Intoxicated

AU/ET Pairing

Part II

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It was a bright morning. The small blue birds perched on a branch of a tree near the window of the quarters and chirped gaily. The ladies' quarters are on a building separate to the royal castle. The building is connected to the castle by a small pathway surrounded by tall but highly-maintained hedges. Each lady was granted by the royal palace of a small room with complete amenities to enjoy the privacy. It has a small bed with thick white bedding and a wooden closet. Beside the bed is a small wooden commode where a candela is placed on. A carved wooden cassone inlaid with gold lining and small gemstones is installed at the foot of the bed. The warm rays of the sun passed through the translucent white window curtains and hit her white cheeks. Tomoyo creased her forehead with the warmth she suddenly felt and slowly opened her eyes.

She stretched her arms and sat down on her bed. Her long hair is braided wholly. She removed it from the braid and combed it softly. Her hair was long with soft waves on the end. She changed her semi-translucent white chemise into a cobalt blue empire waist velvet gown with silver hanging satin sleeves embellished with silver embroidered ribbons as a lining between the gown and the sleeves itself and slipped her feet on silver flats.

She picked up a book inside the cassone.

Sakura's room is on the third floor of the quarters while hers is on the first floor only. Tomoyo went outside her room and walked on the hallway. A small open garden lies on the heart of the building. The light from the open garden passes through the large arches on the other side of the hallway and illuminates the entire hallway.

She went outside one of the large arches and gently stepped on the grass when she heard a deep growl. She froze from her position, thinking that a beast shall attack her.

"Good morning, young lady."

It was in a cheerful high pitch voice.

She looked back and behind one of the pillars of the hallway, four figures were standing. A man, a woman and two fiery-looking big cats were looking at her.

The man has a long white silky hair with irregular bangs that covers most of his eyes. He was wearing a pure white uniform with cornflower blue linings and embellished with a sapphire gemstone on the chest. His alice blue eyes were very cat-like. He looked at Tomoyo with an expressionless face. The woman, on the other hand, gave Tomoyo a smile. She has a long amaranth-colored hair; half of it was tied on two buns as some of her small hairs dangle at the side of her face. She was wearing a red sleeveless shrug which covers her shoulderless, sleeveless midnight blue princess seam dress. Her dress matches the color of her mittens.

Tomoyo shifted her gaze to the two felines. The black panther glared at her with a pair of sapphire cat-like eyes which matched the gemstone on the chest and the gemstone on his head. The lion, on the other hand, watched her in amazement. The lion has an armory on his head and on his chest, embellished with a ruby stones.

The black panther growled louder.

"Spinel Sun."

The tiger-looking animal shifted his gaze from the lady to his company and stood still.

"He's not really used to strangers." The white-haired man said to Tomoyo. He remained still on his position.

Tomoyo was petrified.

"Spinel Sun!" The woman remarked to the black panther as she walked towards the lady.

"My name is Ruby Moon." She introduced as she extended her hand to Tomoyo. Tomoyo doubtfully accepted her hand and shook it gently. "Suppi and I are the high guardians of the royal family."

Tomoyo remained silent, as she watched the four figures with fear.

"Those are Yue and Cerberus." Ruby Moon pointed out the two remaining figures. "Cerberus serves as the guardians of all the ladies here whilst Yue serves as one of the judges to who shall be the next queen of the Hernnguard."

"You shouldn't be confiding such information to her, Ruby Moon." Yue spoke on a serious tone of voice.

"Don't be silly, Yue." Ruby Moon chuckled. "She'll know it sooner or later when Lord Syaoran announced it after the brunch."

Yue smirked as he rolled his eyes and left them.

"He's an antisocial." Ruby Moon sighed then looked at Tomoyo. "What's your name?"

"Tomoyo." Tomoyo stuttered as she looked at her magenta-colored eyes.

"Do you know that you're the first candidate we saw?" Ruby Moon cheerfully asked rhetorically. Tomoyo shook her head.

"You woke up too early." Ruby Moon stated as she looked at the sky. "The breakfast is yet to serve."

"It's fine." Tomoyo answered melodiously. "I'm used to waking up early."

