Disclaimer – I do not own Pokemon . . . opps wrong cartoon. What I meant to say was I do not own CCS. I do not own the title; I stole it from a Westlife song (I do that a lot, steal from Westlife that is).
Queen of my Heart – The Echoing Silence
King Tori Avalon sat on his throne staring above the door barely listening to the advisors around him.
"Sire, I think we should stop the search," one man suggested.
"No," Tori replied quite simply.
"It is exhausting our army resources, what if someone declared war upon us?" another argued.
"Then we would talk peacefully with them and come to an agreement, otherwise we would seek the help of another kingdom such as the Li's," Tori replied.
"But sire, why would they wish to help us?" yet another of his advisors argued.
Tori sighed, these me didn't seem to understand what it meant to advise or the difference between advising and telling him what to do.
Tori looked up at them his eyes holding the same conviction as his voice. "Because sirs," Tori said angrily almost spitting the words out with disgust, "their king would rather send on hundred thousand men into a battle they could never win than have my men end their search for Sakura."
"Sire, would you not rather have your men here protecting the kingdom?" another asked.
"Do you feel as though you are in harm?" Tori asked not waiting for an answer. "I feel safe, and I feel that my family is safe without an army. We have guards protecting our gates; protecting our palace we even have guards outside this room. That is all I need to feel safe."
"Sire, it has been so long, she is surely dead," a man protested.
Tori stood up abruptly. "She is my sister," he told them angrily. "I will not give up hope, I cannot, I could not and I will not. Is that clear."
"Yes sire," they all replied quickly at once.
"If that is all, than I shall go," Tori replied standing before anyone could refuse.
Tori quickly made his way to where his wife and child were.
He walked out into the place gardens to find Ruby and Sapphire playing underneath the cherry trees. It was mid spring and the cherry blossoms were all in full bloom around him. He sighed as memories of Sakura filled his mind. She loved climbing the cheery trees, especially when they were in full bloom as they were now.
Tori could already see Sakura shinning through in Sapphire.
Despite his sadness, Tori couldn't help but smile as he watched his wife and child play. They were the only reason that he smiled now, ever since Sakura had disappeared smiling had just got harder and harder.
But kings weren't supposed to smile now were they. Kings were supposed by strong, and cold. Kings were supposed to be hard so that when people looked up at them they knew they were protected.
Kings were never supposed to cry; yet late at night while no one was looking that's what he found himself doing.
Tori tried to imagine how Syaoran was taking it. They had only known each other for a few days but in that short time Sakura had become more to him than anyone could understand. Syaoran had lost so much in return for a few days with the girl of his dreams.
"Hey you," Ruby said happily walking up to her husband and kissing his cheek.
"Daddy," Sapphire cried out joyfully as she ran into her father's arms.
"Now how's my favorite little kajuu?" Tori asked as he swung her through the air and lifted her to face him. It was the nickname that he had always given to Sakura and with their likeness Sapphire had easily adopted it.
"I'm not kajuu," she said screwing up her face and poking her tongue out at him.
"Be careful," Ruby warned jokingly stoking the child's ebony hair. "If the wind changes you may just get stuck like that."
Sapphire immediately pulled her tongue back in and unscrewed her face. She looked so innocent. She was three now, her back hair had grown almost to her shoulders and despite the black hair and blue eyes she was almost the mirror image of Sakura at that age.
"So how'd the meeting go?" Ruby asked as they began walking through the large gardens. Tori held Sapphie in his arms and Ruby's arm was wrapped through his and her head leaned against his shoulder as she made faces at the little girl.
Sapphie giggled.
"Be careful of that wind," Tori warned her.
"You haven't answered my question," she said looking up at him.
Tori sighed. "The advisors want me to call off the search for Sakura," he told her looking ahead so she couldn't see the tears that stung in her eyes. He didn't want her to see him cry, he didn't want her to see him week. "I just can't do that," he whispered.
Ruby didn't need to see the tears to know that he wanted to breakdown right there and cry. She stood on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek.
"We'll find her," she assured him.
Tori turned his head to look at her. Ruby always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better.
"Auntie Sakura must be a really good hider if you need the army to find her," Sapphire said.
Tori held her away from him for a second so he could look at her face. He couldn't help by smile at her, yet another reason why she was so like Sakura.
"She is," Tori told her.
"Can I help look for her too Daddy?" she asked.
Tori nodded and lowered her to the ground. She immediately ran off searching through her favorite hiding places for Auntie Sakura.
Somehow this reminded him of something his mother used to always say. "The face of a child can say more than the words of even the greatest poets."
Sapphires eyes were what spoke to him, they told him not to cry that she was going to make it all, all right.
A woman in her late twenties sat on her own throne glaring at the picture she saw through the burning flames. It was a picture of the probable future and there was only one-way to stop it from happening, Sakura had to die.
Armies searched for her, yet somehow she had always kept them at bay with illusions and sleeping spells. They left their families searching for something that if she had her way, they would never find.
She needed to get into the Avalon Kingdom, and all the magic potions and charms couldn't get her there. The castle was made on the most sacred of grounds, and though they may not know it, the only way that anyone who was surrounded by as much evil as she could get in was an invitation.
That or their crown.
But she needed to get in and the prophecies told her that the boy could do that. Somewhere behind the high walls and guards was all that remained of the most powerful sorcerer around. It was a golden staff protected by two guardians (A/N: guess who) the lion and the angel. The staff gave its beholder unlimited power, that's why it was set on sacred ground and so heavily protected, no one knew just how much power it held and they all feared what it could do in the hands of evil.
She was busy trying to find ways in when suddenly it struck her.
"Kensu come here," she called her voice sickly sweet.
"Yes mi lady," he said bowing.
"I want to declare war upon the Avalon Kingdom," she told him.
"But mi lady," he replied, "the Avalon army are one of the strongest around."
"Yes and to think every last one of them is out looking for their darling princess," she smiled at how cunningly her mind worked.
"But Lady . . ." he started.
She cut him off with a glare. "Don't you dare use my name."
"I'm sorry mi lady, but what about the Li's?" He replied not meeting her eyes as he stared at the ground at her feet. "They are the most powerful army there is, they have more power than all the armies of the world combined."
"Have you forgotten which kingdom we are attacking?" she asked.
"No mi lady, its just that they have a pact and I fear that whatever attack we make against the Avalon Kingdom will only result in our demise. The Li's army will be there before we can even think about our next attack." He hoped that she was listening to him, but more than that he hoped she would not be angry. They all knew her wrath and they knew what she was capable of.
She sighed angrily. "Then you are dismissed," she said angrily.
He held his breath as he got up. He slowly turned his back on her waiting for her response.
The moment his back was turned she flicked her wrist.
He didn't start to notice the burning until it was to late. It started in his chest spreading quickly from there. He screamed as the flames consumed him from the inside. It was the sound of an animal that could be heard through out her quarters and echoed through her palace.
Seconds later it stopped as suddenly as it started and all that was left was the sinister silence that filled the land.
~*©*~
So, what do you think? I hope the Yue and Kero implication was enough for all Yue/Yukito/Julian and Kero fans. Please review. I'm not fussy I'll settle for five reviews and I don't even care if they're all flames.