DISCLAIMER: As everyone before me has stated, Sakura and Syaoran belong to
CLAMP, and not me. All other characters, however, are of my own creation
and belong to me, the all-knowing ruler of the universe. ^-^
Author's note: Hey, it's awfully late to be posting this, but considering I started it at 9, it's pretty good time. ^-~ LoL, I'm working on slowly editing my previous entries, so. lol, it's grammar correct now. I've only done the first chapter b/c I really wanted to start on this one. Sorry it's a bit shorter than the previous, but I have to go to sleep SOME time. ^-^ Enjoy!
****
Tomoyo's face was drawn in pain. The palace healer was bent over her form, gently pressing balms onto her back. Sakura watched helplessly from the side.
Every time her friend's back arched in pain, Sakura felt her own heart skip a beat. She felt a salty tear leave her eye and travel slowly down her cheek.
The door opened, admitting the king. Quickly, Sakura forced the tear from her cheek, turning so the king wouldn't see her weakness.
The healer looked up and beckoned the king forward. Sakura started to follow, but stopped herself.
'Now is not the time to anger him.'
The two talked quietly while Sakura strained to hear the words passing between the two. The king turned to her suddenly, bowing slightly and offering his elbow to the lady. The words of decline were light on Sakura's lips when she noticed the look on both the king's and the healer's face. She took his elbow and let him lead her into the hallway.
****
"Why are we leaving?" The door was barely shut before she began her questions. "Can I not stay with Tomoyo? She would want me there."
"The healer needs quiet to finish his job, and you were making him nervous. You will need another room to sleep in tonight," answered the king.
He stopped a servant on the way, giving orders to find Sakura a new room.
"We'll go to the gardens while you await your room," said the king.
Sakura looked up in surprise, ready to protest leaving her friend again, but she caught sight of his eyes. She felt herself slipping into the depths of the same chocolate eyes that caught her attention their first meeting. Her hand twitched, wanting to touch his hair when she heard a cough behind her.
Looking down hurriedly, she heard Hideaki's polite interruption.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your highness, but you have a visitor waiting in your rooms," spoke the advisor. His gaze was calculating Sakura brightly.
The king glanced at Sakura, unsure. Hideaki caught the look and dove forward. "I will escort the lady Sakura if you wish, your highness."
Sakura kept her gaze set on the floor. The king watched her for a moment before answering, "Yes. I will join you in the Eastern Gardens when I am finished."
Hideaki bowed and offered his arm. Sakura glanced up, trying not to watch the king's fleeting form too intently.
****
Syaoran opened the door, stepping backwards in surprise. "Nireko?"
The girl turned around, smiling a bright smile, her light blue eyes catching the king's glance and holding them confidently.
"What are you doing here?" asked the king apprehensively.
"Are you not happy to see me, Syaoran?" cooed the girl, moving slowly towards the king.
"Words cannot hold my delight, Nireko. At least not politely," answered the king coldly.
Nireko stopped in the middle of the room, setting her lips into a slight pout. The pout soon melted into a carefree smile.
"You will feel differently soon, Syaoran."
"You shall address me as your highness, if you please," answered the king, setting an intense glare on Nireko. Her smile merely increased.
"As you wish, your highness. . ."
Syaoran frowned. "Why are you here, Nireko?"
"Why, to stay, of course! It's only proper for your fiancé to come visit you," answered Nireko brightly, not letting her eyes leave the king.
"I will send a servant to escort you to a room, Nireko," answered the king, averting his eyes from her.
"Aww. . . Syaoran. . . I was hoping we might spend some . . . time together . . ." said Nireko, once again continuing her journey across the room. She closed in on Syaoran when he spoke again.
"I am busy," spoke he, his eyes glowing dangerously. Nireko placed her hand on Syaoran's shirt, pulling him closer to her.
The king clasped Nireko's hand, pushing it away. "Stop it Nireko."
"But, your highness, we are engaged. We will be married shortly. Why fight it?" She moved her body closer to the king's.
"I do not love you, Nireko." She twined her hand carefully in Syaoran's hair, slowly forcing his lips closer to her own.
"You don't have to," answered she, moving her lips to touch his lightly.
