Author's Notes: Whoo. Okay. So that took me forever. I am really sorry! It was mostly because I was working on the fics in my other FF account, plus I kinda lost inspiration for a bit. But now it is BACK and I am EXCITE to keep going with this story! Anyway, without further adieu!

Shout-out to KittyKat1217, because she messaged me and reminded me that this story wasn't total crap. Thanks, girly!

Song of the Chapter: "Winter Dance" by Uttara-Kuru

. . . FOUR . . .

As Kairi followed her new handmaiden Cheria through the castle to her new bedroom, the redhead couldn't help but feel a sad sense of desired nostalgia. She had expected—no, hoped—to remember something of its appearance when she got there. She had hoped to have more memories of her childhood than the ones she had of her grandmother in the Library. Dare she say she had hoped to have a memory of her mother and father? She wanted to know what had happened to them, and she wanted to feel something for them other than the knowledge that they were strangers to her forevermore.

The castle looked much the same as when it had been taken over by Heartless and named Hollow Bastion, though a bit brighter and more lively. The halls weren't empty by any means, bustling with servants and members of the court who didn't recognize her as they went about their business. Kairi didn't say anything about it, though. She still didn't know how she was going to feel when everybody started calling her "Your Majesty" every five seconds. It was nerve-wracking. She knew that there was going to be a lot of people helping her, and she knew that she was going to feel safer with Sora around, but the problem was that she didn't know if she really wanted this. She didn't know if she wanted to be Queen.

Unfortunately, however, she didn't have a choice.

Noticing her sour countenance, Cheria addressed her, "Your Majesty, what's the matter?"

Kairi sighed. She wasn't one to readily spill the beans about her emotions (Sora was the one who was an open book), so she thought of something else to change the subject to.

"Cheria. Who are the council members?" she asked, for it was a good question to ask, especially since she was probably going to be dealing with them on the regular.

Cheria's face darkened a little and she looked away from Kairi. "There's six of them. All men. They sometimes spend hours in deliberation with Merlin before they make decisions. Usually, those decisions have to do with making Radiant Gardens bigger—with expanding. Ever since they shut down Leon's Restoration Committee and started using the townspeople and the soldiers to build, their main focus has been to make Radiant Gardens larger. That's all I really can say, Your Majesty . . ."

Kairi frowned. The council members sounded vain. There was a horrible disease plaguing the entire world, including Radiant Gardens, and the council was worried about how big the town was? Kairi was more worried about the people of the town. From what she had learned in school back at Destiny Islands, when towns got bigger, they became cities. Cities attracted more people and more jobs, but also inflated the prices. Could the townpeople afford the price increases? Were there more jobs being created, or just more houses? And what kind of expansions were they building? Cottages and huts? Or extravagant homes? Kairi sure had a lot of questions, but most of all she had a bit of a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Just how well were these council members going to get along with her?

And how well were they going to get along with the fact that they were now going to have to answer to an eighteen-year-old girl?

"Who's been focusing on the research for the sickness?" Kairi asked Cheria as they padded softly down the velvet carpet.

"Nobody," Cheria said sadly.

"Why do you sound so sad about it?" Kairi asked worriedly. "Does someone you know have it?"

Cheria lowered her gaze. "Someone I know caught it and had to be moved away to the quarantined area."

Kairi's frown deepened. She remembered what Yen Sid had told her about the sickness—that it was a darkness that settled into your very bones and burned away your blood, zombifying you and turning you into a monster. It sounded horrifying. She was more appalled that nobody was working on a cure for it yet, and she was determined to do something about that. As a Princess of Heart, she had to have some sort of ability to bend the Light to her will. Maybe she could use it to help?

"I want to take a trip to the quarantined area," Kairi said decidedly, slowing to a stop in the middle of the hall. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe if I see the disease up close, I can figure out how to cure it."

Cheria looked horrified. "Your Majesty, no! You could catch your death! The council would never allow it!"

Kairi smiled brightly. "Good thing I'm the Princess, and they have to do whatever I say."

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but I don't think that's the way it works. Merlin wasn't allowed to do anything without majority votes within the council."

