A childish looking young man with brown hair and blue eyes sighed. "Hey! What are you doing? Get back to work!" yelled a guard as he took the end of his spear and hit the boy in the back with it. He pouted and quickened his pace across the courtyard. The boy placed a hand on his back and gently caressed his back where the spear end had hit him.

"Ah, Sora, there you are! I was getting worried about you! Do you have the scroll's I asked you to bring?" asked Merlin, the castle's advisor. Sora nodded and handed them over, quick to turn and start walking away. "Now, hold on a second!" Merlin said, his voice just touching below yelling.

Sora flinched and turned, not wanting to do anymore chores for the old man. "Yes?" he asked in a small voice.

"I need you to take this letter to the king and you'll be done for the day." Replied the man as he held out a neatly folded and sealed letter. Sora nodded and took the thing without so much as one word. Quickly, he made his way down the long set of stairs towards the king's room, grasping the letter firmly in his hand.As Sora reached the bottom, a group of people passed in front of him, not even giving him a glance. Once the path was cleared, Sora walked down the grey bricked halls, tapestries hanging on the wall. He finally arrived at the doors, knocking gently.

"Come in!" yelled a voice through the door. Sora entered, not speaking so much as one word. The man let a smirk climb onto his face as he watched Sora walk over to his side and hold out the letter, his face expressionless.

"Lord Ansem, Merlin sends this letter to you." Was all he said. Ansem took the letter and tossed it carelessly onto the closest table.

"Thank-you Sora." He answered, his hands behind his back. After a few minutes of silence, Sora finally spoke.

"If that is all you shall need, I shall take my leave." Sora said as he turned around. Just as he reached the door, hand hovering over the doorknob, Ansem spoke, his voice smooth.

"You know we are having very important guests come today?" he asked the boy. Sora turned around and nodded, wanting to leave a quickly as possible. "I want you to behave while we have our guests. I know of your reputation Sora Hikari. I know how you like to act. Don't you dare act that way while they are here. Got that?" the man asked.

Sora nodded and quickly turned back around, finally placing a hand on the doorknob, a hand falling on top of his. Ansem's mouth drew close to his ear, his breath heating it. "If you dare to defy my orders then I shall have to punish you. I won't go easy. I've been letting you get away with misdeeds but now I will not stand for it. Got it?" he asked the boy with a voice that took a commanding tone. Sora shivered before nodding and quickly opening the door and leaving.

Sora raced down the halls to his room, quickly closing his door and sliding down it. He hated this place. He hated being a slave because his parents had to sell him just to be able to get money to support themselves just for it to be taken away by taxes and being sold to another kingdom. Now he had no clue where they were. He felt betrayed by them and their actions but he still missed them. At least he still had Leon.

A knock came to his door, a voice calling through it. "Sora, open this damn door!" yelled a hysterical Roxas.

"Why?" he called back, not in the mood for Roxas's and Axel's games.

"Please! I have some important news!" his friend called back. Sora sighed before obliging to his friend's request. Roxas flew in and closed the door before turning and facing Sora, mixed emotions filling his eyes.

"What is it Roxas?" he asked, unable to hold his curiosity.

"The people who are coming to the castle, well, I've heard that they intend to take some of the servants here back with them! We can escape Ansem!" Roxas cried out, hand flailing everywhere. Sora stared at his friend. "Don't you see, if you do really well, then you might get picked to go with them! Anyone is better than Ansem!" Roxas spoke.

Sora nodded and a smile quickly spread onto his face. But then a frown soon replaced it. That would mean separation from Leon, his only other relative of which he knew his whereabouts. Roxas noticed this and gave a reassuring smile to his friend. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll pick Leon too. He would dream of leaving you behind. And if they choose you, you can always make them take Leon with you!" Sora smiled once again at this remark.

"I guess you're right." Roxas looked at him.

"You guess? You KNOW it Sora!" he replied. Sora smiled at him before yawning tiredly. Roxas took the hint and bid farewell before slipping out of the room and leaving Sora to sleep the night away.

Okay guys, I replaced this chapter with better format! Working on that for all the other chapters!