A/N: So sorry, guys. I know I said I will do this on 1st and I didn't. Things came up and I just didn't have time. Here's chapter 1 today, I will edit and post chapter 2 by tomorrow, I swear. Enjoy and r !

CHAPTER 1

PURPLE TULIP: royalty

Silence rang in the large throne room, following the King's announcement.

Every pair of eyes was on me – and their curiosity was not enough to overcome other emotions I usually – always – saw in them. Scorn, disappointment, resentment, disgust, contempt, pity, disrespect.

I was used to seeing those eyes directed at me. I hardly ever noticed it anymore. That is not to say it did not hurt.

But I was used to that, too.

And I knew everyone in the room looking at me was thinking the same thing: Such a disgrace.

They were surprised and frightened, too. Because this disgrace had just received a marriage proposal.

From the Emperor.

I know. Believe me, I am the one the most surprised.

I knew they were all wondering how I would inevitably embarrass myself, and by extension the Hyuga Imperial Family as well as the Hyuga Kingdom, with my horrible incompetence at almost everything.

I knew they all were proud and smug about how a Hyuga Princess was chosen to be the Emperor's bride. A Hyuga would be the first Empress of the Uzumaki Empire. A Hyuga would be the second most powerful person in the whole empire. A Hyuga would be the progenitor of the Imperial Family of the Empire.

A Hyuga that was the least suitable to be any of that, that is, I.

This scared them. Because they also knew I was not suited to be a royal, let alone the Empress. They were afraid of how badly I would dishonour the Hyuga name in front of the Emperor after the marriage. They were afraid of what would happen when the Emperor inevitably discovers what a failure of a Princess I really was – timid, weak, shy, kind, submissive, nervous, hesitant, and everything that a Hyuga was not.

When he would realize that I was not what he wanted when he proposed for a Hyuga bride.

So –

"I refuse."

And I knew I fell even lower in their eyes with that answer. I could see it clearly in their faces and the way their lips curled downwards. I was sure none of them even entertained the thought that I was doing it to save them the humiliation they knew would inevitably come.

And it stung every time no matter how much I was used to it.

"Let me rephrase, daughter. You are going to marry the Emperor in three weeks. Prepare accordingly," Father said, and I felt his words crushing me, again.

"But, Father, this is a proposal, is it not? I have the choice to refuse," I futilely tried to argue, and suppressed the urge to flinch when I heard how weak my voice sounded.

"The proposal is from the Emperor, daughter. The order is from me. You will not refuse the Emperor." The steel in Father's voice was a constant through all the years I could remember.

"I do not want to do it, Father. Please do not neglect my wishes like this," I begged. At least half the council looked disgusted or appalled at my words. I could hear them thinking about how I was disregarding the greatest thing that could ever happen to me and the kingdom.

"For once, keep the kingdom ahead of your own wishes, Hinata. How can you ignore the generous gifts His Majesty bestowed upon us in exchange for your hand? Do you realize how much it would assist our people who suffered from the earthquake two months past?"

"I will help with that in any way I can, Father. I can reconstruct the budgets to increase their funds. I can find ways to give them employment. I can make arrangements for their food and shelter. Please do not sell me off like this." The impulse to bow my head hit me hard and it took all my control to ignore it. My eyes stung with tears at Father's unflinching and unmoving gaze, but I did not dare let them fall.

"Can you conjure money out of nowhere in the Kingdom, Hinata? Because we need funds, not improvisations," Father asked me, in a tone which almost sounded bored. Almost, because Hyuga do not appear to be anything but attentive.

He stared at me and I could not answer, reflexively moving my eyes downwards like I did every time he confronted me with my failures.

When I stayed silent, he continued, "Of course you can, daughter. You just have to accept the proposal."

I closed my eyes to prevent the tears from falling – if nothing else, I had never showed my tears to anyone, and I was not about to do that now.

I shook my head minutely, "B-But you do not even know the kind of man he is, Father. At least allow me some time to get acquainted with him."

I always knew that there was infinitesimal chance that I would be allowed to marry for love, or even get to love someone, but I had hoped Father would at least allow me to court them before marrying me off. At least give me a chance to get to know the person I was going to spend my life with. At least give me a say in it before deciding.

None of them cared if I was disappointed. None of them cared about my expectations. None of them placed me before anything else.

"I do not think anyone you can ever find would be better than the Emperor himself, Daughter," Father said, and it sounded strangely less… harsh than usual.

I had known this would happen. I had known they would not give me a choice as soon as I heard the announcement. And I had known nothing I say would make them deter. In the end, I was the one submitting, like always.

