The soldiers marched along the small village, their young captain's face smug with power. A power that he knew every one was afraid of and would do nothing to stand up against him. No one even had the guts to tell the good king of this man's actions, because they were afraid of the punishments the captain would give.

The King would have helped. He would have done something to prevent this from happening. But nobody knew that. No one had the nerves to tell the King because they were afraid of the terrifying flat black eyes of the captain. It was just like how a snake would look at its prey before devouring it. And that is what everybody thought the captain to be. A snake.

Even his soldiers hated this man. They hated how he would always tell them to do something terrible to these people's homes, supplies, and most importantly, thir family. The king knew nothing of these because of how well the twenty year old captain would hide any evidents of the damaged lives. They were just like the people. Terrified and helpless.

As the soldiers and their captain passed the people, nobody made a sound, afraid of drawing attention.

A little girl, was skipping with some flowers in her hand, crossing the little place, intent to give the small bunch of flowers to her mother. She was oblivious to the danger she was in, and thought her mother's signals for her to stop, was simply a gesture of hello.

Unfortunately, the captain decided to take the same routine as the five year old, and therefore, the girl collided with the captain, causing her to look up. She smiled brightly at him, and gave him one of her precious flowers, thinking it would put a smile to the older man's grumoy face. The little girl had been dearly mistaken, for the captain took the flower and stepped on it, causing the girl to frown and then cry.

The captain picked up the girl by the arm, causing her to scream in pain. Ignoring the pleas the mother kept screaming for mercy, he shouted, "This child, is a complete nuisance, and does not have any manners. Which is why she should be punished! Let this be a lesson to you all!"

He dropped the little girl and withdrew a wip. He drew it back, and prepared to strike the helpless girl.

* * *

Sakura smiled as Tomoyo struggled to get on the horse.

"Tomoyo, you really should come outside more often," she said

"Easy for you to say," Tomoyo grunted as she finally got onto her horse. "I thought Touya and Yukito were coming with us. What happened to them?"

"Nah," Sakura said, "They had some extra training to do, and its a good thing too. Touya wouls have made me take that stupid carriage, because its 'safer'." The young princess made a face.

Tomoyo giggled at her expression.

"Come on, I'll race you,"Sakura said suddenly excited, "Whoever reaches the forest first can kick Touya this afternoon." and with that she galloped off.

Tomoyo groaned. As much as she hated riding horses, it was nothing compared to having to run on them. She made a patheitc gesture of how Sakura always did to make her horse run, and immediately regretted it, as her horse wildly went into pursuit.

Sakura smiled as the wind whipped her face and waved at a few people who cheered their princess on.

Everybody loved the princess. She was beautiful, kind, compassionate, caring.... they all knew she and her older brother would help them through anything. Just like the King and Queen.

Tomoyo was soon next to her. Sakura saw her best friend's face and started laughing. Unfortunately, she didnt see the tree in front of her, and when her horse suddenly stopped, she was sent flying into a wooden cart.

That made her laugh even harder, and when she finally stopped, Sakura realised that the cart was moving at full speed towards the small village that was next to her beloved forest. She was trying to get put, when another realisation hit her.

Her foot was stuck.

"Uh-oh," Sakura muttered, as she frantically tried to get her foot out.

* * *

The captain smiled in anticipation as he threw the wip back and and got ready to strike the crying girl by his feet.

However, the moment the thin rope was thrown into the little girl's direction, a hand struck out, and caught it before ot could make contact with the girl. Everybody relaxed as they saw the person.

"Are you ok Aiko?" he asked softly. The little girl nodded, clearly shaken, but otherwise not injured.

The new comer nudged her towards her mother, and the mother cried in relief as her daughter was safe in her arms. The young man dropped the thin rope and glared at the captain.

"Who the hell do you think you are gong around and hurting people just because they bump into you?" he asked fearlessly. The villagers may fear the captain, but this was just one exception. "She is just five years old for crying out loud!"

