Disclaimer: All characters, references, locations and objects are property of their respective owners.
Chapter 1
The sun above neared its peak in the sky. It's rays reached anywhere it could touch from as far as the guardsmen could see and beyond. The two guards at the main gates rotated on their heels, facing each other as they walked toward each other, marching at the speed of a stroll as they began to march the width of the gates, the sound of their feet tapping against the ground below them.
Taking a subtle glance beyond the iron bars to his side, the guard studied the land around them for any abnormalities. By the time he glanced back ahead, however, he had brought himself at a standstill to completely rotate his head in the direction of the far horizon. From its edge, a flag flew above the heads of the men as they began to come into view. They raced toward the palace, determination engraved into their faces.
The guard's eyes widened, his face paling a ghostly white, leaning over to tap the guard beside him. The other guard leaned forward for a better look, turning a sickly pale himself. The two turned to the rest of the guards around the perimeter of the palace, looking pointedly at the two standing at the front doors.
"Make way! Luxord returns!" They called, knowing the others would know what to do. Two men raced off in different directions. One rushing inside while the other went around back to the stables.
As Luxord approached the front gates, the two guards brought themselves to attention and pulled the iron gates as far as they could go. Three horses galloped through, stopping in the front lawn as the guards shut the gates. A farmhand and the guard who notified him raced back around the palace, the guard assisting Luxord off his horse and the farmhand escorting the horses back to the stables.
Luxord and his companions turned to the palace that loomed over them. It became clear that the determination the guards believed to be on his face actually a grim and uncomfortable frown. With his companions closely behind him, Luxord slicked back his blonde hair as he marched up to the front doors. The guards waiting at the entrance opened the doors for him in time for him to storm through.
"Welcome back, Mr. Luxord." Said the butler, waiting just inside.
"Thank you." The blonde replied. He removed his hat and gloves, handing them to the butler before slipping off his suit jacket from his shoulders and tossing it over. He adjusted his tie anxiously. "Where might I find the Duke?"
"In the drawing room with Lord Saix." The butler replied.
"Perfect." Luxord said. Without another word he rushed off in the direction of the drawing room.
Waiting in the drawing room was the owner of the marble palace, a Duke known as Lord Axel. He was a fine noble if anyone ever saw one with his crimson hair slicked back, his suits always fine pressed and trim fitted. The powerful man's only downfall was his fluttering heart taking off in the direction of any lovely maiden or lad he saw. He wasn't very old himself, being one of the youngest within the kingdom with such a high title.
Lord Axel had been waiting Luxord's arrival in his drawing room since he awoke at dawn, inviting his lords, among them Lord Saix, a close friend. To entertain his waiting, Axel's chamber orchestra played the sweetest of songs while he lounged on the sofa, sighing dreamily and grinning. One of his hands fed himself small chunks of fruit while the other soared the air above him, twirling about in accordance to the music.
"Isn't there something you should be doing, my lord?" Saix asked uncomfortably from his place behind the sofa, looking down shamefully at the love struck duke.
"And then we can share our meals, and—oh, did you say something, Saix?" Axel asked.
"The heart. Weren't you meant to go and retrieve it? King Xemnas wished for it." Saix prodded.
"Oh, yes. I can get it at my own leisure, don't worry. For now I'm awaiting Luxord's return with his word from Sora." Axel said.
At that moment, a soft knock came to the door. Saix took it upon himself to open it for the guard outside the door who stepped in, clearing his throat.
"Lord Axel, I would like to announce that Mr. Luxord has arrived." The guard said, standing stiffly as he looked at the back of the couch Axel lounged upon. Axel popped up from his spot on the sofa with a gleam in his eye, his grin broadening across his face.
"Good! Send him in as soon as he reaches us." Axel said, waving the guard away. The guard gave him a quick bow before rushing out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Saix approached the excited duke, watching his leg bounce up and down and his back straighten with alert. Saix casually put his arms behind him, clasping behind his back as he turned and rolled his eyes.
"You're getting your hopes up, my lord." Saix warned.
"You don't know what you're talking about. Sora is a remarkable being, and I'd be a fool not to try and pursue him. Courting him would be the most amazing thing I could ever ask for. Saix, I'm in love!" Axel said, beaming.
"That's also what you said about Lord Lexaeus, and you know how that ended up." Saix said cautiously.
"Yes, well, I also realized that muscles don't make the most of a man. That's why I decided I needed someone a little more feminine." Axel said, his face taking a moment to pout in frustration at the memory.
"Why won't you just fall for a woman?" Saix wondered.
"Why would I want to do that? Granted women are quite beautiful, but they're just so… squishy. There's something about the skin of a man that makes my toes curl." Axel grinned.
"That's more than I wanted to know." Saix muttered before properly adding, "I still say you should try for a woman. She could provide you with children and a female's dowry brings you more riches."
"I'm not interested in anything like that." Axel said.
"Mr. Luxord, entering, my lord." The guard outside called in suddenly, opening the door to allow the fierce gentleman through.
Axel rose from his seat at once, rushing to the gentleman as he bowed in respect to his duke. Despite Luxord's grim look, however, Axel seemed completely oblivious as to what form of news he would be receiving. He continued to look at his noble servant with large, eager eyes and an earnest bite to his lower lip.
"What did Sora say?" Axel asked.
"I wasn't allowed to see him personally, my lord, but his handmaid relayed his message to you." Luxord said, pausing to clear his throat uncomfortably. "Lord Sora says that he is mourning the loss of his relative and refuses to see the public or be courted by anyone, including you, Sir, until he has finished his mourning."
"Oh, I see." Axel said with surprise on his face. "I suppose that this relative is quite important to him. I shall wait a couple of weeks before sending you off again. I must marry Sora and make him mine."
