Chapter Text
“I already told you this Iruka, I do not need a queen! I am far too busy with my duties, and I do not wish to leave any future partner feeling alone due to them.”
“Your Majesty, I understand that you feel that way… but finding a queen to serve alongside you is one of your duties to this kingdom,” Iruka replied, watching Naruto with careful eyes as he paced around his personal study. “The ball to find a potential queen for you will happen and you will show up, regardless of if you want to or not. If you don’t find someone suitable there, we will host another, and another, until you can find someone you’re satisfied with.”
Hearing this response, Naruto sat on the table edge behind him, lifted his hands up to cover his face, and closed his eyes.
Ever since he was a child, he imagined courting his partner properly. Flowers, meals in quiet candle light, and promises of loving each other forever. Omega, beta, or even alpha, as long as they were able to walk through the trials of life together hand in hand. He had grown up hearing the romantic stories of his parents, the bold confessions of his father Minato to convince the princess, his mother, Kushina, to marry him. At moments like this, he wishes his parents were there to give him guidance.
They had been taken too quickly, leaving Naruto with almost no memories of the pair. His childhood had been a strict regimen of training and studying for his future ruling of his kingdom, Konohagakure. An upbringing overseen by his advisors, who offered no comfort for the long days and hard lessons.
Naruto of course loved his kingdom and all of its citizens. He had no qualms about leading his people and keeping them safe, but he always had a quiet longing in the back of his mind. A normal but fulfilling life, with a mate he loved deeply and would maybe even build a family with. Not out of duty, but out of love.
He heard a sigh come from his advisor, which made him look up from his hands.
“Please, Naruto? I know it seems hard, but the longer you remain unmarried and without an heir, the sooner the noble families may begin to scramble for your title.” Iruka peered at him with a pitiful look, silently begging the King to give into his requests. The use of his actual name instead of “Your Majesty” seemed to work on Naruto, who replied quietly.
“Fine, I suppose you are right.”
“As I usually am, Your Majesty.”
That response earned a glare from Naruto, who turned his head away from Iruka and said, “But you cannot force me to talk to anyone. Me showing up should be enough, shouldn’t it?”
The advisor looked at Naruto with wide eyes, opening his mouth to respond with another rebuttal. But, before he spoke, he stopped himself. After a moment of silence, Iruka answered with a hint of exasperation in his voice.
“…I suppose, Your Majesty. Besides, even if I brought every potential candidate to you, your persistent stubbornness would result in no conversations being had. But please, I beg, don’t ignore any people who try to make conversation with you. There will be more than just potential marriage partners there, but also possible future alliances to be had.”
Naruto scoffed, looking back at Iruka with a dramatic look on his face. “You think so lowly of me, my dear advisor. I am not so rude as to ignore people who may help me in forthcoming endeavors.” With that, he hopped off the edge from which he was sitting, and walked towards the door but not without facing Iruka for one final time. “I entrust the planning of this… ball to you and the other advisors. I don’t care how much they complain, they’re the ones making me do this. If you need me, I’ll be out on the training grounds until dinner time.”
As Naruto walked out the door, Iruka could do nothing but let out a final, exhausted sigh.
The ball was to be grand, fit for a king. Naruto was dragged along to the meetings planning it against his will, and spent most of the time staring into space or doodling on a spare piece of paper while his advisors argued about seemingly trivial things. Wasn’t his council supposed to be for important things, like budgets or war plans? Those are things he would actually pay attention to.
The most important thing he gathered from their multiple conversations was what families would be attending. Most had at least one, or even two, potential candidates around Naruto’s age, but that did not make the idea of marrying them any easier. Growing up as the future king naturally meant he had met most of them at some point in his life, but were not relevant enough for him to remember. He had been kept away from other children growing up, the reason being they would “distract him” too much (Naruto would always be distracted regardless of the people surrounding him).
Tailors poked and measured him. Fabrics were brought from all over. The suit had to be perfect, they said. The perfect color, the perfect size, for a seemingly perfect king. Again, Naruto was the least bit interested in the whole affair. If it were up to him, the entire suit would be orange. But when he asked the tailors if they could make it orange, they all looked at him with a crazed look.
“We apologize, Your Majesty, but Advisor Iruka has specifically instructed us not to use any orange in your suit. He stated ‘it is an ugly color and should not be worn around so many important people.’”
“Of course he would say that…”
The night of the ball finally arrived, and the whole castle was buzzing with excitement. It was the first one to be held since Naruto’s coronation three years ago.
Servants and maids dashed around the hallways, carrying flowers and making sure every inch of the castle was clean. The main room where the party was to be hosted had been decorated beautifully, candles and banners displaying the Uzumaki family symbol covering the walls.
