The Red Crimson Bride

The Red Crimson Bride

Beginning

"I do" the waited response came from the smiling groom as he gazed into blue-green orbs. The woman next to him smiled cheerfully at his two little words but big enough to link two lifes forever. She turned around a little and saw all the people who gathered at the ceremony, it was like the whole village gathered there to see them getting married. Why wouldn't they? The son of the most respectable clan in the Amegakure was getting married. She could see that averyone was smiling, even though not even half of them knew her. She instinctively put her free left hand at her over-sized abdomen just to feel exactly then two pairs of kicks.

The groom held her right hand tight and stared at her concerned as her face went from a smiling one to a frowning one. When he was about to say something she took her left hand and waved it smiling at him.

"It's ok, they are kicking, that's all." she said. He gazed at her, her truthful smile made him lose all his concerns and he found himself smiling at her also. She turned to the priest and nodded so he could continue the ceremony.

"Do you, Sayuri, take this man who now holds your hand, to be your true and wedded husband; and do you solemnly promise to love, cherish, honor and protect him to forsake all others for his sake, to cleave unto him and him only until dead shall part you?" the priest asked her. The bried stared at him with blank eyes, was he talking to her? She could sense all the stares that were given to her waiting fot her response. She turned her gaze to the man next to her who was smiling. This man, Ichiro Hatakeda, who she just met 8 months ago, who fell in love with her madly, proposed to her immediately when he believed that she had the same feelings as him. Even though, he didn't know her past he still wanted to marry her and when she told him that she was pregnant with his two babies he knew that she was the right woman.

And now he was sitting at the altar with her waiting for her response, but why was she hesitating? He knew that she would be happy with him, she even made the wedding preparations. Those months when she was busy with all that planning, he could see that she wanted to make every little detail perfect, she wanted to be a great ceremony, but what is with this hesitation now?

She stared at him, her now blue eyes locked on his dark grey ones. Her eyes would change color because of her mood, sometimes were blue, sometimes green, or blue-green. As she looked at him, she could only think how much he remembered her of him. His dark grey eyes and his black hair which was too long that had to be tied in a ponytail reminded her very much of the other one which she had to forget. But that was impossible, if just only a kick would came from her abdomen or when she could just take a look at Ichiro, her mind would go straight at the other one.

The betrayal, the suffering that she had to leave him made her to think about him everyday. She kept on thinking that why did she had to do such a stupid thing? Why did she had to leave the man she loved so much that she even got pregnant with him? But when the thought of her that she was pregnant came she would throw away the feeling of regret and sadness. The feeling of protection, of love for her unborn children made her able to resist the urge to return to him. But even if she had returned she would get killed. She would be accused of betrayal and finally killed along with her children.

There was even the option that she could have stayed with him and the other nine companions, but could she let her children born in a world of sin, crime and money? No, that was the true reason that she had left, she wanted to protect them of that life, she wanted them to be normal like the other children, where there could be only joy and happiness. Even she knew that nothing is compared with a smiling child when he is happy. Just thinking at her children happy made her heart melt and she could find herself smiling.

She rose her head and looked at Ichiro. If she will say yes to him, then past will definitely disappear and new memories of a happy family will replace that bloody past. She took another look before she would open her mouth to say two words. Yes, she knew that Ichiro will protect the unborn ones including her, she knew that plenty of love would come for her and them. And she knew that her children would be happy with him, he was a father figure and also he was an important person in the village. A person which was highly respected by everyone so if he would have children, they would be respected just like him. She made a smile, her eyes faded to green this time as she opened her mouth.

"I-" she was cut off as a loud noise caught her attention and made her to stop.

"What is going on?" The priest asked and everyone turned their heads towards the door. The bride wide her eyes open, she felt something strange, no, something familiar. She turned her head slowly towards the doors only to find nine men sitting there blocking the exit. She stared at them, black coats imprimed with red clouds and bamboo hats with bells attached to them made her realise that she had been found.