I am having so much fun writing this story. Before I continue, please note there is definitely going to be some intense adult sexual themes if not in this chapter, in later ones. So please, 18+ :) With that being said, I hope you all are enjoying this as much as I am. It is definitely one of my top favorite stories I have written. Also, please continue reviewing/sending me messages if you are enjoying the story. It creates such an incentive to keep writing. No one wants to put effort into a story not many people enjoy! I am also going to play around with different POV. Last chapter was Sakura, this installment will be mainly Sasuke's. Therefore, the lyrics given before the chapter are ones sung from his point of view.

"So tell me now
If this ain't love then how do we get out?
Because I don't know
That's when she said I don't hate you boy
I just want to save you while there's still something left to save
That's when I told her I love you girl
But I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have."

-Rise Against, Savior

Panem.

He heard of the bouquet of color that was the new city. It had not been around as the archaic Camelot that he called home. But it was promising. Except, it would be if they spent more time strategizing and less on which dye they preferred.

A nuisance.

The entire ordeal was completely off the wall. But that is what was expected of their new young king. Ever since he had pulled Excalibur from the sword of stone. Ever since the hermit wizard Jiriya put him under his wing. Sasuke knew things were going to change. Though for the better, the missions his old friend now King presented him with were more annoying that he could have dreamed.

"Sasuke, you've got to do this for me."

His new king sat before him. His throne room was lightly decorated, but in a tasteful manner. The hall was kept gray and spotless, to keep your attention on the king himself. He was hard to miss. His loud, bright yellow hair danced around his head and in his sky blue eyes. The curiosity the sapphires held rendered women of all ages speechless. Sasuke didn't see why. They were the same age, but once far apart in class. Once he was granted kingship, he immediately gave Sasuke a spot on the round. As well as a spot at his side as a personal knight. Sasuke told himself the king did this out of respect of his abilities, not out of kindness for a best friend.

"No."

"Commeee onnnn, you've got to understand this girl is so hot. She's perfect."

"You've ruled fine without a queen."

"Just because you've sworn abstinence doesn't mean I have." The king crossed his arms and pouted. His adolescence pouring out of his words.

"I haven't" Sasuke's brow twitched, why the hell would he think that? If Sasuke ever found a girl worthy, then fine. But he has far more important things to tend to then women.

"Really? Hm. Well, still, I think it'd be perfect to get with Princess Sakura. Good relations with Panem would be beneficial. Don't ya think?"

"Whatever. Any girl that would agree to a proposal from someone she has never met is not worth your time, Naruto."

"Hey! KING Naruto."

"…"

"Ugh. Just do this for me? Please? If she turns out to be a bimbo or a complete bitch I'll send her back okay? Promise!" the king proceeded to give Sasuke a raised thumb, as well as a flashy white smile.

"She's not cattle."

"Why do you gotta be so testy all the damn time! What if she's my true love huh?"

"Doubt it."

"Will you, Sasuke? Please?"

"No. I won't take part in this."

Naruto thought on it for a while, attempting to hide his childish frown and failing. He had known Sasuke a long time, there was no convincing him.

Defeated, he retrieved the portrait of the young princess from his robe.

He sighed, "She sure is pretty."

Slowly, he rose from his throne, "Oh well." He began walking towards the exit, passing his knight. Before leaving him, he gave Sasuke an apologetic pat on the shoulder; giving Sasuke full view of the portrait in his hands.

She was sitting in a large velvet burgundy chair wearing a tight golden gown that draped around her shoulder. Her hair was done up and twisted in a soft, messy bun graced with large jewels and a small crown. Her hair..a soft pink? Was he seeing things? The men he had seen form Panem had dyed their hair in the most unprofessional way. The roots always showed their locks' true color. She must have access to the best dyes. Or could a dye even make a color that soft? Sasuke never could appreciate women and their beauty. He never found them necessarily attractive. He always just assumed he had better things on his mind.

But the idiot was right, she was beautiful.

