As princess of a great empire, you were bitter about your forced marriage to the second son of a shinobi clan. Hatred inspired you to burn every bridge as you became enemies with those who were your allies and became friends with those who would bet...
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A/N: This one took me a while to write. Sheesh... Like, for a second, I forgot how sentences work. Editing it was worse cause I had no idea what I was trying to say and had to stare at each sentence for like a minute or two, shocked that I even know English.
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The books Hashirama requested from the palace arrive during your bakery excursion. Each is indexed and organized within the Senju library, and you head there the following day right after breakfast--which surprisingly lacked a certain white-haired man. However, today's task calls for your attention and you must ignore Tobirama's absence during breakfast.
Upon arriving, you marvel at the volumes of books that he procured from the palace. Several bookcases house the new additions, and it makes you wonder how Hashirama convinced the palace librarian to let go of their treasures. But such pondering shall be reserved for another time.
You peruse through the spines of each book. Some are encyclopedias, some are fictional works, and some are research notes. Again, you are shocked to see the range in materials as several titles capture your interest. There's one in particular that secures itself into your hands. 'Deities of the Continent'.
It's a glossy yellow book with a good number of pages. Judging from the first page, it serves as a speculative piece that uses as much history as possible to ascertain its facts. As you flip through its contents, you realize that despite its mint condition the pages have creases from constant use. It seems to be a popular read at the palace library, one that would have never departed its secure location within its castle.
You travel over to a chair near the window with your book on hand, and nostalgia fills you. Your memory recalls those times when you'd watch your siblings from the window in your room. They were always allowed to play outside and travel into the city, making you lonely even though your agenda was packed with things to do.
Everyday, you followed a rigid schedule. Morning was spent in the company of friends since that was the only time you were allowed to have tea time with others your age. Lunch then followed and you were able to hang out with your siblings. If one of them had nothing to do after lunch, you'd follow them around. If they were all busy, you would pass your time at the library until your father summoned you for tea. Dinner soon came to which you never ate and the room was always so cold in conversation.
Despite the constant things to do, you felt caged from the world. Sure, you had your normal teenager experiences like the catty sibling fights, the rebellious clashes with your mother, and a giddy crush on an Earl's son, who would sometimes swing by in the morning to tell you stories. He spoke about life outside of the castle, about the school he attended with Elric, and about his aspirations.
His visits left you mystified but also hungry for more. He was a big part of your life until you married, and it has always made you wonder what had happened to him. His correspondence ceased upon the announcement of your engagement. No news of his future ever reached your ears even though he was a great friend of Elric.
