***I do not own neither Cardcaptor Sakura nor the 1998 film Ever After (which this story is based on).***

Ages:

Sakura, Tomoyo, and Meiling – 19

Syaoran, Eriol, and Ryan – 21

Chiyo – 53, Maiyume – 50

Mina – 21, Yoojin – 20, Satsuki – 43

Ever After

Chapter 10 – Discovery

Recap

"Nadeshiko," Syaoran called out to Sakura. "Do you know the Han ruins?"

Sakura turned around and nodded. "Yes."

"I often go there to be alone. Would you meet me there tomorrow?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura's face lit up. She was already wondering when would be the next time they would see each other. "I shall try."

"Then I shall wait all day." Syaoran responded.

Sakura grinned at the prince with a blush, "Goodnight Syaoran."

Syaoran watched Sakura walk further and further away from him. He felt a tingle in his chest and realized something, 'Syaoran, you're in love.'

Li Palace

The sun had just began to rise the next morning, when Syaoran barged into his parent's bedchamber unannounced.

King Hien and Queen Yelen awoke when they heard the door slam open, both groggy as they sat up.

"W-what? What's happening?" King Hien shouted, rubbing his eyes.

"Hien, wake up. Our son has something to tell us." Queen Yelen said, yawning.

"Mother. Father," Syaoran started with confidence. "I want to build a university, with the largest library in the continent, where anyone can study no matter their status."

King Hien's expression became serious. "Alright, who are you? And what have you done with our son?"

Syaoran chuckled and was about to leave the room when he remembered something else.

"Oh! And I want to invite the gypsies to the ball!"

Syaoran left the room with two completely speechless parents. It's been years since the last time they saw Syaoran in a cheerful mood.

Hamasaki Residence

Meanwhile, at the Hamasaki manor, Satsuki, Mina, and Yoojin barged into Sakura's room in the basement and found her still soundly asleep. It was almost eight in the morning and breakfast had not been served yet.

'Who does this girl think she is?!' Satsuki was enraged.

Satsuki glanced at the corner of the room and saw a broom. She grabbed it and poked at Sakura with the end of it waking her up in a fright.

Sakura gasped and let out an "ahh".

Satsuki asked sharply, "Are you ill?"

"No…," Sakura replied, sitting up. But then she immediately began to feel nauseous and laid back down in bed. She had too much to drink last night. She placed both her hands on her head in hopes it would stop it from throbbing. "Ughh...yes."

"Where were you?" Satsuki asked in a serious tone. Mina glared at her step sister, with her arms crossed. 'She's going to get it,' Mina thought. Yoojin had a worried expression for Sakura.

Sakura's mind was racing. She forgot to think of an excuse to tell her stepmother.

"I-I got lost…," Sakura managed to say.

"I don't believe you. You're hiding something from me. I can feel it. I demand to know what it is!" Satsuki ordered.

Sakura yawned, "Well, why don't you tell me, so I can get back to sleep."

Mina was appalled at her behavior and yelled, "What about our breakfast?!"

Sakura sighed, "You have two hands. Make it yourself."

Both Mina and Satsuki looked at each other, amazed by Sakura's disobedience and rebellious manner.

"Why you LAZY, LITTLE LEECH!" Mina screamed.

Yoojin gave a smirk. She enjoyed watching her sister get worked up.

Satsuki continued glaring at Sakura, while she addressed Yoojin. "Yoojin, go and boil some water."

Yoojin was speechless. "...me? Boil water?" She sighed and walked away while muttering, "Oh, I just knew it."

Later on in the morning, Sakura was finally able to get over her hangover, thanks to Tomoyo. She had brought Sakura chicken soup and jasmine tea to her room and she instantly began to feel herself.

"Oh, Tomoyo. What have I done?" Sakura put her hands to her head, thinking about the commotion she stirred with her stepfamily this morning.

"Shh, don't worry about that now, Sakura. How are you feeling?" Tomoyo asked, rubbing Sakura's back.

"Much better. Thank you Tomoyo." Sakura smiled at her best friend.

Tomoyo leaned closer to Sakura and whispered, "So what happened yesterday? We all thought the prince was just paying you a visit. Where did you go with him?"