Ruby Moon skipped playfully around Tomoyo and stared at her – from head to feet. She stopped when she reached the point where she started. She emitted a big smile on her face and said, "You, sure, are lovely."

Tomoyo bowed down as a tint of blush appeared on her pale cheeks.

The guardian of the royal palace felt a thug on her dress and looked down. It was Spinel Sun who was tugging her dress.

"We've got to go." Ruby Moon sighed. "Still have a duty to fulfill in the palace."

Ruby Moon sat on the back of Spinel Sun and said to Tomoyo, "Till we meet again, Tomoyo."

The two guardians left Tomoyo in an incredible speed thus leaving the lady with Cerberus. She looked at him and smile. The lion-like animal stared at her with its soft cat-like eyes.

"Can I stay here in the garden for a while?" She asked as she looked at the open garden filled with trimmed grass. Bushes of roses are planted alongside the garden and a big sweet chestnut tree resides on the middle of the garden.

Cerberus nodded.

She walked elegantly near the tree and sat under the big shade of the sweet chestnut tree, away form the rays of the sunlight and opened the book she brought with her. She held her back comfortably against the trunk of the big tree before starting to read the book – uttering each word under her breath. Cerberus, on the other hand, remained still on his position but his eyes followed her.

………………………………………………..

"You should also be aware of the rule, Eriol."

"What rule?" Eriol stopped writing on his parchment and looked at Syaoran. "How many rules are there upon me?"

His voice echoed around the dome-shaped library filled with thousands wooden shelves and arrays of books. A stained glass serves as the ceiling of the library – illuminating the entire space.

"There's only one for you in this competition." Syaoran answered as he looked at the books of one of the shelves near the table of the prince.

"What is it?" Eriol continued to write with his plume.

"You should not see the candidates' faces." He reiterated the word 'not'.

"That's easy." He smirked. "I'm not really that interested to what they look like. Though may I know why?"

"We wouldn't want to be bias because of the physical attributes, sire."

"I see." Eriol nodded.

Syaoran walked towards the prince's table and peeked on the parchment he was writing. The parchment is filled with curved handwritings of the prince.

"What are you doing?" He asked in curiosity.

"Trying to make myself busy." He answered, as he continued his writing. "Busy enough not to think of her."

………………………………………………..

"So, there are three judges?" Tomoyo asked Sakura.

They were walking on the pathway towards the royal palace, along with the other women. The women are led by Cerberus and Yue. Tomoyo and Sakura are at the back of the line.

"Yes." Sakura answered. "First, Lord Syaoran. He's the closest companion of the prince."

Sakura shifted her eyes to the white-haired gentleman in front of them.

"Second, would be Yue." Sakura enumerated. "He serves as the representative of the scribes though I'm not sure if he's a scribe himself."

"The third one?" Tomoyo inquired furthermore.

"Of course, silly!" Sakura took Tomoyo's hand and squeezed it tightly. Tomoyo felt her best friend's hand. It was cold. "That would be Prince Eriol."

"Where are we going anyway?" Tomoyo asked as she looked at Sakura. Her face is like she is in distress.

"Aren't you listening to Yue a while ago?"

"No." Tomoyo simply answered. "I'm indulging myself to the breakfast they served."

"We will be given our first task." Sakura whispered to Tomoyo's ear as she watched the calm judge, Yue.

Yue stopped in front of an enormous door and faced the women, "Ladies, please gather around."

The ladies all gather around the white-haired jury. Almost all of the ladies are wearing extravagant dresses along with large jewelry pieces.

"Today, you shall have your first task." He said. "Behind this door, there are kitchen tables for each and every one of you."

Some ladies whispered speculations to each other while others.

"You will be preparing a dish for the prince." Yue continued. "And he shall choose the ladies who shall remain in the palace."

"What about the ingredients?" A lady in front asked.

"Ah. Yes, all the ingredients known in this kingdom are available inside." Yue assured as faced the door and opened it widely.

The whole room was ten times larger than the grand hall last night. It has a high ceiling and shiny marble floor. The room is filled with hundreds of small wooden kitchen tables. At the back of the room are large brick-lined ovens used for cooking and baking. Kitchen maids aligned themselves on the right side of the room.

