Initially, Reina thought it would be too difficult for her to sleep. Her nerves were still on the fritz after her near kiss with the mysterious man with the eye patch. She couldn't believe that she had actually considered leaning forward to press her lips against his. She barely knew him! Giving away something as precious as her first kiss to a guy like him would be a total waste! Xigbar was a jerk and a pervert; she knew the kiss wouldn't have meant anything to him the way it would have to her. He seemed like the kind of guy that had plenty of girls at his beck and call. Very few women would be immune to his good looks and bad-boy vibe, and it wouldn't have surprised her in the least if he had a different girlfriend in every world he visited. She was mad at herself for almost getting swept up in the moment, but she had at least pushed aside her forbidden attraction for the Freeshooter long enough to avoid having to kiss him directly on the lips. Still, she couldn't make her heart settle down even after just kissing his cheek. Maybe it was because of that sensual gleam in his eye just before she made her move. No guy had ever looked at her that way before, and it made her whole body tingle with unfamiliar sensations.

'Geez, what's wrong with me? Am I so starved for attention that I'll let myself get swept off my feet by the first guy that pays attention to me?'

It was all so frustrating, but at least she didn't remain caught up in her thoughts for very long as the exhaustion from the day's journey finally caught up to her. The dirt-covered ground wasn't comfortable in the least, but her body decided that it didn't matter as she soon felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness while her mind kept floating back to the intense, lustful gaze of the man sitting just outside the tree.

It was probably a good thing she'd never see him again after tomorrow morning. There was no telling how long she'd be able to resist that rough, gravelly voice of his or even the gentle touch of his hand.

As Reina finally let her thoughts slip away from her handsome partner, the scenery around her began to change as she fell into a hazy dream.

Xigbar was almost impressed over how quickly the little princess fell asleep.

He had insisted Reina get some rest while he stood guard, and even though she tried to argue with him on it, she eventually gave in. Her heavy eyelids were at war with her, and they ended up winning as she crawled inside the hollowed-out tree to sleep. At first, Xigbar could have sworn he had heard her pull out a chainsaw to start hacking away at the tree, but it turned out it was just her heavy snoring. It was nearly impossible not to laugh at such a loud, distracting noise coming from a dignified young lady with a regal background such as hers. Still, he somehow managed to swallow his laughter and remain silent as he sat by the campfire just outside the tree.

'Man, what a day.'

He stretched out on the ground, arms tucked behind his head as he stared up at the stars hanging over Wonderland. Today was supposed to go a lot smoother. As a matter of fact, they should have already been done with their adventure in Wonderland before nightfall, but a few unexpected disasters had made the going slow. It wasn't a huge issue, though. He had time. There was no point in rushing a mission as delicate as this one. As long as they didn't have any other setbacks during their stay in Wonderland, they could move on to the next phase of his plan.

There was still a lot he needed to learn about the girl and the extent of her fabricated memories. Namine had done an impeccable job of following the script he had laid out for her. The memory witch had expertly disassembled Reina's past from her subconscious mind, erasing the finer details of Radiant Garden's fall into something less traumatizing for her. Making a person forget their past was the easy part. Filling in the gaps with new, fake memories was where things got tricky. But so far, Reina didn't seem to doubt anything her thoughts were telling her. Using Namine's powers to his advantage had been the best decision he had made so far.

Reina believed she was a child when her father, Ansem the Wise, disappeared. She believed she and her mother escaped Radiant Garden as darkness consumed their world. She believed she had spent the past decade growing up underneath the starry skies of Traverse Town, where she and her mother were able to share many happy moments together and rebuild their new lives until the curtain finally fell upon the queen's frail body. With Namine's forged memories staking a claim in her fragile mind, Reina honestly believed she had lived a somewhat happy life these past ten years until the tragic passing of her mother.

That was good enough for him. For now, at least.