Sakura shrugged in disbelief of the events that occurred last night. 'I guess it wasn't a dream.' Sakura thought to herself. She had kissed the prince not once, but twice! And it was amazing. He was amazing. Part of her wanted to stay in the woods with the prince and never come back to her horrid stepmother, but she knew she couldn't just abandon Tomoyo and the others and, most of all, her father's home.

Sakura told Tomoyo everything that happened the day before. After she was done, Tomoyo squealed.

"I can't believe it! You guys kissed!" Tomoyo was beaming.

Sakura put her finger to her lips. "Not so loud, Tomoyo."

Something in Sakura's expression led Tomoyo to believe she wasn't at all happy.

"What's wrong, Sakura? You should be ecstatic." Tomoyo remarked.

Sakura sighed, "I am, believe me, I am. Last night was the best night of my life. But, Tomoyo, the prince believes me to be the courtier Nadeshiko Soung Kinomoto. Once he learns I am just the servant Sakura Hamasaki, he will turn away in disgust."

Tomoyo frowned. Happiness was within her best friend's grasp and yet it seems far out of her reach.

"What will you do?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura shook her head, as she tried to hold back tears. "I have no choice, Tomoyo. I need to tell him the truth."

Tomoyo grabbed Sakura's hands tightly. "Maybe the prince will understand. He's gotten to know the real you. Maybe status doesn't matter to him anymore."

"We shall see…," Sakura replied, as Chiyo frantically entered the room.

"What's the matter?" Sakura asked.

Chiyo ran to grab Sakura by the hand. "You better come quick!"

Chiyo led Sakura to Satsuki's room which was wide open. As Sakura entered, she was completely shocked at what she saw. Her stepfamily were all standing in front of the fireplace. Yoojin was holding her mother's shoes, while Satsuki was holding up her mother's wedding dress to Mina who was grinning.

"It's a perfect fit!" Satsuki exclaimed to her daughter.

Sakura slowly walked to them. She had never felt so disgusted at her stepfamily as she did now. Satsuki turned around and noticed Sakura had entered the room.

"Oh! Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence!" Satsuki greeted with a smirk.

"What do you think you are doing?" Sakura asked.

Mina still gazing at the beautiful white silk gown, answered, "Well, trying on my dress of course."

Satsuki added, "You honestly think that after that performance this morning, I'd let you go anywhere?"

Sakura shook her head in frustration. She exclaimed in a loud voice, "Do you honestly think these games, these intrigues are going to win you a crown? To hunt royalty like some sport? It's disgusting!"

Mina scowled as she walked towards the bed with the gown. "You're just jealous!"

Sakura sighed as she grabbed the shoes away from Yoojin and turned towards Mina. "These are my mother's!"

Mina looked at Sakura and said, "Yes...and she's dead."

Silence filled the room as Sakura processed what her step sister had just said. Rage stirred within Sakura as she jolt forward and punched Mina straight in the face. Mina fell backwards and tumbled over the bed to the floor. Mina was stunned and frightened. She hurried to her feet in order to run away from her crazy stepsister.

Sakura chased after her, yelling, "I am going to rip your hair out!"

Mina was screaming as Yoojin was shouting frantically, "Mother, do something!"

Mina ran out of the room to across the hallway and down the stairs. Mina's piercing shriek echoed throughout the manor. She ran into the dining hall and towards the fireplace. Sakura's book Utopia was sitting on the chair beside the fire. Mina grabbed it and held it out close to the fireplace.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, OR ELSE!" Mina shouted, breathing heavily.

"Noo! Mina don't!" Sakura screamed. The last bit of her father was in that book. "Put it down!"

"Give me the shoes!" Mina ordered.

"Put it down!" Sakura screamed again.

Everyone made their way to the dining hall. Tomoyo, Chiyo, and Maiyum all gasped as they saw what was happening in front of them. Satsuki and Yoojin walked passed them towards Mina.

"Consider carefully, Sakura," Satsuki warned. "Your father's book or your mother's shoes. Though neither will save you from sound lashing."

Tears were forming in Sakura's eyes as she glanced back and forth from her stepmother to Mina. Mina was inching closer and closer to the fireplace. Slowly, Sakura lifted up the hand that held her mother's shoes. Satsuki harshly seized them away from her. Once Mina saw that Sakura gave up the shoes, she threw the book into the fire.