"The kitchen maids shall assist you on preparing the ingredients you will be needed for your own dish." Yue instructed as he pointed the kitchen maids on the right side of the room. "You are given six hours to prepare the dishes and the timer starts now."

The ladies went rampant as they seize the nearest kitchen table that their eyes registered. The two ladies, Tomoyo and Sakura, chose the two tables near the corner.

"What are you going to prepare, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked her worried friend.

"I don't know, Tomoyo." She answered wearily as she watched the other ladies prepare. "Help me, Tomoyo. I'm no good in kitchen."

"Prepare the Strawberye (1)." Tomoyo whispered to Sakura. "Do you still remember how I've done it when you visited at our manor last spring?"

"The strawberry pudding?"

"Yes." Tomoyo said enthusiastically. "It's quite easy and presentable."

"Oooh." Sakura hugged Tomoyo tightly. "My millions of gratitude to you, Tomoyo."

"Now, start preparing." Tomoyo emancipated herself from Sakura's hug. Sakura nodded and skipped happily towards a kitchen maid.

Tomoyo went to a nearby unoccupied kitchen maid. The kitchen maid is a young lady wearing a green chemise covered with a white apron. She greeted Tomoyo with a smile.

"Good morning. I would like to request some almonds, powdered ginger, sugar, salt, flour, oil, honey, and wine please."

"Is that all, madame?"

"Oh – ale, some onions and saffron too."

The kitchen maid bowed down and went to a small door at the right side of the room. Tomoyo returned to her kitchen table and watched Sakura starting to rinse the strawberries she ordered.

The kitchen maid who took Tomoyo's orders returned with a basketful of ingredients. She handed them over to Tomoyo and bowed down.

"Thank you." Tomoyo smiled and begun preparing her ingredients on her work table.

………………………………………………..

Eriol was reading a thick hardbound book about warfare strategies when Syaoran entered the library in a quick pacing. The prince shifted his gaze from the book to his companion's entrance. He gently closed the book and placed it on the table in front of him.

Syaoran sat on the edge of the table, looking at the book. He faced the prince and instigated, "The contestants still have three hours left to prepare their scrumptious dishes."

"Then why are you loitering here, Syaoran?" He asked in a firm voice as he looked at him with his pair of cerulean eyes – away from the rays of the sunlight from the glassed roof of the dome-shaped library. "Aren't you supposed to be overlooking those ladies, Lord Syaoran?"

"I'm just making sure that you're not going to escape."

"Escape what?"

"Escape everything and spend your time dilly-dallying on the plaza like you did last time."

"It never crossed my mind but now that you've mentioned it-" Eriol's eyes widened with enthusiasm and agitation and Syaoran noticed it easily.

"Eriol." Syaoran interrupted him with a sigh.

"I don't know."

Eriol closed his eyes and comfortably laid his head on the and gently pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Please do lighten up, Eriol." Syaoran sneered as he stood up and sat on the nearest chair. "You seemed to be troubled."

"I'm not troubled." The prince lied. He opened his eyes and sighed. His eyes were fixed on the book. He picked it up gently and held it firmly. "I'm trying to teach myself here so just let me be, Syaoran."

"Why are you suddenly absorbed to all the teachings, anyway?"

"Just let me be, Syaoran."

'Let me be." He whispered to himself as he opened the book from where he stopped and continued reading.

………………………………………………..

"Done." Tomoyo said as she triumphantly revealed her dish. She immediately transferred the rolls of bread to a basket. The fresh and sweet-smelling aroma of her pastry lingers around her area, overpowering the other smells of the dishes prepared by the other ladies.

"Of course, your fried blanched almond rolls (2)!" Sakura exclaimed while working at her kitchen table as other ladies flocked around Tomoyo and her pastries.

"Those smell delightful, Tomoyo."

"Oh! Those are mouthwatering!"

"Such a sweet aroma!"

Tomoyo smiled and thanked the remarks of the ladies. One of the ladies nearby shrugged off the aroma of the almond rolls and said, "The smell might be appealing but it doesn't mean that it is in fact succulent."