"Merlin was just a regent, though," Kairi sniffed. "I'm about to be Queen. They'll listen to me, you'll see. Now, let's keep going."

They walked in silence, Cheria looking worried and Kairi lost in thought. She knew one of the most important jobs she was going to have was getting to know her people and discovering ways of taking care of them with a peaceful, loving hand. Kairi was not a cruel person—she didn't have it in her to be so. However, if she needed to put her foot down with these council members, then so be it. They couldn't be that intimidating, could they?

"We're here, Your Majesty." Cheria stopped in front of the largest set of decorative, elaborately-carved double doors Kairi had ever seen. They were insanely tall and she had to look up just to see the top.

Two soldiers in full armor stood in front of the doors, spears in hand and saluted.

"Your chambers have been made ready for your arrival, Your Highness," one spoke gruffly. "Inside, you'll find all of your original decorations from your childhood. They have been impeccably taken care of."

The other soldier added, "The only change that has been made is your bed. It had been replaced for a much larger bed, Your Majesty."

"Uh . . . Okay," was all Kairi could think to say, albeit a bit awkwardly. "Thanks?"

"Shall we enter?" Cheria asked, a smile erasing her previously troubled look.

The two soldiers each turned and placed their left and rights hands respectively on the door. There were two small recesses that lit up bright white when they did so, and Kairi couldn't help but to gasp. Cheria explained that the soldiers were also sorcerers, and that her doors and windows were sealed with magic for Kairi's protection. They entered the door, the soldiers shutting the doors behind them, and Kairi's jaw dropped.

The two women were standing in the largest room Kairi had ever seen. The walls were a pearly pink with pillars of white marble. The floor was covered in a lush, velvety carpet colored a dark magenta, with a large, round fluffy white rug placed at the foot of her bed. The bed was indeed large, with four tall gold posts and a shimmering gauze of white canopy hanging over the top and shielding the mattress from view. To the left were random bits of gorgeous furniture: a large dresser, doors to a closet which Kairi was sure contained a ridiculous amount of clothes, mirrors surrounded in gold, a fluffy couch with what looked like golden bear claws for the base, and a quaint little rocking horse painted gold, white, and pink. To Kairi's right, open doors led to (from what she could tell) a beautiful marble-floored, white-and-gold bathroom with a large bath and shower, and outside of it, a vanity where Kairi could sit and brush her hair or touch up her make-up.

Much to Kairi's embarrassment, when she looked at the couch, the first words out of her mouth were, "Can I have Sora sleep there tonight?"

Cheria's eyes nearly rolled right out of her head. "The Keybearer?! In your bedroom?! Heavens, no! Your Majesty, the council members would never have it."

"Why not?" Kairi pouted. "He's my personal guardian, isn't he?"

"Not until he goes through the proper ceremonies here at the castle." Cheria put her hands on her hips.

Kairi mimicked her movements. "Why does the council have so much power? What is the point of being Princess of Queen by blood if I have no real say over what goes on?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty," Cheria said. "All I know is that the council has been talking about your coronation through the halls for weeks. Their main focus is to find you a Prince to marry from one of the neighboring kingdoms."

Kairi's heart skipped a beat. A Prince to marry? Kairi didn't want to get married! What the Hell?! Alarmed, she walked over to the couch and plopped down on it, placing a hand to her forehead. Now she was starting to feel overwhelmed.

"I don't want to get married, Cheria," she gulped. "I . . . I can't."

"Why not?" Cheria came and sat down beside her. "Forgive my rudeness, but . . . Is it because of the Keybearer?"

Absentmindedly, Kairi nodded. Then, realizing what she had just insinuated, she flushed bright red and shook her head wildly. "I mean, no . . . No, that isn't what I meant . . . I mean . . . Sora and I have been friends for a long time. He's the one who found me when this world was consumed. He . . . He would want to have a say in whether or not I marry."

Cheria looked away. "Why would you want to have another's say in your marriage, Your Majesty?"

