10 Years Later

"Roxas! Windred's Blight, where are you, boy?!"

I sat upon the window sill, snickering quietly at the aggravated cries of my bumbling keeper. Yuffie was very easily worked up, and it still amused me to hide from her, even now. It was a bit embarrassing that she insisted on looking after me; I didn't need to be watched and ordered around all of the time. I was practically a man!

Well, if she and Axel were going to treat me like a child, then I would behave like one. It was practically the only fun I had when I wasn't visiting Hayner or Sora and Riku.

"Come out, Roxas, or I'll have to punish you!"

I rolled my eyes, lifting my book from my lap and picking up where I had left off.

As if she would really punish me, today of all days.

I couldn't duck chores and lessons forever, but I could find plenty of time in the day to by lazy, if I tried. Besides, I was at the threshold of a dramatic cliffhanger in the story! If Yuffie pulled me away now, I wouldn't get to know what happened until this evening, and that was only if she didn't force me to bed first!

"Roxas!"

It bothered me a bit that Axel didn't trust me enough to walk about and be on my own for very long, but then, I could understand it a little. I had been kidnapped before, but this castle was safer than Fort Fenrir and I wasn't small and helpless like I had been back then. Nothing had happened since that incident either, so why was I still so heavily guarded? Yes, I was human, but otherwise there wasn't a single, solitary special thing about me.

"I mean it, boy! Take off that damn masker and show yourself! I won't ask you again!"

I smiled devilishly, touching a small woven band around my wrist. I had Sora to thank for it. The brunet had a particular talent for magic, and he had made me this very nice present last year. Infused with a bit of harmless but well-concentrated magic, it could mask my human scent almost completely, even from demons. Yuffie was strangely prone to sickness, so I rarely had a use for it when hiding from her, but today she was in perfect shape and on a mission. Even though there was plenty of time before the feast-

"Roxas!" she shrieked loudly and shrilly, making me jump. As I moved to cover my ears I dropped the book I was reading, wincing as I heard the softest thud of the impact. "Aha!"

With only that exclamation for warning, the heavy drape was pulled aside at lightning speed, revealing me to a positively gloating Yuffie. Her annoyed look had faded quickly into a smug smirk, and I didn't know if I should feel scared or relived. One never could tell with her.

"Found you, you brat!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me down from my seat, making me stumble. I barely had time to grab the book from where it fell behind the curtain as she led me away down the corridor. "Thought you could skip out on your work today, did you? Well think again! I am going to personally sit there and make sure you clean every last inch of that kitchen floor."

I groaned. "Why do I have to do it today? Can't you make an exception and let Yuna do it? Just this once?"

"Not a chance, Mister. Yuna doesn't need to learn discipline."

I sighed. "Alright."

It wasn't slave labor, but every day, I had a different chore or set of chores to do around the castle. Yuffie always said it was to give me respect for the servants, respect for the castle and all the nice things I had. To make me worldly and well rounded. They weren't really fun, but I would do them, if only to break up lessons.

I supposed I should be thankful, seeing that she only gave me one thing today.

I still had no idea what I was supposed to do with all of this though. I was grateful for what I had, but how would I apply my learning and discipline? Surely I wouldn't be cleaning chambers for the rest of my life?

I liked history and mythology, particularly those subjects surrounding human and demon interactions. I had learned a lot from those. Did Axel want me to be a historian, or a peacemaker? I really doubted that he did. I wasn't as bright as he made me out to be, and even if he did have full confidence in me... I don't know, but that didn't seem like my purpose.

As far as I had read, my case as a human in demon lands was unique. The people that came before me became servants to demon lords and ladies, trying to form alliances in a similar but different way that arranged marriages worked with human royals. But the humans came from all over, some of the gentry or nobility and others peasants like me, and many ended up being tortured or killed by the demons. I was horrified and shocked when I found that out. A lot of the books said that the humans were lost in "accidents," but Father told me that that was a lie.

It made me all the more thankful that Father and I were still alive and treated well. Leon actually protected Father from riots and potential "accidents;" he even went so far as to change him into a demon, and make him his mate. I blushed as I remembered what that word meant. Father was in love with a demon. As much as I liked Leon, Sora, and Riku, I still didn't know how to feel about that.

I was sure it would break Mother's heart if I told her. The matter was so complicated, though...

"Wake up, Roxas!"

I yelped as Yuffie slapped me lightly, drawing me out of my thoughts. Even holding back, she had a fierce hand.

"No more daydreaming!" she said firmly, pointing to a mop and bucket. "Hop to it. You aren't excused until I see this floor sparkle."

Grumbling irritably, I began cleaning, ignoring the laughs I got from the cooks. Most of them were fairly nice to me, but they all teased me something awful.

Under Yuffie's stern gaze, I cleaned the place up, letting my thoughts drift again. Axel said I wasn't his servant, but he never did say what I was going to do and I had no clue what to expect. It was not to be what other humans had experienced. I shuddered a little, hoping he didn't plan to marry me off as a consort to some petty lord or lady. That didn't sound pleasant at all, and from the state of things in the kingdom, realistically, it would probably be no better a death sentence.

