Spoil of War

by swallowingtears

She is his captive, abducted from her home and made to share her prophetic dreams. 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.

8. Creating Innocent Victims

Spoil of War Chapter 8: Creating Innocent Victims

I would like to thank sootyxsnowpetal and xCrazyKindOvWeirdx for generously sharing their time and thoughts for this chapter. Without them it would have been a mess (hugs them both) thank you so much!

Chapter 9 preview right before the review responses, immediately after my notes.

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Just past the far borders of the Li lands, a dark angel and a dark tiger prowled in the scant shadows of the morning. They were surveying the defenses of the neighboring kingdom of the Lins, preparatory to destroying them upon their master's orders at a later time.

A few hours earlier, they had destroyed one small village just a few kilometers away from the Li stronghold, killing a few dozen servants; their master had timed it in hopes of disrupting the marriage rites of Sakura Kinomoto to Syaoran Li which had been scheduled for the morning. The master also intended to prevent consummation of that marriage; few women readily gave themselves to men before marriage, and he believed Sakura would not do so to Syaoran.

Hidden by the darkness, they waited to report to their master, who was nearby in a small keep that belonged to a banished princess of the Lin kingdom, northernmost in Hong Kong and two days away from the seat of the Li stronghold. It sat just a mile from the borders of the Lis. Inside, the banished princess Mei-Hua, who had been thrown out of her kingdom for refusing to marry a corrupt general, believed she had found love in the arms of a young prince who had come to her in her dreams.

Little did she know the true horror of the man who had suddenly entered her life included how he was related to her by blood.

Soon the two guardians sensed their master on the roof of the keep. He waved an impatient hand, summoning Dark Moon and Black Sun, his freshly created guardians, to him. He got on the back of the black tiger and commanded it to bring him back to the Li stronghold; he was tired from all the spells he'd had to cast to maintain the illusion he was using to fool Princess Mei-Hua.

"Did you do it?" he asked in his normal, harsh voice as they flew back to central Hong Kong.

"We destroyed the village, master," the black tiger said. "I set fire to the huts of the servants."

"I killed about a dozen of their servants with my arrows," the black angel said. "My arrows, being magical, vanished once they died."

"Good. Did my cloaking spell hold?"

"Nobody came to interrupt us, and we are sure the dreamseer was not asleep when it happened. Her presence was not in dreams."

"Good. It means what I hypnotized that servant to slip into Sakura's food worked," Lao Hu said. "Her dreams will be false, muddled and confused. Dreams that lie will intrude on and obfuscate her true dreams. I do not want her dreaming of these attacks until afterwards. Good work."

He began a spell to remove the glamour from himself; his amber eyes turned black, as did his hair; his features returned to their normal steely cast instead of the sensual yet gentle features of his cousin Syaoran Li.

Beside him, the black angel seemed perturbed. Annoyed, Lao Hu asked, "What is it now?"

"Master," the black angel said, "I sense something approaching, someone of power almost equal to that of the dreamseer."

Lao Hu snorted. "Why should that worry us?"

"He is her blood brother," the black angel said. "My vision of his future is muddled. Master, I am . . . apprehensive. I sense power around him as well, something not easily understood. It is . . . He approaches via the sea, and he brings the power of the dark yet he is not tainted by it."

Troubled, Lao Hu thought for a moment then said, "My plans for Sakura and Syaoran come first. This brother must not be allowed to interfere with our plans. When we return to the Li stronghold, I want you two to find out more about this brother. Do not attack him yet but if you can hinder his arrival here, all the better."

"Master, the seduction of the banished Princess will soon be known, and the Lins will be displeased," the black tiger said.

"Seduction?" Lao Hu barked out a cruel laugh. "Even better. The distraction will be beautiful . . . once they examine her memories they will see, and they will believe. I will make sure Sakura learns to distrust Syaoran, and I . . . I shall be there to pick up the pieces after their relationship shatters. She will have no other support left once Syaoran is out of the picture. In the meantime I shall be a very, very good boy."

