(NOTE): Okay, I know this was a one-shot, but I was just so flattered that Zetnnik wanted a follow up, so here it is!
BTW: It may seem a little cliche (at least more than my other stories), but that couldn't really be helped with the plot I have in mind. Don't worry though! I've added my own little twists ;)!
This ------- means I'm switching POVs and this OoOoOo followed by italic paragraphs means a flashback.
Normally if there was ever a vicious sandstorm in the Village Hidden in the Sand, the people would take it as a bad omen. It usually meant that one (or both) of two beings was displeased and decided to take out his anger on their town: either the Kazekage or the Sand god.
The former was unlikely, as he had lately acquired impressive control over his once foul temper, and the latter had no reason to be angry with the currently peaceful village.
So why there were heavy, thick gusts of sand speedily whirling through streets was a mystery to all but a few.
Most of those "few" were just outside the gates of the village, trying to defend themselves against the very cause of the sudden storm: the Kazekage's enraged older sister.
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Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! DAMN!
The constant chant in the sand kunoichi's head became more and more frequent each time she slashed her giant fan through the air and sent another torrent of sand hurdling toward the frightened village. She was a good distance away from the entrance to the gate, but her frustration made her unaware that she was unleashing her fury in the wrong direction.
She was too angry and too upset to even care at the moment.
Rage blinded her and made her deaf to any of the words her puppeteer brother was desperately shouting at her.
"TEMARI, COME ON! CUT IT OUT!" he cried from behind Sanshouo, which was serving as a shield against his sister's attacks "I KNOW THIS IS SCREWED UP BUT DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON THE VILLAGE!!"
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Though Kankuro was hardly one to talk.
If he was in Temari's place he'd probably be aiming for the village on purpose. Hell, he felt like doing that now just to spite the Elders; soon he very well might be in the same position as Temari.
It was the same old story of a tradition that he had never known been acknowledged until now: an arranged marriage.
Right, more like forced.
He didn't even understand why this was necessary; the relationship with the Land of the River had been taken care of months ago. Yet still most of the Elders were unsatisfied, and they were determined to strengthen Wind's bonds with the other land permanently.
This, they had decided, was the best way: The Kazekage's own sister, Temari, would in three months time marry...bleugh.
Kankuro shuddered as he remembered the pompous River Lord Hiro, the spoiled tub who had once personally requested Temari become his own bride, rather than that of either of his sons.
That was one fact he had never told her, seeing no reason to as he had thought the issue had been dropped.
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It was at the formal dinner the River Lord had presented upon the siblings' arrival to his land for the peace negotiations, and Temari had just left the table when the porker had asked for her hand.
"Such a fine beauty should belong to a king!" he exclaimed to Gaara, who just stared stoically back at him. Lord Hiro then briefly cast a disgusted glance at his two pathetic sons, who both had their heads drooped in shame. "These two are not even remotely worthy of ruling a great country such as mine. They are both weak and stupid, and their mother was not any better."
The chubby face turned back to the Kazekage and smiled, completely ignoring Kankuro's disturbed expression.
"But I am sure that your lovely sister, my dear Kazekage," he continued "would bear me a strong, intelligent son that would be worthy enough to take my place when I am gone. I swear to you, she shall be treated as the fine queen she will become, and I will greatly be in your debt if you just allow me to have her!"
Kankuro forced himself to hold back from saying "Oh hell no, you fat ass!" as he impatiently waiting for his brother to answer. After a moment, Gaara simply told the eager Lord Hiro to bring the subject up again during the negotiations and ordered Kankuro to follow him as he thanked the River Lord for the meal and silently left the table.
Kankuro knew better than to question Gaara about what his answer would be, but hopefully his brother would tell him soon enough.
He was not allowed to be present for the meetings, but the puppeteer sand shinobi had eventually learned that Lord Hiro changed his request: to allow Temari to marry one of his sons. The Kazekage had denied Hiro's first request and the River Lord was simply trying to find another way to earn his sister.
Kankuro knew he could relax then when he realized that this meant his younger brother had no intention of giving Temari away.
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In the end, a wedding between Temari and a member of the River family was avoided, but Kankuro knew that the River Lord was still disgruntled about it. So it was not surprising that Lord Hiro had leaped at the chance to be considered a candidate for Temari's husband when the Elders had presented him the proposition.
The majority of the Elders had naturally approved, and Kankuro had been sent to inform their sister of the Elders' decision.
He knew that his sister would immediately lose her temper when he explained the situation, which is why he had chosen a place outside of the village to tell her, but that didn't seem to matter now.
When the storm started up, Kankuro screamed to the shinobi guards stationed at the gates not to attack and to fetch the Kazekage as quickly as possible. He himself might not be able to get the wind mistress back under control, but surely Gaara could.
So where the hell is he?! Kankuro didn't know how much more of this he (or the village) could take.
He peeked his head over the top of his protective puppet and almost sighed in relief as he saw his younger brother appear in a swirl of sand and block the next wave heading toward his village, sending a good deal of it back at his sister.
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Temari didn't even realize her youngest sibling was there until she felt a bunch of sand harshly smack her face. The shock caused her to lose her grip on her weapon, and before she could bring her hands up to rub her stinging cheeks, her wrists were tightly seized.
She looked down to see her hands were being held by two thick strands of sand...and she immediately knew she was in deep trouble.
Her eyes slowly raised to meet those of her younger brother, the Kazekage, and as soon as dark azure met cool aqua jade, the rough ropes around her wrists tightened to the point of extremely uncomfortable pain.
Temari squeezed her eyes as she felt the painful pressure increase, knowing that one wrong word or move could cause her to lose her hands. But she didn't scream and she didn't beg Gaara to stop; she knew that she deserved this.
Although Gaara had grown a little more compassion since his younger years and could understand why his sister would be so upset, he could not let the fact that she had attacked his village just slide, no matter how unintentional.
Temari knew this and would accept her punishment with honor.
For what seemed like hours she stood there, grimacing and panting as the sand practically dug into her skin, not enough to make her bleed, but just enough to irritate the skin and cause her wrists to surely bruise. But in time the grip was loosened and she didn't even make a move to rub her sore flesh as the sand fell from her hands.
She opened her eyes to look at her leader's impassive face and patiently waiting for him to speak.
