Destiny

Chapter 18

By Sakura aka Michelle

December 7, 2011

"That was dangerous," Syaoran whispered as he stared in awe at the closed trap door he just went through from the throne room. He could hear the princess calling for him distinctively from within the tunnel through the concealed partition. "I didn't know that such thing actually exist here."

Sakura, who was still pressed tightly against Syaoran during the shuffle, was unable to make any remarks to his previous statements for she was too busy blushing from her head to her toes. She was trying to control her heart from beating much too fast as she had a feeling that Syaoran could actually feel her erratic heartbeat from their nearness. In addition, it felt to good to be in his arms every time that she forgot where they were and what they were intending to do.

When Sakura did not move a few moments later, Syaoran gently pat her shoulders to get her attention, which he succeeded. Sakura slowly tilted her head up towards him shyly and tried to disentangle herself from him. He reached out a hand to steady her as she stumbled on her twisted ankle.

"What?" Sakura asked when Syaoran just stared at Sakura and did not say anything.

Syaoran blinked and then smiled sheepishly. "It's nothing… I'm just really glad that you are Kinomoto Sakura, the real princess of Kinomoto Kingdom. I can't bear to think myself being shackled to the chatterbox glue out there in the throne room. I think I will really go crazy whenever she talks non-stop around me over everything and anything."

Sakura gaped at him and then started fuming. She suddenly pushed away from him and limped to the other side of the tunnel, leaving him behind. Puzzled, Syaoran hurriedly gave chase. "Sakura, what's wrong?"

Limping towards any tunnel she caught sight of, Sakura was determined to ignore him while anger was brewing within her. How dare he compare me with her? I am not her! We aren't even alike to begin with…

Syaoran continued to do whatever he could to appease Sakura, whose sudden anger took him by surprise and helplessness. He wondered if it was something that he had said that riled Sakura but being a good-natured person such as herself, she was rarely in a bad mood. He tried recalling what he had said and could not come up with any possible reasons.

Her sudden halt took him by surprise that he almost banged into her. He had to thank his super fast reflexes that prevent him from knocking into her and causing her even more injuries even though they would be rather minor like some scratches on her supple white skin. Syaoran blinked and re-processed what he had just thought of and then frantically shook his head at himself. He had to remind himself to keep his thoughts pure. Pure thoughts… Pure thoughts!

"I…" Sakura whispered with her back still facing him. Syaoran had to strain his ear to catch whatever she was trying to say and was a little shocked by what he heard next. "I don't like it when you think of other people whenever you are thinking about me. You… You can only think about me and only me. No other people."

Syaoran took in her small frame and her hands fisted up by her sides and knew that she was very serious about what she had said indeed. He dare not try to tease her again lest he made the mistake of riling her up again accidentally either by his careless words or actions. Deciding that it was the best course of action, Syaoran moved forward and enveloped her in his arms to comfort her.

He could hear her soft gasp of surprise but he felt no resistance from her. She just let him pull her into his arms and remained there, not moving even an inch away. "With you around me, there is no need for me to ever think about other people. I have eyes for only you, always. You don't have to worry on that account. You have my word."

Since her back was to him, he did not catch the shy smile on her face and Sakura was glad that this was the case. She did not want Syaoran to know how relieved she felt when she heard his vow to her. She knew she was being a little unreasonable and perhaps a little too childish too, to vent out her jealously fits on him just like that in a sudden burst of explosion; it was in fact a little unfair to him.

"Let's just settle my family affairs first," Sakura murmured and Syaoran heard it. He smiled, knowing that Sakura is trying to change the subject. He did not mind it and just let her do it. He knew she was a little embarrassed by his words. He, too, was not unaffected by his own words; he could still feel his cheeks burning up, an aftereffects from his bold words.

"You said your brother was a fake," Syaoran reminded her and wanted to confirm something. "There should be a wound on his arm but there wasn't any as you have said earlier."

Sakura turned to him and bobbed her head gingerly but then some doubts had started to cloud her mind. He did not let go of her though and kept his hands on her shoulders. "Could I have seen wrongly? The room was dimly lit."

"It's a possibility too," Syaoran agreed. "But whether it is true or not, we don't have time to go back and check again; time is too precious to waste. Those people may be malicious and do drastic things beyond our thoughts. Our priority now is your parents. We have to make sure that they are safe."

Sakura looked at him incredulously. All the while she has been thinking about her brother and why had he lied to her and it surprised her tremendously that Syaoran actually looked at the whole situation from a wider perspective. Now he had just gained her deep respect. She was actually glad that he was by her side in such troubling times.

"You are right. I have never thought about that," Sakura admitted.

"I suppose this tunnel leads… everywhere?" Syaoran asked, a little uncertain as he surveyed the area around them. The tunnel had seemed endless to him and if not for the only torch that lay forgotten in the latch on the wall near their head, which happens to be just beside the hidden trap door, the whole tunnel would be pitch-black and they would be engulfed by the darkness.

Again Sakura nodded, "I can still remember the map in my head. I have been forced to memorize all possible routes of escape in the event something happened within the castle. Only members of Kinomoto Royalty knew of its existence and are not passed to any outsiders. Be honoured that you are the first person not of Kinomoto blood to know about this."

