Seven

Misty Dreams

Card Captor Sakura

*starjade*

A Castle

Sakura was mightily glad that she was on land once more. The whole boat ride was disastrous. She was seasick the whole way, even though Yamaki, Eriol and Syaoran were pretty kind about it all. They even held her hair back as she leaned over the boat side to...empty her guts.

Now, her heart seemed as if it wouldn't stop pounding against her chest. Her blood ran cold in her veins and more often than not, she had to stop and catch her breath, trying to calm her nerves.

Syaoran kept shooting her cold glances throughout the whole time they were on land. Maybe it was because she kept on having to as sit down and concentrate on breathing as they talked with the man they had met at the docks. The man kept looking at her and pure disgust was apparent in his eyes.

Sakura swallowed hard. Li Lands...the words echoed in her mind and she felt dizzy. She was sitting on a normal wooden crate, something they would have in Kinomoto lands as well. Carefully, Sakura picked up a pile of sand and it ran through her fingers.

Same sand, she thought critically and then stopped and looked at herself. What was she doing?? She was believing all those stories! All her life, she had grown up with hatred against the Lis. She would've killed herself before going with Syaoran had it not been for Yamazaki.

Yamazaki had always felt compassion for the Li people, always thought there was another way of solving the deep and complex problems between both countries...instead of war. If it wasn't for Yamazaki and the stories he told her about peace between the nations, she would've...

Well, it didn't matter what she would've done, now. She was on Li lands and was right now being glared at more than she liked.

She didn't look different from them, she didn't think....maybe it was the hair....no, the green eyes. Sakura scanned the area. No one had green eyes. Would they...would they be able to tell...she was a Kinomoto?

" Get up."

The blunt order shook Sakura out of her thoughts and she craned her neck to look up into Syaoran's icy ones.

Sakura got up, dusting her clothes off, to no avail. Her clothes were rags and she knew it. Shifting uncomfortably under his gaze, she motioned with her hands, Where are we going?

Syaoran watched her for a few more seconds before pointing to Yamaki and Eriol who were loading there gear off the boat. " We're going to be staying at a farmer's house nearby, before we make to the kingdom-"

Sakura froze and her eyes widened. Syaoran read the question in her eye and he was the one who looked uncomfortable now.

" Well....I....I live at the castle....so..."

Sakura slowly felt fear trickle back down her veins. Castle?? No, they will hate me, kill me! Can't go!!

Syaoran shrugged and said in a gruff voice, " As long as I'm here, they won't hurt you. Now get a move on."

Sakura tried to protest with him, but he ignored her. He knew better than to touch her. Every time he did, she flinched, and he kept his hands off her.

They walked off the shore and across a bridge. Sakura studied Eriol and Yamaki carefully. The mystery of Syaoran, she couldn't solve. But Eriol and Yamaki were easier. Eriol was a pretty level headed guy, sensible and smart. He was very skilful with a staff and Sakura was painfully reminded of Eiden back home, who was quite able with a staff.

Yamaki seemed to be quite the joker with light spirits. He was a loyal guy and he knew that Kinomoto's were the enemy and that was probably why he still didn't accept Syaoran's decision to bring Sakura over.

If only they knew the reason, Sakura thought sadly.

It was a pretty short walk. They only had to walk down a dusty pathway and the only incident that happened was when a person in the passing carriage had spit at her. Syaoran got a nasty look on his face and made to go after the carriage but Yamaki stopped him. Sakura was shocked at the behaviour, but knew she had expected no less.

Finally, they stopped at a warm looking cottage, smoke piping from a chimney and a man working in the fields. He grinned at them and waved, a hoe on his shoulder as he ran to them. As he got closer, he noticed Sakura and his steps slowed, and his forehead crinkled in confusion.

Great, Sakura thought. Now he'd probably try to kill me and then Syaoran would think it was too much effort to take care of me and leave me at the shore for all the Li people to skin me alive.

Syaoran greeted the farmer with a solemn face and whispered something quickly in his ear. The farmer's eyes rose and he muttered, " Why?" and then Syaoran whispered some more.

That girl is a Kinomoto, you can kill her after we leave, Sakura imagined their conversation. Her shoulders drooped, but she raised them in defiance. She would go down fighting!

The farmer and his wife had greeted them all joyously and only Sakura was left. She felt like a shadow, an evil one intruding in their happiness. Syaoran motioned her foreword and she took small steps, clenching her hands into fists so that if one move was made..

" Well, hello there!" The farmer said, smiling. He reached out to shake her hand and Sakura stared at him incredulously. She didn't take his hand however and the farmer's smile faltered.

" Do you have a name?" The farmer's wife asked, her belly round with a child.

Sakura looked at Syaoran, and Syaoran coughed. " No, no she can't speak. I don't even know her name."

The wife's eyebrows rose. " Do you know anything about her, besides that she's a Kinomoto?"

Syaoran flushed slightly and shook his head. The wife inhaled sharply. " Well, this girl obviously needs a name and a good shower! A few meals couldn't hurt, look at her, such a scrawny thing!! You don't mind, do you?"

