Author's Note: I'm so glad I got so many reviews last chapter! Thank you! Well here is the next chapter. I know this story is still boring but I'll try to spice it up a little. I'm still open to suggestions and critique so please give me some if you can!
Italics stand for thoughts.
Special thanks to my beta Star Muse! Even though she was really busy, she had found time to help me out! Thanks!
Last Chapter:
Sakura walked toward the door and stepped outside.
"Good luck Sakura," said Yue.
"Do your best!" continued Kero.
Sakura turned around to face them. She smiled. "Thank you," she said.
Walking out the door, she walked down the long hallways to her room. Shutting the door, she slouched against it. Unshed tears were angrily blinked back. A painful smile adorned her face.
End of Last Chapter
Joyful laughter filled the air.
"Seriously?" asked Miyu. Her red eyes shone with happiness. Her blond, shoulder length hair fell brushed over her shoulder as she bent forward clutching her stomach. Hikari sat up straight, her shoulders shaking slightly from laughter, causing her long, light silver hair to move along. Her matching, kind eyes stared at Sora, who was telling the story. Sora was leaning forward against the table, her chin length brown hair just barely touching it. Her sky blue eyes were glossy from the tears of happiness and laughter. Sakura was laughing just as hard as everyone. Her hair was put tightly in a bun, and her emerald eyes stared at Sora waiting for her to answer Miyu.
"Seriously!" confirmed Sora, still laughing. "My little brother really did that when he was young. And do you know what else he did when he was younger?"
"What?" asked Hikari, still trying to control her laughter.
"He… he…," Sora laughed, unable to continue. All the girls sat on the edge of their seats wondering what else happened. "I think he was five when he did this, he had a crush on some girl in school. He went home and asked my mom for a rose from the garden. My mom ended up helping him and trimmed off the thorns." Sora paused.
"And then?" asked Miyu, completely absorbed in the story.
"The next day when they were on the playground, he went up to his crush and said…" Sora burst into laughter again. "He said, "Here is your rose, woman, now be my wife." Isn't that hilarious? I don't know where he got that line from!"
The girls broke into fits of laughter. It was a little after lunch, and it was a free day so they could all just hang around. Suddenly, a man dressed formally walked up to them and bowed.
"Ladies," he said, "I believe that the Sakura Kinomoto I'm looking for is right here at this table?"
"Yes, I am Sakura Kinomoto. Is there anything wrong?" spoke Sakura carefully. Everyone at the table grew silent.
"No, nothing is wrong. I do believe that it is your turn to talk to the prince for 15 minutes. Please come this way."
Sakura's smile faded. Was it her turn already? She wanted to talk more to her friends. Slowly, Sakura rose from the chair that she was sitting on. She looked at all her friends. Hikari gave her a nod, Miyu gave her a supporting smile, and Sora mouthed to her, "Good luck!"
Sakura walked away and followed the man down a few hallways into a glass room. He opened the door for her, and she mumbled a quiet thank you, but loud enough for the man to hear. She gazed around, not failing to be awed by the room. The man pulled out the chair out from the small table that furnished the room. Sakura sat down. The man bowed and left silently, right before Sakura thanked him again. He mumbled a short, "You're welcome", surprised. The door shut and Sakura was left alone in the room with the prince sitting right across from her, taking a sip of his tea. Sakura sat in silence, wondering what she should do. She felt nervous from the air that he was giving off.
"Alright, why isn't the stupid girl talking? Didn't the rest of them start talking immediately?"
Sakura sipped her tea. "Mmmm! This tea is delicious!" she said happily, forgetting that the prince was still sitting across from her.
He mumbled a short, "Hnnn…" His head was still looking at the sheet on the table that was next to his tea. It was better reading it than even taking one glance at the woman in front of him. Who knew what she would interpret it as? The paper that he was reading was the so called "cheat sheet" that his sisters gave him just incase he didn't have anything to say.
"Yeah, like I would really want to talk to any of them."
Sakura gulped, the aura surrounding him scared and unnerved her. The room was also too quiet for her liking.
