Daphne: "Well, I am so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up! I
have had trouble with my computer, and to top it off, Kero spilled some
pudding all over the keyboard, so I had to clean that off, and then
he...well, you get the picture! I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and
that you will all review! I really appreciate your support!
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 7.
"But what should we do with them?"
It was a week later, and Yelan was talking with the elders about the future of their two prisoners. Sakura had adapted well within the last two weeks, becoming more open and friendly towards, not only the royal family but the servants as well. Tomoyo, however, was still shy and hesitant, only coming to the lower levels of the palace when Sakura was with her, or when she wished to explore the gardens. She was very withdrawn except when she was fighting with Eriol; her battles with Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol had escalated to the point where Syaoran had had to step into the middle of it, just to make sure that Eriol would come out of them alive. The royal family thought this quite funny, considering that Syaoran hated the very thought of Eriol, and usually would have liked to see Eriol smashed to a pulp. Syaoran's excuse? And I quote:
"I want to be the one to end his life, not some girl." He would say every time, as Sakura giggled hysterically in the background. She found the confrontations to be exciting and funny, and not at all frightening. Most of the time, the fights would start with Eriol purposely offending Tomoyo, and then the girl retaliating with one of her own comments; then it would go on from there.
It must be admitted, though, that Queen Li Yelan had quite fallen in love with both girls, and had treated them both as though they were her own daughters. She always made sure that Tomoyo had plenty of fabric and supplies so she could make pretty dresses for Sakura, and Sakura was always supplied with books, and any other thing her heart desired. Yelan had also noticed a bond forming between the 'hated' Kinomoto princess, and her own daughters. This was not surprising considering her daughter's attitudes and Sakura's sweet personality. But Yelan was still hesitant about the chance of them staying in the Li kingdom.
"They are doing no harm, Yelan. Trust us, it is better if they stay here. I know that the Kinomoto kingdom will be...unhappy with the situation, but they can hardly expect less of us, after what they did to our people." The oldest man spoke up. Yelan, being unaware of Sakura's visit to them, had no idea why they were suddenly so forgiving. Just the week before, they had been insisting on hanging the princesses without fail, and it had taken all of Yelan's persuasion to make them agree to allowing the girls to stay here, *alive* and as prisoners of war. This new development quite confused her.
"Very well. Eriol and Syaoran are still in contact with those young soldiers who helped them escape. Their last letter stated that they were going to return, but they couldn't say why, because of fear the letter would be overtaken." Yelan said. The oldest man nodded.
"I am sure that they will be welcomed with open arms." He finished, waving his hand at her, motioning for her to leave.
"Yes, I am sure that *certain* people will be quite pleased." Yelan said jokingly, in a dry voice. She was thinking about Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu, and Meiling who had seemed quite close to the foreign soldiers, when they had arrived.
~*~*~*~
"They are coming back? Why?" Meiling asked, a slight blush on her cheeks. Syaoran shrugged and made no comment. He had just finished telling his family, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko about the Kinomoto knights that were coming back. Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura were nowhere in sight. Sakura and Tomoyo had decided to visit the libraries earlier that day, and Eriol had decided to take a walk in the gardens.
"Well, I am going to prepare some rooms for them." Meiling squealed, rushing out of the room. Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu were hot on her heals. Yelan laughed and left the room, obviously to talk to the elders again. Siefa was looking dreamily out the window, and hardly noticed that anyone else was there. Her sisters glanced at her, before they too, left the room.
Syaoran growled. Ever since they had returned to the Li kingdom, Siefa had been lost in a world of her own; Syaoran knew why.
*Flashback*
Syaoran was walking through the halls late at night, unable to sleep. It was a week after they had arrived home, and his thoughts had been stuck on the dilemma of what to do with the two prisoners that were presently sleeping in the towers. Syaoran's hair was even more mussed than usual, and his amber eyes looked quite sleepy. But still, he couldn't sleep, for something was pushing at the edge of his conscious ~ something that he knew he should remember, but didn't.
