A/N: Yeah, this is the update. Nothin' much here I guess but I need more scenes to tone up the next action, so… this is what you get. Please enjoy!

Chapter 11: glǣm

The night has come and Sakura was about to leave for her bedroom when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in." She said. Tomoyo appeared behind the door.

"What's the matter Tomoyo? Have the guest returned?" Sakura asked.

"Umm… May they stay here for the night? We haven't finished the tour… The Mite'shu had returned though, they had work need to be done, they said." Tomoyo said cautiously.

"Yeah, the Mite'shu had bid farewell to me." Sakura said.

Sakura thought for a while. I think there's nothing wrong with it. I haven't done with them yet. Tomoyo also looked interested in them. We have so many empty rooms in the castle anyway.

"All right. Just do as you wish." Sakura answered.

Tomoyo looked happy. "Thank you Sakura!" She hugged her then left the room. Sakura just waved her head on her friend's action. She also left and headed to her bedroom.

She changed into a lemon taffeta dress with flared sleeves. She wanted to rest but the sleep seemed to dislike her, so she decided to take a walk. She went out to the side garden, opposite of the one that she went yesterday. There was a shallow pond and the illumination, not strong enough to pierce the water mirror, made the pond glitter with soft light. She couldn't see the fish down there but stars and her figure reflected perfectly there, as if the real world was replicated with no flaw at all. The moon was hiding shyly behind the cloud, its light shone hazily, strapped in the mist hung highly in the sky.

She didn't feel another presence had moved behind her. She realized it a little too late when she had seen another figure mirrored at the water. She flipped and jerked backward. She screamed by her own surprise and lost her balance. The person tried to pull her but in the end tumbled together with her, failed to resist the gravity power. Both of them were experiencing a cold freezing night soak at the open air.

Sakura winced and sneezed. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the ground not hard as she had imagined. She didn't feel any pain. She opened her eyes and saw she was sitting on something. She cocked her head to her left and how surprised she was when she knew she was sitting on Syaoran's stomach!

"Ah! Sorry!" She said, clasping her mouth. Blood rushed to her face, turning her cheek into a deep red hue. Exactly at that time, the moon decided to announce its existence and let his soft light caressed the earth. Syaoran smiled in amusement.

"Ah. It's okay… Umm… Can you get up now?" Syaoran asked, despite her cuteness and his urge to hug her at this very moment, they need to get up from the chilly water first.

Sakura bolted up and blushed frantically. Syaoran also stood up and flushed a bit. They went out of the pond, both of them drenched. Some guards came after heard her scream.

"Hime-sama! Are you hurt?" One of them asked with concern and the others looked at Syaoran with suspicion.

"No… nothing. You may leave." Sakura waved her hand and dismissed them. They reluctantly left her.

"I'm sorry to have surprised you." Syaoran apologized.

"No. It's not your fault! I should have paid more attention to my surrounding." Sakura waved her head agitatedly. Her hands were clutched to her chest.

Syaoran smiled. "You are in the same state just like when you watched the tree in Fyr."

"Ahahaha… I didn't know that you are someone from another country then. I haven't thanked you properly for your help in Aero city." Sakura said, trying to twist her hair dry. She sneezed once more.

"I think we should go back to our room and change." Syaoran said, grinning though he also felt the chill.

"Wait. Could you… could you please keep our meeting in Fyr as a secret?" Sakura whispered hesitantly. She avoided his eyes.

God, I must be insane! Why should I keep something like that as a secret?? Sakura thought furiously but not strong enough to stop her own mouth. A temptation to keep something private between him and her was too appealing.

"Judging by your friends' reaction, you haven't told anyone, do you?" She asked him worriedly when he didn't answer directly.

Now, why we should keep that as a secret? Syaoran considered before answer. "No, I didn't. If that is your wish, that it shall be my honor to do it." He bowed politely. "But… may I know the reason?" He added out of his curiosity.

A cold breeze blew. Sakura and Syaoran shivered. "I think I'll postpone answering that question. I don't want to catch a cold tomorrow." Sakura said and turned to walk, relieved inwardly that she could find a reason to avoid answering his question – the question that she also need to find a logical answer for later, but stopped abruptly. Syaoran who was following also stopped.