"I want to see you in my office. Be there in half and hour."
That was all he said before he was enveloped in another brush of sand and disappeared.
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As Temari made her way to the Kazekage's office, she tried to get her emotions back under control. She was still disheartened and pissed as hell, but 'anxious' was now also included in her 'mood list' out of fear of what the Kazekage would say (or do) to her.
She knew she had crossed the line the minute she had made that first careless sweep of her fan, but surely Gaara couldn't be that angry, right?
Temari certainly hoped so as she took a deep breath and opened the door to the Kazekage's office after receiving the dreaded "Come in." She saw Gaara look up as she entered and she searched for an emotion in his eyes that would hint to her what his intentions were.
But there was none to be found.
Well, at least he's not still angry.
"Close the door and sit down, Temari." she heard the Kazekage order. She did as instructed, keeping her eyes warily on him at all times. But still she could see no anger and Temari felt she could relax a little.
Apparently his previous sand punishment had been satisfying enough.
"I see no reason to scold you for your actions." he assured her "I'm sure my warning was enough."
He looked directly into her eyes as he continued, "I believe I understand what had made you so upset. You know that it would not be wise of me to go against the Elders wishes, correct?" Temari nodded, forcing her reawakened frustration back "Well, I can do at least this for you. I will not deny that the River Lord's sons seem no better than their father, but would you prefer one of these younger men over the older one?"
Temari knew at once what her answer was.
Months back, she had mentally prepared herself to the idea of marrying one of Hiro's sons, however how repulsive he might be, and she had comforted herself that at least it would be better than marrying the Lord himself.
"I would be very grateful if that could be arranged, Gaara." she answered, speaking in earnest to her brother as she bowed her head "Thank you."
Those words could not have been more truthful, nor could they have been more empty.
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Needless to say, the River Lord was..less than pleased at the new arrangement that the Kazekage had proposed. But it seemed that if he wanted the sand kunoichi in his family at all, Lord Hiro would have to settle with her being his son's wife.
He chosen the elder son: Shigeo, who was nicknamed Shig.
He was the thin gangly boy with the serious acne problem. His hair was red; not the rich deep red like Gaara'a, but a bright blondish red that was short and dry. His slate gray eyes would've been very beautiful if they did not give him an almost sickly look that was only further enhanced by his pale skin.
Not a very handsome fellow, but Temari forced herself to believe it was better than Hiro and his second son Yuji's appearance.
They were both large and short with pudgy sweaty faces and greasy dark hair. Their skin was also pale, but their eyes were a watery blue, lighter than Temari's own navy orbs.
Had any of these males only looked clean and healthy, Temari might not have minded their appearances. It was a wonder how the royal family of a country of water could look so filthy. Anyone could tell that it was obvious why they desired a fresh, strong girl like Temari to become a part of their family; she'd be quite a lovely trophy for any of them to have on his arm.
Just my luck Temari thought.
But she had prepared herself for this. She had once been prepared to marry one of these repulsive males and leave her home, and she could certainly prepare herself again.
Or at least she thought she could until she was informed that Sand had requested an ambassador from every nation close by to attend the wedding if the leader him/herself could not, including one from the Hidden Leaf Village.
That meant that a certain Nara boy would more than likely be there, as he was the usual ambassador to the Sand Village.
This is what worried Temari the most.
She'd never admit her true feelings for the lazy genius, but then again, she wouldn't really deny them either. When it actually came to their relationship, there was silent pact, which was 'just go along with our lives and deal with whatever might happen.'
However, this was under the assumption that they would still continue to see each other and never have any outside offers of marriage or romance.
Technically, the situation was within the boundaries of their unspoken agreement, but was not something either of the them had ever expected, so Temari had no idea how she should handle it.
How could she have been so stupid? Neither she nor the dark haired leaf shinobi had ever considered being literally noticed by anyone else, but, damn, was it clear now!
Of course someone would become interested in the sister of the powerful kazekage; she'd be the very key to gaining more influence in the Sand Village for crying out loud!
But this was even worse.
Although the River family desired this union because of...'greed' Temari determinedly convinced herself...the Sand Village wanted it because of politics. Her marriage was the permanent bond between the two lands of River and Wind, and should she protest to it, that bond would surely have no other chance of being made again.
Yet there was some comfort in that thought.
Nara Shikamaru knew she would have no choice in the matter, that this was the decision of the Elders for the good of her village. Ergo, any feelings of hurt she caused either or both Shikamaru and herself would not be her fault.
Then why the hell did this still burn in her gut like a treacherous betrayal?
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The wedding...or 'union'...was set for a good three months away, but Temari was sure she couldn't suffer that long. Inside, she knew she could not bear living with a sense of false hope, a small fancy that over time Lord Hiro would change his mind and call off the union.
She'd rather just have the whole did over with and accept her fate as soon as possible.
So she requested, much to her brothers' skepticism and the Elders' pleasure, that the ceremony take place at the end of the month.
Naturally, Lord Hiro was in favor of the proposal, but the bastard decided to make Temari even more miserable and agree only if the ceremony was performed fully in accordance with River's matrimonial unions with foreigners.
The marital customs of the Land of the River were different from those in the Land of Wind.
Temari would be required to move to the Land of the River three weeks prior to the ritual to prepare and become accustomed to her new home. Through this time, she would stay in a secluded section of the palace, living with only female servants.
During the first week, she would be travel through the village each day to become familiar with her new home and she would also be schooled in the traditions and customs of the Land of the River.
The second week involved spending time with her future husband, getting to know him a little better (really it was meant for her to learn what kind of things would please him).
Despite the actual reason for the second week, Temari didn't think she'd mind the first two, it was the third that she was dreading.
That week was a preparation week, fitting her for her wedding outfit, choosing her accessories, but most of all, performing special rituals that would purify her from her old life as well as ensure fertility. Temari had no idea what this might entail, but she wasn't in any hurry to find out.
Nevertheless, waiting months for this to happen would be even more unbearable, so she grudgingly agreed to the terms.
The deal was set at soon as she gave her consent, but this negotiation had taken so much time that it was the day before the three week bridal period when she got the notice. Temari was to spend one last night in the Hidden Sand Village and then immediately move to the Land of the River the next morning.