And still I argued, tried to make them reconsider, to have just one thing in my life go as I wanted it to.

Of course, it was futile. That was why they regarded me as disappointment, as a failure. I always fought losing battles – and inevitably lost them.

I knew what I was going to do would just be worse. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And it was not like I had anything to lose anymore.

I clenched and unclenched my sweating palms, and felt colder suddenly. My breathing and pulse increased, and I took a full breath to centre myself. Still bowing my head, I lowered to my knees and bowed until my forehead touched the hard carpet covering the whole floor. I regretted my actions even as I did them.

"Please, Father. I am begging you. Do not sell me away like this. I will do anything to make sure I will be worth it."

"Hinata! What are you doing?" Mother shouted, scandalously horrified.

"Remember your status, daughter. You do not kneel in front of anyone," Father's chillingly bland voice squashed any hopes I had of getting out of this proposal.

Accepting – resigning to – the bitter truth, and blinking back my tears, I stood up with as much dignity I had left – never much to begin with, and now nearly abysmal – and did not raise my head until I was sure the wetness in my eyes was gone.

As I raised my head, the look in the eyes of everyone in the courtroom was filled with so much disgust and disapproval, I felt something snap in me. Maybe it was my tolerance.

Involuntarily, my head straightened, and a voice I could not believe belonged to me rang out, "Fine, then. I accept. But do remember, King Hyuga, this marriage will make me your Empress. The next time we meet, I will not be the one bowing."

I immediately regretted uttering those words. But I could not take them back. I was not even sure if I wanted to.

The look on Father's – the King's, I reminded myself – face was clearly indicating that I was not the one most surprised by my words. He was speechless, and before he, or anyone else, could collect themselves together, I turned around and left as gracefully as I could, feeling, for once in my life, more graceful and dignified than most of the people in the room.

…

The markets were crowded and busy, like always. It was strange – I always wondered how it would feel to be in a crowded place, unnoticed and unimportant. Not that I never felt unimportant in the palace, quite the contrary actually, but it definitely felt suffocating when there was no crowd. But one had to grant me, I had never been in a crowd, not even once. The balls and parties organised in the palace were the largest crowd I have ever been to, and they hardly ever accommodated a hundred guests.

My little sister had a kind of fear of crowds, so they really could not have been any other way.

Since I could not be in crowds, I just watched them. I watched the people milling on about their days in the market that is visible from the balcony of my room.

Most of the rooms belonging to the members of the Hyuga Imperial Family were situated on the other sides of the palace – one near the training grounds and the stables, and one with a beautiful view of the mountains and the rivers that ran through them. Only I and my father (and consequentially, my mother) preferred this side of the palace, not that either of them spends much time in their quarters.

Fortunately.

I took a sip of my tea, fully realising my mother would have rolled over in indignation if she ever saw me drinking tea like this – wearing loosened robes, leaning with my arms on the balcony railing, holding my cup with two fingers and thumb instead of both my hands like a proper lady should. The coaster was nowhere to be seen, either.

At least I was not slurping.

My gaze refused to move from where it had been for the past, I thought, six minutes – at a small child, looking about the age of ten, sitting at the shutter of a shop that had been closed this whole week. He looked like he was sobbing, but I could never be sure of anything from so far. I thought he might be an orphan. My heart ached at the sight of him – I have seen quite many orphans that are barely ten-year-olds roaming around in the marketplace, searching for food, clothes, shelter and even odd jobs. Sadly, I have also seen almost as many being chased by the traders and shopkeepers, too. Sometimes they, or their patrons, pitied the children and give them food or clothes, but most of the time they just chased them off. They were too used to seeing orphans and homeless people wandering around, waiting for someone to pity them and help them get through the day.

Watching them, I could accept the fact that the funds Hyuga Kingdom will receive after my marriage will greatly help people like these little kids. There was that, if nothing else.

It made it easier to believe that my decision to marry the Emperor was the right thing to do.

It almost made me believe that it was my decision.

I took another sip of my tea, still watching the poor boy. What I would not have done for all these little kids who had no one else to do it for them.

As if privy to my thoughts, the little boy lifted up his head and looked around himself, rubbing his nose, and stopping once he looked at me – or, the general direction of the palace, I should say. I smiled softly at him, knowing that he could not see it. Still, I smiled, hoping for some good fortune to occur to the child.

A knock sounded on the door behind me, finally making me move my gaze to the open glass doors of my balcony. Koh, my butler, stood at the threshold, still inside my bedroom.

"Yes, Koh?"

