The Three Brides

"Our final contender has arrived. All three brides will assemble at the door and present themselves to the Lord Kazekage."

The announcer's words dulled in Rin's ears.

She was only vaguely aware of the two women standing beside her, despite the fact they were clearly whispering. Her notice wasn't on the meticulous details of the dinner table, the help buzzing around to fill drinks and remove plates or even that all the attention of the room was on her, judging her in competition with the other contenders.

All she could focus on, was the look of anger and annoyance in Gaara's eyes.

Her heart sank a bit. Why was he looking at her like that?

Rin did a quick scan of the other contenders and judged herself as well.

Without giving into vanity or pride, she didn't look that far off in terms of refinement or beauty. She'd worn her best, did herself up as much as she could, even without the help of an entourage.

She at least looked like she belonged beside them, so why?

Suddenly, they were being shuffled out the door and Rin blinked absently. "I thought we were about to be presented?"

No one answered.

Rin kept eye contact with Gaara until the large doors were closed and she looked behind her at the guardians who were escorting their charges.

They spoke in low whispers, constantly adjusting small things and giving sidelong glances to Rin, who nervously clasped her hands in front of her.

The further they moved from the dinning hall, the more confused and concerned she became.

She cleared her throat. "Would someone tell me what's going on? The announcer said we would be presented to Gaara, just now."

They stopped at that.

Both girls turned and regarded her, the shorter of the two, giving a low whistle. "You call him by his first name?"

Rin felt acutely aware of the appalled looks on their escort's faces, the prim teacher from Oribe clan looking at her like trash and the rough tutor of Houki clan trying to judge whether he should laugh or scorn her.

Her chin dipped down, her cheeks filling red. "I thought we were to be presented to the Lord Kazekage. That's what the announcer said before."

The Oribe girl studied her but said nothing.

Her teacher, who reminded Rin of an old, stuffy stork, responded on her behalf. "You really know nothing, do you? What impropriety would it be to have our girls presented in a dinning room like common meat? The Kazekage will be taking his meal with the heads of each clan, listening to why their offer is the better one and after he's satisfied with their verbal presentation, the clans will move to the grand hall and he'll be able to see for himself if their claims are true."

"Seems like an awful lot of bother. Why didn't we just wait in the grand hall to begin with?"

The teacher ruffled her feathers. "Because that's how things are done."

"Any particular reason beyond that?"

"Well… it…. It's just tradition. No more questions!"

Rin's mouth quirked to the side, as she considered this, but she didn't miss how the contender from the Houki clan smirked and how even the Oribe girl seemed to smile behind her veil.

Whether that was at her escort's fluster or Rin's lack of knowledge, she couldn't be sure.

Either way, she felt it was safe to follow as closely behind as she could.

She didn't have an escort to remind her of what to say or do, like these two did. Though, by watching the them more carefully, she wasn't sure how much good the constant lecturing was doing.

They were stopped by a wall and told to stand there until the clans finished their meal.

Rin looked around and thought to herself. "They could have at least offered us chairs. Rude."

She leaned against the wall and waited for the sinking feeling in her stomach to quiet, as the other two looked on in silence.

Rin tried to listen in on the whispers of both escorts, gleaning what information she could to help with what would happen next, but they weren't giving much beyond odd pep talks.

"Remember, you are grace, you are elegance. Charm him. Keep his eyes on you."

Not likely.

"Don't disappoint us. You've been training your entire life for this day. This is your moment."

Her entire life? That's what this means to them?

Rin suddenly pitied the other two, though, she supposed, her past wasn't anything to be proud of either. They were designed to please one man, she was designed to please as many as her creator saw fit.

It wasn't fair to feel sorry for them.

All at once, the escorts finished their final words of wisdom and left the three brides alone in their hall, as they took their seats inside. Dinner must have been wrapping up quicker than they expected.

She hoped this meant Gaara wasn't impressed by what was being offered.

When the two teachers left, the Houki girl let out a huge sigh of relief. "Finally!"

Rin glanced in her direction as she stretched her arms above her head.

The girl instantly started fussing with her gown, a lovely green dress that made her look like a forest nymph. "I need to loosen this thing. It's killing me!"

She turned her attention to Rin. "Give me a hand?"

