Chapter 1
"Kasumi! Hey, did you die?"
I start at the sound of my name, hand dropping from under my chin. I had been absentmindedly staring at a certain spot on the floor and zoned out. Looking up, my friend Rita sits across from me raising her eyebrows and mimicking my surprised face.
"I'm alive..." I mutter, before burying my face in my arms. "...unfortunately."
Rita grabs my ears attempting to pull me up."Seriously, you knew he was trash. It's not your fault, he's just trash for being unclear. Men are trash!" At this point we've been friends for way too long for her loud voice to annoy me, so I just tune her out. However, this just gives her the chance to speak some more. "Let me introduce you to my coworker, he's totally your type, except he'll treat you real good."
A hand lightly taps on my head, and I look up once more to see Mia, holding three shots in each hand and grinning haughtily. She was wearing a very skimpy top, barely covering her large breasts, I sat up and unconsciously touched my barely average chest. I could never pull off something that sexy and revealing. Another reason to drown my sorrows in alcohol.
"Leave her alone, Rita! I'd be depressed too if I was a virgin at twenty-one!" Mia practically yells. Groaning audibly, I notice a few heads turning towards us, and I'm hoping it's because of what she's wearing and not what she's saying. "Guy's get scared when a girl wants commitment. WHY? Because they want to stick their cock in half a country before getting serious. And that's the truth."
"Amen." I say, before downing a shot and making a disgusted face. We all put our glasses down at the same time, smacking our lips in unison.
"I found a good one, though." Rita declared.
Mia and I nod in agreement. "You found a good one." We tell her.
Rita has been with her boyfriend for three years, and they've lived together for two. She is my friend from childhood, actually closer to family. Physically, Rita is everything I'm not. She is tall and dark skinned, feminine and skinny.
Mia is newly single and partying it up, she's a magnetic and affectionate person, always making new friends, travelling and exploring new places. Rita and I have known her since middle school, and immediately became best friends after walking into our first class together wearing the same shoes. Mia and I have been mistaken for sisters in the past, had it not been for my green eyes and her bright blue ones we could share one ID.
Me, I'm just a mechanic working in a factory nine hours a day and sleeping for the remainder. During the weekends I hang with my family and a few friends, shopping, working out and cleaning my apartment. The only thing interesting about me is my hair; it's pretty long. That's it. I've never been in a real relationship. I always thought love would find me and we'd live happily ever after but dating in real life is different.
We leave the bar, after being kicked out for throwing a shoe in the bartender's face. Or rather, Mia was kicked out. We decided that was a sign from the universe to go home.
The air was damp and comforting with a light breeze coming through every now and then. I wrap my cardigan around myself tightly, smiling as I listen to Rita's incessant giggles. Mia's holding her pink pumps in one hand and a large burrito in the other. It looks so tempting as she hums and chews at the same time waving the delicious food around like a wizard doing a complicated spell. I wanted to take it from her, but before that I felt Rita stop in her steps. Mia continues walking before looking back and grinning widely at her.
"Holy shit! Let's do it!" She cries pointing towards something.
Her finger directed me to a shabby stand, painted purple and draped in silk, giving it a mysterious, circus like vibe. An old woman sat behind the wooden table and smiled endearingly at us. I return the smile politely while Rita and Mia walk up to the table. She was a tall, very thin and gangly looking woman, with piercing blue eyes and white hair sticking out from the hood of her drapes. Her eyes meet my analyzing gaze and I glance down at my feet.
"How much do you take, ma'am?" Rita asks her politely. The woman wordlessly points to the wooden sign above her head. My friends immediately start rummaging through their pockets after cash. I don't even bother looking because I never have money on me.
"I have nothing!" Mia declares, refocusing on her burrito. I wonder how she's been eating for so long yet the wrap seems to stay the same size. I should have got one too, but since it's so late we decided that it wouldn't be good to eat junk food.
"Come here, Kasumi." Rita grabs my shoulder and shoves me in front of the stand. "I want to know her love fortune. Everything there is to know."
I interject. "Um, Rita. You should just get it for yourself. I don't believe in this stuff."
The old woman smiles and speaks slowly. She has a soft, elegant air about her as she speaks, but it doesn't stop her from giving me the creeps. "What a good friend you are."
