-xxx-

"Do I amuse you, my lady?"

"Not in the way you would think, but more so than you would like."

-xxx-

The Game of Royalty

The doors in front of her pushed open slowly, as she could hear the King's crier on the other side announce her arrival.

"May I present; Lady of the eastern forest and Princess of Konoha, Sakura Haruno!"

Though her title may not have been as long or nearly as impressive as some of the nobles she had met or those even in the same room as her now, she knew it was a well-known one. She walked through the entrance to the throne room with her hands clasped gently in front of her body. Her walk was that of confidence and sophistication. It would show that she was not afraid of what awaited her. The green dress she wore flowed effortlessly around her legs as she walked and her tresses the color of bright carnations carried behind her smoothly. She took in the company of the room subtly as she walked. She noticed Deidara and Kisame near the front of the room. There were also a couple of older nobles she previously encountered in Konoha, but still quite a few unfamiliar faces. Finally looking towards the center of the room, her eyes laid upon the King seated at his large, overzealous throne.

He had hair that reminded her of cinnamon picking up with rich red tones and eyes of opulent brown nutmeg. His complexion was fair and unblemished. His face was defined with an elegant nose, strong masculine jawline, and perfectly round eyes that seemed to have a sort of laze to them. And those eyes couldn't seemed to be taken away from her form. He was seated in his throne with his back against the furniture. One arm rested on the piece while the other was brought towards his face with his nimble fingers resting just under his bottom lip as if he was simply taking it all in. He had one leg that rested on the other with his ankle resting upon the opposite knee. His garb was that of true elegance. He wore no heavy plated steel armor, instead he word fabrics of high quality. They had tones that were rich like the earth around his city. They seemed to only accent his features.

When she finally reached a manageable distance from the throne, she bent herself into a low curtsy out of respect for his position. "My King," she greeted as he head dipped curtly with the rest of her body. Once she was straighten, she watched as the King's eyes bored into hers with a look she couldn't quite pinpoint. "It is a pleasure to join you in the capital. I have to admit, I've never had the delight of witnessing the city for myself, but it is truly astounding beyond any comparison. Books and tales of its splendor show it no true justice."

Her words were eloquent as she spoke them. Her voice was light as she ended her words with a small smile touching her lips. She could tell as he watched her, that he was sizing her up as most did when they first saw her.

"I am pleased that you can see the beauty here," his voice was soft yet deep. It had a texture that could be compared to a fine wine paired with a rich dessert. "I hope that it remains this beautiful for all its many years to come. To me, the capital is a work of art that remains everlasting in all of its glory."

His words brought back Itachi's comment for the King's love of art. It made sense that he would even view his city in such a way. "I have heard that the forests you hail from have quite a magnificence of their own," the King added as he continued to gaze at the pink haired woman gracing his throne room.

"They certainly do, my King," Sakura replied back with a fond smile as she thought back to her home and the everlasting spring that her family's land was blessed with. "The forests contain every shade of green imaginable. Even colors you could never imagine seeing in a forest."

"Even pink?" The King's question, she could tell, was a small prod at the color of her hair. He was testing her quickness as well as her temper.

"I am not the only thing pink of color that you'll find in the forests of Konoha, my king," Sakura retorted as her smile turned into something of a smirk. She heard a few low chuckles around the room from her small quip. She recognized Deidara's as one of them.

"Interesting. Perhaps I'll have to visit your forests someday and see so with my own eyes, Lady Sakura," the red headed royalty answered back as she dared think she saw amusement in his dark eyes.

"We would be honored to have you, my king."

"I supposed you are wondering why I have asked you here, my lady."

Sakura held back the blatant amusement she felt for his words as she noticed that Itachi had taken his place near the front of the room. He shot her a look of his own. "The possibilities are endless, my King, but I would be honored if you would allow me to know."

Something passed through his dark eyes, realization? She wasn't sure, but she allowed him to continue. "The King's tourney takes place on the morrow and I would be pleased if you would attend as my honored guest."

"I would gladly accept your offer, my King. How could I refuse? It is something I have never had the pleasure to attend before," her play on words may have been oblivious by most, but not to all. The King being one of them. He smirked so naturally that it looked as though it belonged forever across his handsome features.