"Is there anything wrong?" Syaoran asked in concern.

"Um… I haven't asked about your purpose." Sakura said hesitantly.

"My purpose?" Syaoran puzzled.

"Yeah. That's why you want to see me right?" Sakura explained.

"Ooohh… No. I just want to walk around to see the beauty of the castle's garden and I saw you accidentally. My room is at that corner." Syaoran smiled.

"Ah, I see. I thought you want something. Then… good night." Sakura said.

Yeah… I DO want something. I want to talk with you… Syaoran thought behind his smile, but he was happy enough being lucky to held her - though it was in a chilly pond.

They went back to their each room to clean up and change the clothes. Sakura decided that this was the time to sleep or at least snuggle beneath her sheet since she felt so cold.


Morning has come. Sakura opened her eyes. Her head felt so heavy. Someone was knocking at her door.

"Come in." She said sleepily.

A maid came in with a tray of breakfast. Some slice of bread with butter. "Hime-sama, this is your breakfast." She put it on the table and opened the windows curtain. Sun light shone in and lit the room.

"Hmm?" Sakura managed to sit on her bed but her head felt so dizzy. She clutched her head.

"Hime-sama, are you all right?" The maid asked with anxiety.

"Well… Not as healthy as usual, I think…" Sakura replied, still clutching her head.

"Should I call the herbalist?"

"Yeah..." Sakura agreed, throwing herself back to the bed.

The maid bowed and rushed outside of the room. After what seemed as a moment of hazy rotation in Sakura's head, another knock was heard on the door.

"Come in." She said groggily.

A girl in a black knee-length dress with big ribbon tied at her side was standing behind the door. "Are you all right, Sakura?"

Sakura turned her head to the door and saw Tomoyo. "Umm… Yeah, I'm okay." She tried to sit and the wooziness rushed over her again. This time followed by ache in all of her body. Sakura cringed.

Tomoyo saw her reaction and rushed to her side. She held Sakura back to the bed. "You shouldn't get up if you're still feeling dizzy." Tomoyo touched her hand and surprised. "You're very hot, Sakura!" Tomoyo looked over the room as if she was searching for something. "Wait here." She said.

Tomoyo went to the bathroom, took a bowl of water and a piece of cloth. She washed the cloth in the water and compressed Sakura's forehead. Sakura felt better.

"Why do you suddenly come here?" Sakura asked, wondered where Tomoyo knew she was sick from.

"Oh, I met Chika-san in the corridor. She seemed rushed and I asked her what had happened. That is why I know you are sick."

"Oh… I see." Silent. "You don't have to look after me here. You want to talk to our guest and take them around, don't you?" Sakura finally said.

"They can wait. Stay a little longer in this castle won't make them rot." Tomoyo replied casually. Another knock on the door.

"Yes, come in please." Tomoyo answered.

A female herbalist came in. Tomoyo went out and said that she would send a word to their guest first. The examination quickly ended and the result was Sakura having flu – Sakura had guessed that earlier. The herbalist asked her to rest fully today and took the herbs three times a day. She left to tell the maid the herbs types, dosage and the time for Sakura to take it. Tomoyo met her when she was just going back. The herbalist assured her that nothing needs to be worried. Tomoyo returned to Sakura's side.

"What did you say to the guests?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I tell them that today I want to look after our sick princess and they may take a walk in the garden or read in the castle's library."

"Oh…" Tomoyo had made a good arrangement in a short moment, Sakura thought.

A maid came in and brought the medication that Sakura need to take. Sakura swallowed all of them and suddenly she felt very sleepy.

Tomoyo pulled the blanket to Sakura's neck and told her to sleep. She drew back the curtain so the room was shaded. Tomoyo sat on the small chair, accompanying Sakura and soon also fell asleep with her head laid on her hands at the small circle table.

Sakura slept awhile but awakened again. She remembered to check something. She pushed herself to stand and walk toward the door. She threw a quick glance at sleeping Tomoyo then closed the door as soft as possible. Her door guards seemed surprised to see her walk out of her room but they didn't say a thing. Well, they couldn't possibly restrict their own princess, right?

