Daphne: "All right, everyone! Here is the fourth chapter! I hope you like
it!"
Sakura: calling from downstairs "Daphne?! Time for school!"
Daphne: *Sigh* "Sorry, everyone, but I have to leave now. Well, I hope you like the story, and I do hope that you will review! I really want to know what you are thinking! Ciao until next time!
By the way-does anyone know Rika's last name? I can't remember, and it is important!"
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 4.
"Sakura?! Your father is calling for you! He wants you immediately." Nanny cried the next morning, as she ran into Sakura's room. The girl in question was sitting up in her window seat, reading. She looked up startled, but by the look on her nurse's face, she obeyed instantly. She picked up her long spring-green skirts and ran out the door. The gauzy veil that was attached to her hair flowed out behind her like a banner as she hurried to the throne room.
"Sakura! You had best slow down! Your father wants you at your best!" Yamazaki called, as she rushed by. She threw him a thankful smile and slowed, making her pace as calm and regal as she could, under the circumstances. As she entered the room, she noted that several slaves stood ready in the shadows of the room, while her father stood in the center of it, surrounded by Touya, Tomoyo, Yukito, and..Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol.
"Ah! Sakura, darling! Come! I would like to re-introduce you to Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol!" King Fujitaka crowed. Sakura hid her frown and stepped forward politely, allowing the Prince to kiss her hand.
"Princess Sakura, what a pleasure to see you again." He murmured, looking up at her, his midnight-blue eyes sparkling at her. She smiled genuinely, and then grinned at Tomoyo, who looked almost haughty.
"The pleasure is all mine, your Highness." She returned. Now it was his turn to grin.
"Please, call me Eriol. All my friends do." He said, bowing to her. She suppressed a giggle, and almost lost it when she heard Tomoyo growl softly behind her. Obviously, Tomoyo was not so taken with this dashing prince! Although they had known him for some time, Tomoyo had never really liked Eriol. Every time he had visited, or they had visited him, she would avoid him at all costs. Unfortunately, Eriol had a tendency to find her, wherever she might be, and would tease her endlessly for hiding from him.
"Good. Now, Tomoyo dear, please show Prince Eriol to his rooms. I wish to speak with my children alone." Fujitaka said, waving her away. Tomoyo flounced her skirts and near stomped out of the room, Eriol grinning slyly at her back as he followed. Then the King turned back to Sakura and Touya.
"Now, I have arranged for you to have your own slaves. Sakura, you will have your own, personal man-slave, and Touya, you will have a lady-slave. You may do as you like with them, except release them from your control." The king stated, as Touya began to argue. He had obviously thought of all the arguments that his children would throw at him. Touya growled and stalked out of the room, slamming the door. Sakura couldn't even move, she was too horrified.
"You what? A m.man slave? Father! I am *not* going to.."
"Tut, tut, Sakura! No need to worry! Now, Ukawa, please bring Sakura's slave to her rooms, please. She will meet him there. Miyazawa, please take Touya's slave to his chambers. The rest of the slaves are to be divided out amongst the jobs that need be done in the palace." The king ordered. Before anyone could say a word, Sakura had flown from the room, her anger far too much for her to bear. She high-tailed it to her rooms, and threw herself on the bed, gasping great, heaving breaths of air. She was too angry to cry, to speak, to even scream. All she could do was lay with her eyes wide, hoping that the anger would leave her soon.
"Sakura, are you all right?" Kero asked hesitantly. Sakura simply nodded.
"Go visit Tomoyo, Kero. Please." She choked, and he hastened to do as she asked. He was indeed frightened. He had never seen Sakura lose her temper before. NEVER!!!
After he was gone, Sakura hugged a pillow to her chest, and held it there, her breath still coming hard and fast. She walked over to her window seat and sat down, looking out the window at the sunny sky above. She never heard the door open, or the soft footsteps coming towards her. But she did feel the aura. A strong, cold green aura that seemed to wrap around her whole body, almost comfortingly; it was pure magic. Slowly, Sakura stood, and turned around. Wide emerald orbs met intense amber. Sakura still breathed heavily, as though she had just run a race. His gaze was loathing, but there was something else, a confusion hidden in their depths. Sakura whimpered and turned away.
"My father was wrong to do this to you. You have my permission to do anything you wish. I will not keep you from it." She whispered, unsure of what to say. He looked at her strangely and then his eyes narrowed.