The captain was fuming, and everybody knew it, "How dare you!" he shouted.

But the young man didnt even blink in panic, let alone cringe. He just stood there, tall and disgusted at the captain's attitude.

The latter pushed the teenager away, and ordered two of his men to hold him down.

However, they had all underestimated the young man. He kicked the two soldiers hard in the shin, then grabbing them both by the neck, banged their heads together, and they dropped like leaves.

The captain fumed, and was about to order more of his men to force him down, when a loud curse from not far away, drew everybody's attention to a terribly fast wooden cart that was coming this way, and at any moment would run through the people's vegetable patch. The one they had all worked so hard to grow. Then, when the poor person that was trapped inside the cart looked up to see how far away she was from her doom, everybody realised that it was the princess.

Sakura cursed loudly, glad that Touya wasn't within earshot.

She finally released her leg, and looked up to see she was going straight into the vegetable patch of the villagers.

Damn it, she thought.

The captain saw the princess coming and smiled grimly, he was now going to save her, and earn the respect from her and her stubborn brother.

When the princess went past the first soldiers, he tensed himself to grab her. But somebody else acted quicker than anyone of them could think. The young man who had saved the little girl from wipping, got the princess by the arms, and she jumped into his. Then, he pushed the cart with the tip of his foot, towards the captain, instead of the patch.

The captain got trampled and the teenage boy smirked with satisfication, and turned to look at the person in his arms, the moment she opened her eyes.

Sakura opened her eyes to look into a pair of warm, golden brown eyes, whose chocolate coloured bangs kept on covering half of it. The owners of the eyes hastily helped her to her feet.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried, looking at the villagers with worry, " I am so sorry! I nerly destroyed all your vegetables! I really didnt mean to! The cart wouldnt stop! I am so very, very, very sorry!"

The people looked at her with kindness. Their vegetable was not damaged and that was something positive that had happened. But they smiled also because of the way the princess was apologising to them, instead of just scoffing why nobody came to her rescue quicker, or that she could have died.

No, she was worried about them.

The captain got to his feet, burning with humiliation. He ordered ten of his men to take down the boy, and then he turned to the princess with a steeoy smile.

Sakura jumped as the soldiers tried to tackle her savior. She could see that he wouldn't give up so easily, but ten men was just to over-whelming for him. She was about to say something when the beating if hooves caused her to look up. Tomoyo had immediately taken her horse and galloped after Sakura, but she hadnt been abled to catch up with the wild cart.

She jumped off her horse, and ran to Sakura, giving her a hug, and examining her all over.

"Im fine, Im fine," Sakura said, waving off attention had been then drawn to what the captain had in his hand. A whip. And he was going to use it on theis boy here that looked seventeen. Only a year older than Sakura. She wasnt going to allow that, even if the boy had been older.

"Captain, what are you doing?" she asked sharply.

The captain looked at her wearily before answering, "Giving this boy's punishment My Lady."

"For what?"

"For-" but the captain was interrupted by a low voice.

"For saving a five year old from a whipping, because she had ran onto the road, and had accidently bumped into the bastard standin here."

Sakura looked around to see the boy glaring at the captain with deep hatred. She looked at him for a few minutes then asked, "What's your name?"

"Li." the boy said in that same low voice.

"Right," Sakura said, "Captain, what gives you the right to decide to whip a little girl that is obviously innocent? You dont even have the permission to carry that horrid weapon, let alone use it!" she scowled at the captain. Sakura, Touya, Tomoyo and Yukito never had liked the captain.

The captain stared at Sakura, but then smiled his steely smile. "Forgive me your majesty, it will never happen again." then he turned and raised his whip prepared to hit Li.

"Leave him alone," Sakura said firmly.

The captain looked at her in surprise. "I beg your pardon my lady?"

