Disclaimer: Kairi, Riku, and Sora are © Disney
It was written to the song "Stupid" by Sarah Mclachlan.
I don't write het. But I guess I did. Only for my Kairi…
Stupid
--oOo--
It was a horribly muggy day, the kind of day no one wants to go out into. The sun was a brilliant golden color, shining on anything and everything in a mocking way. I hate the heat, and I already hated the day. Not to mention the constant knocking on my chamber door.
'Princess, Princess!' they say, but I'm not listening. I know what they want. They want me to get up and face this horribly hot day. They want me to go somewhere with HIM. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have minded, but to go out with that... child. It was ridiculous.
I finally got up and threw on a robe over my nightgown and cracked open my door. I didn't see them in, just left it open and waited for them to notice it. I sat staring at myself in my vanity mirror as they rushed in, two old bird looking ladies in their red and white maid outfits. How dull.
"Oh Princess Kairi, we're so glad you're up! We were beginning to worry you'd miss Prince Sora when he arrives!" one of them babbled out, combing my hair and being none too-gentle.
"Honestly, I could care less about going with him. He's such a little boy... " I complained, and stood up as soon as my hair looked good enough for me. A simple French braid would do for me, and it'd do for him.
"Now Princess, your father has set his eyes on that land for years now, and it just so happens your betrothal to the prince is coming in quite handy. He really cannot be all that bad once you get to know him!" one maid said and I stared at her with my eyes narrowing.
"Hmph," I spat out and let them dress me.
-.-.-.-
When I decided to walk into the breakfast hall, my father looked right displeased. His brow was furrowed and his eyes seemed to shoot daggers at anything that moved. I know I was late, but I couldn't have been thatlate...
"Kairi! You're an hour and a half behind schedule!"
...obviously I was that late.
I ignored him and plopped down in one of the wooden chairs pressed up against the table and stared down at the bowl full of cold porridge.
"Don't even bother eating, Sora will be here any moment," he said and I gladly pushed away the bowl.
At that moment, the door to the hall opened and in came one of the servants to tell us that Sora was here. I quietly groaned, but apparently it was loud enough for my father to hear, for he glared at me. I trudged after him and waited behind him. I could hear the little brat talking and suddenly my father stepped away and we were face to face.
Sora wasn't that bad looking. Really, he was downright handsome. But there was something about him I just didn't like. He was too innocent, too childlike. Not a suitable husband for me, no way. I didn't want to be the husband in our marriage, thank you.
Despite my sour face, he smiled at me and babbled something about how "lovely I looked". I mumbled a polite thank you and let him walk me out to his carriage. It was hotter outside than I had thought, and I suddenly regretted wearing this particular dress. It was long, had a hindering hoop skirt, and was long sleeved. He helped me in and shut the door and when we started moving, I actually had the notion to speak to him.
"Where are we going?" I asked and he seemed surprised to hear me talk.
"The beach. You see, every year around this time the whales from way up north come down here to have their babies in the warm water. From the shore you can see them, and I thought you'd like that. Your father tells me you are interested in mythological things and-"
"You thought I'd be interested in the whales because according to legend, merpeople lead them here?" I finished for him and he blushed a little.
"Well, yes," he said, looking embarrassed.
"Well, I am," I said and he seemed right happy about that. I only said out loud that I was happy to get him to be quiet.
Inside, I was jubulent. I adored tales of merfolk. Being from an island kingdom, it wasn't hard to find stories about them. Our paintings and tapestries all displayed beautiful creatures from the deep, it was only natural for me to love them so much. Before my mother died, she gave me a necklace she had since she was little. It was a silver pendant of a merman, with two tiny emeralds for eyes. I wore it everywhere, and I never took it off.
It wasn't long before the carriage stopped rolling and I glanced out the small window on the door to see the rolling shore line. Sora was out first and helped me down before he went around to talk to the driver who had called him over because of some problem.
