Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it. I'm sorry if it's boring, but it moves the story along. Please review!
Waking up around a large group of men scared Sakura. Not only did the threat of death looked in her eye, but also not ever being home again. She didn't want to die, even though she wished she would so many times before. However now death stares her in the face and she has no will to gaze back.
Sakura didn't know what to do. She is in a sticky situation. She couldn't run away nor could she scream for help, each option would leave her injured or possibly killed. So she sat there scared and confused, not knowing what their plans were. They had already killed Keiichi, so what would stop them from going after her next?
"Calm down," the guy who tripped her said, noticing her body shaking. "You have nothing to be frightened of yet."
She glared at him, suddenly brave to speak. "You have no idea how much trouble you guys will be in if my parents find out about this. Do you even know who I am?"
He smiled and came closer to her, his face only inches from hers. "Frankly, I don't care who you are. I'm just waiting until I finish this mission so I can become a soldier of---"
He suddenly stopped when a guy from the group through an empty can at him. "Shut up, Syaoran. You're going to blow our cover!"
Sakura looked at the guy they called Syaoran. He was younger than the others, closer to her age. His hair is a sandy brown and his eyes were like emeralds. To her, he looked too handsome to be with this group of raggedy old men. However she stopped herself from wondering about him and staring at him. She didn't want him to think she was ogling. That's all she needs.
"So you're some kind of princess, right?" Syaoran asked, and kneeled on the ground next to a large bag. He opened it and pulled out a large rope.
She did not answer. She only watched him twirl the rope around in his hands, wondering what he was going to do with it. Her mind came up its own answers. She first thought maybe he was going to strangle her until she can't breathe, and then she thought he was going to tie her up. If it was between those, she'd choose the latter.
He looked up at her and said, "Well come one, now. I won't hurt you."
Her eyes were glued to the rope. "What are you going to do with that?"
He laughed and then grabbed a hold of her hands. "Well I can't let you try to runaway again." He tied her hands together and then tied her feet. "There now you won't be able to go anywhere."
The rope rubbed against her skin, giving her rashes, irritating her. "You tied it too tight. I'm loosing circulation and the rope is giving me a rash. Please do something about it."
Syaoran rolled his eyes and walked away from her. He went over to the guys and joined in with their drinking. Sakura had ideas of getting loose by wiggling her hands out of the tight knots, but she could barely move them. The rope restrained her from any movement, so it was useless for her to even try.
"Now what am I going to do?" Sakura asked herself, and then placed her head on her bent knees.
--
Back at the castle the air became anxious of waiting on the return of Sakura and Keiichi. So far it has been a day since they left, and still no sign of them. Sakura's parents and Keiichi's mom waited in the main hall, waiting for any news.
Royal guards and townspeople were sent to search the whole kingdom, but nothing has been found. Although there has been no sight of either of them, all hope is still not lost.
"Where could they possibly be?" Sakura's mom wept, as she sat nervously in a chair. "Sakura knows not to go anywhere outside the castle walls. It's too dangerous!"
Sakura's dad nodded and then looked at Keiichi's mom. "Yes. This must be your son's fault," he said loudly. "He must've done something to her. And you've been too quiet sitting over there, you may know something."
She looked angry. "How dare you accuse my son of any wrongdoing! He would never hurt another," she said, and scowled. "My quietness is only a sign of worried ness, not guilt."
The king shook his head in disbelief. "I should've never let your son alone with her," he said, and then sat down in his chair, next to his wife. "If only I could take back all the pushing and nagging of Sakura finding a suitor."
His wife touched his face, and said, "It's not your fault. And you did nothing wrong, dear. You were only trying to be king and a father at the same time."
"I would give up the crown to have her back," he admitted, and placed his head down.
After hearing that, Keiichi's mom grinned slyly. "Is that so?"
--
I wonder if everyone knows I'm gone yet. Even if they did, would they think I ran off with Keiichi, or that something bad happened? I don't know… Maybe they'd just think nothing of it, since they might be glad that I'm gone. Now the can finally have a son, so he could take the crown after Dad. Either way, I just hope someone finds me. I don't want to die, especially now.
The afternoon sun began to set beneath the mountains, as night slowly began to creep across the sky. It began to get a little cold, and Sakura was only dressed in a dress that barely covered her legs and arms. So she began to shiver just thinking about how cold the night was going to get.
