Sakura stood at the mirror while her mother hovered behind her, adjusting Sakura’s gown and pinning flowers to her cape. When the task was complete, Nadeshiko put her hands on Sakura’s shoulders and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “Beautiful,” Nadeshiko declared.
Sakura smiled. She was pleased with the effect of the gown, flowers, and cosmetics. She hadn’t expected to be nervous. She had waited for this day for years. But there was something about the fuss of a wedding that brought out her nerves.
Nadeshiko always seemed to know what Sakura was thinking. She kissed Sakura’s hair. “Relax. It’s just a ceremony where you make a promise, and a party to celebrate. And everyone who loves you is here to celebrate with you,” Nadeshiko said.
“Yes,” Sakura said, smiling. Syaoran was here, finally to stay. Since there was no longer any need for Syaoran to continue his journey, there was no need for Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona to journey either. They were all here for the wedding.
Sakura knew Fai and Kurogane were discussing where they wanted to settle. Sakura hoped they would choose to stay right here, and she made sure to tell them they were both welcome.
She knew Syaoran hoped for the same thing, but that he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Fai and Kurogane had already accompanied him on his long journey when they didn’t have to. If they decided they wanted to return to Japan, Kurogane’s home country, Syaoran did not want to guilt them for that choice.
The door behind Sakura opened and Touya stuck his head in. “You ready yet, Squirt? Everyone’s seated,” he said.
“Just one minute,” Nadeshiko replied. She fussed over some final touches, then smiled and took a step back. “Yes, I think you’re ready.”
Sakura’s gown and cape rustled as she stood and turned to face her brother. Touya looked sad, but all he said was, “Not bad for a monster.”
Sakura frowned at him, but Nadeshiko continued to smile as she steered Sakura to the door. “Now, Touya-kun,” she chided. “Not today of all days.”
Touya huffed, but followed his mother and sister to the room where Fujitaka was waiting. His eyes teared up at the sight up his daughter in her wedding finery. He took her hands and held them for a long moment, gazing at Sakura until she began to blush and squirm.
Fujitaka laughed and released her. “I’m sorry, Sakura-san. It’s just that you look so beautiful and grown up. It feels like I’m losing you.”
Sakura smiled and placed a hand on her father’s cheek. “But Dad, I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “Syaoran and I will be staying right here.”
“Indeed,” Nadeshiko said, coming over to lay a hand on her husband’s arm. “And we’re keeping him waiting.”
Touya had to leave to join Yukito, who would be performing the ceremony itself while Touya acted as the member of the royal family signing the marriage into law.
As they approached the wedding hall, Sakura’s heart began to pound with anticipation. It had actually been days since she had spoken to Syaoran. In accordance with Clow Country’s customs for royal weddings, the couple had been kept separate for the seven days prior to the wedding while each underwent their own cleansing ritual in the ruins. Sakura was required to be in the ruins for purification from sunrise to sundown, accompanied by her mother who acted as priestess. Syaoran took her place from sunset to sunrise, accompanied by Yukito acting as priest.
During the last seven days the only time Syaoran and Sakura had seen each other was when they were hustled past each other when they swapped places at the ruins. Now all their longing and waiting would finally pay off.
One of the servants handed Sakura a garland of flowers as she arrived at the hall where the wedding was going to be held. At some unseen signal, music began to play softly inside. The servants opened the doors wide and Sakura stepped inside.
There was an appreciative murmur as Sakura made her way to the centre of the room in all her finery, flanked by her parents. But Sakura didn’t register the faces of her guests. All she could see was Syaoran.
As Sakura advanced from one side of the room with her parents on either side of her, Syaoran approached from the other side. He looked so handsome in his green and white robes. But the most beautiful thing was his smile when their eyes met.
Since Syaoran didn’t have parents to escort him, he was flanked by Fai and Kurogane. Oh, and there was Mokona, tucked into the front of Kurogane’s loose black robes.
They met in the middle, Syaoran and Sakura both blushing and beaming like idiots. Syaoran bent his head so that Sakura could put the flower garland over his head, and then she held still while Syaoran placed the flower crown he was holding carefully on her head. It was so reminiscent of when they first met, when Sakura had been undergoing her purification ceremony and they weren’t allowed to touch.
