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"Don't be a spoiled brat, accept the scraps we offer and be grateful."
"If you continue to act too brash you'll end up in a sorry state."
"You brought the beating upon yourself."
The carriage jolted, and Sakura's mind was snapped back to the present. He shifted uncomfortably, the seat cushion beneath him almost entirely flat at this point. The guard in the carriage continued to sit with his eyes shut, paying no mind to Sakura or his discomfort. He was used to it at this point of his life, sometimes it was better to be ignored than to capture people's attention.
He glanced out the window, eyes transfixed on the vastness outside, watching as they moved deeper into the town, catching the attention of people wandering around. It didn't take long for a small crowd to form, following the carriages with curiosity lining their faces, eyes wide with growing excitement. Sakura felt the pit in his stomach deepen, and he leaned back, sinking as far as he was able to avoid making eye contact with anyone outside. The guard shifted in his seat, peeking one eye open, barely giving Sakura a glance before he looked outside, a small smirk forming on his face.
"I wonder what the people will think when they see you," His words were quiet but cold, dipped in venom as he spoke, "Their excitement will surely turn to disgust, don't you think?"
Sakura bit the inside of his cheek, pointedly looking away from the guard as he refrained from snapping. His father had instructed the guards to not lay hand on Sakura in a way that would mar his face, but he had given permission to rough him up as they see fit. The entire ride he had been ignored, given scraps from each meal and enough water to stay semi-hydrated. He'd kept his mouth shut enough to not receive anything other than a cuff to the back of his head once or twice. Truly, for him, that was a win.
"No matter," The guard laid his head back, eyes shutting once more, "I doubt your fiance will treat you much better once you two meet. As far as I'm aware, he's one of the top strongest men in this town. And he's the youngest of that as well." He peeked one eye open, a slow smirk spreading across his face, "You'll do well the mind the manners we taught you."
Taught was easily replaced with beat into you. Sakura took a deep breath, trying to quell the rise of annoyance in his chest, forcing his gaze down as he tried not to glare at the guard, not to show too much anger or annoyance despite the urge to leap across the seats, grab the man by the front of his shirt and punch him. He was good at that, punching people. At fighting. He had to become. The youngest of the Sakura clan, his father's second bastard child, and the only one who looked the way he did. He had to learn how to fight for survival purposes. He doubt any of those skills would come in handy anymore, being married off to the nation of Makochi.
"Ah, it seems we're here."
The carriage came to an abrupt stop, the drivers not caring for who sat inside. Sakura had to plant his feet quickly, stopping himself from being thrown from his seat. He heard the guard snicker, but paid no mind. He was too preoccupied trying to stop his hands from trembling, to soothe his fast paced heart. There was no time for fear or anxiety in a moment such as this. A quick rap on the door indicated they were ready to present Sakura, and his stomach rolled as he moved to stand.
"—Sakura Haruka," The door opened, and he caught the tail end of his introduction, the worker's voice sounding cold and detached as he spoke, "His father apologizes for being unable to accompany his son, but due to an ongrowing issue within town, he was needed to stay." The ongoing issue being that the poorer people of town were beginning to revolt, were beginning to fight back when guards knocked on their doors and demanded more rent, more food, more lodging. And truthfully, his father had just been too scared to step foot out of their estate.
Sakura felt much like a lamb being led to slaughter as he stepped down, eyes remaining glued to the ground as he bowed as he was taught to do, and remained silent, lips sealed. He stood fully after a moment, looking at the group of people he was being presented to. Truth be told, he wasn't sure which one was his fiance. He hadn't ever met the man, the decision was recent, and his father wasted no time in shipping him off.
Someone stepped forward, a man a bit older and taller than Sakura, hair as white as freshly fallen snow, and a large, almost boyish smile on his face. "It's no worries, we all understand how important responsibilities such as those can be." His attention turned to Sakura, and the pair made eye contact. It seemed as if his smile grew, ever so slightly, "It's an honor to meet you, Sakura. I'm Umemiya Hajime, the head Noble here in Makochi. I hope the trip wasn't too harsh."
