Chapter 6: Home Again
"Ah, Camelot," Sakura said happily, peering out the windows of the carriage that carried her and Tomoyo to the beautiful castle.
"It'll be nice to see my room again," Sakura murmured.
Not to mention, seeing Li again, she added silently.
"Hmm, I can't wait to meet this Li guy," Tomoyo said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Sakura blushed deeply and looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap.
"He must be pretty nice to make you like him so much, considering that you have so far despised any suitor that came within ten feet of you," Tomoyo added with a grin.
Sakura nudged Tomoyo in the side with her elbow and let out a giggle.
"That's because none of them were Li," Sakura replied.
Tomoyo laughed and the two spent the rest of the ride trying to figure out a way for Sakura to meet with Li without arousing attention.
"Hmm, you could say that you wanted to speak with all the knights that are participating," Tomoyo suggested.
"Nah, then I'd have to talk to about a million knights before I could get to Li," Sakura replied.
Tomoyo chuckled. "You have a point."
"Here, why don't I just go to the barracks and tell him that he has somebody waiting for him in the garden," Tomoyo said.
"Um, okay. But what if he's not in the barracks?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"Then we'll find him and tell him that you want to see him," Tomoyo answered. "But that's not a good idea," Sakura began.
"Ah, we'll think about it when it happens," was Tomoyo's logic.
"Um, okay." Sakura said hesitantly.
Tomoyo walked into the barracks and accosted one of the soldiers. She asked him where Li Shaoran was, but the man just shrugged.
"Hmm, well, he's not there," Tomoyo said upon her return.
"Oh, don't worry about it, it's not like I came here just to see him anyway," Sakura said, though her expression of dismay told otherwise.
Tomoyo opened her mouth to protest, but changed her mind.
"If that's what you want, Sakura," she said instead.
Sakura nodded and the two walked into the castle to get Tomoyo settled in the guest quarters. They would be staying at Camelot for another week while Eriol and Touya and Sakura's father prepared Lyonesse for the great tournament. When they reached the huge room beside Sakura's, Tomoyo regretfully excused herself so that she could oversee the unpacking of her many gowns.
"By the way, Sakura, I've already planned out each of your gowns for the seven days that the tournament will last," Tomoyo said just before she left.
Sakura laughed and walked into her own room so that she could change from her traveling gown. She strode over to her wardrobe and ran her fingers over the dresses until she found the proper one. It was pale pink and white, with white and pink braided ribbons for her hair. It had long sleeves embroidered with white lace and little white roses. She quickly undressed and pulled on the gown, lacing the bodice deftly and slipping into the soft shoes. After she was dressed, Sakura went to the kitchens to look for Laela, who had disappeared after they had arrived at the castle.
As she walked, the open, bell-like sleeves of her gown fluttered in the wind and the ribbons in her hair trailed behind her. There were cherry trees blooming all over the castle grounds, and they stretched over the marble paths and walkways that meandered through the courtyards and gardens. Sakura was walking beneath an arch of cherry trees, and a gentle wind blew the blossoms around her in a soft flurry of pale pink petals. When she emerged from the storm of flowers, her auburn hair was crowned with petals and she laughingly plucked them off her head.
"Sakura! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Laela scolded, rushing over to the beautiful princess.
"I was looking for you too," Sakura began, but her handmaiden interrupted her.
"I think that it would be a good idea for us to hold a banquet so you can meet all the suitors," Laela said, proud of her ingenious idea.
"But-" Sakura started again.
"I'm glad you agree, now let's go and tell the cook so she can prepare enough food," Laela beamed, totally ignoring Sakura's half-hearted protests.
Sakura finally stopped arguing with her oblivious maid and went along with her hurried, breathless plans. She was exhausted by the time they were done, and before Laela could suggest anything else, Sakura slipped away unnoticed and roamed through the vast castle grounds.
"Ah, finally some peace and quiet," she murmured, tilting her face up to gaze at the azure sky above.