She reached out and took Sakura by the shoulders as Syaoran shook his head in reply. The woman led Sakura into the cottage and began to warm up a bath.

" Now get off those scraps and get into the water!" The woman said. Sakura felt a sort of feeling of trust and she took off her clothing and slipped into the warm bath. As soon as the water touched her skin, Sakura felt more grateful then she did in her whole life. The woman washed her hair and rubbed her skin hard, taking off all the dirt and grime that had layered her skin. She combed her hair carefully and gave her a rough, plain woollen dress.

" It's all we have for now," The woman said apologetically. Sakura felt a huge wave of warmth for her and wondered what she felt. The woman...the woman was like the mother she had grown up without.

The woman led her into the kitchen where Syaoran, Yamaki and Eriol were munching a huge meal.

From the silence in the room, Sakura knew that her appearance was quite shocking. All they knew was a skinny, dirty girl who had washed up into their boat. They were quite stunned and Sakura settled into the chair that the women pulled out for her.

It was probably the first time they saw the colour of her hair. Her hair was quite short, shoulder length, bangs framing her face and it was an amber colour. Through their whole journey, it was a mucky brown.

As soon as they were done the meal, the women led them all into the sitting area where the women promptly said, " She needs a name."

Eriol shrugged. " Girl seems fine enough."

The farmer looked appalled. " You can't go around the castle, calling her Girl! She needs a name , a proper one."

Yamaki piped up, " Call her something like....like...damn, I'm not very good with names."

Eriol shrugged as well, and the woman huffed. " Syaoran, you got a name for her?"
Syaoran looked startled. " Uh....I dunno, how about....Keili."

Eriol and Yamaki exchanged glances as the farmer's wife exclaimed over the excellent name. Syaoran looked rather uncomfortable as the Farmer seemed to look over Sakura then stared at Syaoran in a sort of startled surprise.

Sakura was now known as Keili. Great. Sakura looked over at Syaoran, who looked a bit drawn.

" Look, Joe, we'd better get going to the castle-"

The farmer, Joe as he was called, protested, " But you haven't even stayed long enough-"

Syaoran cut in, " We have to go. Thank you so much for your hospitality, but we'd better leave. Girl-I mean, Keili, let's go."

Sakura felt a bit weird, as Syaoran called her Keili. So different from her real name. It was like now she had two different personalities. Sakura Kinomoto, princess of the Kinomoto kingdom, cursed forever. Or Keili, a foreigner washed up onto a knight's (that's what she guessed Syaoran was) boat and dragged all the way across the waters to the Li Lands.

She was really going to be welcomed at the castle. Welcomed, indeed.

*********

" He's here!!"

The scream seemed to echo around the whole place as Sakura rode in, clutching Syaoran rather embarrassedly as they rode into the great pearly gates. As crowds of people gathered like a flock of birds, Sakura clung to Syaoran in fear, closing her eyes tightly, trying to diminish the thoughts that raced through her mind.

Would they grab her and tear into shreds?

Would they throw stones at her and jeer at her as she died?

Syaoran touched Sakura's shoulder, his eyes still that icy amber shade. Sakura opened her eyes slightly and she saw that everyone was watching them. She gulped and looked down at Syaoran again. Suddenly, those amber eyes looked warm and inviting, compared to the expressions of the people around them.

Syaoran had gotten off the horse and held a hand out to Sakura to take. She hesitantly took it, and slid off the horse. A horse caretaker came and took the horses away and Sakura could hardly believe the magnificence of the palace.

It was larger than the palace at the Kinomoto kingdom, that was for sure. It was huge, crystallized with shimmering people all in silk and satin, fluttering ladies and handsome, raucous men. She felt quite aware of her appearance. Dishevelled short auburn hair, foreign green eyes, dirty, plain woollen gown, and no shoes. No shoes!!

She looked down at her grimy feet in shame as the people around them whispered among their selves, wondering who this foreign girl was. She could feel the suspicion of Kinomoto blood inside of her rise and she felt a red flush rise and cover her face.

" Welcome home, son!" A cry suddenly burst through the murmuring crowds. Everyone went down on their knees. Startled, Sakura stared at the direction of where the voice was coming from and gasped.

A woman with a crown was walking towards them. A crown...that was all she focused on and she could feel her heart pounding against hr chest. She was tall and regal, black hair swooped into a bun, a cape flowing elegantly behind her. She went up to Syaoran and curtsied before him. He bowed back.

Sakura looked in-between them in horror, wondering what was going on.

" Welcome home, Prince Xiao-Lang. Welcome back," The queen said, tears in her eyes.

That was when Sakura promptly fainted.

*************

" Is she okay?"

Sakura groaned and turned her head to the side, trying to block out the noise.

" Who cares? She's a dirty Kinomoto."

" Don't let Xiao-Lang hear you say that."

" She fainted because of the shock."

" The shock of what? She didn't know that Xiao-Lang was a prince?"

" Nope."