There was just enough there to keep Reina from questioning what truly happened almost ten years ago, and he'd do whatever it took to keep her real memories locked tight. It was better this way. They now had a chance to meet again as two different people. As long as Reina didn't remember who Braig was, she and Xigbar could start from scratch. Namine had warned him that she could easily erase and replace the princess's memories once, but doing so multiple times could have fatal consequences on her mind. Her mind could collapse, never to stabilize again. She'd be a walking husk, an empty shell of the person she used to be. Under no circumstance would Xigbar allow that to happen; he knew he only had this one shot at doing things right this time, and he wasn't going to squander the time he was permitted to carry out his plan.

As long as things kept going the way he hoped, the past couldn't hurt her. He wouldn't have to hurt her, either.

Xigbar wasn't sure how long he lay on the cold, hard ground of Lotus Forest, staring up at the dark sky until his own eyelid found it difficult to remain open. A light nap couldn't hurt anything, he supposed. It's not like any Heartless would come after them right now. He just needed to wake up just before sunrise since there was more work to be done before Reina awoke again.

His eye didn't remain closed for long as his ears detected the sound of a dark portal opening. Abruptly jolting up, Xigbar turned to see a Corridor of Darkness opening up on the other side of the fire. He stood at attention, waiting to see who from the other side was daring to impede on his peace and quiet.

"Why the hell are you here?" A deep growl was released from the back of his throat as another man stepped out of the shadows. "Luxord?"

A blonde male with a goatee greeted the Freeshooter with a twisted smirk. "Is that any way to greet your most trusted comrade, Number II? Honestly, you really ought to work on your manners some more."

Only a few members of the Organization were aware of the current mission involving the Princess of Radiant Garden. Everyone else in the Organization had been purposely left in the dark. Each member had their own designated tasks to complete. Some were sent on missions to investigate other worlds and battle Heartless while others were responsible for conducting important research that would benefit their group as a whole. While the others had their work cut out for them, Xigbar had directly requested that Xemnas choose him to carry out this delicate mission involving the princess. He was the best Nobody suited for the job, and Xemnas couldn't have agreed more. They both also decided that it was best to keep the others out of the loop to prevent any unnecessary meddling that could prevent Xigbar from achieving his goal. He had still needed a little bit of outside help and required some assistance from both Vexen and Zexion, but they were both instructed to keep all details of this top-secret mission to themselves. Xigbar was sure he had made himself pretty damn clear for them to keep their mouths shut since the last thing he needed was someone else from their group trying to jump in and mess up all his hard work.

It appeared that Xigbar hadn't been as crystal clear as he initially thought if Luxord was here.

"You're not supposed to be here." Xigbar narrowed his eye at the Gambler of Fate, his pulse jumping at his temple as he fought to keep his rising anger at bay.

"That's quite the hateful look you're giving someone who selflessly decided to go out of their way to offer you some much-needed assistance on your immediate quest." Luxord chuckled as the Corridor of Darkness faded behind him, letting Xigbar know he wasn't just "popping" in and fully intended to stay for a while.

"As if," Xigbar replied, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "How did you find me? No one but Xemnas, Vexen, and Zexion should have known about my whereabouts."

Luxord's grin broadened as if he had been hoping Xigbar was going to ask that very question. "You see, that's the funny thing. We've all been so dreadfully busy in the Organization, what with the arrival of our newest member, Roxas, and with the plans involving Castle Oblivion, and yet, you seem to have been missing for quite a few days. Not even Saix knew where you were or what you were up to, but it seemed like all I needed to do to satiate my curiosity was ask the right person."

Xigbar's jaw tightened as he waited for Luxord to finish. Of course, since this was the Gambler of Fate he was dealing with, getting direct answers right away wasn't going to be easy to achieve. "Who spilled the beans?" He asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"All it took was a simple game with the Chilly Scientist to have him leak your location," Luxord's free hand was outstretched in front of him as a deck of playing cards magically materialized in his palm. He shuffled the deck a few times before drawing a single card from the top of the pile. He smirked at what the card revealed to him before sliding it back into the middle of the deck. "It's amazing what you can find out through winning bets. I simply asked him where you were, and he told me what I wanted to know. It was as simple as that."

Damn it, he should have figured that Vexen was bound to let their "secret mission" leak sooner or later. He had just wished that if and when it did happen, he would only run his mouth to someone who liked to mind their own business, like Lexaeus or even Xaldin. Luxord, however, was far too curious, far too cunning, to let this kind of exciting opportunity slip between his fingertips. He wanted in on this new, secret scheme, that much Xigbar could tell.

