Chapter 7: Together at Last
"Hey Sakura, who's that?" Tomoyo asked, walking up behind her friend.
"Hmm?" Sakura replied, startled.
"That guy. Was that Li?" she said, peering after Prince Rune, "He looks kinda scary."
"No, that's Prince Rune, from the Darksun Clan," Sakura answered, shivering and rubbing her arms.
"Why don't we go back inside," Tomoyo suggested, noticing Sakura's uneasiness.
"Y-yeah, good idea." Sakura glanced back once more before following Tomoyo into the huge castle.
Tomoyo and Sakura walked through the silent halls, the servants slipping past them, unnoticed. Sakura led her cousin to the huge library at the far end of the castle, and Tomoyo was awed by its beauty. Tall, graceful columns reached to the ceiling and merged with the marble roof in gothic arches. Carved vines wrapped around the pillars and delicately sculptured faeries and mythical beings reclined on the leaves. The entire eastern wall was made of glass, allowing soft, gentle sunlight through to caress the two girl's faces. The view below was beautiful, for the gently swaying cherry trees seemed to blanket the entire landscape, and winding white paths could be seen through the boughs of the trees. The walls of the library were lined with tall cedar shelves filled with heavy, leather-bound books. The entire room had a cool, austere air to it, and even the furniture seemed disinterested in the passage of time.
"It's amazing!" Tomoyo breathed, gazing around the room.
"Yeah, I always used to come here and look out the windows," Sakura replied.
The two walked over to the glass wall and gazed out onto the tranquil scene. Suddenly Sakura gasped and stared in surprise at the form of a young man, wandering across the courtyard.
"Li," she murmured.
"Ah, at last I shall get to meet the acclaimed Li Shaoran," Tomoyo giggled, following Sakura as she rushed out of the library and out onto the courtyard.
When they finally emerged out on the courtyard, Li was nowhere to be seen. Sakura searched around desperately, but was forced to admit defeat. She sighed despondently and walked back to Tomoyo.
"I can't find him anywhere," she said sadly.
"Hey, is that him?" Tomoyo asked, pointing at a young man who had just emerged from the doorway that led to the barracks.
"Li!" Sakura gasped.
Before Tomoyo could say a word, Sakura fairly flew into the young knight's arms. He was startled to see her there, because he had heard that the royal family had been staying at Lyonesse.
"Princess Sakura, I'm glad to see you," he murmured into her hair as he clasped her tightly and inhaled her sweet fragrance.
"I've missed you," Sakura replied, huddling even closer to him.
Tomoyo, who was watching the two with a smile on her face, suddenly noticed the sound of boots on the marble ground. She rushed forward and grabbed the two and dragged them into the midst of the sweet cherry trees, just as Prince Rune walked past.
"You two have to be more careful!!!! If anybody saw you, they might tell the king, and then you'd be in big trouble!" she whispered.
"Thank you so much, Tomoyo," Sakura said, smiling at her cousin.
"By the way, I'm Tomoyo, Sakura's cousin," she said, introducing herself to Li.
"I'm Li Shaoran, one of the King's Own," he replied, bowing.
"I've heard a lot about you from my moonstruck cousin," Tomoyo said, grinning.
Sakura and Li both blushed deeply and twined their fingers together. Tomoyo laughed and gave them a huge smile.
"Why don't you go someplace where nobody would look for you, that way you can talk," she suggested.
Sakura nodded and led Li to the silent library, enjoying his reaction at the beautiful room. They sat down on a soft couch, and Li held Sakura close to him, protectively. She smiled and buried her face in his shoulder, enjoying his warm embrace.
"I thought you were in Lyonesse!" he said softly, at last, stroking her auburn hair.
"I was, but I missed Camelot.and you so much that I convinced my Father to let me stay here until the tournament starts," she answered.
"I'm glad you came back," he replied, tilting her face up with a gentle hand and kissing her softly.
