Daphne: "Hi…"
Kero: "Skip the introduction! I want to get onto the story!"
Daphne: "We're in a hurry tonight, aren't we?"
Kero: "Just start the story!"
Daphne: "Fine! Anyway, CCS does not belong to me…blah, blah, blah…so-on and so-forth. Enjoy this chapter.
~*~*~*~
Forced to Love
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 2.
"Oh, Sakura! You look like an angel!" Exclaimed Sakura's friend, Princess Rika. Sakura's friends had all gathered in the small room designated as the 'brides room', in the church tower. Sakura shot Rika a sad smile, and then looked down at her dress. It had a snow-white gauze layer over an embroidered white silk layer, and it's train trailed out several feet behind her. The neckline of the dress was low, and the sleeves were only a half-an-inch long, and off the shoulder. Sakura's hair was pulled up into tiny ringlets at the top of her head, and the long veil reached to the floor, and the front of it was folded up so they could see her face.
"I feel like a doll." She complained in a soft voice, looking down at herself miserably.
"You look beautiful." Princess Naoko insisted. "He'll love you!"
"I…I don't know…I've never met him…" Sakura whispered.
"Well, I am engaged to Yamazaki, and I've known him all my life. And Rika is married to Terada Yoshiyaki, and she doesn't seem to mind…" Princess Chiharu commented, as Rika turned red.
"I'm engaged to Chang…and I am loving every minute of it!" Naoko said.
"But you all want those marriages." Tomoyo pointed out.
"And you are single, and I still think that Eriol would be perfect for you! He is Syaoran's best man, you know…" Meiling commented, watching Tomoyo turn ever redder.
"And I still say that I will have nothing to do with him!" Tomoyo insisted.
"Ugh! Tomoyo's single? What is the world coming to?" Chiharu joked.
"You mean, what is Tomoyo coming to!" Meiling countered. Everyone laughed except for Tomoyo, who turned redder, if that is possible! Sakura beamed around at them.
"Thank you, everyone. You always seem to make me feel better." She said.
"No problem. We'll always be here for you." Rika said, hugging Sakura carefully, making sure not to muss the dress.
"Sakura." All the girls turned around to see Touya standing in the doorway. He walked over to his little sister and hugged her gently.
"It's time to go…kaiju." He chuckled, as he took her arm. She shot her friends one last shaky smile, and then left the room.
~*~*~*~
"Ugh! I can't believe my mother is doing this to me!" Syaoran moaned. He and his friends were waiting in another room in the church.
"You deserve it." Eriol commented, as Syaoran glared at him.
"Yah! After all the babes you chased off, I am surprised that there is one left that you haven't either thrown in a mud puddle, or dyed their hair green!" Yamazaki commented, laughing.
"Yamazaki, be nice. Syaoran, I want you to know that…I have met Sakura before, and I have to warn you…" Prince Terada Yoshiyaki, also called 'Yosh', started to say.
"Ah, ah, ah! Don't tell him anything about her, Yosh! He has to find out for himself!" Prince Chang reprimanded.
"I can't wait to see his face when he sees her!" Yosh laughed. During this conversation, Syaoran had become quite angry.
"So…were getting to you, huh?" Eriol mocked. Syaoran growled and stomped out of the room. He had not gone far when her heard another voice.
"Xiao-lang!" Cried the voice. Syaoran turned around just in time to see Meiling fling herself at him.
"It is so good to see you!" She said. He shot her one of his rare smiles.
"How are you, Meiling? How is married life treating you?" He asked. She grinned.
"Good and good. I just came from Sakura's room, and they are about to start. Xiao-lang, dear…"
"Syaoran, it's time." Called Eriol, coming into the hallway and pulling his friend away. Meiling gave him a happy wave, and then went to take her place beside her husband.
~*~*~*~
*Sakura's POV*
Sakura listened to the soft music floating out of the chapel, and she took a deep breath.
"Good luck, dear friend." Tomoyo whispered into her ear, as she pulled the veil over Sakura's face and handed her the bouquet. Then Sakura felt her father's arm link with hers, and start to lead her down the isle. Sakura noticed that her father's face was a bit sad.
