The Lost Princess
A/N: hi, guys… please bear with my storied… ^^ totally love Sakura and Syaoran… Once again, I don't own CCS… reviews please…^_^
Chapter 1
"Hey, Syao! Watch out!" the warning came too late 'cause he got hit by the soccer ball on the stomach, making him clutch the sore part, face screwed up in pain.
"Darn!" he cursed silently as he knelt both his knees on the grassy field, teeth gritted. He heard the coach's whistle from afar and his team mates gathered around him in concern.
"You okay…?" their team captain, Tsubasa, asked in concern, a palm on his shoulder. He muttered a quick "uh-huh" before trying to stand up. Some of the players aided him.
"Easy, Syao." Came Yamazaki's advice as he aided him on his right.
"You okay, Li..?" came their coach's inquiry.
"Yeah… Just got the wind knocked out from me…" he shrugged his answer, pretending complete nonchalance.
The coach nodded in understanding. "Okay, Team. Practice is over!" he announced to the gathered players.
"Great!" this enthusiastic word was heard from almost all of the players.
"Guys, meet you at the Haven's Grill!" someone shouted and the others voiced out their assents. The Haven's Grill was their usual hang out place.
"You going, Syao…?" came Yamazaki's question.
"I dunno… I'll try…" Syaoran answered thoughtfully as he raked his brown messy hair.
"Okay… See you!" and Yamazaki left for the locker rooms, leaving Syaoran on the field grinning in amusement at Yamazaki's behavior.
XXX
Xiao Lang of Clow was staring at the passing scenery just outside the window of the limousine he was riding. But he was unaware of its beauty, especially the beauty of the rising sun because he was deep in thought, recalling his conversation with his father late last night. His father had called him to inform him that new leads of the whereabouts of the Reed royalties had resurfaced… and he was to hasten himself to the palace.
He let out a huge audible sigh as he pondered the problem. The royal family had mysteriously disappeared years ago and this had shocked the people especially his parents who were close friends with the Reed monarchy. The day they disappeared, his father had tried his best to locate them, sent all his skilled spies all over the world, but still to no avail. No one could find them.
"They don't want to be found…" he remembered his father say those words whenever they encounter a dead end. He was confused as to why his father was confident that the monarchs were still alive… they could have been kidnapped and killed without their knowledge but both his parents were sure that the monarchs were alive and in hiding and they never told him the real reason behind their strong belief. He sighed again. He knew that his parents were hiding something from him and he badly wanted to know what it was.
XXX
He arrived in the palace when it was already midday and he was welcomed warmly – his every comfort being seen to. He was glad to be back! Back to the pleasant atmosphere of Mother Nature and away from the noise and pollution of the city. The palace was located at the top of a very strategic and beautiful hill, surrounded by trees, flowers and everything Mother Nature provided for free. There was even a clear, singing river behind the palace.
From his bedroom window, he breathed in the scent of fresh air and marveled at the grand vista, spying the small form of the far off city.
"Your Highness… His Majesty's waiting for you…" the quiet voice of a maid interrupted his reverie. He turned his back from the scenes and looked at the elderly maid, nodding his understanding.
"Thank you."
XXX
"I know it took me so long to bring the letter to you, Your Majesty. I didn't know it was from His Majesty Fujitaka. He didn't tell me who he was when he gave it to me and I was just a child then. I didn't understand what he wanted me to do and I also lost the letter… It only happened that I was cleaning the attic that I chanced on the old letter addressed to you and with his name as the sender… I hastened myself here to give it to you immediately." A woman's quiet voice met Xiao Lang's ears when he entered the throne room.
He saw a woman in her mid thirties, standing infront of the dais where his parents were seated on their high seats.
"I understand. We thank you for bringing the letter here. I haven't read it but I'm sure it'll be helpful in shedding light to their disappearance." The king spoke kindly and quietly.
"Thank you for understanding, Your Majesty…" and the woman curtsied in respect.
