The cursed prince

{32}

All three young men were walking in relative silence across the ground floor, heading towards the palace garden which is one of the many places where the prince loves to stroll and relax, dubbing it as his favorite place. " Remember Lee? When we were children we used to play here all the time! Wolf and foxes. The game was amazing even Nii-San enjoyed it." The prince recalled with a bright smile as he turned to face his best friend, completely disregarding his Coadjutant much to the Hyuga's disdain and to Lee's amusement.

"How could I forget, you never won! It was always me and prince Kurama, and in just one day, princess Karin beat you easily." Lee chuckled softly at the immediate change in emotion plastered on the prince's face, and most certainly reveling at the subtle jealousy radiating from his prince's Coadjutant.

The Hyuga couldn't stand seeing another lowlife get all too close to his prince, especially when this infuriating pest keeps butting in before Neji could start off with his plan to get this beauty as his lover. Turning to look at the beautiful garden from atop the grand, marble double spiral staircases, finally admiring it for the first time since stepping foot into the palace. The Hyuga clan is quite a prestigious family in the Wind kingdom as his uncle is not only the head of the clan but also their family's representative in the head council of the kingdom.

Yet, due to this high status in the family, the only members of the family that are treated with respect and admiration are the main branch while the others are barely regarded. Neji's relationship with his uncle has never been the greatest and the death of his own father has worsened it even more, making him wonder if there is any room in his uncle's heart that loves him.

When the Hyuga received word that he will be the prince's Coadjutant, taking the luxuries of not only following the prince but also living in the royal palace, brought nothing but greed in his mind. That was his only objective, before casting his eyes upon the prince's beauty - a rare gem that is in desperate need of love and polishing - brought his second objective which is finding a way into the family by taking the prince's hand.

The thought itself brought a small grin onto the Hyuga's face as he continued to take in every detail of the garden before his eyes landed on a dark, familiar item hidden behind one of the bushes. Eyes widening in amusement, Neji turned back to look at the prince and his 'friend', who seemed to have left him to take a stroll down the massive garden. "My prince, is it possible if I could steal you for a quick moment, I need to have a word with you," Neji asked as he finally caught up to the two, deliberately ignoring the annoyed sigh coming from his prince and most certainly enjoying the glare coming from Lee.

"Alright, this better be quick Neji," the prince groaned in annoyance, however before he could even move a guard came up from the top of the staircase and calling for the prince, informing him that his father wants to talk to him and his new Coadjutant. Neji's grin grew at the convenience of this entire ordeal, making everything much more simpler with the fact that Lee will most certainly not accompany them. With an irritated sigh, Naruto turned to look at his friend with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Lee, guess our meeting will have to cut short. Knowing father, he will keep me in the throne room all day with my duty as the prince. You know how it is," Naruto smiled at his friend who chuckled softly at his remark, nodding in understanding before wishing the prince farewell and stealing a couple of glares to this infuriating Coadjutant who doesn't seem to respect the prince's boundaries.

"If you want to keep your job, I suggest you respect my boundaries. Father is very observant and mother doesn't treat people like you mercifully. And I suggest you keep your behavior checked especially around Nii-san." the prince warned as the walked up the staircase while simultaneously nodding to the messenger - guard, informing him that he has got the message and is heading straight to the throne hall to meet his parents.