Author's Note: I know this chapter is very late. Sorry. I've been caught up in other things and just recently started this up again. I'll try to update it more regularly now. And I'll come back and change the names to the original Japanese ones if you'd prefer that. If you like the English version names better, then that's cool too. Anyway, enjoy. I hope I still have my audience.
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Part 3: A New Challenge
Sakura stood by her window. Her guilt had made her homesick like never before. She closed her eyes and imagined her father preparing a home cooked meal for himself. I need to see him again, she said to herself. She had spent too much time here already and the queen seemed to be frightened by her, like the others were. They all seemed to look at her funny. All of them and she didn't understand why. It's because I'm not like them, she said to herself. And yet here she was, living in the castle and dressing like a royal princess, something she knew she was not. I'll go back home, she said, determined now. I've over stayed my welcome here and father needs me at home. She turned ready to step out of her room, but the prince appeared in the door way. His eyes were tired and filled with concern and guilt at the same time.
"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.
Her heart seemed to jump in her throat, making her unable to speak.
He stood in the doorway, waiting patiently for her answer. She took a deep breath as she adverted her eyes.
"I was planning on going back home," she finally answered.
The prince fell silent and she could sense his disappointment and surprise. She looked up, waiting patiently for his answer now.
"I-" He paused. "You don't like it here?"
"Oh, no, I-I like it here," Sakura said quickly. "I love it here." She was surprised by her words, but didn't show it.
"But you're not happy here," he said, finally realizing what was wrong.
"It's not that," she lied.
"Then what is it?" he asked, his voice giving away his hurt as he neared her.
Sakura had not expected that. She didn't think he'd be hurt at all by her decision to leave the castle. But with a flutter in her heart she proceeded. "I need to see my father," she said. "I'm sure he's having trouble with everything at home. And I'm feeling a little homesick."
The prince reached out and touched her arm. His touch seemed to warm her entire body and he was amazingly gentle as well. "I guess you should go home then," he agreed as he looked at her with a weak smile.
Sakura's heart surprisingly sank at his words. Deep down she wanted him to disagree and ask her to continue living with him and his family in the castle.
"But before you go," he began, "you should speak with my mother. She sent me here to get you. She wishes to speak with you."
Sakura was silent. The queen wishes to speak with me
"Is this a-"
The prince shook his head, already knowing what she wanted to ask. He took her hand in his and led her to his mother's room. Sakura's heart raced. This seemed a bit odd to her, that the prince were to hold hands with a peasant girl such as herself, but somehow it didn't feel odd at the same time. She shook the thought away and wondered what it was the queen wanted to talk to her about.
When they reached the door, the prince was cautious. He slowly opened the door and poked inside. "Mother?" he called. "Sakura is here."
"Send her in," she commanded softly.
Syaoran opened the door and stepped aside for Sakura to enter. She hesitated at first, but then stepped inside. The room's curtains covered the large windows and the only actual light in the room came from a lone candle which sat on a table beside the huge bed. Lady Tomoyo stood on the other side of the bed, wearing her usual sunny smile, bright enough to light the room.
The queen motioned Sakura forward. Slowly, Sakura began what seemed like the longest walk in her entire life. When she made it to the queen's bedside, she didn't think she could contain herself. Even in her sickly state, the queen looked beautiful and her very presence offered wisdom and an overwhelming sense of power and peace.
She smiled. "I'm-"
"Queen Yelan," Sakura finished. "I know."
The woman smiled again. "And you are Lady Sakura."
"Oh, no," Sakura said. "I'm just-"
"Lady Sakura," she said softly without any trace of force, but fact and that was that. Sakura couldn't protest.
Sakura bowed in respect and thanks.
"Oh, please, no," the woman said. She lifted Sakura's chin. "There is no need for that. You are among friends and family." She smiled. "You wish to go home." It wasn't a question. It was a statement as if she had known from the beginning.
Sakura didn't have the heart to respond.
"Yes, she does," the prince replied for her.
His mother and Tomoyo looked at him and then at Sakura.
"But why!" Lady Tomoyo asked. "Don't you want to stay here? You don't like it here?"
"No, it's not that," Sakura said. "It's just-"
"She's feeling homesick and she wishes to see her father again," Syaoran answered for her.