"Lord Neji requests to see you, my lady," Koh said after he bowed in greeting.

"I do not wish to be in anyone's company, Koh," I reminded him the same thing I told him almost three weeks ago, on the day I got betrothed, and four more times since then.

Ever since that day, I had had no wish to be in anyone's company, preferring – even more than I usually do – to be lost in my own thoughts. I told Koh to inform everyone who might come to see me of my wishes until I tell him otherwise. Only Neji and Hanabi came to request for me a few times since then, but then again, they were the only ones who ever did so anyway.

I had always loved spending my time with them, but I just could not bring myself to be much accommodating these past weeks.

"I told him so, Lady Hinata, but he says he bears a message from His Highness," Koh explained, sounding apologetic.

"Well then, I guess I cannot refuse him this time," I said, and moved to put my teacup on the stool placed in the balcony. Koh quickly moved to my side, taking the cup from my hands with a muttered, "let me," as I went inside.

Since it was just Neji, I did not see the need to check my appearance and went out of my bedroom to my sitting room. He stood beside the settee, even though he knew that he never needed to wait for me before taking a seat.

"Neji?"

"Lady Hinata, how nice to see you. It has been a while." He bowed in greeting and remained standing even as I gestured him to take a seat.

I, too, remained standing because it did not feel right to sit while he was standing. I might be the King's firstborn, but he was still my older brother.

"How can I help you this fine day, Neji? I hope you do realise I am not feeling for any company."

"I do, Lady Hinata. But you are summoned by His Highness in the throne room right now." Neji averted his eyes as he said that, knowing as well as I did what would happen in the throne room.

I flattened my lips, trying to keep my face expressionless, "Very well, I cannot have His Highness waiting. Let me fix my attire."

In the bedroom I swiftly twisted my hair into a loose chignon and tightened my robes over my gown, as they should have been even when I was alone, and took two deep breaths for courage.

I made my way to the throne room just a step beside and behind Neji. He wanted to say something to me desperately, but he restrained himself. I could practically see his efforts, and I appreciated them.

They only lasted only as long as the walk from my chambers to the doors of the throne room.

"Lady Hinata," Neji lost his restraint just a few feet before the throne room, "the Emper –"

Ah, so that was what he wanted to talk about. I could not say that I was surprised. "Neji, please, I do not wish to speak of it."

I was sure he would still say what he wanted to, so I hurried the last couple of steps and entered the throne room. Neji followed quietly after me and went ahead to take his place beside my father. He was the heir of the Hyuga Kingdom. Father had only two daughters, so the title would go to the closest male relative of his, and since his twin – Neji's father – was dead, it would go to Neji.

I felt the stares before I saw them, though they felt less suffocating than usual. Standing before the throne, I noted that the stares this time were more curious and anticipating than disgusted and disappointed.

It was not something I was used to.

Father was just as cold as ever and Mother still looked scandalized from my behaviour three weeks ago.

I forced myself not to bow like I did every time, remembering what I said to them about bowing, and nodded at them as a greeting.

But I could not, for the life of me, bring myself to address the King and the Queen as anything other than, "Father, Mother, good day."

How pathetic. This way I will shame myself to death within a week of marriage to the Emperor. This emotional sentimentality was surely not what he expected out of a Hyuga bride.

"How are your preparations going for the Emperor's arrival, Hinata?" Father asked.

"They are coming along nicely, thank you for your concern." I had no idea how they were actually coming along. I wished no participation in packing my belongings, and left everything to my maids' discretion. It was uncharacteristically unsociable of me and left me feeling a little guilty every time I watched them prepare my suitcases and jewelleries but, bless them, they never even hinted at my rudeness. They knew more about marriages than I did, anyway.

"His Majesty will be here the day after tomorrow," Father continued, not looking the least bit constipated at having acknowledged someone decades younger than him as his superior, as I expected him to. "There will not be a wedding ceremony here, only the documents will be signed, and you will move out after that."

There will be no wedding ceremony? Why is that? I expected him to plan a grand celebration for my marriage with the first Emperor of this Empire.

"Understood, Father."

"Please remember your position and who you are representing in front of His Majesty, Hinata."

The first time he used 'please' with me, and still made it come out like an insulting command.

I almost bowed my head in embarrassment and submission like I always did, but managed to keep myself from breaking off the eye contact. I might regret the words I said to him three weeks ago, but that did not mean I will go back on them. I needed to have my dignity, if nothing else.

I said those words, and I would abide by them.

"I believe I can take care of my married life on my own, Father," I said in a voice as strong as I could manage. I was surprised by how well I did, but Father was not.

