The Dragon Prince
Otohime
" What do you think is going on in there?" Sakura asked Eriol. She felt like she had drunk enough tea to melt her insides.
Eriol turned to the shimmering bead curtains that covered the hall leading to the King's meeting chamber. " I don't know." Eriol replied quietly. " But whatever it is, it had something to do with his hurried exit from the Prince's cell."
" I hope he's okay." Sakura bowed her head. Syaoran's eyes had held a light she had never seen before. It was one that made him look more than formidable. She was even a little scared, when she first saw him emerge, like some spirit back from the dead. He looked so stony, like a statue carved from marble.
" They seem benign enough." Eriol said to Sakura. " He will be alright."
" Hai." Sakura tried to smile. It did not quite reach her eyes. She had a feeling that whatever was going on, pained her friend considerably. It had not really occurred to her at the time, but earlier when Syaoran was still recuperating, it was the first time she had ever seen Syaoran cry. Li Syaoran does not cry. Li Syaoran is never scared.
In the Dragon King's office, the royal monarch looked at the boy with a mix of sympathy and irritation, both held in check by a wavering patience.
" Child," He said softly, " We have dealt with this for a year."
" I know." Syaoran broke in. " Compared to immortality, one year is short. Don't you think all the incriminating evidence is a little too incriminating?"
The Dragon King shook his head. " You have no proof that it is the Third Eastern Prince. Nor would the Jade Emperor care to look further. The execution will commence."
Syaoran gritted his teeth. " Then tell me how to talk to the Jade Emperor."
The gall. " Child, the Jade Emperor is not your school principal. You do not just walk to him and demand his audience."
" I'm not going to sit here and let my friend get executed for things he did not do. He is sentenced for trying to hurt me, to kill me. I say that he did not do it."
" It is not that simple, child."
Syaoran crouched down, hugging himself tightly, feeling the world, watery and moving as it was, closing in around him, and himself shrinking in and crushed under its weight. He was aware of the Dragon King sighing, of the god bending over him and start to pull him up.
" Child, move on. Forget about my doomed son. You have a life to live, yet. This is an affair amongst immortals, not your kind."
" How long?" Syaoran whispered. " How long before…?"
" By the end of the year in your world." Said the Dragon King softly. " You may visit him again, if you would like."
Syaoran shuddered.
Outside, Eriol began pacing.
" What is it?" Sakura asked.
" He's in there too long." Eriol shook his head. " I feel uneasy."
" He wouldn't hurt Syaoran, would he?"
" Of course not." Eriol shook his head, as the servants gave them odd looks at that. " Doesn't change that I feel uneasy."
Sakura fell silent at this.
" He is here?" They heard a familiar voice ask. The children turned to the door to see Otohime step into the room.
She took one look at the beaded she turned to the children. " What is he in there for?"
" Uh…" Eriol began to stall for time, " We are…not sure."
" Hm." Otohime looked at them. " So he is innocent then."
" Hoe?"
Looking grim, the Dragon Princess considered the curtains for a moment again.
" How long have they been in there?" She asked.
" Well," Eriol replied neutrally, " We were not paying attention."
" Indeed," The princess's eyes flashed. " You went to visit the Second Prince. And then came straight here. It is nearing dusk now. You have been here quite a while."
Eriol was silent, and Sakura followed his example. Otohime was the daughter of the Eastern Dragon King. She looked every inch the powerful being she was.
She waved at the servant near the door. " Tell my Royal Uncle that I request his audience. At once."
Sakura started, afraid Otohime had sinister intentions, but Eriol waved her back. This was among gods, and she stood no chance. He did not either. They kept their peace as the servant went inside, and then came out to call her in.
Syaoran stood at the Dragon King's side as Otohime entered the room.
" Ah, niece." Said the Dragon King. " Is there a problem?"
" Is my cousin innocent?" She asked bluntly.
The King looked at her steadily, but she was glancing down at the boy. Syaoran met her gaze neutrally.
" Otohime." Said the King at last, " This affair has been settled."
" Appearances can be deceiving." She replied coldly. She then turned upon Syaoran. " What have you learned?"
Syaoran glared. " What does it matter?"
Though amused before, the princess was not so patient with him now. " I want none of your cheek, mortal. Answer my question."
" Your brother framed my best friend." Syaoran decided to return her bluntness with a blunt answer of his own. " Of course, there's nothing any of us can do about that. You can go home and gloat about getting away with it all." In the heat of rage, a tear escaped, unbidden, from his eyes, and dropped to the floor. Syaoran maintained her gaze.
It was the tear that moved the princess, however. " So you consider him your best friend as well." She noted.