She kneels down behind her chair and picks up a stone bowl filled with water and places it in front of her, she pushes it towards me. "Spit in here, girl."
I stare in disbelief.
"Eww." I hear Mia say.
I try imagining a sour lemon and my mouth immediately starts salivating. I promptly spit, bending down so it doesn't spatter on anyone.
Mia scoots closer, wide eyed and curious as the old lady's hands dance above the bowl. Her sleeves drop down to her elbows and I notice a small tattoo on her wrists, the letter 'M' encircled by small dots. She puts her hands down in her lap and looks up at us.
"What is it you wish to know, Ladies?" She asks.
Rita jumps next to me. "Oh! I want to know if Kasumi has a soulmate! What does he look like? Hair colour, eye colour, height and is he a family guy?"
"Hey, I should do the asking." I push her aside, ignoring her murmurs of "It's my money though..."
The old woman only looks in the bowl as she answers. We all listen intently. "His hair is black—" Mia and Rita squeal. "—his eyes are obsidian and sometimes they'll be blood." I make a sound of confusion. "He is tall, brave and close with his blood."
She answered Rita's question in order, I noticed. I don't know why that detail sticks out to me.
"Have I met him already?" I ask, because the image of a certain someone pops up in my head.
"No." She answers. My shoulder slack in dissapointment.
"When will she meet him?" Rita asks.
The old woman produces a small red thread from under the table, she gestures for me to give my hand and takes it gently closer to herself. She wraps the thread tightly around my pinky and cuts the excess off.
"Very soon."
Mia stops eating and starts pouting. "I'm sooo jealous."
"How soon?" Asks Rita.
"In a few days."
"Oh my god."
"You little whore!"
"Really?" I blurt out even though I have claimed to be a non-believer.
"Come one, tell us more!" Mia whines.
The old woman chuckles and looks me up and down. "Be wary of his eyes. He is dangerous."
"Ouuuu! I love a bad boy!" Mia shouts.
"What about his eyes?" I ask.
"Do not look into them." I blink at her statement. Never look in his eyes, how is that supposed to work.
"Is this guy the one Kasumi will marry?" Rita cuts in and Mia excitedly grabs my arm.
"Yes, they will." She answers, eliciting a low squeal from all of us.
I want to know more, but Mia suddenly runs off. I barely react before Rita jogs off after her.
"You okay, Mia?" I call out, getting a loud gag in return. I slowly walk in their direction, not wanting to throw up too. I laugh as Rita runs back to me holding a hand over her mouth in disgust. We were both sensitive to people vomiting. She waves her other hand dismissively and informs me that Mia will be fine.
I almost forgot the fortune teller, I whip around to thank her and almost have a heart attack when I find her standing a few inches behind me. Hand over my heart I step back and gasp in surprise. She just smiles gently and cups a hand around her mouth whispering so softly I have to move closer to hear.
"On the night of the wedding, the sake will be poisoned."
The first thing I noticed was my clammy skin pressed against porcelain, my stomach felt like it was filled with liquid and my head was spinning so much I had to lie still for a few minutes longer, just breathing heavily. I couldn't open my eyes at all, the brightness hurt. I could vaguely make out that my current location was that of a bathroom floor, which wasn't mine. First of all, my bathroom was dark and had a distinct smell of chemicals and mahogany. This place smelled like smoke and blood.
There's a distant sound of a door slamming open and horrified gasps followed by hushed whispers. I feel my body being lifted off the floor.
"I'm so sorry." I hear a voice whisper before letting myself succumb to the darkness once more.
"Marriage?" I repeat.
The maid, Maria nods soberly. "My Lady, I'm pretty sure you lost your memory in the bathroom! You have to be careful so nobody takes notice of this —this — TRAVESTY!"
Her annoyingly high pitched voice just echoed in my head.
"I, your honoured companion and long term best friend —I told everyone that you just fainted because of a new diet you went on to fit in your wedding dress. Actually, you know what, that's so rude of me— of course My Lady would look great in anything!"
"Marriage?" I repeat, like a broken record because this girl doesn't seem to answer my question. She sat on a chair next to the huge bed I was sitting in, staring at the wall unmoving, unblinking.
"I take it upon myself to tutor you, My Lady. Maria Dulce de Leche is here for you!"
