Ch.2: The Sovereign Etiquette

"What are my statistical chances of coming out of these trials alive?" Shikamaru questioned once they were all back in the earthy room again.

Temari's nerves snapped as he said that. "They have no right!" She exploded angrily. "Those assholes didn't lift a finger to help us when the witch cursed us, and now they want to meddle in our affairs! They choose now!" Temari didn't even notice that she had lifted a few inches off the ground. "I hate them. I hate them! I will kill them all with my bare hands! I will—"

"Temari," Gaara interrupted crossly, "yelling will not make it go away."

When she pushed the anger aside, Temari instead felt her worries surround her. If she stopped yelling, like Gaara wanted, all she had left to resort to was fear and sadness. "Gaara, they can't make him do the fairy trials." She pleaded. "He'll die."

Shikamaru sat down abruptly on the floor with a heavy sigh. "Well, that answers my question."

"You never know." Gaara replied uncertainly, casting Shikamaru a sideways look, "Stranger things have happened."

Temari did not feel optimistic. Not at all. Not even a little bit. All she felt was angry and scared. Angry that those jerks were trying to take away her happy person, her love; and scared because there was nothing she could do. For all her threats, she was doomed. Kano and Falynne alone would strike her dead before Temari could retaliate. Temari flitted dejectedly to Shikamaru, sliding down to sit beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I hate fairies."

"You hate everybody." Shikamaru mumbled.

He sounded detached and separated, as if the world itself had nothing to do with him. As if none of it quite made any sense to him yet. Temari entwined her fingers within his own. "I love you."

Shikamaru reciprocated the feeling almost halfheartedly.

Temari felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry." She dropped her eyes to the ground. "I only make you unhappy don't I?"

"That's not true." Shikamaru protested immediately, turning to look at her in shock. "You could never do that. I love you, Temari, I do." He looked wistfully at the walls, "I just…I'm confused, a bit."

Kankurou took the opportunity to sit right before them. "Well, there's no room for that. If they're going to put you through this nonsense, you're going to have to know everything that just happened." He paused. "Basics first."

Shikamaru nodded.

"The council of fae is usually composed of the King, Queen, and their advisors. Currently, there are special circumstances. The King and Queen have gone to dust, so to speak, leaving only their daughter. Fae rules prohibit women to rule the, well, country I suppose you could call it, on their own. Unfortunately, the daughter refuses to marry and as such she cannot take possession of the throne."

Temari couldn't help but snort contemptuously. She hated that rule. Such a sexist ideal.

Kankurou continued, "Therefore, the old King and Queen's advisors took control and put in a temporary, or what they say is temporary, control of the kingdom. Those would be the dark winged ones: Kano and Falynne. Dangerous fuckers. They dismissed every other advisor and put in place their own favorites: Amun and Jiyitl. Amun is the one with the almost clear skin. Jiyitl is the one with the curving horns."

"What about the girl?" Shikamaru frowned.

"I'm getting to that." Kankurou said in exasperation. "She is the unmarried princess." Kankurou waved his hand about, "Not that it matters much. Her word is continually undermined by Kano and Falynne because they can undermine it. She's really just there for show and she knows it. I'm actually surprised that Kirai attempted to make her voice count at this hearing. Kano must really be aggravating her lately."

"Is that why she has fairy writing tattooed on her skin? Because she's royalty?"

Gaara nodded absently. "Partially." He frowned. "Temari. Come."

Temari blinked. "Come where?"

"Just come." Gaara commanded walking out of the room.

"Are we allowed to leave?" Shikamaru questioned.

Kankurou shrugged. "We are. You aren't."

Temari struggled up. "Hey! Gaara! Come back!" She stopped at the door. "Keep explaining, will you, Kankurou? The whole fairy trial business."

Kankurou nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just go."

Temari hurried after her younger brother. "What is the big deal?" She hissed, having caught up to him. "He's going to die and you have me away from—"

"Stop being so cynical, Temari." Gaara demanded. "He won't die."

"Stop being so optimistic, it's the inevitable." Temari snapped. "Fairies don't even pass the fairy trials."

"If you were to be exact," A familiar voice tinkled calmly, "it would be best to say that no fairy has ever passed the fairy trials."

Temari wanted to rip her pretty little head of her pretty little shoulders. She lunged forward. Gaara stopped her again.

"Stop doing that, Temari." Gaara said in slight aggravation. "You never get any headway when you act on anger."