" Otohime. Is this all?" The King stated more than questioned.
" Royal Uncle." The princess's tone was more subdued. " If I may speak to the child?"
" I have nothing more to say to him." The King replied. " If you can escort him out along the way,"
" I will, uncle." The princess bowed. She moved, then, as if to take Syaoran's hand, but then thought the better of it.
" And behave yourself." The King remonstrated, the expression on his face stating clearly that all this talk of his son's supposed innocence was taking its toll on him.
The two joined the children outside. Once there, Otohime waved for the servants to leave them.
" What do you want with us?" Syaoran asked coldly when everyone left.
" Us?" The princess repeated. " If you truly wish to drag your friends into this, 'us' will do very well."
" What do you mean?" Syaoran asked, before Eriol or Sakura could say anything. " Drag them into what?"
" For Heaven's sake," The dragon princess replied moodily, " I am about to possibly ruin my own brother for my cousin. What sort of intrigue do you suppose that counts as?"
" You believe him?" Syaoran asked, losing his composure and looking as vulnerable as Sakura had ever seen him.
Otohime glared at him, though her anger, obviously, was not directed at him. " I believe you. We had some doubts as to whether or not you even existed, what with wild tales of some four-year-old saving Sheng'er, and having…" She trailed off suddenly, her eyes intense.
Syaoran could only blink at that. " Having no magic?" He deadpanned.
Sakura made a face. " Nani?"
Syaoran scowled. " Hai. It might come as a surprise to you, Sakura, but compared to the rest of the Li family I'm nothing to speak of. I might as well just say I am non-magical and maybe catch them by surprise."
" I just didn't realize…" Sakura stammered, dismayed.
" Why would that make a difference?" Syaoran demanded. " I'm real, as you can see. Er Taizi and I spend a year together. Then he left because the Western Dragon King called him to assume his duties and I never saw him again. Until now, anyway."
" Hm. So you do not understand." Otohime gestured at the chairs. " This can take a while. I need to explain something to you."
After some hesitation, they all took a seat.
" What don't I understand?" Syaoran asked when the princess did not start immediately.
" We were told that he was fighting the Nine-Headed Serpent when you saved him."
Syaoran nodded. " He said that to me too. It did have a lot of heads, I remember."
" He did not tell you that he was poisoned?"
Syaoran swallowed. His look said it all. He had no idea.
" The reason he was given so much free time," The princess said gravely, " Was because he had to purge the poison first."
Memories rushed at Syaoran in a flash; the prince ruffling his hair with a serene smile, telling Syaoran to eat the chocolate instead of sharing; " I have a lot of free time. Call me whenever you feel the need."; Nights in the trees, the prince calling to owls and letting Syaoran pat one—
" I didn't know." He said solemnly. " I didn't know he was sick."
" Your presence was the source of healing." Otohime explained.
" How?"
" Your…adoration." Otohime said finally. " We deities are powered by mortal love. We thought all this time that he had been harvesting the love of many individuals to heal himself. We did not believe him when he claimed that a single child was enough to rid him of the poison in so short a time."
Syaoran was beginning to understand. He remained silent though. More tears dropped from his eyes, but he hardly noticed.
Sakura glanced at Syaoran, then at Eriol, feeling uncomfortable. It felt like they were intruding on Syaoran, digging too deep into his personal life, his personal feelings.
" Why help him for that?" Syaoran asked. " I do not see how this is related."
Otohime looked at him. " He is my cousin." She said simply.
Syaoran wiped at his cheeks. It did not make sense to him, but he did not wish to ask any more. " So." His voice was steady, though a little rough. " What do we do?"
" Figure out what happened. How it was done." Otohime replied. " You should not stay here long. My brother has more influence than I do. If he suspects, we will all suffer the consequences."
" Will I hear from you?" Syaoran asked.
Otohime nodded. " You have your influence, and I have mine." She said.
" Ha." Syaoran laughed bitterly. " I doubt my so-called 'influence' is worth mentioning."
Sakura glanced from one to the other, feeling that she was incredibly confused, so confused that she did not know who to ask to clarify things, or even what to clarify.
" What exactly is going on?" Eriol asked.
" Your friend will inform you, I am sure." Otohime rose elegantly from her seat. " Come. The turtles will lead you out."
Eriol and Sakura exchanged a look. Syaoran just looked exhausted. The princess led the way out, and they followed in silence. On the way, the servants bowed as she passed. Syaoran went with his head bowed. They had never seen him look more morose.
" Syaoran-kun," Sakura dared to whisper, " What's going on? What is she talking about?"
" I'll tell you later." Syaoran said wearily. " Let's just go. We've apparently been down here for hours."
