Disclaimer: I don't own CCS/CC or its characters, they belong to CLAMP.




In My Fragile Dreams
By ~Xiaoling~





Chapter 3: Under the Sakura Trees




It had been a couple days since the horrible tea time with Syaoran. Sakura had been so relieved that he did leave right away, he pratically ran the way to his carriage afterwards.

Sakura walked over to her vanity table and noticed a piece of green parchment rolled together and tied with a ribbon. It said To Princess Sakura, so Sakura decided to unroll it and see what it said.

Dear annoying/stubborn/rude Princess Sakura,

My mother has just forced me to write to you inviting you over to our kingdom. Don't worry, we will not be having tea, but I wish we did so I could poison you. Back to the point, just get yourself over here and that's all.

Sincerely Prince Syaoran

P.S: I hate you, plus you have a clone over in my kingdom

Sakura crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it over her balcony. What did he mean she had a clone in his kingdom? She sighed and decided to change into a simple straight sky blue velvet dress with stars on it.

"Princess your carriage is ready!"

Sakura frowned, how did her servants know she had to go to the Li Kingdom? But she shook the thought aside and went to the courtyard and into her pink curtained carriage and her journey to the Li Kingdom.

"I want you to take Princess Sakura on a nice gentle walk," Yelan instructed sternly to Syaoran who was standing there with his arms crossed.

"Gentle walk? Nothing can be gentle with her around," Syaoran grumbled.

Yelan frowned, "Do as I say, maybe you'll see another side of her."

"What do you mean?"

"...Just let it take some time," Yelan said simply. "You should be here any second now..."

"Your majesty! Princess Sakura has arrived and is in the courtyard waiting!" A guard ran into the room and repotred.

Yelan nodded to her son and Syaoran reluctantly left towards the courtyard.

Sakura sighed and decided that she should be more polite. She was stuck with Syaoran weather she liked it or not, so why not try to make it better instead of making it worst?

"Ohayo Prince Syaoran," Sakura greeted and plastered a smile on her face.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. This was a completely different Sakura to him. "..Er..Ohayo..."

Sakura found that it wasn't very hard to be nice to Syaoran. It just came to her normally and soon they were on a quiet walk through the gardens of the Li Castle.

"Sorry about yesterday..." Sakura said uneasily.

Syaoran frowned, *Why is she being so nice?* "It's...alright..."

"HEY XIAOLANG!!!"

Syaoran and Sakura turned their heads back and saw a girl with two blank odangos running towards them in a red chinese dress. "Meet your clone." Syaoran said simply.

Sakura didn't understand why Syaoran called this girl her clone.

Meiling eyed Sakura and inspected her from head to toe. "Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm Sakura Kinomoto, and you?" Sakura introduced.

"I'm Princess Meiling Li," Meiling said proudly. "What is a weakling doing over here Xiaolang?"

Syaoran sighed, "I'm engaged to her Meiling."

"What?!" Meiling pointed to Sakura. "Her?!"

"Yes, it was mother's orders," Syaoran explained.

Sakura frowned. She didn't like how their relationship was just because 'his mother' or 'her father' wanted them to be together. It was so abnormal. "Didn't you know pointing was rude?"

Meiling frowned at Sakura, "Well don't you know you should respect people of equal level of you too?"

Syaoran sweatdropped as the two quarelled for a couple mintues and finally Meiling stormed off. Sakura turned to him with her head titled slightly. "That was annoying."

Syaoran wanted to laugh, but he held it in him. He didn't really know if he should trust Sakura, since he could feel such a strong power radiating from her, but he couldn't tell if it was dark or light. "She's annoying like you."

Sakura frowned, "I'm not in the mood for more arguing so I'll let it drop." She said simply and smiled at him which made Syaoran feel kind of bad. "The sakura trees here are so pretty!" She remarked and spun under the cherry blossom trees as they gently fell towards her, petal by petal.

Syaoran watched her, he felt an odd tingling feeling in his heart. And he felt a blush creep towards his cheeks. *No way! How could you fall in love with her?!* He shook his head furiously.

"I wonder when we'll have to marry..." Sakura said softly.

Syaoran shrugged, "Hopefully it won't be soon."

Sakura turned around and looked up at the sky. Somehow, she didn't really want their marriage to be to far away. *Am I...liking him?!* Sakura thought with disabelief. She turned back to face Syaoran. "Bringing up the subject of marriage, we would be husband and wife neh?"

"Duh..." Syaoran replied.

"So we really shouldn't have any secrets between us..?" Sakura said uneasily. She wanted to tell him that she was the card mistress, but then, she didn't know if she should. "Oh nevermind...I'm just talking to myself.." Sakura said quickly.

Syaoran eyed her suspiciously. "I see."

They stood there in silence under the sakura trees, unaware that someone was watching them.

"My little wolf..." Said a soft voice, it was barely audible. "Card mistress..."

Sakura flopped onto her bed with a dreamy look in her eyes. Kero fluttered over to her, and landed on her pillow with a questioning look on his face.

"You seem like you're in lala land Sakura," Kero commented.

"I am," Sakura giggled and hugged him tightly. "You know, that Prince Syaoran isn't that bad."

Kero raised an eyebrow. "Sakura? In love? Interesting."

"Kero! I didn't say I was in love!" Sakura said, embarrassed and red in the face.

"Well, it seems like you are," Kero remarked. "That look in your eyes, it's hard not to tell that something's up."

Sakura sighed and sat up. "But, he doesn't seem to like me...."

"Just don't worry about it Sakura! He has to marry you anyways!"

"But I don't want him to marry me because he was forced! I want him to marry me because of true love!! If we married because we were forced to...it's like a fake marriage!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kero scartched his head, "Er...alright. Whatever you say."

Sakura awoke to knocking at her door in the morning. She yawned and moaned softly. "Lyra! I want to sleep!"

"Sorry your highness, but I'm not Lyra..." Came an unfamiliar voice.

"Hoe? Gomen!" Sakura quickly opened the door and saw a girl around her age standing there. She had shiny black hair that was waist length and dark shiny brown eyes. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled at her with her light pink lips. "I am your new personal maid."

"Where's Lyra?" Sakura asked worridly.

"She...she is sick.." The girl said quickly. "I am XueLian, and it's a pleasure to meet you, princess."

Sakura smiled at the girl. "It's nice to meet you too. So do you know what to do and do you know your way around the castle?"

"Yes, I had special training before I came," XueLian explained.

"When will Lyra be coming back?" Sakura questioned.

XueLian plastered a frown on her face. "Never, because she is sick and wishes to stay at her hometown with her mother for the rest of her life. She says that her mother needs her there to."

"Oh...alright.." Sakura felt confused, she never heard Lyra mention anything about her mother. She had thought that Lyra was parentless, but she must have been wrong.

"I will just be getting a cup of tea for you your highness," XueLian said gently and left the room.

Sakura thought she felt a glimpse of a aura, but then it was gone just as she felt it.

*I must be hullicinating....* Sakura shrugged it off and waited for her tea.



AN: Oh? Who may this XueLian be? Will Syaoran and Sakura get together at last? Btw, XueLian means snow lily if you were ever wondering if the name had any meaning. Anyways, thanks for reading and review onegai =D