"NOOOO!" Sakura cried, as tears were flowing out. She ran towards the fireplace, but Satsuki held her back. "No! No! Noooo!" Sakura tried to release Satsuki's hold on her, but it was too late to save the book. The fire quickly devoured it. Sakura felt her knees gave out and she fell to the ground sobbing.

Yoojin was furious at her sister for throwing the book into the fire after Sakura had already given up the shoes. Tomoyo, Chiyo, and Maiyume were both tearing as they knew how much that book meant to Sakura.

It was early in the afternoon and Sakura was laying on her stomach on her bed. Sakura had her undergarment opened from behind displaying her bruised and bloody back. Satsuki had whipped her for her disobedience and dragged it out longer for especially giving Mina a black eye right before meeting with the Queen. Tomoyo had offered to clean Sakura up, but Yoojin had insisted she do it. It was the least she could do after how Mina treated Sakura earlier. Yoojin gently rubbed Sakura's back with a warm damp towel. Soon as the towel touched Sakura's back, she winced in anguish.

Yoojin had a concerned look on her face. She said in a gentle tone, "Now you really brought this upon yourself you know. First with breakfast, and then that horrid display upstairs."

Sakura replied, her voice cracking, "I don't know what's come over me."

Yoojin's concerned expression slowly turned into a smile. "Of course, I shall never forget the way Mina's feet went up over her head like that."

Both Sakura and Yoojin giggled. Sakura was wondering why Yoojin was being so nice to her. However, she realized that Yoojin never treated her harshly like Mina or Satsuki. To Sakura, it almost felt like Yoojin wanted to become closer to her. For Yoojin, she's come to acknowledge the fact that Mina will never act like a sister to her. Mina treats Sakura and her the same.

Yoojin suddenly remembered what Mina had said to Sakura that enraged her.

"Mina shouldn't have said that about your mother," Yoojin expressed, ashamed of her sister's actions.

Sakura was touched by her stepsister's words. "Thank you, Yoojin."

Li Palace

Queen Yelen had arrange for an afternoon tea with Satsuki and Mina outside in the garden. It was a beautiful day out with perfect weather. The three ladies sat down at a table underneath a huge gazebo in the middle of the garden.

"Oh, you really must let my doctor look at that!" Yelen exclaimed worriedly.

Mina smiled and gently touched her black eye, the area where Sakura had punched her earlier that same day.

"I am grateful, Your Majesty. But you mustn't worry about me." Mina replied. She relished the moment her mother whipped Sakura afterwards as punishment. She sat through the entire ordeal smirking in the background.

"To think you saved that baby from a runaway horse," Yelen added in astonishment.

"It was a maternal instinct." Mina responded.

Satsuki noticed there was one extra chair at the table and, not wanting anymore attention on Mina's black eye, asked, "Will the prince be joining us, Your grace?"

Queen Yelen looked regretful. "I am so sorry, but my son can't join us today. He seems to have disappeared again."

Satsuki was furious. Mina can't very well hope to entice the prince when the prince is never to be seen. She wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Again?" Satsuki politely inquired.

"Yes, he was gone all day yesterday and did not return until dawn." The queen revealed.

Satsuki thought how Sakura was missing all day yesterday as well, but she shrugged it off as a coincidence. 'There's no way the prince would associate himself with a mere commoner.'

Satsuki replied, "Well, must be marvelous to have that kind of stamina!"

Mina nodded in agreement.

Queen Yelen suddenly remembered her conversation with Syaoran about the mysterious courtier. "Oh, perhaps you could help solve a mystery for me. Do you know the courtier Kinomoto? Apparently, she's been staying with a cousin, but nobody seems to know who!"

Mina began to shake her head in confusion, as Satsuki looked like she's seen a ghost.

"...Nadeshiko...Soung...Kinomoto?" Satsuki asked slowly.

"Yes! How wonderful! I was beginning to think she was a ghost." Queen Yelen laughed cheerfully.

Satsuki shared a fake laugh in order to mask what was really going on inside her mind.