"Okay, cool," Xigbar said, pretending to sound already disinterested in this particular conversation. "You found me—big whoop. As you can see, I'm just out and about trying to recruit new members for the Organization. Nothing really to see here."

Luxord's eyes shifted from the man with the eyepatch to the scenery around them. "Recruiting new members? Here? Seems unlikely. What kind of individual could you possibly hope to recruit in a place like this?" He knocked on a nearby tree to test its solid infrastructure, almost as if he were expecting it to crumble at his very touch.

"I really don't think it's any of your business where or how I find new members to the Organization," Xigbar replied. "In any case, recruitment is going just fine, so you can go home now."

"Oh, but why would I leave so soon after just getting here? It's my first time being in a place like this. Perhaps I'll just stay for a little while and help you out with your recruitment." Luxord began to pace in a large circle, rounding the burning campfire and the long-haired man who continued to stand near it. His features were framed by the light of the fire, casting shadows over his face, which only made it harder for Xigbar to get a good read on him.

"I don't need help, Number Ten. I'm doing just fine on my own. Shouldn't you be off playing pirate at Port Royal or something? I'm sure you've got better things to do than spy on me."

Luxord chuckled at this; Xigbar was as elusive as ever. "Ah, yes, it seems like you've already bargained a partnership with the Princess of Radiant Garden. I'm sure she will make a fine addition to the Organization, and I can place my bets the leather cloak will look absolutely stunning on someone as beautiful as she." As the gambler said this, he pulled out something from behind his back. In his hand was now a brown bag, and Xigbar immediately recognized it as the one belonging to Reina.

The marksman had to force himself to remain calm as he watched Luxord dangle the bag in the air as if he were taunting him. He was clearly toying with Xigbar, trying to get under his skin to make him reveal more of his secret mission. He wasn't going to give in that easily, though. Showing his full hand so soon would only cause problems; he needed to tread carefully around the Gambler of Fate unless he wanted all of his hard work to crumble before his very eye.

"How much did Vexen tell you?" Xigbar asked, keeping his voice calm and steady. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder and back at the tree where the princess in question was still sleeping soundly. He had been so focused on his conversation with his comrade that he hadn't been mindful of the chance Reina was listening in on them, but his ears could still pick up the sound of her steady breathing and the occasional snore in between breaths. She was out like a light, but that didn't mean they didn't need to be careful not to wake her.

Luxord shrugged his shoulders. "He told me enough, I suppose." He drew a lazy hand down his goatee, rubbing the platinum blonde hair on his chin as he kept his attention glued to the sharpshooter. "He told me that Xemnas has another side project going on, something that didn't involve gathering the hearts to complete Kingdom Hearts. He mentioned there was a mission, one that only you could somehow execute with high success, that involved gaining the trust of a beautiful maiden you knew in the past and getting her to join our noble cause."

"What else?" Xigbar tensed as Luxord continued to walk in slow circles around him. He knew there had to be more. There had to be a reason Number X decided to pay him a visit all the way out here instead of just waiting for him to return to the World that Never Was to wring information out of him.

"Vexen stressed the importance of this mission. That absolutely nothing could go wrong because of the Superior's strong desire to get his hands on the girl. As to why he wants her, not even Vexen knew. He was only drafted to assist in the mission because of his knowledge of Ansem the Wise's research. The same goes for Zexion, although I highly doubted Number VI would have offered any more information than what Vexen already so graciously provided me with. I knew if I wanted more answers, I'd need to speak to the one man assigned to the fieldwork of this particular matter." Luxord stopped walking once he was standing just a few feet in front of the other man. Their heights were almost evenly matched, but Xigbar was trying his best to somehow stand up taller and straighter to indirectly let his comrade know that he wasn't intimated by these little mind games he was playing.

Folding his arms over his chest, Xigbar cocked his chin up in an arrogant manner. "Don't you get it? Xemnas didn't assign you to play any part in this mission. I'm sure he did it for a solid reason, too. That being the case, I don't have to tell you shit. To hell with your curiosity. You're not supposed to be here, so go on back to the castle and complete the missions you were given and don't worry yourself about mine."

