Temari watched the water between her thighs ripple in a dysfunctional rhythm. Her reflection stared back at her, marred by tiny waves.

That damned prince.

Her mind replayed the scenes of her first meeting with the heir, boiling her blood. He wasn't what she expected at all. Yet he was almost just as all those rumours back home had described. It was infuriating. He was infuriating.

The way his eyes roved over her figure sent chills down her spine even now. They reminded her of that Inuzuka brat's, hungry and feral. She knew now that the prince lived up to all those rumours she'd heard in her father's court.

She took a deep breath, wincing as her nostrils were flooded by a whirlwind of floral perfume. She backhanded the water between her knees, scattering the garden of petals away from her. Watching them float back towards her, she let out a frustrated growl.

It wasn't like she'd never bathed with flower petals in the water before, she still had fond memories of bathing with her mother when she was very little. But that was when she was still a princess, one that servants would break their backs to find the nicest flowers blooming in her arid homeland for. And what they got for all their hard work was a bucket of water, boiling out in the noon sun with a sponge as dry as sand to accompany it.

So in her current circumstances, she never would have expected to be sat shoulder deep in steaming water, watching the petals of exquisite flowers float along the surface. Looking closer, she recognised a few of them from the gardens. Yet, the flowers livelier in colour were unfamiliar to her.

Ever since she'd been here, Temari had been given the luxury of using the baths close to the servants' quarters as often as she'd wanted. She wondered if her father had ever given the same courtesy to the servants in the palace, but she doubted it. Even at a young age, she understood how all the commonfolk would describe her father behind closed doors. Cruel. A tyrant.

Her mother was always kinder to the people, the voice of compassion in her father's court. No matter how hard she tried, her father insisted that his kingdom required a firmer hand. After her mother passed, Temari had learned to believe that her father's methods were correct. As a young princess, she'd been stern with all the servants in the palace, even scolding them if they didn't perform their duties to perfection. Her little brother, Kankuro, wasn't safe either, whipped into shape by his older sister.

But maybe it was all wrong.

Despite her frustration with the Nara boy, his father had treated her with more respect than she'd ever expected. She wasn't treated much like a slave, more like a worker from one of the villages in their domain, like Shiho.

Yet, that boy was…

She threw her head back in frustration, thrashing her fists into the water.

"Ah!" she winced. Her eyes flicked to her thigh, staring at the crimson thorn protruding from her bronze skin. She wasted no time pinching it in her fingers and pulling it out with a grimace. As she held it up, she couldn't help but notice just how sharp the point was. It reminded her of how hard she worked on maintaining her weapon after her relentless training, spending hours around the grindstone. She'd already worn down the shaft a handful of times before she'd taken her first life. She sighed as she wondered whether it had been used for scraps yet, or if she'd ever see it again.

A smirk crept onto her lips.

Out of everything, she missed her weapon in her hands the most.

"What have you got there?" a curious voice echoed around the tiled room.

Temari wrapped her fist around the thorn, crushing it in her grip. "Nothing," she discarded the remains over her shoulder as she turned to the doorway. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd already had your bath, Shiho."

The girl wiped the steam of her glasses, squinting back at Temari. "Lady Nara asked me to come get you," she said.

The mention of Lord Nara's wife forced a groan from Temari's throat.

"What could she want this time?" she asked. Flashes of all the constant criticism she'd been subjected to for the last few days made her head ache. It had gotten to the point that she started to think the Lady was following her around all day just to pick out the smallest of her mistakes in her daily duties. Even the Lord Nara dared not challenge her, offering Temari a sympathetic smile anytime he left his office to find his wife hounding his house's newest servant.

"She didn't say," Shiho said. "All she told me was that you'd been in here long enough and that you needed to see her right away."

Temari gritted her teeth, growling as she cursed that bitchy noblewoman under her breath. A tiny squeak drew her sharp glare to Shiho, twitching as she fought her instinct to flee. The young girl's quivering snapped Temari out of her pent-up frustration. Brushing her damp hair of her field of view, she sighed before rising to her feet.

The shower of droplets falling from her skin failed to hide the smothered whine that escaped Shiho's lips.