"No, I'm afraid she's been around for years!" Satsuki remarked. She glanced towards Mina and continued, "Yes, and, um, staying with us, as a matter of fact. Isn't that right, darling?"

Mina scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. She had no reason to remember her stepfather's last name, since Mina barely knew him, however she went along with her mother.

"Y-yes. O-of course! Our...cousin..." Mina said, having no idea what her mother was doing.

Satsuki could see the confusion on her daughter's face and added, "...whom you like to call Cinderella."

Mina's smile immediately disappeared as she turned to face her mother in shock. 'Sakura?!' she thought to herself.

"Excuse me for one moment, Your Majesty." Mina sat up from the table, went down the gazebo steps, and started to shake and yell in frustration. Mina let out a couple of more shrieks before returning to the table.

The queen had a horrified look on her face. "Good heavens, child. Are you alright?"

Mina took a deep breath and smiled. "Oh, it was just a bee."

Satsuki broke the awkward silence by bursting into laughter at Mina's response. Mina grabbed her cup of tea and drank from it.

Han ruins

Sakura took advantage of Satsuki and Mina being away from the manor to meet with the prince at Han ruins. She would take this time to confess to Syaoran the truth about her and hurry back home before her stepmother returns.

The Han ruins was a small castle built in the middle of the forest. It was abandoned years ago when a war devastated the area, leaving the castle ruins to nature. The entire castle grounds was covered in vines, dirt, and trees. However, it was still a magnificent sight.

The prince was sitting on a window ledge reading a book, waiting for Sakura to arrive. He left for the ruins as soon as he spoke with his parents this morning and had been waiting ever since. He was almost finished with the book he brought when he saw Sakura slowly enter the ruins.

Sakura was wearing a long ruby dress with her hair up in a braided bun. Tomoyo and Maiyume had to help her in the gown, as the wounds from her whipping was still open and fresh. It was difficult for Sakura to move in it, since every step she took the fabric brushed against her cuts.

Syaoran stood up from the ledge and walked towards Sakura. "Hello," he greeted her with a smile.

It took everything in Sakura's power not to tear up at the sound of his voice. 'This may be the last time I hear his beautiful voice.' "Hello," Sakura replied, smiling back.

As the prince got closer to Sakura, he realized she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red. "Are you well?" The prince asked concerned.

"I fear I am not myself today." Sakura replied.

Syaoran took what she said as if she was happy to see him and that she was probably crying tears of joy. 'She must feel the same way as I do about her,' he thought to himself.

"I feel as if my skin is the only thing keeping me from going everywhere at once." Syaoran expressed happily.

Sakura sighed, "There is something I must tell you."

"And I you," Syaoran added.

Sakura glanced from Syaoran's amber eyes to the book in his hands.

Syaoran followed her gaze and said, "Oh, your book. You left it in the carriage yesterday."

'Yesterday,' Sakura thought, as she felt her eyes becoming puffy again. Yesterday seemed so long ago, but it was the happiest she's ever been. She took the book from Syaoran, then remembered her father's book burning in the fire.

Sakura, holding back tears, breathed deeply. She had to get it over with. "Your Highness,-"

"Syaoran…" The prince interrupted her.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "I cannot stay long, but I had to see you. There is much to say."

Syaoran smiled and took out his hand to hold Sakura's. "Come, I want to show you something."

Sakura willingly followed the prince, as he led her through the castle ruins.

"I used to play here when I was a child. It was my father's most treasured retreat before the war." Syaoran explained.

Sakura, ignoring the pain of her back, looked around in awe. It seemed to her that after all these years, the castle managed to perfectly blend in with the forest. There was no ceiling to shelter them or any marble floor to step on. Instead, the forest trees provided a canopy throughout the castle grounds and they were walking on dirt and branches. The sound of birds singing echoed the ruins as they fluttered their wings to fly above them.

Syaoran gazed back at Sakura, as she looked all around her.

Sakura smiled at the prince. "It's beautiful."

Syaoran added, "I measured my life by these trees. Starting from the ground and then all the way up there. And still they continue to grow. So much life to live, but I no longer imagine it alone."

Tears were beginning to form in Sakura's eyes. "You're not making this easy."

Syaoran continued, "I have not slept for fear I would wake to find all this a dream."