Luxord wasn't offended in the least by the strong venom in the other man's voice. It only made his grin widen even more. "Ah, but you see, just because I wasn't assigned the mission of subduing the princess doesn't mean I can't offer my assistance. From what I've observed from Vexen's surveillance videos, you're not doing as great as you thought you were out here. She's not the same, docile little darling she was before. She's less trusting and quite feistier than you counted on."

"I'm doing just fine with her," Xigbar growled in defense before reaching forward and snatching Reina's bag right out of the blonde's hands. "She's the same person, even if she is a little different after all these years. And why the hell are you watching me, anyway?! Sounds like you really need a hobby."

Luxord didn't put up a fight as the bag was torn from his grasp, his hand slackening just enough so the Freeshooter could easily steal it. He watched in mild amusement as Xigbar opened up the bag to thoroughly inspect the contents to make sure nothing was missing. If anything was gone—her hairbrush, toothpaste, water bottle, or most importantly, the journal—Reina was bound to throw a fit. Luckily, it didn't seem like Luxord had snatched anything from inside it.

Once he saw that Xigbar was satisfied to find that nothing had been stolen from the girl's bag, Luxord continued with their conversation. "Personally, I was more amused watching you struggle with the Heartless earlier. Even the Drainer seemed to pose more of a problem to you than you initially counted on. Unless…" His teasing smirk faltered as his icy blue eyes hardened in Xigbar's direction. "Unless that was all a façade, too, to draw the girl closer to you? Did you really lose your powers, or are you only pretending?"

Finally, it was Xigbar's turn to grin. "Ha, wouldn't you like to know? A great magician never reveals his secrets. You ought to know that."

"Indeed," the gambler mumbled before pausing long enough to decide what move he'd play next. The mysterious cards he had been holding in his hand were now floating in mid-air in front of his face. He studied the answers the cards were giving him before he fired one in his comrade's direction.

The card shot through the air like a bullet and flew right towards Xigbar's face, slicing through his skin. Sharp as a blade, the card had formed another deep line against Xigbar's face, giving him an X-shaped mark on his cheek.

"Ow! What the hell, Luxord?!" Xigbar hadn't seen the attack coming and therefore did not dodge or try to catch the card in his hand before it sliced him. He cursed under his breath as the cut began to sting, blood trickling down his chin in a thick red line.

"I suppose that answers my question," Luxord mused to himself, his grin returning. "There's no way you wouldn't have seen that coming if you still had your powers. The Drainer really did zap you of all your strength, thus proving my point."

Xigbar angrily wiped the blood away with his glove. "And what point would that be?!"

"You need my help," Luxord said with an air of confidence dripping from his deep voice. "You can't do this type of job alone. Frankly, you're not quite as charismatic enough to win her affection or trust easily. Perhaps the princess from before might have fallen for your brash and crude behavior, but this new version of her doesn't appear to be easily swayed by men like you. I believe someone with more experience in charming women the proper way would better gain her cooperation. But you? You're just a washed-up, dirty old man now. Any woman in her right mind wouldn't give you a passing glance."

"As if you should be talking," Xigbar snapped back. "We all know that your hair is just dyed blonde to hide your gray hair."

Luxord glared back and brought up a hand to fiddle with a few short strands of his finely cut hair. "I beg your pardon—"

In any case," the sharpshooter sneered, "I don't need your help. I don't want it, either. If you try to intervene, I'll have no choice but to let the Superior know that you're purposely trying to sabotage this oh-so-critical mission of his. So just leave before you humiliate yourself even further."

"I assure you that sabotaging this mission was never my intention, Xigbar," Luxord addressed him with a cold yet assertive tone as his hands began to make quick work of reshuffling the cards. "I still strongly insist you let me help. I fear that your failure will be guaranteed should you decline my offer."

"Why the hell are you so pushy about this?" Xigbar pressed. "What could you possibly gain by helping me out, other than appeasing your boredom?"

