Daphne: "This is a chapter where you meet two new characters, named Gue and
Tarren. They will be important in the story, so pay attention! I think that
is all I wanted to say, so enjoy the next chapter!"
~*~*~*~
Forced to Love by: Daphne Li Chapter 7.
Pain. There was tremendous pain in her wrists and ankles. Her eyes were bleary and her head was spinning. Nothing made sense. Within the last few minutes, there had been voices, yelling and arguing. Then there was a soft girl's voice, comforting and sweet. A warm hand on her brow, a damp cloth placed on her forehead, another hand holding her own comfortingly. But the dizziness stayed, making her stomach whirl with it. With a gagging sound, Sakura's eyes flew open and she retched over the side of the bed, not able to stop herself. Luckily, there was already a bowl below her. That same soft, warm hand found it's way to her brow and held her hair back until she was finished. Sakura moaned weakly as tears sprang to her eyes. She recognized nothing in the room, nor the servant who was waiting on her. Sakura trembled as she remembered what had happened, and it was then that she realized.Randor McArther had won. He had done this, and now, she was his prisoner, or who knows what else. With this realization, Sakura's tears rained down harder. "There, there. Don't cry." A rich voice soothed. Sakura looked over to see the servant, a girl just her age, with bright blue eyes and a large handkerchief over her hair and ears. She was in a ratty old dress of some brown fabric, and her hands were red from too much work. But when they touched Sakura's own shaking hands, she found them soft and inviting. Sakura's tears slowed, and then stopped altogether. "Who are you? Are you one of his supporters?" Sakura asked weakly, still suspicious. The girl's eyes hardened, and a look close to hatred entered them. "No, I am not one of his supporters. He is an evil man, and he had no right to do this to you." The girl spat. This caused Sakura to smile slightly. "Then I have no reason to dislike you. What is your name please?" "It is Gue. (a/n: Pronounced G-you-ee) And you are Princess Sakura." She stated, making Sakura smile. "Your name is interesting. I like it. Now.where am I?" Sakura asked, looking around the room. Gue frowned. "You are in King Durkin's castle, where that Randor *idiot* has taken shelter. Randor plans to marry you as soon as he can." Gue said bitterly. Sakura gave a shriek and struggled to jump out of the bed, but something held her hands above her head and her feet to the other side. Sakura looked around and saw that her hands were tied together above her head, and then tied to the bed-post. Her feet were tied to the lower bed-post, making it impossible for her to get up. "But I am already married! And I wouldn't marry Randor, even if he were the last creature on earth!" Sakura whimpered. Gue patted her arm comfortingly.
"He is going to marry you.*after* he kills your husband. Don't worry. Prince Syaoran is strong and won't be defeated easily. Anyhow, you won't be here for Randor to marry anyway." Gue said nonchalantly. Sakura gazed at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean?" She asked shakily. Gue smiled. "At the very last moment, I am going to sneak you out of this place, and to a safer one, until your husband can come and find you. I will have some help, as well." Gue stated, waving towards the door. Sakura looked over and saw a young man of about twenty standing in the doorway. He had shoulder- length black hair, pulled back into a ponytail, and sea-blue eyes. He looked incredibly strong and dangerous, but his face was soft and kind. Moreover, he was carrying a tray of steaming food. Now that Sakura's nausea had passed, hunger had taken over, and she was grateful. "Put the tray here. Then untie her wrists so she can eat." Gue commanded. The young man smiled at her pert voice, and did as she said. Sakura smiled at him greatfully, and then helped herself to the food. After a moment though, she froze, realizing that the food may have been meant for harm. Gue noticed her hesitation and smiled. "You don't have to worry. I made the food myself. The meal they were cooking up in the kitchens looked iffy, and I didn't want to take any chances of you getting sick, or falling to sleep for days." Gue said. Sakura smiled and then continued to eat. The young man watched her closely, and then shook his head, looking furious. "I cannot understand why father would want to help that.creature! She is too innocent!" He finally burst out, making Sakura choke on a bite of rice. "Wait! Your father is King Durkin?! You are Prince Tarren? Why on earth are you helping me, then?" Sakura gasped. He looked nervous, but then his face hardened. "Because my father is an evil man, and he had no right to do this. I had no respect for him before, and this has just pushed me off the edge. Consider me the live-in spy from now on. I want nothing to do with my father's evil schemes." He spat, making Sakura smile weakly. "If my husband comes for me, I will make sure that he does not harm you, then." She murmured, knowing that he was telling the truth. He smiled slightly at her, and then turned back to Gue. "I had better get back to guarding the door. I will warn you if anyone is coming." He