Axel turned away from Luxord, walking to the nearby window and gazing out at the garden. He held his bare chin in thought, narrowing his eyes as the carefully contemplated all of his options. The others watched his uncanny determination to reach out to someone completely uninterested in his plight.
"Yes, let us do that." Axel said. "Luxord, Saix, you are excused. I'll be in my garden if anyone needs me."
Without another word, Saix and Luxord bowed while Axel passed them. He left them, all but skipping down the hall until he made his way out to his garden. Once he arrived, he gave a blissful sigh, collapsing among his rosebushes, plucking one carefully to avoid the thorns, sniffing it and gazing up at his clouds, allowing his eyes to drift shut with thoughts of Sora.
Meanwhile along the coastal shore, the sailors swam up to the beach where they collapsed breathlessly, choking on the salt water. The waves crashed against them relentlessly, carrying whatever the sailors had floated along back into the ocean to drift away. The passing storm that struck them boomed in the distance, its dark, ferocious clouds taunting them.
Among the group of sailors was their captain, a tall, muscular man with hair made of several braids and his face stamped with remarkable sideburns. His clothes were torn and tattered, a gashed wound in his bicep through the cloth he wore. His eyes shut a moment as he sighed, praying for the fallen silently.
Beside the captain was a small blonde with blue eyes as brilliant as the shallow ocean on a summer's day. His hair, usually spiked in every direction, was matted down from the amount of water it held. He watched his captain patiently as he rung the water out of his clothes, waiting for his chance to speak.
"When we are settled, I shall send a candle for the fallen." The captain said, staring out at the dark clouds. "Until then, you must all find your own way while we're stuck here."
"If I may ask, Captain, what country is this?" The small blonde asked innocently.
"This is the Kingdom of Herzen, young lad." Replied the captain.
The blonde nodded in understanding, looking back out at the trail of debris from their shipwreck as it stretched back out to the storm from whence they came. There were no bodies to be seen.
"Do you think Namine made it?" He asked hopefully. "That she washed up along a nearby shore?"
The captain sighed, "You're lucky you lived yourself, Roxas. Your sister is most likely with the sea now, but hope tells me that she may just be alive."
"Are you sure, Captain Xaldin?" Roxas asked, the faith in his captain's words filling his eyes.
"Time will tell. The last time I saw the girl, She was with your other friend, floating along on pieces left from the ship." Xaldin replied.
Roxas nodded in understanding. Though his twin sister was one to have been seen alive, it only took mere seconds for a person to die. He wouldn't be able to keep his hopes up in waiting for her, he had to move on. It broke his heart to need to lose hope in seeing his sister again, but he would wait for her there, in this kingdom, but first he would need to settle in himself and that meant getting a job.
"How much do you know about this land, Captain?" Roxas asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Until we find you a new ship, we're stranded here. Would you happen to know how well work fairs here?" the blonde explained.
"Well, there are several places you can work. There are the local bakeries and butchers and blacksmiths, but a guaranteed job would be with a Lord of the land. I would strongly suggest Lord Sora, who gives fair pay to his workers. On the other hand, you can always turn and work for the duke, Lord Axel. He gives low pay—last I've heard—but he and Sora are rumored to be courting. If that's the case then their marriage would be of no surprise." Xaldin said.
"Lord Axel, the undisputed bachelor?" Roxas questioned. "I've heard of him, but I've also heard he never courts anyone for too long. The dating life is unfortunate towards him."
"Perhaps now it's in his favor." Xaldin commented.
"Maybe, but what else do you know of Lord Sora?" Roxas asked.
"There was a funeral held recently for Lord Sora's relative, I believe his brother. He's left in his home where he broods most of the day, left to mourn, locked away from the public eye. Another fine reason to go and work for the duke." Xaldin said.
"I agree. Even though Lord Sora offers a better pay, the duke—Lord Axel—seems to hold better long term advantages around here." Roxas said, thinking his options through.
"But there's a problem with the ol' duke." A nearby sailor interjected.
"What do you mean?" Roxas asked, turning to the man.
"I knew a lass who used to work for the duke." The sailor said. "He only hires women."
"That's absurd. What about a chef, or farmhand? His butler? Guardsmen?" Xaldin asked.
"You should know as well as I that those old coots were left from his old coot of a father." The sailor replied. "Guardsmen are sent in from the king, fresh out of the academy. He has no choice but to hire them male."
"So any chances of me being hired are slim in my current state." Roxas said.
"What if you disguise yourself as a woman?" The sailor suggested.
"Excuse me?"
"He has a point, Roxas. Your features are quite feminine. You would be able to pass it off easily. We could call you… Roxanne or something cute like Britney." Xaldin said, smirking.
"Britney?" Roxas asked, clearly wondering what was wrong with his captain's head. He assumed it was the sea water.
"Fine maybe a Rosanne." Xaldin commented.
"No, I think he looks like a Britney." The sailor commented.
"Stop! Both of you! I'll call myself Roxanne. It's the closest thing to my name, anyway." Roxas said, rolling his eyes at the two giggling.
"Very well."
Roxas turned to his captain. "Will you help me?" He asked pleadingly.
"I'm not sure, Roxas. Do you even know what you're getting into?" Xaldin said, averting his eyes as he suddenly changed his tune.
"I'll make it worth your while, please! I'll pay you part of my share." Roxas begged.
Xaldin looked off toward the pieces of what was left of his ship floating along the surface of the ocean. With a sigh of defeat, he looked at a triumphantly grinning Roxas.
"Fine. I'll help you." He replied. "I have some money left on me. We'll use it to find you some sort of disguise."
Without another word, the two walked off, headed off toward the nearby town in hopes of finding the disguise for Roxas they had been hoping for, the small coins jingling slightly in Xaldin's pouch.