Daphne: "Here is the third chapter! I hope that you like it! Review as
well!!!!!!!!!!"
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 3.
The king watched his daughter leave the room, and then turned on his heal and left. The crowd of no less than fifty 'slaves' kept silent, not wishing to cause a soldier to stick one of them with those long swords they were holding.
The young man with amber eyes fingered a string that was strung around his neck, and then gazed over at the four young women who the princess had seen earlier. They were shaking slightly, trying not to show how terrified they were. They also happened to be his older sisters. Just behind them, hidden from view, stood a very pale, black haired young maiden who was his cousin. Her hair used to be pulled up into buns at the side of her head, but now, her hair fell down freely, as it had fallen out when she had tried to run from the Kinomoto soldier who had captured her. Again, the young man's cold eyes returned to the floor, boring imaginary holes into it.
"~can't believe it! I have never seen Sakura so angry in my entire life! Usually she is so sweet and gentle!" Came a voice. The slaves turned to see six strong-looking young men enter the room.
"Father must be out of his mind! He has never yelled at kaijuu, not ever!" One of the young men sighed.
"I would say more like, revenge-hungry. Hey! Did you know that revenge started when Adam told Eve."
"Shut up, Yamazaki!" Came a chorus of four voices, while a fifth young man, with gray-brown hair laughed. Then all of them fell into silence as they caught sight of the slaves. The amber eyed boy heard many soft gasps from some nearby girls, and his face gained a disgusted look.
"Kings orders. Take them to the dungeons for the night, then tomorrow, they will go on the market." The young man who had been talking about 'kaijuu's' stated, his eyes lowering as he left the room. The guards who had been keeping the slaves in check, now motioned for them to start moving. The last five young men joined the parade down to the dungeons, their faces pained.
"Yamazaki, Sakura wishes to speak with you." The group paused, as a beautiful violet-raven haired girl came into view. She was very well dressed, and her chin was up in the air a bit. She gazed at the slaves in half fear, waiting. The young man who had started to tell a lie, stepped forward, grinning.
"Take me to the damsel in distress! By the way, did you know that damsels were actually." He began as he ushered the pretty young woman away; she was laughing. Then the group of soldiers and slaves continued on their way. One of the soldiers seemed to sense that the slaves were slightly confused with all that had happened, so he began to speak. It was the gray-brown haired young man.
"That woman you just saw was Princess Daidouji Tomoyo, our lovely court songbird. The young woman that you saw earlier, was Princess Kinomoto Sakura, the crowning jewel of our kingdom. Her brother, Prince Kinomoto Touya, was the young man who left us in the throne-room." The young man explained. Some of the crowd seemed shocked, others didn't seem to care at all.
"Why was she crying?" A little voice piped up. It was a young boy, no older than six. He was immediately silenced by a slap on the mouth from the woman next to him; the soldier, however, smiled and pulled him away from the woman, taking his hand, much to the shock of all the other slaves.
"The princess does not agree with her father on some things. She doesn't like to see her kingdom becoming as she says, 'barbaric'. She even pleaded with her father to set you free or make you only servants, but for the first time in her life, he refused her. She is not a spoiled girl, but seeing her father like this~I do believe it frightens her a bit." He commented thoughtfully. The little boy frowned a bit.
"I don't like to see her sad. She too pretty." He mussed, making many of the soldiers smile knowingly.
"She is. That is why several kings and princes are very eager to win her hand in marriage. She, however, has other plans. I'd have to say that Prince Yaginuma is the most persistent though. He has almost overdone his welcome in the King's eyes, which is rare indeed!" Another soldier piped up, running his hand through his blond hair. Just then, the young woman, Princess Tomoyo, as the man had called her, ran up to them again.
"Yukito, old Lady Kaho beseeches you that you escort all the children ages twelve and under to her chambers. She has just spoken with the king, and has managed to persuade him to allow her full custody over them, until further notice." The girl panted. The gray-brown haired man looked relived.
"Bless her heart!" He murmured, smiling at the girl as she left again. Then he turned towards the slaves, some of whom were clutching their children close, others were looking plain worried. The man, Yukito, smiled and looked down at the little boy, who's hand still rested in his.