Guests slowly started arriving and before long, the room was filled. A flurry of dresses and suits, all made from the finest materials money could buy. Conversation was a soft constant across the room. Not too loud, but never quiet enough to die down.
At the peak of the evening, Naruto made his appearance. The herald at the top of the stairs announced his name to the room as the king walked down the stairs.
“His Majesty, the King, Naruto Uzumaki!”
The room went quiet. Heads turned, eyes following the man as he descended.
Naruto’s suit sparkled in the light of the room. Much to his dismay, the color ended up being the opposite of orange. The entire body of the suit was black, contrasting against Naruto’s bright yellow hair, which had been combed down compared to the normal mess he left it everyday. The meticulous work of the tailors had paid off. Black fabric clung to Naruto’s frame, highlighting his broad figure. He wore tall boots, adding height to his already towering alpha build. Blue fabric had been sewn across his chest, one side continuing to his right shoulder and the other coming around the side of his waist. At these points, the fabric began to flow freely, catching wind as Naruto continued his descent. The focal point of the outfit was most certainly the golden ornaments decorating the suit. Buttons and chains caught the light and twinkled as movement was made. Right above his heart was a broach in the shape of the Uzumaki family symbol. Blood red rubies were encrusted on top of a small golden circle, spiraling around in a never ending circle.
When Naruto made it to the bottom of the stairs, people gravitated towards him immediately. Various noble men and women competed for his attention. After almost thirty minutes of light conversation, he was dragged off by Shikamaru, one of his closest advisors. A corner of the room had been taken over by men, mainly alphas, looking to obtain trades and alliances among each other. Near the outside of the cluster was more of Naruto’s advisors.
“Your Majesty! Glad to see you escaped that horde of people. Thought you would be caught up there all night!” Choji chuckled, smiling at Naruto.
“Looking sharp there, Your Majesty. Surprised they could make you look decent for once instead of your usual look,” Kiba said, smirking at the king as he made an appalled face.
Naruto rolled his eyes, “I always look good, Advisor Kiba, so I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about.”
The men burst out in laughter, drawing the attention of the other attendees nearby. Naruto bowed slightly and mouthed an apology to anyone still looking.
“So,” Shikamaru said, continuing the conversation, “found anyone you’re interested in yet? I’ve seen a couple people walking around that you may find intriguing.”
The mention of his future marriage caused Naruto to push his lips into a small line on his face. He’d been trying to avoid it as much as possible, but it was indeed the whole point of the ball.
“No, not really,” he awkwardly laughed, throwing a hand up to scratch the back of his head. He quietly added, “Kind of been trying to do anything but talk to them…”
“What did you say?” Shikamaru questioned.
“Ah, nothing. Anything to say about the ones you have seen?”
“I’d say they’re all pretty interesting. Saw Advisor Danzo’s son walking around. He looks pretty, but if he’s anything like his father, I’m sure the personality doesn’t match,” he said with a small smile. As the advisor went to continue talking, his eyes drifted to behind Naruto. “It’s like they have some sixth sense when they’re being talked about.”
“Hm?”
Shikamaru nodded his head to where he was looking, signaling Naruto to turn around. When he looked, there stood a woman and man who appeared eerily similar in looks. If he knew any better, he would think they were siblings.
“Hello Your Majesty,” the one on the right greeted with a bow. “I am Neji Hyuuga, and this is Hinata Hyuuga, my cousin.” He motioned to the woman standing next to him, who gave Naruto a flustered look.
“Y-Your Majesty! It’s wonderful to meet you! We have been looking for you all night, but couldn’t seem to find you…” she said with a disappointed voice, avoiding eye contact with Naruto.
“Ah, it’s nice to meet both of you. I must have gotten wrapped up in conversation with these gentlemen, so I haven’t been able to walk around much,” Naruto said with a polite bow. It wasn’t a complete lie, he had really lost track of time while talking to his advisors.
“Go talk to them,” Shikamaru nudged. “Can’t ignore them forever.” He dragged Choji and Kiba further into the crowd, abandoning Naruto with the Hyuuga cousins. He silently cursed the man before turning back to his conversation.
“So, have you two been enjoying the ball?” he asked. The question was mainly for Neji, since Hinata seemed to be distracted fidgeting with her dress. Maybe she was nervous being around so many people. However, before her cousin even got the chance to speak, she voiced her opinion.
“It’s wonderful, Your Majesty, t-truly! I attended your coronation ball, but never got the chance to catch you alone,” she said with her usual stutter, cheeks flushing a bright pink. Pheromones also began to surround the woman. They weren’t obvious, as that would be entirely inappropriate at such a large social event. Instead, they were just enough so that passing by alphas would be able to smell the slight nervousness of the omega. The pair seemed to both be omegas, signified by both their smell and delicate composure.