As she packed up her belongings, Temari felt as if she was getting ready for a journey to death row. The River ceremony might be different from Wind's, but Temari still could just imagine herself at the ceremony, a miserable bride led to the alter like a despairing prisoner led to the execution block.
The only comfort she had right now was the fact that Kankuro would be coming with her. He himself had asked their younger brother for permission to escort Temari to River and stay with her until at least after the union.
True, Temari probably would not be allowed to see him very often, but at least he would be there if she ever needed a familiar face.
With a sigh, she placed the last piece of clothing in her modest satchel and and strapped the bag it shut. She was just placing it beside her bed when she heard a knock and turned to see Kankuro leaning on the door frame. He was still dressed in his black shinobi outfit, but his head covering was off and his face was void of any paint.
He was also carrying a small rectangular box in his hand and was giving her a small, tired smile.
"Door was open." he shrugged, trying to justify his reason for entering without her reply "Figured it was alright."
"Yeah well, I should still kick your ass but I'm just not up for it tonight." Temari said shrugging "I'm just...I'm too..."
"Nervous?" her brother finished as he walked toward her "Upset? Pissed off? Yeah, me too. I can't sleep either." Kankuro stopped in front of his sister and held the box out to her. "Anyway, I know it's kinda early, but I might not get another chance to see you alone. Wouldn't want to give you this in public and totally humiliate myself."
Temari smirked as she took the box from her brother; she was sure she was going to miss his smart remarks.
She opened the box and nearly snickered at what she saw.
A pearl necklace. Very fitting, Kankuro.
"I know that it's really cliché, but it's really all I could think of." Kankuro sighed and ran a clothed hand through his hair "I just hope it'll match what you'll be wearing. I doubt it if it's anything like that get up they made you wear when we met the bastards."
"I don't care if it doesn't." Temari assured him, sliding the box gently into her pack "And I'll secretly wear it as a garter if they demand otherwise."
Kankuro gave a smirk of his own as he raised an eyebrow at her "Whoa. That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Temari."
But neither shinobi nor kunoichi were smirking when Temari suddenly wrapped her arms around her brother and truly embraced him for what must have been the the first time. There were only small, sad smiles as Kankuro returned his older sibling's hug.
"Well," Temari said, trying to sound smartalecky "don't get used to it."
But Kankuro discerned the misery in her voice, and could only rub and comforting hand against her back, determined not to speak and give away the depression he himself felt as well.
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What more perfect time could Temari say good-bye to her precious village than morning?
For that is exactly what she felt like she should be doing, mourning the loss of all she cared for and loved all for the gain of an alliance. But she kept her head held high as she stood face to face with the Kazekage at the gates. Many of the villagers were standing behind him, most proudly wishing her a safe journey, but some looking at her with a mixture of sympathy and reassurance.
Behind her was Kankuro and a team of shinobi that would escort her to River, ready but also reluctant to leave.
The Kazekage himself looked stoic as ever, but the glimmer of what could be pity could still be seen his his eyes as he bade Temari farewell.
And once again, Temari translated his words.
"May you have a safe journey, and be successful in this last mission I give your as your Kazekage."
Take care of yourself, and try to find happiness in your new home.
Desperately trying to hold herself back from throwing herself at his feet and begging him to forbid her to leave, Temari gave him a tight smile as she bowed deeply to her Kazekage, her little brother.
"Thank you, Lord Kazekage.," she responded "I shall do my best."
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It didn't take long to arrive at Lord Hiro's palace, but the welcoming ceremony seemed to take forever .
As soon as the team arrived, Temari was rushed off to her new quarters to be bathed, perfumed, clothed, painted, and heaped with jewelry, and ushered into the large banquet hall that was absolutely crowded with people she didn't know. As she was led to her place near the head of the long table, she observed that all the guests were clearly upper class, and all the different perfume scents that surrounded her made her gag.
Temari tried to ignore their mixed gazes of interest, admiration, and even disdain, and kept her eyes toward the empty place next to her brother, who was looking at her with a surprisingly open look of sympathy. When she reached her place, she tried to cheer herself up by noticing actually how nice her brother looked.
His black outfit had been replaced not with gaudy robes from River, but with handsome robes of dark red, tan, and brown that were clearly from the Sand Village. The only paint on his face was the dark kohl that outlined each eye and stretched a little farther until it almost met his temple, a old traditional sign of nobility in the desert villages.
The young woman knew that Kankuro was trying his best to show his pride in their desert home, and she could not help but be a little warmed by his fine Sand attire.
She felt ready to vomit, however, as she noticed Lord Hiro, who was seated at the at the head, give an enthusiastic grin as he stood and offer a pudgy hand out for Temari to take. Try as she might, the uncomfortable kunoichi could only give a tiny grimace that she hoped looked like a smile as she placed her own hand in his palm, almost shuddering at the greasy feel of his skin.
"My dear noblemen!" Lord Hiro bellowed to the crowd, who instantly ceased speaking and looked toward their leader "It is my great pleasure to invite you to behold this lovely, rare desert rose who is soon to become a part of the great garden the Land of the River is! May I present, the princess of the Hidden Sand Village, and future queen of the Land of the River, Lady Temari of the Desert Wind!"
Along with the tight dress she had been stuffed in and her extreme discomfort of being displayed like a prized mare in front of all these strangers, Temari had to use all her strength to manage to keep the smile/grimace plastered to her face as she heard the guests properly applaud.
She just desperately wished for the River lord to be finished with his speech and just let the night continue on, smoothly and quickly.
Those hopes were soon dashed as Lord Hiro turned toward the seated Kankuro and gave him a slight bow. "My honorable elder son, Prince Shigeo," at this point, the blushing prince himself awkwardly stood from his place on the other side of his father and bowed his own head toward the puppeteer "and I, of course, humbly thank the Land of Wind for sending us such a jewel, and we are eternally in your debt, Master Kankuro."
Kankuro, giving the lord and his son what only Temari noticed as a hard gaze, just gave the two royals a simple nod.
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The next day was just as bad, if not worse, than the night before. As was required, Temari did travel through the streets of the village...on a decorated gold palanquin with annoyingly soft cushions and pillows adorning the floor and heavy curtains shielding the view.
As four muscular soldiers carried her through the streets, the only way Temari could even see outside was through one of the curtains that was more like a large veil, but even through that the scenery seemed like a big blur.