"Did I say something wrong? He looks like he's mad at me. All I did was say that the tea was really good. I didn't mean to say anything either. It just… I just kind of spoke out loud on accident. Anyways, what should I do now? I want to get out of here!"
"Please pardon my manners, Prince Li. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way," said Sakura, a little worried if she really did get someone mad at her.
Syaoran was surprised. "Prince Li? Wasn't it, "Oh Syaoran!" to them? This was a first. And…offend me…about what?"
"You didn't," he said curtly, still looking at the papers. "Women are all stupid."
Sakura looked at him in confusion. "I didn't what?"
Syaoran kept his anger in check. "Annoying! Annoying! Annoying! Even though she's probably 100 times better than the other girls who were pestering me, she still so annoying. Can't they just all shut their mouths up?" he thought harshly.
"You didn't offend me," he said. In a much quieter voice he spoke, "Yet…You are bound to be just like the other girls."
Being trained with good ears, Sakura had heard him. "Well, if I ever do, please tell me and…What do you mean by, 'Just like the other girls'?" she asked.
Syaoran looked up at her in masked surprise. How could have she heard him? He spoke so quietly it was almost impossible to hear him.
"Wait…" he spoke as he studied her features. "I remember you…You were with Kero and Yue the other day…right?"
"Yes!" she said happily as she remembered her dear cousins.
Syaoran couldn't but help ask another question. His burning curiosity got the better of him. "How do you know them?"
Sakura looked at him. Was the cold prince asking her a question? Unbelievable…"Well, for starters, they are my cousins."
Syaoran carefully swallowed his tea, holding his shock back. They were cousins? "So…" he said furrowing his eyebrows, "You guys…are cousins," he said slowly.
Sakura looked into his amber eyes. Either the light was playing tricks on her or there really were a few beautiful specks of gold here and there. "Yes. They come from my dad's side. Even though they don't look the least bit alike, they are brothers. Speaking of that, exactly what are they doing in this castle?"
For some reason, Syaoran Li found himself replying. Grudgingly replying but still answering her question none the less.
"They are high ranked guards for this kingdom and they are somewhat like generals. I guess you could say they are high ranked generals too. They have all sorts of different jobs and statuses so you really can't put them in any group… didn't you know?"
"No actually, I didn't. They kind of…uh…nothing actually," said Sakura quickly. "I almost said too much. I don't want to say anything just in case I'm not supposed to. I don't even know half of what's going on so…" mused Sakura.
Syaoran just stared at the girl in front of him while she lapsed into silence. He was confused. First this girl doesn't start obsessing and freaking out when she saw him, then she called him Prince Li. She knows Yue and Kero who have high authority and yet she's dressed in clothing that belongs to the poor with no standing. She doesn't wear makeup or any jewelry, she doesn't try to impress him and…
A maid walked in to refill the tea. She poured the tea into Sakura's cup, but as she headed for Syaoran's cup, she accidentally knocked over Sakura's with her elbow.
Sakura winced slightly in pain as the burning hot liquid dribbled onto her scorched hand. The maid quickly apologized. Sakura smiled as she hid her burned left hand behind her without making it obvious. Quickly, with her right hand, Sakura wiped up the mess.
"I am so sorry!!" said the maid frantically.
"Oh don't worry about it. Everything is just fine. I don't even think I got burned. See?" asked Sakura as she lifted her right hand in the air, making sure that her left hand was hidden from the maid's view. Sakura smiled brightly.
The maid sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! I am so sorry about that." She refilled both of their cups and walked back out. The door shut as they both sat in silence.
"So…" said Sakura, talking. She couldn't think of anything to say though, as she paused again.
Feeling somewhat responsible for the injury that the maid had caused, he spoke. "How bad is it?" He was surprised that she didn't scream.
"How bad is what?" asked Sakura, clearing knowing what he was talking about. She was just trying to stall some time.
"Your hand…"
"What about my hand?"
Syaoran was getting aggravated. "How bad is your hand burnt?"
Sakura looked at him confused. She was a good liar and an actress. "It's not burnt. See?" She raised her right hand. "It's perfectly fine."
