Disclaimer: CCS is not mine.

Sorry sorry sorry for the late update! This is the first year… the first week of high school for me… and I've already been buried in homework.

If you hadn't realized already, this story is slowly coming to a close, which is probably a good thing. I'll put my all into the last few chapters and I hope that you like it! Thank you so much to the people who have been continually supporting me.

Ice Queen

Chapter Thirty-Five

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"Kinomoto-sama! Kinomoto-sama! Yukito-sama is calling you! He asks that you meet him in the guest lounge as soon as possible," a small servant girl ran up in between Mei Ling and Sakura.

Turning to follow the servant, Sakura cast the Chinese girl one last, long look, "Li-san, I'm afraid I'll have to be blunt, but stay out of my personal life. I don't tolerate people who pry." Without another word, the young heiress walked swiftly into the mansion.

"You needed to speak with me?" she stood in front of Yukito, arms crossed. Her voice was both cool and bored, and lucky for Yukito, she wasn't in a bad mood. Mei Ling's words meant nothing to her at all.

"Just the annoying buzzing of a passing bee," she mumbled to herself.

The silver-haired man patted the spot on the sofa next to his own, and sighed when she didn't budge, "I need to ask a favor, Sakura-chan. Are you willing to help me out?"

"Depends on what the favor is."

Yukito winced, her response was straight and to the point. Sakura had begun to catch on. "I know that you really wouldn't rather but…"

"Just say it already."

Running a hand loosely through his hair, he crossed his fingers and prayed that she would comply, "I want to keep good relations with the Li family. We really owe that to them… so do you think you could-"

"Show what's-his-face around town?"

Slowly, Yukito nodded, his eyes watching her closely.

Ignoring his intense stare, Sakura strode over to the door carelessly, "Fine." She left the room, and it took Yukito a full thirty seconds to register what had just happened.

"She agreed… just like that?" a frown creased onto his face. "What exactly did Syaoran-kun say to her? This isn't quite… I'll have to look into this."

"Having some difficulty?" Yukito turned.

"Oh," his face spread into a pleasant smile. "Shinichi-kun, how may I help you? I really can't say thank you enough for agreeing to go through with this… arrangement."

Also smiling, Shinichi shrugged nonchalantly and plopped down onto the couch next to Yukito. "Nah. Don't mention it. Besides, Syaoran-kun is special to me, after all. But…" his expression became serious. "We have to begin the plan immediately… if we don't, Sakura-san may not end up going along with the marriage. I trust that everything is already underway?"

The snow bunny offered his companion a cup of tea, "Really, you don't have to worry about anything, Shinichi-kun. I've got everything under control. It is you who plays a vital part in this… performance."

"Well said, Yukishiro-san. Well said."

"And this, Li-san, is the Kaori Temple… it's currently undergoing some remodeling, but normally it is very nice," Sakura's voice was deadpan, and she didn't waste words and she didn't stop walking, even when Shinichi expressed a wish to stop and take a look.

They had been walking around the city for two hours already, and Sakura hadn't even paused to take a breath. Shinichi rolled his eyes. Probably trying to bore me out of Hokkaido, he thought.

"Sakura-san."

She turned around, giving him a strange look. "I let it go last time, but why is it that you are so bold as to address me by my first name. I know that I am planning to become a part of the Li Family, but I'm not married quite yet." Sakura frowned and her hands balled into fists. Only Syaoran called her by her first name… he was the only person who was allowed to do that… with exception of a handful of people she had known her entire life.

"Why don't we talk over some ice cream?" Shinichi panted. "Please?"

She gave him another cold look before swiftly picking up the pace again, with Shinichi jogging up behind her. "Please, Sakura-san! Can't we just take a little… break?" She stopped near a small cluster of tables and promptly motioned for him to sit down.

"What flavor?"

Shinichi was dumbstruck, "Huh?"

Sakura gave him an icy stare, and it clicked in his brain.

"Oh! Um… chocolate, then."

She had already begun to walk away, but paused when he named his choice. "Just like Syaoran," she whispered, before going to the small ice cream stand and purchasing a strawberry cone and a chocolate cone.

"You're very athletic, Sakura-san," Shinichi smiled as he licked away at his ice cream. "And very good at power-walking… I thought I was about to collapse."

Sakura squinted at him, trying to decide whether or not he was being cheeky. Choosing the easiest alternative, she put a cool, detached look on her face and gazed over at a group of children running around. "And you're obviously not in shape at all."

"Don't say that! I am much more of an intellect than anything else… I haven't had the time to go out and exercise."

To this, she said nothing, but a thousand thoughts were running through her mind.

He reminds me of Syaoran…. His attitude… his appearance… his ice cream choice…

"Have you ever heard of the story Cinderella?" Sakura asked suddenly, causing Shinichi to stop his ramblings and listen in surprise.

He gave her an odd look, "I'd think that most everyone in the world had at least heard of the name Cinderella, why do you ask?"

Her eyes didn't meet his, but instead, she focused on her half-eaten ice cream cone. "What do you think of her? Cinderella, that is."