" Well, she is a Kinomoto. I guess that pretty much frightened her out of her wits. She should be grateful that she got the protection of the Prince! She must've put some spell over him."

Sakura opened her eyes with a groan. Meeting her eyes was four girls, their eyes staring at her with disgust that Sakura had not grown used to seeing yet. She flinched and got up carefully. None of them made a move to help her.

" Who are you?" One of them sneered.

Sakura trembled but didn't say a word. She couldn't, but they didn't know that.

" What the hell is wrong with her?" One of them asked, scorn clear in her face.

The other shrugged. " Maybe she's just dumb."

The other whispered, " Maybe she's laying a spell on us!! Didn't you hear the rumours? She's a sorcerer!"

The other groaned. " She just can't understand us. She's a Kinomoto."

All of them glared at the word, Kinomoto. They had so much hatred against Kinomotos, Sakura thought. And here she was the Princess of the Kinomoto Kingdom, smack in the castle of the Li Kingdom. Who would believe that?

Suddenly, the door swung open and Syaoran barged in, his face angry. " What the hell are you all doing, crowding her? Get away from her!"

The girls got up and stared at Syaoran, as he walked up to Sakura, his eyes flashing. He lifted a hand and Sakura flinched. He was the Prince. She couldn't believe it. Now he'll drag me to the dungeons and place me under ransom cause he found out I was the princess-

But he didn't. All he did was raise a hand and placed it gently against her forehead. Sakura jumped a bit at his touch, her heartbeat stopping completely. He quickly took it back and said in a gruff voice, " My mother wants to see you."

Sakura's eyes widened and she motioned, Why? Where am I? Who are they?

Syaoran answered, " They're my sisters. My mother is the Queen, and your going to have to see her if you want to or not. Your in a room in the castle."

The girls, or his sisters all gasped. They stared between them and whispered to each other, now fully convinced that Sakura was some sort of a witch. How else could Syaoran understand her with just twists of the hand?

Sakura never felt so vulnerable in her life. Syaoran, or Prince Syaoran as she should call him, helped her get up and they went down the corridors. It was a rich place and Sakura's jaw dropped at the magnificence of it. Portraits framed in gold, statues of diamond and vases of silver. It was too grand to even imagine.

Finally, they reached a huge, circular room. The queen stood in the middle, and a look on her face told Sakura right away that she wasn't welcome in the castle. Sakura walked carefully, wishing she had shoes as she came to the centre of the room.

" Your...Keili, are you not?" The woman asked, straightforward.

Sakura had no choice but to nod.

" That name has been given to you. What is your real name?" The queen asked again.

Sakura pointed to her mouth and then waved to say that she could not speak.

The queen's eyes narrowed. " Do you have some malady of some sort? Why can't you speak? My son says you understand our language fully enough."

Syaoran broke in, " She can't speak, Mother. That's it."

The queen glared at her. " You are fully aware that you are the enemy and we can only give you limited protection. If you proceed off the boundaries we are not accountable for what might come upon you. But in the castle, you will be fully protected. You will have the room near to the servants quarters. You are dismissed."

The queen turned around with a swish and walked away and once she left the room, Sakura's shoulders drooped. He heart was pounding the whole time, in fear that they would kill her or do something worse.

Syaoran put a hand on her shoulder and Sakura winced at the touch. He quickly took it away and said coldly, " I'll get someone to lead you to your room."

Sakura looked at him and then nodded. There was no choice. A maid came and carrying towels and an extra gowns. They were plain and looked like a servant's clothing but Sakura was glad for them.


As she was about to leave, Syaoran suddenly said, " If you need anything, just tell me. And if someone says of does something...offensive to you, tell me immediately. Okay?"

Sakura looked up at him, in surprise then looked away and nodded. Syaoran coughed and said softly, " I apologize for my mother's behaviour. My father was killed in the battle between the Kinomotos and Lis. She hates Kinomotos and so does the rest of my family."

Sakura shivered but stared at him and nodded slightly, to show she understood. He reddened a bit then turned away and Sakura walked towards her new room, in silence.

When she got there, the room was small and tiny, with only a bed and a dresser for furniture. A door was at the other end, and a twisted, overgrown garden was at the back. Sakura brightened up at the thought of a garden. She would make it look beautiful!

Taking out the small pack from where they had put it, the only luggage she had, Sakura took out the starwort shirts and needle and thread. She began her elaborate sewing, as the thorns embedded themselves in her skin, making her bite her lip in pain. She hoped there was starwort in the Li Kingdom. If there wasn't....she would leave.

She didn't know why she was here, in such a dangerous place. But she knew that her step mother would never look for her here. Never.

Smiling, she went about her way starting the third shirt. Three and a half more to go, before her brothers were finally released from the curse.

a/n: Hey!!! This is sort of a boring chapter, but *shrugs* It's getting into the good stuff!! Muah ah ah...Tell me what you think of the story and what you think is going to happen, alright? I love getting suggestions and comments or criticism on my story, alright? SO REVIEW! PLEASE! I need ya to!

See ya latez,

*starjade*