Spoil of War 4: Dream of Death
Summary: The beautiful dreamseer is his captive, abducted from her home and made to share her prophetic dreams by the ruthless, handsome general. As his spoil of war, she belongs to him, body and soul. But there are other—more sensual—ties that bind them, beginning with their meeting in dreams.
Warnings: Adult themes and content. Please click back button if offended. (Yes I know just about every author of M stories says this, and I don't want to take risks!)
Disclaimer: YES I own CCS and a hunky adult Syaoran, but only in my wildest dreams. I wish.
Previously: "Sleep," he whispered in her ear. He kissed the top of her head, and began to hum softly. It was a soothing sound, and Sakura drifted off to sleep in his arms, feeling safe and warm.
Syaoran stayed awake much longer, watching Sakura as she slept. He needed her, but he knew he would have to protect her from danger until they could eliminate the source of the attacks to the Lis. That he was confident he could do.
Protecting her from his own lust, though, was another problem entirely.
xXxSxSxXx
Lao Hu sidled up to his aunt, the current leader of the Li Clan, Yelan Li, after Syaoran had left the hall carrying Sakura.
"My, my," he said softly, "your son certainly is good with the ladies."
Yelan's eyes narrowed but she did not respond to her nephew's bait. She knew he wanted control of the Li Clan, and certainly did not trust him; it would not have surprised her one bit to know that he was responsible for the attacks on the Lis. But no evidence could be turned up to prove his connection to any of the attacks, and he himself had been ambushed near the palace a few weeks ago. Yelan almost sneered; Lao Hu had defeated his ambushers a little too handily, and she was willing to bet it had been a setup.
"Imagine that. First he collects a beautiful princess, then within a few hours he comes back with the lovely dreamseer—freshly . . . devirginized," and he came down hard on the last word, grinning.
"Is there a point to this, Lao Hu?" Yelan ground out.
"Oh, no no no, dear Aunt. Only, Syaoran seems to be focusing too much time on women than on warfare."
Raising a brow, Yelan asked, "Like he hasn't earned his rewards? Unlike you," and she let her scathing gaze rake her nephew up and down, "who takes too much pleasure in deflowering unwilling girls."
It worked; he glared at her.
"The arrow has found its target," he smirked.
Nodding dismissively, Yelan did not let any of her true emotions come to the fore. She was worried about her only son, yes, but something . . .
Something had not rung true in his actions.
She would find out the truth. Sweeping her robes behind her, Yelan started for her quarters. She would confront her son in the morning, in private, about the dreamseer. The courtiers and other hangers-on followed her.
Lao Hu remained in the throne room, alone. He did not believe Syaoran had raped Sakura, as he had claimed so boldly earlier. And Sakura . . . now there was a delicious girl. He strode to the large window overlooking the gardens of the Lis and imagined the delicate little Sakura pinned under his weight, naked and begging for mercy, and her cries of pain as he drove into her . . . the blood of her maidenhead on his manhood . . . He smiled as he hardened.
Syaoran can't be with her all the time, Lao Hu thought. I know I'm right about Sakura. Patience is what I need. He'll get careless, then I can slip in and disarm the spell that guards his quarters. Maybe I'll rape Sakura right in his bed. And . . . once defiled, I will claim her . . . as my spoil of war.
xXxSxSxXx
"I see," Tomoyo smiled at Eriol. They had been discussing the possible ways out of Syaoran's mistake, and to her annoyance the best one for avoiding war was to marry a high-ranking member of the Li family. Since Tomoyo was of marriageable age, she felt resigned to the entire situation; war would hurt Tomoeda, and marriage would win them a strong fighting family connection. Unfortunately, the available men were Syaoran and a man named Lao Hu, who was second in line to lead the Lis after Syaoran.
"Syaoran is young and single," Eriol began.
"Surely you jest," Tomoyo's eyebrows snapped up. "He is an imbecile."
Eriol allowed himself a small smile. "Only on occasion."
She made an unladylike snort.
Eriol continued. "Lao Hu is in his late twenties."
"That you begin your description of him that way does not bode well," Tomoyo said thoughtfully.
He shook his head. "I would not recommend Lao Hu. Though no one has ever brought a case against him, I have heard it from reliable sources that he has a habit of . . . shall we say, forcing himself on ladies unfortunate enough to attract his interest."
