Disclaimer: All normal disclaimers apply.
Thank you everyone for waiting so patiently for me to… get over my loss of a childhood friend. For those who are not aware of what happened, you can check my profile, if you'd like.
This chapter really isn't up to my standard… but I hope it'll do. Thanks for all your support.
Ice Queen
Chapter Thirty-Four
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"Let me go. There is no way in hell I am getting married," Sakura roughly pulled out of the man's hard grip. "Tell Yukito that he better come down to see me this instant… and that he better be Syaoran with him." Her arms were crossed and her face was expressionless. "Now."
The guard turned tail and fled up the stairs, shouting "Yukishiro-sama!" all the way. Sakura smirked to herself. She apparently hadn't lost her touch.
"Sakura-chan!" a voice from above sang, and when she looked up, Yukito was already running down the stairs to greet her. "Really! I'm glad that you're back… disappearing for an entire week… especially before your own wedding. We must get prepared immediately!"
"Yukito, I'd appreciate it if you dropped the façade. I'm sorry I made you worried, but…" she stared coldly at him. "There is no way in hell I am getting married."
Sighing, he leaned against the wall next to her and said, "I know you'd be happiest with Syaoran-kun… and I really don't have much of a say in this matter either. Touya's father had a friend from China… and since the day you were brought into the family, you were already prearranged to marry this friend's son. But…"
"But?" Sakura leaned forward, letting him know that he had her attention.
"Well, the husband of this… friend, became a sort of drug addict and he ran away from China, brining their only son with him. We haven't been able to locate them… until now," Yukito turned and took Sakura's hands in his. "I promise you that this person… isn't mean, necessarily… in fact, his entire family is coming over… and it's a pretty big family."
"Oh…"
Yukito glanced over at her, concerned, "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"
A small smile appeared on her lips as she realized that even though everything in the world was already wrong for her, Yukito could still notice when an even newer burden was placed onto her shoulders.
"Well, I had… I had almost been hoping this was another one of your not-so-funny jokes… but I guess I was wrong," Sakura turned and leaned against the wall, mimicking Yukito's stance. "Syaoran doesn't have a family. What more, I feel like I have a responsibility to this… friend now."
"Those not-so-funny jokes I played on you when you were little were not jokes. They were lessons… they helped you grow. Nothing I do is meant to hurt you… everything is for your own good, Sakura-chan," he ruffled her hair fondly, ignoring the small hiss of indignation coming from her. "You know that."
"But… Syaoran…"
"The two of you will be happiest like this in the end."
Sakura glared at him, "That's it. You can stop playing 'mother'. Don't treat me like a child, because I am most definitely not one. Syaoran and I are happy together. None of this twisted logic of yours will ever change that! Let me see him."
She moved to go further into the mansion to find her boyfriend, but a kind hand on her shoulder, holding her back, stopped her. "Sakura-chan, I'll bring you to where he is." Turning around in surprise, Sakura looked the smiling Yukito over carefully before nodding. "Fine."
"So… Syaoran really is in the mansion then," Sakura frowned as she and her precious snow bunny walked up the stairs. "What are you planning Yukito? I'm no fool… what is all this?"
"You hurt me so…" Yukito hummed. "Honestly, Sakura-chan, after all these years, I'd hope you'd give me some more credit." She glared at his teasing tone. "I mean, have I ever done anything but help you?"
The gaze of her emerald eyes fell down to the floor as, for the first time in a long time, she was outwitted by a person other than Tomoyo. "Just tell me what you're up to."
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing… oh, and by the way, the family will be here tomorrow," Yukito grinned and opened the door to Syaoran's room, pushing her inside. "I expect you to act decently… please?" He locked her inside.
"WHAT!" Sakura screeched, turning and pounding on the door. "TSUKISHIRO YUKITO GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"
"… it's good to see that you're doing okay."
Sakura flipped around, her emerald eyes fixed on the lonely figure sitting on a bed near the back of the room. Her mouth gaped open slightly before shutting itself firmly, "Li Syaoran, where in the world have you been?" her voice turned eerily cold. "How dare you knock me out." She walked over to the spot he was sitting at and delivered a mercilessly painful slap to his left cheek. "I was worried about you," a single tear trailed down the outline of her face, and she rubbed it away quickly, so that he wouldn't see.
But he did see. "Sakura," his arms enveloped her and he pulled her close and tight. "I'm sorry."
Pushing him away roughly, Sakura frowned, "Half of me wants to beat you to a pulp… the other half is far too curious of exactly what happened to even touch you… what's going on, Syaoran?"
"What's going on? Well…" he scratched his head. "Where to begin? After I knocked you out ((Sakura gave him a deadly glare at this point)), I came directly here, and Yukito asked me to stay, so I did."
"He asked you to stay… and you agreed… just like that?" She was disbelieving, not that he could blame her.
Running a hand loosely through his hair, Syaoran ripped his eyes off of Sakura and instead focused on the wall, "Yes. And I… I love you, now and forever… so I just want you to know that this… arrangement he's making is good for the both of us."
"Good?" her voice cracked. "Explain to me how… how any of this is good?"
"I don't ever want to see you hurting… which is why I am doing this. Promise me," Syaoran took her hands in his. "Promise me you'll listen to Yukito… you'll like this guy. Really! And-"
A second slap to the same cheek stilled his words.
"Who are you?" Syaoran froze, staring at Sakura in slight horror. Tears were pouring down her face uncontrollably. "Did… Was… How…"
His hand gently wiped some of her tears, but she knocked it away from her.