"I think I was talking to Lady Sakura, prince," Tomoyo replied as she looked at him.
Syaoran opened his mouth to say something to her, but his mother interfered. "Please," she said. "Don't argue in my presence. Do it at your own time."
Syaoran and Tomoyo both remained silent.
The queen seemed to be thinking and then she suggested that Sakura's father come to the castle. There was plenty of room and he would be welcome.
"What a grand idea!" Tomoyo agreed.
"No, I don't think it'd be a good idea," Sakura replied. She knew she shouldn't have said it. The queen's words were law, but what else was she to say. How was she suppose to tell the queen that she felt uncomfortable at the castle? Especially, after what had happened to her when she saw Sakura for the first time. How was she suppose to tell the remaining members of the ruling family that she just wanted to stay away from their home and admire them from a far as she had done so before? Wouldn't it be disrespectful to say something like that?
"Why not?" Tomoyo inquired.
Sakura didn't know how to answer. She lowered her head. "My father is. . ." She tried to think, but found that she could not. "He's. . ."
"Too busy with work around the house," the prince added. "And I'm sure he'd feel he'd be intruding as well."
Sakura turned to him and smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed to him and he nodded. Sakura turned to the queen.
"Since you seem to know so much, Syaoran," the queen began, "then tell me. . .what should we do?"
They waited in silence for him to answer. For a moment he was unsure, but he spoke.
"If Sakura wishes to return home, then that is what she receives," he said. Sakura turned to him again, but he turned away then. "I'll make arrangements for you." And then he walked out the door.
Sakura sighed as he heart sank heavily. She watched the prince leave. She couldn't help but feel like she was making a mistake. She felt she was disappointing them all and she didn't want then to be disappointed with her.
Lady Tomoyo moved away from the bed and to the door. "Please, excuse me," she said as she bowed. With permission from the queen, Tomoyo left the room.
"It's obvious that my son is saddened by your decision," the queen said."Madison is as well. She really enjoys your company and I do as well." Sakura looked at the queen, feeling tears in her eyes. How was it that they all seemed to like her so much when she was nothing more than a burden to them? "Maybe you should talk to my son. I'm sure Tomoyo will be alright, but Syaoran is sensitive. He's been through a lot and this must really be hurting him."
Sakura nodded slowly, in disbelief of the queen's words. She soon after stared for the door.
"We hope you do return," the queen called softly, "Lady Sakura."
Sakura could only stare at her for a moment and then she looked away, a little ashamed in herself and nodded as she closed the door. She knew she wouldn't return to the castle after this. She somehow felt out of place in the castle even if she was welcome there. She just wasn't meant to stay there, though her heart told her otherwise.
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Tomoyo found Syaoran before Sakura and she had the chance to talk with him first.
"Maybe you should ask her to stay," she suggested. She kept her eyes on him as he watched the pond in front of him. It was small, but quaint. She knew that it had belonged to the queen. Syaoran had constructed it for her, but she had grown too sick to enjoy it and so he wished to pass it on to Sakura, with his mother's consent, of course. Tomoyo figured that it was Syaoran's way of saying, "Welcome home." It was sad, though as she thought about it. Because if Sakura were to leave, then she would never return. Tomoyo knew this to be fact and she believed that Syaoran knew it too.
She sighed, knowing full well what the prince was feeling. It seemed that everyone he grew close to eventually left and being the prince, he wasn't close to too many people, and that was sad. His father was the first to leave him. He had passed away years ago and about two years after that the only friends he had moved away and dispersed through the nation to live with the other ruling families and he hadn't spoken to either one of them since.
Syaoran turned away from the small pond in the garden to look at her. "I can't ask her to stay, Tomoyo, and you know that."
She said nothing for a while.
"Alright," she finally said. "But you act as if the girl will never return."
Syaoran smiled as he shook his head. "You know as well as I do that she won't if she leaves here tonight."
"Tonight?" Tomoyo asked.
"I assumed that she'll want to leave as soon as possible."
She nodded as she looked down, adverting his eyes. Sakura was a special girl and it was a shame to see her go. She could've done some real good around here, Tomoyo thought. She had been doing some good around here. This was in a small way true. The queen seemed to be more. . .at peace in some way and Syaoran didn't seem to worry much anymore. The air around him seemed to be slowly changing and Tomoyo knew it was because of Sakura. There was just something about that girl. Almost as if she were magic.