"Your father was wrong to do this to anyone." He snapped coldly. She shivered.
"Yes, I know! But what can I do? Do you think I should run away? Would that stop him?" She wondered aloud. Now his look turned into almost shock. This girl seemed almost crazed with confusion! She didn't know how to handle this situation any better than he did, but this would come to him as an advantage in the future, he reminded himself.
"What is your name, please?" She questioned softly, sweetly. For a moment, he was struck dumb, but then he shook himself.
"I am called Li." Was all he said. She looked thoughtful.
"Li..Li.." She repeated over and over, rolling the delightful new name on her tongue, almost as though it were some rare delicacy that she might never try again. He frowned at the way his name sounded so..right on her lips and then shook himself again.
"Well then, Li, would you like me to give you a tour of the palace? After all, you will have free run of it!" She said cheerfully, bouncing over to the door, completely forgetful of her first words to him. He frowned but obediently followed her. After all, soon, it would be she kneeling to him, and not the other way around.
~*~*~*~
"How dare he! How dare he, how dare he!" Touya kept repeating, as he threw himself onto his bed. He had never felt so confused and angry in his life. His father had no right to do this! No right at all! It was bad enough that they had began slave-trade in the first place, but now his father expected him to become a fast-man? He planed on saving that exercise for his wife, thank you very much!
"Ugh! That man~what is he thinking? How could he do this?!" Touya near shouted. There was a soft giggle, and Touya jumped. He snapped his head around to see a young woman standing there, her chestnut colored locks pulled up into a messy bun, and her amber eyes glinting shyly at him. He stood up in surprise, and then frowned.
"You..you must be the girl my father, um..hired for me." He chose his words carefully, and she smiled wistfully, in a sad way.
"Well, I wouldn't say 'hired', but yes, I am. I am Siefa." She said, holding out her hand. It was then that he saw the fear in her eyes. She honestly thought that he was one of *those* men!
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Siefa. I am Touya, and I insist that you call me that. Now, I will assure you that I have no plans of using you as my father intended, so you are to have free range of the palace. I believe I saw you with four other girls downstairs, did I not?" He questioned. The fear left her eyes and she smiled pleasantly.
"Well, the three girls that looked like me are my sisters, Fanren, Feimei and Fuutie. The fourth girl, Meiling, is my cousin. They are all working as maids." She answered. He nodded.
"Well then, you can visit them whenever you want. I do believe that you have a brother as well? My father must have put him to work with the kaijuu. She will be kind to him, I promise." Touya assured her. She looked confused.
"Kaijuu? What is that?" She asked. He chuckled.
"Kaijuu is what I call my little sister, Sakura." He said simply. She giggled.
"I don't suppose that she actually *likes* that nickname, does she? I wouldn't if I were her!" Siefa laughed. He grinned viciously.
"She doesn't. That's why I do it!" He taunted evilly. She grinned.
"I wonder..may I visit your gardens? I really love plants and things.." She trailed off as he nodded.
"Of course. In fact, why don't I give you a tour of the grounds?" He asked. Siefa smiled prettily, and then took his offered arm. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all!
~*~*~*~
"Why Princess Tomoyo, you grow lovelier each time I see you." Eriol commented as she lead him through the hallways. Her face took on a forced- cheerful look.
"Do I? I have not noticed any change." She commented pleasantly. Her eyes were trained on the wall, and to his delight, he saw that she was trying very hard not to get angry. Then he got to thinking. No one besides him, had ever seen Tomoyo mad before. Even Touya, who had ways to get the most cheerful person mad at him, never saw her angry. But now, Tomoyo was definitely walking on a fine line between rage and calmness. Eriol knew why too. It had all happened when he was ten and she was eight.
*Flashback*
~Eriol's POV~
"Sakura, come back! You don't know where you are going!" A sweet voice echoed through the Hiiragizawa gardens. Young Prince Eriol had been in the middle of reading a most enthralling book, when that voice interrupted him. He was sitting on a bench underneath a willow tree, hiding from the two Princesses who were to be arriving that day. His first impulse was to be annoyed by the feminine voice, but when the voice called out again, it almost seemed to caress his ears in a most delightful way. Who on earth did that enchanting voice belong to?
