It made absolutely no sense, but Sakura felt a little better when she woke up from her long sleep after sobbing in Akuma's arms until her body could no longer take the stress. The ever-present thoughts of escaping this life to avoid confronting her trauma were quieter, less frequent. She remained weak despite this.

Ino kept her company, having maids fetch books, puzzles, and the like to keep her occupied. Inwardly, Sakura knew how hard Ino was trying to avoid talking about what happened yesterday and appreciated the effort. There were moments when the blonde would get a sad glint in her pretty blue eyes, only to blink it away when the pinkette noticed.

The blonde talked about anything and everything while never pressuring Sakura to respond. She told the lady of the house about her father, who was one of three men in charge of training the kingdom's military forces. Coming from a well-respected family, it was uncommon for a woman of her age and stature to become a maid, but the blonde explained that her parents attempted to arrange marriages for her. When she refused, she vowed to only marry for love, even if it meant she had to relinquish her title as a noblewoman.

Apparently, when King Madara was made aware of her defiance, he went above the Yamanaka elders and sent Ino to Prince Sasuke's manor. That was just over two years ago.

Sakura sipped her tea as she listened to the maid talk, "It was a blessing in disguise, my being banished to the Winterlands. At first, I was scared because of the rumors about My Lord, but he's not what I expected." Ino's face became sad as she reminisced, her eyes low as though watching distant memories pass by her vision, "The prince's existence is quite tragic. How he's remained kind after all his suffering is a testament to his character."

"I was under the impression you fear him," Sakura quietly said. "That everyone in the manor fears him."

'It's not fair, but it's the truth. Even someone as dull-minded as me can't help but notice how weary the staff behaves around Sasuke.'

"It isn't him that we fear," Ino's bright blues met Sakura's greens, "The Curse lashes out when us underlings fail to quiver at the sight of the prince. He sees it as an insult to his greatness." Her voice was as sarcastic as possible without coming off as too unprofessional.

The pinkette averted her gaze to her teacup, a frown tugging the corners of her mouth downward, "Somehow, I cannot…." She trailed off.

She didn't know what she meant to say. Was it that she couldn't see him as a completely terrible being? It'd been a while, but she made herself recall their first encounter when he beheaded Butler Yamamoto with zero restraint or hesitance. A good person would never do such a thing. Then, she couldn't help but remember the times he'd comforted her, the times he'd allowed her to weep into his chest when he could've shoved her away and called her pathetic.

"That's because you're special," Ino disrupted her thoughts. Sakura held her breath in surprise while meeting her gaze. A reassuring, kind smile met the maid's lips. Her words were warm and non-accusatory, "Both the prince and the demon have changed since your arrival. Perhaps it's harder for you to notice since you've known them only a short while, but the rest of us are in awe of your bravery."

"Bravery?"

Ino nodded, tears welling but not overflowing. Her voice wavered with emotion, "I've never seen a man look at a woman how they both look at you, Lady Sakura. It's as though you've given them life anew." She laughed, blinking while looking upward to try and rid of the waterworks, "My apologies. I'm just relieved the prince has found someone so wonderful. All of us were beginning to worry he'd succumb to the curse."

"Lord Uchiha never used to leave his personal quarters. He'd take his meals in his office and avoid being seen for days at a time," she explained, "Now, he joins you in the dining room, visits the library, and often wanders the halls in search of your companionship and well-being. There is a light in his aura when you're around that didn't exist before."

'Is she speaking of the same prince that I know?'

Sasuke had been nothing short of a gentleman, but he wasn't an expressive person. It was rare for his face to show emotion, and he almost always spoke formally. 'Perhaps she's right that I can't tell the difference because I've only been here a couple of months.' Sakura tried to picture the cold and closed-off man Ino described but gave up when the image made her feel disturbed and unsettled.

Something wet met Sakura's cheeks, and she blinked, surprised to realize she'd begun to cry. Ino softly smiled, offering a handkerchief.

The pinkette accepted, feeling vulnerable in the presence of her only friend, "I want to save him. He's…important to me."

The maid's grin widened. She tilted her head amusedly, "If you ever feel courageous, you should say those words to him. I'm sure it'd make him happy."

Akuma visited that night, and Sakura remained awake in anticipation. Ino excused herself, quietly bowing before leaving the room. The demon spared her a short glare but said nothing. Once they were alone, Sakura gestured for him to join her at the tea table, pouring him a glass as he did.

"Akuma."

An unfamiliar expression met his prideful face, "Your demeanor is strange this night."

