This chapter is, strangely, the first time you actually get to see Ayame rather than just hearing her referred to. It's probably going to make you rethink the use of the word 'tragic'.

Administrative stuff

Summary: Li Syaoran must return to Kinomoto Kingdom with the remains of his fiancée after her tragic demise. But a marriage is still required to unite the two families, and now Syaoran has his pick of the six remaining daughters of Kinomoto Fujitaka for the sake of both their kingdoms. Romance/Mystery

Ages:
Kinomoto Touya: 27yrs
Li Syaoran: 22 yrs (almost 23)
Kinomoto Sakura: 21 yrs
Kinomoto Tomoyo: 20 yrs
Kinomoto Ayame: 18 yrs (dec)
Kinomoto Meilin: 18 yrs
Kinomoto Chiharu: 17 yrs
Kinomoto Naoko: 16 yrs
Kinomoto Rika: 15 yrs

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura.

It's Only Love – Then Comes Marriage

Approx. 7 months earlier

"Someone said Li-heika has come to visit father," one of her sister's said, although she wasn't sure which. Sakura's head darted up suddenly from what she had been absorbed in, the name jarring her from her own personal thoughts.

"Syaoran's here?" she asked unthinkingly, forgetting to censor her thoughts before they exited her mouth. Five of her sister's gave her befuddled looks, while the sixth gave her a quick, encouraging smile. "I mean . . . that is Li Syaoran, correct?" she asked, trying to cover her mistake.

They seemed to accept her response and moved on to innate conversation about the young monarch. "Yakira-chan says he's very handsome," Ayame commented, a thoughtful expression on her face as she recalled the words of one of her husband seeking friends. "Apparently he's the embodiment of a Greek statue – beautiful to look at, but cold as stone."

Sakura frowned to herself. Syaoran wasn't like that at all. He was shy, and so appeared aloof at first, but underneath that he was warm, and gentle, and caring. His beauty was only a corollary of all his other wonderful qualities.

Ayame continued, and Sakura had to grit her teeth in order to keep her retorts to herself. "They say he's very snobbish and only cares about his kingdom," Ayame said in a stage voice, drawing the attention of the room to herself as she began to pace around as though this were some kind of performance. With her dark hair and green eyes, she was more stunning than any actress they had seen. "They say he has a heart of ice that nothing can melt, and that you would be more likely to find him in a war room than a ball room.

"Although," she continued, pausing as though to emphasise her point, "he would make any woman a fine husband. They say a man who thinks only of war is an animal in the bedroom."

"Ayame!" Meilin spoke up, scandalized by her twin sister's open discussion of such matters. "You can't say that."

"Why not?" Ayame said casually, smiling now her aim had been achieved. "We are among women – family none the less. They need not know what goes on inside this room."

"I wonder why he's here?" Sakura mused aloud, having managed to drown out Ayame's conversation for the most part.

"I bet he's here for a bride," Rika gasped excitedly. "I bet he wants to marry one of you."

Sakura barely withheld an excited gasp as Tomoyo gave her another encouraging look.

"Well I hope it's not me," replied Chiharu who had just completed her first season. "Takashi says he's going to marry me, and I will accept nobody else as my husband."

"Well I refuse to marry, period," Naoko said, one upping her older sister. "What kind of woman would let herself get tied down to a man of all things?" The girls all laughed at the comment, very few realizing how serious she was about her resolve.

"I wouldn't mind," Meilin said over the laughter, "especially if he's as handsome as Ayame says he is.

"What about you, Sakura-chan?" she added, looking to her oldest sister who had remained unusually quiet throughout the whole interaction.

"No, I suppose I wouldn't mind," she replied cautiously. "You know he's onee-chan's cousin," she added, finally finding the words to defend Syaoran without giving herself away. "She said he's actually very nice when you get to know him."

"I remember Nakuru-neechan saying so," Tomoyo added by way of support to Sakura's lie. "She said he and Kero-kun practically hiss at one another when they're in the same room, but Yue-san holds him in very high stead."