The group of ladies laughed as they continued to work on their dishes meticulously, making glances to the basket of Tomoyo's breads. Tomoyo fortuitously heard the ladies' judgments and bowed down her head.

"This is competition, Tomoyo. Don't take those remarks seriously."

She heard a cheerful high pitch voice – similar to the voice she heard that morning. She looked up and saw Ruby Moon, beaming at her. Along with her are the two guardians – Spinel Sun and Cerberus. Spinel Sun was just watching her while Cerberus moved near her. Tomoyo patted his head and smiled weakly.

"We've met again." She curtsied to the three.

"Yes." Ruby Moon shifted her eyes to the basket of breads. "Those, sure, are tempting. I am assured that you shall pass this task effortlessly."

"Oh no!" Tomoyo corrected as she seized the handle of the basket and offered it to the three guardians. Her smiles broadened, flashing her pearly white teeth. "I made these for my friends."

"You're not going to pass those breads to the adjudicators?" Ruby Moon whispered to Tomoyo.

Tomoyo shook her head and smiled innocently. "I made these just for my friends."

"Isn't that against the rules of Yue?" Ruby Moon asked as she gave glances to the two guardians for the assurance of her statement.

"Yue didn't stated-"

Ruby Moon instantly grabbed three rolls from the basket and distributed the other two rolls of bread to the two creatures.

Tomoyo put down her basketful of breads and pulled Sakura, who was slicing strawberries lengthwise at her designated kitchen table, and presented her to the three.

"This is Sakura." She introduced with a smile. Sakura, on the other hand, jolted out of surprise. She instantly waved her hands at them. "She's my best friend."

Ruby Moon smiled at her and said, "I'm Ruby Moon and these are Cerberus and Spinel Sun."

She pointed the two creatures behind her. Cerberus approached Sakura and presented his paws to her. She took them and shook them gently as she beamed at him. She exclaimed, "He's a charm!"

Spinel Sun just watched them indifferently.

Ruby Moon interposed, "Ladies, I think you should get back to your work. You've only got an hour to finish your dishes."

Sakura immediately strode back to her kitchen table and washed her hands. Tomoyo picked up the last roll of bread and wrapped it beautifully on a parchment. She handed it over to Ruby Moon and said, "Kindly give this to Yue, if ever you had a chance to see him."

Ruby Moon nodded and accepted it.

"Thank you." Tomoyo said faintly.

………………………………………………..

"Prepared?" Syaoran asked Eriol as he waited impatiently outside the door of his room. The two guards are standing beside the door, remaining at their position for the entire day. The prince was inside the room, getting ready for the first day of appraisal of the candidates for the title of the queen – his future wife. The door opened hastily and Eriol appeared in a maroon doublet with gold linings paired with a maroon breeches and black tall riding boots. His gold cape dangles along his right shoulder. He looked at Syaoran in disbelief.

"I cannot believe that you have persuaded me to do this." Eriol grimaced as they walked. Every servant that they encounter bowed down to them as they walked hastily down the hallway of the palace. "You know how I loathe this pursuit."

"Well, brace yourself, Prince Eriol." Syaoran chuckled. "Because the ladies shall entertain you with their delectable dishes."

"They better be." Eriol thought.

"Yue is waiting for us in the room of the assessors." Syaoran mentioned and the prince just nodded.

They turned the first left of the hallway and walked straight to the first door on the left. Syaoran opened it for Eriol and the prince walked straight into it. It was a small room – enough for ten to twelve people. There is a translucent white curtain that divides the room into two. Behind the curtain is a table with three chairs adjacent to each other. Each chair has a goblet filled with wine and a set of different sizes of plates, forks, knives and spoons. On the other side of the curtain, a small table is placed on the middle. A big silver platter is placed on the small table, which will be used to transfer the dish from the table of the candidate to the table of the assessors. Yue is already sitting on one of the chairs of the table for three while Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun are standing on the both sides of the table.