Syaoran broke away from Sakura and walked around the trees. "Oh, last night I had a revelation. I used to think that if I cared about anything, then I would have to care about everything and I would go stark raving mad. But…"

The prince walked his way back to Sakura, holding her hands to his chest and leaning his head forward to meet hers. "But now I found my purpose. It's a project actually inspired by you. And I feel the most wonderful...freedom."

"It wasn't me," Sakura managed to say without choking on her words.

Syaoran chuckled. 'She's being modest now.'

"Nadeshiko…," the prince whispered, putting his hand on Sakura's cheek. "You are unlike any courtier I have ever met. And tomorrow at the masque ball I shall make it known to the world."

Sakura began to sob. "W-why did you have to be so wonderful?"

Syaoran smiled at her, still believing Sakura to be crying out of happiness. "Now then, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

'I can't tell him…,' Sakura hesitated.

"Simply that last night was the happiest night of my life." Sakura confessed, before turning to walk away. However, Syaoran grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. The prince leaned in slowly towards Sakura, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They shared a kiss, one that was more passionate than the previous ones before. Syaoran moved his arms around Sakura's back in order to bring her closer, but Sakura let out a loud cry. The prince had pressed hard on her wounds. This pulled Sakura back to reality; her reality of being a servant and Syaoran being royalty.

Syaoran broke away, fearing that he hurt her somehow.

Sakura was sobbing harder, "I must go. Please."

She pushed away from Syaoran and quickly turned around and ran off.

"Nadeshiko!" Syaoran called after her, but Sakura was already out of sight.

Hamasaki Residence

Sakura quietly entered through the front door. She had changed back into her servant dress and had her ruby gown draped on her arm. She quickly ran up the first flight of stairs where she bumped into Satsuki and Mina.

"Of all the insidious jokes...turning your mother into a courtier!" Satsuki exclaimed. Sakura had no expression on her face. She was not surprised her stepmother found out her secret, after having tea with the prince's mother. Yoojin and Tomoyo appeared behind Sakura as Chiyo and Maiyume was walking down the next flight of stairs when they saw Satsuki's confrontation.

"Why it's almost as absurd as a prince who spends his days with a servant who sleeps with pigs!" Satsuki shouted.

Sakura replied in a serious tone, "What bothers you more, stepmother? That I am common or that I am competition?"

Satsuki ignored her statement and yelled aloud, "Where is the dress, Sakura?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura replied.

Mina interrupted, "The gown. The slippers. They were in my room this morning and now they're gone! YOU HID THEM, I KNOW IT!"

Satsuki asked once more, "Where did you put the gown, Sakura?!"

Before Sakura realized it, tears were again falling down her cheeks. 'They lost my mother's wedding dress? And accuse me for taking back what's rightfully mine?' She had enough of this family.

Sakura snapped, "Where are the candlesticks and the tapestries and the silver?! PERHAPS THE DRESS IS WITH THEM." She was no longer going to be nice to Satsuki and Mina.

Satsuki yelled back, "You will produce that gown!"

"I would rather die a thousand deaths than to see my MOTHER'S DRESS ON THAT SPOILED, SELFISH COW!" Sakura shouted, pointing at Mina. Sakura's body was shaking with anger she had never felt before.

Satsuki glared at Sakura before responding, "Well, perhaps we could arrange that."

Chiyo and Maiyume glanced at each other with concern for what Satsuki would do to Sakura. Satsuki roughly grabbed Sakura by the arm and dragged her down to the basement. She opened the cellar door and pushed Sakura inside.

"Get in there!" Satsuki ordered. Sakura fell to the ground as she felt the wounds on her back begin to open again. Satsuki slammed the cellar door locking it from the outside.

She turned around to the rest of the household witnessing the horrific site and declared, "Open this door and you all will wish you'd never set foot in this house."

She glanced towards her daughters and said, "Mina. Yoojin. Gather everything that will fetch a price. We're going to town first thing in the morning."

Yoojin glanced at the cellar door and then towards her mother. "Mother, it's only a ball."

Satsuki stopped in her tracks and glared at Yoojin. "Yes, and you're only going for the food."

A/N: We have the masque ball coming up in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review!