The pinkette's face warmed as she nodded, avoiding meeting his gaze as she tried to muster up the courage to speak her mind.

He appeared to understand that because he sipped the tea for a moment before saying, "Say your piece, Mouse. You're aware of my short patience."

'He's as brash as usual," she thought, but her fear began to fade as she finally searched his face, 'but Ino's right. He's changed since we first met. He's still rude, but he hasn't hurt anyone.'

"Thank you," she managed to say.

"You are thanking me for sparing your life thus far?"

Sakura shook her head, her thumb brushing the lip of her own cup, "For last night. I feel embarrassed for you to have seen me in such a state."

Quite unexpectedly, Akuma didn't pause or offer a sarcastic remark. Instead, he immediately asked, "Who hurt you?"

Ice flooded the pinkette's blood, her face paling.

Blood-red eyes held hers and refused to look away, "Tell your master."

"I-I don't know…" She tried, praying he'd believe her.

Akuma's voice raised, the chaotic aura surrounding him flaring wildly, "Shall I cut out your tongue for lying?"

Tears stung Sakura's eyes as she shook her head, lifting her hands in a calming manner, "Please, Akuma." His rage simmered if only a bit. Sensing his attention, she pleaded, searching his face desperately, "I can't bear to speak about it further. Please don't ask that of me."

It took a long time, more than a minute, for the demon to respond. When he did, he sighed, shaking his head, "I suppose we can avoid the subject for tonight, but I will discover his identity, and when I do, I'll offer you his head on a pike."

Sakura couldn't stop herself from asking, "Why would you go so far for me?"

'Akuma is a demon; one that hates humans and calls them insects. It makes no sense for him to want to punish my brother. Does he care about me, or is there a self-serving reason of which I'm unaware?'

"I…" He began but hesitated. It was bewildering to witness such caution in the usually assured and confident curse. The pinkette looked over him in disbelief when he reached across the small table to take her hand into his almost delicately, "I wish to destroy all who cause you to fall asleep with tears in your eyes."

If this was anyone but Akuma, the girl would've blushed at the unyielding way he was holding her gaze. Instead, she shook her head in awe, "But why?"

He finally looked away, down at their hands. His voice became quieter, so she could barely hear it, "I do not know."

The next day, Sakura felt strong enough to join the prince for lunch. He seemed surprised to see her enter the dining room and sit across from him at the table. She nervously spoke, "Is it alright if I join you?"

"Of course," the man responded almost too quickly.

It went quiet between them as the meal was served. The kitchen staff did little to hide their intrigue or curious glances. Only once they were back in the kitchen and the pair alone did the prince speak again. "I received letters from both our families this morning."

Sakura made an affirming noise, braving a glance in his direction as she chewed her food.

"Your father wishes you a speedy recovery." He quickly moved on, knowing the topic was sensitive, "And the King intends to send someone to speak with you regarding the incident. They plan to investigate until the culprit is identified and punished."

Sakura swallowed hard, nodding because it was too difficult to speak. 'Just how talented are the people they're sending? Will they be able to tell I lied about knowing my attacker?'

"Until they arrive, let's focus on the wedding, shall we?"

She met Sasuke's gaze in surprise. The dark irises seemed warmer than before, silently encouraging her to do whatever made her comfortable. She could tell by how tightly he was holding his knife, how white his knuckles were, that he was struggling to control his own emotions. Sakura felt grateful.

'He's trying so hard for my sake. I can't let his effort go to waste.'

"That sounds wonderful," she bashfully offered before taking another bite and turning her gaze to the table. 'What will the wedding be like? Simply being officially engaged at the party was overwhelming.' Truthfully, Sakura was grateful for such a massive distraction. Having something to focus on other than what happened could only be a good thing.

So, for the next two days, the pair spent most of their time together. They dined, conversed, and made decisions about their upcoming nuptials. Things almost felt back to normal, how they had before their visit to the royal castle by day three of planning. Sakura felt warm and comfortable in the prince's presence even though he was a man of few words. His often curt responses didn't come off as rude, but maybe shy or socially anxious. Since she often suffered from the same things, the woman was overwhelmingly understanding. It seemed the prince picked up on that because his manner of speaking became slightly less formal.

After breakfast on day three, the tailor from the capitol arrived with the wedding dress he'd constructed to perform the initial fitting. The prince initially joined them in the guest room, where she was being assisted by Ino behind the dressing shade but had to excuse himself when a butler arrived and requested his presence for something.

