Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Heart's Treasures ❯ Lessons ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Heart's Treasures: Part 7
By: Starlight Rose
Email: starlighto_rose@hotmail.com

A.N. Okay the next chapter of Heart's Treasures is done. Finally huh? Yes, I know it took forever but I have it ready for reading and I've been REALLY busy with classes. Like usual forgive my small grammar and spelling mistakes because I STILL don't have a spellcheck. I have a little less than three weeks vacation time so now I actually have the time to write now the rest depends on you guys to make sure I have the motivation to write. So either give me a lot of reviews or give me really in depth reviews. If I get at least 20 reviews within the next week and a half, I'll try to get the next chapter of this out before my break ends. If not then, it may be March before you see the next chapter because right now I'm not particularly motivated to finish this story because there are other projects in other fandoms that I'd like to work on not to mention that I also have lots of things I need to do before I get swept up with my classes again and they take over all my time because being in college is no walk in the park especially if your college is rated as one of the top ten nose in book colleges in the country. Oh yeah also for the few people that are not familiar with this fairytale and are curious, I have changed the fairytale A LOT. The original Grimm's fairytale was only a few pages long i.e. less than 5 pages. If I have the time and patience I might type up the original tale a post it for comparison sake.

A.N. I've started a mailing list for the sole purpose of posting my stories before they come out since author alert on fanfiction.net doesn't work unless you are a support service member. If you want to join and get my stories as I come out with them join the list. To find out more about it visit:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starlight_fanfiction
to subscribe by email send an email to:
starlight_fanfiction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS though I sure do wish I do. The marvelous and much worshipped ladies of clamp own it along with Kodansha and I'll ignore Nelvana because I consider them as owning CC which this is NOT, I repeat NOT based on. I hate the bastardized American version of CCS a.k.a. CC a lot if you can't tell. The Brothers Grimm own the original fairytale of Thousand Furs but this rewriting of it I own and if I ever find out anyone is stealing this story that I've put so much time, thought, and effort into I will be a very angry authoress.

***************************

Sakura trudged down the steps carrying the heavy bucket full of water and entered the kitchen smiling happily. She knew she had a lot of work to do, but she hoped that she could get it done fast enough to go meet Syaoran in the garden. Seeing Chiharu, Sakura called out to her, "Good morning, Chiharu."

Seeing the young girl's smiling face Chiharu smiled back and greeted her, "Good morning Sakura. You've already brought in the water to cook this morning's breakfast?"

"Yes. Is there anything else you need me to do?" Sakura asked.

"Not really though if you really want to help you could watch over the bread that's baking in the oven for me right now. I don't really want to trust anyone else with that because with the incompetency of some of the people here, they'd just let the bread burn, bt I know I can trust you." the young cook replied. Over the past few weeks she had become extremely fond of the young girl from Flora and had become rather protective of her. Though it seemed that a few of the other girl's didn't like Sakura too much. They thought she was just too haughty, but as long as they knew Chiharu had taken the girl under her wing none of them dared to say or do anything harmful to Sakura. Rather they just left her to herself.

Chiharu had noticed that first day that Sakura was far from haughty, shy and secretive maybe, but not overly proud.So she had made sure to give Sakura the lighter task seeing as how the girl was unused to kitchen work, but despite that Sakura did more than she needed to. Every morning she woke before sunrise and fetched the water for the breakfast preparations while the other scullery maids stayed in their beds. With the banquets being held everyday the past few weeks, Chiharu was glad to have Sakura and her cheerful, hardworking personality around. It lightened her workload quite a bit and made her respect and like the girl even more.

Sakura nodded her head and went over to the oven and pulled up a chair in front of it. "Ne, Chiharu."

"Hmm...?" Chiharu said from the basin where she sat washing some fruit.

"Do you think that I can get my morning's work done by the time breakfast is over?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Chiharu examined the girl and the bright glow on her face and the light in her eyes. She smiled and wondered what happened to cause the light to enter Sakura's normally sad eyes. Although she was cheerful Sakura always had a sadness about her probably because of losing her home. "I don't see why not?" She told Sakura as she set aside some of the fruit. "If not then I'll get one of the other girls to do it for you. Afterall you do more than your share in the mornings, getting up to help me prepare breakfast for all of them and the nobility. Why do you ask though? Is there something you wanted to do?"

