#49
“Your Highness?”
Sakura looked up at the doorway. “Oh, Eriol,” she greeted, giving the boy a halfhearted smile. “Shouldn’t you be down at the ball already? They are probably looking for you."
He took her acknowledgement as an invitation and strode into her chambers, coming to stand behind her. She was sitting in front of her vanity mirror, and he studied her reflection in it for a moment before smiling at her.
“And miss my last chance to wish you good luck? You are meeting your fiancé tonight, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t sneak up here to see you off.” He flashed a cheeky grin at her, and Sakura was reminded of all the times that they had snuck around as children. They had been the terrors of the castle at one time. Sakura smiled at the memories; there was no wonder Eriol was able to get to her chambers unseen given all the practice they’d had.
“You duty as a childhood friend, or as the son of one of my father’s lords?”
Eriol placed a hand on her shoulder. “As a friend of course. The son of a lord would be severely reprimanded if caught sneaking up to the chambers of the Princess of Clow. Especially on the night she is meeting her fiancé. This would hardly seem appropriate to outside eyes.” He gave her a relaxed smile.
“So, before I am discovered and thrown out onto the street, how are you holding up?” His tone was light, but his eyes were serious.
“I…I don’t know if I can do this.” She shook her head violently, shaking loose a few strands of light brown hair.
“You are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to,” Eriol assured her. “You accepted this marriage as your duty years ago. The alliance this marriage will make with the country of Reed will help protect our precious country of Clow. You know this is best for your country.”
“I worry about what is best for me,” Sakura murmured. “What if he doesn’t like me? I’ve never met someone that I don’t like, but what if I don’t like him?” She trailed off under her breath, green eyes wide in the mirror until Eriol’s voice snapped her back.
“Anyone who doesn’t like you is a fool, Sakura. I cannot promise you will like him, but you have plenty of time to get to know him before the wedding. This marriage is unfortunately not about love, but that doesn’t mean that you will not grow to love one another.”
The Princess took a deep breath and nodded, shoulders releasing their tension as she relaxed again. “Thanks, Eriol. I’m sure it will be alright.”
And just like that, the bubbly Princess he had always known was back. Sakura stood to her feet, turning to face him with a twirl. “So, how do I look?”
“You look gorgeous,” he assured her. “But why a green dress? You’ve always favored pink.”
“Oh...” Sakura looked down at the dress that clung to her body in waves of green silk. She turned slightly red, finally glancing at Eriol sheepishly. “They told me his favorite color is green… And it does bring out my eyes,” she added.
Eriol laughed. “It was just a question, you don’t have to justify your wardrobe choices to me. And it does bring out your eyes,” he added. “Any Prince would have to be blind to not be awed by you.”
A knock and cough from the doorway interrupted Sakura’s responding smile. Standing in the doorway that Eriol had left open was him. He looked awkward and unsure. “Princess Sakura,” he asked, as though there were perhaps many Princesses in this castle and the one he was looking for might actually be in the room down the hall.
“Prince Syaoran,” I presume?” She studied him curiously. He was dressed in green (she blushed when she realized that they had inadvertently matched) with brown hair and brown eyes to match. He looked slightly relieved when she at least knew his name.
Eriol suddenly became the very picture of formality, bowing to Sakura and excusing himself from the room. “I trust that nothing untoward will happen until I see you again, Your Highness,” he added to Sakura as he stepped past the Prince. The warning was clear, because it was Syaoran he was looking at.
There was a tense moment after Eriol was gone, until the Prince summoned some more courage. “I just wanted to meet you before..” He glanced out the door, implicating the party that had already begun in the grand ballroom to celebrate their betrothal. “It’s all so sudden...Are you nervous?”
“Terrified,” she said back, voice barely more than a whisper. She looked very small then, like a mere child playing dress-up only to discover that the game was shockingly real. It was terrifying, and her heart was racing in her chest so loudly that she was convinced he could hear it even though he hadn't moved an inch towards her.
Upon hearing that she was as scared as he was, Syaoran moved into the room. He was blushing madly, but he took her hands in his own. She was rooted in place, caught up in all the different emotions and unable to move at all.
“I’m scared too,” he said. “This is the hardest thing we may ever have to do. It doesn't have to be bad though. I think that if we can at least be friends, we can make it through this together.”
Sakura nodded, feeling calmer now that she was looking into his eyes and seeing the sincerity there. “Together,” she agreed.
Syaoran glanced at the door. “I should get back down there before they realize I snuck off.” He gave her a shy smile. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, Princess.”
Sakura watched him go, standing there in her chambers for a long moment afterward. “I should go too,” she said when then shock of it all had worn off. She took one last glance in the mirror, straightening her tiara and smoothing a ruffle in her dress. She would get through this, she knew. Together with her Prince.
