The Lost Princess
Chapter 16
~XxXxXx~
Xiao stared at his father, dumb-founded. His father had just told him that the pre-arranged engagement between him and the princess would be pushed through.
"No way." He half-whispered the moment he had successfully gathered his wits. His brown eyes had just gone blank, his emotions hidden, his features hard.
"I'm sorry, son." His father's voice was one of weariness and helplessness.
A moment of tensed silence elapsed. His brown eyes never left his father's as he challenged him boldly. "I won't cooperate." His tone was hard and final that the council shifted in their positions awkwardly.
"You won't dare disobey me." His father's voice had grown hard and firm as well.
"Try me." He challenged, brown eyes flashing with pent up anger.
"You will not disobey me, Xiao Lang! It's your duty as the crowned prince to follow the royal laws that govern this monarchy." The king boomed, eyes fixed on his son who stood before him with naked defiance in his eyes.
"Don't force me, father. You know what I'm capable of. You will find this place with no heir if you force me." the prince said calmly but with a hint of threat.
"Don't be stubborn, Xiao Lang!" the king reprimanded, standing from his throne. The queen stopped him before he could advance to their son. "Please calm down." She whispered urgently, alarmed at her husband's angry eyes and her son's furious ones.
"You're a lair, Your Majesty." Xiao whispered slyly, a smirk on his lips, "You gave me your word that I won't be forced to marry someone I don't love…but now…"he trailed off, seeing the embarrassment and regret in his father's eyes.
"Don't say that, Xiao! Respect your father! He's still your king." Came his mother's indignant voice.
"As you wish, mother." Xiao bowed obligingly, tone and expression mocking.
Before anyone could utter a single word of reaction to the prince's defiance, the huge oak doors bolted open and in came a panic-stricken young man – a stably boy. "Your Majesties, I'm sorry for barging in like this but there's an emergency at the stables!" his tone was laced with fear and urgency.
"Calm down, Stefan, and tell us what the problem is." Came the king's even and calm tone.
"It's Snow and Midnight, Your Majesty. They're creating a commotion and we can't seem to calm them down. They've already trampled on all the grooms and stable boys and even the hostler. So, I was sent here to fetch His Highness in hopes that he might be able to calm those beasts down." Came his long explanation, eyes darting at the dangerous and foreboding figure of the prince.
The king sighed in surrender and looked at the prince. "You go ahead, Xiao. But we're not yet finished. We'll discuss this properly later." His father's tone bode ill to anyone who'd disagree but Xiao Lang was too mad to heed the threat. "Whatever, Papa." There was mockery in his voice.
~XxXxXx~
Syaoran's instincts went on red alert the moment he saw the black stallion and snow-white mare stomping and buckling wildly, thus injuring anyone within the reach of their hooves. Without any thought of his own safety, he went near the buckling horses and reached for the black stallion's reins while trying to avoid being hit by its very dangerous hooves.
"Get out of there, Syao!" he heared Chiharu's panic-stricken voice trying to warn him but he ignored it. The moment he caught Midnight's reins, he pulled it with firms hands to stop the horse from further injuring anybody, all the while whispering reassurances. The stallion quieted down and bit the sleeve of his shirt, pulling him. The mare had also stopped buckling the moment Midnight had calmed down. Instead, she – Snow – galloped urgently to the direction of the palace forest. The grooms followed her at a run while Syaoran watched with a growing dread in his gut. He could sense that something was wrong but he couldn't seem to pinpoint what exactly. His thoughts were cut when he felt another tug from Midnight.
"What is it, boy?" he asked as if the stallion could understand him. And strangely enough, Midnight seemed to understand him because it tugged him, looked at the forest where Snow disappeared to and neighed urgently. The desperation he noticed in the stallion's actions made his heart race for miles, the growing dread slowly transforming into an unexplainable sense of fear. "Lead the way, boy." He told the stallion as he jumped on its back and the horse galloped into the forest. The others followed the horse in a run. He was so busy thinking that he didn't notice that Midnight had stilled until he heard Snow's neighs.
What he saw made him stop dead in his tracks, his heart skip a beat, his guts clench tight. He was filled with unexplainable horror, dread and fear when he saw her lying on the dirt, bloody, a burly man towering above her, bloody dagger raised for the kill – about to rob her breath from her.
"No!" the voice that shouted seemed to belong to a stranger and he was unconscious of what had transpired next. The moment the red haze had cleared from his brain and his eyes, he saw the burly man dead, lying on the dirt, a dozen arrows stuck on his left chest – the place where his heart should be located. He stared at the dead body then at his hand, which gripped the bow tightly then at his companions. They were staring at hime wide-eyed. That's when he realized that he was responsible for the man's death because he had swiftly dismounted the horse, grabbed the bow and arrows from the nearest archer and shot the man successively, madly, crazily, insanely. He ignored that fact, handed the bow to the ower and ran to where her wounded body was.
"Damn. Damn it! Don't die on me, Saku! I'll kill you if you die!" he was unaware of the redundancy in his words, too scared and worried about the blood-covered and pale girl infront of him. He gathered her in his arms, stood up and carried her towards the palace.
"Get a doctor, quick!" he told one of the guards the moment they had gotten out of the forest.
"Let me carry her for you." The master of the guards offered when he saw what the young man was carrying. "No." was Syaoran's clipped reply as he moved Sakura away from the guard's extended arms. "Why don't you do your job and scour the forest? That assassin might have companions and by damn, guard this place properly! How could this have happened when there are thousands of you here?" his tone was so firm and lethal that the captain was unable to do anything but nod and follow his orders. "And for goodness' sake! One of you go and inform the monarchs about this!" he snapped at the people who were just staring at him.
After giving instructions, he walked across the palace courts towards the palace entrance, his expression grim and dangerous. He felt her shift in his arms and saw her weak eyes slightly. "Hi, Syao." Sakura greeted silently, giving him a sheepish smile.
"Shut up!" he hissed quietly, unable to control his emotions – especially his fear for her. Everything should be okay now because Sakura would be safe already. He would make sure of it. By damn! He will even if it'll cost him his life! "What's with the fierce look, Syao?" Sakura inquired worriedly, reaching out a bruised hand to caress his cheek.
"Ask yourself!" he snapped, meeting Sakura's confused emerald eyes with his furious hazel ones.
"What What's with your temper?" Sakura demanded, lips in a frown and her temper slowly rising.
"Why? Am I supposed to celebrate when you're like this?" he demanded angrily, gritting his teeth and never removing his eyes from hers.
"But I'm okay. Really!" Sakura insisted.
"You're not!" he snapped back, "And just shut up!" He was already nearing Sakura's rom.
"Damn you, Syao! I can take no more of your bullying! Put me down!" She retaliated, struggling to break free from him.
"Stop struggling, Saku! Or you're going to get in a worst fix! Damn you! I thought I lost you." The last sentence was whispered quietly and Sakura saw the emotions underlying Syaoran's behaviour, making her stop her struggles and burrow her face on his chest.