"Then I look forward to your attendance, my lady. Until then I shall set up a tour of the city so that you can become better acquainted with its beauty and people."

"That's very gracious, my King," she answered simply out of curtesy of his gesture.

"Sasori," he spoke suddenly as he glanced down at her, removing his hand from his face. "You may call me Sasori."

It was a test and she knew it. He wanted to know her reaction. Most would graciously accept the compliment he was giving by allowing them to call him by his given name, but doing so was an act of submission. One she was not willing to take.

"I apologize, my King," she put emphasis on the title she used. "I would, but I'd rather not have anyone getting the wrong impression."

With her final words, she gave him a short upturn of her lips before she curtsied and excused herself from his throne room. A wider smirk broke out across the Sasori's features. The woman he just witnessed was perfect. Though he only had a brief encounter with her, she had the audacity to deny him in a public setting. It helped that her beauty was unprecedented by all others he had ever seen. Hair of the most unique shade of pink, skin that reminded him of porcelain, eyes that he was sure were taken straight from the greenery of her forest home. She also held herself in a way that most woman wouldn't. Her confidence and demur were addictive as he watched her carry herself. She was breathtaking and a true piece of art as she stood before his throne. "You seemed to have found one with spirit," he addressed to the room. "Well done."

"My King," Itachi called out as he bowed before him. "I believe that you should be informed on her…rather interesting situation in this matter."

"Go on," Sasori replied as he waved a hand in the dark haired male's direction.

"Even if you believe she is a suitable match, the agreement must be consensual. There are laws of her land that invoke her with this right."

"A challenge in her own right," Sasori muttered under his breath as his fingers found the underside of his lip once more. "I could easily force her hand. She seems to have much to protect."

"That is true, but I ask you not to underestimate her, my King," Itachi told him. "She is more than what she seems."

"If you don't find yourself up for the challenge, my King, I would love to give it a try, yeah," Deidara added with a smirk gracing his tanned features. "She's a woman of uncompromising qualities."

Sasori's brows quirk slightly in amusement as he turned towards his overconfident friend, "You truly think she'd consider some like you, Deidara?"

"Are you afraid of that possibility, yeah?" Deidara quipped towards his longtime friend as his smirk grew wider. He knew that Sasori always enjoyed a challenge when one was presented.

"I will make this clear. I plan to pursue her, but with the customs of her lineage I cannot make that as explicit as I desire at the moment," the red haired king began as he glanced around this room towards some of his closest comrades. "If you wish to win her hand, you may try for yourself. But I warn you not to come in my way."

The men in the room smirked. Their king was giving them a chance that they simply could not pass up. A chance to win the heart of one, Sakura Haruno. In any way that they could.

-xxx-

As Sakura returned to the room she was given upon her arrival, she let out a breath of frustration. "Arrogant man," she hissed as she ran a hand through her hair. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to quell the emotions that were running through her. In the past, she had met her fair share of overconfident nobles that tried to win her favor. But none had quite the status or sense of entitlement the man she just met was acquainted with. He was very confident with himself, and she could tell he was not a warm and friendly man like her father was. Far from it. She was aware of some of the stories that had circled through their nation about the temper and cruel streak the king contained in his twenty-five year old body. He was the reason that no one could feel safe in their beds at night. He was a sigil of rebellion across the nations. Many did not support his ideals and wanted nothing more than to see his blood coat the streets, while others were just too afraid to oppose tradition. This was the man who started the civil wars and bloodshed across her country.

Her thoughts made her want to take her frustration out on something. She briefly wondered if Deidara would lend her his face so that she could meet it with a fist or two. Letting out a sigh, she found her way to the back balcony of her bedroom. Leaning against its railing, she found herself overlooking the city. Though it was a city built on lies, it was still a beautiful one. Though there weren't as many trees in the city as she was accustomed to in her home, she was pleasantly surprised by the water that she could see at the far end of the King's city. A quiet knock at her door brought her attention back from her musing as she welcomed the company into her room. Speak of the devil.

"My lady," Deidara greeted with a small smile gracing his features. "I have been instructed to give you a tour of our great city. If you would be so kind as to accompany me, yeah?"

