Chapter 2: The Silver Locket
The Swan Princess
A pale and sickly queen was found not too far away from the windows of her plush estate. Her once beautiful green eyes now dulled with sickness scanned over the plants and animals roaming about her lawn, wishing desperately to be one of them. To breathe the fresh spring air and feel the wind blowing gently around them.... but that would never happen. The queen was ill and deathly pale. So ill that she could not set a foot outside for the fear of getting another disease.
She sighed ever so soft, wondering how her baby was. She had not seen her sweet daughter since ..... since the day she got sick, which was 2 weeks ago at the least. "The baby's nanny tends to my child now, not me." the queen thought bitterly. "My poor sweet Sakura...." she breathed gently before falling into uncontiousness.
****
The Queen's death was by no means surprising to anyone in the kingdom. It was a pity. The queen was beautiful as well as the most gentle. For every townsfolk, it was the same thought.... "Queen Nadeshiko would have been a great mother to that sweet little youngster."
The king refused to attend the funeral service. Instead, he claimed that his Nadeshiko would have enjoyed walking out into the woods to clear her head. Fitting her into a box would be unnatural for her."
Soon, the whole ordeal was forgotten and everyone went back to their usual lives. It was harvest time and the farmers were working hard on their fields. Everything was going perfectly and the king, being joyous of his daughter's coming fourth birthday, organized a party with all his allied kingdoms to come and join for a celebration.
So months passed by, the kingdom busy with festive cheer. The king was eager to begin her birthday celebration and finally, after long weeks and months, April was finally here. The little princess was now four years old, with 5 new shinning teeth in her mouth. She was a sweet little thing, as everyone compliemented, walking around and smiling at all the servants. Some servants even said, "She is just like her mother. Sweet and gentle."
****
"Princess Sakura.... put on this dress!" A motherly-like figure was standing in front a small little girl, holding up a frilly pink dress. "Please put it on, for me Princess?"
The small little girl sniffled. "I dun wanna wear it. It's too frilly," she said stubornly. "Nana, why do I have to?"
"Sakura darling, don't you want to be beautiful for your birthday?"
The small auburn haired girl pouted. "Nana... I dun wanna wear it!"
"Sweety, you've got to. You're father, the king wants you to look your best for the party."
"No!"
The woman leaned down to the princess's level and look her straight in the eye. "You must. Or I will tell your father about this," she said firmly.
Realizing that stuborness would get her nowhere, the small princess tryed a different tactic. A puppy face. It always made Nana feel sorry for her! The little girl tryed her best to make the sadest looking puppy face ever.
****
A queen and her son looked out the window of a grand golden coach. They overlooked the horizon in which they could see a luminous castle perched on an luxurious hilltop. The castle was surely a spectacular sight at night, the lights inside shining with great activity.
The little prince sighed. He was very tired from the trip and his mother had him perched on her lap, telling him about the stories of great warriors, great kings and how he was to be a great king when he grew up. These stories were repeated to him over and over again until he could recite them all by memory. His mother would never tire of telling him the same boring old stories she had been telling him for all his five years! Even though this prince was only of young age, he seem to be greatly mature for his age. It proved he would have strong wisdom and character when he grew up. Or that's what everyone thought.
The queen pulled out a simple locket chain from her overly decorated purse and laid it on the palm of her son's hand. "My son, this locket is a gift for the princess. You may give it to her when it is time."
The tiny little prince did not dare go against her mother's wishes. He clutched the locket in the palm of his hand admiring the silver chain sparkling in the twilight......
At last they had arrived after more than a week's travel. Warry and tired but trying not to show it, the little prince gathered his things and stumbled into the vast kingdom. His mother was behind him, smiling at the tremendous effort her son put on trying to stand firm without toppling over. The queen patted the prince's messy brown head affectionately and watched as a squire came rushing to meet them.
The squire smiled and greeted them heartily to their kingdom. "Wecome Queen Yelan and young Prince Syaoran. The grand gathering had already started. I will lead you inside if I may, fair queen." He took their bags and heaved them up the stairs.
****
"NANA!!!!!"
"Princess Sakura Kinomoto, what are you doing out of your bed!" scoled Nana with her hand on her hips. "What will I ever do with you?"
The little girl sniffed. "I wanna see the party!!!" she wailed pitifully. The princess could hear soft music from downstairs. "I am not invited?"
The motherly woman looked at the little girl for a second, pulling the little princess to her lap. Her face softened slightly. "Sakura darling. You may go tommorrow morning. Not tonight. The king's orders sweetheart." The woman played with the tiny girl's soft auburn locks.
"Nana...." the girl sniffed. She burried her head in her guardian's chest. "I thought this was my party." The girl's voice was muffled. "Why tommorrow? Father always has to stop my fun."
The woman looked thoughtful. She sighed. "Maybe tommorrow he planned something big for you."
The little girl sniffed. "Maybe. I dun think so."
****
A little boy stared out the window of his bedroom, hoping that a star would fall and he could make a wish. His father had said once that when you see a falling star, you could make a wish and it would come true. He sighed softly. His wish would never come true, even if he did see a falling star.....
A FALLING star!!!!!!!! He saw one, a bright shinning star falling from the open heavens. He gaped. His mind went blank as he stared at the bright being sparkling down to earth. A shooting star, finally! His heart leaped as he made his one and true wish.... his wish for his father to come back alive. Alive and to come to his mother and him again. To come back again.....
"Syaoran, what are you doing my little prince? You need your sleep." said his mother, coming nearer, putting both hands on his shoulders.
Startled, he looked up at his mother and jerked his head from his gaze, eyes filled with tears. "Father...." He whispered.
"Father?" Her soft eyes fell onto her son's and picked him up in her arms. "Son, son, son. My dear son." she said as she cried with him. Mother and son crying into the night. His tiny head was buried into his mother's chest, crying hard.
****
Meanwhile...
A mischevious little princess snuck out into the open, holding a little doll tight in her arms. She peered downward to the grand ballroom right below her bedroom. There was a festive party, with dancing people!
"I want to go and dance too!" she said, a grin plastered on her small face. Holding on to the handrails, she made her way down the stairs, step by step.
****
::Author Scribbles::
Sorry for being so late on posting this. It must have been a year! No, I didn't take that long to write this. I lost my account and I just got it back today, so Yay to me.
That last chapter... goodness, what a bad chapter. The grammar, the historical references, ALL MISTAKES. I must have been brain dead when I wrote it. What a difference a year makes!
Review or not, the choice is yours! But reviewing is better... unless you want to flame me, haha. Anything goes!