"I love you, daddy, forever." She breathed, so only he could hear. King Fujitaka gave a sad smile, and his arm tightened about hers. He let go when they reached the alter. Sakura could not bring herself to look at her husband-to-be, so she looked at her hands, which were clasped in his instead. He had nice hands, she noticed, strong and warm and firm. A rush of calm assurance waved over her as the warmth of his hands penetrated her cold ones. He held her hands gently, unlike her other suitors, who seemed to prefer to hold her hands roughly and possessively. She gave a silent, relieved sigh.
'At least I won't have to worry about him trying to get his hands on me, like the others.' She thought. 'Perhaps it will not be so bad…' She added uncertainly. Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room, and realized that her mother was watching the whole event.
'Oh mother! Forgive father! Forgive me! I know I promised you that I wouldn't marry anyone I didn't love, but daddy…he thinks this is best. I am sorry, mother.' Sakura's mind wailed. A soft breeze, that only Sakura could feel, brushed past the girl's forehead, like a kiss. Sakura smiled. Her mother was watching them, and smiling.
"…You may kiss the bride!" Came the priest's voice, jolting her back to reality. Sakura breathed in a deep breath, and got ready to face what came next.
~*~*~*~
*Syaoran's POV*
Syaoran took the hands of the white-clad figure in front of him, and a rush of guilt filled him. The girl in front of him was of slight build, and the skin of her arms and hands was soft and rosy-white. Her hands were small and graceful, but slightly cold. As he marveled at the delicate-ness of his future wife, he noticed something else'; Her aura. It was a soft pink…and it was strong.
'She has magic!' Syaoran realized. Then he felt something else strange, a slight breeze came up between him and the girl, and then disappeared. Syaoran looked around in confusion, only to catch a brief glimpse of a woman, standing next to Princess Sakura. The woman had long, wavy auburn hair, but her face was in shadow. Syaoran blinked, and then looked again, but the woman was gone! Somehow, though, Syaoran got the impression that the woman was not evil, so he didn't react.
"I now pronounce you man and wife…you may kiss the bride!" The priest called. Syaoran stiffened and got ready for what came next.
~*~*~*~
*Normal POV*
Prince Syaoran slowly reached up and folded the material of the veil back. He caught his breath, as Sakura's lovely face came into view. Sakura finally willed herself to look up at her husband. Emerald eyes met amber. Sakura caught her breath and it was all Syaoran could do to keep his face impassive. Something sparked in the air between them, and it was as if an invisible magnet was pulling them together. Sakura's eyes widened as Syaoran's face moved closer, and his hands drew her to him. Her eyes shut, and his mouth closed over hers. The kiss was sweet and gentle, and it sent shock waves through both participants. For some reason, Sakura couldn't bring herself to draw away, and Syaoran caught his breath, trying will himself to break the kiss, but he couldn't do it. Finally, a soft, "Kawaii!" brought both of them out of their reverie, and they turned to see Tomoyo beaming at them, a sly grin on her face. Syaoran turned slightly, and caught Eriol's eyes, and Eriol gave him a look which clearly said, 'I told you so!'. Then, the whole room erupted into cheers. Sakura gave a fearful gasp, and looked around the room, her eyes wide. Syaoran saw this, and a strange rush of pity filled him. He found himself wanting to help her and get her away from all the watching eyes; So he quickly led her down the isle, and out the chapel doors to where the coach was waiting. He gently helped her into the coach, and then looked out the window just in time to see her friend, Tomoyo, rush up to the carriage and hand Sakura something through the window.
"Open it when you get to your destination!" Tomoyo called. Sakura smiled at her and gave her a quick hug. Then King Fujitaka came up to the door.
"Goodbye, my angel. I wish you happy!" He said, reaching up and hugging Sakura. Then the king looked at Syaoran.
"Take care of her, for she is the only daughter I have." He said. Syaoran gave the king a nod, and the king backed away, only to be replaced by Meiling and Touya.
"Oh, Sakura darling! You must come and visit us often, and Syaoran, you had better let her!" Meiling cried, hugging Sakura and then reaching over to hug Syaoran.
"Goodbye, kaijuu! You had better be good. And you had better take good care of her, or else I will come after you!" Touya warned menacingly, glaring at Syaoran. Sakura and Syaoran sweat dropped, and Meiling pulled her husband away from the carriage.
"You had better like sleeping on the couch!" They heard Meiling say to Touya as the carriage pulled away. Syaoran had to hide a smile behind his hand, and Sakura gave a soft giggle.
"She always says that!" Sakura commented softly, looking out the window at the passing countryside. Syaoran smirked.