Rin was surprised at the request, but nodded, taking hold of the laces in the back. It was true, they were far too tight for her frame and Rin set to loosening them as gently as she could.

She marveled at the sheer tone of the muscles in her back and the owner of them noticed. "Not your typical debutant, huh? You should have seen the work they had to put in to even get me in this dress in the first place. I tore the first two in less than five minutes."

Rin gave a small chuckle. "They take some getting used to, don't they?" She finished loosening the ties. "How is that?"

The girl placed a hand to her stomach and gave a large exhale. "Perfect. Thanks!"

"Happy to help."

She turned around and offered a hand. "The name is Kumi. I'm the second daughter of the Houki clan and you're Rin Ito, from the Sound, aren't ya?"

Rin took her hand and was surprised at the strength in it. "Yes. I've heard of you, Lady Kumi."

Kumi looked as if she was dying. "Oh, please don't call me that! It's bad enough to hear the servants do it. All I've heard the past two months has been 'Lady Kumi this' and 'Lady Kumi that' and I'm sick of it. Just give me a sword and leave me be."

Rin laughed. "Sounds like you're quite the warrior. That must be so exciting."

Kumi smiled and it took up her entire face. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, with a crinkling of her nose that would make anyone melt to look on her. "It is! I'd much rather be in the field than in all this get-up, but what are you gonna do? Duty calls and all that."

"I see."

She flicked a thumb over her shoulder. "Not Mai over there, she's been training for this day her entire life, haven't ya Mai?"

The tall girl didn't look their way, but she gave a slight nod, the jingling of her veil the only sound she offered.

Rin took a moment to scan her and felt her heart flutter at the sight.

Mai Oribe was something out of a dream.

Her long, midnight black hair, fell in waves down her back, the top half of it pinned up in elaborate braids, that were twisted to form a rose design.

Her built was tall, as was befitting of the rest of her clan, but not so much that she would tower.

She could look a man in his eyes and that would be his downfall, for when she decided to relent and give Rin her attention, the intensity of her eyes sucked the air out of the room.

They were the most vibrant green and try as she might, Rin knew she would never find an accurate description for them. They were the color of sunlight through trees, of golden treasure locked within nature's kiss; warm, exotic, intoxicating and very dangerous.

They held something Kumi's did not, venom. She would find no alley here. These eyes belonged to someone who would destroy everyone in her path to get what she wanted.

This was no desert rose as her red sari decorated her to be, she was a viper and her gaze was fixed on her prey.

Mai turned her entire body to face Rin now, stepping forward so that she was face to face with her. "Rin Ito."

"Yes?"

Her lovely bronzed skin made Rin look pale and sickly in comparison, the jewels in her ears and gentle ring of her nose shone with the surrounding lights like stars.

She was a work of art; living, breathing art.

Those dangerous eyes flicked up and down, regarding her not as trash like her father did this afternoon or her escort did moments earlier, but as something else. "You won't defeat me."

"There is nothing to defeat."

She scoffed and it sounded like a hiss. "So sure, of yourself."

"I am."

"Why? Because he loves you?"

"Yes."

The viper narrowed her gaze, freezing the room around them with her presence. "For now, but you will learn something important by the end of this ceremony."

Rin waited.

Mai's voice lowered to a deadly whisper. "Men's hearts are not made of the earth, nor are they mountains that stand firm. They are creatures of the air and they will move as the wind takes them. He's been flying beside you for a time, but the winds are changing. I hope you'll have the same pride when that happens, as you did this afternoon. I'd hate to see your spirit crushed at the end. It won't be nearly as much fun that way."

Rin held her gaze, refusing to give her the satisfaction of backing down.

She could read this girl without using her gift. This was a woman with a dream, and it wouldn't be shattered by anyone or anything that stood in her way. A fanatic in her right. Passionate, dramatic and determined.

Who made her this way?

Kumi cleared her throat and stood in between them. "Hey now, that's enough of that. Save it for the grand hall, ladies. It looks like dinner is done. You're up first, Mai."

The prized daughter of the Oribe clan, gave Rin one final look and turned to face the large, double doors of the hall, where inside, the families had gathered and Gaara had taken his seat at the head of the room.

She glided in and the doors slammed shut behind her.