She just knew he was thinking about it too. But this time, they could touch each other. As one, they reached out and clasped hands.
Sakura barely heard the words Yukito spoke for the ceremony, she was too busy gazing as the face she loved best in all the worlds. But she managed to follow her cues and parrot the words she was supposed to. She and Syaoran pledged their eternal love and devotion to each other as if they hadn’t already done so years ago. They fed each other bits of bread and apple to conclude the ceremony.
As part of Clow Country’s wedding tradition, the newly wedded couple was welcomed into each other’s family. Sakura released Syaoran and held her hands out to Fai, who pulled her into a hug.
“You look radiant,” he whispered in her ear. Sakura laughed and tried not to cry, but managed to stammer out a thank you.
She intended to give Kurogane a kiss on the cheek, and was surprised when he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. She squeaked, then laughed as Mokona kissed her. “Congratulations, Sakura!” Mokona said.
“About fucking time, huh?” Kurogane rumbled. And then she really did cry, burying her face in Kurogane’s robes next to Mokona. Kurogane held her hard and Mokona cuddled against her cheek to murmur soothingly. Fai came over and rubbed her back.
“Yes, you two had to wait much too long for this,” Fai said.
Embarrassed, Sakura pulled back a little to swipe at her damp cheeks with her long, flowing sleeves. Mokona decided to help by kissing the tears off her cheeks, punctuating each kiss with a loud “Mwah!” It was impossible not to giggle, and by the time Sakura pulled away she felt much better.
She looked behind her and found that Nadeshiko was refusing to let Syaoran go so that Fujitaka could greet him. She kept her arms clasped tightly around Syaoran’s neck and laughed as Fujitaka tried to wiggle his way in. In defeat, Fujitaka wrapped his arms around both of them.
Touya caught Sakura’s eye and rolled his in feigned disgust. But he did go over to ruffle Syaoran’s hair and tease him.
Sakura giggled and pressed further back in the closet. She could hear Touya’s angry huffing as he searched the room for her, but he would never think to look in here, among their mother’s fancy clothes. Sure enough, she heard him grumble as he gave up, and the click of the door as he left the room. To make sure he wasn’t tricking her, she stayed where she was for another several minutes with her hands over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
When she was certain that Touya really was gone, she eased out from behind her mother’s hanging dresses. She was supposed to do her lessons, but she’d rather play, and Touya only teased her when he was supposed to be helping her study anyway.
Sakura’s intention was to sneak outside and play, but she got distracted by one of Nadeshiko’s dresses. She ran a reverent hand down the fabric, which was a glowing white. She tugged the skirt so that it flared on the hanger and she could see the intricate embroidery and beading more clearly. She knew this dress. There was a portrait hanging in her parents’ room of her parents on their wedding day.
This was her mother’s wedding dress.
Upon this realization, there was nothing that Sakura wanted more than to wear it. But she was only six years old, and the gown was probably very precious to her mother if it was still hanging in the closet after all this time. (In Sakura’s mind, her parents had been married for centuries already).
Even though she knew she wasn’t supposed to, Sakura couldn’t help but run gentle fingertips over the gown. She was so enamoured with the feel of it under her fingers that she was oblivious to everything else until her mother’s hair fell like a curtain around her.
Sakura looked up into her mother’s face, which was smiling fondly as Nadeshiko leaned over her. Sakura snatched her hand away from the dress and blushed at being caught red handed. “Sorry, Mother,” she said.
Nadeshiko took one of Sakura’s small hands in hers. “It’s all right, Princess Sakura, but you’re supposed to be doing your lessons,” she said.
Nadeshiko’s reprimands were always gentle, but Sakura hated disappointing her mother. Touya was one thing - he was a childish brat of a Crown Prince! But she wanted to please her mother.
“Sorry. I was going. In a minute,” Sakura said, trotting beside her mother to the door of her parents' bedroom. “I got distracted by your dress.”
“You like it?” Nadeshiko asked.
“Yes!” Sakura said with enthusiasm.
Nadeshiko smiled. “Well, maybe you’ll get to wear one like it someday.”
Sakura hoped so. She wanted a beautiful gown like her mother’s.
