The Prince, and his slave

Prologue


“Mommy  Mommy  Come on, we have to go ” seven year old Sakura called to her mother.

It was a sunny day in the village, but hardly anyone noticed. Since the entire village was preparing for the up coming attack.

The Uchiha Clan in the Land of Fire had decided that they wanted to expand their territory and were set on taking over all the small, remote villages on the boarder of their land.

The people of the Uchiha Clan were known for being cold hearted and ruthless monsters, who always got whatever they wanted. Everyone in Sakura’s village knew this, they also knew that they were, in a way singing their own death sentence, in opposing the Uchiha clan.
But they still fought anyway.

-I-

It had started when the people of the village found out about the Uchiha’s plan to overtake the village and the surrounding farmland. Sakura’s father and a few other men from the village had gone to the Uchiha land to try to work out a peace treaty, but none of the men had returned alive. The only thing that had come back, was a large cart covered in a crimson sheet and letter saying that unless the people of the village surrendered and swore loyalty to the Uchiha Clan then, the Uchiha army would attack and take the village by force. Everyone knew they would.

Still the villagers refused to surrender, and decided to fight for their land. Apparently they were the only village that did. All the other villages that the Uchiha’s wanted gave up without a fight. That is when everything went down hill.

All trade into the village stopped and none of the other villages would take any goods from the merchants that cam from Sakura’s village. Eventually the other villages just started to kill the merchants who came to trade. The crop fields were then burned, cattle killed, and the farmers and their families slaughtered. The villages’ water supply had been poisoned so if you drank the water then you were sure to die. Then sickness and famon came in and many innocent lives were lost.
It was a miracle that any people still survived in the village. However, most of them were incapable of fighting off the Uchiha army. Everyone in the village knew that it was all the Uchiha’s fault. They were the ones responsible for all of the terrible things happening to their home, and the lost of their love ones.

Due to the harsh reality of what was happening to their home, the village elders sent another group of people to surrender and ask for forgiveness from the Uchiha’s. Tragically, they too never returned alive. The only thing that had come back, besides another large cart covered in a crimson sheet, was another letter declaring that if the people of the village were foolish enough to get into a war that they couldn’t possibly win, then they should at least be brave enough to finish or die trying.

Resulting in the village that was now in choas. People were running around grabbing things, gathering any food that wasn’t rotten, and sharpening weapons for the up coming battle. All the women and children were being taken to the stone church were they would hopefully be safe. While the men were fighting against the Uchiha army.

There was Sakura and her mother inside the church with all the other women and children. Sakura was a small girl, small for her age anyway. She had pink hair that she got from her mother, and emerald green eyes she got from her father. She also had a wide forehead that caused the other children to pick on her, but they stopped doing that after her father was killed and the war started.

It was now do to her strange appearance that many of the people in the village called her and her mother witches. The other villagers blamed them for being apart of the cause of the suffering, believing that they were helping the Uchiha Clan in the distruction of the village. Disregarding the fact that Sakura’s father had been a well respected man in the community. They said that Sakura’s mother had bewitched her father, and when she had grown tried of having him for a lover, she had set him to his death at the hands of the demon-like Uchiha’s. The only reason they hadn’t executed them was the fear of Sakura and her mother’s wrath if they even atemped such a thing.

Even now as Sakura and her mother sat in the stone church, in a secluded corner toward the back of the room, the fear glances and stares of the fellow women and children present could not be ignored. Sakura, in truth, was unsure if she should be happy now that the villagers feared her or be upset that they did. She may not have liked a majority of the people in her village more than anything she pitied them, but she didn’t hate them. No, there was only one group of people she hated.

They were know as Uchiha’s.

'This was all those Uchiha’s fault.' Oh, how she hated them. A mere child of seven and she already knew what it was like to hate.They were the ones responsible for all of the terrible things happening to her home, for all the pain and suffering, for … for taking her father away from her and her mother.

“Sakura, you need to eat dear. Here take this.”

Sakura startled from her thoughts as her mother handed her a stale loaf of bread.
“No mother. I’m fine. Really, besides we have so little already.” she replied as she handed back the bread her mother had given her.

Sakura’s mother shook her head and pushed the loaf back into her daughters’ hands. “No Sakura. You haven’t eaten in a while and I can tell that you are hungry.”
Sakura’s mother had to stop talking as another coughing fit started.

