❤↪ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↩❤ (Kingdom heart

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤

↫cнαяαcтєяѕ↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

яσχαѕ & αχєℓ

ѕσяα & яιкυ

ηαмιηє & кαιяι

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

 

[Ended Light]

❤↬ρℓєαѕє↫❤
∂σ ησт ρσѕт ση нєяє.
ιƒ уσυ нανє αηу cσммєηтѕ,
cσηcєяηѕ,
σя נυѕт ωαηт тσ тαℓк тσ мє αвσυт тнє ѕтσяу, ρм мє!
^^

 

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
ιηтяσ∂υcтιση

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

↫It is very strange how my life is managed by my parents, who are of royal blood if you must know. Yes, they are the king and queen of Azaelus, and I am the young prince…heir to the throne. I live in an absurdly large castle, yet I am locked in my own chamber. Sadly I am considered a prisoner of my own home, according to my dear cousin Sora. My very dull teacher Zexion comes into my room everyday to teach me about the outside world, royalty, how to be polite to nobles, and such…Unlike normal children, I am taught in my own home instead of at a school. Therefore I am secluded from the town and have no friends. Sometimes I wonder what I would feel if I stepped out of this castle. What would it be like to frolic in those lush fields of grass? What would it be like to touch snow for the first time? How many friends could I make in a lifetime? These thoughts of mine have never been spoken. I dreamed about every scenario though. Mother and Father would rather see me isolated, unfortunately. But it isn't as though I would be badly influenced by outsiders! That is how I see it at least. Then again I never had the chance to experience that. Only a few people were able to influence me. I have only ever met noblemen, who I am to assume, are my friends. Otherwise they were merely children of my parent's acquaintances. Ah, it must be odd that I have a fiancée even though I am sixteen years of age. I curse this fate every bloody day. How can I not even choose my own beloved? Yes, I, Roxas Feyanska Azaelus Edward have a fiancée. And no I do not dislike her unusual behaviour, I loathe it. As a cousin I still love her, as I am obligated to. However, we are betrothed. We are to act as the most admirable couple in the kingdom every day until our lives come to an end. She dotes on me all the bloody time though. She clings onto my arm whenever she comes to visit me! The worst part is I cannot hide when she visits and I live in a castle for goodness sakes! I can never love her the way she does me. How can I ever tell her that when she smiles ever so brightly in my presence? Nothing can ever change if Mother and Father control my future! I suffocate every single day. I smile and feign happiness for those around me, just as I had been taught. But I wish for compensation. For once I just want to be myself and not act like the prince of some kingdom I know so little about. Just once I wish someone would make me feel alive, special even. What I didn't realize though, was that my servant was going to be that someone.↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

 

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя Ι

↫Royalty is Quite a Pain↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

The prince's chamber was large, very spacious, and quite silent unfortunately. Roxas was certain he could fit approximately three royal dinner tables inside…or perhaps he was exaggerating. No one rested in those cushiony chairs because the young prince was isolated from most of the castle members, and of course every peasant.

He despised his chamber deeply, for it was a lonely place to dwell in. What reason would he have for owning such a large bedchamber in the first place if nothing was going to happen inside? Well, nothing entertaining at least. Friends had never existed in his life and therefore his days were boring from morning to night. All he ever received were lessons on how to become a more intelligent and talented prince…

...…o…O…o…...

Roxas sat down on the wooden, velvet cushioned chair as his intelligent and wise instructor directed him to. As he heaved a deep and heavy sigh, he drew a snow white quill from the small ink container next to his arm.

"You will rewrite the passage I taught you today and then I will take my leave." Zexion pushed his glasses up with his middle and forefinger as he eyed his student carefully.

"Of course, Zexion." The prince replied dully as he began scribbling on the blank scroll he was given. His instructor turned away every few moments, tracing quiet footsteps back and forth in the room, impatiently waiting for his ignorant student to complete a simple task.

When Zexion's back was turned, Roxas made an attempt to mock his stiff and bold expressions. Alas, the disrespectful gesture didn't go unnoticed by the scholar. He twisted around on his heels and pierced his student with a frigid glare, earning a quiet huff in return.

"Young man, do you wish to write more?" Zexion grunted in exasperation as he slammed the large wooden table with a hand, making ink spit up from the container.

Roxas casually twirled the quill in between his fingers and sighed as though he couldn't care less. "Of course not," he answered dully once again.

"Although it is your sixteenth birthday, I will not allow you to simply skip a lesson," his instructor responded strictly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Roxas chose not to retort for once; he wanted to concentrate on writing the passage as neatly as he could, so his unbearable lesson would finally reach its end. Occasionally he glanced out of the window from afar just to gaze at the beautiful, serene sky. That was his only distraction.

A set of pure white clouds drifted across and a flock of birds hovered gracefully under them. For his birthday, all the young prince desired was freedom. Freedom to go outside and pretend he was not of royal blood. One day of freedom…was that too much to ask?

"There…" Roxas grumbled bitterly as he offered the scroll to Zexion. Unfortunately he was forced to suppress his desire to toss his scroll at his instructor's face. It would have been very childish and rude of him to do so.

The man glared daggers at the prince as he snatched the parchment away like a greedy child.

"Was he reading my thoughts?" the prince wondered to himself fretfully. Any more writing and he would have gone mad. In his mind, the prince witnessed himself tearing every scroll he ever wrote on, spilling every ink container onto the carpeted floors, and snapping every quill in two.

Of course, in reality he wasn't a vulgar young man.

"You should at least try to act more princely." Zexion's suggestion came out in a low tone as his eyes studied the parchment. "Being sour all the time does not seem beneficial to your wellbeing."

"Good intentions, is it?" Roxas asked dryly as he stood up from the chair, both hands flat on the table's surface. Having good intentions probably meant earning praise from his parents.

"Of course, my prince." Zexion nodded without even looking at the boy.

"Prince…" Roxas snorted in exasperation. He despised that title with his very soul, especially since it bound him to his chamber.

A quiet sigh escaped his lips as he slowly trailed over to his favourite window seat. He leaned against the sill and gazed down at the ocean's ever flowing waves in admiration. Each one embraced the castle walls, attempting to break through the barrier. The young prince only wished it would destroy the walls so that one day he could go outside and be free. Free from all his future duties, free from his ridiculous engagement…

A loud knock on the door disrupted Roxas' thoughts and Zexion's concentration, capturing their attention in an instant. The scholar placed a yielding hand in front of the prince, so he wouldn't walk over to answer the door. Instead, Zexion quickly trailed over to the door and gave it an annoyed look before he pulled it open.

He peeked through the small crease he created and tried to ensure that no one would see Roxas relaxing at the window. "May I—"

"Roxas!" A young blonde haired beauty barged into the room, shoving Zexion aside without a care. He stumbled backwards and nearly fell onto the carpeted floor, but managed to maintain balance when he grasped the door handle.

The energetic girl dashed forward and wrapped her arms around the prince's neck cheerfully, pressing his back against the window with her body.

"Naminé, how wonderful it is to see you." Roxas greeted her with a small smile as he forced back his much desired groan. Honestly now, the last person he wanted to speak to was his fiancée. His day only worsened as it progressed.

"Happy birthday!" She shouted out right before she kissed him on the cheek. It was intentionally for his lips, but he nimbly dodged it by shifting his head to the left. "Does this day not excite you? We are to dance at the ball tonight!" she exclaimed shrilly as she threw both their arms up in the air.

Ah yes…the day certainly became worse.

"A-a ball? A formal dance between you and I?" Roxas stuttered as his eyes widened in shock.

The prince had no desire to attend a ceremony that honoured both his sixteenth birthday and engagement. By gracing the nobles with his presence, the prince knew he was going to be forced to dance elegantly in front of everyone. It was an obligation. An act against his will to please the guests.

Worst of all he was going to personally announce his horrific engagement to everyone in the ballroom. The news was going to spread throughout the entire kingdom like a contagious disease!

"Of course we will dance together, my silly prince." Naminé giggled at his response and pulled him away from the window so they could have a light dance together. Excitement flickered in her eyes, which made them sparkle magnificently.

"This is not a giggling matter!" Roxas mentally cursed everything that was wrong in his life while his body trembled in panic. His heart raced to further emphasize his fear.

Zexion coughed into his fist annoyingly so that it was noticeable to both Roxas and Naminé. "My lady, you are disturbing my student's lesson. Surely you understand by now that it is important he completes his assignments every day. Please return in ten minutes and he will be free to speak to you until the ceremony."

Roxas made sure Zexion caught sight of his icy, hate-filled eyes. "Do not send her back in here!" his mind barked viciously.

The scholar gently took Naminé's hand and led her out the chamber. When the door closed he whirled around on his heels and smiled rather proudly at his student, thinking he'd done a good deed. "Now then, are you going to express any gratitude?"

Roxas scoffed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I never requested for your assistance, Zexion." He scowled as he turned his attention back towards the ocean. It was the only thing capable of calming his nerves at the moment.

"Very well, then." Zexion replied coolly as he unrolled the parchment to examine it once again. "Lady Naminé shall return in ten minutes."

"I know." Roxas muttered to himself painfully as he knotted his arms together in a childish manner.

"Is there something about her that you dislike? She seems like a very sweet and charming young woman," Zexion paused and glanced up from the scroll so he could make eye contact with his student. At least he was trying to act more friendly towards the lonely prince. Angering the boy on his birthday was certainly an unwise decision.

"She is my cousin and I have always thought of her as such. Nothing more." Roxas replied smoothly for once instead of antagonizing his instructor. Truthfully the young prince disliked Naminé because she was too sweet. It was unnatural because anger never overcame her. Plus her attachment to him was very unhealthy.

The gentle breeze brushed up against Roxas' face as he cracked open his window. A smile tugged on his lips as he breathed in the fresh ocean air.

"Royalty will always marry with royalty. I'm sorry to say that, my prince," Zexion said sympathetically as he rolled the parchment back up. "You are finished for the day." Without speaking another word he began treading towards the door.

Roxas watched edgily as it creaked open.

"Please do not address me as prince when my parents are not in our presence…" the boy requested politely, directing his eyes to his knees. The sound and tone of his voice managed to stop his instructor from exiting the chamber. "I dislike my honourable title."

Without turning around, Zexion pushed his glasses up once again and smiled. "Very well, Roxas. Happy birthday." He left the room without another word. And before the prince could release a sigh, someone knocked on his door.

"Roxas, may I come in?" Naminé's voice slipped through the cracks seconds after Zexion disappeared.

"Yes, the door is unlocked." Roxas buried his face within his hands before she entered. "Just when I thought I had one moment of peace…"

"Your mother and father would like to see you in the dining halls." With a cheerful smile, she approached the prince and clasped their hands together.

"Thank you, Naminé," Roxas muttered, dragging his body out of his chamber. His fiancée followed closely behind him, grinning giddily.

...…o…O…o…...

Roxas made his way to the exceedingly large staircase and walked down with Naminé beside him. He had purposely kept their hands apart because he feared the visitors, maids, or servants would catch sight of them together and spread more preposterous rumours. He simply wasn't ready for that kind of attention, nor did he desire it.

Soon after the engaged couple made their way down the flight of stairs, they reached the dining halls. The king and queen stood there in an aligned fashion, awaiting their son's arrival. The maids and servants behind them curtsied and bowed courteously when Roxas turned the last corner.

"Father, Mother, you wished to see me?" the prince asked in his most polite manner, bowing his head respectfully in their direction.

"Roxas, you have been very quiet and distant from us lately," his mother began with concern lacing her words. Her elegant brown curls covered part of her face as she leaned down to place a soft hand on her son's face.

"But of course, Mother…you rarely visit me…" Roxas told himself drearily, fighting the urge to roll his eyes and retort. Sometimes he wondered when he adopted such vulgar, un-princely thoughts.

"So we have decided to grace you with a personal servant," she continued with a gentle smile.

The prince stared blankly for a moment, processing the entire phrase into his mind. "I am to re-receive my own servant?" That had been the last thing he'd expected, but he swallowed the bitter remarks aching to spill from his mouth.

"T-that is not necessary, Mother," he declined calmly with a dismissive wave of his hand. Maids and servants were certainly pointless to have in the castle. Roxas never did enjoy speaking with them because all they desired were praises from the king and queen. And of course, some enjoyed spreading rumours throughout the entire castle, inside and out in the courtyards.

"You won't be lonely and you will have someone to assist you with your needs," she responded gingerly as she caressed his face.

"My needs? I need you to break off this ludicrous engagement! I need you to cancel this bloody ball tonight! I need to escape from this wretched cage you call a castle!" Or so Roxas desperately wanted to scream…

"If you believe it is for my own good, then I humbly accept." The prince smiled at her as best he could. He was dreading inside though. Life just couldn't get any worse than this. Servants were only servants because they wanted to get on the king and queen's good side. There were never any good intentions involved!

"Oh, I knew you would understand!" The queen waved a hand at the man behind her husband and he walked forward slowly, almost timorously. "You needn't be bashful! Roxas is a very sweet prince."

"Of course, your highness." The man nodded ever so graciously and straightened his posture. His hair was wild and crimson red, like a phoenix Roxas once saw in a book Zexion made him read. The man had beautiful emerald eyes and strange purple markings sitting under them.

"Roxas dear, this is Axel, your new servant!" She introduced the redheaded man with much enthusiasm as if she had been his long time friend.

"It is an honour to serve you, my prince." Axel bent down on one knee and bowed his head making Roxas' eyes widened at the gesture. It was peculiar but…the prince wasn't expecting his servant to be so obedient.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." The prince gazed down at Axel with worry drowning in his eyes. Even if he wanted to shake hands with his new servant, his father considered it very wrong to fraternize with lowly commoners and servants. Roxas had already received a glare after saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you, Mother, Father. I will take him to my chamber." He turned to his fiancée and smiled meekly. "Naminé, I shall see you at the ball tonight." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Come, Axel, there is much I would like to discuss with you."

"As you wish." The servant complied willingly, following the prince out the dining halls and up the marble staircase like a faithful dog.

...…o…O…o…...

Roxas opened the door to his chamber for Axel and closed it behind him slowly.

"That is quite an act you have going on there," the prince pointed out dryly, as if his new servant had committed a heinous crime. "I can only pray that you are not using me to please my parents!"

After ten years, he had never received a servant or a friend and thus his trust in strangers was very low. Why did his mother suddenly gift him with one after sixteen years?

Insulted, the man named Axel chose to counter the prince's churlish remark. "Of course not, my prince, but it seems as though you deceive others with kindness." Axel emphasized just as dryly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Roxas was taken aback by the observation, ocean blue eyes wider than usual. No one had ever seen through his façade so quickly before, but it was almost mortifying to have lowly servant of all people call him out on it. Slowly, the prince regained composure and marched over to his bed, leaving a short moment of silence hanging between him and the redheaded man.

Feeling guilt weigh on his shoulders, Axel bowed his head lowly. "Forgive my rudeness, my prince." It was not his place to speak ill of anyone. Anger had controlled him for a brief moment and he regretted it dearly after seeing his prince walk away.

"You mustn't call me that!" Roxas hissed through his gritted teeth. He plumped himself onto his bed with little effort and Axel cautiously strode over to the bedside.

"Prince?" Axel arched an eyebrow at the boy who buried his face into his own velvet pillow.

"Yes…" Roxas revealed an ocean blue eye to Axel, disappointment and sadness swimming in it. "Please speak my birth name when my parents are not present."

Axel stared at his prince thoughtfully for a moment and then accepted the command. "As you wish, Roxas." The servant bowed his head politely.

"It isn't necessary for you to constantly act as my servant when my mother and father are not present!" the prince spat as he bolted into a sitting position. Seeing Axel move about like every other servant and maid nearly frustrated him. The man must have been feigning kindness! "I know you do not care about me."

"You mustn't jump to conclusions, Roxas," Axel pleaded quietly, bowing his head once more in an apologetic manner. Inwardly, Axel wished the prince would not see him as an enemy, but it proved to be difficult because of the boy's pessimism. "I…I honestly do care about you."

Irritated by the Axel's peculiar tone, Roxas twisted around so his back was facing his servant. "I do not understand why my parents chose you to be my servant," he muttered. "Such a persistent man he is!"

"I—my parents requested it," Axel quickly replied as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why would your parents suddenly request such a thing?" Roxas questioned through suspicion. He turned his neck just slightly so he could see Axel from the corner of his eye.

"I asked them to." The servant responded obediently to the question.

"You speak confusing words!" Roxas spouted angrily.

"I wouldn't want to leave an adorable and charming prince alone." With a crooked smile plastered on his face, Axel shrugged his shoulders and twiddled his fingers together.

"What?" The prince nearly fell off the edge of his bed. "Is this some sort of a jest? I am not interested in men, and I have a fiancée," he spoke quickly and defensively as a wild blush stained his pale cheeks.

"Who you aren't very fond of, might I add," the servant remarked cheekily.

Baffled, Roxas felt his jaw drop down, leaving his mouth wide open. The nerve of this man…! Roxas was now one hundred percent certain that Axel was very unique compared to all of the other servants he'd ever encountered.

"I have noticed you in the halls, Roxas…" came a quiet response. Said boy snapped out of his thoughts and stumbled back into reality, eyeing his personal servant. "You often try to escape her grasp."

"Are you stalking me?" The prince hissed as he grabbed his servant by the collar of his shirt. Suddenly he felt defiled and chills were streaming down his back.

The servant failed to flinch. He simply allowed Roxas to hold him in that position for the next few moments. "Perhaps you just failed to notice me ambling around, like your other hundred servants and maids," Axel answered evenly.

Roxas had nothing to counter that and thus his distorted expression dissolved. Unfortunately, Axel was correct, and the prince suddenly felt like one of the many shallow aristocrats in the kingdom. Something he never wanted to be. "So why choose to serve me?" he muttered as he released Axel's blouse.

"I am interested in your personality, if you must know." The redhead readjusted his collar and answered without looking up.

"You're mad…" Roxas whispered in disgust.

"Perhaps. But it is my desire learn more about you," Axel answered honestly, hiding the hurt he felt behind his calm exterior.

"Why?" Roxas' eyebrows furrowed in frustration. How was he going to live with this man as his servant?

A lopsided smile fell onto Axel's face as he shrugged in a nonchalant manner. "Something about you intrigues me. If you will allow me, I would like to care about you as a person and not just a prince. Would that be enough to please you? I am not seeking praise from your parents. I swear it."

The prince released a surrendering sigh when he felt warmth journey through his entire body. Someone actually claimed that he cared. "Very well…I suppose it would be nice to have a companion. I…I certainly won't be lonely anymore." Perhaps it would not hurt. After all, Roxas found himself speaking informally to his servant, which was actually quite refreshing.

"A splendid decision, indeed! I will wash away the sadness in your heart." Axel wrapped his arms around the young prince, earning a sharp gasp.

"What in the world do you think you're doing? I-I believe I made it clear to you that I have a fiancée." Roxas felt his face burn up with a blush as he clutched onto the servant's arms, squirming for release.

"I was merely trying to offer you comfort. You're always so sour," Axel clicked his tongue in irritation and then sighed as he reluctantly released the young prince. "I had no idea…it became this bad. How in the world will I be able to apologize to you?" he wondered sadly, wishing he could comfort the boy in his arms.

"How is that comforting? Such tight embraces are only for those who are in an intimate relationship with another, are they not?" Roxas asked in a bitter tone, shuddering from the awkward feeling of being hugged by another man. Only Naminé had ever embraced him so tightly. Even his mother and acquaintances never held him so closely.

"Did your father not embrace you when you were younger?" The servant raised his eyebrows.

"No…he is much too busy for someone like me." Roxas huffed as he fell back onto his mattress.

"Then I must apologize," Axel bowed his head sympathetically when he remembered that Roxas did not have much contact with other people.

"I-it is nothing to worry about. You meant well…" Roxas scratched the back of his head nervously as Axel rose from the cushiony mattress. He made his way over to the prince's giant wardrobe and flung open the doors.

Roxas lifted his head just slightly, "What are you doing?"

"You should select your garments for tonight's ball…After all it is the big announcement of your engagement." Axel began sifting through the expensive clothing, from tight pants and shirts to loose costumes.

Roxas sulked at the very idea of the engagement. "It isn't necessary to search for my garments so early. Do not trouble yourself."

Axel snorted childishly to the prince's astonishment. "You have never had a personal servant before, have you?" Roxas said nothing, indicating his answer. "Your wish is my command, my pr—Roxas. I am here to do your bidding."

"So it means I may treat a person like a slave or a dog?" Such a disgusting thought it was! Roxas had never taken advantage of any servant or maid. He wondered how his parents treated their servants. Were they ruthless? Were they vulgar like wild beasts? Roxas never wanted to be like them.

"Thank you, Axel, but we'll rummage through my wardrobe later," he decided to say.

"As you wish, my prince." With great care, Axel placed the garments back in their original places.

"Roxas." The prince emphasized his name with a huff.

"My apologies—"

"Say sorry!" Roxas wanted fewer formalities. It was like teaching someone how to speak.

The servant bowed courteously and nodded his head, accepting his new master's command. "As you wi—"

"That is enough…" The prince couldn't help but chuckle at his surprisingly polite servant. "You may be my servant, but I would prefer if we were…friends?" He blushed as he turned his head away, averting the beautiful emerald eyes. It struck him as peculiar when he felt the heat in his cheeks. Why was it so embarrassing to ask for friendship?

"If that is your wish. However, I believe I should inform you that I should not grow fond of this treatment. If your parents ever found out we would both be punished."

"Why is that?" Roxas inquired with a frown.

"It isn't right for a prince and his servant to be friendly. It isn't necessary for you to treat us with kindness either. We are merely there to serve your needs—"

"Well I am in need of a friend!" Roxas snapped, clenching his fists. "My wish is for you to be my friend…if-if that is all right…"

"Then I will do everything I can to please you, my prince." Axel grinned just before he received a slap on the arm. There was no strength in Roxas' slap. He simply didn't know how else to act towards someone as…unique as Axel.

This relationship was certainly off to an interesting start.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя 2

↫α ωιѕн тσ єη∂ ιт αℓℓ↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

"I honestly have no desire to attend this ball." Roxas grumbled and muttered sinful curses under his breath as he slipped on a pair of excruciatingly tight breeches behind his changing curtain. His personality had altered after he had spent three frustrating hours demanding his servant to speak like a normal person. No longer was he acting like a prince, but more like an ordinary everyday commoner; something he wished he was. It felt new to him, but it was refreshing.

"Well it cannot be helped. If you wish to please your parents then you should wear the formal attire sitting in your wardrobe. They are hosting this ceremony for you, after all." Axel had begun to speak informally as well, which was against his teachings. After hours of being scolded and corrected by Roxas, he had learned to speak to the young prince in a way that a commoner speaks to a dear friend.

He actually fancied the idea of speaking to Roxas in a casual manner, for it made him feel special. And although he was occasionally sarcastic and witty, Roxas found it very refreshing from the polite talk and gestures.

The prince stepped out of the curtain wearing tight, white breeches and a crimson red blouse (also tight) with transparent gems decorating the cuffs and collar. A flush of humiliation stained his cheeks when he draped the royal cape over his shoulders. "I despise how tight these atrocious garments are…" He gawked at his mirror reflection in disgust, shifting his body back and forth to view all angles. His main focus was fixed on the wrinkled frills and collars sticking out of his blouse.

"I believe you look absolutely stunning," Axel complimented as he tugged down on the bottom of Roxas' cape to straighten it out.

It was difficult for the prince to resist the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation. "My parents are not present. It isn't necessary for you to be polite," Roxas reminded gruffly as he adjusted his frilly red collar.

"I cannot be honest now?" Axel wondered defensively, feeling offended by the prince's rude suggestion. All he did was offer kind words laced with honesty.

"My apologies." Roxas quickly shot his head down, suddenly feeling guilt run through his body like a rapidly flowing stream. "I am accustomed to the maids telling me I look handsome or dashing even though it isn't true. They utter such words in attempt to please me."

Axel rose from the carpeted floors and ambled over to the king-sized closet to clean the mess. "Even without these garments, I believe you look dashing." Axel grinned proudly at himself as he threw a variety of costumes back into the closet with little care.

"W-well...in my honest opinion, you look quite handsome as well." Embarrassment marked Roxas' cheeks with a flush of pink as he tried to return the compliment. "Even with those unusual markings under your eyes—"

"How strange it is for you to mention them," the servant began rather darkly, making Roxas' heart skip a horrible beat. "Your parents wanted me to be your personal entertainer at first…"

The prince's wide, ocean blue eyes were fixed on Axel's face, "My entertainer?" he echoed numbly, body stiff.

"They burned these bloody markings under my eyes. As of late, you have been quiet and distant, and thus they wanted me to become your personal jester." For a brief moment, Axel brought a hand up and caressed the mark engraved in his left cheek.

While watching and listening intently, the prince swallowed a thick lump lodged in his throat.

"My parents begged them not to scar me any further." The servant gazed at the carpeted floor and remembered how difficult it was for his mother to accept the permanent wounds on her son's cheeks. "On her knees with her head bowed lowly until her head touched the unblemished floors, my mother wept for me and apologized endlessly." With a rough sigh, the servant shrugged off the bitter thought and began adjusting the collar on Roxas' shirt.

"I believe you said your parents requested for you to be my servant earlier," Roxas whispered, mouth dry.

"They did, but your father thought I could be more useful if I was scarred with peculiar designs on my face. All to be your personal entertainer…not a very humanly act, is it?" Axel spat bitterly.

"Then you have my sincerest apologies," Roxas said with sadness coating his voice. He bowed apologetically towards the redhead, whose eyes widened at the unexpected gesture.

"D-do not apologize for something your parents did," he began frantically, trying to lift the guilty weight off the prince's conscience. He was surprised to find Roxas apologizing to him. "I do not blame you for m-my scars, and it is wrong to bow and apologize to a servant."

"I am apologizing as a friend!" Roxas snapped, feeling regret flow through his blood like a deadly poison. Axel went through a great amount of pain just to be his servant, after all. It was only natural for him to feel the need to apologize for his parents' shameful act. "Is there nothing I can do to rid you of those marks…?"

Within moments, the surprised expression on Axel's face melted into sadness. "No…there is nothing you can do. They are burned into my skin." Axel appreciated the prince's sentiment, mainly because he wasn't expecting much sympathy to begin with. It pained him to see Roxas with such a sorrowful expression etched in his features, though. "All because of the king and queen…" he thought with his fingers curling into firm fists.

Roxas gently cupped his servants face, thumbs caressing the purple marks. He actually felt them; they were engraved in Axel's skin. "I see…" he murmured dejectedly.

"T-that is enough!" the servant snapped irritably as he pulled his face away from Roxas' delicate touch. "You must prepare yourself for the ball. There is no gain in drowning over something that has already been done."

Defensively taking a step back, the boy frowned, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Why are you so angry all of a sudden?" Roxas questioned evenly, placing his hands on his waist.

"Never you mind. We are wasting precious time right now, that's all," Axel answered a little more calmly, forcing back his anger. Truth be told, he really cared about the prince. Never did he want Roxas to dwell over some disgusting act his parents performed. He despised the king and queen, notRoxas…

"You wish to impress my parents with punctuality and neatness, do you not?" the prince accused with a sardonic tone equipped to his voice. The way Axel suddenly got upset made him feel this way. "Servants and maids often desire praises from the king and queen."

"No, I wish to impress them so I won't lose my position as your servant." Axel grunted disappointedly, offended that Roxas still thought of him as a greedy man. "If your parents found you treating me as a friend, they would separate us in an instant."

"My apologies…" Roxas whispered, feeling completely ridiculous. "What in the world am I doing? He is my friend, yet I treat him like a criminal." The prince just wanted to slap his own forehead or just slam it against the nearest horizontal surface.

"No need…I'm certain you are not accustomed to having a servant near you for such a long period of time." Axel chimed considerately, waving his hand dismissively. Inside he felt horrible for putting guilt on the boy's conscience again. He tugged on Roxas' shirt once more, straightening the last few tiny wrinkles and smiled meekly. "Shall I escort you down to the ballroom, my prince?" he asked with a courteous bow.

"I asked you not to be so formal." Roxas pouted at his servant.

"You must keep in mind that it is necessary for me to use your honourable title. Otherwise the maids and servants will question my unruly behaviour as a servant and report it to His Majesty. I would then receive punishment." Axel pointed out dejectedly. "However, when we are alone together I will speak to you as one would a friend."

"Y-yes." Roxas nodded nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "Very well, you may escort me, my faithful servant."

...…o…O…o…...

The prince held onto Axel's arm as they journeyed down the marble staircase, earning strange gazes from the other maids and servants. A series of whispers and murmuring voices echoed off the walls and rung in the prince's ears. Such an irritable sound it was…

"Perhaps it would be wise to release my arm…" Axel pouted and began to pull away, but Roxas tightened his clutch, refusing to give the other servants and maids any satisfaction.

He looked up at Axel with a straight face, eyes swimming with determination. "If they have something to say, they should tell me instead of spreading meaningless gossip throughout the castle."

Axel said nothing afterwards. However, he was pleased that his prince chose to hold his arm.

They entered the ballroom and noticed some guests had already arrived. They were dressed up very formally; women in colourful, elegant dresses and men in costumes and formal attire with small scarves peeking out of their collars.

The king and queen sat in their large chairs at the back of the room and Axel and Roxas shuffled over to them as quickly as they could. Weaving through the large crowd of guests was no easy task.

"You should be more punctual, young prince." The king spoke strictly to Roxas and then directed his attention to Axel. A look of disgust was shot in the servant's direction, for the king was displeased. "You are off to a very tardy start, servant. Do not allow this to happen once more if you wish to continue serving under the prince."

"My sincerest apologies, your majesty." Axel dropped down onto one knee and bowed quickly. "It shan't happen again."

"My deepest apologies, father," Roxas stayed standing on his feet and dipped his head for a courteous bow.

"Very well. Go greet our guests now. I will have one of my servants summon you when it is time for your speech," the king announced, disappointment already wrapped around his voice. "You are dismissed."

...…o…O…o…...

The prince and his servant casually sauntered through the ballroom, side to side. Both were silent, guilt-tripped after being scolded by the king himself. They ignored the greetings they received from the aristocrats passing by and sighed.

"I must apologize for making us late," Axel began without looking down at the young prince.

"The fault is mine. I should have taken your advice earlier and searched my wardrobe for my garments," Roxas reasoned guiltily. "You mustn't blame yourself."

As they continued walking towards the larger crowds, the prince shook hands and greeted some guests enthusiastically. More people continued pouring in through the doors.

"Roxas!" To the prince's dismay, his ears caught the shrill voice of his fiancée. Quickly, the prince made eye contact with his servant and silently pleaded for assistance. "Hide me!"

Unable to think of anything quick enough, Roxas was forced to speak to his fiancée. Naminé approached them with her signature smile painted beautifully over her lips and greeted them happily, "Happy birthday, Roxas!" She hugged him tightly, cutting off the blood flow in his arms for a brief moment.