Maria is a tall, lanky young woman similar in age to me. She has white hair, white skin, white eyelashes and blue eyes. She's so white. Her face was slim with high cheekbones and small but shapely lips. She could be considered pretty, if she wasn't constantly babbling.
"Maria." I call on her calmly. She shuts up and stares at me.
"Yes, My Lady?" She asks, voice laced with uncertainty. She looks at me, as if waiting for something amazing to happen.
"Just be quiet for a minute." I have read books where two people switch souls. However, as I move to get off the bed and my feet touch the wooden floors. It feels too familiar to not be my own body. I take nine, agonizing steps towards the full body mirror in the corner.
I brace myself for the shock and it takes my brain a second to recognise; green eyes, pale skin, dark long hair. It's me. I touch my face in relief and waddle back to the bed. There, Maria is waiting patiently watching me like a hawk. Suddenly, I don't see her as a ditsy person anymore. The only reliable thing I have had my whole life is my sixth sense. I can sense good people and something is telling me this woman is not genuine.
"Alright, Maria." I take a deep breath. "Tell me everything I need to know."
'I have to find a way home.'
At least I can make the best out of a bad situation. There's no use crying over spilt milk. Maria takes a deep breath and doesn't stop talking for two hours.
As it gets darker I finally dismiss her and go out to the balcony connected to my room. On my way out I notice a framed picture sitting on a mahogany commode. It's a picture of me smiling brightly, standing next to a square faced old man, holding a cigar in one hand and the other placed on my shoulder. The man had salt and pepper hair and a matching beard, with striking blue eyes. Next to his stony expression I wondered how my face could shine so brightly. She's not me, she is Daphne.
Daphne Anker is the name of the girl I switched with. I guess that in some way she is me, and I am her, but in different worlds. Something happened and we ended up either swapping places or in the worst case scenario, Daphne is dead.
I breathe in deeply to calm myself. I rub my chin comfortingly whilst staring out at the city below me. Sitting and crying won't get me home so I'll save that for later.
This world is divided up in two societies, the normal citizens who have everyday jobs just like in my world and something called the shinobi. A people with a special power called chakra, they live in modern houses just like this side but are for the most part separated societies. According to Maria, this is because the shinobi used to cause so much trouble and destruction with their abundant powers that a pact was made to keep them apart. She also said that there are a few chakra users on this side that use their powers to assist the Police and the hospitals, but they are rarely seen.
Daphne's parents died and she was adopted by her uncle at an early age. Her uncle, Viscount Nicholas Anker was a very cold, distant and strict guardian. At some point Daphne was going to inherit the Viscountess title but her uncle sold her off to the Uchiha clan instead.
My biggest problem right now however; Uchiha Madara.
Daphne was supposed to get married to him in four days, but apparently she wasn't a very responsible person. Now, it seems like I have to get married to him instead.
Uchiha Madara, in the shinobi world you address people with their surnames first, is the head of the second largest clan. They are dangerous, described by Maria as monstrous, inhumane and scary. The worst of them all was Madara. He was a famous warmonger, who'd recently finally stopped waging wars in the Land of Fire and settled down to build a village.
Maria said he had once killed a man for serving him the wrong soup.
Tomorrow I'll be sent off to the Uchihas, since it's a two day boat ride and once I arrive I'll have a day to prepare. This leaves me with no time for myself to devise a plan or even put one in action.
There has to be some way to get out of this marriage.
The Anker family is filthy rich and one of the oldest clans in the land, also the most respected. Daphne was raised by her uncle, living under strict conditions, being prepared for marriage her whole life. So the Uchihas need money, presumably to wage war against their enemy clan, the Senjus.
"Fuck." I hiss to myself. The moon was shining down on my face by the time I went back inside.
The only thing I could understand about that man was that he valued money and soup. This information is of absolutely no help.
So I spent the entire night looking for clues in Daphne's room.
She had a huge walk-in closet double the size of my entire apartment. My mouth dropped open at all the dresses and handbags. Rita and Mia would lose their shit.
At the crack of dawn I found a book, hidden in a makeup bag. I had thought it was an eyeshadow palette at first but turns out my intuition to open it was right.
A knock on the door sounds, breaking the silence. I shove the leather bound book in a white bag and exit the closet just as Maria walks into the bedroom. She looks at me in surprise.