"Well, because . . ." Kairi bit her bottom lip worriedly. Why would she want Sora's say? Could it be because she . . . Liked him? No . . . No, that couldn't be possible. It had to be because of . . . Well . . . Damn, what else could it be?

She shook her head. "Nevermind that. Just . . . I want Sora in here tonight. Is there any way I could sneak him in?"

Cheria looked uncomfortable, but she sighed. "I can ask some of the other servants who have been in the castle since you were a child. Maybe they know of some secret passages. But, Your Majesty, please . . . I beg you to reconsider. If it was discovered, the maids who were involved could all lose their jobs."

Kairi placed a hand on Cheria's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said with conviction. "I won't let that happen."

Cheria studied her eyes for a long moment, as if searching her to see if she could trust her. Apparently deciding she could, Cheria rose to her feet and announced that it was time to get Kairi dressed to meet the council and her other family members in the Great Hall.

As Cheria searched the closet for something appropriate, Kairi's mind wandered again. She hadn't thought bout how scary it might be to meet her family members. These were people who she hadn't seen in years—people who she couldn't even remember their faces. Who were they? Aunts? Uncles? Brothers and sisters? Her parents, even? She couldn't remember anything of her childhood and therefore, she couldn't remember who had survived the darkness and who hadn't.

Well, it couldn't be her parents or any immediate family, Kairi decided. Because then they wouldn't need Kairi to ascend the throne. They'd already have their King, Queen, or heir. She supposed it made her a bit sad. She hadn't exactly hoped to see her parents, but it would have been nice.

"If there's one thing I can teach you, Your Majesty," Cheria was saying as she pulled a dress down from the closet. "It's that at court, you dress to impress. At supper, you dress to impress. Even if you are just walking down the hall, you must dress to impress everyone in the castle. You want everyone in the town to hear gossip from the servants who go to fetch supplies and food for the castle—you want them to hear that you are beautiful and fashionable. If you are fashionable, it will make the other women want to be fashionable. If they are spending money at the dress shops, it helps the economy of our town."

Kairi listened carefully, knowing that she had a lot to learn. She was going to be in a very important place, and everything she did was going to be watched, scrutinized, assessed . . . Even if Kairi normally wasn't a very "fashionable" girl, she knew she was just going to have to change that.

Cheria had picked out a simple yet stunning gown of emerald cotton. The bodice was straight and horizontal with short puff sleeves made of gauze. The skirts were layered and floor length, with the same gauzy material overlaying the topmost skirt. It laced up the back with flat gold thread about an inch thick. Cheria had also pulled out a long, fluffy petticoat and something Kairi had never though she'd have to wear: A corset.

"Don't worry," Cheria said when she saw the terrified look Kairi was giving the corset. "It's a different type of corset than the kind you'd wear for a ball or for your coronation. It's not laid with animal bones, so it's easier to bear."

Kairi stood up and unzipped her pink dress. It didn't bother her to be undressing in front of Cheria, especially since she was a woman as well. Not to mention, Kairi was just completely lost in a world of her own thought.

So far, Kairi had learned that the council apparently had just as much power as her, if not more, she was going to be forced (practically) into marriage, nobody was doing anything about the disease that was infecting and killing people at a rate of which nobody seemed to care enough to find out, she was going to have to wear multiple outfits in one day just for different events, and she was going to have to sneak her own best friend into her room. Things were turning out to be complicated already, and it was only the first hour!

The corset was tight, but not uncomfortably so, and the dress was soft against her skin. Kairi went to the bathroom to wonder at the architecture and beauty of it while Cheria put away her pink dress, belt, and white boots. The seventeen-year-old girl looked at herself in the mirror and put her hands on her hips. She had certainly filled out a bit since she was fourteen, but not so much so as to appear curvy. The corset definitely gave her a tiny waist and a fair amount of unnecessary cleavage, that was for sure. She tilted her head to the side, scraping her crimson hair away from her face and holding it back. Her face was all angles and lines, baby fat a thing of the past, and her eyes were large and bright.

Marriage. Psh. There's no way she could marry at eighteen. There wasn't a man in this world who could handle her.

Except maybe Sora . . .