His eyes strained to leave her emerald ones, Naruto noticed.

He flashed a sly grin, "So, you'll do this for me?"

"Fine."

….

It took Sasuke just at three days to arrive at the small kingdom. It was grand, but nothing compared to Camelot's sheer size.

He was handsomely greeted by the king's court and given a special table to be seated at during their farewell banquet. Farewell banquet. What a joke. Sending off their beloved princess like she was a horse and celebrating about it. Pathetic.

He found his place at a large square table full of food. Roast beef, pork, and chicken, anything he could possibly be hungry for. A young woman came and sat a clear thick liquid drink in a tall golden-rimmed glass at his side.

"What is this?"

She blushed, for some reason, "Cyfog, my Lord."

"What?"

She giggled, her bright red hair fell into her eyes, "It is to let you purge, so you may eat more, my Lord."

Disgusted, he placed the cup back onto her silver tray. Sensing his distaste, she bowed and left him.

Revolting. Their people are eating grass while the court vomit in order to eat more.

He hated this kingdom. He hated the princess for being a part of it, for agreeing to Naruto's idiotic wishes at a marriage. He would not do it. Slowly, he rose from his table. To hell with their take on hospitality. He didn't care about how beautiful the princess was, he wasn't going through with this.

"-please knight, do stand!" the deep voice bellowed throughout the great hall of tacky furnishings and despicable people. He froze. Through his disgust he had not noticed the silence that fell throughout the room, he had not noticed the King's speech.

Damn.

Slowly, he approached the king's throne after obviously being summoned, with all hopes to inform him he would not be taking his daughter and that his kingdom was hellish.

He had hopes to say that.

"What is you name boy?" the King was odd. His hair matched the shade that he saw on the princess in her portrait. It fell into his sideburns, that then faded into his odd spiked beard.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha."

The King fell into kind laughter, and began to clap. Which in turn, made the entire room clap in welcome.

He despised this place.

Sasuke opened his mouth in protest, but the king beat him to it.

"Now, may I introduce you to my daughter!"

His daughter? Where was she? She had to be nearby, but he hadn't seen her throughout the entire feast.

There, hidden in his peripheral, she sat. Her long soft pink hair fell around her shoulders, which were bare from her deep black dress's sleeves. Her eyes were even more unnerving in person. He refused to acknowledge her.

She stood, "Thank you, Sir Uchiha, for accepting this mission. I am forever indebted to you."

Her voice hit his ears in a way he was unaccustomed. It almost sent a shiver down his spine. Out of habit from hearing his last name, he turned "It will be my pleasure."

You will definitely be Naruto's pleasure. Naruto. The thought of him touching her, caressing her hair and high cheek bones. It made his fists clench until his knuckles turned white. This was not a good idea.

…..

After the electric encounter with the princess, he took refuge with his horse that would be sentenced to help pull the carriage on their journey. He petted her, seeking solace.

"Sir Uchihaaaa!" the loud audacious noise was feminine, it spooked his beloved horse.

"Calm down, Mikoto." He patted her once more as the annoyance approached.

"Hiya!" the voice blurted with a wink. It was a servant girl he saw attend to Sakura for the rest of the meal. She had long pale hair and odd colored eyes, and was almost instantly annoying.

"What is it?" his voice came out a little too harsh, she didn't notice. Or just didn't care.

"Don't go falling in love with my Sakura on the way now, got it? She belongs to your king now!"

He grunted, "She is not someone I would have relations with. I don't see what I would ever see in her, and what she would ever see in me. Someone who would marry another they know nothing of, is not something I find attractive." He gritted his teeth at his own impotence. He was more so attempting to convince himself than the servant girl.

She noticed.

She smiled a wild grin and slung her arms around his shoulders, "Aw! Sakura never wanted this to happen I can assure you. She is actually pretty down, try and cheer her up a bit could ya?" she winked again, he snarled.

"Get off."

"Ino, Sakura is headed towards the carriage. It is time to say our goodbyes." A young man paler than the servant girl's hair stepped between them, smiling wide.