Vowing to find out, Eriol put down his book and stepped out from under the tree, only to come face to face with a little girl. Well, actually, it was face to back. She was looking around, trying to find someone, and did not see him. Eriol caught his breath and his heart skipped a beat. This was no girl, this was a young goddess! Her lovely raven-violet hair reached to just above her waist, and curled a bit on the ends. Her skin was pale but it also had a slight rosy-tint to it, that made it even more lovely. It was then that she sensed that someone was behind her and she turned.
"OH!" She gasped, her worried amethyst eyes meeting his midnight-blue ones. Again, he had to work to keep his breathing normal. Was this typical for his age, or had something just punched him in the stomach, and knocked all the air out of him? Her face was a frown of worry, and it only deepened as her eyes roved over him.
~Tomoyo's POV~
Tomoyo had been walking in the gardens with Sakura when Sakura had spotted a far-away Sakura-tree and ran toward it, leaving Tomoyo behind. She was out of sight before the dark haired girl had a chance to call out, and when she finally did, it was too late. Sakura was gone.
'Oh, Sakura!' Tomoyo thought looking around desperately for her friend. Suddenly, she sensed that something was behind her and she turned to see a young man standing there, staring at her. He had black-blue hair and midnight eyes that seemed to be staring right through her. For a moment, Tomoyo couldn't speak. He was quite handsome, and a bit older than her, so he intimidated her a little. Then she realized that he was still staring at her, as though she were some sort of eye-candy. This did not go over well with her!
~Normal POV~
"Excuse me, but could you direct me to the Sakura trees? My friend seems to have left me." Tomoyo asked softly. He started, and stared at her even harder, and then smiled cheekily. A wave of mischievousness rushed over him and he made up his mind.
"Of course. In fact, why don't I walk you over there? It is quite confusing to explain." He said, offering her his arm. She politely took it, and as they began to walk, his eyes returned to her face, annoying her more than ever.
"Please, sir, what is your name?" She asked, trying to be pleasant. He chuckled.
"I am not a 'sir', and my name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. You may call me Eriol." He answered. She jumped. So he was the Prince who had not been kind enough to meet them when they had first come. This lessened her regard for him even more.
"And what is your name?" He questioned. She forced a smile.
"Daidouji Tomoyo. You may call me Daidouji-san." She answered. He smirked.
"Oh, you are one for the formal names. Well, I still insist that you call me Eriol." He stated, secretly hoping that he would anger her, even if it was just a bit. He highly doubted that she angered easily, and he was ready to take up the challenge; it worked. Now the anger in her brewed up into her throat.
"I am afraid I cannot do that, Hiiragizawa-kun. It would not be proper." She snapped in her haughty, eight-year-old voice. He suppressed a chuckle.
"Then don't be proper. Besides, you seem to be more of the rebel type, to me. Properness doesn't suit you." He commented, knowing that he had just hit a soft spot when her smiling mask slipped, and her true anger showed through.
"'Properness' is not a word, and I am not a rebel, and I will be as proper as I please!" She stated, wrenching her arm from his, but continuing to walk along side him, at a distance.
"It's like the song, Mistress Mary, but we have to change the words a little bit. How about this?"
Miss Tomoyo, quite a rebel,
How does your garden grow?
With cracking skulls, and ammunition shells,
And rejected suitors all in a row!
This got all and more out of her than he wished. With one swift motion, the little girl's dainty hand contacted with his cheek. Then she turned on her heal and flounced away. He grinned in triumph and rubbed the sore cheek she had slapped. He had made the goddess mad! He had done it!
"Turn right to get to the sakura trees!" He called after her with one final chuckle.
*End flashback*
"Well, you have changed. You are quite lovely, in fact." He added. Her smile became even more forced, and her hands clenched at her sides. He grinned. He was getting to her again! Just to make things worse, he began to hum 'Mistress Mary', which caused her to whip around and look at him. He flashed her an innocent smile, and she turned and walked over to a set of double doors, her hands clenched tightly.
"These are your rooms. Enjoy." She snapped, beginning to walk away. Before she could take more than three steps, though, he reached out and grasped her wrist.
"Really, Miss Tomoyo, why so cold-shouldered?" He asked silkily, drawing her closer to him. For a moment, a flash of fear entered her eyes, and then it disappeared behind the calm mask.
"Prince Hiiragizawa, if you don't wish to be struck, I would recommend that you let me go." She said softly. He smirked.