The ivory clouds drifted lazily across the blue expanse, and the sun smiled down on the castle, bathing it in a warm golden radiance. Sakura sighed and strolled along the marble path, admiring the serene beauty of the castle. The soft breeze whispered around her and rustled her skirts around her slender ankles.
"Your Majesty?" came a voice from behind her.
Sakura whirled around to see a handsome young man standing there, regarding her with dark, violet eyes that veiled his emotions. The young man smiled slightly and bowed deeply to Sakura, his black hair falling over his eyes. His skin was fair, and his face was delicately sculptured, giving the impression of nobility.
"H-hello," Sakura said softly.
"I am Rune Darksun, Prince of the Darksun Clan," he said, referring to the strange warriors who seemed almost to appear one day, from just over the Nightshade Mountains, far to the north. The warriors were divided into warring Clans, and they were always out for blood. Despite their warlike society, they were delicately refined and artistically gifted, and made seemingly perfect courtiers. Sakura's father had managed to unite the twelve Clans, and now all of them served as the protectors of the kingdom, leaving the King's Own free to protect their lord.
Prince Rune was tall, so that the top of Sakura's head barely came up to his chin. He wore black armor that seemed so heavy that Sakura would have to struggle just to pick up the breastplate. Prince Rune's sword was beautiful, the hilt forged to resemble a black dragon curled around a darkened sun.
"Nice to meet you Prince Rune," Sakura said, quickly regaining her composure. "I hope your stay here at Camelot has been pleasant."
"It has been marvelous, and I am greatly amazed by your beautiful land," Prince Rune replied.
"Uh, thank you," Sakura answered, her attention caught by his dark, wine- colored eyes.
"I must be going now, but it was nice talking to you. They were right, you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I shall win your hand, no matter what," he added before leaving.
His black cloak swirled around him as he walked, and he looked like some dark knight out of the legends. A faint feeling of fear slipped into Sakura's heart. I'll win your hand, no matter what. She shuddered. Sakura was sure that Prince Rune would have no qualms about killing. Li, you better not lose! she thought to herself.
"Ah, Camelot," Sakura said happily, peering out the windows of the carriage that carried her and Tomoyo to the beautiful castle.
"It'll be nice to see my room again," Sakura murmured.
Not to mention, seeing Li again, she added silently.
"Hmm, I can't wait to meet this Li guy," Tomoyo said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Sakura blushed deeply and looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap.
"He must be pretty nice to make you like him so much, considering that you have so far despised any suitor that came within ten feet of you," Tomoyo added with a grin.
Sakura nudged Tomoyo in the side with her elbow and let out a giggle.
"That's because none of them were Li," Sakura replied.
Tomoyo laughed and the two spent the rest of the ride trying to figure out a way for Sakura to meet with Li without arousing attention.
"Hmm, you could say that you wanted to speak with all the knights that are participating," Tomoyo suggested.
"Nah, then I'd have to talk to about a million knights before I could get to Li," Sakura replied.
Tomoyo chuckled. "You have a point."
"Here, why don't I just go to the barracks and tell him that he has somebody waiting for him in the garden," Tomoyo said.
"Um, okay. But what if he's not in the barracks?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"Then we'll find him and tell him that you want to see him," Tomoyo answered. "But that's not a good idea," Sakura began.
"Ah, we'll think about it when it happens," was Tomoyo's logic.
"Um, okay." Sakura said hesitantly.
Tomoyo walked into the barracks and accosted one of the soldiers. She asked him where Li Shaoran was, but the man just shrugged.
"Hmm, well, he's not there," Tomoyo said upon her return.
"Oh, don't worry about it, it's not like I came here just to see him anyway," Sakura said, though her expression of dismay told otherwise.
Tomoyo opened her mouth to protest, but changed her mind.
"If that's what you want, Sakura," she said instead.
Sakura nodded and the two walked into the castle to get Tomoyo settled in the guest quarters. They would be staying at Camelot for another week while Eriol and Touya and Sakura's father prepared Lyonesse for the great tournament. When they reached the huge room beside Sakura's, Tomoyo regretfully excused herself so that she could oversee the unpacking of her many gowns.
