hey everyone. This is actually the story "Againsr the Rules". I just give it a new name, "Against the Rules" does not 100 percent fit the plot.

I've done major editing to this story and changed all script to dialect form so now I can post it here, hope you like it.

Full Summary: A society where social classes seperates people. A society where children needs to listen to the marriage arrangements of the parents. A society where royalty and common people can NOT mix. She's a servant girl. He's a prince. They never thought of meeting each other. They never planned to have a single encounter, but how is NOT meeting possible when they are living in the same castle?

PART 1

A 17-year old girl with short auburn hair walked through the hall carrying a bucket of water. She walked to the beautiful garden and placed the bucket on the floor. She smiled brightly. The garden is beautiful, Of course it's beautiful. It was located in the Li castle. The girl worked there as a servant. One of her jobs is to take care of the garden. She also got the baths ready for the two princesses. The three had become really good friends. In addition to these two jobs, she also helps the other servants with little odd jobs. She has one more job, this girl is also the court dancer. She did performances for court guests. Her name: Xiao Ying.

(on a side note, Sakura's chinese name is actually Xiao Ying. I know because I'm chinese and i watched the chinese version of Card Captors. And you'll find out why I'm using her chinese name later. It's part of the plot.)

Xiao Ying is beautiful. Her skin is silky smooth and she has curves in all the right places. Her hair was silky and the auburn color of it only complemented her more. She is the perfect height and all these features made her look like a goddess. She has what people call the perfect female body. Her smile is gentle and caring. And she has a heart of gold. She is caring for other people and will help in anyway she can. Male palace servants just drool for her to be theirs, except for her brother of course and the eunuchs. (Eunuchs are certain male palace servants that can't mingle with women, NOT all male palace servants are eunuchs) (The reason is inappropriate for me to post, so you'll have to look it up) The most striking feature however is her green-emerald eyes. They are so pure, so clear, and so innocent, that it scared away anyone that wanted to do something horrible to her. And if that didn't stop them, her big brother, Tori will. Of course he had as many female admirers as his sister had male. Tori is the original definition of tall, dark and handsome. These two siblings always had people swooning over them.

With the bucket in the center, Xiao Ying gently splashed water on the flowers. The way she did it, the flowers won't get damaged or anything. That's why she had this job. She did it for all the flowers there. Xiao Ying finished her watering. It took her some time though. It was time to make the baths for the princesses. Xiao Ying headed in that direction. Xiao Ying smiled. The two princesses are her best friends. She arrived at the princesses bathing chamber. She got the water in the huge, and I mean huge tub, you can practically swim in it. Small steam floated on top of the bath just as the princesses came in. Xiao Ying bent her knees (not kneel) and brought her hand palm face down right on top of left to her right.

"Princess Tomoyo, Princess Meiling your bath is ready." Xiao Ying said in her polite gesture.

Princess Tomoyo and Princes Meiling giggled:

"Xiao Ying, we have been friends forever, you don't have to be so formal" said Tomoyo.

"Yeah, you really don't have to be so formal, Xiao Ying." said Meiling.

"Friends or not, I am still a servant." said Xiao Ying.

Princess Tomoyo and Princess Meiling shook their heads. With that, the two princesses undressed and stepped into the bath. Xiao Ying spread petals around the tub. (They're doing those flower baths) Xiao Ying helped the princesses and once they were finished, she helped them get ready. A very important guest is coming in the afternoon and all the royal people are to attend. Xiao Ying had received a summons to perform for the guest. Once she finished helping the two princesses get ready, she went back to her quarters to get herself ready for her performance. She had a room in the female section of the servant quarters, while her brother had one in the males'. Xiao Ying got on a new dress, that the queen had ordered be made for the occasion. The guest is a king from another kingdom not far away. Xiao Ying practiced once more before her performance.

(Somewhere else)

An amber-eyed boy with chestnut colored hair sat at his bed with boredom in his eyes. Today will be his first time in front of a guest and he didn't like it. But of course he had to do it. He is after all the prince of the kingdom. Prince Li Syaoran. He mumbled as he got ready. Going in front of guests wasn't his biggest problem either. He is 18 and thus needed to find a bride. That was the problem. Every princess he saw made him sick. It wasn't because they were ugly or anything. It was because the second anyone of those princesses saw him, those princesses would flutter their eyelashes at him and flirt with him. Yuck! The reason they would do that is because he is handsome and gorgeous. And intelligent. And every other single damned thing the ladies wanted. God, he was tired of it all.

'Mother is rushing me to get married and all those princesses have no shame. Isn't there anyone that falls in love and NOT in lust?' thought the prince as he sighed and got ready.

A few seconds after he got ready, the prince heard a knock on the door. A woman with dark hair in a huge ponytail at her back came in.

"Are you ready dear son?" she asked.

"Yes mother." answered the prince.

"Good. Now please, King Terada's daughter is also coming so…" started the queen before she got cut off by Syaoran.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Ok, but if she starts flashing her eyelashes at me or any of that crap…" started Syaoran and putting his hand up in a no way gesture.

