Sacrificed To The Banished Prince

Chapter 15

MATURE/POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING CONTENT WARNING!

(Also, for story-telling purposes, this chapter will jump between points of view, but it will only be for this chapter and not those going forward.)

Days passed after Sakura and the prince returned to his manor in the Winterlands. Being back in the familiar environment helped the woman stomach more food, but it did little to aid in ridding of the nightmares filled with dark green eyes, blood-red hair, blazing pain, and terror.

It was only a few days after their return that the ache between her legs faded. She kept telling herself that these awful feelings of disgust and hate would go away if she suffered them long enough, but it wasn't helping. The physical pain was the only thing that disappeared. The mental remained strong and steadfast.

Everything Sakura thought she knew about her life had been turned upside down, including her plans for the future. When her father told her to properly play her role as a wife when consummating her marriage to the prince, she'd stupidly agreed because she didn't know what the word meant. Now that she does, she couldn't sort her hysteric thoughts out enough to come up with a plan.

'I have to tell him that I am not pure,' she agonized while staring out the window of her room at the falling snow, feeling cold, sad, and helpless.

Their wedding date was soon to be decided, and when that day came, Sasuke would find out anyway. Sakura didn't think she'd be able to take it if he discovered that she was a whore then, after all the time and effort, so she told herself she had to come clean, but couldn't work up the courage.

'He'll be rid of me,' she wiped at her watery eyes, 'It'd have all been for nothing because he won't care about me anymore, so his curse won't even lift.' Sakura looked down at her legs, recalling the bloody mess that'd coated them the morning after Hihara's visit.

Her lips moved with a thought she didn't even fully comprehend until the words met the air, "If I'm going to die a useless death anyway, why am I even here?"

The tears in her eyes became thicker and fell more quickly because she knew she was right, no matter how hard the pill was to swallow. Whether she died today, next week, or on their wedding night, the outcome would be the same. She'd be dead, Sasuke would be cursed, and it'd all be her fault for being an idiot and allowing what Hihara did to happen.

'I have no purpose in life now. I can't be a wife because of my tainted blood. I can't be a mother because you need to be a wife to do that. I have no talent to provide for myself,' Sakura rose to her feet, trudging dazedly toward the door, 'If I keep living, all I'll be doing is wasting Sasuke's resources and taking up space.'

She padded barefoot downstairs and into the kitchen as though hypnotized by her own thoughts. 'All of this pain will go away, too, so it won't be that bad, right? Maybe I'll be sent to purgatory and meet Akuma if Sasuke someday manages to send him back. ...What a reunion that would be.'

A few staff members gave her curious glances as she passed by, but she ignored them, not mentally capable of paying them any mind. When she grabbed a knife from the silverware drawer, she was taken from her trance by Ino's familiar voice. Swiftly, Sakura slid the knife up her arm sleeve and turned in time to see the blond enter the room.

"Lady Haruno, what are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you. It's time to wash up for lunch."

"Right," she said, glancing around to ensure none of the others would give away that she'd stashed a knife.

She received a few quizzical brows, but nothing more, so she followed her maid back upstairs to the bedroom where her clothes were changed, her hair was elegantly styled, and a small bit of makeup was applied to her face. In a moment when Ino wasn't looking, Sakura slid the weapon between the mattress and boxspring.