- Morning in the Royal Stables (Once a Home) -
The sun hits the rafts, making them look like bleeding arms over his head. Most people do not think wood glows, but Sasuke has been in enough forests and sheds to know that it does, indeed, glow. It does not shimmer like gems, and it does not reflect like glass — but it glows in its own, subtle way, and Sasuke wakes to it naturally, for it has been his replacement for his mother's soft awakenings for all these years.
His pillow is Aoda's tail, and his blanket is his cloak, and the smell of a fresh farm and hay and horses greets him along with the glowing barn.
The horse handlers are busy cleaning hooves and pulling in food, and once properly kept, they're released into the pasture to gallop and graze and talk about normal horse things, Sasuke supposes. Best grass species to chew on. The latest gossip with their stableboys.
The new mage and snake who sleep in the hay.
Aoda rumbles beneath him, awake and trying his best to stay still and not disturb his master. Fully awake and not planning to get any more shut-eye, Sasuke stands, stretches, and dusts his cloak off before strapping it over his shoulders. Aoda lifts his mighty head to bask in the sunlight caught in the rafts, tongue swiping around to taste the air.
"Food," he hisses softly.
Sasuke nods, figuring the giant snake would be getting hungry by now. In the forest, there were elk and moose and boars to feast on; in the center of the kingdom, there is nothing to eat — well, nothing that they could get away with, of course. He puts on his sling and secures Caduceus into it before he moves to open the large, barn doors —
Only for the latch to slam down as a tan hand pushes it.
"The High Priestess has been calling for you," Kiba says, picking his teeth with the stem-end of a cattail. The fuzzy end wiggles in the air as he sucks and rolls it around in his mouth, bouncing about like Sasuke's a cat meant to be distracted. It takes a lot of self control for Sasuke to not rip it out of his mouth and stomp it into the mud; and what's worse, he doesn't even know why he's holding back with this bastard. "Ain't a fan of actin' as the message boy between you two. Don't expect that to keep happening."
"I wouldn't dare wish for it," Sasuke mutters.
Kiba lifts his dirty hand, going so far as to lift the latch and push open the big doors just enough for fresh air to blow inside. "I imagine it has something to do with Hin— the Empress. Shall I help you prepare?" Grinning, he gestures to all the horse equipment around them. "Clip your nails? Check your teeth? Hell, I'd go as far as to hose you down if you pleased!"
You are not a horse.
Hinata had reminded him of that obvious fact just yesterday. Wasted words on him, Sasuke suspects. They'd be much more useful directed at this bastard. Sasuke shoves the doors wide open, and Aoda lowers his head to Kiba's level, looking down his snout with thin, wicked pupils. Startled at the proximity, Kiba backs away, at least having enough pride to not run away like a coward.
"Just eat the horses," Sasuke hisses as they go out into the sunny pasture. "Two or three. All of them if you want."
Aoda considers this, but from previous experiences, he knows horse meat is too gangly for his liking. Besides, these are royal horses. One of them might be Hinata's, and he has no desire to rid her of a horse.
They go out into the forest instead, where he swallows a bear whole, pleased.
...
The lady-in-waiting that waits at the entrance of the palace for his presence is not someone easily forgotten. Red hair, like Sakura's coral hair, is not common; but more so, Sasuke remembers the crazed leer of a madwoman that she gets from time to time (including now). Karin Uzumaki is not someone he would normally consider fit for the position of a lady-in-waiting. She used to skip etiquette classes to get lost in the fields, discovering new types of insects and reading any book she could grab about magic. From what he heard, she invented the first magic kit that could be used by non-magic users at the age of fifteen; if Sasuke had been in town at the time, he would have very much stayed day and night in the laboratory with her, experimenting on different kinds of magic and spells.
But he had his mission, and she grew up.
Not too much, of course.
She still looks at him like he's a roach — one she might like to examine, to peel back the skin and use her tools to figure out the hidden mechanisms of his body.
Madwoman. It's good to see that not everything has changed in Konoha since Naruto's death.
"Snake Mage?" Her narrow nose points up as she huffs. "Is that what you call yourself now?"
The palace feels more like a palace after a full night's sleep in a barn. The butlers have pine oil combed through their hair, holding it back in place. The guards at doors talk in hushed voices when no one is around to listen. Nobles and esteemed guests and other such employees of the palace hover in rooms and play cards at the tables and call for more sherry and tea as they dive into gossip. It feels busier than yesterday, and if anyone spots Sasuke, they pretend they haven't and avoid looking his way.
It seems the word about his being here has already spread. Anyone who did not know the name Snake Mage certainly does now. "That's what they call me."
"You'll always be a rat to me." Her tone stays friendly, and Sasuke's slightly relieved to hear his old nickname has not taken a more pessimistic air. "Hurry and come with me, Snake Mage. I can't be away from my lady's side for too long."
He expects to go back to that room in the West Wing, but she takes him upstairs and into the royal chambers. The guards give him a strange look, but they allow them both entrance. The Empress's room is, as expected, too much for Sasuke's tastes. The fireplace itself could house a family of three and perhaps a dog or two. The quilt on the bed is beautifully embroidered with the constellations. Loveseats and armchairs are placed about the place, separated by round tea tables. The only thing not stereotypically royal about the whole chamber is the crystal chandelier usually found in the center of the room is replaced by a crowd of hanging plants, some blooming, others with braided vines that hang like hair.
Sakura is in a chair next to the great bed, and Empress Hinata, dressed only in a white nightgown, looks as pale as her thin garment. Actually, she almost looks green.