****
"So what do you think of the palace so far?" asked Hideaki, attempting to be polite.
Sakura glanced up at the advisor. Her usual scowl was wiped from her face when she caught sight of Hideaki's earnest expression.
"Well, I certainly have seen enough of it. . ." answered Sakura.
Hideaki laughed, making Sakura's confidence grow.
"I'm sure you have. After you grow up in the palace, you grow used to seeing the lost expressions on newcomers. You know his highness got lost himself."
Sakura's eyes glanced over at him eagerly. "He did?"
"Yes, when he was five. We had to send most of the palace guards out to find him."
Sakura let out a gentle laugh. Hideaki's opinion of her grew.
'She is certainly beautiful, and she has the ability to be very kind, yet she has her own streak of stubbornness. A perfect match indeed for his highness.'
"May I ask you a question?"
Hideaki looked up into Sakura's serious eyes. "I cannot promise an answer, but, by all means, you are welcome to ask. . ."
Sakura grew pained. "Why do you doubt my father's allegiance to the king?"
Hideaki's eyes became serious and his expression was thoughtful. "The king received word your father was gathering an army to invade the palace. The king was given no hint of how many there might be, or when they might attack.
"Your father is a very dangerous enemy to have. His highness did not want to have to fight. He wants his reign to be peaceful. There was no reason to go to war.
"So he took you. He needed a way to insure your father would remain loyal, and the safety of his favorite daughter seemed like a plausible way to insure such."
****
Sakura listened quietly as the man finished, soaking in the information. "But my father was gathering no such army. . ."
Hideaki shrugged. "We received word from a reliable source."
Sakura caught his gaze. Her eyes glowered. "And who is this 'reliable source', may I ask? Who is this man that is spreading lies about my father?"
'Who is this man who caused me to be taken from my bed in the middle of the night' she added in her head.
"I cannot answer that, my lady," spoke Hideaki slowly.
Sakura turned at the snap of a twig. The king approached slowly, staying in the shadows.
Hideaki piped up quickly, "I must return to the castle. I'll leave her in your custody, your highness." Then he turned and walked away quickly.
****
Author's Note2: Wow, only nine chapters left to edit (at this point anyway ^-^)
Author's note: Hey, it's awfully late to be posting this, but considering I started it at 9, it's pretty good time. ^-~ LoL, I'm working on slowly editing my previous entries, so. lol, it's grammar correct now. I've only done the first chapter b/c I really wanted to start on this one. Sorry it's a bit shorter than the previous, but I have to go to sleep SOME time. ^-^ Enjoy!
****
Tomoyo's face was drawn in pain. The palace healer was bent over her form, gently pressing balms onto her back. Sakura watched helplessly from the side.
Every time her friend's back arched in pain, Sakura felt her own heart skip a beat. She felt a salty tear leave her eye and travel slowly down her cheek.
The door opened, admitting the king. Quickly, Sakura forced the tear from her cheek, turning so the king wouldn't see her weakness.
The healer looked up and beckoned the king forward. Sakura started to follow, but stopped herself.
'Now is not the time to anger him.'
The two talked quietly while Sakura strained to hear the words passing between the two. The king turned to her suddenly, bowing slightly and offering his elbow to the lady. The words of decline were light on Sakura's lips when she noticed the look on both the king's and the healer's face. She took his elbow and let him lead her into the hallway.
****
"Why are we leaving?" The door was barely shut before she began her questions. "Can I not stay with Tomoyo? She would want me there."
"The healer needs quiet to finish his job, and you were making him nervous. You will need another room to sleep in tonight," answered the king.
He stopped a servant on the way, giving orders to find Sakura a new room.
"We'll go to the gardens while you await your room," said the king.
Sakura looked up in surprise, ready to protest leaving her friend again, but she caught sight of his eyes. She felt herself slipping into the depths of the same chocolate eyes that caught her attention their first meeting. Her hand twitched, wanting to touch his hair when she heard a cough behind her.
Looking down hurriedly, she heard Hideaki's polite interruption.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your highness, but you have a visitor waiting in your rooms," spoke the advisor. His gaze was calculating Sakura brightly.
