Itachi's POV:
Sasuke's response angered me. He is not being fully truthful. I've never seen my brother so protective over a maid before. He's acting as if he... likes her. And in the romantic sense. I want to test it but should I even have to? It is quite obvious.
"Well Sasuke, if that is your answer I do not see why it is a problem that I communicate with her. You do know that I have my own maid" I told him waiting to see his reaction. Sasuke just glared.
"Itachi, you annoy your own maids. Got that?" my brother said cheekily to me. I slightly glared at him making Chika look nervous. "Come on Chika" Sasuke said pulling her off. I balled my fists as I watched them pass by me. I hate the way he can do this with her. He can just pull her around. Since when has he done that with any other maid? I gritted my teeth and glared at Sasuke until he turned a corner with Chika. I decided to go up to my room to get ready. My parents want to check out a mansion in a neighbouring town to the one we are in. They want to use it as another holiday home and they want Sasuke and I to come and view it to see if it reaches our standards. I can't complain. At least it will get me out of this palace for today. We are nearly always cooped up in it.
I went off back up stairs and got Kurenai to help me to get ready. I was almost ready when my Father came into my room. This surprised me. My Father never normally does this. We are normally called to him. Kurenai was in the middle of tying back my hair into a loose ponytail and paused since she was in the presence of the Emperor. "Kurenai dear, would you mind leaving me to speak with my son for a minute?" he asked her politely. She finished tying it and bowed lowly to him.
"Certainly Emperor" she said and left the room. I watched my Father as he smiled a proud smile at me.
"Son... we want to check out this new location because... we would like you to live there with your future wife until I give up the throne for you" he said happily to me. I frowned slightly at this. What? He wants me to move from the palace?
The only response I had was "Why?" My Father frowned at this obviously not pleased with my lack of enthusiasm.
"Son, when you get your new wife, I doubt that you will want to be living under the noses of your parents. I think it would be a wonderful gift to give some privacy to you. The mansion we are looking at is quite magnificent. Your wife will love it, even if it is not the palace" he said putting his hands on his hips. My face stayed expressionless as I glanced at his hands and back to his face. I didn't feel appreciative of his gift. I don't know why. I think it is because he is talking about my future wife. It is like he really trying to push me to get one. He is pushing too hard. He is not wining me over by giving me a mansion.
"Hn. So, does that mean that you will have to hire a lot more maids and guards for the new mansion?" I challenged him. My Father sighed not liking my response.
"Yes Itachi, but that is not a problem. You can keep Kurenai and Tsunade (night maid) as your personal maids. We will just have to hire other maids to do the menial jobs and guards to guard the place" he told me hoping that I would be happy with that. But I wasn't. It only hit me now when he said that that I will not have Chika around. It shouldn't matter but it does to me. For the first time, I think I am actually jealous of Sasuke. But what is so amazing about the Chika girl? Why do I feel anxious at the thought of not seeing her again? I sighed quietly and looked down. I don't know what I'm feeling and I don't like the way it's making me feel. I feel angry and frustrated. Normally my emotions are under better control than this. "Itachi, Mikoto and I are doing you a favour so I would rather see appreciation instead of reluctance" my Father said coldly to me and left me alone in my room.
Sasuke's POV:
A while later...
We eventually arrived at the mansion. It was huge and grand looking. I stepped out of the carriage after my parents and my brother and took in the scene. It was magnificent. There was a fountain in the front garden and the stone work on the building was of excellent quality. But the size of it was nothing in comparison to the palace. The palace had huge rose filled gardens and massive monuments. The sheer size of the palace was probably ten times the size of this mansion. But it was still huge and impressive.