"Do not fear. Lady Kaho is one of the late Queen's best friends. She will take good care of the children, and I am sure that they will be happy." He said, addressing the horrified adults.
"Anyhow, you would have lost them anyway, to other slave buyers. They will be safer here, in the palace." Stated the blonde haired soldier (a/n: his name is Omata). Reluctantly, the children separated from their parents or the adult that they were with, and followed Yukito back the way that they had come. Yukito had gathered up the tiny baby, and was looking at it helplessly as he walked. It was so young~too young. There was no possible way that Lady Kaho could take care of this little thing, when she had so many other children to deal with. There were twenty small children in this group, easy!
"Perhaps the princess will like it." It was the little boy who had spoken up earlier. He was gazing at the baby and looking hopeful. Yukito grinned. It was perfect! The baby could go to Sakura! That is, if Sakura wouldn't mind~
~*~*~*~
"Mind?! Of course I don't! Oh, please, Yukito, let me see her." Sakura whispered, looking down at the bundle. Trust Sakura to know what sex the baby was without looking! Yukito carefully handed the baby over, and Sakura smiled down at the sleeping face. Then she looked down at the frightened children who were staring at her in awed apprehension.
"Oh! But what are we to do about them?" She wondered aloud. Yukito grinned.
"Lady Kaho has insisted that they stay with her. So you will see more of them, considering that they will most likely take up all the rooms on the third floor!" Yukito laughed. Lady Kaho lived on the third floor of the palace, all alone. Sakura visited her often, and they liked to spend their time strolling through all the empty bedrooms and drawing rooms that it boasted. Now, with all these children, the third floor rooms would not be quite so empty!
"Good! Now, tell me your names, please!" Sakura begged, crouching down to the height of the little boy beside Yukito. He smiled at her hesitantly.
"I am Junshi." He murmured. Sakura smiled.
"And are your parents here in the palace?" Sakura asked, choosing her words carefully. He shook his head.
"He has no parents. Nor do most of us. Most of us came from the orphanage. We just had people who..took us as their own for the trip, so we would not starve." An older girl spoke up; Sakura later learned that her name was Saito. After introductions~and Sakura cooing over several of the younger children, Yukito led them all away, much to the dismay of several children who had come to adore the kind princess.
~*~*~*~
As she watched Yukito leave, Sakura's heart felt lighter than it had in a while. So things were working out after all! Lady Kaho had undoubtedly taken pity on the poor children, and Sakura knew that pity was not something that Kaho gave easily! Well, at least the children would be happy now.
"But what about the baby?" Sakura mumbled, as she walked back into her room, gazing down at the little girl in her arms. The moment Sakura had spotted her, she had known that she would not be able to resist Yukito's plea. And he was right. Lady Kaho would have no time for the baby, but what was she to do with her? She most certainly couldn't *keep* the baby, for her father would eventually find out and would probably kill it on the spot..no, she would have to do everything in her power to keep this child safe.
"Sakura! What on earth?..Oh, where did *that* come from?" Tomoyo shrieked, as she rushed into Sakura's room, her amethyst eyes wide. Sakura tried to smile, and failed miserably.
"She.was one of the slaves. At least, she came with them." Sakura sighed, sitting down and rocking the sleeping child. Tomoyo collapsed on a chair and looked at her best friend skeptically.
"And what do you propose we do with her? Neither of us knows how to take care of a baby, and on top of that, Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol is to arrive here tomorrow, and then what will we do?" Tomoyo whimpered. Sakura's head jerked up and she stared at her cousin in horror.
"Who?! What?! Why?" She cried, causing Tomoyo to forget their problem and giggle.
"Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol, tomorrow, because of peace agreements made by your father and his father. Now, what do you say about that?" Tomoyo giggled.
"Touya." Sakura mumbled. Tomoyo looked confused.
"What?" She asked. Then she noticed that Sakura's eyes were no longer on her, but on the door behind Tomoyo, Which had swung open to reveal a tall, and very angry looking Prince Kinomoto Touya! Sakura began to shake, and clutched the sleeping baby closer to herself. Touya's eyes flitted from the baby, to Sakura, to Tomoyo, and back to the baby, before he even spoke a word.
