Confessions of Eternal Love
Chapter 5:
Trapped!
I got to get back to Japan before it's too late!
-Syaoran-
Even if Syaoran got out of the Li Manor easily, it wasn't that easy to get back inside without being noticed. The guards were back on their posts since the Li mistress was already awake.
Everybody was aware of what the Li mistress could do. She's a very powerful being with a strong spiritual sense. Everybody's afraid of her – even her own daughters. Her four beautiful daughters were being trained to have the same or even more amount of spiritual sense.
One of Syaoran's sisters, Feimei was already awake when Syaoran escaped the manor. Feimei is Syaoran's fourth eldest sister. Among the four of them, Feimei was a lot more composed when there wasn't anything to fuss about. She was also the one with the most spiritual sense among the four girls.
When she watched her only brother escape with a box on his arm, she flipped her long hair and smiled. "That's how much he loves the Card Captor…" She turned around and continued with her life.
A few moments later, she felt her brother's presence. Feimei was fully aware that her mother was awake already. She knew how much trouble he'll be in if he didn't get in immediately. She looked outside and saw him in front of the manor gate. The guards were there already. But these guards weren't really friends with Syaoran.
Fuutei, the eldest, saw her youngest sister staring at the window with a worried expression on her face. She slowly approached her sister. "What's the matter, Fei?"
"Fuu," Feimei said, "It's Xiaolang…He's…" She looked away from the window. Instead of seeing Fuutei, she saw the last person she wanted to know about Syaoran's escape.
"What were you saying, Feimei?" Ieran suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "What about Xiaolang?" Ieran had that famous serious expression on her face. Her expression made it seem like she killed a lot of people.
"Mama," Feimei tried to hide the worried expression on her face. "It's nothing. I'm just not sure that getting Xiaolang married to Meiling is still a good idea. I mean, Meiling did say that she didn't want to marry him anymore. I can feel that Xiaolang feels the same way. So..." Her voice trailed off as she took a peek at the window for one second. "I really don't think this union is called for."
Fuutei touched her short hair as some sort of way to look out the window as well. Her eyes grew wide when she saw her brother there. She immediately figured out what was going on and decided to save her brother from a lot of pain.
"Mama" Fuutei started, "Why don't we go and get breakfast? I'm going to make my famous pancakes. You'll love them." She held her mother's hand and tried to get her to go somewhere else far from the window. But Ieran stayed put.
"Fuutei, Feimei," She looked at both of them. "I can sense that he's not here. Don't take me for granted, you two." Both girls stared at the floor as Ieran continued to talk. "My powers are far greater than yours. So where is Xiaolang?" They didn't answer which made Ieran angrier. "WHERE IS HE?"
"My, my..." Another one of her four daughters said, "It's too early to be screaming, Mama. Please do calm down." It was Sheifa. She was the favorite daugher of Ieran for she was the first to realize her spiritual strength. "I'm sure Xiaolang is inside the manor. He wouldn't disobey you or anything. Just trust him."
Ieran wasn't satisfied with that reasoning. She had to do something about Syaoran. If this continues, Syaoran might really give up being the clan leader. But then, she felt his presence inside the manor. "Okay, Sheifa. I'll take your advice." All three of them gave a great silent sigh of relief. "Fuutei, let's go and I'm sure Feimei will help you make the pancakes." Both Feimei and Fuutei nodded and went to the kitchen with their mother.
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Syaoran climbed one of the stone hedges of the manor and discreetly got inside the manor's garden. He brushed the dirt off his pants and walked toward the door and got inside the kitchen. He didn't know that entering through that door was the biggest mistake he committed.
When he opened the door, two of his sisters, Feimei and Fuutei were mixing ingredients in a bowl. Both of them looked shocked to see him. But that wasn't the real case. A few feet away from them was their mother. She just finished drinking her tea when Syaoran came.
"Xiaolang," Ieran closed her eyes as she placed her cup down. "Where have you been in such an early hour?" She opened her cold, icy black eyes and stared at him. If looks could kill, Syaoran's probably dead.
"I... uhm..." Syaoran was finding a perfect excuse. Sadly, he couldn't think of one that could possibly make his mother believe him. He prayed that someone would save him from Ieran.
"He just went out for a walk in the gardens, Aunt Ieran." It was Meiling who spoke. "I saw him this morning and he told me that he's going out for a walk to stretch out." Meiling's hair was different that moment. Her hair wasn't in buns as always. They were let loose and very straight.
"Don't fool me, Meiling." Ieran answered, "You just got up. There's no way you'll let your hair loose like that."
"I... I just wanted to try out something new. That's all." Inside, Meiling was somehow relieved that she thought of that. She just hoped that her aunt believed her.
"Is that so?" Ieran looked at everybody in the room. It was a little bit obvious that they were nervous. Ieran thought that what she was about to say would lighten up the mood. "Meiling, Xiaolang, you're moving to the rest house in Beijing. Maybe there, you'll finally see that your marriage was meant to be."
