Chapter 2

Yet another sigh slipped past my lips as I impatiently waited for my trial. The two guards that were watching me showed no signs of hearing that sigh or one of the other dozen I'd let out.

For the first time in my life, I was behind the famous wall. I'd honestly hoped it'd be under better conditions. Maybe I'd work hard for a most of my years and finally be able to retire behind the walls in a high class society. I hadn't ever imagined it'd be with shackles weighing my wrists and ankles down for an accidental death threat toward the royal family. Mom always said my mouth would be what did me in.

Ideas on how to talk my way out of this were flying through my head, but I figured the right one would appear when the time came. I've always been good at getting myself out of punishment as long as it isn't my mom giving it out. When I was in school, I cut Ino's hair while she wasn't paying attention and convinced the teacher that she'd done it herself even though many others had seen me do it.

A bittersweet smile graced my lips at the memory. Ino and I have always fought like cats and dogs, but we've always been closer than two peas in a pod. That's what happens when you're twins with nearly no other friends. I didn't make many female friends growing up because I was too much of a tomboy for them and Ino didn't make many because all the boys always loved her and the other girls didn't like that. Naruto had been one of those boys and still is, honestly. I wonder if he'll finally give up since he now knows that Ino isn't the only beautiful girl the world has to offer.

We'd been standing outside a large golden door that apparently leads to the trial room for so long, I'd lost count. The castle we were in was a mere stone compared to the diamond that was the Uchiha castle, but that didn't mean that it didn't have the most elegant interior I've ever seen. The floor and walls were made of what looked like pearl, with the trim and doors being at least coated in gold. Even with all of the brightness, the halls and rooms seemed dark. There was an air of unease throughout the building, as if all it's inhabitants had a dark cloud hanging over them.

With a loud rumble, the double doors finally slid open and I was shoved forward by the two guards. I stumbled forward, the shackles on my ankles making it hard to walk. There were hushed voices erupting all around me. I looked up to see the room was actually quite crowded.

One either side of the small aisle I was stumbling down, dozens of onlookers were seated with unhindered looks of disgust on their faces as they studied my dirty dress and messy hair. I kept my gaze as steady as possible facing the three thrones at the head of the room. Each of the seats were empty, but decorated with useless expensive jewels. A handful of "honored" guests sat to the left of the thrones, their clothing, hair, and makeup all unnecessarily fancy for a simple hearing. The only other door in the room was to the right of the thrones and it opened up as soon as the guards and I reached the front of the room.

Three people walked haughtily out of the room and ceremoniously strode over to their respective thrones before pausing to gauge the room and finally sitting. These weren't the Uchihas. These were the Uchihas' carefully selected judges. They each came from a different noble family, but I couldn't remember their names.

"State your name and your crime." The stoic man in the middle, larger, throne spoke in a cold voice.

My previous ease on the subject of talking my way out of this flew out the window. This man made me uncomfortable. He didn't seem much older than me, but he seemed aged beyond his years with sheer seriousness alone.

One of the guards nudged my shoulder to try and get me to answer, but the force of it threw me to the ground. I hadn't eaten in two days and was really starting to feel it. "S-Sakura Haruno and I committed no crime!" The guard that'd pushed me gave me a kick to the side, sending me into a hunched ball to try and soften the hot pain that erupted in my torso as a result.

"The wench threatened the royal family and guards with death."

I simply stayed down where I was. I didn't have the energy to care how long I'd be imprisoned. At least I'd be fed with a roof over my head.

"These accusations have a penalty of death. The royal family holds no lenience for treason. What do you say in your defense, Sakura Haruno?"

My eyes shot open and I struggled to my feet, failing and only being able to get to my knees, "I didn't do it, sir! I-I did say something terrible in a fit of hysteria, b-b-but it was by no means to be taken as a serious threat to the crown!" Tears were filling my eyes. I couldn't die yet! There were so many things I'd yet to accomplish.

The man leaned forward in his chair, "So you did utter negative words against the Uchiha name? Out of hysteria or not?"

My heart dropped. They wouldn't even pardon a purely vocal lack in judgement? I couldn't reply. My life was flashing before my eyes and I just knew I'd be executed for my accidental crime. The whispering in the room got louder suddenly and I glanced up to see a familiar figure striding nervously across the floor from the group of honored guests.

Hinata was interrupting the trial! A sliver of hope rose in my throat and I struggled again to get to my feet, this time succeeding. She leaned down to whisper into the cold man's ear for a few moments, only for his eyes to widen and turn back to look at me with what looked like a new light. "Sakura Haruno will be pardoned of the death penalty. Instead, I sentence her to three months of service to the noble and royal families, to be carried out immediately."

The room busted into cries of anger and disagreement as I was pulled by my arms past the thrones and through the door the three judges had come from. We were followed by the judges and Hinata. The room got significantly quieter as the door shut behind them.

