Caught in a curse
Chapter 6
Author : butter-fly
From now onwards, my signature the flutterer will be on my fanfics. I hope nobody else uses that name. I think I'm getting an addiction with reviews..more please. I've started working part time so I'll loose some time there to write but I'll work on it on weekdays.
Enjoy, minna-chan!
The flutterer; Butter-fly
* * *
Ye Lan made sure that they kept their word, she had Sakura by her side every day. She was seething inside for letting her son move her judgment. Truth was she felt jealous that her son had chosen to disobey her for the mere girl. She loved him more than anything, she would have sacrificed anything for him and he still chose that girl. Anger fueled her and she felt the burning desire to kill the girl with her own bare hands.
"Ying Fa," she called.
Sakura sat up from her place and went to her. "Yes, Lady Li?"
"I have a guest…an important one. Please show her around and keep her company, she will be staying with us for a few days," Ye Lan told her.
Sakura nodded, "Very well, Lady Li."
"You may leave me, I want to be alone," she said as she waved her hand at Sakura.
Sakura inclined her head as a sign of respect and left quickly. She did not want to be in her company any longer than needed, the lady gave her the butterflies in the stomach. Once outside she let out a sigh of relief and made way towards the kitchens to get a glass of water.
"Miss Ying Fa, what can I get you?" one of the servants called Chiharu asked.
"Ah, you are Chiharu right? Just Ying Fa, please," Sakura said pleasantly.
Chiharu smiled, liking this miss instantly. "Well then, Ying Fa what can I get you?"
"I'd like some water, maybe if you could show me where the cups are I'll get it my self," Sakura said. She did not want to be of a hassle to Chiharu.
Chiharu got the porcelain cup from a top cupboard and poured water from a pot for her. "Here, you go."
Sakura took the cup graciously, "Arigato, Chiharu-chan."
Chiharu gave her a little smile and went back to her duties. The Lady Li had given her orders for a roast pig and duck to be presented on the eating table today. Someone important must be coming or the lady would not have ordered such a festive dinner. Roast pigs and ducks were usually reserved for a festival.
"Do you need some help?" she asked Chiharu.
"Oh no, Ying Fa I couldn't, the young master will have my head. You are a guest here," Chiharu replied, a bit horrified that Sakura had offered her help.
"But-"
"Miss Ying Fa, Miss Ying Fa," an out of breath voice called to her. Reika, Lady Li's personal maid came running in, panting and asking for her.
"What is it?"
"Lady Li requests for your presence immediately in her chambers," Reika said in a more composed voice and then continued in a hushed voice, "There's some lady with one hell of an attitude in there with her."
"Arigato, Reika-chan. Just call me Ying Fa."
* * *
"Will this work, I wonder?"
"It has to," Ye Lan said stonily. She observed the young girl in front of her from the corner of her eye. She was from a pure bloodline of important advisors to the royal family. Incredibly shrewish and smart mouthed; she stood out among her chosen candidates for her son. She was pretty in the conventional way, with slanting crimson-red eyes and a full luscious mouth.
"I have to say that Ying Fa is…how do you put it? Um...rather pretty but I still can't see why Xiao Lang has fallen in love with her."
An angry snarl came from Ye Lan's lips, "It's a curse."
"A curse? How interesting, I shall do my best to steal him away. This is really so much more entertaining than usual."
Ye Lan nodded, "You're a smart girl, I want her gone as soon as possible. Then we shall see."
"Remember your own terms, I get rid of the girl and then I will be the next Lady Li."
A knock from the door cut their conversation short. Ye Lan muttered a 'come in' and Reika, her personal maid entered with Sakura at her heels.
"Ah yes, come in Ying Fa. Leave us Reika, I will call if I need anything later," Ye Lan said in her usual hauteur.
Sakura took a few steps nearer to Ye Lan and the black haired girl that stood beside her. The girl had a smile on her face that made Sakura feel a little afraid of her.
"This is Rae Mei Ling, the daughter of Rae Qing who is the primary advisor to the King. The Rae family are also a related to us, she is Xiao Lang's distant cousin. See to it that she is made welcome here and that you stay by her side. She is new here," Ye Lan told Sakura.
Mei Ling inclined her head towards Sakura and Sakura did the same in return. They say that before a match you bow to your opponent first, Mei Ling thought slyly.
"Thank you, Aunt Ye Lan. Shall we, Ying Fa?" Mei Ling said as she strode ahead.
"Hai, Miss Mei Ling. Where would you like to go first, which room would you like to sleep in?" Sakura asked.
Mei Ling's crimson-red eyes stared hard at her while she said, "Xiao Lang's chambers."
Sakura blinked, perhaps she didn't hear right? She wanted to go to Xiao Lang's chambers?
Then Mei Ling laughed, a forced high pitch laughter, "I'm just kidding."
"Oh, all right. The women's quarters are in the East Wing," Sakura explained awkwardly. She thought this Mei Ling was a little weird. Perhaps this was how noble ladies acted but Xiao Lin and Xiao Yue certainly didn't act that way.