"An excellent gambit, master."

"When I give you the word, you will fly to the Lins and tell them their princess has escaped her cage. They were in negotiations to marry her off to someone else, and this second loss of face will give them the impetus to attack the Lis and distract them as I wreak havoc from within. That Syaoran will be unable to deny the false evidence against him will be mere cream on my pudding."

Both of his guardians smiled, as he did.

"I wonder how lovely Sakura will react when the princess arrives in a few days? The princess' lineage and beauty ought to convince her of Syaoran's 'infidelity'. Now hurry and bring me home in time to keep that marriage from taking place!"

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Sakura realized she was in her dreams when she glimpsed images she did not understand: a beautiful woman with regal bearing, smiling on top of a tower at a man whose face kept melting from one face to another. Then Sakura felt the presence of a child, but it was muddled with smoke and fire and death whose source she could not see. A sense of sorrow and separation, an image of Tomoeda, then a woman arriving at the Li gates followed; pain followed in her wake. Tears rolled down her beautiful face as she looked at Sakura and ran away.

It was so unlike Sakura's normal dreams that she almost screamed in frustration. Why wasn't the dream making sense this time? She was used to the future manifesting itself in a straightforward fashion in her dreams; what was this confusing kaleidoscope of images and feelings?

Abruptly the dream changed; she was at a country fair, and a smiling old crone told her fortune as being fortuitous if she ate lots of pie. Children played with sticks and angels and a golden tiger that shrank then turned into its correct size again floated through her dream, where she had been eating sweet lotus buns. Now they were offering her noodles and singing about happy ducks. A rainbow came out in the sky and then Syaoran's sisters, whom she had only glimpsed from a distance, began singing a children's song about a happy doll.

As though a curtain had been parted, Sakura saw the dream fade so that she could now see a man whose face was hidden by an oni mask, the same one Sakura had seen when Fuutie died. Startled by her presence, he hissed at her. She could not hear the words but the sense of evil and menace were overwhelming.

Suddenly Syaoran was there but somehow it was a different face, gentle but with a terrifying gleam in his eyes. She cried out his name but he did not hear her. How was that possible? Syaoran always could sense and see her in dreams.

She bolted upwards with a small cry, dislodging Syaoran's arm from around her waist. Instantly alert, Syaoran rose to comfort her.

"What is it, Sakura?" He touched her shoulder gently.

"Dreams . . . confusing . . . don't make sense." Sakura rubbed her temples, her breathing shaky as she tried to explain what she had seen. But she hesitated after a while, her voice trailing off in embarrassment. Pie, indeed?

Syaoran drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "My love, I don't doubt your dreams. But you are tired, and perhaps that was a normal dream. Unless some terrible portent lies in pies," he teased gently. "And I did not dream of you—you know I always see you in my dreams, so maybe . . . you should calm down?"

Sakura sighed; he was probably right. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't be." He shifted to take her into his arms, her head pillowed on his chest. "Sleep, Sakura. I'm sorry I tired you out." He chuckled when she lightly scoffed at him.

She could feel his skin against hers, and the memory of their lovemaking made her blush. But her lips sought his out, and he met them in a kiss that was tender and reassuring.

"We have a big day ahead, and I look forward to calling you 'my Lady Li.' My wife," he said softly. "Sakura, my wife."

She smiled; he could feel it. "I like that," she muttered drowsily, convincing herself and Syaoran that her dream had just been one of those things that randomly visit even dreamseers.

"So do I," he said as he settled back into sleep himself, the most precious thing in his world in his arms. "So do I."

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Princess Tomoyo fell back on the bed; she and Eriol had finally made love that night, sans interruptions. By the gods above, such pleasure! He'd done everything she wanted, even prostrated himself to worship her womanhood in the forbidden way, and she had ordered him to enter her quickly, ripping her virginity away with one silken thrust.

