Another new chapter. Seeing as the tangentially relevant love triangle has been fully hinted at - and perhaps more so in the next chapter - I'd like some thoughts on whether anyone would be interested in reading the possible side story of those three. Let me know.

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 – Day One

Sakura woke to unfamiliar settings, her mind taking a moment to remember where she was and why there was a distinct weight across her waist. She could hear her husband's light snores behind her and his breath tickling her neck in a not entirely uncomfortable way.

He shifted slightly, drawing her body closer to his own. She sighed and rolled her eyes at his sorry attempt.

"I'm not stupid, Syaoran," she told him coolly. "I know you're awake."

"I'm trying not to be," he replied, grasping her closer and taking her lack of resistance as consent. He snuggled into her, his nose nuzzling her throat and causing a delightful tremor to spark through her body. "I just want to cuddle up to you and sleep all day."

She laughed at the petulant tone, forgetting for a moment the six months that hung between them like a gaping abyss. "You're being sappy again, Syao-kun," she teased him, turning in his arms so that they were face to face. Her heart warmed at the sight of his sleepy amber eyes and chestnut hair looking even more dishevelled than usual. Her hand rose, almost on its own accord, to try and give his messy locks some semblance of order, and he responded by inclining his head to her touch.

"Only for you, Kura-chan," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her open palm.

They lapsed into silence, although it was neither awkward nor uncomfortable. Instead the moment felt warm and content, and Sakura could think of no place she would rather be than in Syaoran's arms, waking up as man and wife.

But moments do not last, and a brief knock the door caused them to separate.

"Come in," Syaoran called as he released his grip on Sakura, sitting up proudly.

Wei entered followed by several servants carrying various trays and wares. "Good morning, Syaoran-sama, Li-sama," he said, bowing to each of them in turn.

"'Sakura' is fine, Wei-san," she responded, smiling broadly at the head of Syaoran's house staff.

"Of course, Sakura-sama," he replied, returning her grin. "We've brought you both breakfast. Syaoran-sama mentioned you had a penchant for sweet things," he said as a plate of pancakes and fruit was laid before her along with a steaming cup of sweet tea.

"Thank you, Wei-san," Syaoran said appreciatively, his mouth watering at the sight of chocolate drizzled pancakes on his own plate. "You shouldn't have."

"Think nothing of it," Wei replied. "Consider this our welcome gift to the new mistress.

"It shall be a pleasure serving you, Sakura-sama," he added with one final bow before funnelling the collection of servants out the door so the master and mistress could eat in peace.

"It's been so long since I've had breakfast in bed," Sakura said happily, eyes closing in joy as she bit into a ripe, red strawberry, relishing the sweet taste. "I must thank Wei-san again later."

"Wei never brings me breakfast in bed," Syaoran jokingly pouted. "I knew he liked you more than me."

Sakura laughed and jostled her shoulder against his. "It's probably just because you're not usually in bed so late," she replied. "Don't you usually have your training at dawn, or was that just some line to impress me?"

"Were you impressed?" he asked in a low husky tone that made Sakura's cheeks turn bright red at the insinuation.

"Not particularly," she shrugged indifferently.

He shook his head, smiling at her teasing. Sakura brought out the best in people, and it seemed even Wei wasn't immune to her charm.

"He definitely likes you more than me," Syaoran concluded, tasting his own sweet breakfast. "He never makes me pancakes either."

"That's because if he did you'd get all squishy," she joked, prodding her finger into his side.

"You have an excuse for everything, don't you?" he teased, turning his head to meet Sakura's frozen expression. He frowned uncertainly as she gave him an almost frightened look.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to pull her close, but Sakura just stiffened and pulled away.

"You're not wearing a shirt," she told him in a scared whisper. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

For Sakura's sake, Syaoran withheld his laughter at her sweet innocence. "This is how I sleep, Sakura," he told her, pulling her close against her will so that his naked chest came in contact with her bare arms. "Are you telling me it took you this long to realize?"