The king glanced at Sakura, unsure. Hideaki caught the look and dove forward. "I will escort the lady Sakura if you wish, your highness."
Sakura kept her gaze set on the floor. The king watched her for a moment before answering, "Yes. I will join you in the Eastern Gardens when I am finished."
Hideaki bowed and offered his arm. Sakura glanced up, trying not to watch the king's fleeting form too intently.
****
Syaoran opened the door, stepping backwards in surprise. "Nireko?"
The girl turned around, smiling a bright smile, her light blue eyes catching the king's glance and holding them confidently.
"What are you doing here?" asked the king apprehensively.
"Are you not happy to see me, Syaoran?" cooed the girl, moving slowly towards the king.
"Words cannot hold my delight, Nireko. At least not politely," answered the king coldly.
Nireko stopped in the middle of the room, setting her lips into a slight pout. The pout soon melted into a carefree smile.
"You will feel differently soon, Syaoran."
"You shall address me as your highness, if you please," answered the king, setting an intense glare on Nireko. Her smile merely increased.
"As you wish, your highness. . ."
Syaoran frowned. "Why are you here, Nireko?"
"Why, to stay, of course! It's only proper for your fiancé to come visit you," answered Nireko brightly, not letting her eyes leave the king.
"I will send a servant to escort you to a room, Nireko," answered the king, averting his eyes from her.
"Aww. . . Syaoran. . . I was hoping we might spend some . . . time together . . ." said Nireko, once again continuing her journey across the room. She closed in on Syaoran when he spoke again.
"I am busy," spoke he, his eyes glowing dangerously. Nireko placed her hand on Syaoran's shirt, pulling him closer to her.
The king clasped Nireko's hand, pushing it away. "Stop it Nireko."
"But, your highness, we are engaged. We will be married shortly. Why fight it?" She moved her body closer to the king's.
"I do not love you, Nireko." She twined her hand carefully in Syaoran's hair, slowly forcing his lips closer to her own.
"You don't have to," answered she, moving her lips to touch his lightly.
****
"So what do you think of the palace so far?" asked Hideaki, attempting to be polite.
Sakura glanced up at the advisor. Her usual scowl was wiped from her face when she caught sight of Hideaki's earnest expression.
"Well, I certainly have seen enough of it. . ." answered Sakura.
Hideaki laughed, making Sakura's confidence grow.
"I'm sure you have. After you grow up in the palace, you grow used to seeing the lost expressions on newcomers. You know his highness got lost himself."
Sakura's eyes glanced over at him eagerly. "He did?"
"Yes, when he was five. We had to send most of the palace guards out to find him."
Sakura let out a gentle laugh. Hideaki's opinion of her grew.
'She is certainly beautiful, and she has the ability to be very kind, yet she has her own streak of stubbornness. A perfect match indeed for his highness.'
"May I ask you a question?"
Hideaki looked up into Sakura's serious eyes. "I cannot promise an answer, but, by all means, you are welcome to ask. . ."
Sakura grew pained. "Why do you doubt my father's allegiance to the king?"
Hideaki's eyes became serious and his expression was thoughtful. "The king received word your father was gathering an army to invade the palace. The king was given no hint of how many there might be, or when they might attack.
"Your father is a very dangerous enemy to have. His highness did not want to have to fight. He wants his reign to be peaceful. There was no reason to go to war.
"So he took you. He needed a way to insure your father would remain loyal, and the safety of his favorite daughter seemed like a plausible way to insure such."
****
Sakura listened quietly as the man finished, soaking in the information. "But my father was gathering no such army. . ."
Hideaki shrugged. "We received word from a reliable source."
Sakura caught his gaze. Her eyes glowered. "And who is this 'reliable source', may I ask? Who is this man that is spreading lies about my father?"
'Who is this man who caused me to be taken from my bed in the middle of the night' she added in her head.
"I cannot answer that, my lady," spoke Hideaki slowly.
Sakura turned at the snap of a twig. The king approached slowly, staying in the shadows.
Hideaki piped up quickly, "I must return to the castle. I'll leave her in your custody, your highness." Then he turned and walked away quickly.
****
Author's Note2: Wow, only nine chapters left to edit (at this point anyway ^-^)