Noticing his restrained passions moved her to say, "Do as you will," and to her surprise he moved slowly, agonizingly so, until she had begged him to move faster and to help her reach her peak faster. She'd enjoyed herself, screaming her delight to the world, and an amused Eriol had been forced to use a silencing spell on the doors and windows.

Now, her hair was a tangled mess; her virgin blood and her female dew and their mixed sweat and Eriol's semen stained the sheets. She reveled in it, feeling wanton and wild.

Next to her, equally disheveled but with a smile on his lips as he held her in his arms, Eriol asked, "Satisfied, Princess?"

She drew him to her so that his head would be against her generous white breast; he kissed it gently.

"I shall ask for your hand tomorrow morning," she said. "My mother will love you."

He laughed. "You want me to marry your mother?" Eriol teased.

"I'm not sharing you, silly. She knows I don't want an ordinary man, and you sure as hell are not one."

"Language, darling Princess," he chided. "Ought I to wash out that filthy mouth of yours with my tongue? I seem to recall whorish words coming out of them but moments ago."

Tomoyo laughed. "Shut up," she said playfully.

"Is that an order?"

"No," and she turned as he raised himself to kiss her. "But I want you to make love to me again."

He took her hand in his and she gasped when he smirked and placed it on his erection. "But we just did it! Are you using magic?" she asked.

His only response was to kiss her, hard.

"You haven't answered me," she gasped as she wrenched her mouth from his.

"Yes, I will marry you. That was my aim all along, Princess. No, I am not using magic. But you are," he teased as he began those caresses which she liked so much. "You've bewitched me, queen of my heart."

Then Eriol raised his head, frowning.

Tomoyo recognized his reactions from the other night. "Trouble?"

"Dark magic," he gasped. "Not good. Forgive me, but . . ." He quickly stood up, glancing out the window, and then, "Oh no. No, no, no!"

Tomoyo pulled a sheet around her and looked out the window as well. In the distance, the crimson and yellow glow of a fire broke through the blackness of the night.

"This can't be an accident." Tomoyo's eyes narrowed. "Things move too fast here."

Eriol nodded as he pulled on his breeches. "Agreed. The timing is too convenient. Forgive me for leaving your side."

He gasped when she pulled him close for a hard, greedy kiss.

"Come back to me," she whispered when she broke the kiss.

"Always," and with a quick muttered spell, he vanished then reappeared beneath their window. Tomoyo watched his figure diminish in the horizon; responding to his summons, several horsemen quickly followed.

When Eriol arrived at the small village just half a mile from the Li castle, he was dismayed to find that the aura of death was oppressive there.

He fought the urge to scream. How many deaths would take place right under his nose? How often was this violence going to happen to the innocence?

He walked around the village, dousing the remaining embers with magic. The dark magic oppressed him, and then Eriol saw the first corpse.

A small child, crawling away from its mother, who had been trying to protect the little boy or girl. Agony was etched on their features, and Eriol had never seen so much needless death on a large scale. He had been to war; he had seen men killed on the battlefield. But he and Syaoran and their men had been taught to kill cleanly, as a mark of respect to their opponents. These deaths . . . Eriol fought the gorge and anger that rose in his throat.

Whoever had killed these Li servants had enjoyed it. Men, women, and children had been burned to death in targeted arcs of fire; he could see some trying to flee, others desperately trying to protect those they loved. The village had been tiny; it was a cart ride away from the castle, and these were servants who were kind people. Yet they had been cut down like animals in the forest, with no respect for their lives or dignity.

His blood chilled when he saw the first arrow wound in a partially burned victim. No shaft or head of the arrow was in the wound, and it could only be one thing. Magic.

Two killers.

He needed clues! Eriol cast a spell to try and trace who was alive, and found one old servant, Shi Lian, gasping for breath in her hut, one of the few that had managed to escape the inferno.

Quickly he tried to heal her, but was appalled to find that her wounds were magical. She'd been shot through seven times with arrows, and she had only narrowly escaped being burned because in her widow's weeds, she vanished into the darkness of the night.