He held out his arm for her to take. She moved gracefully across her room until she reached the blonde haired man. Mimicking what she had done with Itachi not much earlier, she placed her hand in the crook of Deidara's elbow and he allowed his hand to rest upon her own. Though she knew Deidara was enjoying the skin on skin contact very much, she still wished to be free to walk on her own.

They made their way out of the castle through the front gates and were greeted by the booming market district of the city. The people around her were moving with a purpose as they filled the streets, purchasing what were necessities to their lives. Though Konoha had its own market district, it couldn't quite compare to that of the capitals.

"I suppose the crowds can be a shock for anyone who is unfamiliar with Suna, yeah," her blonde companion spoke up as he led her through the streets, she felt as he pulled her slightly closer into his side. The feeling of his side against her was warm as their body heat mingled in the humid Suna air. She found it slightly odd that he was taking her through town of all places. Most large cities she had ever been to besides her own always found a reason to hide their specific districts so that eyes would not fall to what the rulers could not control.

"It isn't so much the crowds as it is the fact that you would take me through them, my lord," she stated simply as she took in the sights around her. There were vendors of all varieties selling silks, dried fruits, musky spices, glass beads, and other goods she was unaccustomed to from the area. "Most cities as large as this don't tend to allow nobles to walk right through. They try to turn a blind eye to the most dangerous roots of their cities."

"No need to be nervous, my lady," Deidara told her as she could feel his superciliousness elevate at his very words. "I'll be here to protect you if anything should come to harm you."

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek lightly as her lips pursed out. It was the only way to hold back the rude comments that so wanted to escape from her pretty pink lips. "It's a comfort to know that, my lord."

Deidara gave her a small but confident smile as his head grew at her words. He thought he was doing so well, but he was unaware of the fact that though Sakura may have been a lady of high status, she was well versed in her own defense. They walked up and down the streets of Suna's market place. Deidara explained that Suna was well know its mineral materials. Most cities traded for precious metals to forge weapons and armor such as iron, steel, and silver. But Suna also remained one of the most popular precious gemstone destinations across the vast country. They had high amounts of amethyst, diamond, jade, opal, quartz, and topaz stones. More than any of the surrounding cities combined. With its high mineral value, Suna rose to be the richest country back in its early years which lead to its selection as the capital.

"There are certain points in the year that are much busier than others," Deidara explained as they exited the market district and moved back around the large protective walls of the king's castle. "In the summer it tends to be much too hot for merchants to travel for trading purposes. Our peak seasons are when the rest of the nation experiences their winter months, yeah. There are quite a few noble families who come to stay in Suna during those months."

"It's really quite amazing just how many resources Suna provides," Sakura mused as she glanced up at the large castle walls. The sun was high in the sky and she could feel its heat beating down against her pale skin. She was sure her skin would have a colored flush from the sun when she returned to her room.

"It's also a plus for Suna as well, yeah."

Sakura turned her attention towards her blonde escort. "What do you mean, my lord?"

"Well it's quite obvious that no county can deny Suna when its resources are so essential to daily life. No one can deny the king when their most important resources lay on the line. Their cities would suffer, and our king is only so patient when he has been wronged, yeah." The words streamed from his mouth and Sakura pondered if he was aware to how truly haughty he sounded. The method of which Suna had gained their impressive following wasn't because of who ruled them. Countries did what they had to in order to survive, even if that meant following the rule of a tyrant with eyes closed to the suffering of the rest of his realm.

"Your methodology is pathetic at best, my lord," Sakura voice could no longer be contained. The quell of a proper lady had been thrown from the balcony of her bedroom as she let her thoughts flow freely to the ignorant man in front of her. She knew Deidara had fully turned his attention to her, but she couldn't bear to look him in the eye at the moment. "A country should follow a king because they believe in his ideals and support that he is doing better for the rest of the nation. They should not have to be depreciated and follow out of terror because they fear for their existence on this earth. A king should rule with a firm hand, but at the same time a king needs to have enough of a heart to not always expect something in return. A king needs to see what is best for others and not always what is best for him alone. Bettering a nation is one thing, bettering only himself is something completely different. And it is a great consequence to pay when he's burning this nation to the ground."