"My Lady, you awoke all by yourself?"
I give her a soft smile. "Yes, I couldn't sleep."
I notice she's holding a tray with small plates of breakfast. Right on cue my stomach rumbles.
"I understand." She sets the tray down on the table next to my bed. "My Lady must be excited."
"Not really." I answer honestly. This is the worst day of my life, I'm one hug away from a mental breakdown.
She giggles and gives me a smile. "If you need anything, My Lady, just call for me. I'll be packing my belongings. I've asked someone else to tend to My Lady's needs until your departure time."
"Thank you, Maria."
Maria's eyes were swollen and bloodshot. She kept turning around and wiping her nose thinking I wouldn't notice.
I couldn't pretend to care. Sleep was a distant glint in my past, my brain was so excited by processing the new environments that it was overheating. I stood in a pair of white pumps, matching my white bag and beige fur coat, waving goodbye to my 'family' on a moving boat. The people seeing me off were maids who worked in Daphne's mansion. What a sad life she had. According to Maria, the Viscount Anker was away on a business trip. Coincidence? I think not.
"Just show me where I'll be sleeping and do whatever you want for the rest of the night." I tell Maria curtly.
She hesitates and stammers. "Are—are you sure, My Lady? I could make you some tea or perhaps a salad—"
"No." I interrupt her before she starts naming every food Daphne loved. "Just sleep."
She shows me to a room with a chandelier and king sized bed. It's more than I could ask for. Honestly at this point I could fall asleep on a haystack.
Maria continues babbling about something I pay no attention to. I keep looking up at the clock until she finally leaves.
She leaves at quarter past five and I'm asleep a few seconds later.
My head didn't even touch the pillow before I was off to Dream World.
I woke up the next morning feeling extremely refreshed. I groan at every crack after every stretch. Moving slowly, I get dressed in peace and hang a 'Do not Disturb' sign on the doorknob before leaving to explore my new surroundings.
This ship is more akin to an airport, there's even a screen that shows how the vehicle is fueled by chakra.
Unfortunately for me, Daphne's family cut her off the second I stepped foot on this boat. Fortunately for me, they recognized me as the Uchiha bride and after promising to send the bill to the Head of the Clan, my soon to be husband, they allowed me with all sorts of liberties.
I ordered enough food for a baby elephant, bought enough shoes for a centipede and enough make up for a clown. Shopping always calms my nerves. As I'm heading towards my next shop I hear a commotion behind me.
"What do you mean it's gone? I specifically asked for it!" I turn around and see an angry red headed woman. She had large, pupiless black eyes and wore weird clothes. A short kimono with bandages all along her legs.
The woman behind the counter gestured anxiously to a computer screen, expressing guilt and apologies. Sensing the drama I walked closer, pretending to smell the scented candles one aisle away.
"The Royal Snow Odette—" I blinked. That sounds familiar.
"The Royal Snow Odette was supposed to be reserved for me. I specifically ordered it a day before departure. My fiance loves the scent." The woman whined. She shook her shoulders childishly.
I looked in one of my bags and sure enough; The Royal Snow Odette stared back at me in big bold letters.
"Pardon me, Uzumaki-sama. But why did you not purchase it yesterday?"
The redhead stiffened and shut her eyes like a child being caught doing something bad. "Uhhh…well…" She pouted and pressed her fingers together. "I forgot."
"I'm so sorry, but the next order will arrive in six weeks."
She sighs. "I understand.", and walks away dejectedly. I feel bad. It was an impulse purchase because it smelled so good and exclusive, the funny thing is that I don't even wear perfume. It makes me nauseous.
I turn back to the woman. Her red hair was pulled into two large buns on each side of her head which made her very distinct in a crowd and impossible to lose track of. She took long strides, weaving in and out of stores before finally reaching an empty hallway. I was starting to get thirsty, jogging after her like this.
She stops mid stride. I think maybe she's crying? I reach out a hand to touch her shoulder—
All at once I was flat on my back, hair and bags flying everywhere. I choked on my breath.
Pupiless black eyes glare at me. I try to stand up but her arms hold me down with inhuman strength. What the hell is happening?
"Why are you following me?" She asks sternly. Narrowing her eyes at me.