"What's wrong now?" Temari quirked her eyebrow at the blonde.

A smirk spread on her lips as she watched the servant girl stutter out failed attempts at forming a reasonable thought. Magnified by the lens of her spectacles, Shiho's hazel irises darted to and from Temari's body. The slave tracked her view from her thighs to the water, then from her stomach to the tiled floor, then all the way up to her chest and even higher to the steam hanging onto the ceiling. Shaking her head, Temari raised her arms to tie her hair into a more manageable bun.

As she stepped out of the water, she couldn't help but notice Shiho's eyes had settled on a more interesting part of her body. Deciding to test her emerging theories, Temari flexed her upper arms, spying the pupils growing to match her muscles with a hidden snigger.

"Hand me that towel, will you?"

Temari held back a chuckle as Shiho scrambled to acquiesce her request. Once she'd passed it to her, Temari took her time wiping down her skin. She stood tall over the starstruck servant, enjoying the power she held over some shopkeeper's daughter. It wasn't much since this girl would only have been at most a few ranks higher in the hierarchy as a maid hired from the Nara's serfdom. But still, it was reassuring that, despite being reduced to a slave-maid for the Nara, she hadn't lost her royal stature.

After drying off, she stepped out into the servants' quarters to find her uniform folded in a neat pile on her bed.

"So how did you get on today? Did you manage to win?" Temari asked Shiho.

Although, the blood rushing to her cheeks told her everything. Ever since Lady Nara had begun to take out her frustrations on her newest servant, Shiho had returned to her duties with the noblewoman's son. Recalling how simple it was for the brat to claim victory on the checkered battlefield out in the gardens, Temari had cornered Shino before bed and forced as much advice in her ears as the poor girl could manage.

"How many moves was it this time?"

Shiho hunched her shoulders, bowing her head. She murmured something under her breath.

Temari crossed her arms. "What was that?"

"T-t…" she stuttered.

"Ten moves? That was quick," Temari shrugged. She had at least thought the opening strategy she'd made her proxy use this time would last for at least twelve turns. Starting to draw up a new strategy to have Shiho use in her next game against him tomorrow, it took a few moments for Temari to realise that Shiho looked as if she were trying her hardest to bite her own tongue off. Temari let out a sigh. "Say it."

Shiho whined, her lips quivering. "It was…" she gulped. "Two moves," she said.

All Temari could do was just stare back at Shiho, trying to read a different message from her lips. When none came, Temari couldn't stop herself from exploding out of the door and storming down the hallway.

That son of bitch.

Her heavy footsteps were followed by the rushed taps clacking against the stone floor of the servants' quarters. "Temari, please wait!" Shiho just over her shoulder.

"Where is he, Shiho?"

The young girl shook her head. "But, Lady Nar—".

Temari cut her off. "That old hag will just have to wait, I need to give that bastard a kick up his smug behind!"

She rushed through the carpeted hallways of the main house, twisting and turning as she made her way straight to his chambers. She had placed her palm upon the heavy oak door when Shiho grasped at her side.

"Temari, please! You can't!"

Temari slipped out of her grasp with ease. "Watch me," she said, pushing open the door as she burst into the room.

The afternoon sun shone straight through the open window, blinding Temari for a moment.

"At long last, I called for you hours ago!" a snide voice nagged at her.

Temari rolled her eyes after they had readjusted to find Lady Nara sat in the middle of her son's room, watching him being fussed over by another servant. Looking closer, Temari didn't recognise the girl. Reddish locks were kept short as her dark pupils roamed over his clothes. She must have been another one like Shiho, some girl from one the villages nearby.

From over her shoulder, Shiho called out. "I'm sorry my lady!" she squeezed around Temari as she rushed to bow before the noblewoman. "I apologise, I tried to… uh… it was…"

Lady Nara waved her hand. "Don't bother trying to make up an excuse, I know it was that troublemaker's doing," she said.

The young girl's mouth shut so fast it was if her lips had been sewn tight.

"Now," she took a deep breath. "What took you so long?" she directed her expectant gaze at Temari.

Temari already had enough of this woman's attitude. Always so demanding. "I was taking the bath that you had ordered me to take."

