Sakura The Mermaid Princess

Chapter 10:

A full day has passed since Sakura had came to the Li kingdom. Most of the time she was in her room on her bed since she was too weak to walk on her new legs. Looking at the sea from her bedroom window, thinking about her family and Tomoyo, wondering how they were doing ever since she left without telling them, how things were going in her country and Prince Daisuke, wondering how would he react when he finds out.

The next morning, Sakura woke up from the sunlight that hit her face. She smiled and slowly got out off the bed. She tried to walk but tripped on the first step and landed flat on her face. The princess managed to get up again and this time made it to the window.

She looked at the ocean sadly. "So now I have to get the prince to fall in love with me, but how?" she thought, taking out her pearl hairpin remembering the serious look in his eyes when he grab her hand asking her to stay."I wish I could tell him who I really am, if not I'll die" she thought as she hold her hairpin tightly.

Sakura hadn't seem the prince ever since he brought her to the castle, make her feel disappointed. How was she suppose to get him to fall in love with her, letting alone asking her to marrying him, if she never get the chance to see him. She keep wondering if this was the right thing to do but there was no turning back, no matter what, she will win his heart and get her powers.

Sakura started to walk around the room until she found a closet. She opened it and gazed at the beautiful clothes inside. Sakura was amazed but quickly reminded herself that she was still wearing the cloth. She rummaged through the clothes and found a beautiful white kimono. The garment had purple and yellow flower designs on it and a dark pink obi that had cherry blossoms decorating it.

"These outfit remind me of something Tomoyo would had made for me." she thought with a smile on her face as she hugged the kimono tightly.

Sakura took off the cloth and started to change. It was a little difficult but she managed to get it on, put in her pearl hairpin, and looked at herself in the mirror.

"I have to see the prince's mother; I wonder what she wants to talk to me about?" Sakura asked herself as she left the room.

Sakura look around the place as she walked down the corridors. Servants and maids all around were looking at her strangely.

"I heard the Prince found her abandon in the beach, poor girl" whispered a maid as she look at Sakura with a concern.

"Wonder what the Prince see in her?"

"I don't know but she is awfully cute isn't she."

"Yeah, I wonder what he is planning to doing with her?"

Sakura look around, wondering what to do until she heard a voice coming from behind her.

"Excuse me miss, but why are you wondering around the palace? Are you lost?" asked a rich voice. Sakura turned around, with a puzzled look then made a gentle smile.

"Yes, can you tell me where the Queen is? She said that she needs to talk to me." She answered calmly.

"Sure, I take you myself." the person said with a friendly smile and tone.

"Thank you... ummmm"

"Eriol, Eriol Hiiragizawa. I'm Prince Syaoran Li's cousin." he said a he held out a friendly hand to her.

"Oh, Sakura, Sakura Kinomoto. Nice to meet you." she said a she took his hand, shaking it

"Well then, shall we get going?"

Sakura nodded as she started to follow him until she tripped hard on the floor, causing Eriol to stopped as he started running toward her.

"Are you okay?!" he asked as he held his hand, helping her up.

"Yes, I fine." she answered as she took his hand helping her to stand. "It seems that my legs haven't completely heal up yet." she said with a smile as she look on her legs, rubbing them gently.

"You can hold onto me until we reach the Queen's bed chamber."

"Thank you. Sorry for causing you a lot of trouble." she said as she took a hold on Eriol's arms.

"That okay, Miss Sakura, if that okay for me to call you that." he said as Sakura nodded her answer. "I don't mind, the prince will have my head if I don't help you in your time in need." he said as they started walking toward Queen Yelan's room.

They were silence between the two until Sakura broke it.

"So, do you and the prince get along well?" asked Sakura, hoping to get some information on Syaoran.

"Well, you can say that me and him get long quite well, since I'm the only one who he really talks to."

"Why is that?"

"Well you see since he's the prince of this kingdom, he has a lot of important stuff to take care of. Like studying on the history of this country, attending important meetings with the council, listening to the towns people, accepting their offerings, sword training..."

"Sword training?"

"Yes. Well that the only thing that he actually like doing from his busy schedule. He really doesn't have the time to enjoy himself anymore, what why I try to hang out with him as much as possible even thought it bugs him sometimes.

"Oh, I see..." she said in a low tone with a sad expression in her face never wondering what he was going through, which made Eriol feel sad.

"Please!, Don't look so sad, Miss Sakura!, He is use to it by now and besides he seems a bit happy these pass few days, so you don't have to worry, Okay?"

She nodded her answer and made a warm friendly smile which made Eriol feel happy. They finally made it to Queen Yelan's bedroom door. Sakura was about to knock but Eriol bet her to it.

"Who is it?" asked Queen Yelan.

"Ummmm, the Prince told me to come here and talk with you" said Sakura in a low tone.