"If it was your delicate hand, striking my cheek, I would not mind." He commented in a voice just as soft. Before he could say another word, her hand had struck his cheek for the second time in his life, and her eyes blazed with fury. He, however, grinned even more. Once again, he had angered the goddess!
"If you see Yamazaki anywhere, please tell him that I wish to speak with him." Eriol said, as he released her, walked into his chambers and shut the doors.
'I am becoming addicted to her slapping me..hmmm, lets try for a third time, shall we?' He thought with a chuckle, as he settled into his new rooms.
~*~*~*~
Tomoyo stood outside his rooms, staring at the door in horror. What had she just done? She had stuck the Prince, for the second time in her life! Never had anyone ever angered her as much as he! And certainly no one had ever been the receiver of her wrath, before him. Why did he do this? Why did she let him get to her? Why oh, why did he confuse her so much?!?!
Slowly, Tomoyo turned away from the door and walked back down the hall. As if life were not confusing enough with the new slaves, now King Fujitaka just *had* to throw the annoying Prince Hiiragizawa into the mix!
"..and this is the drawing room. Those stairs lead up to Lady Kaho's floor, where the children are staying."
Tomoyo turned to see Sakura walking down the hall, in the company of a handsome young man with chestnut colored hair and cold amber eyes. He seemed to be hanging onto her every word, and Sakura seemed to be enjoying herself immensely.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo called out, smiling at her best friend. Sakura turned around and grinned.
"Hello Tomoyo! I was just giving..Li a tour." Sakura explained, motioning to the young man. Tomoyo nodded her head to him, and he returned the gesture. Tomoyo had realized right off that this, Li, was the man slave that Fujitaka had given Sakura. Obviously, the emerald eyed girl had not appreciated the gesture, and instead of making the boy work, she was making friends with him! Tomoyo sighed and then nodded.
"Have you seen Yamazaki? Prince Hiiragizawa wishes to see him." Tomoyo asked. At this, Sakura giggled.
"Oh? I thought that Eriol wished to see *you*!" Sakura giggled. The young man, Li simply stood there looking neutral. Tomoyo huffed and stuck her pert little nose in the air. Sakura laughed again and gently shoved her friend in the direction of the staircase.
"He is in the throne room, I believe. We passed him at the beginning of our tour." She said. Tomoyo nodded in thanks, and then continued on down the stairs. Above her, she could hear the ever-cheerful Sakura explain:
"That was Tomoyo, my cousin. She is timid at first, but she warms up to you once you get to know her. Now over here is the.."
Tomoyo smiled as she moved out of hearing range, and then she hurried down to the throne room to find Yamazaki.
~*~*~*~
"All right, here is what we need to do. We need to wait for a while, because the King is expecting the slaves to start a mutiny. We have to wait until his guard is down before we put the plan into action." Yamazaki whispered, as he and Eriol leaned over a map of the huge forest that separated the Kinomoto kingdom from the Li boundaries.
"We will have to get far enough into the forest, that my magic won't be detected, and just remember, we nay have to take a few hostages, if anyone finds out." Eriol murmured back, as he pulled a compass out of his pocket and then laid it on the map. He then took out a pencil and began to trace the rout that the escapees would take. This would be a very dangerous plan, and if anything wrong happened, it could ruin the whole thing, and get them into a lot of trouble.
"Now we will need some allies on our side. Who can we trust?" Eriol asked. Yamazaki looked thoughtful.
"Well, defiantly not Yukito, because he is best friends with the prince. Omata, Miyazawa, and Ukawa may be trustworthy enough, but we will have to test them. They are showing some of the new maids around, right now, but I think they should be done soon. By the way, did you know that maids.."
Eriol sighed as Yamazaki returned to his old self. They were presently standing in the darkened study of Eriol's room. Of course, Eriol knew how risky this was going to be; he should! He had been helping slaves escape from his own kingdom since he was eight, and he had overheard his butler and a soldier talking about smuggling a group of slaves out of the kingdom. They had caught him, but instead of hurting him, they had welcomed him into their ring of undercover smugglers. Eriol sighed again and smiled at his old friend. This was going to be one heck of an adventure!
~*~*~*~
Unbeknownst to the young men, someone had overheard their conversation. Someone who's eyes now burnt with righteous rage, who's face was pale, and who's hands clenched themselves tightly around the handles of the tray they were carrying, which held two glasses of icy lemonade.
