Disclaimer: I don't own CCS.

Chapter 1

Just a Normal Day

It was another day in the life of a young girl. Another day in the orphanage, the place she calls home.

RRRRIIIIINNGGGG!

An alarm clock rang. It was seven o'clock in the morning. At the sound of the clock, the seventeen-year-old girl immediately woke up. She opened her eyes, looked once at the clock and then stood up.

She sighed.

'Just another day.' she thought.

Sakura, as the girl was called, went to the bathroom to fix herself. She faced the mirror and there she saw her reflection—stunning emerald eyes, golden-brown hair cascading to her back up to her waist, and tiny lips that always breaks into a smile.

After finishing her morning rituals, she put on her clothes and went to breakfast. She walked carefully on the stairs to avoid making creaking sounds. The orphanage she calls home isn't exactly what people dream of calling a home. The orphanage itself was not made in concrete but in wood. The paint in and out was already peeling off. Some woods on the floor create sounds when walked on. And as stated earlier, the stairs looks as if it may fall any minute. But this wrecked house is what she calls home. Why? Because in it, she grew. In it, she met her friends. In it, she learned how to read or write or think wisely. In it, she started her life. Her real life.

When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she was met by several good mornings.

"Good morning!"

"Hi Sakura!"

She heard different greetings from different people.

"Hello to you, too!" She exclaimed happily in return. As usual, she went to her seat beside her best friend, Chiharu.

"Good morning, Chiharu!" she greeted her best friend. They've known each other for a long time now. In fact, it's already been nine years. She is also one of the friends Sakura met in the orphanage.

Instead of a cheerful reply, all she got was a nod from her friend.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked worriedly. Most of the time, she and Chiharu share the same amount of cheerfulness. But it seems that her friend is bothered by something.

Chiharu sighed sadly. "I'll tell you later."

Sakura was really worried for her friend. Chiharu isn't really the type of person who gets down easily. If something made Chiharu sad, it must be really something big.

After eating, both of them went back to Sakura's room.

"You do know that I'm eighteen and you're nearing your eighteenth birthday, right?" Chiharu started her explanation.

Sakura nodded in reply.

"We both know that the orphanage is trying really hard to sustain all the kids in it. But it seems that it really is too much now. The nuns decided that those who are old enough already should…"

"We have to provide on our own, is that it?" Sakura asked. Deep inside, she was already expecting it. After all, they were already old enough. It's just that she doesn't want to leave those people she cared about behind. This place was really everything to her. But now, she has to leave.

Chiharu nodded sadly. "I don't want to leave the others here."

"Don't worry." Sakura reassured her. She, too, was sad but she knew that this decision is for the better. "We can always visit them." She smiled at her.

"You're right." Chiharu said. "But it's just that it's hard trying to change our lives. We've been here for almost ten years then suddenly out of the blue we go wander off ourselves."

Sakura knew what Chiharu was saying. Sure they go out sometimes but they still go back to the orphanage. It really would be a new thing to them.

"We can do it." Sakura smiled at her again. "Also, if we work, we can help the orphanage and the children."

Chiharu sighed in defeat. "As usual, you're right. This really is for the better. But where do you think we should go?"

'Hmmm…' both of them thought.

"How about the palace?" Chiharu said.

****************

It was another day in the life of a young man. Another day in the palace, the place they call home.

It never was home for him. Yes, it is indeed the biggest house, actually palace, in the place but still, it never was warm and comfortable like a house was supposed to be. Most of the people living in the palace were kind but his freedom was gone. A lot of rules must be obeyed that it seems that you're not allowed to do anything at all. It was what the Prince thought of his life.

Prince Syaoran, the youngest and only son of the king and queen, was never really satisfied in his life. Indeed, he has all the splendor any man has dreamed of but he longed for one thing, freedom. Freedom to do things the way he want, freedom to decided on his own, freedom to choose the one he was to be wed. He may be the prince but that was only his title. His mother and father usually make decisions for him.

Again, it was another day in his 'goddamn life' as he calls it.

'Really, why do I have to marry someone I don't even know?' he thought.

He's been pondering about this for so long already. Truth be told, he really doesn't want to get married but he knew that it's his responsibility.

'Responsibility? Ha! I have to do this, I have to do that! Everything's a responsibility I have to fulfill. Don't they ever think that I have a life too? A life on my own?' he thought cynically. 'People expect too much from me.'

That was his last thought. He decided to stop pondering about those things or he might go crazy. He needed something to get his mind off those things and he just know what that might be: practice.

Li Syaoran was not only known as the prince of the whole kingdom. He was also known as one of the best fighters. As a matter of fact, he might even be the best. And so, to ease his mind, he decided to practice. After all, it takes his mind off things.

He got up from his bed, fix himself, and went to the training room. On his way, he met a servant sent by his mother to fetch him.

"Your majesty, a pleasant morning." He said.

Syaoran nodded to acknowledge him.

"Queen Yelan asked for your presence in the throne room. Her majesty said that it was urgent." He said.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at this.

"Urgent?" Syaoran asked. "Did she tell you anything about it?"

"Nothing more except that you were suppose to go there immediately."

"All right. I'll proceed now. Thank you." Syaoran said.

The servant bowed and left.

'Hmmm… Mother wants something. I wonder what it is. Maybe she'll cancel my engagement! Yeah right…' he thought as he walked towards the throne room.

After a few minutes, he arrived at the throne room. Seated at the very middle of it was the king and queen on their respective seats.

"Why, good morning, Syaoran." the queen said.

"Good morning to you too, mother," he nodded to his mother, "and father." then to his father.

Syaoran's father nodded at him.

"Few days ago, you've asked the cancellation of your engagement to the princess we engaged you to, did you not?" his father asked him.

Syaoran's heart gave a leap. 'There is hope after all.' He thought.

"Yes, father."

"Well, you do know that you have a responsibility to uphold." His mother said. Syaoran nodded at this. "We've decided that instead of you having to marry the princess immediately, we'll first hold a ball for you to pick your wife."

'Oh no! Why is Fate against me??? I think it's getting worse.' Syaoran thought.

"A ball?" He asked. "You do know that I despise those things."

"Well, if you really don't want to marry someone you don't know we thought that having a ball attended by all single girls around your age would be a nice idea. With that, you can get to know some whom you wanted to get to know." Yelan explained.

'It's not really that bad. It's just that socializing is not my thing. Especially that marriage thing.' Syaoran thought. 'If only I can be normal. Oh well, that's the best I can get.'

"Very well mother." Syaoran told them. "I will do my best to be able to choose one of those girls who will be attending."

Marriage… the very thing the prince especially disliked. He was of age to get married as his parents call it. He was twenty, in short. Traditionally, a prince has to choose his betrothed in his twentieth birthday. Unfortunately for him, his birthday is in a few months. Looks was not really the problem. An intense gaze from his amber eyes and a girl will swoon. Added by his physique, which was almost perfect, and that cute eventhough messy hair, he is irresistible. Yet he still doesn't want to marry. Most of the princesses or the ladies he knew were only after his money or looks. He wants someone who looks deeper.

'How can I know someone like that if immediately after they see me, they'll recognize me as the prince?' he asked himself.

****************

It was another day in the lives of our heroes. Another normal day. Or so they thought…

AN: I've come up with another story. I'll do my best to finish it.