Sakura noticed that her mother had been coughing a lot more lately. Ever since her mother had started to help heal all of the sick dieing people. She knew her mother was sick, but prayed that she would be ok and hoped that it wasn’t the terrible sickness that had taken so many of the other innocent villagers lives. Fools hope? Yes. But it was sill hope, and that was all she had now. Sakura wasn’t sure what she would do if she lost her mother the same why she had lost her father.

Thankfully she didn’t have to worry about that right now, and she could think about it some other day.

Nodding her head in agreement she started to eat the loaf of bread. It tasted hard like a rock, and disgusting at the same time, but hey, food was food who cared if it was so hard not even a dimond had a chance of cutting it. Besides anything that wasn’t covered in mold nowadays was a rare find.

When Sakura was done her mother picked her up and set her down in her lap, and started to sing a lullaby. A lullaby that relaxation from a harsh storm and calming thoughts.

Little child, be not afraid
though the rain pounds harshly against the glass
like a unwanted stranger
there is not danger
I am here tonight
little child be not afraid
though thunder explodes and lightning flash
illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight
and some day you’ll know
that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and lands
on forest and sand
makes the beautiful world that you’ll see
in the morning
little child, be not afraid
though the storm clouds mask your beloved moon
and it’s candlelight beams,
still keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight
little child be not afraid
though wind makes creatures of our trees
and their branches to hands,
they’re not real, understand
and I am here tonight
and someday you’ll know
that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forest and sand
makes the beautiful world that you’ll see
in the morning
for you know,
once even I was a
little child, and I was afraid
but a gentle someone always came
to dry all my tears,
trade sweet sleep for fears
and to give a kiss goodnight
well now I am grown
and these years have shown
that rain’s a part of how life goes
but it’s dark and it’s late
so I’ll hold you and wait
‘til your frightened eyes do close
and I hope that you’ll know...
that nature is so
that same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forest and sand
makes the beautiful world that you’ll see
in the morning
everything’s fine in the morning
the rain’ll be gone in the morning
but you’ll still be here in the morning

Sakura loved this lullaby. Her father used to sing it to her every raining night before she fell asleep. When her father was still here. Oh, how she missed him. Sakura felt her eye lids getting heaver, and soon was fast asleep. Dreaming of the day when the war would be over and her and her mother would live happily for the rest of their lives.

-I-

She was unsure of how long she had slept. All she heard was an explosion and the sound of stone crashing and people screaming.

Sakura jolted awake and looked around. There was a large hole in the wall with armed men jumping inside the church caring swords killing any woman or child within striking distance. She tried to look at the attackers faces, but couldn’t as her mother picked her up and carried her out of the church.

Outside she saw the true extent of the attack. The village Sakura had grown up in and cherished was now in ruin. Some buildings were destroyed, others on fire. There were people running around trying to get away from the Uchiha armies’ soldiers.

There were bodies lying everywhere. Blood ran like rivers in the streets. She almost went deaf to the sounds of so many people crying out in pain as they slowly lay dying. The sky was covered in the black smog from fire. The smell of both smoke and dead bodies was so thick that Sakura almost gaged.

Her mother was running, looking for a safe place to hide her and her daughter, but staring behind her mother’s back, Sakura saw something that her mother didn’t see. Her mother didn’t see the horseman coming up behind her.

Then time seemed to slow down. Sakura saw her mother still looking forward. She must have called to her because her mother turned to look at her, then behind her. Her eyes widening in fear as she saw the horseman.

Time accelerated forward as Sakura felt the hard ground rush up to meet her after her mother threw her from her arms. When Sakura sat up and looked up at where her mother had been she felt as if her heart had been perced by a dull sword.

There right in front of her very own eyes was her worst nightmare. She saw her mother being trampled beneath the horses’ hooves as it ran over her. Sakura saw her mother look at her for one last time before her eyes closed. Forever. She saw the horseman’s sick, twisted smile at the sight of her mother as he continued riding along as if nothing had happened, as if trampeling a women beneth his horse was the same as trampeling a mere insect. She could feel hot tears streaming down her face, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away.

She wasn’t sure how she did it, but Sakura soon found herself near her mothers’ body. She saw her hand tremble as she slowly reached for her mother. She pulled her hand back, how could it be that even though her mother was dead she still felt so warm?

Sakura noticed her mothers necklace hanging around her neck, it was a light pink sapphire stone cut into the shape of a cherry blossom on a white gold chain. Her father had given it to her mother before he had left the village to compromise with the Uchiha’s. She remembered how he had said everything would be alright. And how everything would be back to normal as soon as the war was over. It was all lies.

