Title: Once Upon A Time

Chapter: 1 - Breakfast at the Castle of Naroays

By: Sparkling Crystal

"PRINCESS SAKURA!!" yelled Wilma, Sakura's maid.

Sakura turned away from Wilma as she laid on her bed and covered her ears with a pillow. "Princess Sakura…it's already 8 o'clock, you must get up!" Wilma said as she shook Sakura's arm lightly.

"Mmm…just another minute…" Sakura murmured.

"Princess," Wilma said in a slightly whiny tone, "Today you are to meet the Prince of Naroays, have breakfast at the Castle of Naroays, and you have less than an hour to get ready!"

"Just tell him I'm sick…" Sakura grunted as she nudged the pillow hard over her head.

"It's a very important day and the Queen wants you to make a good impression on the prince!" Wilma said as she tried to wrestle the pillow away from her.

"Hah! My stepmother only wants to get rid of me, and hopes by the way to get some of the riches from that stupid prince…" Sakura laughed sarcastically as she threw her pillow at Wilma.

Wilma didn't say anything as she picked up the soft feather pillow, "You might as well be on your way."

Sakura sighed.

Suddenly a young girl about Sakura's age with a violet-coloured dress and smooth black hair hanging down her shoulders entered the room, "Sakura, your carriage is ready."

Sakura moaned.

"Already? What time is it, Tomoyo?"

"Eight twenty-five," Tomoyo, Sakura's personal maid and also best friend replied.

"And at what time is the breakfast?" Sakura asked as she got out of her pale pink canopy bed and into her fluffy purple slippers. Her room was decorated all in the theme of light pink, gold, and white.

"Nine-sharp," Tomoyo said with a smile, "I have the new pink and white satin dress I designed for you last time ready; along with special matching pink bracelets, pink earrings, pinkish clear pearls, pink heels and other accessories all ready for you. You'll look so cute in it! Ho ho ho ho ho!!"

"Just call me Pinky," Sakura sweat-dropped as she walked into her royal bathroom and the warm shower that Wilma prepared for her.

* * *

"Presenting…Princess Belle of Penelopia………Presenting…Princess Sakura of Cha-Cheri-Chera-Chi-"

"-CHEROSSYOM!!"

Sakura's eyes twitched as "Cherossyom" was finally announced and held up her beautiful satin dress. Then, trying not to fumble, she walked into the Main Hall.

"Please to meet you," the prince said boringly to both Sakura and another girl that she supposed was Princess Belle. Around another dozen young princesses crowded in the Hall, all chatting and talking.

"Please to meet you too, Your Highness," Princess Belle said sweetly as she swept a beautiful curtsey to the prince.

"P-Pleased to meet you too…Your Highness!" Sakura said like a soldier as she tried to curtsey, but unfortunately failed and fell straight into the prince's arms.

Immediately the whole room turned silent and everyone stared at Sakura.

The prince, too, was surprised at this act.

Sakura blushed madly as she tried to get up, "Sorry!"

But... it felt so sweet and comfortable to be in his arms…although he was just a complete stranger. "What are you thinking about, Sakura?" Sakura thought to herself as she shook her head, "You've just met this guy two seconds ago!" The prince helped Sakura up and brought her to her feet. She quickly bowed as she tries to apologize.

The prince gave a little "tch" and rolled his eyes, "What a clumsy jerk, are you really a royal princess?"

That was quite unexpected, and Sakura's face was steaming red all the way to the tips of her ears. Most of the other princesses laughed.

"S-sorry…" Sakura turned her face down to hope that no one would notice.

"…Your Highness!!" She quickly added.

"Call me Syaoran," the prince stated plainly, "I don't like being called 'Your Highness', clumsy oaf."

And he stopped.

Noticing that standing in front of him was a girl with emerald eyes that were filled with energy and yet embarrassment at the same time. Her auburn hair was accompanied by two sparkling pink clips, and cute ponytails were tied onto her two sides with little pearls. A single thin string of silver with a pink heart dangling in the middle hangs over her neck, and she was dressed in a graceful pale pink and white satin dress.

"Have I..."

Syaoran mumbled confusedly as he took a step towards Sakura, and he squinted his thick eyebrows..

Sakura too, was looking at Syaoran. Rude as he is, he had those deep dark brown eyes, those charming looks, and his lips in an unique frown. She never knew anyone could actually look good in a frown.

"Have I seen-" Syaoran repeated again.

His sentence was interrupted by the loud ringing of a bell.

"Breakfast - is served!" the announcer said.

Everyone followed the prince into the Dining Hall. Sitting at one end of the table, was an elderly woman with moon-shaped glasses, brown curly hair and a kind smile. Each and everyone of the princesses curtseyed towards her. "Wonderful girls you all are," she said as she studied each and one of them carefully.

"My mother…the Queen…" said Syaoran uninterestedly, and he turned his gaze back to Sakura, staring at her even harder and his frown getting bigger.

Sakura tried to ignore him as she thought to herself, "Mou, what is wrong with that guy? Not only is he rude, he has a strange problem of staring at me. Do I have something on my face? Do I look stupid? Oh how I wish this weird breakfast would quickly end!"

Servants then appeared and seated the guests, Sakura was sitting right beside the queen but Syaoran muttered something to one of the servants and he came towards Sakura and asks her to move to a seat beside Syaoran.

The Queen overheard and glanced at Syaoran, "There is no need, it's impolite to ask a lady to switch seats after she has seated, Syaoran."

The whole Hall was again, looking at Sakura with very much dislike.

The queen didn't notice though, or at least pretended not to.

