Author's Note: OMG! *does a little dance of joy* So many reviews! I'm as happy as a clown…oh yeah, clowns aren't happy. But you get my drift. Well, because everybody requested for me to update soon, I decided to post up the second chapter early. On with the fic!
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura; this is only for entertainment purposes.
I Choose Sakura
By: Wings of Jade
Chapter 2: The Choosing
As soon as Meilin departed, Sakura rounded on her friend.
"Why did you just do that?" Tomoyo glared after Meilin.
"I can't let her win. I know she has something up her sleeve. She's probably setting a trap so that Prince Syaoran picks her." Tomoyo turned to Sakura.
"It doesn't matter, anyway. I can fix you up in a snap!"
"Excuse me?" pouted Sakura. "Is that supposed to be an insult or a statement?" Tomoyo ignored her.
"Well…actually, there's not much I can do. You're features are already beautiful enough—if I even try to do something to your face, it'll just destroy your natural beauty. But clothes will not be a problem for me." Sakura glanced at Meilin's retreating figure.
"Are you sure about that? Knowing Meilin, she'll probably come up with something ridiculously expensive but artfully designed and done." Tomoyo sniffed, wrinkling her nose when Sakura mentioned Meilin.
"Of course I'm sure."
~*~
Prince Syaoran checked the ancient grandfather clock. (Yeah, clocks were invented THOUSANDS of years ago) It was now one day later, and he hoped Meilin hadn't gone shooting her mouth off at every woman that happened to cross paths with her. She was known for boasting about him and her.
Seiichi hurried to him at the last second, his scarlet robes hitched up. "Your Highness," he panted. Prince Syaoran fixed with a cold look.
"Make it brief, Seiichi. Unlike you, I don't have time to waste on trying to impress the royal family." Seiichi flushed.
"We—er—King Li would like you to try on your new robe at the time of the Choosing." Syaoran raised an eyebrow.
"That's what you're panting for? My goodness, Seiichi; you should start training." Seiichi bowed and rushed out of the room. He did not want to endure any more of Syaoran's insults.
Syaoran followed Seiichi calmly, walking into another room, where he could hear his father's booming voice fill the corridor. He pushed the door open with ease, and greeted tonelessly, "Good morning, father. You wanted me to try on my new robe?" King Li turned at the sound of Syaoran's voice.
"Syaoran!" he cried jovially. "Come now, come now, it's time to try on your robe…"
"I thought I just said that," muttered Prince Syaoran under his breath, but fortunately, King Li did not hear him. Syaoran stepped onto a stool, having done this many times. A tailor hurried fussily to Syaoran's side, clutching yards and yards of emerald-coloured material. The colour was more or less the same as Prince Syaoran's cape, but richer and deeper, and every thread shone when the tailor threw the fabric over Syaoran.
"Well, then," announced the tailor in a high-pitched fussy voice, "I think this will fit him just fine, just fine…" Syaoran sniffed in distaste.
"This stuff is itchy. Don't you have anything that doesn't scratch your face when you wear it?" The tailor ignored him and started pinning needles into the cloth. Prince Syaoran stood perfectly still and tense; he did not trust this tailor. He did not pin needles—nor jab—he thrust them carelessly into the material. Syaoran was slightly afraid that one of the needles might just stab him right in one of his fleshy parts.
After what seemed like hours, the tailor stepped back and admired his work. "What do you think, King Li?" he questioned King Li brightly and proudly. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"Well, er…" King Li looked Syaoran up and down. All he saw was green fabric thrown over his son's head, with needles sticking out of them messily. "Okay…"
"Good, good," said the tailor distractedly. "It'll be finished by tomorrow, I assure you, King Li."
"Right," replied King Li doubtfully. "You—uh—You do that." The tailor beamed and shuffled out of them room, dragging the cloth behind him.
"Remind me to request another tailor," King Li mouthed to one of his advisers.
~*~
Prince Syaoran had to stand still again as several servants made a show of buttoning up his new green robes. Surprisingly, the fussy tailor had been able to make a masterpiece of a robe, the size just right for Syaoran. And it didn't itch one tiny bit, nor there any trace of tiny holes.