"Father is not going to like this, kaijuu, not one bit." Touya snapped, closing her door and walking over to peer at the bundle in Sakura's arms. The princess couldn't help but giggle, when she saw the look on her brother's face. It went from angry, to shocked, to almost loving, in a way. And it was no wonder! The baby was quite cute, with her dark black tuft of hair and soft, cream-colored skin. She had pudgy little cheeks, and rose- bud lips that pouted just a bit in her sleep.
"Touya, what can we do? She couldn't stay in the dungeons, and Lady Kaho wouldn't be able to care for her. And there is no possible way that I will allow her to be sold!" Sakura snapped. Touya sighed and took the baby from her.
"I will take her to the nursery. I am sure that Nanny will be absolutely thrilled to have another little one to look after." Touya commented, referring to his and Sakura's old nurse, who still worked in the palace. Sakura nodded in agreement and he left, taking the baby with him. Sakura could see the tenderness in her brother's eyes, and she knew that he was as taken with the baby as she was, maybe more so!
~*~*~*~
"What are we to do now, Siefa?"
The slaves had been cramped into temporary jail cells for the night, and the young amber eyed man was sitting in a corner beside his four chestnut haired sisters and their frightened cousin. The oldest of the five girls, Siefa, shivered and shook her head, as tears trailed down her cheeks.
"I don't know, Meiling. I really do not know. How is there any way for us to do anything? The only thing that we can hope for is that we end up living in the same general area. Perhaps then we can strengthen enough to form a mutiny, or find some way out of this place." Siefa answered, putting her arm around her shaking cousin. The three other sisters clung to each other, trying to keep from crying. Across the cell, sat three more girls, and a few young men. The three girls crawled over and huddled nearer to the four sisters and Meiling, while the amber eyed boy simply stared at the wall.
"What are you pondering, Xiao-lang?" Siefa questioned, looking over at her silent brother he shook his head.
"I am only swearing to myself that as soon as we escape here, the royal family of Kinomoto will find themselves in grave peril. I will not rest until they are paid in full for what they have done." He hissed, fingering the string that hung around his neck. On this string was a pendent that he kept hidden from sight. It was for this reason, that it had not been taken away from him during the invasion. Suddenly, the cell door swung open and a sword was brandished in Xiao-lang's face. Meiling, Siefa, and the other girls fell back with startled cries.
"I could have you killed for that..just be thankful that I don't like this any more than you. Nor does the princess." A voice said. They all looked up to see the young soldier, Yamazaki, as his colleagues called him, come into the room, his sword still drawn. He sat down and put his sword away, showing his hands, palm up to prove that he meant them no harm.
"You..you trust us? We could kill you right now.." One of the young men said, standing up. Yamazaki chuckled.
"I will take my chances. Like I said, I have nothing against you. You are humans too, and you deserve respect. So how about it. You learn to trust me, and I find a way to get you and everyone else out of here." Yamazaki said, holding out a hand to Xiao-lang. The amber eyed boy glared at him, but the girls moved closer, as if trying to tell if he was telling the truth or not. Finally, Xiao-lang placed his hand in the other man's, and then shook.
"I have a high-ranking friend who would be more than happy to help you in this dire time. He had spent the past few years sneaking slaves out of his own kingdom, and I am sure that he would not hesitate to do it again in this one. He is to arrive tomorrow. Though most of you will not be here, I will find ways to contact you when any new information comes up." Yamazaki promised, standing up and turning away.
"Wait! How can we know that you are not betraying us?" One of the girls had stood, clutching at his shirt-sleeve. She had shoulder length brown, braided hair and brown eyes, that looked pleadingly at him; she was known as Chiharu. He gazed at her for a moment, as though entranced, and then shook himself out of it, taking her by the shoulders.
"You have my word as a defender of the helpless, you will not be betrayed by me. Though I cannot promise that no one else but my friend and I will find out. The king has spies everywhere. We will have to be cautious." He warned, turning away and leaving the cell. Xiao-lang stared at his sisters and cousin for a moment, and then shrugged.
"This is the best we can do at the moment." Was all he said.
