The Lost Princess

Chapter 13

The night of the grand party proved to be a wonderful one 'cause the moon and stars didn't desert the chilly night. The palace was lit to the maximum that it could be seen from miles away. It was decorated beautifully with silk and flowers. The food prepared by the palace chef was extravagantly delicious and the live band playing was a famous one. Even the garden was beautifully decorated, the fountains surrounded with fairy lights.

The ballroom where the party would be held was already filling with nobles and important persons. The princess was still in her room, preparing while the king and queen were talking and entertaining the guests. The prince… was missing. And there were rumors that he wouldn't attend because he had always hated such social gatherings and the idle chatters that was required of him during such occasions.

Sakura looked at her reflection on the glass window, amused at how she looked in the flowing sky-blue straight cut dress with full sleeves of the same hue as the dress though lighter and see-through. The neckline was so low that she feared she wasn't decently dressed but the maid assured her that it was really decent compared to the outrageous gowns of the guests and she believed her as she noticed the plunging necklines of almost all the debutante guests.

Sakura went back to studying her reflection and grinned at the sapphire gem in a teardrop cut hanging from her earlobes. It was really amazing! And her auburn hair! It was breath-taking! She had longed to do her hair as it is, the long hair curled into tresses. Her hair was just let down except for the simple but elegant clips on the sides to prevent too many curls from caressing her cheeks. Then, her hair was adorned with a crown of fresh wild flowers, completing her fairy-like get-up. Her face was colored lightly because the blush on her cheeks was quite natural and the redness of her lips as well. For her eyes, the maid had done something to emphasize her wide, innocent emerald eyes.

She was still smiling until her gaze landed on the necklace that lay on her porcelain skin. Her expression turned thoughtful as she recalled how the maid had insisted that she wear the sapphire necklace instead of the simple necklace she owned. But compared to the maid, she was more stubborn and she stuck to what she liked so the maid had given up and left the necklace alone.

The necklace around her neck was a simple one --- a pure silver chain and a silver ring with a strange crest on it and stranger inscriptions behind the silver band as its pendant. She loved the necklace because she had it since she was a child given maybe by her parents though they seemed to have forgotten it.

XXX

"You are absolutely breath-taking, Saku." Came the voice filled with awe from behind her.

Instead of turning, she looked at the glass window to see who it was.

"Eriol." She acknowledged quietly. Their eyes met on the glass window and Eriol grinned. She smiled before facing him.

"Can I have this dance?" Eriol asked politely, extending an open palm to her and bowing.

The music had changed into a slow one and many were already on the dance floor.

"Okay." She agreed, taking Eriol's offered hand. Eriol led her to the dance floor and placed his hands on her slim waist while Sakura's hands were Ion his broad shoulders. They swayed in time with the music.

"Where's Tomoyo?" Sakura asked.

"Still upstairs… dressing up." Eriol answered off-handedly. Sakura just nodded at his answer and silence followed.

"This is quite amazing, isn't it?" Eriol's murmured inquiry broke the silence. The corner of his lips had quirked up in a boyish grin. Sakura gave him an inquiring look.

"Tomoyo being a princess… Us being her protectors…and… you here in my arms." Eriol had said the last sentence in a low tone.

"Eriol?" Sakura tried to scold him playfully, hiding her embarrassment in a soft chuckle.

"I'm not joking, Saku. I've always hated my job as an undercover… All the secrecy… but now, there's no more secret between us. You know what I really am and I'm glad because you've become a part of this secret. And besides, this is what brought us together again." There was sincerity in Eriol's slate gaze that scared Sakura. She suddenly felt uneasy and it confused her because she had liked Eriol during their first and only date but now, it seems as if something had changed in the once care-free guy that she had known.

"Stop it, Eriol! It's not funny anymore." She snapped in annoyance, her emerald eyes unable to hide her feelings.

XXX

Xiao Lang watched her from afar, admiring her dazzling and wild beauty. He had debated whether to attend or not because she had great dislike of social functions --- of society itself because of its cruelty and hypocrisy but finally decided to attend. He was thankful that he did because if he didn't, he wouldn't have seen her as she was at that moment, fairy-like. He frowned when he saw a tall guy approach her and ask her for a dance. He followed them with his carefully guarded eyes, the frown still on his lips. He watched as they danced, noting her unconcealed emotions. Even from afar, he could sense the change in her mood. Her serenity had been replaced with awkwardness, making him crease his brows in confusion.

Then, he suddenly realized that she wanted to be taken away from the guy. He had made such conclusion because her emerald eyes had flashed and her cheeks were unusually flushed.

His frown deepened and his eyes darkened considerably, dangerously. He advanced a step to her direction but stopped when he noticed another guy walking to the same direction. He wasn't the only one who had noticed the tension.

XXX

"Let me, Takashi." Takashi heard Syaoran's deep and serious voice from behind him after he had felt a tap on his shoulder. Syaoran had been standing beside the buffet table since the party had started, absently twirling his glass of champagne.