Luxord stopped shuffling the cards to offer his comrade a wink, chuckling under his breath. "Let's just say I have my reasons, just as I'm sure you have yours for taking this mission so seriously. The girl is more than just a pawn to you, is she not? Whether there is a heart beating in your chest or not, you two did have a strong connection in the past that I'm sure even you cannot simply dismiss as nothing."

How the hell does Luxord know so much? Xigbar was usually pretty good at reading people, but Luxord was the one member he just couldn't understand. He knew nothing of his past, where he came from, and what he truly hoped to gain by joining the Organization. They may have been allies on the outside, but there was no telling where Luxord's real allegiance lay.

"Don't make me say it again, Luxord. I don't need your help."

Ignoring the harshness of Xigbar's tone, the gambler still wasn't ready to give up and kept pressing the matter. "Why don't we play a game to decide what should happen?" In the blink of an eye, the cards he had been toying with vanished into thin air. A pair of dice replaced the cards as Luxord held out his hand to show Xigbar what he had in mind.

"Tch, I'm not dumb enough to play a game with you. Go back to the castle, Number Ten, and stay out of my way." He knew Luxord wasn't the type to quit so easily until he got what he wanted, but his persistence was grating on his nerves more than usual. If only he could whip out his Arrowguns and teach him a lesson, then maybe Luxord would think twice before pushing him too far next time.

Luxord shook his head disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, such a downer, you are. All I'm asking is to play a simple game of dice. If you win, I'll leave—no questions asked. I will stay out of your way and keep my lips sealed about what I know of this mission." The dice began to levitate in the air, hovering above his hand before slowly floating towards Xigbar. "If I win, you let me in on your mission. I will even go as far as to follow your directions on what I should do to avoid any conflict with your brewing plans."

He wasn't getting it. With a low groan of frustration, Xigbar pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "I'm not going to play a game with you. I've seen firsthand that you never lose these types of games. You win almost every time, and I'm not going to risk anything. So the answer is no. No, I won't play a silly little game with you, and no, you can't help me."

The dice continued to hang in the air in front of Xigbar before instantly vanishing in a dramatic flash of light. "Suit yourself," Luxord shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on the man with the eyepatch. A Corridor of Darkness was opened once again, the silent call of swirling darkness beckoning the blonde to its foreboding entrance.

Just before he stepped into the portal, Luxord turned to look at the marksman over his shoulder. "Of course, since I'm not helping you now, it means I won't be able to guarantee my silence, either. It'd be a shame if I let it slip to Larxene or even Demyx that Number II was trying to court a princess. I'm sure that would be a spectacle no one would want to miss out on."

Xigbar froze. If someone like Demyx found out about his secret mission, there would be no stopping the Melodious Nocturne from trying to intervene. He'd try to butt in, maybe even pretend to be a wingman or something, but would ultimately end up blowing their entire cover or find ways to humiliate the both of them beyond repair. Larxene would be just as bad, if not worse. She would probably get tired of waiting around for Xigbar to do things his way and instead try to force Reina to join them using violence. He wanted to avoid any conflict involving the other Organization members as much as possible, but his gut was warning him that Luxord would make sure that someone else would impose on this expedition of his.

"You wouldn't dare," Xigbar threatened.

"Oh, but I would," Luxord taunted before turning around. "So what do you say? Fancy a game of dice? Let fate decide where we go from here? I'll even make it easier on you. If you can beat me in a game of dice once, the victory is yours. You can challenge me as many times as you like. That sounds like a generous bargain if you ask me."

The Gambler of Fate wasn't giving him any other option here. Xigbar had a feeling he was seriously going to regret this.

When Reina opened her eyes again, she saw that she was no longer lying on the ground inside the tree. Instead, she was in a parlor, standing in front of a floor-length mirror and staring back at her reflection. The first thing Reina noticed was that her long hair was no longer the hazelnut shade she was accustomed to seeing in mirrors. It was now as golden as the petals of a sunflower, tied in a thick braid falling down her back. Her face, however, looked almost the same as it always did, if not a bit smoother from the light makeup that had been applied to her cheeks. The green tint her eyes usually held had also been replaced by a reddish shade, making it was wonder if the face staring back actually belonged to her. Reina's attention didn't remain on her facial features for long before her unusual choice of attire drew her eyes downward.