Faking his own smile, Roxas responded kindly, disregarding the numbness in his body. "Thank you for attending my celebration." He lifted the lady's hand and kissed the back of it softly, earning an unnoticeable frown from his servant.

"Is this handsome man your new servant?" she asked politely as she withdrew her slender hand from Roxas' own.

Axel forced a smile for her. "Did she truly forget about my existence already?" It seemed awkward since she saw him in the dining halls earlier…Perhaps she was just being playful.

"Why, yes my lady." Axel bowed his head for her and lifted her hand, giving it a tender kiss as well.

"My! Such a gentlemen!" she cried loudly, feeling very flattered by the gesture. If she hadn't been engaged, Roxas was sure she would have swooned at his gorgeous servant.

"Might I ask for your name, my lady?" Axel lifted his head and winked at the sweetness lacing her voice. As much as Roxas wanted to slap his flirt of a servant across the head, he couldn't. He could have called over one of his guards to do that though.

"Naminé, you mustn't run off so suddenly," a brunet scolded behind her, hands pressed against his hips. His hair was large and spiky, and his eyes were ocean blue, just like Roxas'.

Naminé simply smiled, purposely ignoring his serious tone. "Meet Roxas' servant!" With a sharp tug on their arms, she drew the redhead and brunet towards one another.

"Axel, this is Sora, my dear brother and second in line for the throne," she introduced proudly.

Sora gaped at Axel for one entire minute. His eyes travelled up and down the servant's body and sometimes they focused on his wild red hair. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," he finally said, though not very enthusiastically.

"The pleasure is all mine," Axel responded with a curt smile, one he just couldn't hold back. Though he was tempted to say, "Lord Sora, it is quite rude to gaze upon a person for such a long period of time!" Except that would have caused a commotion and he would have received injuries for lashing out on the boy who was second in line for the throne.

Another servant suddenly approached them from behind and coughed into his fist. It was a demand for Roxas' attention. "His Majesty has asked for you, my prince." The man directed a bow in said prince's direction.

"Very well. Thank you." Roxas nodded and dismissed his father's servant, then he turned to Axel. "Come, Axel…I have been summoned…" He huffed unenthusiastically and trudged through the large crowds.

...…o…O…o…...

It was difficult for them to rush through the ballroom as more guests arrived. Axel had probably hollered, 'Make way for the prince,' or 'Pardon me' over one hundred times. Roxas could not help but feel sorry for him…after all he could have said, 'Pardon me' himself.

They finally made their way to the end and walked up the marble steps towards the king and queen, who were still seated in their large chairs, keeping an eye on all the guests rather than speaking to them.

"You called for me, Father?" the prince wondered politely, never attempting to anger the king.

"Roxas dear, it seems you will be having dinner before your announcement," his mother explained with a sweet, loving voice. It seemed as though she was pleased with how the party was going so far. Everyone was dancing and laughing, enjoying their time in the castle.

"What a poor reason for prolonging this waitt…" the prince told himself, wishing he could sigh in front of his parents.

"Of course mother," Roxas responded coolly soon after.

"Servant, show your prince to his table. He must be seen by all our honoured guests," the king directed strictly. "After all it is his sixteenth birthday—such a joyous occasion."

Axel could easily imagine how poorly his fellow servants were treated by the king, judging by the man's harsh tones. Servants and maids were merely tools in the castle and thus they weren't treated with much kindness.

"As you wish, your majesty." Axel bowed perfectly before he escorted Roxas to his seat.

"I must say that man has many strict demands…would it honestly hurt him to smile?" Axel huffed cheekily, hoping no one heard him. He even felt sorry for Roxas, being engaged against his will and all. His father didn't even act like a father, just a man controlling a young boy's life.

Roxas nodded in concurrence. "I am quite accustomed to this behaviour unfortunately. It is nothing new to me…"

Axel pulled out a chair for Roxas and could not help but smile. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Roxas asked before he seated himself.

Axel knelt down and whispered into his ear so no one else could ever hear his words. "At least I know you're different from your father—in a very good way too."

"Why, thank you," Roxas mirrored his servant's expression, feeling a little pleased.

"If I may have your attention for a moment," the king began loudly, so that everyone could hear. The room was suddenly silent. "Please allow my servants to direct you to your seats. Dinner shall begin shortly and the young prince will have a pleasant announcement for all of you. My honoured guests!" he said with more enthusiasm. It was as though he was kissing up to the crowds, which somehow disgusted Roxas, knowing his father's true personality of course. Everyone began whispering to one another about the announcement, making Roxas swallow hard. He truly hated this birthday celebration.

"And here I thought birthday ceremonies consisted of happy moments…" But true happiness only came in fairytales and novels.

"If you'll excuse me, my prince. Unfortunately I am one of the many servants who were chosen to lead the honoured guests to their seats. Will you be all right by yourself for now?" Axel asked with a clear voice, forcing through the loud chatters.

"But of course. I'm very capable." Roxas granted permission to his servant and almost regretted it. He sat there quietly and watched as Axel carefully led the women to the large dinner tables. Their hands were placed delicately in Axel's own, and the prince couldn't help but stare in admiration.

Naminé suddenly took a seat next to Roxas, still holding a sweet smile. "Isn't it wonderful? Everyone will learn of our engagement!" She giggled as she grabbed Roxas' hand. He gave it a quick squeeze so she wouldn't think he was trying to avoid her.

"It will be nice to get it off my shoulders…" he lied. Naminé's eyes clearly reflected her desire to kiss him, but it would only cause a commotion because few guests knew of their engagement. He was thankful she was smart enough to think it through.

"What thoughts do you have on your newly acquired servant?" The queen-to-be followed Axel's movements, his polite gestures and sweet smiles with her eyes. She knew he was charming man.

Roxas simply smiled at the enquiry and caressed his fiancée's hand. "He is quite a gentleman. I'm glad he was chosen to be my servant," he said candidly. At the moment, he truly wished that Axel was the one sitting beside him instead of Naminé.

"Isn't he handsome? His hair is simply stunning! I haven't seen any other maid or servant with such a unique style." Naminé had that dreamy look plastered all over her face. Somehow she became enchanted by dashing looks and nothing more.

"She clearly fancies him…"

"Yes…Axel is quite unique," the prince coolly agreed. Somewhere in his mind there was a mini Roxas scowling. "Axel is my servant and you will never have him…"

Before their conversation could continue, several cooks entered the room holding several plates with ducks, chicken, steamed potatoes, and cranberries on top. Everyone practically melted from the delicious scents stretching across the entire room.

Other servants brought in goblets of delectable wine for everyone to drink. Some had tea.

The guests were murmuring excitedly, probably hungry from all the talking.

Axel carried a large plate over to Roxas and placed it in front of him. "Here you are, my prince." He winked and grinned as he removed the tin cover. The duck was steaming, medium rare with cranberry sauce oozing down the sides.

"At least dinner will be decent," Roxas thought to himself with an inaudible sigh. Eating hearty meals was a natural for him, since he was of royal blood. A duck was something he could eat every day if he desired it.

Once everyone received a plate they began eating and chattering once again.

Roxas devoured his food rather slowly and Axel stood behind him, arms behind his back, head tilted to the side.

"Why aren't you eating?" the prince asked innocently, turning his neck so he could see his servant.

"Servants do not eat until late in the evening. We are here to serve you and our honoured guests until then," Axel simply replied.

The prince frowned. He had never considered the thought until now. "That doesn't seem fair…"

"It's quite all right." Naminé interjected as she wiped her thin lips with a napkin. "Servants are perfectly content in these situations." Axel didn't reply, but his frown was visible under the vibrant candle lights.

"How could she utter such cruel words?" Roxas' mind was suddenly polluted with turmoil. He frantically wondered whether or not the servants or maids ever starved. It must have been horrible watching all the nobles and royals eat away while they simply waited for orders like obedient dogs. They refilled goblets and retrieved empty plates for the most part, but never complained. "Surely they deserve better…"

"I would like to share my meal with you, Axel," Roxas offered thoughtfully, making Naminé's eyes widen in disgust.

Axel smiled warmly at him, touched by his kindness, "As honoured as I am by your generous offer, you would be scolded for showing compassion towards lowly servants and maids."

Roxas looked down at his food and allowed a simple "Oh…" to escape his lips. He failed to realize how unfair everything was until now; how servants were ordered around like slaves, how they weren't allowed to eat until late at night.

"This is wrong…" he told himself, suddenly losing his appetite.

"I-I'm full…thank you, Axel."

The servant simply nodded and retrieved the glass plate with half a duck leg sitting on it. He disappeared into the kitchen and sighed, wondering what was on the prince's mind.

...…o…O…o…...

After Naminé finished her meal, she and Roxas were summoned by the king and queen. It was time for the announcement.

"I cannot believe this…" He breathed in deeply and exhaled quietly. Axel and a several other servants were covering Naminé from everyone's view. They were too busy conversing to notice Roxas and Naminé's sudden appearance at the back.

"If I may have your attention…" Roxas began loudly, forcing everyone to stop talking.

He inhaled deeply and felt his heart beating twice as fast as before, begging him not to announce his engagement. Hundreds of eyes were still glued to his figure. He swallowed hard, wishing he did not have to go through with this….wishing he could decide his own future. "I…would like to introduce someone magnificent to all our honoured guests today. My future queen." On cue, Naminé took a step forward and the servants scattered. Axel had been one of them.

Naminé smiled excitedly at the crowd, pleased with the fact that she was officially Roxas' fiancée and not some random noble. A flurry of claps echoed within the room, bouncing off the snow white walls.

Roxas gazed down at the smiles everyone offered and felt his body weaken as words continued to escape from his lips. He inhaled once more, "Lady Naminé has been selected to rule this kingdom with me as soon as I take my place as the king. As many of you may notice, she is an intelligent and beautiful candidate. Please treat her kindly and welcome her as my fiancée."

The claps became louder and the prince felt his heart sink deeper and deeper into the abyss of despair. This felt like the end of his life and he simply wanted to shed tears.

All he really wanted for his sixteenth birthday was some freedom.

"You may be the first to take the dance floor," his father suddenly said. Roxas felt his jaw drop. In the heat of the speech he had forgotten that he was going to dance in front of his honoured guests.

"I-it would be my pleasure…" He conjured a fake smile and took Naminé's hand, leading her down the stairs towards the dancing floor. The orchestra began playing beautiful, enchanting music for the couple to dance to. The guests formed a large circle around them and watched enviously as the beautiful couple moved together.

Axel couldn't help but frown.

Naminé leaned forward and rested her head on Roxas' shoulder. He brought his arm up to her back and held her closely, wishing he could hide his miserable expression. They circled slowly on the floor, following the music in an elegant manner. Roxas couldn't wait for it to all end though. He wanted to take a hot bath and sleep so the aristocrats would disappear from his sight and mind.

What made the evening worse was when Naminé kissed him on the lips in front of everyone. The guests cheered and clapped, smiling, blessing them, even though Roxas didn't want any of it.

He marked the day his worst birthday ever.

...…o…O…o…...

After the first song finished, several other guests began dancing with their loved ones on the floor. A crowd of nobles covered the prince and his fiancée, hiding them from the king and queen as they danced away.

"Isn't this marvellous?" Naminé asked cheerfully, still leaning against her fiancé.

"Brilliant…" Roxas replied dully, barely paying attention to the dance anymore. He knew he was rocking back and forth with a girl in his arms, and that no one was paying attention to them anymore, but he no longer cared.

A blue haired man approached the two during their dance with a solemn expression plastered to his face. "Lady Naminé, your mother is asking for you at this moment. I apologize for interrupting your dance, my prince."

"Not at all," Roxas chimed, nodding his head. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I shall only be a moment, Roxas." Naminé smiled and curtsied gracefully before she followed her servant.

The prince was only able to heave a single sigh before his servant grabbed his arm and began pulling him away from the crowds.

"What are you doing?" Roxas questioned through his quick breaths.

"Whisking you away from your acquaintances and fiancée," Axel responded firmly without turning around.

"But you'll be punished," the prince hissed in return, trying to use his heels as a stop.

"Not if they don't notice me," the servant replied deviously, still dragging the prince away with little effort. It was a miracle, but Axel managed to yank his prince out of the ballroom without being noticed. Still he continued to lead Roxas through the castle as if he knew where every single room was.

"Where are you taking me?" Roxas finally questioned, feeling impatient.

"Dear lord, I'm being kidnapped!" He told himself worriedly.

"Up the tower," Axel answered smoothly. At least he was being honest.

"W-wait, I am forbidden from going up the tower!" Roxas shouted frantically, still trying to use his heels to stop their movements. The last thing he needed was a lecture from his father.

"Which will benefit us because no one will assume you're there," Axel answered, a little annoyed now. Why was the prince asking so many pointless questions? Why couldn't he just be an obedient follower for once?

"Unhand me!" the prince demanded, seeming even more impatient than the redhead.

"I must refuse, my dear prince." A small chuckle left Axel's lips as he heard a cute little growl from behind. "I disobeyed my prince's wishes on the first day!" The thought of it was exhilarating.

"I will have you beheaded!" Roxas barked an empty threat. He didn't actually want Axel to be executed, but he had to say something to at least try and stop the disobedient servant. Fear shrouded his mind when he considered the severe consequences of getting caught. If Roxas was seen then he would be scolded by his parents, but if Axel was caught then he'd be physically punished.

"Then behead me after this." The servant replied coolly as he pulled the prince towards the cold stone steps.

"Why are you doing this?" Roxas ceased to struggle as they began walking up a set of spiral stairs he failed to recognize. If he struggled any further he and his servant would fall backwards, which meant earning injuries. It was also dark and only the moonlight beaming through the windows lighted their way.

"As your servant, it is my duty to keep you happy. You seemed rather dull while you were dancing with Lady Naminé," Axel replied as he trailed ahead of the prince, still holding his hand.

"So do you wish to kidnap me or rescue me?" Roxas asked sarcastically. "A thief or a knight?"

"Kidnap, rescue, it makes no difference at the moment." Axel chuckled. The stairs seemed to go on forever, but then again they were going up a tower.

Roxas was beginning to wonder what was in store for him. He had only known Axel for half a day, so he contemplated on whether or not the redhead was trustworthy.

"We're here," Axel chirped cheerily as he placed a hand on the bronze door handle.

"At last…" Roxas groaned exhaustedly, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"Close your eyes," Axel commanded.

"Oh, so now the servant is giving orders to a prince?" Roxas asked amusingly as he complied.

The servant opened the door and pulled the prince outside slowly, carefully so the boy would not trip. "I'm going to assume this is a treat for you, so open your eyes."

The prince obeyed and revealed his ocean blue eyes to the moonlight. There was a blanket of stars covering the sky, some even shooting across, and he could feel a wonderfully cool breeze from the ocean he always admired. It brushed up against his entire body, just like he'd always imagined it would. His eyes travelled everywhere, exploring the wonders of the night.

"I…have never seen so many stars before!" Roxas exclaimed in complete awe. He rushed over to the edge and gazed at the ocean in mesmerisation. "I've never seen the ocean this wide before! I-I mean I have always glanced through my window but I never knew it went so far!"

"Even though this isn't much, it is my birthday gift to you." His servant chuckled at his excitement. "Rumours claimed that there was going to be a star shower tonight, so I wanted you to witness it."

"Temporary freedom is better than none." Roxas smiled appreciatively at Axel. No one had ever taken him outside the castle before, not even up the tower or roof top. It was an amazing experience for him.

"May I have a dance, my prince?" The servant bowed gracefully, placing an arm out for Roxas to accept. He had a strong desire to dance with Roxas since the ball began, but it would have been wrong to do it in front of everyone.

"There is no music though…" Roxas responded quickly, trying to wriggle out of the situation. Dancing with a man had never crossed his mind before, and Axel was someone he had just met. His mind was filled with uncertainty.

"Would it not be a shame to waste such a wonderful opportunity? The night sky has graced us with a beautiful moon, vast amount of stars, and there's even a sparkling ocean." Axel winked as he nudged his arm forward.

"I-I suppose he is correct…"

Roxas accepted Axel's hand gingerly and contained a small smile. "This means nothing, all right? I'm merely being considerate towards you because you have been so kind today."

"Then that is how it should be. It is an honour, my prince." Axel smiled, knelt down, and kissed the back of Roxas' hand with soft lips.

"I'll retreat if you keep calling me that." The prince glared threateningly and twitched as if he was getting ready to retreat.

"Very well, very well, I shall behave," Axel laughed as he gently pulled the prince closer to his body. They slowly rocked back in forth in their footsteps and to Roxas' surprise he was enjoying himself for the first time during a dance.

No one had ever led him through a dance before. No one had ever offered him so much freedom before. No one had ever treated him as though he were more than a prince. Roxas felt at peace for the first time in ten years. He leaned forward and rested his head against Axel's chest, sighing peacefully as he listened to the calm waves push against the castle walls. "This…is absolutely…perfect."

"Now then, will I be beheaded for this?" Axel asked quietly between steps, still pressing the boy's body against his own, feeling very pleased.

With a shake of his head, Roxas smiled. "I only spouted that nonsense so you would unhand me. I would never have you beheaded."

The servant nodded gratefully and pushed away from Roxas, earning a look of confusion. "My sincerest apologies for interrupting this wonderful dance, but we must head back to the ballroom. Otherwise Lady Naminé will worry about your disappearance and summon the guards."

Roxas sighed dejectedly, knowing that he would be returning back to his reality as the prince of Azaelus in mere minutes. "It was wonderful while it lasted. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Don't think that I will never grant you freedom again, Roxas." Axel winked and turned his back to the prince so he could walk over to the door and open it.

With wide eyes, Roxas lunged forward and caught up with his servant, heart beating erratically from sheer excitement. "Do you honestly mean that?" he asked eagerly as he grabbed Axel's sleeve. Freedom…what Axel just offered him was sweet freedom!

"I promise," Axel smiled and pulled the young prince into a warm hug. "I am your faithful servant and your faithful friend."

"Oh, thank you!" Roxas nodded vigorously and hugged Axel tightly, dismissing his concerns and suspicions altogether. His trust for Axel skyrocketed and he felt as though he could finally open up to someone. A wonderful friend. A faithful servant. Someone he could embrace without experiencing strange emotions inside. Someone who would show him things no one else ever would! Things from outside the castle!

Suddenly the prince didn't feel trapped or neglected at all. Instead, for the first time in a long while, he felt…at ease.

"I am curious to know…What are you going to tell Naminé if she asks where we disappeared to?" Roxas wondered quietly, head tilted to the side.

"You were experiencing pain in your stomach and you had to visit the bathroom…" The redhead smirked deviously until a fist came at his chest.

Mortified, Roxas released a flurry of half hearted punches on Axel's chest before they went back to the ballroom. Nevertheless, he enjoyed himself.

Perhaps…his sixteenth birthday wasn't the worst day ever.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя Э

↫нєανєηℓу яєαℓιzαтιση: ραят Ι↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

"I cannot believe I have another music lesson!" Roxas ran his hands through his blond locks wildly as he quickly paced back and forth in his room, feet almost stomping monstrously. If he kept producing such loud noises, other servants and maids nearby would surely hear him.

"Roxas, Roxas…try to act a little more princely. If the maids catch you like this, they'd question me first," Axel said exhaustingly as he latched his hands onto Roxas' shoulders, stopping the boy's movement. He never thought of Roxas as such an angry person. Three weeks together and he hadn't seen the boy throw such a fit.

"Oh, my most sincere apologies then, my dear, dear servant," Roxas responded sardonically as he whipped away from the redhead.

"Easy there…" Axel shot his hands up in front of him defensively, assuming Roxas was going to throw a fist at him or even bite him. "What's so bad about music lessons? The maids told me they're only once a month."

"Let me just say that every time Demyx teaches me, he always, always, and I mean always corrects the tiniest mistakes I make. Zexion and Demyx must be in allegiance…" Roxas stalked over to one of his tables and drew up a small case.

"What instrument do you play?" Axel inquired carefully, body tense and ready for any aggressive beatings.

"The violin," Roxas answered with a quick huff. He snapped open the case and pulled out the beautiful wooden instrument. Axel gazed at it in mesmerisation as Roxas lifted it to his chin. With another sigh escaping his lips, the prince pulled out a bow and began playing the violin slowly. His strokes were delicate, yet smooth. He was definitely careful with his fragile instrument even though he hated playing music.

With his eyes closed, Axel let the tune enter his ears soothingly. "Always a beautiful sound," he commented softly, enjoying even the simplest notes.

"This is nothing. I'm just trying to tune it before Demyx arrives," Roxas said as he began tweaking the instrument.

"Then I cannot wait to hear you play, my dear prince," Axel chuckled, earning a disapproving pout from Roxas.

He sighed, "Axel, I don't want to keep reminding you to call me—"

"It seems you already have your instrument out, my student," Demyx appeared behind him, barely impressed. He quickly turned to the redhead before Roxas could even begin to reply, "Axel, what in the world are you doing in the prince's room? You do realize it is prohibited to visit the prince leisurely."

"I'm afraid I'll be correcting you on that," Axel began strongly, defending his position. Demyx may be strict but Axel wasn't going to simply accept such discouraging words.

"Back to formal talk mode…only for three bloody hours…just three hours of polite gestures and talk…" Roxas told himself over and over again, pretending to pay attention to the conversation in front of him.

Axel pointed at the representational ribbon around his neck. "I am the prince's personal servant. I have been appointed to him by his majesty and her highness," the redhead continued, a prideful smirk tugging on his lips.

"Is that so?" Demyx asked as he cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. Axel nodded determinedly. "Very well, I apologize for my rude assumption." The musician bowed his head just slightly.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Roxas cut in quickly.

"Yes…Demyx was and still is a close friend of mine. We met when we were children," Axel answered with a warm smile. "He grew up to be quite a talented musician, but is still quite a jerk as well." He couldn't help but add a witty comment.

"How dare you speak in such a manner in front of the prince himself? I'll have to ask you to leave," Demyx shot a sardonic stare at the redhead.

The servant straightened his back. "That is up to the prince though," he pointed out intelligently.

Both of them stared down at the prince who simply blinked at their gazes for a moment. "I have no objection if he wishes to stay, Demyx," Roxas answered. Truthfully he would rather have Axel in the room. He was a good comforter and Roxas had gotten used to his presence.

"If that is your desire, my prince." The musician smiled at his approval, though still inwardly upset he lost to Axel. He turned around and snapped the latches on his violin case and as he did so a knock on the door echoed into the room.

"Axel, if you would," Roxas requested as he lowered his instrument into a resting position, waiting to see who was at the door.

"Of course," the servant complied, walking over towards the door. He placed his hand on the knob and opened it slowly. "May I help you?"

"Roxas' lesson should begin in approximately five minutes. I would feel more welcome if you opened the door some more." Zexion's voice was recognizable to everyone in the room, Demyx particularly; he felt his heart beat quicker.

Axel opened the door and allowed Zexion to enter after Roxas nodded permissibly. "I must apologize on behalf of the prince. He is occupied with a violin lesson at this moment. Am I to assume you forgot your teachings begin later today?"

The instructor entered the room slowly and gaped at Demyx. "I apologize for the intrusion then. I seem to have forgotten it was that time of the month. Shall I take my leave, prince?"

"Roxas," the blond haired prince groaned loudly, gripping his violin and bow tightly. He was completely fed up with correcting people and something in his mind just snapped. "My parents aren't around Zexion. You are not required to act formally when you are in my presence."

"You never granted me such a privilege," Demyx whined as he turned to point his bow at his student.

"Then please call me Roxas when my parents aren't around. I grow tired of formalities after a while. Sixteen bloody years to be exact!" he snarled loudly making the other three men take a step back out of fear.

"W-well then, Roxas, would it be all right if I stayed?" Zexion asked hesitantly, a little worried about being snapped at again. Such an abnormal outbreak from the prince concerned him.

"You're welcome to stay here Zexion, I have nothing against it," Roxas heaved a sigh as he lifted the bow to his violin once more. He continued tuning it, hoping for more interruptions at the same time.

"Zexion…you look well," Demyx commented quietly as the other instructor took a seat on one of the chairs near the working desk. "I haven't seen you in a few months."

Zexion looked up at the musician and carefully shifted his bangs so his hair wasn't tickling his nose. Using his middle and forefinger, he pushed up his glasses and gazed carefully into Demyx's eyes. "Yes, it has been a while. It's good to see you're doing well." The atmosphere was suddenly…different.

Axel and Roxas exchanged glances as they watched the scene, feeling out of place. Roxas even stopped playing his violin again just so he could listen to his teachers. It was an interesting game to the blond. He wanted to capture all the little changes in his instructors' tones and reactions.

The redhead coughed into his fist regretfully though, disrupting their moment. "I apologize for the interruption Demyx, but Roxas' lesson stretches on for three hours and you only come once a month…"

Roxas shot a glare at his servant to shut him up. "It's all right Demyx. If you want to speak to Zexion I can simply grant you permission."

"Dear lord, Axel!" Roxas cursed in his mind, "Please don't make me play music today…PLEASE!"

"No, I can teach for a while. I can converse with Zexion during your break," Demyx gave Roxas an apologetic smile. He lifted his own instrument and began tuning it. "Roxas, please continue."

"Curses…"

"Very well…" Roxas grunted as he continued working with his violin.

Axel scurried over to where Zexion had comfortably planted himself. When he wasn't noticed by either Roxas or Demyx he decided to engage a private conversation. First, he had to approach the lilac haired man. "Zexion, might I venture a question?"

The instructor looked up curiously at Axel's unusual tone, wondering what was on his mind. He decided to accept the enquiry. "Of course," he replied courteously. Shifting the chair a little, Zexion offered Axel his full attention.

Nodding, the redhead decided not to hold back on the question, making everything much simpler. "Are you interested in Demyx?"

Zexion blushed just slightly and was thankful it was only visible on one cheek. Long bangs saved his other. "T-that is…"

"You don't have to lie to me. Although many people are offended by a man loving another man, I don't think there's anything wrong with it," the redhead said reassuringly. Obviously he was being supportive towards the man.

With a nod of approval, Zexion answered quietly. "The way he plays his instrument…it is heavenly to my soul."

Axel felt a smile pulling on his lips. "That must be how you first met Demyx." It was a guess but with Zexion's blush, it seemed that Axel was on the mark. Now it was getting interesting.

The music played by Roxas and Demyx drowned out the conversation between the other two in the room.

The redhead offered his full attention to the instructor as he began his anecdote, "I was introduced to him several months ago. Like today, I had mixed up the schedule on the day we met. I was curious about the sound coming out of the prince—Roxas' room so he opened the door for me and there Demyx was, smoothly playing his violin. I couldn't avert my gaze and so I watched in mesmerisation as he moved his bow skilfully and his eyes were closed. It was as though he was apart of the instrument itself and I knew I was in love…I introduced myself soon after and learned that he lived in the city nearby, but that's all I really know."

"That's quite a story," Axel commented politely.

"You want to slow down on this bar," Demyx instructed to his student who was concentrating on correcting every little error he was producing.

Zexion continued through their lesson. "Surprisingly my heart leaps whenever I see him. These feelings remain from the first day I met him. Once he plays music, my heart belongs to him. It's just all too beautiful…"

"Ah, a scholar and a musician…" Axel sighed dreamily as he leaned back against the table, admiring such simple affections. "Must be nice…" he muttered almost to himself.

"Move your bow a little faster here," Demyx pointed on the score and Roxas heaved a sigh. With a nod he played the bar of notes once more.

Zexion observed admirably. He was pleased with how strict Demyx was towards his student. "Is there someone special in your life?" he asked Axel quietly through the melodious background. Looking up thoughtfully, the redhead considered the question for a moment.

"Yes, there is," he answered without glancing at the instructor, dodging any awkward looks. "And that person is in this room at this very moment."

And it didn't take one minute for the instructor to figure out who it was. "An unwise choice unfortunately…" Zexion commented regretfully, knowing what being in love felt like. "The boy is a prince and has a fiancée…perhaps you could find someone else…"

Axel rejected the suggestion almost immediately. "Ah, but the boy is the most precious person to me. I could never revoke my feelings simply because of his status, unfortunately…" With a sudden pause, the redhead looked down and smiled at the instructor. "I would never tell you to give up on your precious person."

Before Zexion could respond to Axel, their deep conversation was interrupted by Demyx's call. "Would you two like to hear Roxas play?"

The answer was almost instantaneous. "That would be quite pleasurable," the redhead responded cheerfully as he hastily dragged a chair close to Roxas, earning a quiet, hateful grunt from the blond. Zexion shifted his chair so it was facing the blond. He was always interested in what lovely sounds the young prince could produce. But what he didn't realize was that Demyx was going to play a duet with his student.

And it was all too beautiful. Demyx and Roxas played the piece so perfectly together, it was practically flawless. Scherzo-Caprice never sounded so harmonious to Zexion, and Axel listened with his eyes closed, embracing each and every second of it.

As soon as they stopped, the redhead opened his eyes and applauded his prince cheerfully, whistling at the wonderful performance, earning a snub from the embarrassed blond.

"What did you think?" Demyx asked Zexion eagerly, panting from his performance as though he held his breath for the entire time.

Zexion blinked at the question as though he just returned to reality. "It was absolutely magnificent!" he exclaimed, happy about Demyx asking him for an opinion. He was pleased that the talented musician was even speaking to him.

A grin equal to Zexion's appeared on Demyx's face. "Really? That's great!" the man chimed. In less than three seconds he placed his violin in front of Zexion. "Would you like to give it a try?" He was excited, ready to teach someone new. Apparently Roxas progressed quite well over the past few years.

An amused smile formed on Zexion's face as he stared at the instrument. "Ah, no, I wouldn't be able to play it well…" He lifted his hands up and shook them nervously.

"Come now, it will be fun." Against Zexion's will, Demyx placed the object in his hand and slipped the bow in his other.

"I suppose behind Demyx's strict exterior there's a fun side to him…" The lilac haired boy stared confusedly at the two items in his hands, unsure of what to do next.

Demyx gently took Zexion's hand and lifted it up so the violin rested on his shoulder. "There you go. Now you pull the bow across and the instrument will emit a sound."

"R-right…" Zexion stammered while trying to nod, making the instrument move up and down. He dragged the bow across the string and smiled, feeling accomplished at the solid sound he produced.

...…o…O…o…...

The prince slumped onto a window seat and then opened the window, allowing the fresh air to enter his room. There was a wonderful breeze which soothed Roxas after he practiced. He was just simply taking a break; only a few more hours to go.

"Zexion is surprisingly bashful…" Roxas tilted his head, curious as to whether or not the stuttering man was actually his obsessive, nagging instructor.

Axel stretched his arms in the air and then sat next to the blond, wiping away the beads of sweat with a dry towel. "It's what happens when one is in love."

The young blond raised an eyebrow at his servant's answer. "Really? Love can change someone that much?"

"Love can do a lot expected things to people. I'm sure you'll understand one day."