"Disgusting!" Tomoyo drew herself up at the news. "Are there no other candidates?"
"Are you willing to do this?" Eriol adjusted his glasses. "Marry a stranger?"
"Royal marriages are rarely made for love. That's what concubines are for," Tomoyo pointed out.
"Yet you are a maiden. How did you come by such a jaded attitude towards love?" Eriol asked politely.
She sniffed to hide her sentiments. "I have my reasons."
"I see."
His accepting response was the last thing she expected, and to her surprise words came tumbling out. "Not that you would understand but . . . I have ideals. And I feel that for someone in my position, finding a man of the right social position with those ideals is close to asking the sky to stay bright all day. No, I accept my situation," she said.
He looked at her, as if he were reading her soul. Determined not to buckle under his gaze, she stared back. Then, he spoke.
"Forgive me for being too familiar but one should not say such things unless they have at least tried to search for such a person," Eriol said quietly.
"It's overly idealistic," Tomoyo responded.
"But that is not your opinion, is it? Someone you consider more practical said that and you accepted it. But why should you, Princess?"
Tomoyo looked away, and as if he knew she did not want to discuss it further, Eriol smiled and turned to slice an orange. He offered her a slice, and she accepted gratefully.
A long silence stretched between them, then Tomoyo asked, "Why does that imbecile . . ."
Amused, Eriol raised a brow.
". . . that Syaoran need Sakura's dreamseeing abilities? Are you going into war?"
"Quite astute of you," Eriol said. "We're fighting something we do not know or understand." He explained the problems that were besieging the Lis, and Tomoyo furrowed her brow.
Another silence, then, "Perhaps if it could be known that you ask for the help of Tomoeda, and I am the envoy for you?"
"The thought crossed my mind, yes," Eriol admitted. "But then there have been no previous connections between Tomoeda and the Li fiefdom of Hong Kong. It would make more sense were we to ask help from Shanghai."
Tomoyo looked at Eriol, taking in his broad shoulders, long dark hair pulled back into a jade ring, thoughtful blue eyes set in a handsome face, and with a start she realized he was attractive. Too attractive. He was intelligent in addition to being good-looking, and he had an air of mischief, mystery, and even a whiff of evil.
He was interesting. And he could talk to her, really talk to her and not fawn over her or condescend to her.
A reckless idea occurred to her. Tomoyo asked, "What is your rank here?"
"Chief magician to the head of the Li clan," Eriol said. "Though I am family I am in the end a bastard son of Syaoran's father's only brother, who died childless. I am a mercenary because of my position as such."
"Which makes you fourth in line of succession—unless we count each of Syaoran's sisters as one more degree removing you from that line, if I have my genealogy of the Lis correctly. Very good. We may have an answer then."
"Oh? What would that be?" Eriol asked.
Tomoyo grinned, and her answer made Eriol's eyebrows raise very, very high.
"Allow me to restate your proposal. You say that we can say we met in dreams?"
Nodding, Tomoyo said, "We can thus claim to be lovers. Since such abilities run in my family line, and you are a magician, we can plead destiny as the reason for our coming together. While we cannot end the marriage, I shall not impose upon you for love or sex. You are free to select your women, if you are discreet, and I shall do the same."
"With women?"
Eriol's dry humor caused Tomoyo to shake her head in amusement. "Oh no. I still do believe in certain things, but that would be my business."
"So. Lovers in a dream. But what if Syaoran uses that as a reason as well?"
"He obviously cannot use that excuse anymore," Tomoyo pointed out, "not after the stunt the imb . . . I mean, Syaoran pulled. Honestly. Why was that rape lie accepted as fact?"
"Syaoran is . . ." Eriol looked out the window. "He's our most efficient killer. Based on what you told me of Sakura's knowledge of Syaoran, she has seen a side of him no one else does. He is cold and unyielding, and does not hesitate to kill anyone he has to."
"A good attribute for one in his position," Tomoyo observed. "I see."
"I do not understand why he fought to protect your friend unless I admit that he actually has a loving bone in his body," Eriol chuckled at the suggestive comment, and Tomoyo hid a smile behind her hand.