~*~*~*~
Sakura: calling from downstairs "Daphne?! Time for school!"
Daphne: *Sigh* "Sorry, everyone, but I have to leave now. Well, I hope you like the story, and I do hope that you will review! I really want to know what you are thinking! Ciao until next time!
By the way-does anyone know Rika's last name? I can't remember, and it is important!"
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 4.
"Sakura?! Your father is calling for you! He wants you immediately." Nanny cried the next morning, as she ran into Sakura's room. The girl in question was sitting up in her window seat, reading. She looked up startled, but by the look on her nurse's face, she obeyed instantly. She picked up her long spring-green skirts and ran out the door. The gauzy veil that was attached to her hair flowed out behind her like a banner as she hurried to the throne room.
"Sakura! You had best slow down! Your father wants you at your best!" Yamazaki called, as she rushed by. She threw him a thankful smile and slowed, making her pace as calm and regal as she could, under the circumstances. As she entered the room, she noted that several slaves stood ready in the shadows of the room, while her father stood in the center of it, surrounded by Touya, Tomoyo, Yukito, and..Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol.
"Ah! Sakura, darling! Come! I would like to re-introduce you to Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol!" King Fujitaka crowed. Sakura hid her frown and stepped forward politely, allowing the Prince to kiss her hand.
"Princess Sakura, what a pleasure to see you again." He murmured, looking up at her, his midnight-blue eyes sparkling at her. She smiled genuinely, and then grinned at Tomoyo, who looked almost haughty.
"The pleasure is all mine, your Highness." She returned. Now it was his turn to grin.
"Please, call me Eriol. All my friends do." He said, bowing to her. She suppressed a giggle, and almost lost it when she heard Tomoyo growl softly behind her. Obviously, Tomoyo was not so taken with this dashing prince! Although they had known him for some time, Tomoyo had never really liked Eriol. Every time he had visited, or they had visited him, she would avoid him at all costs. Unfortunately, Eriol had a tendency to find her, wherever she might be, and would tease her endlessly for hiding from him.
"Good. Now, Tomoyo dear, please show Prince Eriol to his rooms. I wish to speak with my children alone." Fujitaka said, waving her away. Tomoyo flounced her skirts and near stomped out of the room, Eriol grinning slyly at her back as he followed. Then the King turned back to Sakura and Touya.
"Now, I have arranged for you to have your own slaves. Sakura, you will have your own, personal man-slave, and Touya, you will have a lady-slave. You may do as you like with them, except release them from your control." The king stated, as Touya began to argue. He had obviously thought of all the arguments that his children would throw at him. Touya growled and stalked out of the room, slamming the door. Sakura couldn't even move, she was too horrified.
"You what? A m.man slave? Father! I am *not* going to.."
"Tut, tut, Sakura! No need to worry! Now, Ukawa, please bring Sakura's slave to her rooms, please. She will meet him there. Miyazawa, please take Touya's slave to his chambers. The rest of the slaves are to be divided out amongst the jobs that need be done in the palace." The king ordered. Before anyone could say a word, Sakura had flown from the room, her anger far too much for her to bear. She high-tailed it to her rooms, and threw herself on the bed, gasping great, heaving breaths of air. She was too angry to cry, to speak, to even scream. All she could do was lay with her eyes wide, hoping that the anger would leave her soon.
"Sakura, are you all right?" Kero asked hesitantly. Sakura simply nodded.
"Go visit Tomoyo, Kero. Please." She choked, and he hastened to do as she asked. He was indeed frightened. He had never seen Sakura lose her temper before. NEVER!!!
After he was gone, Sakura hugged a pillow to her chest, and held it there, her breath still coming hard and fast. She walked over to her window seat and sat down, looking out the window at the sunny sky above. She never heard the door open, or the soft footsteps coming towards her. But she did feel the aura. A strong, cold green aura that seemed to wrap around her whole body, almost comfortingly; it was pure magic. Slowly, Sakura stood, and turned around. Wide emerald orbs met intense amber. Sakura still breathed heavily, as though she had just run a race. His gaze was loathing, but there was something else, a confusion hidden in their depths. Sakura whimpered and turned away.
"My father was wrong to do this to you. You have my permission to do anything you wish. I will not keep you from it." She whispered, unsure of what to say. He looked at her strangely and then his eyes narrowed.
