Family Affairs
When he came out onto the small side deck of the tastefully
understated "wedding chapel," the tall Chinese woman was already there.
She leaned against the rail, back to the gardens that had been
judged too dangerous with the uncertainty of the day's weather, tunic
and trews clinging to her figure.
"I'm still surprised that you chose a Western-style wedding,
Hsiao-lang."
"I didn't choose it," Li Hsiao-lang said patiently. "Sakura did,
and if it makes her happy... it's not as if we won't be going to Hong
Kong and having a proper wedding there with the Li Family in
attendance."
"But not staying there," his cousin observed.
"Sakura's not really comfortable with the idea of leaving
Tomoeda," he shrugged. "I won't push just now. There'll be time enough
to talk her into it later."
"That's what I'm here about, actually."
"Oh?" Hsiao-lang stiffened.
"Your mother bids me tell you that you may have a year to woo the
Mistress of the Cards into returning with them to the bosom of the Li
Family, where they belong. More; two. But *only* two -- we have waited
long enough to make Clow Reed's power ours, and the Head expects
results."
"I understand." He looked at her for a long moment. "You could
still be part of the wedding, you know. Even now -- I'm sure Tomoyo
could whip up something, especially as the bridesmaids are all dressed
sort of differently."
"Hsiao-lang." Her voice was angry for that one word, and then
became firm and sad. "I supported this wedding. I plotted for it. I
lied for it. I pushed you two together.
"But do not ask that of me. I cannot stand smiling as you wed
her. I'm not Tomoyo. I can't do it."
"Mei-ling," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
She took two steps forward and hugged him fiercely, as he
murmured "I hadn't realized you still felt that way."
"The needs of the Li Family outweigh the desires of its members,"
she said into his shoulder. "I've always known that. Doesn't mean I
have to like it."
"Suppose someone -- " he finally said.
"Hsiao-lang. I'm your beloved cousin, come to congratulate you on
your wedding to the girl of your dreams. What could be more harmless?"
Nevertheless, she let go and stepped back.
"I just don't want Sakura to be hurt," he explained stiffly.
"Neither do I," Li Mei-ling told him. "It's just as well that the
Kinomoto waited so long to have their second child."
He blinked. "How so?"
"Well, if they'd had her earlier as Clow Reed planned, she'd have
been only a year or two younger than her brother, and he wouldn't have
had time to win over Yukito-san before she reached an age the moon
guardian would find desirable. And if she were with Yukito-san, you'd
have had to fight her for the Cards."
"And?"
"And I'm sure you'd have won, but she'd probably have gotten
killed. This is better. Even if my children will not hold the Clow
Cards in their hands."
"Your grandchildren still might hold the Sakura Cards," he said
softly. "If one of our children marries one of yours."
"The Head has almost arranged a new marriage for me, in between
marrying off her own daughters," Mei-ling half-accepted. "Too bad Yue
woke up -- your sisters won't be able to use Yukito-san with his other
personality active, and probably not Touya-san either. Not and handle
Hiiragizawa."
"Sakura wouldn't like that," her husband-to-be objected
automatically.
"She wouldn't have had to know about it... oh, well. Water under
the bridge."
"Even so... she might have found out, and it would have hurt her.
Please don't say anything like that -- "
" -- Around her? Li Hsiao-lang, do you think I'm stupid?"
"No. No, it's just that I -- I hold her in the highest respect
and affection -- "
"You love her," Mei-ling shrugged.
"Yes!" He nearly bit his tongue. "That is -- I don't want to hurt
you, but Sakura -- "
"Ever the dutiful son. You probably started arguing yourself into
loving her as soon as Aunt Ye-lan read through our reports and ordered
you to marry her instead of battle her."
"It wasn't like that..." he protested.
"You didn't love her before she came to Hong Kong that time," his
cousin argued. "You were attracted, sure, and falling all over yourself
denying it, but... well, it'll make it easy when you persuade your wife
to leave her home and her family and her friends and join the Li
Family. Even the most accomplished lie-detector can't detect a lie that
isn't there."
