Title: Once Upon A Time
Chapter: 10 - The Queen's Plan
By: Sparkling Crystal
"Here is your breakfast, Prince Eriol."
Tomoyo had said softly when she gracefully placed his meal in front of him on the huge glass dining table.
Eriol smiled at her warmly, "Arigatou."
Those dark sapphire blue eyes! That energetic smile!
Tomoyo blushed and quickly exited the Dining Room, her light purple dress gently swaying behind her.
In the position that she had sat in there was really no need to serve him. Yet...this way she could watch him quietly, she knew she had not chance in him ever loving her, but she can't help but wanting to see him again. She had told herself to stop dreaming for almost a million times, but even her mind wouldn't listen to her, and her legs forced her to walk to the Dining Room.
She couldn't control her hands as they had shook when she gave him his meal. She couldn't control her heart as they kept racing faster and faster when he thanked her. She couldn't control herself from loving him either.
Tomoyo sighed.
Now she finally knew why it's called a crush, it was crushing her so hard she could barely breathe.
* * *
Sakura was still sitting on her canvas bed in her room, fiddling with her hands continuously and looked apologetically at Tomoyo, who was standing by the door.
"Tomoyo...I'm so sorry for yelling at you yesterday, you're my best friend. I was really frustrated, and-"
Tomoyo smiled forgivingly, she wasn't really mad at the first place anyways, and replied in a cheery tone, "It's okay, Sakura. I understand. And I really must thank you for realizing something."
Sakura blinked a few times.
Tomoyo quickly shook her head, "It's nothing important."
She called herself stupid, quit giving away hints! You could ruin the whole future of Cherossyom! What if Sakura had found out you like Eriol? Then that would surely give her another reason to not marry Eriol!
Fortunately Sakura was a little dense, and did not realize for whatever reason would Tomoyo thank her for yelling "why don't you marry him yourself?" and "go away".
"So," Tomoyo quickly changed the subject, "What are you planning to do about the situation then?"
Sakura's face darkened immediately.
"I don't know, Tomoyo, I really don't know," she said slowly, "But I will never marry Eriol and neither will I give up Syaoran. I need to see him again, but...it's almost impossible."
Tomoyo almost smiled when Sakura had said she'll never marry Eriol, but then she had quickly hid it from her best friend and Mistress as she pretended to nod solemnly. Stop being a jerk, Tomoyo! She told herself. She's your best friend and this is for the well-being of the country! But she doesn't like Eriol anyways, another voice rang up in her head, what kind of friend would you be if you had told her to marry someone she doesn't like? But still...
Tomoyo quickly shook her head, trying to think less about Eriol and more about Sakura.
Sakura sighed and began to get out of the bed and yawned.
"Might as well wake up first, I'm sot tired of all these lying around being sick! I'm in the mood for riding...where's my riding outfit?"
Tomoyo's eyes suddenly started twinkling, her face glowed with excitement and her mouth twisted into a wide grin. Sakura eyed her carefully, "Tomoyo...uh...are you okay?"
"OhHhHhHhHh~!!" Tomoyo started squealing, "You have just got to try out this adorable new dress that I made for you yesterday!!"
"HOE!?"
* * *
"Dear Sakura,
Please meet me at the Stables beside the Woods this afternoon at one o'clock sharp. I need to talk to you about what has been going on. The borders were closed because of the war so this was the only I could see you.
Syaoran"
Sakura stared at the piece of note, neatly written and in such beautiful handwriting. She had never saw Syaoran's writing before actually, but she was sure it would be perfect...like this.
Then she looked up at Wilma, who was looking down at the floor nervously for some reason. Sakura held the note tightly to her chest. Was this really her Syaoran? Are they going to see each other again?
"Ano, where did you get this letter from?" Sakura asked Wilma with curiosity.
"A man in a black cloak by the stables gave it to me when I was passing by and then rode on his brown horse into the woods before I could say anything," Wilma said with one breathe as if she was a student memorizing a poem for her strict teacher.
Sakura nodded without another word and sent her off.
Her heart was beating twice its usual speed, she felt so energetic and alive. She was too happy to think about anything. Syaoran! Syaoran was going to be here! She smiled at the letter one more time before running down the halls, screaming for Tomoyo.
"Tomoyo! Tomoyo!!"
Tomoyo had quickly ran from the Library in which where Eriol was reading towards where Sakura's voice was coming from.
"What's wrong, Princess Sakura?", she said worriedly while gasping between breathes.
Sakura had a big, wide grin on her and her eyes were again filled with hope and happiness.
"Syaoran! Syaoran! He's-coming!"
Tomoyo let out a breath, all these sure got her nervous for nothing. She looked at Sakura suspiciously though, "How could Prince Syaoran get here though? How could he have told you? And what is he planning to do?"