"Your father was wrong to do this to anyone." He snapped coldly. She shivered.
"Yes, I know! But what can I do? Do you think I should run away? Would that stop him?" She wondered aloud. Now his look turned into almost shock. This girl seemed almost crazed with confusion! She didn't know how to handle this situation any better than he did, but this would come to him as an advantage in the future, he reminded himself.
"What is your name, please?" She questioned softly, sweetly. For a moment, he was struck dumb, but then he shook himself.
"I am called Li." Was all he said. She looked thoughtful.
"Li..Li.." She repeated over and over, rolling the delightful new name on her tongue, almost as though it were some rare delicacy that she might never try again. He frowned at the way his name sounded so..right on her lips and then shook himself again.
"Well then, Li, would you like me to give you a tour of the palace? After all, you will have free run of it!" She said cheerfully, bouncing over to the door, completely forgetful of her first words to him. He frowned but obediently followed her. After all, soon, it would be she kneeling to him, and not the other way around.
~*~*~*~
"How dare he! How dare he, how dare he!" Touya kept repeating, as he threw himself onto his bed. He had never felt so confused and angry in his life. His father had no right to do this! No right at all! It was bad enough that they had began slave-trade in the first place, but now his father expected him to become a fast-man? He planed on saving that exercise for his wife, thank you very much!
"Ugh! That man~what is he thinking? How could he do this?!" Touya near shouted. There was a soft giggle, and Touya jumped. He snapped his head around to see a young woman standing there, her chestnut colored locks pulled up into a messy bun, and her amber eyes glinting shyly at him. He stood up in surprise, and then frowned.
"You..you must be the girl my father, um..hired for me." He chose his words carefully, and she smiled wistfully, in a sad way.
"Well, I wouldn't say 'hired', but yes, I am. I am Siefa." She said, holding out her hand. It was then that he saw the fear in her eyes. She honestly thought that he was one of *those* men!
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Siefa. I am Touya, and I insist that you call me that. Now, I will assure you that I have no plans of using you as my father intended, so you are to have free range of the palace. I believe I saw you with four other girls downstairs, did I not?" He questioned. The fear left her eyes and she smiled pleasantly.
"Well, the three girls that looked like me are my sisters, Fanren, Feimei and Fuutie. The fourth girl, Meiling, is my cousin. They are all working as maids." She answered. He nodded.
"Well then, you can visit them whenever you want. I do believe that you have a brother as well? My father must have put him to work with the kaijuu. She will be kind to him, I promise." Touya assured her. She looked confused.
"Kaijuu? What is that?" She asked. He chuckled.
"Kaijuu is what I call my little sister, Sakura." He said simply. She giggled.
"I don't suppose that she actually *likes* that nickname, does she? I wouldn't if I were her!" Siefa laughed. He grinned viciously.
"She doesn't. That's why I do it!" He taunted evilly. She grinned.
"I wonder..may I visit your gardens? I really love plants and things.." She trailed off as he nodded.
"Of course. In fact, why don't I give you a tour of the grounds?" He asked. Siefa smiled prettily, and then took his offered arm. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all!
~*~*~*~
"Why Princess Tomoyo, you grow lovelier each time I see you." Eriol commented as she lead him through the hallways. Her face took on a forced- cheerful look.
"Do I? I have not noticed any change." She commented pleasantly. Her eyes were trained on the wall, and to his delight, he saw that she was trying very hard not to get angry. Then he got to thinking. No one besides him, had ever seen Tomoyo mad before. Even Touya, who had ways to get the most cheerful person mad at him, never saw her angry. But now, Tomoyo was definitely walking on a fine line between rage and calmness. Eriol knew why too. It had all happened when he was ten and she was eight.
*Flashback*
~Eriol's POV~
"Sakura, come back! You don't know where you are going!" A sweet voice echoed through the Hiiragizawa gardens. Young Prince Eriol had been in the middle of reading a most enthralling book, when that voice interrupted him. He was sitting on a bench underneath a willow tree, hiding from the two Princesses who were to be arriving that day. His first impulse was to be annoyed by the feminine voice, but when the voice called out again, it almost seemed to caress his ears in a most delightful way. Who on earth did that enchanting voice belong to?