~*~*~*~
"So Prince Hiiragizawa is to arrive tomorrow? What a convenient time!" Nanny said sarcastically, as she, Sakura, Tomoyo, Lady Kaho, Touya and the other children sat in the playroom. They had spent the afternoon and evening together, talking about the new slaves and the consequences it would bring to the kingdom.
"Your father is being stubborn. He refuses to see that this could very well lead us into disaster!" Kero had said earlier that day. Sakura had to agree. Her father was becoming blinded by his own will, so much that he didn't see where it was leading him.
"Yes, I suppose it is for the best, though. I do believe that uncle is hoping that a certain daughter of his will fall for Prince Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo said slyly. Sakura glared at her.
"You know very well that this will never happen, Tomoyo. I do not believe that I shall ever marry, after all that has happened now." Sakura murmured, leaving her chair and getting down on her knees to play with some of the younger children. All the slave children had seemed to adapt well to their new environment. In fact, they seemed quite happy to be there.
"Well, it could!" Tomoyo insisted, getting down beside her. Soon they were so caught up in arguing about the subject, that they no longer heard what was being said above them.
"I do believe that Sakura is right. I get the feeling that Prince Hiiragizawa wishes to see Princess Tomoyo, not Sakura. If I am not mistaken, he is quite taken with her." Lady Kaho said, as she bounced a little two year old girl on her knee. Touya grinned at Junshi, who was sitting at his knee, looking up at him adoringly.
"I don't believe that any man has a chance with Tomoyo..or Sakura for that matter. They are too wild and carefree." He commented. Nanny sighed and looked down at the baby in her arms, who she had begun to call 'Akane'.
"Yes, and that could become a problem. Sakura needs someone to love her like a woman should be loved. Yes, you and your father love her well enough, but she needs a husband's touch. And Tomoyo..she simply needs taming. She is far too sure of herself, in the fact that she 'will never be married'. I find this ridiculous! Tomoyo is as pretty as a flower, and she needs to see that." Nanny sighed, stroking Akane's cheek.
"She does indeed. All women need that. And I can't think of two more deserving girls than Sakura and Tomoyo." Kaho commented, as the little girl in her arms squealed and laughed.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 3.
The king watched his daughter leave the room, and then turned on his heal and left. The crowd of no less than fifty 'slaves' kept silent, not wishing to cause a soldier to stick one of them with those long swords they were holding.
The young man with amber eyes fingered a string that was strung around his neck, and then gazed over at the four young women who the princess had seen earlier. They were shaking slightly, trying not to show how terrified they were. They also happened to be his older sisters. Just behind them, hidden from view, stood a very pale, black haired young maiden who was his cousin. Her hair used to be pulled up into buns at the side of her head, but now, her hair fell down freely, as it had fallen out when she had tried to run from the Kinomoto soldier who had captured her. Again, the young man's cold eyes returned to the floor, boring imaginary holes into it.
"~can't believe it! I have never seen Sakura so angry in my entire life! Usually she is so sweet and gentle!" Came a voice. The slaves turned to see six strong-looking young men enter the room.
"Father must be out of his mind! He has never yelled at kaijuu, not ever!" One of the young men sighed.
"I would say more like, revenge-hungry. Hey! Did you know that revenge started when Adam told Eve."
"Shut up, Yamazaki!" Came a chorus of four voices, while a fifth young man, with gray-brown hair laughed. Then all of them fell into silence as they caught sight of the slaves. The amber eyed boy heard many soft gasps from some nearby girls, and his face gained a disgusted look.
"Kings orders. Take them to the dungeons for the night, then tomorrow, they will go on the market." The young man who had been talking about 'kaijuu's' stated, his eyes lowering as he left the room. The guards who had been keeping the slaves in check, now motioned for them to start moving. The last five young men joined the parade down to the dungeons, their faces pained.
"Yamazaki, Sakura wishes to speak with you." The group paused, as a beautiful violet-raven haired girl came into view. She was very well dressed, and her chin was up in the air a bit. She gazed at the slaves in half fear, waiting. The young man who had started to tell a lie, stepped forward, grinning.