“Yes, I am certainly enjoying the occasion, Your Majesty,” Neji hummed. He seemed much less nervous compared to his female counterpart, who was still avoiding eye contact with the king. “Though,” he continued, “I heard there may be other… intentions for the ball? It is indeed a celebratory event, for all your victories near the border. But, I heard rumor that you are looking for a queen.” Hinata looked up as he spoke, finally making eye contact with Naruto. Her eyes were like a cloud, with hints of lilac mixed in. They looked at Naruto with hope, and Naruto could only guess that feeling was for the mention of queen.
The acknowledgment of marriage of course brought the king’s mood down, but he put on a smile and replied kindly.
“You have heard correctly, Mr. Hyuuga. My council believe it is time I have a partner by my side to help secure the future of the crown.”
“Well, I hope you find someone fitting soon. I know all too well the joy of going through introduction and engagement processes,” he said the second part sarcastically, giving a small smile to Naruto.
In recent years, Naruto thought, there had been rumors circulating the Hyuuga family, but more specifically the branch family Neji was apart of. An engagement had been arranged between the Hyuuga and a lord of a distant land. The arrangement had seemed successful, the two getting along cordially. That was, until the lord broke off the engagement only a month before their wedding. According to the rumors, there were multiple possible reasons for the breaking off. A broken promise between the lord and Neji’s father, or the lord was unfaithful to their engagement. Regardless, the Hyuuga family was left shamed and embarrassed. Neji had been the main victim of the family’s shame, and had not been seen in public since. Hinata also faced consequences, though not directly. Suitors stopped coming to her parents in fear of not receiving their promised dowry. This was a rare appearance for both of them, he realized.
A voice broke Naruto’s thought, and found that Neji was still talking.
“Have you met anyone that has piqued your interest, Your Majesty?”
The question was oddly similar to the one Shikamaru previously asked, but coming from a potential candidate themselves, he should probably be more careful with his answer.
“Unfortunately not, I’m afraid. But only because I was too wrapped up in conversation to go converse with those here.”
Neji nodded understandably. “That is too bad.”
“W-well,” Hinata spoke up, “maybe we could find time to get to know each other? It must be scary, having so many responsibilities as king. You must want someone to talk to, no?”
How forward, Naruto thought. The omega was beautiful, of course. Long black hair tied into an intricate knot on her head and simple pink earrings adorning her ears. She seemed kind enough, too. A little shy, but who wouldn’t be around the king.
But could Naruto picture himself living out his life with her? Having a family with her?
No. He couldn’t.
It was probably far too early to start judging her, but something deep within him told Naruto that she was not the one his heart desired. There was no reason to ignore her just because of a fleeting instinct.
Ignoring the feeling, he smiled at the woman.
“That sounds wonderful. Please, go talk to one of my advisors so we can have a meeting of some sort set up.”
“Y-yes, of course, Your Majesty! Thank you!” Hinata bowed her head deeply, blushing passionately.
“Well, if you may excuse me, I’m afraid I’m getting quite tired and would like to retire for the night. Have a good evening both of you.” Naruto again bowed and walked away from the two.
Thinking anymore about the interaction was going to give him a headache. It had been painfully awkward, with one side much more interested than the other. He had tried his best to talk to them, but they just didn’t seem his type at all. Neji seemed like he would be a good friend to have, but Hinata…
He shook his head, not wanting to spiral any deeper. The night had grown late, and many guests had started to leave. Deciding his duty was done, Naruto started to make his way back to his chambers.
The ball had taken a toll on him. It was hard keeping up a mask in front of so many people. Being perfect was impossible, but so many people seemed to expect it from the king.
The blonde sighed and made his way to the exit of the room.
He walked down the hallway alone, his shoulders finally dropping, allowing him to finally relax. That was until he smelled something amazing from the corridor behind him.
It was sweet, oh so blindingly sweet. Cherries and chocolate filled his nose. The scent was new and fresh to Naruto, having never smelled something so delicious before.
His head whipped around, and he jogged to the corridor to see if he could catch the mysterious omega with such an addictive scent. He wanted to dig his nose into the person’s neck to get the full effect of their pheromones. The alpha in him growled, feeling possessive of someone he hadn’t even met.
When he made it to the entrance of the corridor, there was no one to be seen.
Damn it, he cursed to himself. Why hadn’t he met that person during the ball? Maybe then, he could’ve found someone he was interested in…
Faced with disappointment, Naruto made his way back to his room.
Next time, he promised himself. At the next ball, he would find that person and talk to them.