Remember last time kiddos? Sakura got beat up at the slave market, and now Xaio Lang and the crew are heading back to the castle! Ready? READ

Ages:

Sakura – 17

Tomoyo – 18

Sayoran – 21

Eriol – 21

Meling – 18

-Tomoyo's POV

I was not enjoying the carriage ride. Did the wheels have to hit every single bump on the road? I don't know how much more my stomach could take. I have not-so-fond-memories of my mother making jokes about my weak stomach. At least the roads in Japan were more smooth. Oooh...Feeling green around the gills...I leaned back, the seat I was sitting on was at least comfortable, compared to the wood floor of the slave ship.

Must think of something else...must get mind off sickness...

I glanced over to the chestnut haired boy who was cradling my battered green eyed cousin in his arms. I smiled, managing to swallow a giggle. It was a darling picture those two made. They looked perfect for each other. He held her in a sideways sitting position on his lap, with her head leaning against his neck, and his arms wrapped loosely about her, keeping her form upright. It was interesting sight: She was of Japanese decent, dirty, and beautiful. He was of Chinese decent, clean, handsome. It was a romance story just waiting to happen...and waiting to fall to pieces, like the western story of Romeo and Juliet. Two star crossed lovers, only to fall in love, and to be torn apart by two warring families.

I shivered slightly the motion sickness coming over me again and then a blanket was spread over me. In surprise, I look to the other fine-looking young man sitting next to me, and my cheeks burn. His raven blueish hair, pale complexion, and heavenly dark blue eyes made my insides magically transform from nausea to happy butterflies. He tenderly smiled down at me and wrapped his arm around me pulling me against me. He was warm, very warm, and by the faint scent of sandalwood on his robe I felt like I had finally come home. His heartbeat was strong and was even comforting to my tightened nerves. I smiled shyly, snuggled closer to him and closed my eyes remembering the scene before we got into the carriage.

Sakura was badly injured from the men who were attempting to touch her up. The scoundrels! If it were their own daughters and mothers they would treat them with better respect! Thankfully though the man in green Chinese robes who had lifted Sakura in his arms seemed to be very much in control of the entire situation. His counter part, or the god in blue Chinese robes and matching blue eyes was kind enough to take me by the hand and usher the other 'bought' women to the assigned carriages. He muttered something in Chinese about castration, as though as to what that is I haven't got a clue.

Sadly a lot of the mothers were afraid and frightened of the the two Chinese men who were now considered our 'Masters', and they had a really hard time with getting them to get into the carriages because they thought they were going to extermination camps (propaganda spread by the Japanese government during the battles between Japan and China). It was then I noticed that one of the mothers little girls couldn't stop bawling, and the mother couldn't pick her up to comfort her because she was carrying her young baby in her arms. At seeing where I was looking, the blue prince squeezed my hand gently, and then let go of my hand walking over to the crying child. I watched in amazement as he scooped the little on into the air, and held her high above the crowd. Her crying immediately stopped the moment she was in the air and she stared back down at the blue spectacle prince. He smiled up at her and then twirled her in the air, causing her to giggle with glee.

I couldn't help but watch memorized by the scene. It was if I was seeing my whole childhood before me. My dad lifting me into the air, humming familiar Japanese tunes in my ear, calming me from a nightmare...the memories were endless. I smiled at the both of them, a welling of joy and comfort rising to my heart. At my glances to the other women, they were also very impressed with the young man, and the images of hearts in place of their eyes. I knew the feeling as well how rare it was to find a man would would take the time to cherish his children and make them feel safe. His sapphire eyes turned, gazing directly at me, and he smiled.

My cheeks colored, and I looked down to the ground in haste. It occurred to me that this prince probably had children of his own, which was why he was so familiar with them. At the thought, a very small part of me to died on the inside. It was foolish I know, to like someone who's kinfolk invaded my country, killed my father, cousin, and uncle. But I couldn't help it. He was kind, more kind than all the suitors I met in Japan. Inwardly I wished he only had eyes for me and only me, but wished the feelings away as I gently called to the other Japanese women coaxing them to the carriages.

Eventually we made our way to the carriages, all the women except me watching the blue prince care for the child. At least they were moved by his actions. I however couldn't bear to watch anymore because of the reminders of home I left behind and the fact that it would be literally impossible to marry in China because of my Japanese decent. When we got to the carriages, I helped a few others get in the carriage first, and then the mother of the child the prince held. She smiled to him as he approached beside me with the child, a blush covering her features. He playfully placed the now cheerful child back into the mothers hold, and bowed to her, his cheeks burning from the excitement from playing.

