A/N: Lalalala… Sorry about the long wait! I just got back from vacation, and I reread this chapter…And it's trash. So, I'm rewriting it! Trust me, it was worth the wait…You would have screamed if you saw the ending I originally put on this story. *cowers in shame* Here's the more exciting ending… Even this chapter doesn't end the story… ^-^''' Don't ask…
Strangers
Chapter 5
The princess gently brushed her light brown hair. She set the brush down and looked at herself in her full-length mirror. She giggled and twirled, attempting to make herself dizzy. She sighed happily and fell onto the bed. She brought her arms around her shoulders and hugged them tightly.
"Syaoran…" She whispered softly. Her eyelids closed in over her tired eyes. She was almost asleep, when…
"Sakura!" A muffled voice called from inside a drawer. "Let me out!"
Sakura sat up, her eyes wide. She gasped and ran to the dresser. She heard struggling from the inside and pulled the drawer open carefully.
"Kero! I'm so sorry! I forgot you were in there! I mean, I…" She fumbled for words.
"Alright! Alright! Alright! Alright!" The small yellow beast tried to calm her. "I understand you forgot about me! I'm hurt…" He faked a sniffle.
Sakura bit her lip. She picked him up and brought him into a hug. "I'm so sorry!"
He squirmed. "Lemme go! Lemme go! LEMME GO!"
Sakura shrieked and dropped him. He landed flat on his face.
"Thanks." He said, sarcastically.
She brought a finger to her mouth and hushed him. "Quiet. We don't want to attract any attention to the guards, now do we?"
"Humph. That will teach you to take my ever-so-humble help for granted." He crossed his arms and pouted.
She raised an eyebrow. "Ever-so-humble help…?"
"Precisely."
She rolled her eyes. "Right. Well, about that, Kero…"
His eyes narrowed. "What?"
"I know how excited you were about doing this and everything, but…" Sakura sighed and looked down at her tense hands. "I…I think I talked Mother into pardoning him."
"Mother? You mean the queen?" Kero fluttered in front of her face.
Sakura nodded slowly. She couldn't help but smile. Tears welled up in her eyes. "He's not going to be put to…to…"
"I suppose this means you're not going to need my help." Kero's paws were tensing up, a low growl escaping his throat.
"Kero…" Sakura brought a hand to her chest.
"You wake me up from my sleep for nothing?! How typical!" Kero flap his wings and landed on the book, still resting in the drawer. "I'll be waiting in the book. This time, DO NOT wake me up! For anything!" He disappeared into the book. His head popped out. "Except for food!"
Sakura let out a small sigh and rested her head in her hands. Someone knocked on the door.
"Come in." She called.
The door opened and Mayla walked in. "The queen is ready to see you, princess."
Sakura stood up, feeling her blood rush to her head. "I'm ready."
Mayla gave a slight bow. "Don't be nervous, your highness. You know everything will work out for the best."
Sakura looked at the floor. Her fists were clenched tightly, her whole body was tense, and her stomach was turning into knots. Mayla took her arm and dragged her out of the room.
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The princess bowed before the queen and king. The queen motioned for her to arise. She stood, her heart beating against the insides of her chest. She tried to take in a deep breath to calm it, but it only grew more rapid in its paces. She closed her eyes and licked the insides of her dry mouth.
"I have spoken with the king of this matter, and we have carefully thought out the situation." The queen turned to look at the king. He nodded her on.
Sakura took in a deep breath and held onto it. This was it.
"We discussed what you told me and I must ask…Were you indeed telling the truth?" The queen went on to ask.
The princess clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Oh yes. I promise I was!"
"We will take your word for it. Now, darling, I want to make sure you understand that the law is indeed the law." The queen stated.
Sakura nodded. "Of course, Mother."
"We make no exceptions to the law." The queen raised somewhat of a scolding finger.
Sakura felt her heart sink. No… She screamed at the queen inside her head. No! She can't do this to me!
"Thereby, we will postpone the sentence for three more days. If you can gather more evidence, we will consider sparing the boy his life, but only then." The queen raised an eyebrow at her daughter.
Sakura stood. "But…no!" She caught the falling tears with her hand. "You can't take him away from me! You won't take him away from me!" She broke into sobs and ran up the stairs into her room.