He hardly noticed as he passed his sisters and cousin's rooms, until he came to the very last door in that hallway. It was slightly open, which was unusual, because Siefa usually slept with her door shut. She liked the privacy. Frowning, Syaoran walked over to the door and pushed it open a little more, so he could peek in to see if his sister was all right. What met him, startled him even more. It was the sound of suppressed sobs.
Alarmed, Syaoran slipped further into the room, and looked around for his sister. She was seated at her window seat, staring out the window at the stars, and crying. Syaoran had never seen Siefa cry before, and it unnerved him even more. He kept silent, though, knowing that she would be upset with him if she caught him in her room. Suddenly, she began to speak softly, her voice filled with suppressed pain.
"Why did it happen this way? Why to me?" She whimpered, her voice shaking violently. Syaoran started and then listened, with dawning horror.
"I mean, I have read about this in books, but I never thought...thought that it would really happen. Why? Why was I fool-headed enough to let my guard down? Why did I do this to myself? He is an enemy! And he believes me to be a commoner." She whispered, her voice gaining strength. Syaoran caught his breath. So that was it! It was a man who was doing this to her! And an enemy at that! But who was 'he'? All too soon, Syaoran found out.
"Touya." She whimpered, all the strength in her voice giving out. Her hand fluttered to the window and her fingertips ran a trail down the window, as though trying to touch something far away, but unable to do so. Siefa's eyes were filled with unshed tears, and her body was trembling as her hands came up and cradled her now, tear-wet face. Syaoran's body was trembling as well; trembling in fury. Siefa had fallen in love with the Kinomoto prince! That vain, stuffy young man who had snubbed all the slaves publicly the first day they had arrived. Siefa loved him!
With smoldering fury, Syaoran hurried out of the room, not bothering to shut the door, and raced back up to his own room.
*End Flashback*
With an angry sigh, Syaoran left the room, and headed down to the gardens. He needed to think.
~*~*~*~
"It will be nice to see Yamazaki again!" Tomoyo exclaimed. She and Sakura were sitting in Sakura's room, talking with each other and looking out the window at the gardens below. They had been here for almost a month now, and still, there was no word from home.
"It will, I suppose. Perhaps he has seen father." Sakura commented, her face turning a bit sad. Tomoyo sighed and hugged her friend.
"Why don't you read a book, or take a walk?" Tomoyo suggested. Sakura's face lit up slightly, and she nodded.
"A walk sounds nice. I will take it in the gardens. Would you like to join me? Kero?" Sakura asked, looking back and forth between them. Tomoyo shook her head and Kero simply grunted. He was eating a huge bowl of pudding and did not look as though he wished to be disturbed. Sakura giggled and headed outside.
She had been into the gardens alone only twice before, so she was still quite unfamiliar with the place. But there was one part of the garden that she had seen from her window, that she wished to visit today. It was well past the other gardens, and near the edge of a moor that stood on the outskirts of the city. There was a brick wall surrounding the garden, but Sakura had spotted a large wooden door that she could get through.
Swiftly, Sakura made her way to that part of the garden. She found it quite difficult, because it was positioned in a way that made it hard to get too. There were many difficult mazes surrounding it, and you had to go through a certain one to get to the door. It took her some time, but Sakura finally got to the wooden door and slowly pushed it open.
Breathtaking! That was the only way to describe it. Sakura caught her breath and bit her lip in ecstasy. She was standing on a stone pathway, bordered by cornflowers, foxgloves, and many other flowers that she couldn't name. Large rose bushes grew wildly on the wall and in the garden itself. Stone arches rose out of the wall and ended on portions of pillars that had honeysuckle vines clinging to them. There were trees of sakura and tomoyo, that were just blooming. It also seemed a bit hazy, as though she were in a dream. In the very center of the garden, was a pond, that boasted many types of water plants and water lilies.
"Oh!" Sakura managed, as she caught sight of a wooden swing, hanging from a particularly large tree that grew on a platform slightly higher than the rest of the garden. There was a tall stone wall behind the platform, giving it a bit of privacy from the rest of the garden, and it was covered in honeysuckle and rose vines. The swing was slightly swinging in the breeze, as if someone invisible was pushing it.
Slowly, as if in a dream, Sakura walked over to it and gently fingered one of the wide ropes wistfully. Should she? Did she dare? No one was using it, and it certainly looked safe. Slowly, hesitantly, Sakura sat on the wide swing, that could have easily seated two people, and kicked off the ground.
