o n c e · u p o n · a · t i m e
c h a p t e r · vii : c o m p r o m i s i n g
It was late afternoon on Sonomi Daidouji's estate. Spring was settling in, and that meant a mountainload of work awaited the poor servants, from tilling the soil to planting seeds to weeding the garden, and all that came in between. The servants, mostly aged and deserving of a lifetime of rest, instead scurried about, wearying themselves with this backbreaking labour. In the orchard, Suki trimmed the branches of a particularly obstinate pear tree, while further down the road, Yukari toiled with the pick, turning the soil, which lay hard from the cold winter.
It had been a hard winter for them. Longer, and colder than usual. And as the Lady Sonomi had spent so much money on expensive trinkets for her daughter Meiling, additional resources for the estate farm had dwindled. Food often ran low, and many times Yukari had gone to bed hungry. It had been hard for Yukari. Sonomi had sold her husband to the king, who had in turn sent him to Armorica. It had been hardest for Yukari – this winter had been exceptionally long for her.
It was Suki who interrupted her thoughts. Suki, perched high on a ladder, with a clear view of the wide fields of the estate, could see two figures approaching slowly, and suddenly, she shrieked out loud, her face alight with joy.
"Yukari!" she cried, dropping her shears and scrabbling off the ladder, surprisingly agile for one as old as she. "Yukari! Look!"
Yukari let go of her pick, and made her way to Suki's side, squinting. In the distance she could see Sakura, a bundle of flowers in one hand, and a mass of red cloth draped over the other. And beside her, was a man – old and wiry, but still walking tall –
"Benkei!" Yukari cried, her hands flying to her face. Suki's arms rested about her shoulders, pushing her forward, and Yukari ran. Ran like she hadn't believed herself able to in years. She sprinted halfway across the field, and threw herself upon the old man, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You're back!" she cried, planting a kiss on his face. "Oh, you're back! I thought I'd never see you again –"
"Yukari –" Benkei began weakly, and then he broke out into sobs as well. "I missed you so much!"
Suki sidled up to Yukari's side, and put her arms around both of them.
"There," she said, her own voice shaky with tears. "It's all right now. Yukari, Benkei's back, and with no chance of leaving us ever again. Cry now, it's been a long winter for all of us."
The three of them embraced each other, and Sakura watched them, her own eyes moist. Benkei and Yukari. They loved each other so passionately, even in this old age! And Suki – a more faithful friend to both had never been found. The three of them had loved her like parents when she was a child, and even more so after the Lady Daidouji had come. It was the least she could possibly have done for Yukari – to bring Benkei back. It was the least she could have done for Benkei, a man she considered her second father.
Behind the tearful reunion, a surge of anger gripped Sakura. The Lady Sonomi had much to answer for.
Meiling and Tomoyo were playing chess in the drawing room.
"Check," Tomoyo said, moving her black knight to a different square on the board, removing Meiling's castle.
Meiling frowned. Her king was threatened by the knight. If she moved to the left, she was right in the path of Tomoyo's bishop.
Without a word, Meiling moved another piece, removing Tomoyo's knight from the board.
"You can't do that!" Tomoyo said angrily. "That's against the rules!"
"Says who?" Meiling challenged.
"You can't move your queen like that!" Tomoyo argued. "It's common sense!"
"Just move already," Meiling yawned.
"Redo your move," Tomoyo said firmly. "A lady of breeding doesn't cheat."
Meiling raised an eyebrow, and at that moment, Sakura walked into the drawing room, with logs for the fire.
"I'm not the only one here who's in trouble," she said pointedly.
Sakura straightened after placing the logs in the fireplace.
"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled. Sonomi appeared in the doorway, locking eyes with her stepdaughter, and her face grew livid.
"You stupid girl!" she shouted, approaching Sakura, who scrambled backward and sank into a chair. "How could you do this to me? To Meiling?"
"What?" Sakura asked, heart beating wildly. "What did I do?"
"Think," Meiling taunted from her seat at the chess table. "Think very hard."
Sakura gulped. Did they know that she had gone to court that day and lied about herself, simply to release Benkei? Was she doomed to be sent to Armorica?
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tomoyo, who had caught her eye and deliberately examining her knight.
Knights? Sakura was confused. Then it dawned upon her.
"Horses?" she asked, baffled.
Sonomi's eyebrow shot up. "Yes," she said slowly. "Go on."
Go on? At the table, Meiling had tossed Tomoyo a sharp glare. Tomoyo innocently placed her knight back on the board, and removed Meiling's queen from the field. Her sister didn't notice.
It dawned upon Sakura.
"Father's horse," she said slowly. "The prince – stole it this morning."
Sonomi clapped in mock admiration.
"Yes!" she said exasperatedly. "Maybe that explains why he came to return it today!"
Oh…
"You stupid girl!" Sonomi repeated angrily. "How could you forget to mention it?! Is that why you were late this morning? Because you were out there distracting the prince?"
Sakura shook her head, but to no avail.
"So you lied to me, and you allowed him to surprise us this afternoon!" Sonomi spat.
"I swear, I didn't mean to!" Sakura said desperately. "I didn't even see him! I thought he was just a common thief stealing our horse and I stopped him –" She froze, realizing in horror that she'd spoken too much.
Oh no…
"You did what?!" Sonomi spluttered, her eyes ablaze.
Meiling was giggling silently. It was not a pretty sight.
"You – you stopped the prince?" Sonomi cried. "How?"
"Er –" Sakura faltered. "I – er – threw an apple at him."