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"Shhh…Princess…"
"I hate this. I can't believe it didn't work! They didn't listen to me!" Sakura sobbed into the hand of her beloved.
"Sakura…please, calm yourself." Syaoran reached up from behind the bars to stroke her face. "You got me three more days. You made an accomplishment."
"I was so sure they'd let you go. It's my fault you're here…" She broke into tears again.
"No, no, don't talk like that! I was the one who tried to kiss you! I was the one who got myself here! Don't you dare blame it on yourself." He scolded her softly.
"I…" She sighed and took his hand. She let it rest on her face as she held it up with one hand and trailed her other hand up and down his arm gently. "I will get you out. No matter what the cost."
"Don't you go pulling any stupid stunts, Sakura." He eyed her carefully. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming toward them.
"You have to leave! Quickly!" Syaoran pulled his hand away and hurried her. She got to her feet and started off toward the stairs that would lead her out of the dungeon.
She gasped as a cold hand took hers.
"Going somewhere, Princess?" The general's voice growled. She let out a cry as she felt herself swing into the wall. She fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"No! Princess!" Syaoran reached for her, but could not. The general let out a wicked laugh. He walked to the cell Syaoran was in, an evil smirk playing upon his face. Syaoran gripped the bars tightly. "Why would you do that to her?! How could you do that to her?! Do you have no heart?!"
The general rolled his eyes. "Easy, Loverboy. Fortunately for me, I will never be suspected as the heartless bastard who hurt the poor girl."
Syaoran felt his blood start to boil. "They'll be all over you like hounds on the trail of a fox."
"No, I don't believe so." The general leaned up against the wall. He raised a foot and kicked the princess in the ribs. Syaoran swore to himself that if it weren't for the bars, he would have strangled the general.
"What do you mean?!" He had to hold his breath in order to keep himself from cursing at the man.
"I mean, I didn't harm the princess." The general's smirk widened. "You did."
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The princess's eyes fluttered open. She was lying in her bed, under many blankets. She rubbed the back of her head with her hand. A large bump was forming next to the one she already had from three chapters ago. "Oh, ow…"
"Princess! Don't rub it! Here, put this on it!" Mayla handed her ice being held together by a small white cloth, tied tightly around the contents inside.
"The queen has sent the doctor up. He'll be here quickly." Mayla held out a hand and felt Sakura's forehead.
"You're not feverish. That's a good sign." Mayla rested her hands in her lap. She was kneeling beside the princess's bed. Her eyes wandered down to the floor. Sakura noticed her worried look. She was about to ask Mayla about it when the doctor rushed in holding a small black bag.
"Princess!" The doctor rushed to her side. "My, you look terribly pale." He pulled out a small thermometer and placed it into her mouth. He noticed the maid staring intently at the princess. "You're finished here, girl. Leave." He shooed her away with his hand.
Mayla let out a small growl under her breath and stood. She walked out the door, muttering something under her breath.
"But…" Sakura tried to say without letting the thermometer fall out of her mouth.
"No, no, no buts. You don't need any pesky servant girls bothering you while you're sick." The doctor stated, impolitely.
Sakura was outraged as she pulled the thermometer out of her mouth. "She is not a 'pesky servant girl' and I am not sick!"
"My goodness! For a princess, you certainly don't know your manners!" The doctor didn't seem amused.
The princess pointed toward the door. "Out!"
The doctor put all his things back into the bag and started towards the door.
"Send Mayla back in when you get out there!" Sakura ordered him.
"Yes, your highness." The doctor said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He opened the door and slammed it behind him. Sakura rolled her eyes. Her expression became serious when Mayla entered, the worried look still plastered upon her face.
"You wanted me, your highness." Mayla kept her weary stare toward the ground.
"What's going on? Why do you look so sad?" The princess's eyes kept focused on her maid.
"I…" Mayla, once again, kneeled beside the Sakura's bed. "Princess…"
"What, Mayla? Tell me." Sakura noticed Mayla's hands start to tremble.
"Syaoran…" The girl sighed. "Syaoran is being prepared."
Sakura raised a confused eyebrow. "Prepared?"