Sakura sent her sister a grateful look.

Ayame waved off their words indifferently. "All I know is that if anyone is going to be marrying such a fine specimen of a man, it better be me, and I won't be opposed to stepping over each and every one of you to get him."

Present

"Are you nervous, Sakura-chan?" Nakuru asked, shaking Sakura away from her memory. It seemed a bad omen, and a skittish Sakura wondered whether Ayame would go beyond the grave to keep Syaoran in her clutches.

"Of course not," Sakura replied to Nakuru's question, smoothing out imagined creases in the fabric to distract herself. "Why on earth would I be nervous? It's an arranged marriage after all."

"I was nervous as anything when I married your brother," Nakuru replied surely. "I was worried some spurned lover might jump out and ruin the whole thing. Or that he might run away the second he saw me – you know he had a tendency to do that during our engagement.

"Lucky for me, he saved the running away until after the marriage," she finished jokingly, "but the fact that it was an arranged marriage didn't make me any less nervous.

"Not that you'd have anything to worry about spurned lover wise," she added hastily, worried she might have put the thought in Sakura's head. "You're really the only girl I've ever seen Syaoran-kun show even the slightest interest in."

"Except for Ayame-chan," Sakura finished for her.

Nakuru frowned, glancing at Tomoyo for some sort of guidance.

"Actually, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said as she carefully lifted a fingertip length veil onto Sakura's head, "I always thought Li-kun was at best . . . indifferent to Ayame-chan."

"Well, he must have seen something in her," Sakura countered, trying her best to ignore the bit of hope her sisters' words sparked in her.

"I think the elders chose her," Nakuru said, glancing painfully at Tomoyo once the words left her mouth. She didn't think it was true - although she had no idea why Syaoran hadn't picked Sakura the first time around - but seeing Sakura look so saddened by things, she had wanted to say something that would convince Sakura that she was number one in Syaoran's heart.

"Or something like that," she added awkwardly.

"Well I guess we'll never know," Sakura said, trying to bring a sense of finality to the conversation.

"I guess so," Tomoyo agreed, "but Sak-"

Her words, whatever they were, were cut off as the orchestra suddenly began to play.

"That's our cue," Tomoyo commented, half-disappointed that she hadn't managed to get the words out. "Let's go, Nakuru-chan."

The two swept out of the room, long skirts trailing behind them and were quickly replaced by Fujitaka.

"You remind me of your mother today, Sakura," he told his daughter proudly, holding a square box out towards her.

"Is this . . .?" Sakura asked cautiously, eyes glistening as she opened the box.

"It was your mother's," he said as he gestured for her to turn around. With great care he lay around her neck a beautiful white-gold bib necklace with multiple strands dotted with glistening white stones. "I know she would have wanted you to have it, especially today."

"Thank you, 'tou-san," she replied, her voice shaking with emotion.

"Now," he said warmly, "dry those tears, Sakura-chan, because there is a young man out there that I think is very anxious to see you right now."

She nodded, listening as the music began to change, and the two made their way towards the aisle.

Approx. 7 months earlier

"Sakura, will you marry me?" he muttered quietly to himself, testing the words aloud as he had many times before. They seemed such simple words, but in combination they did such reckless things to his nervous system that he wondered if he would ever have the courage to say them to the girl herself.

And the business with Gensou just made it more complicated.

He wanted to marry Sakura. He wanted to marry her from the moment he met her but thought it impolite to ask right away. He wanted to marry her more than he'd ever wanted anything before in his life, but now if he asked her, it would look like he was asking out of obligation and because it was the right thing to do politically.

Sakura deserved more than that, and he couldn't help curse his bastard brother-in-law for his bad timing.

What on earth was he supposed to say to her now? 'Hey, Sakura, let's get married so that I can trick my brother-in-law into calling off his dogs. Also, I love you, but that's an ancillary part of the agreement, and I'd marry you even if I didn't. And-'

"Boo!" a voice called, stopping him before the thoughts went further.