"Take me to the damsel in distress! By the way, did you know that damsels were actually." He began as he ushered the pretty young woman away; she was laughing. Then the group of soldiers and slaves continued on their way. One of the soldiers seemed to sense that the slaves were slightly confused with all that had happened, so he began to speak. It was the gray-brown haired young man.
"That woman you just saw was Princess Daidouji Tomoyo, our lovely court songbird. The young woman that you saw earlier, was Princess Kinomoto Sakura, the crowning jewel of our kingdom. Her brother, Prince Kinomoto Touya, was the young man who left us in the throne-room." The young man explained. Some of the crowd seemed shocked, others didn't seem to care at all.
"Why was she crying?" A little voice piped up. It was a young boy, no older than six. He was immediately silenced by a slap on the mouth from the woman next to him; the soldier, however, smiled and pulled him away from the woman, taking his hand, much to the shock of all the other slaves.
"The princess does not agree with her father on some things. She doesn't like to see her kingdom becoming as she says, 'barbaric'. She even pleaded with her father to set you free or make you only servants, but for the first time in her life, he refused her. She is not a spoiled girl, but seeing her father like this~I do believe it frightens her a bit." He commented thoughtfully. The little boy frowned a bit.
"I don't like to see her sad. She too pretty." He mussed, making many of the soldiers smile knowingly.
"She is. That is why several kings and princes are very eager to win her hand in marriage. She, however, has other plans. I'd have to say that Prince Yaginuma is the most persistent though. He has almost overdone his welcome in the King's eyes, which is rare indeed!" Another soldier piped up, running his hand through his blond hair. Just then, the young woman, Princess Tomoyo, as the man had called her, ran up to them again.
"Yukito, old Lady Kaho beseeches you that you escort all the children ages twelve and under to her chambers. She has just spoken with the king, and has managed to persuade him to allow her full custody over them, until further notice." The girl panted. The gray-brown haired man looked relived.
"Bless her heart!" He murmured, smiling at the girl as she left again. Then he turned towards the slaves, some of whom were clutching their children close, others were looking plain worried. The man, Yukito, smiled and looked down at the little boy, who's hand still rested in his.
"Do not fear. Lady Kaho is one of the late Queen's best friends. She will take good care of the children, and I am sure that they will be happy." He said, addressing the horrified adults.
"Anyhow, you would have lost them anyway, to other slave buyers. They will be safer here, in the palace." Stated the blonde haired soldier (a/n: his name is Omata). Reluctantly, the children separated from their parents or the adult that they were with, and followed Yukito back the way that they had come. Yukito had gathered up the tiny baby, and was looking at it helplessly as he walked. It was so young~too young. There was no possible way that Lady Kaho could take care of this little thing, when she had so many other children to deal with. There were twenty small children in this group, easy!
"Perhaps the princess will like it." It was the little boy who had spoken up earlier. He was gazing at the baby and looking hopeful. Yukito grinned. It was perfect! The baby could go to Sakura! That is, if Sakura wouldn't mind~
~*~*~*~
"Mind?! Of course I don't! Oh, please, Yukito, let me see her." Sakura whispered, looking down at the bundle. Trust Sakura to know what sex the baby was without looking! Yukito carefully handed the baby over, and Sakura smiled down at the sleeping face. Then she looked down at the frightened children who were staring at her in awed apprehension.
"Oh! But what are we to do about them?" She wondered aloud. Yukito grinned.
"Lady Kaho has insisted that they stay with her. So you will see more of them, considering that they will most likely take up all the rooms on the third floor!" Yukito laughed. Lady Kaho lived on the third floor of the palace, all alone. Sakura visited her often, and they liked to spend their time strolling through all the empty bedrooms and drawing rooms that it boasted. Now, with all these children, the third floor rooms would not be quite so empty!
"Good! Now, tell me your names, please!" Sakura begged, crouching down to the height of the little boy beside Yukito. He smiled at her hesitantly.
"I am Junshi." He murmured. Sakura smiled.
"And are your parents here in the palace?" Sakura asked, choosing her words carefully. He shook his head.
"He has no parents. Nor do most of us. Most of us came from the orphanage. We just had people who..took us as their own for the trip, so we would not starve." An older girl spoke up; Sakura later learned that her name was Saito. After introductions~and Sakura cooing over several of the younger children, Yukito led them all away, much to the dismay of several children who had come to adore the kind princess.