Kirai shrugged lightly. "I probably deserve it." She extended her right hand. "I have a new one." Kirai traced her nail across a particular pearlescent fairy marking around her wrist. "Repentance." She dropped her hand, "Though I don't see why it chose that. I did try. Didn't help, but I tried. Probably, repentance for never marrying, I suppose."

Temari scowled, infuriated by her casual tone and her seeming apathy. How dare she act like it was such a simple matter? They were going to kill Shikamaru! Who gave a damn if her fairy core thought she was sorry? She fucking wasn't acting sorry. Temari noted that the sand around her ankles trickled away, releasing her.

"I wanted to discuss matters with you, Kirai." Gaara said to her, his tone clipped and professional.

She shrugged, "I don't see why. I can't do anything."

"You could marry." Temari snapped.

"I will not bind myself for your sake." Kirai seethed, her eyes flashing dangerously as she said so.

"That is not," Gaara stressed, "the direction I wished our conversation to take." He paused. "Please, will you hear us?"

Kirai hesitated. "I can't do anything."

"All I ask is for you to listen." Gaara said.

The fairy sighed. "Very well." She beckoned them forward with a finger. "Follow me."

Temari followed after her young brother somewhat hesitantly, casting the princess of the fae suspicious glances as she led them on somewhere. There had been a time that Temari found the girl's unwillingness to tie her fate with another's as a radical inspirational change. There'd been a time that Temari begrudgingly respected the lightly marked creature. But that time was long past now. That time only existed when the young princess had been fresh and naïve (as Temari had been as well); when Kirai had very few fairy runes imprinted on her skin and possessed an innocent glow to her eyes; Back when Kirai still held promise for a change to the fairy kingdom. All she represented now was a stubborn brash child who was letting two cruel dictators usurp control. She was giving over her right. Temari could not and would not forgive her for that.

Never.

She led them purposefully and happily through winding earthen corridors, her footsteps sounding authoritatively throughout the empty hallways. Back in the olden times, Temari had heard tell that the fairy castle was filled to the brim with happy chattering fae.

Now it was empty, cold, and drafty. It was not a happy place.

Kirai turned swiftly walking right into what appeared to be a wall at first sight, the muddy bricks bending towards her, into her almost, as she did so. Gaara followed immediately after her, also ensconced in the suction-like pull of the wall. Temari hesitated before the brick wall. Fairy or not, walking into a wall wasn't a very appealing concept. Especially one that seemed to suck a person by surrounding them with its essence. Temari cursed quietly and stepped into the wall, eyes squeezed tight. She didn't even realize she'd gone through the wall until she tripped over a blunt object and fell face first into the floor, swallowing a clod of mud and leaves as she did so. Temari sat up quickly, spluttering the organic material out of her mouth. "Eugh." She wiped at her mouth, trying to erase the taste of the earth. Temari wasn't a big fan of the flavor of dirt.

Kirai snickered slightly. "Don't have much balance, do you?"

Temari glared at her. "Do you really want to piss me off right now?" She stood up, smacking her lips in an attempt to continue removing the aftertaste.

Kirai shrugged. "I suppose not. Doesn't stop it from being funny."

"Why the hell did we have to walk through a wall anyway?" Temari looked around the room. It was very small and certainly more primitive than the ornate halls of the castle. It seemed composed purely of compact dirt, vines, and leaves. A chair seemed to grow out of the ground itself, like the branches of a tapering tree. Aside from the chair, the other furniture appeared made. A famous fae Cyprus desk, a decently carved cabinet set, and a pile of books dropped carelessly around the whole room.

"I don't want Kano or Falynne finding this room." Kirai settled in her chair, tucking her knees underneath her, "I'm sure they know I have the room, but I don't like them knowing where it is. I don't want them poking their nose in here. So I have the room magicked to move throughout the castle constantly."

Gaara picked up a few tomes from the floor and flipped through them idly. "So how do you always find the room?"

Kirai's hand lifted to her chest. Carelessly, she pulled a silver chain from beneath her shirt revealing an emerald teardrop jewel dangling freely from it. "Family help." It was a decidedly beautiful jewel, Temari thought. Kirai hid it underneath her blouse once more. "It gives me a light tug in the right direction."

Gaara snapped the book shut. "You're using your family's pride as a map?"

If Temari didn't know any better she would've said Gaara sounded angry. But that of course, made no sense at all. Why would he care about the fae royalty's trinkets? How would he know anyway? She didn't know anything about them.