Kairi blushed, even though nobody had heard her inner thoughts, but she didn't even bother to deny it from herself. Because it was true. If she were ever to pick someone to marry that could actually deal with her feistiness and penchant for breaking the rules, it was Sora. Even Riku would but heads with her from time to time. But Sora? Sora had laid his life down for her time and time again. Kairi had a feeling that he'd throw himself into a boiling pit of lava before he didn't give her what she wanted.

But Kairi couldn't marry Sora. That was ridiculous. They were just friends.

Right?

"Are you ready, Your Majesty?" Cheria appeared behind her in the bathroom doorway. "Oh, did you want me to put your hair up?"

Kairi looked at herself for a moment more. Her face was bare of make-up, and she fear that having her bangs away from her face would only draw attention to that. She decided to leave her hair down.

"No, it's okay. Let's get down to the Great Hall."

As they walked, Kairi found that her heart was beating and her palms were sweating. She kept her gaze lowered. She was beyond nervous and she wished that Sora wasn't off doing God-knows-what with Leon. It would help to have a familiar face right now. She supposed she could confide in Cheria, but Kairi was afraid it would annoy the girl. So instead, Kairi decided to ask Cheria about herself to keep her mind off the fact that they were heading to the chopping block.

"So what is Ephinea like?" Kairi asked.

"Hm?" Cheria's gaze sparkled for a moment and her smile was forlorn. "Ephinea . . . Why, it's beautiful. Rich lands, lush greenery . . . Some places are covered in snow and ice, but they're still beautiful to look at. My friends and I went through a lot to protect it . . . Friends that I wish were here . . ."

"You said that two of them came with you . . . ?"

"Yes," she said. "Hubert and Asbel. They're brothers."

She didn't seem very forthcoming on the matter, so Kairi changed the subject.

"So any warnings for me?" Kairi asked. They were coming to another elevator which Kairi was sure would take them to her certain doom. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but seriously . . . Kairi was petrified.

"Well . . . Watch out for your cousin," Cheria whispered as they entered the elevator. "She's older and very traditional. She's the one who will have issues with you spending too much time with Sora, or any other male for that matter. Hm . . . And a few of the council members are a bit scary, I guess."

"You haven't met them?"

Cheria shook her head. "No, as a servant, before I was to become your handmaiden, I worked in the gardens with Hubert and Asbel and some others. But I knew Merlin well, and that is why he picked me."

"Okay," Kairi said, nodding. The elevator came to a stop and much to Kairi's surprise, there was a man standing there flanked by three of the fully-armored soldiers.

"Your Highness, welcome." He was tall and thin with a serious appearance. Frankly, he looked like he never smiled. The most notable thing about him was his ridiculously long cape. "I trust your flight to this world went well?"

"Uh . . . Yeah, I guess," Kairi answered, unconsciously moving a little bit closer to Cheria.

The man frowned. "You 'guess'?"

". . . Yeah?"

He tsked and shook his head, placing his hands behind his back. "You'll be needing an etiquette class along with your history and combat training. If you'll follow me, the other are waiting. Cheria, your service will no longer be needed. You may go to your other duties."

"Yes, Your Grace." Cheria bowed low and remained that way even as Kairi stepped out of the elevator. The doors closed, and then Kairi was alone in the small hallway with the weird-looking skinny man and two soldiers whose faces were covered in silver. Great.

"Well, I'm Kairi." Kairi held out her hand so he could shake it.

He merely looked down his nose. "Your speech is improper, as is your formality. You are Princess, therefore you wait to introduce yourself until someone has introduced themselves to you, Your Highness." His eyes roved up and down her dress. "Your attire is appropriate, but your posture is abhorrent. Hold your head high, straight your back . . ."

Kairi stared at him, bewildered. He was rude, beyond rude, and was already making her wish she had been born without royal blood. Nevertheless, she did as she was told because she already felt embarrassed enough and didn't want to make more of a fool out of herself.

God, she wished Sora were here. He'd give this jerk a piece of his mind.

"Very good," the man said. "Now, my name is Crass. Sir Arthur Crass. You may call me Sir Crass. I am a member of the council, and I will also be the one who oversees your studies before your coronation, and afterward."