"Snap to it!" Yuffie sang out, grabbing herself a bite of bread from the table. "The sooner you finish up, the sooner you can take a bath."

I sighed dreamily at that. That was the one thing about living here that I never took for granted, besides maybe Axel.

"Will I have a while to soak?" I asked, looking at her hopefully. She rolled her eyes.

"An hour long at least, brat, but that's only if you finish before the sun sinks any lower."

I picked up the pace, struggling to still do a good job. One of the cooks, a plump, stout fellow laughed. "I bet the lad wishes he had demon speed. He'd be done in no time flat that way."

I flashed him a cheeky grin. "By all means, Marcus. If you think you can do better, I'd love to see it."

The demon chuckled again. "Nice try, Young Master, but that trick won't work on me."

"Awww. You wouldn't do it for me, even on my birthday?"

He shook his head. "Not unless you had a nice sum of gil for my troubles."

"Alright. Get back to your work," Yuffie ordered firmly, shooing Marcus and the other cooks away. "Don't distract him. He needs to finish so he can get ready in time."

"Miss Yuffie, the feast is several hours yet!" another cook pointed out, continuing his work on the far side of the room.

"Well, you can never be too early," she huffed back, pouting slightly. "Axel likes us to be punctual."

I rolled my eyes a little and mopped the floor until it was clean and shining. I couldn't quite see my reflection in it; it wasn't that kind of floor, but it looked far better.

"Can I go now?" I begged tiredly, propping the mop against the wall as the literal she-demon inspected my progress. Finally she nodded, and I smiled widely.

"Yes!" I ran out of the kitchen and straight for the castle bathing rooms, Yuffie following quickly and effortlessly behind me. I could hear people laughing at me as I passed, but I didn't care. Slowing down to confront them would take up valuable bath time, and I would miss every second of it.

"Sire, I really must disagree. The people will surely have a fit when they-"

I coughed loudly, pushing the door to the feast hall fully open. The guests hadn't arrived yet, but Axel sat at the head of the table, surrounded by Saix and other demons on his council. The blue-haired man glared at me slightly, and the rest of the men and women looked away politely. I knew that they didn't like me very much, but I was old enough now to stand up for myself. If they couldn't voice their problems to me directly, I couldn't care less about what they thought.

"Roxas!" I smiled as Axel bade me closer, and I went into his warm embrace readily. He had been like a father to me for many years, but that had changed somewhat now. I didn't know quite what to call him, except just Axel.

He smiled widely and tousled my hair. "Happy birthday! Did you enjoy the break from lessons today?"

I made a face. "I would have, if only I'd been free from chores as well. As it stands, the only fun I've had was the nice long bath Yuffie so graciously allowed me." I knew she was probably scoffing at that comment, and a quick look over my shoulder confirmed it. I stuck my tongue out at her, but we both knew I didn't mean it.

"Poor thing. Clearly I've spoiled you," the Demon King laughed, motioning me to a seat beside him. Saix moved aside silently, but still didn't look pleased. I vaguely wondered what his problem was. "Your family should be arriving shortly, and I've invited a few others to share this feast with us. I hope that is alright with you."

"Of course. May I ask who?" Axel shrugged slightly.

"No one of great importance. Some representatives from the towns and villages in the surrounding lands." At my puzzled look, he added, "It's a gesture of good will and fellowship more than anything else."

I nodded, then stared ponderously at the empty plate in front of me. I knew what he was talking about; I just didn't see why it had to happen on my birthday.

I had been staring off for some time when the door to the hall opened again. I looked up and smiled as Leon and Father came in, followed closely by Riku and Sora. In appearance, the two boys had aged very little as the years passed; Sora and I looked about the same age, and Riku was just a hair taller than the two of us. I was apparently cursed to be short and boyish by genes, but demons aged slower than humans and could use magic to halt age as they wished. The boys were still growing, but Leon, Father, and Axel hadn't aged a day since I arrived.

Many demons, nice or otherwise, were very beautiful to look at.

"Roxas! It's so good to see you!" I yelped and prepared for the worst as Sora launched himself forward, thankfully at human speed, and crushed me in a hug. He was controlled, of course, but it could still knock the wind out of me.

"It's great to see you too, Sor. Now could you please let go?" I gasped, looking up at Axel pleadingly. He smiled.

"Gentle, Sora. Our little delicate flower will surely bruise if you treat him thus." My family started laughing as Sora let go, but I shot Axel a pout. He didn't know it, but those jibes about me being small, delicate, or helpless could really set me off.

"Sorry," the brunet mumbled, clearly embarrassed, but I was thankful for the distraction.

"It's alright, brother. Just be more careful," I admonished as I hugged him back. "Evening Father, Leon, Riku." I waved to them, a gesture that they returned calmly. Leon was smiling warmly, his arm wrapped around my father's waist.