"I don't see where it's your place to judge, Gaara." Kirai said evenly, her incandescent eyes hooded.

"Don't you dare address my brother by his first name." Temari growled.

Kirai flicked her attention to her, "I don't see why I should be disbarred. Your brother and I have spoken before."

"About what!?" Temari was angry. Anger on top of anger wasn't a rather good mix.

Gaara shifted. "Do you recall that I told you I asked around about curses and the way to break them?"

Temari watched her brother warily. He seemed almost apologetic. "Yes."

"I went straight to the source."

"You told her?"

"Yes."

A million things suddenly made sense. Temari turned on the princess. "I will kill you!" She spat and flew at the delicate girl. This time Gaara didn't stop her, but Kirai dodged her hits expertly.

"I've been attacked various times before, fairy. If you want to hit me, you'll have to do better than—" Kirai's words died quickly in her mouth as Temari made contact with her skin. One hard heavy hit made it's way straight into the horrible girl's jaw. Temari made to hit her again, but found that she was bound by Gaara's sand once more.

"I let you hit her once, Temari. Would you please stop letting your anger rule you now?" Gaara questioned softly, almost sadly.

Temari watched in satisfaction as Kirai rubbed her jaw. "That hurt." She muttered under her breath. Temari felt Kirai's eyes on her. She stared back angrily. Kirai closed her eyes and sighed in apology. "I'm sorry. I realize it was a mistake now. I thought nothing of it."

"It's your fault they brought him here!" Temari hissed.

"I didn't think they'd care!" Kirai yelled. "I didn't realize…I didn't…I'm sorry." Kirai squeezed her eyes shut. Apparently not able to deal with her guilt, the fairy began pacing throughout the room. "I'm not sorry that…that he's dying. I'm not. I'm sorry that I'm responsible for an unjust hearing. For…for your misery."

"You're not sorry he's dying?!" Temari curled her fingers into a fist. What was with this fairy? Temari knew she didn't like that stupid princess. She was a cold heartless bitch that deserved to roast. All the crap she was faced with was warranted.

"He's human!" The fairy princess defended. "Why would I be sorry he's dying? What do I care?" Kirai's eyes narrowed. "What you're doing is unnatural anyway. He's not one of us."

"He still shouldn't die for your stupid vendetta!"

"It's not my vendetta!" Kirai screamed. She took a deep breath. "It's not my vendetta." She repeated softly, "I don't think he should die, but I don't care if he does. I am sorry for what's happening to you. But I couldn't give a damn about him. He's not one of my people."

"When have you done anything for your people, anyway?" Temari snapped. "What have you ever done?"

"It's not like I haven't tried."

"You haven't done a thing."

"I'm not allowed!"

"Then marry someone!" Temari collapsed to the floor, the tears rising again. Why were things always out of her control? Why couldn't she ever solve her own problems? Why was it always messing with her life? What did she ever do to piss off fate so badly? Temari dug her fingers into the floor, the earth sticking underneath her nails. Drops fell to the floor staining the dirt a darker shade. Why did that idiot always have to make her cry? "You just had to fucking tell those bastards that he was human. That he was…That he was…" Temari choked on a sob.

Temari stiffened as she felt the regal princess kneel in front of her. "I truly am sorry." Her tattooed hands squeezed her own softly. "I am."

Temari didn't say anything.

"Kirai," Gaara interrupted, "I did come here with a purpose."

Temari didn't want to look at either of them. She didn't want to see how they looked at seeing her crying on the floor. She didn't want to see the resigned fate in both their eyes. She just didn't want to see what she already knew.

"What would that be?" Kirai's voice sounded oddly constrained.

"Why hasn't anyone ever completed the fairy trials?"

Kirai hesitated. "They're hard trials. Almost impossible. Probably impossible. The biggest mess is…well, its…he'd have to last five minutes assaulted by Kano." Kirai paused, "The rest, it requires lots of luck and magic, or lots and lots of intellect."

"He'd have to fight with Kano?" Gaara asked tersely.

"At least five minutes." Temari could hear Kirai's distaste. "Kano might stretch the limit. He'd be perfectly within his rights."

Temari swallowed a sob. "He's going to die."

"Most likely." Kirai muttered at the same time Gaara snapped at her to quit saying those things. "It's no use trying to perk her up, Gaara. He will die. It's the inevitable." Temari looked up at the two fae. Kirai tapped her fingers against her desk. "You couldn't last five minutes with Kano."

