Caught in a curse
Chapter 5
Author : butterfly-grey
I've just come across of a most talented writer by the name of kayjuli. I wonder
whether I should make the story long or short… Oh, and thanks for the reviews!
* * *
Sakura was given the room in the East Wing where all the unmarried women of
the family stayed. The occupants there were nice even though they chattered too
much. They were curious to how she had met Xiao Lang and to how
she and Xiao Lang became so close. They pelted her with questions and she tried
her best to wiggle out of it.
"Tell us Ying Fa, how ever did you and Xiao Lang met?" one asked, giggling
furiously.
"Oh..um at Tomoyo's wedding," Sakura answered.
Someone squealed 'I knew it' and they all cuddled closer to her. Sakura smiled
uneasily at their closeness as she was sitting right in the middle. In fact,
having so many people around her gave her a panicky feeling, afraid she would
say something wrong and make them angry.
"And then…did he really go all the way to wherever you were staying just to
see you?" another one asked in a hushed excited voice.
Sakura colored and avoided their eyes by looking downwards, "Hai," she replied
very softly.
"What?"
"Hai," she said a little louder this time.
"Amazing!"
"Kawaii ne?" Tomoyo's voice suddenly came from beside one of the girls. The girls beside
her jumped a little a way from her and stared at her as if she were a bit on the crazy
side.
"Tomoyo?! When did you come in?" Sakura asked, taken a little aback by her sudden
appearance.
Tomoyo gave her her brightest smile, "Just recently. Hey girls, I'm sure you won't
mind if I steal Ying Fa away," she told the rest and pulled Sakura out of the room.
"Arigato Tomoyo-chan, I don't know what I'd do without you," Sakura said.
"I'd do anything for you, Sakura-chan."
However hard she tried things didn't get any better between her and Xiao Lang's
parents. Ye Lan was always staring at her with a glint of anger in her eyes while her
face remained unusually pale and she wouldn't even talk to her. Meanwhile, Yang
kept glancing her way with reproachful eyes. And every day Sakura felt more and more
uncomfortable in their company.
And Ye Lan knew that she could not let the girl stay, her conniving mind already
thinking of ways to dispose of her. Her plan was to do accomplish it with finesse,
without her son interfering. Perhaps…
"Ye Lan, this has to stop," her husband said to her before they were going to
retire for the night.
She turned to look at him, "I know…I might have a plan to get rid of her. What do you
think of-?"
Yang had grab both of her hands into his, "No that's not what I mean. Ye Lan, you
have to let go you cannot hate her forever. Let our son be happy with the girl," he
persuaded her softly.
She wrenched her hands away and stared at him defiantly, "I won't. I cannot
forget that night when she cursed my son to be forever bonded to her gypsy daughter.
I pleaded with her but she went on with it. Now I have lost him to her."
"You have not yet lost your son, my love. However if you take away what he wants
he might just hate you for life. He is no more a child you can coax, he is a man. I may not
like the idea of him marrying a girl with no lineage but remember what happened to him
the night after we decided on the death of the women of the mountains and the girl," Yang
went on with his gentle voice.
"He almost died himself…I remember. The memory charm holds or he would have called
the girl Sakura instead."
Yang rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "The girl seems to have forgotten herself."
"I will separate them, just you wait. Tomorrow, I will have a busy day," Ye Lan said
menacingly.
* * *
Once again, she was waiting for him. She stood in the centre where yellow daffodils
swayed by the calling of the wind. The yellow frock she was wearing made her blend into
her surroundings, like she was part of this picture. Her auburn-gold hair stood out within
the midst of yellow and was lifted by the teasing wind.
"Ying Fa," he called her name.
Her head lifted and her bright green eyes settled on him. They smiled, beckoning
him to come to her, to be one with her once more. And he complied.
"Xiao Lang, I've missed you," she said in a caressing voice.
He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "As I have you," he returned huskily.
The connection between them flared. He drew her into his embrace and kissed her
lightly on her lips. The kiss deepened into a passionate kiss as his tongue coaxed her
mouth to open.
Then she was wrenched away from his grasp. A dark nameless shadow grabbed her by her
hand and propelled her backwards. The dark shadows were engulfing her petite frame, she was swallowed
into the darkness. He tried to reach her but he was too late and she was gone.
Xiao Lang sat up his bed perspiring heavily. He looked dazedly in front of him
while his heartbeat steadied. A bead of sweat dropped onto his hand and it jarred him
awake. He flung the covers away from his legs and walked towards the huge window.
The night's air was warm and it soothed his soul.
Prophetic dreams were rare in his clan. And this one he had troubled him.
Someone was going to take Ying Fa away from him and he'd be damned if he were to let
it happen. He would be marrying her, as soon as possible.
* * *
"This is uncomfortable," Sakura complained to Tomoyo.
"No it's not. You'll get used to it soon. Now, be still while I do your hair," Tomoyo
warned her.
"It itches and I can't scratch it," Sakura came again as she fidgeted.
"Done!"
Sakura had on a traditional cheongsam. It was a sweet pink color like the color of pink
cotton candy with silver thread used to form the flower her name represented. The skirt
reached a few inches below her knees and the slit was right up to her thigh. Tomoyo had
put exquisite circlet of pink flowers on each side of her hair.