"Doubtful…I am marrying someone I do not love." To his surprise Demyx was enjoying himself and even though Zexion was stammering, his instrument was creating soft, clear sounds. Roxas couldn't help but feel happy for the two of them, but sad at the same time. If the king ever found them together in a relationship, they would received brutal punishment or would be exiled which was the better penalty. Still, the blond didn't care for such rules and no one else was present in his room at the moment, so… "Would you two like to have dinner here?" he suddenly asked, grabbing everyone's attention. "I'm sure you don't see each other often, so why don't we all have a nice formal meal together?"

"In your room?" Demyx's eyebrow quirked and Zexion's expression revealed his interest in the offer.

"I can have it arranged and I'm sure you will both find it pleasant to eat together. I am granting you an opportunity." Axel was impressed at how well Roxas was working this out…

"Either Roxas is just that skilful or he's just making it up as he goes…" he told himself.

"Perhaps it would be quite pleasant…" Zexion responded a little nervously.

"Perhaps it would," Demyx agreed with a grin. "We should have it later this evening…after your lesson." He ended it with a triumphant smirk.

"Curses…" Roxas dropped his head in defeat.

...…o…O…o…...

Two hours later after Roxas' lesson, his fiancée decided to pay him a visit. Unfortunately for the prince, seeing Naminé for at least thirty minutes every other day or so was mandatory.

"I heard about your dinner plans, Roxas." Naminé pouted, suddenly annoyed at her fiancé. "Why was I not invited?" Her legs swung back and forth over the prince's bed as she whined. Her tone was very similar to a snotty princess'.

Roxas pulled out several garments from his wardrobe. "Would this dinner be considered very formal or simply formal?" he asked himself as he lifted two different suits in front of him. While ignoring his annoying fiancée he was trying to decide on what to wear. Perhaps if he didn't dress formally enough, his instructor would scold him. "I should have been more specific…"

"Are you ignoring me?" Naminé shrieked, forcing Roxas to jump in his spot. The garments slipped from his hands and landed on the ground with a quiet thud.

Straightening his posture he stalked over to Naminé. "My apologies, I was distracted…"

"Make me deaf why don't you!" his mind barked viciously.

"I asked you why you didn't invite me to the dinner." A frown formed on her lips, she wasn't pleased at all with his decision to exclude her. It's not like he wanted to see her in the first place. He hated seeing her three times a week…

"You would not have a pleasant time. It is a formal dinner between my instructors and me." He picked up both of Naminé's hands and pulled her up gently.

Her expression indicated she was ready to kick her fiancé where it hurt the most. "Then why is Axel going?" she inquired upsettingly, ready to stomp her foot on the ground from the unfairness.

"He is my servant. I am used to having him near me…" Which was very true. He found himself happier with Axel than Naminé.

"Axel if you do not hurry up and come back with my other formal attires I am going to—"

The angered thought was immediately broken when Naminé fell back onto the bed, pulling Roxas down with her. "But he isn't here at the moment," she giggled at the boy on top of her as she caressed his cheek with a soft hand. "You will have to make up for not inviting me."

The prince automatically pushed himself up with the strength of his arms, but was restricted from standing because Naminé's other hand snaked its way to his back. She clung on tightly, preventing Roxas' escape. "He will return in a few moments…I simply asked him to fetch my other garments…" he said almost impatiently. She tugged on his shirt and pulled him down into a quick kiss.

"Then we can have some fun before he comes back," she whispered into his ear right before she flipped him over. It was an unexpected act and Roxas stared up quizzically. He was shocked to find Naminé's knee already in between his legs.

"Naminé …I said he'll be back in a few minutes," he said in a more informal tone, annoyed at his slut of a fiancée.

"I already locked the door…" she smiled deviously as she leaned down to kiss and suck on his neck.

"Off Naminé…" he demanded strictly. This was going too far. "Now is not the time…"

"Neither is any other…"

She sunk her teeth into his neck, ignoring his order. "Ow— Naminé!" he growled, but she simply giggled, thinking that her fiancé was just playing hard to get. "All right, that's it!" Before he could even do anything, Naminé was yanked off.

"Now, now…the prince has a formal dinner coming up. You should not be performing such activities before his meeting, Lady Naminé," Axel scolded lightly as he plopped the girl onto the ground.

"How in the world did you get in?" she demanded, glaring at the redhead for interrupting her 'affectionate' moment with Roxas.

"As prince Roxas' personal servant, I am granted a key to his room," he simply answered. Sometimes he wondered how dense Naminé was. "I kindly ask that you leave. The dinner is in less than one hour and I have yet to dress my prince for the special occasion."

From Roxas' view, it seemed like Naminé was ready to knock Axel's lights out. "Very well," she huffed, a bit of anger dripping from her words. She turned on her heels and marched her way to the door, muttering quiet threats under her breath. Axel watched her go all the way and when she slammed the door, he sighed with relief.

"Are you all right?" He gave his full attention to Roxas and lifted him from the bed. "A feisty one, isn't she?"

A quiet growl elicited from Roxas' lips. "I was not expecting her to be so aggressive," he admitted as he straightened his back.

Axel concentrated on the blond's neck and his eyes widened horrifically. "When did she give you that?" he demanded as he pointed a finger at the spot.

Roxas dashed towards his four frame mirror and gasped. "I cannot believe she did that!" he shouted as his eyes were fully concentrated on his deep pink, almost ready to bleed, bite mark.

"It's amazing how vicious she is in bed…" Axel was upset and slightly impressed by the little girl's strength at the same time.

"Don't compliment her, Axel! This…this…thing is as clear as day! How am I going to hide this?" Roxas began rummaging through his wardrobe at a quick speed, throwing a shirt here or there. If his parents ever saw it, he would never hear the end of it. If his instructors saw it, well…they would clearly scold him for having sex before their dinner.

Axel rested his hands on the blonde's shoulders and massaged gently. "Easy now… you simply need something with a good collar on it."

Roxas paused, easing up his tense muscles. "Are you sure?" His question was laced with worry.

"I will find you something. I promise." He stalked over to a chair with several pieces of clothing piled on top. He had to place the clothes somewhere before he interrupted Roxas and Naminé's…moment, he labelled. "Try this one." Axel tossed the navy blue, long sleeved top with elegant designs and embroidery on it towards the boy.

Without saying a word, Roxas walked over to his changing curtain and began undressing.

"Well, if that doesn't work, I'll see if I can find any other ones." Axel continued fumbling through all the tangled sleeves and pant legs.

"Please bring me a pair of pants, Axel…this top should be all right." The redhead complied and walked over to the blond's changing area, slipping a pair of white formal pants through the curtain. After two minutes of patiently waiting, Axel watched Roxas walk through the curtain nervously.

"This isn't so bad, right Axel?" he asked gingerly, but Axel was already giving him a dazed expression. Roxas was what one of the maids would call 'dashing'. The blue top matched nicely with his gorgeous eyes and the pants blended in well with it. The embroideries were just excellent additions. "Axel?" The prince's voice knocked on the redhead's brain for a few seconds and then he snapped back into reality.

"You look very handsome, Roxas…very handsome." He swiftly grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled him to the mirror. "The mark isn't visible and you look absolutely stunning!" he exclaimed.

All the compliments were making the prince blush. "I'm glad the mark is gone, but your compliments are too much." It was as though Axel was trying to flatter him with pretty words…and it worked.

"Shall I call the other servants? Surely you want to set up the table as quickly as possible." The redhead was already making his way to the door. He was just waiting for Roxas' approval.

"Yes, that would be nice thank you…" The prince tugged on his clothes, straitening them as best he could. He only wished he could lock the door only because he was afraid Naminé was going to return. There came a knock on his door and Roxas jumped. "Oh, good lord, please tell me she didn't come back." It was his greatest fear for the day.

Axel opened it and allowed one of their honoured guests to enter. "You're quite early, Demyx." The musician stepped into the room and gaped at all the extra decorations.

"What a strange place to have a formal dinner…" he commented instead of greeting his prince. Everyone found it strange to eat in a bedroom, but Roxas thought they all needed privacy. He hoped by the end of his plan that Demyx and Zexion confess their love to one another. It was just so obvious…too obvious…

Axel led him inside and then left, closing the door behind him. "Demyx, the tables aren't even set yet," Roxas said as he made his way over to his instructor.

"Have you ever been in love?" the musician suddenly asked, taking Roxas by surprise with his serious tone.

The boy simply tilted his head to the side at the question. "I'm…not sure." It was clear that he didn't like Naminé and Demyx somehow knew that.

"And what about Axel?" Demyx immediately asked.

The prince stared at his instructor with an incredulous expression plastered on his face. "I'm not sure…" he answered again, a slight blush visible on his cheeks. There was an awkward, queasy feeling running through his blood as this conversation continued.

But in order to help the blond realize his true feelings, Demyx had to assist him with simple questions and processes leading to obvious conclusions. The musician took Roxas' hand and placed it over the boy's heart first. "When you concentrate on Naminé, what does your heart say?"

The blond paused for a moment and thought about his giddy, but slutty fiancée. The young girl nearly forced him into sex and she was always too clingy. He preferred her as a cousin and not his fiancée, but his father forced them into the engagement. He saw her twice as often and found her twice as annoying. "My heart does not say pleasant things about her…I don't think you want to hear it…" he said with pure honesty, heart rate still beating at a normal pace.

Demyx couldn't help but laugh Roxas' thought. It was amazing how blunt the young prince could be. "Very well," he strained while suppressing his laughter. "Now, when you think about Axel, what does your heart say?"

Roxas went through the process again. He concentrated his thoughts on his humorous, but protective servant. Axel practically risked his position as the prince's personal servant just to take him outside on his birthday. He even lied to Naminé and told her that he was feeling ill that time just to save them some trouble. His red hair and emerald green eyes were always the first things he saw when he woke up in the morning because Axel was always there, early and ready for their day. Sometimes the redhead even tickled him for long minutes just to get him out of bed…not that he minded… "I don't know…" Roxas finally answered, a little confused about his feelings.

"Your brain might not be telling you everything you need to know," Demyx chuckled and then pointed his forefinger at the boy's chest. "But your heart might be trying to tell you something important." He took Roxas' hand and placed it firmly against his chest. "What's the beat like? Is it the same as it was two minutes ago?"

The prince closed his eyes and concentrated on his quick beating heart. As soon as he realized the awkward change he opened his eyes again to find Demyx smiling at him. "Well?"

Roxas only shook his head, a bit of pink creeping on his cheeks. "What does it mean?" he asked like a lost child.

"It means you're in love with him, Roxas," he simply answered.

"But…how is that possible? I've only known him for a few weeks…" Roxas questioned quietly, still calm.

Demyx sat down on one of the chairs, getting ready to explain it all to his student. "It doesn't matter how long you've known him, Roxas. What's important is how strong your relationship with him is. Does he always take care of you? Does he always make you laugh? Is he always there to make you feel comfortable in this castle?"

Axel was his servant and his close friend, but he didn't even realize his crush until Demyx mentioned all those things. What the musician told him was true…it didn't matter how long he knew Axel…the redhead treated him kindly ever since their first meeting. Yes, he took care of Roxas every day. Yes, he often made Roxas laugh, even in the morning when he was always exhausted. Yes, he was always next to him or behind him, comforting him whenever he complained or felt sad about something. "All that…and more…" Roxas whispered as his eyes widened at his realization… "I…I'm in love…with Axel?" he thought out loudly.

"That you are, my prince," Demyx answered with a satisfied smile.

"When you said it doesn't matter how long I've known him…did that apply to you and Zexion?" Roxas inquired as he sat down numbly, still trying to transfer all his new feelings into his brain.

The musician finally blushed a little. "I suppose you could say that." His answer was truthful and he decided not to hide it from the prince. Roxas was young and a little confused about love. If Demyx lied about his answer he wouldn't have been a good example to the young blond.

Roxas understood that Demyx had only met Zexion three times, but he just had to ask his next question. "Are you going to—"

The door was pushed open and several chefs and servants waltzed in with fine smelling foods, eating utensils, table cloth—everything required for a formal dinner.

"Look, I found Zexion on the way back!" Axel grinned, feeling accomplished as he pushed the man through the door. Roxas glanced at his servant and then shot his head away, suddenly feeling embarrassed and nervous, thinking that it was all Demyx's fault. "Demyx broke me…!" he snarled in his mind. "Now I'm afraid to even look at Axel!"

"Th-thank you, Axel," the blond muttered, still avoiding the redhead's gaze. Demyx was pleased at Roxas' reaction though. He knew he was right about the boy's true feelings.

Axel skipped over to Demyx childishly, breaking the man's thoughts. "Shouldn't you be greeting Zexion?" he asked in a song-like tone. Being the musician's friend, Axel acted casually and very deviously around him. Demyx was already used to his behaviour.

"Of course…" he stood up and graciously led Zexion to a seat. "It's nice to see you again."

Zexion looked up through his frames as he seated himself. "It's only been three hours," he chuckled.

"It is so frightening when Zexion chuckles…" Roxas told himself with a shudder. All those years of screaming, nagging, yelling, and suddenly he finds his teacher laughing…it was just so unusual. "Love does unexpected things to people," he remembered Axel saying earlier during his break.

"My prince, you should take a seat while everyone sets the table. You wouldn't want to stand in their way." A warm hand was gently placed on the blond's shoulder. Knowing that it was Axel's he jumped on the spot and knocked the tray out of the redhead's hand, spilling the ice water everywhere. Axel gasped as the freezing liquid slipped through his clothes unexpectedly.

"I'm sorry!" Roxas quickly gasped as he grabbed a towel nearby and began wiping the wet splotch.

Another servant quickly approached them. "Worry not, my prince. Please take a seat and we'll have your servant changed. He will be back momentarily." Within seconds, Axel and the other servant disappeared into the large hallway.

Before anything was placed in front of him, Roxas took a seat and slammed his head on the table's surface. All the chefs and servants gasped as they rushed over to their prince.

"Ro—my prince, are you all right?" Zexion asked frantically as he bolted from his seat.

With a wave of his hand, Roxas shooed everyone. "I'm fine…" he muttered dully, wishing he was the only one in the room at the moment.

Zexion sighed with relief and seated himself once more to find Demyx snickering quietly beside him. "Why are you laughing? The prince could have been injured."

As soon as Demyx calmed his laughter he whispered into Zexion's ear. "I'll tell you as soon as all the servants and chefs leave us alone."

"Oh, very well…" Zexion groaned impatiently. Suddenly the whole room felt bizarre. His student was abnormal, the musician was laughing childishly, and the servant was changing suits because of spilt water.

As soon as everything was placed neatly on the table, all servants and chefs left as they were ordered to. Axel soon entered the room again in a dry suit, and he pushed in a very expensive record player on a small cart as well. It was invented years ago, but famous musicians recorded music on large records. "I brought something that will add pleasure to our evening." Axel drew one of the three records on the trolley and placed it on the piece of machinery. The sound of stringed instruments and a piano filled the room nicely.

The redhead locked the bedroom door so no one from the outside could interrupt their evening. After that he took a seat next to Roxas and smiled, and the blond returned the expression sheepishly. "What happened to your head?" Axel quickly asked as he brushed the boy's bangs aside with a hand.

"N-nothing, I-I fell…" he lied as he whipped his head away from Axel's light touch.

The servant was taken aback by the reaction. "Is there something wrong?" he quickly asked.

"No…please eat. The chicken is delicious and you don't want to eat it when it's cold." Axel shrugged and picked up his knife and fork.

Zexion leaned towards the musician's ear. "Weren't you going tell me why Roxas injured his head?"

Demyx smirked deviously and turned his head to the side, knowing that Roxas was secretly shooting hateful glares at him from across the table. He whispered the answer into Zexion's ear and the man's eyes widened in absolute shock. "Are you positive?" he gasped.

"One hundred per cent," Demyx said excitedly. What he did felt like an accomplishment, but it was pure torture for Roxas.

Axel stared at everyone perplexedly, "What is he babbling about?" he wondered. Roxas shook his head violently, unwilling to answer his question. His pounding insides begged Demyx not to reveal his secret to his servant and thankfully no one said anything else, although Zexion's face was somewhat flushed.

...…o…O…o…...

Everyone began eating without bringing up any conversations. The silence between them was almost deafening and Axel only looked up every so often to see if everyone was all right. Roxas kept averting his gaze; Demyx and Zexion were barely glancing at one another. As he grew weary of the quietness, Axel decided to randomly start a conversation. "So Demyx, have you created your own record yet?"

His friend wiped his mouth with a napkin. "No, but I might soon. I'm already writing a personal piece," he stated proudly.

"That's excellent, Demyx. Would I be able to obtain a copy?" Zexion asked as he placed his fork on the table.

Demyx's eyes widened with glee, "You want a copy?" he asked happily.

"Of course. I enjoy your music very much. Having my own record would be wonderful." Demyx blushed at Zexion's kind words. Axel and Roxas felt like they were watching a corny play, and Demyx and Zexion rehearsed their lines to perfection.

Axel wanted to take advantage of the situation though. If he could get Demyx and Zexion together, then his and Roxas' goal would be accomplished within an evening.

"Such a joyous occasion!" the redhead exclaimed as he stood up from his seat, suddenly sucking in everyone's attention. "Why don't we dance for a while? We have music this time," he grinned down at Roxas specifically.

"Me…too?" the boy squeaked. Oh, he was so not ready for this… "But—"

"Come now, don't you want those two to dance together?" he whispered into the boy's ear. Defeated, the boy nodded. The entire dinner was Roxas' idea after all. His hope was to have Demyx and Zexion confess their love to one another.

Axel touched Roxas' hand with his own and felt a quick flinch. "Is there something wrong? You're very strange tonight…" He leaned down worriedly, examining the young prince's pale face.

"Does he always take care of you?" Roxas remembered Demyx saying. "There is nothing wrong with me." He quickly stood up from his seat and invited his instructors to dance with him and Axel.

"Would you mind?" Demyx asked Zexion as he pushed out his hand, requesting the man to accept it. He forced back his nervousness and drew up all his confidence.

The lilac haired man stood up and took Demyx's hand with his own. "Not at all."

All four of them stepped away from the table and walked into the open space. Axel held the blond closely during the dance as he eavesdropped on the other two. "Looks like it's going well…" he whispered into the boy's ear. They were basically hugging one another as they rocked back and forth.

"Y-yes…" Roxas answered, though distracted by his own dilemma. "Oh…please don't let him feel my ridiculous heart beat." He felt it beating through his chest and it was possible for Axel to feel it as well if he held him any tighter.

"You are much stiffer today, Roxas. Our first dance felt a lot nicer." Axel leaned forward more seriously than ever. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

The prince shook his head as normally as possible. "No, I have nothing to hide from you," he answered in a calm, non shaky voice, giving his servant the best smile he could manage.

"Good…" Axel dipped the young boy, earning a small, surprised yelp from the blond. "You've been worrying me all evening." Axel leaned forward once again, face only inches away from Roxas'.

"My heart is going to explode…!" His ocean blue eyes widened at his servant as the beating in his chest went out of control.

"It was merely a jest," Axel pulled Roxas back up to his feet and smiled warmly as he continued rocking the boy back and forth in his arms. Roxas was clutching onto Axel's shirt without realizing it. He was focusing more on calming his quick breathing, which Axel chose to ignore. He knew if he asked another question, Roxas would just conjure up another lie.

...…o…O…o…...

"Roxas is still quite unstable over there…" Zexion commented as he glanced over Demyx's shoulder, almost ignoring his own dance. He felt sorry for the prince, jumping up at every bit of physical contact he received from Axel. One tap on the shoulder and he would leap up a few feet.

"He'll be fine… he is going to be our ruler one day—"

"Which is why you shouldn't have confused him… he has a fiancée. This type of romance would be forbidden…" Zexion countered worriedly. Although he was always yelling at his student, he did care for him like an older brother to some extent. He has been teaching Roxas for the past five years after all.

"I'm sure it will be fine…I'm more worried about us," Demyx said in a serious tone which attracted Zexion's awareness right away. "Look…ever since I met you I found myself feeling strangely inside."

"Is that so?" Zexion's voice had anxiety laced around it as he interrupted the musician's confession. He wanted to know exactly what Demyx thought about him, even if it was bad.

Demyx inhaled deeply and continued quietly so the other two couldn't hear him. "I know we have only seen each other three times, but I can never get you out of my mind. I think it was love at first sight."

Zexion's eyes widened excitedly. "I felt the same way!" he exclaimed in a hushed tone. "When I first heard your music and saw you playing your violin…I couldn't pull my eyes away…I think mmf—"

Demyx cut him off with a deep kiss and Zexion's body stiffened at first, shocked at the quick capture of his lips and then he eased his tense muscles, relaxing in Demyx's arms.

"Oh my…" Roxas' ocean blue eyes widened at the sight as he released Axel's shirt. His heels quickly turned him around so his back was facing the two and he blushed, earning an amused smirk from Axel. The blond gave him a scolding slap on the arm. "Y-you should not stare, Axel…it-it's rude," he quickly whispered.

Axel simply shrugged and continued watching the scene, but was stopped as soon as Roxas tugged on his sleeve and whipped him around. "Isn't love wonderful?" the servant asked in a hushed voice.

The blond nodded in agreement, knowing what being in love was like. "It sure is wonderful…" he commented, still keeping his back turned to his instructors. They were lucky, even though their love was not accepted by thousands of others…they didn't care. Those two had each other, and Roxas thought they were a perfect match. For a moment he wondered what it would be like to kiss the one he loved. Would it be any different from Naminé's…perhaps his servant was already in love with someone. That thought made Roxas frown, but it wouldn't hurt to ask Axel who he loved…right? "Do you…do you have someone you love, Axel?"

The servant turned his neck and stared down at Roxas' question. Then he smiled, "Yes I do, my prince."

"Do I know this person?" he asked, curiosity enveloping his mind. He felt a powerful ping of jealousy travel through his veins, but tried to ignore it.

"Perhaps," Axel simply answered, though amused by Roxas' naivety.

A violent slap met Axel's arm forcing his smile to turn into a childish frown. "That's not a proper way to answer my question!" the boy hissed, unable to notice the wild blush growing on his cheeks.

The servant was surprised at Roxas' reaction. "My, my, aren't you violent tonight. Perhaps one day you'll find out who I love. You would be quite shocked."

Roxas suddenly felt anxious as he twiddled his fingers behind his back. "R-really?" His voice was so sad and soft because he was worried that he would lose Axel to someone else.

A hand suddenly ran through his blond locks. "Worry not…I won't confess. My duty as a servant comes first. I'll never leave you alone. I promise." He embraced the boy like he did the first time they danced together. It was so warm and comforting, and Roxas felt safe in his arms. Demyx was correct about everything and Roxas kept forcing himself not to admit it…but after feeling Axel's warmth again he just did. He undeniably loved his servant…

"Oooh, how long are you guys going hold each other? Dinner is going to freeze up." Demyx's teasing voice forced Axel to release his prince.

"But we were not the ones kissing!" Axel retorted playfully, giving his friend a light punch on the arm. "You and Zexion were so obvious…Roxas and I knew you two loved one another."

"The same goes for you two…" Zexion thought as he glanced from Axel to Roxas. He would be forever grateful to them because now he had a lover; someone special to call his own.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя Э

↫нєανєηℓу яєαℓιzαтιση: ραят 2↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

The remainder of dinner was short and quiet. Since they danced for quite some time, it was already late in the evening.

As Demyx and Zexion were leaving, Roxas tugged on the musician's sleeve. "May I have a word with you privately?" Axel nodded his approval and walked Zexion out the door first.

"How do I act around Axel now…?" Roxas was completely new to feelings of being in love. How was one supposed to act towards his crush?

"Be yourself," Demyx simply said as he leaned down to face his prince. "Axel likes you best when you are you." He couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's innocence, it was just too adorable. "Roxas, don't change who you are, okay? Axel will be perfectly happy with just you. Didn't you see how worried he was about you today? You kept jumping up and down."

"I-I know, I was just nervous. Axel told me love does unexpected things to people…I…I guess that was mine. Zexion was pretty bashful and he even laughed a little earlier. He was a lot different from his usual self." Roxas felt himself calm down as Demyx continued answering all his questions. He was worried for a while about whether or not his questions were unanswerable. Being in love was hard, but rewarding at the same time.

"Yes…sometimes you can't help the way you react towards your loved one. You might feel jealous sometimes or even neglected but just know Axel really does care about you. So try to be yourself, and if the time is ever right, you can confess to him. I'm sure he'll be very happy." Demyx's explanations were so reassuring. He was a musician, so perhaps he was strong with poetry because his words touched the boy's heart in such a soothing way.

"I'll keep all that in mind. Thank you, Demyx." The boy bowed gratefully.

"And thank you for helping me and Zexion. That was very kind of you."

"It was my pleasure." Roxas opened to door to let Demyx out and his servant back in. "Since I don't see you too often…I'll wish you the best of luck on your relationship now."

With a grateful grin, Demyx responded graciously. "I thank you for your kindness," he said, knowing others could possibly eavesdrop from the hallway now that the door was open. He quickly leaned down, "and I wish you the best of luck as well." He winked before he returned to his new lover. Although Zexion believed it was an unwise idea to promote Roxas' intimate relationship with Axel, Demyx felt they were meant to be together. Even if Naminé was in the way, forbidden love could remain a secret, just like his and Zexion's.

Axel bid farewell to the two honoured guests before he re-entered the bedroom. "I must say our plan was a success." The redhead whistled smoothly at their accomplishment.

"I agree wholeheartedly. I can't help but wonder if a three day relationship will run smoothly…" Roxas sat down on a chair and swung his legs back and forth as he looked up in thought.

Axel took in Roxas' words as he piled the plates on the dinner table. "They are both instructors, very intelligent people. I'm sure they will be perfectly fine!" The blond stared, mystified at his servant's positive outlook. It took him a few minutes to understand how clever his instructors were, but he found himself agreeing.

Roxas jumped from his seat and started gathering plates and utensils. "You don't have to help, Roxas. This is a servant's job." The blond knew his servant would say such words, but he didn't care.

"I want to help you. That way you can finish sooner…and…" Roxas found paused for a few seconds, easing up his tense body. "I…I owe you a dance from earlier…" he muttered, slightly blushing.

Axel's eyebrow arched with interest and his ears twitched at Roxas' words. "Is that so?" he asked while hiding all his enthusiasm behind his voice.

"I just want to make up for my sloppiness from earlier!" the prince defended loudly.

"As you wish, Roxas." Axel carefully placed the pile of plates on the tables and walked over to Roxas, removing the boy's plates as well.

"What are you doing?" the boy questioned. Before he received an answer, Axel lifted his hand and pulled him away from the table. He found himself standing in front of the record player and Axel chose a nice, soothing song to play.

"We can clean up later…or the other servants and maids can do it for us. We only have this record player for tonight anyways." Axel caressed the boy's hand with a thumb and then lifted it, giving it a nice, soft kiss. "Shall we?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," Roxas said in a near whisper, smiling as Axel looped an arm around his lower back and held him with care, as if he was delicate and valuable. Feeling pleased, the blond leaned closer and rested a head on his servant's chest.

"Perfect…" Axel said in a hushed voice, feeling satisfied with Roxas' calm exterior. "I suppose Demyx fixed you." He spoke quietly, still rocking the blond back and forth, making sure he wasn't disturbing their atmosphere with a loud voice.

"I guess so," Roxas chuckled quietly, closing his eyes. The music entered his ears soothingly. Dancing with Axel felt so nice, much better than the frantic dance from earlier, and he was enjoying it this time. Roxas relaxed and breathed in and out quietly, taking in the redhead's sweet vanilla scent. "Did the maids put this smell on you?" he asked as he craned his neck upwards.

"Why? Is it to your liking?" Axel asked with a sleek grin.

Roxas decided to answer truthfully since he wasn't shaky or stuttering, "Yes, it is."

"Then no, I did it, it was all me." Roxas laughed at his servant as the man tried stealing all the credit. The blond found it pleasant, hearing Axel joke around even during a slow dance…but he wouldn't let it happen again. Slow dances were meant to be nice and quiet after all.

He closed his eyes again and recalled Demyx telling him to be himself. So far, Axel hasn't looked down at him worriedly and no concerned questions were asked. "Demyx…" he wondered to himself. "When you're in love…does your precious person mean the most to you? Everything Axel does mean twice as much to me now. There's this weird fluttering sensation in my stomach…but I'm going to assume that's normal."

"Axel?" the blond suddenly spoke out.

The redhead looked down with a soft, kind smile pulling on his lips. "Yes?"

"What does it feel like to be in love?"

Axel held back his small laugher, wondering if Roxas was still trying to ask him who he loved. But judging by Roxas' expression, the redhead knew he was being serious. "It's the greatest thing in the world. Being in love means you're happy when that special person is near you."

"Yes…that's the feeling I get when you're around…" they both thought at the same time.

There were strange murmurs outside the bedroom door, and the two looked up. "Well, I hear people outside. That must mean the other servants and maids are here to clean up." Axel slowly released his hold on his prince, wishing he could stay longer. "You go clean yourself up and we'll take care of the table."

Roxas nodded and made his way over to the bathroom while Axel opened the door for everyone. Roxas watched as his servant greeted everyone with a smile. "I guess most servants and maids know one another." He went into the bathroom and bathed while everyone else cleaned up the mess.

...…o…O…o…...

It didn't take long for Roxas to wash up, but when he exited his bathroom his mouth hung open.

"Amazing…you all cleaned up very well. I'll have to give my compliments to everyone later." Roxas' eyes explored his room. It was back to its former glory, without the wild decorations, the long dinner table and chairs. There was just this huge empty space in the middle of his room again.

Axel suddenly picked Roxas off the ground and supported him by placing his arms under the boy's knees and the other around the blond's upper back. Roxas nearly shouted in surprise. "Wh-what are you doing?"

The redhead laughed immaturely at Roxas' reaction. "I just thought it would be fun." He carried the prince over to his overly large bed. The boy clutched Axel's shoulders for dear life before they made it over. He was so worried about falling, but Axel held him tightly, ensuring his safety.

When the blond was gently placed on his overly large bed, he sighed with relief. "I think you bring too much excitement into my life…" he chuckled wearily.

"I thought you liked all these new things." Axel played his innocent card, voice making it seem like he did nothing wrong.

"I do, but it all hits me at once…I like it." Roxas grinned as he flopped onto his back. Following up, Axel placed a warm blanket over the boy's small body.

"All right, as long as you're happy." The redhead began walking towards the door, stretching his arms into the air exhaustingly.

"Axel…thank you for tonight."

Axel looked behind his back and smiled. "I didn't really do anything," he said modestly.

"That's not true…" Roxas muttered to himself. The redhead did manage to steal his heart tonight…but Demyx assisted with that…

"Good night, Roxas. I will see you tomorrow morning." Axel turned off all the lights and exited the room, leaving the prince by himself.

The boy turned to his side and looked up at the moon through his window. "Love it such a strange thing…I didn't think it would effect me so strongly." His mind focused on Axel's grins and warm smiles. All he could think about now was how happy he was to have the redhead as his personal servant. Axel made him feel alive, different—in a good way, and most of all special.

