A/N: I bet by the time that I finished... I'll be losing 5, 000 words.
Chapter Six- Loneliness
The breeze was so refreshing, blowing around and over again, if only it was like this all the time. Sakura had her back to the roughness of the tree. Her eyes were closed as she held her head back, letting the light breeze sweep her bangs to the side.
She could hear the birds chirping away, and the sounds of leaves rustling. To sum it all up, everything seemed so peaceful and at each. If she could stay longer, then she would but she was sure her break time was up and Ms. Mikuto would sure be scolding her, yet again.
As she opened her eyes, she saw the prince standing a safe distance away from her. From seeing him, her breath got caught in her throat.
She knew it was time.
And this boy will not take it easy on her because he had no heart.
"Young servant! Your break time is up! Come back inside, NOW!" Ms. Mikuto yelled.
"Hai." Sakura yelled back.
"No... wait..." Syaoran interrupted, stopping Sakura with his hand flat out in the air.
Ms. Mikuto came walking out. "Sakura- Eh, Prince Syaoran, what a pleasant surprise to see you outside. Oh, good morning!" She said, sweat streaking down the back of her wrinkled neck.
"Yes, you too," Syaoran said impatiently, "I wish to talk to Sakura alone please; do you mind?" Syaoran glared at the old hag who used to babysit him and Eriol when they were very small.
Seeing the old woman still standing there, Syaoran growled, "Move woman!" With that final order, the old woman scurried away like a stray dog. Finally content that the woman was a safe hearing distance away, Syaoran turned back to Sakura, who stood there, oblivious on what he planned to do to her.
"Sakura..." Syaoran whispered, eyeing cautiously at the emerald eyed girl, making sure that she was paying full attention to him.
"Y-yes..." Sakura stammered, wanting Syaoran to just say the punishment already so that she could get it over with.
"Aren't you going to bow to me?" He whispered, continuing his steady gaze on her.
She quickly curtsied and whispered her apology.
-Syaoran's Pov-
She looked so broken up, so startled, trembling underneath my watchful gaze. She looked up at me, letting me catch her beautiful emerald eye before she shifted her gaze. She must have felt very awkward at my staring because she was constantly moving, patting away at the wrinkles on her servant uniform.
She finally spoke, not that I minded or anything... because I hadn't thought of a punishment for her yet. "Aren't you going to tell me what you planned to do to me?" the girl whispered, frowning slightly. She was still trembling but I could also see her trying to control herself, trying to stay brave, courageous more like it. I found it amusing.
"Sure..." I chuckled quietly. Hmm... chuckle? I will not show any more of this emotion. Why the hell did I chuckle?
I will not weaken.
"Your punishment," I told her, still thinking some more, but a sudden idea shot in my head, causing a smirk to appear on my face, "is that you will have no company. You will talk to no one... be silent... and only answer to those who are of higher rank than you. Honestly, you seriously want to know why I'm cold? Then live the life I do. And If I catch you talking to my cousin or that girl he hangs out with, then there will be consequences."
I walked away, dark brown cape flowing out behind me as I went back into the castle.
-Normal Pov-
'Live a life of his? I possibly can't... It would be... so lonely,' Sakura thought sadly until Mikuto called out to her.
"Stupid maid! Will you come along inside and broom the main halls!"
Sakura sighed as she walked back into the castle, beginning her punishment... For how long? That was for Syaoran to decide.
"Sakura!" a thrilled voice called out to her from across the hall. Sakura turned around and smiled, but that smile quickly faltered, when seeing the prince standing by the doorway on the opposite end of the hall. Sakura walked off, with no word to Tomoyo. If she stayed, then it would hurt her even more.
"Sakura?" Tomoyo called out, "What's wrong?" But the girl was already out of sight. She was about to run after her but Syaoran stepped in front of her.
She backed away nervously. "Prince Syaoran..."
"What is your name girl?" Syaoran asked, addressing to Tomoyo.
"Daidouji Tomoyo," Tomoyo answered back, in a quiet, little squeak.
"Tomoyo... are you the girl Sakura hangs out with?"
Even more nervous, Tomoyo answered, barely audible, "Hai."
"If you don't want trouble coming your way... I suggest you avoid Kinomoto. Tell your lover to do the same too."
Tomoyo blushed furiously, wondering if Syaoran had been checking on them?