She quickly let Sasuke free, "Okay!" she sent her arms flying for the other boy. As they left, she turned towards him one last time.

"Sakura wants to have a true love, and fears King Naruto won't give her that. Make sure she gets it, understand?" one third and final wink, and she was gone.

Sasuke flung himself onto the carriage driver's seat, hoping not to cross eyes with the princess ever again. Once she was safe inside, he began their journey.

A few hours passed and he heard nothing from her except a few deep sighs and huffs of breath. The servant girl was right, she wasn't happy. Was she forced into this?

"Hey! Stop!" the sudden sound of her voice made him jolt ever so slightly.

He turned his irritated stare towards her, still avoiding those eyes, "Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah..I just can't sit in this by myself anymore. Is there room up there?"

He ran her offer through his mind. He couldn't ignore someone sitting so close for long. Finally her decided, "Yeah."

Though his choice in tone was harsh, he could see her excitement as she flung herself into the seat with him. He almost laughed when she misjudged the slipperiness of her heels and went flying.

Without his own consent, his body jolted out for her. His arm had grabbed hers so instantly he almost didn't see it happen. Once he touched her soft olive skin, he almost didn't let go.

He was letting himself slip. It would not happen twice.

In his peripheral he could see her pursing her lips in boredom, hoping to keep her happy he complied,

"Have you ever been this far outside?"

She was obviously too far into her thoughts to acknowledge him. He felt his teeth grind in regret.

"Hm?" she looked to him.

"Nothing, forget it."

"I'm sorry! I do that a lot, I kind of get lost in my own thoughts..And no, I haven't. I've never been past the castle walls."

He didn't want small talk with her anymore. He simply offered her a small "hm" in return.

"I was told you were a knight of the round..but you're so young." She was obviously attempting to save the conversation.

"The king and I are…close. We grew up together." Why the hell is he telling her that?

"Oh! So he let you in because you two are good friends?"

He couldn't hide his irritation at the insinuation, "No. he knew my talents, and trusted my opnions. He would never give me something I did not deserve. He isn't like that."

She flashed him a smile that made his chest unable to support breath, "You two must be really close. I have a friends like that. Her name is Ino."

He had heard that name before, "The blonde?"

"Hm? Yes. How did you know?"

"She approached me before we left."

He sensed something in her eyes, jealousy?

"Approached?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Oh…Oh! What happened!?" it was obvious now, her anger with her friend.

"She decided it was acceptable for her to hang on me. Like a child with a crush. Her boyfriend didn't seem too upset about it. It was annoying."

"Oh, yeah, Ino can be like that sometimes."

"You shouldn't surround yourself with company like that." His word vomit surprised him. Every thought he had ended up pouring from his lips when he spoke to her. He hated it.

"What?"

"You aren't like her. You are the company you keep." He attempted to keep his sentences as short as possible.

"That is true..but she's my oldest friend. I confide in her about everything. She's..my only friend."

Sasuke understood her. He understood her pain of being so alone. He unconsciously turned his eyes to her, unable to tear them away.

He was careless.

Because of his infatuation, he landed them right into a band of robbers' trap. The carriage came to a complete stop as it stuck its wheels into the dugout.

"Get down!"

He brought his hand down onto her head, pulling it behind his back in order to shield her from any arrows fired. He took care to not harm her neck.

Two..three. Three robbers, no not every day bandits. These had a target. They knew they were coming.

It was child's plat taking down the bandits. Though, he found himself coming down too hard on them. He didn't necessarily have to kill them. He let his sword turn over one of the bodies. A brand. Sasuke had fought enough bandits to know they never possessed such a brand. He had fought in enough bloody battles to know who did.

"You bastard how could yo-"

No. He could not let her know.

"What…why?.."

"Get in the carriage." He yelled towards her. He would not let her know.

"What happened?"

"GET IN THE CARRIAGE."

It was too late. He had failed her again. By the look in her eyes, she had already seen. It was already too late.