With a quick curtsy to them both, Sakura made her way out of the drawing-room.
This left Yelan sitting on the couch alone. She smiled to herself as she brought her teacup to her lips and took a long sip.
Upon her exit, Sakura turned her head left then right to find the guard, Ito, Queen Yelan had mentioned.
The guard bowed his head low to her. "Your majesty…" He addressed her formally.
"Hello!" Sakura started with a quick curtsy, "Ito, I presume? My name is Sakura, Queen Yelan informed me you might be able to show me back to my quarters. I am still having a mighty hard time finding my way around this place…" The princess finished as she looked around her, thoroughly unclear as to where in the castle she was at this moment.
"Of course, right this way Princess." The guard, dressed head to toe in silver armor, gestured down the hall with a metal-clad hand.
"Thank you very much Ito-san! How do you find being a part of the royal guard?" Sakura inquired.
Ito was taken aback at first but conversed with the princess while he led her to her chambers. He told her of how he came to be in the royal guard, paying off his family's debts. They landed on the conversation of the castle's blueprint. The guard explained the different wings and major locations of the castle, while Sakura did her best to repeat them back to him.
On several occasions she mixed up locations and their respective wings, earning a chuckle from the guard whilst laughing herself at her own confusion.
This occurred as the two approached where Sakura's room was located.
"So, to get to the ballroom, you exit through the white door of the dining room. Turn right, then left, and go through the rounded emerald doors?" Sakura asked, her eyes closed with focus.
Ito chuckled "That's it! You've got it, Princess."
Sakura laughed as well, proud of herself. "Yes! Thank you very much Ito-san. I thoroughly needed that lesson in Li castle cartography!" She curtsied and bid the guard goodnight.
Ito bowed deeply in response, "Goodnight, Princess." Sakura couldn't see, but Ito was smiling goofily behind his helmet as she entered her room. He stood there for a moment before a sound jolted him out of his daydream.
From behind him came a cough he knew all too well. Ito jumped and turned in a clammer of metal armor. The face that haunts his nightmares was there, leaning in the doorway to his chambers, tanned arms crossed with obvious disapproval.
All Syaoran had to do was raise his eyebrows. In a flash, Ito was bowing and walking briskly away from the royal chambers.
The prince huffed and made to turn back into his cavern of solitude. Before retreating all the way back in, though, he paused and looked at the door across the way. He thought of the girl on the other side. He could hear her melodic voice from where he stood, although it was muffled by the door and distance that divided them. He could hear that guardian of hers too, it seemed he was complaining of neglect and starvation. If Syaoran remembered from his studies, the beast of the Clow seal does not need to eat to survive, he only needs the magic of the card master. With a scoff Syaoran made to close the door fully, sneaking one last peek before doing so.
A few moments prior, he was pulled out of his book by the sound of Sakura's laughter coming from the hall followed by a male voice. His dark brows knit together, and before he knew it he was up on his feet, ready to tell them to quiet down.
In the time leading up to his arrival in the doorway, the prince's mind had been swirling with all sorts of questions; who was Sakura with? Why was she with him? And lastly, why did he care? Why was his book now face down on the table by his fireplace while he moved with long strides towards the hall?
He didn't know; he could not think of a single logical reason. But there the prince was, in the doorway to his room, watching Sakura curtsy with a smile that wasn't for him before heading off to bed.
He scared the guard off, who he presumed to be Ito by what he heard of his voice and his stature when standing before the prince.
And that brings us back to this present moment, Syaoran sitting back down in his leather chair by the low flickering flame. The book he had been reading was once again in his hands, but the pages were no longer being read. The prince was staring into the fireplace, searching for answers to his unraveling.
On the other side of the hall, Kero was performing an award-worthy piece of theatrics.
"I am wasting AWAY Sakura! I'll be a pile of yellow dust on the floor soon enough!"
"I'm so sorry Kero, I was running out the door to dinner and then the Queen invited me to tea and I just caught up in it all. I'm so, so sorry."