"I said," Sakura muttered, turning away from the beautiful warm amber eyes of Li, to look at the icy black eyes of the captain, "Leave. Him. Alone."

The captain reluctantly allowed the boy to be released. The soldiers let go, causing Li to fall on the ground. He muttered a curses, as he hit the dirt face down.

Sakura glared at the captain, then walked over to Li, and bent down to help him stand up. Li looked at her with surprised eyes, but took her hands greatfully as they helped him get up.

"You may go back to the palace now captain," Sakura said icily.

The captain looked at her expression, and deciding it would be better if he didnt argue with the princess, he bowed and marched back to the palace.

As soon as he was gone, the people started cheering and clapping, looking at Sakura and Li with smiles.

Tomoyo skipped to her friend's side.

"That was a job well done, my friend," Tomoyo said, "Touya will be very sorry he didnt see the captain get his butt kicked."

But Sakura was only half listening to Tomoyo, and most of her attention was drawn to the handsome young man, who was talking to the little girl he had apparently saved. Her mother gave the boy a tight hug and told him something, to which he shook his head and smiled shyly. Sakura assumed that the woman must be thanking him.

"LI!" a voice shouted with annoyance, but also relief.

Li, for the first time, flinched, as he saw it was Eriol walking his way. And he looked angry. Li was in for it.

Sakura saved Li, by walking to him, closely followed by Tomoyo, and saying, "Thankyou very much for lifting me from that cart."

Li looked at those wide green eyes, and dropped to his knees. "No My Lady. I should be thanking you. Not only for sparing me from that monster, but also from my cousin, who looks as though he would rip my throat apart, if it werent for your presence."

Sakura giggled, but stoppedd, as Li's cousin reached them.

"You absolute moron!" Eriol hissed, "D'you have any idea what-" but he stopped himself as he saw the princess in front of Li. The latter looked a bit smug, because he knew that Eriol wouldnt say anything that wasnt polite in the company of anybody he waasnt close to.

Immediately he dropped onto one knew and bowed his head.

"Forgive me princess,," he began, "I had no idea-"

"Please, get up, get up." Sakura said hastily.

The two got up. Tomoyo suddenly realised what time it was, and nudging Sakura, she whispered, "I think it is time to go."

Sakura looked at where the sun was and hit her forehead. Touya was going to give her hell for this.

She quickly said a goodbye, and she and Tomoyo jumped onto their horses, urgency giving Tomoyo enough guts to do it on her own.

Eriol's attention then went back to Li, and Li flinched, expecting another lecture. But Eriol just looked at him with a glare and walked away towards their house, which was the closest to the forest.

Wow, Li thought, that must be the nicest thing he has ever done to me after I have saved somone.

* * *

To the girl's greatest bad luck, Touya was there, waiting for them.

Before he could say anything however, Sakura said, "The captain had a whio today, and was going to use it on teo people, one a five year old girl, and another was a boy just a year older than me."

That side tracked Touya alright, "Why?" he asked.

"Because the little girl came in his way when they were marching, and the boy saved her from whipping." Sakura said, not mentioning the part how the same boy had saved her from a few broken bones.

Touya frowned, then smirked in a mischievous way, "Well, shouldnt we inform father about todays events Sakura?"

Sakura giggled and then nodded.

But when they were making their way towards their king and queen's quarters, Sakura found herself thinking about a pair of warm golden-brown eyes.

"He was quiet attractive wasnt he?" Tomoyo asked, making her friend blush. Why oh why did Tomoyo have to be so good at reading her? "Just right for someone as beautiful as you, Sakura."

Luckily, Touya was out of earshot, so Sakura was free to say what she liked. " I dont know what youre talking about." she said with dignity.

"right," her friend said skeptically.

But they had reached the doors to the head quarters, and they were readying themselves for the fight ahead. Yukito joined them just in time.

"Wouldnt miss thid for the world," he said.

And they entered the room.

Disclaimer! i do not own the characters.