A/N: Merry Christmas Everyone! 8D –throws mistletoe like confetti and hands out spiked eggnog and Christmas cookies-
So it's 7:30am at my house XD time to go wake up the 'rents!
The Castle of Oblivion was full of life: servants running around frantically and the maids up to their sleeves in cleaning. It was the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, and also the busiest. A blizzard was rolling in like it did every year around this time; and the staff was hurrying to prepare the festival safely inside the castle walls. King Xemnas could care less about having such a frivolous event, but it made his people complacent and also provided them shelter from the harsh storm.
The townspeople were already arriving, flooding into the great dining hall where the largest feast of the year was spread out along many tables. The people took their places as the royal court and entourage settled themselves at a long table perpendicular to the rest of the room. King Xemnas sat dead center, his son to his left and his wife's seat to his right remaining respectfully empty, and the rest of their court and personal knights around them. Xemnas stood and cleared his throat in a mighty grumble, requiring all their attention.
"Once again, as the winter festival is upon us, I offer my castle as a place for you all to celebrate another successful year. Eat to your content and dance until the gods themselves can hear your merriment and know that the storm will not best us!" The people cheered and he sat back down, allowing everyone to eagerly dig into the mass amount of food.
Prince Roxas leaned over to one of the knights and also his best friend, "Axel, I notice that there is one empty seat at the staff's table; who is missing?" and he pointed to the table closest to theirs to punctuate his point. Such an absence could be punishable if the king was in a bad enough mood, and Prince Roxas was rather fond of their current staff.
His redheaded friend scanned the table, his mouth full of mincemeat pie, "I believe that would be Cloud the stable master, your highness."
"Hmm, send a page to retrieve him before my father notices."
Sir Axel chuckled and took a great swig of wine, "Oh leave the man be for one night, I doubt the king would truly deprive him of a little enjoyment during a festival of all times."
Roxas frowned at him in confusion, "I do not understand, explain yourself."
"Surely you must know, everyone does. Our Cloud is involved with the town blacksmith."
"Are you certain?"
"Of course, the barmaid down at the tavern told me herself. Apparently she's friends with both of them."
Roxas grew more perplexed, "You mean Tifa? The woman with…" he trailed off and motioned vaguely to his chest.
Axel grinned wolfishly and winked, "Most definitely."
"Right…" Roxas said blandly, "thank you for that lovely image Sir Whores-a-lot." Lady Larxene, seated on Axel's other side, cackled in glee at the name. Lady Larxene was the only female knight for miles, but the royal family be damned if she didn't deserve it. She was one of the most skilled knights and merciless; sometimes taking the prison guards' place when a particularly harsh torture was called for.
Soon the majority of the food was polished off and the servants pushed the tables to the sides of the hall, opening the room to dancing and socializing. Prince Roxas stood to one side to observe the festivities with his personal circle of Sir Axel, Lady Larxene, and the court minstrel Demyx. The bubbly boy had called for the court magician to join them, but Zexion had quite openly snubbed him and joined Lexaeus –another knight of the realm.
"Don't worry, he'll come around." Axel laughed, patting the boy on the shoulder roughly, and Roxas honestly didn't know why Demyx would want him to: Zexion was his tutor and he could find very few things about him that were agreeable.
"Oh, what ever happened to that delicious morsel of a boy? The one with silver hair and touchable skin." Larxene asked, licking her lips in something like hunger.
Axel laughed, "I do believe Sir Luxord sent him away. He was quite skilled we can't deny that, but his will was very weak I heard, so he was denied a spot amongst our ranks. Sir Marluxia argued passionately against that, I can assure you, but Sir Luxord stayed firm."
"What a waste," Lady Larxene pouted.
Roxas shrugged and made a vague noise, "I had Luxord send him to the neighboring kingdom though; Prince Sora of Castle Destiny has been looking for fresh faces in their knighthood."
"Isn't he the one who's engaged to Radiant Garden's princess?" Demyx asked, looking as if proud of himself for remembering such a detail. Roxas nodded and was about to elaborate when he was interrupted by the king's advisor.
Saix stood on the dais next to the throne, knocking his staff against the floor loudly in efforts to quiet the masses. "Your king would like all your attention, as it is time for him to bestow a gift upon his son, the prince." Xemnas sat a little straighter and beckoned Roxas forward, who obediently approached the throne and bowed.
"Roxas, my son, just as your mother used to enjoy presenting you with a gift every winter solstice, so will I continue her tradition like I have the past two years. The last year I gave you command over our knights, and the year before that a champion steed. And so this time, as you are now approaching your eighteenth birthday, you are in need of a manservant; someone whom you can trust and turn to for advice, and will also take care of anything you need. And since I know you are so fond of challenges, this one may be a bit of a project." The king's mouth twitched with something like a smirk as he turned to the double doors off to one side, "Xigbar, Xaldin, bring in the boy!"
King Xemnas' personal guards swept into the room, easily dragging a struggling body between them. The boy couldn't have been older than Roxas himself and had a mess of bronze hair. He gnashed his teeth and snarled at all the people, a wild and furious look in his eyes. Xigbar tightened his hold on the chain locking the boy's hands behind his back, and Xaldin gripped the back of his head and forced him to his knees, pushing his head down in a bow.