Sakura smiled and hugged Li fiercely, wishing that they could stay like that forever. The two sat there, together, not a knight bound by duty and a princess bound by custom, but just two people who loved each other dearly. Suddenly Sakura sensed a strange, almost threatening aura nearby, and sat up, looking around. A chill raced down her spin and raised goose bumps on her arms. There was the sound of booted footsteps, making their way down the hall, and she spotted the edge of a black cloak from beneath the door before it swept away.
"What is it?" Li asked, his grip around her shoulders loosening.
"I.felt something," she murmured, unsure of what to tell Li without revealing the truth about her magic.
"I had better go," Li said regretfully.
Sakura rose reluctantly from the warmth and safety of Li's arms and he stood up after her. She looked up into his amber eyes and was drawn into their golden depths. He leaned down, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently. After a moment, he stepped away from her and looked away, his cheeks red. Sakura, smiling, stepped forward and put her delicate hands around his neck. She drew him down and they kissed again. Finally the two broke the kiss and left the library.
Sakura walked to her room while Li made his way back to the training grounds. When she reached her room, Sakura curled up on a thickly cushioned chair and gazed out the window. The sun was setting on the horizon, and it lit up the azure sky. It seemed as if the sun were pierced on the blades of the mountains and the red and orange light that came from it was it's blood, staining the sky.
Just then, Tomoyo slipped into Sakura's room and sat down on a chair next to her.
"So, how was it?" her cousin asked eagerly.
Sakura blushed and smiled. "I'm so glad that I got to see him. I've missed him so much."
"I'm glad that you have finally fallen in love. I didn't have that opportunity. My parents decided that I was going to marry Eriol and so I did. I was lucky that he is such a sweet man though," Tomoyo said wistfully.
"You miss him, don't you," Sakura murmured softly.
"Yes. Despite the fact that ours was an arranged marriage, Eriol and I have managed to fall deeply in love with each other, and now each parting moment is like a dagger in my heart," Tomoyo replied.
~~~
Li was exercising in the training yard alone, enjoying the feel of the cool wind across his bare chest and the warmth of the dying sun on his face. Suddenly he looked up, sensing a strange aura approaching. The tall Prince Rune came walking up, his black cloak sweeping around him and making him seem like some dark phantasm risen from the legends.
He smiled, but it seemed almost as if me were baring his teeth at Li.
"Why don't we see just how good you are against a real person," he said, his tone caustic.
"Sure," Li replied, forcing a smile.
Prince Rune slid black on black gloves and drew his sword. Li quickly donned his shirt and armor and drew his own sword. The two raised their weapons in salute to each other before suddenly lunging forward with a clash of metal. Li was caught off guard by the ferocity of the attack and stumbled backwards. Rune pressed the advantage and lunged in past Li's defense to nick him lightly on the base of his neck.
Blood trickled from the cut and Rune smiled mockingly. Li growled and attacked the dark man viciously, slashing methodically at Prince Rune. Rune moved fluidly and when he fought, it was like watching a flicker of fire. His sword danced and wove through Li's attacks and he nicked him again on the cheek. Li knew that the tiny cuts were not done out of concern. Instead, they were taunts, showing him just how much control and skill Prince Rune had.
Li leapt forward and attacked without a clear plan. Prince Rune, who had been carefully matching his movements, was baffled by the sheer force and anger that backed Li's attacks. For the first time, Rune stumbled back a step, his balance and concentration disrupted. Li grinned and lunged straight at his neck. Just before the blade reached him, Li stopped, the tip of his sword poised at Prince Rune's throat. He nicked the prince's neck and smiled.
"Tag, you're it," he said mockingly.
He withdrew his sword and Prince Rune instantly attacked. The two fought for six hours, testing the very limits of their abilities. By the time they were done, both were so exhausted that they couldn't even lift their swords, much less fight each other. They collapsed on the ground, blood streaming from the cuts they had inflicted on each other. Finally Li rose shakily and managed to stumble off to the barracks. Prince Rune remained there longer, resting. Finally, when he had regained his energy, Rune rose and put a finger to the cut on his neck. Angered by the fact that he had allowed that insolent knight to injure him at all, Rune continued to practice, pushing himself mercilessly until he had barely enough energy to drag himself to his room.
"I will win," he growled. "And when I do, the princess shall be mine!"
