Chapter 4 : Conference

"First of all, I would like to thank all of you for coming at such an early hour. In case some of you are not aware, I am Syaoran Li, the heir to the Li family in China, which speaks for all the major trade organisations in China in inter-national diplomatic affairs. My main purpose for requesting the presence of all present here is to discuss the future trade agreements between China and Japan, and I hope to reach an agreements by the end of this week, as I have pressing business to attend to back in China. Thank you for your kind understanding and I look forward to working closely with all present here today. "

Syaoran sat down, inwardly heaving a sigh. It was such a great morning, and here he was, wasting it by discussing trade matters in this stuffy room. But he would do what he must. Resigning himself to fate, he looked forward determinedly as the king began opening the subject of inter-national trade relations and its possibilities.

Eriol sat beside his father, duty compelling him to sit in on the discussions…He looked in Syaoran's direction, inwardly sighing. Yes, they had talked about many things last night…But he couldn't help but feel a wistful feeling that he was no longer the Syaoran he knew…More like a stranger who knew about Eriol's past…He brusquely turned his mind away from such issues. Now was not the time to think about this.

Sitting further down the table, Fujitaka gave a start when he heard Syaoran's name. Was this really the little boy who used to play at their house? He could hardly recognise him. It was as if he had never known him in his younger days…

Yelan…your son has indeed grown up to be a fine young man…When will you find it in your heart to forgive what I've done so many years ago? It's been so many years…Too many…"

Musing silently to himself, he turned his attention back to the meeting…there was much work to be done.

---In the corridor----------

(sakura)

They were in the palace again. Her father had to attend a very important meeting, and for some reason the king extended an invitation to Sakura and Tomoyo if they would like to visit the palace. This was a very rare privilege granted to few…so of course they could not refuse.

She skipped along the palace corridor laughing and talked to Tomoyo at length about the beauty of the palace grounds, her eyes alight with fascination. She was dressed in a light pink dress, one that her father had brought her recently. A red ribbon adorned her auburn hair, sweeping her hair into a simple ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her neck was adorned with a simple heart-shaped necklace that her mother had left her, one of the few momentos Sakura had to remember her by. Tomoyo was wearing a light blue dress with a dark blue sash, its free ends tied neatly in a small bow behind her back and left to sweep behind her as she walked. Her hair was clasped with a simple pin and her dark curls ran down the length of her back, nearly reaching mid-waist.

"Tomoyo, how did I get home last night? I remember thinking of a lot of things…and then I saw you. It was all seems so weird now…as if you were just a memory…Oh, and Tomoyo, how did you know what Eriol was going to say? Did you know who he was?"

Tomoyo smiled gently at Sakura's endless barrage of questions, and shaking her head lightly, she grinned. This was the Sakura from old.

" Sakura, slow down…I can't answer all of them at once! Well, for the first question, I asked the carriage to bring both of us to your house. After all, the courtyard wasn't such a great distance from the front porch…As for the second question…"

Tomoyo's smile dimmed a little…

"Don't you remember?"

"I...I…"

She did remember. She had been there when he first said it to her after all. But it seemed like such a long time ago…and thinking back to that memory always brought back the same image, that of his back facing them as he rode away from them…forever gone. Until now.

"Tomoyo…I've always felt that I've known him for a long, long time…I…"

Sakura's steps faltered before coming to a stop. Her head bowed slightly, she hesitated.

Tomoyo looked askance at Sakura, noticing her sudden change in mood, but keeping quiet.

" Every time I think of the times we had…I would always see the image of their backs being taken away from me. It…it hurt so much, Tomoyo. It always seemed to drive home the point that whatever, whoever I treasured would one day… one day be taken away from me… Like my mother, like my brother who was called up for the army…like the two of them, even like my father, who distanced himself away from me during that period of time. I didn't want to live in pain any longer. So I guess…I kept those memories at bay, locked them away so that I'd never see them again. Because I felt that I would never see them again, so what…what was the point of living my days pining away for those memories that would never….never ever come again…? Sometimes I wish that...perhaps...we could all be together again...but it wouldn't be the same...and it was an impossible wish at best...but still...the truth hurts..."

Sakura's wavering voice dissipated into silence. Tomoyo, sensing her distress, placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered softly.

"But you still dreamt about them, didn't you? The recurring dream of an auburn haired boy on a horse...that was Syaoran, wasn't it? And you recognised Eriol instinctively…didn't you? "

"Eriol brought back so many memories…And I was afraid, perhaps unconsciously, that if I believed that it was him…he would disappear from my life again… And Syaoran too…I thought I felt his presence at the shrine…but… I keep catching little glimpses of him in the things I keep, like in my pins he used to find for me, or looking up at the Sakura tree in the compound… even though it was a different one from the one he used to sit in. They all brought back his presence, and along with it, the painful knowledge that I'd never see him again if his mother has her way… "

Tomoyo opened her mouth as if to speak, but decided against it. Sakura would have to find out for herself.