Deidara watched her in amazement as she freely spoke her mind to him. Most would be killed for even uttering words close to what she dared speak freely. That only made his desire for her heighten. "Those are dangerous words, Lady Sakura. Lesser men have been struck down for what you declare, yeah."

"I am no man and your king does not scare me," she told the blonde friend of the king. She knew her words could get her killed, but she decided to fuel the fire. Someone had too.

"He is your king as well, my lady."

"He may have a title, but any man who knows nothing about me, my country, or the nation he is supposed to be fighting for is no king of mine." The lady of the forest released herself from the man's grasp as she stepped away. Her hands were clasped delicately in front of her, but Deidara swore he could see her knuckles turning white under her own grip. "If you don't mind, Lord Iwa, I'd like to continue to explore the city on my own."

He knew it wasn't a matter of whether or not he minded, that addition was just out of pure curtesy. She was going to go off on her own regardless. He smirked before he bent low at his waist to bow in front of her. "As you wish, my lady."

She listened as his footsteps crushed the earth while he made way to his fresh path from her sight. The pink haired woman finally had the chance to release the frustrated breath from her parted lips. This city and its inhabitants were much more precarious than she initially gave them credit for. Their game was forbidding and they were well aware of that fact. She would have to play her cards right unless she wanted to fall victim to the treachery her fate could lead to. The thought that the nobles of the city would put on a front to their true intentions was only a false hope at this point. There seemed to be no remorse, at least from the inquest she was picking up from Deidara's words.

Sakura continued her path along the outer wall of the castle, stuck in her own musings. The sound of metal connecting with itself rang through her sensitive ears and it drew her in like a month to a blazing flame. Her steps seemed to take her to the training grounds of the King's guard. There seemed to be a group of men practicing their sword work. She knew this king's guard to be ruthless and very accomplished at their positions. The king only accepted the highest ranked soldiers to join his personal flank and they had yet to disappoint. Looking past the group of men practicing, she saw Kisame's familiar form. He was taking in the practice of his men with his muscled arms crossing his broad chest. If she had heard correctly, he was the caption of the king's guard.

Making her way past the blocked off training fields, and successfully distracting some of the practicing guards in the process, she made her way to stand next to the large blue hued swordsman who gave her a pointed grin at her arrival. He was not adorning the typical steel breastplate and relating armor. He had changed into a casual leather tunic that reached his knees. It was a garb she was familiar with. Leather defenses were quite popular in Konoha and for most warriors to where when not gracing their traditional armor. His was charcoal in color and proceeded to accent the hue of his skin and hair. She noticed that his enormous sword was not committed to his back as he critiqued his men's training.

"What a pleasant surprise, my lady," he greeted. His tone had its familiar gruff edge to it as he gave her a pointed smile, showing his dangerous yet intriguing set of teeth. "It's not often we have the company of a noble lady such as yourself at your training area. To what do we owe the honor?"

Sakura knew the pleasantries and civil banter were not something the large warrior was as accustomed to as some of his other companions. She was sure he had no need for them until the point that he reached the king's guard. Warriors of his stature and strength typically spoke with their swords and received their answers in blood.

The Konoha native gave him a warm smile, "No need to be so formal, Kisame. I'm sure having someone not of the guards attune to your practice makes you slightly uncomfortable."

He smirked at the blunt nature of her words. He appreciated the honesty as he watched her lean against the protective fence enclosing the practice area. Her sparkling emerald eyes were focused on the men who were fighting, taking in each movement of their sword and step of their feet.

"So what brought you out here, my lady? Surely it wasn't just to bask in my radiance," Kisame's quip quickly brought a small bubble of laughter to leave her lips. She smiled as she spoke, still keeping her keen eyes on the fighters. "True that it is not my only reason," her words gave back the playful push he started. "But truth be told, I desired to get away from a certain Iwa native before I did something I would regret to ruin his lovely surface."

It was Kisame's turn to let out a short laugh at her answer. "Be honest, my lady, would you truly have regretted it?"

Her eyes upturned to look at him through the corners and her smile widened. It was enough of an answer for both of them to be amused. Kisame decided that he still needed an answer to a question floating through his mind. "I take it that the situation with a certain prince of Iwa is the reason you are walking the city alone? That's not entirely safe, my lady. The King would be very displeased."