"Really? Her favorite line used to be, 'When I get married, my husband will regret his existence!'." Syaoran said. Sakura looked at him in astonishment.
"Why on earth would she say that?" She asked.
"Because, she was positive that her parents would force her to marry, before she found her own husband…she used to swear up and down that she would never marry, and this made her parents angry. Fortunately, your brother changed everything." He said thoughtfully, looking out the window. She smiled.
"Touya is like that. Even though he is mean, no one can resist liking him." She commented. He raised his eyebrow in disbelief, but said nothing. After a time, Sakura got uncomfortable with the silence.
"Where are we going?" She whispered hesitantly. He kept his eyes trained on the scenery.
"A castle that was left to me by my grandfather. He loved nature, so he would build all his palaces in places he fancied, such as, the one that I have lived in all my life is on a cliff beside the sea…and the one that we are going to is in a forest." At his words, her eyes grew excited.
"A forest? Oh, I love forests! So peaceful and quiet…Oh, do tell me about the palace!" She begged. Syaoran was startled by her request, but secretly happy to have her attention.
"It is quite large, and it has many rooms that I have yet to visit. It has a large library, and an even bigger ballroom. It is made of white stone, and most of the floors are marble. The gardens are behind the palace, and they go on for quite a ways. They were my favorite place to hide when my sisters chose to mob me." At these words, Sakura looked at him in confusion.
"You have sisters?" She asked. He nodded.
"Four of them. Fanren, Fuutie, Feimei, and Sheifa. If they visit, you are safest around Sheifa. She is not nearly as hyper as the other three." He warned. She shot him a startled glance, and then nodded.
"I wish I had had big gardens to hide in when my suitors came! They were horrible! But the worst person wasn't a suitor at all!" She said, giving a terrified shudder. Syaoran looked at her in shock.
"Not a suitor? Then why…?" He faltered, as Sakura shuddered again and cuddled into the corner of her seat.
"He was father's most trusted advisor. He was quite young, only about…twenty-five. I was only seven. His name was Randor McArther. For some reason, he began to follow me about the palace, trying to get me to talk to him. At first I simply did as he asked and talked with him on small matters, such as, what my goals in life were, and what I hoped to accomplish as a princess…but then he started asking more personal things, things I would never tell him as long as I lived. Finally, I got tired of it and tried to avoid him, but somehow, he kept finding me. Eventually, my father got suspicious, and sent me away to Tomoyo's for the summer. I had a wonderful summer, free of him and all of my worries. I thought that nothing could go wrong; When I returned to my kingdom, however, nothing had changed. He still followed me. So father locked me in my room with my nurse, as a last resort. By this time, I was eight years old, and quite aware that something was horribly wrong. I was perfectly happy shut up in my room. Tomoyo visited me occasionally, and I was safe; or so I thought. To my horror, one night, about a month after I had been confined to my room, he found me again. He climbed up on my balcony and broke one of the windows in. My nurse had gone to her bedroom in a different part of the castle, and I was alone." At this memory, she shuddered in fright.
"He started to say the most horrible things to me, and so I screamed as loud as I could. Fortunately, my brother was passing by my bedroom and heard me. He grabbed a sword from a suit of armor and cut down my door, just in time to see Randor reaching for me. Touya alerted the guards and Randor was arrested and exiled." Sakura finished.
"Serves him right!" Syaoran spat, feeling defensive. At his words, Sakura gave a soft, shaky smile.
"I…I have been cautious around men ever since." She admitted hesitantly. He raised his eyebrows.
"Cautious?" He taunted. Her cheeks flushed.
"All right, I have been…mean…but can you blame me?" She asked, her emerald- colored eyes pleading with him. He gave her a small smile.
"No, I can't." He admitted.
"I…I have heard much about your charades as well." Sakura commented thoughtfully, looking out the window. Then she looked at him, her green eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Green hair-dye?" She asked cheekily. For some reason, he blushed.
"It was the only way that I could get her to leave." He said defensively. A silvery giggle filled the carriage.
"Green is a nice color…was it a light green, or more of a tree-green?" She asked, her smile lighting up the carriage. Suddenly, Syaoran's respect for this girl grew.
"Florescent-green. When we put out the candles, her hair glowed in the dark." He answered. He didn't know why, but he had an overwhelming desire to make her laugh again; which she did.
"Oh my…poor girl…!" She managed to choke out between giggles, not sounding in the least bit sympathetic.