"Yes of course, please come in" said Queen Yelan in calm tone.

Eriol slowly opened the door and entered the room finding her sitting on a beautiful red pillow wearing a beautiful design white silk rode with her hair let down as Sakura spotted a comb on the queen's side meaning she was brushing her hair, before she interrupted her. Sakura had already saw her on the night she meet the prince, she was a beautiful young women, hard to believe that she was the prince's mother.

"Hello my dear, you must be the girl that my son found on the beach the other day?" she asked as Sakura quickly nodded her answer. "Can you please tell me your name?" asked Queen Yelan with a warm smile which made Sakura blush.

Sakura slowly let go of Eriol's arms as she stepped forward.

"Yes! Of course your majesty!, My name is Sakura." she answered in a nervous tone as she remember her manners and quickly curtsy to her.

Queen Yelan stood up, walking toward her, placing a hand on Sakura's face, looking at her motherly.

"Your very beautiful girl Sakura, I can see why my son had brought you here. You actually remind me a lot of someone I use to know... but we both went our separate ways a long time ago." she said as Sakura was confused. "Tell me my dear, where do you come from?"

"I come from a kingdom very close from here. It's beautiful, peaceful and very dear to me but I can't return home anymore."

"Why not? I'm sure your family misses you so much and wants you back home."

"I know. However there is something I need to do and I don't know if I will see it through but I will try my best but until then, I can't go back." she answered as Eriol look at Sakura's sadness in her eyes.

There was silence between them until Queen Yelan broke it.

"Will then, will you like to stay here until you are done with your important duty? By the look of it, you don't have a place to go. However, you will have to work around the palace, and entertaining our guest when they come to the palace. Eriol, will you please escort her back to her room. I afraid she will be lost since she doesn't know her way around yet."

"Of course..." said Eriol as he took Sakura with him

Thank you so much, your majesty." She said cheerfully as they left the room which cause her to smile.

Syaoran was at the beach. He would spent most of the time inside the palace, having theses important meetings to intend, but sometimes when he wasn't busy he would go to the beach. He standing on the exact spot where they meet for the first time. He look at the sea remembering the mermaid that saved his life. How beautiful her emerald eyes were, how lovely her song was and how her gently smile made his heart pound. Wondering if he will ever see her again.

"I knew I will found you here. Still thinking about that girl." said Eriol with a smirk.

"What do you want now Eriol?"

"Your Mother wants to see you"

"Again... ok I'm going."

"Do you know anything about her? At least where she lives?" he asked as he saw Syaoran'

"She lives very close from here but I can't see her nor she can't ever see me. "

"Why not?" Eriol asked curiously.

Syaoran didn't response, knowing that his cousin would find him crazy about not going to lengths to find his mermaid.

"That strange, that almost the exactly same thing that Miss Sakura said." he said in a surprising tone.

"What do you just say?" he asked, when he heard Sakura's name.

"I meet her earlier this morning. She was lost and was looking for Aunt Yelan, so I helped her out. She said that she came from a country near here but she said that she can't come back until she done with a very important errand. So Aunt Yelan, ask her to work in the palace for a while.

"I see..."

"Your mother is awfully taken by her isn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess my mother is so desperate that she wants me to marry the first girl I bring home."

"You fancy Miss Sakura, don't you cousin?"

"No, how can I fancy her if I have only meet her a day ago?" he asked Eriol, there was silence between them until Syaoran began talking again. "When I found her here, she look so helpless, so fragile, I felt the need to take her in my arms and next minute I know, I'm back in the palace with hers sleeping peacefully in my arms, begging my mother to take her in."

There was silence for that moment until Eriol broke it.

"By the way, how was the book so far? By the look of it, you spent a lot of time reading it and you never get out as much anymore."

"There something I have to do." Syaoran answered in a clarify tone

"Does it have to do with the girl who saved your life?" Eriol asked

Syaoran didn't answered as he look at the sea with the desperate need in his eyes.

Sakura saw Syaoran and Eriol from her bedroom window wondering, what they are talking about. She can see Syaoran's expression as he look at the sea. She was wondering if he was thinking about her just like she was thinking about him. She could only do was watch him, wishing she could run to him and embrace him, feeling his arms around her, telling him who she really was and tell him, I love you.

But that can't ever happen.

Sakura decided to explore the palace grounds, hoping it take her mind off everything, maybe she could find something to do in the palace to help her pass the time.

She was walking until she found herself in the palace garden. Suddenly she found a stately cherry blossom tree as she slowly approach it. She was surprised that such a beautiful one existed, it remind her the beautiful Cherry Blossom tree in her garden back home.

The tree, seeming to be reading her thoughts as it lightly rained flower petals, furthering on her showing its unique appearance and beauty. She admire the beauty so much that she began to sing.

"Hello mother, what is that you wanted to tell me?"