Takashi looked up at him and saw his darkened hazel eyes focused on one of the couples on the dance floor. Takashi nodded and moved out of Syaoran's way.

XXX

"Can I borrow her for a while, Eriol?" Syaoran's quiet but dangerous voice broke the awkward silence that had fallen between the two. They both turned to him, relief in Sakura's expression while defeat and acceptance in Eriol's part. Eriol left them on the dance floor.

"Thanks, Syao." Sakura murmured quietly as he placed his hands on her waist gently. Sakura had already placed her hands on Syaoran's nape. Syaoran gave her a slight nod, the hardness in her hazel eyes slowly easing away until it was replaced with amusement.

"What was that all about? I could sense your annoyance leagues from here." He asked lightly as they swayed gracefully with the music.

"Nothing." Sakura lied, pulling her gaze from his hazel eyes and focusing on somewhere.

"Nothing?" he let the question hang in the air.

Sakura sighed at Syaoran's tone, "Okay, then." And she started to relay what had really happened.

After her narration, Syaoran chuckled softly, "Poor Eriol. Even before he could begin, he's already dumped." He shook his head in total amusement.

Sakura had no comment for this. She only blushed prettily, making Syaoran chuckle all the more. He caressed one cheek with a hand, his lips in a grin.

"Stop teasing me, Syao!" she hissed quietly.

"I'm not teasing you… I'm not even saying anything… If I had wanted to tease you, I would have said, 'You look devastatingly beautiful in that gown'." he stated, a sly grin on his lips.

Sakura's blush deepened if that was possible. She gave him a deadly look.

"Okay, okay… I was teasing you." He finally admitted, forgetting where they were and pinching the bridge of her nose.

XXX

As the celebration went on and as the night deepened, Sakura decided to escape from the noise and went out into the garden, strolling leisurely. She looked up at the dark, velvet sky and the stars which winked at her playfully.

"Such a romantic night, isn't it?" she heard a quiet voice from behind her.

In surprise, she whipped to the voice's direction, emerald eyes wide.

"I'm sorry for causing you panic, my lady." The man, who was obviously in his early forties apologized, bowing gallantly.

"I-It's okay." She stammered, trying to slow down her racing heart.

"May I ask why you are here when there's a celebration inside?" he asked politely, advancing to her direction.

"I wanted to escape the heat and noise." She explained, pulling her gaze from the newcomer.

"I see…" he nodded ponderously.

They walked in companionable silence towards a bench and sat on it, side-by-side.

"By the way, I've noticed how most of the young nobles behave around you. It's obvious that they've been smitten by you but you act oblivious of it." He stated his observation.

"They're just attracted of my outer shell, nothing more." She answered quietly but with underlying firmness, eyes focused into nothingness.

Suddenly, she felt cool fingers beneath her chin. The man had made her look at him in the eye.

"Yes. You've got such a pretty shell… but that's not the only thing that captured those young men's attention 'cause your emerald eyes did… the naiveté and vulnerability in it drew them to you." He spoke so gently and softly.

XXX

Sakura went back inside the palace, accompanied by the man she had talked to at the garden. He brought her to her friends' table.

"I leave you to their safe-keeping." He announced politely, bowing low before leaving.

"Who was that?" Takashi asked curiously, dark gaze following the older man.

"Oh… I forgot to ask his name!" Sakura realized it too late.

The others chuckled their amusement.

XXX

He watched her from afar as she talked animatedly to her friends and then, he turned his gaze to the princess who was dancing with the king.

"Something is definitely wrong here." He thought as he brought the rim of his glass to his mouth and sipped the blood-red wine. His gaze always transferred from the princess to the girl with her friends, unaware that a pair of eyes had spotted him and became curious of his behavior.

"I get it." The man said to himself, a sickly smile lit his features.

XXX

Night's gut clenched as he saw the man's sickly smile.

"Careful, guys. A suspicious man at ten o'clock." He whispered, a hand on the earring-communicator. His gaze never left the man near the potted plants.

"Copy that." He heard both Mech's and Fly's assent.

XXX

Butterfly spotted the suspicious man near the potted plants, his feverish gaze directed at a young lady not so far from where he was standing. She felt a jolt of fear when his gaze landed on her, as if he had sensed her gaze on him. She immediately looked away.

XXX

"Hi, Uncle! 'You enjoying the party?" Tomoyo asked the Duke of Clow when she was already beside him.

"Yes, niece." He answered. She heard a trace of mockery in his tone but decided to ignore it.

"Don't you want to dance your niece, Uncle?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"I don't dance, niece." He stated drily.

"Oh, come on, Seishou. Give in to the child already." Came the king's voice as he tapped his shoulder in a friendly way.

"Okay, then." He finally acceded, placing his glass of wine on the window sill before presenting an open palm for Tomoyo to accept, which she did readily.

XXX

The suspicious man's unusual behavior wasn't lost to the prince. Though he was talking to some people, his attention was on the man.

"Why the hell is he staring at her like that?" he had thought, his mind working on it.