Eriol wasn't sure she would survive; her wounds were already festering, but he beckoned a soldier closer.

"I need your strength, Bao Jun, to try and save Shi Lian. Please, will you share it with me?"

Bao Jun nodded eagerly and crouched beside Eriol; those in his troop adored their lord and realized that he and Syaoran were among the few magic fighters who asked permissions before drawing on the strength of others to fuel their spells.

Eriol turned to his chief retainer Jing Pao. "Spread out and search for any more survivors as I do this." He nodded and without being bidden, the men chose different sectors of the village, scanning what they could with their torches and turning over bodies to check for vital signs. No one spoke; the horror of the attack on unarmed civilians weighed heavily on them.

He managed to revive Shi Lian, but even the strength Jun shared was not enough to heal all seven arrow wounds. When the first soldier returned with the sad and angry expression on his face that each soldier who returned wore, Eriol's spirit sank. No other survivors then.

Without being asked, Pao brought water for the old woman, and Eriol gave it to her slowly as she revived.

"Shi Lian," he said gently. "Tell me who did this."

She coughed and said weakly, "Master Eriol. One moment we were in bed, the next, everything was on fire. All we saw was a black angel and a flying tiger."

What?

Dawn was beginning to peek over the horizon and Eriol cursed mentally; this would be his third night without a good sleep, and he was getting tired. Yet his only chance lay in finding clues now.

Eriol's mind raced quickly. Normally a tragedy of this sort would have drawn Syaoran out of the castle. Yet Syaoran was still not here, meaning neither Sakura nor Syaoran knew of this tragedy. Something was wrong somehow. And a black angel and a black flying tiger? Nothing in his studies of magic and history had hinted at such demons, for that was what they had to be.

The answer clicked in his mind. This was a diversion. He suppressed the urge to curse Lao Hu's name; without evidence he would be the one punished. But Eriol was convinced Lao Hu had to be behind these attacks somehow. Who else would time the whole thing for the morning Syaoran and Sakura were to be married? Certainly Yelan Li had made her preparations scant hours earlier, but people talk, and anyone listening to the Li servants would certainly know of those plans.

But to kill innocent people just to draw Syaoran out and to stop a wedding . . . He clenched his fists. Only a true monster could and would do that!

"Are you all right, Lord Hiiragizawa?" Pao asked.

He took a deep breath. "I have to be. Don't worry about me. Do not call for reinforcements yet; I don't want anyone interrupting Syaoran's marriage this morning, do you understand?"

"Of course, my lord." Without being told, the men fanned out to search the village for clues.

As the sun rose over the horizon, they returned, one by one, empty handed. All Eriol could find were traces of dark magic . . . and a very faint smattering of Li blood that was not Lao Hu's, oddly enough.

Could there be another traitor Li then? The thought was disturbing and Eriol decided it would be best to talk to Tomoyo; her intelligence would be a great asset now.

Shi Lian suddenly gripped his hand.

"I feel my family calling to me," she whispered. "Please, grant me a quiet death, Master Eriol."

"Forgive me for . . . for being unable to save you," Eriol whispered.

"No, Lord Eriol. Don't . . . blame . . . yourself . . ." She smiled weakly.

Sadly, he closed her eyes and as she breathed her last, he swore he would find the evidence he needed to pin this on Lao Hu.

Little did he know that Lao Hu was sending him and Syaoran even more problems, soon. But if he could have been there when Lao Hu arrived home a little later and was told that Sakura and Syaoran's marriage had begun, Eriol would have felt a little better upon seeing his half-brother's spectacular resulting tantrum.

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Morning came all too soon, and Sakura shivered with a soft thrill as the white silk veil was placed over her head, and Yelan Li smiled, touching Sakura's cheek.

"Do you know," she said as she finished dressing Sakura for the wedding, as tradition dictated for a future mother-in-law, "that I've never seen my son so happy with a woman before?"

