Holy damn can you imagine getting the language of your chapter wrong, I'm so stupid -_- Thank you so much for warning me ^^'''''''''
Chapter 18: The Squire.
Sasuke nimbly avoided the umpteenth pot thrown by his brother. Itachi had been fuming ever since Duchess Hyūga had left for Suna for the celebration of Prince Kankurō's upcoming coronation. Surely Itachi had wanted to be sent there as a representative of Ivoïré and Konoha. Now, in Sasuke's opinion, it made no sense for the future Duke of Pràyol to go to Suna instead of the Duchess of Yggalë. She would be the one Suna would have the most to do with, after all. The merchants in Suna would show no interest in Pràyol, for the entry of their goods into the Fire Kingdom depended on Yggalë.
Nevertheless, Itachi was proud and proud of his position. Having been treated like a genius all his life, it was no wonder he went berserk whenever he was denied anything, but Sasuke didn't think it was any less pathetic. How could a knight and heir to one of the four duchies behave like that? He looked like a five-year-old crying over his favourite toy. It was ridiculous and unworthy of his position. But Itachi had hated Hinata Hyūga ever since she had refused to support him and raged against him. And nothing would make him like the duchess.
"That shameless girl!" shouted Itachi for the umpteenth time. "I'll make her regret making me her enemy!"
Sasuke sighed and headed for the door to leave his brother's quarters. He had better things to do than listen to Itachi rant about someone who wasn't even there. He wasn't a training dummy that had to endure whatever Itachi wanted to do to him. As he placed his hand on the handle, Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine, and he shifted sideways. A heavy book on some subject crashed against the door before falling pitifully to the floor.
Sasuke looked up and met his brother's angry gaze. The latter was smoking lightly, and Sasuke had to hold back an amused smile. He hadn't lost control of his body temperature in years. No Uchiha had lost control of his body temperature in years. It was a child's mistake, like dropping what you have in your hands when you're a baby. Was Itachi that upset?
"May I know where you're going?" roared his brother.
"Elsewhere," Sasuke replied coldly. "I have no reason to watch you ransack your apartments. You say nothing of interest and yell at a woman who isn't even here. Are you going to take it out on the duchess like that?"
"Don't side with her, insolent boy, or I'll teach you a lesson!"
"I'm not taking her side. But I have no reason to listen to you yell endlessly. I can do something else with my time."
Sasuke wanted to tell him that he reminded him too much of their father and his bad habit of yelling endlessly all the time, but that would hardly be wise. Itachi would take his anger out on him, and Sasuke didn't want to have to deal with that kind of situation. He would probably run away, driven by an irrational fear he couldn't control, and then be called a coward. Or, even worse, as weak.
In Fort Ruby, fear was forbidden, and crying was banned. There was no childish laughter in the cold corridors of the Uchiha fortress. Instead of songs and games, Sasuke's childhood had been punctuated by the sound of swords clashing, arrows piercing their targets, and hammers striking anvils. All Uchiha, men and women alike, had to learn to fight. Also, Sasuke had never heard his mother sing. Pràyol took pride and strength from his military might. All Uchiha had to swell the ranks of the army and get important positions.
From then on, Sasuke couldn't help but envy Yggalë, so rich with its natural resources, that its people could afford to have fun. He had only just met Duchess Hinata, but he had heard that she was an exceptional dancer, a talented singer, and a great musician. She had probably sung more songs in one day than Sasuke had heard in his entire life.
He should ask her to dance when she returned from Suna. She was a Yggalën and he was rather handsome, she wouldn't refuse him. If Sasuke had learned one thing from his history and geography lessons, it was the lust of the Yggalëns. The duchess would no doubt sing for him, if the opportunity arose. It had seemed to him that she favoured the harp. He could give her one, and finally hear all the songs he dreamed of hearing.
He smiled slightly to himself as he paced the halls of Ivoïré, imagining the duchess in his arms, but his gaze was suddenly drawn to a figure looming on the other side of the hallway. Sasuke glanced at the young woman he was about to meet. He recognized her immediately; it was Sakura Haruno, the daughter of Prime Minister Danzō. She looked nothing like her father, spoiled by all the beauty that time had taken from the Prime Minister.
Where Danzō was a scarred old man with olive skin and dark, coarse hair, Sakura was an ivory-skinned beauty with emerald eyes and bright pale pink hair. She was easily the most beautiful maiden in Konoha, if not the Kingdom, and many suitors were no doubt throwing themselves at her feet. Nevertheless, she still didn't have a fiancé and didn't seem to be dating any men.
When they passed each other, Sasuke stopped and lowered his head, kissing her hand. She blushed gracefully, a beautiful smile lighting up her lovely face. She was accompanied by a dark-haired lady-in-waiting, but Sasuke decided to ignore her. Ladies-in-waiting rarely spoke if they weren't spoken to.
"Miss Haruno, I give you my greetings. You are still beautiful as ever."
"Young master Sasuke, I thank you. Where are you going with such a hasty step?"
"Away from my brother, he's in a foul mood," he replied with a fake amused smile.
Sakura chuckled lightly behind her hand. Her laughter was soft and seemed to caress Sasuke's skin. It felt good, and Sasuke couldn't help but smile genuinely for once. It was rare that he was caught smiling genuinely, and he inwardly applauded the young lady for making him smile like that.
"In that case, would you care to accompany me to the gardens for tea?" she offered, a smile as sweet as her laughter on her lips.
