The Lost Princess

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update. Been busy with work . I re-read chapter 10 and realized there were a few typos. I'm so sorry about that. Anyways, thanks for all the reviews! :D

Chapter 20

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"Why did you lie to us?" came the king's demand of Tomoyo. They were inside the throne room with the counsellors, the queen, the prince and all the people involved with the case. The truth shocked everyone.

"Why, Tomoyo?" Chiharu asked the quiet girl in confusion.

Tomoyo, who was standing in front of the dais where the king and queen were seated, bowed her head.

"I'm sorry." She murmured quietly, offering no explanation.

"Explain yourself!" the king ordered, hazel eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'm sorry. I can't." this was delivered firmly and with her chin up, meeting the king's angry gaze.

"Have you realized what you did by pretending to be the princess?" the kind demanded quietly, "You just placed the real princess's life in danger." He finished.

There was silence as everyone waited for Tomoyo to defend herself.

"Your Majesty. Don't blame Tomoyo. She was just following orders. My orders." A loud voice announced from the door. Everyone turned to the voice's direction in surprise, especially the royalties. The queen's confused expression turned to recognition then joy. The person who was standing on the door's threshold was none other than the person whom they haven't seen for nineteen years.

"Fujitaka!" Everyone heard the queen's exclamation before she ran down the dais like a child and threw herself into the man's waiting arms, "Damn! I missed you!" the queen cried as the newcomer hugged her tightly, placing a chaste kiss on her head.

The crowd shifted uneasily at the scene and the once quiet room slowly became abuzz with questions. Who is that guy? Why did the queen call him by the Reed king's name? How could the king let another man kiss his queen like that?

"So, you're alive." Came the Clow king's quiet comment the moment he recovered from his shock. He went down the dais himself and walked towards the newcomer slowly, eyes never leaving the other man's face, expression betraying nothing of what he was feeling.

The crowd shifted again and glanced at the newcomer who was still holding the queen in his arms possessively. When the Clow king was already in front of the newcomer, he drew his blade from its sheath, "Draw your weapon." He challenged, his face still devoid of emotion. The newcomer gave him a grim smile before pushing the queen behind him gently and drawing his own blade.

The silence in the room was almost defeaning until the clash of steel against another steel broke that silence. The crowd gasped in surprise but nobody dared to stop it, even the queen. They just watched as the two battled.

"You're as good as I remembered." Deshi commented, which the other man just shrugged off.

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Suddenly, the newcomer just turned in time to block a very fatal blow from another steel blade wielded by a very furious guy.

"Syao!" Takashi called in shock.

"Damn you! This is all your fault! Saku has been kidnapped because you made us all believe that Tomoyo's the princess! We protected her, not knowing that it was Saku we should have protected! What kind of a father are you?!" Syao voiced out angrily as he continued attacking wildly and angrily while Fujitaka just defended himself easily from the young man's blows.

"Syao, stop that!" Tomoyo tried to penetrate Syaoran's hazy mind but it didn't get through. He continued attacking relentlessly.

"Stop it this instant, young man!" the king barked his order but his words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears because Syaoran paid it no heed and still continued attacking.

"Damn it, Xiao Lang! I said, stop it!" the king's angry voice echoed inside the already quiet room, making the crowd's gasp of surprise audible. The clang of steel stopped abruptly because Fujitaka had maneuvered away from the younger guy, eyes showing his surprise. The moment Syaoran realized what had happened, he looked at his father with a mocking smirk, "Nice on, Your Majesty", mockery very evident in his tone, hazel eyes dancing in unconcealed fury.

"Xiao Lang…? Isn't that the prince?" came Chiharu's confused inquiry, eyes at Syaoran then at the king.

"You're Xiao Lang, Syao?" Takashi asked, eyes fixed on the guy standing just at the center of the room, blade still in his hand, the tip pointing on the floor.

"Yeah. Ironic, isn't it? I'm supposed to be the prince but I'm so useless. I can't even protect Saku." He stated drily, a self-mocking smirk on his lips.

"So, you've been lying to us all along." The familiar voice was a statement more than a question.

~No way.~ Syaoran thought as he turned to the voice's direction in a daze. He saw her standing near the door, safe and unscathed. He scanned her face and saw her furious emerald eyes.

"Saku?" he murmured quietly, advancing to her direction, "You're safe." He mumbled. He seemed to have not registered Sakura's earlier words. He was about to enclose her in a hug when she spoke icily, a tone he hadn't heard her use before, "Don't touch me, you liar!"

"Saku…" Sakura ignored him and walked in front of the king and queen who were beside her father and openly gaping at her in shock.

"Your Majesties, I apologize I worried you both. My father's decision to take me from here was so sudden that I was unable to say goodbye. He already told me everything." She explained quietly and politely, head bowed respectfully.

"Oh, my child! We finally found you!" the queen exclaimed and hugged her tight, which she also returned.

"You can finally go home now." Sakura heard the king's statement.

She looked up at the king and saw his sincere smile, "Yes. I can go home now." She murmured and hugged the queen tight. No wonder she never felt at home with the parents she had grown up with. No wonder she felt so alone despite their presence. It wasn't them she was longing for. She felt so lost before but now, she felt so happy that she let the tears cruise down her cheeks quietly.

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"What have you been doing, Fujitaka? What took you so long to return?" the king asked when they were already along, strolling the quiet corridors of the palace.

"Gathering information about the organization that wants us killed," was his quiet reply.

"What have you learned?"

"I have a reason to believe that the mastermind is closer to home than we first thought."

The Clow king turned to him, "That being…?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"You two need protection."

"Don't worry. Eriol and Tomoyo are with us." Fujitaka assured him.

"Are they worth a hundred knights?"

"More than that." Fujitaka smiled. Deshi finally understood who the two teens really were.