Title: Once Upon A Time

Chapter: 9 - The Mysterious Prince

By: Sparkling Crystal

"N-Naroays?!"

Sakura said through trembled lips.

She knew the Queen was angry at them...but it was all a misunderstanding! She couldn't really have started war with them! Or could she? This was all my fault, Sakura thought to herself, if only if I had let Syaoran stay and explain to his Mother! Then this wouldn't have happened!

Sakura's step-mother nodded her head solemnly.

"Your Father and Brother had left his morning to organize the troops. I was so worried when I find out you haven't returned yet, I thought she would have took you as hostage! But it's all right now. Plus, we're going to get a great new ally! A prince has asked for your hand of marriage! After you marry him we'll be able to gain so much land and power!"

Sakura thought she had enough shock for a day, but she was obviously wrong.

"H-hand of marriage!?"

Sakura gasped, her head was so dizzy and blurred.

Why was her step-mother always making decisions for her? Her real mother would have never done that! Didn't she have enough pairings already? What is her step-mother's problem, can she not chose her own love?

"No!" She yelled in frustration, her face pale and her hands cold, "No! I don't want to marry some stupid prince! You had forced me to go to the breakfast in Naroays in the first place! I never even wanted to go! But after I did, I guess you were right, I had started to like Syaoran...and now three days later you decide you want me to marry another guy!? Am I but a puppet in your eyes? Only a tool to get you more land and gain more allies?! No! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!! I want my real mother!"

Sakura cried even more as she ran towards her room and slammed the door shut in anger.

Her step-mother stood there shocked in horror and was unsure of what to do. She had never meant to hurt Sakura's feelings...god, if it wasn't for that crazy Queen from Naroays she would have been only too happy to let Sakura marry Syaoran!

Tomoyo glanced at the Queen and quickly asked, "May I get permission from Your Majesty to see if Princess Sakura is alright?"

The Queen nodded her head solemnly and letted out a sigh.

* * *

"Sakura...Sakura, it's me. May I come in?"

Sakura was crying her heart out on her soft four-poster bed. She didn't even had time to be happy from being home yet to be shocked and heart-broken at the news.

Tomoyo opened the door anyways at Sakura's silence.

"Sakura-chan, please don't cry, you're making me sad too," Tomoyo said softly, "I'm sure there will be a solution to this problem. Why don't we plan something out?"

Sakura sniffled a cry from her pillow and shook her head furiously.

Tomoyo sighed, she felt sorry for Sakura. What would have she done if she was in her place?

"Really, Princess Sakura. Crying wouldn't be much help, would it?"

A familiar, feminine voice came from the next room.

The door gently opened.

Sakura quickly lifted her face from her pillow.

Wilma appeared before her, her eyes twinkling with kindness and smiled a gentle smile.

"Wilma..."

Wilma smiled, and handed to Sakura a soft white handkerchief.

Although she was only a few years older than Sakura she seemed as if she was much more mature than her.

"Princess Sakura, your Mother is thinking for the whole kingdom. If you were to marry Prince of Englen and fight against Naroays, we would be able to gain all the land of Naroays and a great ally. I have saw the Prince of Englen once, when I was serving tea, and he looked like a fine gentleman! Forget the Prince of Naroays, it was only a few days that you knew each other. It's only puppy-love, it will soon pass. Ne, Princess?"

Sakura had stopped listening after Wilma had said the words "Prince of Englen".

Her eyes widened and her face turned even paler, the blood was leaving her head as she grasped tightly onto her blanket with her cold hands.

"Prince of Englen...Prince of Englen..."

Sakura was shocked again.

The other prince who was asking for her hand in marriage was...ERIOL!?

Her hand were already cold and shaking, now she felt even dizzier.

"Oh my god, oh my god..."

She said weakly before passing out on the bed.

* * *

"She's waking up!"

"Quickly, get more hot water!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Oh, bring a cup of water on your way."

"Yes, Lady Tomoyo!"

Sakura slowly opened her eyes.

Standing before her was her step-mother, her eyes filled with concern and sadness. Wilma and a few other maids were running around the room bringing more hot water to wash the towels that were placed on her head with.

"My poor, poor Sakura," her step-mother said as she personally switched the towels for her.

A damp, warm towel was placed on top of her forehead as she began to rub her eyes.

She felt so weak...so tired...her body was so hot...yet her fingers so cold...her mind was blurry and unclear.

"The doctor says you have a fever," her step-mother said softly, "It'll be fine soon, dear, don't worry. He said you were over-exhausted and had too much cold air. I could imagine how it was like when you were traveling to get home, it must have been horrible. I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Please don't be so angry, forgive me, Sakura, please get better..."

A tear rolled down Sakura's soft cheeks.

Don't be so kind to me...yell at me...scream at me...but just don't be nice to me...

She had felt extremely guilty for yelling at her step-mother the other day, and now she felt even guiltier. But she was just too frustrated and tired. Obviously, no one's mood could be good for walking two days straight and then suddenly finding out her love's mother had started war on them and her own mother is making her to marry a man that she thought was barely an acquaintance.

Her step-mother smiled caringly at Sakura, and gently wiped her tears away with her own handkerchief.

"I won't make you marry Prince Eriol anymore, Sakura. But please think about it. Think about the kingdom, think of your place as a Princess..."

Sakura immediately closed her eyes as an answer to her step-mother's plead.

Her mind was set and no matter what her step-mother say will ever change her decision.