said, leaving the room. Sakura looked at her new friend. "Why does he have to keep a look-out?" She asked. Gue winced. "Well.we are not exactly supposed to be in here with you, you see. We snuck in to help you, because Randor and Durkin went out to make sure that the army is ready for battle, lest your husband comes to retrieve you.which I know he will. He loves you too much." She stated, making Sakura blush. "Oh, no! He is only being kind. He could never love me.I think." Sakura said faintly, trailing off as Gue shook her head. "No, he loves you. There is no doubt about that. And you love him as well." The girl said. Sakura blushed and looked away. Suddenly, footsteps rang out in the hallway. "Hurry! Tie her back up and then leave! He is coming!" Tarren hissed, coming back into the room and then making his way out to the balcony. Gue quickly tied Sakura back up, apologizing the whole time, then took up the food-tray and raced onto the balcony, and climbed down to the ground. Sakura whimpered as the footsteps came closer. Yes, she remembered those foot-falls all too well. She had heard them every day of her seventh year, and most of her eighth. Heavy footsteps, with just a hint of a limp. Suddenly, they stopped, and Sakura looked over to see.Randor McArther standing in the doorway, a vicious smirk on his lips. The man was now half-bald, and what hair he hair left was dirty blonde in color. His steel gray eyes made her cower away from him, and his weak chin made her shiver. Thick, pouty lips were licked by a disgusting-looking tongue, and the man stepped suggestively into the room. Sakura shivered and looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "So, my lovely little flower goddess. I finally have you where you belong.with me! Soon you will see that there is no one that you need other than me. Until then, keep this as a remembrance of my affection for you." His words were sly and slithery, just like a snakes, and horror filled her as she realized what he was going to do. His fat lips moved close to her own, and she let out a appalled scream and jerked farther away, her head hitting his nose on the way. He reeled back, clutching his smarting nose, and then glared at her, his eyes full of a mixture of hatred, passion, and pure venom. "You will be sorry for this, my pretty Sakura!" He spat, stalking out of the room. Sakura then broke down and sobbed. Oh, would this torture ever end?! Would she ever see Tomoyo and Kero again. Would she ever use the Sakura Cards after this? And most of all, would she ever see Syaoran again? ~*~*~*~ For three full weeks, Sakura lay tied to that bed. During this time, she became pale and weak, unable to even lift her own fork to eat the food that Gue brought. Instead, the servant girl offered to feed her, and every day, talked calmly to her, giving Sakura hope and laughter where there usually was none. Since Gue was only able to get away from her regular chores once every day, Sakura only received one meal a day. This was because after Sakura had rejected him, Randor commanded that no food was to be brought to her room, most likely in the hopes of making Sakura so hungry, that she would beg for mercy. Day after day, Randor would visit her in that room, sometimes talking sweetly to her, other times threatening her. But not once did Sakura answer back. She refused to say a word to him, or to the King, who visited her every once in a while, to tell her (quite happily, I might add) about the victories that he had had over her husband. And every day, Sakura became sicker and sicker. Her wrists were raw and infected from her struggling to release herself from her bonds, and this did not help her condition any. One day, when Randor came for his usual talk with her, he found that she was unconscious. Alarmed, he had quickly untied her and then used something or other to wake her up. But even when she was awake, there was no way of making her respond to anything they did. Not even food could temp her to break out of her unblinking stare at the ceiling. Becoming even more alarmed, Randor had her moved to another, more comfortable room, and refused to allow the King to tie her up again. Gue was called in to help nurse the poor girl, and once everyone had left the room, she had quickly placed her hands on Sakura's wrists and then closed her eyes, concentrating. All at once, the wounds on her wrists disappeared, and the skin became like new. Then she moved on and placed her hands on Sakura's cheeks, smiling as the girl began to blink that look around, as if coming out of a trance. After that day, Sakura slowly became better, now that she was receiving three straight meals a day, and plenty of care from her friend. Randor no longer visited, though he sent messages up via-servants to Sakura, warning her that their wedding day was drawing nearer. Still, Sakura ignored these messages, comforted by Gue's vow to help her escape. A month had passed now, and the girls had grown closer than ever. Sakura was now allowed to leave her room, though heavily guarded, and to take long strolls in the gardens or read in the library. Sometimes Randor would join her, but she would simply ignore him and move away quickly, going to some other region of the castle. Day by day, memories of the life