A/N: Thanks to all reviewers! Sorry about the switch...my computer malfunctioned and somehow switched them.
luckyducky7too: Thanks for telling me...I forgot about 'onegai!
Disclaimer: Don't own Card Captor Sakura.
The Veiled Piano Mistress
By: Lotus Dreams
Chapter 3: He May Know
Sakura's brain whirred.
HE KNOWS ABOUT THE MAID THING! a voice screamed inwardly.
"Erm...no, I haven't seen one," replied Sakura. "Er...I'm sure you'll find her."
"If you see her, tell me," said Syaoran urgently. He veered off.
He didn't know why it was so important to find her, but still, she was...interesting. He was curious, despite himself. He wanted to know her, he wanted to find her, listen to her play, even if she was breaking the law. He HAD to find her.
"SYAORAN! WHERE'S MY SON?" Syaoran froze. His father was home. He couldn't search now. If his father was home, he was bound to
1. Make him write with the Chinese brush
2. or, go on and on and on about a lecture on some great wars
3. or, practice martial arts on the field
4. or, all of the above, but don't ask me how!
Syaoran stamped his foot in vain and went downstairs. His father was waiting for him.
"Hello, Syaoran," he greeted his son. "What's going on? The servants and maids are waiting for your order. They have already finished cleaning the outside and inside of the house. They say they could not find you anywhere."
"Oh, I was just doing something," said Syaoran absent-mindedly. "Er...you haven't seen a maiden with a black veil over her face, have you?"
"Iie[no]," said his father. "Naze desu ka[why]?"
"Erm...nothing." Syaoran's father looked at him suspiciously before retreating to his gigantic room.
Syaoran kicked the ground.
Darn. Who knows when I'll see her again?
"NANI[what]?!"
"Shut--Up!" hissed Sakura. "Stop talking so loud, Tomoyo-chan. Everyone'll know."
"I cannot BELIEVE you, Sakura," whispered Tomoyo, her best friend. She swatted her dark hair over her shoulder yet again as she chopped carrots in the kitchen. "Eriol teaches you piano and then you play it in the PALACE? What were you thinking? Just because the two most important royal people in the palace are away doesn't mean you reveal yourself--"
"I had no meaning of revealing myself!" said Sakura hotly. "It was by accident! And Canon in D is a QUIET song!"
"Shh!" Tomoyo's knife paused halfway on a carrot, then sliced it neatly in half. "I don't know what you're yelling about, Sakura-chan, but you're the one who's telling ME to be quiet about the whole thing."
"Gomen[sorry]," said Sakura hurriedly, "But I'm just so scared! He knows that I'm--the pianist--is a maid, and there are only so many maids here, what'll I do when he somehow tests them all?"
"Don't WORRY, Sakura," replied Tomoyo lightly. "Somehow? How exactly is he going to find out it's you?"
"Um..."
"What, he's going to make all the maids in the castle play piano? Duh, you can just pretend you don't! You can pretend that you don't know anything and I'll bet he'll buy it! Why get worried?"
Sakura thought of something. "My hands. My hands! He's seen my hands! You remember I have the most slender fingeres of all the maids? What if he tells all the maids to put out their hands or something and finds out it's ME?"
"Look at what you said, Sakura."
"What?"
"You said 'what if'. Nothing in this world is 100% sure, you got that? How can Prince Syaoran be SURE that it's you? Think, Sakura. You have to think. He's only seen your uniform, which 46 other girls in the castle wear, so you're safe. Just CALM DOWN."
But Sakura couldn't calm down. Her sixth sense was telling her Syaoran would find out somehow. Somehow.
Sakura and a couple of other maids scurried into the large dining room and laid plates and platters of food; rice, cod, vegetables, lobster, shrimp, chicken noodle soup, creme tarts, vanilla cake, and lots of other things. Sakura carried a platter of roast chicken with assorted vegetables surrounding it. She placed it in front of Prince Syaoran, who was looking bored and emotionless as ever. When the platter was in front of him, she withdrew her hand quickly, but not quickly enough. He snatched her hand.
Tomoyo almost dropped her plate of fried lobster onto the queen when she saw Syaoran snatch her hand. She apologized quickly to the queen, and set the plate down.
Prince Syaoran observed her hand carefully.
"Syaoran." Syaoran glanced at his mother.
"What are you doing?" she said sharply.
"Gomen, okaa-san," said Syaoran, dropping Sakura's hand as quickly as he had snatched it. Sakura rubbed it, and then went back into the kitchen to get more food. When all the maids were finished, they stood behind the royal family, watching them eat their deliciously prepared food.