"You make it sound so sordid."
"That's life, cousin... and you'll be devoting yourself to
keeping the Card Mistress happy to be there. Not only could she cause
considerable damage if she wasn't, I *like* Sakura-chan. I'd just as
soon see her happy as not."
There was a long silence.
"I'm seeing to Tomoyo-chan for you," Mei-ling said eventually.
"Seeing to?" Hsiao-lang repeated blankly. "She was the one most
responsible for this wedding. She doesn't even have any magic."
"*I* don't have any magic... and if she thought that you dead
would hurt Sakura-chan less than the Li Family's plans for her, she'd
sink a knife in your back in a heartbeat."
"MEI-LING!"
"You never did understand family affairs," Mei-ling said gently.
"I like Tomoyo-chan, and for her sake, I hope that you are very, very
persuasive when you convince Sakura-chan of the benefits of Hong Kong --
if she thinks it's what will make Sakura-chan happy, she'll expedite
matters. But even though I like her, I'll break her neck if the Family
needs me to. They underestimated Clow Reed's value once. They won't do
it again -- and bringing his creation safely into Li Family hands is
more important than all of us."
"Mei-ling -- "
"I love you, Hsiao-lang. I've always loved you. But I am Li, and
you are Li, and so you will marry for the honor and the prestige of the
Li, and are lucky enough that your future wife is kind and gentle and
will not drive you straight back into my arms.
"Not that I would object, but it would be -- unwise to antagonize
the Mistress of the Cards, particularly before she is safe pent up in
the Li compound surrounded by our people."
"I. Am. Not. Going. To. Imprison. Her," Hsiao-lang gritted.
"Of course not," Mei-ling snorted. "But you will become her
husband, and thus her lord and master. She will be happy to do what
you want -- or are you implying that you aren't man enough to satisfy
her?"
Hsiao-lang turned bright red and sputtered for a moment.
"But my elder sisters don't dote on the words of their husbands,"
he managed finally.
"Their husbands aren't Li," Mei-ling shrugged. "Except for
Fu-die's, but he married in and does nothing but jump when Cousin
Fu-die and Aunt Ye-lan say hop. Sakura-chan is marrying in. The allies
of the Li Family will become her allies. The enemies of the Li Family
will become her enemies. The needs of the Li Family will become her
desires. And no one on the outside will ever suspect, any more than
they suspect us now."
"Mei-ling... "
"To be sure, we're all being used, but the Li Family uses us from
the day of our birth. Some of us, however, will be lucky enough to
enjoy ourselves on the way down."
"Stop it!"
"Family affairs," she said, quietly, inexorably. "You aren't
thinking of defying the Li in this matter, I trust. The Head schooled
you well before your second exile in Tomoeda. You are a maiden's prayer
and the perfect bait for a young woman of innocent mind and loving
heart, the more so because so much of it is true. Sakura-chan will make
the Li greater than they have ever been, and in return you will make
her happy -- "
"STOP IT!"
The sound of Hsiao-lang's heavy breathing, slowly calming as he
brought himself back under control, was terribly loud in the silence.
"I am going back inside," he said, slowly, deliberately. "And in
half an hour I will marry Kinomoto Sakura, because I love her, and for
no other reason. And at some time in the future we will move back to
Hong Kong, because it is my home, and for no other reason. And
Kero-chan will come with us, and I do not know what we will do about
Yue but we shall work it out somehow, and Sakura will use her power in
Hong Kong when she shall so please, and for no other reason."
Li Mei-ling looked at him for a long moment, and then she bowed,
the low bow due some great official of the Imperial Court on first
meeting.
"I congratulate you," she said. "You manage to be both the
husband of the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, with all the rights and
duties thereto, and the son and heir of the Head of the Li Family, with
all the responsibilities and privileges inherent in *that*, without it
tearing you apart. And all you had to do was lose Hsiao-lang in the
process."
She turned and went down the stairs from the deck, calling one
last addendum over her shoulder.
"If you should happen to see him again, would you send him along
to me?"