"Was that… was that time we spent together worth so little that… that you could just walk away? Were…"
"Sakura…"
"Don't interrupt!" she pushed his body away from hers holding him back. "Were you just there to help me because… because you felt sorry for me? You… you're just a regular nice guy, aren't you? …What was that night at the ball?"
Syaoran pushed away the pain that was clawing at his own heart and instead tried to reach for hers by pulling her close to him again. "I love you."
"Haha…. I understand. You're just too nice to say anything… don't say it!" her hand covered his mouth, preventing him from saying anything. "I'll just listen to you… I should just listen… after all…" She looked up at him, face completely undisturbed and unfeeling. "You are the man I fell in love with. The only one who could melt me. Me, the Ice Queen."
"Don't worry," Sakura turned towards the door as she heard it being unlocked from the outside. "I'll just listen to you."
"Sakura-"
"Don't worry about me," she closed the door on him, leaving the quaint little room silent and lonely all over again.
Syaoran looked at the shut door for a moment before slamming his fist through the window, ignoring the feeling of glass shards piercing through his skin. "Damn it… this is going to help her grow, huh?"
"And so, I'll start with the introductions. Sakura-chan, this is the Li Clan's main family. The head of the family, Li Yelan, the secondary heir to the clan, Li Shinichi, a main family member, Shinichi's sisters (and Yelan's daughters), Li Fuutie, Fanren, Feimei, Shiefa, and lastly, another main family member, Li Meiling."
Stone-faced, Sakura nodded respectfully at each one of them as they were addressed. Kneeling on the tatami floor and drinking tea with seven Li Clan family members was an extreme privilege and honor for most people, and so Sakura forced herself to be civil. Her voice was icy and emotionless, "Kinomoto Sakura desu. Yoroshikune."
"I trust that you have no objections to this marriage whatsoever, Sakura-san, and that you were not forced into this," Yelan sat straight and tall. Her entire body spoke of untold wisdom, power, and ancient royalty. Her black eyes watched Sakura's every movement, and seemed to look into her mind, searching for any of her flaws or weaknesses.
"Of course not, Li-sama," the Ice Queen, not Sakura was present in the room. "I am fully prepared for this procedure." The last word was said even colder than usual, and though Yelan took notice, she said nothing.
A sudden giggle broke the solemn silence, and Sakura raised an eyebrow as Li Fuutie, Fanren, Feimei, and Shiefa broke out into a fit of giggles. "I'm so sorry… it's just… Sakura-chan, even though you're so cute… you're so serious!"
"Cute?" Sakura blushed, caught off guard.
"See? I told you she's not as cold as she looks!" Fanren giggled.
"Fanren! You're embarrassing her!" Fuutie smiled at her gently. "Sorry. It's just… you look so cute, but you seemed so… well, icy."
Sakura's emerald eyes blinked once. Twice. "Hoe…"
A small smile lit onto Yelan's face and she nodded approvingly. "My son… I'm sure, will be happy with you."
Almost as fast as she became surprised, she regained composure. "Excuse me." Sakura stood up stiffly. "But I have some… prior engagements." All sixteen eyes followed her as she left the room.
"Well… I like her," Sheifa spoke. "She may act frosty… but I think she's a nice person."
"I agree… Shinichi, you should go soften her up… get to know her before your big day," Yelan said, dismissing her son.
Getting up and bowing to both Yukito and Yelan he took his leave, "Yes, Mother."
Sakura sat in the cherry blossom garden staring at the night sky, feeling the cool night breeze brush against her skin and listening to the silent rustling of the pink blossoms twirling around in the air.
"You look quite the pretty picture when you're like that, Sakura-san," She looked up, surprised.
Upon seeing who it was she sighed. "Li-san, what brings you out here?"
"Why so sad? Are you disappointed that I wasn't someone else?" he sat down beside her and smiled gently.
Sakura surveyed him wordlessly, trying to see whether or not the question was to test her. He, of course, had hit right on target…. She had been hoping that it would be… "Not to be perfectly rude, but yes. I had hope for someone else… but don't let my presence hinder your evening. I'll leave." Sakura stood to leave, but his hand clasped around her arm and he pulled her down gently.
Her eyes glinted dangerously, and promise or no promise to Syaoran, she was going to show this guy what happened when someone touched her without her permission.
"If you don't mind." She stopped glaring at him and instead waited for him to finish. "Would you mind keeping me company for a while? Sitting outside alone is nice every once in a while but… it gets lonely." He smiled.
"Fine," she sat back down, not meeting his eyes.
Shrugging unabashed, Shinichi continued, "So… who's this person you were hoping to see?"
Again she looked him over carefully, trying to detect any sign of hostility… and there was none, so she saw no harm in telling him, "I was hoping that Syaoran would be here."
"I think… I think I'll have a chat with this Syaoran," Shinichi's smiling expression never changed, and Sakura seriously wondered what he was up to… the mysterious Li Clan member reminded her of Yukito.
"Sakura-san! Could I have a word with you?" Sakura turned around and saw Mei Ling standing at the entrance to the garden. Wondering how in the world everyone knew where she was, she nodded Shinichi goodbye before going over to Mei Ling.
"Can I help you?" Sakura asked, once they were inside the mansion.
Mei Ling frowned at her, "I want you… to give up on your precious Syaoran."
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To Be Continued…
I hope you like it… and I'm praying that you review! If you get the chance, please read Vywein and mine's joint fanfiction "Backup Lovers".