Sakura looked down and blushed before answering, "I promised to meet someone in the garden. He promised to teach me about animals. Though it's not right for others to do my work for me. I guess I'll just have to work harder to et it done"

"I see." Chiharu replied smiling as she made a mental note to give Sakura less work to do this morning. The girl really did more than she needed to. She assumed by the blush on Sakura's cheek that she had developed a tendre for whoever she was meeting. She guessed that Sakura had met some stable-hand or hunter in the garden and was happy for the girl. Maybe a bit of romance in her life would remove the saddness from her eyes. She just hoped whoever the young man was that he wouldn't end up hurting the girl. Smiling to herself, she decided to get Takashi to ask around to find out who the young man was and maybe have a talk with him.

Taking an apple out of the wash basin she wiped it on her apron and handed it to Sakura, "Here's breakfast for your little friend Kero...oh what was it again?"

"Kerberus." Sakura replied giggling. "Thank-you." Sakura took the apple from Chiharu and feed it to her bunny as it bounced happily on her lap. Kerberus had become well trained and generally kept out of the way so that few people in the kitchen minded him as he followed his mistress about her work. Some of the kitchen staff had become fond enough of the little rabbit to start feeding him tidbits of food now and then.

"Oh the bread's done." Sakura announced softly as she took a few rags and removed the rack of bread from the oven.Taking the rack over to the table she set it down and Chiharu smiled at her.

"Why don't you go ahead and eat before those lazy sloths get up and demand to be fed." Chiharu told her winking michieviously before adding, "The perks of waking up early and helping with breakfast for everyone else is that you get first choice." Saying so she wiped her hands on her apron went over to the bread and removed the two fluffest looking rolls. She took them over to a table and patted the stool next to her. "Come over here and eat Sakura. Since no else is up yet we can spoil ourselves and have some butter with the bread." Saying so she took out the butter and spread some liberally over the two rolls and removed a pitcher of milk and poured two cups of it for the two of them.

Sakura smiled back and joined Chiharu for breakfast. As they ate they talked and Chiharu managed to discover that Sakura had met the person she was meeting in the garden later in the morning in the garden several weeks ago. She could tell by the way the girl talked about the young man that she was already enraptured by the boy. Sakura then managed to pry out of her information about her and Takashi and how they grew up together and managed to get jobs working in the palace together.

After breakfast was done Chiharu went back to her breakfast preparations and Sakura went back to her chores as servants slowly drifted into the kitchen seeking a bite for breakfast. The rest of the morning Sakura spent fetching eggs for the nobilities's breakfast, sweeping the floor, and helping to prepare some of the food. As soon as her chores for the morning were done and breakfast had been served to all the nobles who generally didn't wake up until around ten, Sakura rushed out of the kitchen and to the garden with Chiharu watching her merrily.

*********************

When Syaoran reached his quarters he found several of his servants scattered around the room turning over the chairs, desk, and tables along with several others rummaging through his wardrobe seemingly looking for something. Directiing orders at all of them was Takashi, his manservant who was before Sakura, the closest thing Syaoran had to a friend. Walking to Takashi with a puzzled frown etched on his face, Syaoran asked him, "What in the world are you doing to my room?"

Takashi turned around to look at him and actually opened his eyes up long enough to blink a few times before exclaiming, "Your Majesty! You're alright!" Takashi then swept Syaoran up uncerimoniously into a hug. "I'm so happy you're alright, sire. I thought for sure that my head was going to be removed from my head or something for losing you like that."

Syaoran just stared at him in confusion. "Of course I'm alright. What in the world would lead you to think otherwise and what are you babbling about?" Syaoran demanded to know.

"Well I came in here this morning to wake you up and didn't see you in here. I asked around to see if anyone saw you, but no one had and so I thought you had been kidnapped and if you had then my life would surely be forfeit. But despite that we decided that if you had been kidnapped there would have at least been some sort of ransom note so we started searching your room for one." Takashi explained relieved that his head would stay right where it was.

The young king blinked several times trying to assimulate all that he had just been told and his lips slowly curled up into an amused smirk before he could not contain it anymore and burst out laughing to the astonishment of his servants. "You thought I was kidnapped!" Syaoran roared with laughter. At the dumbfounded and confused looks on his servants faces and the mechanical nod they gave him he just continued laughing harder.