She was in a poofy, white dress that looked like a giant cupcake with all the fancy lace and frills adorning the tight bodice as the many thick layers of the skirt poofed around her from all edges. It looked like an extravagant wedding dress, one fit for a princess.

'What am I doing here? Why am I wearing a wedding dress? More importantly, why am I blonde?!'

As Reina continued to stare at her unfamiliar reflection, a gentle voice spoke to her from behind as she felt the white corset of the gown suddenly tighten as someone tugged at the strings that laced the bodice up.

"Oh, you look so beautiful, my darling! I knew this kind of dress would suit you perfectly!"

Reina would have known that voice from anywhere.

'Mom?! Is that you?!'

She wanted to turn around to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, but her body wouldn't move on her command. Her lips wouldn't move either, as if she wasn't the one in control of her body.

"Did I make it too tight? Perhaps I should let out a few seams to give you more breathing room. Hmm…Won't you turn around for me for a moment?"

Finally, Reina could feel her body moving on autopilot. She was turning around, only to look at the beautiful, familiar face of the woman adjusting her dress.

Standing right before her very eyes was none other than Queen Aurelia, her dearly departed mother. She looked much healthier and younger than she did in her final days, with her dark brown hair set in a tight bun atop of her head and a pair of square-rimmed glasses perched neatly on her button nose.

'I…I don't believe it…My mother is here, standing right before me! Is this real?!'

Reina wanted to throw her arms around her mom's neck to feel her arms wrap tightly around her in one of her famous bear hugs; however, her limbs still refused to move the way she wanted them to. Her mind was alert to her surroundings, and she could freely think independently, but the way her body moved on its own made her feel like she was somehow disconnected from it or that maybe someone else was in complete control of it. It was almost like she was watching a scene in a movie from someone else's perspective, from someone who had maybe possessed her, and Reina had no real power over what she was going to do or say next.

Reina's mouth suddenly opened to speak without her consent. "The dress is beautiful, mother, but…but…."

The queen looked up at her daughter, her lips turning downwards in a concerned frown. "It's just that you wish you didn't have to wear something like this," she replied. "Because you wish that you weren't getting married."

Reina's head nodded as she looked down at the gown once more. "I just can't believe this is happening. Marriage had never crossed my mind before, yet here I am about to be wed to someone I'm not in love with."

"Prince Ardan really isn't so bad once you get to know him," her mother said as she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure no woman is ever truly ecstatic to marry a man she doesn't really know, but he's very handsome and polite, wouldn't you agree? Merlin spoke so highly of him when he first arrived at Radiant Garden. It's not often we get visitors from other worlds, but Merlin directly asked your father himself if we could take the poor prince in after his world fell to darkness."

Reina spoke again as if following a pre-destined script. "I understand that taking Princes Ardan was the right thing to do, but why do I have to marry him? Why can't he just become one of father's apprentices?"

Reina's thoughts were running wild as she tried to make sense of everything happening before her. The whole scenario felt so surreal, almost like it was a memory she had buried down within her. That wouldn't have been plausible, though, considering she had been but a child when her world fell to darkness. There was no possible way she could have ever been standing in the castle parlor like this, trying on a wedding dress in front of her mother and talking about an engagement with a man whose name didn't ring any bells.

'There's no way this event could have really happened, but I'm still getting the biggest sense of déjà vu right now. This must be a dream…But why does it feel so real, as if it's happening right now? I can smell my mother's jasmine perfume that she always wore, and I can even feel the itchy material of the dress scratching against my back. If this is a dream and nothing more, it's definitely the most realistic one I've ever experienced.'

Her mother spoke again, and Reina's eyes were brought back to the emerald hues of the queen's kind gaze. "There are many things you don't understand, my darling, but your father honestly does think that this is the best thing for you and our kingdom. Your father isn't getting any younger and won't be able to rule Radiant Garden forever. As for me, well…You already know that my time is running short."