Once my shackles were removed, Hinata sent away the guards and held my hands in her own, "S-Sakura, I am so sorry I couldn't free you completely!"

I was overcome with shock and tears fell from my eyes, "No! I can't thank you enough for helping me, Hinata! I owe you my life!"

I bowed my head in respect to her and the others that were silently watching us. The man that'd sentenced me stepped forward and ripped my hands from Hinata's, "I am Neji Hyuga, primary judge of all Konohagakure legal courts and future head of the Hyuga household. Do not think you are a friend to Hinata. I let you live per the request of a noble and nothing more. You are no more than a slave for the next 90 days and you should act as such."

Hinata looked at the ground sadly, but I couldn't blame her for her family member's coldness. She'd saved my life and I'd forever be in her debt. The other two judges didn't speak, but looked on with those empty, rich, eyes as Neji lead me out of the room and through many hallways until we arrived at an exit where we then boarded a horse-drawn carriage. We could've easily used a vehicle, but it seemed the nobles preferred to do everything in the most unnecessary way, be it travel or dressing.

We rode in silence for nearly an hour. He and Hinata sat on the cushioned seats while I sat on the floor in a weak heap. Will this be like Cinderella where a prince will eventually save me? I shook my head. That's something Ino would think at a time like this. I would do my time to the best of my ability, learning as much about the higher-class as I could so it would be easier for me to fit in when I eventually make it.

We came to a stop a while later and I was pulled out of the carriage by two guards. When I looked up, I nearly fainted at the sight that met my eyes. The Uchiha castle lay before me in all it's glory. I'd never noticed before because the wall was too high, but the whole place was surrounded by forest as far as the eye could see. No wonder it took us so long to arrive. It was even more breathtaking up close.

The stone that had appeared light from the distance was actually a shiny black. It struck me as funny how they hid all of this darkness behind such a colorful wall. A cold sweat was forming on my forehead as I weakly struggled to walk tall. The two guards that were meant to control me if I had an outburst were actually helping me stay upright. The sun was high in the sky, meaning it was nearly noon. The day already seemed so long.

The sky disappeared as I was pretty much dragged through a side door of the palace and lead through hallway after hallway until we finally stopped in a large family room. I then realized that Hinata and Neji were no longer with us and I was alone with complete strangers. Showy couches and decorations lay about with an over-sized fireplace as the centerpiece to the giant room. A gigantic portrait of six dark-haired people was hung proudly over it.

I closed my eyes as we stood there waiting for something to happen. My ears were ringing and it felt as though my stomach was caving in on itself. My head lolled from side to side as I fought unconsciousness. Heeled footsteps against the linoleum floor pulled my attention from my condition and urged my eyes to open.

The most beautiful woman I'd ever seen was walking towards us. She had a perfectly curvy body with pale skin and healthy black hair. Her blood red lips were parted in a blinding smile as she approached us, "Hello! Welcome to the Uchiha Palace. My name is Mikoto Uchiha. You must be Sakura Haruno. I'm very pleased to meet you!" The bottom of her black evening gown pulled behind her like the train of a wedding day veil as she approached. Mikoto's voice was mature and warm.

The guards released my arms and I immediately fell to the floor, unconscious.

When I woke back up, I was laying on something incredibly comfortable, like a cloud or a mound of cotton. I heard an angry male voice speaking in a hushed tone with somebody, "How dare they send us an ill servant! I'll have to speak with Hiashi about Neji's decision making."

Mikoto's voice replied, bringing me back to reality, "Now, darling, please be calm. She looks positively famished. I'm sure she'll become a great member of our household once she's been fed and washed up. Let's give her a chance before doing anything hasty."

There was a pause so long that I even opened my eyes to look over at their shadows on the floor by the bed I lay on.

"Very well, but she's to be Sasuke and Sai's servant. I don't want her anywhere near Madara."

There was the unfamiliar sound of the two sharing a kiss before Mikoto came into view with a brilliant smile on her lips as she lay eyes on me, "Oh! Sakura, dear, you're awake! How are you feeling? Are you particularly hungry? I can sense you haven't eaten in a while. Let's get you washed up and then we'll have lunch."

I couldn't find any words to reply with so I just let her lead me to the colossal bathroom that was nearby. She motioned for me to get undressed as she filled the giant tub with hot water and soap, "Come, dear. Don't be shy."

It was normal for women to shower and bath together so it didn't seem too odd to me for her to be in the room while I bath. In fact, I almost expected it. I was a stranger in her home and it would be unreal to assume she'd leave me alone in a room so soon.

I gingerly removed my clothing, my dirty clothes falling sadly to the floor as if they didn't have any life left in them. She turned back to face me with a look of delight, "Oh my! You are quite beautiful, Sakura! You'll make someone very happy someday."

