I know some people are a bit disappointed in Sakura becoming less fiery. Her anger in the early chapters were really fueled by sadness, so now she's happier, she's not going to be lashing out in the same way. I think she gets a touch bi-polar from now on - torn between accepting what seems like love from Syaoran, and what she thinks she knows about their relationship.
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:
Li Syaoran: 22 yrs (almost 23)
Kinomoto Sakura: 21 yrs
Kinomoto Tomoyo: 20 yrs
Kinomoto Ayame: 18 yrs (dec)
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura.
It's Only Love – Sisters
Feimei led Sakura through the marketplace, smiling as Sakura's eyes lit up with joy at the slightest thing. She kept a mental list of the things that Sakura seemed to enjoy most, making plans to share it with her brother later – she was sure that Syaoran would be pleased to have more reasons to see his pretty new wife smile.
"Oh, Sakura-chan, you're so kawaii!" Feimei cried suddenly, seemingly at random.
Sakura blinked awkwardly, a blush streaking across her face as the marketplace appeared to stop at Feimei's outburst. Sakura wasn't really all that surprised at the outburst – Syaoran had described his sister's as being a frightening mixture of Nakuru and Tomoyo – but she hated the various eyes that suddenly turned on her and scrutinized her presence.
"Arigatou, Feimei-neesan," she said quietly, trying not to draw further attention with her response. The crowd soon turned back to their original activities once it was clear that the two weren't doing anything interesting, and Feimei's loud outburst was instantly forgotten.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan," Feimei replied, noting Sakura's demeanour. "I didn't realize you were so shy. The way that little brother spoke about you . . ."
"It's not that I'm shy," Sakura said waving off the apology, "I'm just not sure that people are supposed to know about me yet," she answered cautiously. "I mean, your mother doesn't even know yet."
"Okaa-san knows," Feimei replied simply.
"But she . . ." Sakura began in confusion before her brain suddenly latched onto an earlier part of the sentence. "Syaoran talked about me?" she asked shyly, her eyes shining hopefully.
"Of course," Feimei answered chirpily. "It was always 'Sakura-chan is so nice' and 'Sakura-chan is so witty' and 'Sakura-chan has a smile so bright that it lights up the darkest night and makes the stars, the moon, the sun and every other source of illumination dim with envy'."
"He didn't say that," Sakura protested, her cheeks burning so brightly that she was practically luminescent.
"Indeed he did," Feimei said with the utmost certainty. "He talked about you so much that I felt I knew everything there was to know about you by the time you arrived.
"I've never seen him happier than when he was talking about you, Sakura-chan," she finished with a sigh of content.
"What about with Ayame?" Sakura questioned. The sensible part of her brain would not let her forget about Syaoran's former fiancée. "I'm sure that they were very happy together."
Feimei scoffed, her features hardening for a moment. "Hardly," she muttered. "She made his life a veritable hell.
"Oh," she gasped a moment later, remembering whom she was talking with. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan. I can't believe I forgot that Ayame-san was your sister. She was just so awful to him sometimes.
"He was so cool from the moment they arrived and the only time I ever saw him show emotion was when Ayame-san deliberately tried to get a rise out of him," Feimei continued sadly, feeling the need to somewhat excuse Ayame's behaviour in front of Sakura. "I know it wasn't her fault – even I was getting frustrated with his indifference and inaccessibility – but she always knew exactly where to strike and how to get a response, even if it wasn't a positive one."
"You make it sound like they were enemies or something," Sakura said, forcing a laugh into her voice. "He must have seen something in her in order to ask her to marry him."
Feimei frowned, wrapping a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulder. "I'm not sure Syaoran would want me to tell you this," she said gently, "but I think it's something you need to know.
"Syaoran never wanted to marry Ayame-san," she said very seriously, holding Sakura at arms distance and looking her hard in the eye. "The reason he 'choose' Ayame-san was because she told him that you were already in love with someone and he didn't want to take you away from your most important person."
Sakura released a sharp intake of breath as she absorbed Feimei's words. She looked so serious about it that Sakura had no doubt as to their truth. Ayame had said that she would do anything to secure Syaoran, and Sakura knew that what Feimei described was in no way beyond her younger sister.
"W-why would she do that?" Sakura asked, tears choking up her voice.
"That I can't tell you," Feimei said sadly, shrugging her shoulders hopelessly as she let Sakura go. Her mood flipped a moment later and she began dragging Sakura through the market place once again. "Come, Sakura-chan, I have to introduce you to more people."