that she had had before drifted away on the wind, and now they seemed like a wonderful and distant dream. Still, one face did stand out from the others. Syaoran's. She would never.no, could never forget him, no matter how Randor tried to force him out of her mind. She was now quite sure that Syaoran was dead, and she mourned the loss of him greatly. Life no longer held happiness for her, and even Gue could not lift the girl's spirits. Then, one day after two months of captivity, Randor announced that they were to be married the next day. At the news, Sakura fell into a dead faint, and Gue had to bring her back with some ripe-smelling liquid of some sort. After she had been revived, several servants came into the room, to help he try on her wedding dress. It was a lovely white thing, but Sakura loathed it, and everything it represented. Still, being Sakura, she did not complain, and went through the torture silently and politely. All day, Gue avoided the room, and Sakura was sure that she had backed-out of her promise. ~*~*~*~ "Sakura? Sakura! Please wake up!" A soft voice breathed, as someone shook her. Sakura's emerald eyes opened, and she met Gue's ice-blue ones. The other girl was looking quite anxious and nervous. "What is it?" Sakura whispered. Gue rolled her eyes. "Well, you were not planning on marrying him, now were you?" She asked, putting her hand on her hip. Sakura smiled delightedly, and silently got out of bed, slipping into her fancy over-robe that the King had provided for her. Then the two girls crept out of the room and onto the balcony, where Tarren waited. "You must promise that you will stay safe, Sakura. Do not allow yourself to loose hope." He said anxiously. She smiled slightly and nodded. "You will take care, will you not, Tarren?" She pleaded. He nodded, and then hugged her slightly. She watched as he hurried from the room and then turned back to Gue, who now held a large sapphire in her left hand. "Take my left hand, Sakura, so the jewel is in-between our hands." Gue instructed. Confused, Sakura did as she was told, and then shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. Instead, all she felt was a warm fire, spreading up her arm and spilling over into her body. Then there was a rush of air and a sort-of swirling motion. Then.nothing. Silence. "Gue.where are we?" Sakura asked in a shaky voice. Gue let out a happy sigh and Sakura could sense her smile. "We are in my home. Open your eyes, Sakura, and see the wonder that few are lucky enough to even glimpse." Gue ordered. Sakura opened her eyes slowly, and then gasped. ~*~*~*~
Forced to Love by: Daphne Li Chapter 7.
Pain. There was tremendous pain in her wrists and ankles. Her eyes were bleary and her head was spinning. Nothing made sense. Within the last few minutes, there had been voices, yelling and arguing. Then there was a soft girl's voice, comforting and sweet. A warm hand on her brow, a damp cloth placed on her forehead, another hand holding her own comfortingly. But the dizziness stayed, making her stomach whirl with it. With a gagging sound, Sakura's eyes flew open and she retched over the side of the bed, not able to stop herself. Luckily, there was already a bowl below her. That same soft, warm hand found it's way to her brow and held her hair back until she was finished. Sakura moaned weakly as tears sprang to her eyes. She recognized nothing in the room, nor the servant who was waiting on her. Sakura trembled as she remembered what had happened, and it was then that she realized.Randor McArther had won. He had done this, and now, she was his prisoner, or who knows what else. With this realization, Sakura's tears rained down harder. "There, there. Don't cry." A rich voice soothed. Sakura looked over to see the servant, a girl just her age, with bright blue eyes and a large handkerchief over her hair and ears. She was in a ratty old dress of some brown fabric, and her hands were red from too much work. But when they touched Sakura's own shaking hands, she found them soft and inviting. Sakura's tears slowed, and then stopped altogether. "Who are you? Are you one of his supporters?" Sakura asked weakly, still suspicious. The girl's eyes hardened, and a look close to hatred entered them. "No, I am not one of his supporters. He is an evil man, and he had no right to do this to you." The girl spat. This caused Sakura to smile slightly. "Then I have no reason to dislike you. What is your name please?" "It is Gue. (a/n: Pronounced G-you-ee) And you are Princess Sakura." She stated, making Sakura smile. "Your name is interesting. I like it. Now.where am I?" Sakura asked, looking around the room. Gue frowned. "You are in King Durkin's castle, where that Randor *idiot* has taken shelter. Randor plans to marry you as soon as he can." Gue said bitterly. Sakura gave a shriek and struggled to jump out of the bed, but something held her hands above her head and her feet to the other side. Sakura looked around and saw that her hands were tied together above her head, and then tied to the bed-post. Her feet were tied to the lower bed-post, making it impossible for her to get up. "But I am already married! And I wouldn't marry Randor, even if he were the last creature on earth!" Sakura whimpered. Gue patted her arm comfortingly.