"No, I asked you to bathe, not to waste the morning doing nothing," Lady Nara said. She let out a sigh. "Did you at least follow the instructions you were given?"

Temari nodded.

"Well, all is not lost then," she said. "Now, come closer and Shiho, go and give Fuki a hand with my son's shirt."

Striding to her side, Temari watched as Fuki and Shiho wrestled with the buttons of the nobleman's top. She couldn't help but let a sly smile curl her lips as he grumbled under his breath. The stray hairs that protruded from odd angles atop his head were a dead giveaway to lack of time he'd spent awake before being ambushed by his mother and her arsenal of formal attire.

Temari cleared her throat. "So, what reason did you have to call me here?"

Lady Nara shook her head, her tutting piercing Temari's eardrums. "One that you've proven time and time again since my son brought you back here," she said.

"It wasn't like I asked to be captured."

The older woman shot her a glare from out the corner of her eye. "And here lies our problem with you. As a servant of House Nara, you have failed to learn to keep quiet and behave, despite being a slave."

Temari groaned. "Lord Nara doesn't seem to mind."

"My dear husband is much too lenient, a trait that he has managed to pass onto his heir," she looked on as her son tried to stretch his restrained arms. "But I will not let you cause more trouble for my family like you did during his highness' visit. So, when our guest arrives later today, you will make sure to stay in the background and allow Shiho to serve."

A soft growl drew their attention to the centre of the room. With his feet buried in piles of discarded for clothes, the heir to House Nara stood stiff as a board. A straitjacket of the finest cotton imprisoned his tight silk shirt behind a set of silver buttons. Dark trousers seem to absorb the sun's rays, a feature that the nobleman didn't seem to appreciate as a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

Lady Nara drummed her fingertips against her armrest. "I suppose that'll have to do. You need to take more care in your appearance, my dear. What will the other houses think of a nobleman who refuses to take part in the current fashion?"

The boy rolled his eyes.

"Alas, this will have to do," she rose from her chair. "Fuki, Shiho, make sure you bathe before our guest arrives and Temari," she turned towards the newest servant in her house, who's eyes widened at being called by her name for the first time by the noble. "Try to keep my son out of trouble, just for a little while."

Temari watched as she left, trailed by the two hired servants, out into the hallways of her manor.

She didn't even have time to count as the door clicked shut, cueing the nobleman to fiddle with the buttons of his jacket.

Regarding him with a curious eye, Temari waited until he turned back to her. With a smooth flourish, the jacket flew across the room, settling on the open window's crest, forgotten. He didn't seem concerned as he adjusted his shirt, allowing the sleeves to begin to billow off his wrists like the sails of a ship on the open seas. Free.

"How'd you know it was me?" Temari asked.

The nobleman stopped his adjustments, staring up into the mirror to meet her gaze in its reflection. "Shiho's been playing for a while now, she wouldn't even risk such a bold move," he said. "Once I saw it, I knew it was you who told her to set up that trap."

"I was surprised to hear you didn't even hesitate considering you can't even get out of bed in the mornings," Temari crossed her arms.

He shrugged. "I didn't see the point, as soon as I took it off script, Shiho would have panicked and caved."

Temari smirked. "Sounds like you miss me."

"It's no fun when my opponent isn't desperate to win," he said.

She stomped towards him. "I am not desperate! I'll beat you the next time we go against each other."

He spun on his heel towards her. His woody stare locked onto her before flicking to the corner of the room.

"Care to back that claim?"

# # #

Temari tapped her heel against the carpet, trying her best to bore a hole in the back of his skull with her glare. She had spent the last hour being frustrated over and over again by some random manoeuvre that she would never have expected each time. It didn't stop her as she demanded a rematch the instant she had lost. That stupid grin on his face never faltered, instead growing broader the more she tried.

To add to her ire, she had just been chewed out by his demon of a mother. She had taken one look at her son's alterations to his outfit and let out a spew of vibrant insults targeting her disobedience. He had left her to be berated by his mother, gliding past with a chortle. She was sure that the noblewoman would have continued her onslaught until she had died of old age, had it not been for the announcement of a caravan's arrival.