"Heavens, must I belabor the obvious? Where do you think I got that idea of 'meeting in dreams' from?" Tomoyo raised an eyebrow.
Eriol slowly shook his head. "It cannot be! Syaoran would never . . . He hasn't . . ."
"Believe it," Tomoyo said smugly. "Now juxtapose that fact against how he behaved with Sakura earlier. You're right. Why else would he protect her, claim her as a spoil of war and give himself the reputation of being a seducer if he did not have a very important reason to do so?"
Lifting his glasses to clean them, Eriol permitted himself a small smile. "Will more wonders visit us then?"
"We're getting off track," Tomoyo pointed out.
"On purpose, my princess," Eriol grinned ferally. "You see, the prospect of marrying you is quite pleasant to me but not for the reasons you think."
"Oh?" Tomoyo raised a brow.
"You're a very beautiful woman," he said.
"I prefer to think my intelligence counts, and so does my social position," she said waspishly.
Suddenly Eriol drew her close. "Do you know what effect your proposal has on me, lovely princess? You're tempting a tiger with a delicious baby fawn—and you shouldn't do that unless you really, really want the tiger . . ." and he narrowed the gap between them, "to bite."
For a breathless moment he looked into her eyes, then he lowered his lips onto hers. Taken off guard, Tomoyo's eyes widened, then she pushed him off her before she could enjoy the kiss. He merely smiled as he was thrown to the floor.
"What do you think you're doing?" she screeched.
"Princess, you but gave me the opening," Eriol said quietly. "With your beauty, you interested me. With your intelligence, you attracted me. With your wit and spunk, you have seduced me. I do not believe in courtly rituals or beating around the bush."
Heart beating rapidly, Tomoyo backed away, not expecting this streak of aggressiveness in Eriol, whom she'd taken for a courtly, sweet man. And to her horror, it made him more . . . interesting.
"I merely suggested the most logical pairing," she said, fighting to keep her voice calm. "That was all there was to it," she added.
"Was it?" His eyes gleamed. "Or could it be, Princess, that you wanted to see if the one you were looking for . . . was me?"
"Your arrogance does you no justice," Tomoyo flung at him.
"You want control Princess. You are deep inside a romantic yet control over your mask, your perfect façade . . . Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to let go?"
She couldn't help it; she slapped him.
And in response, he smashed his lips to hers.
xXxSxSxXx
Syaoran huffed in his sleep; someone was tracing little circles in his hair and giggling.
"How can you sleep in a dream?" the voice protested. "Get up, come on, and see where we are!"
Sleep in a dream? Syaoran opened his eyes slowly.
"Oh, now you're awake." Sakura's face hovered over his, her eyes impish and happy. "Come on, get up! Let's go!"
"Go where?" Syaoran caught some of her hair around his finger. "Stay, cherry." He placed his arms around her, pulling her closer.
Sakura let herself be caught and rolled to lie on top of Syaoran. He captured her lips in a kiss that quickly deepened, his tongue rolling gently over hers.
When she pulled away, he smiled lazily. "We're in a dream again, aren't we?"
"That's what I said," she smiled, then pecked at his lips.
"Oh, so here you have no restraint," he grinned. "Well then . . ." He reached for her breasts playfully.
She dodged him nimbly, giggling as she leapt to her feet. "Is that all you ever have on your mind?"
"When it comes to you? Yes," Syaoran said.
"But Syaoran," Sakura said, seriously, "If you want to marry me, you have to get to know me."
"What, why can't our bodies do the talking?" Syaoran asked recklessly.
She touched his chin gently. "I like you. You know that. But I need more than just . . . well . . ."
Syaoran sighed. "You'll be the death of me," he pretended to complain. Then he realized something.
"Ah. We can talk in dreams now. Interesting." He rose to his feet and noted that he was dressed in comfortable cotton trousers and a shirt. Sakura was in a loose white dress, and he longed to put his arms about her waist and pull her to him.
"Why do you think that's so? That now we can talk properly in dreams?"
"I don't know. Something higher than us is working here. We were brought together for a reason, clearly," Syaoran mused.
"Then it means I am here to help you," Sakura said quietly. "But I haven't seen what your problem is yet. This is my first dream, and it's . . ." She smiled. "With you."
"Do you have a problem with that?" Syaoran asked. "I know I don't."