"Like you took care of your training by yourself, Daughter?" If I had not known better, I would say his tone was teasing.

But I knew better. And it stung.

I could not think of anything to say to that, but I refused to keep my silence anymore either. "If you summoned me just to insult me, Father, then I must say I have some wedding preparations to look through."

Mother gasped, "Watch your words, Hinata, you are talking to the King!"

If I could have smirked, I would have, right then. But I had not brought myself to that level of mannerlessness, yet, so I just said blandly, "And you are talking to your Empress."

"You are not the Empress yet, Hinata," Father reminded me, not looking the least bit bothered that I was being more disrespectful than I had ever been in my life, combined.

"I will be, in two days."

"Not if I refuse to give you away."

"Then by all means, please do so. Believe me, I am not dying to be the Empress." I was true, but also knew he would not refuse the Emperor – not three weeks ago when the proposal had arrived, not now two days before the day of marriage.

His lips twisted in what could have been a hint of a sneer, or a smirk, "I see you have let the power go to your head, Hinata."

"Oh no, on the contrary, I am just trying to have the full glory as long as I have it." I could not believe my voice could ever be so light and jovial, especially when I was speaking to my father. But it was, and I could not stress enough on how terrified I was that anytime Father would say something I could not take or lose his temper, and my façade would crumble into shreds far quicker than it was put on.

"You can have it forever, if you would just play the wife good enough," Father spoke and I could not stop the indignant scoff that escaped me. How unladylike of me.

"You need not tell me how to be a good wife, Father," I answered, carefully keeping emphasis on 'wife' and nothing else, lest it be more disrespectful than I could handle, even with my strange, newfound, and definitely fake, confidence.

"Are you sure I do not?" Father said, arching a brow, and this time I did not even try to control my reactions.

I scoffed again, and looked around myself in disbelief, my hand twitched to be ran through my hair but I merely allowed it to come up to my hips.

"I cannot believe this," I could not believe my father would ever humiliate me like that in front of the whole royal court, and all of them men, except Mother, to boot.

"This is the disrespect and humiliation I have been dragged to? And by my own Father?" Tears – of humiliation, of anger, of hurt, I did not know – gathered in my eyes but I did not dare acknowledge them.

"No. I do not accept this. I will not accept this anymore. If you cannot respect me, or at least pretend to do so, I will not even grace you with my presence."

Father had looked a bit softer at the beginning of my outburst, almost like he did not wish to kill me right then and there for my insolence. But by the end he looked shocked, more stunned with each word that passed my lips.

"I, Hinata Hyuga, the firstborn of the King of Hyuga Kingdom, soon-to-be Hinata Uzumaki, the first Empress of the Empire of Leaf, hereby swear upon my honour I will not set a foot inside this palace, which has cast me with such undeserved disrespect, unless I receive a full apology from each and every person sitting in this room right now. Nor will any one of you be welcomed in the Uzumaki Kingdom. If you wish bestow such degradation upon your Princess, you shall look forward to earn the favour of the Empress that you took for granted."

By the time I finished, every person in the large room was shocked out of their wits, even the guards and servants. No one – no one – had ever expected me, the shy, submissive, demure princess of such audacity. Not even me. Though it must be said, I was the only person with jaws not hanging.

As I looked at them, I noticed Neji, looking just as shocked as anyone else but with a faint hint of admiration and happiness and I retracked my words, "Of course, none of this extends to you, Neji."

I looked back at Father, who had his eyes widened and appeared somewhat paler than usual, and I ignored the twinge of regret I felt at my words and actions, "If that is all, I wish to be among better company within my chambers."

There were only maids and servants and my butler, Koh, in my chambers. I refused to feel bad anymore. It was time I stopped regretting every time I put my foot down, few as those times were.

Just as I was about to turn to go back, Father's voice stopped me, "You cannot do that, Daughter."

"Oh, can't I? But I believe I just did, Father."

"You cannot make decisions in His Majesty's stead. He never gave his permission for this," Father argued, because nothing happened in our kingdom without the King's approval. I reckoned the Uzumaki Kingdom was similar.

"Very well then, I can ask for his permission. I believe he shall not refuse me a small wedding gift."

My response was received just as I had wanted it to.

"No, that will not be necessary. We understand your terms." Father forced the words out painfully.

He had to agree, because as long as this stayed inside this room, well, it stayed inside this room. No one – the Emperor, especially – needed to know of my misconduct.

"If that is all," I curtsied – this time as a display of power and mockery – and turned around to walk back to my soon-to-be former chambers.

But I ran as soon as I was out of the vision of the throne room.