Bedtime Stories

F | I | V | E

She finally tells him her name after a month. Tenten, she had said.

She was surprised when his face remained calm and collected.

She asked him how could react so calmly to what she had said.

"You're a princess," he said. "Why should I care? I see you as you, not some rich brat."

She's surprised with his answer. For one, he normally never explains himself and why he does the things he does, but today she got an explanation. And secondly, anyone and everyone, she has met always kisses up to her once they find out she's the princess.

Everything remains the same between them. They talk until an hour before dawn. Sometimes they'd just walk around the beach and on rare occasions they would fall asleep next to each other on the beach.

Everything is peaceful between them, it's calm. And then, everything comes crashing down two weeks later.

She told him she was leaving and when he asked why she just shook her hand and tears began to fall from her eyes.

Upon the sight of those tears, his eyes widened, for this girl he had come to known never cried. She was stronger than most people he knew and that was saying something.

He asked her once more why she was leaving.

One word. That's all it took for him to understand. That's all it took for his heart to race with fear.

One word, led to many difficulties. "Cazora".

He didn't want to believe her. Why? Why of everything, why did it have to be Cazora?

Cazora was an exchange program the kingdom had in order to keep peace with another kingdom. During Cazora a royal child from each kingdom would be exchanged. Tenten has to leave and another person would come. Cazora brought peace in a sad way. How? Well, who would want to attack their own child?

He asked her when she was leaving.

And the answer he had received made him tremble.

Three weeks.

In three weeks she would be gone.

Why?

Why didn't see have to go?

That's too short of a time.

She continued to cry. Her tears seemed to have not end. They just continued to flow down her cheeks and onto the pale sand.

She didn't want to leave her home. She didn't want to leave him.

After all, he was the only person who understands her. He is the only person she can confide her fears to, her secrets to.

Leaving would mean no freedom.

And no freedom meant no Neji.

And that can't happen.

She can't lose Neji.

She can't lose the only person she cares about.