"I can't say much for Cinderella the girl… other than she seemed nice enough… but the story itself was pretty romantic, I guess," He scratched his head. "Is this some sort of trick question?"

… but being similar to Syaoran is being Syaoran after all.

"No. Nothing… I think it's about time we headed back. There isn't much else to see here."

"… okay, then."

"A…. Achoo!" Syaoran sneezed. Rubbing his nose tiredly, he muttered quietly to himself as he continued the task at hand. "Someone must be thinking about me."

(I know that the tradition is that when someone sneezes, it only applies if the person is actually talking about them, but I made an exception for my story.)

His hands skillfully knotted the bed sheets together tightly. Traditional and maybe even a little lacking in creativity, but it got the job done. "Sorry Yukito… but there's no way I'm letting Sakura go just like that," he whispered quietly to himself.

Unsheathing a small knife he had hidden away in his pocket for emergencies, Syaoran walked quickly over to the window and opened the glass before slashing through the black netting and throwing his home-made "rope" out the window.

"Damn…" The rope didn't reach all the way to the ground, but knowing that there was most likely some cameras placed around the vicinity, he wasted no time in putting his knife away and latching himself onto the sheets and propelling himself down. When he got to the end of the rope, he kicked hard off the wall and flipped backwards, landing softly onto the grass below. "Training in martial arts helps after all," he continued along the path and darted across the front of the mansion once he saw that there were no guards there.

"Please still be open…" Syaoran took a deep breath and began climbing a tall tree near the window across from his. Reaching the top, he nearly jumped for joy. The forgetful cook had left the lock to his window open again. Syaoran had watched him from his own room many times, and had decided to try his luck. Besides, Sakura's room was on the floor right above the cook's.

About to jump, Syaoran caught himself at the last second as Yukito walked under and past the tree talking with one of the guards.

"I need security quadrupled during the wedding… no one is to interfere. It's going to take place tomorrow morning… and Sakura will not be informed. Understand? If she runs away, then all is lost…" Syaoran held his breath as Yukito paused from his walk and stared sharply at the tree he was standing in.

Those pale blue eyes traveled slowly up the bark, but stopped just short of Syaoran's feet. A small smile appeared on Yukito's face, and he turned back around, walking to a different area.

He let out the breath he was holding. Syaoran's heart was pounding. As well as he had hidden himself behind the leaves, he had a feeling that someone like Yukito would still be able to find him. A cold shiver… one completely different from the kind that Sakura sometimes gave him ran up his spine.

… why had Yukito smiled?

Ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach, Syaoran bent down and pushed off from the tree, kicking open the window and rolling into the empty room.

As expected from someone so forgetful, the place was a mess, but that worked to Syaoran's advantage. Finding an extra uniform, he slipped into the too-large cooking attire and tied shirt back with the sash of an apron. Donning the cook hat, he braced himself before opening the door and walking semi-confidently out into the open.

Careful to keep his stride purposeful, he stole down towards the stairs and over to the large, white door at the end of the hallway.

He turned the knob… and it opened. Nearly letting out a shout of joy, Syaoran kept his emotions in check as he swiftly stepped into the room and shutting the door behind him. Sakura wasn't there like he had hoped, but she had to return home soon… and who knows who would be with her when she returned.

Looking around, Syaoran decided on the large closet and slipped inside. It easily could have fit ten people, and only the perimeter of the closet actually had clothes racks.

"I'll just wait here for a while and-" he stopped abruptly as he heard the door open. Peeking through a small crack, Syaoran's face immediately turned an interesting hue of red as he watched Sakura pull her shirt off.

Flipping himself around, Syaoran blushed heavily as he heard Sakura's clothing rustle while she changed.

Pink. He blushed again. The color of her… pink.

A knock came at the door, and hesitantly, Syaoran turned around and looked through the crack again, both relieved and disappointed that Sakura had finished dressing. She wore a white evening gown, and… Syaoran gulped. Was gorgeous.

It was all that he could do to keep from leaping out from his hiding place and giving her a kiss.

"Who is it?" Her voice seemed bored, but to Syaoran it sounded like a mask covering up for some hidden sadness.

Don't worry Sakura… I'm coming for you.

"It's me, Yukito. Are you ready? Everyone else is already at the table."

She sighed and made her way to the door, "I'm coming."

"You look beautiful, Sakura-chan."

Inwardly, Syaoran agreed whole-heartedly, though he wished with a passion to be the one out there complimenting Sakura instead of Yukito.

Syaoran started when he heard the door shut. Springing up from the closet, he waited for a full minute before opening the door and stepping outside. All the servants would be busy doing their own thing… and now was the only chance he had to follow Sakura without getting caught.

He slid into the darkness noiselessly and looked around carefully before standing and walking towards the stairs. "I wonder if-"

A hand covered his mouth, and his world went black.

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To be Continued…

OoOoh! I wonder what's happened with Syaoran! xD Sorry for the late update… this is my first week of high school and…

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