All the while through dinner, Syaoran kept shooting suspcious glances at Sakura. Sakura tried to avert her eyes to the queen, so that she could pretend not to see the prince. Tomoyo also shot glances at Sakura, but they were ones of worry and fright. When the family was finally finished eating, they set down their utensils and said, "Take them away."
Sakura, Tomoyo, and the other maids quickly rushed forward to take the plates. Some of them were not even touched; they would be eaten by the servants and maids. Some of them were half-eaten. Those would be thrown out.
Sakura collected her plates as fast as possible, her heart beating violently. She rushed into the kitchen, gave the plates to the Dish Washers, and then rushed up the stairs and into her tiny room. She sat down at her tiny dresser, and took the black veil from one of the few drawers. She felt the material run through her fingers. Lucky she had it on when she played piano.
Then there was a knock at the door. Sakura stuffed the veil away quickly, double checking that nothing black was peeking out.
"Who...Who is it?" she stammered.
"Prince Syaoran. This is Sakura the maid's room, isn't it? Can you open the door?"
I'm doomed, she thought. She walked over slowly to the door, and opened it.
"Hello."
"Your Highness," said Sakura, sweeping into a curtsy. Syaoran waved it away.
"I'm only staying here for a minute," he said. He looked at Sakura. "I have one question. Do you know how to play piano?"
At the word 'piano', Sakura's heart practically throbbed right out of her chest. He knew it! He knew it!
"Um..." she hid her fingers. "No."
"Positive?"
"I am absolutely positive, Your Highness. Women are not allowed to learn anything, isn't that the law? I can't even play the flute, let alone bang on piano keys. I am sure that I don't know how to play piano."
"Okay. Where were you today in the afternoon?"
"Afternoon?"
"Yes. You were supposed to be cleaning the inside, but I did not see you anywhere. Where were you?"
"Oh...I went to the bathroom."
"For fifteen minutes?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I--"
"Never mind. Do--"
"Your Highness." Sakura's eyes were looking fiercely at the floor. "You said only one question."
"Nani?"
"You said only one question." Syaoran gritted his teeth.
"Very well, I did say that. Ja ne[goodbye]."
Syaoran's dark brown eyes bore into Sakura's bright green ones, before looking away, still disbelieving.
Sorry for the short chapter. I was busy. REVIEW!
luckyducky7too: Thanks for telling me...I forgot about 'onegai!
Disclaimer: Don't own Card Captor Sakura.
The Veiled Piano Mistress
By: Lotus Dreams
Chapter 3: He May Know
Sakura's brain whirred.
HE KNOWS ABOUT THE MAID THING! a voice screamed inwardly.
"Erm...no, I haven't seen one," replied Sakura. "Er...I'm sure you'll find her."
"If you see her, tell me," said Syaoran urgently. He veered off.
He didn't know why it was so important to find her, but still, she was...interesting. He was curious, despite himself. He wanted to know her, he wanted to find her, listen to her play, even if she was breaking the law. He HAD to find her.
"SYAORAN! WHERE'S MY SON?" Syaoran froze. His father was home. He couldn't search now. If his father was home, he was bound to
1. Make him write with the Chinese brush
2. or, go on and on and on about a lecture on some great wars
3. or, practice martial arts on the field
4. or, all of the above, but don't ask me how!
Syaoran stamped his foot in vain and went downstairs. His father was waiting for him.
"Hello, Syaoran," he greeted his son. "What's going on? The servants and maids are waiting for your order. They have already finished cleaning the outside and inside of the house. They say they could not find you anywhere."
"Oh, I was just doing something," said Syaoran absent-mindedly. "Er...you haven't seen a maiden with a black veil over her face, have you?"
"Iie[no]," said his father. "Naze desu ka[why]?"
"Erm...nothing." Syaoran's father looked at him suspiciously before retreating to his gigantic room.
Syaoran kicked the ground.
Darn. Who knows when I'll see her again?
"NANI[what]?!"
"Shut--Up!" hissed Sakura. "Stop talking so loud, Tomoyo-chan. Everyone'll know."
"I cannot BELIEVE you, Sakura," whispered Tomoyo, her best friend. She swatted her dark hair over her shoulder yet again as she chopped carrots in the kitchen. "Eriol teaches you piano and then you play it in the PALACE? What were you thinking? Just because the two most important royal people in the palace are away doesn't mean you reveal yourself--"
"I had no meaning of revealing myself!" said Sakura hotly. "It was by accident! And Canon in D is a QUIET song!"