"Sakura?" he asked breathless, his heart racing in a way unrelated to the scare as his eyes met a pair of perfect emerald gems.

"Hiya," she replied, tilting her head at him sweetly. "Did I scare you, Syao-kun?"

"O-of course not," he lied. "I was just surprised to see you. Shouldn't you be inside?" he asked.

"I snuck out when I heard you were out here," Sakura replied unabashedly. "Are you unhappy to see me?" she asked, her head drooping a little at the thought.

"Of course not, Kura-chan," he said quickly, hating the thought of seeing her unhappy. "You're wonderful," he added gently, cautiously reaching for her hand, which she happily allowed him to grasp.

"I like it when you're sappy, even if it doesn't suit you," she said, recalling words from his last letter when he was bemoaning how she made him sappy and so unlike himself. They stayed in a comfortable silence, each enjoying being with the other until a thought occurred to Sakura and she was compelled to say it aloud. "So what are you doing here?"

"Are you unhappy to see me, Sakura-chan?" he teased, repeating her words.

Sakura shrugged in response, feigning indifference. "It depends why you're here," she replied casually.

He smirked, deciding it was okay to be honest. "I'm in the market for a bride," he told her, "although it's slightly more complicated than that. I can pick anyone I like, just as long as she's a princess of this kingdom."

"Hmmm," Sakura replied, thinking he was fooling around. "They've given you a pretty wide ambit. Why you could even marry Nakuru-chan, although I doubt Onii-chan would be happy.

"I'd avoid that one if I were you," she advised. "Onii-chan already seems to dislike you, so I wouldn't recommend giving him a reason."

"I'll keep that in mind, although I think I'd rather have someone a little younger than me," he suggested. "Light hair maybe. Green eyes," he smirked, risking a step closer to her – he now stood far too close to be considered decent, and yet still longed to be closer.

Sakura considered his suggestion, her face showing no reaction even though her heart was fluttering madly. "I don't think there's anyone here to match your description, Syaoran-kun," she told him, looking genuinely sympathetic, but for the teasing smirk on her own lips. "I've got the lightest hair of all my sisters, and I'd hardly describe it as light."

"Well then I guess the hair is negotiable," he said in a low voice, "but the eyes must be green.

"If you see her," he told her, stepping back to an appropriate distance and letting go of her hand as he bid a temporary farewell, "let her know I'm looking for her."

"Anything else," Sakura replied snootily, her tone conveying an 'I am not your servant, Li Syaoran' air.

He smiled at her expression, loving her even more once again.

"Tell her she's wonderful."

Present

The wedding was a small affair, the guests largely coming from Sakura's side. It wasn't the way he wanted to marry Sakura, but he was told that this was a necessary part of the farce – a full wedding would have looked suspicious to Gensou, and so the affair was downgraded to a more intimate event.

In truth, there wasn't the time to plan the wedding he wanted for Sakura, even if he had been able to marry her from the start. What he wanted for her was such grand splendour that even the most ostentatious would be jealous. He wanted to invite the whole world so he could proudly declare to each and every one of them that he loved Kinomoto Sakura and would for as long as he lived.

Syaoran's heart clenched as he watched various figures walk up the short aisle towards him and to their seats. With each Kinomoto sibling, he knew he was getting closer and closer to the one he longed to see.

Nakuru and Touya walked up first, Yumiko sleeping peacefully in her father's arms. Nakuru was dressed in a burgundy dress, tight around her chest, but draped loosely over her pregnant belly. The dress was off the shoulder, with sheer sleeves cinched at the wrist. Touya matched her in a deep navy blue with red accents.