All eyes turned to the set of ancient oak doors, cracking open to allow the late afternoon breeze to filter through the entrance.

Temari struggled to breathe, her chest aching as she laid eyes on the figure strolling through the doors being pulled apart by the Nara guardsman. Bathed in an amber light, porcelain skin glowed to match the golden halo drawing attention to the angelic face greeting them.

"Ino! It's so lovely to see you," Lady Nara ignored Temari, heading towards her guest.

The blonde presented her perfect pearly teeth in a bright smile. "Yoshino, you look amazing," she replied, bringing a rosy flush to the older woman's cheeks. "How have you been?"

"I've been well," Lady Nara smiled back. It was the first genuine smile Temari had seen from the noblewoman, her reluctance to show any joy was trait she seemed to share with both her husband and their son. "You'll have to forgive my husband for not being here to welcome you, he's been swamped with work for the past moon."

"It's fine, my father had warned me before I left for the capital."

Temari watched as the matriarch of House Nara dragged her son to her side. "Well, I'm sure that you've had a long journey so if you and Shikamaru would like to get settled in and I'll have Shiho bring your belongings. Then, we can catch up over dinner tonight," she said.

The young lady beamed back at her. "If it's alright with you Yoshino, I would love to see this princess that your son brought back from Suna. That was all they were talking about back in the capital! Can you have her bring me my things?"

Lady Nara looked stunned. "I'm not sure that's a…." her reluctant stance faded when the noble girl's smile curled downwards into a cute pout.

If Temari was being honest, even she wouldn't have stood a chance against such an irresistible expression. Yoshino Nara gave in without much in the way of protest. "Fine, she'll be there as soon as she can," she took a deep breath, recomposing herself. "I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

The guest's sapphire eyes flicked towards Lady Nara's son. "I'm sure I will," she said. Taking hold of the Nara heir's hand, she strutted past Temari without sparing her a single glance.

# # #

Giggles echoed down the corridor as Temari approached with caution. Her arm strained as she tugged the weighty leather trunk behind her. Picking it up it was a hopeless cause, one that she had learnt when she tried to carry it onto her shoulder, almost throwing her back out in the attempt.

Temari couldn't help but feel as if she were missing something. They had treated this girl as if she were somehow more important than the prince himself. She wasn't royalty, there weren't enough soldiers escorting her for that to be the truth. Maybe she was someone important to the church, but she didn't act like it. People like that don't chat about gossip most of the time. Lady Nara hadn't given her a chance to ask any questions, even to the other staff. Shiho would have been handy right about now.

A crack in the door allowed her to enter without making much noise. Yet on the other side, both occupants seemed to have been waiting for her. On the other side of the bed, a small table hosted two chairs. By the window, the pair of nobles watched her approach. Once again, she had no clue how to interpret that blank stare of his. At least she could read the blonde's furrowed brow.

"Who's this? I thought I asked for the princess of Suna to bring me my trunk," the noblewoman turned to the nobleman for an explanation as Temari laid the trunk down at the end of the bed.

He took a long sip of his tea, appreciating the flavour. "This is the princess," he said.

The girl glanced from his face to Temari's, then once more. It took a second before she burst out into a fit of seraphic laughter. "You're the princess of Suna?" she asked, incredulous.

This bitch.

Temari shot a glare towards her, hoping she'd somehow turn to stone.

"What's so funny?" she seethed.

The noble lady composed herself before giving her a curious look. "It's just they had described you as a fierce beauty back in the capital," she waved her hand at Temari. "It's just surprising that they weren't exaggerating like they always do."

Temari clenched her fist, meeting the strange gleam in the girl's bright eyes.

"I was expecting an uptight princess that I could have some fun with," she licked her plush lips. "But this could be fun too."

The nobleman across the table let out a groan. "Ino, you don't always have to do this."

Ino's smile brightened into a sly grin. "But I want to," she said. He didn't seem impressed as he rolled his eyes before taking another swig of tea. "Oh, come on Shikamaru, once we're married, I'll do it anyway so she might as well get used to it now."