Finally regaining his composure he told them reassuringly, "I'm sorry to have worried you, but I was fine. I just woke up early and decided to take a walk. I might be doing that more often now so be prepared to not turn my room upside down looking for a ransom note." Again the servants just nodded their heads dumbly so Syaoran continued, "So now, I wouled appriciate it if all of you would kindly put my room back in order. I'm going into my study which has hopefully not been ransacked and you are going to bring me my breakfast then call the counselors in to me and inform them that I would like to get all of this morning's work done before the end of breakfast."

The servants nodded once more before leaving to see to their king's instructions completely in awe at his odd mood this particular morning. They expected him to be furious when he discovered their stupidity, or more needless worry brought upon by Takashi's overactive imagination, but instead he seemed to be in a wonderful mood and laughed at the situation. That was the first time since he was child that they had seen the young king laugh, and they rather hoped it wasn't the last since his current mood was much better than his former tempermental tendancies.

When Syaoran's counselors entered his room they saw him bent over his desk dutifully doing the paperwork that he normally detested so much. Pushed to the side of the desk was a plate of food that was mostly eaten. Whatever had gotten into their king, had certainly been good for him. The elder of the group of advisors cleared his throat trying to unobtrusively get the king's attention. Syaoran looked up from the stack of petitions he was looking at and smiled at his advisors. "I'm glad you're here," he told them. "I wanted you to help me get through this morning's work quickly. I have made some plans for right after breakfast is finished being served to all those lazy frivolous nobles and wanted to get my work done early. Now I'm almost done with this morning's list of petitions, but I have heard from my mother that there is some sort of situation brewing with the Noctrus Kingdom. I would like you to give me a detailed report on that. Since I called you here pre-emptly I realize you might not have all your notes with you, but please appraise me as well as you can without them and I will be requiring a more detailed report later."

The advisors stood staring at him completely dumbfounded. If it wasn't for the fact that it was unseemly for their jaws to drop wide open they probably would have. Syaoran continued doing his petitions and when after five minutes had elapsed and no one had said anything a trace of his former temper returned as he snapped his head up and asked them in a slightly agitated tone, "Well, what are you waiting for? It couldn't be an invitation because I just gave you one."

At that the counselors snapped out of their stupor and began briefing him on the situation. Syaoran listened attentively trying to finish his list of petitions simultaniously but realizing that both required a good bit of his concentration, he finally opted to put his quill down and gave his advisors his full attention. The situation with the Noctrus Kingdom was worse than he had expected but still his kingdom had time to prepare. He grilled his advisors on the Fauna Kingdom's situation and their reports were positive though, it was a sure thing that the Fauna Kingdom needed to form some sort of alliance with another kingdom. thus Syaoran spent his morning.

After he finished his work, Syaoran headed for the royal library. Looking around it he finally spotted the book he was looking for. It was a book he remembered reading as a child when he was particularly lonely. It was a book about animals that had detailed pictures and descriptions about all sorts of animals both wild and domesticated. He figured it would be a good way to teach Sakura since the only other way he could introduce her to the varying types of animals was to take her out into the forest, and that he would not do. It was too dangerous out in the forest for a young girl like her even if she had him to protect her. As much as Syaoran loved the forest and the peace it seemed to bring him, he would not endanger Sakura. Also should anyone spot them together alone in the forest then Sakura's reputation would be tarnished by him and her life might be in danger as well.

After taking the book, Syaoran headed towards the garden. Meeting several gardeners along the way, he dismissed them and told them that he wanted to be alone for the next two hours and that all of them were to leave him alone. Now he could learn about the plants in the garden from Sakura without fear of discovery. Getting to the grove he looked around for her and after not seeing her decided to do something he hadn't done in a long time. Syaoran, the king of Fauna, decided to climb a tree. Grabbing onto one branch he pulled himself up and kept doing so until he was near the top. Sitting nestled in the tree's branches Syaoran closed his eyes and relaxed. All that happened that morning had tired him out a good deal, but he felt much better than he had since his father died and the weight of the kingdom had landed on his young shoulders.