The prince title meant nothing to Roxas if he wasn't even allowed out the castle. Everyone was always praising him in such weird ways that they all ended up sounding the same. But it was different when Axel said it. Roxas yawned and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep in his thoughts… "I'm glad you entered my life, Axel."

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя Ч

↫нι∂∂єη ѕι∂єѕ↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

Roxas subconsciously buried his entire body, including his head under the blankets. He often groaned and cursed at the sun's immense glare since it shot straight through his window every morning and his bed was conveniently placed in its way.

"Roxas, it's time to get up." Axel's voice was recognizable to the blond any day. It was very different from all his other acquaintances and 'friends', so it was easy to distinguish. He heard the redhead call his name once more, but refused to budge from his comfortable position. Suddenly he felt his bed sink a little, more weight was added.

Refusing to break into tears of laughter, Roxas pulled the blanket from his head. "I don't want to get tickled this morning…" he groaned hatefully. When his vision was clear he found the redhead bridged on top of him, staring down deeply with glazed emerald eyes, arms at either side of his head.

Axel leaned downwards, making Roxas nervous. That face wasn't one of a tickler's… "Who said I was going to tickle you?" Axel whispered seductively into Roxas' ears right before he licked it all around. His ocean blue eyes shot open as his body shivered at the sensation.

"O-oh, stop that…A-Axel…" Roxas protested weakly as he suppressed his pleasure filled moan. The redhead simply ignored his demand, making his way down to the blond's neck, kissing it fervently as a hand slipped under the boy's shirt, feeling his smooth, bare skin.

"Roxas! Are you all right?" The prince suddenly heard a loud call from afar. Two Axel's?

Roxas gasped and woke up from his dream, head colliding with his servant's as he bolted into a sitting position. "Ow!" Axel cried as he gripped his painfully throbbing head. "M-my goodness, Roxas, your head is like steel!" he exaggerated, tears threatening to stream down his face. The blond was gently rubbing his own forehead, wincing from his own pain.

With a quick recovery, Axel sat on the bedside and examined his prince. "Are you all right? If your parents find a bruise, I'll be mutilated!" The redhead shifted the boy's bangs and studied the damage carefully. "Thank goodness you're not injured…" he said with relief, allowing a heavy weight to lift off his shoulders. "You were moaning in your sleep, so I was worried."

Roxas' face heated up as he looked away, avoiding his servant's emerald eyes. "Yes…it was just a dream. I'm fine, thank you." Tossing the blankets aside, the blond shifted his body so he could stand up on the floor. Axel assisted him just in case.

"What was it about?" the servant inquired as he cocked his head to the side. His expression revealed his interest in Roxas' dream.

"That…will remain a secret…" the blond answered with a sheepish smile.

Axel offered him a wincing face. "Was it that terrible?"

Roxas gave the question a thought for a moment and then shook his head. "Not particularly," he admitted with a shrug, hiding his smile. Being attacked by dream Axel wasn't as bad as he thought…in fact he found it quite nice, but like he said earlier, it would remain a secret.

"Your father wanted me to inform you of your meeting with Naminé…and that ignorant brother of hers…Sora…" he grunted, hating the brown haired boy who had no proper manners.

Roxas shuddered at his fiancée's name as he made his way to his bathroom. The first thought that really came to his mind, unfortunately was her body on top of his from a few days ago. "I don't know if I want to see her…" He felt a shiver creep up his back before he disappeared.

"Fear not. I will be around if anything happens, so you have nothing to worry about," Axel reassured through the walls.

"I hope you're right…" the boy muttered as he turned on the tap. Ever since the announcement of his engagement, Naminé has been twice as clingy and twice as affectionate. "I refuse to impregnate her at the age of sixteen," he told himself determinedly.

"Shall I pick out your clothes?" Axel was already opening Roxas' wardrobe as he was expecting a 'yes'.

"That would be helpful," the blond replied through the running water and door. He gave a little white tube a squeeze, forcing toothpaste onto his toothbrush. After shoving it into his mouth he lost himself in his thoughts. "I hope Naminé doesn't try to jump me again…even the Axel in my dream seduced me better than she did." He paused for a moment, brush frozen in his mouth, foam slipping onto his lips and down his chin. "What in the world am I thinking?" he shook his head rapidly from left to right, throwing away his ridiculous, impure thoughts about his servant. The foam left his lips and landed on the counter and on the ground. Of course he was going to clean up after he calmed down.

...…o…O…o…...

"A nice deep red would look stunning on him…" Axel muttered as he rummaged through all the colourful garments. Some seemed atrocious enough to make the prince look unattractive, so the redhead ignored those. "Red suit…?" he pulled up an entire dark red suit and gave it a careful thought. Throwing it aside, he shook his head began comparing tops and pants together. "Perhaps a red top with formal black pants…or maybe even white…maybe I'll just ask him…" so he sat down on the floor in front of the wardrobe, waiting patiently for his prince to come out of the bathroom. He was like a faithful dog waiting for his master to return to him.

...…o…O…o…...

As soon as Roxas bathed and cleaned up the foamy mess with some tissue, he left the bathroom in a robe. "All right, Axel did you choose—" he glanced over at his wardrobe to find several pieces of clothing lying around; it was a complete mess. His eyes travelled upwards to find Axel resting against the door with his eyes closed, legs sprawled out in front of him. "Axel…did you get enough sleep?" the blond gave the redhead a gentle nudge, waking his servant from his short nap.

Axel muttered something the boy could not comprehend and then glanced up. Axel only found Roxas towering over him with a curious stare. In reaction, his body nearly jumped into a soldier's position. "My apologies, I must have dozed off!" he said in a frantic, 'please don't kill me' sort of tone.

"It's all right." Roxas simply forgave his servant. "So did you find anything decent in there?" He knew his wardrobe was full of strange clothing his parents and maids, unfortunately, picked out for him. Every month they added another piece to his wardrobe, but that didn't necessarily mean he would wear it. In fact, half the suits in his wardrobe have never been worn before.

Axel pulled up a few formal red shirts. "I think red would look nice on you today. I forgot to tell you, you're going to another part of this castle."

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked, obviously interested in leaving his room. Plus, the trip might as well be worthwhile since he was going to see his cousins anyway…

Axel placed a shirt over Roxas' upper body. "You have never been there before. At least that's what your father told me." He merely shrugged as he drew up another shirt and placed it over the boy's chest once again, taking the colour of the designs into consideration.

"Where my other relatives live then?" the prince wondered out loud.

"That is correct—oh! Try this one on!" he said with excitement dripping from his voice. Roxas couldn't help but roll his eyes as he accepted the top. The boy disappeared into the changing curtain and removed his robe.

As he was buttoning his shirt up he continued his conversation with his servant. "I wonder what the other side of the castle looks like…"

Tilting his head from left to right, Axel decided to grace him with an answer, "It's similar to this side of the castle, only less glorious since you are the prince, and your father is the king." He stalked over to the changing curtain with extra pieces of clothing just in case his prince was not pleased with his first choice.

"You've been there?" Roxas questioned as he fixed the last button on his shirt. He slipped a hand through the curtain and Axel placed a pair of pants in it. Roxas didn't even have to ask for it. Their routine was almost regular since the redhead dressed the blond every day.

Axel cocked his head to the side once more, "Well, yes. As a servant in this castle, I do serve the royal family, and that includes your relatives."

"You still have to serve my relatives?" he asked as he shoved a leg into one of the pant holes.

"Well…to be more specific, I served them before I was appointed to be your personal servant."

"I see," he nodded as he stepped out of the curtain. "What do you think?" Blue eyes travelled upwards to study Axel's expression. The man's head was tilted to the side and his eyebrows were furrowed as if there was something wrong.

Axel pulled the boy's arm and led him to the four frame mirror. "It's nice, but there's something…missing…" he noted.

Viewing all angles of his suit, Roxas noticed the front seemed a little plain as well. "Oh, I have something that will go perfect with this suit." Rushing over to one of his dressers, he fished out a small box from the second drawer and then sat on his bed.

Curious, Axel stalked over to the boy so he could take a closer look at the velvet blue box. "What's in there?"

Roxas looked up intelligently as he placed a hand over his precious belonging. "This, Axel, was a gift I received when I was younger." He carefully opened it and revealed an elegant silver brooch with small but very detailed designs on it, and a gorgeous clear gem sitting in the center of it.

Axel's eyes widened at it, impressed by its shine and beauty. "That would definitely make your suit look much more stunning." His eyes travelled back to the drawer for a few seconds. "Do you have any other ones?" he asked.

Roxas carefully pinned the brooch onto his suit. "No, this one is special. I don't wear it too often because I am afraid of ruining it, but it's a precious belonging of mine."

"Well, I am pleased to hear you take care of your brooch much better than the objects in your wardrobe," Axel snickered, hinting the chaotic mess his clothes made.

Glancing over at the clothes outside his wardrobe, the blond chuckled, "Silence, it is not that messy."

Enlightened, the redhead turned back to his prince. "That, my prince, makes you look perfect—very gorgeous indeed."

Roxas blushed as he stood up and made his way over to the mirrors. "T-thank you, Axel…it does add a nice shine to this suit."

Interrupting their smooth conversation was a loud, rapid knock on the door. "Roxas, guess who?" the familiar voice asked in a sweet, giggly manner.

"Oh, good lord…" the prince groaned, knowing exactly who it was. He was too afraid of opening it, so he requested Axel to do it, which of course, he accepted without much of a choice.

The redhead carefully made his way to the door and when he opened it just a little, Naminé burst in and tackled Axel to the ground with a heavy, love filled hug. "Roxas, I missed you!" she cried out in sheer happiness. Within seconds her lips landed on his passionately. Roxas' mouth dropped open in disgust and shock while Axel's eyes widened at the sudden attack. When she realized the kiss was out of the ordinary, she pulled back and gaped stupidly at Axel, who slowly pushed her up.

"My apologies, Lady Naminé, my prince was…occupied, so I came to the door…" he turned to Roxas who was still readjusting his facial features and Naminé beamed at him. Without looking at his fiancée he shot an apologetic look at Axel.

Naminé hopped up from Axel's lap and skipped over to the prince with sheer joy. "I'm terribly sorry, Roxas. I suppose I owe you one," she said oh so innocently. Tugging on the prince's shirt, Naminé pulled him forward for a kiss, but he shut his eyes tightly and turned his head, dodging a lip to lip contact. She pouted once her lips met his cheek. "Stop teasing me, Roxas."

"Not in front of my servant, Naminé." His quick excuse saved him though.

"Axel, dear, could you turn around for just a few seconds?" she asked cutely. But he knew exactly what to do; otherwise his prince would scold him later.

"No, my dear, I must get my prince ready or we will be late. Though it is very kind of you to be our escorts," he smiled sweetly at her, ignoring his disgusted feelings towards the kiss. He honestly could not believe he received a kiss from Naminé, on the lips too.

She gave him a secret glare, one which Roxas wouldn't notice of course. Axel merely shrugged, unable to find it in him to actually fear her. "Very well, but I should be allowed to stay in his room. He is going to be my future husband one day," she grinned proudly as she hugged her fiancé as tightly as she could, causing him to lose air.

"That is up to the prince, my lady, not me." Axel gave her an apologetic bow and made his way over to the two.

Roxas simply shook his head, though he knew Naminé would throw a childish fit later. "I am not used to you being in my room while I am readying myself for a special event. I kindly ask that you leave."

To his surprise, she didn't whine about it, except she handled it in a sophisticated manner. "Very well," she said in disappointment. She released his shirt slowly and felt something touch her fingers. When she glanced down she noticed the brooch attached to her fiancé.

"What is this?" Naminé asked as her fingers ran along it smoothly.

"It is a brooch," Roxas simply replied, thinking it was quite obvious since she was examining it. Even though it was an unusual work of art, it was still obvious that the item attached to his top was indeed a brooch.

Naminé's eyes continued to gaze at it in mesmerisation, still allowing her finger to hover over it. The brooch was well polished and its shimmer was very enchanting. "When did you ever receive such a beautiful treasure?" she wondered, knowing that Roxas did not receive gifts during special events or even his birthday. All he ever had was a giant wardrobe full of clothing, no decorations.

"It was given to me by someone special…when I was only a child." Roxas smiled at his answer, feeling grateful for having something precious to call his own.

Naminé decided to ask yet another question. "Who gave it to you?"

"My lady, please allow me to fix the prince's garments and we shall be heading off to the other side of the castle." Axel quickly interrupted their conversation as he carefully pulled her aside.

She scowled and whipped away from his grasp unable to handle his 'rude' behaviours any longer. "A filthy servant should not lay hands on royalty too often," she spat out, angry that Axel had interrupted her time with Roxas.

The prince quickly placed a firm grip on Naminé's wrist and presented her with a stern expression. "You will not refer to my servant as filthy." His tone was somewhat cold.

"What is wrong with you?" Naminé's voice was leaking with concern as she wondered why Roxas would even care about a simple servant; one who was not rich, one who took care of others for a living.

"I won't allow you to speak of my faithful servant in such a rude manner!" he yelled in response, sick and tired of her disgusting remarks and actions.

Axel gently placed a hand on Roxas' arm, forcing his grip to weaken and his face to soften. "It's all right…"

With a rapid shake of his head, Roxas denied it wholeheartedly. "No it's not—"

"My apologies…we must have you ready before his majesty scolds us again," he said softly as he released his hold on the blonde.

Roxas sighed, allowing Axel to simply win this battle, not that he was pleased with his decision. "Naminé, please leave us and wait outside my door…I will be out shortly."

She nodded and made her way to the door, unsure of how she should be feeling. After all, her fiancé just scolded her and told her what she said was wrong…but her father always said servants were almost like slaves…how could Roxas defend such a lowly being?

...…o…O…o…...

As the door closed, Roxas turned to his servant with an extremely disappointed expression. "Axel, why did you do that?" he demanded in his 'I'm your prince' tone, which meant Axel was forced to answer the question without coating it with garbage and lies of sorts.

"What she says about me is not important. Words coming from her mouth do not offend me…" the servant simply answered with shrug. It was all true though. The only words that mattered to him were the ones that came from his prince.

Roxas heaved a sigh as he adjusted his suit. "She treats you like you're worth nothing—like you're not even equal to humans…"

"Perhaps that is how royalty sees us. There are commoners in the city or small towns, which royalty shows care for. And they probably despise the job, taking care of peasants and less fortunate people. However, that is their duty. Then there are servants like us, who follow their master's instructions—in the castle of course. Under regular circumstances, we are only there to do your bidding and not make idle conversations as though we were friends. Therefore, we are not equal in terms of status, so we are treated differently." His explanation caused Roxas to gawk at him in disgust. "Is that how royalty really is?" he wondered. Then again the king never showed respect towards Axel—not even during his birthday ball.

"Then I promise you I'll change this way of treating people when I become king…just promise me you will not take so much nonsense from Naminé…" His voice was almost pleading to Axel and his eyes shimmered with determination. Disliking the interactions between royalty and servants, he wanted everything to change.

"As you wish…" the redhead sighed with an awkward smile. However, having more backbone would cause even more trouble…especially with a girl like Naminé.

He opened the bedroom door, allowing Roxas to leave first so he could lock it afterwards.

"My, that was quick," Naminé said cheerfully. Apparently she could recover quickly from her awful act. Snatching Roxas' hand and pulling him away, she made sure Axel wasn't close enough to even touch him. "Is she jealous?" he wondered to himself, secretly happy.

The young girl led her fiancé towards the staircase and she pointed across the room from the top. Roxas' eyes followed her finger immediately. There was another set of stairs straight across from the one Roxas normally used. All three of them quickly made their way over to the next set of stairs and climbed up, leading them into the next area.

Naminé clung onto Roxas' arm tightly as they strolled through an unfamiliar hallway. She often turned her head to shoot threatening glares at Axel, hinting for him to stay away from her and Roxas. He simply ignored it and sometimes nudged closer just to anger her, so if she lashed out in anger she would be embarrassed later for acting so 'unladylike. It seemed Axel had his own devious side.

Ignoring the two, Roxas moved his neck from left to right, studying his surroundings.

The walls and decorations seemed similar to the hallways near his room. The real difference was just the paintings.

"Don't look around too curiously, Roxas. There's nothing fancy on our side," Naminé giggled as she leaned on his shoulder, making Axel wonder if she ignored his presence. The young girl tilted her head just slightly, readying herself for a kiss.

"Naminé, Axel is here. Please do not act so inappropriately in his presence; it is embarrassing." The prince felt uncomfortable with her clinging onto his arm, making it numb as time passed. What made it worse was that she wanted to kiss him…in front of Axel! "Was it not bad enough you kissed my servant in front of me?"

"How could you say our relationship is embarrassing?" she cried aloud, words resonating through the hallway. That snapped the prince back to reality.

"I…am…" Roxas had to think quickly, but was stammering involuntarily. "I am not…used to this open relationship," he tried.

She pouted at him, a bit of anger shooting out of her blue orbs. "Then we can practice now." Naminé pushed herself forward, arms wrapped around Roxas' body from the side; lips almost close enough to touch the prince's. His mind panicked and he was unable to wriggle out of her grasp.

A hand was quickly placed in between them, stopping their kiss. Naminé's lips nearly touched Axel's hand since it was right in front of her face. "Axel, dear, could you please move your hand?" she asked in a sweet but dark voice. It was all so obvious and fake, even Roxas noticed.

"My apologies, but I will not allow you to make my prince feel uncomfortable, Lady Naminé." He knew he was making an enemy once he said that…a very powerful, devious enemy…

"I'm not making him uncomfortable," she growled through her clenched teeth. It was very obvious she used to like Axel—when they first met that is. As he kept interfering with her interactions with her fiancé, she grew to not just dislike him…she loathed him. "I kindly ask that you move your hand once more, Axel." Her tone was venomous, but she did not care anymore.

"And I kindly refuse," Axel said coolly, hand still placed in between the faces.

"Roxas, make him move his hand." She was yearning for a kiss from her sweet prince. Every time they saw one another she would always give him one. But now her tradition was being ruined…by a servant no less!

"Naminé, I must say this does make me feel uncomfortable though…perhaps later…" Roxas said nervously as he gently pushed her body away.

"Very well," she said as calmly as she could. Her polite act definitely came to an end. She released the boy and walked ahead of them, almost stomping.

Roxas let out a sigh of relief. Thank you he mouthed. He was worried for Axel's safety though, knowing how vicious his fiancée could be.

"She's quite a dangerous little lady isn't she?" Axel asked with a strange grin, earning a frown from Roxas.

"Yes…" he muttered as they continued walking forward. But it wasn't long before they reached their designated meeting room. Naminé had waited for the two of them so that Axel would be the one to open the door and not her. And he did open it.

"Ah, my prince, you have finally arrived," a man said enthusiastically as he walked over to the boy and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to have you with us!"

"Thank you, uncle," Roxas smiled, giving the man a firm shake. To his surprise he found his father and mother sitting at a table across the room. His mother greeted him with a wide, happy smile, but his father simply stared at him, content.

"Come take a seat next to me, Roxas!" Sora waved from the table. The blond did not even notice his cousin sitting across from his parents. He nodded happily and strolled over to the brunet, giving him a handshake as well.

"It's great to see you again, Sora!" Axel was surprised at how enthusiastic Roxas' tone was. Perhaps it was because the prince never had many friends and only interacted with few people. Sora was probably one of them.

The young brunet looked up behind his cousin and studied Axel for a moment. "Axel, was it? It is great to see you here as well," he said graciously.

"Thank you, Lord Sora. I am honoured you remembered my name after one meeting." Axel bowed politely at Sora. Once Roxas seated himself, the redhead stood behind him, like he did at his birthday dinner.

"I am so pleased you are on time, Roxas!" his mother exclaimed happily, embarrassing her son at the same time without even realizing it.

"Yes…it seems you have learned from your mistake, servant." The king shot Axel a dirty look, but he ignored it. The redhead knew how strict the king was after all, so it was nothing new.

"May I ask what the occasion is?" Roxas interrupted carefully. His father could easily scold him for asking such a question. After all, the blond should have learned of it before he came.

His uncle chuckled at his innocence though. "Sora simply wanted to see you, my prince. He admires you very much." With those words said, the king smiled proudly at Roxas. Sora gave his cousin a wonderful grin which screamed of agreement. A blush grew on the prince's face as he looked down bashfully. It was the first time anyone has ever told him he was admirable.

"Please, you children should have a conversation amongst yourselves. We adults will move to another table." A few servants pulled their master's seats out and led them to another table across the room. Naminé planted herself in the chair next to Roxas and scooted closer.

The prince turned his head and beamed at the brunet enthusiastically. "How have you been? I don't receive many visits from you anymore."

"My apologies, Roxas. I have been busy with my studies. Vexen comes into my room often to teach me about some future duties," Sora began as he drew up his teacup. "I am second in line after all," he finished proudly.

"Of course," Roxas said, lifting his own cup. He took a quick sip of it and placed it back down onto the table.

"So, has Axel been useful to you?" Sora asked as he nudged his cousin with an elbow. He had a goofy grin on his face, but he was expecting an honest answer.

"Axel is very helpful. Having him around has been wonderful." Roxas smiled gratefully and so did Axel. The redhead felt pleased when Roxas did not use the word 'useful' since it made him feel like a tool.

"Does he do your bidding?" Sora asked curiously as he looked up at the servant.

"That is what servants are there for." Axel answered instead of Roxas.

"But I don't demand too much!" the prince said defensively.

"He is very nosy though," Naminé nearly snorted as she interrupted. "He kept interfering with mine and Roxas' alone time." With that said the boy frowned at the topic. He was very uncomfortable around his fiancée and now he was having an awkward conversation about it.

"It would be unusual to be affectionate when I am readying myself for an event or when my servant is in the room…" Roxas murmured as he twiddled his fingers under the large table.

"You shouldn't be so shy!" Naminé demanded, face revealing her displeasure.

"Naminé, you should respect the prince's wishes. It is not up to you to decide these things," Sora scolded softly, earning a thankful smile from his cousin.

"Thank you for understanding, Sora." Roxas gave the brunet an appreciative pat on the shoulder.

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot." Sora leaned forward and grabbed the goblet from across the table. Then he reached over for two more.

"Mother and father said we were allowed one bottle of wine since you are our honoured guest. Father gave me this one and said that this is one of the tastiest wines in the kingdom!" Sora smiled as he picked up a green glass bottle from the table. He carefully poured the wine, filling half a goblet.

Roxas gave it an awkward stare. The purple liquid flowing from the bottle did look tempting though. "I should really ask my mother and father first—"

"I have already received permission, my dear cousin." Sora grinned perfectly as he rested the bottle onto the table. He graciously passed the first glass to Roxas', who accepted it hesitantly.

Naminé only giggled at his expression. "Do not worry so much. It is just wine, Roxas." The prince simply nodded at her comment as he gently swirled the liquid in his cup.

Axel quirked an eyebrow at the goblet and then leaned down to the prince's ear. "Perhaps it would not be wise to drink it…" he suggested warningly, so quietly only the blond could hear it.

Roxas was still too young to drink it, but Axel thought it would be best to only have half a glass during special occasions. This, he did not consider a special occasion, nor did he think the alcohol was safe…

"Worry not, Axel. I'm only having half a cup and that is all, I promise," the blond said reassuringly. If the redhead chose to knock the glass out of Roxas' hand, questions would be raised by everyone in the room, including the king and queen. But he meant well so he decided he would take it away, but by the time he looked down, Roxas was already gulping it down.

"My prince!" he hissed, anxiety pulsing in his veins, "At least drink it slowly!" he exclaimed in a hushed voice, but Naminé giggled at him, reminding him that it was just wine.

It didn't take long for the young blond to drink it all though. Roxas let out a satisfied sigh, but Axel stared at him horrifically. He couldn't believe how quickly his prince consumed the liquid.

"See? That must have been refreshing!" Sora laughed as he poured a cup for Naminé and then himself. They both consumed theirs within moments and Axel couldn't help but give them an uncomfortable stare. How could children just swallow it all so quickly? Wine wasn't meant to be consumed in mere minutes…

"Would you like more?" Sora asked. He licked his lips from the last swig.

The blond shook his hands with a slight smile. "No thank you. I promised Axel I wouldn't drink anymore."

"You're listening to your servant's warnings? That's quite unusual…" Sora commented as he cocked an eyebrow.

Naminé's eyebrows furrowed though. "I told you Axel is very nosy."

Although the redhead wanted to hit her, he didn't. He simply frowned and remained silent.

With a simple shrug, Roxas graced them with an answer. "Yes, if you must know, I do listen to my servant's requests and concerns. He is always near me after all." At least he knew Axel cared…which was why he loved him so.

Sora glanced over his shoulder and gaped at Axel. "You must be quite honoured having such a kind prince as your master."

"I feel thankful everyday." Axel simply replied with a nod.

"Since I do not interact with people often, I speak to Axel." Roxas' voice was soft and quiet; different from how he was just moments ago.

"You seem rather tired…" Naminé said with concern leaking from her voice. She leaned forward and studied her fiancé for a few moments and nodded at her thought.

The prince chuckled at her comment. "I suppose I did not sleep enough last night…" he lied, trying to rip away the worry from Naminé's face.

"But that seems very unusual…" Sora said as he leaned forward, placing a hand on his cousin's head. But the prince shook away from his touch.

He rubbed his eyes weakly as he stood up from the table, earning a concerned stare from his servant. Axel placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine, Axel…" his vision was becoming blurry as he stepped away from his chair, moving towards his servant's body, he faltered forward and collided with the redhead.

"You are not fine! What's wrong?" Axel questioned in a hushed voice, scared for the blond's health. He made sure none of the adults were listening, but Naminé and Sora gave their cousin a fretful look.

Snapping his eyes open, the boy quickly conjured yet another lie. "There's just something troubling my eyes…I'm going to the bathroom. I wish to clean it out with water." He gently pushed Axel's warm arms away and headed towards the door, forcing his eyes to stay open.

Quickly catching up to the prince, Axel's hand grabbed onto the blond's shoulder firmly. "I will take you there—"

"I'm fine, Axel—" the blond began to protest.

"You haven't the slightest clue where it is; I do," Axel countered in a strict tone.

Sora stood up and made a short jog over to the two. "I will take him, if you don't mind." The redhead glanced down hesitantly. He honestly wanted to be the one to take care of his prince.

Roxas heaved a deep, lengthy sigh as he pulled away from Axel. "It's all right, let Sora take me there. I will be back shortly."

The blond faltered in the hallways, slightly losing balance. His hand was placed on the wall, making sure he didn't fall onto the ground. Sora occasionally glanced behind his shoulders, keeping an eye on his weary cousin. "Are you feeling all right?" the brunet asked, words dripping with concern.

Roxas nodded as best he could in attempt to reassure Sora. "I'm fine, really…" he lied, words starting to become inaudible. "What is wrong with me…?"

"You can use the washroom in my room…it's much cleaner than the ones everyone else uses," Sora said proudly, making it seem like he was the one keeping it tidy.

Roxas chuckled weakly, "Sora, a bathroom is a bathroom…I just need to wash my face." His eyes continued to flutter and his vision was becoming worse and worse. As soon as he entered Sora's door, the room spun and he collapsed onto the ground, right in front of the entrance.

"Roxas! Are you all right?" Sora quickly knelt down to nudge his cousin, wondering whether or not he was awake, but the boy failed to move. When the brunet confirmed the boy was unconscious his worried expression warped into one full of bitterness.

"Your body fought off the drugs for a while, Roxas…" Sora hissed as he glared down at the unconscious boy.

He grunted as he pulled the blond deeper into his room from under his arms. The brunet rested his cousin against the wall and then walked across the room to close the door. "I hate you so much, it hurts…" he growled through his gritted teeth, but the unconscious boy couldn't hear him. A small knife in the shape of a dagger was drawn out of Sora's pocket as he began making his way over to the sleeping prince once more.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя Ƽ

↫ωανєѕ σƒ ємσтιση↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

"If you are gone…then I can be happy again…" the brunet said almost possessively as he continued walking forward. There was a deafening silence in the room; even his steps were just too quiet. Roxas still sat there helplessly, head tilted to the side as the wall supported his back.

Before Sora could even bring the sharp object remotely close to the prince's throat, the door snapped open, making the brunet jump.

"You could have made yourself less obvious," Axel hissed as he stalked into the room. Once he located his unconscious prince he ran over, carelessly shoving Sora out of the way during the process, forcing the brunet to lose balance and fall onto the ground with a thud.

Axel had carefully followed the two earlier, making sure he was unnoticed by Sora especially. "I knew I should have knocked it out of his hand earlier…" His mind was clouded with suspicion ever since Roxas had consumed the liquid. However, reaching the brunet's room concluded his distrust.

The redhead scooped Roxas up from under his legs and looped an arm behind his upper body, carrying him away from Sora as quickly as possible. When he was halfway across the room, he paused, deciding not to leave just yet. "I saw you slip the drug into his drink earlier. Did you honestly think no one would notice?" A scowl was shot in Sora's direction, hate leaking from each word produced from Axel's lips. If Sora wasn't of royal blood, the redhead would have taken him down the minute he entered the room. "How dare he try to murder Roxas?"

Sora felt his teeth grit as he pointed the knife at Axel threateningly. "Put Roxas down, you meddlesome servant!" he yelled as though the redhead was committing a crime, but that just made Axel tighten his hold on the blond, pulling Roxas close to his chest.

"My apologies," he responded in a sarcastic, dark tone, "but you are not my master and what you are about to do is worthy of having you executed. Where in the world were you able to acquire such a drug?" he demanded. The hate in his voice was not disappearing, instead it became more venomous.

Sora couldn't help but chuckle darkly. "That would remain a secret, you lowly servant, now drop my cousin this instant." Axel noticed the brunet's voice was somewhat shaky, even though he was laughing. But that did not mean Sora wasn't pushing Axel's patience to its limit.

The man was ready to pummel him, not caring whether or not he would be punished for it later. Priorities were priorities and Roxas' safety was his. "I won't let you harm him any further, now drop the knife or I will call the guards. Even if you call them, you're the one with a weapon in your hand." They continued to exchange cold glares, unwilling to surrender for a split second. "Roxas really likes you—He trusted you! How can you do this to him?"

The boy's teeth clenched tightly, but he slowly loosened it, just so he could answer such a ridiculous question. "He causes me pain…so much of it," Sora said in a near whisper, still holding the life threatening object in his possession.

"From my knowledge, he has done nothing wrong to you…" Axel hissed, still feeling rather defensive even though the knife was somewhat lower. He concentrated on the brunet's little movements, wondering whether or not the boy was actually shaking. The number one task was to get him to relinquish the object.

"It's Roxas' fault my father thinks less of me!" Sora suddenly snarled as he pounded the wall behind him with a firm fist, making Axel jolt slightly. "Naminé earns attention from father because she is his fiancée!—the future queen!" he continued.

"What in the world are you babbling about?" Axel growled, believing it was all an act, and that Sora was trying to gain his trust with petty words.

