning his face once again to the scenery. He heard her scoff.

"Hah, since when did you care?" Sakura made an effort to leave, but it was futile since Sasuke grabbed her arm once again upon hearing her footsteps.

"Where do you think you're going?" When Sakura realizes she could not possible escape the situation, she finally gave up and faced her number one stress all the time. Sasuke seemed to relax for a bit and let her arm go.

Sakura then looked anywhere but him. "When I moved to the Palace, I never knew anyone. I needed someone who would be there for me. No matter how many times you tease me and how you say mean things to me, I feel happiness whenever you're beside me. That the Prince Sasuke Uchiha spends his precious time to some commoner. How lucky I am, right? You turned my life upside down. Literally. And at first, it feels exciting.

But the more the twists and turns, it also feels like I'm going to throw up. It is also exhausting. And that is where I am now, Sasuke."

"Is living in the Palace that unbearable for you?" Sasuke thought for a moment. He looked directly at the once shining bright emerald eyes now turned into a dull shade of green, giving him the hint of what she had to go through for the past months. "If you really want to leave, I will not force you to marry me."

"It's not the Palace, Sasuke! It's you! You confuse me! All I ask is at least be honest with me. I do not know what going through your mind. One minute you act really sweet, then you act like you do not even know me after the next."

"It is because I didn't like you at first. I am envious of you and how you lived. How can a mere stranger girl get to live in the Palace, and yet still enjoying the freedom she got used to. Your reactions, your dreams, your way of caring to a bunch of strangers..I got used to it. For the short time you've been with me, you..you brought colors to the once dull Palace."

Sakura could not help but only stare at Sasuke at the moment. Never had she ever heard him speak that much. For the first time, he is completely being honest. When Sakura still chose to keep silent, he continued. "I am going overseas to study..and also to feel a glimpse of freedom that I've been yearning for since I was a kid. This will give us both the opportunity to part ways silently and not to create a big fuss."

"I-I.. Whenever I look into your eyes, I always get lost on how deep those emotions that I see in them. I did not know how lonely you are..until now. I just hope that..Sasuke, after how many years, you'll not forget the fact that we were once together." She smiled sadly and turned to leave only for her to feel Sasuke's arms encircle around her waist.

Sakura gasped and tried to turn to face him, but he kept her on place. He kissed her shoulder and murmured. "Just one minute."

He turned her around and this time kissed her forehead slowly. Sakura continuously mentally scolding herself to run or she will get caught again by her stupid feelings. But well, she ignored those warning signs inside her head and initiated the hug this time and leaned her head towards his right shoulder.

The couple chose not to attend their remaining classes that day. They sat on one of the benches enjoying each other's company. Sakura was back to her cheerful self asking Sasuke things about the Palace. They kept on gazing to the sky that they did not notice the time until Sakura's stomach screamed in protest reminding her she had not eaten her lunch yet.

Sighing, Sasuke stood up and offered his hand to her. When Sakura merely looked at his hand, he grabbed hers and pulled her towards the exit door.

Frowning, Sakura asked Sasuke where they are going when she noticed that they are not headed towards the classroom nor the cafeteria. Sasuke merely shrugged and made another turn towards the back of the main building wherein an official royal limousine was waiting for them. A few guards bowed down their heads at the appearance of the Royal couple and gave Sasuke the key to the car.

He opened the other side of the door and let Sakura in, ignoring another question of where are we going. Once settled on his seat, he shifted the car in reverse and driven towards the main entrance of the university.

Distracting Sakura, Sasuke chose to drive towards the long way giving them the view of towering buildings and beautiful bridges. And he was right, it did in fact distracted her from her inquiries. And, the series of where are we going, is this okay, we'll get scolded was replaced by look, Sasuke and Wows.

He parked right beside a secluded small lake with a few tall trees surrounding it. Upon seeing it, Sakura disentangled herself from her seatbelt and left the car. Sasuke chose that time to order their food (two burgers, two cans of soda and a large fries) nearby. Ignoring the nagging feeling of his mother scolding him right now if she sees what he bought, he made his way towards Sakura who was completely enticed by the magical lake.

He plopped himself next to Sakura who was sitting on one of the biggest rocks towards the end of the lake. Her eyes sparkled a bit more when she registered what was on his hands. She thanked him for the food and ate clumsily. And in the process, she choked much to Sasuke's amusement.

Colors of pink and orange painted the sky, a clear indication of the upcoming sunset. Sakura smiled widely pointing towards the sky and exclaiming that she hasn't seen one since she lived in the Land of Snow ever since she was a kid.