But Syaoran knew that the main reason he felt so good was because of Sakura. She had changed him, and softened his heart along with his temper. She had made him more relaxed and amicable. With her he could be Syaoran and not the king, because that's all she really knew him as. With others they just saw the king rather than a young man, starving for true companionship.With others Syaoran had to play the role of a king. A role that until Sakura came along and instilled in him a desire to protect her and others like her, he had detested. Now he welcomed his duties becayse he realized how important they were. True he did not wield a vast amount of power, but it seemed to him now that he examined things more closely and with a clearer head, that his mother was giving him more power gradually as if training him. Smiling to himself he silently thanked the girl for helping him and promised that no matter what he would always protect her. He didn't know why or how she managed to get into his heart, but he knew that she had gotten in and would always stay there. She was truthfully his first true friend.

*****************************

Sakura raced out of the kitchen with Kerberus hopping behind her and got to the garden to see no trace of Syaoran anywhere. Sighing sadly she sat down beneath one of the cherry trees only to hear some leaves rustling abover her head. Craning her head upwards to see what had caused the noise, Sakura let out a shriek as something dropped down from the branches.

Strong hands brushed chestnut brown hair out of golden eyes that looked worriedly at her. "Are you alright Sakura? I didn't hurt you did I?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura blinked a few times trying to regain her composure and blushed at her reaction. It was silly of her to scream like that and she was embarrassed to have worried him, "No, I'm fine," she told him, "I was just startled when you dropped out of the tree like that. What were you doing up there?"

Syaoran grinned sheepishly before replying, "I was just thinking. I'm sorry I startled you though. If you want we can start our lessons now. No one's around so you don't need to worry about being caught. Would you like me to start or would you like to start?"

"Hoe?' Sakura asked Syaoran.

"Ah...the lessons about plants and animals." Syaoran replied looking away and blushing as he saw her emerald green eyes bear into his own. She really did have lovely eyes, he thought. Then he slapped himself mentally for acting like a fool. First he nearly scares her half to death by jumping out of a tree, then he starts rushing into their plans without even a greeting, and now he has to act like the idiot. This was not how he had wanted the meeting to go, but Sakura seemed completely oblivious to his discomfiture.

"Could we really learn about animals first?" Sakura asked timidly.

"Of course." Syaoran replied, "Although, I can't teach you with real animals. To teach you about real animals we'd need to go into the forest and that's not safe. I don't want to endanger your life needlessly. But we can learn about the animals that inhabit this garden and for the other animals I brought a book to help teach you with."

So Sakura and Syaoran spent the next hour looking at the pictures in the book. Syaoran patiently pointed out distinguishing features that each of the animals they looked at possessed as Sakura eagerly absorbed everything he said and read the passages in the book. As he watched her reading the book though, Syaoran felt an old sense of something not quite right about the orphan girl. For sure she was as harmless as anyone could come, but Sakura seemed so much more than what she claimed to be. She was supposedly only a lady's maid, but yet she spoke with a refined air and she could read, not only the text written in the current universal language but also a few of the captions written in the old tongue which few except the most highly educated were ever taught. But Syaoran decided that the chances that Sakura was other than what she seemed being unlikely and put her level of education off as being due to her having a kind mistress that might have taught her.

After an hour bent over the book studying its contents both were happy to start on the lessons about plants. A lesson that would allow them to wander the garden to examine the plants. As Sakura lead Syaoran around the garden and told him about all the plants, their uses, and how to care for them, she noted that no one else seemed to be around including any of the army of gardeners that the palace employed. Turning to Syaoran she asked noted to him, "I wonder where all the gardeners are? There are usually several of them around and most of them are really nice to me."

Syaoran heard her question and sweated a little. He wasn't sure what to tell her in response to that. He couldn't tell her that he had dismissed all of the gardeners so that they could have their lessons in private because he knew Sakura was an intelligent if rather innocent unassuming girl and she would surely figure that something was up if for a lord to have that much control over the royal gardeners. But Syaoran also hated lying and he felt he could not honestly bring himself to lie to her either and since Sakura seemed to expect some sort of reply from him, he couldn't just stay silent because it would seem like he was ignoring her. So taking a deep breathe and apologizing mentally for the half-truth he was going to tell her he smiled gently at her and told her, "Oh, ummm....I believe the king dismissed them all for a few hours today. He thought they could use a break."