It was the day of the choosing. Syaoran was to pick his wife. He hoped Meilin had her ring on. If not, he'd be stuck with a mad old dimwit for the rest of his life.
~*~
Sakura touched her gown with awe. "Tomoyo, what did you do?" Tomoyo smiled proudly at her friend.
"Oh, a little bit of stuff, you know. This and that."
"This and that?" repeated Sakura hoarsely. "This is absolutely beautiful!"
"And so are you, Sakura," replied Tomoyo. "I just can't wait to see the look on Meilin's face!"
The gown that Tomoyo had made for Sakura was absolutely beautiful. It was traditional that the bride be dressed elegantly in red. Tomoyo's creation was beyond elegant. The dress was of a crimson hue, made of silk. Golden roses adorned the hem of the long skirt. The top was in a Chinese fashion, a single yellow button fastened precisely at the throat, and some more yellow outlined the red. The sleeves were tight from the shoulder until the wrist.
Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Tomoyo," she said softly, embracing her like a sister, "You didn't have to go to so much trouble to do this." Tomoyo smiled.
"That's not the end of it, Sakura." Tomoyo produced a matching silk red and gold veil. "You're supposed to wear this, so Prince Syaoran won't recognize you." Sakura took the veil.
"I'll wear it when I get there." Sakura ran her fingers across her dress. It was so velvety. Tomoyo clapped her hands together gleefully.
"Now let's see who Syaoran'll pick!"
~*~
Sixteen ladies filed in, all veiled and wearing glamorous gowns. Prince Syaoran noted that one of the gowns did not seem to be tailor-made; the style was not any of what he had seen before.
"Please hold out your right hand," requested Seiichi in a loud, ringing voice.
Instinctively, sixteen feminine hands shot out. Seiichi inspected every finger, every palm and wrist. Syaoran knew which hand belonged to Meilin; sure enough, a ring with a sharp crystal was on the finger. She had also decided to wear a matching diamond bracelet.
Seiichi reached Meilin's hand and frowned. "Dreadfully sorry, Miss Mei—Miss, but rings and bracelets or anything of the sort are not allowed at the choosing. I'm afraid you'll have to take that off."
Syaoran's eyes widened in horror. He watched as Meilin took the ring and bracelet off sulkily.
Now he had no way of deciding which lady was Meilin.
"Let the Choosing begin," rumbled Seiichi. A few people in the corner applauded, and the music from horns were blasted into the air. Prince Syaoran panicked. Now he was on his own. His chances of getting Meilin was low…
Shakily, Prince Syaoran stepped forward. Seiichi hurried quickly and tied a blindfold around Syaoran's eyes, completely blocking his vision. Seiichi guided Syaoran to where the sixteen girls were standing. He heard Seiichi ordering the girls to shuffle around, and as he did so, he heard the unmistakable swishing of skirts as the girls scuttled around. His panic rose.
"It's Choosing Time!" bellowed King Li's voice.
Prince Syaoran moved automatically, touching each hand, moving his fingers across each palm, trying to decide if it was Meilin's. He reached the thirteenth girl, and the hand shook, ever so slightly, as if to signal him. Prince Syaoran moved on; Meilin was smarter than that, it was probably some hopeful little cow…
Sadly, it was Meilin.
Syaoran reached the last girl. He felt her hand briefly, and then stepped back. "Please choose your wife-to-be now, Prince," announced Seiichi.
Syaoran moved blindly along the row of females, desperate for some sign from Meilin. He stumbled past the ninth girl, and then he took his chances and grabbed the hand of the tenth.
"Prince Syaoran has chosen his wife." Fingers began to work carefully at the knot in Prince Syaoran's blindfold. The cloth was removed, and Syaoran looked quickly to see if it was Meilin.
The red and yellow veil was still draped across the mystery girl's face. "Please remove your veil." Seiichi again. The girl, with a shaking hand, gripped the veil and it slid off of her face.
It wasn't Meilin.
Seiichi glanced at her and called, "Kinomoto Sakura will be Syaoran's wife-to-be."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Me: Finally finished the second chapter! I hope you enjoyed it…I sure did, LOL! (You'll definitely enjoy the next chapter…I promise!)