Summary: Sakura Kinomoto is the daughter of a noble, friends with the dashing crown prince, and cursed…with a life too confusing to understand. -Loosely based on Ella Enchanted-

Hey minna! This is my tenth story that I've uploaded, actually, but I deleted all my others because I didn't like them anymore. I'm really just trying this new idea out, so you better review and tell me if you like it or not! I need at least five reviews to tell me to keep writing, okay? First, here's a little info on the main characters.

Sakura Kinomoto: As the only daughter of Lord Fujitaka Kinomoto, Sakura is considered a noble lady, although she is still her kind and gentle self. Her father is very high nobility, although he's mostly never home. Sakura is not understood by her father, who doesn't see her feisty attitude. Fujitaka constantly tries to transform Sakura into the beautiful lady she is inside. Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko Kinomoto, died when Sakura was two months, so Sakura does not feel much compassion towards her, unlike all the others that she knows.

Syaoran Li: The crown prince of the kingdom of Tomoeda! He is known as a just and righteous prince and his subjects respect him greatly. Syaoran has four loud princess sisters, (but they are off and married). His mother, Queen Yelan, is still mourning the death of his father twenty years ago. Like Sakura, he never knew his missing parent, so he doesn't mind much.

Tomoyo Hiiragizawa née Daidouji:Tomoyo was brought up as the daughter of a noble. Her father died early on. Her mother was very kind, however. Tomoyo and Sakura were best friends from the beginning. At age 16, Tomoyo started to see Eriol Hiiragizawa, and he asked her to marry him on September 3rd, her 18th birthday, (which she thought was extremely romantic).

Eriol Hiiragizawa: Good friends with the prince, husband of the beauty Tomoyo, and head of the military to boot! Yup, Eriol's got it going on...

Chapter 1: Oh Kami-sama

"...And he'll ride a noble white steed and he'll sweep me off my feet! Much more romantic than your first meeting with Eriol, anyway!" I crossed my arms triumphantly. "My prince charming will be handsome and smart and brave – What are you staring at? It's only two hours to your wedding and you're laughing? Aren't you supposed to be wondering if you made the right choice by giving a life long commitment…WHAT?"

Tomoyo hid her giggles behind her hands and shook her head unconvincingly.

"Nothing, nothing, go on!" She darted her eyes over my shoulder again and back real fast. I narrowed my eyes and turned to the doorway behind me.

"Whoever it is that was eavesdropping on us is going to get their head snapped off so viciously they'll wish they were never-" Shit. What the hell is he doing at Tomoyo's wedding? I lowered my head before he could see my face.

"Oh! Prince Li!" My voice sounded three notches higher than usual. " I didn't mean what I…I was joking…you know, I just I thought you were, um, some other person, and…I had NO IDEA it was…" I broke off as I heard the Prince laughing.

What? That's not right. He's laughing at my fantasy? How incredibly rude! And I suppose he expects his ideal wife to just pop up in front of his face and say 'I love you, let's get married'? Just listen to him ridiculing me. Is that any way to treat a lady? Granted, I'm not the picture of perfection, but I still deserve proper treatment!

I stick my nose in the air and glare at him. He can burn in hell if he thinks my dreams are funny. I didn't appreciate it one bit and was going to tell him off for it, when he captured my eyes with his own. All the spiteful words froze in my throat and I shut my mouth stupidly. He…he has nice eyes doesn't he? All amber, with this little tiny speck of gold. I stared at the gold specks flicker in the light and disappear. I guess I looked at him too long, because I heard Tomoyo clear her throat too loud to be natural. I forced myself to break the stare and mentally shook myself. Stop it Kinomoto! I cleared my throat and was about to start again when he interrupted.

"No, no, I agree with Miss Tomoyo. Please continue with your fascinating description of your dream man. I'm all ears, really!" He chuckled deeply again.

This time I could feel the heat rising up my neck to my face. I turned back to Tomoyo, refusing to meet the Prince's eyes, and said angrily, "Why would you care anyway?"

The Prince laughed again before saying jokingly, "Feisty, are we?"

That must be an incentive. But I don't take the bait and just grab Tomoyo roughly and pull her into the side-chamber slash dressing room.

I flop onto a pouf and grumble under my breath. "Teasing me like that...Just who does he think he is?"

"The prince, that's who. Someone who can make your life miserable." Tomoyo says mock-darkly before breaking up into a fit of giggles.

I shake my head at her. She straightens up and says seriously, mimicking my earlier words, "Why would you care anyway?"

I clamped my mouth shut as Tomoyo looked at me thoughtfully. Apparently, she answered her own question and turned back to my dress.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't feel like telling Tomoyo that no one else was supposed to hear about my dream man except her. It's just so…personal. Well, anyway. Back to the dress.