"My father rarely praises me…He only says kind, bright things about Roxas and Naminé since they will be married in a few years. I am always working hard to earn his affection yet he ignores me! If Roxas is gone, then father will pay attention to me again because I will take Roxas' place as future king!" Sora's tone indicated his anger and desperation. He was so caught up in his relationship with his father he was willing to take the life of his own cousin. It was as though something had possessed him.

But anger filled Axel's blood as he listened to the nonsense the boy spat out. He couldn't believe this was the reason why Roxas was almost murdered. "You're blaming the prince because of his status?" His voice was bitter and there was a drastic change in his atmosphere. "This is your problem and if you should be speaking of this to anyone, it should be your irresponsible father." The prince lay unconscious in his arms still, unable to comprehend the argument between his cousin and his servant.

"Roxas' life is so much easier than mine! He is first in line for the throne and everyone treats him like he is the most precious person in the world!" the boy cried out hatefully, despising his cousin with all his heart.

And those words hit the redhead harshly. "How dare you speak ill of Roxas? You understand nothing of his misery." Axel scowled at Sora, disgusted at how dense his entire family was.

"First Naminé tried to force Roxas into sexual activities and now her brother was trying to kill him?" He was sick and tired of this ridiculous nonsense. How could Roxas live in such a polluted castle?

"Tell me!" Axel screamed across the room. "Do you honestly believe it is wonderful to be trapped in one room for almost ten years? Do you find it absolutely amazing when your father does not even treat you like you're his child? The king acts as though Roxas is only a prince and not his son!" The redhead panted through his quick breaths after yelling.

Sora was taken aback by all the sudden outbursts. Truthfully his father had spoken to him often, even if a good portion of his words looked down on him, at least he was still seen as someone's son. Although it was extremely rare, he had at least earned a proud pat on his head from his father before… "I have never…heard my uncle call Roxas…his son…"

"Father…still refers to me as his son…" Sora muttered numbly as he lowered the blade in his hand.

It took him minutes to realize how much freedom he had; how he could explore the entire castle, outside and inside. He bit his lip, forcing himself face the bitter truth.

Axel continued more calmly after studying the brunet's broken expression, murderous intent flickering away to his relief. "He does not even have many friends. The worst part is…his future is already decided and none of it was even his choice. Roxas is shackled down, Sora. Before you even jump to any conclusions, you should consider his position." Axel felt completely secure now, knowing the young brunet was breaking down.

A clinging sound shot the silence down in the room. Sora dropped the small dagger as tears trickled down his face. "I hate him…"

Axel shook his head in disappointment. "You still say you hate the prince—"

"No…I hate my father…"

A weight seemed to have lifted from Axel's shoulders. As long as the sharp object was not in Sora's possession he felt at ease. He finally understood the brunet and his painful attempts for affection and attention. "You should really speak to your father about this…Roxas—he is a good person."

"I should know all of this…I am his cousin for goodness sakes!" He slid down the wall and stared at the blond through his blurry vision. "I am a horrible person…" he muttered, but to his surprise Axel shook his head.

"No…just a hurt and confused boy…" he responded softly, making his way over to Sora cautiously. He sat in front of the brunet and made sure Roxas was secure in his lap before he gently placed a hand on Sora's head. The boy flinched for a moment, but eventually adapted to the touch.

"How can you understand him so well…? You have only known him for a short time…" the brunet whispered through quiet hiccoughs. He was ashamed of himself. Knowing Roxas for almost all his life, he failed to understand how much pain the blond was in. It was all hidden behind his smiles and reassurances of bright futures for everyone, but it must have hurt… "Being alone must have hurt a lot…"

Axel felt the regret in Sora's voice and decided to answer him after a deep sigh. "Roxas is special to me…not just as a prince, but as a person. He's too kind…but if you study his expressions carefully, you can see the loneliness in his eyes. Have you ever seen him stare out his window?" he asked as he continued stroking the brunet's head, calming the brunet down as best he could.

With a nod, Sora recalled entering Roxas' room several times to find the blond gazing out a single window, admiring the sky, and the ocean. His thoughts were always unreadable, but his eyes practically revealed all.

"He wishes to be free…but that wish can never be granted…" the servant whispered.

Roxas shifted weakly in Axel's lap and then winced, earning the redhead's attention immediately. "Nnnn…" he groaned as his eyes fluttered open half way to find a red blur looking down at him. "A…Ax…el?" he whispered as he slowly blinked, eyes still only able to open just slightly. He sat up as quickly as he could, wondering where he was, but immediately fell backwards with his entire weight after watching the room spin and Axel reacted quickly, catching the boy with his arm.

The redhead couldn't help but chuckle as he lowered the boy back onto his lap. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, stroking the boy's hair.

A small smile pulled on Roxas' soft lips. "A little dizzy…but I think I will be all right. I can't seem to sit up at the moment." He laughed weakly, but felt comfortable and safe in his servant's arms. There was no reason to panic as long as Axel was with him. "I don't remember…what happened…"

"It's all right," Axel cooed.

"Where…where's Sora?" the prince asked slowly, still trying to stay awake. Such a soft voice was laced with concern. He recalled blacking out earlier, leaving his cousin alone, but that was all he remembered.

A warm hand caressed the boy's cheek. "He's just sitting over there." Axel motioned his chin in the brunet's direction.

"Why are you crying, Sora?" The question was immediately asked as soon as Roxas noticed the tears streaming down his cousin's cheeks. His vision was slowly becoming a blur once more.

Before the brunet could confess, Axel spoke up, lying to his own prince, saving the boy who almost committed one of the biggest crimes ever. "He has been worried about you all this time. You know, he ran back to the room just to tell me what happened so I came here as quickly as I could."

Feeling touched the young blond smiled, eyes nearly closed, ready to sleep again. "Please do not cry, Sora. I'm all right now, see? I'm just a little tired…" His body cuddled up against Axel's, searching for more warmth. But Sora leaned forward and sobbed on Roxas' chest.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Roxas!" he wept loudly, allowing Roxas' eyes to open again, though confused this time.

"Why?" Using all his energy to lift his hand, Roxas placed it on Sora's back shakily. And with all the strength left in him from the drug, the blond rubbed Sora's back softly. "Axel…" he whispered quietly, eyes fluttering once again. "Could you take care of Sora while I rest?"

"Of course, my prince," he said in a hushed voice while standing up. He brought the blond over to the large bed and placed him on the softness. The boy was out like a light. "We're quite fortunate the drugs are still in effect. He did not seem too aware of the fact that his body was acting abnormally. We wouldn't want to deal with a series of questions when he wakes up after all…" Sora looked down guiltily, wishing he could reverse everything he had done.

"Sora…perhaps you should request for your own personal servant…" Axel said as he stroked the blond's smooth cheek.

The brunet stood up from the ground and wiped away his tears with his sleeve. "My own servant?"

"Yes…we are required to give our masters our full attention and care. If you desire attention so badly, you should ask your father for a servant."

Although Sora didn't want to admit it, Axel was right…he craved for attention even if it wasn't from his own father. He even found it relaxing when Axel and Roxas were comforting him just minutes ago. "Oh…you might want to hide your knife. If someone comes into your room and finds that on the ground, we're all going to be in trouble." That or they were going to have to do a lot of explaining.

"Oh…of course." Sora gaped at the sharp object on the ground, feeling disgusted at himself at the same time. Slowly, he made his way over there and picked it up. He strolled over to one of his dressers and threw it in a drawer so no one could see it. Moments later he made his way over to the bed and took a seat on the other side, watching Roxas' simple breathing patterns.

"I know this might bother you, but I'd like to ask you again. Where did you acquire the drug?" Axel did not even bother looking up. Instead he continued to observe Roxas' condition.

Sora however, glanced up with a weak, apologetic smile. "I am free to roam the markets, unlike Roxas. I travelled into town recently to find merchants selling drugs and "sharp objects" of sorts."

The redhead nodded silently. "If you or I see them next time we must report them to the officers. They could harm more people."

"Yes, I understand."

There was an awkward silence in the room. It was still filled with uneasiness due to the earlier incidents. But Sora did not want to stay silent. He needed something to pull his mind away from the drug and the dagger which now sat in the drawer unstained. "Um…Axel?"

The redhead looked up at the quiet call of his name. "Yes, Sora?"

"Is it boring? You sit in Roxas' room everyday, unable to leave the castle because you are constantly at his side." The brunet fumbled his fingers, wondering whether or not it is an appropriate question to ask. But judging by the servant's expression, it wasn't.

"He treats me well, so I feel perfectly content with him, even if we are only in his room. He does not order me around like a slave. I suppose you would call us friends."

"Normally servants are not considered "friends" to us…" Sora refused to make eye contact with Axel, knowing it was a harsh thing to say.

"Roxas needs a friend once in a while…" the redhead responded naturally. Sora's statement did not anger him because it was the truth. Royalty would frown upon any "close" relationships between a servant and his master.

"That seems understandable. But why isn't Roxas allowed to leave his room often?" the brunet suddenly asked. Axel tilted his chin up to face him for a moment, then looked back down.

"Because they are afraid of losing him. Perhaps someone might kidnap him. Or perhaps they do not want him to grow attached to the commoner's lifestyle. There could be several reasons. However, we do not know for sure…nor are we allowed to decide where he is allowed to go."

Sora looked down at his cousin sorrowfully. "Ten years…of seclusion and yet he remains calm and kind."

"That is correct. It's quite amazing, really…" the servant whispered. Something suddenly intruded his thoughts, making his eyes widen just slightly due to worry. "How long does the drug last?"

"I did not slip him a strong one since my intention was to eliminate him within one hour. It should wear off in two." Sora said reassuringly, earning a crooked smile from the redhead. It was hard to tell whether or not he was relieved…

There came a loud pound on the door, causing both of them to look up frantically. "Sora!" Naminé called out anxiously. "Is Roxas all right? None of you returned for such a long time. I'm worried! Please let me in!" Her fist continued to hit the door and Axel and Sora exchanged glances.

"If we do not let her in she might call the guards…" Axel muttered as he walked over to the door. Opening it slowly, his emerald eyes met Naminé's clear blue ones.

"Axel, where is Roxas? You said you wanted to ask him something and you would return to the room. I became worried when you did not return." To his surprise, Naminé actually had a very worried expression on her face. He decided to grant her entrance into Sora's room.

The first thing she saw was her brother sitting on his bed with her unconscious fiancé. Immediately she rushed over to his side. "Roxas! What happened to him?" she cried out shakily as she caressed his face.

Sora had that guilty look on his face again. He opened his mouth but wasn't sure whether or not he should tell his sister the truth. Axel however bailed him out once more. "He felt dizzy so we let him sleep here for a while. I apologize for not returning sooner, my lady."

"Oh…" she sighed with relief and then straightened her face like a strict mother. "Then you two should not be in here. What if you disturb him and wake him up?" Naminé stalked over to her brother and snagged his arm with a fierce grip and then tugged on Axel's arm once she reached him as well. Immediately she began directing them to the door by force.

"W-we never said we wouldn't leave!" Sora exclaimed hurriedly as he winced at the pain.

Axel tried using his heels to stop his movement, but he just kept sliding. Naminé's strength was unbelievable. "We were just…making…sure he…was all right!" he strained as he tugged himself back.

"And I thank you for that, Axel…but now we must leave him—"

"What if he wakes up confused? He does not know his way through this part of the castle!" Axel shouted urgently, making Naminé stop dead in her tracks.

"We can come back later…" Sora said, knowing how long the drug was going to last. "Even if he wakes up, I'm sure one of the maids or servants will guide him to us."

"It will be perfectly fine! Now let's return to the room and have some tea." Without allowing the two boys speak she literally dragged them back to the tea room.

...…o…O…o…...

"Where have you three been?" Sora's father questioned them strictly the second they re-entered the room. The brunet looked directly at him for a moment and then turned his head away.

"Where is the prince?" the king glanced at all three of them but could not find Roxas. He specifically gave Axel a glare for being irresponsible.

"Again…he did not refer to Roxas as his son…" Sora felt sick in the stomach as he thought of this.

Naminé however, skipped forward pleasantly and curtsied towards the adults once she reached them. "Sora and Roxas were going to the bathroom but my dear fiancé felt weary, so he is now resting in Sora's room. I am sure he wanted to explore this side of the castle as well. Perhaps he grew tired from wandering around."

"I shall check on him in about one hour, uncle." Sora looked up determinedly as if it was an extremely important task, like a soldier's mission.

Axel of course, refused to look bad in front of the king and queen. "I shall accompany him."

"Very well…" Sora's father grunted as he sat up straight in his chair. "Do have some tea until then."

...…o…O…o…...

Axel stood behind Roxas' chair obediently and listened to the idle conversations Naminé and Sora shared. Most of them were about Naminé wanting to take care of the prince for an eternity and how beautiful they seemed together. Sora still seemed troubled, but was still nodding absently at his sister's pointless chatter. Axel continued to study his expression, attempting to read his thoughts at the same time.

...…o…O…o…...

After an hour or two of patiently waiting, Sora decided to go check up on his cousin. Axel followed soon after, still hesitant towards the brunet; worried he might attack Roxas in his unstable condition.

As soon as Sora opened his bedroom door he found Roxas sitting up on the bed, gazing out the window dreamily. Since he just woke up, the drug was probably still affecting him. "Is that all you're going to do, Roxas? Just stare out the window all day when you're finally out of your room?" Sora chuckled as he approached the young blond. He acted normally, like his cheerful, goofy self.

The prince turned his head to face his cousin and conjured a smile. "My apologies. I wasn't sure where to go. To be honest I was expecting Axel to come."

"Axel, huh…" The brunet nodded slowly. "How are you feeling, Roxas?" he asked quickly, voice laced with worry.

"I think I'm fine…I just can't seem to figure out what happened earlier. The last thing I remembered was Axel hovering over me and you were beside us…" He placed a hand on his head, struggling to recall all the pervious events. "How did I…" Roxas' voice trailed off as he looked down, lost in his thoughts.

Sora gaped at him for a moment, unsure of how to explain the truth without earning shrieks and yells of hatred and betrayal. "You…fainted in front of my bedroom. It's my fault." The brunet was ready to elaborate on his story, but Roxas simply shot him an amused expression.

"You must've given me too much to drink…" the blond scoffed, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"I only gave you half a goblet…" Perhaps the drug was still in effect. "I'm sure you could hold more than that," the brunet argued.

"Perhaps… but I won't test my luck again. How long was I sleeping for?" Running his hand through his unruly locks, the blond looked at his cousin curiously.

Sora tried shrugging innocently and avoided eye contact. "Two hours perhaps…"

"I see…"

Studying the prince's dazed expression, Sora decided the blond should not stay in a stuffy room. "Let's go stand on the balcony. You look like you could use some fresh air." Roxas nodded thankfully and slowly left the cushiony bed. While the prince had windows in his room, Sora had a balcony connecting to his. He opened the glass door and both of them walked outside.

They leaned on the balcony ledge, letting the gently breeze push against their bodies. Roxas inhaled a good amount of air, feeling refreshed and at ease. The brunet watched as the boy stretched his arms into the air.

"Roxas…" Sora began, already eliminating the silence between them.

The prince turned to his cousin, offering his full attention. "Yes, Sora?"

"What is it like…having Axel as your servant?" His mind boggled with curiosity ever since Axel scolded him and opened his eyes to reality. How could someone so understanding be roaming through the castle? Most servants and maids were like robots doing whatever their masters wished.

But Roxas only smiled warmly at Sora. "He brings excitement into my life, if you must know. I never have a dull day with him around." And that was the truth, he told himself often, especially when he felt down in the dumps, or just dull.

Sora concentrated on the prince's expression more than his words. That smile wasn't fake, but… "Are you smiling for real?" he questioned, feeling a smirk forming on his lips.

Cocking his head to the side innocently, Roxas shook his head. "I am always smiling for real…" he responded.

"That's not true…Axel and I know when you're faking it…" Sora squinted, still concentrating on the blond. "That is real!" he said excitedly; ready to dance around his cousin.

"W-what in the world a-are you talking about?" the prince stuttered, cheeks feeling rather hot.

"You cannot hide it!" Sora continued to tease, feeling proud of himself. "You fake your smile all the time—So Axel is great enough to make you smile for real, huh?" The question seemed very childish and Roxas opened his mouth to retort.

"Of course, a servant's job is to make his master happy after all," Axel said from behind, making his way over to the balcony as well. "Now, I would appreciate it if you stopped teasing my poor little prince."

"I am not little…" Roxas whined, pouting childishly at his servant.

Axel chuckled at the young boy. "My apologies…"

The blond quietly grunted. "You are not forgiven," he snubbed as he shot his head away and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sora watched as Axel continued begging for Roxas' forgiveness in the most playful manner. Axel tugged on his arm childishly, poked his cheek, and made puppy dog eyes. Roxas forced back his laughter and kept shooting his head away from his servant. Finally, the redhead lifted Roxas off his feet so they would face one another and the blond let out a surprised yelp. "For-give-me." Axel grinned in triumph.

"I forgive you! I forgive you!" Roxas screamed and laughed as he wriggled in Axel's grasp. Naminé kicked the redhead behind the knees and he fell backwards, bringing the young prince with him.

"What are you doing to my prince?" she demanded as her hands made their way to her hips.

"Begging for forgiveness," Axel laughed as he gently lifted Roxas off his chest.

Immediately she turned to Sora with her arms still strictly at her hips. "What did he do?" she was ready to force out an answer from her brother.

"Axel called Roxas small. It was simply a joke, Nami. No need to get defensive and abusive towards Axel. It's very unladylike." Sora often scolded Naminé for lashing out on people and for saying rude things about nobles.

Naminé shot a secret, cold glare at her older brother for a quick second. Once she turned to her fiancé she smiled sweetly. "I am so glad you are awake, Roxas." She gave him a chaste kiss on the lips and Axel's eye twitched.

He also took a note of her…awkward behaviours. "Her personality sure changes quickly…one moment she's angry, the next she is extremely cheerful…" It was quite frightening, really.

Pulling on Roxas' arms, Naminé led him towards the door. "Tea is good for you, Roxas! You should drink some more." Faltering a few times, the prince nodded.

But before she could even open the door, Roxas turned to face Sora with a grateful smile. "Thank you for lending me your bed."

Once again, Sora felt uneasy, sick to his stomach to the point where he wanted to hurl. "W-wait…" he began, forcing Naminé and Roxas to stop in their tracks. "I need to speak to Roxas."

"Very well, brother. Make it quick please." She unhanded the prince, allowing him to return to Sora.

"It is a private matter, Naminé. I must ask you to leave." In reaction to his own words he winced since he was expecting his sister to complain, nag or yell at him.

"And what about Axel?" she inquired strictly. Axel flinched at his name. He knew Naminé would be very displeased if he was allowed to stay and she wasn't. It was becoming more and more frequent, leaving Naminé out of conversations but keeping a servant in. Her blood would obviously boil.

"My apologies, Naminé, but Axel must also stay. We shall meet you in the tea room shortly." Sora waved his hand and shooed her out the door. It seemed as though she was going to slam it once she left but she closed it slowly, keeping her calmness. To their surprise, she did not complain or scream, but they knew she was angry.

Finally, turning his attention to Sora, Roxas cocked his head to the side and smiled sheepishly. "What did you want to talk about?"

That question nearly crushed Sora's heart, but he knew it was coming. Axel could see the absolute fear in the brunet's shivering blue eyes.

"I-it is extremely important that I confess my…wrong doing…" Sora muttered quietly as his fingers fumbled together.

The prince's eyes narrowed just slightly. "You are worrying me…what is it Sora?"

"Listen…Roxas, I…" Sora wanted to cry on the spot, but he had to tell his cousin about his crime. Otherwise it would haunt him. "I am the reason why you fell asleep. I…I dropped a drug in your drink…a-and brought you to my room. Then…" Sora winced as his body shook uncontrollably. At this point he knew he was going to destroy the friendship between him and Roxas. "I almost killed you…with a dagger."

Roxas' eyes widened in shock; it was the expected reaction, Sora thought. But that was a lot of information for the blond to absorb. The entire confession was just shot at him in less than one minute and he found it difficult to properly react. "Why?" The prince felt numb and Axel said nothing.

"Father…he-he always looks down on me…he always said you and Nami would have a bright future…I was desperate—afraid a-and confused, so I acted without thinking. Axel knew…so he protected you earlier. He helped me as well—helped me realize I was doing something horrible; something I would never forgive myself for later. I'm sorry, Roxas!" He quickly bowed his head and shut his eyes tightly, forcing back his tears. "I have no right to ask for your forgiveness."

There was a minute of silence as Roxas' mind slowly absorbed the confession. "Sora…tried to murder me…because of uncle doesn't treat him well?"

"Roxas," Axel finally spoke. The blond glanced up slowly. "Sora feels horrible…"

Roxas said nothing, unable to produce words. He could only stare at his cousin horrifically.

The brunet could not bear to stare at his expression any longer though. "I knew it…" Sora whispered as he clenched his teeth, body shaking even more than it was just seconds ago. "I can't be forgiven!" The brunet suddenly screamed and ran towards the balcony, causing Roxas' body to jolt. His eyes widened even more when he found his cousin attempting to climb over the other side of the balcony's ledge.

"Sora! Sora, stop!" With a quick turn on his heels, Roxas was ready to bolt over to the ledge, but Axel held his body back. "Axel, what are you doing? Release me at once!" The boy writhed and screamed frantically, heart racing at an intense speed from utter fear. "Sora, don't! Wait!"

The brunet was on the other side of the ledge, gripping onto it tightly as he gave off a fearful expression. "I can't do this anymore, Roxas…I'm afraid. I've made too many mistakes." The pain was ripping the brunet apart, making him unstable and afraid of losing everything.

Almost ignoring his words, Roxas continued to struggle. "Sora—Sora please stop! Don't do anything that will cause harm to your body, please!" He quickly turned his head to Axel with tears forming in his eyes. "Axel…please…" he begged brokenly. The redhead nodded numbly and slowly released his prince so he would not fall forward. They both made their way towards the ledge, but Sora flinched, leaning back a little more, not wanting the other two to approach him.

"Stay away from me!" he cried out, but Roxas made it over and grabbed his arms. He gripped them tightly as if his life depended on it. Sora wriggled through his cousin's firm hold. "I know you hate me! Just let me do this!" Unable to forgive himself, the brunet just wanted to end all of his pain and suffering.

"I don't hate you! I never said I did!" The blond tried pulling his cousin back to the safer side of the ledge with Axel's assistance. "Please, just come back over here. I wish to speak to you…" he winced before he said his next words. Roxas never had to use them against his cousin before, ever. "As your prince, I demand that you return to this side."

Sora's eyes widened at Roxas' sudden order. He stood there frozen on the spot, gaping at the blond as if those words triggered a bomb. "You hate…saying that…" the boy said dumbly, still staring at his cousin like an idiot and almost ignoring the fact that he was close to death.

With a calmer face the blond heaved a sigh, "Come back on this side now…" Taking advantage of Sora's dumbfounded look, Roxas and Axel pulled the brunet over with all their strength and fell onto the ground panting. The prince hugged the brunet tightly. "You are so stupid!" Tears were now falling down his face and both his and Sora's body were shaking. They could feel each other's heartbeats from the embrace; both chests were pounding erratically from fear and relief.

"I know…I'm sorry for everything I did Roxas…" The brunet whispered brokenly.

"Listen to me, Sora." Roxas pulled away and held onto Sora's shoulders strictly, so he wouldn't escape. "I don't hate you—I was afraid of you when you told me, but I don't hate you."

Sora interrupted him loudly with a fear struck face. "Why?"

"Because you are still my cousin. I don't want you to die because of me!" The boy screamed angrily, wishing he could slap some sense into the brunet. "Axel thought you deserved another chance—that's why he lied to me, I know it!" Neither of the two noticed when Axel nodded through his quick breathing.

"I almost killed you!" Sora hissed, hands forming into fists. His finger nails dug into his skin painfully, making his knuckles whiten.

"I forgive you, Sora. You must understand…everyone deserves a second chance and that includes you. Whatever the problem is—whatever the reason is, death is never the answer." Roxas sighed after his breathing was normal again. He drew up an arm and wiped the remaining tears off his face.

"I'm sorry," Sora whispered as he did the same. "I'm sorry, Roxas…"

"You don't need to keep apologizing, Sora…I know you are."

Axel stood up and walked over to the young prince and brought him to his feet. As soon as they both stood up, they both offered one hand for Sora to accept so they could help him stand as well.

"Are you all right now?" Roxas asked softly. "Promise me you will never do that again…please do not commit any crimes or attempt to jump off a balcony."

Sora nodded surely. "I promise you, my prince."

Roxas snorted and grinned as he turned around. "You know I hate it when you call me that," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He already wanted to forget about the incident. If he gave Sora anymore ideas he would just continue crying his eyes out.

A smile tugged on Sora's lips. "You and Axel are pretty close, right?" All three of them began making their way towards the door. If they did not return to the tea room soon, surely Naminé would throw a fit.

"What makes you say that?" The redhead could not help but grin. It was obviously a secret but he liked how Sora asked that question.

There was an 'all-knowing' smirk on the boy's lips. "Because you called Roxas by his name and you are merely a servant."

"Sora! You should not say things like that." Technically Roxas meant to tell Sora not to refer to Axel as a "mere servant". Only those who were close to him were allowed to refer to him by his first name, which was why the blond's face went crimson. He and Axel were quite close and Sora already caught on.

"You're right. Axel seems to be more than a servant. He is quite unique, Roxas, saving both of us in one day."

The redhead blushed for once and looked away with a slight smile. "I was only doing my job. I must keep watch of what Roxas does and what he eats, and when he bathes—"

"Axel!" the blond cut him off, feeling embarrassed. The brunet snorted as he held back his laughter. It was refreshing, watching Axel and Roxas argue playfully. Most nobles and royals yelled at their servants and maids for simple mistakes. They would be scolded or punished for speaking so casually, but they way his cousin treated Axel…it was so…different.

"Servants are not as lowly…as people say they are." Axel and Roxas both stared at Sora who seemed to have this gentle smile on. "Maybe…maybe I should request for one. Both of you are so close and have so much fun together. I'm envious."

"Why, thank you," Axel laughed as he pushed open a door. The three of them entered to find an angered Naminé and four adults standing up.

"You will return to you room now, Roxas." His mother smiled down at him and kissed him on the cheek.

Without thinking the blond spoke out. "We're leaving so soon?" There was disappointment in his tone. It wasn't often he left his room and he finally made up with his cousin too.

"Yes, we have been here long enough." The king sounded quite gruff and bored. Perhaps he was tired of speaking to his brother. Before anyone could retort he already walked out to the hallway. The queen followed him shortly after a quick, polite bow.

"I wonder if he thanked them," Roxas wondered.

"I'm sorry about today…" Sora said again, feeling guilty about ruining Roxas' time out of his room.

"I thought I told you to stop apologizing to me, Sora. I said it was all right." The blond turned to Naminé and presented her with an apologetic smile. It was a fake one and Sora knew it. "I apologize, Naminé. Perhaps next time we may spend more time together. And thank you for having me uncle, it was short, but it was a pleasure." He gave a quick bow and motioned Axel to follow him to the door.

"W-wait." Sora's voice halted the two. They turned their heads to see the brunet turning red a little. "T-thank you for helping me today, Axel," he said loudly, making Naminé, his mother, and his father's mouth drop open. He thanked a servant in front of everyone and was proud of it.

A warm smile pulled on Axel's lips as he nodded graciously. "You are very welcome, Lord Sora."

"Remember the promise you made to me!" Roxas said strictly as he pointed a finger at the brunet.

With nothing else said, the two left the room and made their way back to Roxas' bedroom.

Sora called out to his cousin with a smile on his face. "I will Roxas! I promise I'll visit you more often!"

"Why did you thank a servant?" Naminé asked in disgust as she stalked over to her brother. What was this world coming to?

"He did something to help me, that's all. It is only polite to thank someone for helping me." The answer was so simple and Sora accompanied it with a shrug as if it wasn't a big deal. His father definitely disapproved but chose not to say anything. Instead he grunted and turned away. "Father…" The man turned around to face him once more with confusion plastered on his face. "I would like to request for a personal servant."

...…o…O…o…...

"Home sweet home?" Axel chuckled as they entered the blond's bedroom.

A snort elicited from Roxas as he walked over to his window. "Surely you jest…"

Rolling his eyes, Axel supposed it was a simple joke. Jail was always horrible after all. "I'm glad you forgave him…you truly are too kind…"

After Roxas opened the window he slowly made his way over to his servant, face completely serious. "Why did you stop me earlier?"

Axel stayed quiet for a few moments and turned away from the boy, refusing to meet his eyes. He knew exactly what the blond was talking about; why did he hold Roxas back when Sora was ready to leap off the balcony?

"Axel?" Roxas said his name, asking for his attention and answer at the same time. Axel flinched at the call of his name. Unfortunately he would have to answer sooner or later, so he took in a deep breath first.

"His instability worried me and I was afraid he might have injured you if you got too close or worse…" he swallowed a big lump that seemed lodged in his throat and then continued softly. "I don't know what I would have done if…" he trailed off for a moment, unable to finish that one sentence. The thought of Roxas getting injured was unbearable. He already dealt with the drug problem. Anymore and he would have a heart attack. "I don't want to lose you…" those last words were quiet, like a whisper; something only meant for Roxas to hear.

Axel nearly jumped when something warm suddenly wrapped around his waist and a head landed on his chest. He glanced down to find Roxas holding him tightly. "Thank you for saving me…thank you for saving Sora…"

"You-You're welcome," he stuttered as he placed his arms on the boy's back. Roxas initiating a hug first always made Axel feel good about himself. Feeling exceptionally pleased and confident he pushed away just slightly and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on the boy's forehead. "I'm glad you are safe, Roxas."

The blond automatically placed a hand on his forehead as he blushed. "Thank you…" he said dazedly. There was a wild swirl of emotions inside of him and his heart began to beat wildly, but not the same as how he was when he was saving Sora. This was a wonderful sensation and he felt silly for getting giddy over a kiss on the forehead.

"All right, go sit at your window," Axel said as he ruffled the blond's hair.

With a nod, Roxas made his way over to his favourite window seat and planted himself happily.

"How about I go pick up some lunch for you?" Axel was already at the door. Really, he was just waiting for the signal and he would rush off to the kitchen.

"That would be nice." And with that the redhead disappeared, leaving the prince alone in his room.

Roxas gazed out the window dreamily as if it were a normal day. Of course he did that more than once a day seeing how he did not have too much to do in his room. But he had this wide smile on his face as he looked up at the beautiful white clouds. A dreamy sigh escaped his lips as he inwardly giggled at his thoughts. "Axel kissed me on the forehead!" That just made his day.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя б

↫ραяαησια↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

"No, no…no, no, no…" Axel kept saying that one word as he shuffled back and forth noisily in Roxas' room during his lesson. The word kept bouncing off the walls in the large bedroom for the past ten minutes and still the redhead had not ceased. The prince decided not to stop him, but Zexion was growing weary of Axel's ridiculous reaction.