"By the way, Sakura, I've already planned out each of your gowns for the seven days that the tournament will last," Tomoyo said just before she left.
Sakura laughed and walked into her own room so that she could change from her traveling gown. She strode over to her wardrobe and ran her fingers over the dresses until she found the proper one. It was pale pink and white, with white and pink braided ribbons for her hair. It had long sleeves embroidered with white lace and little white roses. She quickly undressed and pulled on the gown, lacing the bodice deftly and slipping into the soft shoes. After she was dressed, Sakura went to the kitchens to look for Laela, who had disappeared after they had arrived at the castle.
As she walked, the open, bell-like sleeves of her gown fluttered in the wind and the ribbons in her hair trailed behind her. There were cherry trees blooming all over the castle grounds, and they stretched over the marble paths and walkways that meandered through the courtyards and gardens. Sakura was walking beneath an arch of cherry trees, and a gentle wind blew the blossoms around her in a soft flurry of pale pink petals. When she emerged from the storm of flowers, her auburn hair was crowned with petals and she laughingly plucked them off her head.
"Sakura! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Laela scolded, rushing over to the beautiful princess.
"I was looking for you too," Sakura began, but her handmaiden interrupted her.
"I think that it would be a good idea for us to hold a banquet so you can meet all the suitors," Laela said, proud of her ingenious idea.
"But-" Sakura started again.
"I'm glad you agree, now let's go and tell the cook so she can prepare enough food," Laela beamed, totally ignoring Sakura's half-hearted protests.
Sakura finally stopped arguing with her oblivious maid and went along with her hurried, breathless plans. She was exhausted by the time they were done, and before Laela could suggest anything else, Sakura slipped away unnoticed and roamed through the vast castle grounds.
"Ah, finally some peace and quiet," she murmured, tilting her face up to gaze at the azure sky above.
The ivory clouds drifted lazily across the blue expanse, and the sun smiled down on the castle, bathing it in a warm golden radiance. Sakura sighed and strolled along the marble path, admiring the serene beauty of the castle. The soft breeze whispered around her and rustled her skirts around her slender ankles.
"Your Majesty?" came a voice from behind her.
Sakura whirled around to see a handsome young man standing there, regarding her with dark, violet eyes that veiled his emotions. The young man smiled slightly and bowed deeply to Sakura, his black hair falling over his eyes. His skin was fair, and his face was delicately sculptured, giving the impression of nobility.
"H-hello," Sakura said softly.
"I am Rune Darksun, Prince of the Darksun Clan," he said, referring to the strange warriors who seemed almost to appear one day, from just over the Nightshade Mountains, far to the north. The warriors were divided into warring Clans, and they were always out for blood. Despite their warlike society, they were delicately refined and artistically gifted, and made seemingly perfect courtiers. Sakura's father had managed to unite the twelve Clans, and now all of them served as the protectors of the kingdom, leaving the King's Own free to protect their lord.
Prince Rune was tall, so that the top of Sakura's head barely came up to his chin. He wore black armor that seemed so heavy that Sakura would have to struggle just to pick up the breastplate. Prince Rune's sword was beautiful, the hilt forged to resemble a black dragon curled around a darkened sun.
"Nice to meet you Prince Rune," Sakura said, quickly regaining her composure. "I hope your stay here at Camelot has been pleasant."
"It has been marvelous, and I am greatly amazed by your beautiful land," Prince Rune replied.
"Uh, thank you," Sakura answered, her attention caught by his dark, wine- colored eyes.
"I must be going now, but it was nice talking to you. They were right, you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I shall win your hand, no matter what," he added before leaving.
His black cloak swirled around him as he walked, and he looked like some dark knight out of the legends. A faint feeling of fear slipped into Sakura's heart. I'll win your hand, no matter what. She shuddered. Sakura was sure that Prince Rune would have no qualms about killing. Li, you better not lose! she thought to herself.