Disclaimer: I don't own CCS

AN: Age's are as follows Shiefa is 25, Fanren is 23, Fuutie 20, Leila is 19, Syaoran 18, and Sakura 18, Meiling 19 (a month older than Sakura), Tomoyo 19 (the other ladies-in waiting vary from 21 to 16), Toya is 24 others to follow . . .

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Chapter 3: A Revelation

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Syaoran walked through the halls of the palace as he made his way to his father's study room. It was there that his father had his private meetings with his advisors and important diplomats. He had been summoned by his father for some reason Syaoran was sure to be concerning the wedding. Syaoran came upon the study and was halted by the guards outside. He would have to wait apparently for his father to finish up with whoever he was talking to. The time slipped by. Before he knew it he was sitting on the cold hard floor hours later, still waiting to talk to his father.

Finally the door opened and Syaoran jumped up so he wouldn't get caught sitting on the floor. Three men left the room each wearing tunics of black with an emblem of two white swords making an X across the chest. Syaoran had never seen the mark before; he had no idea who they were. Syaoran moved to enter the study when a messenger boy rushed in before him and the guards closed the door again.

"What the –" Syaoran hit the wall with his fist. He'd waited for hours here and it was hours spent waiting for nothing, while he could have been writing to his sisters or riding his stallion. Moments later his father emerged from the study.

"We are summoned to the castle steps. An Envoy of Silaway was arrived." The king ignored Syaoran's steely stare, and turned to move down the corridor. Syaoran had no choice but to follow. They led the way as other courtiers came to welcome the Envoy, and headed out onto the steps leading into the palace. Syaoran ignored everyone else, as he tried not to focus his anger on his father. He consequently did not notice his fiancé approach him.

"There you are!" Syaoran groaned inwardly. She was so annoying, like a leach that never let go. "I've been looking for you all day! We need to discuss flower arrangements."

"I've told you a thousand times before, Mary Bella, I don't care what the flowers look like, or what you're wearing, or what food is going to be at the reception." Syaoran tried to be calm, but his patience was wearing extremely thin.

"But Sya—"

"Mary Bella, I think now is not the time. Syaoran is not in a good mood," said Fuutie, Syaoran's third eldest sister. She had come up from behind him and nudged herself between Mary Bella and Syaoran.

"But he's—"

"I know. But seriously, now is not a good time," she said more persistently. "Go talk to Feimei; she's more accepting of your situation. I'm most positive!" Reluctant though she was, Mary Bella moved up the steps to talk with Feimei.

"You know she has very little tolerance for Mary Bella as I do," said Syaoran with a small smile.

"I know, but you're the one who needs the excuses, not her. She's not the one marrying the leach." Syaoran chuckled and was in good spirits when the Envoy finally came into the court yard. One of the guards helped the Envoy out of the carriage.. The way he did it though was almost like the cloaked person was a woman. That was what interested Syaoran most. His father never dealt with women in an authorities position before, how would he handle this?

"Welcome Delegation from Silaway! Let the Ambassador come forward!" said Mantreh, the King's translator, in Silawanian. From an early age Syaoran could speak many languages one of them being Silawanian. The Ambassador moved up the steps followed by two of her guards. When she was level with Syaoran, the King, and his trusted advisors, she answered the translater.

"I am Ambassador to Silaway, carrying the message of awareness that you are expected to keep your bargain with Silaway that you made 15 years ago." The king hid his anger well, but turned to Mantreh to spew out some answer, so that he would not have to converse with a women.

In a flash of movement the Ambassador shed her cloak and snapped at Mantreh in Kigastian. "I'm no fool, Boy! My business is with the king. And you King Kardasian will uphold your bargain, whether I'm a girl or not!"

Syaoran was shocked. He had not seen that face in many long years. For so long he thought he would not see her again and it shocked him now that he would see her so suddenly; and of a different nationality. "Meiling?" Her gaze turned on to Syaoran and the hard gaze that she had given Mantreh softened.

"It's good to see you cousin," she said smiling. "You've grown much since we last spoke."