Gaara's eye twitched. "Why would that be?"

If this weren't such a horrible circumstance, Temari would have laughed at her brother's abundance in pride of his own skills.

"It's not ordinary fighting." Kirai explained. "It's not face to face. You don't see him. The one in the trial is stripped of their five senses during that portion of the trial." She trailed her fingers to the end of the desk, "It's more of an execution than an actual battle." Kirai looked apologetically at Gaara. "Used to serve as morbid amusement for the fairies of the ancient times. That's why it's not heavily implemented anymore. It's cruel and unusual."

"How exactly are the senses removed?"

"Double-bind fae chant. In other words, group magic."

Gaara closed his eyes and muttered quickly and quietly under his breath. Upon seeing this, Temari struggled up. Did he have an idea? Did he have a plan? Could it…? Temari squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten. It did her no good to think so positively. Nothing good could come of it. Think bad, she thought. She just had to continue thinking bad; if she did that, she wouldn't be crushed down.

"Which," Gaara began slowly, "is stronger: fae group magic or a witch spell?"

"Witch spell, hands down." Kirai replied automatically. She blinked. "You know a witch who would do that for you?"

Gaara shook his head. "Not for free."

Temari straightened. "You don't mean Chiyo, do you?"

Gaara nodded. "It might be the only way to get through. You know Shikamaru is smart enough to quite possibly pull through the nonsense trials. He'll find a way. If we can get past the biggest hindrance, then he might make it out alive."

"Chiyo hates us."

"But she'll do us a favor if we do something for her."

"I don't have anything for her. Besides, after the useless crap Shikamaru gave her last time, I highly doubt she'll accept any trade I have to offer."

Gaara nodded. "True."

"Then what the hell did you bring it up for?!" Temari screamed hysterically. The love of her life was going to die and her youngest brother was wasting her time with trifle stuff.

Gaara motioned to Kirai. "That's why I wanted to talk to her." He looked evenly at Kirai, "Would you ask on our behalf?"

Kirai gaped at him. "I – you can't be serious! I don't have anything to – this isn't my…" The princess massaged her temples. "I don't even know the human. Why would I do anything for him?"

"You could do it for my sister."

"She hit me. I don't see why I should do it for her either."

"Me, then. You could do it for me."

Kirai wavered. "This isn't fair, Gaara. I don't owe you anything."

"I know you don't. That's why I'm asking for a favor. Please. This is the first time my sister has been happy. I don't want that taken away from her." Temari could've sworn that Gaara's voice cracked at the end.

She felt unbelievably small as Gaara and Kirai stared at each other: their eyes boring into one another's. Temari thought about mentioning that she was still in the room, but she didn't see what good that would do. Right now, it seemed like the world consisted just of Kirai and Gaara alone.

"It isn't my place." The princess finally responded.

"What is your place?" Gaara asked softly, "What does Kano let you do?"

Kirai stiffened. "This has nothing – This isn't…" She sighed. "Fine. I will accompany you to see this witch. But that is all I commit to doing."

Gaara nodded. Her youngest brother grasped Temari's arm and he pulled her toward the wall. "Find us when you're ready." They walked through the wall again, Temari shuddered as the earthy wall squished around her.

The scenes and words of that which had just occurred repeated continuously in Temari's mind as they headed back to the 'cell'. It was just a whirlwind: a myriad of thoughts and fears that she couldn't organize. Hatred, terror, grief, appall, and gratitude all intermingled until the feelings didn't make sense anymore – until her world itself didn't make any sense anymore.

All she could understand was that she didn't want to deal with this.

With any of it.

A/N: Sorry about the wait; I had to prepare for a big debate competition this weekend. It was exhausting. On the plus side, my partner and I won first place. It was a total shocker; we weren't expecting to win. It was the first time we'd really done that type of debate and we weren't even all that ready. So, in my perspective, putting of updating was worth it, but maybe not in your perseptive. But that's okay, I'm on a happy high. I wanted to test a theory that I saw another author do themselves. If you have read this author's note, leave a review with the phrase 'blooberry muffin'. Hope the chapter met expectations and was at least worth the long wait. You know, I wonder if a candidate has ever thought to endorse their candidacy through fanfiction? I mean, it would be a rather interesting way to promote your campaign; get an author on FF to post an AN that showed a candidate in a positive light. Sorry, if that's boring, I'm in a politic-y mood right now.