The shore line was rocky and had the whitest sand I had ever seen. The water was a beautiful deep blue with lace trimmings of foam and bubbles. Off in the distance I could see the random shoots of water from the blowholes of the whales. I smiled and glanced back at Sora. He was too occupied with the driver to even notice me, so I kicked off my shoes and hoisted up my skirt and hoops and started at a slow jog down to the beach.
I nearly slipped on some rocks more than once and managed to tear my dress at the ends twice, but I couldn't care. I didn't stop until I felt the cool water on my bare toes. I was about to walk further out in the water but I heard Sora running/calling to me and I turned around with a scowl on my face.
"Kairi! Don't go out in the water! You'll catch cold! Come this way to where the shore isn't so dangerous," he said and tried to lead me by my arm but I refused to be treated that way and told him I could walk on my own.
He shrugged a little and began walking away. I sighed and was about to follow him when I heard a coughing sound from behind a rock in the water. I spun around instantly and was about to start to it, but I glanced over my shoulder to see where Sora was. He looked like he was talking to himself, so that meant he thought I was behind him. Satisfied, I turned back in the direction I heard the noise and crept closer.
As I got closer still, I heard splashing and sputtering, even incoherent words. It frightened me a little, so I stayed behind the rock in the waist high water that I had waded into. My dress was puffed out around me and I was shivering a little from the wind, but I was too curious to turn back now. I pushed up on my toes and peered around the rock, and a startled gasp escaped from my mouth.
Struggling to stand up was a boy, no older looking than myself. He was topless, maybe even nude, as his long silver colored hair clung to his face, neck and back. He had miscellaneous shells, shark teeth, and seaweed braided into his hair and when he looked up to glance around, he had the most startling aqua eyes ever imaginable.
I instantly reached for the necklace around my neck and I swore it felt warmer than the rest of my body felt. I couldn't stand hiding from him a moment longer, so I came around the rock to face him, and he instantly froze. I could tell by the way his muscles tensed up and began to flex that he was going to dive into the water to get away, so I hurriedly shook my head.
"No, wait, I want to help you," I said, and he stared at me.
He stood up to his full height, and he stood well over me. I could tell now that he was nude, and was so other-worldly looking that he barely looked real. I couldn't help but move closer as he did. He moved his face closer to mine and I could smell this sweet scent of Persian roses. It seemed to flow around him, like it was part of him. And in an instant that I hadn't seemed coming, his lips were on mine.
It was like an electric shock, and I couldn't stop myself if I even wanted to. I told myself to get away, to at least ask 'why?'. But I couldn't. His lips tasted of the sweetest poison, I couldn't get enough. I felt his hands run down my arms and to my waist, as I let mine follow the curve of his back. He began to pull away, when this urge to never let him go came over me.
I desperately clung to him, pressing my lips to every part of his body I could reach as we tumbled into the water. A wave chose that moment to pummel us and send us beneath the surface. When I opened my eyes, he was in front of me, and I reached for him. Our lips met as he pushed the sweetest tasting air into my mouth that I felt drunk. When he pulled away, he was smiling at me and swimming upwards. I could only follow. When I surfaced, he was moving away and I began to panic.
"Who are you?" I blurted out, and he stopped, turning to me with an alluring smile.
"My name is Riku," was all he said, a strange accent that I had never heard before twisting his words.
"What did you do to me?" I asked, noticing my vision seemed hazy and I had this unnerving urge to touch him.
He smiled at me and rose a hand to help me stand. He was about to tell me something when I heard Sora's voice break through the silence.
"Kairi! Oh thank God, you're alright!" he said and Riku dropped to his knees into the water. I stared at him strangely as Sora stomped in the water up to us.
"My God, what happened? Was he ship wrecked?" Sora asked, looking at us oddly before moving to help Riku stand.
"Yes..., that's it. He was shipwrecked...right...shipwrecked," I muttered and Sora touched my cheek briefly.
