The couple traveled for nearly two full days via carriage before it finally came to a stop. Sakura groaned softly once her feet were on solid ground, stretching her arms above her head, only to freeze when Sasuke walked around her. They were in front of a high-end-looking stable. In fact, a middle-aged man in a suit was leading a gorgeous stallion toward them. It was the biggest animal the girl had ever seen in person.

The pinkette's arms dropped to her sides as Sasuke approached to shake the stranger's hand, speaking to him quietly for a moment. 'Don't tell me…. Are we traveling even further?'

Neither had spoken about the destination of their honeymoon, but the pinkette inferred from her husband's silence on the matter that he intended for it to remain a surprise. Either that, or he was misunderstanding her lack of questions as the absence of curiosity. She turned when the carriage suddenly pulled away behind her, watching as it traveled further up the road.

"Ready?"

Sakura faced forward again. The man who delivered the horse was almost back to the massive stable already, and Sasuke was standing before her. She swallowed a groan and nodded. A mild blush met her face when he lifted her as gently as possible onto the horse's back, climbing on behind her and taking the reins without delay.

A tiny yelp passed her lips when the horse began moving, her hands darting to the beast's mane only to freeze before touching its long, dark hair. 'Will it respond poorly if I touch it? I've never been on a horse's back before!'

One of the large hands holding the reins moved to her midsection. The woman looked down in surprise as Sasuke easily adjusted her position so her back was pressed against him. His voice was barely audible amidst the stallion's galloping steps, but it still sent a shiver down her spine, "Relax your hips."

Sakura was so taken off guard by the situation that she found herself following his advice. Her entire being burnt with bashful heat.

He grunted affirmatively, "It'll come more naturally with time; just keep doing it like that."

She finally found her voice while attempting and failing to ignore the firm feeling of his body against her back, "This feels…indecent…." Surely the man was uncomfortable with having to be so close for an extended period. She kept having to fix her skirt so nothing above her knees would show, given that she wasn't sitting side-saddle, too. She felt guilty that he had to cater to her lack of knowledge like this.

It was as if her words stung the man because his hand swiftly returned to the reins. A tense moment passed before he replied curtly, "Please bear with it until we arrive."

For some reason, Sakura felt sick then, as though she'd done something wrong. She wanted to apologize but couldn't gather the courage. So, she gritted her teeth and did her best not to be a hindrance to the now-silent man guiding the horse.

Time passed. It had been a few hours when the pinkette fell asleep, the previously jarring motion of the steed instead lulling her.

Her eyes shot open in realization the moment she woke and took notice of the fact that they were no longer outside, much less on horseback. It was dark. The sheets were silky and cool beneath her already-cold skin.

Unbelievable terror tore a strangled cry from her lips when a warm hand suddenly brushed her hair from her face. On instinct, her hands shot out to fight who her body was screaming would harm her. In the unfamiliar, dark room, the half-awake woman could only imagine the hand belonged to the person she feared most: Hihara.

"Sakura, it's me! It's Akuma, stop!"

A ragged breath left her, tears running down the sides of her face to drip onto her hair and the pillows. Emerald-colored eyes blinked rapidly, searching the dark for the familiar face that voice belonged to, "...A-Akuma…?" This time, when she felt a hand brush against her cheek, she frowned and tried to cease the tears.

The demon's voice was soft as he obviously tried not to further upset her. He brushed his thumb across her cheekbone soothingly, "Shh, now. Do you not recognize this warmth?"

Sakura closed her eyes, focusing on his words. With a shaking hand, she grasped his wrist and leaned cautiously into his touch, 'Hihara is not here.'

Akuma sensed her understanding of the situation and sighed, finally coming close enough that she could see Sasuke's handsome features in the dark, if only just barely. His hand slid down to her neck before slipping back into her hair.

His too-sharp canines almost glistened as he spoke, "Who would dare pluck a flower belonging to a demon lest they come prepared to sacrifice their soul?"

Those words would scare Sakura if they'd come from anyone else. Instead, they put an end to her tears. She turned onto her side, as did Akuma. They stared at one another in silence for a moment before he suddenly breathed out, "You were a bride most captivating."

