Author's Note: Erm…Hello, Welcome. Bonjour, Bienvenue. Ola, Bienvenidos. Aloha. Kon'nichi-wa. Ni-hao, Huan-Ying. And whatever language you speak…HELLO! My name is Wings of Jade. I know how to say 'Hello' in six languages…I usually greet people this way.

THIS IS MY FIRST CCS FIC! The couple is Sakura/Syaoran, so PUH-LEASE spare me the flame that goes "Sakura/Syaoran sucks" 'cuz I don't give a DAMN! You're just wasting your time trying to tell me it sucks…I support it, so BYE if you don't. Oh, and Syaoran is sort of portrayed as a cold and unloving person.

NOTE: Everyone other than Meilin, Syaoran, Tomoyo (if I plan to add her), and Sakura are portrayed differently. Did I mention that there MIGHT be some Meilin-bashing? Syaoran's 'father' is King LI, by his last name. Now bear with me.

Summary: AU. When it's time for Prince Syaoran to choose a girl, he's to grab the hand of his wife-to-be without looking. What happens when he grabs Sakura's hand? A Further Extended Summary: Meilin sets up a 'trap' to make sure Syaoran picks her. Only it doesn't work.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even Card Captor Sakura.

I Choose Sakura

By: Wings of Jade

Chapter 1: Want To Bet?

"Prince Syaoran!" cried King Li's advisor, clasping his hands together. "You are almost officially sixteen. Do you know what this means?" Prince Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"No. Of course not." His dark brown eyes were looking insolently at his father's advisor. King Li's advisor was an old man, with veined and knotted hands, wrinkled, dry skin, and always looked as if he thought he were superior to others.

Prince Syaoran tossed his dark green cape over his shoulder, still not looking at him. He did not want to hear what the advisor had to say.

"You truly don't know, Your Highness?" inquired the advisor. Syaoran sighed.

"For the last time, Seiichi, I don't. Either tell me or I call the guards."

"Guards are not allowed to harm a king's advisor," mumbled Seiichi. Prince Syaoran's lip curled.

"You are afraid? That's not the first time," remarked Syaoran coldly. "If the guards can't 'harm' you, then I'll silence you myself." Seiichi took a step backward, his head bowed humbly.

"Your Highness," he began in an unusually shaky voice, "Two days from today, it will be two weeks before your sixteenth birthday. The law is as follows: You are to marry a lady two weeks before your sixteenth birthday."

"And if I do not follow the law?" interrogated Syaoran boldly. Seiichi muttered to himself.

"Then…I dare not say." Prince Syaoran sighed.

"Very well. I get the picture." He waved his hand impatiently. "Continue."

"You do not decide whom you marry—" As if I ever will, thought Syaoran bitterly. He started pacing around across the room. "—nor the king. It is…kind of like an age-old tradition. Sixteen young women, all Ladies, will wear veils over their faces. You yourself will either close your eyes or wear a blindfold. Then, you are to pick your wife-to-be without looking; namely, randomly." Prince Syaoran stopped pacing around.

"Randomly?" he repeated incredulously. "I supposed to pick my—my wife randomly?"

"It is so," muttered Seiichi. Prince Syaoran gave a noise of contempt and dismissed Seiichi. He needed time alone.

Syaoran sighed to himself. Pick a wife at random…and they would all be ladies. Syaoran found himself not caring at all about whom he picked, as long as they weren't prissy or fussy. Lady Meilin was a good friend and close cousin of his…with a jolt, he realized that Meilin would probably be the only desirable woman of the women he was to choose from. She was a lady, so she would be involved in the choosing. He ordered one of his servants to call Meilin to the castle.

"Your Highness," greeted Meilin graciously when she arrived, sweeping into a curtsy.

"Meilin," said Syaoran stiffly, "I've called you here for a reason."

"I realized that," purred Meilin. "What business shall we do this time?" Syaoran ignored her question.

"I trust you know that my sixteenth birthday is approaching?" Meilin inclined her head.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Is there anything in particular—?"

"Actually, there is," Prince Syaoran cut in icily. "I need you to formulate some sort of plan so that I end up with you instead of some other…prissy cow." Meilin smiled.

"I knew you would say something like that. And I already have a plan in mind." Syaoran raised his eyebrow.

"Oh? Let me hear this one." Meilin walked closer to Syaoran.

"Listen," she informed him quietly, "When it is time for the choosing, the ladies you are to pick from will be putting out their hands. You will grab their hand at random. I trust you know this?" Prince Syaoran nodded. "I will be wearing a ring. Now, the ring will have a rather sharply cut diamond on it, so if you feel pain when you touch a hand, then you'll know it's me. What do you think?" Meilin swept a strand of raven-coloured hair out of her eyes.

"Excellent," Syaoran told her. "You do that." Meilin smiled cattily.

"You'll be sure that I will."

~*~

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Kinomoto Sakura turned at the sound of her friend's voice.

"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura greeted warmly. "What's up?"

"Did you hear?" asked Tomoyo excitedly, her eyes shining. "Prince Syaoran is going to get married!" Sakura blinked.

"Really?" she said, mildly interested. "Well, I suppose he's turning sixteen and everything…" Tomoyo nodded furiously.

"It's exciting, isn't it?"

"I wonder who the ladies are…"

"Sakura. Tomoyo." The two friends turned at the sound of a new voice. Lady Meilin was standing there, smirking at Sakura and Tomoyo.

"Prince Syaoran's business is none of your business," said Meilin icily, looking at Sakura dead in the eye. "I suggest you drop the subject, because I'll be the one marrying Syaoran."

"Really?" retorted Sakura coolly. "And your confirmation for that statement is…"

"Prince Syaoran already told me that he'll be sure to choose me for his wife…he even told me that I'll be the only desirable woman at the choosing."

"You're wasting your time, Lady Meilin," Sakura told her defiantly. "I'm not even a lady."

"Undoubtedly you shall probably enter your name as a lady anyway," replied Meilin. "Even then Syaoran will not choose you." Sakura opened her mouth for a response, but Tomoyo beat her to it.

"Want to bet, Lady Meilin?" Tomoyo challenged her. "Want to bet? I'll personally make sure that I'll enter Sakura as a lady. And why not? She'll be perfect; well, much better than you anyway." Meilin narrowed her dark eyes. "Is the bet on?" Meilin hesitated, and then smiled evilly at Tomoyo.

"You bet," she said gleefully. "Oh, we'll see who will feel dry after this." Tomoyo grinned at her.

"Right."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Me: AAAAAAAAAH! I am so sorry that this ending was so crappy! I promise the next chapter will be much better and longer! In the mean time, REVIEW!

Meilin: I am so snobby it makes me happy!

Me: -_-; Weirdo. *hastily takes words back* Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry to Meilin fans! *dodges pumpkins thrown by Meilin fans*