"Get ready with your sense, Spinel Sun." Yue spoke faintly as he relished the wine from the gold chalice he was holding. He gazed the other parchment-wrapped pastry on his other hand with awe. Spinel Sun is a creature with a gift, which is why he is appointed as one of the royal guardian of the king's family. He has a good sense of smell and can distinguish the poison in a set of dishes.

Two chambermaids opened the curtains for the royal prince. Yue immediately stood up from his seat, placed his chalice and the parchment-wrapped parcel on the table, and bend over as a sign of reverence. Eriol smiled at him weakly and proceeded on the table. He placed himself between Yue and Syaoran. The other two judges sat on their respective chairs. A chambermaid poured some wine on the chalices of the newcomers while the other one closed the curtains. The prince smelled a faint sweet aroma.

"Are you expecting me to taste everything?" Eriol asked Yue.

"Not really, your sire." Yue answered promptly as he watched the translucency of the curtains.

"Then, let's request an audience with the first candidate." Syaoran proposed to the two gentlemen. The other two agreed.

………………………………………………..

"They're calling out the two hundredth entrant." Sakura squealed as she squeezed Tomoyo's cold hands. The lady near them stood up and held her plate of roasted meat passionately. A guard beside opened the door for her and she went inside with a smile on her face. Sakura and Tomoyo have been watching the ladies went inside and came out from the door at the south corner of the preparation room since the assessment started. They were sitting on Sakura's kitchen table as their prepared dishes were ready on Tomoyo's kitchen table. Cerberus, on the other hand, stood near the door, staring each lady going inside and out of the room keenly.

Some ladies came out of the door with a smile on their face while others with sadness painted all over their face. Tomoyo watches them with her pair of amethyst eyes and she wants to empathize with the ladies.

"Those dreams shattered into millions of pieces." She thought.

"The Honorable Sakura, daughter of Baron Fujitaka of Rosacea (3)." The herald called. His voice echoed inside the expansive space.

"That's me." Sakura muttered in disbelief as she picked up her bowl of strawberry pudding.

"May you be blessed with courage." Tomoyo wished to her as she hurriedly went inside the room of the assessors.

………………………………………………..

"We've only have two remaining candidates." Yue informed the two gentlemen at his left with his relaxed voice.

"Yes." Syaoran confirmed as he looked at the long list of the candidates on a long parchment paper.

"I think I had enough." Eriol scowled. "I'm already full with all the sampling we've done."

The gentlemen heard the creak of the door. They watched a figure appeared on the other side of the curtain. Syaoran coughed and said substantially, "So you must be the Honorable Sakura, daughter of Baron Fujitaka of Rosacea."

"Yes, my lord." The lady from the other side of the curtain answered politely.

"Very well." Syaoran answered enthusiastically. "Tell us of what you've prepared for us."

"This is called Strawberye, my lords." Sakura stuttered for every word that comes out of her lips. "It's a strawberry pudding."

A chambermaid transferred the platter containing the bowl of pudding and transferred it on the table of the gentlemen. It was a purplish porridge-like pudding with some slices of strawberries. She transferred some servings to each bowl of the three appraisers.

"Presentable." Eriol muttered, not touching his bowl of pudding.

"And tasteful too." Syaoran mentioned after eating a spoonful of pudding. Yue remained silent after tasting the pudding and gave a weak smile.

"We would like you to remain in our palace." Syaoran declared.

"Thank you, my lords." Sakura acknowledged their appreciations as she bowed her head and exited through the door with a big smile painted on her face.

"Ruby Moon, kindly inform the herald to call the last one." Eriol said to Ruby Moon who was standing beside Syaoran. Ruby Moon nodded.

………………………………………………..

"Lady Tomoyo, daughter of Countess Sonomi of Somadiphia (4)." The herald called at last, pertaining and looking at the last lady in the room – Tomoyo. Tomoyo took a deep breath and carefully took her covered bowl with both hands. It was steaming hot. She strode across the room with finesse. Cerberus watched her, worried.

"I'll be fine, Cerberus." She smiled weakly. The guard opened the door for her and she entered the room of the assessors. It was small yet surprisingly chilly – considering that the windows are tightly closed. She immediately placed her steaming bowl on the table. She watched the three figures seated on the table and the two figures standing between the seated figures on the other side of the translucent curtain. She recognized the two standing figures as Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun.