I just need to check something… I'll make it before Tomoyo know I was missing -- else she will worry and persistently want to know where I've gone. It will be troublesome if I need to tell her the entire story.


Syaoran heard the message and was guessing whether the princess had caught a cold because of last night. He decided to go to the library for today, tomorrow he would apologize to make her sick. Tomoyo had shown him the library yesterday and he remembered the way. Kurogane's room was beside his and he said he wanted to take an extra nap. Meilin 's room was beside Kurogane's and she had long gone to roam, no I mean, to see the beauty of the garden that encircle the castle. He went out of the room and turned right. He walked down the long corridor then he stopped at the crossway. He supposed to turn right again but someone on the other side of the corridor attracted his attention. The figure that wore a beige dress seemed familiar. He pursued the girl but suddenly a lance was crossed in front of his face.

"I'm sorry but from this path downward, you are not allowed to enter." The guard said with a cold face.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I'm searching for the library and I seemed to be lost." Syaoran replied with smile. "I thought I saw the princess so I want to ask her." He gestured to the girl that had walk further from them and didn't seem to aware there was something happened behind her. She walked unusually slow and unsteady.

"If library is the place you were searching, you just need to turn back and walk down this corridor. It is at the other end of this corridor." The guard said again with his stoic face.

"Thank you." Syaoran said and turned back after stealing another glance at Sakura which had turned right and disappeared from the corridor.

The library was huge. So many shelves and books spread all over the room. Syaoran caught a glimpse of a person wore a white suit at behind a shelf at the center of the room. He walked over.

"Good morning, Fye-san." Syaoran greeted.

Fye who wasn't startled at all greeted back with his usual smile. "Hello too, Syaoran-kun. What are you searching here?" He was holding some thick books at his left hand.

"I want to check the books about culture."

"Oh, it's on that shelf." Fye pointed at one of the shelf at the right side of the room with his free hand.

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

"Ah, did Tomoyo tell you that you can't enter that room over there?" Fye said when suddenly remembered. He pointed to the door at the other end of the room that was being locked and guarded by two people.

"Oh, yes. She had told us. That room is the file and history room where all important documents were saved." Syaoran replied.

"Yes. Just to make sure that she had told you." Fye said with smile. "Well, you won't be able to enter even if you didn't know about it beforehand." He added, shrugged his shoulder, and gestured to the guards. Syaoran nodded seriously.

"Then let me excuse myself first. I have some errands to run." Fye said again with smile and stepped lightly – almost as if flying - across the room, waved his hand before vanished behind the entrance door.

Syaoran looked at the shelf label where Fye had taken his books. Barrier and Dimension.

Maybe I'll check that later… Syaoran thought. He went to the culture shelf.


Sakura stood in front of the dead end. She pushed out her hand and walked through the wall. She was back at the red lines room. Nothing changed. The red glow seemed just like before.

Hm… Is this flu didn't really affect my health? Or this barrier doesn't depend on successor health? Only power? But no, a strong sickness also affects magic power. Well, flu is not going to do much damage I think… I guess I'll have to test 'that' tomorrow.

She walked out of the barrier room and returned to her bedroom. She opened the door and closed it as silent.

"Where did you go?"

Sakura almost jumped out of the floor. Ups… she awakened.

"Ahahaha… I'm trying to find Fye-san. But he isn't in his work room." Sakura scratched her head and threw out a smile. Tomoyo didn't seem to believe but she decided to toss it aside.

"You should rest if you want to get better." Tomoyo said.

"Yes. Sorry." Sakura said ruefully. She went to her bed and laid obediently. She was going to close her eyes when she remembered something.

"Um.. Tomoyo, would you do me a favor?"

"Hm?" Sakura could feel Tomoyo's brow quirked.

"Please ask Fye-san to notify all cities leader to increase their security for a few days ahead, especially for the one which is near the forest." Sakura said.

"Ok." Tomoyo went to the door. When she held the doorknob, she halted and turned to Sakura. "Make sure you're still in the bed when I come back… else I'm the one who will make sure you can't move from there." Tomoyo added threateningly before she closed the door.