"What did you do to your suitors?" He asked.
"Well…sleeping powder in their food, um…animals in their beds, itching powder in their soap…" She listed them off innocently. By the time she was done, he was holding back a barrage of laughter.
"And I thought I was bad!" He commented. She smiled disarmingly.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures!" She quoted, leaning back against the soft seat. He glanced at her, and then looked out the window.
"Tired?" He questioned.
"Um-hum." She answered, already half asleep. She didn't know why, but she trusted this young man, and felt safe with him; as if nothing could ever hurt her again.
Soon, she was asleep, and Syaoran was free to look at his bride without feeling guilty. Well, almost.
'How could they do this to her? And why me? They know that I am not good with women!' He thought, looking at his bride with uncertainty. Her hair was still hidden by the veil, and it looked quite uncomfortable to sleep with it on. Syaoran leaned over, and as gently as he could, removed the veil from her hair. Her hair was a rich auburn color, and looked as if it was quite long. (It was hard to tell, since it was pulled up into ringlets!) He stared at her for a moment, and then sighed.
'Mother! What are you trying to accomplish by this?! It will only lead to both of us being miserable for…oh, I don't know…the rest of our lives?!!!' Syaoran thought bitterly. A small moan echoed through the carriage, and Syaoran turned to see Sakura shifting uncomfortably. He quickly got up, and sat down next to her, gently drawing her head down onto his shoulder; then he realized what he was doing.
'What the heck am I thinking?! What if she were to wake up…oh, fizzle!' Syaoran thought, using his favorite non-swearword. But somehow, he couldn't seem to move away from Sakura. Her small hands were against his chest, and her lovely head was pillowed by his shoulder. Without realizing what he was doing, he gently slid his arms around her and closed his eyes.
'Oh well. I might as well ignore it. It's not like it means anything!' He thought drowsily. Soon, he too was asleep.
Little did he know how much his actions would have an affect on him…and her later in their lives.
~*~*~*~
D.L:
Daphne: "Hey! As you can see, I am rushing to get as many chapters in my stories done as possible…so I will not have long to talk! I just want to thank you all for reviewing, and I want to beg you…please, please, PLEASE, review again!!!!! Thanks
Kero: "Skip the introduction! I want to get onto the story!"
Daphne: "We're in a hurry tonight, aren't we?"
Kero: "Just start the story!"
Daphne: "Fine! Anyway, CCS does not belong to me…blah, blah, blah…so-on and so-forth. Enjoy this chapter.
~*~*~*~
Forced to Love
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 2.
"Oh, Sakura! You look like an angel!" Exclaimed Sakura's friend, Princess Rika. Sakura's friends had all gathered in the small room designated as the 'brides room', in the church tower. Sakura shot Rika a sad smile, and then looked down at her dress. It had a snow-white gauze layer over an embroidered white silk layer, and it's train trailed out several feet behind her. The neckline of the dress was low, and the sleeves were only a half-an-inch long, and off the shoulder. Sakura's hair was pulled up into tiny ringlets at the top of her head, and the long veil reached to the floor, and the front of it was folded up so they could see her face.
"I feel like a doll." She complained in a soft voice, looking down at herself miserably.
"You look beautiful." Princess Naoko insisted. "He'll love you!"
"I…I don't know…I've never met him…" Sakura whispered.
"Well, I am engaged to Yamazaki, and I've known him all my life. And Rika is married to Terada Yoshiyaki, and she doesn't seem to mind…" Princess Chiharu commented, as Rika turned red.
"I'm engaged to Chang…and I am loving every minute of it!" Naoko said.
"But you all want those marriages." Tomoyo pointed out.
"And you are single, and I still think that Eriol would be perfect for you! He is Syaoran's best man, you know…" Meiling commented, watching Tomoyo turn ever redder.
"And I still say that I will have nothing to do with him!" Tomoyo insisted.
"Ugh! Tomoyo's single? What is the world coming to?" Chiharu joked.
"You mean, what is Tomoyo coming to!" Meiling countered. Everyone laughed except for Tomoyo, who turned redder, if that is possible! Sakura beamed around at them.
"Thank you, everyone. You always seem to make me feel better." She said.
"No problem. We'll always be here for you." Rika said, hugging Sakura carefully, making sure not to muss the dress.
"Sakura." All the girls turned around to see Touya standing in the doorway. He walked over to his little sister and hugged her gently.