With trembleing fingers she removed the necklace from her mother’s body, and hugged it close to her chest. It was still warm.

“Mommy? Mommy? Please, Mommy, don’t leave me, too. Just like father did. Please don’t go where I can’t follow.” she sobbed.

Sakura was so busy sobbing she didn’t even notice the horseman turn back towards her, she didn’t even feel the rope tighten as he bound her with it, or him putting her on his stale. She only snapped out of her trance when she noticed her mothers’ body being left behind as the horseman rode away.

“No  Stop  Mommy  MOMMY ” She tried to struggle out of the ropes, but they were just bound to tight for her small frame to get free.

“Hey you little brat. Shut up.” He almost feel off of his horse as Sakura slammed back against his chest. “I said SHUT UP ”

He slapped Sakura across the face. Hard. So hard her vision started to fade. The last thing she saw were the destroyed buildings as the horseman started to leave the ruined village behind. Before all went black.

-I-

Sakura awoke slowly. “Where am I?”

She carefully sat up trying not to pass out from the dizziness. She could tell she was in a small room, which she guessed it was a wood covered cart, and it was moving by the way it shook.

She gently rubbed her check where she get slapped. It still hurt like heck and she could tell it was going to leave one nasty bruise, but she’d live.

Sakura tried to move to where she could make out a small door, but couldn’t because both of her wrist were chained to the wall. Now she started to panic.

“Hello? Hello, is anyone there? Please help me ” When no one replied she started to cry. “Please someone, anyone  HELP ME ”

Sakura pounded on the wall nearest to her for a few minutes before the cart suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Causing Sakura to fall to the floor.

“Ouch. That really hurt.” She was blinded and had to rub away the tears away from her eyes from the bright sunlight that entered as the small door to the cart opened.

“You, slave. Get up.”

Sakura looked up, there in the doorway of the cart was a man whom was extremely old by the wrinkles on his face. He also was missing a lot of teeth, had an ugly looking scar running across his face, he was balding, his beard could use a really good wash. She could also tell he needed a long hot bath with lots of soap just by the way he looked and smelled.

Before she could answer the old man jumped up into the cart, and lifted her right off the floor by the chain around her wrist. Sakura winced in pain, but resisted crying in front of him. She kept her eyes glued to the floor in an act of submission.

“Listen girl and listen good. Hey, look at your master when they are specking to you ” He grabbed Sakura’s chin roughly and forced her to look him in the eye.

Within the man's grasp she trembled in fear, unsure of what this terrifying man wanted. All she wanted was to be with her mother and father, but the one thing she wanted the most was this nightmare to be over already.

“I’m your master now so make sure you pay attention. You’re a slave now, and a virgin, and virgin slaves sell fairly well on the market, and I plan to make a good lot of money off of you. However, thanks to the god damn law you’re to young, and will have to wait until you’re seventeen. So for the time being you’re going to be my slave until your old enough to be sold for a high price. Now be sure to mind your place.

“You’re going to be working for me on my property, and there are a few rules you need to learn if you want to live, so take notes.

1)You are not, under any circumstances, allowed to disobey me. If you do then I will personally see to it that you get a sever beating and never forget the punishment you received. So you’ll be sure not to do it again.

2)You are not allowed to leave my land unless given permission and have an escort with you. But don’t go and make the mistake thinking you’re special because your not. I just don’t want someone to kidnap you, and bed you before I can sell you.

Also don’t think about escaping either because I have guards patrolling the property during the day, and dogs patrolling at night. Their trained to not kill me or my family, but will not hesitate rip your little body to sheds if you even set a foot off the property.

3)If you want to live to see an old age then you had better learn when to give in and do whatever someone tells you, because not all slave owners are as nice as me. Also you will address me as master from now on. Understand wench?” He glared down at the broken, now crying girl waiting for her answer.

Sakura had rivers of tears flowing from her eyes, but she couldn’t stop herself from crying. She could literally feel herself breaking apart inside. How had the life she loved, turn into such a nightmare? What had she done that was so bad to deserve this? Whom had she hurt so badly for this to be her fate?

The old man dropped Sakura to her knees and kicked her stomach when she didn’t answer.

“Well do you understand, bitch?” He slapped the same check where Sakura had been slapped earlier knowing he was going to get an answer out of her that way, and it did.

In the smallest, broken voice he heard in between Sakura’s sobs was “Y-yes-s M-master-r-r.”