Sweet Sakura
Author's note: Venus as in the Roman goddess of love, not the planet (or the razor)
1 Chapter 1: My Venus
Sakura Avalon, Princess of Camelot, sighed and rolled her eyes as another young prince approached her. Would the crowd of foreign nobles never end? Sakura smiled sweetly and nodded at the young man as he talked, not really listening. She was dreaming of sitting in her favorite tree in the cherry blossom grove and reading her favorite book.
"What do you think of that, milady?" the prince asked, his eyes sparkling.
"Um, it's great, a wonderful idea," Sakura said, caught off guard.
"What?" the prince said, not knowing what she meant.
"I, um, I am really tired. I must beg to be excused," Sakura said quickly.
"Of course milady, you should have said sooner!" the young prince said anxiously.
Sakura smiled wanly and left the crowded Audience Hall. She sighed with relief once she escaped the heavily perfumed chamber and ran quickly down the hallway, her heavy skirts billowing out behind her. Once she reached her chambers she changed out of her court gown and into a soft, light gown of pale pink satin that trailed far behind her. It was her mother's gown and the only thing she had left of her. Sakura stood and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She was slender and graceful. She had long auburn hair that framed a delicately featured face with a small nose, lips as sweet as honey, and expressive emerald green eyes. Sakura glanced around until she spotted her favorite book, snatched it up, and ran gracefully down the corridor and out the huge doors to the cherry blossom gardens. When she got there, she found her favorite tree and climbed up it, settling comfortably against the bole and the bottom of her long gown hanging almost to the ground. With a contented sigh, Sakura opened her book to her favorite chapter and began to read. Suddenly, she heard the sound of booted feet on the ground and looked through the tree branches to see a young soldier walking through the garden. He had brown hair that was tousled and fell over his eyes, and wore the green and black surcoat of the king. He looked right up at Sakura and she saw that he had deep, amber eyes.
"Are you an angel that has come to torment a lonely soldier, or simply the goddess of Love herself?" he asked softly, gazing at her with moonstruck eyes.
Sakura blushed and covered her face with her book.
"I'm sorry if I have embarrassed you, but your beauty simply caused me to forget my manners," he said quickly.
"Oh, it's okay. I'm just not used to being showered by compliments," Sakura replied.
"Then the people around you are blind fools," he replied earnestly.
"Um, what is your name?" Sakura asked.
"I am Li Shaoran, a Knight of the King's Own," Li replied.
"I am Princess Sakura," Sakura said softly.
"Ah, I see, now I feel a bit um….stupid…" Li said ruefully.
"Why?" Sakura asked.
"Well, here I am, babbling to the princess," he answered, "I must have seemed…..impertinent."
"No! I think you are very….sweet," Sakura said at last.
Li blushed and looked away from Sakura's beautiful green eyes. Suddenly a servant came running up to the two and spoke breathlessly to Princess Sakura.
"Milady, the king requires that you be present for the ceremony this evening. His Majesty suggests that you return so that your maidens-in- waiting may help you prepare," the messenger said.
"Tell my father that I am coming," Sakura replied, looking apologetically at the knight.
"It was nice meeting you," Sakura said softly as she brushed past Li and walked to the castle.
Li bowed as Sakura passed and followed her with his eyes, wishing that he had been granted a few more moments in her presence, and cursing the messenger.
"Lady Sakura! How many times must I tell you that the gown you are wearing isn't appropriate!" Sakura's handmaiden said reproachfully. "It is out of style and doesn't have the proper layers and ruffles that fit a princess!"
Sakura shrugged her slim shoulders carelessly, causing the gown to ripple gently. The gown clung to her slender form and trailed far behind her.
"And Torus the messenger told me that you were in the company of a stranger, wearing that dress! He must have thought you indecent and underdressed!" Laela, her handmaiden exclaimed.
"Oh Laela, why don't you be quiet and stop nagging me?" Sakura asked absently.
"Yes milady," Laela said in a subdued voice.
Her silence didn't last very long, and soon she was telling Sakura all the gossip that she picked up. Sakura just listened partially and glumly selected another gown for that evening while Laela combed out her beautiful auburn tresses and regaled her with the exploits of the servants and soldiers.
"Ah milady, that is an excellent choice!" Laela exclaimed happily as she inspected Sakura's gown.
It was of the finest silk and the silvery-blue color of the stars. It was made up of the very frills, layers, and ruffles that Sakura despised, and Sakura was inwardly wishing that the ceremony was already over, even though it hadn't even started. Sakura sighed and resigned to the fact that she would spend about three hours in some boring old ceremony, and she caught herself wondering if that knight Li Shaoran would be there.
"Come on Lady Sakura, time to go," Laela said presently.
Sakura smiled at Laela's excitement and the two walked to the ceremony hall.
