- Well done, ladies! Time to mind your manners.
We tried to be the lovely, noble young ladies that Kurenai wanted, but everything fell apart when Tenten's father and her three younger brothers appeared at the door. The boys ran screaming, and Tenten got out of formation.
The Yamanaka appeared, as classy as ever. Deidara hugged me briefly, faster than I would have liked, and then walked towards his older twin, kissing her hair. It was a nice four-way hug.
Hinata's family looked around in amazement, and the only unperturbed face was her father's, hard and inexpressive, like that of a soldier on the battlefield.
There was a man in his twenties holding Hinata's arm, and for a moment I thought he was her brother. But then I remembered that she only had one sister.
- Auntie! - someone shouted.
- Moegi!
She spotted me, I waved my arm and, almost like a hurricane, Tenten's brothers disappeared to make way for her. I knelt down, ignoring the white dress, and hugged her tighter than necessary.
Pain threw himself to the ground and hugged us too. I could barely see them. The tears were flowing so much that the images were flickering like a distorted reflection.
We were all on the floor, until I saw Konan standing next to us, crying and stroking her belly, which was chubbier than I remembered.
- You're going to be an aunt again! - I shouted, standing up and spinning her around in the air.
It all seemed too much. Konan was laughing and fireworks were going off inside my heart.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Karui watching me with a sad look. There was a man in a well-cut black suit, holding a jewelry case. Karui didn't even look at him, he took the case and threw it in the nearest garbage can before walking away.
- It's him! - Konan whispered in my ear.
- Huh?
As I turned around, I saw Naruto watching us from behind the stairs. With a curious smile, he made his way towards us. My father quickly straightened up.
- Your Highness," he said, his voice heavy with emotion.
- Mr. Haruno, it's an honor to meet you. And it's an honor to meet you too, Lady Haruno. - My mother smoothed her hair.
- Your Highness," began Pain, visibly nervous. - Forgive us for all this.
Naruto laughed.
- Pain, isn't it? I've heard a lot about you. There's nothing to apologize for. And it's an honor to meet you. And you must be Konan?
Konan blushed as she held out her hand to him, but instead of a squeeze, she received a kiss that almost made her melt like jelly in the sun. Naruto then looked at me. My liege also knew how to be charming when he wanted to be.
- I never thanked him for not crying.
- What? - Konan said, blushing even more from confusion.
- No one told you? - said Naruto, beaming like the sun. - Thanks to you, I had my first date with Sakura. I'll always be in your debt.
- Well, you're welcome, I guess... - replied Konan, laughing.
He also kissed Moegi's hand, who threw herself into his arms for a tight hug worthy of a Haruno.
Naruto, having pulled himself together, went to greet the others.
He first passed Hinata's family, the most refined of all. Her younger sister and parents seemed to have more poise than the guards themselves. I wondered if Hinata had ordered them to act like this or if it was just their way. They were so polished, with their dark hair and similar faces, that they stood out, even more than the beautiful clothes they wore.
Next to them, Pakura was chatting to her younger sisters, identical to her, while Pakura's parents were greeting Tenten's single father.
- The prince is so handsome; I can't believe you threw a shoe at him. - my mother reproached me.
- Actually, Mom, we fight most of the time.
- What? - she put her hand over her heart. - Stop it right now, Haruno Sakura!
I looked around for Karui's vibrant hair and her father, but found nothing. I had seen a picture of him once in the newspaper. He was a widower and dated several young women. Karui didn't talk much about him, at least not as much as Tenten talked about her brothers or me about my father.
- Can you believe it? He didn't come. - Ino whispered in my ear.
- Ino: What?
- Karui's father, he left her alone.
Before I could lose myself in thought, Naruto climbed a few steps up the stairs and spoke.
- The mothers, sisters and girls of the Elite are invited to have tea this afternoon with my grandmother and sister in the women's lounge. The gentlemen are invited to smoke cigars with me.
The maids began escorting everyone to their prepared rooms. Hinata didn't want to leave her family, and the others were so engrossed in the idea of having tea with the Queen that they soon disappeared.
And I stayed there, with my prince.
Naruto came down the steps to me.
- My beautiful, cruel thing," he said, taking my hand.
- Did you like them? - I asked, apprehensive, and he smiled at my nervousness.
- The way your sister-in-law almost fainted was adorable.
- You love having women at your feet, don't you? It gives you the feeling that you're the man.
- I am the man! - He kissed me on the nose.
- So cocky. - I gave him a quick kiss. - I missed you.
***
- Did you learn how to use all those forks? - Pain asked.
I slipped my arm through his, still uncomfortable with the weight of his suit. If I hadn't seen him so many times in his fertilizer-stained harvest overalls, I could have sworn he was born to be One. In those formal clothes, he looked like a heartthrob, and he even looked taller.
- All of them... all the bowls, the spoons, the knives, the plates... - I began to speak, my voice full of frustration. My brother smiled and shook his head, as if he was used to the way I spoke. - Lots of lessons in etiquette, dance, history and... - he continued.
- God, they're really turning my sister into a lady... - he said, pinching my cheek hard. I slapped his hand in response.
- Stop it, Pain. Now we're having a lesson in diplomacy. I think it's good, with so many royal representatives in the castle. It'll be useful for the girls who stay, after all.