"I'm not following you." I deadpan. Mostly because of the ridiculous position we're in right now.
"Yes, you are." Oh right, I was.
"Yes, I was? But it's because I overheard your conversation back there." She raises a thin eyebrow. "I am the customer who bought the last Odette."
"Eh? That still doesn't explain why…"
"Could you please get off me?" Something cold got off my throat and I hadn't even realized it was there. I swallow roughly when my brain figures out what it was.
"A civilian, huh?" She mutters to herself. I blink.
"Wait, so you're not a civilian?" I ask her while dusting myself off.
She twirls a sharp looking metal in her hand and gives me an uninterested look. "Of course, I'm a shinobi. You didn't notice?"
I shake my head.
"Well, rule number one…" She holds up a finger to my face. "...never sneak up behind a shinobi. Have you never had any training? Your presence is pretty…well hidden."
"You're actually the first shinobi I've ever met." I tell her.
She blinks at me wide eyed. "Eh? Really?" She recovers and gives me a bright smile. "I am Uzumaki Mito. You can call me Mito."
I can't help but smile back, it's contagious. "K— Daphne Anker."
She is about to say something when I interrupt her. "You wanted the Royal Odette, right?"
"The Royal Snow Odette." She corrects me. "Royal Odette is a princess who lives in the western mountains."
I roll my eyes. "Yes, whatever." I hold up the small white bag containing the perfume to her. "You can have it."
Her eyes light up. "EH? REALLY?!"
"Yeah, I mean you sounded really desperate." She coughs indignantly.
"W-well, I wouldn't say desperate…I just need it for a thing…"
I laugh. A genuine laugh. For the first time since arriving and it makes me like her. Mito seems like a very sincere person, the type of personality children are drawn to.
Mito takes the bag and thanks me by bowing politely, I awkwardly do the same in return. The rest of the way back we commiserate about how funny our interaction was.
"Maria, have you seen my bag?"
I see her stiffen from the reflection of my face mirror. "No, My Lady. Which bag do you speak of?" She says innocently.
My gut tells me Maria knows more than she lets on.
"Maria, the bag I put in my room when we got onboard, where is it? Did you lose it?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "No! Of course not! My Lady—"
"Alright, then go fetch my bag right now." She is getting on my nerves.
"My Lady, it's just—"
I turn around and cross my arms. "What is it?"
"My Lady, you didn't bring a bag with you, all your belongings have been sent to the Uchiha territory." This time I stiffen. A chill crawls up my back.
She's definitely lying. 'Why are you hiding it from me?'
"My Lady, your memory is still—"
I hold up a hand and interrupt her for the umteenth time. It must be because of that diary, I conclude.
"Fine. You can go prepare for our leave." It's midnight and we have just a couple of hours to prepare before getting offboard.
"Yes, My Lady."
I watch the door as she leaves. I let out a long yawn and let myself fall backwards onto the bed. However, instead of soft pillows my head hits hard wood. My scream comes out in the form of a choke. Everything turns black for a second before the pain shoots through my body and I grab my head with both hands.
Something drops in front of me. Sandaled feet connect to loose black pants and a dark hoodie, I stare at the man towering over me. Messy black hair, pale skin and— I gasp.
"His eyes will be obsidian and sometimes they'll be blood." The words echo in my head as I watch his dark eyes turn red and spin wildly.
He looks down at me and another quote enters my head. "Be wary of his eyes."
I immediately look down and focus on scrambling to my feet. He reaches out a hand grabbing me roughly by the upper arm and hoists me up on my feet as I try to crawl to the opposite side. I unintentionally let out a squeak. There's broken glass, sheets and makeup littered everywhere. The boat is swaying. Here I thought I was experiencing a concussion.
"Are you alright?" He asks lightly. I did not expect his voice to sound so soft, nor young. There was no hint of panic, however if he was scared he was doing a good job of hiding it in his face. On the other hand, to me it seems like everything is spinning and he's the only one that has control.
"Who are you?!" I shout over the chaos. He opens his mouth to reply but I'm too quick even for him. "Oh my God! I can't swim!"
"Oi, oi!" He tries to capture my attention, by grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently. It doesn't calm me down however it does make me breathless and gives him a second to talk.
"You can trust me. I am here for your protection." He says calmly. Oddly enough his cool and collected demeanor only makes me distrust him more.