I actually like this one. It's a beautiful light pink sleeveless dress that reaches down to my knees. The top is really clingy and slims down towards my waist. The bottom section is in two pieces. The under piece is soft pink silk with sewn-in silver sequins so tiny you can't see them until they catch the light. The top piece is see-through netted chiffon, with a thin pink lace hem. My shoes are cream with medium heels. A ribbon from each shoe winds up my leg until it disappears under the dress.

I must say, the entire outfit looks better than I could expect from the finest tailor shop. But of course they do. Tomoyo made them herself from scratch, as with her wedding dress. Fancy that! Having to work on your own wedding dress! I suppose that she didn't trust anyone to make the most special dress in her entire life. (Plus, she's always making clothes anyway.)

I've left Tomoyo in charge of my hair, too. She's tied a small braid from each temple to the back of my head, where the two braids are coiled together in an elegant bun. The rest of my hair is left hanging down my back to my waist, and Tomoyo has weaved dainty white ribbons through it. I think that the white clashes horribly with my honey-brown hair, but Tomoyo thinks I'm a fashion klutz anyway, so it doesn't matter.

It takes another forty-five minutes for Tomoyo to get ready. Her dress is even better than mine! It's white (obviously) and full-skirted, with white chiffon over cream satin. The sleeves end at the elbow, but there is a wide tassel of white lace that extends for more two inches, which gives the sleeves a lovely effect. Tomoyo's wearing the tiniest kid slippers under her dress, but you can't see them, so it doesn't really matter. I helped her tie the garter onto her left leg, just below the knee, so it'll come off easily.

And, of course, I did her hair! I'm really proud of my work. I've gathered all her hair except a fringe on each side of her head and tied it into a coiled bun. The two loose pieces near the front are just hanging there, but they look really sophisticated, so I let them stay. I also stole a white rose from Tomoyo's bouquet and pinned it on the side of her head, which looks quite nice. I'm can't wait till everyone sees her! She's drop-dead gorgeous. Looks like the newlywed couple is going to have fun tonight! Ha ha! That's funny.

I leave Tomoyo inside and open the door first and peek outside. Eriol and the Prince engrossed in talk. As far as I can hear, it's something about some army of Athen coming closer to our territories. Like I care.

I feel a mood swing towards the Prince coming up. Remember, don't get mad at him again. Play it cool and suave.

I walk up to the two and wave my hand in front of the Prince's face to make him stop talking. He suddenly starts and smiles.

I smile a thousand-watt smile back at him and turn to Eriol. "Tomoyo's ready," I say to him. "Do you want to see her now or at the altar?"

Eriol grins. "I can't wait another second to see my angel." Right on cue, Tomoyo comes out and she looks dashing, if I do say so myself. Eriol is completely gobsmacked as she flings her bouquet onto the table and runs into his arms. He twirls her in a circle, puts her down, and kisses her.

Ick. That is gross. I mock gagging to the Prince and he laughs again. Why do I feel happy when I know he's laughing because of me? Oh, yes, it's because I don't want to get on his bad side. Right.

Eriol and Tomoyo are finally finished (thank god), and Eriol becomes all serious.

"Syaoran, this is Kinomoto Sakura, daughter of Lord Fujitaka. She's Tomoyo's maid of honor. They've been best friends for a long time." The Prince hides his smile and nods, although I can see he's still amused by my act.

"Sakura, as you already know, this is Prince Li Syaoran. He's my best man. We've been friends for almost as long as you and Tomoyo."

I curtsey in respect to the Prince and say, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Prince Li."

To my surprise, he pulls me up and frowns. "You don't need to do that. We're friends," here he grins, "and call me Syaoran, Miss Kinomoto."

I smile cheekily back at him. "Then you must call me Sakura." He looks at me for a moment, and then agrees smilingly. "Fair enough…Sakura."

For some reason I suddenly feel beyond happy.

"Hiiragizawa Eriol, will you have Daidouji Tomoyo to be your wife, to live together as friend and mate? Will you love her as a person, respect her as an equal, sharing joy as well as sorrow, triumph as well as defeat. And keep her beside you as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Daidouji Tomoyo, will you have Hiiragizawa Eriol to be your husband, to live together as friend and mate? Will you love her as a person, respect her as an equal, sharing joy as well as sorrow, triumph as well as defeat. And keep her beside you as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

I sighed. This was taking forever. The minister droned on some more. I subtly moved my head to look at everyone else sitting in the pews, some as exasperated as I am, and some rapt with attention. And here I was, on the altar, standing behind Tomoyo. I moved my head some more and found Prin - no, Syaoran, across from me, looking just as bored. He found my eyes again and something lit up in me. Quickly, I focused my attention on Eriol and Tomoyo again. They had exchanged their rings while I was dilly-dallying, and now they were almost at the end of the ceremony. Finally.