"I understand that you don't want people to love you because of your looks, but you can always show them the real you after the marriage." said Queen Yelan

"Why is finding love so hard?" Syaoran asked rhetorically in an exasperated sigh.

"We'll talk about it later; it is time to welcome the guest." said the queen.

With that, the queen and prince headed to the throne room. Already there was Prince Eriol Hiiragizawa, Princess Tomoyo Daidouji, and Princess Meiling Li. Eriol, Meiling, and Syaoran are cousins and Tomoyo is the love of Eriol's life.

"Oh, Syaoran-kun, don't frown; we want to welcome the guest with a smile now don't we?" teased Eriol

Eriol hadn't been in front of guests before, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out to have a smile when welcoming guest.

'He's right. Hmm… I'm sure everything will be fine.' sighed Syaoran inwardly.

The horns sound signaling the arrival of the guest. The next 10 to 15 minutes filled with welcome's and have a seat's and pleased to meet you's and handshakes. This princess didn't try any of the eyelash flashing or anything. She kept a calm exterior and was polite to everyone.

"At least she's modest not like all those other princesses. Hmm… but I feel more like her brother than her love. I wonder if I'm asking for too much." thought Syaoran.

After the welcoming period, the court settled down and the court speaker introduced the entertainment. On her cue, Xiao Ying stepped in and did her bent knees-hands to right polite posture and started her routine. Her movements were graceful beyond imagination. Her dance seemed to have a life of its own. The dress she wore fitted her perfectly and it enhanced the beauty of the routine. Everyone was captivated by her dancing. Xiao Ying was so absorbed into the routine, she didn't notice the audience. Of course, she loves dancing, so it didn't matter. The fact was the performance was incredible beyond imagination. Everyone loved the performance. When Xiao Ying finished her routine, a large round of applause greeted her.

"Why does this dancer look somewhat familiar? Have I seen her somewhere before?" thought Terada while he applaud.

Had Xiao Ying's eyes been open when she faced him, he would have known. Green eyes like those were one of a kind. And had Xiao Ying not been so into the routine that she didn't notice anyone, she would have known too. But Xiao Ying's eyes WEREN'T open when they faced King Terada and Xiao Ying DIDN'T notice, so neither of them knew.

Xiao Ying stepped back out of the throne room once her performance is finished and went back to her quarters. Everyone was clapping until Xiao Ying was totally out of the throne room.

"Wow… I never saw a performance like that before." commented Princess Rika, King Terada's daughter.

"Yes, absolutely wonderful. The girl seemed a bit familiar to me, what's her name?" asked Terada

"Her name is Xiao Ying, you've seen her before?" asked Queen Yelan.

"I don't think I have seen her before, but she does seem a bit familiar." said Terada

"Would you like me to summon her?" asked Queen Yelan.

"No, not necessary." replied Terada

"Very well." said Queen Yelan

With that, the banquet started and they discussed court and other matters. Soon, it was time for the royalties to have some fun and dance themselves. Eriol and Tomoyo of course immediately took each others hands and started to dance. This was the part that Syaoran hated. The Queen came up to Syaoran.

"Come on dear son, Princess Rika is not like the other princesses, ask her to dance." Queen Yelan urged Syaoran

"Yes mother." sighed the prince.

Syaoran walked off.

'Well, she isn't like the other princesses. Maybe I am asking for too much.' thought Syaoran.

Syaoran bowed to Princess Rika and they started dancing. Princess Rika could tell that Prince Syaoran didn't ask her to dance on his own. She is an observant person.

"I'm sorry." apologized Rika.

"For what?" asked Syaoran.

"I know that you didn't ask me to dance on your own, I can tell." said Rika

"It's ok." said Syaoran.

"I can tell that you think of me more as a sibling and I accept that. Some things you can't force." said Rika.

"You really are different." said Syaoran.

Princess Rika smiled. She didn't mind that Syaoran thought for her more as a sibling. Throughout the dance Syaoran wondered if he was asking for too much. He wanted his bride to love him and he wanted to love her back, but so far, there was no connection like that. It was confusing him.

(Next day)

Xiao Ying did her daily routine as usual. She watered the garden ever so carefully and was on the overbridge to head to get the bath ready when she saw King Terada pass under the overbridge. She stifled a gasp. She could recognize him anywhere. She just hopes that he didn't recognize her. She rushed to her quarters and locked the doors. Xiao Ying took deep breaths. She sat on her bed trying to calm herself.

"It can't be. It just can't." she murmured to herself.

Xiao Ying got up and sat down at her table. She picked up the tea pot there and poured tea into a cup, her hand shaking. She held the cup still trembling and drank some. She put down her cup and went to her bed. She unzipped the zipper of the bag she used to wrap the thick cotton and other padding. This was used as a mattress. Inside were layers of cotton and other padding material. Xiao Ying slipped her hand in between the thick padding and brought out a jade attached to a short red string. The circular jade showed a dragon and a Chinese character on the other side. Xiao Ying sat on her bed again. She looked at the jade. Xiao Ying's hold on the jade grew tight and she clutched it.

"That was 7 years ago" she said.

Hmm...What happened 7 years ago? One way to find out, review!