Sakura smiled. Fiuh… That was close… Sakura thought. Hopefully Fye-san was not in his room this morning…

Sakura did nothing much on that day. She was just eating and sleeping until night has fallen. She forced Tomoyo to return to her room to take a proper rest. Definitely she was not going to have her friend sick while she would – probably - be healthy tomorrow. Sooo boring… She thought. I'm going to take a walk. I have to remind myself to make an improvement in my room ceiling when I have spare time. She rolled her eyes. Probably some drawing or color will help…

It's not that she didn't know night wind wasn't good for health especially for sick person but she just couldn't stand any longer sleeping in her room, staring at the ceiling all day. She wore a thick fur cloak upon her thin dress. The guards who were patrolling bowed when she walked pass them. She went to the garden and sat at the bench. Everything was so silent. Only some chatter of small bugs accompanied her. She crossed her ankles and sighed.

"Are you feeling better, hime-sama?" A voice came from behind.

Without turning her head, she already knew who was there. Strange. She just met him not more than 3 times but she had recognized his voice. "As usual. I didn't hear you coming." She made no effort to look back.

"Is that a praise?" The voice owner walked to her front. Syaoran was wearing a dark blue long sleeve shirt with army green trousers. The shirt has a cut up to his waist at both of his side.

"Depends on how you think." Sakura smiled.

"Ok. I'll take it as a praise then." He sat beside her but keeping their distance. "So… You haven't answered my question." Syaoran said again and looked at her.

"Hm? Which one?" Sakura tilted her head, trying to remember. Then she recalled the postponed question. Still having no answers to that question, she panicked inwardly.

"Are you feeling better now? I heard you are sick." Syaoran repeated his question. Much to Sakura's relieve, it was another question he had referred.

"Oh… Well yeah, you may say so. I should stay in bed but I think sitting in the garden will do me better than laying all day, staring at the boring ceiling." Sakura replied. Syaoran chuckled.

"I agree with you. I remember when I was a child, I got a bad fever. My parents called a herbalist and can you guess how long they want me to stay in bed?"

"Umm… 3 days?"

"A week! Believe me! It's the happiest plus most boring time in my life! Everybody care for you and stay beside you, yes it's very touching, but I cannot go out of the room even for a half day! My sisters kept sitting at my bedside and saying, 'You need to rest more...'. Well, indeed, it's nice to be cared for and I don't blame them for their passion but… 4 sisters kept nagging at you was definitely not a fun way to pass the day…"

Sakura laughed. "Does everyone who is sick in your family get a special attention like that?"

Well, not really… Since I'm the only male in the family and I'm the throne successor… "Maybe it's because I'm the only male and the youngest in the family."

"Oh really? How old is your sisters?"

"The oldest is 28, the third is 26, the second is 25 and the last is 23. I, the prince…" Syaoran rolled his eye on his own statement. "…is 21." He was making a joke but he wasn't lying about his royalty either.

"Oh, you're a year older than me. I see… With such members, your family must be very lively!" Sakura laughed heartily.

"Yeah… A soft word for sisters who bouncing all the time. Do you have any sibling? Or are you the only child?"

Sakura's laughter died slowly. She smiled as natural as she could to hide her sadness but it didn't escape Syaoran's observation.

This is the topic that I dreaded the most… Sakura inhaled a deep breath. "Well… As long as I can remember, I'm not the only child." Sakura started to say with humorous tone but she was avoiding Syaoran's eyes. She fixed her gaze at the tree not far from them. Recently, she found it easier to talk without have to see your chatterer. "I have a brother. He's way taller than me and always teasing me." Sakura didn't realize she had cracked a small smile. "He's very skillful in sword technique. Especially if Yukito-san had accompany him. I think they are an unbeatable combination." Sakura smiled wider and reminiscing how her brother always made fun of her. She tilted her head and cupped her face with her left hand. Her right hand wrapped her stomach and her left hand stick on it.

She was so happy when she spoke of her brother… Then why she seemed so sad when I asked her about her sibling? After a pause and no indication Sakura would awaken from her thoughts, Syaoran threw out a question. "Who is Yukito-san?"