Temari couldn't deny that she was a little disheartened,; she had actually been hoping to see and spend some those two children Harumi and Masanori again, the only people she really knew in the Land of the River. But that would prove impossible as long as she was stuck in this damned palanquin.
The fact that she was also dressed in another royal outfit didn't help either.
The sleeveless gold top wrapped tightly like bandages around her chest and the jade skirt fell far below her bare feet. Every piece of jewelry she was wearing was made of gold. Bangles jingled on her wrists and ankles whenever she moved; the large round earrings were heavy on her lobes; and the circlet that surrounded her head nearly gave her such a massive headache that she hardly minded the fact that her hair was down and tickling her bare shoulders.
Thank Kami that at least she wasn't wearing a necklace that could very well choke her! It didn't seem to matter though, as she could hardly breath anyway.
Glittering light blue shadow had been painted over her dark outlined eyes and the dark rouge on her lips completed the bizarre look of a proper River princess.
In truth, Temari could very well been considered quite the exotic beauty in her new attire, but she felt so entirely out of place that it clearly showed in her face and became the most noticeable thing about her.
The schooling was just as boring and irritating as the trip through the village and the new clothes.
There were so many rules of etiquette that Temari would be required to follow not only as a citizen of the Land of the River, but also as a princess...and a future mother to the 'heirs of the kingdom.'
By the end of the day, Temari felt so exhausted and annoyed that as she was prepared for bed, she could hardly believe she would have to endure six more days of this.
In fact as the week went by, her only happiness was found in her visits from her brother. Kankuro was allowed to see her for each meal, as long as he didn't get in the way of her schooling. But the two siblings had figured out a way to sneak Temari out at night once in a while and have a friendly, but intense, taijutsu spar in the nearby garden (which now technically belonged to Temari).
All in all the first week, to be perfectly blunt, pretty much sucked.
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The second week, however, was surprisingly a lot more pleasant.
For the first time in what had felt like years, Temari had been allowed to step out into the sunshine to join her future husband for a picnic lunch he had ordered to be set up in her garden. Kankuro had even been allowed to attend despite the rule that she was technically not supposed to be around any males other than her intended during this time.
The lunch, as well as the rest of the day, turned out to be very enjoyable.
Shig himself wasn't a very interesting guy, but that actually worked to Temari and Kankuro's advantage. The prince had spent his entire practically shut up in the palace and knew very little of outside life, so the siblings convinced him to join them on a real trip through the village markets without escorts or guards to accompany them.
After Shig grabbed a small sack of coins, the three youths dressed in fairly normal, more comfortable clothes of normal citizens and sneaked past the guards outside the palace wall. When they reached the village markets, the prince stopped at practically every stand he saw, gawking and gaping with fascination at the peaceful simplicity of everything.
The brother and sister, even in their childhoods, had never really been the kind to go to a market to just for the sake of having fun, so this was a pleasurable first experience for them all as they strolled through the streets and observed all that was being sold.
Later in the afternoon, Temari and Kankuro even got the chance to show Shig their ninja skills. Temari did not currently have her beloved fan (a treasure she unfortunately had to leave behind), but the hand fan that Shig had generously bought for her worked well enough to at least demonstrate her power to her amazed groom. He seemed even more impressed as Kankuro whipped out Karasu (the only puppet he had brought) and watched the miniature battle between the two sand ninja.
By nightfall, the future brother-in-laws and bride-to-be sneaked back into the palace and to their own quarters with smiles on their faces, something that Temari never could've imagined that would happen.
She was still unhappy with the marriage, Shig was pretty dull after all, but she at least had this week to spend time with what could be considered a family. It was just, once again, a shame that her youngest brother could not be there with them.
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For one more day, Shig, Temari, and Kankuro had been able to sneak out of the palace, but on the third they were unfortunately caught by Shig's younger brother Yuji, who wasted no time in informing his father.
Lord Hiro was less than pleased by the trio's behavior and Temari actually had to swallow her anger and pride and sweet talk him into forgiving them and allowing Kankuro to still be around her.
"I beg you, my dearest Father," she had gushed, bowing deeply as she could before him "my heart so does miss my old home and my brother is the only thing here I have of my birth family. Please, forgive us for our misdemeanors and allow Master Kankuro to stay with me until at least the end of the week! The next week is to be for purification, when I am to forget my old life and begin a new one, is it not? I beg you, let me have these last few days to cherish my last tie to my home and I swear that I shall also try my best to learn how to please your son...and you."
That little afterthought of two simple words sold him.
Although Temari was too humiliated to relish her small victory, she was nonetheless glad that she would be able to spend more time with Kankuro before she had to say good-bye.
She and Shig now had dress in their royal attire and stay within the palace grounds, so they mostly spent time with Kankuro in the gardens.
Prince Yuji, though, did not take the news of his father's leniency very well and in a great huff, marched off to confrot Lord Hiro and practically demand that Temari and Shig be severly punished.
This of course did not sit well with the proud River lord.
The last Temari saw of the younger prince was his angry pudy face scowling at her as he was led out of the palace.
"I hope you have a nice life with that dweeb." he sneered at her, softly enough for only her ears "And I hope it's a nice wedding. Be sure to send me postcards, for I assure you, I will not be attending!"
He was then led a still gaudy, but less eloborate palanquin that was quickly carried away from the palace.
She couldn't deny that feeling of guilt that unsettled her stomach when she pondered on Yuji's fate, so it was a great relief when Kankuro assured her that he was merely demoted from royalty to nobility and transported to another estate that Lord Hiro owned on the other side of the country. This meant that Prince Yuji was unfortunately disowned, but at least he would live instead as a nobleman over his own estate rather than an outcast.
But still, banishment from your own family seemed like a harsh punishment for a mere disagreement, and it made Temari wonder. Was there was perhaps something else Yuji might have mentioned that had made Lord Hiro so irritated?
Unbeknownst to her, she would find out soon enough.
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One afternoon, two days before the third week was to begin, Shig and Temari were having another lunch picnic in the garden, watching Kankuro, dressed back in his sand battle attire, give a performance match with one of the other former sand ninja that had been sent to be a guard of the River palace, as was the past agreement with the two lands.
"I'm sorry about Yuji by the way, Lady Temari."
