Hello everyone! Thanks for your kind reviews, it means a lot :) unfortunately my depression has taken a nosedive this last week, so it's been pretty rough. Anxiety hasn't been helping either.
errm, you can all expect updates every 3 or 4 days. I'll let you know if I'll be a bit late with a chapter-i might be rewriting some of the content.
After struggling with the initial confusion of how she got to the small house when she'd just been outside the shrine, Sakura followed Syaoran inside and watched as he carefully tended to the injured kitten.
When it finally fell asleep, he started moving around the kitchen and she realised he was making tea.
"Have a seat." He spoke softly.
She jumped, startled by his voice, but relaxed after a moment and sat down.
She fidgeted a little, scared or worried, she wasn't sure.
"Here." Syaoran handed her a cup of hot tea and she thanked him quietly.
He sat down in the chair across from her with his own cup.
"What do you want to know?"
"What will this training involve?" she blurted out. She froze, a little surprised with how much she felt the need to know.
He simply smiled. "Are you worried?"
She nodded, "A little, I guess..."
Syaoran watched her for a moment as she fidgeted under his gaze. He lifted his cup to his mouth and drank a little.
"Your training will not only include learning about your abilities, but also how to perform certain rituals and duties as a god." He answered calmly.
Sakura just felt even more confused.
"Rituals and duties?"
"I don't just laze around all day and decide on a whim who to help." He answered bluntly.
"Oh."
Sakura had never really thought about it before. She had always assumed the gods were cruel, given her life, but it was really no different to a doctor choosing to help the person with a more severe wound to a person with a scraped knee.
"I am sorry, Sakura." He murmured.
"Were you reading my thoughts?" she asked.
"No. I can tell by the expression on your face." He answered. "I can understand your anger, but please try to understand it from my end, as well."
"It's ok. It's no different to a doctor prioritising someone's life who is in more danger than another's, is it?" Sakura replied softly, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze.
"You're right."
"Well...when do I need to start these lessons?" she asked.
"Preferably as soon as possible." He answered.
She nodded.
"I'd like to start tomorrow, but that depends on you." Syaoran added.
Sakura didn't have anything planned. "Alright. What time?"
"How about noon?"
"That should be fine." Sakura smiled.
"Good."
Sakura watched him as he stared into his cup, looking a bit lost in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about, what had him so distracted.
He looked up after a long moment of silence and she blushed.
"How will you deal with that prince?" he asked.
She blinked. "Um...I don't know." She answered.
He sighed softly as he watched her with gentle concern. "Just remember my warning. I can only meddle if the right circumstances arise, and I sincerely hope they do not."
Sakura looked a little confused again and he smiled, "You'll understand soon, love."
He hardly seemed to realise what he'd said, and if he did, he didn't show any sign of it. Upon hearing the end of his sentence, Sakura's face suddenly felt very hot. Nothing was said between the pair for a few long moments, until he finally broke the silence.
"Why are you still feeling guilty about the tapestry?" he asked gently.
"What?" Sakura looked at him with surprise. "Oh..."
Syaoran looked at the piece hanging on his wall while he waited patiently for her answer.
"I..." Sakura was a little lost for words.
He watched her with those gentle eyes of his, reading her emotions. "The value of an offering does not lie in the item itself, but rather the feelings behind it." He spoke softly. "You're a very kind person, Sakura, almost a little too kind."
Sakura lowered her eyes to her cup, "I just don't want anyone to be hurt because of me."
He stood and walked over to her, cupping her cheek lightly.
"I know." He said softly.
Once again, a light blush crept into her cheeks.
"I have some things I need to tend to. Perhaps you should go to that hill for the afternoon." He murmured.
She looked into his deep amber pools, seeing nothing but kindness and concern along with something a little more. She finally realised what he had said and nodded.
"Oh-thank you..."
"Take care of yourself. I mean it." He added a bit more seriously.
This time Sakura smiled brightly. "I'll be fine! I promise."
Seeing her with such a smile put him at ease. "Very well."
After having left the shrine, Sakura headed towards the hill where she liked to sit and read when she had a lot on her mind. It was right beside the large lake, the same lake she'd been thrown in just days ago.
She stopped as she saw Meiling hovering above the waters' surface, watching in awe as the goddess danced with streams of water swirling around her. The goddess was as elegant in her movements as she looked, and Sakura couldn't help but watch.
Finally, Meiling came to a stop. The goddess turned to Sakura and smiled.
"Hello."
Sakura returned her smile. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your dance."