Vowing to find out, Eriol put down his book and stepped out from under the tree, only to come face to face with a little girl. Well, actually, it was face to back. She was looking around, trying to find someone, and did not see him. Eriol caught his breath and his heart skipped a beat. This was no girl, this was a young goddess! Her lovely raven-violet hair reached to just above her waist, and curled a bit on the ends. Her skin was pale but it also had a slight rosy-tint to it, that made it even more lovely. It was then that she sensed that someone was behind her and she turned.
"OH!" She gasped, her worried amethyst eyes meeting his midnight-blue ones. Again, he had to work to keep his breathing normal. Was this typical for his age, or had something just punched him in the stomach, and knocked all the air out of him? Her face was a frown of worry, and it only deepened as her eyes roved over him.
~Tomoyo's POV~
Tomoyo had been walking in the gardens with Sakura when Sakura had spotted a far-away Sakura-tree and ran toward it, leaving Tomoyo behind. She was out of sight before the dark haired girl had a chance to call out, and when she finally did, it was too late. Sakura was gone.
'Oh, Sakura!' Tomoyo thought looking around desperately for her friend. Suddenly, she sensed that something was behind her and she turned to see a young man standing there, staring at her. He had black-blue hair and midnight eyes that seemed to be staring right through her. For a moment, Tomoyo couldn't speak. He was quite handsome, and a bit older than her, so he intimidated her a little. Then she realized that he was still staring at her, as though she were some sort of eye-candy. This did not go over well with her!
~Normal POV~
"Excuse me, but could you direct me to the Sakura trees? My friend seems to have left me." Tomoyo asked softly. He started, and stared at her even harder, and then smiled cheekily. A wave of mischievousness rushed over him and he made up his mind.
"Of course. In fact, why don't I walk you over there? It is quite confusing to explain." He said, offering her his arm. She politely took it, and as they began to walk, his eyes returned to her face, annoying her more than ever.
"Please, sir, what is your name?" She asked, trying to be pleasant. He chuckled.
"I am not a 'sir', and my name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. You may call me Eriol." He answered. She jumped. So he was the Prince who had not been kind enough to meet them when they had first come. This lessened her regard for him even more.
"And what is your name?" He questioned. She forced a smile.
"Daidouji Tomoyo. You may call me Daidouji-san." She answered. He smirked.
"Oh, you are one for the formal names. Well, I still insist that you call me Eriol." He stated, secretly hoping that he would anger her, even if it was just a bit. He highly doubted that she angered easily, and he was ready to take up the challenge; it worked. Now the anger in her brewed up into her throat.
"I am afraid I cannot do that, Hiiragizawa-kun. It would not be proper." She snapped in her haughty, eight-year-old voice. He suppressed a chuckle.
"Then don't be proper. Besides, you seem to be more of the rebel type, to me. Properness doesn't suit you." He commented, knowing that he had just hit a soft spot when her smiling mask slipped, and her true anger showed through.
"'Properness' is not a word, and I am not a rebel, and I will be as proper as I please!" She stated, wrenching her arm from his, but continuing to walk along side him, at a distance.
"It's like the song, Mistress Mary, but we have to change the words a little bit. How about this?"
Miss Tomoyo, quite a rebel,
How does your garden grow?
With cracking skulls, and ammunition shells,
And rejected suitors all in a row!
This got all and more out of her than he wished. With one swift motion, the little girl's dainty hand contacted with his cheek. Then she turned on her heal and flounced away. He grinned in triumph and rubbed the sore cheek she had slapped. He had made the goddess mad! He had done it!
"Turn right to get to the sakura trees!" He called after her with one final chuckle.
*End flashback*
"Well, you have changed. You are quite lovely, in fact." He added. Her smile became even more forced, and her hands clenched at her sides. He grinned. He was getting to her again! Just to make things worse, he began to hum 'Mistress Mary', which caused her to whip around and look at him. He flashed her an innocent smile, and she turned and walked over to a set of double doors, her hands clenched tightly.
"These are your rooms. Enjoy." She snapped, beginning to walk away. Before she could take more than three steps, though, he reached out and grasped her wrist.
"Really, Miss Tomoyo, why so cold-shouldered?" He asked silkily, drawing her closer to him. For a moment, a flash of fear entered her eyes, and then it disappeared behind the calm mask.
"Prince Hiiragizawa, if you don't wish to be struck, I would recommend that you let me go." She said softly. He smirked.