Next came Tomoyo, dressed in violet. The dress was high-waisted, with a full tulle skirt. The neckline was scooped, and the sleeves tight to the elbow, with a sheer flounce down to the wrist. The other four sisters came in pairs, each in a similar dress, but a different shade. Meilin and Naoko walked together, dressed in crimson and blue respectively, while Chiharu and Rika wore yellow and peach.

Finally, the music changed, and there was his bride standing at the end of the aisle with her father looking as lovely as ever. She was in a strapless sweetheart bodice, with a three-quarter sleeved bolero to cover her shoulders. The skirt had an apron layer anchored at the hip, opening to a tiered tulle skirt. Dressed all in white, she looked positively angelic. Syaoran couldn't help but lose himself in her smile.

He remembered someone telling him once that a woman would never look as lovely as she did on her wedding day, but knew this was a lie. Sakura looked as lovely as she did the first day he saw her, and the first day he held her hand, and the day he – obliquely – told her he wanted to marry her. Anyone who held otherwise had simply been oblivious to her loveliness and would be best not to say so to Syaoran.

He caught the nervousness in her glance and sent what he hoped was an encouraging look as Fujitaka placed her hand in his. Together they stepped onto the slightly raised alter to face the priest that would perform the union. Despite her nerves, there was no hesitation in her step and a look of almost fierce determination was etched beautifully across her features.

"Whatever is to come, Sakura," he told her quietly as the priest spoke over them to those gathered, "we'll face it together, as husband and wife. I don't want you ever to think this is a marriage in name only."

She glanced at him, turning her head ever so slightly to face him and her eyes widening in surprise.

"I just thought you should know," he said by way of explanation, his lips hardly moving ad his body still facing forward. There was no indication that he had spoken at all and Sakura almost believed she had imagined his genuine words.

'Perhaps it won't be so bad,' she thought to herself, 'even if he never feels the same.'

"Do you, Li Syaoran, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest asked, breaking Sakura of her train of thought.

"I do," Syaoran replied surely, inclining his body towards her and exerting some pressure on their joined hands. It was a secret message between the two of them, only Sakura had no idea how to decode the message as it went against everything she thought she knew about their relationship.

"Do you, Kinomoto Sakura, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked, turning his attention on Sakura.

"I do," she said quietly, returning Syaoran's gesture.

Silently, a pair of rings were exchanged and the delicate silver tiara she wore was replaced with the golden head piece of her new kingdom. From that moment she was no longer Princess Sakura of Kita, but Queen Sakura of Minami, consort of King Li Syaoran. When they returned to her husband's lands, an official crowning would take place and she would be expected to address her subjects as their new queen.

As the priest made his pronouncement, Syaoran leaned forward and chastely caught her lips in a much longed for kiss. The action caught her by surprise and was over before she could properly enjoy it.

"You are wonderful, Li Sakura," he told her quietly, his expression warm with pride. Sakura could have sworn she even saw tears glistening in the corners of his eyes – glistening as her own glistened with tears of happiness – but chalked it up to a glare of light.

Smiling, Syaoran swooped forward once again, ignoring the part of his brain that warned against Touya related repercussions of such actions. Catching his intention, Sakura responded this time, enjoying the feather light movements of his lips against her own and the sense of completeness that accompanied it.

With a warm gaze at Syaoran, she decided that just or today she could enjoy herself. Just for today she could pretend this was the happiest day of her life and all her prayers had been answered. Just for today she could forget about Gensou, and Ayame, and promises broken and abided.

And just for today . . . she could pretend he loved her too.

~ to be continued ~

Next chapter: Sakura and Syaoran make their way back to Minami.

Note:

Hmmm . . . the Nakuru, Tomoyo and Sakura scene was originally supposed to feature Touya, so that came out completely different than I expected. For ease, I went with your basic Western style wedding seeing as it's more familiar to me. If you want a clearer idea of what Sakura's dress looked like, I kinda based it off one the dresses on http:/ romantic-weddingzone. blogspot. com /2009 /11 /yellow-gown-for-romantic-wedding. html - the third one down with the caption 'interesting gawn'