She runs her fingers through her multi-layered floral kimono, it's silk. The texture is worth more than what she ate for the past few days. Expensive. Her face is covered with thick white Oshiroi with reddish and pink colored shades that drew on her facial feature. She followed the girl in front of her, the clicking sound from their zoris was brash in a silent and empty room of the Minka.
All of the girls that she's with were excited and happy, they were so vibrant. She's not. From an ordinary maiden's perspective, this is the greatest time of their life, the becoming of a woman. They were nurtured in an environment wherein a girl is only considered successful if she's sold to a wealthy Lord, and bears his child. Disgusting, she speaks to her mind.
There were 5 maidens lined up in the garden, including her. The fresh wind brushes her face, it's been a while since she felt peace with these winds. They were kneeling on a platform with a thin curtain covering their side. One will stand up and walk in front where they will be presented to the Lords. They practiced it until they perfected the elegant and refined movements.
The first maiden was sold to Lord Aburame, the Lord of Mushi. Curiosity struck her so she peeked at them, she saw the girl immediately clings her arms to the Lord, she's beyond happy. Her eyes were expressed as innocent and naïve, she looked at him like a begging puppy. She felt sick.
"Temari"
An old woman in her mid-fifties called her, it's her queue to walk in front. Her pace was graceful and her hand placements were executed as per instructed. She stands straight, her head tilts up, and looks anywhere other than the Lords in front. She suddenly heard murmurs and turn her gaze to the 2 Lords.
"She's striking! If you're not gonna get her I'm gonna buy her"
"Shut up Kiba!"
She saw a man with dark brown hair with red marks on his face and little fangs. On his side was a man with black hair styled in a ponytail with a deadpan expression.
The man in a ponytail walked slowly in front of her, right in front of the platform. She looked away but she could see that the man observed her from head to toe, as if he's checking her quality. Like a slice of meat in a market. He positions his hands under his chin, in a thinking pose without removing his gaze.
"Any scars?" He looked at the old woman with a cocked brow.
"No, Lord Nara. She has no flaws, she's almost perfect as per my gauge, but I should remind you about her brassy attitude"
"Perfect! Then she's sold to me"
She immediately narrows her eyes at him, he did not see it as he turned away once he declared she's sold. They were called Tobenaitori or tori.
Tobenaitori or tori – is a term where a maiden is being sold to the Lords. The young maiden will be one of their properties and the Lords can do whatever they pleased. The maidens were mostly from middle- and lower-class families, some were captured by the higher ops, and some were orphaned. Each Lord can acquire more than one Tori, it was one of the gauges if a Lord is well-off. The wealthiest Lords can own more than ten Tori, they classify them as their properties. Sometimes, these maidens were called flightless birds.
"Well done, Shikamaru, but I'd really like to buy that one" Kiba said with a grin on his face
"Tch—Kiba you already have 4 Tori, how many do you want to collect?" He sarcastically said while reaching for the tobacco in his pocket.
"Well, you now have 3 Tori, including her. But this maiden looks exciting in bed" he growled while looking at her "In case you've changed your mind, just knock on my Minka and I'm willing to trade"
"Hmm right, proceed to pick your next Tori Kiba. I'll be bringing her home"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and turn his body to where Temari at. She's now walking in front of them. He was about to offer his shoulder but she refused and walked straight to his rickshaw.
"Troublesome"
He blows his smoke while assisting her in his rickshaw. She gave him an icy stare and clenched jaw. He picked up her energy and started to observe her.
I hate pigs like you. I loathe all the Lords and all the men.
There's a deafening silence during their travel. She did not speak nor wanted the feeling of sitting beside him. Shikamaru is not bothered at all, he just smokes during the travel.
They reached Nara village where she meets the 2 Tori, Tayuya and Shiho. She introduces herself to them, Tayuya seems to be a feisty one but she startled when Shikamaru walked inside. Shiho is the quiet one, she did not speak during the introduction at all, and Tayuya did all the talking. They have separate bedrooms and as per Tayuya, a messenger will just call them if Shikamaru wanted one of them in his bed.
Fucking disgusting.
She unpacked all her stuff, not much stuff in there. A big wardrobe full of clothes greeted her upon entering the room, she took some dresses and placed them in front of her chest to check if it's in her size. Some of it is fitted but some needs minor adjustments. That'll do.
Knock Knock
"Who is it?"
"Lord Shikamaru wanted you in his room tonight, Lady Temari"
….
"Let me just unpack—I'll….I'll go to his room once I'm done"
She bit her lower lips out of frustration. This fucking misogynist and chauvinist world should perish. She wears the lilac nightgown that was prepared at the side of her bed. She unpacked her last items and was surprised when she takes out a book that was placed inside her bag.
Rules of Seduction
She shrugged and start thinking about someone who possibly put it inside. One person strikes her mind, Yukata? She slides the book inside her wardrobe.
Holding a candle, she follows the long path of the corridor leading to Shikamaru's room. Her mind starts invading all the trauma she had in these past few months. Her breath becomes heavy and her nerves begin to actively impulse.
Two months ago, she and her lover elope and left the City of Suna. She's the eldest of the Kazekage, the highest position in the city. She was about to marry an old Lord for the union of their two cities. Her lover asks her to run away and be with him, and she happily agrees. In the middle of the desert, one of the Suna guards killed her lover. Her father found out about them and their plan of escaping. She ran, and ran, and ran, and ran until she reached Konoha. Unfortunately, one of the guards captured her, she failed to provide any identification and they offers her to be sold as a Tobenaitori or tori.
She twists the knob and saw him seating at his desk reading a book in his yukata. She roamed around his room and saw the collection of katanas hanging on the wall. She placed the candle on the near table and sit on the edge of the bed.
Shikamaru looked at her and place the book on the shelve. He starts removing his yukata and placed it in a rack. He only now wears the white inside garment.
She stands up and walked closer to the door, he then walked in front of her. His arms are now on his waist and his eyes looking at her. She crossed her arms without removing her gaze then she breaks the silence.
"I refused. You're not going to bed me tonight"
"What?" His expression is visibly angry and irritated.
"I said I refuse to-"
Before she continues, he pinned her to the wall forcefully. His right hand grabbed her neck, obliging her to look at him straight in his eyes. She groaned. His eyes were furious, there was something about it that puzzles her, she recognizes those eyes.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do! I'm the one who bought you. I owned you!"
She was able to counter his hands by grabbing both of his wrists. She has knowledge of taijutsu, she learned it when she was a child, they usually got abducted along with her brothers because they're the daughter and sons of the kazekage.
The force was lessened from his grip
"Don't act like a princess! Fuck!"
"A princess!? Do you know what you're saying!?"
"I know more than enough! and you being so stubborn is not helping me! I am your Lord and you will obey me" He said in a low voice
"You're fucking stupid" She mockingly laughs at him
"So quit being a princess and start serving me!"
"What the fuck do you know about princesses!? Both are being sold to a fucking Lords!"
Her breath becomes heavy, she felt his hands pulling away from her.
"Both were sold to a fucking Lord! You fucking pigs!"
Their heavy breathing was in unison. Shikamaru pulled away from her and pinch the skin between his eyebrows. He punched the wall and left the room.
Temari stayed in his room, waiting for someone to command her.
A/N: I'll try to upload chapters as soon as possible hehe, but hopefully this will be completed before 2023.