Again Sakura was forcibly reminded of how she had not yet fallen in love with Syaoran. She cared for him, yes; she lusted for him—if the playful lovemaking just an hour ago was any indication of their future together, then she would be very happy with him; and she liked him. But it wasn't love yet . . . and that was the problem.

Fighting back a blush of shame, Sakura shook her head. All the Lis so far—Syaoran's sisters Feimei, Fanren and Shiefa (who had helped out with her wardrobe earlier), and now Yelan, her soon-to-be mother-in-law—seemed to assume that she was in love with Syaoran. It could not be denied that Sakura longed for his presence, and he made her happy when he was there, but was that enough for love?

Yelan looked at her then smiled gently. "What are you afraid of, Sakura-san?"

Sakura shook her head again and tried to smile.

"Is it that you worry about Syaoran being in love with you, and you are unsure of your feelings?" she asked kindly.

"Ah . . . uh . . ." Sakura lost the fight to keep her blush from spreading. "I'm sorry, I . . ." She was silenced when Yelan put a finger on her lips.

"Don't be sorry," Yelan said. "I admire that you saw the need to consummate the relationship, and understood the need our family has for you . . . in more ways than one. That takes strength, my dear, and we need more strong women in this family. I freely admit I insisted that Syaoran marry you soonest, to make you an ally of this house as a member of our family. Your power cannot be denied, but of this I warn you: power attracts power, and my clairvoyant daughter Feimei has seen muddy waters in your future. Be careful. Choosing to marry my son will afford you much protection, but only so much; you have the power in you to protect yourself from Lao Hu."

"I . . . thank you," Sakura said. She had grown up without a mother; while Queen Sonomi was fond of her, she was not like the mother Sakura yearned for. Queen Yelan, however, treated her both like a daughter and as an equal, and she could feel that none of the older woman's kindness was forced.

"Lao Hu will not know of the ceremony until it's over," Yelan said. "Be on your guard. He will say things about Syaoran, insulting things, both for you and for my son. Do not lose your temper; rather, remember that you are not a helpless woman but a dreamseer and a girl of many interesting exploits."

"I won't let him get to me," Sakura said, her jaw determinedly set.

"There are still the Elders who do not believe in women leading the clan. I rule them, yes, but they can undermine my supporters if they join Lao Hu. I already explained the treaty that protects Lao Hu, and I have told you what you may have to do to get the evidence that we need to finish him off. With all this, are you still willing to go through with this marriage? We have spellcasters, myself included, who can send you back to Tomoeda for your own safety. Syaoran, I am sure, will understand if you choose to back out on this marriage now."

"No, Queen Yelan. I'm happy I'm marrying Syaoran," Sakura said. And that was the truth. "You are right, and I am sorry that I do not know my heart yet, but I cannot imagine being with anyone but him. I know we met in dreams for a reason," Sakura said earnestly, "and I believe love will come."

"I believe love comes in when we least expect it," Yelan said, sitting on a richly upholstered stool across Sakura. "Never force it because you feel guilty or because you feel like you need to love Syaoran. Love calls out to you; it's like your entire being cannot be complete without him, yet you are strengthened by his presence. Love amplifies your strengths and helps you win over your weaknesses. Love is not the feeling that you will die without him; rather, you want to live for him, because you understand that your existence is precious to him."

A comfortable silence stretched between the two women, then Yelan spoke again. "Do you know, when I married Tai Lang, Syaoran's father, it was in the old tradition: I could not see him as I recited my vows to him. I had never met him before and I remember thinking, 'please gods don't let him be old and ugly and like the Li elders when it comes to tradition.' I had to marry him; it was that or be claimed by Lao Xing, Lao Hu's father."

Yelan paused and smiled; retelling her love story always made her smile. "That night, which was the first night I laid eyes on him as he lifted my heavy veil, I was afraid to look—I was after all about to have my first time at sex with a man I had never seen before. But do you know, he kissed my eyelids and said he would snuff out the candles if it scared me less. That's when I opened my eyes." She closed her own eyes, a sentimental smile on her lips. "He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, and when we had Syaoran, I was so happy because I knew that together we'd created a life like his own."