"It's time to go…kaiju." He chuckled, as he took her arm. She shot her friends one last shaky smile, and then left the room.
~*~*~*~
"Ugh! I can't believe my mother is doing this to me!" Syaoran moaned. He and his friends were waiting in another room in the church.
"You deserve it." Eriol commented, as Syaoran glared at him.
"Yah! After all the babes you chased off, I am surprised that there is one left that you haven't either thrown in a mud puddle, or dyed their hair green!" Yamazaki commented, laughing.
"Yamazaki, be nice. Syaoran, I want you to know that…I have met Sakura before, and I have to warn you…" Prince Terada Yoshiyaki, also called 'Yosh', started to say.
"Ah, ah, ah! Don't tell him anything about her, Yosh! He has to find out for himself!" Prince Chang reprimanded.
"I can't wait to see his face when he sees her!" Yosh laughed. During this conversation, Syaoran had become quite angry.
"So…were getting to you, huh?" Eriol mocked. Syaoran growled and stomped out of the room. He had not gone far when her heard another voice.
"Xiao-lang!" Cried the voice. Syaoran turned around just in time to see Meiling fling herself at him.
"It is so good to see you!" She said. He shot her one of his rare smiles.
"How are you, Meiling? How is married life treating you?" He asked. She grinned.
"Good and good. I just came from Sakura's room, and they are about to start. Xiao-lang, dear…"
"Syaoran, it's time." Called Eriol, coming into the hallway and pulling his friend away. Meiling gave him a happy wave, and then went to take her place beside her husband.
~*~*~*~
*Sakura's POV*
Sakura listened to the soft music floating out of the chapel, and she took a deep breath.
"Good luck, dear friend." Tomoyo whispered into her ear, as she pulled the veil over Sakura's face and handed her the bouquet. Then Sakura felt her father's arm link with hers, and start to lead her down the isle. Sakura noticed that her father's face was a bit sad.
"I love you, daddy, forever." She breathed, so only he could hear. King Fujitaka gave a sad smile, and his arm tightened about hers. He let go when they reached the alter. Sakura could not bring herself to look at her husband-to-be, so she looked at her hands, which were clasped in his instead. He had nice hands, she noticed, strong and warm and firm. A rush of calm assurance waved over her as the warmth of his hands penetrated her cold ones. He held her hands gently, unlike her other suitors, who seemed to prefer to hold her hands roughly and possessively. She gave a silent, relieved sigh.
'At least I won't have to worry about him trying to get his hands on me, like the others.' She thought. 'Perhaps it will not be so bad…' She added uncertainly. Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room, and realized that her mother was watching the whole event.
'Oh mother! Forgive father! Forgive me! I know I promised you that I wouldn't marry anyone I didn't love, but daddy…he thinks this is best. I am sorry, mother.' Sakura's mind wailed. A soft breeze, that only Sakura could feel, brushed past the girl's forehead, like a kiss. Sakura smiled. Her mother was watching them, and smiling.
"…You may kiss the bride!" Came the priest's voice, jolting her back to reality. Sakura breathed in a deep breath, and got ready to face what came next.
~*~*~*~
*Syaoran's POV*
Syaoran took the hands of the white-clad figure in front of him, and a rush of guilt filled him. The girl in front of him was of slight build, and the skin of her arms and hands was soft and rosy-white. Her hands were small and graceful, but slightly cold. As he marveled at the delicate-ness of his future wife, he noticed something else'; Her aura. It was a soft pink…and it was strong.
'She has magic!' Syaoran realized. Then he felt something else strange, a slight breeze came up between him and the girl, and then disappeared. Syaoran looked around in confusion, only to catch a brief glimpse of a woman, standing next to Princess Sakura. The woman had long, wavy auburn hair, but her face was in shadow. Syaoran blinked, and then looked again, but the woman was gone! Somehow, though, Syaoran got the impression that the woman was not evil, so he didn't react.
"I now pronounce you man and wife…you may kiss the bride!" The priest called. Syaoran stiffened and got ready for what came next.