"You stand before your new master, the prince; show the proper respect." Xaldin growled, and Xigbar grinned in apparent amusement as the boy showed all the respect he thought was owed by spitting at the prince's feet. Roxas moved closer and gripped the boy's chin firmly so as to look him over; he wasn't exactly sure how to take being given another human as a gift.
"What is your name then?" he asked boredly, but the boy simply growled and took a vicious snap at the hand, forcing Roxas to quickly pull it away. Larxene and Axel hooted at the boy's gall, eyeing him in excitement and appreciation.
"He's got spunk, real feisty." Sir Marluxia smirked wickedly as he approached, caressing the boy's face with the bud of a rose and looking satisfied when he went to bite it as well. Marluxia lifted a foot and within a blink of an eye had slammed the boy's face into the ground, boot holding him down. He and the other knights chuckled as the squirming stopped, the boy dazed for a moment.
"Sir Marluxia, please refrain from abusing my manservant." Roxas commanded, and then turned to the two guards once the knight had mock bowed and removed his foot, allowing the boy to show his bloodied face, "What's his story?"
"He was hunting in our forest, caught him dressing a stag. He claims to be Hayner of the Twilight Kingdom." Xigbar explained.
"Of the thieves guild; yes, I am familiar."
"We were going to kill him," Xaldin continued, "but the king felt he might serve you well. He is strong and very quick on his feet, plus his intelligent is promising."
Roxas turned back to King Xemnas and bowed deep, "Thank you father, I appreciate your generosity in both sparing his life and presenting him to me, and I hope that one day Hayner will come to appreciate it as well." Xemnas tilted his head in response.
"Never!" Hayner spat, thrashing about again.
Axel stepped forward, "Xaldin take the boy up to the prince's rooms and send the physician up to treat his wound." The guard nodded and did as he was told, yanking the loudly protesting Hayner behind him. The townspeople clapped at their King's mercy, their own kingdom having no love for the realm Hayner hailed from and especially not its rebel factions.
"If you'll excuse me father," Roxas bowed again, "might I be excused now that I have a manservant to break in?" Their audience laughed at his choice of words.
"Yes of course." King Xemnas replied and waved casually to the doors leading to the rest of the castle. Prince Roxas exited the room, leaving the others to continue in their merrymaking.
Axel turned to Larxene, "I give the kid a month at most."
Larxene's eyes flashed impishly, "If I was given the boy I'd make sure he never broke. I do love it so when they struggle and scream." She sighed dreamily, but then the wicked light left her eyes, "But alas, he wasn't; he was given to our dear prince. With his charm I doubt the boy will last more than twelve days."
Sir Luxord sidled up to them, "Are we making bets over here? What are the stakes; I do love a good gamble against Lady Luck."
Demyx frowned, "Luxord do you ever stop making wages?"
"Never my boy, it's what keeps me going." He then turned to the rest of the great hall and called out to the other knights, "Come noble ones, we bet on Hayner of Twilight's resilience against our beloved prince!"
Prince Roxas quickly climbed the two flights of stairs and traversed to his room in the dim light cast by the torches along the wall. As he entered Vexen -the court physician- was just finishing up bandaging Hayner's nose and bowed before skulking out. The room adjacent to his had been prepared for the boy, but Roxas felt it safest to keep him where he could see him until his loyalty was proved –which he had a feeling might be a very long time.
Hayner's hands were still bound and the chain was fastened to one of the torch rings in the wall. Hayner merely watched him with contempt as Roxas went about his own business, redressing in more comfortable clothes and lighting a few extra candles from the already lit fireplace to read by.
"I will not stand to be treated like a plaything for some stuck up moneybag!" Hayner hissed, trying to lunge at him, but being pulled back by the chain.
Roxas glanced at him blandly before settling into his favorite chair, "No, I suppose you're right. I have no intention of using you like a hound to do my bidding." Hayner looked a bit taken aback at such quick agreement and quieted for a moment. Roxas did not look up from his book as he continued, "You know, I can tell your face is not suited to so much scowling and hatred. I can only assume a smile would look very agreeable with your features." Hayner glowered and looked away sharply, and Roxas would eat his own boot if the boy wasn't trying to hide a blush.
"Come now, if this is to work at all you must stop such hostilities and accept your fate as it has been dealt. You've been bestowed a great pardon; the least you could do is make this easier on both of us."
"Well maybe if you released me from these bounds…" Hayner started angrily.
"And allow you to attack me? I am wounded you think me so foolish." He feigned offense, but the façade was ruined by his quirked grin. Hayner merely roared with frustration and struggled more fervently against the chain. He would not be owned by some brat prince who had been pampered his whole life!
Roxas ignored him for the time being, deciding to let the boy wear himself out before he unchained him to clean and bandage Hayner's bloodied wrists, as he was rubbing them raw with his unsightly and very ineffective flailing. He'd wait until tomorrow to let Hayner try to fight him outright.
Maybe having a manservant would be more fun than he previously anticipated. And the boy wasn't bad to look at either, but he'd deal with that tomorrow as well.