"You're the last candidate for this task, Lady Tomoyo." Syaoran said as an icebreaker. Tomoyo took a deep breath again and closed her amethyst eyes gently before opening it again. "Aren't you anxious?"

"Why would I be anxious, my lord?" Tomoyo answered calmly. "Those who have done wrong should be anxious. I believe that I, myself, have not done such offense."

"Such a forthright spirit, indeed." Syaoran extolled. "I've been hearing things about you from my father, the duke of Furenberg."

"What kind of things have you heard from the duke?" Tomoyo asked bravely, recognizing the voice of Lord Syaoran.

"He told me that you exude a rather peculiar attitude for your title." Syaoran revealed in an agitated manner. "He saw you, pretty much occupied with selling vegetables at the town market. May I ask you a very personal question? Is your family in grave of financial instability that you cannot afford a servant to sell the vegetables generated from your county? I don't mean to sound rude but –"

"Oh no, Lord Syaoran." Tomoyo chuckled, covering her smile with her delicate white hand. "I gave our servant a day off."

"A day off?" Eriol interrupted, intrigued to the conversation of his friend and the lady on the other side of the curtain. "Why would you do such thing?"

"I give our servants a day off, my lord." Tomoyo explained. "It must be hard for them to work all day and not appreciating what life is really about."

"But isn't it what they were before they were even born?" Eriol inquired calmly. His azure eyes flickered as the light from the candles on the table reflects it. "They were born servants and that's the way they should be."

"I do believe, your sire, that they are similar to us." Tomoyo explained furthermore, enunciating every word melodiously and with calmness. "All of us. We all have a heart to feel, a mind to use, a stomach to fill, a-"

"Enough!" Syaoran exploded. He stood up from his seat. His forehead creased as his deep brown eyes are in deep fiery. Ruby Moon watched him carefully, getting ready if something happened. Tomoyo jerked on her position. She felt a surge of fear deep inside her. She clutched the thin cloth on her chest with her hands firmly.

"Lord Syaoran, maybe we should stick to our agendum." Yue calmly called the ireful gentleman. "Let's proceed to the assessment."

"Yes, Syaoran." Eriol said with serenity on his tone of voice. "Please be calm or you'll frighten our lady."

Syaoran took his seat, still fuming over the ideologies of Tomoyo.

"So, what have you prepared for us, my lady?" Eriol asked, shifting back to the original topic.

Tomoyo watched the chambermaid transfer her bowl of soup to the other side of the curtain and said, "It's a soup."

The chambermaid poured small servings of Tomoyo's soup on the new clean bowls of the three gentlemen. It was a steaming hot clear golden liquid.

"What is this?" Syaoran was rather displeased.

"It's an onion-ale soup served with bread." Tomoyo answered steadily. "It is called Oyles Soppes (5)."

"Is this a peasant's soup?" Syaoran barked. He was more infuriated than ever. His voice was raucous and unrefined. "Are you making us eat slaves' food? This is a sign of disrespect!"

"Yes." Tomoyo blurted out. "No!"

"I shall not tolerate this kind of insolence." Syaoran said crossly as he watched the figure of Tomoyo.

"Now, now, Syaoran." Eriol mediated between the fuming lord and the radical lady. "Let us hear out first what the lady has to say."

"Yes, I agree with the prince." Yue seconded the notion of the prince. "Lady Tomoyo of Somadiphia, are you aware that what you've prepared is a peasant's food? Please answer me with a yes or a no."

"Yes." Tomoyo stammered as she looked directly at figures on the other side of the curtain. She could see that the figures on the other side are motionless.

"Are you aware that the prince only consumes the best of this kingdom?" Yue continued to inquire. His eyes are fixed on his bowl of soup. Ruby Moon looked at him with her distressed eyes.

"Yes."

"My lady, may I know why you've prepared this kind of dish?" Eriol barged in with his own question.

Tomoyo took a deep breath and spoke lucidly, "I'm thinking of a dish that probably the prince hasn't tasted and would represent the kingdom per se. A dish that would characterize the whole kingdom of Hernnguard. A dish that would embody the common people."

