Chapter 18! Thank you to those who reviewed! Again, forgive me for my tardiness! I had a lot to do last week (aka exams) and other fun stuff. Yup, that's life. Anyway, since there's a lot of days off for me in this month, I'll have more time to work on this story. The problem is that I'm slow and multitask at the same time. xD Anyway, enjoy this chapter! Critics and flamers are more than welcome!

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Steps....

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First week of rehearsal.

Tenten walked down the middle of the room with a stack of three textbooks on her head as Hinata grinned at her improvement and Neji watched her from his peripheral vision. Walking with her head held high up, she stared at the wall in front of her with her shoulders up but relaxed, her arms set aside, and her face stern.

The king, resuming his paperwork, ever so smirked as he saw the transformation of her walk. He had been told about what Claire had said to his fiancée while trying to scare her, and he was glad that Tenten had not paid any attention to her. He was too close to suddenly lose her.

Second week of rehearsal

Gently, she grabbed her teacup and lady-like, she sipped her herbal tea. Hinata sat in front of her, though staring at her deliberately. She took notice of Tenten’s posture, how she was holding the small elegantly-designed cup, how far back her head was declined as she gulped her drink, and if her pinky was out or not.

After setting the teacup on the coffee table betwixt them, Tenten glanced back at Hinata with a questioning look. “How did I do?”

The younger girl’s smiled appear as she clapped her hands once in front of her chest. “Y-You did great, Tenten! And, your pinky was out this time.”

Third week of rehearsal

Tenten stood behind the podium with two sheets of paper sitting in front of her as she looked at her audience: Hinata and a hundred other empty chairs. Sighing, she recalled what she had to do.

Make eye contact with the audience

Make sure they do not look away from you or look bored and especially do not fall asleep

Make sure they do not interrupt you

And smile

Looking down for a brief second, she recalled the topic of her speech: how she will be a good wife and a great mother to her soon-to-come family.

The peasant also remembered the topics she had to include in her speech: how she will be faithful to King Hyuuga and her children, how she will give Neji as many children as possible, the fact that she will do as her husband commands, and she will serve as a positive role model towards princesses so they do not commit adultery when they grow up.

“How long does this speech have to be?” Tenten asked, the whole idea of a speech causing her to suddenly become ill.

“It should l-last at least four minutes. Neji has to give a speech for an hour.”

“But he’s used to giving speeches for that long, if not longer, about his life and what he’ll do for this country, but not me. I can’t give a four or five minute speech about Neji doing whatever he wants with my mind and body, how I need to give him a male heir first and then a bunch of kids afterwards in order to continue the clan, and how I will be a good mother to them. I never took care of kids in my life, just my parents. I don’t know how to deal with them. I don’t even have brothers or sisters!”

Hinata scratched the back of her head. “I think I have an idea…”

Fourth week of rehearsal

Carefully, she poured the coffee inside the small cup, hoping she wouldn’t accidentally spill everything nearby. Nonetheless, this was one of the easiest lessons that Tenten had taken throughout the long pressuring weeks. She had poured tea and coffee so much for her father over the past ten years that she can do the simple task with one hand. However, because tea, coffee, and other important drinks must be served with beauty, she had to position herself in a certain way and make sure her movements did not show any thing unsightly.

“How’d I do?” she asked, placing the container back on the table.

“You did better than yesterday, b-but try not to shake so much and relax.”

Fifth week of rehearsal

Tenten threw herself on the couch as the loud screeching sound of the children’s screams tortured her ears and aching head. She glanced at her fiancé’s cousin and saw her cradling a five-year-old blond princess. The little girl was cute, yet her loud screeches and horrible tantrum was causing Tenten to despise children.

The peasant looked at the screaming boy in front of her as he kicked the couch. Startling, Tenten jumped.

Damn kid is going to give me a heart attack…

“Can you calm down, please?”

“No! I want my mother, you dumb harlot!”

Tenten’s eyes widened as she abruptly stood up and glared down at him. “Harlot? Where in hell did you learn that word? You’re just four years old!”

“My father’s mistress is a harlot!”

That explains everything….

Sixth week of rehearsal

Tenten glared at the needles in her hands, wincing at the pain after she had accidentally pierced her skin with them. She glanced at Hinata and saw the beautiful scarf she had sewn. Afterwards, she looked down at her own work and cringed.

“Hinata, I don’t know how to sew.”

Hinata glanced at her work and giggled. “You sewed a-a lovely sock!”