Sakura chose to ignore the comment about the king. She felt no pity at his displeasure. "Did I forget to mention that the prince's eyes also had the fondness of wondering quite too often for my liking?" Sakura watched as understanding and annoyance crossed the guard captain's face in one motion. "Beside the point, Captain," she emphasized his title as she spoke. "I am quite capable of defending my own honor."

Sakura turned her attention back to the guards as she changed the subject. "Are any of them going to participate in the tourney tomorrow?"

Kisame let out a short grunt as he followed her posture to lean against the fencing, "A few of them. The King's tourney pays in titles and notoriety amongst the nation. As men with little or nothing to their name, they will risk the chance of being killed to reap the benefits."

Sakura hummed briefly in response before she turned her attention back to Kisame, "Will you be partaking in the tourney?"

He shot her another smile that witnessed his pointed teeth, "Curious to appreciate just how expertly I can use my sword, my lady?"

He noticed the amusement that tugged at her plump lips, "I'll admit to my curiosity, yes. It's not every day one has the chance to witness the legendary swordsman of the mist in action."

The captain of the guard chuckled at the familiar title she used. "Truthfully, I was not planning on participating," he began to tell her as he noticed the slight disappointment flash through her eyes. "But I suppose those contending could use some worthy competition."

Before she had the chance to respond, a voice broke them from conversation.

"Captain."

Kisame turned his attention to the man now standing on his opposite side from Sakura. "What is it, Suigetsu?"

"The King requests your presence," the addressed man replied. She noticed the drawl of his tone was not native to Suna and almost sounded similar to Kisame's.

"Of course," Kisame answered back. She couldn't tell if it was a sarcastic quip or a straight forward answer. The blue hued man took a step back from the fence and turned towards Sakura, "Lady Sakura, this is Suigetsu Hozuki. He is the second in command of the king's guard and my right hand man."

She took in the appearance of the man now taking a step towards her. He was younger than Kisame, possibly closer to her in age. His skin was pale like hers, and his eyes were a deep shade of purple. They were unique and beautiful in their own way. His hair was white in color with a blue hue as it reach just to touch his shoulders. When Suigetsu stood in front of her, he gave her a large smile in which she noticed his teeth were similar to Kisame's. He gave a low bow before speaking, "A pleasure, Lady Sakura." When he arose from his gesture of respect, he lightly grasped her hand and placed a chaste kiss across her knuckles.

Sakura's cheeks flush slightly at the unexpected gesture from the man before. It was a typical gesture of nobles, never a man of the king's guard. It was truly a first. Kisame smacked the younger boy at the back of the head. "Imbecile," he chided in his deep baritone voice. "That is no way to treat a woman of her status. Remember your place."

The younger guard stepped back as he consoled the back of his now sore skull, "Can you blame me, Captain? Her beauty is breathtaking!"

Sakura smirked at their banter as she let out a small giggle, "You certainly have no discomfort around authority."

"No respect is more his tone," Kisame scolded towards Suigetsu. "I apologize on his behalf, my lady."

"No harm done," she told them both with a smile. "It's actually a breath of fresh air at the unexpected."

Kisame smirked, "Careful what you wish for, my lady." He turned to his right hand man and give him a serious glance. "Behave yourself. I'd hate to remove you out of the tourney tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," Suigetsu grumbled as Kisame gave Sakura a respectful bow of his head, which she returned with a small smile, before he turned towards the castle.

"So, Lady Sakura, you'll be attending the tourney tomorrow?" Suigetsu questioned as he resumed Kisame's previous position beside her.

"Yes, I am to be the King's honored guest," she answered back as she tried not to roll her emerald eyes at the title of her attendance. "Will you be partaking in the tourney?"

"Of course!" Suigetsu retorted as he gave her a pointed grin. "It will be my second chance participating. This year I anticipate to come out with a better result."

She simply smiled at his optimism as she turned towards him, "Are you nervous?"

"Not particularly. Unless I have to go up against the captain, in which case I certainly will be," Suigetsu explained as he cringed at his new thought. It was understandable that he would be nervous to face his superior. Especially after all she had heard about Kisame's incredible fighting ability.

