Chapter 11

Sakura got what seemingly to be the best job in the world, while only she herself knows the pain.

This person is so high up in a position where everyone has to serve him, he even sleeps spoiled.

Sakura has to stay within his chambers, make sure everything is organized, oils and scents are properly lit, sheets are freshly changed, and water to be hot at any moment that he comes. Which means every time the water gets cold, in about 30 minutes, she has to go and reheat a pot of fresh new water and prepare a large bowl of fresh new hot water with herbs. Worst of all, she has to stay up most of the night to watch over him. Just in case he wants some water, she has to be there to offer whatever he needs.

The first day when Sakura undressed him and helped him to bed, he fell asleep almost immediately from the tiring day. Until about half an hour later when he was muttering in his sleep, reaching his hands out for something. Sakura quickly reached over to tuck his sheets in, and he felt her hand in his palms and didn't let go for the entire night.

She sat there, almost dozing off and falling on his face. When morning comes she quickly pulled away just before he wakes up.

So this went on.

Unfortunately Sakura goes hungry quickly at night when she's up. So several times her stomach rumbles loudly, and she was so afraid it would wake Sasuke up, but her meal times are fixed and she can't eat anything before bedtime. It's a very troubling problem for her.

Until Sasuke start ordering two shares of the bedtime snack. So Sakura gets to eat a couple small dishes before she helps him to bed. Her stomach doesn't rumble much anymore.

He also ordered a small cot for her beside his bed. So she doesn't fall down to the floor when she dozes off, which happened before, and she cried painfully in silence for about a minute.

She learnt to listen for a evenness of breathing from the Prince to check if he's asleep. Today she didn't hear anything. She looked over and saw him looking at her with the most gentle eyes.

It's hard to imagine these same eyes were as cold as ice when they order executions and punishments.

She smiled softly, "is there anything I can do for you?"

He said, "come here."

She edged closer.

He asked her teasingly, "do you grab onto my hand at night to get my attention or do it because you like me?"

Sakura doesn't know how to reply. She can't say it's because you kept on mumbling and grabbing onto air. It's annoying and the servants standing outside are very agitated every time you make a move.

So she bowed her head down and said,"I... I really admire the Prince..."

Sasuke is satisfied. He extended his hand and said, "here."

Sakura looked at it, puzzled.

"You may hold me hand." He said, as if it's the most generous thing he has ever said. Which to him, it probably is.

Sakura had no choice but to hold onto his hand while turning tomato red.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

The manor is having some Court guests coming the next day. As usual, Sakura slept most of the morning due to her serving the Prince at night. When she woke up, it was already noon.

She walked around to the courtyard and saw some familiar faces performing dances on stage. These are sometimes servant girls who helps around the kitchen or laundry, but they're actually dancers owned by the house, and they sometimes practice their routine in another wing of the courtyard. Sakura has never seen them but found them to be pleasantly nice.

One of the girls was wearing a green dress saw Sakura and smiled and walked over to her. She was older and tend to be less manipulative than other concubines. These dancers have no hope of sleeping with the Prince, so they're just waiting for their age to be at around 20, when they can afford to save up and leave the house and marry someone nice. Apparently after 20 you can't really dance well anymore.

The girls are materials to these court men. When they're dancing, if a man wants to touch them or sleep with them, they could. In fact, they're being kept in the house for that exact reason.

Sakura find this repulsive, but the girls are so used to it they don't think it's abnormal.

The girl in green dress's name is Tenten. She just finished a dance in front of these men, and she quickly jumped off the stage to rest for the next one. She walked over to Sakura because Sakura seem to be holding a basket of delicious meat buns. Usually they share good food with each other if they're able.

Tenten's dance outfit was elaborate and pretty. It is made entirely out from lace and mesh, and with sashes that runs long past the normal length, to have the wavy ribbon like effect when she dances. One of the other soldiers weren't looking as they stepped onto Tenten's sash, and her forced lunged forward caused a back pull, destroying her balance and sending her into the koi pond.

The pond isn't particularly deep but it's pretty wide and muddy at the bottom. Once she fell, she stirred up all the mud within and begin panicking. Other dancers stopped dancing and starts to panic too, and the court officials were gathering around the pond to see what's going on.

Sakura stared as none of them went down to help her, and she then found out because none of them knew how to swim.

It makes sense, the capital is far away from the sea.

So she looked around, grabbing onto a large wooden decorative carved branch quickly got in.

She didn't jump in like some hero, because she knew the pond isn't deep and she might break her next before she has the chance to save anyone. So she carefully got in under the help of some soldiers, and then swam calmly towards Tenten while tossing her branch.

Tenten wanted to grab onto Sakura, but Sakura dodged and dived and repeatedly yell, "don't grab onto me! Don't touch me! Grab onto this branch! I'll swim back! Trust me!"

Finally Tenten grabbed onto the branch, and begin to calm down a little, but continuously cough up swallowed water. Sakura swam back and under the help of several servants, they all got back up safely.

Sasuke observed the whole situation in his chair, which wasn't that far away. When he saw Sakura coming up from the pond soaking wet, his eyes narrowed and focused on her body.

He doesn't know why, but he has never wanted anyone as badly as he wants her right st this moment.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

A/N: Remember to review! More review more chapters!