"Hiiragizawa Eriol, you may now kiss your bride."

Eriol lifted Tomoyo's veil and kissed her full and hard, while everyone broke into cheers. I caught sight of Daidouji Sonomi crying her eyes out over her baby girl getting married. Eriol and Tomoyo walked down the aisle again, leading the way to the reception outside. I started to walk too, and Syaoran caught up to me.

"That ceremony was horrible," he started.

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me about it. When I get married, I'm not going to bother with all that shit."

Syaoran mock-gasped. "Such strong language for a lady so pretty!"

I gasped right back at him. "Such an ugly face for a prince so valiant!" At this he laughed hard.

"Remind me not to get on your angry side ever." He said. I grinned at him and left him to talk with guests while I ate. The caterer had done a wonderful job on the roasted swan stuffed with sweet apples. There were huge platters of pasta and smoked fish filet on the table, but I moved onto the next gazebo, where there were mountains of cakes and pastries of all sorts. I piled up my plate and took a seat on a garden bench where I ate and watched people talk.

Just as I was finishing up the last of the rhubarb crumble, Syaoran popped up from nowhere and struck up a conversation.

"So...where are Eriol and Tomoyo going for their honeymoon?"

I swallow and take a sip of champagne before answering. "Um...Eriol apparently has a summer house by the sea up in Maidstone, so they'll be staying there for a few months."

Syaoran nods, and we lapse into silence. Luckily, though, at that moment, the orchestra strikes up the music and the announcer tells all the couples to come to the garden for the first dance. Tomoyo rushes in and hurriedly pulls me to my feet.

"Sakura, find a partner. We need you to dance now! As the maid of honor, you can't possibly miss out on the first dance!" She glances over my shoulder. "And Syaoran, you need to dance too. So hurry up! The dance is going to begin!" She sweeps away again to meet Eriol.

I twiddle my thumbs. "So...I need a partner. And...you need a partner. So...maybe we can-" I break off. But Syaoran gets the idea.

"Lady Sakura, would you be so kind as to honor me with a dance?" He bows down.

"Oh, how lovely!" I play along. "Of course I wouldn't mind!"

So Syaoran leads me to the open garden where everyone is just beginning to dance. I've been forced to take lessons from Tomoyo, so by now I can dance a waltz pretty nicely. I can tell that Syaoran has been trained as well, because he doesn't make a single mistake.

We pass a number of pairs, and finally I spot Tomoyo and Eriol. We move over until we're right next to the two.

"Tomoyo!" I whisper loudly. She moves her eye of vision from Eriol to me, and then up to Syaoran. Her brow furrows.

"You...and the Prince...you're dancing together?" Her eyes sparkle. "Oh, wonderful! You can get together and then I'll have company in marital life!"

"NO! No, Tomoyo, you've got it all wrong! We're just dancing together so we don't have to bother finding partners. Nothing of that sort, is it clear?" I say firmly.

Tomoyo nods a bit, but smiles evilly at Eriol at the same time. Oh Kami. What have I gotten myself into now?

The dance ends and Tomoyo quickly says in a loud voice, "Everyone, I'm about to throw the bouquet! Please gather in the central gazebo!" She looks specifically at me. "You too, Sakura-chan!"

I mumble under my breath, and get at the back of the crowd, as far away from Tomoyo as possible. The bride tossed the bouquet, and it landed in the arms of Chiharu Mihara, who was standing a few feet from me. Her face brightened immediately.

"Yay!" she cried, hugging Yamazaki standing next to her. "Takashi and I will be together forever!" I felt happy for the two. I knew them distantly through my father's friends, but they were both nice people and deeply in love. Though I swear I could hear Tomoyo curse and say 'I missed. And it was so close too!' Ha ha! Well, she can't get me!

Now it was only the garter toss left. Eriol got down on one knee and undid the garter from Tomoyo's leg. Then he blindly flung it behind him and kissed Tomoyo again.

I got on tip-toes, trying to see who got the garter, when

BANG!

Something hit my head at I caught it as it fell.

There was silence as everyone looked at me, then at the garter in my hands. Silence once more.

"ERIOL HIIRAGIZAWA, DO I LOOK LIKE A MAN TO YOU? WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU THROW THE GARTER AT ME? AM I NOT A LADY?"

I felt a soft, warm breath in my ear. "Only the most beautiful."

I gulped and turned around to see Syaoran smirking at me. "I mean it."

Everyone seemed to have heard because Tomoyo giggled loudly and there were some wolf-whistles from the front. I brandished my fist at everyone, which shut them up.

"Well," said Tomoyo from the front, hoping to cut the tension. "We should be going now." She took Eriol's hand and he grabbed her off the table and led her to the carriage. Tomoyo waved from the open window. "See you, everyone! Thank you so much for coming!" And then they were gone.