Temari turned toward the owner of the soft, gentle voice to look at Shig's lanky profile. It was clear that despite his repulsive appearance, he had a stunningly sweet voice that was pleasant to listen to when he spoke loud enough to hear. Probably one of the only qualities about him that Temari decided she could live with.
"He has just been...rather jealous of me since we've become...well...engaged." he continued "He is very fond of lovely girls, you see, and he knows that...well...um.."
Temari looked at him, actually interested in what he had to say.
"Yeah?" she questioned "He knows that what?"
She noticed that the prince was actually beginning to sweat nervously.
"Umm...Lady Temari, may I ask you something?"
The kunoichi inwardly sighed, miffed that he seemed to be changing the subject.
"Yeah sure," she said, sounding bored "go ahead." She had learned that as long as she was alone with him, she could break her royal image and just talk normally to him, the other quality about him she found bearable.
"Your brother Kankuro, is he...involved with anyone?"
For a while, Temari just stared at him.
What the...?
"Er...not that I'm aware of. But why...wait!" It was then she noticed the way Shig was watching her younger brother; following his every move with adoration glowing in his eyes.
Like a love-struck teenager.
"Are you...?" Temari pointed a finger first at him, then at Kankuro "You're not..? I mean...what?!"
Shigeo blushed a bright red and looked down at his lap; at that moment, Temari had her answer.
"Please, forgive me Lady Temari." he said apologetically "I know it is none of my business, but..."
"Forget about that!" She turned his shoulders toward her and shook him so that he would look at her "Are you trying to tell me that that you are interested in my brother?!"
Shig gulped at her stare and lowered his eyes back down, afraid of what her reaction would be.
"Well..as a matter of fact...I...um yes."
The last part was barely a whisper, but Temari heard it loud and clear. She didn't know whether to laugh or...dare she admit it...faint!
-------
"Whoa."
Shig looked back up at her and was surprised by her reaction. She was undoubtedly in shock, and there was no anger or disgust in her gaze. Just pure surprise.
That in turn astonished the young prince. He had imagined her reaction to be more...well from what he had observed from her...violent. He had been ready for her to whip out her fan and blow him away, or bash him over the head, or at least land slap across his face.
He had assumed striking him is what her reaction would've been; either that or laughing at him.
But she just silently and calmly stared at him with a gaze of shock and confusion.
"You...are not upset with me, are you?"
"No." she said, finally letting go of him "I'm just...oh wow."
Shig gave a great sigh of relief, grateful that this little trait that he had kept a secret from all but his brother did not totally enrage his betrothed. He had never told anyone, especially his father, out of the very fear of how people would react.
He himself wasn't even sure of how they should take it.
And how could he explain himself? Shig didn't even remember when he had realized it. All he knew is that he did not feel attracted to the females like he did to the males, and only through observation did he learn that this was not...'normal' for lack of a better word.
Nor was is particularly accepted he learned when he saw a guard who was found out to be homosexual beaten out of the palace.
Shig was horrified at this and tried constantly to deny his feelings; he had even asked his younger brother for assistance. Yuji had suggested many things such as staying away from all males, flirting with any and every girl, performing cleansing rituals, taking all sorts of strange medications, and even trying to beat it out of him.
But Shig eventually found that it could not be helped, especially after he had first met Kankuro. He wouldn't say he was in love with the sand ninja, but he was definitely interested.
He had found the young man to be quite attractive while dressed in River robes, and very handsome in the Sand garb and eye paint he had been wearing at the welcoming ceremony. Over the past few days he had spent with the two siblings, he had become more and more impressed with and interested in Kankuro, but even more worried of if he should tell the puppeteer's sister.
The River heir could tell that, despite her efforts to pretend to be fine with this marriage matter, Temari was clearly unhappy; so he had debated about whether or not he should tell the young woman even about his sexual preference.
In retrospect, perhaps he would one day see that this was correct choice to make.
Although if it hadn't been, Shig probably should have taken a different approach by telling her directly instead of implying that he desired her brother over herself.
-------
"Thank you so much, Lady Temari!" Shig smiled as he bowed his head to her "I know you must be disgusted with me now, but I promise I'll try to..."
"No, I'm not disgusted that you're gay." she said, which was partially true; she was already disgusted with him, but not because of his preferences. "It's just surprising, that's all. And Kankuro?!" she turned and almost accusing glance at him "What on earth do you see in him?"
"Well," Shig looked at her thoughtfully "he's a lot like you really...only male."
Okay, did not need to hear that.
"Gee, thanks."
"Well, you did ask."
"So, does anyone else know?"
Shig dipped his head, looking almost mournful "Only Yuji."
Ah, so that's why Hiro was so harsh. Yuji must have mentioned this to him and Lord Hiro didn't want to believe it.
"That is why he is jealous, you see. I am interested in males and he in females, so he is irked by that fact that I am to be the next Lord of the Land of the River."
Temari raised an eyebrow at this.
"What I mean is," Shig continued, seeing the confused expression "when it comes to deciding which potential heir of the Land of the River is to be the next lord, it is the decision of the current lord rather than a birthright that chooses who he shall be. In this case, my father has decided that I should be the one to inheirit the Land of the River because..."
"You're marrying me." Temari finished, understanding what he meant.
"Precisely, and Yuji thinks it is unfair because he knows that I do not want to...well nothing against you Temari, but I..."
"The feeling is mutual." she interrupted "Not because I like girls, but because...well, I just don't."
Shig just gave her a small smile and nodded understandingly.
"So...what are we to do? Both of our countries expect a union neither of us desire."
"Well, you can't marry Kankuro if that's what your hoping." Temari said, almost laughing at Shig's bright blush. She racked her brain as she tried to come up with an alternate solution, something she was particularly skilled at. She was good friends with Shikamaru, after all. "But" she said finally "...there might be one solution we could try."
Shig tilted his head at her, interested in what she would propose.
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"This is a large request you are asking of me, my son." Lord Hiro said as he raised a brow at the nervous Shig. After he had worked out a strategy with Temari, the prince had requested an emergency audience that night with his father to discuss something... 'of great importance' it was reported. So the River Lord had set up an appointment in his office with his son and had ordered advisors to be present.
They now sat at a long rectangular table, Hiro and Shig seated at each end and all six advisors seated by them, three on each side. All eyes were on the prince, who was wringing his hands anxiously and perspiring from the heat of their questioning and incredulous stares.