He swept his cloak outward and gave Kairi a deep bow. Kairi stared at him and, doing what she had seen in movies, performed and awkward curtsy.

"Um . . . I am Kairi. Princess Kairi?" Sheesh, this was so weird.

"Better," he huffed. "Nevertheless, we haven't the time as of this moment. Come."

They entered the Great Hall. It was a large room with high, arching ceiling and marble floors: glittering crystal chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows that showed a gorgeous view of the forest behind the castle. Kairi wanted to stop and admire it, but she didn't think Crass would appreciate that. Not that Kairi appreciated Crass, anyway. She wasn't looking forward to having to deal with him telling her to shape up every five minutes for the rest of her life. Maybe when she was Queen, she could fire him . . .

"The Great Hall is not normally for meetings," Crass explained as they walked. His boots were clacking and echoing in the overlarge room, whereas Kairi had donned a pair of silk flats that Cheria had given her so she made no sound as than the swish-swish of her many long skirts.

"What is it normally for?" Kairi asked tentatively, afraid that every word that came out of her mouth was going to be disapproved of.

"Balls, feasts, knightings, ceremonies, baptisms, and your coronation," he said curtly. He gestured to the end of the room, where Kairi could see a group of people gathered. "We have chosen the Great Hall for this meeting because we felt the Throne Room was an inappropriate place due to the fact that it is for the Royal Court, and the council's normal meeting room is being cleaned at this time."

"Oh," was all Kairi said, finding that she was too nervous to say much more.

They came to the group of people and halted, Crass stepping to the side and gesturing to Kairi with his whole arm.

"Behold," Crass said. "Your future Queen by blood and birthright, Princess Kairi of the Radiant Gardens."

Everyone fell silent and turned to stare at her with a mixture of displeasure and curiosity. Kairi kept her eyes down, feeling like a sculpture on display. She didn't know what to say. Was she supposed to make a speech . . . ? She supposed that was part of being someone in the public eye, right? Public speaking and whatnot. But these people were not looking at her with hope, faith, or reverence. No, they were looking at her with nothing short of disdain.

"She says nothing, and expects us all to bow?" someone finally spoke up, sounding snide.

Kairi opened her mouth to say something, but was appalled to see that over half of the assembled people had already begun to leave the room. They were trickling out by the second, and it was clear to see that Kairi wasn't welcome in her own homeland. For a moment, she felt so hurt that she wanted to cry. Biting her bottom lip, she looked into the eyes of the only six people besides Crass that had stayed: five men and one older woman.

Crass cleared his throat and placed his hands behind his back. "Your Majesty, these are the other five members of the council aside from my self. Also, this is your mother's sister."

Kairi's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her aunt. She recalled nothing of her parents, so Kairi wondered if her aunt looked at all similar to her birth mother. She had a few similarities to herself, of course—crimson hair and bright blue eyes—but without seeing a picture of her mother or recalling her childhood memories, Kairi would never know the true extent of those similarities. The only parents she knew were the mayor of Destiny Islands and his wife, so it was a bit unnerving to look upon a family member. Especially when that family member was looking at her as if she were the dirt beneath her shoes.

"Nice to . . . To meet you," Kairi stammered, bowing her head. She didn't exactly know what she was supposed to say. This woman may have been her aunt, but Kairi didn't know her well enough to say much else.

Kairi's aunt was tall and thin in an almost eerie way, but she was hauntingly beautiful. Her skin was pale and her eyes large, framed by a long tumble of crimson curls. She wore a simple dress of blue silk with skirts that swept the floors, but she looked just as gorgeous as if she were heading to a ball. She looked down her nose at Kairi, effectively making her feel like a withered flower.

"I'm your Aunt Wisteria," she said. Her voice was small and if it weren't for the faint lines around her eyes, Kairi would have thought she were in her early twenties. "You may call me Aunt Teri. Though I haven't seen you in many years, you have grown to be very beautiful. You will make an exquisite queen."

