Feathers of Love

Chapitre One: The Slave


Sakura Kinomoto, now sixteen years old, lugged two pails of hot water that was enough to scald people up the stairs of Queen Debonair's palace. She had been there for four years since the capture of her country. That was what her mother, Nadeshiko, told her. However, she could not understand why her mother did not tell her about the bracelet that she had on. She had often pestered her to tell her about it but she would not tell, always saying that she would know when it was time. Sakura also vaguely remembered that when she was first captured, nobody could take the bracelet off.

"Funny." Sakura thought as she climbed up the torturous four flights of stairs to reach her mistress's room. "Why is it that Princess Nova needs such hot water to bathe? I cannot even stand the heat, much less her. Unless she wants to torture all the slaves here. I know for the fact that the slaves they have here are all royal families. All of them were captured, like mother and me..."

Finally, Sakura reached the doors of her mistress's room. Timidly, she knocked on the door softly before opening it. It was not the main door, of course. It was the servants' staircase and all slaves and servants alike would enter to their mistresses or masters' rooms through this way. Knocking on the door was an order imposed by Sakura's mistress and this was to allow the people they served to know that they were there with whatever they wanted. Whether it was courtesy or not, they did not know, but Sakura did not care. She was already used to the tortures that they had imposed, just so that they would be frightened.

Sakura walked towards the already almost brimming humungous bathtub that she was ordered to fill up for her mistress's bath. She had made more than ten trips to fill this tub up and this would be the last two pails. Sakura filled the waters with the scents her mistress had ordered to add and knelt in front of the feet of her mistress.

"Your Highness, your bath is ready." Sakura whispered, her eyes looking down at Nova's feet.

"Good. But why have you been taking so long? Hmm?" The clipped voice that signaled the start of Nova's anger could be detected and Sakura was starting to feel a bit nervous.

"Your Highness, there are many people demanding baths, including Her Majesty. I have tried to ask for Your Highness's bath first but to no avail...as Her Majesty's bath was to be filled first..."

"Why you..." Nova's hand moved and slapped Sakura's face. "You slave! Are you so useless like your mother, who is at the kitchens washing bowls? You were fortunate that my mother selected to serve me. Have you ever wondered why other slaves and servants want to serve me?"

"I'm sorry...so sorry, Your Highness..."

"Forget it! I want my bath now! Next time, you better be punctual!"

"Yes, Your Highness." Sakura whispered as she stood up and walked towards the so-called back door, back facing the door. When she was about to walk down the stairs, Princess Nova called out: "Come back, slave! I heard that you are good at singing! Sing one song for me!"

"Why must the rumors reach her? To think that I would be free to help mother now to lighten her burden!" Sakura thought sadly. "Yes, I do love singing, but mother has warned me not to do so..." She walked back and knelt in front of Nova again.

"What song would you like to hear, You Highness?" she asked in her gentle voice.

"I want to hear the song...erm, Ningyo Hime. I heard that it is quite a nice song. Sing now!" Nova ordered.

"As you wish, You Highness." While they were talking, servants entered and they helped Nova into the bathtub and bathe her.

Softly, Sakura started the song by humming the introduction due to the lack of a harp, which she used to use when she was singing.

Sakura felt nervous but when she started, she felt at ease and also enjoying what she was singing.

Princess Nova nodded her head in satisfaction as her servants were washing her.

Sakura finished her song and knelt down again, looking at the bathtub. Her singing enraptured Nova, Sakura could tell, for the first time in her time at Queen Debonair's castle, Nova was not screeching at anybody or scolding them. It was quietness, so quiet that Sakura was afraid that Princess Nova would come up with something more poisonous than ever to scold her with.

"I hope that Princess Nova enjoyed my singing, or I would be tortured again, even though I am not the one who proclaimed that I was good at singing. Really, I really want things to be as usual, not like now..." Sakura thought before she was interrupted.

"You! What is your name?" Nova asked Sakura as she looked at the top of Sakura's long mane of messy hair. "Raise you head!"

Shakily, Sakura raised her head and looked still, at the bathtub, for she did not want to be flogged by Nova. She answered, "Your slave's name is...Sa...Sakura...Kin...Kinomoto." Sakura stammered.

Nova nodded her head as she turned to look at the servant who had scrubbed her a bit too hard. "What do you think you are doing?" she barked angrily. The servant looked down and stammered a reply, "I...I am sorry, Your Highness..."

She ignored her and looked at Sakura again. Nova could see that under all the dirt and mane of dirty hair, she could see a bright pair of emerald eyes and fair skin. She was definitely beautiful but all was covered under the dirt...

"I want you to be my singer from now onwards. Sing that song again!" Nova ordered. Sakura obeyed the order and when Nova's bath was over, Nova dismissed Sakura and Nova went to dress for her dinner with Queen Debonair. Sakura walked down the stairs to the kitchen, where people were running about, carrying things around. Everything was hectic there, but she could see her mother there, at a corner where she usually sat, washing dishes obediently. If Nadeshiko were not able to wash all the dishes, the Cook would flog her.

"Where have you been, Sakura?" Nadeshiko asked when Sakura reached her mother and started to help her wash the huge stack of dishes.

"Sorry I'm late, mother, but Princess Nova wanted me to sing for her and with no choice, I sang for her. Now, she wanted me to be her singer. I guess in the future, I may not be able to help you down here anymore." Sakura turned her emerald orbs to look her mother.

Nadeshiko sighed. "It is our fate to serve this family. Now, let's not talk about this anymore. Remember, you have to be careful, all right? We better wash all these dishes. There will be more to be washed after dinner."

"Yes mother. I will remember that I am always the slave here." Sakura sighed as she washed the dishes...


Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Clamp or any other authors of their mangas/anime, but only the plot of this story!

Hmm...quite fast today, having finished both Chapitre One and ALSO Angelic Destiny...well, I have to go now! See ya!