Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the idea behind the writing! If you want to sue me, I might have a piece of gum in my pocket. Maybe.
Chapter 1
"Hey, kiddo, time to get your lazy bum out of bed! It's almost sunrise, and you'll miss morning practice! We can't have that, now can we?"
A tousled silver head popped out of the covers, followed by partially bare shoulders as a mostly unbuttoned shirt slid to one side.
"Mo – yawn – other, I won't be attending morning practice today; I need to speak with the Queen again. I would like to ask her to raise wards around Sora's rooms. Obviously something more needs to be done, the wards on the castle aren't enough."
His mother clucked her tongue and braced her hands on her hips.
"You're telling me that the nightmares are still coming? Even after the Queen raised wards on the castle?"
He just raised the covers in response, allowing the woman to see the boy attached to his chest, dried tear tracks on his face.
"I'm going to let him sleep as long as possible before heading up to the Queen's wing. Will you apologize to Father and Axel for me?"
"I'm sure they won't need an apology when I explain to them why you won't be coming, and I'll also try to keep Roxas from entering and waking Sora. Sound acceptable to you?"
"That sounds just fine, Mother, thank you. Will you tell them that I will probably be down to practice this afternoon? I wouldn't dare skip an entire day's worth of practices, the last thing I want is to let Axel beat me."
She smiled and kissed his forehead, leaning down to kiss the top of Sora's head.
"I will, Riku. Get some sleep in peace, little one."
She turned and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. He settled back down into the bed, pulling Sora tight to him as he began to stir.
"Riku? What time is it? I thought I heard somebody…"
His voice was slurred with sleep and he reached up to rub his eyes.
"It's too early for you to be awake, Sora, why don't you go back to sleep. We're going to see the Queen when you wake up again."
"M'kay…"
His breathing evened back out, and Riku soon followed him into slumber.
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Later that morning
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"Sora, get up, it's time to go!"
One sky-blue eye opened with a groan as his head lifted a fraction of an inch before dropping back down onto the pillow. He was sore all over, and his body didn't seem to want to listen to him at all.
"Riku…! Don't wanna get up! I hurt…"
He smiled softly before smirking down at the head of tawny hair.
"Come on, lazy brat, don't make me haul you to a cold bath again. You'll feel better once you've gotten up and moving, and your muscles warm and loosen."
Sora's second eye flew open, and he was scrambling out of the warm bed in a split second, his head shaking, wrapping his arms around his chest.
"You are not throwing me into that creek again, Riku! I'll set Kairi on you, I swear it!"
Riku grimaced in disgust, his body shuddering.
"Just get dressed, Sora, we need to see the Queen about warding your room. You can't keep having these nightmares, it's not healthy for you. I'm afraid that you're going to get sick if you keep waking up like that."
"Why can't I just stay here with you, Riku? I never have the nightmares when I sleep in here! I always sleep really good when I sleep in your room! If I slept in here, you wouldn't have to worry about me! Right?"
Sora turned and opened the wardrobe drawers, grabbing clothes that he had left for mornings such as these. He pulled his sleep shirt up and off of him, tossing it straight at Riku's head, who was politely facing the other way, his arms crossed.
"You can't stay here, Sora, it's not proper, nor will it be appreciated by anybody outside of our families, and even then, there might still be problems. It would be seen as inappropriate, and I would get into a whole lot of trouble. You only just saw your sixteenth name-day on the Summer Solstice two weeks ago, while I saw my twenty-fourth this last Winter Solstice. Even just coming to my room when you're scared has some of the stuffier members of the king's council on edge, just waiting to throw me into the stocks and fostering you out to another kingdom, and I don't want that for you, Sora. I don't trust any of the kingdoms that they would send you too, I'm not sure I'd even trust them if they sent someone here in return…"
"You can turn around now, Riku, I'm dressed. Why would they foster me out? It's not like you're trying to kill me. You're my best friend, Riku, why don't they see that? They just don't know anything."
Sora crossed his arms, a pout tugging at his lips.
Sora, sometimes your innocence just kills me… Riku knelt in front of Sora and gripped his shoulders tightly.
"Sora, that's something that I don't want to tell you, because I want you to keep your happiness. I don't want to be the one to introduce anger into your heart, or hatred, or the need for revenge. You shine the brightest out of everybody that I know, and I don't want to be the one to dim that light at all. Please don't make me, Sora, it would destroy me…"
Sora nodded slowly and Riku gathered him into a tight hug before standing up. Sora headed for the door, setting his nightclothes next to the washbasin for the maids to take care of.
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Elsewhere in the Castle
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"Daemon, Daemon, imprisoned in my glass,
Tell me, tell me, has my wish come to pass?"
" My Lady most cruel,
The one I cannot fool.
The heart that you yearn for,
Will only hurt you more.
His heart already gives,
His love already lives."
Loud cursing echoed through the small room, along with the sound of small, fragile things shattering. Glass shards rained down, tinkling like bells as they impacted the floor, crunching underneath a pair of booted feet.
"He should love me, only me! I've given up everything for him, offered everything to him! And he still does not notice me! I must know who he has fallen in love with!"
The young woman turned back to the looking glass, her face contorted in rage. Her eyes flamed and sparked as she glared at the mirror.
"Daemon, Daemon, imprisoned in my glass,
Tell me, tell me, who deserves my wrath?"
"The one with eyes of Sky,
Who holds his honor high.
Heart as strong as stone,
He will never be alone.
His dreams know of your fury,
He'll find you lest you hurry.
The love will last eternal,
Though hate's fires burn infernal."
The wheels worked double-time in her mind as she chewed on the looking glass' riddle. She froze as the first line struck a chord in her mind.