"It would be an honour, miss."
She nodded, and he offered her his left arm. The girl took it graciously, and Sasuke listened to her talk about all sorts of trivialities. She told him about the latest social events she had been invited to, and the new fashion trends. Sasuke wasn't really interested in fashion or parties, but he couldn't deny their usefulness. It was at these parties that many alliances and economic partnerships were formed.
The four dukes were more or less excluded from these circles, unfortunately. The duchies were all far from the capital and focused on their own affairs. Moreover, all of them possessed an indisputable strength: the blessings of the Nine. No one dared to challenge them for that reason, except for ministers or abnormally rich men. It was not uncommon for each clan to send a representative to the capital to represent their duke, but due to the Selection, these representatives had all returned home. It was up to the candidates to forge their alliances to demonstrate their abilities.
Thinking about the selection evoked an unpleasant chill in Sasuke. He abhorred the whole situation; he had been raised to shine on the battlefield, not in society. It was rare for the Duke or Duchess of Pràyol to be gifted in politics. So, the second son! He didn't understand much about the intricacies of a city like Konoha and the political intricacies of Ivoïré. He probably regularly passed for a boor with no manners, but he didn't care. At worst, a few brave ladies would be charmed. At best, he would be left alone.
"Is everything alright, young master?" asked Sakura Haruno as she leaned slightly against him.
The gesture snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts, and he lowered his eyes to the emerald ones of the damsel.
"Yes, of course. I was just thinking about my brother's infernal temper."
"Ah, I understand. My father can sometimes throw tantrums when he doesn't like something," she sighed, pressing her left cheek to her hand. "If you don't mind my asking, what has Sir Itachi in such a state?" she asked, looking up with a curious look on her face.
"The Duchess Hyūga. Or rather, the fact that she was sent to Suna instead of him. I think it's silly; after all, Pràyol isn't the one the Wind Kingdom will trade with!" explained Sasuke.
"I understand his frustration. He is older than the duchess, though it is true that she is more qualified for the task than he is," replied Miss Haruno. "Politics is a dangerous balancing act, and your brother must be eager to prove himself."
"I wish it didn't involve being targeted by ceramic pots whenever something annoys him," he grumbled.
"I'm sure you skilfully avoided them!"
They were now sitting in the gardens, and Sakura Haruno's lady-in-waiting was serving them tea prepared by servants. Once the tea was served, the young woman took a sip before relaxing in her chair. Sasuke immediately tried to imitate her. He wasn't as comfortable as he was on a battlefield or in training, but he wasn't facing the Daimyō himself either.
"Young Master, I was just going to tell you about your brother," she said suddenly.
Sasuke widened his eyes slightly. All the softness he had gotten used to earlier was suddenly gone and the bright emerald-like eyes had become cold and calculating. What did that mean?
"As you know, I am the daughter of the Prime Minister, and while our family will not necessarily serve the next Daimyō, we care about this country more than anything else. As such, my father and I have many questions about the candidates in this Selection, which is... unexpected, to say the least."
She crossed her legs and placed her fingers on her thigh, her gaze never leaving Sasuke. The squire swallowed; he abhorred this situation but to leave now would be to admit defeat. He didn't hope to defeat Sakura Haruno in a verbal joust, but he could at least save face.
"Honestly, what you've described to me of your brother's temper and what I've observed is more than enough for me to form an opinion of him, but I would like to hear it from you. Do you honestly think he would make a good Daimyō? Or would he let the people starve for his own personal glory?"
Lead seemed to have settled on Sasuke's shoulders, and he found himself unable to answer the young woman. Had this been her goal all this time? Had she been engaging him in conversation for that simple purpose? In that case... In that case, he had given her everything she wanted on a silver platter. What a fool he was, she had totally tricked him. He should have been wary of her, the flower of high society and the queen of social events; she was surely a seasoned liar and a talented manipulator.
An unprecedented rage seized him; he fantasised about chopping her head off right here and now for playing him, and he stroked the pommel of his thick. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the damsel of companionship tense up, but Miss Haruno didn't even flinch, even allowing herself a small smile. He longed to insult her and make her swallow her arrogance, but he couldn't afford it. Nevertheless, had she forgotten that he could burn down this entire garden if the mood took him? She was betting heavily on his composure.
Suddenly, she sighed and stood up, obviously weary or satisfied.
"Your reaction confirmed my thoughts," she decreed. "Allow me to give you some advice, young master. The next time a beautiful lady offers you tea, ask yourself what her motives are. You're not as interesting as you think, and not even a knight," she added with an amused smile.
"You cheeky bitch!" he shouted as he stood up abruptly, drawing his sword in a fit of rage.
Immediately, the damsel in waiting drew a dagger, positioning herself as an assassin. Sasuke froze. It was true that Miss Haruno was never accompanied by a bodyguard. At least, it was obviously only in appearance. For an assassin to draw so quickly and be ready to face him despite his obvious disadvantage, she must have been formidable.
"Let's go, Tenten. The young master won't attack us here, he knows what he would be risking", Sakura Haruno interjected before looking up at him one last time. "Enjoy the tea, young master. Don't worry, it's not poisoned," she mused.
With that, she turned around and left the kiosk, her assassin on her heels. Sasuke clenched his fists, his body temperature rising considerably. He felt smoke coming out of his jaw as he stared at the lady's back.
Sakura Haruno, I'll have my revenge for this humiliation!