"I'm Uchiha Izuna." He adds, like I'm supposed to know who that is.
I shake my head at him, panicking. "There's no time for this. We have to get somewhere safe!"
"Don't worry we are evacuating every civilian man, woman and child." He crosses his arms and looks down at me smugly. "You're the only one left."
"Then why the fuck are you wasting my time with this idle chit chatting for? Do you want some cookies and tea too?" I shout angrily, not caring that I was taunting a potentially dangerous stranger.
He looks taken aback for a second before a mischievous smirk flashes across his face. "Here I was wondering what kind of lady my brother would end up marrying."
"What?"
He picks me up bridal style and jumps through the window. I bury my face in his shirt and squeal at the feeling of our bodies descending rapidly towards the sea. To my surprise we never dropped into the water.
Damn you, shinobi.
"Izuna-sama!" A gruff voice sounds further away. I open one eye and peek at our surroundings. Its pitch black out, the full moon is the only thing that reflects back on the water underneath Izuna's feet. I'm so entranced by the physical abilities of ninja that I don't notice another man in front of us.
He had similar features to Izuna, dark and pale, but his body was incredibly muscular, he stood at probably seven feet and a few inches with tight clothes and a sword strapped to his hip. He talks animatedly with Izuna who is still holding me and completely ignores my presence. That annoys me until the moon illuminates his shoulder and I see blood. A lot of blood.
Finally the man disappears in a puff of smoke. Leaving my brain to process all these new possibilities I'd never known before.
"Did you say 'brother'?" I finally ask softly.
His attention snaps back on me and he smiles slyly. "Yes. As of tomorrow you're my sister-in-law."
"Great, I always wanted a brother." I deadpan, looking away. "Can you let me down?"
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Unless you have powers I don't know about."
Oh, that's right. We're standing on water.
That sounds so ridiculous.
"Can you at least tell me what just happened?" I look over his shoulder and see the ship I'd been on a few minutes earlier, ringed in smoke. My stomach drops. Oh God.
"There's a carriage waiting for you at the shore. Hold on tight now."
"What? Excus—" I black out.
I was angry at Izuna but the Uchiha mansion was incredibly beautiful. Elegant, dazzling, exquisite, magnificent… Words can't do it justice. Therefore, being knocked out felt less embarrassing now that I was staring at the abundant fortunes of the Uchiha.
I glare at the man. He was pointedly ignoring my stare and showing me a painting in the endlessly long hallway.
He gives me an innocent look. "Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, I think we both know what's wrong. You owe me an apology." I cross arms and raise an eyebrow.
He mimics me and turns around toward the artwork. I notice his hair is surprisingly long and tied in a low ponytail. Very shiny too. Makes me dislike him even more.
"You're right." He says. "I'm so sorry my brother could not be here to welcome you, Anker-san. You see he's on a very important mission that requires his expertise. No one else could do it but him. I begged him to stay, but he can be quite stubborn."
I blink. "Aren't you the second-in command? You should've gone instead." He had been bragging about his status minutes after I regained consciousness.
"I was on a very important mission too." He places a hand on his chest proudly.
I raise an eyebrow. "Did that mission entail knocking me out?"
He eyes me from the side mischievously. "It might have."
I snort. "You're really the perfect younger brother character. Annoying."
"Thank you."
"It wasn't a compliment." I say wryly. "So, Izuna tell me more… How old are you?"
"I turn nineteen this summer."
So eighteen and a half.
"You're really too young to be leading an entire clan, don't you think?"
His face turns serious and suddenly he looks much older than his teen years. "Sister-in-law, I am what you call…a genius."
I sigh.
"And we're not just a clan, we're much bigger than that at this point. More like a mob." He tells me.
"But you're not really considered a village or city yet." I interject. "Not like the Senju anyway, they're officially a village now."
"Yet." Izuna echoes. I notice his brows furrowed together and jaw clench. Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't bring up the Uchihas biggest opposition. It might be a sensitive subject.
We walk around for another hour before stopping in front of two large, mahogany doors. The hallway leading up the doors was much more interesting. The high ceilings made room for a wall completely made of glass facing a huge forest that Izuna explained was used as training grounds for the shinobi. The doors opened and I gaped at the bedroom presented before me, everything was huge, the bed could fit five whole adults, the window covered almost the entire wall opposite the bed and was framed by black curtains. Other than that, it was a pretty minimalistically decorated bedroom. The room led directly to a large empty walk in closet.