Mayla nodded and closed her eyes. "To die."
Sakura shook her head, unbelieving. "No…" She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "No! This can't be happening!"
Mayla outstretched a hand. "Where are you going?!"
"I have to go see him!" She ran out the door.
"Princess, wait! You can't do that!" Mayla stopped as she realized there was no chance she could stop her. "Oh…"
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Sakura ran down the stairs into the dungeon. She ran all the way to the end of the long hallway. Two guards were blocking the door. She tried to get passed them, but they stopped her.
"Sorry, your highness, you can't go in." One of the guards stated.
"Watch me!" She pushed the guards away, and, of course, they couldn't fight against her, so they gave up and let her go in.
Sakura's eyes darted from one side of the room to the other. This was the room where prisoners were prepared for death. Sakura felt tears stream down her cheeks. She finally caught sight of him in a far off corner, struggling with the 'grim reaper', as she always called him.
"Syaoran!" She ran to him. The 'grim reaper' tried to stop her, but she avoided and wrapped her arms around Syaoran's neck. He would have put his arms around her waist if it weren't for the fact that his hands were held together behind his back by a thick rope.
"Sakura! How did you…?" Syaoran was cut off by the man standing beside them.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this meeting short."
"General!" Sakura gasped. Syaoran quickly jumped in front of her.
"If you touch her…" He growled at him.
The general cackled. "Touch her? Why would I ever want to do a thing like that?" He continued to laugh to be sure none of the guards got any ideas. It would have worked if it weren't for Ed and Ned in the back, listening in.
+++++++
"Hey, Ed, you think that guy's up to something?" Ned raised an eyebrow.
"I dunno, Ed. Seems pretty spicious to me." Ed chewed on a stale donut.
"Suspicious." Ned corrected him.
"Suspicious?" Ed seemed confused.
"You said it wrong. It's 'suspicious'." Ned told him.
"I said 'suspicious'!" Ed growled.
Ned shook his head. "No, you said 'spicious', not 'suspicious'!"
"What?" Ed raised an eyebrow.
Ned sighed. "Forget it."
Ed looked back to the general. "Yep, pretty spicious…"
Ned rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up."
"Okay." Ed took another bite out of his donut.
"Hey is that jelly-filled?" Ned's mouth started to water.
"I don't know. I think it's jelly-filled, but the jelly must have all dried up." Ed shrugged.
"That's nasty!"
"Nuh uh, it's good."
"Get a life." Ned held his nose. "And get a new donut! That thing reeks…"
++++++++
"General?" The 'grim reaper' came up to him from behind.
"What?!" The general snapped back.
"I do believe the princess is entitled to time with the boy." He coward a bit.
"He is, is he?" The general growled. The man nodded, and the general glared at Syaoran. "You can have your time with him, Princess. But don't get too cozy!" The general walked out, practically stomping his feet all the way.
Sakura waited until the 'grim reaper' had gone. She then wrapped her arms around Syaoran once more. He rested his chin on her head.
"Like I said before, I'm going to get you out of this." Sakura buried her head in his chest.
"Even if you don't, I have no regrets." Syaoran watched as she pulled away and looked into his eyes with such intensity and such emotion he felt as though he were one with her. He gasped as intensity was washed away by tears, but the emotion was still there.
"Oh, Syaoran, I love you!" She screamed out, all of a sudden.
"Sakura…I love you too." She cried into his chest and was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug.
She gasped. "Syaoran! You're free! But…how?"
"I don't know…the ropes just…"
"Come on, you two! Let's get out of here!" Kero yelled to them.
"Kero?!" Sakura squealed with delight. "You came to help me!"
"Yeah…come on!" Kero whipped across the room.
"We can't! They'll see us!" Sakura ran closer to the door.
"I'll distract them! Now, come on!" Kero spit fire into the doorway. The guards started running around madly, searching for some way to put the fire out. Sakura saw this as a chance to escape and quickly grabbed Syaoran's hand.
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To be continued…
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Uh oh… I guess that in rewriting it I also added another chapter! Oops, my bad…^-^''' Well, check back soon for another chapter… And, no, for once I don't have the next chapter written ahead of time… Sorry…-.-;;;
~Chip