"Well I wish you luck regardless, I will be rooting for you," she told him with another smile as she moved to take her leave from the area before sparing one last glance at the practice ring. "Tell the one on the right that he'll get more dependable control over his sword if he chokes up on the hilt."

He gave her a bow, "Until tomorrow, my lady." He watched as she shot him a smile over her shoulder before she made her way out of the training grounds. And he watched her go with the flow of her dress and the sway of her hair. He began to pray that he won tomorrow so that he would have enough titles to impress the noble lady with pink hair.

-xxx-

As Sakura finally decided to make her way back towards the castle, she began to wonder of the other nobility that would be in attendance at the king's event. Perhaps her father had even sent some of their best warriors to Konoha to participate. She was unsure, but it gave her something to look forward to on the next day. Turning down the next street, she noticed a commotion coming from a building up ahead. Staying on the far end of the street, she allowed her senses to stay alert. Once she came close enough, she was able to identify the building as a brothel. Her delicate nose wrinkled in disgust. Although she knew almost every city had one, or many, including Konoha, it did not mean that she had to support them. Noticing that the commotion seemed to be between two men, she delved closer into the scene.

One man, who seemed to be the owner of the establishment, was blocking the doorway and yelling at another man who was now outside the building and waiting at the bottom of its steps. He seemed to be yelling back at the owner with colorful language of his own.

"I will not allow you back into my establishment!" The owner was a burly, middle aged man, whose hair was thinning while signs of his maturation started to surface across his tanned skin.

"And why the hell not?!" The other man protested. "Those whores were there to service me, which is exactly what they were fucking doing until you barged in!"

The language he used would make anyone blush. It was not common to hear someone use such language so openly. Especially so close to the king's castle. Finally taking the chance to intake the foul mouthed man's appearance, she noticed he was possibly within ten years of her own age and regrettably handsome. His skin was tan which was contrasted by the slivery white hair that was tightly slicked back across his head. His facial features were masculine and defining from what she could see from his profile as he colorfully yelled at the brothel owner. He was wearing a black long sleeved cloak that reached his feet, but she swore he wore no shirt underneath as tan skin could be seen when he moved slightly. She could not see the color of his irises, but she was curious to their color.

"You pay me to have sex with these woman-"

"Which I fucking do," the one with the silver hair interrupted.

"Not to slice them up with the intent to kill them!" the brothel owner finished. "If you return, I will have you arrested!"

The owner closed the doors behind him as he returned to his establishment. The silver haired man dressed in black let out a stream of insulting curses. Some of which her delicate ears had never heard. Deciding it was time to move on, she tried to move past the man who was still intent on making a scene in the middle of the street. She made it precisely ten feet past him before she was rudely called out.

"Oi, pink wench! How'd you like to acquire all of the fucking pleasures of Jashin?!"

She felt a slight twitch to her pink brow. Turning around to face the foulmouthed man, she rose a brow in his direction. Now having the opportunity to full take in his appearance, she noticed the symbol that hung around his neck. He was not just a normal man.

"A priest at a brothel, that's rich," she mused allowed at the fact that his attire was not a cloak but a priest's robe desecrated as it was wore so openly at his chest.

"I'm not a priest, you fiery little whore," he groaned out. She couldn't tell if it was out of annoyance or pleasure. His eyes raked up her body and once they made eye contact again, his tongue darted out to lick his lips. "I'm a fucking celebrant. A follower and worshiper of Jashin. Bring those sweet hips of yours over here and I'll fucking tell you all about it."

Sakura pursed her lips slightly as she sent a glare towards the Jashin follower. This man had to be one of the most foul she had ever had the displeasure of coming into contact with. "Come over here and call me a whore again, I'll make sure that you'll only be able to worship on your knees."

The man let out another groan. This time she was sure it was out of enjoyment as he sent her a grin and took the audacious paces towards her. "You're a fucking delightful little creature," he purred as he closed the expanse between them, moving a hand up to grasp her feminine jaw. "I can't begin to express all the positions I'd like to fuc-"

His crude comment was cut off by a quick blow to the side of his face. His breath swept quickly into his lungs, but before he could recover he felt another limb sweep behind his shins that knocked him flat onto the ground under him. He held his cheek in slight pain but mostly shock as he looked up into the shocking jade eyes of the pink haired woman before him. She had just punched him. Punched him. He moaned, but not out of pain. She was ethereal and violent all in the same moment. She was utterly perfect.