I stepped on the bearing to get into the carriage, but an arm grasped onto my upper arm causing me to stop. I looked back and it was the blue prince motioning to come with him. Obediently, I stepped back down. The mother of the child now in her arms giggled and murmured to me softly in Japanese, "He's smitten with you, little princess". And then reached out shutting the carriage door. I blinked a lot, and watched the ground as we made our way to the front carriage. The well dressed chestnut haired young man stood there with Sakura in his arms, awaiting for us to get into the carriage. I got into the carriage,and the blue prince got in as well, sitting next to me. I blushed, but to hide it I nonverbally offered to take Sakura from the chestnut haired young man, so that he would have an easier time getting into the carriage. Truth was, I wanted something to take my mind off the handsome young man who was supposedly smitten with me.

The chestnut haired young man glanced to his friend, grinned then shook his head, his hold tightening slightly on my cousin. He gently told me in Chinese that he was determined to keep her in his arms as long as possible to make sure she got care for her injuries. After a few tries of getting in, he sat down across from me and the blue prince, and called out for the carriage train to go ahead.

I would like to put a note in here that I absolutely do not like carriage rides. The first five minutes or so I'm okay, but when they are up I get really queasy and feel like I'm going to start puking my guts. I hate Carriage rides. I can stand horseback riding alright, it's just carriage rides that make me feel ill. May be that the carriage is usually stuffy, and smells of sweat and another odor I could never place exactly.

(D046: Since this is a M story, I'll put in here that it's not uncommon for certain wealthy people to fool around in carriages (hence the smell). If that isn't a clue enough message me and I'll spell it out :P)

The first precious minutes of non-sickdom of quite rolled by until the blue prince said in Chinese, "Thanks Xiao Lang for buying the most beautiful Japanese woman I've ever seen." I blinked looking at the blue prince and the now named, 'Xiao Lang'. Xiao Lang coughed, his cheeks slightly turning red, and then motioned to me with his eyes, and haughtily replied in Chinese: "You best watch your words, Eriol. Specially when YOUR beautiful Japanese woman understands Chinese." Eriol head snaps to my direction, his eyes wide. I smile rather embarrassedly, chime out a very hoarse, "Nihao", and move my gaze directly back down to the floor of the carriage where it belongs.

A strain of warm hearted chuckles grace my ears, and a warm arm hugs me against him. I blanch, at the sudden closeness, and cautiously make a glance back up to him, where he grins playfully back down at me. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and whispers softly, "So the fair maiden of Japan knows Chinese? It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Eriol Reed. Clow Reed is my father who advises Emperor Xiao Li, Xiao Lang's father. What might your name be lovely princess?"

I suddenly felt my world tilt, as the bile in my stomach starting to rise. I was feeling sicker and sicker by the minute, and knew that it was only going to get worse. I clutched onto Eriol tightly, my resolve diminishing by each second passing. 'Eriol' looked down at me concerned, and then leaned over to one of the doors rolling down one of the windows to let some air in. My mind swarmed at the information now presented before me: The boy holding my abused cousin was the crown prince of china. A relation of the emperor who ordered the murder of my father, uncle, and cousin Touya. It was ludicrous and ironic! Kami-sama must have some sense of humor to have done this. And to refer to me as a princess was ridiculous to say in the least. Did he not realize who we were? Of what family we came from?

After a few moments, the sickness began to fad away, and I murmured softly, "My name is Tomoyo."

"Pardon?" Asked Eriol who either had the lousiest hearing, or wasn't paying attention.

"My name is Tomoyo." I said again, feeling beads of sweat collect on my face. It was sure hot in here.

"Toh-Moh-Yoh" He sounded out slowly, as if he never heard the name before. "It's a beautiful name, Princess Tomoyo." His hand gently tipped my face to his, and he placed a kiss on my forehead, which made my already huge blush grow ever more larger. What was this feeling? He pulled his lips away, and very casually said, well you don't have a fever, but your skin is clammy. Try to relax. Well be at the place as soon as possible."

Which brought me back to reality. I was in the arms of my enemy, the one who killed Sakura's parents, my parents, all all the people who tried to protect us. And oddly enough, I felt safe there, and never wanted to leave.