She pulled her legs closer to herself, keeping all over her body heat around her. She knew that the guys planned on making a fire, since they sent some to get wood, but she wouldn't be close enough to it to feel the warmth. It saddened her, but she didn't let it show. It would be at their advantage to know she had been shivering of cold and fright. Then they knew they could easily take advantage and torture her by any means.
As the hours passed, Syaoran had noticed her distress. He had never felt so concerned about any of the other victims before, so the feelings he had are all new to him. He felt sorry for her in a way. She had been tricked and captured, and she's not even able to protect herself. He didn't know what to think or do.
He looked her up and down. He knew he couldn't do anything to affect the mission or screw up in any way to destroy his plans of becoming a Royal Soldier. It's a dream of his ever since his childhood. In order to reconcile the eternal battle brewing inside of him he had to make his dream come true, no matter what.
After a while, he walked over to her, carrying a few apples and a jug of water. He handed them to her and sat next to her. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned."
She took a sip of water, quenching her thirst. "Now can you tell me why you guys killed Keiichi, and kidnapped me?"
He looked at her long in silence. He didn't know if he should tell her the truth or make her quiet by stuffing her mouth with cloth so she couldn't ask again. However he didn't do either. He just shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything. I've been sworn to secrecy."
Sakura's eyes stared to water. She was so scared that she wanted to cry away all her pain. "I wish Keiichi were here," she cried, wiping her eyes. "Now I'll never see him again."
Syaoran rolled his eyes. "He couldn't have saved you even if he wanted to."
She turned to him and glared. "What is that supposed to mean? Keiichi is a skilled fighter. At least he was."
"Nothing," he said, and looked into the forest. "Sometimes people and things aren't always what they seem. That's all you need to know."
He stood up, leaving behind a blanket that he had stuffed in his large pouch. Sakura watched him walk away and then picked up the blanket. She struggled to lay it on her, but finally accomplished it. It kept her warm as she lay in wonder and freight.
"Aren't always what they seem, eh?" she repeated over and over to herself.
I want to know what he meant by that…
Before Sakura could even get a wink of sleep, the group of men decided it was time to move to another spot. Syaoran came over to her and lifted her up on his shoulder. She felt like a bag of potatoes that they just tossed around without a care.
Her heart was broken into a million pieces and so were her hopes. She began to think that she should give up on ever trying to leave and just accept that she may never get home. She will also never see Keiichi again. She knows now that she loved him, but now he'll never know. She missed him a lot. He was so special to her, words couldn't explain how much. She'll never find anyone like him ever again, but that doesn't bother her all that much, since she'll be trapped forever.
"Where are we going?" Sakura asked, as she flopped on Syaoran's back. It was really uncomfortable being on his shoulder. "I could walk you know. I mean I'm not exactly crippled."
He smirked and went to grab her legs to get better leverage, but grabbed her butt instead. She screamed and slapped him. "Don't touch me!" she shouted, her cheeks turning red.
"Ha, ha," he said, and then cleared his throat. "This may be hard for you to believe, Princess, but not every guy you meet wants you."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said. "Just don't touch me. I don't want you to touch me with your filthy hands. God only know what you have done with other girls."
"More than you know," he assured proudly, and continued to follow behind the others. "And trust me you'll never get to find out."
She crinkled her nose. "Ewww, I don't want to anyway. You're so gross and mean," she replied. "You kill an innocent man, kidnap a princess, and then touch me with your hands. You're definitely not a man."
He shook his head and sighed. "I did not kill anyone, Sakura. Maybe that's what you think, but I did not."
"Yes, you did. I was there and heard it," she said, her voice a little shaky. "You killed a guy that I loved."
"Maybe that's what you think, but I did not kill anyone," he said, voice steady. "You don't know what happened, because you were blindfolded. Don't accuse me of such a thing as murder."
Sakura kept silent after what he said. She didn't understand what he could be talking about. She was there when Keiichi was murdered, but yet, he denies it and says she has mistaken what had really happened. In her mind she knows Keiichi is dead, but in her heart she doesn't want to believe it.
What really happened to Keiichi? If not dead, then where is he and why didn't he save me?
--
To be continued…
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