"No. Not here. Because here is our world. No one else but us," Sakura said happily.
"You're right." Syaoran took Sakura's hand and gazed across the dreamscape: it was a lovely field of flowers with large patches of grass, a place where he could forget that he was a general and a warrior and a ruthless man, and just be Sakura's lover.
He liked the idea. And when Sakura began a silly game of tag, poking him "It!" and scampering off, using magic to hamper him as he chased her, Syaoran felt happy. The world had faded into this beautiful girl, and he knew that she was very important to him.
When Sakura was "it," she tried to tackle the much taller Syaoran, who simply stood there as she tried to bring him down.
"Ohh, just give up already!" she pleaded.
"Nope." Syaoran laughed as she tried to use her weight to pin him to the ground. He wouldn't budge. In exasperation she let go and sat on the grass.
"Give up?" He sat beside her and ruffled her hair.
She made a face.
He turned to kiss her.
And she met his lips halfway.
It was a beautiful escape for Syaoran. His kiss soon turned into a slow exploration of the area of Sakura's neck below her ears, her nape, the hollow of her throat as his fingers lazily traced slowly dwindling circles around her breasts, moving towards the nipples in the middle. She let her hands run up and down his back, kissing his shoulders, his neck . . . in the dream she was more willing to let go than she was when they were awake. Soft gasps told him she enjoyed his caresses; he eased the dress off her shoulders and trailed kisses down, leaving love bites here and there, until he reached her breasts.
Opening his mouth, he breathed on the nipples playfully; Sakura closed her eyes and arched towards him. He flicked his tongue out, alternating between her nipples, driving her crazy with his teasing as his hand slid her thighs apart.
Suddenly her hand slid under his trousers. Fumbling because she wasn't sure, Sakura tried to find what would please him; he adjusted himself until his erection was in her tiny hand.
Oh the bliss . . . Syaoran sucked his breath in as she explored him tentatively with her hand, stroking up and down, touching, rubbing at the small dot of moisture that appeared at the head . . .
"Enough," he growled, when he sensed he was about to be overwhelmed. He pinned Sakura under him and kissed her again, hard. Then he suckled one nipple as his finger began to tease her feminine folds, taking advantage of her willingness in this dream world that felt real. Gently he eased the labia apart, stroking slowly, using featherlike touches to arouse Sakura. She giggled, then gasped as his finger's rhythm became harder and more regular; soon, moisture enveloped his finger, and he kept at it until her cheeks turned rosy red and she reached her orgasm, clinging to him and pressing her lips to his as she did.
He smiled and kissed her back; when her fingers began tugging at his shirt, he paused to pull it off himself; smiling inwardly, he realized that she might be more willing to make love in a dream. But once the shirt was off, he blinked; she had vanished and he was alone.
"Sakura?" Syaoran called. "Sakura! No!" He stood up, and began to search for her, then realized how stupid it was. Instead, he willed himself awake; something must have happened in the real world, and he would be damned if he wasn't there to protect her.
xXxSxSxXx
Sakura had blinked; she'd merely closed her eyes in the delicious aftermath of her orgasm, and then abruptly found herself alone. She was no longer in the field of flowers with Syaoran; the landscape was dark and full of rocks. Though she was barefoot, the rocks underfoot did not hurt her.
But there was a man wearing an oni mask who was coming closer.
Sakura backed up. From experience she knew that dreams could not actually hurt her, but she'd heard of dream realities in which dreamers were hurt. And the man gave off the aura of such menace that she began looking around for a weapon.
Rocks. So many rocks. But her hand passed through them. Sakura dropped into a fighting stance, biting her lip as she pretended to be crouching in fear as Priestess Kaho Mizuki had taught her. Her only weapons now were her opponent underestimating her as a useless girl, and her body.
The voice, when it came, was a strange hiss.
"You cannot unmask me. But I can show you the event you cannot prevent."
A beautiful girl with hair the same shade as Syaoran's, and blue eyes the same shape as his was running in the rain. Sakura could feel her fear, thick and overwhelming, as something chased her. She was begging for help, but no sound was coming from her mouth. The pursuer gained on her; Sakura fought to try and see who was chasing her, but could not.
Sakura did not recognize where she was; all she could see was a large statue, a cliff, rocks, and somewhere in the distance, a garden. She tried to scream but she could not warn the girl of anything.