Ino whispered as she tightened the lace on the back of the dress, "Don't worry. I won't let that creep do anything weird. I have permission to castrate him if he makes a move." Sakura's face paled, but she nodded gratefully.

Minutes passed before she was able to step out from behind the shade. The tailor beamed, eyes searching her appearance, "You look marvelous, My Lady! I knew you'd made the correct choice. Allow me to pin it so I can perform the necessary alterations."

He stepped behind the woman and began working. Ino stood nearby with her hands on her hips, and her blue eyes narrowed threateningly. Either oblivious or fantastic at acting, the tailor spoke comfortably, "The prince is a lucky man to have a fiance as elegant and gentle as you, My Lady. When the kingdom sees you in this dress, he'll be the envy of many, as will you."

Sakura tried to be respectful, "So long as my husband is pleased." Then, her face burnt with blush because Ino gave her a knowing grin. 'How odd is it to refer to him as my husband? I never thought I'd be getting married, and to someone so incredible at that!'

Time passed, and then the tailor was finished pinning the dress. He guided the pinkette to the tall mirror and gestured to her reflection, "Tell me your thoughts. Are there any changes you wish to be made?"

It was gorgeous. The dress was white and hugged her body in only the most flattering way. A strip of lace was sewn to the off-shoulder neckline, where a thin, sheer cape fell to drag behind the dress as a train. Her mouth opened, but no words escaped.

Ino gushed, her cheeks rosy with excitement, "You look amazing, like a real princess. I bet you'll take Lord Uchiha's breath away when he sees it."

"I agree," the tailor chimed in, his eyes crinkling as he beamed, "Choosing the same style of dress as his mother was a grand choice. I'm sure he'll be touched by the sentiment."

A knock came at the door before Sakura could figure out how to respond. All three turned as it opened.

The warmth and hope she'd found over the last few days disappeared as though she'd been thrown naked into an icy river. Dark green eyes locked onto hers and narrowed. Hihara offered a tense smile, stepping inside and waving off the butler who'd accompanied him before shutting the door, "You make a stunning bride, Big Sister."

It took everything in her not to fall into an emotional heap on the ground or to cower in fear. She was sure she'd be able to avoid her brother until the wedding and then forever after that because she'd soon be dead. Here he was, though, and it was obvious he was silently threatening her to act normal.

With a pale face, Sakura inched toward the dressing screen. She quickly came up with an excuse, "A lady shouldn't be seen in her wedding gown before the day of the event."

"Not even by her little brother? You'll hurt my feelings," Hihara jokingly said. He didn't stop Ino or her from disappearing behind the screen to change out of the dress, though.

'What is he doing here! Has he come to hurt me again?'

It was all Sakura could do to not break down in front of Ino, who at least appeared oblivious to her panic. All the pinkette wanted now was for her brother to go away. If she couldn't have that, the next thing was to selfishly wish to be by Sasuke's side because she trusted he wouldn't allow any harm to come to her.

'But how can I keep my secret with Hihara here at the manor? Is he trying to get both of us killed?' In her mind, if anyone found out about the disgusting act that'd transpired between half-brother and half-sister, they'd both be executed. The prince would surely hate her.

All the healing she'd done in the past few days began to unravel as she stepped out after being redressed in her usual clothing. Respectfully, she bowed to the tailor, "Thank you for your skilled work. I look forward to wearing the finished product."

The elderly man seemed satisfied with her actions and returned the gesture, "It's an honor to serve you, My Lady. Until we next meet."

Ino guided her and Hihara to one of the tea rooms, where she excused herself to fetch libations and subsequently left Sakura with her attacker. Once the door was closed behind her, the Haruno man wasted no time. He hissed, eyes glued to the entrance to ensure no one was coming in, "You useless whore."

Sakura's limbs shook as she sensed the murderous aura surrounding him. She couldn't bear to speak and instead cowered when the man turned his glare onto her. "Suicide? Seriously? You can't even die without messing something up!" He pointed at her, lowering his voice even further as he threatened, "You're going to convince the prince to call off the investigation, or I'll tell everyone you drugged and forced yourself on me."

This time, the woman couldn't help but respond, "That's a lie!"

Hihara scoffed, looking her over with a sneer, "Who will they believe: the whore-daughter of a traveling slut or a pure-blooded nobleman?"

Her mouth clamped shut in shock. 'He's right. If it comes to his word against mine, no one will believe me.' She watched the terrible man carefully, "...If I stop the investigation, you'll leave the prince and his family alone?"

The prideful smile that appeared on Hihara's lips was reminiscent of Akuma's but not quite the same, "On my honor."