"Axel, you-are-disrupting-my-lesson!" the man growled through his clenched teeth. It was rare to actually see Zexion frustrated, but Axel kept repeating just one single word over and over again, and it drove the instructor mad. The redhead was like a broken record, replaying over and over again until it died or until someone unplugged it.

Axel marched over the Zexion with his hands tangled messily in his red locks, like he was going insane, ready to rip out every little strand. "My apologies, Zexion but you chose to inform me at the wrong time apparently!" Roxas averted both their gazes and focussed on his parchment, scribbling down words and pretending to not hear their conversation.

"I thought you knew," Zexion hissed as he slammed the table with a flat hand, forcing Roxas' quill to go off course. Now there was a huge black line going across the page and the blond groaned disappointedly. There was probably a visible vein on his head and his hand was shivering from anger.

"Now I have to write it all over again!" He scowled as tossed his ruined scroll across the table. He drew up another one and began writing the passage again. Unfortunately he was being ignored by the other two who were practically glaring daggers at once another.

"Well, I didn't know! I was not expecting my sister to hide this from me…" A huff escaped the redhead's lips as he sat down wearily. Stretching his arms across the table he leaned forward and practically buried his face into the surface. "Do you at least know who she is assigned to?"

Pushing up his glasses, the instructor also huffed. "You should not dwell on this so much, Axel. It is simply maid practice. Were you not assigned to someone else before Roxas?"

The prince's ears twitched at the sound of his name. He instantly placed the quill onto the table and offered his full attention to Axel. Somewhere inside he really, really wanted to know who received Axel before him. "I am not jealous…I am just interested…I am not jealous…I am just interested…" and so he kept repeating the phrase in his head while he waited for the redhead's answer.

A snort came out of Axel right before he responded. "I had this obnoxious noble who seemed to think he was the greatest thing since…ugh never you mind!" He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. Just thinking about it drove him mad. "That boy Hayner and his brother Seifer were slave drivers…gluttonous little monsters…Thankfully it was just practice." The story sounded like quite a nightmare just from those few words.

"Ah, yes," Roxas finally spoke as he leaned back against his chair. "Those two think very highly of themselves. Truthfully they look down on those who are less fortunate than they are since their parents brought them up that way. However, they do try to entice me in order to earn my complete trust. I suppose those jerks just want to use me to get to my parents." Roxas brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it gently. "Obviously I was smart enough to avoid that rubbish…" Still, he secretly could not help but wish he was Axel's first master. It was just unbelievable…the fact that his precious servant had to live with two monsters for one month.

Zexion picked up the boy's hand and placed it over the quill roughly. "You have my permission to speak. But I would like you to write at the same time…" He pushed up his glasses again and trailed back and forth from one end of the table to the other, ignoring Roxas' scowl. "Perhaps you should speak to this sister of yours, Axel…"

"Kairi will think I am intruding in her personal life. She does not take joy in my overprotective personality…" The redhead admitted it out loud. He knew who he cared about and who he wanted to protect. If Kairi was going to end up with a jerk then he would make sure she got out of there…or he would dissemble the noble…that was always an option. "No, no… I must think about Roxas…" he shook his head at his violent thought. If he were to actually "dissemble" someone, surely he would be executed, no questions asked.

"You could always ask some of the maids or servants, Axel. They love gossiping in this castle." Roxas rolled his eyes as he emphasized the word. He absolutely hated how information and lies channelled through the entire castle from one nosy person to another. That was how several maids and servants already knew of Roxas' engagement to Naminé before it was even announced.

Axel still seemed anxious as he stood up and traced back and forth in the room. "Would it….would it be all right if I check around for the next ten minutes?"

"Well…I do have my lesson right now…" the blond glanced up to find Axel's glazed eyes beaming right at him. "Oh, that is cheating! He's using those eyes!"

"Y-you cannot always use that on me!" the blond shouted nervously as he quickly turned his attention back to the parchment. His eyes shut tightly for a moment while Axel remained still, silent and still piercing him with those eyes. "All right, ten minutes," he grunted at his quick surrender. "If it is necessary then fifteen. I don't want you to be all twitchy and anxious around me all day. Go settle this." He gestured his hand towards the door and shooed Axel out.

"Thank you!" the redhead shouted quite happily right before he disappeared from Roxas' sight.

"You surrender too easily…" Zexion clicked his tongue once in disappointment.

"I know…" The blond groaned as he ran his hands over his face.

Zexion revealed a small smirk as he pushed up his glasses again. He made his way over to Roxas and watched him scribble words violently onto the parchment like there was something frustrating him. Quietly, Zexion leaned downwards to ask a question no one else was allowed to hear. "Were you jealous?"

Somehow those words made the prince shiver. Perhaps it was just too quietly said…or too soft, but it definitely sent strange chills down his back.

The blond glanced up quickly from his work and stared at Zexion with his mouth open for at least five seconds. Of course he already knew the answer himself, but admitting it to Zexion was another story… "Why would you think that?" Roxas asked coolly as he crossed his fingers over the table, feigning innocence.

A quiet chuckle left Zexion's lips as he stood up straight. "You are like a book to me; easy to read."

Roxas lips pulled downwards into a frown. He glared at his instructor with his blue eyes, feeling insulted. "Why must you compare me to a book? You read too much Zexion…"

Ignoring the prince's response, Zexion continued. "Axel may not notice it, but I can see you twitching when you are uncomfortable. An example would be when Axel was telling us about his servant practices. Your anxiety was visible to me—perhaps not to Axel, but to me." And he seemed quite proud of himself as he spoke, with his chest buffed out and all.

"Yes, yes, we all know you are prodigious and amazing and observant. That is why you were especially assigned to the prince." Another roll of his eyes allowed Zexion to smirk again. The instructor was receiving compliments from his prince, which was quite rare. He ignored the sarcasm in boy's voice.

"Now, now you cannot just—"

The door snapped open and Axel shuffled back in with an unreadable expression. To Roxas' and Zexion's surprise he gently closed the door and made his way over to the writing table once more.

"My, that didn't take long," Roxas commented as he stood up. Zexion glared him down so he would finish his work.

"Well, you were correct about the…information system in this castle." Axel tilted his head to the side just slightly and crossed his arms as he sat into a chair. "I have asked more than one maid and they told me who she was assigned to for practice."

Roxas stared at him from across the table with concerned eyes. "Surely it isn't a horrible person…"

"Not horrible…but a little unexpected…" the redhead admitted calmly.

"Who is it?"

Axel took in a deep breath. "Your cousin…"

Roxas' mouth dropped down in shock, "Naminé?"

The redhead bolted from his seat, knocking his chair over at the same time. "Good lord, I did not realize Kairi serving her as well!" His voice was now drowning with concern and panic, and his eyes widened in horror. His hands were already buried in his hair. "Initially it was Sora, but you just reminded me of my practice days!" He served two nobles, not one, two.

The blond made his way over his screaming servant and placed a hand on his arm. "I-I'm sure Sora will take care of your sister."

To Roxas' surprise the redhead quickly grabbed both his shoulders and leaned downwards. "As much as I would love to agree with you, I can't. Allow me to express my concern in an example. Let us say Naminé wanted Kairi to…clean her bathroom and Sora attempted to interfere with the demand. Now, if he told her not to, then that would mean two demands clashing against each other. One tells her to clean, the other tells her to stop. If she cannot comply with one of the demands she will be scolded. She is only one person, Roxas." Thankfully, Axel explained everything calmly. Otherwise he would be shaking the boy vigorously as he spoke.

One of Roxas' eyebrows arched with perplexity. "I'm not sure I—"

"To simply put, if she cannot grant the desires of both Sora and Naminé, then she will be in trouble." Axel sighed and gently released the blond. His mind was still clouded with horrible thoughts of his sister working as a slave, eating less and sleeping less. Naminé would have her on a leash and she would be on the ground, scrubbing it with a sponge. That thought forced Axel to cringe.

Roxas offered his servant a sympathetic smile as he rubbed the redhead's arm in a comforting manner. "I'm sure Sora could reason with Naminé…she is his sister after all."

"Yes, but Naminé isn't very fond of servants and maids if you remember…"

Roxas nodded, but lost himself in his own thoughts. "He really cares about his sister…" his heart experienced a strange ping of jealousy. "Great, I'm getting jealous over someone Axel is supposed to care about!" He found himself growing more and more attached to his servant every week and now it was to the point where he did not want anyone to take him away.

The redhead sighed once more as he grabbed Roxas' hand with his own, shattering the boy's thoughts. "Perhaps I am overreacting…"

"It might help if you speak to Sora. I am not sure whether or not he realizes it is your sister, Axel." Zexion finally spoke up as he gathered his belongings on the table, getting ready to leave.

Axel shook his head disapprovingly as he assisted the instructor. "I will stay here with Roxas. If Sora wishes to visit, he will most likely bring her to me." He supposed he trusted the brunet now. What worried him the most was Naminé's constantly warping personality. It was just awkward and unsafe at the same time.

"Finish writing your passage and I'll pick it up tomorrow, Roxas. Your lesson is done for the day." Zexion made his way towards the door Axel opened for him. The blond grunted something indistinguishable just as his instructor left.

The servant made his way back to Roxas, cleaning up the remaining mess of ruined scrolls and quills.

"You are free to search for your sister if you want, Axel." The blond stood up and collected his parchments in progress so Axel would not combine his work with the mess.

After taking the offer into careful consideration, Axel shook his head. "I'm sure Sora will come over to your room and announce it. I just feel it…" Even with that said, Roxas still found his servant acting strangely. "Where would you like these?"

"Half of them go into the trash and the others in my drawer over there." Roxas pointed at one of his many desks and the redhead nodded.

"Oh, Roxas!" a voice called from his door oh so sweetly. Then there was a short girlish giggle.

"No…" Now it was Roxas' turn to repeat that one word, just like Axel did earlier. What he wouldn't do to slam his head against the wall repeatedly until he rendered himself unconscious. Too bad Axel was around to stop him.

"Come in…" he called out to the door unenthusiastically. There were so many horrible days where there was a combination of lessons and Naminé. Then there was that one day every month when he would see Zexion, Demyx, and Naminé…it was just too overwhelming sometimes.

And she skipped into the room joyfully with Sora walking behind her. "Roxas, my sweet fiancé, I've missed you!" she leapt forward and wrapped her arms behind the prince's neck excitedly, planting a wet kiss on his lips. He surrendered just this one time in order to avoid any questions about why he continuously dodged her kisses.

Both Axel and Sora's faces cringed in disgust. "Awe, Naminé don't do that in front of me…" the brunet gagged as he watched his sister kiss his cousin. Axel would have said something to interfere but was thankful Sora did it for him.

"But he likes it!" Naminé argued with an innocent pout. "Right, Roxas?" she added seductively as she caressed his face slickly with her smooth hand.

"Two personalities…" Axel and Sora thought in sync, both horrified by her darker, more abusive side.

"No public displays of affection please…" The redhead pried Naminé off his prince for what felt like the hundredth time.

Sora nodded in agreement, "Indeed…"

"Listen, servant," she hissed hatefully as she whipped her arm away from Axel's grasp. Not even a second later, she pointed a threatening finger at him. This felt like a daily routine…yanking Naminé off his prince and then getting scolded afterwards. "Stop interfering with mine and Roxas' relationship. It would be best if we became closer because I do not want him to be a stranger to me after we get married. So it would be wise to back off."

"Naminé, behave yourself!" Sora scolded strictly as he approached her.

"I still do not understand why you all defend a lousy servant!" She barked, making Sora stop in his tracks, afraid she might actually bite him.

Roxas however gave her a hard, disapproving stare. "What makes him lousy? He is here at my side every morning when I wake up and assists me in daily activities—"

"Because it is his job, Roxas. His job is to be a slave to royalty," she cut in curtly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Do not call my servant a slave, Naminé…" Roxas commanded coldly, frigid eyes piercing her curt stare.

"Please do not insult my sister…I hear she is going to be your practice maid, Sora." Axel seemed calmer than anyone in the room. One would envy his content exterior.

"Ah, yes, we're receiving her this afternoon. I had no idea she was related to you," Sora said in awe. He was quite surprised when he realized he had warmed up to Axel, a simple servant belonging to his cousin. It was nice having simple conversations with another person, rather than complicated ones with his father.

"I don't see why we even need one…" Naminé scoffed childishly as she clung onto her fiancé again. "Mother and father already have one, why do we need another one?"

Sora couldn't prevent his eyes from rolling at least once. His sister was being thick headed once again to his discontent. "She is a maid in practice so she is being sent to our family. Besides I'm the one who requested for a servant. Having a maid first is no issue to me, but if it is to you, then just ignore her…"

"I could deal with that as well…" Axel thought, feeling a little more relieved.

However, Naminé seemed to have this eerie, wide smile spreading across her lips. "No, no, I would love to see how well she works in our castle. I'm interested in seeing whether or not she is as decent as her precious brother Axel."

An eyebrow quirked on Roxas' face as he peeled his cousin off his arm. "But you don't even know much about my servant."

"Which is why I should be around you more often. I could learn something about Axel while spending precious time with you, my love."

The prince cringed at the mere thought of having her around more often. It was bad enough she visited every other day, but he didn't want her to always interrupt his time with Axel. "No need, Naminé…servants and maids are different in their own sense."

Thankfully she just pouted instead of kicking and screaming about the unfairness. "Roxas, may I speak to you privately?" Her request was unexpected but Sora and Axel already turned around, ready to leave the room.

As soon as she was alone with her fiancé she turned to him with her hands on her hips and huffed. "Why is your servant so important to you?"

A subtle sigh left Roxas lips as he walked over to one of his tables to play with the leaves on one of his plants. To Naminé's surprise, the prince's answer was quite blunt and rude. "I am not obligated to answer that question. If that is all you are going to ask me then I will allow Sora and Axel back into my room."

Feeling frustrated, she slammed the table with a hand, causing a flower petal to flutter down helplessly onto the surface. "Ever since he became your servant, you have been drifting further and further away from me. I have the right to know why since you are my fiancé!"

"And you have never shown your angered side until I received my servant." Roxas remained calm as he caressed the stem of his plant. "Perhaps you've been hiding it from me all this time."

Naminé did not seem fazed by the comment but she had an unreadable expression on her face. Not only did her fiancé know of her more ferocious side now, but she was practically being traded in for a servant. She forced back her anger for once and relaxed her tense muscles. "I have not been hiding it. Axel simply provoked my aggressive side to come out. That man is always interfering with our time together so I can't help but feel frustrated because I do love you and want to spend as much time with you as possible."

"Eww…." Was Roxas' first thought… "So she really had a horrible personality…" She only acted sweetly over the past God knows how many years just to impress Roxas and get on his good side. But truthfully she was a devious little girl who would do anything to get good results only for herself.

"As flattered as I am, Naminé, we cannot publicly display our affection for one another…" With those words said, Roxas felt dirty and chills traveled up his back. He felt no love for Naminé. All those words were sick lies and once in a while he felt guilty for saying them. After shaking his thought away he opened the door and allowed the two back into his room.

"You're going to have to learn sooner or later, Roxas!" She scowled and stomped towards the exit. Both Sora and Axel quickly side stepped out of her way. "I'm going to go meet our maid. She will be in our greeting room, Sora. Don't take too long and Axel?"

The redhead looked up hesitantly and something peculiar thwacked him in the chest because he knew Naminé wasn't going to say anything pleasant to him at this point. She was furious even though it wasn't completely visible on her facial features. There was always that little vein on her head…everyone had that…

"I'll try to go easy on your little sister, no promises," she said with a curt smile. Right away, Axel knew this wasn't going to end well. He swallowed quietly and mumbled a simple thank you and she skipped off a little too cheerfully. Once she was gone the tension in the room seemed to ease up.

"Don't worry, Axel, I'll try my best to keep her alive…" Sora chuckled nervously while he patted Axel's back lightly. He knew his task was going to be a difficult one, but he promised he would try his best for Axel since he already did so much.

"Th-thanks…" There was hesitation in the redhead's voice, but Sora could tell he was grateful. The life seemed drained out of Axel and Roxas was hoping he would recover soon.

"I'll be on my way now…I just wanted to let you two know I was receiving a maid in practice today. If I don't go now, who knows what mischief my sister will be up to…" he gave Roxas and Axel a slight bow and then ran out of the bedroom.

"I always knew Kairi would be a maid one day…I kind of wish she received another master…" Axel slumped onto the ground with a sad expression.

Roxas got onto his knees and gave his servant a warm hug while rubbing his back softly. "I honestly think it will be fine. If you want my opinion, I would say she's better off with Sora and Naminé than some random stranger you don't even know…"

"You have a point." Roxas' thought had quite a positive impact on Axel which brightened his mood. He stood up from the ground and carried Roxas up with him. "I suppose we'll have to wait for Sora to give us a thorough report."

Roxas nodded cheerfully, feeling pleased with himself for relaxing his crush. "Good for you. Now in the mean time…will you help me with my homework?"

...…o…O…o…...

Sora returned to the other side of the castle without detours. He was interested in meeting with Axel's sister, wondering whether or not their personalities were similar. But he would know soon enough. It was rumoured that several maids were jealous of her beauty and many servants had feelings for her, so Axel's overprotective behaviour was quite reasonable.

"You're too slow, brother. Kairi is already here!" Naminé practically yanked the maid out the greeting room and the young redheaded girl faltered.

Immediately she straightened her posture and bowed timidly at her new master, smiling her best. "My name is Kairi, Master Sora. It is a pleasure to serve you."

Sora studied her for a few moments, admiring her beauty. Her blue eyes were similar to his own rather than Axel's emerald green ones, but her hair was nearly as red as her brother's. She was slightly shorter than him and she appeared to have a kind personality even though she was quiet. Slowly, he approached her and returned the smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kairi. Your brother spoke about you earlier."

She was taken back by the mention of her brother, but she remained still. "My brother did?"

"Yes and I told him you would be here with us today! One month together," Naminé said, feigning excitement while she grabbed Kairi's hands kind-heartedly. The redhead felt confused about the relationship between a servant/maid and his/her master. Were masters normally this cheerful?

"He's quite worried about you, Kairi. Perhaps you should have told him about us earlier…" Sora just couldn't imagine how Roxas was feeling about his frantic, nail biting servant. The rumours about Kairi being beautiful were true and an older brother would obviously be overprotective.

"He's too paranoid though…I can't have him protecting me forever." The young redhead frowned cutely. She was just another stubborn teen yearning to be a little more independent, which was understandable, but that didn't mean she had to distance herself from her older brother.

Naminé laughed harshly at the thought, recalling earlier events. "Axel seems to be overprotective of the prince if you ask me."

"I was fairly surprised when I found out my brother was taking care of the prince himself. I'm sure it is reasonable for my brother to be very caring towards him," Kairi said thoughtfully, in a quiet voice, earning a wicked, disapproving sneer from Naminé.

"Well, worry not. You will be busy on this side of the castle. You won't have too much time to think about your dear brother, Kairi," Naminé said very bluntly. At the snap of her lady's fingers, Kairi turned around obediently. Sora arched an eyebrow, shocked at his sister's manners.

"It isn't necessary to snap at Kairi, Naminé…" He could hear Axel yelling at him now about his betrayal. How could he let Naminé have such control over an innocent maid in training? It hasn't even been ten minutes yet!

"Relax, brother," she said coolly as she turned to her maid and caressed her chin. "She seems rather fine with it. I haven't heard her complain yet."

"She is not allowed to complain, that's why," Sora hissed malevolently.

"Exactly. I'm sure she will be perfectly fine as long as she can follow my orders…just remember, she isn't just your maid, brother dear." Kairi frowned a little as she bowed to Sora, silently thanking him for trying. The brunet was surprised at how quiet she was…no wonder why Axel was so protective of her…he would be too.

...…o…O…o…...

Sora found himself following the two into Naminé's bedroom. He decided to keep an eye on her in case she went overboard with unreasonable demands, which was very possible. The only way to stop her was to use threats. Sora would inwardly regret using Roxas in his threats…but he would understand.

"I would like you to help me choose some nice dresses to wear." That was one way Naminé abused Kairi…forcing her to delve into her wardrobe which had a sickening amount of clothing in it. It was probably twice as large as Roxas' and his was already pretty big.

"Don't you think you're being unreasonable?" Sora took action this time and pulled Kairi's arm, distancing the two girls.

"This is but a simple task, brother. It's been said that she has quite a fashionable sense for a maid."

"V-very well…" Shortly the maid returned to the closet and began running her hands through all the different textures. Some she probably couldn't even afford, but she was willing to please her lady. Sora supposed the redhead was admitting she had good fashion sense.

Naminé just skipped over to her bed and planted herself comfortably, straightening her dress at the same time. "Now, I would like it if you found at least twenty for me to try on."

"Twenty?" both Kairi and Sora exclaimed at once with their mouths hung open. Poor Kairi would have to hunt through the wardrobe for quite a long time in order to find decent clothing, even Sora knew that. What worried him even more was the amount of time the redhead was going to be granted.

"Well, I'd like to see how good you are with clothes, Kairi. It would be wonderful if you helped choose my clothes everyday for a month, seeing how talented you really are." The most silent gulp from Kairi earned Sora's attention. There was a trickle of sweat coming down the side of his head and he was becoming impatient.

"Choose a smaller number, Naminé. This is her first day here. Don't overwork her!"

"Now, now, we can't go easy on her. I don't want her thinking she's deplorable. I'd like to see if she's capable of handling heavy tasks." Naminé basically had Kairi wrapped around her finger already. Sora couldn't believe how strict she was even though she acted all innocent about it…This whole 'over abuse' over power was like it was based on revenge…towards Axel.

The brunet knew he was going to lose hair for this…he inhaled deeply and then expressed his very light threat. "Naminé if you don't stop mistreating her, I will tell Roxas of your irrational behaviour. I'm positive he will not be pleased with you because he treats Axel with respect. What will he think of his dear fiancée if she was abusing her maid in practice?"

To his displeasure the threat had no effect on Naminé. Instead a smirk spread across her lips, like it was a devious smile. "Worry not…he wouldn't be angry at me forever and I know it. He'd be forced to forgive me sooner or later because let's face it, who would want to marry someone they'd be angry at forever?"

"Can you accept four years of being ignored? He will not marry you until his coming of age!" Sora responded thickly, feeling his blood boil at her audacious attempt to earn his cousin's forgiveness over time.

She shrugged nonchalantly and kept her smile on. "It would not take four years, I guarantee you. Now, Kairi, if you will, please return to your task. I'd like to try on at least twenty dresses in two hours."

"Is this because you have something against Axel?" Sora tried with a huff. Kairi's ear twitched at her brother's name. How could he have a role in this feud?

"Perhaps." Although her answer was calm, there was a hint of venom spilling from that one word. As her brother, Sora caught it immediately. It really was a grudge against Roxas' servant.

"That's unfair to Kairi, Naminé!"

"Like it is unfair to me," Naminé said in an annoyed tone. The redheaded girl continued rummaging through the closet of garments and Sora decided to stick around to observe. If the first day was going to be this horrible, he dreaded the upcoming events for the entire month. How was he going to break the news to Axel? Maybe he could tell Roxas first…perhaps the prince could do something about this.

...…o…O…o…...

After about one hour, Kairi managed to draw out eight beautiful dresses, each a different colour or shade. One had a nice pastel green on it, but the bottom of it was too puffy.

"I quite like your taste, Kairi. Could you please bring my lunch to me now? You can consider it a break from clothes searching."

"Why don't you just go into the dining room and eat there, Naminé?" Sora spoke before Kairi could respond to the command. He couldn't hide his irritation much longer. Besides, Naminé could go anywhere she wanted in this castle. It was only Roxas who couldn't.

"I will go into town to eat later then." Naminé surrendered easily, but Sora received a glare from her.

...…o…O…o…...

Another hour passed and Kairi was finished, but extremely exhausted from all the digging and organizing and walking back and forth to please Naminé. Sora felt like he should have been struck with lightning for not being able to stop such a horrible thing from happening.

"All right, Kairi dear, please bring everything back into my closet and make sure it isn't too messy."

The redhead silently complied and carried piles and piles of clothing back into the closet. One of the sleeves dangled too lowly and she tripped over it, falling over and bringing down all the garments in her arms.

"I cannot believe we were assigned such a clumsy maid. This is an insult to royalty…" Naminé shook her head and clicked her tongue frustratingly. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips as she glanced at her mirror image.

"My apologies, Lady Naminé…" Kairi said quietly as she knelt down to pick up the wrinkled pieces of clothing.

"Calm yourself, Naminé. Kairi is still learning the basics of becoming a maid. Do not scold her so harshly…" Sora kneeled down and picked up some of his younger sister's garments for the redhead. She nodded gratefully and continued her task. The most Sora could do was treat her kindly. He promised Axel he would do his best to take care of Kairi. "You could probably learn more from your older brother. He has the important task of watching the prince after all," the brunet offered encouragingly.

The girl only smiled and looked down. "He is far too busy with such an imperative task. I could never disturb him. I just know he is very dedicated towards the prince and always wakes up extra early just so he could make sure the boy is doing well." She seemed to envy Axel's commitment towards Roxas. He was quite an admirable servant in Sora's eyes as well.

Seeming dissatisfied, Naminé huffed and twisted her body around so she was facing her brother. "I want to go shopping for more clothes after lunch. These do not make me feel beautiful at the moment. It feels as though I have already worn these more than once."

"Naminé clothes are meant to be worn more than once," her brother sighed in annoyance. "And Kairi just spent two gruelling hours picking out the best ones for you."

"Shopping in town sounds fun though. Come Kairi, the maids tell me you have impeccable taste with town dresses as well. You will help me shop and you will carry my clothes home." Naminé snapped her fingers and forced Kairi to stand up from the ground after cleaning up the mess.

"You're being unreasonable again, Naminé." Sora was now using his strict 'I am your big brother' tone. Even though he barely knew Kairi he didn't want her to suffer under Naminé's demands any longer. She was technically his maid in practice and he was going to work hard to keep a good relationship with her. "I won't allow you to abuse her like this."

"It's only for one day, brother. Stop being such a spoiler of fun. I'm sure she'd like to go shopping with me. Isn't that right, Kairi?" Her tone was relatively dark as she beamed down at their maid. Sora gave her a hopeful look, expecting her to reject, but she nodded slowly. "See, brother? She's perfectly content with the idea. I shall meet you both downstairs in twenty minutes. I simply must go outside wearing brilliant garments."

Sora grunted and immediately tugged on Kairi's arm, dragging her outside without listening to her soft complaints. "Why did you let her do that to you?" he briefly asked, hands both at his sides.

Her eyes revealed her guilt and she rubbed one of her arms nervously. "I…I didn't want you two to fight because of me…" she confessed quietly, knowing how vicious Naminé could be.

The upset expression softened on the brunet's face and his arms flopped down from his hips. "You didn't have to do that…I am her older brother, so I have to try to keep her under control. There are times when she is beyond unreasonable and I don't want her mistreating you just because you are a maid."

Silence fell as they began walking down the red carpeted hallway. Both felt guilty for the events that had already occurred, but neither were angry. They couldn't really exchange any words and every time their eyes met, they automatically looked away.

"Kairi, I have to visit Roxas for a few minutes. Would you please go downstairs first?" Sora seemed overly polite towards Kairi, but the nearby maids were jealous. They too wanted their masters to treat them dearly, but those were just dreams.

"As you wish, Master Sora…" she gave him a quick bow and walked down the marble steps. Sora followed afterwards and then went up another set of stairs, ones that led to Roxas' room.

...…o…O…o…...

"Please…Axel, can you help me with this too?" Roxas used his sweet voice which would only be drawn out in desperate situations. He was virtually begging the redhead to assist him with something he was not allowed to help out with.

Axel couldn't help but roll his eyes at the scroll. He couldn't believe he was helping his prince cheat, but he knew he was going to get in trouble either way. If he didn't help Roxas, the blond would shun him and hate him forever and if Zexion realized he helped the prince…well…it wouldn't be pretty and there would be a whole lot of lecturing.

After a long minute of silence, the blond grabbed onto Axel's hand and caressed it lovingly. "Come now, Axel…you don't want to disappoint your prince, do you?" What surprised the redhead even more was Roxas giving his hand a kiss.

"T-that's cheating!" the redhead shouted as he retrieved his hand, a little too flustered. "A…a prince should not be brought down to begging a servant." Roxas liked the reaction he was getting.

"Then are you going to help me or not? I don't want Zexion to yell at me again. At least help me understand this passage." Another cute pout caused Axel to shoot his head away, trying desperately to cling onto the remaining pride left in him. Still, Roxas held his sweet gaze hoping his servant was willing to surrender just once.

"V-very well…but you better listen carefully."

"Of course," Roxas said brightly as Axel plumped himself into a chair and pointed at the second paragraph of the scroll.

"Now—"

"Hey, Roxas, may I enter?" Sora's voice pierced through the door and the redhead walked over to answer his call.

"That's not fair…" Roxas missed his chance for help because of his cousin. He secretly snapped his fingers upsettingly.

"Hello, Axel. I just came to let you know Kairi, Naminé, and I are going into town." Before he continued he looked away dully. "Naminé wants to shop for more clothes and your sister apparently has wonderful taste in dresses and some other…thing I wasn't sure about."

Roxas tapped the table impatiently and decided to comment on the matter. He tried his best not to be too insensitive. "Apparently she's already made a slave out of your sister. Next thing you know, Kairi will be carrying bags and bags of expensive clothing. I've seen it happen to her parents' servant before…it wasn't a pleasant sight…"

"How has my sister been doing for the past few hours?"

Sora was silent. He felt extremely guilty for letting the redhead down but he couldn't just leave the question hanging… "My apologies…I could not do much to prevent my sister from abusing her power over your sister. She really does hold a grudge against you, Axel and she's taking it out on Kairi. I've been trying my best to help her, but Naminé manages to counter all my demands and requests…I'm truly sorry, Axel." Guilt still ran in his blood and he winced at the feeling.

"And when are you leaving?" Axel asked eagerly, hands clenched into uncomfortable fists. He knew how horrible Sora felt so he chose not to comment on Kairi's suffering. Holding back his anxious self was hard, but he promised himself he would force it back as much as he could.

"Soon…I actually need to return to Kairi…I will do my best to take care of her." Sora rushed back towards the staircase, hoping to beat Naminé to the entrance.

"Thank you, Sora…" Axel mumbled as his gaze dropped to the ground. He felt useless, but it was because he couldn't do anything to help his sister get out of the situation. Kairi was going to be used as a shopping cart and even when she becomes extremely exhausted she will not be given the privilege to rest.

Roxas approached his servant and tugged on his sleeve gently. Their eyes met and Roxas' shimmered with determination. "Perhaps you should join them…or follow them…or something," he offered quietly while feeling a heavy sting of jealousy in his heart. He didn't want Axel to leave his side, but that would mean he was being selfish and that would guilt him for God knows how long.