"I have talk to the girl you brought here, I want you to show her to the designer's room, she will help the new designer out."

"And that's all?"

"What do you mean, my son?" she asked with a confused tone and look on her face.

"I know you mother, you wouldn't call if there was something important."

"I guess I can't hid from you much longer my son." she sighed. "Okay, there will be a ball coming up, and we must get you ready to meet some of the eligible ladies that we have been looking into for you to choose as your bride.

"Mother, can you please stop this! I told you many times before I don't want to get marry! I have seems a lot of princess and maidens for the pass few months and none of them have what I looking for."

"Please my son, you have to get marry or you never get the throne."

"MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO BE KING ANYMORE!

"SYAORAN!

With that one word that his mother said, he felt bad of what he had said.

"Look mother, I'm sorry but I can't let my life be setup by someone. I have to make my own choices on what I want to do and that includes choosing who am I going to marry.

"But you would probably find someone you like at the ball. Please do this, for me?"

"Fine I'll do it but it doesn't mean, I will find someone." he said as he started to head for the door.

"There must be someone that you are interested in?" she asked desperately.

Syaoran stopped as he thought of the mermaid for that moment as he turned back to his mother.

"There is..., but I can't never see her, no matter how much I want to." he said quietly as left the room.

"SYAORAN! WAIT!"

Syaoran walked around until he found himself outside of the palace. Why can't his mother understand how frustrating this was making him. He decided to find Sakura, until he heard a voice, singing. He quickly follow it, but it disappeared, leaving him disappointed. He found Sakura standing under the tree with her shoulder length auburn hair drifted gently over her face from the same wind that was making the petals rain. Her emerald eyes seemed to sparkle with great emotion expect the frown on her face.

"Peaceful, isn't it"

Sakura gave a jump as she turned around, finding him, smiling which cause her to blush furiously.

"Yes it is." she answered with a warm tone and smile on her face.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been around lastly, I had some important business I needed to attend."

"It's alright, I know how busy you are, after all you are the prince of this country." said Sakura, kindly.

"Yeah, but sometimes I wish I wasn't the prince." he said with a sad expression on his face.

"Why?" Sakura asked now curious to know.

"Too many responsible. You see, everyone wishes me to take a wife, especially my mother." he told her. "But I can't, I know how hard it is, been the only hire to the kingdom. Everyone expect me to do a well good job ruling the kingdom once I take the throne but they can't understand how this is affecting me. I do want to get marry with anyone that my parents tries to set up with but with the person I love."

"I know what you mean." she said quietly to herself.

"What was that?" he asked coldly, which scared her a little a bit but she answered anyway.

"I'm sorry!... What I meant to say is that I understand how you feel!" she said while she blushed from embarrassment then she changed her mood as she began to talk.

"I have many responsible back home. Sometimes, I wish I can just throw them away and finally be able to live out my life like I have always wanted, having no responsible, not having people telling me what to do and be happy. However, I can't do that. If I do, I will let everyone I love down and I don't want that. So, now I am trying do something that makes me happy along for everyone even though they don't know it yet but probably when I see them again, I'm going to be scolded, especially from my brother."

"Is that why you can't go back home?" he asked

"Yes, you can say that." she answered. Syaoran could see the sad look in her eyes, which surprised him.

There was silence for that moment between them until Syaoran broke it.

"Well then, come lets go. My mother said that I have to show you where you will start working, so please follow me." Sakura didn't say anything for a while until she nodded her answer but realize that he had already started walking head of her so she quickly tried to catch up with him despised the pain in her legs as she finally caught up and started to follow him back inside the palace.

Syaoran and Sakura were quite on the rest of the way until they reached the room. Syaoran opened the door and they went inside. The room was fairly small with only a chair, a desk, a small dressing area , an old fashioned sewing machine and a closet. There were tons of books piling on top of each other, a lot of papers filled with sketches all over the table with a beautiful bunches of magnolias and cherry blossoms in a glass vase that decorated the whole room.

"I will like to intrude you to my new designer who you will be assisting to along with doing the other chores around the palace. Like you, she came here out of nowhere one day and asked me if there was a job available that she could do. I told her that we need a new designer since our old one had left because she was getting married. I asked her if she had any experience. She made a new white silk rode for my mother and my mother fell in love with it that she decided to hire her right a way. When I told her about you, she was so trilled that she told me that she would like you to be her assistant as well doing some modeling for her. I hope you two get along quite nicely. Please come in" said Syaoran as the door started to open.

Sakura was in shocked as the women slowly enter in the room. She had marvelous violet hair that reaching to her waist, flowing nicely down with waves and curls in it as her eyes were a deep violet.

"No, it couldn't be..." whispered Sakura as her eyes began to water, not believing what was happening.

"Miss Sakura, I will like you to meet my new designer... Miss Tomoyo Daidouji."