Sakura smiled. "He is that," she agreed softly.

A lascivious grin met her gaze; Yelan had stood up and beckoned Sakura to do the same. "I imagine my son's passions in bed please you, and I am glad to know you two made love last night."

"Hoe!" Sakura's ears were on fire, and she went tomato-red in an instant. Yelan laughed.

"Come, come, we're not living in the past. I wish there were a way for the moment Lao Hu discovers that you and Syaoran have made love to be preserved forever for me to replay at my leisure."

"H-h-how d-did you know?" Sakura asked faintly.

"I have ears, my blushing daughter-to-be. If Lao Hu's reaction is anything like his father's was then it ought to be priceless. History repeats itself," she giggled.

Startled, Sakura blurted out, "Do you mean this is the second time that this has happened?"

"You mean a younger Li claiming what an older Li wanted? In a way, yes. Lao Xing was already married then, but when I was brought in by a marriage broker for Tai Lang, he laid covetous eyes on me." Yelan smiled at Sakura's startled expression.

"But did marriage stop him? Syaoran told me Lao Hu inherited his ways of raping women from his father; if Lao Xing loved his wife, why would he do that?" Sakura asked.

Yelan's face darkened. "Who said he loved his wife? Yu Lin died soon after bearing Lao Hu, and he never honored the poor girl's memory. Lao Hu knows nothing of his mother, nor does he know his father blackmailed the Lins into giving him their most beautiful daughter." Her lips compressed into a thin line. "I knew her briefly, and it was terrible to watch her laughter and smiles be snuffed out slowly by his cruelty. He would try to flirt with me in front of her, and he sometimes took his women right in their marriage bed . . . as she watched or as he locked her out of the room to 'stand guard' in the corridors."

Sakura gasped. "That's horrible!"

"It was," Yelan agreed. "When Lao Hu was born, Lao Xing accused Yu Lin of sleeping with my husband because of the family resemblance. That, I think, was the last straw for a woman who had never been loved by her husband, never been honored, never been respected. She killed herself by eating too much opium."

Aghast, Sakura said, "And Lao Hu wants to be like this monster?"

"With you, yes," Yelan told Sakura the bare truth. "It runs in their veins, the bad blood. It comes with experimenting with forbidden magics to gain power. This is why my son has never even attempted the dark arts; he sees how they have corrupted his cousin."

"Then this marriage was the right choice!"

"Under the circumstances, yes," Yelan agreed. "I am sorry it was not a love match from the start, but I hope you understand why it was necessary for your protection. Lao Hu wants to use you as a way to win the support of the traditionalists in the clan."

"Never! I'll fight that monster!" Sakura spat. "Sorry," she said in a meeker tone.

Yelan laughed heartily. "Why suppress your spirit? Sakura-san, my dear," and she placed a hand on Sakura's own, "when we found out about the dreams Syaoran had about you several years ago, at first I had my doubts. I thought Syaoran had given in to the pressure he'd put on himself. I was moved to contact your Queen Sonomi magically about you, and what I learned put my fears to rest."

What was there to say? Sakura nodded, hoping Yelan would continue, and the older woman did.

"My son wanted to be strong to protect his sisters and me and our land from what is evil. I have always believed that strength cannot be had without love, and when I learned that he had found you in dreams, I realized that here was the way to strengthen him. And that way was you." She stood up as a servant brought in a tray on which a delicate white jade teapot and two tiny cups rested; the scent of the tea was like fragrant blossoms, and Sakura inhaled it, delighting in its richness and sighing.

"That's the most fragrant tea I've ever smelled!" she said happily.

Yelan smiled as she poured the tea and offered one cup to Sakura. The tea carried a magic spell in it; a woman who was truthful and honest with a man would smell it as something very nice; a woman who was with a man for his money and status would smell it as something foul. Sakura thanked her and sipped it; the temperature was warm but not scorching, and she finished the cup in a few sips.