"Uh, s-sire?"
Tomoyo and Syaoran looked up. One of the servants stood by the entrance of the castle as he looked at them. He seemed nervous, but then again most of them were around her and the prince. The prince, especially.
He quickly bowed. "I don't mean to bother you, but Lady Sakura is searching for you, sir."
Tomoyo smiled and she gently pushed Syaoran forward. "Take him to her," she said.
The servant stood up again and nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He looked at the prince. "F-follow me, sir."
The servant began to walk away, but Syaoran remained still. Tomoyo exhaled softly with a smile as she gently pushed him forward again. "Tell her we all wish her to stay. Persuade her."
With one last push in the right direction, Syaoran was off.
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It hadn't taken him long to get to Sakura where she sat waiting for him in the castle's lobby. She stood the moment she saw him enter the room. The servant made his way out of the room and left them alone.
Syaoran approached her.
"I just wanted to say that. . .I'll be. . .staying after all."
Syaoran was speechless. He didn't know how to respond, so he didn't.
"I'm not one to give up," she went on to say. "This is a new experience for me, a new challenge and if I leave now, then I'd be giving up and I'm-"
"Not one to give up," he said, a smile growing upon his lips.
She nodded, unsure of herself for a moment. "Please, forgive me for bothering you with-"
"Don't worry about that," Syaoran interrupted. He sighed inwardly, feeling huge relief wash over him. He couldn't help but smile at her. How is it that you have me feeling this way in such a short amount of time? He silently asked her. Whatever spell you've placed upon me, Sakura. . .I hope lasts forever.
She smiled a bit unsurely at him. There was sadness in her eyes and he understood why.
"I know you still want to see your father," he said.
"It's alright," she replied. "I know he can take care of himself and I'm sure he has everything under control at home."
"Are you sure?" Syaoran asked. "Because you could-"
"I thank you," she said with a small bow of her head. "But if I were to return home for even a minute, then I'll want to give up on this. . .experience and-"
"You're not one to give up," he finished for her with a smile for the second time.
She nodded. "Yes."
Syaoran nodded. "Very well then," he said. "I'm sure mother will be pleased to hear it."
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At dinner, things seemed pleasant enough and the Queen had without question demanded she eat dinner at the table with her son, her closest friend, and her guest: Syaoran, Tomoyo, and, Sakura. Syaoran had protested, but in the end she won. She was queen after all and her words were final.
It had been three full days since Sakura had been close to leaving the castle and it had been two days since she had written to her father and yet Prince Touya and Yukito had not yet arrived.
She had remembered that she had once asked her father how long it took to get from the South to the North. With enough speed and little delay, it should take about four to six days, he had said. To possibly even ten days on foot.
"Lady Sakura?"
She looked up.
"What's the matter, my dear," the queen asked, her eyes honestly concerned.
Sakura smiled sweetly. "Nothing," she replied. She grew more comfortable in the castle since three days ago, though she didn't know exactly why. It actually began feeling like. . .home. Though it seemed to scare her when she thought about it. "It's really nothing. I was just thinking."
"About what?" Lady Tomoyo asked, leaning forward.
Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Syaoran beat her to it.
"About her father, I bet," he said as he turned to her.
Sakura nodded.
"My offer still stands," he said.
Sakura nodded. "Thank you, but I'll have to decline. . .again."
Tomoyo smiled knowingly at the queen who smiled delightfully in return.
"Well, I-"
"Sire."
Everyone turned in the direction of the Bronze Knight.
"I don't mean to disturb you, sire," the knight said. "But one of my men have returned to the castle. It seems that Prince Touya and the wizard, Yukito have not arrived at our meeting spot and he has found a trace of some kind of. . .goo."
"Goo?" Syaoran asked as he stood.
The Bronze Knight seemed unsure himself, but he nodded. "I have seen it myself and, sir. . ." Syaoran placed all his attention on him. ". . .there seems to be sign of some. . .struggle."
"Struggle?" the queen asked.
The knight nodded. "Drops of blood were at the scene and a piece of someone's cloak. As well as a piece of scrap metal that looks like. . .the prince's sword."
They all remained silent, stunned speechless.