"If it was your delicate hand, striking my cheek, I would not mind." He commented in a voice just as soft. Before he could say another word, her hand had struck his cheek for the second time in his life, and her eyes blazed with fury. He, however, grinned even more. Once again, he had angered the goddess!
"If you see Yamazaki anywhere, please tell him that I wish to speak with him." Eriol said, as he released her, walked into his chambers and shut the doors.
'I am becoming addicted to her slapping me..hmmm, lets try for a third time, shall we?' He thought with a chuckle, as he settled into his new rooms.
~*~*~*~
Tomoyo stood outside his rooms, staring at the door in horror. What had she just done? She had stuck the Prince, for the second time in her life! Never had anyone ever angered her as much as he! And certainly no one had ever been the receiver of her wrath, before him. Why did he do this? Why did she let him get to her? Why oh, why did he confuse her so much?!?!
Slowly, Tomoyo turned away from the door and walked back down the hall. As if life were not confusing enough with the new slaves, now King Fujitaka just *had* to throw the annoying Prince Hiiragizawa into the mix!
"..and this is the drawing room. Those stairs lead up to Lady Kaho's floor, where the children are staying."
Tomoyo turned to see Sakura walking down the hall, in the company of a handsome young man with chestnut colored hair and cold amber eyes. He seemed to be hanging onto her every word, and Sakura seemed to be enjoying herself immensely.
"Sakura!" Tomoyo called out, smiling at her best friend. Sakura turned around and grinned.
"Hello Tomoyo! I was just giving..Li a tour." Sakura explained, motioning to the young man. Tomoyo nodded her head to him, and he returned the gesture. Tomoyo had realized right off that this, Li, was the man slave that Fujitaka had given Sakura. Obviously, the emerald eyed girl had not appreciated the gesture, and instead of making the boy work, she was making friends with him! Tomoyo sighed and then nodded.
"Have you seen Yamazaki? Prince Hiiragizawa wishes to see him." Tomoyo asked. At this, Sakura giggled.
"Oh? I thought that Eriol wished to see *you*!" Sakura giggled. The young man, Li simply stood there looking neutral. Tomoyo huffed and stuck her pert little nose in the air. Sakura laughed again and gently shoved her friend in the direction of the staircase.
"He is in the throne room, I believe. We passed him at the beginning of our tour." She said. Tomoyo nodded in thanks, and then continued on down the stairs. Above her, she could hear the ever-cheerful Sakura explain:
"That was Tomoyo, my cousin. She is timid at first, but she warms up to you once you get to know her. Now over here is the.."
Tomoyo smiled as she moved out of hearing range, and then she hurried down to the throne room to find Yamazaki.
~*~*~*~
"All right, here is what we need to do. We need to wait for a while, because the King is expecting the slaves to start a mutiny. We have to wait until his guard is down before we put the plan into action." Yamazaki whispered, as he and Eriol leaned over a map of the huge forest that separated the Kinomoto kingdom from the Li boundaries.
"We will have to get far enough into the forest, that my magic won't be detected, and just remember, we nay have to take a few hostages, if anyone finds out." Eriol murmured back, as he pulled a compass out of his pocket and then laid it on the map. He then took out a pencil and began to trace the rout that the escapees would take. This would be a very dangerous plan, and if anything wrong happened, it could ruin the whole thing, and get them into a lot of trouble.
"Now we will need some allies on our side. Who can we trust?" Eriol asked. Yamazaki looked thoughtful.
"Well, defiantly not Yukito, because he is best friends with the prince. Omata, Miyazawa, and Ukawa may be trustworthy enough, but we will have to test them. They are showing some of the new maids around, right now, but I think they should be done soon. By the way, did you know that maids.."
Eriol sighed as Yamazaki returned to his old self. They were presently standing in the darkened study of Eriol's room. Of course, Eriol knew how risky this was going to be; he should! He had been helping slaves escape from his own kingdom since he was eight, and he had overheard his butler and a soldier talking about smuggling a group of slaves out of the kingdom. They had caught him, but instead of hurting him, they had welcomed him into their ring of undercover smugglers. Eriol sighed again and smiled at his old friend. This was going to be one heck of an adventure!
~*~*~*~
Unbeknownst to the young men, someone had overheard their conversation. Someone who's eyes now burnt with righteous rage, who's face was pale, and who's hands clenched themselves tightly around the handles of the tray they were carrying, which held two glasses of icy lemonade.
~*~*~*~