She dragged her new sister-in-law with her to a nearby cottage belonging to her semi-official seamstress, Daidouji Sinomi, an older woman with short red-hair. The woman greeted Feimei fondly before turning to Sakura with an inquisitive gaze. "And who is this?" she asked, her tone regal and slightly suspicious.
Feimei grinned wildly. "It's a secret, so I'm only telling you on the condition that it stays between you and me," she said, giving Sinomi a stern look. "This is Syaoran's wife!" she said in a loud whisper.
Sinomi gave Feimei a sceptical look before giving Sakura a second examination. She shook her head in mild irritation. "Trust Syaoran-heika to throw away twenty-three years of sensibility to go marry a peasant," she said disappointedly before adding in a none too complimentary way, "albeit a very pretty one."
She grabbed Sakura's chin and held it between her thumb and fore finger as she gave a closer inspection of Sakura's face. "You have very pretty eyes, Li-hidenka," she said, choosing the subordinate title of consort rather than queen. "And your bone structure is almost regal. You could probably pass for a noblewoman if need be," she said, forcing Sakura's head side on so she could see her in profile.
Sakura looked shocked at Sinomi's actions while Feimei stood next to her barely containing her laughter. "Sinomi-kun is a very close friend of the family," Feimei explained in a strained way. "I think she was hoping that Syaoran would marry her daughter.
"This is Sakura-hieka," she introduced, subtly correcting Sinomi's address. "She is Fujitaka-heika's eldest daughter."
"That awful man," Sinomi muttered darkly at the name before freezing in her action. "Oh my," she said, staring at Sakura with fresh eyes, her features now filled with warmth rather than distant cool. "You're Nadeshiko's daughter," she said softly, her hold on Sakura suddenly becoming gentle.
"Oh I see it now," she said, her eyes becoming moist with tears. "You have your mother's eyes, Sakura-heika," she said happily. "And you have her nose and cheekbones. You look almost exactly like her. So lovely.
"It's really a shame that you got your father's hair - awful man that he is - but I suppose concessions must be made," she added flippantly. "You're positively exquisite, Sakura-heika!"
"Thank you, Daidouji-san," Sakura said bashfully, still feeling uncertain about this woman and her oddly changing moods.
"You're welcome, Sakura-heika," Sinomi answered, her eyes almost sparkling in a way that reminded Sakura quite oddly of her sister Tomoyo.
"You know I was a friend of your mother's until she married that awful man," Sinomi continued, switching from bright and happy to dark and grumbly at the unfortunate mention of 'that awful man'. "Nadeshiko and I were the best of friend."
"Oh," Sakura offered consolingly, "why did you two stop being friends?"
Sinomi sighed, her features clouding over as she recalled a distant memory. "We got into a fight about her marriage and we both said a lot of things we didn't mean," she said sadly. "I left and came here, and your mother and I never spoke again."
"That is too bad," Sakura said gently, her tone diplomatic. "I'm sure mother was sad to lose such a friend."
"Oh, Sakura-heika," Sinomi cooed, tears practically streaming down her face, "it means so much to hear you say that." She turned to Feimei a smile gracing her usually stony features, "I can see why Syaoran-heika married her," she said cheekily. "Sakura-heika is adorable!"
Sakura laughed awkwardly, Sinomi being almost as bad as Feimei. "So I am forgiven for stealing Syaoran away from your daughter?" Sakura asked, half joking about the matter.
"Who?" Sinomi replied indifferently before waving the mention of her own daughter off with a brush of her hand. "Who am I to stand in the way of true love?" she asked dramatically, causing Sakura to blush a brilliant red once again.
"Sakura-heika, you must let me design some gowns for you," Sinomi insisted a moment later. "I bet you look kawaii in everything."
Feimei laughed at Sinomi's unusual disposition. "That's why we're here, Sinomi-kun," she answered for them. "Sakura-chan doesn't have a thing to wear. All her clothes are too heavy for our environment.
"You would think that little brother would have had the forethought to have some things prepared for her," she added admonishingly.
"Oh but he did," Sinomi smiled mysteriously. "Well just the one, really. He commissioned me to make a lovely pink dress quite some time ago but never came around to pick it up. It was clearly meant for Sakura-heika."
Sinomi disappeared out back, returning a moment later with a lovely pink dress that in many ways reminded Sakura of her wedding dress. It had the same sweetheart neckline, but with short, capped sleeves and a higher waist. The skirt was not as full, such layers being impractical in the heat of he Li kingdom. She was surprised at the difference that the distance between the two kingdoms made, although it was the height of summer so that might have contributed somewhat.
"This is beautiful," Sakura sighed happily. "It looks just like something my sister would make.