Smiling sweetly Axel hugged Roxas, expression filled with appreciation. "It's all right, Roxas. I shouldn't be so paranoid. I'm sorry for worrying you like that."

Shaking his head, Roxas denied it. He knew it wasn't all right. He knew Axel was going to worry him for the rest of the day. "No, Axel, just go…no one will know you're gone because they aren't allowed in here anyways. If it is only for one day, then I'll let you watch over them."

"What if you come with me?"

That was unexpected. Roxas' eyes widened for a moment and he pulled away to look up. "What?" he asked dumbly.

"What if I take you with me into town? You even said no one is allowed to come into your room and your parents rarely visit. And I promised you I would show you new things."

The prince was rendered speechless as he listened to all these thoughts and ideas. What if someone caught him while he was outside? Wouldn't Axel get in trouble for taking him?

"It will be a great idea. You need the fresh air and we can sneak out from this room!" Axel said more excitedly. But Roxas' heart was beyond thrilled. If his servant could take him outside without either of them getting caught, he would jump to the opportunity. And he did with a rapid nod of his head, accompanied by a wide smile.

"But, how will we do this?" he asked impatiently.

Without another word spoken, Axel rushed over to Roxas' wardrobe and began rummaging through it, throwing pieces of colourful clothing everywhere. The blond ran over to examine the situation, but Axel seemed to have gone deeper and deeper into his closet as if he was digging through a tunnel.

"What are you looking for?" Roxas finally asked.

"I'll show it to you if I can find it."

"But—"

"I found it! It's perfect!" Axel said proudly as he made his way out.

"That was rather quick," Roxas whistled, impressed by Axel's speed.

The redhead revealed a navy blue velvet cloak which was also equipped with a hood. Roxas had never seen it before because it was used for outdoor purposes and well…Roxas was mostly inside the castle.

"You'll have to wear this when you go outside. We don't want to reveal your identity." Axel draped it over the prince's shoulders and looked at him carefully. "It looks wonderful on you!"

"Thank you…I suppose." Roxas waved his arms around and looked in the mirror. It was actually quite nice and the fit was almost too perfect.

"Now…one last thing before we leave…" Now the redhead had his thinking face on, tapping his chin with a forefinger.

"You could fill me in on the details, you know? I might be of help." Roxas was feeling left out and impatient at the same time. Axel was running around frantically looking for things and now the blond was boxed out of his thoughts and ideas.

"Ah, my apologies, but we have to think of another name for you. I can't just call you Roxas or prince outside…that would easily reveal your identity. If your father ever found out…well…I wouldn't be around anymore." Axel chuckled nervously and then returned to his deep thinking.

However, Roxas frowned at the notion. That was quite an accurate indication of what his father would do…even if it wasn't descriptive. Shaking off the threatening idea, Roxas began thinking about possible names. "We want something unique, right? I don't want some random child like Anthony to approach you when you call me that."

Axel laughed quietly and nodded. "That is very true…but what would be considered unique?"

"We could always use Demyx or Zexion's name…"

"What if we run into them in the market? If they heard their names being said, I'm sure they would approach us as well…"

Roxas muttered an, "Oh…" Back to thinking again…

"What about Frae?" Axel looked at Roxas as if it was the greatest idea he ever came up with. The blond on the other hand was not pleased with his servant's naming sense.

"You have a strange naming sense…" Yes, he said it. But Axel chuckled intelligently for some odd reason, leaving Roxas mystified. The servant grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him towards the working table. He picked up a quill and dipped it in a bottle of ink hastily, then began writing on a blank piece of parchment.

"Roxas…Feyanska…Azaelus…Edward." He wrote it down as he spoke and Roxas concentrated on it carefully, still unable to understand Axel's method. But the redhead wasn't finished just yet. He circled every first letter and rearranged them on the page, writing out the word Frae.

"Oh, I see it now…" Roxas was actually quite impressed by Axel's idea, but the name still sounded strange.

"I can see it in your face, you know? You still think the name is weird…" Zexion was right…Roxas was easy to read.

"But I guess it will suffice. At least I'm almost positive no one else has that name…" Roxas defended himself half heartedly, knowing he might actually hurt his servant's feelings.

"Then we're all set!" Axel exclaimed happily as he dropped the quill onto the table. Turning his head to the side he examined the clock for a few seconds. "We'll leave in approximately five minutes. The maids around this area of the castle will leave for lunch so I can sneak you out afterwards."

The thought of escaping from the castle excited Roxas very much. He was too embarrassed to admit it, but couldn't recall ever going into the town. It was definitely something new to him and perhaps he could learn more about his people.

...…o…O…o…...

Before long the two began escaping the castle after locking the bedroom door. Axel brought Roxas down the stairs stealthily and then towards the garden door. It was the safest way out and there were fewer guards, which was beneficial to the two. They carefully hid behind bushes, and Roxas' eyes remained wide. It was his first time sneaking around and his heart was beating insanely from both fear and excitement. His navy blue cloak was so visible in the day time…perhaps he could buy a new one while they were out.

Finally they made it out the castle walls and unlike story books and fairy tales, this one had no bridge. They casually walked out and Axel couldn't wait to head into town. It was probably safer to buy a cloak of his own so no one would recognize him. As they drew closer and closer into town, Roxas saw more and more people. There were parents playing with their children and holding their hands, friends laughing with one another and eating foods he'd never seen before; it was all so different compared to life inside the castle. He smiled excitedly at everything.

"Now if you want to purchase something let me know…I don't want someone to automatically think you're a thief," Axel said with a wide, silly smile.

Roxas huffed, feeling offended. "I know that! Everything comes at a cost, even Zexion taught me that!" The redhead nodded sheepishly after being slapped in the arm.

"Since there are so many people and you don't know much about the town, I don't want you getting lost…" Axel gently took Roxas' hand with his own and tightened his hold. Their fingers twined with one another and it felt soft and smooth. The blond blushed under his cloak and squeaked his response, making Axel chuckle.

There were so many food stores and bazaars, Roxas just wanted to visit them all, but priorities came first. He wanted Axel to feel at ease so his eyes began wandering around in search for Kairi. Even if he couldn't shop he could at least hold Axel's hand for a few hours…that was enough.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя ל

↫נυѕт σηcє αη∂ ωє'яє cαρтιναтє∂: ραят Ι↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

""Are you hungry yet, Frae?" Roxas still wasn't used to that name yet. Secretly, he wondered whether or not people would turn their heads to them after hearing such an awkward name. Perhaps they could change it next time so it would be…less embarrassing.

"Yes? No?" Axel asked confusedly from under his new red cloak after hearing no answer. Roxas had been under his servant's care for the past hour. They were quiet for the most part since both were searching the crowds carefully for any sign of Sora, Kairi, or Naminé. But it was almost noon and neither of them had eaten lunch yet.

"Um…" Snapping back into reality the blond's voice faltered while he reorganized his thoughts. "I suppose I am…" The slowness of his answer forced Axel to worry. He planted Roxas onto a nearby bench and placed a hand on his forehead. "W-what are you doing?"

"You seem a little…off. Is something wrong?" If anything were to happen to Roxas, Axel would flip out so badly he probably wouldn't take the boy out again…well not for a long time at least.

The young blond rapidly shook his head from left to right and blushed. "No! Nothing at all, really!" Obviously he couldn't tell Axel he was thinking about changing his name…it would break his heart.

Shifting his concerned expression into a soft one, the redhead slid his fingers gently down Roxas' smooth cheek. "You're sure?" he asked while stroking it softly with his hand.

For a few moments Roxas closed his eyes and smiled warmly against the comforting touch. "Yes, I'm positive," he nodded as he slowly stood up.

"All right, let's find you something to eat…Actually, I'll let you choose." Axel was fairly interested in learning of Roxas' taste in food. He wondered whether or not the boy was actually picky, but then again he'd never really had town cooked food before. Professional chefs did cook the food but they weren't royally skilled like the ones in the castle. Town meals would be something entirely new for Roxas, but it was about time he experimented or explored.

"I wonder if Naminé's had lunch yet. If we're lucky we might be able to spot them around this area," Roxas said with determination. That thought encouraged the two to search harder, hoping they could spot royalty nearby. Sora, Naminé, and Kairi's clothes were quite different from peasant clothing, so it wouldn't be too hard to spot them if they were around the area.

As they continued looking around, Roxas spotted a few food stands he wished to examine. Occasionally he would actually stop in his tracks to study the menus, but if something did not look or sound appealing to him, he and Axel would continue forwards.

"You really can't decide on what to eat, can you?" The servant laughed as Roxas tightened his fingers' around Axel's. If the redhead wasn't his servant, he probably would have threatened to injure his fingers.

"Why don't you decide then?" he huffed childishly.

"Because you're being too picky," the redhead laughed again, feeling entertained by the young prince.

Roxas pouted cutely, face puffing up slightly like a blow fish. "How am I too picky when I haven't even said anything about the foods?"

"You continuously stop in front of these stands and then you reveal this awkward face that says you don't want to eat it because it looks weird…" Axel responded intelligently, wagging a scolding finger in the air.

"That is not true!" the blond argued, wishing he could slap some tape over Axel's mouth for spewing out the actual truth.

"It may look different from the food you normally eat, but trust me, it tastes good." Without hearing any complaints the redhead strolled over to one of the nearby food stands, ordering some roasted quail which included a side of asparagus and mashed potatoes. Roxas cocked an eyebrow at the quail.

They brought it over to a table and seated themselves comfortably. Roxas still stared at his food strangely, and then poked it with a fork. It reminded him some chicken he ate at home, except steamier, darker, and somewhat bigger. Even though he poked it lightly he was just tapping the skin which shelled over the meat. He'd eaten chicken, duck, and other birds before, but never quail.

"It's not for staring, Ro—Frae…" Rather than picking it up with his hand and eating it, the redhead used his knife and fork knowing he was going to hold onto the prince's hand again later.

"It looks a little different from what I normally eat." There. Roxas admitted it.

"I knew you'd say that. That's why I said earlier, it may look a different but it tastes good. It's just a different bird. If you don't like it, I'll eat it and I'll buy you something else." The redhead cut off a small piece of his own and aimed the fork at the boy's mouth.

Not wanting to feel wasteful, Roxas obediently opened his mouth and took in the piece of meat. Surprisingly it only tasted a little different from his regular meats. It was crispy and well cooked, juicy and tender inside. Instead of the regular cranberry sauce he usually had on his meats, there was this other sweetened flavour. He quite liked it.

"Told you it was good," Axel grinned triumphantly and returned to his food. "I'll buy you something sweet afterwards. Honey cakes are to die for around here."

"I've never had a honey cake before." The blond placed another piece of the quail into his mouth and swallowed it contentedly. Dessert wasn't often offered to him in the castle. His mother and father found that it was healthier to eat less of anything sweet or sugar-filled.

"There's a first for everything."

Roxas loved Axel's positive approaches. They always made him feel much better about himself.

He couldn't remember the number of times he dwelled on not being able to do regular activities outside like everyone else his age, but this was nice. One day out in the real world with Axel of all people…it was really nice.

...…o…O…o…...

Lunch took longer than expected and the prince kept watching as Axel craned his neck to look for his sister. Kairi was quite lucky to have such a caring brother, but Roxas felt even luckier since he saw the redhead every day and it was pure bliss.

The blond had to remind Axel that his food was getting cold every time he stopped eating.

Soon they discarded their leftovers or bones and containers, and the redhead brought Roxas into to one of the many dessert shops nearby. Children were leaving with their mothers and or fathers happily with bags of freshly baked desserts. The scent of sweet goods was certainly attractive and Roxas couldn't wait to try one. He studied the menu of baked goods, counting how many there were in total.

And here Axel thought he just wanted to try something different.

"We can share desserts if you'd like. There are fruit cakes on the list as well. If there's something else that interests you, I'll get it for you." That last bit sounded strange to Roxas. Since his family was rich he should have been the one paying, but he had no money since he never needed it, being trapped in his room of course.

Bringing himself back to reality, he gaped at the list of flavours for a minute or two, contemplating on which one he wanted. "Strawberry cake, please." Two desserts were always better than one. Plus it would give Roxas a chance to try more delicious foods.

Nodding, Axel turned to the pastry chef who owned the store and ordered one slice of strawberry cake and few slices of honey cake. The smell was amazingly sweet and it made the blond want it even more. The soft sponge cake was filled with warm strawberries inside, some jam oozing out from the side because it needed to. The baker topped it off with a light layer of powdered sugar and one whole strawberry. It was mouth watering.

The honey cake was already pre-made but it still looked very appealing with the pieces of almond wrapped around it. The man packed it in a box and handed it over to Axel who accepted it happily.

As soon as they left the shop, Roxas began tracing back to their table but Axel stopped him by taking his hand. "We can eat our desserts in a nicer spot. There are some grassy areas around here and I think it's better for you to walk around rather than stay in one spot."

"Yes, that does sound good." Roxas loved natural places or plants because they always made him feel at ease. He loved having an ocean view in his bedroom. Plus he had several plants on his tables and floor which he took care of. However, there were times Naminé got angry at Axel and took it out on some of his precious plants…yet another reason to dislike her.

...…o…O…o…...

Knowing his way around, Axel easily led Roxas to a nicer, more secluded area. Most people ate near the food stands, so it was nice to have less chattering near by. They took their seats and Axel pulled up the dessert box while offering the blond a fork.

"Now…try not to make a mess…" Axel laughed teasingly as he pulled the flaps on the box, flattening it on the table's surface.

"I won't," Roxas mumbled with a pout.

Ignoring Axel's interested gaze, he forked the corner of his cake and brought it to his mouth. It was exciting, really, having a delicious looking baked good. The very few desserts he had at home were definitely fruit filled but it didn't look as nearly good as the one he was about to have. He closed his mouth over the fork and felt the sweet flavour of strawberry and sponge cake dance on his tongue. It was probably silly to even think about it, but he had never eaten something so tasty and sweet before. He never wanted to admit that to Axel…but he did manage to say, "This is so delicious!" It was practically a squeal of delight.

Axel chuckled at his reaction and picked up a slice of honey cake with a napkin. "Try this one. The honey cake may look plain, but it is a delectable dessert. A lot of people eat this." He placed it in front of the boy's mouth and Roxas willingly took a bite.

The flavour of sweet honey and almonds together was a new combination to Roxas. It truly was delectable and he immediately understood why several people wanted to eat it. The almonds added a little crunch to the cake and the honey was much sweeter than he expected it to be. Roxas was practically melting from his desserts.

"I've never had such sweet foods before!" he exclaimed while placing a hand over his mouth.

Axel was quite captivated by the display of sheer joy in front of him. The redhead's face was blank, like he was lost…but really, he couldn't stop watching the boy smile. "Why does he have to be so…cute when he smiles…?" He managed to swallow roughly at his thought.

"Are you all right, Axel?" Roxas asked with a slight chuckle.

The servant blinked and nodded positively. "Of course I'm all right."

"I should not be thinking of these things…" Axel thought uncomfortably.

"Good, now try this." Roxas already had a piece of his strawberry cake on his fork and he thrust it forward towards Axel's slightly parted mouth.

"It's all right, you should enjoy it for yourself. I've had some before." The redhead shook his hands in front of him graciously and gave Roxas a courteous nod.

The boy however, was not pleased with the response. "You have been putting food in my mouth all day. I believe it is my turn," he said gruffly, inching the fork closer to Axel's lips. "Besides, you said we could share desserts. This would be considered sharing."

Axel chuckled nervously at Roxas' reasoning. He just had no desire to take something away from the prince on his first day out of the castle. It was Roxas' day to enjoy himself, have fun, try new things, be a little selfish…but no, he was still Roxas…still the generous, playful little prince Axel knew and loved. And back in reality, that generous, playful little prince was still shooting glares of determination at his servant, fork still held in his hand. "Take it," he urged again.

"All right, all right, you win." Axel smiled and took in the delicious cake, letting the sponge melt in his mouth.

"I like being able to share food for once…" Roxas recalled the first day he and Axel met and realized servants were not to eat at the same time as royalty, but later. It really felt nice to eat at the same time as Axel, even if it did seem weird to think like that. "A prince must always think of his people." The blond thought cheerfully as he took another bite of his honey cake.

Wanting to shatter the silence between them, Axel tapped Roxas' arm. "So…do you like this area?"

Without even thinking carefully about it, Roxas nodded. It really was a beautiful area, what was there to not like? It was very clean, there were animals skidding by, chasing one another, and the grass was fresh and green. The air seemed so pure, not that the ocean breeze from his window was impure, but Roxas was still always boxed in. A few windows in one large room wasn't much….

"What would you like to do after this?" Axel asked, breaking through his saddening thoughts.

Tapping the fork gently against his lower lip the blond shrugged. "Surprise me."

"We could always walk around the bazaar. There are plenty of stores there. You should take a look at all the clothes and products people buy all the time."

"You're still looking for your sister. Is that why you wish to walk along that area?" Roxas inquired carefully. He was almost positive Axel was going to act defensively towards that question. Inside he felt somewhat neglected even though he had Axel all to himself. Kairi was still important and Roxas had to keep in mind that his servant really wanted to make sure his sister was all right.

"I am not terribly worried about her anymore. Sora said he would try his best to take care of her and I feel I should trust him. And this is also our day out. I want you to enjoy yourself…really, I do!" He took Roxas' hands and caressed them gently with his thumbs, avoiding the fork's handle of course. Looking into Axel's eyes, Roxas knew he meant what he said.

His cheeks went a little pink and he looked away, nodding just slightly. "I-I believe you…"

After giving it a swift kiss, the redhead set down Roxas' hand. "Then we will continue our exploration as soon as you are done with your dessert."

Both of them savoured the sweet flavours and even playfully fed small chunks to one another. Roxas just insisted on it because he liked sharing and thought it was fun, and Axel didn't seem to mind, so all was well. Another reason why he wanted to do it was because he rarely did it at home. This was one day where he did not have to act like a prince. He wasn't glum at all, there weren't any real complaints about duties and work, and he was enjoying himself very much. If only it could last forever…

...…o…O…o…...

"How big are bazaars or markets normally?" Roxas asked as he and Axel began walking into the crowds. He was a lot closer to Axel's body now since there were so many people walking along the area with bags of food, clothing, and other goods in their hands. It was fascinating to find so many people in one place, or at least that's what the blond thought. This was daily life.

"You should not say it so loudly. People will wonder why a commoner is asking such a question." Another semi-strict rule for Roxas to follow… "Sorry, I did not mean for it to come out so harshly."

"Not at all…I was careless," Roxas quickly said, shaking his free hand at his servant.

Axel held an apologetic smile as he continued. "They are actually quite big since there are several sellers and customers as you can see. Families always go into markets to buy ingredients for their meals. The other stores are filled with toys, clothing, furniture, and decorations."

As they continued strolling along the area, Axel continued teaching the boy about the ways of a commoner. Like what their normal meals consisted of, what they did for fun…it was like a lesson from Zexion but Roxas decided not to comment on that. Why ruin Axel's fun? Soon, without the redhead realizing it, the blond had pulled him back. Rather he couldn't pull the boy forward.

Roxas eyed a stuffed doll for a few moments, which stopped him dead in his tracks to Axel's surprise. It was white and looked similar to a bear with its eyes closed. There was a small red pompom sticking out of its head like an antenna. To Roxas' realization, he was mesmerized by its cuteness.

"You like that?" Axel interrupted the blond's thought and smiled. The fact that the prince was captivated by a stuffed creature of all things amused the redhead very much.

Roxas nodded shyly at the question, thinking that a boy should not say stuffed animals are cute.

"It's called a Moogle. A lot of people love this fictional creature, even boys. Children love carrying these around. I remember buying Kairi one when we were younger. She lugged that thing everywhere and it got so dirty I had to buy her a new one."

Roxas nodded and still eyed the soft plushie. When he thought about it…he never had a toy to lug around or hug when he was younger. He only had his empty room and few friends like Demyx and Zexion who visited him for lessons.

"Excuse me sir, could I get one of those?" Roxas looked up and realized Axel was talking to another man, the store clerk to be exact.

The man nodded and pulled out a bag and drew out a new plushie from a box. He placed it inside and gave it to Axel who paid for it momentarily.

"Here you go, Frae." The bag was immediately presented in front of Roxas who gaped at it incredulously. "Come now, you can't tell me you did not want one of these. Your eyes told me so." Axel was grinning proudly as he placed the bag in the boy's hand. "Consider it a…souvenir from the outside…" he whispered with a wink.

Roxas pulled out the plushie, holding back his heavy desire to hug it tightly. "Aren't I a little too old for—"

"Not a problem. I know a lot of people who have one of these in their rooms. Don't tell Demyx I told you but he does too." Axel was laughing as he told Roxas about Demyx keeping a plushie in his room. Zexion probably didn't know about it either, but eventually he'd find out.

"Do…do you have one?" The blond asked hesitantly.

"No…" Axel looked away shamefully since he just told Roxas a lot of people had one but he apparently didn't. The blond even muttered a quiet, 'Oh…' It was fairly obvious that he was disappointed.

"Those things were mostly for Kairi, but I guess it's time I bought one as well, huh?" The redhead turned to the store owner once again and bought another Moogle to Roxas' surprise. That really was an interesting way to spend servant earnings…

"There," he grinned down, "now we both have one."

Roxas found himself laughing a little as he held his Moogle tightly against his chest. "I guess so. Th-thank you Axel." It was so soft and cushiony. Roxas was thankful it was a small toy because he could hold it in his arms lovingly.

If only the redhead could keep an image of Roxas' shy exterior…he couldn't help but blush and look away when Roxas embraced the doll and smiled happily. It was difficult suppressing his feelings for the boy…but he knew he had to at least try.

"A prince could never love a servant…"

A prince must marry those of royal blood…

...…o…O…o…...

"Why are you so quiet, Axel? Are you tired?" Roxas asked carefully after a long period of silence. The redhead seemed dazed and lost for a while now and both were walking along a dirt path instead of a stone one. At first the blond decided not to ask about Axel's thoughts since it really was none of his business, but honestly the deafening silence was driving him insane.

When Axel failed to respond to his earlier question, Roxas frowned sadly. "Am I…boring to be with?" he asked brokenly as he fixed his eyes to the ground.

The redhead's ear twitched and he turned to find a depressed prince. Inside he began panicking, beating himself for disregarding Roxas. "No! My apologies, I was just thinking about something."

Roxas still avoided any eye contact, refusing to believe his servant's excuse. "Do you at least know where we are now?"

Quirking an eyebrow the redhead scanned the area to find that there were only a few people walking along the path. Axel and Roxas seemed to have left the bazaar and took a path towards a wooded area. Feeling extremely guilty the redhead knelt down and apologized again. Roxas was feeling frantic now. He wasn't sure whether or not it was appropriate for Axel to be apologizing on one knee in the open. "I-it's fi-fine, really Axel. As long as you know the way back, then everything is fine!" The passer byers gave him strange looks and whispered thoughts to one another. Why did people make themselves so obvious?

"I am truly sorry. I was distracted…" the redhead said quietly, guilt still lacing tightly around his voice. Again, Roxas forgave his sincere servant. He thanked the lords when Axel finally stood up from the ground.

Before either of them turned around, Roxas hopped up and down at something that caught his interest. "Look over there, Axel!" Roxas pointed excitedly at a shelter with large yellow birds walking out. His eyes shimmered with exhilaration as he watched one run off with someone riding on its back, taming it perfectly.

Two of them dashed passed both Axel and Roxas. "Those are Chocobos. Do you want to go take a look?" The redhead had to make up for his stupidity anyway.

"N-no, we're still looking for your sister. I can look next time." Surely Axel wasn't going to take him out just once…at least Roxas hoped not.

"I didn't take you out to drag you around, you know? It's your chance to explore the town as well. I'm sure Kairi is all right." There were too many people and they were away from town…Axel was ready to give up his search and spend more time with his prince.

Without any delay, Roxas dragged Axel over to the large brown shelter to examine what was inside. There were people taking care of large Chocobos in stalls. It was almost like a farm of some sort, except there were only large golden birds cooing obediently at their caretakers. Roxas stared at everything in admiration. He'd never seen so many birds in one place before and he had this huge urge to pet one. Axel grinned at his discovery and pulled Roxas towards a small box in front of a sitting man. The blond looked down curiously and his eyes instantly lit up with glee.

"They're babies!" he exclaimed as he knelt down, still subconsciously holding onto Axel's hand. A Chocobo chirped happily at Roxas and its eyes glistened gorgeously, making it look almost too fantastical.

"Go ahead, you can touch them if you'd like. Heck, hold them if that pleases you. They love it when people are playful." The man laughed and patted Roxas on the shoulder, encouraging him even further. It was a secret, but the blond had a fetish over small creatures. Every time Zexion showed him a baby animal in the book he would smile widely at it. They were just so adorable and irresistible.

Roxas gently picked it up and immediately it nuzzled against his cheek. "It really likes you," Axel said softly as he caressed the cheek of the Chocobo with a finger. The blond giggled and nodded as he pet the bird lightly with a hand.

"This here is just a small ranch. Officers like to borrow the really well tamed Chocobos. They're very gentle, and they love people even though they seem a bit shy," the man explained while Roxas held the Chocobo in his hand. It was quite energetic because it continued chirping excitedly at the blond.

"I wish I could keep one…" Roxas said in awe as he continued to softly pet the one in his hand.

"Well…we don't allow people to take them home since they grow very large as you can see. But you can keep this one here, name it, and I'll take care of him for you. I'm a nice guy and I do that once in a while. You can visit him whenever you want." The man pointed at one of the many birds in the stalls. "That one is Cliff. He belongs to a young man who lives just outside of town. The one beside him is Mirabelle, beautiful girl that one. She belongs to a man who lives near the castle"

"Is it really all right for me to name this one?" Roxas glanced down at the lost little bird which looked up at him, cocking its head to the side naively.

"Sure thing. I'll put a ribbon in its leg and write the name on it. So what will it be?"

Roxas looked up at his servant, searching for an answer, but the Axel just shook his head. This was Roxas' task and he wasn't going to assist him in any way. It would make things more…interesting.

The blond was tracing small steps back and forth, furrowing his brows while losing himself in his thoughts. It was surprising to see Roxas think so deeply about the Chocobo's name…he never tried this hard when Zexion was teaching him. "Zephyr," he finally said with a slight, relieved smile.

"Nice choice," Axel commented as he picked up the bird and studied it carefully. "Zephyr…"

The man wrote down the Chocobo's new name on a piece of paper and strapped it against the bird's leg with a rubber band. "There you go, Zephyr. I'll give him a proper ribbon later."

"Thank you very much!" Roxas smiled brightly at his new "pet". Even though he couldn't keep it in his castle, he could at least visit it once in a while, as long as Axel let him that is. The baby Chocobo returned to the box, where his brothers and sisters were.

"How would you kids like to ride an adult Chocobo? They're very stable and friendly, plus it's free," the man added.

Turning on his heels, Roxas presented Axel with gleaming eyes of want and eagerness. A snort almost left Axel when he saw Roxas' unusual expression. "Very well, but you must ride with me…" He wasn't going to let anything happen to his precious prince, even if the Chocobos were friendly and stable.

Roxas' hands shot up into the air, expressing his victory. Once again his heart was pounding wildly from excitement and anxiety. There were just so many new things happening to him in one day. It was almost too much to handle!

"You can ride in the wooded area. It isn't big and there's even a path so you can't get lost." The path looked very simple and almost new. And the forested area looked clean and gorgeous, at least from the outside.

Roxas whistled impressively, "My, you have this all organized."

"This here maybe a small ranch for the Chocobos but it's a nice one. By the way, the name's Cid." He shot out a welcoming hand to Roxas who took it without hesitation, shaking it in a very friendly manner.

"My name is Frae and this is my ser—very close friend, Axel." The redhead nodded politely and shook the man's hand as well.

Cid grunted like an old man as he stood up from his seat. He walked over to one of the stalls and pulled out a Chocobo which had beautiful, clean, golden feathers. It almost made Roxas feel guilty about taking it out for a ride. He was worried about ruffling its feathers too much. "So well groomed…" he thought to himself in amazement.

"This is Sheila. She's actually mine, but I'm sure she'll love you kids." The Chocobo practically purred as it rubbed its head against Axel's face. He chuckled in response and pet its head kindly in return. Since Roxas was smaller than Axel, the redhead lifted him onto the bird's back first.

"She's so big…I feel tall sitting up here," Roxas laughed as he placed his shaky fingers onto Sheila's soft neck. Excitement certainly drowned in his blood. He was also nervous about riding a Chocobo for the first time.

Axel climbed on after him and passed the Moogle plushies to Cid. "Could we leave these here?"

"Sure thing, kid." Cid took the bags and placed them behind a desk so no one would take them. "Now…you know how to ride one, right Axel?"

"I've ridden on Chocobos in the past, so I will be fine. I can guide Frae as we move along." The blond nearly leapt up when Axel placed his hands on his waist.

"Sorry, I need to hold onto something," the redhead said with a light chuckle. With a nervous nod, Roxas lifted the strap and held it firmly. He gave it a light tug and Sheila walked forward slowly, leaving the shelter and entering the forest. "It's not so hard," Axel whispered as he leaned his chin on the blond's bony shoulder.

"Y-yes…it's not…very difficult…" he responded stiffly, feeling extremely nervous about Axel's hold on him. "This shouldn't be a problem!" he began scolding himself in his head, feeling stupid. "We've hugged several times and we held hands all day!" And yet his heart wanted to burst out from his chest.

Axel's thoughts however…

"He shouldn't be so stiff…perhaps I am making him nervous…but if I let go, I might fall off…" Taking the blond's shakiness into consideration, the redhead simply loosened his hold. It wasn't his goal to make Roxas uncomfortable anyway…

"He must have realized I was feeling uncomfortable…" Roxas thought miserably while turning Sheila a little on the path. He was somewhat disappointed when Axel relaxed his hold…he wanted to get used to that feeling. As they continued into the forest quietly, they forgot about ever returning or even searching for Kairi. This was their moment.

"S-so…beautiful trees aren't they?" Axel just couldn't stand the tension any longer. Talking about anything would have eased his mind.

Roxas successfully glanced up at the large deciduous trees, beautiful leaves fluttering downwards and some sunlight shooting through the gaps. When he glanced around he realized how clean and serene the forest area was. Squirrels and chipmunks were chasing after one another and climbing trees at an extremely quick speed while butterflies fluttered higher and higher, dancing with one another. "I…I really like this area. It makes me feel at peace, like I'm not even a prince," he said softly as he leaned back slightly against Axel's chest. The Chocobo chirped quietly as if responding to Roxas' thought.

Axel's cheeks grew warm as his hold tightened again. "Sometimes I wish you weren't…" he whispered unintentionally. That was meant to stay in his head.

"Why is that?" Roxas asked quietly, wishing he could just stay in his position for a long time. Axel's body was so warm and his heartbeat was so subtle. It was so relaxing and Sheila knew exactly what she was doing without having Roxas control her movements. She definitely knew a romantic moment when she saw one, and so she stopped making noise…for now.

