When Fate and Destiny Collide
By: maliciousfate
Chapter: Three
A Warm Welcome?
Quickening my pace, i quickly put myself past Hinata and into a crowd of people. Looking hesitantly behind me, I saw the boy was no longer there.
'That was strange' I thought letting out a breath of relief, I didn't know why it made me panic knowing he was following me, but it did and I was glad to rid him from my steps.
"Wine Miss Desutinii?" One of the highly dressed women asked kindly, offering me a crystal wine glass with red liquid bubbling inside it.
"Thank you." I said accepting the glass, but a little hesitantly. I had never been offered wine before on a count of my young age, but for some reason I had become quite thirsty all of a sudden.
Putting the glass to my glossed lips I took no time at all in gulping half the glass. Right as the cold liquid slid down my throat I began to cough violently. My eyes widened as I began coughing harder.
'I didn't expect it to be bitter! This is disgusting! How can all of them drink this!?' I thought coughing some more.
The people close to me began to turn and look at me strangely, but I guess they had their reasons; I must of looked insane coughing and holding a half-empty wine glass. However, if i weren't so preoccupied with trying to breath i would of glared at them.
"Tsuki are you alright?" A small voice asked from my side, I looked over quickly to see a very worried looking Hinata. I don't think her eyes could get any more wide.
"N-no I'm alright" I replied forcing my coughs to slow. "I didn't know wine was so bitter." I added looking down, disgusted, at my half-filled wine glass.
"You've never had wine before Tsuki?" I looked to see her actually looking surprised.
"You have!" I asked equally surprised.
"Of course, we have it after every dinner. However, we never have red wine; it's a tradition to have red wine only after a wedding proposal." For the second time that night my stomach dropped.
'I'm getting married...' I thought biting my bottom lip.
Hinata must have sensed the change of emotion because she quickly changed the subject. "Your Kimono is gorgeous Tsuki, but I must ask; why it is such a dark shade of blue?"
I didn't answer right away. I had to think up of an excuse. I couldn't tell her the real reason for me wearing such a dark color was to show my depression in getting married to a stranger. That would be a horrible insult, that would only cause trouble for myself. And I was starting to like this Hinata.
"So I-I could keep warm. It has been raining all week, I was hoping the dark color choice would seal some kind of warmth." I lied with a fake smile.
She bought it.
"Wow, I-I never would of thought about that. That's a really smart idea Tsuki." She said smiling back.
Hinata and I continued talking about random things until late in the night. We both had actually a lot in common and I was thankful for my fathers absence throughout the time in the Grand Hall.
"Hinata, show Miss Desutinii her room. It is getting late and I believe she would like to get some rest from the long trip over." Hiashi said coming over to where Hinata and I had been talking. I wasn't at all tired I was, actually, completely awake; but I didn't say anything and agreed to get some rest.
"Please follow me Miss Desutinii." Hinata said using my proper name in respect for her father. She began leading me from the Grand Hall to a large spiral staircase that lead to a long and confusing hallway.
The walk through the endless hallway was well, endless. I couldn't think of anything to say and the continuous sound of our footsteps was beginning to make me paranoid.
But then, right as we crossed into another long hallway, I had realized something.
'Throughout the whole night no one has introduced me to...him That thought surprised me, the whole reason I was even here was because I was to marry the man, and I haven't even been introduced yet!
"Hey Hinata?"
"Yes, Tsuki?" She glanced back but continued walking.
"Uhm, I know this may sound kind of-uh-well weird. But do you- do you know who Ne-"" I was cut off by someone calling my name.
"Tsuki!" The voice boomed from behind us. We turned to see my father, furious, storming towards us.
"Yes father?" I asked confused by his anger.
"Come, now." He demanded grabbing me by my wrist and pulling me quickly towards the direction I had just come from. I looked to Hinata; she was giving me a sympathetic look.
"Ill see you later?" I called still being pulled by my father.
"Of coarse, goodnight Tsuki!" She had to yell her reply because I was now nearing the other end of the hall.
"What's your problem?" I asked dropping the formal act. He was beginning to cut off my circulation. He only tightened his grip making me wince. I kept quiet but continued to try and get lose.
"Stop!" He yelled in my face, his voice rung off the walls. I lowered my head. I hated when he yelled at me; sadly he did if often. Finally he let my wrist go and I took it into my other hand rubbing it. A bright red handprint was beginning to form.
"You have ashamed me tonight." He said in a low tone without looking at my face.
"How?" I was completely confused.
"Do not ask, you know exactly why." That was when he turned to face me.
If only looks could kill
"I-I'm sorry I have ashamed you father. But I still have no clue what you mean by it." I looked up at him hoping to make him believe me.
"Why did you not speak with your bethroed tonight?" He had lowered his voice to only above a whisper, this me more then anyone would ever know. When he spoke like this his anger was completely out of control, and I knew all to well what happened when he got this angry.
"I-I haven't been introduced t-to him, so I don't know who he is." I tried to keep my voice strong, but it was almost impossible. My father was one of the very few who could scare me senseless.
His eyes flashed red and he raised his hand high. I squeezed my eyes shut waiting for what would happen like all the many other times.
"Zeal! There you, are I've been looking all over for you." Hiashi came over to the both of us; my father had quickly dropped his hand before Hiashi could suspect anything.
"Miss Desutinii? I thought Hinata took you to your room, was there a problem?" He asked oblivious to my quivering motions.
"N-no Hiashi-san, I just saw my father and stopped to talk to him." I wanted to run back to Hinata, leave my father in my dust; but I waited for Hiashi's reply.
"Understood." I bowed to Hiashi and quickly left hoping to find Hinata still waiting in the hall where I last saw her...
'she was at the end of this hall right? Or was it the one to the right?' I turned around, down a hall identical to the one I was just in; still no Hinata.
I really hope she didn't leave, I don't know where my room is! I was beginning to panic. Not good.
Down another hall, and another, and anoth-.wait! Is that- its that boy again!
"Hey! Wait up!" I called to him just before he turned the corner. I ran to catch up to him, which was hard to do in my very tight Kimono. He stopped and turned his head slightly to look back at me, his eyes were stern almost as if he were mad. When I finally caught up to him I was out of breath, the hall was a lot longer then it seemed.
"Y-You live here r-right?" I asked trying to steady my breaths. He nodded his eyebrows raised.
Of coarse he lived here..
"Then can I ask you a kind of-uh-embarrassing question?" My breaths had finally calmed allowing me to speak clearly. He raised his eyebrows a bit more and nodded, again.
'well isn't he just the talkative type.' I thought mentally rolling my eyes.
"Uhm, can you tell me which room is mine?" I asked smiling sheepishly up at him. He actually spoke this time.
"You're kidding right?" He looked like he was going to laugh. Maybe I didn't want him to say anything
"Well I wouldn't have run all the way over here just to be kidding." I huffed crossing my arms over my chest. He laughed, an adorable laugh actually. A chuckle if you must, but non the less adorable.
"True. Well in that case, right this way." He said obviously amused turning around and walking the way I had just ran from.
I walked next to the boy in silence still with my arms crossed. I was a very stubborn person, and I sometimes showed it in the most childish of times. Right now being one of them.
"And this," He said suddenly standing near a door completely like the others. "-would be your room" He smiled in the tiniest of way..
"Uh, thank you." I replied twisting the handle and pushing it in, but then before closing it behind myself I turned back.
I blushed slightly; I still had no clue what his name was.
"Uh" I didn't know how to ask without sounding like a complete moron. So instead I just scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"Well since you're obviously not going to ask," he said finally.
"-The names Neji." He gave off one last smirk, and closed the door.