In desperation Sakura tried to fling herself between the girl and her pursuer; the girl seemed like a princess, and was too delicate to fight. Sakura knew that she could at least buy the girl some time . . . if she could just reach her . . .
But no matter how hard Sakura tried, she could not move. She watched, horrified, as the girl tripped; rain began to fall, hard, as the girl's pursuer drew a wicked looking blade and ran it through her.
Sakura began to scream as the dying girl's eyes met hers.
xXxSxSxXx
Syaoran woke up in time to hear Sakura's scream. Outside, rain had begun to fall in thick droplets, though it was already summer.
Beside him, Sakura had bolted upwards, panting hard.
"The girl! She . . . Oh no!" Sakura realized the significance of the way the girl looked. "Syaoran, do you have a sister with blue eyes and shoulder-length hair?" she asked in a choked rush.
"Yes, that's . . ."
"She's out there, in the rain! Someone is trying to kill her!" Sakura leapt off the bed and scrambled for the cloak Syaoran had given her. "Please! Help me find her!"
Syaoran's face hardened. "Stay here." He drew his trousers and shirt on quickly, then cast a spell that alerted Eriol.
"I'm going with you!" Sakura had slipped on the leather sandals she'd been given earlier.
"You must stay here!" Syaoran held her shoulders firmly. "What use will you be out there?"
"I can fight!" Sakura said indignantly as she shook him off. "And I can use magic!"
"Think, Sakura! This is not your terrain, you don't know the people you can trust, and you don't know what's out there!" Syaoran pushed her towards the bed. "Stay here . . ."
"You don't even know where to go!"
"Then tell me!" Syaoran snapped.
"I don't know! I'll know it when I see it."
"No! You will try to remember!"
"But . . ." In the faint light of the braziers, Sakura saw Syaoran's hard, cold expression and hesitated. "But I . . ."
Realizing she was frightened of him, Syaoran put his hands on her shoulders again, but more gently this time. "Please, Sakura, we don't have much time. Try to remember where you were in your dream."
"Um . . ." Sakura shut her eyes to better see the scene. "Outdoors. It's like a big garden. Near a cliff. Lots of rocks. Very cold. But I see . . . a statue near the cliff . . ."
"The promenade," Syaoran whispered. He let her go, then said urgently, "Please stay here. Don't leave the room. I've warded it against intruders but . . . I promise I'll explain later. Please."
Sakura nodded mutely as she sat back on the bed. Relieved, Syaoran kissed her quickly and raced through the door, which faded as he passed. She sat back and hugged herself under the blanket, the scent Syaoran left behind keeping her comfortable.
Outside, someone watched Syaoran exit the room, then marked the spot where the door to his chambers had faded with an invisible, magical "X".
(Continued in Chapter 5)
xXxSxSxXx
Coming in Chapter 4: Syaoran, when confronted by his mother, reveals he knows more than he's telling; Sakura sees a side of Syaoran that forces her to see him in a different light; and Eriol and Tomoyo get a little more . . . heated.
xXxSxSxXx
Holy Hoe! 100 reviews in 3 chapters, I love you guys, here's a fast update despite my schedule!