"And your left?" he inquired.
Sakura lifted her left hand. The wound was on the back side of her hand so she showed him her palm, the front side. "See? Nothing."
Syaoran mentally rolled his eyes. "Do you take me as stupid? Turn your hand over."
Sakura hesitated.
Syaoran spoke deliberately. "It's an order."
Sakura slowly turned her hand around and there it was. It was a large area that was completely red. Syaoran shook his head. "Come with me," he said coldly.
They walked down the hallways together until they got to the infirmary. Syaoran brought her to the back of the room. "Hello, anyone here?" he called out. No one was there. He sighed inwardly as he realized that he would have to help her.
He got out some supplies from the cabinet and told Sakura to wash her hands under cold water and then sit down on the bed. He sat in a chair next to her and told her to hold out her hand. She obeyed.
"It might sting a little," he grumbled. Gently, he applied the paste on her hand. Her hand was warm while his was cold. She blushed slightly when he blew on her hand to soothe the pain. To stop herself from blushing, she spoke.
"Fresh grass, bitter melon, banana, sandalwood bark, the ashes of the tamarind tree, and licorice leaves with a pinch of salt right?" she asked. (Author's Note: I'm making this up! Though according to some website, these ingredients do help. However, you don't mix them up with each other. You mix them up with other things instead.)
She was right. "How do you know?" he asked in an even tone. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her shrug.
"My head has been drilled with different things whether useful or not," she said. "I can tell what it is by the color and the smell." Carefully, Syaoran wrapped her hand in a white cloth bandage. He stood up to put everything away.
"Come down here every morning and night to apply it for as long as the burn lasts. It should go away pretty soon so you shouldn't have to worry about it. Someone will usually be down here to help. If there isn't anyone then you can put it on yourself. Obviously you recognize the paste." Together in silence, they both walked out the door and back toward the room. As soon as he walked back to the room and opened the door, he was met with a sight of a screaming woman.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW!?" She slammed the cup onto the floor. The young maid was trying to calm her down. It was a different maid than last time though. This maid looked only around 8, a young child. Because of the ruckus, neither one noticed that the prince and Sakura were standing by the door.
The maid calmly replied to her. "He's not here in this room right now. I'm sure he will be back in a second. He probably went somewhere to get something."
The lady in the frilly dress screamed. "I DON'T CARE!! GET HIM HERE RIGHT NOW OR ELSE I'LL HURT YOU."
The young maid step back a little, terrified. Sakura stepped forward but Syaoran raised his arm so she couldn't get through. Sakura looked at him confusedly as he shook his head and pointed a finger up to his lips, signaling for silence. Sakura stepped back and obeyed, watching the scene. Syaoran let his arm down.
"But… but… but… But I have no clue where he is," said the maid terrified.
"Do you know who I am? I can easily order my guards to kill your family. I want to see the prince right now."
"I don't know where he is, please don't do anything," she whimpered as she stepped back.
"NOW!!" she screamed as she stood tall over the little maid.
"But…"
A crash was heard the high class woman grabbed the cup on the table and threw it at her. The maid had successfully dodged it and the cup crashed to the ground. Sakura moved forward right after Syaoran had walked a few feet into the room.
He spoke in a loud and cold commanding voice. "You are disqualified for attempting to hurt someone."
The woman looked at him. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT…" As soon as she saw that it was the prince, her voice became sickly sweet. "Syaoran!"
Syaoran grimaced as he heard his first name out of her mouth. She made it sound so ugly. "It's Li. In any case, you are disqualified," he said bitterly.
"But," she whined in a high pitched voice.
"You didn't listen to her "buts" so I'm not going to listen to yours. I heard and saw everything. You are disqualified. Pack up and leave immediately."
The woman suddenly broke down into hysterics. "WHY? WHY? WHY? Am I not good enough? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!!" She glared at the little girl. The little girl suddenly hid behind Sakura and clenched the back of her shirt in fright. Sakura patted the little girl on the head. She murmured a few comforting words.