Though her words were praising, Kairi couldn't help but feel suspicious at her tone. Aunt Teri's voice was guarded and Kairi knew she was hiding something. Her gaze was piercing. Kairi wondered if she could see to the core of her soul.

It was a little creepy, actually . . .

"I shall see you at dinner," Aunt Teri said before she ghosted away, light as a feather and dainty as a Spring breeze.

Kairi tried to listen closely as Crass introduced the other members of the council to her. There was a purpose to each of them, for they each were to teach her in a different aspect of her future in royalty. She was to become versed in different things like etiquette and protocol, combat, interaction with the land and her people, magic and the elements, the religion and mythology of Radiant Gardens, and history. It sounded overwhelming, but then again, this entire situation was overwhelming.

"Now, we're to understand you were assigned a personal guardian?" the council member who would be teaching Kairi religion and mythology spoke up.

"Yes," Kairi said softly with a faint smile. She was amused because she couldn't even remember their names.

"On the morrow, we can discuss schedules and appropriate times for him to be in your vicinity," the man said. He was wearing robes that could only be described as that of belonging to a priest and he looked to be on the younger side. His hair was a faint emerald color, falling down his back in choppy layers. Rimless glasses were pushed up onto his nose, highlighting glowing golden eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Kairi asked, confused and curious.

"The unwed Princess of Radiant Gardens can't very well be guarded personally by a young boy," snorted the history teacher. He was older than dirt, but his beady black eyes showed fire. "It's extremely unsuitable."

Kairi blushed, embarrassed at what he was insinuating. "Sora is just my friend, sir. Master Yen Sid appointed him as my guardian . . . I'm not sure if he'd be comfortable with him not around me as often as possible."

The history teacher looked at her incredulously. "Absolutely not. It cannot be stood for. Not when your coronation is mere months away. Not when suitors will be visiting the castle in the hopes of meeting you and having your hand in marriage."

Kairi felt sick to her stomach. There was that word again—marriage. She didn't like the sound of it. She felt like she was just too young. She'd been through a lot the past few years, but it wasn't enough to prepare her for such a life-defining commitment. She wasn't yet eighteen, and eighteen just seemed like such a young age to get married, didn't it? It made sense that a Queen would nee d a King, but at eighteen? Right after coronation? Hell, they wanted her to be meeting suitors before she was even crowned.

Kairi tuned them out as the council members discussed some more things, including how her studies were to begin first thing tomorrow with Crass. She stared at each of them in turn, wondering how she could be so despised by people she didn't know. She had known this would be difficult, but she didn't think it was going to lower her self-esteem.

To be quite frank, Kairi wanted to cry. Badly.

When they finally let her retire to her chambers to rest before supper, Cheria was waiting for her by the elevator with Yuffie. Yuffie waved chipperly, and Kairi was able to give her a welcoming smile.

"Hey, Yuffie," she greeted amiably.

"Hiya, Your Majestiness," Yuffie giggled. "How'd it go in there?"

Kairi forced her eyes to light up. "It went well. I have a lot of things to learn and catch up on, it seems. Did you find your friends in town?"

"Yup," Yuffie said, giving Kairi a jaunty salute. "I was looking for this buddy of mine who used to help with the restoration committee."

"Oh, yeah," Kairi said. "Cheria told me about how the committee was shut down . . . As soon as I can, I want to get it reinstated."

Yuffie looked delighted. "Aw, seriously! That'd be terrific! Leon and Merlin will be so excited! Everyone in town was really bummed when that happened. People have been having to practically sell their souls to get licenses to cut wood in the forests, all so they can help restore Radiant Gardens on their own."

The three girls stepped into the elevator, and Kairi turned to Yuffie with a concerned frown.

"You mean the whole town is working together to continue rebuilding?" she asked.

"Yep," Yuffie said. "Leon was thinking of getting Sora to help, too, but since he's your personal guardian . . . Well, anyway, the townspeople like the work, they just don't like sacrificing food and money to be able to do it."

"That sounds terrible," Kairi said softly. "I'll get to work on it as soon as I can. The council members don't really seem . . . Agreeable, shall we say. But I'm sure they'll come around."