"Then lead me there first and you can show me where you sleep," Mei Ling said pleasantly and added when Sakura looked bewildered with her suggestion, "So I'll know where to find you if I need anything."
* * *
Xiao Lang was in the market
square searching for a gift to present to Ying Fa. It had only been three days but
he had already begun to miss her. Sometimes he hid in the shadows just to
observe her, she had looked so strained and tired that he ached to go to her
and comfort her. What shall he give her? This was a little exasperating for
him, he had never shopped for anything in his entire life and here he was
looking for a perfect gift for Ying Fa. It felt odd and embarrassing to him.
"Fat, meaty chickens for sale-"
"Fresh vegetables from my gardens-"
"Man tao, hot nice man tao-"
What to get her, he asked himself again. Chickens? Nah, the kitchens had all kinds of food. Then he saw some jewelry an old woman was selling. He bent down to get a closer look.
"Won't you buy something for your someone special?" the old woman said hoarsely.
He looked at her and frowned, "I don't know what to get her," he said.
The old woman presented him with a sweet smile, "Something memorable perhaps, like this cherry blossom hair pin."
He picked up the pin and fingered its design. There was one pink cherry blossom with jade leaves and the pin was gold in color.
"It's beautiful," he said.
"Oh yes, it used to belong to a beautiful woman. There's a sad story associated with that pin but it is of great value," the old woman explained.
"What story?"
The old woman lifted her shoulders in a shrug, "I do not know, an old gypsy woman told me to sell it only to a young man who is the young master Li."
He was taken aback with the woman's words but he kept his face void of any expression. A Li should not be shocked by anything, it was the cardinal rule of his family. "So, who is this gypsy woman?"
The old woman shook her head, "I do not know. She was quite old when she sold this to me, I was younger much more beautiful you know," she said with a cackle.
"A gypsy? There might be a curse in this pin," he said softly, examining the pin much more carefully this time.
The old woman face turn white and the mass of creases on her face became more prominent, "Oh, no."
"There's no curse on this pin," he said after a while, after letting his powers probe the pin. No, there was nothing sinister about it.
The old woman's features relaxed, "Oh, good."
"I'll take it," he said and paid for the item.
With the pin wrapped up in a red packet in his hand, Xiao Lang left the market place. The sun was just beginning to set as he returned to the mansion with a purpose in his mind.
"Xiao Lang?" a gentle voice called out to him.
He turned to his left to where the voice that called out his name came. There stood a young Chinese girl about his age with shiny black hair tied up in a bun on both sides of her head and braided tails trailing after the buns. Her speculative crimson-red eyes swept from his head to toe and a slight smile flitted across her cherry-red lips.
"Who are you?" he asked. "Why do you not address me as Young Master?"
"We are distant cousins, Xiao Lang. My name is Rae Mei Ling."
His eyes narrowed, "Mei Ling? You are here on a visit?" he asked again.
She nodded, "Yes, I am. It's very nice-"
"Miss Mei Ling?" a voice that brought the warmest feeling to him said.
Mei Ling gritted her teeth when she heard Sakura's voice. She glanced at Xiao Lang and saw that he was pleasantly anticipating for her arrival. She quickly forced herself to smile sweetly when Sakura stumbled in on them.
"Ying Fa, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you," she said to her.
She could have been invisible to them, for their attention was on each other. Time stopped at the moment they laid eyes on each other. The air between them electrified and the sweet song of their link hummed. Mei Ling bristled inside when she saw how enraptured they were with each other.
"Ah, Ying Fa. You have to show me where my room is again. I fear I've forgotten where it is," she said loudly as she tugged at Sakura's hand.
That broke the spell they were caught in and Sakura was pulled away from his sight. He watched solemnly as she and Mei Ling disappeared into the shrubs.
* * *
"Eriol-chan, stop it," Tomoyo said squeakily. She continued to giggle as he brushed kisses down her neck.
"Never," he said huskily as his hand snaked across her small waist to draw her closer to him.
She decided to take things into her own hand and kissed him passionately on the lips. A muffled groan escaped his lips as her tongue teased his. She shifted her position so that she would be on top of him, and in that way be the one in control.
"Tease," he said when they stopped for breath.
"And you love it," she quipped in while her fingers played with his hair.
He pushed himself up and picked her up in his arms, intending to continue their foreplay at a more comfortable place like the bed. She let him carry her to the bed, sometimes feeling as if her heart would burst because of her love for him. How in the world did she get so lucky, she hoped for the same for Sakura-chan. Sakura deserved to be happy like she was.
Eriol removed his glasses and his shirt and at the same time taking off her clothes. She helped him of course, the endless skirts and petticoats fluttered to the floor. Wearing only her slip and he his pants, they continued with the kissing and exploring. The latter was soon discarded as he thrust into her, a rhythmic dance of slick bodies.
