Silent Crush || Wedding Crasher(ed)
Her stomach would be found as an ancient relic by people eons in the future with how far it had sunk. Truly reaching the molten core of the earth—boiled and hardened.
Suna and Konoha needed to strengthen their ties. It seemed for old senile councils the only way to do that was through marriage. Suna had a royal family, one with branches and dozens to pluck from to throw away without a care.
Konoha had one ruler, a single woman with no children—unless you counted her apprentice. Which the council's apparently did.
No amount of the lavender smelling salts scattered about the room seemed to keep it from spinning under her feet.
She was getting married. She'd always wanted to. Sakura dreamed of the day she would put on layers upon layers of her families traditional dress robes and later box them up to wear her husband's family crest upon her chest.
The one she imagined as she grew into adulthood was stitched in red and gold, moving sands over an unwavering foe. A small creature capable of taking down hoards of unknowing peoples.
When the address letters came they stung her idea down into the same pit her stomach rested now.
She would marry someone of Sunan blood—further still royal Sunan blood. Fair, red hair, strong willed.
Sea foam eyes.
They weren't the right color. No, she was green enough, the embodiment of spring knew no rival in it's gaze. But she would look at the sea that threatened to drown her all the same as her people stayed afloat be it sand or tree.
And that's what mattered.
Her heart cried for the rusty brown, a hearty trunk from which she could flower and bloom as he rooted her into the ground with the safety of his arms. Arms she knew well to heal and destroy, to hold her as a heart stopped or catch her when the lines soared with life.
"Chin up, this isn't what we had hoped for you, but you will find love. There are different kinds of love—" Her mentor stopped speaking with a single look. Not of malice. She wasn't capable of showing such hatred to the woman who helped her through this whole ordeal. No so stopped speaking because there was no use in speaking to the dead.
Her heart stopped beating when the papers were sealed and she was dressed in the fine layers of silk and rope.
She would listen to saged advice later after serving her duty.
Marriage to an eligible heir of the Sunan royal family. There were five members. Three older than her father—but likely not off the table by political standards, though Tsunade assured her they wouldn't dare.
The other two were twins in everything but name and eye.
The most eligible being the son of the current Kazakagesse—may the sun shine on her reign. Gaara was the strongest political contender in this situation. The most likely.
As a medic she trained for the most case scenarios. What was likely to happen when one set thing happened.
Gaara turned twenty as the letters began—the age a man comes out to society and is able to start a courtship. They were looking to marry him off. It wouldn't be right to think about the cousin three years his senior who mocked and loved her. No. Those letters stopped when the other began.
Most likely to happen.
"We're ready for you now, please do enter."
"I know it's hard, but Sakura please do your best to smile. It'll be alright. I'm sure the match the council secured will be good for both sides. And all parties."
She looked up to her mentor once more. "Yes, milady." A corpse could be pushed to smile.
Sakura rolled her shoulders back and prepared to walk into the room with a silent heart and duty on her mind.
She was not prepared for an amber gaze and a haughty smile that ripped her heart to the surface.
"Sakura Haruno, we formally introduce you to your arranged match. We hope you two can help build the bridges between our two people."
"A pleasure to formally be introduced to you, Sakura. I very much look forward to learning everything I can of you. Let nothing be silent."