"Hey Sakura, who's that?" Tomoyo asked, walking up behind her friend.
"Hmm?" Sakura replied, startled.
"That guy. Was that Li?" she said, peering after Prince Rune, "He looks kinda scary."
"No, that's Prince Rune, from the Darksun Clan," Sakura answered, shivering and rubbing her arms.
"Why don't we go back inside," Tomoyo suggested, noticing Sakura's uneasiness.
"Y-yeah, good idea." Sakura glanced back once more before following Tomoyo into the huge castle.
Tomoyo and Sakura walked through the silent halls, the servants slipping past them, unnoticed. Sakura led her cousin to the huge library at the far end of the castle, and Tomoyo was awed by its beauty. Tall, graceful columns reached to the ceiling and merged with the marble roof in gothic arches. Carved vines wrapped around the pillars and delicately sculptured faeries and mythical beings reclined on the leaves. The entire eastern wall was made of glass, allowing soft, gentle sunlight through to caress the two girl's faces. The view below was beautiful, for the gently swaying cherry trees seemed to blanket the entire landscape, and winding white paths could be seen through the boughs of the trees. The walls of the library were lined with tall cedar shelves filled with heavy, leather-bound books. The entire room had a cool, austere air to it, and even the furniture seemed disinterested in the passage of time.
"It's amazing!" Tomoyo breathed, gazing around the room.
"Yeah, I always used to come here and look out the windows," Sakura replied.
The two walked over to the glass wall and gazed out onto the tranquil scene. Suddenly Sakura gasped and stared in surprise at the form of a young man, wandering across the courtyard.
"Li," she murmured.
"Ah, at last I shall get to meet the acclaimed Li Shaoran," Tomoyo giggled, following Sakura as she rushed out of the library and out onto the courtyard.
When they finally emerged out on the courtyard, Li was nowhere to be seen. Sakura searched around desperately, but was forced to admit defeat. She sighed despondently and walked back to Tomoyo.
"I can't find him anywhere," she said sadly.
"Hey, is that him?" Tomoyo asked, pointing at a young man who had just emerged from the doorway that led to the barracks.
"Li!" Sakura gasped.
Before Tomoyo could say a word, Sakura fairly flew into the young knight's arms. He was startled to see her there, because he had heard that the royal family had been staying at Lyonesse.
"Princess Sakura, I'm glad to see you," he murmured into her hair as he clasped her tightly and inhaled her sweet fragrance.
"I've missed you," Sakura replied, huddling even closer to him.
Tomoyo, who was watching the two with a smile on her face, suddenly noticed the sound of boots on the marble ground. She rushed forward and grabbed the two and dragged them into the midst of the sweet cherry trees, just as Prince Rune walked past.
"You two have to be more careful!!!! If anybody saw you, they might tell the king, and then you'd be in big trouble!" she whispered.
"Thank you so much, Tomoyo," Sakura said, smiling at her cousin.
"By the way, I'm Tomoyo, Sakura's cousin," she said, introducing herself to Li.
"I'm Li Shaoran, one of the King's Own," he replied, bowing.
"I've heard a lot about you from my moonstruck cousin," Tomoyo said, grinning.
Sakura and Li both blushed deeply and twined their fingers together. Tomoyo laughed and gave them a huge smile.
"Why don't you go someplace where nobody would look for you, that way you can talk," she suggested.
Sakura nodded and led Li to the silent library, enjoying his reaction at the beautiful room. They sat down on a soft couch, and Li held Sakura close to him, protectively. She smiled and buried her face in his shoulder, enjoying his warm embrace.
"I thought you were in Lyonesse!" he said softly, at last, stroking her auburn hair.
"I was, but I missed Camelot.and you so much that I convinced my Father to let me stay here until the tournament starts," she answered.
"I'm glad you came back," he replied, tilting her face up with a gentle hand and kissing her softly.