When he came out onto the small side deck of the tastefully
understated "wedding chapel," the tall Chinese woman was already there.
She leaned against the rail, back to the gardens that had been
judged too dangerous with the uncertainty of the day's weather, tunic
and trews clinging to her figure.
"I'm still surprised that you chose a Western-style wedding,
Hsiao-lang."
"I didn't choose it," Li Hsiao-lang said patiently. "Sakura did,
and if it makes her happy... it's not as if we won't be going to Hong
Kong and having a proper wedding there with the Li Family in
attendance."
"But not staying there," his cousin observed.
"Sakura's not really comfortable with the idea of leaving
Tomoeda," he shrugged. "I won't push just now. There'll be time enough
to talk her into it later."
"That's what I'm here about, actually."
"Oh?" Hsiao-lang stiffened.
"Your mother bids me tell you that you may have a year to woo the
Mistress of the Cards into returning with them to the bosom of the Li
Family, where they belong. More; two. But *only* two -- we have waited
long enough to make Clow Reed's power ours, and the Head expects
results."
"I understand." He looked at her for a long moment. "You could
still be part of the wedding, you know. Even now -- I'm sure Tomoyo
could whip up something, especially as the bridesmaids are all dressed
sort of differently."
"Hsiao-lang." Her voice was angry for that one word, and then
became firm and sad. "I supported this wedding. I plotted for it. I
lied for it. I pushed you two together.
"But do not ask that of me. I cannot stand smiling as you wed
her. I'm not Tomoyo. I can't do it."
"Mei-ling," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
She took two steps forward and hugged him fiercely, as he
murmured "I hadn't realized you still felt that way."
"The needs of the Li Family outweigh the desires of its members,"
she said into his shoulder. "I've always known that. Doesn't mean I
have to like it."
"Suppose someone -- " he finally said.
"Hsiao-lang. I'm your beloved cousin, come to congratulate you on
your wedding to the girl of your dreams. What could be more harmless?"
Nevertheless, she let go and stepped back.
"I just don't want Sakura to be hurt," he explained stiffly.
"Neither do I," Li Mei-ling told him. "It's just as well that the
Kinomoto waited so long to have their second child."
He blinked. "How so?"
"Well, if they'd had her earlier as Clow Reed planned, she'd have
been only a year or two younger than her brother, and he wouldn't have
had time to win over Yukito-san before she reached an age the moon
guardian would find desirable. And if she were with Yukito-san, you'd
have had to fight her for the Cards."
"And?"
"And I'm sure you'd have won, but she'd probably have gotten
killed. This is better. Even if my children will not hold the Clow
Cards in their hands."
"Your grandchildren still might hold the Sakura Cards," he said
softly. "If one of our children marries one of yours."
"The Head has almost arranged a new marriage for me, in between
marrying off her own daughters," Mei-ling half-accepted. "Too bad Yue
woke up -- your sisters won't be able to use Yukito-san with his other
personality active, and probably not Touya-san either. Not and handle
Hiiragizawa."
"Sakura wouldn't like that," her husband-to-be objected
automatically.
"She wouldn't have had to know about it... oh, well. Water under
the bridge."
"Even so... she might have found out, and it would have hurt her.
Please don't say anything like that -- "
" -- Around her? Li Hsiao-lang, do you think I'm stupid?"
"No. No, it's just that I -- I hold her in the highest respect
and affection -- "
"You love her," Mei-ling shrugged.
"Yes!" He nearly bit his tongue. "That is -- I don't want to hurt
you, but Sakura -- "
"Ever the dutiful son. You probably started arguing yourself into
loving her as soon as Aunt Ye-lan read through our reports and ordered
you to marry her instead of battle her."
"It wasn't like that..." he protested.
"You didn't love her before she came to Hong Kong that time," his
cousin argued. "You were attracted, sure, and falling all over yourself
denying it, but... well, it'll make it easy when you persuade your wife
to leave her home and her family and her friends and join the Li
Family. Even the most accomplished lie-detector can't detect a lie that
isn't there."