Kero harrumphed with his arms crossed, avoiding eye contact with the cardcaptor princess.
"But! The queen is going to send up some food for you! I'm sure it'll be here any min-"
A knock on the door interrupted the princess, from the other side came a softened voice. Sakura gave Kero a look that said: "right on cue". The sun guardian's face lit up, and he proceeded to hide behind Sakura's mountain of pillows, so as not to alert the girls.
"Princess Sakura? It's Rika and Naoko-chan, the Queen sent us with some trays, but... we also wanted to see how your first full day in the castle was? If you're too tired we totally understand, we can just leave these here for you but we figured we'd ask and…"
Sakura opened the door with a smile, "Rika-chan, Naoko-chan! Please come in!
Rika and Naoko looked at each other smiling before pushing the cart into the room, following Sakura as she gestured them in.
"There is someone I'd like for you both to meet, Kero-chan, will you come out?" Sakura said, her back to Rika and Naoko as she beckoned her guardian from the mountain of pillows on her bed.
Rika and Naoko turned to each other with a quizzical look, but their heads quickly whipped to the flying yellow creature in front of them. The pair let out quick gasps, Rika making a motion to cover her mouth in shock.
"Konbonwaaaa! I'm Keroberos, the mighty beast of the seal and-" Kero cut himself off in his normal monologue, locking his eyes on the dessert cart.
"Neh neh, are those... sweets?" The guardian asked, practically drooling.
Naoko and Rika were both still staring. While the existence of magic was understood and present in the Li kingdom, a flying, talking, bright yellow plush was not something one saw every day in the south.
Naoko was the first to collect herself, shaking her head to no doubt physically clear her head, and nearly sending her glasses flying in the process.
"Ano… hai! They're some of the best from our pastry chef, the queen had asked for us to bring them up."
"Is that, chocolate, I smell?"
At this Rika and Naoko giggled slightly, Sakura watching on with a smile. Rika replied, "Hai, chef included two pieces of tiramisu."
"Tiramisuuuuuu!" Kero was dive-bombing the cart as he screeched the name of one of his favorite desserts, heartily attacking his ferocious dessert victims.
Rika, Naoko, and Sakura all started fully laughing then, the kind that hurts your belly but you just can't stop. As their laughter settled, Rika dabbed one of her eyes with a handkerchief and Sakura sat upright after doubling over on her bed. Naoko let out one last breathy laugh before turning to Sakura and saying "You know, I see now why the Queen requested half the dessert menu. It makes a lot more sense." The girls giggled at this, Kero all the while continuing his sweet quest.
"Kero-chan, in addition to being a great guardian, most definitely brings me a lot of laughs no matter the circumstance." Sakura and girls giggled again at this, but one could see the smallest bit of sadness in the princess's eyes. At the end of her thought, she let herself remember that she was so far from home, which was under attack, surely her people were scared; did they miss her? Do they know where she went? Do they know why she is here and not with them?
Naoko and Rika exchanged glances, picking up on that small flicker in the royal's emerald eyes, but before they could ask or make a comment about it, Sakura let out "How rude of me! Come sit come sit! Let's grab some of these treats and tea before we lose our chance!" Sakura's smile gleamed as she made a motion to the sofa and chairs by the floor to ceiling windows in her room. They faced the wall that included a small fireplace, which Kero likely lit while she was with the Queen.
The two servant girls smiled, albeit a bit apprehensively. They had never been asked to sit in a royal chamber for tea; but, they had also never been asked to call a royal by their first name. So, they grabbed the tea set, flatware, some dishes Kero had not yet annihilated and made to take seats.
"Thank you both so much for coming, I can't tell you how grateful I am to see you, Naoko-chan, Rika-chan!" Sakura beamed, looking at each of the girls who were sitting properly on the couch across from her.