Sakura reached up to grab the burning torch from the latch and proceeded to guide them along the tunnel to where she thought her parents might be. Sakura had remembered Yelan telling Syaoran in his room while she was hidden in the bathtub that the king had fallen from a long flight of stairs and has been bed-ridden ever since. There could only one place that he could be residing at present – their bedchambers. That was their destination and they had to hurry before the impersonated Royal members could do any harm to the rulers of the Kingdom.

She was startled when Syaoran stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder and she stopped immediately. She was about to ask Syaoran if there was anything wrong when he reached over and took the torch from her hands quietly. He held it up with his left hand while using his right hand to support her weight so that she could take a bit of weight off her sprained right ankle. She sent him a grateful smile to which he smiled back. Sakura could feel her overworked heart do another flip-flop within her.

"Will it be a long distance away?" He asked.

"I'm afraid so and there are some steps to climb since my parents' bedchambers are located at the upper floors. Most of the bigger rooms for Royalties are located on the upper floors. 'Nii-sama requested to be put on the ground floor since he said it is far quicker for him to access the training grounds."

"That sounds logical," Syaoran agreed with her brother's choice of room. "If I were him, I would also request to be put on the lower floors since it would mean faster access to certain important rooms in times of emergencies."

Sakura nodded and then both were silent as they crossed the remaining distance to her parents' bedchambers. Upon reaching, Sakura moved away from Syaoran to locate that small little lever which would assist her to open the concealed trap door. She would have to be very silent while at the task since they did not want to risk anyone within the bedchamber hearing the noise and reporting it to some guards. It would mean a lot of troubles for them.

The lever was easily found as it was usually located on the bottom and protruded out slightly. Sakura strained her ears to hear the ongoing activities within the room and was not surprised when she found none. After all, her father, the King, was sick and bed-ridden. It would be shocking if he could recover in a noisy room. Sakura turned back and nodded to Syaoran, who then placed the torch in the latch on the wall near the concealed trap door.

For the third time in the same day, Sakura stepped into the cupboard through the concealed trap door and peeked through the small opening of the cupboard door and surveyed the happenings within the Royal bedchamber. As expected, it was dark inside the room and light snores could be heard. There were no guards posted within the room and Sakura guessed they were guarding the room from the outside. She suddenly wondered if her parents were being kept in the room as captives or were they allowed out of the room freely.

"The coast is clear," Sakura whispered to Syaoran. "Both my parents are probably asleep. Do you think it is wise to go in and see them?"

Syaoran moved Sakura aside so that he could take a look as well. He spent several seconds squinting through the small slit before he gave Sakura a thumb up signal, indicating that they could go in. Making sure that Sakura was out of the way, Syaoran opened the cupboard fully to allow them to step out into the room. He came out first and then turned to help Sakura out of the concealment.

Her eyes immediately fixed on the sleeping occupants of the bed and she slowly limped towards them. Syaoran stayed back to allow her some form of private moments with her parents. Even from the distance, he could see the way the tears shone in her eyes as she looked at her parents. It has been ten years since she last saw them and it was no wonder that she would be overcome by the happiness within her at seeing them again.

Nadeshiko stirred in her sleep under the covers, as if knowing that there were people within her room. She opened her eyes slowly and stared sleepily at Sakura's form hovering over her for a few moments before she could register in her mind that she was not dreaming and that there was really a stranger in her room. She shot up from the bed into a sitting position and stared wide-eyed at Sakura and her expression turned fearful as if thinking that Sakura was in the room to harm her husband.

She was about to shout for the guards when she spotted Syaoran standing near the big cupboard in their room. The door of the cupboard was still wide open and the opened concealed trap door was visible from her position on the bed. Nadeshiko turned to look at the girl in front of her, whose tears were already flowing down her cheeks and dripping from her chin.

"Oka-sama," Sakura whispered as she sobbed and knelt down on the hard ground in front of Nadeshiko, who was still looking quite stunned.

"Pr-Prince Li," Nadeshiko stammered. "Wh-What is the meaning of this?"

Syaoran made a formal bow as his deeply ingrained mannerism kicked up and he replied with a firm nod of his head, "It is what you are thinking at this very moment."

"What nonsense is this?" Nadeshiko sputtered as she looked accusingly at Syaoran who managed hard not to cringe in response. It was always very disconcerting to be the recipient of a lady's glare. "My girl has already come back with the Clow Book and we all know very well what it entails."

"The truth is right before your eyes," Syaoran reminded and looked pointedly behind him at the open cupboard. "And I think you know what it entails too."

With shaky hands, Nadeshiko came off the bed to pull Sakura up into a standing position and then her hands lifted to Sakura's face and she cupped her tear-stained cheeks gently. "Let me take a look at your face," Nadeshiko whispered as she did what she had just said.

Sakura sniffled and reveled in her mother's gentle touches. All she wanted to do right now was to hug her mother and be in her mother's welcoming arms. In the next instant, her wish came true: her mother hugged her, hard.

Surprise~~ A bonus chapter update for all my dear readers for all your years of continual support. You can note from my website that there is no fic scheduled to be updated this week so yeah, hope you have enjoyed it. You can head to my website to check the schedule and at the same time comment on which series you want me to update first. Go! Oh, and don't forget to leave a review here. Thank you!