Meiling shook her head. "This was a water purification ritual."
"Water purification?" Sakura frowned.
Meiling giggled a little. "I have to keep the water safe to drink for the town. And since you were thrown into it..."
"My deepest apologies!" Sakura quickly apologised.
"It's hardly your fault. You were tossed in by those men, if I remember correctly." Meiling sighed. "I'll never understand humans."
Sakura smiled. "I don't think I can, either."
Meiling watched her curiously for a moment. "Well, I suppose I should leave you be. Have a good afternoon."
Sakura watched as she disappeared, and with a soft sigh, she carried on to her favourite tree.
...
Prince Kei sat in the inn with his two retainers, looking thoroughly pissed off. Not only did he feel completely and utterly humiliated, but Sakura had disappeared completely.
"I can't believe it!" he snarled. "She just disappeared, as if she owed me nothing."
"Be careful-if you show her any kind of malice, she won't warm up to you."
The prince rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know. I was hoping shed warm up to me a lot quicker since no one here likes her. Being nice is a pain-she's just another commoner." He muttered with disgust.
"Perhaps so, but at least she's useful to you."
"True."
Syaoran listened to their conversation with disgust. He hated how they talked about Sakura as if she were some toy to be used and discarded once they were done with her.
"So, your lunch failed today. What will you try next?"
The prince sighed. "I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it."
"Maybe start with some flowers-a gentle gesture. Girls tend to love them."
The prince raised his brow. "How stupid."
"I know but trust me."
"Fine."
Syaoran sighed softly. This prince was going to be hard work.
...
Sakura woke late in the morning, finding the sun shining through her window and onto her face. Squinting, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
She wondered what she would be taught first by Syaoran, and a sudden wave of anxiety struck her.
What if the prince was waiting for her again?
She didn't really want to see him.
He made her feel uncomfortable, but asides from that, with him constantly hanging around her would just bring even more unwanted trouble from the village people.
Standing, Sakura moved to get dressed and then ate a small meal of fruit before heading out.
Thankfully the walk was peaceful, and she didn't run into anyone on her way into the forest. Sakura made her way to the shrine humming a soft tune, coming to a stop at the shrine. A hand tapped her shoulder and she jumped with a squeak, spinning around to meet Syaoran's surprised gaze.
"You scared me!"
"I'm sorry." He laughed.
She frowned, "Don't laugh..." she pouted.
Syaoran smiled softly. "Alright. Shall we begin your lessons?"
Sakura nodded. "Where do we begin?" she asked.
"First of all, I want you to learn how to stabilise and control your magic. It will be quite exhausting at first, so we'll split your lessons in half; your magic, and then I'll teach you about the duties of a God." Syaoran told her.
Sakura nodded again.
"Let's begin, love."
…
Learning to control her magic was much harder than she first believed, Sakura realised. She sat exhausted on the grass with beads of sweat crawling down her face.
Something cool touched her forehead and she opened her eyes, seeing Syaoran kneeling in front of her as he wiped the sweat away.
"You should rest." He spoke softly. "I'll stay with you."
Sakura didn't protest as he pulled her against him, her head resting in his lap. She closed her eyes, and within minutes, fell asleep.
Syaoran watched her sleeping face, her breathing even, and gently he brushed some hair out of her face.
"She looks utterly exhausted." Meiling's voice came from beside him.
He nodded, not bothering to look up. "I pushed her hard today."
"That was a bit mean." Meiling scoffed.
"She can handle it." Syaoran murmured.
"I'm sure she can. You wouldn't do anything you felt would cause her harm-you love her too much." she teased.
He gave her an annoyed glare but gave up. It was true, after all.
"Meiling, would you mind doing me a favour and watch over Sakura?" he asked.
Meiling stared at him for a moment, thinking over his words. "Well, I'm awake at the moment, and I won't return to sleep for quite a number of months yet." She said. "I'll help you."
Syaoran smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
"It must be frustrating, not being able to keep watch over her yourself." she murmured.
Syaoran lowered his eyes to Sakura's sleeping face.
"It is...but I have my duties as well."
"Oh yeah-we're having another one of those large get togethers soon. Will you have her come along?"
Syaoran nodded. "It will be a good experience."
"Good idea." Meiling agreed. "I'll leave you be."
Syaoran nodded and she disappeared, leaving him alone with Sakura.
While he sat there, he brought up a water mirror to see what was happening in the village. As he had suspected, the prince was loitering around Sakura's home. He was half tempted to set his shoe on fire, but he decided against it-it wouldn't achieve anything in the long run.