"Do not fear woman! I do not wish to pry into your private life!" Syaoran hissed, angry that this girl would think that he was that type of person... a pervert.
"Now scat!" Syaoran whispered coldly, smirking when she quickly obeyed, running off into the doors closest to her.
Nighttime...
The day continued like any other but soon, the night entered, scattering stars all over the dark sky. Sakura entered the Servant Room, seeing Tomoyo sitting in front of the mirror, brushing at the knots in her long tresses.
"Tomoyo, I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you this afternoon. Now that we're alone, we can talk." Sakura called out to Tomoyo, unable to stand the silence any longer.
Tomoyo didn't say anything.
"Tomoyo?"
Tomoyo dropped the brush onto the table, clenching her fist together as she spoke, "Sakura..." there was a long pause before she continued, "I just can't risk losing... The point is... We can't talk anymore. Do you want to get punish again for disobeying Prince Syaoran's order? And who knows... he might punish me too."
'And that means taking Eriol away from me,' Tomoyo thought. 'I have to give up a friend to keep my soul mate.'
Sakura's mouth twitched.
"I'm sorry Sakura, please understand! Prince Syaoran... he can do a lot worse." Tomoyo cried.
Sakura nodded slowly, hurting on the inside. She had thought that Tomoyo was a good friend but she guessed she was wrong. She climbed onto her bed, with her back turned to Tomoyo.
-
The next day, Sakura didn't talk to anyone, following through with Syaoran's punishment. People around her, saw her acting strangely, but they ignored it, having troubles of their own already.
'I don't hate Tomoyo. I wouldn't want to risked getting into trouble either... But she wouldn't be lonely, she has Eriol to talk to. Eriol and Tomoyo... they sure make a good couple... both intelligent and both soft spoken.' Sakura thought. 'Eriol, I haven't seen him for a while... I wonder how he's doing.'
Sakura heard laughter from outside; she looked out the window, seeing Eriol and Tomoyo.
-
Eriol was twirling Tomoyo in the air. He grinned and whispered in a smooth, deep voice, "You are my beautiful, growing flower..." He placed a flower into her hair.
She laughed, "And you are my other half... my soul mate."
Eriol captured her lips with his in a loving, passionate kiss.
-
Sakura turned away embarrassed. She was so bored that she had to resort to entertaining herself by watching her friends, eh hem, ex-friends, make out.
She had finished all her chores and had nothing else to do. What could you do when you have no one to talk to? Explore the castle walls. She was sure she could do that on her own free hands.
She was walking aimlessly away, unaware of how large the castle really was, walking for hours because she was lost. Already, the sun was just about to set.
'Why does this castle have to be so big... It means more work for the servants.' Sakura thought tiredly. She would have been better off in her chambers, doing absolutely nothing.
Glad at seeing light, she paused at a door, with a door left slightly ajar. Her curiosity got the best of her and she looked on inside. Amazed at whom she saw, she backed up, but slowly leaned closer as she heard him talking to himself.
He was seated on an armchair, looking out from his huge, magnifying window.
"Father," he whispered, "I miss you dearly."
Sakura gasped. 'He does have a heart!' She had tears rimming at the corner of her eyes because his voice sounded so sad, so gloomy and depressed. Were these the emotions Syaoran always held back?
She froze in her tracks as she watched the prince got to his feet and walked closer towards the window. He closed the curtains and began to take off his heavy, brown cape, his armor and the clothing underneath it until he was only in boxers.
Sakura gasped and blushed madly. He had a perfectly sculpted body with faint details of a six-pack, but nonetheless, he still looked muscular and strong. Too shocked at seeing him nearly nude, Sakura lost her balance but she straightened herself, enough to manage a crack from the door.
Syaoran jerked his head up, meeting eyes with a girl in the shadows. 'Sakura?' he thought, but he couldn't make out her face. "Who are you?" uttered Syaoran.
Relieved that he doesn't know who she was just yet, she turned on her heels and started running away. She would not be punished for the second time. So, she ran down the halls, turning in many directions because she doesn't know how to get back to the Servant Room.
She heard footsteps behind her, getting closer and closer.
'Oh my god, he's chasing after me!' Sakura frantically thought and sweat dropped. She was trying to find a way of escape, but the darkness of the narrow path wasn't going to help her.