Sakura was pulled back from her memory to the reality. "Oh! Um… What did you say earlier?" She turned at Syaoran, looked surprised as if she didn't expect she was still sitting beside him.

"I asked, 'Who is Yukito-san'." A delighted smile tugged at his lips.

"Oh… He is my brother's wind spirit. He is a kind spirit. When my brother practices, he will also help by embedding his power to my brother's sword. When I was bored, he will accompany me playing. He is handsome when he materialized, too bad he only have one monotone milky white color." Sakura answered with a soft smile.

"Handsome, huh?" Syaoran repeated to himself.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, no-nothing! Say, where is your brother? I haven't seen him. Did he go out somewhere?"

Sakura diverted her gaze again to the tree in front of her. She didn't answer directly. "Haven't you heard from another people about that?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

It's already a public secret about the disappearance of my family. Sakura threw a dark glance at him then said, "Oh… I forgot you're not from here."

Syaoran felt edgy when he saw the glance cast at him. Whoa… What was that for?

Sakura spoke with a cold tone. "My brother is not here anymore. He disappeared a day before my seventeenth birthday. My parents are not here anymore either. My father never came back ever since I was a child. I don't even remember his face. My mother…" Her sound trailed off.

She remembered the fake reason nii-san had made to cover their kaa-san's disappearance.

She ran to Touya's work room. She opened the door without knocking though she knew she would be scolded later. Touya, sat behind the desk, was in the middle of a conversation with Fye and both of them stopped when she came in.

"Nii-san, why did you tell people that kaa-san had gone meditating? Why she didn't see me first before she go?" 10-years-old Sakura asked her 16-years-old brother. Fye went out of the room. Touya stood and put his hands on Sakura's shoulder then he knelt down.

"Listen. Kaa-san had disappeared for half year now. If we told people the truth, everybody will speculate about things and situation can get out of hand." Touya stopped awhile to let Sakura absorb his word.

"Then why you should lie? Why you have to tell them that 'mother had gone to find more tranquility outside of the castle'?"

"Look, kaa-san is replacing our father temporarily before I succeed the throne. Everybody had known that our father – or even his guards - never came back after they set out on that journey. Can you imagine what will happen if people know that there are 2 incidents where both of the royal family disappeared one after another? Everyone will grew anxious and feel insecure. I spread this reason to counter another strange assumption. Beside, with this reason whenever we manage to find kaa-san, we can always say that our mother had come back after her meditation, right?" Touya explained, staring directly to her sister's emerald eyes.

"Will kaa-san ever come back?" Little Sakura asked anxiously to Touya.

"It's all right. We will find her, no matter how long it'll take." Touya answered reassuringly to her though his eyes didn't agree with his word.

"Then what should I answer if someone asks me about kaa-san?"

"Give them the same reason. Another people that know the truth about this is Fye. You can either ask me or his help if you are in trouble answering those questions. Or… you can also say that you don't know."

Little Sakura nodded.

It took me a year to realize that okaa-san won't come back anymore. She also disappeared with her maids. Everybody left… Sakura again absorbed in her thought. This time Syaoran didn't bother her but only examined her in silence. Feeling intent gaze from her left side, Sakura understood that she had to finish her line.

"My mother had gone traveling in search for a better place for her to meditate." She said in one breath.

That strange… Syaoran thought but didn't extend it to his speech. Better not irritate her again. If she wanted me to believe in that, I'll take it as it is. Though I know there's something fishy...

Sakura stood. She smiled sweetly to Syaoran and said, "Night is not young anymore. I want to go to rest now. If Tomoyo find me out here, she may lecture me again for all night long. Good night, Syaoran-kun."

Hmm… Is it just me or her smile seemed so creepy? "Oh, ok. Good night, Sakura-hime." Syaoran also stood up and smiled. Sakura went in to the castle corridor while Syaoran still stood there. He let out a deep breath that he unconsciously held. Scary but sweet at the same time… Syaoran chuckled at his own thought.


A/N: What Sakura means with 'that' ?? What is it that she want to try?? Stay tune for the next chapter and feel free to leave a review! 