The king nodded to show that she may leave. The woman hesitated before she spoke again.
"I just want to tell you that Her Majesty Nadeshiko gave birth to a healthy baby girl… that is if it isn't mentioned there…" she finally revealed.
"Why do you assume that Fujitaka will not mention her daughter here in his letter…?" came the Queen's confusion.
"Because he left the baby somewhere… I don't know where…" the woman explained hesitantly.
"No… He's not like that… He can never do that to his own child." Came the queen's counter, head shaking in denial.
"He was a broken man, Your Majesties. Queen Nadeshiko died giving birth to the baby…"
A gasp of surprise was heard from the Queen, "No… Nadeshiko…" came her quiet sob as tears streamed down her cheeks unheeded.
The king was also saddened by the news but he steeled and schooled his reaction. He nodded in understanding.
"So, you mean, the princess isn't with Fujitaka…? That she could be anywhere…? That she could be one of the girls we've met or not met yet…? That she could be living a very dangerous life right now…? That she could be…" the king stopped as he imagined all the possibilities – both pleasant and unpleasant. He couldn't understand why Fujitaka had done such thing to his daughter. Grief…? No way. He loved Nadeshiko so much that it would be impossible for his friend to leave the only reminder he had of his beloved… but who was he to judge his friend's actions…?
"Okay.. I understand…" he finally said after a moment of silence. The he turned to the guard stationed at the huge oak doors, "Please escort Mrs. Hijiri to his chambers."
"I thank you for your hospitality your majesty but I need to get home… My kids are the only ones in our house…with my husband working… I can't leave them on their own for a long time…" she explained.
The king nodded again.
"Mr. Smith. Please escort her to the docks and take care of her comforts." He said to the guard.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard bowed and escorted the woman.
"Have a safe trip, Mrs. Hijiri and we are in your debt…" came the queen's quiet voice.
Xiao Lang watched as the woman walked towards the oak doors where he was standing. The woman saw him and curtsied respectfully. He nodded his reply before leaving his place and going infront of his parents whose faces were filled with worry. His father was currently reading the letter that was delivered by the woman so he waited, standing there quietly, surveying both his parents' expressions. His mother was dabbing her tears daintily with her kerchief, trying bravely to compose herself. He really admired her mother so much and what she was doing was one of the reasons of her admiration, she was such a brave lady.
"As I've suspected…" his father's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up at him who had finished reading the letter.
"They fled because of the threats on their lives 'caused by an underground organization called Crows. Fujitaka decided that they go into hiding to protect both his wife and unborn child. Then he was going to start investigating and discovering the person behind the organization." The king explained seriously, dark brown eyes so like his son's, was filled with determination and worry as well.
"And as Mrs. Hijiri had assumed, he didn't mention about his daughter… But he mentioned that Nadeshiko died during child birth, maybe wanting us to assume that the baby died with her.. but why…?" came the king's confusion.
"He has his reasons, love. You know he does… But we have to find the princess… She might be in pain, in danger… I can't begin to imagine her life for the past years… She must be here with us, where she belongs… it's her birthright…" the queen said silently.
"Ma… Pa… Don't you think he did that to protect his child..? I mean, if he doesn't know where she is, no one from the Crow Organization would recognize her and she'll be away from harm… But if we return her to her rightful place, she'll be the target of the organization thus putting her life in danger…" the prince finished his idea.
"So, you mean it's better that she's lost forever as long as she's safe..? But how about Reed Kingdom? The people, they badly need their monarchs. The land is slowly wasting away… And there are internal wars as the minor nobles fight over the crown…" the king explained to his son.
The prince sighed in surrender. He knew that his father had a point but he is totally against their decision of looking for the princess because once she's found, her life would be in danger and there's another selfish reason, because he doesn't want their engagement to be pushed through once she's found which is what he thought will happen as his parents always told him.
"Whatever you say, Papa…" he finally conceded, bowing quietly but with gritted teeth.