"He's going to ride through the woods by the Castle Stables and we'll think of a way together. Wilma gave me the note that she got from some kind of messenger this morning. Oh, Tomoyo! I can't believe he's actually coming!"
The woods? Messenger?
Her eyebrows narrowed.
" But Sakura-"
"Lady Tomoyo."
Sakura and Tomoyo's eyes immediately turned to the servant that was standing besides them, they both recognize him as the Queen's most trusted man-servant William.
"Her Majesty the Queen would like to invite you over to her Private Reading Room to discuss some..." he searched for the right word, "...issues."
Tomoyo nodded suspiciously and followed William after leaving a quick final glance at Sakura, who was looking slightly confused.
They traveled all the way to the Queen's Reading Chamber in silence. Tomoyo's suspicion was growing by the minute. Then William gently knocked on the door, and with a reply from the Queen, opened the door for Tomoyo to enter. She curtseyed at the Queen and said shortly yet gracefully, "Your Majesty."
The Queen putted down the book that she was reading and placed them on the desk beside the chair that she was sitting on.
"Tomoyo, you are aware that as soon as Princess Sakura had ran off on her wild horse into the woods that we have began building a fence and cutting down some of the trees, correct?"
Tomoyo nodded.
"Very well. I'll be honest with you then. I've already given up on Sakura marrying Syaoran, and I'm deciding for her that she will marry Eriol, no matter if she likes it or not," the Queen said, her voice telling Tomoyo that her mind was made and nothing could ever change it.
Tomoyo's heart skipped a beat, but she tried to cover up her shock by nodding quickly. The queen didn't seem to notice anyhow, and went on:
"Her father, the King, has already discussed with me about the military, and we both agree that there is quite little chance that we could win if we ever got into a war with Naroays. Therefore, the best solution to this problem is to have Sakura marry Eriol and we can gain an ally just that easily...but Sakura stubbornly refuses to help and stick with her hope for peace and Syaoran returning to her. As a result..."
"As a result," Tomoyo continued for her as her breath quickened, "Your Majesty has sent Wilma to tell Princess Sakura a messenger from Naroays have been here and Prince Syaoran will be meeting her this afternoon. Yet when the Princess goes to the stables this afternoon, instead of Prince Syaoran she will find..."
"Nothing."
The Queen finished coldly.
"N-nothing?" Tomoyo repeated with a little surprise.
"Yes, we can't keep on waiting for the day that her precious Prince Syaoran will think of a way and return to her," the Queen said with mockery, "It's too late for peace. And when Sakura goes to the stables this afternoon she will be greeted by Princess Belle of Penelopia instead."
"Princess Belle-?" Tomoyo said and looked at the Queen, waiting for an explanation. She had never heard of this name before, since she never went to the breakfast and Sakura never mentioned it to her.
"She is the princess that the Queen of Naroays had wanted Syaoran to marry."
Tomoyo's eyes widened, "How did you-"
"I have my sources," The Queen said severely, "Curiosity kills the cat, Tomoyo."
Tomoyo's face immediately turned pink as she stared at the floor, "S-Sorry, Your Majesty." Since when did Sakura's mom became so mean?
"I had asked Princess Belle to pretend that Syaoran was engaged with her and end Sakura's pathetic, impossible string of hope. She wouldn't do it at first, but finally agreed...and after Sakura gives up on Syaoran she would surely take Eriol instead...so, such a smart girl like you should understand..."
"I-I won't say anything to Princess Sakura...Your Majesty," Tomoyo replied, her face dark and covered in gloom. Then she curtseyed and left the room quietly, passing by William as she went out the door.
Tomoyo sighed as she walked down the Hallway, with no destination planned. She was shaky and her footsteps were uneven.
"I thought all fairy tales end with 'happily ever after'...but I guess it's not so in this case. Sakura will be heartbroken and marry a man she never loved...and Syaoran...he will probably live the rest of his life thinking how cruel and heartless Sakura had been...forever until his death...and me? I will never find any man better than Eriol...I'm but a servant-girl anyways..."
"...and always will be."
As Tomoyo's thoughts reached here she couldn't help but breaking into tears. All her dreams...hopes...they had all vanished into thin air...just within the last few minutes.
"What's wrong, Tomoyo?"
She immediately jumped up and looked to see who was standing there. The clear, transparent drops of tears remained silent on her cheeks but she didn't have time to wipe them away.
"P-Prince Eriol!"
________________________________________________________________________
~*ARTHUR'S NOTE*~
Well you all know what I'm about to say, so...please review!! ^^ Thanks to all my "loyal readers"! And to AngelBear: I don't mean to make Sakura seem stupid or anything but she is a little on the dense side...for example, in the series she was unable to tell that Syaoran liked her even though he keeps blushing when they're together, getting nervous, and acting extremely furious when Eriol did anything with Sakura. But, quote from Tomoyo, "That's also what makes Sakura so kawaii!!" ^^ Ne?