A sudden flurry of activity bustled behind them and they turned around, their thoughts cut off by the sound of breathless whispers. Sakura hurriedly wiped her damp eyes and looked about for the source of the disturbance. A lady-in-waiting, who had just turned the corner, was conversing hurriedly with the guard on sentry duty, as well as with a passing maid whose hands were filled with a basket of apples from the garden.

"Please, send for the doctors! Her majesty's health is at stake here! We must hurry! And…and her majesty asks to see his majesty and his highness…please, go! We don't have much time!"

The frightened maid scurried away to find the court physicians while the guard took off at a run to inform the king and the crown prince. The lady-in-waiting, her face pasty white, turned around abruptly and was about to leave when Sakura spoke up.

"Er…excuse me, but could you please tell what is going on?"

The lady-in-waiting whirled around, her eyes startled before dropping into a curtsy. "I'm sorry, my lady, I did not see the both of you…her majesty has taken a turn for the worst…and…"

"I'm coming along with you."

"and…what? Oh, I'm sorry my lady, but…"

"Bring me to see her…please. I know a little of the healing arts, I hope I can be of help."

Surprised, Tomoyo looked at her friend's determined face and understood. Sakura's face was pale and looked grimly set. Sakura had once confided in her that she had chosen to take up the art of healing so that no one would ever suffer again like her mother did, not as long as she could help it. Although the healing arts were considered below nobility, but she had been adamant on learning, and her father had given in.

They set off for the royal apartments at a brisk pace.

------At the state hall----------

(eriol)

They were discussing the details of the trade agreement when a flustered guard ran up to the king and whispered a few urgent words in his ear. Almost at once, Eriol noticed the ghostly pallor that settled over his face and a stricken look which passed over his face briefly before he regained his composure. Fearing the worst, Eriol clenched his jaw and prepared for the news. He had learnt to read his father's emotions since a long time ago. General assemblies were not interrupted except in times of urgent situations. Having a hurried conversation with his adviser, the king rose and spoke to the assemblage.

" I'm afraid that I have some pressing business to attend to immediately, so I hope that all of us can take the time to think over the issues raised today. We shall assemble anon to talk more of this business. Court adjoined."

The nobles, though surprised by this turn of events, rose to their feet as one and dipped polite bows in the king's direction before leaving the hall. Once in the corridor, they converged in small groups to talk among themselves in hushed whispers about the turn of events.

"Lord Fujitaka? Could you please join us?"

Without a further word, the king swept down the corridors with the prince and lord Fujitaka in tow. Eriol caught sight of Syaoran's worried face and beckoned for him to follow, before starting at a brisk pace after his father, his face grim and half afraid with worry.

Please…let it not be what I think it is…

-----At the barracks training grounds------

Something tugged inside of him, prompting him to stop his training routine and look around. Something important was amiss…there was something that charged the atmosphere in a state of tension…the hurried steps of the servants, the frantic whispering…Something was going on.

He felt this growing worry settling in his chest, a emotion that he recognised as not entirely his own. She had to be close. The tension and fear mounted, and almost subconsciously, his muscles tensed.

He had to know. This feeling of dread…it was so familiar. The royal apartments…yes, that was where she was heading for. He could feel it in his entire being. And she was afraid. That was all he needed to know. He started running for the royal apartments.

---------end of chapter 4-------------------------

Ok...I'm really sorry for this rather short and abrupt chapter , this chapter is way overdue…and I think it created more questions than answers, but all will be revealed in it's own time. :D

I'm really very very apologetic for the very long delay…I've been having some problems trying to get this story up, so my sincerest apologies… I really hope to post the next chapter soon before my upcoming examinations (I'm always having examinations…sigh) Once again, many many thanks to all my reviewers and my wonderful beta editor Yuet Ping :p you've been a great help really

to all who read the story, I would really like to extend my gratitude for staying with me all the way to this chapterand believe me, I really hope to be able to post the next chapter up soon (I'm halfway through) and I never start fics I don't plan to finish(no matter how long it takes) so please bear with it for the moment..because it's my examination period now so I'm kind of rushed for time, so there'll be a long time lapse between this and the next few chapters...(or perhaps I'd be able to squeeze in another chap before my exams..we'd see..)

I also hope to clear up the little discrepancies in the story as soon as possible, but please bear with it for the moment…

So anyway...please enjoy and review…I would really really appreciate it, thanks