Story Key:

" " = Speech

' ' = Thoughts

* * = Noise/Sounds

A/N = Author's Note

A King and A Card mistress Tomi's week

"Ah, Master Li, Miss Meiling has had a chat with me. She hasn't decided when the ball shall be, but she has already picked out her dress and made invitations." Syaoran shook his head. 'Meiling is so serious about this ball! She really does want to have it.' "Tell Meiling that I will be there." Wei nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Jenny, how is the new maid coming along? Will she be a promising maid for Master Li?" Jenny nodded.
"Yes, m'am. She will make a very good one indeed." The head turned to Jenny.
"When will she be ready for work?"
"Um, in just about a few weeks, m'am. I'm teaching her all of the tasks and how to do them properly."
"Very good. Continue, please."

"Tomi! That's good enough. Please come here." Jenny ticked off a piece of paper on Tomi's progress as a maid. "Yes, Miss?"
"Listen here. The Prince is having a ball soon. Many important guests are coming, and we must make the palace at the most neatest possible. I'm counting on you to help us." Tomi smiled.
"Yes, Miss. I understand."
"Good. You are coming along great. I think I can set you up here pretty soon."
"Thank-you, Miss."
"Now, let's finish off for the day, shall we?"

Tomi lay down on the hard cement floor. She was sure that by now, she had mastered being a maid. She did not want to work in the dungeon areas anymore. 'I wish that I will make it... I hear that maids get beds...' She looked at the ground, which was currently serving as her bed. 'With soft pillows, too. But what I really wish was that I didn't have to be here. I miss my family. Oniie-san. Why did you leave me, oniie-san? I really miss you. Someday, I'll get back to being who I really was. Someone with a family, someone loved.'

The next day, Tomi headed to the maid room.
"Ah, Tomi, bright and early." said Jenny. "That's a very important quality. Time to start work for today, follow me, please." Jenny went to a small closet. She pulled out a maid outfit, with an apron.
"Everyday, when you start work as a maid, you are required to wear this." she said, unfolding the uniform. She gave it to Tomi and let her change in private.
"It's a little big, but that's okay, I like baggy clothes for airiness." said Tomi, trying not to complain.
"Good. I have checked around, and you are to be an official maid as of next week." Tomi's heart leaped.
"Thank-you, Miss."

*The days were rough, but I survived. The flowers are blooming, beautiful and charming. The wind, it sings, the birds, they fly... The skies are blue and the grass is green. I couldn't be happier than ever,* Tomi hummed. It was finally her last day as a slave. A maid was not much better, but at least she got paid. And got a bed. Tomorrow she would start work as a maid and have better work hours. Tomi froze. 'What am I doing, being happy over better working hours? I should have been out of here a long time ago and be rid of it! So why am I still here? Has working here softened me?' She sighed. 'Well, I might as well continue until I break free.' Humming still, she resumed her work.

Syaoran heard some humming and got curious. 'Hmm... Such a pretty voice... Wonder who's singing?' Then he caught Tomi in the corner of his eye. 'She is hard at work... Good. Gee, I never noticed it before, but Suzuhara is really kind of nice looking in the sun. Meiling said to invite everyone I know... Maybe I should invite Suzuhara. But I'll wait for her work shift to end.'

Suzuhara-chan!" Tomi stopped. She turned around.
"Sir.?" Syaoran panted. He just almost missed Tomi about to go into the maid room.
"I have an invitation to the ball. I'm sure you have heard of it." Tomi nodded. Syaoran continued. "I want you to attend it. Okay with you?" He held out an invitation to Tomi. She looked at it. "You can only come if you have this card." he explained.
"Sir, I don't think I should."
"It's okay. Take it. Come if you can." Tomi took it and smiled.
"Ari- Xie-xie ni (Thank-you), Sir." said Tomi, just forgetting that Syaoran probably did not know Japanese. Syaoran, thinking 'Ari? She must have meant to say Arigato... I almost forgot that she is an escapee from Japan. How appropriate that she knows Chinese.' Seeing that Tomi had her invitation safely tucked under her jacket, he walked off, but not before gently brushing his finger across her face. "I hope to see you at the ball, Suzuhara-chan!" Her face burned. 'I hate how he calls me "chan" But... at least it makes me feel more at home this way. I thought that a prince like him would be more up tight. Oh well. Some how, I feel like I've meet him somewhere before. Somewhere in my deep past. But where? And how would I have known a prince? His chestnut hair and oak brown eyes. That cold stare. That voice. Where?' She felt her card. 'Why did he give me this? I am just a maid that works for him. If he gave an invitation to all of the staff or even all of the maids, he would have someone else do it; there would be to many people. He is a strange one, that prince.'

The next day, Tomi on her first day as a maid felt happy. 'Ah, such a fine bed. Much better than the rocky ground. I feel much better than I have ever felt in ages through mornings. "Meiling! I- Please, don't be mad at me! Meiling!" Tomi stopped. Master Li was with his fiancé. She peeked at the crack of the corner. "That's it! I've had it! You are always with your work. Never having time for me." 'Master Li. looks miserable with her.' Tomi thought. 'I wonder what's wrong.' Suddenly, she stood up straight. 'I should not be pushing my head in other's problems.' But she knew already. She could tell that Master Li did not like her. He was miserable. 'After work, I shall see what I can do...' Tomi thought. She quickly went back to dusting the nearby statues.

'I will go. I will go to that ball and hope to make Master Li happy for just one night.' thought Tomi, looking at the invitation in her left hand and a shadowed item in her right hand. She was growing to be found of that odd prince and wanted to make him happy. For one night. It would be most unfair if the miss (A/N: Meiling is the "miss", but Tomi doesn't know her name.) were to be sad, and her Master to be happy. But I won't let Master Li. know that I am that Suzuhara maid. I will disguise myself.'

{End of Chapter 4} So, how do you think that Tomi will go to the ball in disguise? Will Syaoran regognize her, whatever her outfit may be? We'll see soon, I suppose^^ Also, a lot of people are asking if Tomi is really Sakura, and stuff like that. I suppose you'll just have to wait and find out! He he... Well, ja til the next chapter!