Love would bloom between her son and Sakura; Yelan knew it, and the thought made her happy.

"Now, do you hear those bells? A palanquin is outside to take us to the temple. Come, so that in an hour you will truly be my daughter!" she said.

End of Chapter 8

To be continued in Chapter 9

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swallowingtears notes: This chapter has been ready for two weeks, but rewriting has taken up most of my time. That's why the Lao Hu scene and the WTF stuff that happens afterwards XD is in chapter 9, which is has been rewritten at least thrice already (ARGH I hate it when I make a mess! Thank goodness for sharp-eyed betas!) I just wanted to make sure this chapter flowed and made sense... please do drop me a review to let me know how I'm doing? Thanks!

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Because I'm evil here's another preview of Chapter 9 (the first being the "Sakura pwns Lao Hu" scene last chapter):

Princess Mei-Hua Lin was quite lovely, with large black eyes, long curling black hair, rosy cheeks and lips, and a small but curvaceous body. Had she been given the chance, she could have attracted any number of princes, but her imprisonment had made it impossible.

Now she tiptoed to kiss her lover's lips, looking into his amber eyes, hardly able to contain her feelings for him. He was sweet and gentle, and he'd come into her life like a miracle; some time ago he'd begun appearing in her dreams, and they had fallen in love. Mei-Hua loved everything about him: his beautiful amber eyes, his gentle voice, his tall, well-built body.

"Syaoran," she said shyly, "I hope you return soon." She turned shining eyes full of love on him.

"I will, my love," the dark-haired male said gently, in Syaoran Li's voice. "Only death and war can keep me away from you."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself affectionately to his chest; her long silky black hair fell over her shoulders and he reached to move it out of her face.

"I worry about the war which you say is coming," she said. "If I could keep you here and protect you . . . oh Syaoran, I love you so much. I . . ." and her voice caught with emotion, "I've never really been loved in my life, and I couldn't bear to lose you . . . I will try to my best abilities to protect you!"

"Don't. I'm a capable general," he said as he caressed her cheek. "I am sorry I can meet you only in our dreams at night, but if I stop arriving, come to the Li stronghold and look for me through my head assistant or my cousin Eriol, our chief sorcerer." He placed a black ball that hung off a red tassel in her hand. "This is proof of who I am and who you are to me; that is the hereditary Li sword."

The princess realized it was a sacred family heirloom, one imbued with magical power. "But why are you giving this to me?"

"Don't you know?" He smiled and took her hand in his. "I wish to marry you."

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I apologize to those who detest seeing my review responses here. I am very sorry but I do place them at the end because it's not easy getting enough time to respond to everyone, especially with that delay FFN has between responses U_U so please accept my apologies and don't threaten to report the story, please? Thanks!