I wrapped my arms around my torso awkwardly with a red face. She didn't mention the bruises that dusted my skin here and there as a result of the past few days' events. I slowly dipped a foot into the bath as she held my hand for balance. The water was steaming hot and seemed to melt away the tenseness of my muscles.

Once I was fully seated in the tub, Mikoto helped me wash my skin and hair, chatting away as if we were closer than we were, "I'm very excited for you to join us for lunch, dear. I'm the only female in the whole palace so it will be nice to have another feminine presence. Do you like flowers? I have a large flower garden. You're welcome to join me in tending to it should you have any extra time. You'll be helping out my two boys while you're here, Sai and Sasuke. They're both nineteen. Ah!"

She touched her cheek dramatically, "I can't believe my babies are so old! Do you see any wrinkles yet?"

I simply shook my head, my whole being on autopilot as I tried to wrap my head around what was happening. She truly didn't have a single wrinkle. If she had children that old, she had to be at least close to forty years old, yet she didn't look a day over twenty-five.

She continued talking as she massaged shampoo into my hair, "My Sai is such a sweet boy. You'll get along with him just fine. Sasuke is a bit of a grouch, but don't let it bother you, dear. He's like that with almost everybody."

I wondered what her offspring must look like. Surely they were handsome, if her looks were anything to go by.

Soon I was as clean as I'd ever been and was helped into a beautiful black dress that looked like a smaller version of Mikoto's. It was very tight with the back cut low and a small train following my steps. I wanted to ask if I really had to wear something so uncomfortable even though I was a servant, but felt that it would be received as ungrateful so I chose to keep my lips sealed.

After spritzing me with an expensive smelling perfume and applying a small amount of makeup to my face, Mikoto finally led me out of the room, down a winding staircase and through a few halls until we finally arrived in an extravagant dining hall. A positively enormous table sat with more than twenty chairs that sat mostly empty, save for five seats at one end of the table.

We approached what I assumed was the remainder of the Uchiha's main family. At the head of the table was a burly man with a set frown on his mouth and a look of disgust on his face as he looked up over at me. He was obviously the man I'd heard talking with Mikoto, her husband, the ruler of Konoha.

To his left sat a younger man, looking to be somewhere around thirty, with hair longer than even Mikoto's, yet his was a thick, curly mess that somehow still looked regal. He gave me a small smile as a greeting. Across from him was an empty chair that could only be Mikoto's seat. Next to the empty seat was who I guessed was one of her sons, but his back was turned so I couldn't see his face. All I could see was messy black hair and broad shoulders. Across from him sat a pale young man with blank eyes, a blank smile, and straight black hair.

There was a lot of black in this house, be it hair, eyes, clothing, or decorations. It almost came across as gothic.

"Sasuke, sweetie, do you mind moving over a seat so our guest can sit next to me?"

The boy that I couldn't see turned around and it was as if the air left my body. He was devastatingly beautiful. His jawline was sharp, skin clear, eyes dark, and lips pulled down into a cold scowl. Where his brother who sat across from him lacked emotions on his features, he practically bled them and they were all negative. The only reason I didn't stare was because his black eyes locked hard onto mine and I had to look away in fear I'd faint again.

I could feel the heat of his loathing from where I stood, but he did the unexpected and obliged his mother's request without complaint. When he stood to move, he towered over both Mikoto and I. His height was spectacular. Something stirred in my body that I've never felt before and I forced my gaze down as I could feel my heartbeat quicken. Once he was reseated, Mikoto had me sit in the chair next to him before seating herself on my other side, next to her husband.

"Everyone, please introduce yourselves to our guest, Sakura Haruno. She will be with us for 90 days, serving the twins."

The head of the table spoke in a short, gruff voice, "I am Fugaku, Head of the Uchiha household and ruler of Konoha." I bowed my head at him respectfully, aware that I was under scrutiny at all times and by all angles.

The younger man beside him smiled easily, "My name is Madara Uchiha, younger brother to Fugaku. Pleased to meet you Miss Haruno." I felt more accepted by this Madara than any other male at the table.

The straight faced brother in front of me kept his same blank smile, "I am Sai." His introduction was simple and to the point, but it was better than him insulting me, I suppose. I returned his tense smile with an uneasy one.

Finally, I turned to my left to steal a glance at the large man that Mikoto had identified as Sasuke. He sat not even a foot away from me and now that I could compare our bodies, he was larger than me by a long shot. His muscles and height alone made him incredibly intimidating, but add to that the hateful look on his face and you've got yourself a dangerous combo.

He glared down at me for a moment before suddenly standing up and leaving the room altogether. I immediately apologized to Mikoto quietly in fear I'd done something to offend him, but the queen lay a hand softly on my shoulder, "Don't worry, dear. Sasuke just doesn't like change. He'll come around eventually."

I watched as his dark form disappeared up the stairwell and felt something in my stomach sink.

I sure hope so.