-Sayoran's POV

If I hadn't been equally enamored with the girl sitting on my lap, I would have been making fun of Eriol and the predicament he put himself in. I gaze at the scrapes and ugly purple bruises forming on the girl's pearly white skin. I grind my teeth in annoyance at the thought of Wu Fei laying a hand on a girl thirty years his junior. He was already married with two women for crying out loud! He didn't have any business trying to bed a helpless foreigner. It was against the law anyway to sleep with servants, let alone those who you are not married to. Without realizing it, my gaze suddenly was focused on the rising and falling of the injured girls chest, and how the folds of her...drat...what is it called? Not a wrap, although it defiantly looked like one...oh yes, a robe draped open revealing a good bit of her luscious and plump breasts.

URK!

My face flushed at the excited bulge that I knew was from my nether regions. What on earth was wrong with me! I was the prince of china who wasn't attracted to any woman at all! I pulled the blasted cloth back to where it was supposed to be, to preserve what little modesty the creature in my arms had left. I knew it wasn't her fault that her robe was smelly and literally falling to pieces. It wasn't uncommon for female prisoners of war to be beaten, raped, and at the very worse killed. This girl was lucky that she had escaped the last two. I could tell by the innocent look in her green eyes that she still kept her childhood and woman innocence. No matter what happened at this point in life, I was determined to make sure no one took that innocence from her.

That list also included me. Everywhere she touches me makes me feel more alive since than ever. Her gentle face, her...soft curves. Damn, the bulge is at it again. This trying to protect her was going to be harder than I thought. Thankfully Eriol is busy with his 'Princess', and my goddess is sitting on my lap hiding my one-eyed-snake from making an appearance. Man, I didn't realize until this excursion that I could be turned on so easily. I mean, I hate girls. Really. They are annoying, loud, make high pitched screeches, say 'CUTE!' all the fucking damn time, and hug you when you don't want them to.

I look back to her sleeping face, a thought suddenly coming to mind. Although I wouldn't mind if SHE gave me a hug.

I sighed tiredly and went back to serious Xaio Lang mode, and let my mind wander a bit. It was uncommon to see two pale Japanese women with non calloused fingers, like my mother and sisters. For some reason it would make sense that they must have been from a family high up on the hierarchy scale. Like a Lady or Duchess. Although if that was true, we would technically have to treat these girls with the dignified respect that they deserved. Although knowing my mother and Father, they would do their best to make sure that the women were put to work in someway.

I sighed again, and looked to the dozing Tomoyo and Eriol. Yup a match made in heaven. Since I bought Tomoyo for Eriol, she would be adequately taken care of. Those two most defiantly have the look of lovers, and I know Eriol wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Man I wish my life was as damn easy as theirs was.

At hearing the flower in my arms whimper something in what I presumed to be Japanese, I whispered a soothing Chinese chant to lull her back to sleep. She stilled in my arms, her brow creasing in pain, and then very slowly it lessened, and she drifted back to slumber land. Her whimper clawed my cold heart in more ways that I ever thought it could. I had to think of a way to save her from living the rest of her life as a servant, either in the Li Castle, or anywhere else.

-Sakura's POV (much much later)

The last thing I remember before passing out is a warmth and kind amber eyes. I felt as though I remember them or at the very least should remember them. It was so vividly familiar, but I couldn't place where I had seen them before. Perhaps I had seen them in a dream, like a prophecy coming true. It's strange, if I had seen a foretelling of the things that happened to me, I would have been much more careful when I was trying to escape the siege. Of course like my father told me, hindsight is 20/20 and I would just have to live in the present and go from there.

I weakly opened my eyes to welcoming bright sunlight. I hurt all over. It ached just to even be awake anymore. I half remember someone muttering about broken ribs when I was trying to sleep through all the pain. I guess I was alive, although barely considering how much it hurt to breathe. Figures, being alive only produced more pain and complications to my already bad situation.

A groan escaped my lips and my eyes met an unfamiliar face. It was a girl with long black hair, and ruby red eyes. She wore a red Chinese dress that had a design of a phoenix in gold embroidery. Whoever she was, she was very beautiful and dressed quite richly. Her fingers very gently touched my face, and she murmured something in very smooth melodic Chinese. I was starting to wish now that I had practiced my Chinese language skills much more than my Chinese writing skills. I had no means of communication when I was injured.

At me not replying, she called out something that sounded like, "Shao---", and a rustle of movement came closer. All I smelled was the musky sandalwood scent. I couldn't place where I had smelled it before. I kind of recognized it to be the scent of the young man who saved me from the beating, but I also remembered it from another time in my life as well. I breathed deeply in feeling comforted by the smell, and was welcomed with the reminder of pain. The pain was so unbearable that I wrenched my eyes closed again.

"Itai...Itai..." It hurts... it hurts...

It was ridiculous really. On the ship to this place I was taking care of others with Tomoyo by caring for them and encouraging them. Now I was the one being attended to.