Sora was waiting outside Kairi's room when they came around the corner. Kairi saw him down the overlarge hall, leaning up against the wall and tossing one of his Keyblade keychains up and down in his hand. He was staring thoughtfully at the ground, his long spiky hair falling forward into his eyes. For some reason, seeing him after the stressful meeting in the Great Hall reminded her of the moment they'd seen each other in The Castle That Never Was. Just like in that moment, she had the sudden urge to run toward him and hug him.

"Sora!" she exclaimed happily, waving excitedly when he looked up.

Sora's slightly troubled expression melted away and he radiated the light of the moon as he straightened his back and returned her wave. Kairi saw that he had indeed gotten a new outfit. He was now clad in a pair of black breeches tucked into black combat boots that laced up his calves, a loose-fitting white V-neck shirt, and a black hooded vest worn zipped open over it. His silver crown pendant sparkled against his chest, and when he smiled, his teeth looked whiter.

"Definitely looks like you raided Leon's closet," Yuffie laughed at Sora, putting her hands upon her shapely hips.

Sora smirked. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

Kairi covered her mouth as she giggled. "You look great," she said honestly, seemingly unable to take her eyes off of him. He just looked . . . Different. More edgy . . . Dangerous, dare she say? She didn't know, but she was at least happy to see him. Even though her meeting in the Great Hall had been short, it had been intense enough to leave a lasting effect on her. She had a lot to think about, not to mention, she didn't quite know how to tell Sora that she was going to have to get married.

Though she wondered to herself why she cared what he though, and why she was scared of what he would think.

"I have to get ready for dinner, I guess," Kairi told him after they had all entered her bedroom.

"They make you change outfits for everything?" Sora grinned. "I guess you've gotta look like a Princess, too!"

Kairi swirled in a circle and stopped with a girly pose in front of him. "Don't you like the dress I'm wearing now, though? Not Princess-y enough for you?"

"I'm just messin' around, Kai," he said, reaching forward to brush his knuckle playfully under her chin—a move that made her cheeks stain red. "You'd look like a Princess in anything."

Yuffie snorted from her place on the couch, shooting Kairi and exaggerated eye roll. Kairi turned away before Sora saw her laugh. Sora shot Yuffie a glare before rushing over to her to ruffle her hair.

Cheria came over to Kairi and gave her a bow. She seemed subdued, but Kairi was too preoccupied in her own thoughts to ask her why.

"Your Majesty, would you like me to get you something of your mother's to wear to dinner?" Cheria offered.

Kairi's eyebrows shot up. "R-Really? Her stuff is . . . Is still here?"

Cheria nodded. "It's one of our core rules at the castle: always keep the late King and Queen's things in tip-top shape. Their bedroom has been left untouched, just as yours was."

Kairi smiled. "Well . . . If you think it will fit . . . ?"

"I can have one of the castle seamstresses alter it if need be."

Kairi shrugged. "All right. Sounds good to me!"

Cheria bowed one more time before turning to go. Kairi stopped her at the door though, placing a hand upon her shoulder gently. She could tell that something was bothering Cheria, but she didn't want to press the matter due to the fact that Yuffie and Sora were present. So instead, she gave Cheria a warm hug. Cheria was stiff, surprised.

"Y-Your Majesty?" she gasped.

"Call me Kairi," Kairi responded, holding her at arm's length. "I'm your age—we're equals."

Cheria bowed, saying nothing and leaving the room.

Yuffie came up to Kairi and sighed. "Don't worry about it, Princess. They run a tight ship here at the castle. Cheria's probably scared of getting fired."

"I know she is," Kairi said sadly. "I just want her to know I'm friendly—not some untouchable goddess, or something."

Yuffie squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure she knows. I wouldn't worry too much. Well, anyway, I gotta get back home for dinner. Merlin's back at his cottage and he's too old to cook. I swear, he'd burn Scrooge's sea salt ice cream if I wasn't there to take care of him."

And just like that, Sora and Kairi were alone.

Kairi turned to see that her best friend was lounging out on the couch with his legs sprawled out, head resting on the back of the couch. For a second, Kairi thought he was snoring, but she soon realized he was laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kairi asked, hands behind her back.