~*~*~*~
As she watched Yukito leave, Sakura's heart felt lighter than it had in a while. So things were working out after all! Lady Kaho had undoubtedly taken pity on the poor children, and Sakura knew that pity was not something that Kaho gave easily! Well, at least the children would be happy now.
"But what about the baby?" Sakura mumbled, as she walked back into her room, gazing down at the little girl in her arms. The moment Sakura had spotted her, she had known that she would not be able to resist Yukito's plea. And he was right. Lady Kaho would have no time for the baby, but what was she to do with her? She most certainly couldn't *keep* the baby, for her father would eventually find out and would probably kill it on the spot..no, she would have to do everything in her power to keep this child safe.
"Sakura! What on earth?..Oh, where did *that* come from?" Tomoyo shrieked, as she rushed into Sakura's room, her amethyst eyes wide. Sakura tried to smile, and failed miserably.
"She.was one of the slaves. At least, she came with them." Sakura sighed, sitting down and rocking the sleeping child. Tomoyo collapsed on a chair and looked at her best friend skeptically.
"And what do you propose we do with her? Neither of us knows how to take care of a baby, and on top of that, Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol is to arrive here tomorrow, and then what will we do?" Tomoyo whimpered. Sakura's head jerked up and she stared at her cousin in horror.
"Who?! What?! Why?" She cried, causing Tomoyo to forget their problem and giggle.
"Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol, tomorrow, because of peace agreements made by your father and his father. Now, what do you say about that?" Tomoyo giggled.
"Touya." Sakura mumbled. Tomoyo looked confused.
"What?" She asked. Then she noticed that Sakura's eyes were no longer on her, but on the door behind Tomoyo, Which had swung open to reveal a tall, and very angry looking Prince Kinomoto Touya! Sakura began to shake, and clutched the sleeping baby closer to herself. Touya's eyes flitted from the baby, to Sakura, to Tomoyo, and back to the baby, before he even spoke a word.
"Father is not going to like this, kaijuu, not one bit." Touya snapped, closing her door and walking over to peer at the bundle in Sakura's arms. The princess couldn't help but giggle, when she saw the look on her brother's face. It went from angry, to shocked, to almost loving, in a way. And it was no wonder! The baby was quite cute, with her dark black tuft of hair and soft, cream-colored skin. She had pudgy little cheeks, and rose- bud lips that pouted just a bit in her sleep.
"Touya, what can we do? She couldn't stay in the dungeons, and Lady Kaho wouldn't be able to care for her. And there is no possible way that I will allow her to be sold!" Sakura snapped. Touya sighed and took the baby from her.
"I will take her to the nursery. I am sure that Nanny will be absolutely thrilled to have another little one to look after." Touya commented, referring to his and Sakura's old nurse, who still worked in the palace. Sakura nodded in agreement and he left, taking the baby with him. Sakura could see the tenderness in her brother's eyes, and she knew that he was as taken with the baby as she was, maybe more so!
~*~*~*~
"What are we to do now, Siefa?"
The slaves had been cramped into temporary jail cells for the night, and the young amber eyed man was sitting in a corner beside his four chestnut haired sisters and their frightened cousin. The oldest of the five girls, Siefa, shivered and shook her head, as tears trailed down her cheeks.
"I don't know, Meiling. I really do not know. How is there any way for us to do anything? The only thing that we can hope for is that we end up living in the same general area. Perhaps then we can strengthen enough to form a mutiny, or find some way out of this place." Siefa answered, putting her arm around her shaking cousin. The three other sisters clung to each other, trying to keep from crying. Across the cell, sat three more girls, and a few young men. The three girls crawled over and huddled nearer to the four sisters and Meiling, while the amber eyed boy simply stared at the wall.
"What are you pondering, Xiao-lang?" Siefa questioned, looking over at her silent brother he shook his head.
"I am only swearing to myself that as soon as we escape here, the royal family of Kinomoto will find themselves in grave peril. I will not rest until they are paid in full for what they have done." He hissed, fingering the string that hung around his neck. On this string was a pendent that he kept hidden from sight. It was for this reason, that it had not been taken away from him during the invasion. Suddenly, the cell door swung open and a sword was brandished in Xiao-lang's face. Meiling, Siefa, and the other girls fell back with startled cries.