She bravely bent her arm between them to hold his hand, averting her gaze to his long fingers.

He seemed to pick up on the fact that she wasn't feeling talkative and sighed, his lips turning into an understanding grin, "Come closer. Your skin is chilled, Dove. The prince has established he doesn't dislike being near his betrothed."

Sakura felt like a child being teased by a doting parent as she was guided nearer to Akuma, burying her face in his shirt with a pout.

He chuckled, "Rest. I fear enduring the idiot prince's lack of romantic prowess will prove tiring indeed."

As she'd grown accustomed back at the manor, Sakura was alone when she woke in the morning. The weight of the covers was more than during the night, so she deduced that Sasuke had doubled them upon waking so she wouldn't stir in the absence of his body heat.

When she sat up, she realized he wasn't even in the room. Now that the sun was in the sky, she was free to study her surroundings. The bed they'd slept on was the biggest she'd seen. Judging by the wooden floors and walls, she suspected they were in some sort of cabin. Other than the bed, a dresser was the only other furniture in the room. There were two doors, one leading to the bathing room and one leading to the rest of the building. Furs and antlers decorated the walls.

While climbing out of bed, Sakura wandered into the bathroom to freshen up, 'I wonder if this is a hunter's cabin. I've never seen one before, but they've been described in many of the books Hana and I would read.' She was also curious as to why Sasuke chose such a destination for their honeymoon.

When the woman was finished freshening up, she was surprised to see Sasuke was also not in the den or the kitchen, both of which were similar to the bedroom in aesthetic. Upon peeking outside, her jaw nearly dropped when she laid eyes on the prince. Not only was he chopping firewood with an axe, but he was doing so without a shirt despite the deep snow blanketing the ground.

Without thinking twice, Sakura rushed to throw open the front door and hurried outside, "Sasuke, you'll catch a cold!"

Dark eyes turned onto her, and that was when she recalled their last conversation because he quickly looked away. His lips were in a stoic frown as he said, "I've not had a cold in my entire life."

Sakura's toes were freezing in the snow, but she couldn't focus on that as she went to his side, eyeing the axe wearily, "Please, come inside."

He paused before seeming to give in. He let the axe fall into the snow, bundled up the wood he'd chopped, and carried it into the cabin with his petite wife in tow. She fretted in the kitchen as he tended to the fireplace, "I'll make some tea to warm us up." Inwardly, she wanted to mention that they didn't even need to use the fireplace. This place, much like a majority of livable buildings in the kingdom, was heated using both the crude electrical units that'd so far been invented and magic. The fireplace was more for show than anything.

Sakura's mood worsened as she prepared the hot drink, stealing glances at her new husband, 'He's so uncomfortable that he'd rather be out in the cold than inside with me. What I said yesterday upset him greatly.' She still hadn't figured out why that was, but her gut told her that her words were the cause of their current tension.

Her instincts took over when she served the tea. Before she could even take a sip of her own, she noticed the goosebumps on Sasuke's pale skin. Her body moved independently. Without speaking, the woman fetched one of the covers from the bed and draped it over the man's broad shoulders. Sasuke froze, his dark eyes locking onto hers as she pulled the blanket further over him.

'What am I doing? He doesn't want me close like this!' The duo didn't move or even blink for a moment, but then Sakura snapped out of it and looked down at the teacup he was holding, "My apologies."

When the prince didn't respond, the remainder of her courage dissipated and she did her best to keep her composure as she sat on the sofa. Her gaze glazed over on her own steaming cup on tea, but she didn't touch it as it sat on the coffee table. 'Things were going well until I said those words. Will this ruin our agreement? Has he lost the ability to care for me now that I've offended him?'

The sound of the man in question setting down his teacup broke Sakura's focus.

He didn't look her way as he quietly spoke, "I'm concerned with frightening you again. Please don't interpret my behavior as anything else." The couple sat there, side by side but not touching on the sofa.

"Frighten me?" Sakura wasn't brave enough to face him yet, so they both stared at the table.

"Your hesitance toward physicality is not something for which I can blame you."