"Very well," her step-mother said, "But having Prince Eriol is better than having nothing at all, isn't it?"

Sakura's eyes flipped open.

"Well, think about it. I don't think Syaoran's mother would let him marry you either. He is but a boy, his powers are all from his mother, he is absolutely helpless without her, useless even. So you'll be better off having Eriol instead."

"No!" Sakura cried out loud, her voice was wispy and weak, "Syaoran is not helpless! He is great in martial arts, he has such a kind heart, I never want to leave him!"

Suddenly an idea rose in Sakura's mind, her eyes started twinkling with inspiration.

"Let the two of us be together, we can make an example of peace! The kingdoms will follow, let us stop the fighting, and bring peace to us all," Sakura said with great enthusiasm.

Sakura's step-mother sighed and held Sakura's hands tightly, "You don't know that woman, she is mad! Fanatical! Crazy! Nuts! Uncontrollable! Out of her mind! You think I like wars? Of course not, I even tried reasoning with her, but she just goes around yelling and screaming unknown words and muttering she'll devour us all. Just this morning I had sent a messenger over to try and stop this war, and she had killed him and sent me back his head in a box within three hours! Beyond reason! That's what she is! Then just as I was out of ideas of what I can do to help the kingdom Prince Eriol arrived. He asked for your hand in marriage, and if that would happen the two kingdoms were certainly become allies. I didn't accept him right away, but I thought you would, ever since Wilma told me how much you didn't wanted to go to the Breakfast."

Sakura also sighed, she finally knew how her step-mother felt. "What Wilma didn't tell you was that I fell in love with him the very second day!" Sakura thought sadly, "And if only Syaoran didn't come with me, if only!"

"Well, I'll leave you alone with your thoughts for a while. Please think about it, Sakura."

Sakura's step-mother then slowly got up and went out of the room.

Tomoyo quickly came beside her and changed the towel on her forehead for her, she was worried about her the whole time, ever since she had disappeared into the woods behind the Castle. She was also greatly relieved when a messenger on a brown horse had came from Naroays telling them that Sakura was safe and staying over until they could, for some weird reason, fix all the carriages to come home. Then just yesterday, war had begun!

She shook her head, this was too much for her, and too much for Sakura too. Really, what kind of crazy queen was Prince Syaoran's mother? One minute she is having Sakura over at her castle and the next she is swearing to kill every single person in Cherossyom.

Sakura also hadn't told her why Prince Syaoran's mother had started the war...no one in Cherossyom really knew, except for maybe Sakura...

Sakura sighed so ever weakly and laid back down, she was so angry at the whole situation.

Tomoyo knew she shouldn't ask her that right now, if she did Sakura would probably get a heart attack! Yet she couldn't understand why Sakura didn't like Eriol, surely he seemed 100% better than Syaoran...of course Tomoyo would never say this, but does Sakura have a blind spot or can she not see that Eriol was really this great?

"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said like a best friend, "Prince Eriol really seems like a responsible, mature, and kind man, you'll be happy with him. Why don't you like him? He isn't bad in looks at all. He has those mysteriously fun eyes, that energetic smile! What more could you ask for?"

Tomoyo's voice began to get more and more devoted by the minute.

"He's also a prince, he has great wealth and power, and he's extremely friendly. Not snotty or mean at all, he kept smiling at me today. Really, he is absolutely irresistibly charming! When I saw Prince Syaoran today he had looked so arrogant and... aggressive. Eriol is actually not bad!" she finished slowly, expressing her true opinion.

Sakura shot her an angry look, "If you like him so much why don't YOU marry him!? Go away!!"

Tomoyo suddenly shot up, her eyes wide in shock, and quickly went out of the room, closing the door behind her.

No...Tomoyo, don't leave...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to yell...Sakura thought angrily at herself as more hot tears ran out of her eyes...her head was feeling hotter and hotter...her vision blurring...why do I have to be so mean? Now there's no one left by my side...no one...no one at all...

* * *

Just outside the doors Tomoyo was thinking to herself in a brand new way. The words of Sakura kept repeating itself...

"If you like him so much why don't YOU marry him!?"

It was like a new thing that she had never encountered, never thought of. What she had based on mind on all these years of her life was Sakura. What Sakura likes, what Sakura doesn't like, what to do to please Sakura, what to do to make Sakura happy, which outfit would Sakura look best in.

All she cared about was Sakura.

She didn't have anytime for herself at all. Never had bothered what she wanted herself, never cared if she was really happy at all. If Sakura was happy, she was happy. If Sakura was sad, she was sad too.

Now that Sakura had said it, she had realized a fact.

She was in love with Eriol.

Face it, she told herself, you had been in love with his gorgeous looks and the mysterious yet playful personality ever since you saw him. You can never deny it.

Yet she just didn't realize it at first, she only thought how suitable he would be for Sakura, how wonderful if Sakura could have a guy as good as Eriol as a husband.

Tomoyo sighed.

But which prince would be interested in a servant girl?

________________________________________________________________________

~*ARTHUR'S NOTE*~

Plz review onegai! And to "lilsweetcherryblossom": I got the name of Cherossyom from cherry, which was of course, sakura in Japanese. ^^ Really, all the kingdom's names are based on their prince/princess. example, Eriol and Englen. in the series Eriol had came back from England, and I just changed England to Englen. Heh...isn't that the best a simple-minded person like me could do??