Rika smiled gently "We're glad, Princess-ano! Gomenesai, S-Sakura-denka." A blush spread across the posh servant girl's cheeks, while Sakura smiled gently. It would, of course, take time for this trio to become friends and for them to use more casual honorifics.
"How was your first full day in the castle, Sakura-sama?" Naoko asked before she took a sip of tea, the steam fogging up her glasses, with the saucer resting in her hand on her lap.
Sakura let out a small laugh; a lot had happened since her arrival in the Li's throne room yesterday.
"Ano… where to start… well! This morning, as you know Naoko, thank you again for helping me get ready! I was sparring with Prince Li. Would you believe me if I told you I almost had him! I swear! I was this close! But then he pointed out the crowd that had gathered and I got flustered and… anywho! We then had lunch in his study and he; well, he was a bit cruel in his words…" Sakura's eyes looked down to the side as she remembered Syaoran's iciness while he worked at his desk.
Rika jumped in "I'm so sorry Sakura, you don't deserve that treatment." Her brow was furrowed with sympathy.
Sakura's eyes snapped back up to the pair in front of her, "Hoe!" her hands waved into a blur in front of her chest "He really wasn't that bad!"
Naoko gave the Princess a look like she didn't quite believe her.
"No genuinely! I think he was just on edge because he had a mountain of work on his desk to attend to. Eventually, though, I persuaded him to let me help, and after we got his work settled, we went for a walk in the garden, and he showed me the koi and the flowers, it was lovely!" Sakura continued rambling, and she was doing so with a gentle smile on her lips that reached her eyes; plus a glowing pink tinge across her cheeks. Her mind wandered to Prince Li catching her, and the beautiful sights the prince shared with the princess that afternoon.
While Sakura was in her reverie of the afternoon's memories, Rika and Naoko contained schoolgirl-like giggles, exchanging knowing looks. Of course the whole castle-staff had been buzzing about this since Sakura's arrival. The prince's iciness did not melt once stress was relieved, he was always stressed, the frost around his heart was an eternal one. Or so it had thus seemed.
Seeing a flash of yellow in her peripheral as Kero came to join the girls on the couches, Sakura took a sip of tea and turned back to Naoko and Rika, her mind back in the present moment.
"It was a rather eventful day! We had dinner with the queen, and then she invited me up for some tea. But now we're here! How are you both? What were your days like?" It was clear in her voice and posture that the princess was earnestly desperate to learn about them both.
Naoko started with a smile, explaining that after she left Sakura that morning she ran into Rika walking down the hall with one Terada-sensei.
"Who's Terada-sensei?" Sakura inquired
Rika's face was positively pink, Naoko answered with a smirk "Oh just Prince Li's tutor whom Rika-chan is head-over-heels madly in love with."
"Naoko-chan!" Rika let out an embarrassing squeak.
"Kawaiiiiiii! What's he like, Rika-chan?" Sakura asked, her emerald eyes gleaming.
"Ano… he's, very, very kind. Probably the gentlest man I've ever met. He is very bright, and he makes me feel... Beautiful? And safe?"
Sakura was beaming "That's amazing, Rika-chan! You are beautiful, and you deserve to feel that way."
Rika smiled at the Princess's compliment, "Arigatou, Sakura-denka…"
There was a trace of sadness in Rika's response.
"What's the matter, Rika-chan? Is something wrong?" The Cardcaptor asked, moving to the same couch as the two servant girls, so she would be next to Rika.
"Ano, no! It's really nothing… please don't worry Princess.." Rika's eyes fell to her lap, where her cup of tea was sitting.
Naoko let out an exasperated sigh. "Sakura-sama, the issue is, Terada-sensei is quite a bit older than us, and because of his proximity to the Prince, his rank is elevated. Rika-chan fears she will bring him shame by their partnership."
Rika's head dipped lower, but she did not negate Naoko's words for they were true.
Sakura tucked her legs under her in a comfortable kneel as she turned to more properly face Rika, and reaching out gently hold her forearm.