But because of the attention Syaoran was giving to her, many princesses started to act offensively towards Sakura, such as ignoring her in conversations, insulting her in front of others, and making fun of her for wearing so much pink. Sakura barely talked and ate her meal silently. She didn't even wanted to come to this breakfast in the first place, it was only because her stepmother wanted her to marry some kind of rich prince, so who cares if none of these snobby princesses liked her?

Syaoran was too busy glaring to even notice when he was starting to stab and eat his beef with a table knife, and when another princess told him he only shouted a "mind your own business!" at her and went on eating with the knife. At the end of their breakfast, they served Naroays' special fruit punches in crystal-glasses.

Syaoran had offered Sakura one as an excuse to talk to her, but as usual, every single girl in the Hall noticed. Before Syaoran could say anything to Sakura a princess came rudely smashing into Sakura, spilling punch all over Sakura's dress and then in her high voice shrieked, "I'm so SORRY…! I didn't KNOW you were there…I NEVER noticed…"

Sakura nodded, meaning she accepted her "apology" as she headed for the lady's washroom. She wasn't mad at the princess, after all, it was kind of Syaoran's fault. If he didn't keep on giving her special attention then they wouldn't be acting like this. Then again, it was probably her own fault for knocking into him in the first place. Suddenly on her way of trying to rub off her stain, she bumps into someone.

She stared at the ground as she waited for them to yell at her again, but it never came, and instead, a rough masculine voice answered her.

"Who are you?"

Sakura looked up, and there stood Syaoran. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. "I said, who-are-you?" Syaoran repeated impatiently.

"Uh...I'm Princess Sakura, of Cherossyom..." Sakura answered slowly.

"I know that, but I mean like, where have I seen you before?" He demanded curiously.

Sakura stared at the prince confusedly, "I think this is the first time we met."

"Liar! I said I've seen you before and so I have!" Syaoran said matter-of-factly, "Now speak the truth, brat!"

"I'm quite certain we haven't met before, Prince Syaoran," Sakura answered through gritted teeth, holding back her anger.

"Then how would you look so familiar? Are you really a princess? After all, you're such a klutz and so very clumsy; you aren't familiar in many of the Royal etiquette; and you simply stand out so much! You must be some kind of lowly-maid who is impersonating the real princess!" Syaoran suggested in a brutal tone.

All of the frustration and insults that Sakura have taken that morning finally made her explode, "What IS your problem? I said I haven't met you before! And even if we met before, so what? Who cares? I don't like etiquettes, because they're annoying. And I only stand out because of you, who stares and glares at me all morning for no reason!"

"...You dare speak back to me?" Syaoran said as his frown deepened.

"Really! Why not? You have absolutely no reason to act in such an aggressive manner," Sakura puffed, "You shouldn't be treating people this way, I don't know if you always are like this, but if you continue I can guarantee that you won't have a single true friend in your whole life!!"

Syaoran's eyes widened and he stammered, "N-Nobody's ever spoke to me like that before."

The two stared at each other, not speaking a single word.

"So...does that mean you'll finally stop being so rude?" Sakura asked in a softer tone.

"No," Syaoran said conceitedly, "It just means that nobody's ever spoke to me like that before. So where have I seen you before? You look so familiar, why don't you just tell me, you gawky girl?"

"You...you...you baka! I give up!" Sakura threw her arms into the air in frustration, "I don't know you, alright?! It's time for me to go. Good-bye, Prince Syaoran!! I hope we won't meet again!" Then she started to storm off.

Just as Sakura was about to reach the Grand Entrance, Syaoran yelled after Sakura.

"Wait!"

Sakura slowly ceased her footsteps and turned, "......"

"Gomen." He mumbled quietly.

"Eh?"

"Gomen!" Syaoran repeated.

Sakura stared at him.

"You. Prince Syaoran of Naroays. Apologizing?"

"Well..." Syaoran replied slowly, staring at the floor, "I guess I'm sorry for treating you so...rudely, but it's just that I thought I've saw you before. I suppose not now, but I was just really...irritated ever since my mother had set this Breakfast event up, because I have no interest in marrying yet...so..."

"So..." Sakura repeated.

"So I'm saying sorry, you idiot!" Syaoran yelled as his face slightly turned pink, then he quickly added, "Who cares, why do I even waste my time on the likes of you anyways?"

Sakura's face softened and smiled.

"What are you smiling for?" Syaoran asked gruffly.

"Although you may seem to be very rude, I know that, deep inside...Syaoran-kun has a very kind heart." Sakura said gently. She then curtseyed, and to her surprise, successfully this time; and left the Castle of Naroays, leaving Syaoran standing there, stunned and astonished.

* * *

"Tomoyo!"

Sakura said with delight as she returned home, skipping each step.

"You seem quite happy," Tomoyo said as she helps Sakura undress.

"Well…" Sakura smiled sheepishly.

Those kind of fierce but actually very dreamy eyes of Syaoran seem to have still remained in her heart.

"Well, I guess the Breakfast didn't went too bad after all...and the prince was actually pretty nice..." Sakura admitted. Even if he seemed rude and mean on the outside, she was positive that he really owned a soft, kind heart.

"So your stepmother only wanted the riches of that stupid prince, huh?" Wilma's voice came from the other room.

Sakura ignored her, and smiled at herself, when will she see him again? That's the only question in her mind right now. And far away in the castle of Naroays, a prince sits on his chair in front of the fireplace, thinking about the same thing...

________________________________________________________________________

~*ARTHUR'S NOTE*~

Well…that's it…what did you think? Please review! Thank you! By the way, have you noticed that Syaoran's country (Naroays) is "Syaoran" spelled backwards? ^.^