Sometimes she got bored by the endless sea of earthy yellow, sand engulfing everything in sight.

She strolled in the garden – or whatever they called this place.

Delicately, she walked along the pebble path, step by step, she stared at the bare branches, muddy surface and the few sprouts of green, all covered in small spikes – this was different from the gardens she had heard of from the storytellers, the sweet scent of flowers never grazed the barren grounds of this place. Stones were erect all over in different shapes; they sat silently in the garden - only adding to the coldness in her eyes.

"My Lady, we should return to your room," she jerked her head around with a glare, the servant shuddered and lowered her head. Her glance softened with a sigh.

"I shall return when I feel like it," she said softly, but firmly.

She was tall for a Suna woman, towering above the servants that followed her at a distance close by. Her indigo eyes stared straight ahead, her sandy blonde hair ruffled in the wind, grazing across her shoulder blades.

The long train of her dress dragged across the pebble path, the thin coat draped around her tall slender figure. She swayed along, gracefully like the dancing willow one would see by the river, each step she took was a glimpse into her upbringing – despite Suna's nomadic past, the rich culture took root, and its aristocracy bloomed like desert flowers.

She came from one of the oldest families – almost as old as the Kazekage clan – the clan that united all the nomadic tribes under an hourglass banner.

Her clan was one of the earliest to forfeit the banner of their own family, making themselves subordinate to the Kazekage clan.

It has been hundred of years that the two family's friendship was consolidated by marriage and blood ties. She was no exception.

By decree of her father, she married the young King of Suna when he ascended to the throne.

With the seal of marriage, they crushed her dreams to travel across the continent, to see pristine white snow, to feel running water in the rivers – all of them crushed, all of them buried in the scorching sand of the desert.

She placed her hand on her slightly swollen abdomen, sighing as she turned around – now that she was with child, getting to see the world had became virtually impossible.

The servants dipped their head as they saw her turning around, her porcelain face with delicate features emotionless.

"Let's go back." She said, her voice was warm, only to be laced with confusion and a certain hint of melancholy.

Each step she took became heavier as she moved forward; a grand palace grew closer and closer to her – her home, her cage.

The servants threw themselves onto the ground as they pushed the door open.

She was not expecting to see him – he was supposed to be busying himself at the study.

Her husband the King was sitting at the bench next to the bed, reading a scroll from his hand.

"Ah, you are back." He stood up and took her hand, leading her to the bench.

"Your Majesty," she dipped her head, only to have him stop her from curtseying.

"There is no need to curtsey, especially when you're with child." She was bemused by her husband's rare expression of joy.
He was a stern man – all Suna men are, they rarely expressed emotions at all – it was considered a sign of vulnerability. Women were also supposed to hold emotions – it was considered 'graceful' for one to keep their composure.

Karura thought it was ridiculous, she laugh whenever she wanted to, cry if she wanted to – Rasa, her husband called her a 'rebel' – he admired her for daring to be who she was.

"You seemed amused today," she smiled at him. "What happened?"
Karura looked at her husband affectionately, as her hand gently rested upon Rasa's.

"You wouldn't believe it," he laughed a little as he clasped her smaller hand into his. "The astronomer told us that last night a dash of light swiped through the sky, like a sword slashing through a pitch black cloth. They said it is a phoenix flying through the sky."

"Oh?" She smiled warmly, her other hand soothing the curve of her abdomen. "It must be a lucky sign."

"Indeed," he leaned forward and placed his hand on her round stomach. "Our child must be extraordinary."
She nodded with a hue of pinkness on her face, staring longingly at her stomach.
"I hope that it will bring peace to our country," she said softly, her hand gently soothing over the round surface.
"I wish for the same," he said. "An heir to my throne as well."

He pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead before she could say anything. "I shall return later at night, get some rest." She nodded, as he left the door with one last gaze upon her.

Something in her sand and dust covered past flashed in front of her eyes.

The words of the priest rang in her ear.

"Lady Karura was meant for greatness, not of her own but that of her children."

A twelve year old stared at the blind old man, who touched the pebbles on the desk with his fingertips.

"What else?" Her younger brother, Yashamaru tried to reach out and touch the pebbles, only to be stopped by his sister.

"Indeed, young master, you shall try to intervene, but destiny shall prevail."

Karura tilted her head and looked at her younger brother.

She smiled at him. "Everything is going to be alright," she said warmly.

Both children did not notice the blind man sighing deeply, as his void-like eyes stared far away as if he could already see the future.

Yasahmaru came later that day to visit her; Karura was happy enough to see him.

"Sister," he greeted her and knelt next to her, placing his ear on her abdomen.

"I could feel the little one kicking!" He exclaimed excitedly as Karura jolted at the sudden movement of her child. She placed a loving hand on her brother's head, who made no protest, allowing his sister to ruffle his equally blond hair.