"Are you sure it will fit?" she added after. She assumed it was probably something for Ayame rather than herself. The two sisters weren't exactly the same build. Sakura was tall and athletic, as were Naoko and Rika – the three of them took more after their father in that respect, although it was always said that Sakura's facial features most resembled their mother. Ayame, much like Meilin, Tomoyo, and Chiharu, was a bit shorter and curvier than Sakura, taking their mother's build instead.
"Positive," Sinomi nodded, forcing Sakura into the backroom.
Sakura dressed quickly, and it was indeed a perfect fit. There was no way that this dress could have been intended for anyone but herself. It was irrefutable evidence that Syaoran had been thinking of her even as he engaged himself to Ayame.
And Sakura had no idea what to do with it.
My dearest Tomoyo,
I am writing this letter, for my own selfishness I suppose. I miss you. I know I have brought this upon myself entirely, but I miss you, love.
It is no small joy that writing this letter brings me. Reaching out to you in this small way is all can do to keep myself sane; to continue with this burden. Tomoyo, I -
Tomoyo threw the letter away in disgust. She almost snarled – in complete polarity of her usual disposition – as she roughly pulled together her writing instruments. She penned a quick reply – succinct and to the point.
You made your choice, and now you must live with it. You can't have it both ways, my lord, and I have too much self-respect to be your dirty secret.
Do not write me again.
Satisfied with her response, Tomoyo shoved the letter into an unmarked envelope and that envelope into another marked with a southward address. She began writing a letter to Feimei asking her to ensure he complied with her request.
"Tomoyo-neechan," Rika called softly as she came into the room, "are you busy?"
"Not at all," Tomoyo replied convincingly, anger fading from her face. "I was about to reply to Feimei-chan's letter, but that can wait."
Rika smiled and sat herself on Tomoyo's bed while Tomoyo herself remained at her writing desk. "Did Li-chan say anything about onee-chan?" Rika asked hopefully.
Tomoyo nodded, smiling lightly. "She wrote as soon as Sakura-chan and Li-kun arrived. Sakura-chan was sleeping," she said with a look that conveyed a silent 'of course' to Rika who laughed in agreement, "so Feimei-chan hasn't had the chance to meet her properly yet, but she can't wait.
"She said she'd never seen Li-kun so sweet," she added, practically quoting from Feimei's letter now. "He tucked her into bed personally and glared at anyone who even thought about waking her."
They shared a laugh, awing at Sakura's ability to bring out the soft side in people, Syaoran and Touya being the most patent examples. "I think Li-kun must love Sakura-neechan very much," Rika said softly, a look of content cast across her features.
"Why do you say that, Rika-chan?" Tomoyo asked, surprised at her little sister's observance.
Rika shrugged in reply. "I suppose it's because he always gives her the most gentle looks when he gazes at her," she offered dreamily. "He looks at her as though she were something precious to him."
"Hmm," Tomoyo hummed thoughtfully. "I think you might be right," she agreed, a secret smile on her lips. "So, what did you want to talk about, Rika-chan?"
"Nothing really," Rika admitted shyly, flushing a little. "Yoshi-kun has gone to talk to father and I just wanted something to distract me while I await the verdict.
"You don't mind, do you, Tomoyo-neechan?" she added sheepishly.
Tomoyo smiled gently at her sister, squeezing her hand encouragingly. "I'm sure it will be alright," she assured her quietly. "Otou-san has always liked Tereda-sensei, and he always prized our happiness over all else. The only reason he would turn Tereda-sensei away is if he believed you would be unhappy with him."
Rika only looked mildly convinced, and Tomoyo wished she had Sakura's indefatigable surety to share with Rika right now. "Shall I tell you a secret? Will that distract?" she asked instead, as a last effort to distract Rika from her concerns. Rika nodded eagerly, all other thoughts leaving her momentarily.
"I really do think you might be right about Li-kun," she said in a low voice, imparting her secret in a mysterious fashion. "And I think Sakura-chan might love him too."
~ to be continued ~
I just love the scene with Sinomi, especially the 'awful man' comments. Sakura is slowly starting to realize the vast difference between Syaoran's feelings for herself and we are slowly building up to the stories climax. Hope you liked.
Next chapter: Filler/Fluff, but cute enough that I'm sure I'll be forgiven. Some significant foreshadowing.
Note:
Hidenka: Sinomi uses 'hidenka' rather than 'heika' as an insult, using it to imply that she has an inferior claim to rule and is at a lower level than Syaoran - she says right from the start that she thinks Syaoran has married below his position, so it's not entirely subtle.