Harsh was putting it lightly. Still, Sakura knew his response, and he shook his head, offering little else as he responded, "It was fine. Thank you for your concern."
The man, Umemiya nodded once, and for a breif moment the smile on his face looked strained. Before Sakura had any time to dwell on that, another person stepped forward. This person, while still slightly taller than Sakura, was noticibly shorter than Umemiya. His hair was a dark red, so deep in color it almost looked brown, but the most striking feature was the fact he was wearing an eyepatch. He had a smile on his face, though it looked painted on, so natural it was unnatural.
"This is Suo Hayato, your fiance."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruka-kun," The informal usage of his first name had Sakura's hackles raising, heat growing on his cheeks as he fought to keep a blank face, though judging by the amused look on Suo's face, he was doing terribly at hiding the embarrassment. "I look forward to our engagement, I shall take care of you, as I ask you to take care of me."
Suo's way of speaking, and the careful choice of words, made Sakura's chest feel… odd. He wasn't in a position to expect to be taken care of, he had been told this time and time again. He was to serve as needed of him, and accept whatever was given to him. He served his father as a political bargaining chip, and he accepted scraps— both of food and of affection. Still, he kept his face as neutral as he was able, bowing his head slightly.
"I will do my best not to shame you."
It was silent after he spoke, and he could feel the pinprickle of eyes on him. He stood straight, hands clasped before him, waiting for someone to respond, or for someone to initiate something. He noted the way Umemiya's smile seemed smaller, straining at the edges of his lips. Suo's expression seemed somewhat colder as well, his eye glancing over to the guards before snapping back to Sakura.
"I see," Was his response, and before Sakura could try and decipher what he meant by that— understand the tone behind the words, the guard to Sakura's right clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed past his limit.
"If introductions are finished, we'd like to officially hand him off to you. Our journey's been rathering tiring, you see, and—"
"I don't believe I had finished introducing myself to my betrothed," Suo's tone was icy now, devoid of any warmth or welcoming qualities, turning slightly to stare the guard who spoke down, "Had I indicated it was alright for you to interrupt us?"
The guard in question began to stammer. No one back home— his old home, he supposes— spoke to any guards or people who worked for Sakura's father in such a way. Except, of course, Sakura's father. Everyone else was beneath them, and to take such a tone… If Sakura had been the one to speak he would have been struck down in an instant.
"N-No, but you see—"
"Umemiya-sama," He addressed Umemiya, though his attention didn't shift away from the guard, "Is it ridiculous of me to assume basic respect from guardsmen who are both beneath me, and a guest in our home?"
Umemiya chuckled, clapping a hand on Suo's shoulder, and although he didn't look as serious as Suo did, the look on his face left no room to argue, "No, it isn't ridiculous."
Suo nodded, "I thought so. I wasn't sure if I was out of line here, but with your confirmation, I see I am not."
Sakura could feel the tension radiating not just from the one who spoke, but from every person that had accompanied Sakura from his hometown. Though none made any attempt to rescue their comrade, eyes collectively turning to look at the ground.
"My apologies, Suo-sama, I meant no disrespect."
Suo regarded him silently for a moment, letting the pause last long enough that the guard began to physically squirm. His gaze turned back to Sakura, his expression softening, "What say you, Haruka-kun. Should I accept his apology?"
Part of Sakura wanted to shout no. To tell Suo that all of these men deserved nothing short of being stomped into the dirt, left unconscious and bleeding and— He took a deep breath, "They're fine."
The tension in Suo, as the rest of the members of Makochi behind him, seemed to dissipate. Suo laughed airily, "Well, there you have it! After all, Haruka-kun is to be a member of Makochi from now on, so to stand there and speak so disrespectfully not only to me, but regarding him, well," He smiled, the curve of his cheek making his eye narrow, "You see how that would reflect poorly of the Sakura clan, don't you?"
"We shall be more mindful going forward," The guard bowed his head, his tone quivering slightly.
Sakura side eyed him, not used to seeing them bow so low to anyone other than his father. He knew little about Makochi, and even less of his fiance. They had to be some type of powerful to strike fear with just words alone. Umemiya clapped, startling Sakura, "Now! With that being settled, we'll grab Sakura's things, and you all can be on your way!"