"Good evening, Roxas," he replied, as he and Father drew small wrapped gifts from behind their backs. "We come bearing gifts."

"I see," I said, grinning widely. "Then you are welcome to our feast."

Axel laughed and patted my head. "You could have posted the gifts and he'd have been no less pleased. Come, have a seat. We will tuck in once the elders have arrived."

I got up from my chair and moved to sit by Riku and Sora so we could talk. Sora showed me a few tricks he had learned since out last meeting, one of which was levitating a goblet and pouring a bit of wine into it. I was aware of Axel, Leon, and Father talking heatedly about something just up the table, but they didn't look to us except to remind us that we were only allowed two glasses of wine at most. The adults could check us with magic, so they would know.

"Of course, Father," Sora said absently, focusing all his concentration on bringing the cup down to rest on the table once more. I clapped.

"Wow. That's pretty cool. I wish I could learn to do that."

Riku put a hand on my shoulder. "We would teach you, but humans have no ability whatsoever. Magic comes from the powers within."

"Yeah, and even if you have potential, it doesn't mean you'll be great," Sora added, looking a little deflated then. "Riku is much better than I am."

"Hey, at least you can do it," I said, lifting the goblet on my own and peering at the red liquid inside. "I've wished to be a demon before."

"You can be!" Sora said excitedly, a little too loudly. Saix and the rest of the council shot glares our way for the disturbance, but I rolled my eyes and set the goblet down again.

"I know I can, but Axel would never agree to it." He seemed to want me to remain human, possibly forever. What significance did my humanity have though?

"Maybe it's for the best," the silver-haired demon replied. I nodded, but didn't quite believe him.

More guests began filtering into the feasthall, and Axel and I stood to greet them properly. We moved to the door, spoke pleasantries and shook hands, engaging dozens of people I didn't really know. Most of them seemed nice; they smiled kindly and wished me a happy birthday. But some were gruff or impolite, and I could only smile it off. The Demon King had an impression to make, after all.

The cooks announced that the food was ready, and gradually everyone sat down and began to eat. I sat by Axel again, listening to the boring talk of state and occasionally waving at Sora and Riku. I almost wished Hayner could be here too, but that was impossible. I smiled as I thought of his take on this stuffy party. Castle living wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Halfway through supper, Axel stood up, causing the whole room to fall silent. He looked down at me, waiting patiently, until I realized that I was supposed to join him. I hurried to stand, wincing when my chair slid back, the wood scraping along the floor and creating a potent screech.

Without acknowledging that fumble, the Demon King spoke to the gathered crowd.

"Welcome, my friends, my kinsmen. Tonight, as many of you know, my ward is celebrating his sixteenth birthday. I won't ask that we sing for him," he chuckled, as did half of the room. I blushed, inwardly grateful to the man for doing away with that silly, embarrassing tradition. "But I would ask that you give him your best wishes for another prosperous, healthy year."

I smiled, scratching the back of my head nervously as I listened to their words. I knew my position in the demon kingdom was quite... controversial, but it was nice to see people being pleasant, if only on the surface. I liked most of the people I had met this evening.

I heard a few whispers from further down the table, but I ignored them as Axel spoke again, this time to me directly.

"Happy birthday, Roxas, and may your days be long and joyous."

I smiled shyly, gazing into his warm green eyes. They still sparkled like jewels, captivating me as they did so long ago.

"Thank you." I couldn't express in words how much he meant to me, how much I appreciated all that he'd done for me, but I knew by his smile that he understood.

"And now," the redhead said, turning back to the table, "I have some news that I wish to impart. Ten years prior, I adopted Roxas, a human boy of humble home and parentage, as my ward, breaking my word to never take another human from beyond the forest. He was as precocious as he was kind, and bore no true prejudice; no hatred between humans and demons. Since then I have raised him in royal splendor, with the finest tutors in all the kingdom."

I blushed a little at that, wishing I could sit down again. Maybe even sink under the table. He made me sound like such a good kid; a prodigy.

"As you can see, Roxas is no longer a child. He is growing into a fine, intelligent young man, as kind as he has ever been, and it is high time that he and all his doubters be made aware of his role in this vast and glorious kingdom." I perked up at that, looking up with wide eyes. Was I going to know my purpose at last? After all these years?

The room was silent then, waiting for their king to continue. I saw his gaze shift to Leon and Father, the former looking impassive while the later was frowning uncertainly.

"Let me be concise. Roxas is the last human I shall ever take from beyond the border, but he shall not be the last human to cross it." There was a low murmur at that. "Do not speak out yet! It will surely be many years before this shall occur, but I mean to begin moving down that path soon. On this most auspicious night, I will bridge the gap between humans and demons as best I can.

Henceforth, I renounce my guardianship of Roxas Strife."

I gaped at him as he turned back to me, and... slid gracefully to the floor on one knee.

"I ask him instead to marry me."