"Come back here! My room is of secrets... no one was supposed to know where I sleep because I value my privacy!" Syaoran growled, his voice echoing down the hall.
Sakura kept running, regardless of the pain developing on the lower left side of her abdomen.
'Oh god, cramps. How am I going to outrun him now?' She was freaking out. Unexpectedly, a heavy weight pushed her to the ground.
The boy leaned down to her ear and whispered hotly. "Why didn't you stop when I told you to?" She felt his bare chest pushing into her back.
"I'm sorry!" She cried.
Recognizing her voice, Syaoran released the weight and flipped her around, holding her legs down with his and pulling her arms over her head. "You really can't get out of trouble, can you?" He shook his head and glared down at her, amber eyes accidentally falling onto her slightly dissembled uniform that almost bared the curves of her breast.
He blushed, feeling this cheeks reddening, he got off her and looked away. "Get up and fix your dress," Syaoran ordered, his face heating up even more.
There was awkward silence after that, but thankfully, an old man came running down the hall. "Master Li, I finally found you!" The old man wheezed.
"What's it to you, Wei?" Syaoran rolled his eyes as one arm had him leaning against the cold wall.
"Your mother has requested a ball tonight," stated Mr. Wei.
"What? You tell me this now?" Syaoran asked, completely baffled.
"I'm sorry, but your mother told me this today." Mr. Wei pleaded, not wanting any more of Syaoran's anger to bestow upon him.
"Yes... mother was always like that... Just because she hates me... Always telling me news too late... That bitch!" Syaoran thought aloud.
Sakura gasped at the way Syaoran would speak about his mother.
Syaoran looked up to Sakura, piercing amber eyes boring into her, "Go," he whispered to her, fierce amber eyes flickering. Upset that Sakura was still standing there, he said it a bit forcefully, "I said go!"
Sakura, startled, skipped off her feet and ran away. Syaoran turned his attention back to Mr. Wei and asked, "What time is the ball?"
"In one hour," Mr. Wei stated, "I'm sure you'll be done by then." He bowed and went off.
-
Sakura had finally made it back to her room, by waiting for Mr. Wei to come by her. She entered her room discreetly and slid into bed, too drowned in her thoughts to sleep.
Sakura couldn't get Syaoran off her mind from what had happened about thirty minutes ago. She couldn't believe she caught him undressing! Then again, she couldn't believe how sad he looked as he thought back to his deceased father, looking away at the grand window.
Thinking about it had gotten Sakura's mood down as well. Tears were gliding down her pale cheeks. She was crying for Syaoran's pain.
'He's still mourning over his father's death and Eriol said it was seven years ago. Why did Syaoran badmouth his mother? How does all this fit together... Think Sakura... think!'
The door suddenly opened and Tomoyo entered the room, eyes landing on Sakura who was laying in bed, supposedly sleeping.
"Bye Eriol, have fun at the ball," she said to the boy as she closed the door. "I'm sorry Sakura," she whispered, eyes looking so regretful as she climbed onto bed.
Certain that Tomoyo was asleep, Sakura's eyes blinked open. She just couldn't sleep because the chestnut hair boy was swimming around in her mind.
'I love you... Syaoran,' was her final thought before she fell asleep.
-
Syaoran sat at a table where many girls surrounded him, swooning all over him. Disgusted, Syaoran tried to ignore them, not wanting to engage in a friendly conversation with any of them. Finally fed up with all this wooing, he got up.
"Excuse me ladies," Syaoran said coldly. Nearly all the girls around him squealed dreamily, completely hypnotized by his charming good looks and sexy, smooth voice.
He was too annoyed now, and was forced to push the ladies that were blocking his way aside. A couple of girls that Syaoran had pushed squealed with joy, "He touched me!"
He rolled his eyes and went outside into the balcony, looking out into the pastures. He stumbled out of his trance at hearing a soft, feminine voice acknowledge him, "Hello..."
He turned around, seeing a princess, unlike the other girls who were simply just nobles. Syaoran glared at her suspiciously and finally greeted her back. Somehow, he felt as if he was drawn to her.
"Prince Syaoran, right?" the girl asked.
Syaoran nodded his head. "Yes, may I ask what your name is?" He asked, eyes gleaming up at the twinkling stars. He faced her, seeing that smile plastered onto her exotic face. He absentmindedly smiled back.
tbc...
