I do not own Clamp's Cardcaptor Sakura's characters in this story: Iris Lies.

Chapter I

There was something new on the wind that has never been there before. Danger. Caution. Flight. Tension. Change. Where from? Somewhere beyond the peaceful Tomoeda lands and into the wild forests. There? No… Farther. Past the great expanse of Twin Bell Forest, past the sacred Pengi Lake, and over the purple-blue, snow-capped mountains. In. In…

"Princess," a deep, stately voice called out from below her perch breaking the dowsing trance she had been working so hard on all day. The abrupt awakening from her trance threatened a splitting headache, so she took care to inhale deep breaths slowly and focus on gradually coming back to the real world. As her senses started to wake up, one by one with the muscles in her legs and arms spasming in protest, with her eyes slowly adjusting to the soft glare of the sun about to sink beyond the mountains, with her mind floated down from the endless skies, the girl stifled a cry of defeat. She might have lost this train of thought, but at least she had a lead. After so many months of fruitless searches and sleepless nights, she finally had some kind of direction.

When all seemed to be in good order the princess glanced down over her left shoulder from the high perch she made on the castle wall to the ground below.

She spied enormous white wings tucked in tight against an even larger golden feline body complete with a tail swatting impatiently at the air. Red ruby eyes glowered up at her. Caught. She heaved a soft sigh before affirming her presence to her guardian below.

"Yes, Keroberos?" She replied with a distracted tone.

Keroberos, the king's own Cerberus, looked up at his princess and took a moment to measuring her welfare with his inquisitive all-seeing eyes before responding.

"The castle has been searching for you ever since the early afternoon. Your brother demands your return, for your father would like to speak with you."

"Of course," the girl automatically intoned, but she merely turned back to the scenery and brooded a little longer. She knew that her winged companion would wait patiently until she was ready to go.

"Princess. It is urgent." Or not. She suffered another sigh.

"Kero," she softly called out using her pet name for her guardian.

"Hmm?"

"I felt something just now. Right before you interrupted, anyways. I think I got something. I think…" Her hushed recollections were caught up in the breeze, and Keroberos strained to hear what his princess said, but it seems she was lost again in her thoughts. He softly coughed, which caught her attention.

"Kero?"

"Yes, Princess." With his ears laid back in anticipated aversion, Keroberos waited for the question he knew was coming. A question his beloved princess asked every day for the past few months. A question he couldn't answer with confidence anymore.

"Is he going to get better?" The princess spoke these few words into the expanse of air around her. He was glad that she didn't look down at him since he would be unable to meet her eyes with an appropriate answer.

The quiet question hung heavy in the air between them, filled with sadness and unsaid thoughts. Both the girl and the guardian knew that there simply was not an answer anymore.

Resigned, Keroberos watched as his young master fiddled with a winged pendant on a silver chain around her neck. As he gazed upon her delicate figure sitting high upon the stonewall with her feet dangling off the edge, the image brought memories of another time long ago, where the pervious queen did exactly the same when she was this age. Tearing his eyes from the image that threatened to bring forth an onslaught of memories, the guardian decided to give his charge a few more minutes to collect her self before urging her back home.

Princess Sakura Kinomoto, the daughter of King Fujitaka and the late Queen Nadeshiko and younger sister to the heir of the throne, Touya Kinomoto, closed her eyes briefly from the world. All she wanted was the sweet scent of grass wafting up from below, a warm breeze to tickle her skin, and the feel of the rough rock underneath her palms as she sat upon the wall. She did not want to deal with the oppressing sadness that seemed to close in faster and faster, more and more every day. Her light brown, chin-length layered hair tossed prettily from a passing breeze which also seemed to tease her long flowing pinkish-white gown spread out around her on the high granite wall. From an outsider's perspective, she seemed content and at peace, but that was far from the real feelings she harbored deep within her. As darkness begun to slowly swallow up the lands, the short sleeves of Sakura's dress did nothing to stop the goose bumps from forming upon her arms. Haunted from her semi-trance that she experienced earlier, she could only hug her knees tighter and conserve what little hope and warmth was left, except the slow creeping darkness across the landscape seemed to easily sneak past her barrier and seep straight into her heart.

"Let's go," Sakura muttered and gingerly raised herself up from the wall and stretched her sore body, trying to drive out all the bad feelings and thoughts harboring within her already full mind. Giving one last look to the landscape in front of her, she murmured a few incoherent phrases and then turned to step off her high perch only to float leisurely down to the ground- a drop of at least the height of six tall men. The moment the toes of her red slippers touched the earth, Keroberos saw an almost invisible, shimmering sphere around her disappear and transform into the Float Card, which flew straight into Sakura's hand before disappearing. Hastily, the princess brushed off traces of dirt and debris, plastered a well-meaning smile upon her face, and then squared her shoulders before turning to her guardian.