Sakura smiled and hugged Li fiercely, wishing that they could stay like that forever. The two sat there, together, not a knight bound by duty and a princess bound by custom, but just two people who loved each other dearly. Suddenly Sakura sensed a strange, almost threatening aura nearby, and sat up, looking around. A chill raced down her spin and raised goose bumps on her arms. There was the sound of booted footsteps, making their way down the hall, and she spotted the edge of a black cloak from beneath the door before it swept away.
"What is it?" Li asked, his grip around her shoulders loosening.
"I.felt something," she murmured, unsure of what to tell Li without revealing the truth about her magic.
"I had better go," Li said regretfully.
Sakura rose reluctantly from the warmth and safety of Li's arms and he stood up after her. She looked up into his amber eyes and was drawn into their golden depths. He leaned down, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently. After a moment, he stepped away from her and looked away, his cheeks red. Sakura, smiling, stepped forward and put her delicate hands around his neck. She drew him down and they kissed again. Finally the two broke the kiss and left the library.
Sakura walked to her room while Li made his way back to the training grounds. When she reached her room, Sakura curled up on a thickly cushioned chair and gazed out the window. The sun was setting on the horizon, and it lit up the azure sky. It seemed as if the sun were pierced on the blades of the mountains and the red and orange light that came from it was it's blood, staining the sky.
Just then, Tomoyo slipped into Sakura's room and sat down on a chair next to her.
"So, how was it?" her cousin asked eagerly.
Sakura blushed and smiled. "I'm so glad that I got to see him. I've missed him so much."
"I'm glad that you have finally fallen in love. I didn't have that opportunity. My parents decided that I was going to marry Eriol and so I did. I was lucky that he is such a sweet man though," Tomoyo said wistfully.
"You miss him, don't you," Sakura murmured softly.
"Yes. Despite the fact that ours was an arranged marriage, Eriol and I have managed to fall deeply in love with each other, and now each parting moment is like a dagger in my heart," Tomoyo replied.
~~~
Li was exercising in the training yard alone, enjoying the feel of the cool wind across his bare chest and the warmth of the dying sun on his face. Suddenly he looked up, sensing a strange aura approaching. The tall Prince Rune came walking up, his black cloak sweeping around him and making him seem like some dark phantasm risen from the legends.
He smiled, but it seemed almost as if me were baring his teeth at Li.
"Why don't we see just how good you are against a real person," he said, his tone caustic.
"Sure," Li replied, forcing a smile.
Prince Rune slid black on black gloves and drew his sword. Li quickly donned his shirt and armor and drew his own sword. The two raised their weapons in salute to each other before suddenly lunging forward with a clash of metal. Li was caught off guard by the ferocity of the attack and stumbled backwards. Rune pressed the advantage and lunged in past Li's defense to nick him lightly on the base of his neck.
Blood trickled from the cut and Rune smiled mockingly. Li growled and attacked the dark man viciously, slashing methodically at Prince Rune. Rune moved fluidly and when he fought, it was like watching a flicker of fire. His sword danced and wove through Li's attacks and he nicked him again on the cheek. Li knew that the tiny cuts were not done out of concern. Instead, they were taunts, showing him just how much control and skill Prince Rune had.
Li leapt forward and attacked without a clear plan. Prince Rune, who had been carefully matching his movements, was baffled by the sheer force and anger that backed Li's attacks. For the first time, Rune stumbled back a step, his balance and concentration disrupted. Li grinned and lunged straight at his neck. Just before the blade reached him, Li stopped, the tip of his sword poised at Prince Rune's throat. He nicked the prince's neck and smiled.
"Tag, you're it," he said mockingly.
He withdrew his sword and Prince Rune instantly attacked. The two fought for six hours, testing the very limits of their abilities. By the time they were done, both were so exhausted that they couldn't even lift their swords, much less fight each other. They collapsed on the ground, blood streaming from the cuts they had inflicted on each other. Finally Li rose shakily and managed to stumble off to the barracks. Prince Rune remained there longer, resting. Finally, when he had regained his energy, Rune rose and put a finger to the cut on his neck. Angered by the fact that he had allowed that insolent knight to injure him at all, Rune continued to practice, pushing himself mercilessly until he had barely enough energy to drag himself to his room.
"I will win," he growled. "And when I do, the princess shall be mine!"