"I could have you killed for that..just be thankful that I don't like this any more than you. Nor does the princess." A voice said. They all looked up to see the young soldier, Yamazaki, as his colleagues called him, come into the room, his sword still drawn. He sat down and put his sword away, showing his hands, palm up to prove that he meant them no harm.
"You..you trust us? We could kill you right now.." One of the young men said, standing up. Yamazaki chuckled.
"I will take my chances. Like I said, I have nothing against you. You are humans too, and you deserve respect. So how about it. You learn to trust me, and I find a way to get you and everyone else out of here." Yamazaki said, holding out a hand to Xiao-lang. The amber eyed boy glared at him, but the girls moved closer, as if trying to tell if he was telling the truth or not. Finally, Xiao-lang placed his hand in the other man's, and then shook.
"I have a high-ranking friend who would be more than happy to help you in this dire time. He had spent the past few years sneaking slaves out of his own kingdom, and I am sure that he would not hesitate to do it again in this one. He is to arrive tomorrow. Though most of you will not be here, I will find ways to contact you when any new information comes up." Yamazaki promised, standing up and turning away.
"Wait! How can we know that you are not betraying us?" One of the girls had stood, clutching at his shirt-sleeve. She had shoulder length brown, braided hair and brown eyes, that looked pleadingly at him; she was known as Chiharu. He gazed at her for a moment, as though entranced, and then shook himself out of it, taking her by the shoulders.
"You have my word as a defender of the helpless, you will not be betrayed by me. Though I cannot promise that no one else but my friend and I will find out. The king has spies everywhere. We will have to be cautious." He warned, turning away and leaving the cell. Xiao-lang stared at his sisters and cousin for a moment, and then shrugged.
"This is the best we can do at the moment." Was all he said.
~*~*~*~
"So Prince Hiiragizawa is to arrive tomorrow? What a convenient time!" Nanny said sarcastically, as she, Sakura, Tomoyo, Lady Kaho, Touya and the other children sat in the playroom. They had spent the afternoon and evening together, talking about the new slaves and the consequences it would bring to the kingdom.
"Your father is being stubborn. He refuses to see that this could very well lead us into disaster!" Kero had said earlier that day. Sakura had to agree. Her father was becoming blinded by his own will, so much that he didn't see where it was leading him.
"Yes, I suppose it is for the best, though. I do believe that uncle is hoping that a certain daughter of his will fall for Prince Hiiragizawa." Tomoyo said slyly. Sakura glared at her.
"You know very well that this will never happen, Tomoyo. I do not believe that I shall ever marry, after all that has happened now." Sakura murmured, leaving her chair and getting down on her knees to play with some of the younger children. All the slave children had seemed to adapt well to their new environment. In fact, they seemed quite happy to be there.
"Well, it could!" Tomoyo insisted, getting down beside her. Soon they were so caught up in arguing about the subject, that they no longer heard what was being said above them.
"I do believe that Sakura is right. I get the feeling that Prince Hiiragizawa wishes to see Princess Tomoyo, not Sakura. If I am not mistaken, he is quite taken with her." Lady Kaho said, as she bounced a little two year old girl on her knee. Touya grinned at Junshi, who was sitting at his knee, looking up at him adoringly.
"I don't believe that any man has a chance with Tomoyo..or Sakura for that matter. They are too wild and carefree." He commented. Nanny sighed and looked down at the baby in her arms, who she had begun to call 'Akane'.
"Yes, and that could become a problem. Sakura needs someone to love her like a woman should be loved. Yes, you and your father love her well enough, but she needs a husband's touch. And Tomoyo..she simply needs taming. She is far too sure of herself, in the fact that she 'will never be married'. I find this ridiculous! Tomoyo is as pretty as a flower, and she needs to see that." Nanny sighed, stroking Akane's cheek.
"She does indeed. All women need that. And I can't think of two more deserving girls than Sakura and Tomoyo." Kaho commented, as the little girl in her arms squealed and laughed.
~*~*~*~