"We had this built when we heard a Lady would be moving into the estate." Izuna informs me.
"Huh?" I blink. "Are you trying to tell me that no women live in this huge mansion?"
He nods. "Yes, only my brother and I live here. The maids are here everyday but live in their own houses."
"And me, as of tonight."
"Yes, and Sister-in-law as of today."
"You know I have a name right?"
He whips around holding up a finger. "Ah!" A metaphorical light bulb flashes above his head. "Have they told you about the naming ceremony, Sister-in-law?"
I frown. "No? What's the naming ceremony?"
"You'll be given a Buddhist name, before the wedding ceremony my brother will give you a new name. If there's any that you like, feel free to tell him."
"So you mean because Daphne's a Christian name…."
"Exactly, like that." He nods with his eyes closed. "Personally, I don't mind calling you by your real name…"
Obviously uncomfortable with the subject, Izuna focuses on leading me through his quarters, before finally stopping at the wedding venue. It was much smaller than I expected. He tells me only the wedding ceremony will be performed here and the party will be held in a different room.
He walks me through the ceremony and traditions before handing me off to a maid. Her name was Kibi. She was a motherly elder woman with grey hair and a chubby frame. After explaining their wedding traditions in more detail she notices how tired I am.
"Young Lady," she says good naturedly. "behind the mansion, near the training ground beneath your room there is a bathhouse."
My face lights up and she begins walking through the corridors. "I could really go for a hot bath right now."
"Madara-sama usually fancies a long bath after training." Kibi says as she leads me to the back of the building.
It's winter, and I finally realize how cold it is when I undress and wrap myself in a towel. My arms immediately prickle at the cold. The bathhouse reminds me of a Japanese onsen you'd see in films with a wooden interior and sliding doors.
There's a small window that's been left open and I fight the urge to close it, but instead decide on getting in the warm water I've heard so much about. The door in front of me is already open, revealing a narrow hallway enclosed in wood and dimply lit leading to another sliding door.
I walk through the small corridor and stop at the door.
The sound of a faucet running stops me dead in my tracks.
Is someone in there?
I unconsciously hold in my breath as I inch my head closer to the door
I feel something wet touching my foot followed by the sound of multiple droplets hitting the floor.
I spin around only to freeze.
"What are you doing?" A rich baritone that fit his cold expression.
My hands grip at my towel. I don't need an introduction for this person. The intimidating aura seeping from every pore told me enough. He stood naked, wet with muscular arms crossed over his chest and long black hair stuck to his face. I lean back against the door clutching the towel at my throat.
Shit, he's too hot! I can't even say a word!
I try looking everywhere but down and end up looking right into his eyes.
"Be wary of his eyes."
I redirect my eyes at the wall and manage to finally speak. "I-I am Daph—"
"I am aware." He interrupts rudely. "Why did you come here?"
I blink slowly. It wasn't obvious? I'm too flabbergasted to answer.
"Well?"
"Bathe." I answer unconformably.
He raises an eyebrow regally. I shiver at the biting cold.
"You want to bathe with your husband?" He deadpans, almost patronisingly. I gasp, insulted. The balls on this man!
"Excuse me?" I hold my towel tighter to my person. "I didn't know anybody was in here, first of all, I wouldn't have come if I knew."
He grunts. A bored expression shining brightly on his face. "Occupied."
I stomp off into the other room, making sure the door is closed before dressing angrily and slamming each door after that on my way out.
Kibi's surprised face welcomes me back to the mansion. "That was quick Ojou-sama."
"Kibi, someone was already in there." I say through gritted teeth.
O-oh, really? Oh my! I wasn't aware Madara-sama had returned, Ojou-sama I'm so sorry. Please forgive this old woman, my age must be catching up to me!" She gave a youthful laugh and took me to another bathroom.
"I never said who it was, Kibi."
She laughs and pats my back. "He is the only person that goes there. Izuna-sama isn't too fond of old bathhouses. So naturally I assumed you ran into Madara-sama."
So that was the infamous Madara Uchiha…
What an asshole.