"Sora of the House of Azure! I must go to the Queen, he's her favorite, and she must be informed of what is going on! I must put a stop to this…this… lunacy! They are both male, it is not right! He should love a woman, should love me! Sora cannot even give him children, besides which they cannot marry! Wait, that's the perfect idea! I'll ask the Queen for his hand in marriage! Since my mother is her best friend, she'll definitely grant me my request!"
A quiet little cackle bounced around the room as she swung her summer cloak onto her shoulders.
"Her majesty should be in her tapestry room at this hour, I will start there."
She crept out of the room and down the blackness of the hallway, leaving no sign but the faint hints of terrible laughter in her wake.
-
Riku knocked on the door to the Queen's chambers with one hand, as he kept the other around Sora's shoulders. The guard who greeted them looked frazzled, until she realized who they were and a cascade of relief washed across her face.
"Oh thank the Gods, it's you, Riku! I was about to send one of the runners for you!"
Sora looked up at the woman in confusion, eyes blinking innocently as she tackled Riku.
"What would you be needing Riku for, Cap'n Yuffie?"
"That blasted Kairi girl is in there, asking her Majesty for your hand in marriage, and her mother has her Majesty's ear because they're old friends! If you don't do something quick, she'll have her little claws dug into you, and she'll never let go!"
Riku growled deep in his throat, letting go of Sora as he stalked into the main room, slamming the door open, making the furniture rattle.
"Kairi, what in the seven hells do you think that you are doing? Did you even think to inform me? Or were you just going to bully me to the altar!"
Sora crept into the room as Kairi turned to face Riku, her eyes bright and sparkling, mouth open to speak.
"Now you just wait a moment, little miss!"
Kairi's mouth shut with a click as the Queen spoke before she could. She finished her turn towards Riku, her smile fading and face paling as he glared down at her.
"Riku, dear, do you mean to tell me that she hasn't spoken to you at all about this?"
"No, Majesty, she hasn't, but I would not agree even if she had. She knows my heart is already taken, but she continues to force this!"
A faint, tired smile ghosted over his face as he glanced at the queen.
"Majesty, there is no room for another in my heart, you know that as well as I."
Kairi was nearly vibrating with anger as he spoke, her fists clenched and nails digging into her palms. Her plan had been ruined in mere moments, all because of him!
"Why do you persist with this lunacy, Riku! Majesty, he is in love with a boy! He is not right in the head! You must put a stop to this!"
"Be quiet, Kairi! I am well aware of who Riku is in love with! That is why I told you a half a candle-mark ago to stop lieing to me about him agreeing to marry you! I know that he would never do such a thing, not as long as he drew breath! Because of this, you are assigned to night latrine duty with the soldiers. I will have your mother fetch you some trousers. You will be stationed there for as long as I deem necessary for you to learn your lesson!"
Kairi bristled with anger as she glared at the queen, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.
"You would stand for this? 'Tis not natural! A man should love a woman, not – "
"And you think that that woman should be you, Kairi?"
Sora shuddered at the frost in Riku's voice, and he swore he could feel the temperature in the room drop. He slid forward and wrapped his arms around Riku's waist, holding on tightly.
"Riku, stop, I think she gets the point…"
With one last fiery glare, Riku subsided, covering Sora's hands with his own against his stomach, giving them a soft, comforting squeeze.
"You disgust me, Kairi. Leave, I have business to discuss with her Majesty."
She sneered at him, and glared at Sora as she stomped past, making sure to step on the Captain's toes where she stood at Sora's back, leaning against the doorframe.
"You'll regret this, Riku, I'll make sure of it."
Her voice was deadly satin, and she slammed the door shut behind her, making the room's decorations rattle. Yuffie rubbed her hands together briskly, as if trying to scrub something foul off, as she shuddered.
"That girl scares me…"
"I know, Captain. Something will have to be done about her soon. Now, what can I do for my two favorite people…?"
-
Later that Night
-
"Daemon, Daemon, imprisoned in my glass,
Help me, help me, to make my magic last!"
A dry, blood-curdling scream echoed through the castle as a boy awoke, consumed in pain. He couldn't think as his body was forced to change, skin melting and bubbling as it flowed across his body. He could feel his bones and muscles changing quickly, harshly. Hands began to drag him down into darkness as he felt and heard Riku throw the door open, roaring in anger and fear.
"SORA!"
"Ri – ri – riku…."
His voice was the barest whisper as the blackness of oblivion welcomed him, and he knew no more.
-
Sometime Later
-
Sora moaned as he tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like they were sewn shut. He sighed in relief when they finally began to separate. His muscles screamed at him as he tried to move, and he bit his lip in an effort not to cry out.
"Pence, go fetch the Cheiftess, the mortal is alive! It's alive, and it's moving!"
He stilled, hearing voices that he did not recognize murmuring around him. There wasn't anybody that he remembered in the castle with that name, and they most certainly did not have a cheiftess! His thoughts were interrupted as a small, cool hand touched his face, stroking along his cheeks.
"Wake, mortal, up with you. I wish to ask a few questions of you."
His eyes fluttered open to see a small, pale face next to his. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a rusty croak issued forth. The same small hand raised a bowl of water to his mouth and he drank gratefully. He sat up carefully, and the being next to him helped him lean back against a pile of cushions, that many more hands supplied.
"Now, mortal, tell me why my hunters found a young girl on the edge of our territory two days ago. We do not often get visitors, much less any that are not poachers."
"I'm not a – "
He stopped short, his hand flying to his throat. The voice that had emerged was much higher then he remembered, and definitely did not sound like his own.
"What is going on…!"
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