"He is going to marry you.*after* he kills your husband. Don't worry. Prince Syaoran is strong and won't be defeated easily. Anyhow, you won't be here for Randor to marry anyway." Gue said nonchalantly. Sakura gazed at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean?" She asked shakily. Gue smiled. "At the very last moment, I am going to sneak you out of this place, and to a safer one, until your husband can come and find you. I will have some help, as well." Gue stated, waving towards the door. Sakura looked over and saw a young man of about twenty standing in the doorway. He had shoulder- length black hair, pulled back into a ponytail, and sea-blue eyes. He looked incredibly strong and dangerous, but his face was soft and kind. Moreover, he was carrying a tray of steaming food. Now that Sakura's nausea had passed, hunger had taken over, and she was grateful. "Put the tray here. Then untie her wrists so she can eat." Gue commanded. The young man smiled at her pert voice, and did as she said. Sakura smiled at him greatfully, and then helped herself to the food. After a moment though, she froze, realizing that the food may have been meant for harm. Gue noticed her hesitation and smiled. "You don't have to worry. I made the food myself. The meal they were cooking up in the kitchens looked iffy, and I didn't want to take any chances of you getting sick, or falling to sleep for days." Gue said. Sakura smiled and then continued to eat. The young man watched her closely, and then shook his head, looking furious. "I cannot understand why father would want to help that.creature! She is too innocent!" He finally burst out, making Sakura choke on a bite of rice. "Wait! Your father is King Durkin?! You are Prince Tarren? Why on earth are you helping me, then?" Sakura gasped. He looked nervous, but then his face hardened. "Because my father is an evil man, and he had no right to do this. I had no respect for him before, and this has just pushed me off the edge. Consider me the live-in spy from now on. I want nothing to do with my father's evil schemes." He spat, making Sakura smile weakly. "If my husband comes for me, I will make sure that he does not harm you, then." She murmured, knowing that he was telling the truth. He smiled slightly at her, and then turned back to Gue. "I had better get back to guarding the door. I will warn you if anyone is coming." He said, leaving the room. Sakura looked at her new friend. "Why does he have to keep a look-out?" She asked. Gue winced. "Well.we are not exactly supposed to be in here with you, you see. We snuck in to help you, because Randor and Durkin went out to make sure that the army is ready for battle, lest your husband comes to retrieve you.which I know he will. He loves you too much." She stated, making Sakura blush. "Oh, no! He is only being kind. He could never love me.I think." Sakura said faintly, trailing off as Gue shook her head. "No, he loves you. There is no doubt about that. And you love him as well." The girl said. Sakura blushed and looked away. Suddenly, footsteps rang out in the hallway. "Hurry! Tie her back up and then leave! He is coming!" Tarren hissed, coming back into the room and then making his way out to the balcony. Gue quickly tied Sakura back up, apologizing the whole time, then took up the food-tray and raced onto the balcony, and climbed down to the ground. Sakura whimpered as the footsteps came closer. Yes, she remembered those foot-falls all too well. She had heard them every day of her seventh year, and most of her eighth. Heavy footsteps, with just a hint of a limp. Suddenly, they stopped, and Sakura looked over to see.Randor McArther standing in the doorway, a vicious smirk on his lips. The man was now half-bald, and what hair he hair left was dirty blonde in color. His steel gray eyes made her cower away from him, and his weak chin made her shiver. Thick, pouty lips were licked by a disgusting-looking tongue, and the man stepped suggestively into the room. Sakura shivered and looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "So, my lovely little flower goddess. I finally have you where you belong.with me! Soon you will see that there is no one that you need other than me. Until then, keep this as a remembrance of my affection for you." His words were sly and slithery, just like a snakes, and horror filled her as she realized what he was going to do. His fat lips moved close to her own, and she let out a appalled scream and jerked farther away, her head hitting his nose on the way. He reeled back, clutching his smarting nose, and then glared at her, his eyes full of a mixture of hatred, passion, and pure venom. "You will be sorry for this, my pretty Sakura!" He spat, stalking out of the room. Sakura then broke down and sobbed. Oh, would this torture ever end?! Would she ever see Tomoyo and Kero again. Would she ever use the Sakura Cards after this? And most of all, would she ever see Syaoran again? ~*~*~*~ For three full weeks, Sakura lay tied to that bed. During this time, she became pale and weak, unable to even lift her own fork to eat the food that Gue brought. Instead, the