"You make it sound so sordid."
"That's life, cousin... and you'll be devoting yourself to
keeping the Card Mistress happy to be there. Not only could she cause
considerable damage if she wasn't, I *like* Sakura-chan. I'd just as
soon see her happy as not."
There was a long silence.
"I'm seeing to Tomoyo-chan for you," Mei-ling said eventually.
"Seeing to?" Hsiao-lang repeated blankly. "She was the one most
responsible for this wedding. She doesn't even have any magic."
"*I* don't have any magic... and if she thought that you dead
would hurt Sakura-chan less than the Li Family's plans for her, she'd
sink a knife in your back in a heartbeat."
"MEI-LING!"
"You never did understand family affairs," Mei-ling said gently.
"I like Tomoyo-chan, and for her sake, I hope that you are very, very
persuasive when you convince Sakura-chan of the benefits of Hong Kong --
if she thinks it's what will make Sakura-chan happy, she'll expedite
matters. But even though I like her, I'll break her neck if the Family
needs me to. They underestimated Clow Reed's value once. They won't do
it again -- and bringing his creation safely into Li Family hands is
more important than all of us."
"Mei-ling -- "
"I love you, Hsiao-lang. I've always loved you. But I am Li, and
you are Li, and so you will marry for the honor and the prestige of the
Li, and are lucky enough that your future wife is kind and gentle and
will not drive you straight back into my arms.
"Not that I would object, but it would be -- unwise to antagonize
the Mistress of the Cards, particularly before she is safe pent up in
the Li compound surrounded by our people."
"I. Am. Not. Going. To. Imprison. Her," Hsiao-lang gritted.
"Of course not," Mei-ling snorted. "But you will become her
husband, and thus her lord and master. She will be happy to do what
you want -- or are you implying that you aren't man enough to satisfy
her?"
Hsiao-lang turned bright red and sputtered for a moment.
"But my elder sisters don't dote on the words of their husbands,"
he managed finally.
"Their husbands aren't Li," Mei-ling shrugged. "Except for
Fu-die's, but he married in and does nothing but jump when Cousin
Fu-die and Aunt Ye-lan say hop. Sakura-chan is marrying in. The allies
of the Li Family will become her allies. The enemies of the Li Family
will become her enemies. The needs of the Li Family will become her
desires. And no one on the outside will ever suspect, any more than
they suspect us now."
"Mei-ling... "
"To be sure, we're all being used, but the Li Family uses us from
the day of our birth. Some of us, however, will be lucky enough to
enjoy ourselves on the way down."
"Stop it!"
"Family affairs," she said, quietly, inexorably. "You aren't
thinking of defying the Li in this matter, I trust. The Head schooled
you well before your second exile in Tomoeda. You are a maiden's prayer
and the perfect bait for a young woman of innocent mind and loving
heart, the more so because so much of it is true. Sakura-chan will make
the Li greater than they have ever been, and in return you will make
her happy -- "
"STOP IT!"
The sound of Hsiao-lang's heavy breathing, slowly calming as he
brought himself back under control, was terribly loud in the silence.
"I am going back inside," he said, slowly, deliberately. "And in
half an hour I will marry Kinomoto Sakura, because I love her, and for
no other reason. And at some time in the future we will move back to
Hong Kong, because it is my home, and for no other reason. And
Kero-chan will come with us, and I do not know what we will do about
Yue but we shall work it out somehow, and Sakura will use her power in
Hong Kong when she shall so please, and for no other reason."
Li Mei-ling looked at him for a long moment, and then she bowed,
the low bow due some great official of the Imperial Court on first
meeting.
"I congratulate you," she said. "You manage to be both the
husband of the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, with all the rights and
duties thereto, and the son and heir of the Head of the Li Family, with
all the responsibilities and privileges inherent in *that*, without it
tearing you apart. And all you had to do was lose Hsiao-lang in the
process."
She turned and went down the stairs from the deck, calling one
last addendum over her shoulder.
"If you should happen to see him again, would you send him along
to me?"