~*~*~*~
*Normal POV*
Prince Syaoran slowly reached up and folded the material of the veil back. He caught his breath, as Sakura's lovely face came into view. Sakura finally willed herself to look up at her husband. Emerald eyes met amber. Sakura caught her breath and it was all Syaoran could do to keep his face impassive. Something sparked in the air between them, and it was as if an invisible magnet was pulling them together. Sakura's eyes widened as Syaoran's face moved closer, and his hands drew her to him. Her eyes shut, and his mouth closed over hers. The kiss was sweet and gentle, and it sent shock waves through both participants. For some reason, Sakura couldn't bring herself to draw away, and Syaoran caught his breath, trying will himself to break the kiss, but he couldn't do it. Finally, a soft, "Kawaii!" brought both of them out of their reverie, and they turned to see Tomoyo beaming at them, a sly grin on her face. Syaoran turned slightly, and caught Eriol's eyes, and Eriol gave him a look which clearly said, 'I told you so!'. Then, the whole room erupted into cheers. Sakura gave a fearful gasp, and looked around the room, her eyes wide. Syaoran saw this, and a strange rush of pity filled him. He found himself wanting to help her and get her away from all the watching eyes; So he quickly led her down the isle, and out the chapel doors to where the coach was waiting. He gently helped her into the coach, and then looked out the window just in time to see her friend, Tomoyo, rush up to the carriage and hand Sakura something through the window.
"Open it when you get to your destination!" Tomoyo called. Sakura smiled at her and gave her a quick hug. Then King Fujitaka came up to the door.
"Goodbye, my angel. I wish you happy!" He said, reaching up and hugging Sakura. Then the king looked at Syaoran.
"Take care of her, for she is the only daughter I have." He said. Syaoran gave the king a nod, and the king backed away, only to be replaced by Meiling and Touya.
"Oh, Sakura darling! You must come and visit us often, and Syaoran, you had better let her!" Meiling cried, hugging Sakura and then reaching over to hug Syaoran.
"Goodbye, kaijuu! You had better be good. And you had better take good care of her, or else I will come after you!" Touya warned menacingly, glaring at Syaoran. Sakura and Syaoran sweat dropped, and Meiling pulled her husband away from the carriage.
"You had better like sleeping on the couch!" They heard Meiling say to Touya as the carriage pulled away. Syaoran had to hide a smile behind his hand, and Sakura gave a soft giggle.
"She always says that!" Sakura commented softly, looking out the window at the passing countryside. Syaoran smirked.
"Really? Her favorite line used to be, 'When I get married, my husband will regret his existence!'." Syaoran said. Sakura looked at him in astonishment.
"Why on earth would she say that?" She asked.
"Because, she was positive that her parents would force her to marry, before she found her own husband…she used to swear up and down that she would never marry, and this made her parents angry. Fortunately, your brother changed everything." He said thoughtfully, looking out the window. She smiled.
"Touya is like that. Even though he is mean, no one can resist liking him." She commented. He raised his eyebrow in disbelief, but said nothing. After a time, Sakura got uncomfortable with the silence.
"Where are we going?" She whispered hesitantly. He kept his eyes trained on the scenery.
"A castle that was left to me by my grandfather. He loved nature, so he would build all his palaces in places he fancied, such as, the one that I have lived in all my life is on a cliff beside the sea…and the one that we are going to is in a forest." At his words, her eyes grew excited.
"A forest? Oh, I love forests! So peaceful and quiet…Oh, do tell me about the palace!" She begged. Syaoran was startled by her request, but secretly happy to have her attention.
"It is quite large, and it has many rooms that I have yet to visit. It has a large library, and an even bigger ballroom. It is made of white stone, and most of the floors are marble. The gardens are behind the palace, and they go on for quite a ways. They were my favorite place to hide when my sisters chose to mob me." At these words, Sakura looked at him in confusion.
"You have sisters?" She asked. He nodded.
"Four of them. Fanren, Fuutie, Feimei, and Sheifa. If they visit, you are safest around Sheifa. She is not nearly as hyper as the other three." He warned. She shot him a startled glance, and then nodded.
"I wish I had had big gardens to hide in when my suitors came! They were horrible! But the worst person wasn't a suitor at all!" She said, giving a terrified shudder. Syaoran looked at her in shock.
"Not a suitor? Then why…?" He faltered, as Sakura shuddered again and cuddled into the corner of her seat.