servant girl offered to feed her, and every day, talked calmly to her, giving Sakura hope and laughter where there usually was none. Since Gue was only able to get away from her regular chores once every day, Sakura only received one meal a day. This was because after Sakura had rejected him, Randor commanded that no food was to be brought to her room, most likely in the hopes of making Sakura so hungry, that she would beg for mercy. Day after day, Randor would visit her in that room, sometimes talking sweetly to her, other times threatening her. But not once did Sakura answer back. She refused to say a word to him, or to the King, who visited her every once in a while, to tell her (quite happily, I might add) about the victories that he had had over her husband. And every day, Sakura became sicker and sicker. Her wrists were raw and infected from her struggling to release herself from her bonds, and this did not help her condition any. One day, when Randor came for his usual talk with her, he found that she was unconscious. Alarmed, he had quickly untied her and then used something or other to wake her up. But even when she was awake, there was no way of making her respond to anything they did. Not even food could temp her to break out of her unblinking stare at the ceiling. Becoming even more alarmed, Randor had her moved to another, more comfortable room, and refused to allow the King to tie her up again. Gue was called in to help nurse the poor girl, and once everyone had left the room, she had quickly placed her hands on Sakura's wrists and then closed her eyes, concentrating. All at once, the wounds on her wrists disappeared, and the skin became like new. Then she moved on and placed her hands on Sakura's cheeks, smiling as the girl began to blink that look around, as if coming out of a trance. After that day, Sakura slowly became better, now that she was receiving three straight meals a day, and plenty of care from her friend. Randor no longer visited, though he sent messages up via-servants to Sakura, warning her that their wedding day was drawing nearer. Still, Sakura ignored these messages, comforted by Gue's vow to help her escape. A month had passed now, and the girls had grown closer than ever. Sakura was now allowed to leave her room, though heavily guarded, and to take long strolls in the gardens or read in the library. Sometimes Randor would join her, but she would simply ignore him and move away quickly, going to some other region of the castle. Day by day, memories of the life that she had had before drifted away on the wind, and now they seemed like a wonderful and distant dream. Still, one face did stand out from the others. Syaoran's. She would never.no, could never forget him, no matter how Randor tried to force him out of her mind. She was now quite sure that Syaoran was dead, and she mourned the loss of him greatly. Life no longer held happiness for her, and even Gue could not lift the girl's spirits. Then, one day after two months of captivity, Randor announced that they were to be married the next day. At the news, Sakura fell into a dead faint, and Gue had to bring her back with some ripe-smelling liquid of some sort. After she had been revived, several servants came into the room, to help he try on her wedding dress. It was a lovely white thing, but Sakura loathed it, and everything it represented. Still, being Sakura, she did not complain, and went through the torture silently and politely. All day, Gue avoided the room, and Sakura was sure that she had backed-out of her promise. ~*~*~*~ "Sakura? Sakura! Please wake up!" A soft voice breathed, as someone shook her. Sakura's emerald eyes opened, and she met Gue's ice-blue ones. The other girl was looking quite anxious and nervous. "What is it?" Sakura whispered. Gue rolled her eyes. "Well, you were not planning on marrying him, now were you?" She asked, putting her hand on her hip. Sakura smiled delightedly, and silently got out of bed, slipping into her fancy over-robe that the King had provided for her. Then the two girls crept out of the room and onto the balcony, where Tarren waited. "You must promise that you will stay safe, Sakura. Do not allow yourself to loose hope." He said anxiously. She smiled slightly and nodded. "You will take care, will you not, Tarren?" She pleaded. He nodded, and then hugged her slightly. She watched as he hurried from the room and then turned back to Gue, who now held a large sapphire in her left hand. "Take my left hand, Sakura, so the jewel is in-between our hands." Gue instructed. Confused, Sakura did as she was told, and then shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. Instead, all she felt was a warm fire, spreading up her arm and spilling over into her body. Then there was a rush of air and a sort-of swirling motion. Then.nothing. Silence. "Gue.where are we?" Sakura asked in a shaky voice. Gue let out a happy sigh and Sakura could sense her smile. "We are in my home. Open your eyes, Sakura, and see the wonder that few are lucky enough to even glimpse." Gue ordered. Sakura opened her eyes slowly, and then gasped. ~*~*~*~