"Um...w-well I-I know, Father, but...L-Lady Temari thinks very highly of the idea, y-you see, and..."
"Lady Temari?" at the mention of the sand woman's name, Hiro's large back straightened as much as it could and and both eyebrows were raised in interest. "This is something that Lady Temari desires?"
Shig nodded frantically as he felt his heart and breath speed up "Y-yes, Father! Sh-she is most anxious to please me a-and thinks that th-this would make me very happy!" Shig soon became more confident with the look of pure interest his father was giving him and began to get his stuttering under control "A-and it would, dear Father, it would! And she is also determined to please you as well, and she believes that this will make her...more likely to bear an heir as soon as possible."
This comment earned many mummers and whispers among the advisors, and Shig was relieved that they sounded positive. But it was the elated smile on his father's face that let Shig know that his request would more than likely be approved.
Later on, when he met with Temari, he was so breathless with daze and excitment, feelings that he had been denied for so long, that he could only nod as she asked if his request had been granted.
On the day of the wedding, a coronation ceremony would be held first, and Prince Shigeo would be crowned Lord of the Land of the River.
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"Well...that's great Temari," Kankuro said a little unsure as Temari told him their plan at the last picnic lunch she would share with him and Shig before the third bridal week began "but Shig can't just order the wedding off after he becomes the River lord. The Elders back home are going to be pissed if that happens and they're going to blame you for making Shig break the agreement. And think of what this would mean to Gaara! He busted his ass to get you the best deal possible, and it's all gonna be a waste if..."
"Shut up, Kankuro." the sister said lazily as she popped a berry in her mouth and calmly chewed it "Shig and I have everything all planned out, right Shig?" The prince blushed and nodded at Temari's wink.
Kankuro squinted an eye at her, looking very skeptical.
"Trust me." Temari said, laying back with her hands folded behind her head "Everything is under control."
"Whatever." her younger brother sighed and his eyes closed as he shook his head, not completely convinced. His hand then went into a pocket and returned with his fingers holding a small wooden box. He held it upsidedown over Temari's face and opened his eyes to look at her. "Before I forget, I've been instructed by a messenger from home to give you this. Guess who it's from?"
Shig looked at it curiously, but Temari quickly grabbed it and shot up from her relaxed position when she noticed that the box had the kazekage's seal carved on the lid.
That could only mean that it was from Gaara!
Her little brother had actually sent her a gift!
With wide eyes and an open mouth, as she could not believe this, she open the box with almost trembling fingers. Inside were two, beautiful pearl earrings that looked like they would match with Kankuro's necklace perfectly!
"I know, convenient, right?" Kankuro said, as if he knew what she was thinking "But just remember this: A. I'm an idiot when it come to gift-giving and B. Gaara and I like to chat sometimes." Kankuro lied down on the spread blanket, his hands crossed over his stomach, and shut his eyes to take a quick nap "Enough said."
Temari just continued to stare at the little treasures, hardly noticing the smile that had formed on her face, one that Shig could only copy as he noticed the only glimmer of true happiness he would probably ever see on her face.
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Unfortunately, the touched feeling Temari had felt after seeing the gift was short-lived as the last week slugged by very slowly.
From dawn to noon she would be fitted and modeled in different clothes, make-up, perfumes, and jewelry; in the afternoon she would take part in wierd purification rituals that either involved a bath in strange liquid mixtures (she didn't dare ask what they were consisted of) or sitting naked in the middle of a circle of lighted candles and chanting River priestesses.
One time she actually had to choke down a series of disugusting elixers that were claimed to enhance fertility.
But the most embarrasing part of the day was at dusk. Each night, before Temari could finally fall into bed, she had to study and be taught effective sexual and arousal techniques by skilled concubines of the nobility.
(Once or twice, there was even an offer of a demonstration, but Temari determinely put her foot down about that.)
She had to look at pictures, read texts, and observe diagrams that were so graphic and detailed that she felt as if her face was completely on fire. When the 'teachers' would give her little tips of the trade, they would sometimes use the words 'your husband' and at first Temari would constantly have to excuse herself to rush to the bathroom and throw up when she thought about doing any of these things with Shig.
She found that the only way this would be bearable was if she imagined 'her husband' was...a certain secret crush whose identity she would take to her grave.
Each day was a boring and humiliating ritual and Temari though she could feel a little of her life ebbing away with each breath that left her body. But at least now she understood why she was forbidden to see males during this period, and for once Temari was grateful for a traditional River custom.
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Finally!
That was the first thought in Temari's head on the morning of the coronation and wedding ceremonies.
True, there were still a couple more last minute purification rituals and wedding preparations before the appointed time, but it would definitely be worth it if everything she and Shig had gone over went according to plan.
Then she would be able to leave this hellish prison at last!
So, without so much as a whince, she calmly took the strange bath, took part in the ridiculous candle and chanting ritual, drank the wierd elxirs, and allowed the servants to doll her up.
The dress was (surprisingly) very beautiful and for once did not make Temari look like a hooker. The gown was a pale blue with a light violet sash wrapped around her waist. The heart-shaped top amazingly showed only a modest amount, but the most intriguing thing about it was the skirt that rippled to the ground and seemed to shimmer as she walked, almost giving it the appearance of a waterfall.
She wore a fabric, but sturdy, headdress that was the same color of the sash. It was basically a large tube that her hair was pulled through, which made a shock of short sandy locks bush out on the top of her head. Yet it somehow gave her a noble appearance and she decided that it really wasn't a bad look (besides, it was blessedly light and kept her hair off of her bare shoulders).
The shoes she wore were easy to move in, as they were only light blue slippers that were perfectly fitted around her feet; this was so much more delightful that the tight high-heels Temari had thought they might squeeze her into.
Even her make-up was more subtle than it had usually been. As she looked at her face in the mirror, her glossed lips actually turned upward at the light blue shade that had been painted above her dark lashes and the simple tint of pink blush that lightly graced her cheeks.
The perfume she wore was a very pleasant fragrance that had apparently been sent as a gift (though from who she was not told). The scent was absolutely wonderful compared to the choking pungency of the usual River perfumes and the only reason she got a headache was from trying to figure out who it was from.
All the servants would tell her was that since it was a gift, it would be an honor for the one who delivered it if Temari would wear it at the ceremony.