Author's note: Venus as in the Roman goddess of love, not the planet (or the razor)
1 Chapter 1: My Venus
Sakura Avalon, Princess of Camelot, sighed and rolled her eyes as another young prince approached her. Would the crowd of foreign nobles never end? Sakura smiled sweetly and nodded at the young man as he talked, not really listening. She was dreaming of sitting in her favorite tree in the cherry blossom grove and reading her favorite book.
"What do you think of that, milady?" the prince asked, his eyes sparkling.
"Um, it's great, a wonderful idea," Sakura said, caught off guard.
"What?" the prince said, not knowing what she meant.
"I, um, I am really tired. I must beg to be excused," Sakura said quickly.
"Of course milady, you should have said sooner!" the young prince said anxiously.
Sakura smiled wanly and left the crowded Audience Hall. She sighed with relief once she escaped the heavily perfumed chamber and ran quickly down the hallway, her heavy skirts billowing out behind her. Once she reached her chambers she changed out of her court gown and into a soft, light gown of pale pink satin that trailed far behind her. It was her mother's gown and the only thing she had left of her. Sakura stood and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She was slender and graceful. She had long auburn hair that framed a delicately featured face with a small nose, lips as sweet as honey, and expressive emerald green eyes. Sakura glanced around until she spotted her favorite book, snatched it up, and ran gracefully down the corridor and out the huge doors to the cherry blossom gardens. When she got there, she found her favorite tree and climbed up it, settling comfortably against the bole and the bottom of her long gown hanging almost to the ground. With a contented sigh, Sakura opened her book to her favorite chapter and began to read. Suddenly, she heard the sound of booted feet on the ground and looked through the tree branches to see a young soldier walking through the garden. He had brown hair that was tousled and fell over his eyes, and wore the green and black surcoat of the king. He looked right up at Sakura and she saw that he had deep, amber eyes.
"Are you an angel that has come to torment a lonely soldier, or simply the goddess of Love herself?" he asked softly, gazing at her with moonstruck eyes.
Sakura blushed and covered her face with her book.
"I'm sorry if I have embarrassed you, but your beauty simply caused me to forget my manners," he said quickly.
"Oh, it's okay. I'm just not used to being showered by compliments," Sakura replied.
"Then the people around you are blind fools," he replied earnestly.
"Um, what is your name?" Sakura asked.
"I am Li Shaoran, a Knight of the King's Own," Li replied.
"I am Princess Sakura," Sakura said softly.
"Ah, I see, now I feel a bit um….stupid…" Li said ruefully.
"Why?" Sakura asked.
"Well, here I am, babbling to the princess," he answered, "I must have seemed…..impertinent."
"No! I think you are very….sweet," Sakura said at last.
Li blushed and looked away from Sakura's beautiful green eyes. Suddenly a servant came running up to the two and spoke breathlessly to Princess Sakura.
"Milady, the king requires that you be present for the ceremony this evening. His Majesty suggests that you return so that your maidens-in- waiting may help you prepare," the messenger said.
"Tell my father that I am coming," Sakura replied, looking apologetically at the knight.
"It was nice meeting you," Sakura said softly as she brushed past Li and walked to the castle.
Li bowed as Sakura passed and followed her with his eyes, wishing that he had been granted a few more moments in her presence, and cursing the messenger.
"Lady Sakura! How many times must I tell you that the gown you are wearing isn't appropriate!" Sakura's handmaiden said reproachfully. "It is out of style and doesn't have the proper layers and ruffles that fit a princess!"
Sakura shrugged her slim shoulders carelessly, causing the gown to ripple gently. The gown clung to her slender form and trailed far behind her.
"And Torus the messenger told me that you were in the company of a stranger, wearing that dress! He must have thought you indecent and underdressed!" Laela, her handmaiden exclaimed.
"Oh Laela, why don't you be quiet and stop nagging me?" Sakura asked absently.
"Yes milady," Laela said in a subdued voice.
Her silence didn't last very long, and soon she was telling Sakura all the gossip that she picked up. Sakura just listened partially and glumly selected another gown for that evening while Laela combed out her beautiful auburn tresses and regaled her with the exploits of the servants and soldiers.
"Ah milady, that is an excellent choice!" Laela exclaimed happily as she inspected Sakura's gown.
It was of the finest silk and the silvery-blue color of the stars. It was made up of the very frills, layers, and ruffles that Sakura despised, and Sakura was inwardly wishing that the ceremony was already over, even though it hadn't even started. Sakura sighed and resigned to the fact that she would spend about three hours in some boring old ceremony, and she caught herself wondering if that knight Li Shaoran would be there.
"Come on Lady Sakura, time to go," Laela said presently.
Sakura smiled at Laela's excitement and the two walked to the ceremony hall.