~Kingdom Celebrations~

~Chapter VII~

~Is it necessary?~

Axel leaned back in his chair as he went over each contestant in his head. He thought of how each person would indeed be good for him and his kingdom, with all the negative and positives thrown in between. As he was thinking of them all though he kept asking himself this single question: was the fourth contestant necessary?

The first three were enough for him truly. He frowned as he wondered why his dad would make it four instead of three. If the first three were truly the candidates that his father chose then why would the redhead go as far as to add another person to the mix? It wasn't needed. Axel wasn't going to have a hard enough time to pick between three, he didn't want to find the fourth.

"I won't bother." The prince finally grumbled to himself as he ran a hand through his hair then picked up the white rose once more, and once again couldn't help but smile at the smell. He had to remember to thank his father, when this was all over, for introducing him to Marluxia, whether the pink haired teen won or not.

"Well, I don't believe at any birthday party that I've accompanied you to, you have ever once worn such a happy smile upon your lips. That is unless you were surrounded by Sir Demyx and your friends." A calm voice commented that made the smile smother down into a grin upon the redhead's lips.

"Zexion, I could of sworn I had given you the night off tonight." Axel retorted as he looked up to the face of the silvery blunette, who rolled his eyes, or eye that was shown for the other was covered by long bangs.

"And I'm sure you know as well as I do that since I am the head of your personal guard that taking 'a night off' is as impossible as pigs flying." The prince snorted a laugh at that but nodded all the same. It was true, Axel basically told Zexion to take a night off every other day but no matter what the bookworm would always be at his side, whether he wanted him to be or not.

"May I ask who the rose if from, my prince?"

"Marluxia, Prince of Radiant Garden." Axel said as he leaned back against the cushions of his throne before twirling the rose in his fingers, wondering if he should probably ask one of the maids to put it in his room for the night.

"Radiant Garden? That is quite interesting, may I?" Zexion offered as he reached out his hand to the prince, his eyes locked on the single flower.

"Of course." The tattooed prince handed it over without complaint, watching as Zexion raised it to his nose and inhaled. Zexion's sense of smell was the most famous throughout the land. That was why as he was also the head of the guard he was an assistant to the doctor of the royal family, especially if he was needed for checking for poisons.

"Impressive, I don't believe I have ever smelled a flower with such a strong smell. I wonder how that is possible." The head of the guard gave back the gift, his features now in confusion and question. Axel smiled, for he had always loved seeing that look upon the others face ever since they met.

"Well, you'll be able to know soon enough because I would actually like you to look into it. I would wish for you to gather information on Prince Marluxia as well as Saix Lotus, anything you can get will help." Zexion nodded making a note of it in the small handheld notebook that he always carried with him before standing to the right of his prince, allowing Axel to now have a view of his guests, which as the redhead looked he instantly realized that something was missing.

The prince sat up a little straighter as his eyes scanned every face that was in his view, as well as any head he could recognize. Something, or actually someone, was defiantly not present even though they should. They had been here for every party since he was five so there was no reason for him to be missing now.

"Zexion, have you seen Prince Roxas? I see his parents in the crowd but I do not see him." Axel asked as he indeed let his eyes fall of the King and Queen of Midgar, who were chatting mindlessly with his own parents.

"Yes, highness. He did arrive with his parents but I just saw him walk toward the east hall, and I believe Seifer Almasy was following."

"What!" The prince hissed, thankful that he didn't scream, for he did not need his guests to know right now, and jumped up from his chair. He placed the rose on his seat but turned his back on the crowd looking his manservant in the eyes.

"Stall and cover my presence for the time, and do not let anyone go into the east hall." Axel ordered with a fiery gaze, not even giving Zexion a chance to reply, before turning and disappearing down the hall. He just hoped he would be able to find them in time.

Prince Seifer was next in line to be king for Hollow Bastion, which was another kingdom that was great terms with the kingdom of Midgar. The Hollow Bastion king, Leon Heart, had been great friends with Cloud since the time of their childhood. Leon was a great ruler but his son, in Axel's opinion, was someone who needed to be sent away to the farthest military disciplinary camp. The blonde boy had no manners what so ever, and went around treating everyone like scum. It was sickening but what made the redhead mad most of all was that the scarred up prince was obsessed with Roxas.

Axel halted in his walking, quickly hiding in the shadows of the garden entrance, though he could still see the two blonde princes and also thankfully hear what was being said between the two. He stayed perfectly still, not wanting to just jump in, cause he would get chewed out by Roxas for not letting him 'handle his own battles', as the younger prince had said before.

"Seifer, let go of me at once." Roxas growled as he had tried to walk away from the only other in the garden but was sadly not quick enough for a rough calloused hand wrapped around his wrist tightly.

"Oh, come on, Roxas. Why are you rushing to get away? I'm just trying to talk to you." Seifer said sweetly and tugged the shorter prince closer to him, causing the said prince to collide right into a hard built chest.

"The hell you are! Unhand me! And when did I ever give you permission to use my name!" Roxas out right barked as he tried to back away but Seifer's free hand had wrapped around his middle, basically trapping him. The blue-green eyed prince only chuckled.

"We've known each other long enough that I will use your name when I wish. Besides, I think it's time you admit that you like me just as much as I like you."

"Have you gon-" Sadly Roxas's yell was cut off as chapped lips sealed themselves against his own. Axel, from where he was standing could even hear the sapphire eyed teen's groan of surprise and protest. Now was the time to jump in. Seifer had closed his eyes, obliviously enjoying this more than the other, Axel walked closer, rolling his sleeves only to halt in complete surprise as Seifer went way over the line. The damn scarred teen had the actual gull to allow the hand that had trapped Rox slide down the younger's back until it stopped at Rox's rear end and squeezed.

Roxas had yelled out against Seifer's mouth but not even a moment later he was released and the one who had been torturing him was literally thrown against the nearest garden wall. The Midgar prince fell to his knees but Axel ignored him for the moment as he marched up to Seifer, wrapping a hand around his throat.

"You asshole! You ever touch him, hell even so much as look at him, the next time you'll be thrown it'll be in front of King Strife, who I'm sure will not take kindly to his first born son being molested. Now get out of here!" Axel warned before shoving Seifer into the wall once more and stepped back, allowing the blonde room to run away. Seifer just laughed and rubbed his neck lightly before staring at the redhead as if nothing had happened.

"Whatever, Fire Crotch. You can threaten me all you want but I know you're just jealous I put the moves on that whore before-" This time Seifer was the one who didn't get to finish for a clenched fist had soared across his left cheek, causing him to go sailing into the hard concrete stone of the garden's path. Then he was jerked up by his collar to stare right into furiously blazing green eyes.

"You listen close, Seifer. You so much as even glance at Roxas again in my presence I'm going to shove your teeth so far down your throat you're going to have to sit on the table to be able to eat anything. Do we understand each other?" The venom voice of the crown prince sent Seifer's eyes to widen though before he could even respond he was released, falling like a rock back upon the ground. The blonde glanced at the taller one for a moment before growling, rising to his knees and crawling like the worm he was to the entrance of the garden, disappearing once getting to his feet.

Axel nodded, once he knew the abomination was truly gone before sighing and running a hand through his wild spikes of red. That punch might come back to haunt him but now was not the time to worry about it. He would take care of it then. Now his main focus was for other matters. He turned around, his eyes going to concern as he noticed that the blonde prince was still on the ground.

"Roxas?"


Hello Readers. Oh no Axel is having second thoughts about fourth contestan, well we can't have that! We'll see what happens next. Please Review and tell me what you think, it makes me smile.
~See ya'll around the web! 3