Bliss! The warm breeze ruffled through her hair, causing it to swing out behind her, and her dress fluttered around her feet. Sakura closed her eyes in ecstasy and imagined herself far away from all the troubles in the world.
~*~*~*~
Syaoran rushed through the main gardens, and into one of the mazes. He had to get away. He had to think; alone. And there was only one place that he could do that; his garden. It had once belonged to his father, but before the king had died, he insisted that Syaoran would inherit it from him. For this, Syaoran was extremely grateful. No one knew how to get through the maze, or how to reach the garden. In fact, hardly anyone even knew that the garden even existed. It was Syaoran's hiding place when annoying princesses came to visit, and the one thing that kept him safe from his sisters.
As Syaoran neared his garden, he breathed a sigh of relief. But the relief was short lived. As he pushed open the wooden door softly, he felt another presence in the garden. A human one. Anger flashed through his veins. Who dared to enter *his* garden? Who dared to disrupt his search for a peaceful place to rest? Well, whoever they were, they were presently swinging on *his* swing! Not that he used it much...but still...
Slowly, Syaoran crept forward, his eyes searching for the intruder. What he saw made his breath catch. It was Princess Sakura! Her light-pink dress was fluttering around her feet and legs as she swung back and forth, and her hair rippled out behind her, like a silken sheet. Her eyes were closed, and her face was serene and happy. All thoughts of her being an 'intruder' left his mind. She seemed to have been made for this garden, and she belonged here.
Without thinking, Syaoran slipped behind her and gently pushed her as she came back from swinging forward. Her eyes flew open, and for a moment, a look of fear and guilt passed over her face, but when she turned and saw him, she relaxed again and allowed him to push her more. They said nothing, but simply enjoyed the sweet music that the birds were making, and the sound of the water of the pond rippling.
Neither of them seemed to think that this was in any way strange, though they had hardly ever spoken to each other, and neither really knew anything about the other. But this just seemed right. Syaoran was deep in his thoughts as he pushed her, and she was simply closing her eyes and enjoying being there. Soon, though, she became tired of swinging, and slowly stopped. He started out of his thoughts, and met her wondering emerald orbs. With a slight smile, he held out his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her though the garden paths. Suddenly, a bluebird flew over their heads and landed in a nearby sakura tree.
"See that? He lives here. He and his mate have built a nest over in that tree." Syaoran said in a low, deep voice. Sakura was not upset with the interruption of his voice at all.
"Really? Have they any babies?" She wondered. He shook his head.
"Not yet. I think there will be soon, though." He commented thoughtfully. She smiled.
"I should like to see them." She whispered, leaning on his arm even more, as she tried to catch a glimpse of the bird. Her nearness suddenly became unnerving to him, and for some strange reason, he blushed. She, however, seemed unaware of his discomfort, and was now staring at the bird with shining eyes.
"They are so peaceful. It is almost as though nothing is wrong in the world, when you watch them." She commented softly. That jolted him out of his reverie and guilt filled him. They had been so stupid to bring the princesses here. Sakura most certainly wouldn't have told, and Tomoyo hadn't told, even though she had known since that first day. They continued on through the garden, Syaoran occasionally speaking to show Sakura a certain sight or flower, and her answering with awe and wonder at everything he said. Soon, though, they both agreed that it was time to return to the palace. It was getting late and the sun was just disappearing behind the garden wall.
"May I come back again tomorrow?" Sakura asked quietly. She had subconsciously realized that this garden belonged to him, because of the warm green aura that was entwined with every plant and object in the garden. Syaoran's aura. Syaoran simply nodded, and then gently took her hand as he led her back through the maze. Now it was Sakura who was uncomfortably aware of Syaoran's strong, warm hand holding hers. He too was aware of it, but for some reason, it didn't make him in the least uncomfortable. To tell the truth, Sakura only noticed because of the shivers it was causing to run through her body. Slowly, the two walked into the palace, unaware of the eyes that were following them.
"Sakura?"
The two turned to see Tomoyo, her face pale and her whole body shaking. She looked as if she had just seen a ghost.