Sonomi's jaw dropped. She sank into a chair, hands to her head, eyes closed in horror.
"You threw an apple at the Prince!" she said softly. "He was treated like a thief! On my land! How can I show my face to him? How will Meiling show her face to him?"
"Well done, Cinderella," Meiling said derisively. "You get top marks for ignorance."
"I didn't know it was him!" Sakura defended herself. "He had his face covered! Was I supposed to recognize his royal feet or something?"
"Silence!" Sonomi exploded. "You've been allowed to do too much, and now you think yourself – oh, I don't have the words for this. I am appalled by your behaviour, Sakura. Now get out of my sight before I lose my head and send you somewhere you'll never return from!"
Sakura didn't need telling twice. She ran out of the drawing room, so relieved that Sonomi and Meiling were so preoccupied over the small incident in the morning, they hadn't found out about her escapade in court.
Nor had they noticed that Benkei was back in the house.
Aside from that, what harm was done? Sonomi and Meiling had lost their tempers, but that was nothing new. Sonomi had a reason to be embarrassed in front of Prince Syaoran. And the Prince himself had a few new bruises on his feet.
Serves him right, Sakura thought resolutely. Pompous, arrogant man.
"…am I to assume that you find me arrogant?" he had asked, visibly affronted.
Yes! Sakura exploded, as she joined Suki in the chicken coop, tossing feed to them.
She noticed a small smile lurking on Suki's face.
"What?" she asked curiously, abandoning her bad temper.
"I just wish I'd been there," Suki smiled.
"Where?" Sakura was nonplussed.
"At court!" Suki said, laughing. "Seeing you all dressed up, and talking to the Prince like a lady!"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Scolding him is more accurate," she muttered. "And for good reason. The man is arrogant, spoiled, and singularly insufferable."
"Indeed?" Suki cocked an eyebrow amusedly.
"Yes," Sakura said resolutely. "And I suppose that stems from the fact that he's wealthy, and controls more land than most folk here have a right to dream about!"
"I'll bet he's very charming," Suki said dreamily. "Once you get to know him."
"I don't want to know him!" Sakura returned, taken aback. "I'll leave that to Meiling – she seems quite keen. In retrospect, I think they deserve each other."
Suki dropped her basket of feed.
"In the name of all that's good, be quiet!" she exclaimed. "The only throne I want to see her sitting on is the one I have to scrub every day!"
Sakura giggled.
"After all," she said, imitating the Lady Sonomi, "we cannot have a royal bottom sitting on a dirty chaise, now can we?"
It was late evening, and the sun had set. In the palace, Syaoran walked on the balcony, his mother two paces behind him.
"Who?" she asked distractedly.
Syaoran sighed.
"The Countess…Nadeshiko Amamiya," he said, the name sounding foreign on his lips. "She's a cousin of…well…actually, I don't really know who her cousin is."
"I see," Queen Yelan nodded, not seeing at all, but understanding the confusion in her son's eyes.
"Do you know who she is?" Syaoran asked, facing her.
Yelan shook her head.
"I'm sorry dear," she said, sighing. "There are simply far too many courtiers to know by name!"
Syaoran slumped, dejected.
"But why do you ask?" Yelan asked, lightly.
"Mm?" Syaoran shook his head dismissively. "Oh, no reason. I met her today – she's quite the educated lady."
Yelan smiled, before approaching footsteps stopped her from speaking further.
"So," said King Xiao-Lang, calmer than before. "I have news for you, son."
Syaoran didn't bother meeting eyes with his father.
"What is it? Another proposal?"
"A masked ball," Xiao-Lang corrected. "I'm holding a masked ball in honour of His Honour, Clow Reed. I'm inviting everyone that's everyone to this ball."
"Fascinating," Syaoran muttered. "So what do you want me to do?"
"Compromise," his father said simply. At which point Syaoran met his eyes, astonished.
"Compromise?" he repeated. "You?"
"Yes," Xiao-Lang stated, eyes glittering. "You see, if you're so unhappy with the proposals I bring in for you, then I suggest you do a bit of searching yourself. If what you want is a woman with character, then you'd best find her soon. For at this ball, you will announce your engagement to the whole kingdom…Or else, I will announce it for you."
Syaoran was taken aback. This was…so unlike his father!
"What about China?" he asked. "Didn't Duke Lian threaten you or something?"
"How kind of you to pay attention," Xiao-Lang said pointedly. "But since you've expressed concern, let me enlighten you. Jin Lian is a two-faced man who speaks big words. He came here with such big ideals, didn't he, Yelan? Pointed fingers at our upbringing! But now…"
"What?" Syaoran asked, curious.
"I have something on Duke Lian that might make him want to reconsider his words," Xiao-Lang said gleefully, clapping his hands together. "Something that, if it gets out, might wreck his daughter's prospects on this side of the border."
Syaoran glanced at his mother uncertainly. He didn't know which side of his father disturbed him more. The cold dictator-like figure, or the one he was witnessing right now.
Yelan placed her hands on her son's shoulders.
"Choose well, son," she said gently, casting an appraising eye at her husband. "Divorce…is only something they do in Europe."
D i s c l a i m e r: I own nothing familiar.
A / N : I have no words for shame. I thought I'd abandoned this long ago. No words to everyone who reviewed, just that you are amazingly amazing, and I lub you all from the bottom of my heart. No promises about regular updates either…sorry…;;
R.S.V.P! (Review, S'il Vous Plait!)
Lotsa lub,
- Rimjhim