To SakuraLover, Do you know, I get so many nice ideas from rewatching the anime, and I bet you will too! Hope you enjoyed your spring in Korea (is still jealous XD) Thanks! To michiko14anime, LOL yeah, young love. Sorry the sequence has been changed a bit but I feel it's for the better. To xCrazyKindOvWeirdx, you are a saint for putting up with me and my insane drafts. I can't thank you enough. I hope to keep Sakura moving forward emotionally while keeping her in character (crosses fingers). To paladin3056, wow thanks! Buti na lang marami akong kilalang manyak sa opisina (kasama na ako dun but I see alam mo na yun!) haha na handang mag-share ng tips over merienda and lunch XD As for Accidental, the lemon is actually done. The supporting scenes though... HAAY naku so hard! To yingfa07, you have no idea how much that means to me, thanks! To winterkaguya, LOL! I was looking for a translation of "For God's sake" and couldn't find one. Confucius isn't a god but I figured his name would be more recognizable than others XD LOL now you know how Sakura reacted to Yelan eavesdropping XD WAHAHA maybe I should get Yelan in my other story to put up that sign? To sootyxsnowpetal, (hugs) Thank you so much for your insights, and I hope you see how much the chapter improved thanks in many ways to your observations and comments. To xXSakuraBlossomsXx, yay thanks for the review, hope you like this too! To lhaine07, I'm glad you liked it. Deep inside, honestly... when I look at the adult Syaoran in Tsubasa Chronicles (did you see him in the last few chapters?) I was all, OMG if this is what he'll look like as an adult, he can pretty much ask me for anything! To mitsuko310, thank you and yeah, I enjoyed writing the scenes where Lao Hu is pwned! LOL you know authors too well (shh!) Have fun with this one and I wonder if you hate me due to the preview? XD To midnight blue08, sorry for the delayed preview but I hope you liked this chapter of setups (hint hint XD) To MikoKagome1113, HAHA I loved your pun in the review! Oh but I'm reserving THAT for a painful moment... dun dun dun dun! To Moons-chan, always you are so kind! LOL I laughed when you said you felt sorry for Lao Hu. You should be sorrier that I'm torturing the poor villain, hehe. XD Yeah, I loved writing that line, basically it's his fatal flaw right there. To Dorawc, So am I, and I hope the flow of events allows more lemons too. I've got one planned, don't worry :D To chainedheart999, Ooh thanks, I do try to make things flow and I am happy you noticed it. YES! I am trying to write my first CCS/Tsubasa Chronicle crossover--will someone tell me why it keeps winding up a sexy story? (Duh, LOL) Yes, Syaoran will suffer so much, and I admit it here. Poor guy. I am happy I made you laugh. Maybe a little less now, but maybe more later XD To Angels Deathwish, If you see Tsubasa Chapter 223-225, he is even hotter as an adult (drools--sorry) I honestly had trouble writing her back-talk while trying to keep her in character! As for more fluff, savor it now because it won't last... (ominous laugh) XD To xSapphirexRosesxFanx, SHHH! Quiet back there XD LOL I definitely intend for them to have children, don't worry. And Sakura is going to keep getting stronger, I promise. To butterflyKISSU, Hey this was for you :D Yes, standards for guys should always be high. Never settle for lower than that, promise? (hugs) To BluberriesAreDerlicious, LOL sorry, see I ended on no cliffy this time! To Watch2muchtv, Oh thanks. It's helped to read Tsubasa in which they are married adults, and go from there. Hope you keep liking it! To Love Starshine, Haha, coz I was doing that too! Nope, Sakura will take care of him herself XD enjoy! To ashley-chan, haha sorry but I do try to make the you-know-what enjoyable to read. Thanks! To Ayr, wow, thanks, and I hope I do not disappoint you! To zai-zai, Oh gosh sorry it's been moved but I think you will like that chapter (crosses fingers). To magicka1417, Are you kidding? If I EVER find a real Syaoran who makes love that way, I will simply disappear from FFN XDDD (brushes away dirty thoughts) Then I'd come back and write about it LOL. Honestly you're right. It's kinda like wish fulfillment sometimes, but then there are guys who can be this creative in bed, trust me. Except the magic part! To agate ilie, I was worried the you-know-what was too soon, honestly! Yeah, they are married now (description in 9) so hope you enjoy! To vampirebeast01, Sorry about that but I'm glad you enjoy it and I hope I can keep you entertained until the end! To CollSaku, wow! Sorry for the delay; I just try and make it as good as I can so you won't get disappointed and kill me XD Thank you! To The Shadow Of Dusk, LOL you should check out my friend absolutefluffiness' work, her chapters are LOOOONNNGGG XD Work of art? Haha no unless it's another way of saying sx XD. To Syaokura lovers, LOL! made me laugh. To SweetieSakura, thanks! To eloquent dreams, Yep, definitely getting married, enjoy! To rosedreamer101, thank you! To ilovesyaoranforever, I hope I can achieve that, I will try! Thanks, and hope you like this chapter!