She lay beneath him, panting from their lovemaking. He flicked away a stray lock of hair that was plastered across her face.
"I wish Ying Fa would get married to Xiao Lang soon," she told him.
Eriol smiled, knowing how smitten his cousin was with the girl, "I'm sure they will, as soon as two months are over. Xiao Lang has never been a patient man."
"Yet his mother continues to hate Ying Fa, it's really strange. It's like a vendetta or something."
"Surely not, they have never met before this. And Ying Fa, we know nothing of her lineage less more her own self."
Tomoyo sighed, "They might have met before."
"Why's that?' Eriol asked.
"Ying Fa, she came from Lothstone to Riviera. She's got like some sort of secret past here, she can't remember anything about it. She becomes withdrawn whenever I ask her about her younger years," Tomoyo explained in a pained voice.
Eriol hugged her tightly, wondering of what he could do. "Amnesia?"
"I don't know."
* * *
The hooting of an owl waked her from her sleep. She looked outside her window where the half moon was shining brightly unclouded by clouds. She quickly changed into her dress, discarding her nightgown. Her hair was undone, flowing down her back in slight curls but she did not care for propriety right now. She moved quietly, opening her door slowly and walking down the stairs soft padded. There was no one around left a sleeping guard.
"What are you doing?" he grumbled and she froze.
"Put that gold back into my chambers, you oaf," he mumbled on. Then she flicked a glance at him and noticed that he was actually still asleep. She let out a sigh of relief and continue heading towards the kitchens. There was a small door leading to the outside from there.
She ran towards the abandoned dark tower, the moonlight guiding her way. She stood at the front entrance, sucking in deep breaths. What she was about to do was against her agreement with Lady Li. But she could not refuse this invitation, especially when her heart told her to go for it. She had gotten this far already. So she walked in, her eyes darting around for something. The darkness overshadowed many things and only the few bright shafts of moonlight let her see where she was going.
With one hand at the wall, she made her way up the stair until she reached the second level. Then a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her. She let out a shriek which was muffled by a hand.
"Ying Fa," he breathed, holding her back against him.
Her heart was pounding like a thousand drums, "Xiao Lang, you scared me," she whispered.
"Sorry," he said as he took in her fresh flowery scent. The scent floated around her, acting like pheromones which drew him to her.
She twisted around and kissed him full on the lips, something which she had never done before following her impulse. "I've missed you."
"Hmm.."
He saw her face as was lighted by the moonlight, beautiful serene, as he remembered. She had let down her hair, like a woman ready for her husband. His thumb caressed her cheek and he realized how much he loved her. Not just for her beauty but for something deeper that only his heart knew.
"Ying Fa, I wanted to give you something," he said to her softly as he took out the red packet.
She looked deep into his eyes and to his hand which held the packet. Then hesitatingly she reached for the packet and opened it. He searched her features for some sort of reaction but she merely stared dumbly at it. Feeling a little disappointed he said, "You don't like it."
She lifted her head with tears shining in her, touched that he had deemed her worthy of a gift. She had never received a gift like this before and only Tomoyo would give her things. "Arigato, Xiao Lang. It's very beautiful," she said shakily.
"Yes," he said, flushing a little at her response. He had not thought that she would be so happy with his little gift.
She brought the pin to her heart to show him how much she treasured it. "I'll always keep it close to my heart," was what she said to him.
"Let's sit by the roof, then we can see the stars," he said as he held her hand.
She nodded and with a blink of the eye Xiao Lang carried her in his arms and jumped towards the roof. His mouth moved as he muttered some words and the wind gave them the leverage to reach the roof. He landed smoothly like a cat and kept her in his arms as he sat down on the roof.
"I love you, Xiao Lang," she said softly for him to hear.
As you've always had, the voice whispered to her. How strange that the crystal voice only whisper to her when she was with him.
"I…I-you," he said jerkily. He couldn't say the words yet, "And I like you very much," he said instead. Coward, he thought silently to himself.
He felt her tense up in his hold. He tightened his hold on her, suddenly afraid that she would leave him.
Like she did before, a crystal voice came between his thoughts.
"I..think I should go," she said to him in a slightly emotionless voice.
"Ying Fa..give me some time. I can't say those words just yet, please-"
She touched his cheek with her palm, an understanding smile on her lips, "I know how you feel towards me. I can feel it through you kiss. I'll wait."
He turned his face so that his lips touched her palm. "Thank you, Ying Fa." He brought her back down to the ground. "I'll see you again, here in a fortnight?" he asked.
She nodded, fleeing out of his arms. Truth was, his words had sting her.
Xiao Lang clenched his fist, angry at himself. Why couldn't he say those words?
You are afraid to get hurt again, the crystal voice said.
He had to find out about it, about the voice he was hearing and about the past. When did he meet her? Why did he feel the connection to her?
* * *
Whoa! Too many whys..*giggles* How'd you like the story? Review..review..review! Please, minna-chan!