"If you weren't my prince…then it would be all right to love you…" Axel began wrapping his arms around the boy's waist, hugging him from behind. "You could be free to do this more often of course." His voice was unbelievably soft and attractive.

"I will when I am king," Roxas chuckled quietly. "Right now…I feel free…" He turned his head a little to face Axel. They were extremely close to one another; so close they could feel each other's warm breath already. Both heartbeats increased slightly when they began leaning towards one another, lips slightly parted, eyes almost closed. It was so captivating, being alone in a beautiful, luscious forest. The moment was too perfect for both of them even if they didn't realize it.

Sheila chirped happily for them and the two parted quickly. She celebrated a little too early.

"S-sorry, I was…I was…falling asleep!" Roxas quickly used it as an excuse, turning away to hide his embarrassment. "Oh my goodness!" he thought frantically as his heart beat at an amazing speed. "What would he think of me? I was ready to kiss him!"

"N-no, it's…it's fine, really…" Axel looked away disgracefully, silently scolding himself for losing control.

"I should not have done that…" He was beating himself down inside his head, feeling stupid for pulling off such an act. "He does not love me the way I do him…I cannot believe I almost took advantage of the situation." There was so much confusion and hurt in Axel's heart. For one he loved the prince, which was wrong. And then he almost kissed him…what would have happened afterwards? He would have been scolded or punished or something…

Secretly they were disappointed for not completing the kiss.

Of course…neither of them really knew of each other's true affections and feelings unfortunately. Their special moments felt so right but so wrong at the same time, and their love for each other would have been considered even more forbidden than Zexion and Demyx's.

All that was left between them was an awkward silence, excluding the squeaking bunnies and chipmunks. Their cloaks kept them happy, hiding away their sheer embarrassment. The ride felt even longer since there were no conversations between them.

"I have to think of something to say…" Roxas strained, wanting to break through the quietness so desperately. "How—how are Demyx and Zexion doing? I haven't heard much of their relationship lately."

Axel nearly released a sigh of relief when Roxas brought up that topic. "I'm sure they are fine. I haven't contacted Demyx for a while, but Zexion seems content, so that must mean their relationship is moving along smoothly."

"Lucky them," Roxas muttered jealously. At least were with the ones they loved. He had an unlovable fiancée and a loyal servant. If only he could swap their positions,

"Yes, I envy them as well," Axel said quietly with a sad smile.

"L-look…we're almost back," Roxas said awkwardly as he pointed at the shelter. The Chocobo chirped in agreement and picked up the pace.

...…o…O…o…...

"Well, you kids returned quicker than I expected," Cid laughed as he placed Sheila back into her stall, rubbing the side of her neck. "Did you at least have fun?" The Chocobo chirped happily at her owner.

Both Axel and Roxas looked down and flushed at the question, unable to respond. The man grinned at their reaction and acted innocently. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he said slyly while moving behind his desk. Being with Chocobos all the time, he met several couples who went into the forest and had a wonderful, amorous time. When he thought about it, Chocobos brought the out the romance between lovers.

"Forbidden love must be difficult…ah to be young again." They both shot their heads up with wide eyes. Shaking their hands wildly, they both protested nervously, meshing their words together and making them incomprehensible. Cid got a good laugh out of that.

"It-it's not what you think," Roxas blushed as he took his Moogle back, hugging it tightly, attempting to hide his face behind it.

"Don't worry, kid, it's fine. As long as you two had a good time."

The blond quickly ran over to the babies and pet Zephyr one more time, bidding it farewell. "Thank you for Zephyr and…the ride," Roxas added hesitantly, earning a smirk from the old man.

"You're welcome, Frae. Come back again some time. I'm sure you'll have fun again!"

And with that the two left silently, holding hands while walking down the path. Roxas never imagined the outside world would bring out his affectionate side. He couldn't deny his feelings for Axel, but he didn't want his servant thinking he was strange. But was it strange if he still wanted a kiss?

"I wonder what it is like…kissing the one you love…" Would his kiss with Axel feel different from one with his fiancée? Would be more wonderful and effective? He so desperately wanted answers to his questions. "Perhaps, I could get one kiss from him."

...…o…O…o…...

The path was longer than Axel expected. He kept trying to pry his mind off Roxas, but the boy was right there beside him, holding his hand. It was too difficult. "I didn't actually kiss him…well I have kissed him on the head before, but that's different!"

Another Axel inside his mind began arguing with him. "No it isn't! Why don't you just admit it to yourself? You-love-Roxas. How hard is it?"

"Very hard. He is engaged…I shouldn't—it's wrong to be in love with him! He is my master and I'm a just a servant."

"But he doesn't even love Naminé. Come now, you are much better than she is—"

"What if he does not love me in return?"

"Didn't he almost just kiss you? Doesn't that mean anything? Didn't you spend several years training to be a servant just to be with him? Why are you being so thick headed?"

"He could have been caught in the moment. Things like that happen!"

"You are such a coward!"

"Well, I have no desire to be separated from him! If he finds out…he might hate me and want a new servant. Of course I would be scared!"

"And how many years have you loved him?" the other huffed calmly.

"…ten…I have been in love with him for approximately ten years." He finally admitted to himself, almost disgusted at the number of years.

"Then why don't you make your wish come true? Isn't it about time?"

"Axel…what are you doing?" Roxas gaped at his servant's strange faces and awkward grunts. The redhead looked down at him and smiled sheepishly.

"What was I doing?" he repeated with a weak chuckle.

"Arguing with myself…" he thought pathetically. "Nothing really, I was just thinking."

"You've been thinking an awful lot today." A frown spread across Roxas' lips as he kept his eyes on his servant.

An excuse had to be made. "Things have been awkward lately, with Kairi's maid training and all—but I'm not too worried, I promise." Okay, it was a horrible excuse, but half of it was true. As he spent more time with Roxas, his worries for his sister were disappearing. Did that make him a bad brother? Maybe it was about time he let her go, let her become more independent.

"As long as there's nothing wrong…" Roxas sighed.

...…o…O…o…...

When they were close to the bazaar, Axel and Roxas found children frolicking along the grassy fields. Feeling interested once again, Roxas wanted take a closer look and watch. There were at least ten of them playing on their own while their parents were off eating together or shopping. The blond had never played a childhood game before. He wanted to see how it…worked; how children interacted with one another. He never had friends to play with before.

And they all eyed him once he and Axel were close enough.

"Do you want to play with us, big brother?" A little girl approached Roxas and tugged on his cloak cutely, and behind her were several other young ones who seemed intrigued by him.

"Big brother?" Roxas questioned incredulously as he chuckled. He'd never been called that before and the children had these adorable faces on. They were probably about six to eight years old and they were suddenly inviting a sixteen year old to play.

"If you looked older they would have referred to you as mister. Big brother is just a more respectable term, but you must admit, it is cute coming from these children," Axel said as he gave Roxas an encouraging push forward, taking his Moogle bag at the same time.

"I-I've never really played with children before though," Roxas responded nervously as he looked back at his servant.

Axel leaned down towards the children and grinned playfully. "That means you'll all teach your big brother Frae how to play, right children?"

They all cheered at the same time and several of them grabbed Roxas' arms and dragged him towards the center of the field. "But…but what about you?" he called back quickly.

"I will simply watch from the hill!" Axel shouted back teasingly while watching the children take his prince against his will. He planted himself on the grass and leaned back with his arms after placing the bags of plushies next to him. His warm eyes were fixed on Roxas who was nodding at the children's instructions from under his hood. The boy's uneasiness was very noticeable, but it was cute. Shaking his mind free of the thought, Axel continued to examine the children's demonstrations of how to play a game. Young girls giggled as Roxas tilted his head to the side and the boys gave him a pat on the back…which was most likely brought up from pity.

A chuckle left Axel's lips as he leaned forward a little more, trying to get a better view of the prince's flustered expression. Shaking his head again the redhead frowned. "It's wrong…but I really am in love with him. I cannot hold my feelings back anymore," he thought weakly while slouching forward, closing his eyes.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм  

[Ended Light]

❤↬ℓσνє уσυя ѕєяναηт↫❤
cнαρтєя ל

↫נυѕт σηcє αη∂ ωє'яє cαρтιναтє∂: ραят 2↬

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

"Roxas is the heir to the throne," the mother nodded at her twelve year old son. Axel felt his heart sink. Those of royal blood do not associate with servants or commoners often. Roxas being the prince just meant that Axel wouldn't be able to see him often at all…no, perhaps once or twice a year.

"C-can I meet him?" Axel asked, mouth feeling very dry.

"Perhaps one day…" she said with a weak smile. To Axel that meant no, "Maybe you could have the honour of serving under him one day," she giggled, trying to brighten her son's expression.

...…o…O…o…...

Axel snapped his eyes open, awakening himself from his flashback. The first thing he saw was Roxas running away from a little boy, nimbly dodging the child's attempts to grab him. When he tripped backwards he fell onto the ground. The boy jumped on top of him and so did several other children, making him laugh joyfully at them all.

"At least he can experience the fun of being a child." Axel continued watching thoughtfully.

"Excuse me, young man, could you please give me directions to this location?" An older woman tapped on the redhead's shoulder, requesting for assistance. Without hesitation, he stood up from the ground and carefully led her up the hill while studying the address on the piece of paper. "I'll be back in a few minutes!" he called out to Roxas, who simply nodded and returned to the game.

He couldn't believe how energetic the children were. No matter how quickly he ran, they caught up with him. Roxas was already tiring out and decided to rest for at least a few minutes.

"Big brother, do you love that man?" A young girl tugged on the prince's sleeve and smiled sweetly. She wasn't panting nearly as hard as Roxas.

"Why do you ask?" he wondered through his quick breaths.

"Because you were holding his hand. Mommy and daddy told me that people who hold hands love each other," another girl answered innocently. Everyone nodded in agreement, even the boys. Their concurrence was astounding and it turned out they were quite bright.

"Yes, I suppose you could say I do…love him." There was an unusual sensation inside his stomach. He never imagined having a conversation about this with young children.

"Even if he's a boy?" one of the younger males asked with a distorted expression. Parents never taught their children to accept homosexuals. Those who loved the same gender were frowned upon. But they were children so it didn't matter to Roxas.

"Yes. You like someone because he or she treats you kindly. It does not matter what gender they are. That 'mister' takes care of me more than my own mother and father."

"Really?" they all began murmuring upsettingly about the situation. How could a parent mistreat their child? Was it possible for someone to treat a person better than their mother of father?

"I am very happy with him," Roxas smiled brightly, calming the children's curiosity.

"It must be so romantic," one of the little girls sighed dreamily, clasping her two hands together. That type of reaction was unexpected.

"How can it be romantic? Boys are not supposed to be romantic with other boys!" one of the children argued while crossing his arms over his chest.

Roxas sighed and wondered why he was explaining this to simple eight year olds. "That's not necessarily true. We went on a nice Chocobo ride in the forest today. It was so beautiful and quiet and we were alone. No one was there to disturb us and he held me in his arms." He stopped right there and his face turned pink. What would Axel say if he heard him?

The young girls awed and the boys' mouths dropped open in shock.

"I hope someone does that for me one day!" a girl squealed. Then the remaining girls squealed in agreement. They were so envious of Roxas who was so lucky to have such a sweet man to himself.

"How about I take you there one day?" Roxas' eyes widened and he found himself laughing as one of the boys began flirting with one of the squealers. And everyone began arguing about romance and who would ride with whom. It was very interesting to watch from Roxas' view. He'd never seen young children fight over a crush like that before.

The blond noticed something odd from the corner of his eye. He looked up and found a female and two children struggling against a man along the rocky street. He frowned and immediately realized something was amiss. "Listen. When that mister comes back, please tell him I will return in a few minutes. I have some business to take care of." The children all awed and nodded, feeling sad that their conversation and game had ended.

Roxas quickly rushed up from the grassy hill and followed the four beings. There weren't many people nearby, but those who were did not concern themselves with the situation. They just thought it was a simple family argument. The girl managed to pull one of the children loose and hugged him tightly, while the man picked up the other young boy and ran in between two buildings. Roxas rushed up to the girl, huffing for air. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently.

The redheaded girl looked up from the crying child and nodded. "That man…he was trying to kidnap these children. I was with my masters but I could not inform them on time. I had to track that man down."

"I'll return him to you. What's your name?"

"K-Kairi…" she said nervously.

Roxas nodded quickly and ran towards the two buildings. If he could retrieve the child, he would at least know who to return him to.

"W-wait!" she called out, but the blond couldn't hear her.

...…o…O…o…...

The man still held the writhing boy under his arm. He was three times the size of the child and probably three times older as well. His plan was to abuse the boy…kidnap, rape, kill…it was undecided, but he was becoming frustrated with the loud cries for help. "If you don't stop crying, I'll kill you…" he hissed quietly, trying to hide away from any nearby officers.

Roxas turned the corner and panted, using a wall to support him. "Return that boy immediately," he demanded through his quick breathing.

"Who are you to tell me—"

"How could you just kidnap a boy from his brother?" the blond growled through his gritted teeth as his fingers curled into fists.

"Simple. Because I can," he laughed hoarsely. The child stared helplessly at Roxas, pleading to be rescued.

It would be too difficult to bargain for the boy, seeing how Roxas had nothing to offer. And if he took a more violent approach then surely the child would be injured… wait…"What if…what if I offer myself in exchange for his freedom?"

The man stared wily at him, "I could simply take you both."

"And I could run quicker than you, especially since you just said that," Roxas responded evenly.

The kidnapper seemed to like how intelligent the boy was, but it all seemed too easy. Why would someone deliberately trade himself in for a child he didn't even know? The blond wasn't going to gain anything in this situation, but the man wanted to hear more. "Why would I trade him in for you?"

"Because I am worth more," he removed his hood and held his bitter face. "I, Roxas Feyanska Azaelus Edward am prince of this kingdom. In exchange for the boy's freedom, I offer myself to you."

The man's mouth dropped down from shock. It must have been a trick, but the blond revealed his family symbol from under his cloak, indicating that he was indeed the prince himself. "How do I know you're not just tricking me?" he hissed.

Roxas stepped forward calmly, deeper into the dark hallway until he was approximately one meter away from the two. "Put the child down and I will be yours." Unexpectedly, the man complied and the boy ran towards the street. He looked back at Roxas hesitantly, guilt rippling in his blood, but the blond smiled reassuringly. "It's all right…just go." The young child nodded and ran away.

A surprised yelp escaped from Roxas as the man suddenly yanked his arm and slammed him against a wall, pinning both his wrists above his head. "You're a very brave boy," the man breathed dangerously. "I always thought the prince was boxed in his own room."

"Yes, one would think that…" Roxas huffed evenly, struggling under the man's grasp.

"Now, now…you shouldn't thrash about. The deal was for me to trade in the boy for you." There was a wicked smirk on the man's lips which sent chills down Roxas' spine.

"And that deal never stated I couldn't struggle," the blond spat curtly, still writhing under the man's grasp.

"I like your attitude…It has been said that you were always in your room, strictly following your father's orders, learning about the outer world from books and instructors…must have been boring…" The man leaned forward and licked Roxas' neck, causing the blond to shudder. "You must be a wild one…being obedient for all those years, surrendering your own body for the boy…I like it."

"You make me sick…" Roxas glared disgustedly as the man pulled away.

The man barked a laugh. "I'm sure I do."

He released one of Roxas' wrists and aimed for his waist. Taking the opportunity, Roxas turned his own body, grabbed the man's arm with his free hand and flipped him onto the ground. The blond slammed a knee on the kidnapper's back, pinning him down roughly, and placed on firm hand on the man's shoulder. "You move and I'll make sure you sleep…I can easily hit a nerve and you will be unconscious in mere seconds," Roxas said dangerously as he leaned in to explain to the kidnapper. "I may be the prince, but I'm not stupid. Obviously a future king must learn how to defend himself or his people in any situation. All I needed was one free hand." Quickly, he placed his hood back on so no one could identify him.

"You little runt!" the man scowled and flinched for a quick second.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Roxas' hold tightened just slightly and the man stopped moving in order to avoid the sleeper.

"What are you going to do? You're just sitting there and this could go on for a long time…" the man growled.

"It's only a matter of time before an officer comes," the blond replied coolly. "I can wait here just as long as you can." But that was a lie. He was almost positive Axel was looking everywhere for him right now and he knew very well that he was going to be scolded later. As long as that boy was safe he didn't care about any lectures or punishments.

...…o…O…o…...

It wasn't long before the boy, his brother, and Kairi returned with two officers behind them. To Roxas' astonishment, Axel was there as well, completely shocked and well…freaked out, like he was going to faint or tear out all his hair.

The servant quickly rushed over with the two officers. He quickly grabbed Roxas and embraced him tightly as the two officers aimed for the kidnapper. "What were you thinking?" Axel gasped.

Roxas wasn't expecting such a reaction. Frankly he was expecting to be yelled at, scolded even…but not exactly this. He wasn't going to argue against it though. Carefully, he drew his arms up and hugged the redhead back. "I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"Excuse me, sir. We must thank you for capturing this man. We've been searching for him for a while and now that he is caught, the town will be a little bit safer. What is your name?" the officer asked politely.

Roxas looked up slowly and presented the man with a smile. "Frae."

"Thank you, Frae." The two officers nodded and took the scowling man away.

"You really scared me…I'm glad I spotted Kairi while I was looking for you." Roxas could feel Axel shaking through their embrace. He felt guilty for pulling off such an act, but at least he did the right thing. Axel wasn't exactly angry at him… "When I returned to the children they told me you ran this way and I found Kairi. She told me what happened and we immediately spotted some nearby officers."

"It's all right, Axel. I handled myself very well…" Roxas said slowly, reassuring his servant with a warm pat on the back.

"I know and I'm glad you saved him, but you almost put your life in danger. Please, I'm begging you, don't scare me like that again." Axel tightened his hold even more, never wanting to let his prince go.

"All right," Roxas whispered.

"Thank you for saving me, prince," the little boy said, tugging on Roxas' cloak.

"P-prince…" Axel said with dilated eyes. He quickly looked down at Roxas who shot his head away nervously to avoid eye contact. "You revealed your identity?" he asked in a scolding tone, making the blond wince.

"I…I had to in order to save him. As future king I have to do whatever it takes to save my people," he said determinedly, looking Axel straight in the eyes this time.

Taken aback by Roxas' fiery gaze, the redhead released a surrendering sigh. "I'm happy you did what you did…" he admitted in defeat.

"That's more like it," Roxas said cheerfully as he gave his servant a sweet hug. He turned to look at the two boys and smiled. "Now, don't tell anyone you saw the prince or he'll be in trouble."

The two brothers turned to one another and placed a finger on their lips, making a shushing noise while nodding. "Thank you for helping me, my prince." Kairi bowed gratefully and turned away. "Do you two know where your parents are?" The children nodded and took her hand, getting ready to lead the way.

"Kairi…" Axel called out, making her turn around again. "Listen…I—"

"I know you're always worried about me, but I'm fine. I'm going to be a maid one day so I must get used to Lady Naminé's strictness." Her voice was rather calm instead of angry which saved the siblings from arguing.

"What if something happened to you today…?" Axel muttered worriedly. He felt guilty for not searching for her for half the day.

"Nothing did…well not particularly. I admit Lady Naminé was being extremely unreasonable, but Master Sora did his best to help me. I can tell he is a very kind person. Please brother, stop worrying about me so much. The prince's life was almost endangered today. You should watch him more carefully." Though the words seemed harsh, she was correct and Axel knew it. He just didn't want to admit it out loud, but the silence between them indicated his understanding.

"My apologies…" he managed to say quietly. "But what will Naminé and Sora think when you return to them? You've been gone for a while."

"I will just tell them I helped two lost children find their way back to their parents." She winked and walked away with the two children holding her hands.

Giving Axel a comforting hug from the side, Roxas smirked to somehow make Axel feel better. "I defeated a man twice my size," he said with a chuckle.

"I noticed when I saw you on top of him," Axel snorted while stroking the boy's hair. "Wait…" a sudden, threatening thought just hit him. "You revealed your identity to that man?"

Roxas nodded.

"We must return to the castle immediately." Axel quickly grabbed onto the blond's wrist and dashed out from the hallway onto the street, dodging several bodies at once.

"W-what's the rush?" Roxas yelled out confusedly, trying to keep up with Axel's ridiculous speed.

"If the officers interrogate the man, he might say your name. If the people at the castle hear about your little incident then they will want to check your room—"

"And I won't be there, so they'll know I left!" Roxas gasped frenetically through his unsteady breathing. He picked up the speed and caught up to Axel, refusing to be dragged all the way home.

"What if they spot us inside?" His mind was rushing with fear and anxiety.

"They won't realize much! We're just blurs speeding by. They can't tell it's us under these cloaks!"

They ran as quickly as they could, laughing at the idea of passing maids and servants without actually being recognized.

...…o…O…o…...

"How…many…did…we…pass?" Both of them were breathless now. They were ready to pass out at Roxas' door.

"Probably…four…which…isn't much…when you…think…about…it," Axel wheezed while leaning forward, using his knees for support. Sweat was trickling down their heads and they could barely stand. The redhead struggled over towards Roxas and removed his cloak. "Better…hide these." He took off his own cloak and buried them deep within the wardrobe.

"I never ran so much before…" Roxas huffed as he sat down in one of his many velvet chairs, fanning himself with a hand.

"Where did you learn to defend yourself?" Axel asked curiously as he approached the blond, slowly regaining his posture.

"I was taught a few years ago. I get lessons in the middle of the year. If my kingdom is in danger, obviously I must help lead them to war or whatever conflict it is. And if I'm ever in danger, I could easily defend myself and take advantage of the situation in many ways." Roxas sounded quite confident of himself, very intelligent as well. Axel honestly had no idea his prince was so capable even though he lived a secluded life.

"Were you calm in the situation?"

"Very," Roxas stated proudly.

After they calmed down, the prince returned to doing the extra work Zexion assigned him. Although he had a wonderful day, he still wanted to stab his quill through his parchment. All the events replayed in his mind whenever he stopped writing. He had delicious desserts, named his new "pet", rode a Chocobo for the first time in his entire life, rode with Axel on a Chocobo, almost kissed Axel while riding on the Chocobo…the blond blushed at the thought. "Let's see…what else…" he played a children's game for the first time and interacted with several people, he saved a boy from a kidnapper, and Axel bought him a Moogle doll. Roxas looked over at his bag and took out his plushie. He still couldn't get enough of its softness.

"You really like that don't you?" Axel strolled by and picked up his own.

"It's so…unusual, but very attractive at the same time," Roxas admitted as he tilted the doll from left to right.

"Kairi's going to laugh at me when she sees that I have one as well."

"Why didn't you search harder for your sister?" Roxas asked quietly, keeping his eyes focused on the Moogle. "You were so worried about her before you left."

Axel placed his plushie on the table and lifted the boy's chin so they would face each other. Truthfully he felt bad for not searching harder but… "I wanted to spend time with you." Roxas' eyes widened at the first thing his servant said. "Do not misunderstand. I was still worried about her, but as I said earlier, Sora told me he would try his best to take care of her. And Naminé would not do anything to physically hurt her in front of several people because they still think of her as a sweet, loving girl. Plus all three of them were together." His voice was still drowned with guilt. It was difficult explaining his true feelings since most of them really had to remain hidden. "I realized that I shouldn't have been so paranoid. Kairi said she always wanted to be independent. Even if I didn't go out, the incidents still would have occurred and in the end I have to thank you for helping her."

Roxas nodded numbly.

"Aside from that event, it turned out that taking care of you and making you happy were still my priorities." He smiled sheepishly at that, trying not to guilt the blond.

"Th-thank you for taking me outside today. It was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed myself very much…I've never done so many new things at once in my entire life. I enjoyed my time with the children as well. They were a curious bunch. And I rode a Chocobo for the first time—it, it was an exciting and beautiful experience. Really, words cannot express my thanks." He blushed and turned away. It was always embarrassing for him to thank Axel for doing so many sweet things for him. He only wished he could return the favour…

...…o…O…o…...

Outside, the sky was changing from blue to a warm orangey colour and the sunlight beamed through the window. "Looks like the sun is setting…" Axel commented as he led the boy to the window seat. He liked how big the seat was since he could sit beside Roxas on it. Plus it was very comfortable and watching the sunset was an excellent way to end their day.

"I love watching this," Roxas sighed as he gazed outside, taking in the soothing breeze at the same time. "I'm always amazed at the change in colours."

"Yes, it really is a beautiful sight…" Axel's eyes strayed away from the sunset after a few moments. Now he was watching the blond stare at the orangey glow in delight. His eyes sparkled from the shine and his mouth was slightly open from smiling.

"Then why don't you make your wish come true? Isn't it about time?"

Slowly and hesitantly, the redhead wrapped an arm around Roxas' shoulder.

The blond felt himself jump a little and suddenly his heartbeat ran twice as fast. Almost immediately he turned his head to Axel whose cheeks were rather red and he was staring at the sunset, avoiding Roxas' gaze. "Axel…" the boy whispered as he blushed, turning his head away as well.

"Just…once…if it's all right with you." He just wanted to hold Roxas like that…even if was just once…if Roxas didn't love him it was fine…as long as he could experience this moment just once.

The prince didn't really have to think about it. He shifted closer and leaned on Axel's warm chest contentedly. "I'd like that," he said softly. No matter how many times he and the redhead hugged, Roxas never got sick of his sweet vanilla scent. It was so welcoming and comfortable…sometimes he never wanted Axel to let go.

They sat there silently for minutes, loving each other's warmth. Roxas could feel the redhead's swift heartbeat against his body. It made him happy since his heart was beating quickly as well…he didn't feel as ridiculous anymore. It was relaxing, being in that position, even if it was weird. Fitting two people together side to side was difficult on a window seat, but it didn't matter to them.

"I wonder what it's like…kissing someone you love…"

"Axel," the blond began quietly, turning his head slightly to face his servant. "How about a reward for helping your sister?"

Axel chuckled as he rubbed Roxas' arm. "And what would you want from me?" Roxas' face went crimson and he brought his face closer to Axel's.

"I thought it would be nice if we could continue…" the prince quietly suggested. Axel gazed into Roxas' mesmerising clear blue eyes, desiring to go deeper. The want in prince's orbs drew him closer and without realizing it he began leaning down towards the boy's face, lips slightly parted, eyes narrowing slowly.

Roxas' voice was barely heard. He leaned forward even more, wanting the redhead's soft lips against his own and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "How…about…" They could feel each other's warm breath slightly brushing against their lips now. Slowly, Roxas continued "a…ki—"

A banging on the door interrupted them and immediately they parted, pushing each other's body away. "My prince, are you in there? We've been told to check your room and I apologize for disturbing you."

"Not forgiven…" Roxas hissed malevolently in his mind as he stood up from the seat. If Axel didn't walk forward first, the blond would have stomped towards the door with a blunt object in his hand. He would have even grabbed a vase and thrown it at the first person he saw in the hallway. His perfect moment with Axel was interrupted…they were just so close!

The door opened and there were three guards standing out in the hallway. "We were told that the prince was spotted outside. Some commoners mentioned it earlier so we wanted to make sure he was safe in his room."

Axel shrugged innocently as he swung the door open, revealing the furious blond. "Perhaps you are mistaken. I'm sure there are others who look similar to the prince, but he has been here all day," Axel said reassuringly.

"Oh, Prince Roxas…you have our deepest apologies!" the guard was already on one of his knees and he bowed solemnly at the blond.

"It is perfectly fine," he said slowly, holding back his burst of anger. "You are free to leave now…"

Without another word being said the door closed on the guards. An eerie silence engulfed the entire room, making Axel and Roxas feel awkward towards one another. The prince tried so hard to avoid his servant's eyes, but it turned out to be difficult. What could he say, really? They almost…

Axel spoke first, guilt once again drowned in his voice. "My apologies for acting the way I did a few minutes ago. That was…I was…"

"It's all right…" Roxas said with disappointment. If Axel didn't like what was happening then he couldn't do anything about it. Except there was this heavy weight in his stomach that wanted Axel to say yes, he wanted to kiss him.

"He loves someone else…" Roxas faintly recalled having a conversation about this before with Axel. Indeed, the redhead had mentioned he was in love with someone but never said who. If he wasn't going to confess, then Roxas wasn't going to give up either. He marched up to Axel and pulled him down, placing a kiss on his cheek.

The redhead blushed deeply and placed a hand on the spot. "Uh…" Completely dumbstruck, he couldn't even produce any words of protest. That was a good reaction.

"That is my thank you for today." Somewhere in his heart he wished he kissed Axel on the lips. But he did feel a wonderful sensation inside nonetheless. If it was this nice to kiss a loved one on the cheek then he was definitely excited about kissing Axel on the lips.

"I…I'm glad you enjoyed yourself today. Y-you go bathe and I'll bring you some dinner!" Axel quickly left the bedroom, still feeling flushed.

"Maybe he does like me." There was hope in Roxas' heart and he couldn't help but smile. A shy Axel sounded sweet to him and it was only a matter of time before he could capture the man's lips. "I hope he doesn't get angry at me when it happens…" he murmured.

Roxas picked up his Moogle and smiled at it. "So we both have one…huh?" He hugged his tightly and then brought it over to his bed.

...…o…O…o…...

Axel was rushing down to the kitchen. He could still feel his cheek pounding lightly from the kiss. Everything surprised him today; every-little-event with Roxas. He was no longer paranoid about his sister and he just fell in love with Roxas even more. How did this all happen in one day? "Am I losing it? I can't believe he kissed me…"

"See? He likes you too!" the other voice in his head returned and argued smugly.

"And we almost kissed again. That's twice in one day!" he thought frantically as if their actions were completely illegal.

"It doesn't matter if other people think it's wrong Axel. Get that through your head. Love shouldn't have boundaries—ever! Shouldn't you be happy if he loves you in return?"

"What if someone finds out? I don't want to lose him, nor do I want people thinking he's sick for loving another man."

"That is why forbidden love remains a secret. Zexion and Demyx have been fine lately. You are just as capable as them."

"Maybe…"

"Just go for it Axel. Ten years…and he's even kept that thing you gave him. It's a sign, Axel."

"I'm sure he was just being the kind boy he is." Axel picked up Roxas' dinner and strolled back towards the main hallway. His body felt numb and his brain seemed uncertain about several things now.

"Doesn't forbidden love sound exciting though?" the other voice in his head asked enthusiastically.

"More dangerous than exciting…"

"Just tell him how you feel!"

"Why ruin what we have?"

"Because he likes you and you could have everything you've ever wanted!"

"All right!" He couldn't believe he was arguing with himself inside his head. Axel felt like he was becoming extremely delusional. "I'll tell him when the time is right…"

"And when will that be?" he could practically see a mirror image of himself crossing his arms strictly.

"Soon, I promise…" It was merely a promise to himself. All he needed was the courage and the right time and everything would have to play out from there.

↫↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↭↬

ωяιттєη ву тнє тιяє∂ туριηg ƒιηgєяѕ σƒ: ρσιηтℓєѕѕ_вυттση_∂σт_cσм