Meiling and Syaoran didn't find that very amusing or appealing at all. In fact, it was dreadful for both of them. "But, Mama," Syaoran reasoned out, "It's not right for two young unmarried people to be living together. It's against my principles." Meiling nodded in agreement.
"You'll be married soon enough." Ieran stood up and faced the two 'engaged' teenagers. "You two will live there like husband and wife. Both of you are under house arrest there. No one can get out of that house. It'll be heavily guarded. Food and supplies will be delivered there every Friday. End of discussion." She just left all of them, astounded by that order she gave them.
Fuutei and Feimei were thankful that none of them had to undergo that torture. They pity their brother and their cousin. They all knew that they didn't deserve this. And somehow, they got to help them before it's too late.
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That afternoon in the study room, Fanren and Sheifa were discussing about what happened this morning. Fanren was a good sooth sayer, trained by Ieran herself. "Fan-Fan, I don't think that Xiaolang and Meiling deserve this." Sheifa sighed as she took a sip of her tea.
Fanren was as composed as Feimei but she was the most serious one among them. "I already foresaw this event. I would advise that none of us meddle in their affairs." She closed her eyes and sighed. "What I saw was fine. Eventually, both couples will love each other tenderly."
"Both couples?" Sheifa wondered what her sister meant. Syaoran and Meiling was one couple. Who was the other pair? "Don't tell me..." She finally realized who Fanren meant by that. "Hauru and..."
"Yes," She opened her icy, sienna eyes and looked at Sheifa. "Hauru and that girl Xiaolang loves, the Card Captor Sakura."
"That's horrible, Fan-Fan." Feimei exclaimed as she and Fuutei entered the room. "All four of them don't deserve that fate. Hauru and Meiling are meant to be together!"
"And so does Sakura and Xiaolang." Fuutei gave her opinion. "Those four people deserve to have happiness and true love. It shouldn't end this way."
Fanren motioned her two sisters to sit down on the two empty chairs near her. Both followed and sat down. "Fuu, Fei, are you suggesting that we must somehow help Meiling and Xiaolang get out of this engagement?" Feimei nodded. Fanren closed her eyes and touched her forehead. "I see... danger and tears if we meddle in. Hauru is doing his part in the ruse. If Xiaolang and Meiling go to Japan without knowing... more pain is going to be inevitable." Fanren opened her eyes again and said, "I suggest that we let fate decide."
Sheifa was deep in thought as she listened to the conversation. "Fan-Fan," She asked her, "How about if we just tell them about Hauru and the spell? Then we'll let them find their own way back to Japan. How about that?"
Fanren closed her eyes once again. The others waited for her answer. They saw her smile as she opened her eyes. "That's not a bad idea, Sheifa." She saw them smile in delight. "I see happiness and success, if that happens."
Fuutei clapped her hands. "When do you suggest that we tell them, Fan-Fan?"
Fanren answered, "Tonight." She took another sip of her tea before she continued. "Tomorrow, I foresee their flight upon Mama's wishes. I foresee their getaway as they reach the airport."
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Syaoran and Meiling too were having a serious talk in the gardens. Meiling walked side-by-side with her fiance silently. He looked so deep in thought that she decided to just follow him around.
He suddenly stopped walking. "Meiling, do you like this set-up?" His desperate sienna eyes met her desperate raven eyes.
"Of course, I don't." Meiling answered, "I know you don't like this too. Sakura's still waiting for you. And I..." She thought of Hauru's face and sincere smile as her voice trailed off. It made her sad, thinking that they hadn't seen each other for a while. And, if the wedding goes through, they would never be together.
Syaoran looked at his cousin's sad face. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hauru won't do anything rash. I'm sure he's just out there, somewhere, ready to sweep you off your feet."
Meiling smiled at him and touched his hand. "We have to do something. But what?" She looked at him, hoping that he had a good answer.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out this whole time. And until now, I don't know what to do." Syaoran let out a cry of frustration. "I can't deal with this anymore!"
"Don't worry." Meiling hugged her cousin and fiancé. "We'll think of something." She held on tighter as she snuggled closer to his cousin. No malice, of course.
"I really hope we do."
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Author's Note:
Finally, this is the fifth chapter of Confessions of Eternal Love. Do you like it? Hehe. I'd love to find more inspiration from my readers. So review. I won't review until I get at least three reviews. I got the sixth chapter up and running. I already have three pages of it on MS Word 2003. (I actually made that one first before this one. XD)
I wanted to thank the two reviewers for Chapter 4: SnowCharms and The Eternal Fire Rose. Domo Arigatou!
Is Syaoran going to give up? Will they escape? Find out in the next chapters of "Confessions of Eternal Love".
Standard Disclaimer Applies.