To sootyxsnowpetal, LOL I'm glad you noticed that because honestly I enjoy it...too much XD Yes, ExT here! To Twilight Kisses, Heck yes he's so gonna be a problem! warning: There may be a bit too much sexy SxS from here on in, haha. To alovelyie, Are you kidding? I was psyched to see a long review, thanks! Sakura here is Sakura of season 3 of the anime, stronger and yes, more action girl. Oh sure Syaoran IS overwhelming her, but don't worry, she gets to overwhelm him later too. Shh but some of the stuff here comes from what I deleted from ExT in Blossom. LOL and to think I have a very old Eriol/Kaho lemon story...must bury it then (buries) How true; Syaoran must learn to share Sakura, and...well, you'll see when his mom talks to him. I wanted to show two extremes of Syaoran's character: the sexy extreme derived from an OVERREADING of his anime character :D and his shy extreme. Syaoran doesn't want to trust Eriol but he has to...and doesn't like it XD Wow thanks, I tried to make the chapters here shorter but more action-ish! To SakuraLover, Don't apologize but do review again, onegai? Honestly this is meant to be a dark fic but darn SxS for dragging me to the fluffy side! To xCrazyKindOvWeirdx, see PM haha. Wait till you see him next chapter; Sakura sees a side of him that scares her. To MrsHermioneJaneMalfoy, Doesn't it? Honestly I only remember the crazy times from high school. Either that or I'm old. Eriol is here! Kaho pretty much gets Clow here XD To lizziele, wow thank you so much! I fret about characterization, so thanks. Haha, Syaoran, I think, might be a stalker type of boy at times, so why not use it here? Did you like the 'negotiations'? To Love Starshine, I think you will hate him even more now XD YES! Virtual cookies for you: Sakura has not tried that yet but she will, later on. Oh yes wait for Lao Hu to threaten her. And yes to ExT! To S2AmethystSwirlS2, You and me both! LOL come to think of it is there ANYONE here who doesn't have that kind of idea when it comes to Syaoran? Yes, it means tiger! To mitsuko310, Aww am I that obvious? Uh, dunno about the genius part but...well, you'll see. To yingfa07, Don't worry. Touya WILL be here later on. Sorry about making you laugh on the bus XD To Vampire-princesses, Haha! Hang on, the ride gets bumpier now. To lhaine07, Yes she does. She doesn't know what Kaho and Clow know about her and Syaoran XD Don't worry, Syaoran won't lose his patience. To winterkaguya, wow, you make me blush. Sorry about making your brother think you're nuts. Honestly sometimes I get that way when I have time to read XD By all means be repetitive. Like I said, another facet of Syaoran's personality taken to an extreme LOL. Three brothers? Must be hell...Yes, ExT just met. Sonomi has a few secrets up her sleeve too and this time she's not the evil thing she was in Blossom. Nosebleed due to Syaoran? Then do NOT search for sexy TRC/CCS doujinshi. Some of them draw a sexy nude adult Syaoran so CLAMP-like, it's drool worthy! To Wings of Wind, Being the review wh*re that I am I update as fast as I can LOL. Enjoy! To magicka1417, Please do, hope you like it, and this chap too! To MikoKagome1113, Aww, I love your comment about Syaoran. In truth it's like I watch the series and get ideas from how he acts: Accidental Playboy is SxS in the elevator; parts of how he acts in Season 3 are used for Blossom; and for this one, the inspiration is the ice skating episode and the scarf episode in season 3. I always thought Sakura would be more open to sexuality yet so delightfully innocent. Funny I should get your review while revising their dream conversation! I like your ideas, and I'll try to use them beginning next chapter, thanks! To midnight blue08, Patience? More like confusion haha! Kidding. To paladin3056, maginoo pero medyo bastos ba? XD Tomoyo is American and Rika (now back to Chiharu) is Canadian. Pero lahat kami green haha. I intend to try and have the lust pass into love later on, like MikoKagome1113 suggested. Yeah, she was nervous but...well, you'll see later that Syaoran knows something she doesn't. To Nadrixam, LOL sorry, it seems everything I write turns out that way. Hey, if you read Tsubasa, do you know Fei Wong Reed? That guy had it all wrong: if he sold Syaoran clones to us, he'd have everything he ever needed LOL! To xSapphirexRosesxFanx, well, he doesn't know his feelings yet XD Haha, actually you have a point re getting married fast! To kittypie, Don't worry...you'll see next chapter why. To Sakura-chan, Fluffy and I are friends! No, we don't know SilentCynara except as a good author. But that would be utterly cool if I could be all of them-God imagine the reviews! If I get more reviews then YES I am all three! XD Kidding. Don't I wish. To rosedreamer101, I bet you do! XD To chainedheart999, Sorry about that but I love teasers XD Yes, plus I dropped a hint in chapter 3 as to why his animal is significant, haha. To agate ilie, Yes, thank you! We need him to believe her, otherwise I'd have to write a lemon per chapter and that is tiring JOKE! Haha nice analogy wth the math. If it were a sin, I'm in hell, but a good one. To Darkwolf259, Ah here you go! To Moons-chan, LOL glad to see you here! I love them being cute too XD To Tsvetkova, LOL say anything as long as it's not "Syaoran is real and he's my boyfriend" NOOES! XD