~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~
Refuge
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 7.
"But what should we do with them?"
It was a week later, and Yelan was talking with the elders about the future of their two prisoners. Sakura had adapted well within the last two weeks, becoming more open and friendly towards, not only the royal family but the servants as well. Tomoyo, however, was still shy and hesitant, only coming to the lower levels of the palace when Sakura was with her, or when she wished to explore the gardens. She was very withdrawn except when she was fighting with Eriol; her battles with Prince Hiiragizawa Eriol had escalated to the point where Syaoran had had to step into the middle of it, just to make sure that Eriol would come out of them alive. The royal family thought this quite funny, considering that Syaoran hated the very thought of Eriol, and usually would have liked to see Eriol smashed to a pulp. Syaoran's excuse? And I quote:
"I want to be the one to end his life, not some girl." He would say every time, as Sakura giggled hysterically in the background. She found the confrontations to be exciting and funny, and not at all frightening. Most of the time, the fights would start with Eriol purposely offending Tomoyo, and then the girl retaliating with one of her own comments; then it would go on from there.
It must be admitted, though, that Queen Li Yelan had quite fallen in love with both girls, and had treated them both as though they were her own daughters. She always made sure that Tomoyo had plenty of fabric and supplies so she could make pretty dresses for Sakura, and Sakura was always supplied with books, and any other thing her heart desired. Yelan had also noticed a bond forming between the 'hated' Kinomoto princess, and her own daughters. This was not surprising considering her daughter's attitudes and Sakura's sweet personality. But Yelan was still hesitant about the chance of them staying in the Li kingdom.
"They are doing no harm, Yelan. Trust us, it is better if they stay here. I know that the Kinomoto kingdom will be...unhappy with the situation, but they can hardly expect less of us, after what they did to our people." The oldest man spoke up. Yelan, being unaware of Sakura's visit to them, had no idea why they were suddenly so forgiving. Just the week before, they had been insisting on hanging the princesses without fail, and it had taken all of Yelan's persuasion to make them agree to allowing the girls to stay here, *alive* and as prisoners of war. This new development quite confused her.
"Very well. Eriol and Syaoran are still in contact with those young soldiers who helped them escape. Their last letter stated that they were going to return, but they couldn't say why, because of fear the letter would be overtaken." Yelan said. The oldest man nodded.
"I am sure that they will be welcomed with open arms." He finished, waving his hand at her, motioning for her to leave.
"Yes, I am sure that *certain* people will be quite pleased." Yelan said jokingly, in a dry voice. She was thinking about Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu, and Meiling who had seemed quite close to the foreign soldiers, when they had arrived.
~*~*~*~
"They are coming back? Why?" Meiling asked, a slight blush on her cheeks. Syaoran shrugged and made no comment. He had just finished telling his family, Rika, Chiharu, and Naoko about the Kinomoto knights that were coming back. Eriol, Tomoyo, and Sakura were nowhere in sight. Sakura and Tomoyo had decided to visit the libraries earlier that day, and Eriol had decided to take a walk in the gardens.
"Well, I am going to prepare some rooms for them." Meiling squealed, rushing out of the room. Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu were hot on her heals. Yelan laughed and left the room, obviously to talk to the elders again. Siefa was looking dreamily out the window, and hardly noticed that anyone else was there. Her sisters glanced at her, before they too, left the room.
Syaoran growled. Ever since they had returned to the Li kingdom, Siefa had been lost in a world of her own; Syaoran knew why.
*Flashback*
Syaoran was walking through the halls late at night, unable to sleep. It was a week after they had arrived home, and his thoughts had been stuck on the dilemma of what to do with the two prisoners that were presently sleeping in the towers. Syaoran's hair was even more mussed than usual, and his amber eyes looked quite sleepy. But still, he couldn't sleep, for something was pushing at the edge of his conscious ~ something that he knew he should remember, but didn't.
He hardly noticed as he passed his sisters and cousin's rooms, until he came to the very last door in that hallway. It was slightly open, which was unusual, because Siefa usually slept with her door shut. She liked the privacy. Frowning, Syaoran walked over to the door and pushed it open a little more, so he could peek in to see if his sister was all right. What met him, startled him even more. It was the sound of suppressed sobs.