The lady pointed at the little girl. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!! ALL YOURS!!" She quickly walked toward them. The child scurried across the room in fright. The woman followed her. Sakura quickly ran after her and stood right in front of the girl after they all stopped walking.
"MOVE!!"
"Please reconsider your actions," said Sakura, not moving. The child was holding on tightly to her.
"I SAID MOVE!!"
"And I said, please reconsider your actions."
Furious, the lady raised her right hand and smacked Sakura straight across the face. Sakura's head turned slightly from the impact. She looked at the person in front of her. "Think before you act."
Furious, the woman lifted her hand for another slap but Syaoran came across the room and stopped her. He gripped her wrist and threw it downwards so that her wrist was next to her body.
She looked at everyone. "Why is my life so miserable?" she forced out.
Syaoran looked at her. "You were the one who made the choices. You are the one who made yourself miserable."
Sakura looked at her as the woman covered her face with her hands. Her shaking shoulders moved up and down with each sob. Sakura felt upset at the scene. She spoke softly. "Life is what you see it as. If you think life is happy, then it is. If you think life is sad, then it is…"
"SHUT UP!! I GET IT!!" she screamed. "I… get it…" she said again, her voice cracking. With that, she ran out the door not looking back.
The little girl pulled on Sakura's shirt. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!!"
"Ah, don't worry about it!" said Sakura with a forced bright smile. The child smiled back in relief. "Everything's all right now! You can go back to do what you need to do."
"Thank you!" The little girl ran outside, happier than she was. The door shut on its own. Once again, the room filled with the dreadful silence.
"Does your face hurt?" asked Syaoran suddenly. Sakura's occupied mind didn't register the words. She was still thinking deeply about everything that was going on.
Syaoran spoke again in a louder voice. "Does your face hurt?" There was no reply as Sakura kept thinking on and on. She was letting her train of thoughts bring her to a place far away. Syaoran waved a hand in front of her face. Sakura snapped out of her thoughts.
"I'm sorry… What did you say?"
"Is your face okay?" asked the prince for the third time in his cold voice.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks."
"Life is what you see if as. If you think it's happy, then it's happy. If you think it's sad, it's sad," said Syaoran as he repeated the words Sakura had said unconsciously.
"Yes, if you truly think your life is happy you will only see happiness. You will begin to see everything good and not only the bad. But…if you only see the bad sides to your life, you will only see a path of sadness. The happiness that you could have had would be buried deeply in your heart." Sakura smiled. "Optimism goes a long way. Knowing that your glass is half full is better than knowing that your glass is half empty."
Sakura paused. "At first, it's hard. After all, we tend to look at what we are missing and lacking. If you really try though, you'll see what you have and no one else has. If all fails, think about the happiness that you can bring people by smiling and laughing with them while acting positive. If you act grumpy all day, they'll become grumpy and sad too. Smile and laughter are both contagious, but so are bad moods. I want to see everyone happy," Sakura smiled. She mumbled the last part so that he couldn't hear. But unknowingly, he heard. "I want to see everyone happy… even if it means sacrificing my own happiness…"
Sakura smiled at him. "You know, you look all mad, unemotional, and mean on the outside, but you are really nice and kind. Thank you for everything! I enjoyed my time with you. Remember to smile! I'm sure that it'll look great on you," she said innocently. Sakura gave him another smile before she walked out of the room and shut the door gently.
She left a surprised and shocked Syaoran Li standing and staring at her retreating back. "Did she just tell me to smile?" he thought incredulously. He walked to the table and sat on the chair, leaning back as he thought about what she had said. "I wonder how long it has been since I've smiled… All that she has said… Why?"
Author's Note: Hopefully this chapter made you somewhat satisfied. Please remember to review! Every time I feel like I'm lacking inspiration or feeling like I don't want to write, reading your reviews make me feel motivated. They let me know that people like my stories and someone's reading them. Thanks everyone!!
Also, feel free to give me as much critique or tips as you want. I'm always looking for some. ) I'm not sure if the relationship between Syaoran and Sakura was moving too fast. Could you let me know what you think in a review?
Thanks to those who have reviewed!
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