"He was father's most trusted advisor. He was quite young, only about…twenty-five. I was only seven. His name was Randor McArther. For some reason, he began to follow me about the palace, trying to get me to talk to him. At first I simply did as he asked and talked with him on small matters, such as, what my goals in life were, and what I hoped to accomplish as a princess…but then he started asking more personal things, things I would never tell him as long as I lived. Finally, I got tired of it and tried to avoid him, but somehow, he kept finding me. Eventually, my father got suspicious, and sent me away to Tomoyo's for the summer. I had a wonderful summer, free of him and all of my worries. I thought that nothing could go wrong; When I returned to my kingdom, however, nothing had changed. He still followed me. So father locked me in my room with my nurse, as a last resort. By this time, I was eight years old, and quite aware that something was horribly wrong. I was perfectly happy shut up in my room. Tomoyo visited me occasionally, and I was safe; or so I thought. To my horror, one night, about a month after I had been confined to my room, he found me again. He climbed up on my balcony and broke one of the windows in. My nurse had gone to her bedroom in a different part of the castle, and I was alone." At this memory, she shuddered in fright.
"He started to say the most horrible things to me, and so I screamed as loud as I could. Fortunately, my brother was passing by my bedroom and heard me. He grabbed a sword from a suit of armor and cut down my door, just in time to see Randor reaching for me. Touya alerted the guards and Randor was arrested and exiled." Sakura finished.
"Serves him right!" Syaoran spat, feeling defensive. At his words, Sakura gave a soft, shaky smile.
"I…I have been cautious around men ever since." She admitted hesitantly. He raised his eyebrows.
"Cautious?" He taunted. Her cheeks flushed.
"All right, I have been…mean…but can you blame me?" She asked, her emerald- colored eyes pleading with him. He gave her a small smile.
"No, I can't." He admitted.
"I…I have heard much about your charades as well." Sakura commented thoughtfully, looking out the window. Then she looked at him, her green eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Green hair-dye?" She asked cheekily. For some reason, he blushed.
"It was the only way that I could get her to leave." He said defensively. A silvery giggle filled the carriage.
"Green is a nice color…was it a light green, or more of a tree-green?" She asked, her smile lighting up the carriage. Suddenly, Syaoran's respect for this girl grew.
"Florescent-green. When we put out the candles, her hair glowed in the dark." He answered. He didn't know why, but he had an overwhelming desire to make her laugh again; which she did.
"Oh my…poor girl…!" She managed to choke out between giggles, not sounding in the least bit sympathetic.
"What did you do to your suitors?" He asked.
"Well…sleeping powder in their food, um…animals in their beds, itching powder in their soap…" She listed them off innocently. By the time she was done, he was holding back a barrage of laughter.
"And I thought I was bad!" He commented. She smiled disarmingly.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures!" She quoted, leaning back against the soft seat. He glanced at her, and then looked out the window.
"Tired?" He questioned.
"Um-hum." She answered, already half asleep. She didn't know why, but she trusted this young man, and felt safe with him; as if nothing could ever hurt her again.
Soon, she was asleep, and Syaoran was free to look at his bride without feeling guilty. Well, almost.
'How could they do this to her? And why me? They know that I am not good with women!' He thought, looking at his bride with uncertainty. Her hair was still hidden by the veil, and it looked quite uncomfortable to sleep with it on. Syaoran leaned over, and as gently as he could, removed the veil from her hair. Her hair was a rich auburn color, and looked as if it was quite long. (It was hard to tell, since it was pulled up into ringlets!) He stared at her for a moment, and then sighed.
'Mother! What are you trying to accomplish by this?! It will only lead to both of us being miserable for…oh, I don't know…the rest of our lives?!!!' Syaoran thought bitterly. A small moan echoed through the carriage, and Syaoran turned to see Sakura shifting uncomfortably. He quickly got up, and sat down next to her, gently drawing her head down onto his shoulder; then he realized what he was doing.
'What the heck am I thinking?! What if she were to wake up…oh, fizzle!' Syaoran thought, using his favorite non-swearword. But somehow, he couldn't seem to move away from Sakura. Her small hands were against his chest, and her lovely head was pillowed by his shoulder. Without realizing what he was doing, he gently slid his arms around her and closed his eyes.
'Oh well. I might as well ignore it. It's not like it means anything!' He thought drowsily. Soon, he too was asleep.
Little did he know how much his actions would have an affect on him…and her later in their lives.
~*~*~*~
D.L:
Daphne: "Hey! As you can see, I am rushing to get as many chapters in my stories done as possible…so I will not have long to talk! I just want to thank you all for reviewing, and I want to beg you…please, please, PLEASE, review again!!!!! Thanks