"Rika-chan, I'm so sorry. That's a rather heavy burden to carry with you." Sakura grabbed a handkerchief that Kero had kindly flown over, handing it to Rika-chan so she could dab her wet eyes if she desired.
"And forgive me if this is too forward, but, if the love between you both is true, which it sounds as though such is the case; it will find a way. Who can argue with true love? It is a force much greater than silly societal conventions." Sakura smiled, as Rika turned to look up at her.
"Thank you, Sakura-san. I appreciate it." The three girls sat there with sad smiles that turned into laughs that turned into the sharing of interests, silly stories, fond memories, and far too many sweets.
As the hours went on, and Naoko discussed how her one true love was writing stories, the bookish girl asked "Sakura-san, how about you? Do you have a love back home?"
Sakura, who was laying on the floor with her feet propped up on the couch, gave her new friend an upside-down "Hoeeee?" The princess righted herself, turning to sit with her legs crossed and facing the other girls who had joined her on the floor.
"Ano, no… I thought I loved someone once, but it was a case of mistook feelings… and in truth all the suitors who have come to court me seem hardly interested in what I have to say, merely what I offer their eyes." Sakura propped her head up in her hand, both arms resting casually on her crossed legs.
She lifted her head up and made to walk on one of the couches as if it was a balance beam, her legs kicking grandly out in front of her. Naoko and Rika giggled at the princess's antics.
"It would be nice to find someone who sees me for all that I am, that's what my mother told me to look for before she passed… I'm in no rush, though!" Sakura flopped backward onto the couch once she reached its end, her gaze at the ceiling.
Rika smiled sadly "I'm so sorry about your mother, Sakura-san. All the kingdoms have heard tales of what a gentle and kind beauty she was. I'm sure she would be very proud of the woman you have become." Naoko let out an affirmative "Mmm."
Sakura sat up, "Arigatou Rika-chan, Naoko-chan." The princess smiled at her new friends. All three then jumped at the clock chimes announcing it was midnight.
"Hoeeee, how'd it get so late?" Sakura's emeralds went wide at the realization.
"Gomenasai, Sakura-san! We will get out of your hair, sorry for keeping you up so late!" Rika stood and bowed her head in apology, to which Sakura quickly waved her hands at.
"No, no! I am so grateful to have had you both, it has been truly been such a lovely evening!" Sakura smiled and opened her arms, taking a stride to envelop both her new friends in a hug goodnight.
At first, Rika and Naoko froze, as everything had been with Sakura, this was unprecedented. But, after a second, they both smiled and offered their arms in return.
"Goodnight Naoko-chan, Rika-chan! Thank you for the company." Sakura told them both as she let go.
"Goodnight, Sakura-san!" The two said in unison as they moved to grab the cart which was now filled with empty plates.
"I'll see you both tomorrow, neh?" Sakura asked from the doorway.
"Hai, goodnight, Sakura-san!" Naoko said as the two waved, making their way down the hall to return the cart to the kitchen.
Sakura watched them for a moment with a smile before turning and closing the door. She yawned and stretched, and began the motions of getting for bed, feeling grateful.
As Naoko and Rika continued down the hall, Rika giggled, "Sakura-san is truly a treasure, neh?"
Naoko smiled and nodded "Mmm, I feel as though she is a lifelong friend already. It's really comforting."
Rika nodded in agreement, "Hai."
They passed a tall window on their journey to the kitchen, not a moment after they passed. A flash of complete and utter darkness zipped by. Naoko turned around, confused as to why the moonlight that had been streaming in was cut off from her peripheral for a moment.
"Neh, is everything alright, Naoko-chan?"
"Hai… must be seeing things…" Naoko responded, her eyebrows furrowed and tone unconvinced.
hi all! sorry this story, even in quarantine, has not been updated! to be truthful I was in quite the rut. I feel a bit more sure in its direction now, so hopefully I will finish it by the end of the year! hope you are all safe and well xo