He then turned his attention to the other citizens. Some were gossiping about the failed lunch from the day earlier, and as usual blamed the accident that Meiling had purposefully caused on Sakura. They'd call her a witch or some kind of evil temptress, saying she wasn't human. Of course, Sakura wasn't human, but she certainly wasn't evil or a witch.
The witches had all died out long ago, many losing their lives during the witch hunts. Now, they were just a myth, a story to keep children in line.
But even the folklore about witches was wrong.
They weren't evil-well, a majority of them weren't. Primarily, they would travel around selling herbal remedies and would heal the sick.
Syaoran remembered having met several witches in the past, but they had all been tortured and burned alive.
It was around that time that he had made his pact with the village…
Sakura shifted in her sleep, distracting him from his thoughts. Her face looked distorted with grief and anguish. Not wishing to see her in such pain, he gently calmed her, his magic soothing her, and she relaxed into a much more peaceful slumber.
He remembered the other night when she had been tossing and turning in her bed, her mind plagued by confusion and questions about what he had revealed to her. He had used the same spell on her then, as well, to help her fall asleep.
He had watched her during that day as she focused on her tapestry in her small home, weaving the threads, though she wasn't as fast as usual. She'd had too much on her mind, making it hard to concentrate, and he felt guilty for having caused her deep confusion. But he knew she would eventually understand, and so he chose to wait.
Syaoran's thoughts returned to the prince, and he wondered what he would do if Sakura did fall in love with him after all. Prince Kei was dangerous and Syaoran knew he wouldn't treat her kindly once the masquerade was over. She didn't deserve to be treated and used as a tool, not after what had happened to her. All he could do was warn her.
…
Sakura woke as the sun was about to set, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, she remembered that she had been learning how to use her magic, and that she had fallen asleep.
"Are you awake?"
Wide awake, she realised her head was resting in Syaoran's lap. She sat up quickly, face bright red, and was unable to meet his eyes.
"S-sorry..." she blushed.
"It's fine, Sakura. You should really head home, though. It's getting dark." Syaoran replied.
Sakura nodded, "Alright."
"Here-I want you to read the first chapter of each of these books by tomorrow. I'll go over it with you again when you get here for your lesson." Syaoran handed her three, large leather-bound books.
Sakura stared at them with dread.
"Ok..."
"Sakura."
Here eyes snapped up and she met his gaze. He smiled softly. "Good work today."
…
As Sakura approached her house, she thought of the gentle care and kindness Syaoran often showed her and blushed. She could feel her heart racing, thudding against her ribs, and she wasn't sure what made her feel this way.
She looked up as she spotted someone waiting for her outside her house, and as she got closer she realised it was the prince.
She remembered Syaoran's advice to be careful around him, and continued forwards.
Prince Kei looked up and greeted her with a smile. "Hello, my lady. You must have been busy today."
Sakura nodded. "Good evening, your highness. Sorry to have kept you waiting; I'm currently attending lessons under a medic who lives in the forest." She lied carefully.
"Ah, I see. My apologies-I didn't realise." He smiled.
Sakura spotted the bouquet of flowers he was holding and felt her face warm.
"I hope you don't mind, but I hope you like these. I picked them from a nearby flower field for you."
He held out the bouquet of colourful blossoms and she took them.
"Thank you..." she replied.
"Anything for you, my lady." Prince Kei held eye contact with her as he bowed, and then left her in peace.
With a soft sigh, she headed inside and placed the flowers in a vase after setting the books down on her table. She wasn't going to throw them away-they had been picked for her, so she might as well look after them while she could.
Briefly she wondered what Syaoran would think about the prince giving her flowers. She sighed softly and moved to light the fire and make herself something to eat.
It was a cold night. Sakura sat in front of the fire with a thick blanket around her shoulders while she studied the books Syaoran had given her, careful not to get food on the pages. As she flicked through the pages, she noticed that they spoke of the various rituals and duties gods performed, but it hardly made any sense to her.
Sighing, she returned to the front of the book and read the first chapter-it explained the cycle of life, how everything interacted with each other and how they impacted each other. Sakura couldn't help but smile-she never would have thought that gods and goddesses had to do schooling, but it made sense.
It was kind of silly to assume that they kind of just knew it out of nowhere.
As she read the chapters, she started to get more and more confused as none of it made much sense to her. Irritated, Sakura closed the books and crawled into bed.
She'd have to ask him her questions the next day when they met up for her training.