That was when Sakura realized what'd happened yesterday. Her face warmed as her voice wavered, "Y-You thought that I meant…."

Finally, the two angled their bodies toward one another, eyes locking cautiously. Sasuke needed to say nothing to confirm her insinuated question. His mutedly confused expression was enough. Sakura's eyes watered up as she smiled bashfully, reaching to hold his hand between hers, "I only meant that I felt like a burden to you and nothing more. You've done nothing untoward, especially now that we're married."

The prince searched her face, "Our being wed shouldn't matter in such a situation."

And the pinkette was once again baffled. She tilted her head before shaking it, "The law states that a husband has rights to his wife's body as her legal provider and protector. Even if you had frightened me, it'd be selfish of me to deny you."

The hand in hers disappeared. Sasuke's eyes were darker as they narrowed. She winced at the edge of his tone. "As someone who understands well what it's like to not have a choice when it comes to one's own body, surely you don't expect me to agree with such a sentiment."

Sakura's face paled in realization, and she lifted her hands to wave them dismissively, "It wasn't my intention to insult you, Sasuke! That's not what I meant."

His glare remained for a moment before he sighed, the tension in his brow softening. He picked his teacup back up and spoke more calmly while looking into it, "No, I know that. I'm simply inexperienced when it comes to romance and the duties of a husband. The demon wasn't wrong to warn you of my ignorance."

A tiny giggle escaped Sakura before she could stop it, and she brought a hand to her lips in surprise, blushing when Sasuke looked at her again. She grinned sheepishly, feeling more relaxed now that he'd attempted to properly explain his state of mind, "Is this what's been bothering you?"

If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn the tiniest hint of color met the prince's cheeks. His frown deepened, and his jaw flexed, but he said nothing.

Affection warmed Sakura's chest as she, too, picked up her teacup, "There is no need for you to feel ashamed. I, also, am nervous." She could feel his eyes on her but simply took a sip of the now-only-warm tea before grinning again, "It's only us here, so there's no need for facades or pride, don't you agree?"

This time, Sasuke took his time responding. Eventually, he did. It was clear by his new tone of voice that the conversation had eased his mind, if only a little, "It would be unfair of me to ask even more of you than I already am."

"I'm asking something far more selfish of you, seeing as you'll have to settle matters once your curse and I are gone. Please rely on me as much as needed while I'm still capable of offering support."

Just like that, the ease of communication faded.

A tiny squeak left her mouth when Sasuke grabbed her wrist and made her face him. By his firm grip, she expected him to be angry, but sadness was all that bled from his eyes. They said nothing. Sakura searched his face in awe because the prince was doing nothing to hide his emotions.

Bittersweet happiness made her stomach flip as she realized what he was trying to tell her. 'He's afraid. I'm sure after a decade of living like he has, he never expected the approaching day of my death and his cure to arrive.'

Some kind of instinct, maybe maternal or maybe something else, washed over Sakura. She whispered because that was all she could manage in her emotional state, "Whenever you're ready, whether it's today, tomorrow, a week, or even a month frome now. I only ask that you don't blame yourself for my fate. Remember that I chose to be your sacrifice of my own free will."

The grip around her wrist loosened. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. Sakura opened her mouth to give a second attempt at comfort the obviously upset man, only to be cut off when his lips met hers. Her green eyes widened, but the prince closed his, so she followed his lead soon after. Warmth met her chest and face as she responded to his kiss. It was sweet and much too short.

Sakura's mouth clamped shut when the Uchiha man pulled away just as quickly as he'd leaned in, his lips slightly parted as though words were on the tip of his tongue that just wouldn't come out. It was completely silent for a very long moment as the couple stared at one another in mutual surprise at his actions, but then Sasuke got up and excused himself into the bedroom and then to the bathing room, "I shouldn't have done that."

Sakura watched him retreat in a state of complete bewilderment. It didn't seem that he disliked the kiss, which left her unsure of why he said those exact words. She sat her teacup back on the table before bringing her fingers to delicately touch her lips. She swallowed hard. More than her husband's uncharacteristic actions, her own emotions took her off guard.

'Why did he pull away…?'