Sakura looked up at the doorway. “Oh, Eriol,” she greeted, giving the boy a halfhearted smile. “Shouldn’t you be down at the ball already? They are probably looking for you."
He took her acknowledgement as an invitation and strode into her chambers, coming to stand behind her. She was sitting in front of her vanity mirror, and he studied her reflection in it for a moment before smiling at her.
“And miss my last chance to wish you good luck? You are meeting your fiancé tonight, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t sneak up here to see you off.” He flashed a cheeky grin at her, and Sakura was reminded of all the times that they had snuck around as children. They had been the terrors of the castle at one time. Sakura smiled at the memories; there was no wonder Eriol was able to get to her chambers unseen given all the practice they’d had.
“You duty as a childhood friend, or as the son of one of my father’s lords?”
Eriol placed a hand on her shoulder. “As a friend of course. The son of a lord would be severely reprimanded if caught sneaking up to the chambers of the Princess of Clow. Especially on the night she is meeting her fiancé. This would hardly seem appropriate to outside eyes.” He gave her a relaxed smile.
“So, before I am discovered and thrown out onto the street, how are you holding up?” His tone was light, but his eyes were serious.
“I…I don’t know if I can do this.” She shook her head violently, shaking loose a few strands of light brown hair.
“You are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to,” Eriol assured her. “You accepted this marriage as your duty years ago. The alliance this marriage will make with the country of Reed will help protect our precious country of Clow. You know this is best for your country.”
“I worry about what is best for me,” Sakura murmured. “What if he doesn’t like me? I’ve never met someone that I don’t like, but what if I don’t like him?” She trailed off under her breath, green eyes wide in the mirror until Eriol’s voice snapped her back.
“Anyone who doesn’t like you is a fool, Sakura. I cannot promise you will like him, but you have plenty of time to get to know him before the wedding. This marriage is unfortunately not about love, but that doesn’t mean that you will not grow to love one another.”
The Princess took a deep breath and nodded, shoulders releasing their tension as she relaxed again. “Thanks, Eriol. I’m sure it will be alright.”
And just like that, the bubbly Princess he had always known was back. Sakura stood to her feet, turning to face him with a twirl. “So, how do I look?”
“You look gorgeous,” he assured her. “But why a green dress? You’ve always favored pink.”
“Oh...” Sakura looked down at the dress that clung to her body in waves of green silk. She turned slightly red, finally glancing at Eriol sheepishly. “They told me his favorite color is green… And it does bring out my eyes,” she added.
Eriol laughed. “It was just a question, you don’t have to justify your wardrobe choices to me. And it does bring out your eyes,” he added. “Any Prince would have to be blind to not be awed by you.”
A knock and cough from the doorway interrupted Sakura’s responding smile. Standing in the doorway that Eriol had left open was him. He looked awkward and unsure. “Princess Sakura,” he asked, as though there were perhaps many Princesses in this castle and the one he was looking for might actually be in the room down the hall.
“Prince Syaoran,” I presume?” She studied him curiously. He was dressed in green (she blushed when she realized that they had inadvertently matched) with brown hair and brown eyes to match. He looked slightly relieved when she at least knew his name.
Eriol suddenly became the very picture of formality, bowing to Sakura and excusing himself from the room. “I trust that nothing untoward will happen until I see you again, Your Highness,” he added to Sakura as he stepped past the Prince. The warning was clear, because it was Syaoran he was looking at.
There was a tense moment after Eriol was gone, until the Prince summoned some more courage. “I just wanted to meet you before..” He glanced out the door, implicating the party that had already begun in the grand ballroom to celebrate their betrothal. “It’s all so sudden...Are you nervous?”
“Terrified,” she said back, voice barely more than a whisper. She looked very small then, like a mere child playing dress-up only to discover that the game was shockingly real. It was terrifying, and her heart was racing in her chest so loudly that she was convinced he could hear it even though he hadn't moved an inch towards her.
Upon hearing that she was as scared as he was, Syaoran moved into the room. He was blushing madly, but he took her hands in his own. She was rooted in place, caught up in all the different emotions and unable to move at all.
“I’m scared too,” he said. “This is the hardest thing we may ever have to do. It doesn't have to be bad though. I think that if we can at least be friends, we can make it through this together.”
Sakura nodded, feeling calmer now that she was looking into his eyes and seeing the sincerity there. “Together,” she agreed.
Syaoran glanced at the door. “I should get back down there before they realize I snuck off.” He gave her a shy smile. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, Princess.”
Sakura watched him go, standing there in her chambers for a long moment afterward. “I should go too,” she said when then shock of it all had worn off. She took one last glance in the mirror, straightening her tiara and smoothing a ruffle in her dress. She would get through this, she knew. Together with her Prince.