It was this statement that had swayed the servants into letting her wear the jewelry her brothers had given her rather than the elaborate diamonds that had originally been planned. As she walked gracefully toward the Great Golden Hall where the ceremony was to take place, the pearls glinted softly in the light and Temari felt like a proud sister, so different from the miserable bride she had previously pictured.
As she entered the spacious gold room, she noticed that everyone was seated in a circle around a solid gold platform that stood about a foot off the ground. The only break in the crowd was an aisle that led directly to the step, a path she would soon have to travel down after Shig's coronation; the coronation that seemed to be take place at the moment.
She saw Shig and Hiro standing in face-to-face in front of a table that was draped over with a white cloth. In center of the table was a golden glass that was no doubt filled with the sake she and Shig were expected to drink. Between the father and son was a priest that was chanting something that Temari could not make out, but she hardly cared when she tried to hold back from laughing at the head accessory Lord Hiro was wearing.
Like her own headdress, it looked like a thick tube, but it was a strong teal color that had what looked like yellow down around the top rim. Amber feathers that looked like short flimsy stalks of grain poked out around the rim as well, and it made Hiro look as if he was wearing a large birthday cake on his scalp, candles and all.
She was tempted to look around the room to get her attention off the ridiculous hat, but soon thought against it. Despite the plan she and Shig had to get out of this marriage, Temari still did not think she could look at...him on the day that she was supposed to be marrying another guy. So she just watched patiently as the coronation went on.
After a moment or so, Hiro took the headdress off and handed it to his son, who shyly took it from his father and carefully placed it on his own head. Temari sighed as she relized it was over when the priest proclaimed (loud enough for her to hear this time) "I now present to you all the new Lord of the Land of the River, Lord Shigeo!"
The young woman felt like cheering herself as she heard the polite applause from the guests. The first stages of the plan were complete, and now that Shig was River Lord, she was good as free!
She waited for the noise to die down before she suddenly started to stride down the aisle toward the new River lord and his father.
This shocked many people, as she was supposed to wait for Hiro to give the signal to start the wedding ceremony, but she didn't care. It was her every intention to get this part over with and return to her own warm home in the desert. Back to her beloved people and younger brothers.
With great poise she mounted the platform, slid in front of the former River lord and took Shig's right hand in her left, ignoring the gaping Hiro behind her.
"Do it." she said to Shig, who still seemed dazed from receiving his new position.
"Lady Temari! How wonderful that you are so eager!" Hiro laughed, but Temari did not turn around to look at him. She just looked at Shig as he shook his head and stared at Temari as if he had just noticed her there.
"Oh, Lady Temari!" Shig said "Of course!" Temari held her breath as Shig cleared his throat and turned toward the audience, who looked confused about what exactly was going on. She could see that the young man was trembling, obviosly still nervous about speaking in front of others, so she gave his hand a comforting squeeze to encourage him to continue "Um...I-I, Lord Shigeo..."
"WAIT!" Hiro cried holding his palm up to say 'stop' "You must wait for the priest to announce the union!"
"This is a different union." Temari said, once again not bothering to look at the former ruler "One that should make all of us content. Keep going, Lord Shigeo."
The use of his new title appeared to give the timid Shig a surge of confidence as he stood up straighter and announced clearly with his pleasant voice to the crowd "I, Lord Shigeo, have decided to accept Lady Temari of the Desert as an honorable member of the royal family!" Bringing his lift thumb up to his teeth, Shig bit the tip just like Temari had shown him, hard enough to draw blood.
He then turned to the woman beside him and held the wound up to her mouth.
"Do you accept?"
Clasping her fingers gently around his raised hand, Temari then said the two words she had been dreading for what felt like an eternity and she said it without any sign of regret.
"I do."
She pulled Shig's thumb closer toward her mouth and pressed her lips against his bleeding digit, half-kissing and half-sucking the the injury as Shig continued to speak "My blood is now yours. The Essence of the River that flows through all of its children now flows through you as well. This I decree as Lord of the Land of the River: from this moment henceforth, you shall be my official Honorable Little Sister."
With that said, Temari felt relief wash over like a wave and started to pull away from Shig's thumb; she was surprised when she felt him urge the still bleeding flesh back against her mouth.
"And any children you have," Shig said, now looking toward the amazed assembly "be it male or female, shall be seen as potential heirs for the Land of the River if I should never have any children of my own."
This shocked not only Temari, but every single person in the room!
The new River lord had just claimed that there was a chance that children who were not of his biological line were to be seen as the possible future Lord or Lady of his land!
Knowing that with Shig's sexual preference it was unlikely that he would have any kids of his own, Temari realized that this meant...
Forgetting that Shig's thumb was still against her lips, the young woman's mouth dropped open. Shig luckily pulled his hand away just in time and raised it high above his head "I now present to you all, my Honorable Little Sister, Lady Temari of the Wind and River!"
After that, only the echo of Lord Shigeo's final announcement could be heard throughout the entire Great Golden Hall.
Not one person in the assembly spoke or made a sound; Lord Hiro looked as if his eyes were going to buldge out of his head and his mouth was almost to the floor; the priest just shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the table, waiting for the crowd to give a response.
Temari just stood looking at the new River Lord, who still had his hand raised and was looking...expectantly at the gaping faces. It was truly amazing how this pale, stick of a boy who looked liked a suffering teenager now had the appearance of an strong, confident leader. Running her eyes over her new brother's form, taking in his red hair and pale skin, Temari could swear that it was Gaara who was standing beside her.
Suddenly, a slow deep clicking noise broke through the silence and all turned to look at the source of the noise.
The Kazekage himself, his face still showing no sign of emotion and still seated in his chair, was slowly clapping.
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"That was something, huh?" Kankuro asked his sister, leaning against a table casually and holding his drink.
"No kidding." Temari said, taking the headdress of of her head and running her fingers through her hair.
Something it certainly what it was. After Gaara had started clapping, the rest of the crowd had gradually started to join in until the everyone in entire hall, with the exception of those still standing on the platform, had erupted into a loud thunderous applause. The River lords, both former and new, had both then fainted and collasped onto the platform, one from the shock of what had just happened, and the other when he finally hit him that blood was dripping from his thumb. Temari had laughed right along with the majority of the crowd and after asking a few of the servants to carrying the man and his son to their bedrooms to rest she had invited everyone to assemble in the banquet hall, where the reception had already been set up.
