- I think I'd better go. - I said, breaking the silence that hung between us. I knew there was something more there, but I also understood that it wasn't the right time to continue the conversation.
- So soon? - Karui said with a relaxed laugh, while the orange kitten meowed cutely around us.
- Stay for lunch, my queen, I'm getting the hang of these spices. - Karui scoffed, but I already knew she was only joking.
- I'd rather not risk my stomach. - I answered back with a mischievous smile, getting up from the bed. - I've got to go, girls. I'll be back later.
Ino accompanied me to the door, still curious about what would happen next. The outside world still awaited me, with its own battles and challenges, and I knew that my journey was far from over.
- I'll take you outside. - Ino murmured, while Karui gestured with her hand, saying an almost nonchalant "adios", already heading back to the stove.
When we went out into the courtyard, Dancer was there, tied to the bars of the area, waiting patiently for me. I stroked her briefly, my fingers still trembling slightly.
- So you're going to be queen? - Dancerina asked, her voice soft but full of a curiosity that I myself felt.
I paused for a moment, thinking. The doubt was there, but the answer still seemed distant, as if all I needed was time to understand what it really meant to be part of this.
- Yes, and I'll want you to kneel for me every time. - I joked with a mischievous smile, trying to keep my tone light.
- Not a chance! - Karui replied quickly, with a defiant laugh, and I rolled my eyes, already imagining that she wouldn't give in so easily.
- But a polite curtsy then. - I insisted, just to see how far she would go with that.
- I can think about your case. - Karui scoffed, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips as she looked at me.
With an exaggerated sigh, I turned the horse around and started walking. When I got away from the little house, I waved to them, a nonchalant gesture, before giving the mare a boost and making her run.
The wind whipping against my face and the heat on my cheeks made me feel a unique sensation, and at the same time, an unexpected longing came over me. Sasuke... I hadn't seen him yet. The longing made me think about how things were changing, how everything was transforming around us.
Arriving at the stables, a guard was talking to one of the stables, who, for some reason, had red cheeks, perhaps from embarrassment or some kind of nervousness.
- Ser! - I called out, trying to get the guard's attention. He turned and walked towards me.
- Yes, miss? - He asked politely, and I knew he had a habit of always being formal.
- The Uchiha soldier, Sasuke Uchiha, was injured during the fighting against the rebels? - I asked, my voice cracking a little, although I tried to hide the fear that was building in my chest.
He thought for a moment before answering.
- Yes, if I'm not mistaken, he's in the hospital wing. It wasn't a serious injury, miss. - He said it calmly, but the way he mentioned the hospital ward made me pick up the pace.
My heart skipped a beat. He was hurt, but still... it wasn't serious. That should have calmed me down, but somehow it didn't.
- Thank you. - I just said, my voice a little lower. I don't know how long it took me to get there, but my heartbeat seemed to be out of rhythm as I walked to the hospital ward.
When I reached the ward, I hurried along the white, silent corridors until I reached the last room. The screen had the curtains closed and, at first glance, I thought that Sasuke might be asleep. Without further hesitation, I entered.
What I saw froze me.
The princess was lying on the bed, her dress open, the buttons unbuttoned. Her back was marked with red and some yellowish marks, marks that looked like they had been made by a belt. My eyes fell on a metal box with her name engraved on it, resting between the white sheets of the stretcher.
- Did you bring the painkiller? - Karin's voice, always firm and authoritative, rang out, but before I could speak, she turned her face and saw me standing there. The surprise was clear in her eyes, but she showed no discomfort whatsoever.
The movement of someone approaching the screen caught my attention, and a man, startled, appeared. He stammered.
- Your Majesty, I, Miss Sakura. - He looked totally bewildered.
- Leave the painkiller and get out. - The princess ordered with authority, and the nurse, without daring to question, left the metal tray on the bed and left quickly. We were silent for a moment, the tension in the air thick and heavy.
- Can you help me apply the ointment or would you rather just stand there with your mouth open? - Karin asked, with a more ironic tone than usual, and this made me laugh a little, before approaching.
I sat down behind her on the stretcher, feeling a chill in my stomach and the need to act carefully. I took some of the cream in my hands, trying not to look nervous. When I touched the first mark, the princess pulled away a little, but I soon saw her relax when she realized it wasn't going to hurt.
- Have you ever heard of delicacy, Haruno? - She said with a smile, the sarcasm never far from her, even in the face of pain. I bit my lips, trying to be more careful, and applied the ointment again.
She let out a sigh of pain when I touched the mark. The words she said afterwards left me speechless.
- She wore a belt this time, I'm what? Twelve years old? - Karin's tone was full of frustration and a pain she preferred to hide, but I knew I couldn't ignore.
- Why did she do that? - I asked, trying to understand, but also feeling the weight of her words, which seemed to carry so much pain.
- Because I provoked her... I... - She stopped, and the conversation died away. I knew there was something more, something she wasn't willing to say, but at that moment, I respected the silence.
The mark of a belt was on her back, and the pain wouldn't go away. When I touched the thin cut close to her skin, she winced slightly.
[author] Thank you so much for reading this far! Knowing that you made it to the end means a lot to me. If you like it and want to contribute, visit my Patreon and get early access to 25 chapters ahead: Patreon [/author]