"You are!" he exclaimed merrily. "You're so adorably naïve sometimes, Kairi."

Blushing at the "adorably," Kairi playfully glowered over at him. "What even . . . ? How am I naïve?"

"Cheria is a maid. She would be fired or even arrested for calling you by your name." Sora shook his head, wiping a tear of mirth from his eyes. "If any of the council or people of the court heard her call you Kairi, she could get in huge trouble for showing disrespect."

"Don't be so mean," Kairi chided, walking over to sit at her vanity and run her fingers through her hair. "I just want her to feel comfortable. She's really sweet, but she looks so . . . Sad. She lost her world and only a couple of her friends survived."

"I know," Sora sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I'm just being a goof. You know me."

Kairi merely smiled again, looking at him in the mirror. He was sitting up on the couch know, elbows resting on his knees as he looked back at her. Kairi wanted to tell him all about what she had learned so far, but she found that whenever she tried to think of how to say it, her words got caught in her throat. She knew she was going to have to at some point, but she wasn't sure she was ready.

"Cheria told me you were going to have to sneak me into your room from now on . . . ?" Sora said after a small bit of silence.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Oh. Yeah, that. It's this riduclous thing . . . In the Great Hall, they told me there was going to have to be a schedule for when I get to see you. Isn't that dumb?"

Sora's brow furrowed and he looked annoyed. "Um, what? There's no way. Yen Sid specifically told me to stay near you as often as possible. So forgive me if I don't care what some stuffy old men tell me what to do."

Kairi turned around in the vanity chair to look at him with wide eyes. She had no idea he'd think of this situation with such conviction.

"What do you . . . Mean?" Kairi asked.

Sora stood up and began to pace. One hand was balled into a fist at his side and the other was running its fingers through his hair. "What I mean is . . . I don't feel right leaving you alone. Like . . . What I'm saying is, Yen Sid trusted me to be your personal guardian. He told me that there are a lot of people all over this world who want your throne, who were plotting on taking it over before you came along. Not to mention, even though Galbatorix is thousands of miles away, clear on the other side of the planet, he could have spies or assassins. Yen Sid made it very clear that Galbatorix wants your throne, too. Just . . ."

Kairi stared in shock as Sora walked over to her and held his hand out to her, much like she had when he's returned home to Destiny Islands. She took it, feeling the softness of the leather of his fingers gloves, and allowed him to pull her gently to her feet.

"I made you a promise back at Yen Sid's castle, Kai," he said seriously. "I promised you I'd protect you. Every step I've ever taken in my journeys has been to protect you. So I don't care what the council says—I'm not leaving your side unless it is absolutely necessary."

Kairi was speechless. She could do nothing but nod, feeling her surprise escalate when Sora grabbed her wrist and yanked her against his chest in a one-armed hug. He was warm and she could smell the cologne he had told he wore: he smelled like apple cinnamon.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered.

Kairi slowly lifted her arms and wrapped them around his waist. A loaded question with an easy answer.

"Of course, Sora."

"Then don't worry about what anyone tells you." He squeezed her with his arm and then stepped away. "Just stick by me, and I'll make sure everything is okay."

Kairi studied his face for a moment, wondering if he would be saying the same stuff if he knew that she was going to have to accept someone's hand in marriage.

. . . with the MOON . . .

End Notes: Jeez, Kairi's going to have to get married? Not cool. And she seems awfully worried about what Sora would think, right? Heh heh . . . There's a (obvious) reason for that. Also, Cheria seems super sad all the time. Wonder why? I also do apologize if the council meeting seemed rushed. I won't be focusing on the council members until she's one-on-one with them. Her relationship with each one will be very different.

Also, in your reviews, can you tell me if you think Sora is in-character enough? I'm trying to portray him as someone who is still goofy, but has also toughened up due to his environment and experiences, not to mention he takes his job as guardian seriously. But yeah, just please let me know if there's anything I can do to tighten up his character!

Thank you to my reviewers and readers. You make my world go round! I love you all~