Chapter 2: The Announcement
The king walked slowly into the Audience Hall and sat down on his throne. Beside him sat his new wife in a smaller, slightly cruder throne. Sakura entered and settled herself in a slender, delicate throne that was set with precious gems and gilded with gold. She frowned slightly and wiggled around in the throne. She was already uncomfortable. Suddenly Sakura stopped moving about when she spotted the young knight Li enter the room and take his place beside the other soldiers of the king. Compared to the others, he seemed like an elf. He was as tall as most of them, and his height was emphasized by the fact that he wasn't burly like most of the soldiers. He glanced around the room, and Sakura found herself wishing that he would look in her direction. Suddenly, as if he had heard her thoughts, Li turned and looked at her. Sakura found herself smiling shyly, and was pleased to see him smile back.
"Sakura, dear, who are you smiling at?" the queen asked softly in Sakura's ear.
"Oh, nobody," Sakura replied.
"It must have been a very special nobody, because you were blushing furiously. Perhaps it was a young man that you were smiling at?" Sakura's stepmother asked teasingly.
Sakura just smiled slightly and turned her attention to the man that was standing in front of everyone, going on and on about some stupid tournament. Just when Sakura decided she would make it through this ordeal after all, she heard what it was that the man was saying.
"His Royal Highness therefore offers to any man who wins the tournament the hand of the fair Princess Sakura as a reward," the man was saying.
"What?!" Sakura said, standing up and forgetting all manners and rules, "Hold on a minute. Did you just say that whoever could win some stupid tournament would marry me?!"
"Sakura, dear, SIT DOWN!" the king bellowed.
The entire court looked appalled at Sakura's outburst and Sakura suddenly got a grip and realized that she was standing there in front of the whole court. She slowly sat down and fumed for the rest of the ceremony, while the names of the contestants were called. She didn't even notice when the name 'Li Shaoran' was called.
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Sakura stood in the shade of the cherry blossom trees. She had left the ceremony early without any excuse. Now she felt so lonely. This garden was created by her mother before she died, in honor of her daughter Sakura, or cherry blossom. When she stood here under the pink buds, she could almost feel her mother standing beside her..
"Your Majesty," came a familiar and oddly welcome voice from behind her.
Sakura turned to see Li Shaoran walking up to her. He bowed deeply and smiled slightly at her.
"Hello milady, I noticed that you had left early in distress, so I came seeking you," Li said politely.
"Please, call me Sakura, I hate formalities," Sakura said softly.
"As you wish..S-Sakura," he answered, stumbling over the name.
"I can't believe that my father would do that," Sakura said angrily.
Li opened his mouth to say something comforting when Laela came running over to Sakura.
"Sakura! You father wishes to speak with you! He's really angry!" Laela said breathlessly.
"Okay Laela, I'm coming," Sakura replied.
"Thank you for coming," Sakura said softly to Li, putting her hand on his arm.
Then, with a resolute expression, Sakura went to face her father's fury.
The king walked slowly into the Audience Hall and sat down on his throne. Beside him sat his new wife in a smaller, slightly cruder throne. Sakura entered and settled herself in a slender, delicate throne that was set with precious gems and gilded with gold. She frowned slightly and wiggled around in the throne. She was already uncomfortable. Suddenly Sakura stopped moving about when she spotted the young knight Li enter the room and take his place beside the other soldiers of the king. Compared to the others, he seemed like an elf. He was as tall as most of them, and his height was emphasized by the fact that he wasn't burly like most of the soldiers. He glanced around the room, and Sakura found herself wishing that he would look in her direction. Suddenly, as if he had heard her thoughts, Li turned and looked at her. Sakura found herself smiling shyly, and was pleased to see him smile back.
"Sakura, dear, who are you smiling at?" the queen asked softly in Sakura's ear.
"Oh, nobody," Sakura replied.
"It must have been a very special nobody, because you were blushing furiously. Perhaps it was a young man that you were smiling at?" Sakura's stepmother asked teasingly.
Sakura just smiled slightly and turned her attention to the man that was standing in front of everyone, going on and on about some stupid tournament. Just when Sakura decided she would make it through this ordeal after all, she heard what it was that the man was saying.
"His Royal Highness therefore offers to any man who wins the tournament the hand of the fair Princess Sakura as a reward," the man was saying.
"What?!" Sakura said, standing up and forgetting all manners and rules, "Hold on a minute. Did you just say that whoever could win some stupid tournament would marry me?!"
"Sakura, dear, SIT DOWN!" the king bellowed.
The entire court looked appalled at Sakura's outburst and Sakura suddenly got a grip and realized that she was standing there in front of the whole court. She slowly sat down and fumed for the rest of the ceremony, while the names of the contestants were called. She didn't even notice when the name 'Li Shaoran' was called.
*****************************************************
Sakura stood in the shade of the cherry blossom trees. She had left the ceremony early without any excuse. Now she felt so lonely. This garden was created by her mother before she died, in honor of her daughter Sakura, or cherry blossom. When she stood here under the pink buds, she could almost feel her mother standing beside her..
"Your Majesty," came a familiar and oddly welcome voice from behind her.
Sakura turned to see Li Shaoran walking up to her. He bowed deeply and smiled slightly at her.
"Hello milady, I noticed that you had left early in distress, so I came seeking you," Li said politely.
"Please, call me Sakura, I hate formalities," Sakura said softly.
"As you wish..S-Sakura," he answered, stumbling over the name.
"I can't believe that my father would do that," Sakura said angrily.
Li opened his mouth to say something comforting when Laela came running over to Sakura.
"Sakura! You father wishes to speak with you! He's really angry!" Laela said breathlessly.
"Okay Laela, I'm coming," Sakura replied.
"Thank you for coming," Sakura said softly to Li, putting her hand on his arm.
Then, with a resolute expression, Sakura went to face her father's fury.