“….It’s supposed a skirt…”

A feeling of relief rose throughout her aching legs as she laid down on her couch and closed her eyes, her cold hands resting on her forehead. Majeshiama walked, with the aid of his cane, towards her and sat down on the couch beside her feet.

“You look awfully tired. What did you do today?”

Her eyes remained closed as she opened her mouth to reply. “I had to learn how to serve food….in a proper fashion.”

“…And how was it?”

“Tiring as always. Everything I do has to be done in a proper fashion. I bet that the next thing they’ll tell me is to crap in a proper fashion.”

Majeshiama chuckled. “Remember what Lady Hinata said, control that colorful vocabulary of yours.”

“She’s not here right now, so I can curse as much as I want.”

“You’re not going to progress if you tell yourself that.”

The peasant waved a lazy hand at her father as she heard the door open and close. Majeshiama looked back and smiled as Kiba entered the small family home.

“Hello, Kiba. Long time I haven’t seen you.”

The man nodded sincerely.

“Good evening, sir. I’ve been working a lot for my mom. Ever since she broke her leg, she hasn’t been able to go back to her job, so I’m now working two jobs in order to get some food on the table since King Hyuuga gives money to only one person in this country.”

Tenten’s eyes flew opened as she quickly sat up. “Kiba, please don’t start with me. I’m very tired right now to start arguing with you.”

The dog-lover chuckled as he moved in further into the living room, his eyes never leaving hers. Uncomfortably, Tenten looked elsewhere and sat up, rubbing her temples.

“Looks like King Hyuuga has tired you up. But, since you are going to become his wife, you should start getting used to the ridiculous labors.”

“Did you come here to ridicule me?”

“Now why would I do that to my friend, who has completely ignored everyone else, including herself, just to impress King Hyuuga and his ignorant family?”

Tenten stood up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “Don’t be a two-faced hypocrite.”

“Two-faced hypocrite? You don’t even know what you’re saying! Look at you, Tenten! You look thinner, you’ve become colder, and you look ill. I’m concerned about your health. Ever since you decided to become the king’s bitch, you’ve become weaker and sick. You have bags under your eyes, you always look tired, and you barely talk to me, Lee, or Naruto! It’s like you isolated yourself from all of us! Not only that, but your father’s health has gotten worse as well!”

The peasants stared at one another, studying each other’s expressions and thinking about what Kiba had recently just said.

Majeshiama gazed at his daughter and frowned, noticing how her once bright eyes were now half way shut, bags were forming under her eyes, her body had gotten slightly thinner, and how stressed she was every single day.

Tenten stared at her father and noticed how his health has gotten a bit worse. Like her, he had bags beneath his eyes and his back had started to ache for quite some time.

Had her relationship with Neji caused her relationship with her friends and family to break?

“I think I made my point.” he said, turning.

However, Tenten placed her hand on his shoulder and turned him around. “Kiba, wait please-”

“No. I think I should leave before King Hyuuga sees me and executes me.”

“Kiba, please-”

A sudden loud, thumping noise, caused both of them to turn around swiftly. Tenten screamed as she saw her father trembling on the floor, white foam escaping from his mouth.

“Daddy!”

Getting on her knees, she grabbed his head and stared into his wide opened eyes. She felt her heart beating by her throat as she mentally screamed for him not to die.

“Go get Lee and tell him to get his carriage ready so we can take him to the hospital! Go!”

Shaking, she got up and hurried out the door, warm tears already streaming down her face. As soon as she reached Lee’s home, she frantically knocked on the door.

“Lee, open up! Lee! Lee!”

Seconds later, the wooden door opened and a tired Lee showed up.

“Tenten, what’s wrong?”

“Something’s wrong with my father and I don’t know what to do! Kiba’s over there and he wants you to get the horse carriage ready!”

With a simple nod, he rushed out of his small house and prepared the small horse-carriage.

Kiba suddenly came out of her house with her father in his arms. “He’s still breathing, but unsteady.”

As Lee tied the horses’ ropes to the carriage, Kiba settled the semi-unconscious man on the back and then turned his attention towards Tenten.

“C’mon, he‘ll be alright.”

Grabbing her hand, he helped her get on and then shifted next to Lee.

“You ready?”

Lee nodded, swinging the ropes as the horses began to move.

I'm finished! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The first half was just like an introduction to the lives of women when they married Kings and other rich guys. I had to do some research online and I was so disgusted because back then (around 1500s-1900s), women were seeing as low-level humans... not even as humans some times! Ugh, these men. I wish I can go back and beat them all and show them REAL power... from me! Anyway, this story is closing up soon... aka it's towards the ending! If there was any mistake, tell me!

REVIEW!