Sacrificed To The Banished Prince

Chapter 35

Sasuke watched his cute little wife as she anxiously glanced out the library window again. The book in her lap had been turned to the same page for nearly half an hour now, and if things continued the way they were, it was unlikely to be turned anytime soon.

They arrived home roughly three weeks ago and have spent that time readjusting to life outside of the palace. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hide the pink-haired woman's growing stomach from the maids that weren't privy to the fact that she was pregnant. Only Ino and Sai were aware of the fact, and the plan was to keep things that way for as long as possible. Especially since the prince couldn't be sure if any of the other staff members were acting as eyes or ears for the crown.

Unintentionally, the Uchiha prince's eyes warmed as Sakura's brow furrowed. She'd finally regained the weight she'd lost, and then some. A healthy glow was about her skin and eyes, and her hair was shiny. It'd been so long that he'd wished to see her this way that he often found himself staring in awe. He loved her the most when she was like this, nearby and out of harm's way.

'I know this happiness is at risk,' the prince thought to himself, his brow furrowing as he forced his gaze away.

Today was the day that her younger sister, Hana, was to arrive. The king was to remain blissfully unaware of the fact that Sasuke was going against his wishes to look into the Haruno family's youngest daughter's condition. Sasuke himself was deeply uncomfortable with having anyone visit until Sakura gave birth, if only to ensure the safety of her and their child, but the pinkette insisted on at least hosting Hana. As respectfully as possible, he'd tried to talk her out of it, but it was clear his words would go unheeded.

At the very least, he was able to convince her to wait until the baby was born and able to be away from them for short periods of time before the wizard Kisame visited to more deeply investigate Hana's sudden change of personality. Though Itachi had done his best to prove his loyalty to his younger brother, the safety of Sasuke's newly formed family was much too important to risk having anyone from the capital know an heir to the throne had been conceived until he knew for sure where everyone stood.

Sasuke would never tell Sakura this, but he planned to do whatever it took to protect her, even if it came at the detriment of her beloved little sister.

The hairs on his arms rose as the unsettling sensation of Akuma attempting to gain control of his body suddenly came. Before he could so much as process a thought in response, Ino approached with an expertly placed mask of composure in place, "Lady Hana Haruno has arrived. She is in the tearoom."

Sakura fumbled to close the book in her hands and came to her feet. Her ability to hide her emotions was drastically less impressive than the blonde maid's. It was clear she was nervous, excited, and a little scared.

He felt uneasy, but he wordlessly guided his wife's hand to the crook of his arm and allowed Ino to lead them to where Hana was waiting. The young woman bowed politely when they entered the tearoom, her face as expressionless as he remembered from their last encounter. Sai and Ino served tea and cookies before excusing themselves, leaving the three alone in the large, elegant room.

Sasuke, being unpracticed in pleasantries, remained silent and simply watched the two women interact.

Sakura sipped her hot drink carefully and forced a smile, "You seem healthy. I'm happy you're doing well, Hana."

The younger girl made no move to drink or eat anything, instead staring down his wife as though studying her behavior, "You're with child."

The pink-haired woman choked on her tea. She sat the glass down and covered her mouth with the back of her hand to cough. Sasuke leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, eyes narrowing into a glare on the teenager. It was a silent threat to choose her next words and actions carefully.