"All right, I'm ready. Let's go."

Keroberos gravely nodded his assent, ignoring her pretense of calm, and then proceeded to follow his princess back towards the castle.

As she approached the main entrance to the castle, Sakura spied a runner quickly entering the castle to report her homecoming. By the time she reached the grand foyer a flurry of movement from the end of the entry hall called her to attention. A tall figure in the royal white and red colors walked smartly towards her. Servants bustling about in the halls quickly bowed in his wake and quickly backed away along with the advisors shadowing the dark haired man's steps, creating a direct path towards her. Sakura felt relieved in this oncoming presence and her shoulders relaxed a bit as she watched his long strides quickly eat up the carpet. Soon, she was looking up at her imposing brother who had a sharp glint to his onyx eyes.

"Brother" the young princess happily greeted the newcomer. Her fake smile was immediately replaced with something a little more genuine, but then quickly turned into a scowl at his next words.

"You're late, you little brat. Come on, Father is waiting for you." And with a swish of his red-trimmed white cape, which she swore he did on purpose, her brother smartly turned around and strode deeper into the castle.

Indignation at his admonishment flared within the young girl, and an age-old battle was threatening to ensue. With tightly closed fists, Sakura yelled at her older brother's retreating back.

"I'm eighteen now and not a child anymore, so you can just quit with the name-calling!"

But instead of responding, her older brother only tossed a contempt look over his shoulder with amusement filled eyes and a small smirk at the corner of his lips. Grumbling short nothings, Sakura stomped after her brother, wishing his face was under her shoes each time. If only she was large enough that he would shrink to a size smaller than her foot…

All too soon, the pair of siblings reached their father's huge chamber doors. Guards grandly showed them entrance to the King's rooms, and allowed the doors to shut behind them. As brother and sister made their way into the inner chamber, Sakura was momentarily distracted by the soft, beautiful glow from the sunset pouring through the large bedroom bay windows. She then adjusted her eyes to take in her father's room. All furnishings were a gold, all adornments cream, and the king himself was dressed in white and gold and lying under a burnished red bedcover. King Fujitaka gazed upon his children with love in his eyes and motioned for them to come closer with one hand. He was propped up by many thick pillows, and covered with many layers of blankets. Still, his complexion was sallow, and he shivered slightly as if he only had a thin coverlet in the heart of winter.

"Father!" Sakura beamed quite brilliantly towards her father, and the King felt his heart twinge in response.

"Sakura. Touya. My C-Children…"

"We are here Father," Touya announced and gently grasped his hand, and Sakura quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek. The king gave a weak smile in return at them both.

After the embrace, the princess quickly went over to a large portrait near the magnificent bed over the lit fireplace and greeted her mother.

"Good Evening, Mother!" She grinned blissfully at the picture and was suddenly lost in her mother's beauty. Queen Nadeshiko had very long silver hair, silver-blue eyes and posed quite ethereally, dressed in light creamy silks and flounced in ribbons and lace, but all Sakura could remember were her long slender hands holding her, playing with her, and resting with her. Mother…

Brother and Father also looked on and paused in remembrance of the beloved Queen with similar expressions of adoration upon their faces. After a good moment, King Fujitaka broke the silence with coughing. Worried, the daughter hastened to his side and helped him sit up straighter as she tried to soothingly rub his back.

"Father…" Suddenly Sakura's brief moment of happiness shattered and she was thrust back into the dark world of uneasiness and sorrow.

"I'm all r-right, but I need… to talk… to you Sakura" her father wheezed out. He never had much energy, so he decided to get straight to the point while he could. "We need to talk about… your marriage."

Shocked, Sakura could only gape stupidly at her father in horror. Marriage? Impossible!

"But Touya's older!" Sakura spluttered. Even though she knew that 18 was not too early to marry since the majority of other girls at court married around 16, the notion was still ridiculous. How could she get married now? Like this?

Her only reply was a sad smile from her father.

"I'm sorry, Sakura…But this has been… arranged… s-since your birth…"

The king closed his eyes and took a few calming breaths before gazing back at her intently.

"His family has agreed with… ours… and even your mother… was pleased with this match...

Sakura-love," King Fujitaka's gaze softened and his frail hand reached out to lightly rest upon her own.

"I'm sure …he will make you… happy."

[A/N]: Sorry I couldn't help it. I have to start re-writing it in order to achieve the ending that I want.

You will find a lot of things changed, and I hope that this doesn't disappoint anyone!

Take care, and feel free to review – let me know what you're thinking.