Yashamaru, heir to his father's family, was considered a 'failure'.

Unlike the stereotypical masculine, rugged Suna man, one would easily mistook the heir to their clan as a woman, the siblings shared the same shoulder length blonde locks, the same indigo eyes.

Karura was frightened by the very fact that she was going to die the same way her mother did – by childbirth, how she was splayed across the bed like a blood red dahlia flower, covered in her own blood as she took her last breath on earth, a dead infant in the physician's hands.

Her hands trembled at the thought, and apart from that, she had no idea what a mother should be like – her father had had several wives, their stepmothers, but they ignored the two of them. They grew up motherless, and now she sat on the bed, waiting to be a mother herself.

Yashamaru's hand rested on hers. "I am sure you will be a great mother, nee-chan. You have taken care of me since I could remember"

Karura's face broke into a grin as she saw his reassuring smile. "I asked the physician, he said the child will come anytime now."

Yashamaru stroked the round curves. "I can't wait to be an uncle."

Karura smiled as she yawned. "I am going to let you rest now," he hugged her across the shoulder and left the room.

The servants helped her as she laid down onto the bed, she closed her eyes and hoped for the best.

Another two months have passed, and Karura sat in her room.

The August sun shone brightly outside, the heat overwhelming.

The servants swung an ostrich feather fan behind her, the breeze ruffling her short blonde hair.

Her abdomen has swelled to the extent that she found it impossible to walk around in the gardens.

She could barely opened her eyes – each second made her feel drowsy.

"My Lady, would you like to rest?" The servants helped her lie down, her head jerked upwards as a wave of pain took over her.

The servants dropped to her knees as Karura's face twisted in pain, she raised her hand in the air.

"Find the physician, you idiots!" One of the servants became clear-headed and instructed the other servants. "Hang in there, My Lady."

Karura could not hear her, all she could was her own screams, and everything turned red in her eyes.

Rasa was reading in his study, when one of the servants ran in and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty," the panting servant looked at the ground as he tried to speak. "The Queen has gone into labour."

The King dropped the scroll he was reading, and shot up from his seat.

Immediately, he walked out of the study.

He practically ran towards Karura's room, and was barred by two of the servants.

"Your Majesty," she said softly. "The birth room is an unholy place."

Rasa flipped his robes in frustration, as Karura's moans and screams pierced through the doors.

He walked back and forth impatiently, the frown on his face as deep as if it was carved onto it by knives.

Karura stared up at the ceiling, as the pain tore her into half. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Karura!" Rasa's voice peered through the door. "Karura!"

She took another deep breath.
"My Lady, just one more push," the physician said, urging her to push the infant out of her. "I can see its head."

He jerked his head around when he heard a loud scream, followed by the cry of a newborn infant.

The physician walked out of the room, and knelt onto the ground.

"It is a Princess, Your Majesty," she replied. "The Queen shall be ready when they cleaned the Princess and herself."

Rasa waited for a while as he entered the room.

Karura was lying down, her eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly.

"Show me the Princess," Rasa said to the servant standing next to her bed.

The servant obliged and returned with a bundle of silk and cloth in her hands.

"Your Majesty," she handed the infant over.

Rasa gently tugged away the silk, and looked at the baby.

The infant closed her eyes tightly, her head was covered by thin blonde hair.

Rasa stared at the infant's tiny features, as she slowly opened her eyes.

The little Princess stared at her father with gloriously green eyes.

Rasa thought he saw his own reflection in the small pond in a desert oasis.

He could not help himself to smile, as her lips slowly turned upwards into a tiny smile.

"Rasa?" He heard his wife's voice, and walked towards the bed.

"Look at her," Rasa showed Karura the infant, who looked at her mother with shining green eyes.

"She is beautiful," Karura reached out and touched the infant's soft chubby face. "What are we going to name her?" Rasa was grinning ear from ear. "My firstborn, my daughter." He muttered.

"You are definitely going to spoil her," Karura smiled, as she tried to sit up.

"I wouldn't mind," he replied as he sat down with her. "After all, there hasn't been a princess in the Kazekage clan for a long time."

Karura laughed a little and said nothing.

"I had the astronomers drafted out a few names – Akemi, Eiko…" Rasa shrugged. "But I don't really like them."

Karura nodded in agreement. "How about Temari?"

"A blessing of friendship, loyalty, as well as a brilliant and happy life?" Rasa smiled at the baby girl.

"Temari it is then." He let Karura hold the infant.

She pressed a soft kiss onto the chubby cheeks.

"Temari," she whispered softly, as the infant snored quietly.

And so, that was the day that Princess Temari of Suna was born.

Author's note:

Another historical fan fiction! Another story about my favourite character again :3
I wanted this to be a complete biographical fiction about the life of Princess Temari, so that you can fully immersed into this world.
I am probably going to write a very long story :D

Anyway, enjoy! xoxo

V.S.V