"Married?" Temari whispered under her breath. Her eyes widened. They were engaged. How did a man like him manage to be engaged to a beauty like her. A woman like her would never have been married to just a simple duke. Women like her were suitors for kings. Yet, he didn't seem like a guy who knew how lucky he was. Or maybe he did, but he just… didn't care. Temari could have named a thousand men who'd crawl over fiery coals just to be acknowledged by such a girl.

Shikamaru gave Ino a stern look from across the table, unrelenting until the blonde sighed. Shrugging her shoulders, Ino took a sip of her tea. "So, tell me, how are you finding it here in Konoha?" she asked, brushing the rim of her cup with her thumb.

"It's… different from home," Temari said.

"Well, of course it is," Ino giggled. "Konoha has so much more to offer than that sandy wasteland."

Temari grimaced. "I wouldn't know, I've seen nothing but the inside of this place's walls."

The blonde turned towards Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow. He seemed to lack any interest in the conversation, appreciating more of his drink. "That's no good, we'll have to change that soon enough."

Temari didn't like the sound of that.

"What was your name again?" Ino asked. "Temari, right?"

Hesitant, she nodded.

"Such a pretty name for such a fierce girl," the noblewoman smiled up at her.

Temari couldn't help but stare into Ino's eyes, locked by her intense gaze. It was so different from his. Hers was so full of passion and life whilst his was so dead and buried in disinterest. She came off like all the other young heiresses at court back home, so chatty and nosy. But Temari couldn't pull herself away, she couldn't put her finger on why. This girl just had some strange magnetic feeling to her.

"How in the hells have you two ended up engaged?" Temari voiced her thoughts on accident. As soon as she heard her own words, she shot a quick prayer, hoping that by some miracle of the goddess she wasn't as loud as she thought she was. But it fell on deaf ears.

Ino shot her a conniving grin. "Well, it's a long story," she said. "One that has almost nothing to do with either of us," she reclined in her seat, gesturing to Shikamaru and herself. Finding the confusion on Temari's face amusing, Ino decided to enlighten her. "It was a promise that our fathers made long ago, when they were about our age."

Temari allowed a smirk to spread across her lips. She had to hand it to Lord Nara. He was either the luckiest man alive or the respected cunning tactician she knew he was. Had it not been for his intervention, this girl's father would have had one of the most powerful bargaining chips in the world. If he had played his cards right, his daughter could have fetched him a dowry larger than most kingdom's treasuries. Temari was surprised that the man hadn't gone back on his word, he was a fool not to. His debt to Lord Nara must have been worth more than his own life to continue with this arrangement.

"Find something amusing?" Ino asked.

Temari shrugged. "Maybe a little."

The blonde bit her lip. "You're quite rude for a princess, aren't you?" she didn't wait for Temari to speak, instead continuing. "Or a slave for that matter."

Down at her side, Temari balled her hand into a fist. The noblewoman glanced down at it before flicking a challenging look upwards. Taking the bait, Temari stepped forwards, towering over the girl.

Across the table, Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Temari, will you do me a favour and find out when they plan on serving dinner?" Confused, Temari turned her attention towards him. "I'm quite peckish if I'm being honest," he said.

She switched back to Ino, who batted her eyelashes at her with that flashy smile of hers. With a huff, Temari spun on her heel and stomped towards the door. A crinkling under her shoe drew her attention to the mess that was Shikamaru's room. Stacks and stacks of papers were sprawled along the floor. The parchment was familiar, but a snicker emanating from behind her spurred her into leaving. She had made it out into the hallway, waiting for the door to click shut behind her.

Before it could, that girl's smooth voice snaked out into the air. "Wow, so that's what you plan to do with Tani," she let out a appreciate whistle.

Temari stopped as the door creaked to a close.

Those papers.

All his strategieswere right there. That was how she would beat him. She needed to get them.

But how?

A/N- Hey guys, it's been quite a while now. I'm gonna be real honest right now. I don't think that this is my best work. So, I may come back to this chapter in the future depending on how it goes. But, I just wanted to get something out there as I've been struggling with a bit of writer's block for a little bit now. This chapter is a little dialogue heavy but I don't think it's too bad. Also, I hope you guys like the little twist, it's gonna get a little crazy in the Nara house now. So hold on tight and I'll see you next time.

Yours truly,

Signing off