"I— pardon?"
"You were speaking on how tired you were, and I imagine that you'd wish to be home as soon as possible. We thank you for delivering Haruka-kun to us, now, we bid you farewell," Suo stepped forward, stepping closer to Sakura with each step.
Sakura felt his shoulders tense, eyeing Suo warily. He wasn't sure what to expect from him, what was expected of Sakura, but instead of violence or aggression, Suo extended a hand forward, palm face up. "Haruka-kun, come, let me show you to your new home."
For a moment, Sakura just stared at Suo's hand. What… was he doing? It took a second longer for it to click in his head, not understanding the kind gesture before him. Once he understood the meaning behind it, he felt the heat travel up his cheeks, burning the tips of his ears. Suo wanted— he was supposed to—
He reached out, feeling unsteady as he placed his own hand in Suo's. The first thing he processed was that Suo's hand was warm. He can't recall the last time someone had ever held his hand— perhaps it had been his mother? Normally, people would grab him by the wrist and drag him where they needed him. Suo's palm was soft, but with more focus, Sakura could feel calluses on his fingers, on his palm.
"There we go."
Sakura had to resist the urge to pull his own hand back, allowing Suo to gently tug him, guiding him forward as he stepped away from the carriage and the guards. The tension that constantly surrounded Sakura eased, and he walked feeling lighter with each step, feeling like he was leaving his past behind him. He tried to shove that feeling away, worried the sense of relief was only temporary. He had to remain guarded, he had to remain vigilante, he had to—
—stop staring at Suo's face.
Suo's slightly chuckled had him realizing that the entire time he'd been walking alongside him, he hadn't taken his eyes off of Suo's face. He was studying the man— his fiance— eyes trailing across his jaw, his cheekbones, pausing on his eyepatch. He was curious about the man, that was it. Suo turned his head slightly, being able to look at Sakura with his good eye, "Curious about my eye?"
"N-No," His head whipped around to stare forward, which proved to be an issue of its own. People had gathered on the sides of the streets, watching as Sakura was led alongside Suo, no doubt the rest of the party behind them. It wasn't silent, but the conversations happening around them weren't loud enough for him to pick up on.
"Well, if you were curious enough to ask, I'd tell you that this eyepatch keeps an ancient, Chinese curse at bay." Sakura blinked, feeling himself falter momentarily as he stepped. He picked himself up, not needing to add falling on his face to the list of things that had happened today.
"A… curse?"
"Indeed," Suo replied, his voice smooth, and Sakura was acutely aware that they had made their way under rather large tori gates, a dark green, the walkway ahead surrounded by cherry blossoms, "It's rather inconveniant, I have to admit. If I'm to remove the covering, anyone who meets my gaze for far too long is met with unforunate consequences."
Sakura stared forward, seeing the emerging houses as they continued their walk. From behind them he swears he heard a muffled laugh, the sound of someone coughing. Is this why Sakura was to marry him? He had a curse that would harm Sakura? "I see."
"Suo-sama, please don't tease him like that!" A new voice caught his attention, and one of the people from the group earlier stepped slightly closer, anxiety clear in his brown eyes, hands ringing together, "It's not nice!"
"Wha—"
Suo laughed, one that sounded real, far louder than how he had when speaking to Sakura's father's guards. "Sorry, sorry, calm yourself, Nirei-kun." He gave Sakura a small smile, "I was joking, Haruka-kun. It's merely an eye injury."
"…Right." He couldn't help the way he felt his face scrunch up, annoyance growing in his chest, "That's... okay."
"I apologize, I hadn't realized my joke wouldn't land well!"
Sakura heard the other guy— Nirei— grumble to himself as he fell back into line with the other members. Only then did Sakura realize his hand was still laid in Suo's, and the annoyance simmered down into embarrassment. "I— you can let go of my hand, if you need. I doubt my father's men can see us here."
"Oh? Does Haruka-kun wish to stop holding my hand?"
"That's— I didn't say that!"
"Alright, then until you ask me to, I won't let go."