Alarmed, Syaoran slipped further into the room, and looked around for his sister. She was seated at her window seat, staring out the window at the stars, and crying. Syaoran had never seen Siefa cry before, and it unnerved him even more. He kept silent, though, knowing that she would be upset with him if she caught him in her room. Suddenly, she began to speak softly, her voice filled with suppressed pain.
"Why did it happen this way? Why to me?" She whimpered, her voice shaking violently. Syaoran started and then listened, with dawning horror.
"I mean, I have read about this in books, but I never thought...thought that it would really happen. Why? Why was I fool-headed enough to let my guard down? Why did I do this to myself? He is an enemy! And he believes me to be a commoner." She whispered, her voice gaining strength. Syaoran caught his breath. So that was it! It was a man who was doing this to her! And an enemy at that! But who was 'he'? All too soon, Syaoran found out.
"Touya." She whimpered, all the strength in her voice giving out. Her hand fluttered to the window and her fingertips ran a trail down the window, as though trying to touch something far away, but unable to do so. Siefa's eyes were filled with unshed tears, and her body was trembling as her hands came up and cradled her now, tear-wet face. Syaoran's body was trembling as well; trembling in fury. Siefa had fallen in love with the Kinomoto prince! That vain, stuffy young man who had snubbed all the slaves publicly the first day they had arrived. Siefa loved him!
With smoldering fury, Syaoran hurried out of the room, not bothering to shut the door, and raced back up to his own room.
*End Flashback*
With an angry sigh, Syaoran left the room, and headed down to the gardens. He needed to think.
~*~*~*~
"It will be nice to see Yamazaki again!" Tomoyo exclaimed. She and Sakura were sitting in Sakura's room, talking with each other and looking out the window at the gardens below. They had been here for almost a month now, and still, there was no word from home.
"It will, I suppose. Perhaps he has seen father." Sakura commented, her face turning a bit sad. Tomoyo sighed and hugged her friend.
"Why don't you read a book, or take a walk?" Tomoyo suggested. Sakura's face lit up slightly, and she nodded.
"A walk sounds nice. I will take it in the gardens. Would you like to join me? Kero?" Sakura asked, looking back and forth between them. Tomoyo shook her head and Kero simply grunted. He was eating a huge bowl of pudding and did not look as though he wished to be disturbed. Sakura giggled and headed outside.
She had been into the gardens alone only twice before, so she was still quite unfamiliar with the place. But there was one part of the garden that she had seen from her window, that she wished to visit today. It was well past the other gardens, and near the edge of a moor that stood on the outskirts of the city. There was a brick wall surrounding the garden, but Sakura had spotted a large wooden door that she could get through.
Swiftly, Sakura made her way to that part of the garden. She found it quite difficult, because it was positioned in a way that made it hard to get too. There were many difficult mazes surrounding it, and you had to go through a certain one to get to the door. It took her some time, but Sakura finally got to the wooden door and slowly pushed it open.
Breathtaking! That was the only way to describe it. Sakura caught her breath and bit her lip in ecstasy. She was standing on a stone pathway, bordered by cornflowers, foxgloves, and many other flowers that she couldn't name. Large rose bushes grew wildly on the wall and in the garden itself. Stone arches rose out of the wall and ended on portions of pillars that had honeysuckle vines clinging to them. There were trees of sakura and tomoyo, that were just blooming. It also seemed a bit hazy, as though she were in a dream. In the very center of the garden, was a pond, that boasted many types of water plants and water lilies.
"Oh!" Sakura managed, as she caught sight of a wooden swing, hanging from a particularly large tree that grew on a platform slightly higher than the rest of the garden. There was a tall stone wall behind the platform, giving it a bit of privacy from the rest of the garden, and it was covered in honeysuckle and rose vines. The swing was slightly swinging in the breeze, as if someone invisible was pushing it.
Slowly, as if in a dream, Sakura walked over to it and gently fingered one of the wide ropes wistfully. Should she? Did she dare? No one was using it, and it certainly looked safe. Slowly, hesitantly, Sakura sat on the wide swing, that could have easily seated two people, and kicked off the ground.