Withing a few minutes, the sun had set and disappeared from their view. Sakura leaned her head towards Sasuke's shoulder and contentedly sighed. "Thank you, Sasuke. Really. For being honest with me." She murmured and smiled lightly. Sasuke then put her arm towards her and leaned his head beside hers.

It was already 9 in the evening and yet, Sasuke made no indication of going back to the Palace. The King must be furious by now, Sakura thought. After they went to the lake, Sasuke brought her to a private restaurant wherein they had their dinner. She voiced out her worries upon seeing the menu, but Sasuke paid her no heed.

At this time, Sasuke continuously drive along the expressway going God knows where for he only keeps on saying about her getting a present from him after making her cry every time. To be honest, she was kind of nervous. Spending the night with no other than your fiancee (because it looks like it) made her insides shiver at the mere thought. She looked right outside the window to hide her blush and anxiously play with the hem of her uniform.

For almost two hours travel time, the couple arrived at the Land of Snow.

"Sasuke! What are we doing here? I- I mean you know my father is still confined in the hospital, right? We couldn't be visiting him at this hour..uh.." Sakura looked everywhere but his eyes as to ease the nervousness she feels and avoid a possible awkward situation.

"We are here so that I get to see what kind of environment you grew up in. I was curious. And, the King and Queen both know where we are, so stop worrying. It's annoying." He parked right outside one of the five star hotels in that small village.

Sakura did not move an inch once Sasuke stepped out of the car. Now, she was even more nervous. Sasuke knocked on her window asking her if is there anyway she would spend the night inside the car. She silently followed him to the lobby of the hotel. She tugged the sleeves of his uniform and voiced out one of her concerns.

"Sasuke..I think uh..should we just head back? I mean..you know..school starts early tomorrow and you have to drive all the way from here." She said without looking at him in any way.

"I am tired, Sakura. Let's just spend the night here. Besides, we do not have to go to school tomorrow, I already made sure of that. I thought you miss this place."

"I do. Really, but-"

"Then, I see no problem." Sasuke then begin to smirk, that sexy sexy smirk playing around his lips. "Sakura.." He said in a seductive voice which made her insides shiver and panic at the same time. "What's the matter?"

She let out an unintelligible noise and babbled about not having clothes to wear and that it his fault for surprising her in a trip at the middle of the night. Sasuke then continued to play with her. "Clothes? You do not need them here." Her eyes widened and shifted uncontrollably while waiting for their room to be prepared.

A young lady escorted both of them to the biggest hotel room Sakura had ever seen. From there, you can see the city lights and the sky full of stars. The problem is, it only consists of one king-sized bed.

Once they were left in the room, she avoided making an eye contact to Sasuke and see to it that she was as far as possible towards the prince. Seeing her flustered, Sasuke took off his coat much to a now completely red Sakura.

"Hey..why..why are you removing your clothes?" Paying no heed to her question, he stood up from the bed and sat down next to her who was trying not to faint at any time. Seeing her like this is very entertaining, however, he knew that if he continue doing this, she would be sent to a hospital due to a heart attack.

"Relax. I am not going to do anything you do not like." He said, finally. Seeing her still tense, he added. "There are clothes in the cabinet for the both of us, I already arranged everything before we arrived here. You can use the bathroom first if you'd like."

Slowly she peered at him and nodded her head.

It was already past midnight and both of them had changed their clothes to a sleep wear. Sakura was still nervous since she hadn't shared a bed with a guy before ever. Having him next to her in that bed, she still felt that it is wrong..despite the earlier reassurance of Sasuke not doing anything she does not like.

Sasuke's face was only a few inches away from hers; she tried to memorize his face..his aristocratic features..his long eyelashes. They were not saying anything..they were contented by staying like this, side by side on the bed, gazing at each other's faces.

"You still seem tense. I won't do anything. I promise." Sasuke said after a long while. "If you want, I'll just take the couch." He added quickly.

"No. I mean- uh.. It's okay. It's just that..you seem a different person today. I kind of like the Sasuke today better. He's nicer and more gentle." Sakura replied, but frowned.

"But.." she continued hesitantly.

"But?"

"Whenever you get really sweet towards me, you- you act so distant afterwards. I do not know how to act when you're around. I am scared that you'll be back to your mean self when I wake tomorrow." She paused to look at his expression. "I am indeed lonely in the palace, but my suffering is nothing compared to yours. I-I think about you all the time." Sakura said, embarrassed at her confession.

Sasuke did not said anything; he did not try to make lame excuses. He only stared at her eyes. And before she can fall asleep, she heard him murmur. "I want to know you."

What she failed to hear is Sasuke asking himself.

"This girl..does she actually like me?"

A/N: Happy New Year, everyone!