Karin leaves his side, bringing a small, glass vial from her sleeve to hand to Sakura. "This is all they have prepared for now. I had them make more. If it gets too much, we'll have to order some."
"No need," Sakura muses. "The Church has plenty."
She pops open the vial, and Sasuke's nose stings from the strong, harsh smell. He stuffs his nose into his sleeve as Hinata leans forward, smells it, and takes in a sharp breath before relaxing into her fluffed pillows, some color returning to her features.
"Good girl." Sakura smiles.
Karin leans over so her lady can see her easily. "Tea?" she asks, moving her hands as if she were pouring an imaginary cup.
Hinata nods, mouthing a thank you. Karin disappears through a hidden door, and Sasuke finds the time to come to the side of the bed. When she sees him, that once sickly face is far into the past, for she glows bright red within the second, as if the dawn's light shines directly on her. Immediately, her hands tug the sheets over her body, until nearly all of her has disappeared beneath it.
"Oh, Good Heavens," Sakura sighs. "Do you have no respect for a lady's privacy, Sasuke?"
He frowns. "You called for me."
She grins at him, then pats one of Hinata's hands to comfort her embarrassed nerves. "Forgive her. Not many men visit her chambers, you see." Men. Well, he wouldn't think otherwise; from the little he knew, Hinata had been dedicated to Naruto, and vice-versa. Still — for a second, he wonders why Sakura feels the need to mention such a thing to him. Then he looks down at himself and remembers he's, in fact, a man. Not to say he's ever forgotten such an important aspect of himself; rather, he's used to being a wanderer, or a mage, or a snake, so man has taken an insignificant part of his mind until just his moment. "Especially none as handsome as our Sasuke."
"Our," he mutters. "Pray tell who I belong to."
Sakura laughs, and it must move through her whole body, for Hinata feels it and peeks out from her sheets. She meets his eye again, and he bows his head in greeting, making a shy smile appear on her mouth. Her palms push together and slant against her right cheek.
"She's asking how you slept," Sakura says.
He nods, hoping it translates to 'fine' in her head; and because he thinks she'd like to know, he lifts his hand and taps his palm in the same spot she had yesterday. Still human. At that, she grins, then goes on to snake her arm through the air to query about Aoda.
...
When Karin returns with tea, Hinata sits up, wobbles, and holds her cup with shaky hands. Her daisies are low, half-asleep, and Sasuke has never considered a flower to be heavy until that very instant.
"They pain her," Sakura explains to him. "She gets bad ear infections, and her balance is off. She can't sleep, sometimes, and she can't move her head too quickly, for we fear she may damage something inside."
Flowers growing from ears, at face value, is strange, but not dangerous. A part of him had thought the only reason there was so much demand to break this curse is because she is the Empress; but now he understands.
This is not a silly spell.
This hurts.
"Can you examine it?" Sakura asks. "I cannot stay as long as I should, so I thought it would be best for you to give it a look while I'm here and able to keep the pain at bay."
Sakura, blessed by the Gods, has the ability to heal. Not missing limbs or internal bleeding, but enough to relieve what keeps many people awake and screaming at night. Not just anyone has this ability, and Sasuke understands her efforts and magic is needed all over the kingdom, not just in this one chamber.
"Be gentle," she whispers as he comes closer. "The flowers are a part of her. Treat them like an injured arm."
Hinata watches his face, searching for something, though he cannot place what. He can smell the magic — faint, overwhelmed by the calming smells of the vial still between Sakura's hands. It does not smell like the normal curses he comes across. They smell artificial, like greased machinery or burning oil. He cannot place this smell. Perhaps another day, when his nose isn't clogged with other scents. The heel of his palm touches her jaw as he pinches the stem of one of the flowers between thumb and forefinger. She shifts, but does not wince in pain. Her eyes stay on his.
Magic is like a toddler. Or an immature little brother, Itachi used to say. When you push against it, it pushes back. When Sasuke lets his magic flare, the curse snaps and growls, sinking into his nails. It's so strong that it almost physically moves his hand back, and when Sasuke pulls away, he considers what this means. A powerful curse means a powerful caster. If this person means harm to Hinata, then she is in more trouble than most people realize.
"It's not violent," he says, "but it is commanding. If I am to examine it further, I will need to remove it from her person."
Karin frowns, and Sakura rests her hands in her lap. Hinata watches them, trying to read the room and get a clue on what he said.
"We remove the flowers once a month, when they grow too long and too heavy." Sakura moves her fingers as if she's plucking the flowers from Hinata's ears. Understanding, the Empress's face sombers. "It is a dangerous and painful experience that she can only withstand once a month. We're due to commence the removal process in three days. You will be granted the flowers by then."
Sasuke, with no right to demand anything different, accepts this. "I will also need to read her blood."
"What for?" Karin asks, scowling. "Is that really necessary?"
Sakura stands, smile firm and weary. "Another time. Let the Empress rest."
More waiting. If all they were going to make him do is wait around, then Sasuke could have taken his time coming to the kingdom of Konoha.
"Is she a child?" he asks. When he looks at Hinata, still holding the bedsheets to her neck, small in her royal bed secured in her royal room, he thinks about the princess he met in the gardens. "Can she not handle a small cut?"
"Leave it, Rat," Karin barks.
"This evening," Sakura says, "or tomorrow. I will take my leave. Thank you for coming, Sasuke."
That's a polite way of saying 'Get the hell out', so he holds his tongue and plods out of the room — or tries to.
Hinata reaches out, grabbing the end of his cloak, stopping him from getting too far. Whatever she tries to communicate to him is lost when he rips himself from her hold, glaring, before storming away.