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The delegation was welcomed in as was the respectful tradition. The King only had his closest advisors and family members present when he spoke to Meiling. There was a moment where Meiling and King Kardasian stared endlessly at each other. No one said anything.

"Hmm" mumbled the king, Meiling continued to say nothing. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"There is nothing to say."

"Nothing to say? NOTHING to say? How could you have nothing to say? I send you to Taggelwood to improve your feminine skills, and then I receive a letter a year later that you had disappeared! No note, no letter, no nothing! Then a small note was sent here from an unknown place that you were fine and healthy. That tells me nothing! How could you abandon your home, your family, and most of all me?"

"I did not abandon you, Uncle. I found an alternate root in life and I acted on it," she said shrugging her shoulders. "All that matters now is that I am bound by service and honor to serve a very powerful person in Silaway, High enough that I was appointed an Envoy." Meiling clicked her fingers and her trunk was brought to her side by her guards. She flipped it open and took out the scroll. She snapped her trunk closed and approached the King.

"In this scroll is a detailed leaflet of the bargain you made with Silaway. You must honor it. I will leave you in peace to read it." Meiling turned on her heels and left the room without being dismissed her guards in tow. Syaoran, his fiancé, and his two sisters followed, not wanting to be in the range of fire if their father became angry with what was contained within the scroll.

Once out of the room, Syaoran led them to a nice sun room far from the King, and close to the gardens. The room he chose was open and spacious and allowed for the beautiful weather to filter into the room. Mary Bella was introduced to Meiling and hugs and kisses were exchanged amongst the cousins. Meiling's guards had disappeared most likely to keep vigilance outside of the room. Soon they were sitting down with cool drinks form the local fruits known as Drew-berry. The drink was a deep plum shade and was sweet yet tangy. It was tarter in the earlier months.

"Cousin I must say you have changed quite a bit," said Feimei. Feimei, Fuutie, and Mary Bella all wore corset tight dresses compared to the slim flowing dress that Meiling wore. They also wore their hair in complicated braids covered with a veil. Meiling did not. And most of all Meiling's dress was from her chest to ankle which showed her back, it was more skin then any Kigastian woman was willing to share.

"We all change with time Feimei," replied Meiling with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"But what has caused such a change in you, dear cousin?" asked Fuutie, her expression concerned.

"I have always desired more of myself. I knew that when your step-father and my uncle sent me away to finishing school, it was the perfect time to find what I truly wanted of myself. When I was there I met someone extraordinary. She was from Domeldin."

"You're not suggesting a relationship, are you?" asked Mary Bella in a snobbish way. Syaoran shot her a nasty look of which she was completely oblivious too.

"Lord no! I am not interested in her that way, but even if I was, what does it matter to you?" shot Meiling anger flashing in her eyes. Mary Bella didn't have a retort and clamped her mouth shut much to everyone's satisfaction. Meiling took a moment to enjoy her Drew-berry drink before continuing her story, "Her name is Phyre. She was born to some wealthy parents, who had died before she turned the age of one. Her guardian had taken over her assets, and had promised to return them when she was of age. In Domeldin it is considered the age of 15. When Phyre was 12 her guardian sent her away to finishing school so that she would be able to gain the necessary charms to attract a wealthy lord. Two years later however, she was told by the headmaster that her guardian had reneged on his payments to the school. Confused she went home to find out what had happened. Apparently her guardian had convinced a higher authority that she was not suitable to own her own money and assets. Phyre had nowhere else to go but back to the school. All the while we had become friends and I had done my best to help her in anyway. We were studying for one of our literature classes when we met a woman known as Michiko. Somehow she knew that we did not want to be at the school. She offered us a place to stay that would give us freedom form restraints and would allow us to live good lives and marry well. We took her up on the offer, no questions asked."

"And that's where you've been?"

"Yes," said Meiling studying her cousin's reactions, "Don't feel bad for me. Truly I could not be happier."

"Then I am happy for you," said Syaoran despite his sisters shocked faces or his fiancés disapproving looks.

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To Be Continued…..

AN: Please continue to support my story! The chapters will be picking up I promise!

Thanks,

Evern