Syaoran gave a scornful look as he mocked the lady from Somadiphia. Eriol thwarted him with a glare from his azure eyes and said, "Please continue."

"Well." She paused for a moment and smiled. "If a prince shall be the king who will govern over the kingdom, he should be familiar with his people. What would be more practical of knowing your people by their culture and experience – work, food, clothing, and such?"

Eriol smiled and tasted a spoonful of the onion-ale soup. "And this is tasteful."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "Are you insane, Eriol? What if it has a poison or something –?"

"If it has something undesirable in it, Spinel Sun would respond right away, right?" The prince took a glance at Spinel Sun, standing next to Yue. The black creature nodded, affirming the rhetoric question of Eriol.

Tomoyo's eyes widened as she heard the whole conversation. She could not believe that the prince tasted her soup – a peasant's soup. She felt her heart beats faster as her breathing consumes more air in the room.

"I would like to know more about your people, Lady Tomoyo." Eriol expressed articulately. "Tell me more about your people."

"Lady Tomoyo." Yue called.

"Yes?" She answered abruptly.

"You may go." Yue instructed. "We shall see you at the next task."

"I passed?" She asked.

"What do you think?" Yue answered his question with another question.

"Thank you." Tomoyo smiled and curtsied. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before walking towards the door. A blush tainted the pale complexion of her cheeks as her light coral lips exude a beautiful, radiant smile. A successful smile. She pulled the door gently and went outside the room.

"A highly opinionated lady." Syaoran smirked.

"Isn't it the kind of lady that this kingdom needs?" Eriol smiled coyly at his friend. "You just need some fresh air."

"I made a few inquiries about the candidates and hers is very interesting." Yue imparted to the two gentlemen. "A good source told me that she does not believe in arranged marriages."

"Then, if she doesn't want arranged marriages, why is she here?" Syaoran asked Yue.

"Seemingly, she said that doing this is more exciting rather than studying her piano and literature lessons at home. She actually enjoys escapades such as this."

"She's doing this for her own amusement?" Syaoran inquired again. Yue nodded as he gazed intently at the parchment-wrapped object he left on their table.

"May I know what's inside the parchment, Yue?" Eriol noticed the parchment-wrapped object on the table. "I think that's what where the sweet aroma is coming from a while ago."

Yue gave the wrapped object gently to the prince and said, "You may have it, your sire. I'm not that interested with that, anyway."

Eriol opened the parchment and saw a roll of bread. He brought it near to his nose and he smiled.

"It was the same sweet aroma I smelled a while ago." He thought as he gazed at the roll and asked, "What is this?"

"It's a fried blanched almond rolls, your sire." Ruby Moon answered cheerfully. "It's an almond-filled pastry baked in honey and wine."

Eriol intently looked at the roll of bread and took a bite. He tasted the burst of almonds, wine, and honey in his mouth.

"Who made this, Yue?" He asked fervently.

"Apparently, the one who made you eat the onion-ale soup." Yue answered with a weak smile on his lips.

End of Part II

………………………………………………..

I've done quite a research for this second part of the fiction – especially with the recipes since I'm not that familiar with cooking (can't even cook a decent meal at my age). I looked for medieval recipes on the internet so it may sound more appropriate with the setting of my alternate-universe fiction.

Pardon my endnotes, by the way. I'm just used to writing endnotes in my papers.

End Notes:

(1) The strawberry pudding recipe came from a fifteenth century's recipe book of English.

(2) The Fried Blanched Almonds is originally called Frytour blaunched during the 14th century in England.

(3) Sakura's origin in this fiction, Rosacea, is derived from Rosaceae, the scientific family classification of cherry blossoms.

(4) Somadiphia, Tomoyo's origin in this fiction, is an amalgamation of sophia, a greek word for wisdom which is the rough English translation of Tomoyo's name (wordly wisdom), and Madison which is the English adaptation of her name in Card Captor Sakura.

(5) The Oyles soppes is served in England during the 15th century. It was not a peasant's food. I just made it up.