The crowd started to disperse. My governess, Maddie, walked over, greeted Syaoran, and told me to get in our carriage.

"No." I stubbornly refused. "I want to walk home. It's not far."

"Miss Sakura, your father does not want you wandering around alone. You of all people should know that."

"I don't care." I stuck my chin up.

"Miss Sakura, again I will tell you that it is not safe for young women to walk alone, especially-"

Syaoran, who had been watching, interrupted. "Don't worry, good madam. I will escort Miss Kinomoto home safely. You have my word."

Maddie looked distressed. "But Prince-"

"Ah, no buts. It is no problem at all for me." Syaoran smiled at my governess, and she finally seemed reassured.

"Well then, Sakura, I shall expect you home within the hour. Good day, Prince Li." Maddie walked off to the carriage and left presently.

I stood uncomfortably. Syaoran seemed at ease, though. "Shall we go?"

I looked up. "Um, sure." I started to walk but he held my shoulder and smiled.

"It must be done the proper way," He winked at me then extended his arm. "May I?"

I took his hand and said, all prim and proper, "Gladly."

Our walk was silent for a while, until we came to the little bridge in the path.

"Can we stop here for a while?"

Syaoran looked at me quizzically. "If you want to."

I took a deep breath of cool air and waded into the water under the bridge. It was so refreshing…better than the stuffy manor I have to sit in most days. I walked in the creek, relishing the coolness. Syaoran watched me over the edge of the bridge. I wandered under the bridge, and over to the other side. Syaoran craned his neck trying to keep an eye on me, and well, I suppose he went too far. The next thing he knew, he was in the water, sopping wet.

"Ha ha!" I cracked up. What a sight! Prince Li, in a creek, wet all over!

He sat there for a moment, taking it in, and then beckoned me over. I walked to him, and he grabbed my hand and pulled me down into the water with him!

I landed on my back, with my hair splayed in a fan around my head.

"Who's laughing now?" Syaoran smirked. I sat up and pouted at him.

"Syaoraaaaaaan!" I dragged his name out. "You ruined my hair!" He gave me a look.

"Don't you care about your dress more than your hair?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Besides," my eyes sparkled in mirth, "Tomoyo made me a spare."

Syaoran was taken back. "Would she really do that?" He said, getting up and brushing off some sand.

"Yes, she would." Syaoran offered me his hand, and I took it. His hand was surprisingly strong and warm around mine. He pulled me up and we walked back to the road. Strangely, when I tried to pull my hand out of his grasp, he held it tighter. I looked at his face, but it was impassive. And so we walked some more in silence.

My father's manor is quite large, and it has many beautiful gardens. But I despise all of it because there is no one there except me and the servants. Mother died when I was too little to remember, and father is always off on business in other kingdoms. He's coming tomorrow, though, which is great!

Syaoran and I reached the gates and there he bid me good bye.

"Don't you want to come in though? And dry off? I don't want you to get sick!"

He laughed good-naturedly. "Why would it matter to you?"

I pulled my hand out of his indignantly. "Because you're my friend, that's why!"

His eyebrows knitted together. "Do you really feel that way?"

"Yes! Yes, I do!"

"Well, I'm glad." Syaoran paused. "You…you're my friend too."

I beamed at him. "So…are you going to come inside?"

He looked at me thoughtfully. "I can come to the door. That's about all, I'm afraid. An ambassador from Athen is coming today."

"Okay!" I pulled him along by the hand, through the gates, through the gardens, past the reflecting pool, and all the way to the set of doors.

"There!" I smiled. "You escorted me all the way home properly, and I can tell Father that I am friends with the Prince!"

Syaoran smiled back, and brought his lips to my hand. "It was a pleasure to be with you today, Lady Sakura." He produced a red rose out of nowhere.

I accepted the flower and curtseyed. "No, the pleasure's all mine. I'll see you around, then. Good day."

I opened the doors and ran up the grand staircase. Faintly I could hear Maddie calling after me why I was wet. I hurried down the corridor to my chambers. I was engulfed by the sweet smell of my rose potpourri. I opened the window.

"Syaoran!" The dark-haired figure heard me and turned. I waved frantically. To my pleasure, he waved back before saluting me and leaving.

I watched his retreating back. When he was gone, I slid down the wall to the floor and fingered the garter and the rose. Two very important things. One secured my love life future, and the other my future friendship with Syaoran. Or am I hoping it will be something past friendship?

So, as you probably guessed, Sakura already likes Syaoran as a close friend, and perhaps something more. -wiggles eyebrows- I don't want them to hate each other like in most other fics because Sakura's love for him has to grow really strong for the story to work. Tell me if you think I should keep writing. I've grown quite attached to the story already, so it doesn't matter much, but I still like support.

Audrey