"Marry me," he said, through his rotten teeth, bad breath, and then-
She thrived on compliments. Oh, how lovely you look today, darling. You must be the prettiest girl in the world! Every time she went on a walk, this was always the case. While she wasn't too high of a noble, her dresses weren't the fanciest, and her estate wasn't the largest. But, once she was married, that all would change. She would either live in riches, or in rags. But that was all up to her father and her future husband.The girl only sighed, and lightly twirled her parasol, and continued on her way, her shoes clicking against the cobblestone road. She wasn't noble enough for her own carriage.
"Good morning, m'lady!" a man nodded to her as she passed, "You look beautiful!" She nodded graciously, and moved on. 'Common folk' weren't worth stopping and receiving more than one compliment. Besides, today a suitor was coming. She didn't have time to dawdle.
"Are you in such a hurry, Lady Bastion?" a familiar voice asked, and she turned, a warm smile on her face now. In front of her stood her secret sweetheart, Lord Gainsborough. They just stood silent for a moment, both with a secretive smile on their faces, until Lord Gainsborough tilted into a bow.
"Please, you need not use such formality," she said softly, "After all, we are-"
"Lady Kairi, are you willing to spill the secret out here on the streets?" he said softly, his smile knowing and teasing. She simply nodded, before turning and starting to walk again, knowing the young man would follow.
"So, Lord Sora, what brings you here today?" the redhead asked in a conversational manner, her parasol twirling more than ever. As expected, he followed, and was silent for awhile.
"My dear sister Aerith has found it more difficult to go outside because of her condition," the brunette smiled, "So she has asked a maid to go shopping for her. But, I felt compelled to go in the maid's stead. So I did. What about yourself?"
"I enjoy walks from time to time," Lady Kairi replied quietly, before sighing, "I have business today at home, so I came out to clear my head."
"And what sort of business would this be?" Lord Gainsborough inquired, now looking directly at her. She blinked, glancing in his direction, giving him a rueful smile.
"A suitor," she mumbled, before her gaze fell to the road in front of her. Another silence fell, but this one much more awkward.
"Oh…" he said after what seemed an eternity, "Well, may he be cursed! This is the first one to come, yes? Do not fear, few girls get wed to the first man to come knocking on their door."
"Truly?" the girl gasped, looking at him with hope anew.
"Yes. Lady Aerith wasn't married until at least her fifth suitor. But I would hurry home now, nonetheless," he said, his voice reassuring her and he stopped. She continued on, smiling and nodding before hurrying on. Her sweetheart always knew exactly what to say to her.
---
"Dearest father! I have returned!" she declared as she walked through the door. One of the maids curtsied as she entered, and she stopped, seeing two men in the room. One was her father, Lord Ansem, and the other a stranger.
"Welcome home, daughter," he said in his official tone, coughing slightly before indicating the man beside him, "This is Lord Vexen LeRene, your current suitor. And I must say, he is quite a gentleman."
"Good afternoon, my lord," Kairi said, nodding and curtsying, smiling softly. Lord Gainsborough's words echoed through her head, so her confidence was undefeatable.
"Good afternoon, little flower," the man said softly, and Lady Kairi almost winced. He was awful. His voice cracked as if it had never been used, and it normally sounded like nails scratching on a chalkboard. His hair was ratty, greasy, and an ugly blonde. One eye was beady, while the other huge.
"Lord LeRene, you see," her father went on to explain, oblivious to his daughter's obvious distaste, "is quite the wealthy man, and enjoys all of the elegance of the court. He has a manor here in the city, as well as two more in the countryside. And he's an excellent fencer."
Lady Kairi could only stare at the horrid man in front of her, her father's words droning through her ears. Whatever fancy language he was using, she didn't comprehend it. She only heard the inside message. I'll sell you away to this fool, and I'll live contently for the rest of my life. "Right..." she whispered.
Lord Vexen only grinned, nodding his head, before opening his mouth and speaking for the second time that day.
"Marry me instead of that strapping young goatherd," but when-
"Wretched daughter of mine!" Lord Bastion hissed, striking the girl across the face, "Do you have any idea what you've done? You've jeopardized your future…and mine!" She whimpered, not bothering to get up off the ground. It didn't matter now.
"And what have you decided?" she whispered, her eyes downcast. Her hands were soon clenched into fists, clinging to her dress for dear life.
"What else can I do?" he said, rubbing his temples and pacing the room, "Lord Vexen has graciously accepted you, despite your sins. So he shall be your husband."
The ceremony was short, and came all too quickly for the young bride. Only one month after Lord LeRene had come to visit for the first time, she was his. Lady Bastion was gone, and Lady LeRene was now born. Lady Kairi was now chained to that awful man until her death. And, to make her situation worse, Lord Gainsborough came to watch. Alas, they did not have a chance to speak, but his eyes filled with mourning. So, it was like Lady Kairi had died. Now, something else was born. Someone else.
I was in his bed, and my father had sold me
I knew I hadn't any choice, hushed my voice, did what any girl would do and
When I'm beheaded at least I was wedded
And when I am buried at least I was married
I'll hide my behavior with wine as my savior
A/N: See? I was nice and waited to put my little rant until the end of the story. Well, this isn't my first wack at an AU story, but probably my first serious. Well, that not completely true, but whatever. Well, no one may read this, but that's okay, because I wrote this for myself, not any of you. Although I would love it if anyone enjoyed it! Well, I found this song, and fell in love with it. And so, because I had nothing better to do, I started brainstorming. Originally it was going to be Marluxia and Namine, buuut...Ah, well, I like this way better. And yes, I just made up Vexen's last name. Poo poo. Oh, and the song is called Marry Me by Emilie Autumn. (To kind of get a feel I would suggest listening to it, but it doesn't matter.)
Oh, I forgot the disclaimer. Well, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. We good? Good.