"Come at me like that again, and I promise your pride won't be the only thing I damage." With her final words, she effortlessly walked away leaving him on the ground to watch her as she went.

-xxx-

When she walked through the castle doors, she mused at the bruise that was now forming across her right hand after punching the man with the white hair. He was annoying and certainly crude, but maybe she had pushed it a little too far. She held lightly onto her sore appendage. Letting out a sigh, she had every intent of heading back to her room to change when she was stopped by Deidara.

"My lady," he greeted with his usual cocky smirk. "You were quite leisurely coming back, yeah. Did you enjoy the rest of your day?"

"Of course, my lord." Because any other answer would have been unacceptable. She simply smiled and moved to turn away until Deidara caught notice of her bruising knuckles. He moved forwards quickly, holding onto the damaged hand with such care it surprised her.

"What happened?" his tone was serious and he was so concerned that he hadn't even address her directly.

"It's nothing, my lord, a careless accident on my part," she answered back as she tried to pull herself from his grasp. He was not allowing that to happen as he inspected her injury. His cerulean eyes looked up into her own before speaking. "This was no accident, my lady. So I'll ask you again; what happened?"

She desperately wanted to keep the occurrence to herself. She was fully capable of looking after her own wellbeing while she was confined in the capital. But the look of pure concern haunting his beautiful eyes allowed herself to tell him the truth. "I had the unfortunate pleasure of running into a Jashinist."

"Hidan," she heard Deidara growl through his teeth. "That bastard, yeah. He'll answer for this."

"It's really not as serious as it seems, my lord," she tried to reason as she felt his grip tighten slightly on her hand causing her to wince at the pressure.

"The matter is very serious, my lady." His voice was serious as he looked deep into her eyes. "There is no reason you should be harmed while in the capital, let alone touched by such filth. I will not stand for it."

"I think you misunderstand the situation, my lord. I am the cause of my own harm in this case."

"How did this come about?"

"I…" she hesitated as she looked away from his eyes and lightly bit into her lower lip. "I may have punched him…in the face."

Deidara paused, eyes widening. He wasn't sure if he had just heard the woman before him correctly. "You punched Hidan in the face?"

She gave a short nod as her only reply, now slightly embarrassed by the fact that she told him the truth of the situation. She should have just kept to herself or told him she tripped. Glancing back over towards the lord of Iwa, she noticed amusement now playing on his lips. "I was aware that you were a strong willed woman, my lady, but this has shed a new light on your person completely."

She was sure that he no longer had an interest in her after such brash behavior. Not that she minded. It would be nice not to have to worry about his eyes wondering in places they shouldn't. Instead of sending her away, he laughed. Her look of astonishment turned towards him with eyes wide. "My lady, I find myself even more enthralled in you than I originally thought possible, yeah. I hope that you will allow me the honor of learning you further during you time in the capital."

His words were astonishing to say the least. Her lips parted to allow the disbelief to exhale. Before she knew what was happening next, she felt Deidara raise her injured hand to his lips to place a chaste yet passionate kiss against her bruised knuckles. Her flush traveled to her cheeks before she was aware of it. Deidara had certainly stepped up in his intentions, and she would have to do the same if she had any hope of getting out unscathed.

Unknown them, a pair of powerful eyes had witness their scene. The game was truly just beginning.

-xxx-

Author's Note: Back so soon. I know, it's impressive. We met some new faces here and you should look forward to meeting even more in the next chapter. Needless to say, this is a very Akatsuki centered story, but there will be others that make their appearances. For example, Suigetsu. It just fit perfectly. And I adore him. He's refreshing to write because I don't see him as a proper gentleman like most of the men in this story have to be. I think that's the hardest part of writing this story. I need to keep each of them in character, but the time period is different so that is something I am struggling with. With the next season of 'Game of Thrones' premiering soon, I think it has me in this time period mood. Which I enjoy. Leave me your thoughts. I hope to have more out soon.