Sakura's mouth went round in an 'O' and Syaoran found himself strangely attracted to her pink lips as it then cuyrved into a smile and said, "That was really nice of him." Syaoran just nodded mutely and continued watching her mouth. Seeing his preocupation Sakura asked him, "Are you alright Syaoran?"

"Huh?" Syaoran asked all so gracefully as he broke his study of her mouth and began blushing furiously. He was glad she hadn't caught on to where he was staring because he couldn't imagine how he would have explained to her why he was starring at her lips. But they looked so soft and alluring almost...almost...inviting him to kiss them. Noticing his train of thoughts, he kicked himself mentally for being an idiot. Here she was trying to be his friend, was worried for him, and he was thinking of taking advantage of her by kissing her. But somehow a voice in his heart said he wouldn't be taking advantage of her if he truly cared for her. He squashed the voice asking how he could care for her in that way. He had never cared for anybody in that way before. He had a few short lived relationships before but nothing permanent and those young ladies had been more interested in the title of 'queen' than in him. Now comes Sakura, a sweet, caring young girl and in the few days he had known her he had grown extremely fond and protective of her. He wondered what it was about her that made him take to her so quickly, but he supposed that part of her allure was that she truly seemed to like him for himself rather than for his title.

"I asked if you were alright." Sakura told him an anxious frown creasing her petite features and she put a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. Syaoran's temperature began to rise even more as he felt her soft skin touch his and he felt a jolt go through him. Sakura removed her hand quickly as if feeling the shock herself and stared at him a moment before told him with her checkes suffused with a becoming red flush, "You feel hot and your face seems slightly flushed. Maybe you should go check and see if you're sick."

"That's a good idea." Syaoran told her taking that as his excuse to escape. He enjoyed spending time with Sakura but today something seemed to be going on with him and he didn't like it one bit. Deciding to leave before he did something stupid to hurt or offend his first ever friend he bowed gallantly and said, "If you'll excuse me. my lady, I will take my leave of you now."

Sakura nodded and watched as he walked off her face still flushed and she stared down at her hand after he had left. She could still feel the warmth of his skin and the faint pleasant tingle that had passed through her body when she had touched him. It was almost like a spark had leaped between them. Sakura shook her head in a daze and smiled ruefully down to Kerberus and asked him, "Should we head back to the kitchens now?" Kerberus blinked his beady eyes at her and began hoping back to the kitchens. Sakura followed him sadly because she knew that she was beginning to fall for the young man, but she also knew with her current position in life it was an impossible match. He probably felt nothing more than pity for her, and if he did it still didn't matter because he was a lord and she was a lowly scullery maid.

For the next two months Syaoran kept waking up early and meeting Sakura at the well enjoying her company early in the morning and helping her with her few outdoor chores and after breakfast the two met again to exchange their knowlegde. As much as he enjoyed his time with her Syaoran kept his contact with her to a minimum afraid of what might happen if he got too close to her but he slowly felt that it was no good because his feeling for her were steadily growing and he knew how dangerous that was. He should have cut off contact with her completely but he couldn't bring himself to cut himself off completely from the one thing that had ever been able to bring him out of his shell. Sakura also tried to limit the contact between for fear of her falling more for the young man and afraid to because it was an impossible situation. But she already knew in her heart it was too late, but she kept smiling for him, kept being his friend because she knrew he needed it though it hurt her to know that their friendship was already forbidden enough without there being more.

And for those two months the kitchen servants saw a glow in Sakura they had never seen before though the sadness in her eyes remained though this sadness seemed to be from something else. The castle staff and the king's advisors also noticed a remarkable change in their king. He was no longer sulky and moody but now if not actually cheerful and friendly, then at least cordial to everyone he met especially servants. He carried his duties out without fail and without complaint. Yelan saw the change in her son and was happy for it and slowly began trusting him with matters of state more and more, though she wondered what had brought it about.

And at the end of those two months the delegation from Solaria arrived and Syaoran was swept into the flurry of activity that surround it it including the diplomatic meetings as Sakura was swept into the preparations for the large ball and banquet to be held to celebrate the Summer Solstice. For a full week neither saw much of each other, so busy was their schedule, but as much as they each missed the other's company they still carried out their duties diligently. And finally the day of the Summer Soltice celebration arrived.

**************************

REVIEW! PLEASE! IF YOU WANT ANOTHER CHAPTER SOON REVIEW!