She nodded sheepishly, her hand brushing accidentally across his stomach muscles as she tried to shift herself out of his embrace. She turned a brilliant hue of red, her eyes turning discretely to where her hand had just passed for a brief examination. Although she had little experience with the opposite sex, she knew that it would be an apt description to call him beautiful. She remembered Ayame's description of him as a sculpture made of perfect, unblemished planes.

"That still doesn't explain why you're not wearing a shirt," she argued, trying to regain some of her footing, but failing when her voice cracked in the middle. "Shouldn't you have a sleeping shirt or something? You had a shirt in Kita."

"We're further south than you're used to," Syaoran explained. "It's too hot for that. Don't you remember when you stayed at Yue's? You had to buy several new dresses to accommodate."

"That sounds vaguely familiar," Sakura replied, still trying to escape from Syaoran's embrace. As much as she was enjoying being in his arms, an irrational part of her brain kept telling her it was mighty improper to be so close to her husband when he was only partly dressed.

"You know, you're not wearing much yourself," he added huskily, entwining his hand with hers before releasing her from his hold. He smiled at the scandalized look she gave him, before continuing with his meal, one-handed, as though it was nothing at all.

"My sister, Feimei, would like to take you to the market today if you don't have any plans," he said, not looking up from his plate, but on the same note, not letting go of her. "She can help you get some lighter clothing so you won't be uncomfortable, and introduce you to some of the people around the village."

"No, it's fine," Sakura assured him. "I can just adjust my old clothes. I don't want to be a bother."

"You're never a bother, Sakura," he answered surely, bringing her hand to his lips and making Sakura blush despite herself. "And my sister would love the opportunity to turn you into her own living doll."

He could see her resistance weakening as he assured her she was anything but a burden. He gave one last push to get her over the edge. "If anything you'd be doing me a favour in keeping Feimei out of my hair for a couple of hours," he finished flippantly, smiling secretly to himself.

"You won't be coming?" she asked looking disheartened at his accidental admission.

He smiled softly at her expression, drawing a little closer to her. "I wish I could, little blossom, but I have to arrange things for mother's return."

She nodded, accepting his response as Syaoran suddenly frowned to himself. "I'm not sure I like the idea of you spending time alone with my sister," he added looking cagey. "Who knows what you might end up telling each other."

This was enough to lighten Sakura's mood, and she laughed cheerfully as she thought of what secrets Feimei might disclose. "Ooh, Syao-kun, could you get Feimei-neesan now?" she asked him, her emerald eyes bright with childlike excitement. "I want to go as soon as possible so we can start discussing new ways to torture Syaoran-kun," she told him gleefully, her words light with laughter.

He nodded, putting his finished tray to the side so he could get up, and throwing on a loose shirt. "I know I should say no, but it's hard to deny you anything when you're looking so happy," he told her grudgingly, leaving a delighted Sakura to quickly finish her meal and ready herself for their little excursion.

Feimei was even more excited than Sakura – if that was even possible – rambling about how lovely her new imouto-chan was and how jealous Xiefa, Fuutie, and Fanren were going to be when they found out she'd gotten to spend the whole day with Syaoran's bride before they even knew he was married. She bet even mother would be jealous.

He smiled for a moment before his thoughts darkened as they turned to his other responsibilities. Sakura was the one thing in his life that could never be considered a burden, and he would proudly assume the task of making Sakura smile for the rest of their lives.

But Sakura wasn't the only female in his life, and right now she needed his attention more than Sakura did. And as much as she was a burden, she was also a blessing.

He knew it would take more than a few smiles to fix what Ayame had broken, but maybe, just maybe, she would be the key.

One month earlier

"You're only doing this punish me," Ayame screamed, pulling him back as he tried to walk away from her. "You're punishing me just because she doesn't love you, and I was the one to tell you the truth."

"I'm doing this for your own good," Syaoran told her emotionlessly, not rising to the bait. "You're not well, Kinomoto."

Ayame glared, looking for something to attack him with. She knew it was futile and so went back to using her words to cut sharply into his already broken heart. "You're pathetic, Li, still hoping for a change of fortune.

"She doesn't love you," she told him cruelly. "She'll never love you.