"You alright, love?" he asked and I nodded, starring wide-eyed at Riku's smirking face and right over Sora's concerned eyes.
"Well, lets get back before you two get sick. We'll come see the whales another day," Sora said, helping Riku to walk up the beach.
He turned every now and then to make sure I was following, which I was of course. Riku was going with him, and I was sure to follow.
-.-.-.-
My father, to anyone else, may have seemed like a heartless person, but he actually had a heart of gold. The moment he saw Riku, he ordered a team of servants to bathe him, dress him, and give him somewhere warm to sleep until he got his bearings.
"I'm dreadfully sorry your day at the beach with my daughter was ruined," he said to Sora, as we stood in the entrance hall. I was dripping wet and starring after the three servants leading Riku away.
"Oh no, your majesty, it's quite alright. I'm just glad she's safe. For a moment, I thought something horrible had happened, but when I saw she had stopped to rescue someone, I was quite proud of her," Sora said, looking at me with a smile. A smile, as charming as it was, I barely noticed.
"Will you stay for dinner?" my father asked, and Sora almost refused, but my father insisted, so he agreed.
"Kairi, stop standing around looking like a drenched rat, go and change for dinner," my father ordered and it took me a moment to even register what he said. As I walked away, I could hear my father muttering to Sora about me being a "silly girl with her head stuck in the clouds".
When I got to my room, I was glad to finally be able to peel off the dress which seemed to be ten times heavier due to the water. The maids were nowhere to be seen, which was typical because it was dinner time for the servants.
I let the dress fall and kicked it away and turned to head to my closet, when the smell of Persian roses entered my nose. I froze and turned and came face to face with Riku lounging on my bed, starring at me. He looked like a character out of a painting, his eyes unmoving but full of hidden meanings and life.
"What are you doing in here?" I whispered loudly, desperately trying to cover myself. He smirked then, and I felt my temper begin to well up.
"Waiting for you, of course," he said and I stared at him oddly.
He was wearing clothes now, a blue velvet jacket over a white shirt and black trousers. His hair was loosely tied back with a black ribbon, but you could still see his odd choice of hair ornaments.
"Do you mind? I'm trying to get dressed!" I spat and he stood up. I felt nervous as he moved closer and came a breath away from my face.
"Lovely necklace you have," he said and briefly let his finger tips trace on the chain and charm. The look in his eyes was a rather fond look as it took him a moment to leave the charm alone.
"I'll see you at dinner then," he said and left the room, taking the scent of Persian roses with him.
-.-.-.-
At the dinner table, I sat beside Sora who sat next to my father. Riku sat across from Sora and seemed to stare at anything and everything with the purest look of curiosity I'd ever seen.
"Now, Riku, where did you say you're from?" my father started, which startled Riku. He looked at him strangely, and after a moment, broke into a smile.
"Pretty far away actually, from a kingdom in the north."
My father looked impressed as he sipped on the red wine he was given. "Really now, so tell me about this place."
"Oh, it's the loveliest place in existence, your majesty. During the summer and late spring, flowers of all different sizes and colors bloom. It is said, that anything from there smells of this distinct flower, like it is part of our blood. During the winter, everything freezes over and when the sun shines, it creates a kaleidoscope of colors through the crystal like ice," he said, gesturing every now and then.
I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Everything he said was like a drug, I barely followed his train of words but I knew exactly what he was talking about. It was a queer feeling, to feel as though your world was surreal and nothing mattered but a single person. He had my father and Sora laughing over something, but I couldn't care. I was too busy thinking about the oasis in my mind he had created. A place where only he and I could get to.
Without me noticing, he had excused himself and I suddenly was aware of everything in the room. The vase of flowers in the right corner near the door needed watering. There was dust collecting on the window sill. These chairs were making my rear ache. It was like time has stopped, and when he left, everything started up again.