Bliss! The warm breeze ruffled through her hair, causing it to swing out behind her, and her dress fluttered around her feet. Sakura closed her eyes in ecstasy and imagined herself far away from all the troubles in the world.
~*~*~*~
Syaoran rushed through the main gardens, and into one of the mazes. He had to get away. He had to think; alone. And there was only one place that he could do that; his garden. It had once belonged to his father, but before the king had died, he insisted that Syaoran would inherit it from him. For this, Syaoran was extremely grateful. No one knew how to get through the maze, or how to reach the garden. In fact, hardly anyone even knew that the garden even existed. It was Syaoran's hiding place when annoying princesses came to visit, and the one thing that kept him safe from his sisters.
As Syaoran neared his garden, he breathed a sigh of relief. But the relief was short lived. As he pushed open the wooden door softly, he felt another presence in the garden. A human one. Anger flashed through his veins. Who dared to enter *his* garden? Who dared to disrupt his search for a peaceful place to rest? Well, whoever they were, they were presently swinging on *his* swing! Not that he used it much...but still...
Slowly, Syaoran crept forward, his eyes searching for the intruder. What he saw made his breath catch. It was Princess Sakura! Her light-pink dress was fluttering around her feet and legs as she swung back and forth, and her hair rippled out behind her, like a silken sheet. Her eyes were closed, and her face was serene and happy. All thoughts of her being an 'intruder' left his mind. She seemed to have been made for this garden, and she belonged here.
Without thinking, Syaoran slipped behind her and gently pushed her as she came back from swinging forward. Her eyes flew open, and for a moment, a look of fear and guilt passed over her face, but when she turned and saw him, she relaxed again and allowed him to push her more. They said nothing, but simply enjoyed the sweet music that the birds were making, and the sound of the water of the pond rippling.
Neither of them seemed to think that this was in any way strange, though they had hardly ever spoken to each other, and neither really knew anything about the other. But this just seemed right. Syaoran was deep in his thoughts as he pushed her, and she was simply closing her eyes and enjoying being there. Soon, though, she became tired of swinging, and slowly stopped. He started out of his thoughts, and met her wondering emerald orbs. With a slight smile, he held out his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her though the garden paths. Suddenly, a bluebird flew over their heads and landed in a nearby sakura tree.
"See that? He lives here. He and his mate have built a nest over in that tree." Syaoran said in a low, deep voice. Sakura was not upset with the interruption of his voice at all.
"Really? Have they any babies?" She wondered. He shook his head.
"Not yet. I think there will be soon, though." He commented thoughtfully. She smiled.
"I should like to see them." She whispered, leaning on his arm even more, as she tried to catch a glimpse of the bird. Her nearness suddenly became unnerving to him, and for some strange reason, he blushed. She, however, seemed unaware of his discomfort, and was now staring at the bird with shining eyes.
"They are so peaceful. It is almost as though nothing is wrong in the world, when you watch them." She commented softly. That jolted him out of his reverie and guilt filled him. They had been so stupid to bring the princesses here. Sakura most certainly wouldn't have told, and Tomoyo hadn't told, even though she had known since that first day. They continued on through the garden, Syaoran occasionally speaking to show Sakura a certain sight or flower, and her answering with awe and wonder at everything he said. Soon, though, they both agreed that it was time to return to the palace. It was getting late and the sun was just disappearing behind the garden wall.
"May I come back again tomorrow?" Sakura asked quietly. She had subconsciously realized that this garden belonged to him, because of the warm green aura that was entwined with every plant and object in the garden. Syaoran's aura. Syaoran simply nodded, and then gently took her hand as he led her back through the maze. Now it was Sakura who was uncomfortably aware of Syaoran's strong, warm hand holding hers. He too was aware of it, but for some reason, it didn't make him in the least uncomfortable. To tell the truth, Sakura only noticed because of the shivers it was causing to run through her body. Slowly, the two walked into the palace, unaware of the eyes that were following them.
"Sakura?"
The two turned to see Tomoyo, her face pale and her whole body shaking. She looked as if she had just seen a ghost.
~*~*~*~