After reaching the festive room, everyone had swarmed around Temari to congratulate her, but the kunoichi had been anxious to see her brothers and had just nodded her head at everyone as she had looked for them.
She had finally found Kankuro, dressed in the same garb he had been wearing at the first banquet, near the punch bowl and he had just gotten a drink when she walked up to him.
"Where's Gaara?" Temari asked him.
Kankuro shrugged as he swirled the red liquid around in his glass.
"He left. You know he doesn't like parties and stuff. He did say that he's expecting you back in Sand, though, and that he wants you to leave as soon as you can."
Temari smiled and rolled her eyes, knowing that this was just Gaara's way of saying he missed her.
Something suddenly caught her eye on the other side of the room, and Temari's smile morphed into a smirk as she dropped the headdress in front of Kankuro's face. Kankuro quickly reached down and caught it, almost dropping his drink, and raised an eyebrow at his sister, who was still staring at something across the room.
"You know," Temari remarked casually as she walked away from the puppeteer "Lord Shigeo told me that he's taken quite an interest in you. Maybe you should make the alliance between even stronger and indulge him."
After that, the headdress, the drink, and Kankuro's mouth all crashed to the floor.
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"Are those really the nicest clothes the Leaf Village has to offer?"
Temari voice dripped with sarcasm as she harshly punched the back of a broad shoulder clad in dark green. Her target turned his spiked hair to look at her, a grumpy looked on his face and a hand rubbing the assualted lump. His verdant shinobi vest and and the marked metal plate on the azure sleeve of his left arm made it obvious he was a Leaf ninja...who looked as if he were on a mission rather than a guest of a royal wedding.
The sand kunoichi snorted as her hands went to her hips as if she was scolding him "Not that I'm surprised or anything, but you could at least act like you care." The kunoichi swore that she felt next to giddy as her victim groaned fully knowing that she was trying to irk him.
"Dressing up just would've been such a drag." he said carelessly, his lips nearly resembling a pout "Besides, it's washed isn't it? And I figured sending you that damn perfume would been good enough."
Temari's eyes slightly widened, but she recomposed herself very quickly. Tackling back the tingle of flattery in that had developed in her gut, she just continued to stare down the annoyed shinobi.
"Good enough to what exactly?" A sandy brow raised at him in challenge, daring him to admit that he actually did care.
"You know what." he said exasperated, taking his hand away from his shoulder and slipping into his pocket "That I care. Even you should be able to discern that."
The young woman just shrugged, unfazed by his smart comment.
"I wouldn't have occured to me that it was from you, it's not in your nature to be caring. But I guess I should've known that it was," she sneered at him "only a total ass would send me something that smelled like a dead rat." Temari knew that there was no way that the genius could tell she was wearing his gift, as the room was too full of suffocating other scents much stronger than hers.
The young man just continued to look at her, his face showing clear annoyance but his eyes showing a lively spark
"Well, it takes one to know one. And I'll be sure to tell Ino that." he lazily shot back "She's the one that suggested it. If it had been my idea, I would've just sent you a card or something like that."
"Hmm." Temari shook her head, looking off in a different direction. While she was hit with a strong itch to snicker at the shocked expression she noticed Kankuro still had on his face, with his mouth still dropped open, arms limply at his sides, and his eyes the size of windmill shurikens, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Although the past few weeks had been hell, Temari couldn't help but think how lucky she was.
Twice she had evaded a marriage with a River royal, and again she had been able to spend more family time with at least one of her brothers. She had now been given yet another chance to form a stronger bond with her youngest sibling, and she had succeeded forming a permanent bond with the Land of the River. She wasn't Shigeo's wife so her decendants technically would (definitely) not be his, but her children still would be seen his heirs and one of them could someday be the Lord or Lady of the Land of the River.
What bond could be stronger than a child of Wind on the throne of the Land of the River?
It was a very clever decision on Shig's part, but this would make it necessary to reveal his 'secret' to the Elders in order to assure them that he would more than likely have no children of his own, practically guaranteeing lord/ladyship to one of Temari's progeny. And unfortunately, this also meant that the Elders would expect her to marry and get pregnant as soon as possible.
But that was a concern for another day.
Putting her fingers up in a familiar sign, the kunoichi quickly summoned a clone and turned back to her companion as the cloud dissipated around the prepared decoy. She grinned at his curious look and reached out a hand to him "Tell you what. Get me out of this pungent miasma and into some fresh air and I won't kick your ass for dressing like a slob on my special day. Or would that just be too much of a drag?"
Her friend Nara Shikamaru simply smirked back at her as her gripped her offered appendage and slipped quietly and swiftly out of the room with her. It didn't take long for the pair to reach the large door that led to the outer front terrace of the palace, which was still open to allow entrance and an easy exit to the guests.
As soon as she stepped out into the pleasant warm air, Temari took in a deep breath that was wonderfully void of any heavy reeking flangrance. Only pure fresh air delicately mixed with the soft, sweet scent of Shikamaru's present.
"You know," Shikamaru said from beside her, squeezing her hand gently and giving her a soft, but genuine smile "according to you, you smell exactly like a dead rat."
Temari's only response was a long, happy sigh of content.
(NOTE): Man, this is much longer than I had planned! Oh well, I wanted to make it good! Sorry if it dragged though and sorry for any mistakes ;P.
BTW: When I was talking about the kohl design on Kankuro's eyes, I meant like the Egyptian style (I forget what it's called:)). And there is a picture of Temari in her wedding outfit on my profile ;).
(ALSO): If ne1 in the homosexual community was offended, I assure you that that was NOT my intention. I have absolutely nothing against you (believe me, I'm a student of theatre where members of the gay community are found in abundance, and they are all amazing individuals and friends. I consider the person not by their sexual preference, but by their personality :).) The only reasons I mentioned that homosexuality was not accepted in the River land was A: to show how judgemental the royal family was and B: to show how heavy a burden this secret was on Shig and how no one should have to deal with that. Just wanted to say that so no one was offended ;).
One last thing, in my own mind I imagined Shig to sound like the english dub voice of Hanataro from Bleach. But of course u can imagine any voice u want.
Thanx for reading!