I stood up quite suddenly, and excused myself, not knowing where I was going or why. I ended up in the garden that over looked the sea. And I saw him, sitting beside the fountain his hands cupping water, and his eyes watching it as it seeped through his fingers.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice sounding far off to me. He looked up and smiled.
"Took you long enough," he said and for a moment I was confused, until I smelled that scent again.
I was lightheaded as I moved to him and our lips connected. I could feel him smiling against our kisses and his hands tangled into my hair. I pulled at the ribbon holding his back and the sea salted wind kicked it up and surrounded us like a silver veil, making us invisible to the world. He pushed me against the nearby wall and kissed down my neck, to my drooping blouse line. I pulled his face up for another earth-shattering kiss but the sound of foot falls froze us.
"Kairi? Are you out here?"
Sora's voice sounded worried and suspicious all at the same time. Riku pushed away from me, and without a word, disappeared behind the corner. I hurriedly fixed myself up and scrambled back onto the path that led around the garden.
"I'm right here, what is it?" I said, my voice shaky.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, coming closer to me, but stopping before he reached me.
"I uh...I needed a breath of fresh air. Why are you so concerned?" I asked, not liking the wary look he was giving me.
"You're not fooling around with that boy are you?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"N-no...why would you even ask?" I said, instantly touching my neck.
"Because you're holding the ribbon that was in his hair, Kairi," Sora said and I felt my stomach flip. I didn't know what to say, so I brushed by him, letting the ribbon fall from my fingers.
-.-.-.-
It lasted for weeks. The midnight rendezvous with him in the garden, and the secret kisses throughout the day. I didn't know what to think or what to do. Sora acted so cold to me, that even if I didn't like him, I began to worry. He knew. I knew he knew. And it made me sick.
Finally, on the day before my wedding to Sora, Riku told me to meet him on the beach where we had first met. This felt a little risky, considering my father was beginning to be suspicious as well, but Riku didn't seem to care.
When I arrived at the beach, I instantly looked to the horizon to see the sprouts of water from the whales. It made me smile a little as I began to look around for Riku. When I found him, my heart stopped.
He was sitting on the rock near where I had found him, starring at me intently. Instead of human ears, there were things that resembled fish fins protruding from his head. And instead of legs, an emerald colored tail coiled about the rock and dipped into the water.
"Come here," he said, beckoning me to him with one hand. I couldn't refuse him, so I moved forwards into the water and accepted his hand.
I didn't understand, I thought they were an old wives tale, merpeople. Even if I did love the stories. But I was wrong.
He smiled, and moved his face towards mine, and pressed our lips together. When he pulled away from me, I felt something in my mouth that was round and hard. He told me to swallow it and not ask questions. I reluctantly did, and was almost frantic to see him start to move to slide off the rock.
"W-wait...you're leaving. Just like that?" I asked, grasping his hand and pulling in an attempt to bring him closer.
"You are safe with he who loves you, Princess. Treat him with the love and kindness he deserves," he said, and I felt my eyes sting with angry tears.
"But I don't love him... I, I love you!" I blurted out and he smiled, leaning forward until his lips brushed my ear.
"I'll always be with you," he said and slipped away from me into the water.
Sometimes, I feel sad that he and I could never be together. Like a bird and a fish. But other times, I'm glad he only came to make me realize how much Sora loved me. And sometimes, when I'm rocking our baby to sleep in the warm, sea-salted night air, I can still smell that tantalizing scent of Persian roses and I know he's there.
--oOo--
Fin.
The reference to the Persian roses is from a story about a Persian king who fed his daughter poison since birth. It made her poisonous and her breath smelled like Persian roses. She was a gift to Alexander the Great in an attempt to kill him by seduction.
The round hard thing he gives her by mouth is supposed to be the eye of a shark. In ancient Hawaiian beliefs, if a woman sees a shark in her dream, or eats a part of a shark, they will become fertile with a child that will possess magical abilities.