A cool hand pressed gently against my warm cheek, softly rubbing it as if trying to say, "I know it hurts. It's okay, you'll be alright." My eyes fluttered open again, and met the prettiest resin colored eyes, instead of the ruby red eyes. At that precise moment my cheeks flushed and I darted my gaze to the floor feeling the heat of my embarrassment give me away.

Meling's POV

From precisely seven steps away, by the doorway, I watched Xaio Lang interact silently with the patient. It was uncommon for him to be quite so enamored with a girl simply by meeting her. When we were little he wouldn't befriend a girl unless she beat him at a kick boxing match. When it came to me it was either befriend me or have your eardrums destroyed by a high pitch wail. Besides, I was his cousin. Family comes first over trifling little rules. It was interesting that he came from the same proud stock his fathers came from: determined to never marry, but fell to the same fate every generation. Something must be messed up with the Li brain or something. (D046: wanted to say "stupid Y chromosome" but realized this is waaaay back before modern medicine. Oh well)

Whoever the girl was she most uncommonly pretty. It was rare enough in china to meet any sort of person with out black hair, not to mention those eyes of hers were a very pretty hue of green. They reminded me of the lush green foliage that was outside, bright, clear, and full of life. Maybe I was over thinking things.

"Meling."

I turned and there was Clow Reed, holding his healing herbs and ointments on a tray. Basically everyone under the age of twenty viewed him as our god father because he was there for every birth and for every special moment ever possible. Obviously he was Eriol's father, and a relative of ours, but he also was like a third parent to those who had difficulty with the other two. I remember when I got so mad at my parents because they were trying to make me marry Xaio Lang, and I threatened that once I married him I would cut off Xiao Lang's penis so that he wouldn't rape me in my sleep. My parents weren't to thrilled with that, and the arranged marriage was soon done away with.

"How is our patient, little Phoenix?" At my nick name, I smiled. He half joked with me that when he first saw me when I was born that my fiery colored eyes beheld a phoenix in them, hence the name little phoenix.

"Still in pain. We are suspecting that she has three broken ribs at worst, and a lot of bruises at best. Anyway, Xaio Lang is with her right now." I replied, inwardly considering any other possibilities that could also be the problem to her discomfort.

"How did the girl get her injuries?"

"According to Xaio Lang, he went to the slave market as always and bought her and a few other Japanese women. While he was paying off the sea men, one of the Clan members, Wu Fei attempted to do something to her, which I assumed to be touching her up. When she shied away, he a few other men got enraged and began to beat her to the ground. Xaio Lang found out about it and smacked him hard, and got out of there with the rest of the women and children."

"Is this girl also from Japan?"

"I believe so."

"Green eyes?"

"Yeah, green eyes. How did you know?"

"Ah so the Dragon and the Tiger meet. Thats a good sign."

"Excuse me?" I always knew Clow was a bit strange, but this was weirder than usual.

"Never mind. I shall go attend to the patient now. Don't think too much about it little phoenix. Your time and day will come soon enough. Just be patient." He walks past me into the room.

I don't know exactly whats going on, but when he starts to speak in riddles something major is going on. What on earth could he be talking about? What should I be patient about? Why should I be patient at all! ERG!

D046: Tomoyo and Eriol sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Eriol with da baby carriage! Yeah so another chapter finished! Sorry that it took me so long to update. I've had a lot of problems with homework and then my computer had problems...and...yeah its been a mess. It's been kinda hard to figure out how to both write chapters for Chronicles of Symphony Orchestra and If I could only understand you, when I dont have a clue where either story is going. Xx

I'm going for a ride, yay for rides. I just hope I don't back myself into a corner.

So I went researching for the meaning of 'Tomoyo' and found out it means intelligent. So I considered changing Tomoyo's name to a Chinese name (same meaning) but thought that my confuse people. I've read a lot that Sakura is known as Ying Fa so I'll probably stick with that and Xaio Lang being Syaoran. As for Eriol, I know his name is absolutely not chinese, but hey, who cares? It's just Eriol. Lol.

So yeah, Meling made an appearance. I made her much nicer in this story rather than a swearing know it all in Chronicles of Symphony Orchestra. I actually kinda like her pet name too. Little Phoenix. Technically I was going to have all the characters have a Chinese god to go with them..

Sayoran Tiger

Sakura Dragon

Meling phoenix

etc..

Dunno if Eriol or Tomoyo should be the Turtle. Since they are a couple I'll probably just have the both of them be the turtle (cuz they found their special mate). Anyway..

REVIEW PLEASE! hearts reviews