"I wonder how much that hurts?" she asked, taping her index finger thoughtfully on her chin. "Knowing that the love of your life would rather be another man's mistress than your wife."

Her words hit their target, but he did not react with the anger she hoped to instil. Instead, his whole being simply slumped sadly. "It kills me," he admitted. "Does that make you happy, Kinomoto, knowing there is someone out there more miserable than you?

"But I know my misery has a purpose," he told her more confidently, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Because of my sacrifice, Sakura can be with the one she loves, even if it is only in a small way. For that I will never be as wretched as you."

She froze for an instance, losing her footing as he repelled her words, but recovered quickly with another easy smile as she enacted her fatal blow. "Even knowing that the one she loves is your cousin, Li Ryuu?" she asked. She noted the way his features widened with shock. "Not so easy to be happy for her now he has a name," she laughed. "He married for every reason but love, and now Sakura must bear the burden."

Syaoran shook his head, recognizing the words she spoke. They were not hers. They belonged to someone who felt them deeply and who said them as more than just a line. She didn't even realize that she was digging her own grave.

"You have no idea who he is, do you?" Syaoran asked, almost laughing at his own ignorance. "'Li Ryuu', as you so call him, is the prince consort of Mizuki-heika, and any mistress of his would be killed before she could give herself the title.

"Everything you ever told me was a lie," he sighed. "It was never about Sakura, just about you and securing what you wanted, and I was simply a means to an end. There never was a secret lover, was there?"

"There is," Ayame insisted quickly, knowing she had been caught in her own lies, but unwilling to give up the game. "I've seen her pawing over his letters like they were works of art. She presses peonies for the letters she sends in return. And Meilin-chan even said . . ."

Syaoran heard no more and left her to her lies, futile as they were. It was too late for Syaoran to change things, so there was no point trying to convince him of Sakura's secret love. He would do his duty by her no matter what.

In the end all she did was convince him of his own foolishness. He had been so quick to believe her lies, convinced of their truth because he already knew for certain that someone as wonderful as Sakura was beyond his reach. He should have known that Sakura was above the pretence of others and that the affection she had shown him was not mere kindness.

"O, I am fortune's fool," he muttered ironically as he shut himself in his room, opening a draw filled with carefully crafted letters and pressed peonies. As tears filled his eyes, he thought again of his purported sacrifice and everything he had done in the hopes of sheltering her from the very pain that he had caused her.

"Sakura," he prayed, his voice hoarse with emotion, "forgive me."

~ to be continued ~

I think by now, some of you must be thinking closer to what actually happened. For now, hopefully you can see that Ayame pretty much tricked Syaoran into the engagement, using his good nature and willingness to do almost anything for Sakura against him.

Well, let me know what you think.

Next chapter: Sakura spends the time with Syaoran's youngest sister and learns something of interest about her new husband.

Note:

"For that I will never be as wretched as you": I know I'm kinda tooting my own horn when I say this, but I just wanted to point out the beautiful play on words here. The word 'wretched' has several meanings, all of which apply here. The main one is unhappy/unfortunate given the context of the line but it can also mean despicable/loathsome or sick. The pun, I suppose, here is playing with unhappy and loathsome as Ayame is 'wretched' in both senses. I spent a bit of time on the phrase getting the ambiguities just right, thus I wanted to draw it to people's attention so that the double meaning I spent so long on wasn't lost.

Li Ryuu: You all know who Mizuki-heika's consort (husband) is, right? If you know that, then you know exactly why Syaoran realizes that Ayame is lying when she tells Syaoran that Sakura is Ryuu's mistress. It will definitely be clearer later.
As an extra hint, the first Li son is named after his father by tradition (and so you get a long line of Ryuus if it remains unbroken), but this particular child was renamed later because the name was deemed unfit, or rather, he was deemed unfit for the name.

"O, I am fortune's fool": This line is from Romeo and Juliet. Romeo says it just after he kills Tybalt and realizes that he's damned himself. You'll find out later why it's ironic, but for now it's appropriate given the 'star-cross'd' theme of this piece.