"Shh!" Tomoyo's knife paused halfway on a carrot, then sliced it neatly in half. "I don't know what you're yelling about, Sakura-chan, but you're the one who's telling ME to be quiet about the whole thing."
"Gomen[sorry]," said Sakura hurriedly, "But I'm just so scared! He knows that I'm--the pianist--is a maid, and there are only so many maids here, what'll I do when he somehow tests them all?"
"Don't WORRY, Sakura," replied Tomoyo lightly. "Somehow? How exactly is he going to find out it's you?"
"Um..."
"What, he's going to make all the maids in the castle play piano? Duh, you can just pretend you don't! You can pretend that you don't know anything and I'll bet he'll buy it! Why get worried?"
Sakura thought of something. "My hands. My hands! He's seen my hands! You remember I have the most slender fingeres of all the maids? What if he tells all the maids to put out their hands or something and finds out it's ME?"
"Look at what you said, Sakura."
"What?"
"You said 'what if'. Nothing in this world is 100% sure, you got that? How can Prince Syaoran be SURE that it's you? Think, Sakura. You have to think. He's only seen your uniform, which 46 other girls in the castle wear, so you're safe. Just CALM DOWN."
But Sakura couldn't calm down. Her sixth sense was telling her Syaoran would find out somehow. Somehow.
Sakura and a couple of other maids scurried into the large dining room and laid plates and platters of food; rice, cod, vegetables, lobster, shrimp, chicken noodle soup, creme tarts, vanilla cake, and lots of other things. Sakura carried a platter of roast chicken with assorted vegetables surrounding it. She placed it in front of Prince Syaoran, who was looking bored and emotionless as ever. When the platter was in front of him, she withdrew her hand quickly, but not quickly enough. He snatched her hand.
Tomoyo almost dropped her plate of fried lobster onto the queen when she saw Syaoran snatch her hand. She apologized quickly to the queen, and set the plate down.
Prince Syaoran observed her hand carefully.
"Syaoran." Syaoran glanced at his mother.
"What are you doing?" she said sharply.
"Gomen, okaa-san," said Syaoran, dropping Sakura's hand as quickly as he had snatched it. Sakura rubbed it, and then went back into the kitchen to get more food. When all the maids were finished, they stood behind the royal family, watching them eat their deliciously prepared food.
All the while through dinner, Syaoran kept shooting suspcious glances at Sakura. Sakura tried to avert her eyes to the queen, so that she could pretend not to see the prince. Tomoyo also shot glances at Sakura, but they were ones of worry and fright. When the family was finally finished eating, they set down their utensils and said, "Take them away."
Sakura, Tomoyo, and the other maids quickly rushed forward to take the plates. Some of them were not even touched; they would be eaten by the servants and maids. Some of them were half-eaten. Those would be thrown out.
Sakura collected her plates as fast as possible, her heart beating violently. She rushed into the kitchen, gave the plates to the Dish Washers, and then rushed up the stairs and into her tiny room. She sat down at her tiny dresser, and took the black veil from one of the few drawers. She felt the material run through her fingers. Lucky she had it on when she played piano.
Then there was a knock at the door. Sakura stuffed the veil away quickly, double checking that nothing black was peeking out.
"Who...Who is it?" she stammered.
"Prince Syaoran. This is Sakura the maid's room, isn't it? Can you open the door?"
I'm doomed, she thought. She walked over slowly to the door, and opened it.
"Hello."
"Your Highness," said Sakura, sweeping into a curtsy. Syaoran waved it away.
"I'm only staying here for a minute," he said. He looked at Sakura. "I have one question. Do you know how to play piano?"
At the word 'piano', Sakura's heart practically throbbed right out of her chest. He knew it! He knew it!
"Um..." she hid her fingers. "No."
"Positive?"
"I am absolutely positive, Your Highness. Women are not allowed to learn anything, isn't that the law? I can't even play the flute, let alone bang on piano keys. I am sure that I don't know how to play piano."
"Okay. Where were you today in the afternoon?"
"Afternoon?"
"Yes. You were supposed to be cleaning the inside, but I did not see you anywhere. Where were you?"
"Oh...I went to the bathroom."
"For fifteen minutes?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I--"
"Never mind. Do--"
"Your Highness." Sakura's eyes were looking fiercely at the floor. "You said only one question."
"Nani?"
"You said only one question." Syaoran gritted his teeth.
"Very well, I did say that. Ja ne[goodbye]."
Syaoran's dark brown eyes bore into Sakura's bright green ones, before looking away, still disbelieving.
Sorry for the short chapter. I was busy. REVIEW!