The door was knocked upon and Tomoyo opened it.
"Mistress Ying Fa, Lady Li requests for your presence now," a young servant girl said politely.
"Break a leg, Ying Fa," Tomoyo winked at her.
Sakura rolled her eyes at her before she followed the servant girl out. They walked
through a few hallways and down some steps before they reached Lady Li's own private hall.
Ye Lan was sitting on a throne-like chair at the end of the long square table while the
other sits were occupied by other beautiful ladies who had on expensive silk cheongsams.
"Lady Li," Sakura said respectfully.
Ye Lan's black eyes pierced through the girl angrily, "Take a seat," she
said.
She sat by the side of a heavily perfumed lady about her age. The smell tickled her
nostrils and she sneezed. Heads turned swiftly at the loud sound of a sneeze and Sakura
colored. They then turn their heads away haughtily and began to talk among themselves.
"This is an informal meeting for you ladies to get to know each other. I have some
business to attend to," Ye Lan said as she stood up from her chair and swept away.
"Oh, yes have I told you that my father, the Lord of Tallon had recently ordered
Arabian horses for me. They're absolutely brilliant," one with the most outrageous
black curls said in a most snooty manner.
The others not to be outdone came up with extravagant stories of their recent gifts
and exploits. They seemed like they were all magnificent fakes. Sakura sat, quiet merely
listening. She was getting bored with all this nonsensical talking.
"What about you? I haven't heard a peep out of you. Who is your father?" the tall
girl beside her asked.
"I don't know who he is. I've been living with my Aunt all these while until she died
recently," Sakura answered.
The tall girl who introduced herself as Miss Fang Li-li fanned herself
with her paper fan and eyed her critically, "Don't know? What is your name?"
"Ying Fa."
A girl with two buns and trailing pigtails stood up so quickly that her chair
toppled backwards with a loud thud. "You are Ying Fa? The one who had bewitched the
Young Master Li?"
That seemed to have caught all their attention and it was riveted on her. They
stared at her in shock. Then the tall girl beside her laughed in a piercing voice,
"You? A commoner. What could he possible see in you?"
"I'll bet on my Arabian horses that she came from some peasant family who didn't
want her. She must have seduced him."
"She's a trash, that's what she is," another taunted.
Sakura's face turned pale and she felt tears prick her eyes. These women hated her,
they insulted her because she was a commoner. She took a step back and ran from the room,
hot tears spilling down her cheeks. She didn't see where she went, pushing everything blindly
out of her way.
Her legs gave way in front of the Temple of Gods. The foreboding statue of the
Jade Emperor stared back at her with gentle eyes. And she prayed that he would end her
own suffering. Although she may not have said it but she desperately wanted to know who
her parents were, peasant or not.
"Do you see why you could never fit in this world my son grew up in?" a cold
voice said.
She needn't turn to see who it was, she already knew. "You planned this," was all she said.
"I merely wanted to show you what the world of the elite was all about. How
could you make Xiao Lang a worthy wife?"
"I see. There are others who are more worthy," Sakura asked, wiping her tears with the back of
her hand.
"Exactly. Leave this place and don't come back," Ye Lan said to her.
"I cannot be apart from Xiao Lang, Lady Li. I will certainly die," Sakura told her in
a matter-of-fact voice.
"That doesn't concern me," Ye Lan said without a trace of emotion.
"But it concerns me," Xiao Lang said grimly. He was standing at the entrance of
the temple with his arms crossed. He had been listening to their conversation for the
whole time.
"Xiao Lang, when..how?" Ye Lan said in a flustered voice.
He looked at her furiously. "Mother, how could you have done this?"
"I wanted the best for you, my son," Ye Lan tried to explain.
"I will marry Ying Fa," he said in a voice that dared her to challenge him.
Ye Lan knew that her son would not back down, he wanted the girl. She was now
angrier than ever. Hatred flashed in her eyes when she looked at the girl. But she
knew that she must first of all make peace with her son.
"I see that I have no choice. Very well then, my son," she said in a defeated voice.
"Thank you mother."
"Don't thank me yet. I have conditions. First, you mustn't meet each other any more
for two months. Second, Ying Fa you must obey my every command for the two months,
you will be by my side every day. Well, do you accept?"
"I accept," they said in unison.
Xiao Lang was about to draw her into his arms for a kiss when his mother
took hold of her hand and dragged her away. "Starting now," she said.
He satisfied himself with a peck on her cheek before his mother took her away.
Still, the dream continued to haunt him. The uneasy feeling he had since he had the dream
had not totally gone away.
* * *
The girl reflected in the mirror smiled mockingly. A delicate white hand traced
the pouty red lips and the smile widened. Then her hands undid the ribbon that held the
two buns by the side of her head. Silky black hair fell down her shoulders like a waterfall.
She stroked her hair with her fingertips, marveling at their silkiness.
"How could you even like such a peasant?" she asked herself.
She giggled, "Your mother hates her. She told me herself."
The girl turned away from the mirror and twirled around. She flung her arms wide
and spin, her black hair flying as she did so. Laughing helplessly, she plopped onto the
bed. She panted from her exertion but the smile never left her lips.
"I love you, Xiao Lang. I'm coming, wait for me," she sneered as she once again collapsed
into fits of giggles.
* * *