"Mother, don't—"

The queen shook her head. "Your father and I just want to know that our kingdom will be in good hands after we are both someday gone. Prince Ardan has been the first capable suitor to ever walk through our doors. He grew up as royalty and already has experience in ruling a kingdom of his own. Ansem will be able to teach him how to follow in his footsteps and become a wonderful king just like him."

"It just isn't fair!" Reina snapped with a fury that even surprised herself. "I can rule this kingdom all on my own one day! I don't need a husband, especially not someone who just showed up out of nowhere one day demanding to be treated like a king just because he was in line for the throne back in his own world! He's rude, arrogant, snappy, and—"

The queen wrapped her arms around her daughter's shoulders in hopes of quelling her frustration. "I know, my darling… I know. Truthfully, I don't like this outcome, either. But these are your father's wishes. You can't go against them. As princess of Radiant Garden, you are expected to marry a dignified suitor and eventually become queen. You must think of what will be in your kingdom's best interest, and even if Prince Ardan does seem a bit spoiled, I believe that with your father's guidance, he can be a great king."

A loud whistle from the doorway distracted the pair as one of the castle guards stood in the doorway. The black hair that fell just above his shoulders was neatly slicked back, and he wore a red scarf around his neck. He folded his arms over his chest, brown eyes meeting Reina's flustered gaze before she quickly looked away and down at the floor.

"Wow, I never thought I'd ever see the princess in a wedding gown," the man grinned, eyeing her up and down. "Gotta say it's enough to steal my breath away."

'Huh? I know that voice….'

Reina's hands were fidgeting nervously with a particular piece of lace on her gown. "Oh, um…I apologize. I didn't realize it was time for our lesson already."

The man waved his hand in the air. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm the early one. Dilan told me that you were probably busy getting ready for your big day next week, but I just wanted to pop in and see if you wanted to go ahead and get in some target practice outside. After all, something tells me you could let off some steam. I could hear you shouting from the hallway."

Reina continued to stand stiffly in front of the mirror, awkwardly avoiding the man's gaze as her focus remained fixed on the floor. The queen was the one who responded for her, as she smiled kindly at her husband's trusted apprentice.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Braig. We are very grateful that you offered to give her self-defense lessons. Even princesses need to learn how to defend themselves since we never know when the kingdom might fall under attack," Queen Aurelia said, regarding the man with a grateful bow.

"Don't sweat it!" The guard known as Braig chuckled. "Our lessons are good for me, too. They get me out of the lab. I hate having Even on my ass all the time telling me to work on those boring reports all the time."

If the queen was bothered by his foul language, she didn't let it show on her face as she smiled at her daughter. "My darling, why don't you get dressed and go with Braig? Perhaps some fresh air will help you feel better."

"I'll be in the courtyard," He turned on his heels before shooting Reina one last smirk. "Don't keep me waiting too long, though, Princess Erian."

As soon as the man walked back out the door, the area around Reina began to fade as a black mist filled the room. She tried to blink through the fog, but the more she blinked, the more her scenery began to change again. No longer was she standing in a wedding dress, nor was she in the presence of her mother again. After a few more blinks, the whole room was gone, and Reina found herself staring up at the wooden covering of the tree she had been sleeping in.

Her chest was heaving up and down with heavy breaths as she felt her throat begin to burn.

'What…What was that?!'

Her hand wiped away the sweat from her forehead as she closed her eyes again, focusing on the bizarre dream she had just awoken from. Even though it was a dream, the feeling of her mother's arms around her shoulders had felt so incredibly real. There was something familiar about the whole scene as if her brain had conjured up a hyper-realistic dream from some far-off memory of hers. That, of course, couldn't have been the case. She looked like she was at least in her late teen years, or perhaps early twenties in that moment, but Reina knew that she had left Radiant Garden before she was thirteen years old. Plus, there had never been any real talk of marriage for her while she was so young, at least none that she could remember.

"Ugh, I must be going crazy… It's probably the effects of Wonderland. I bet sleeping in this place gives you weird lucid dreams or something," the frustrated brunette grumbled to herself. She had never been blonde before in her life-she knew that for a fact-so her dream probably came about because of her conversations with Xigbar the night prior.

Still, it was nice seeing her mother again and hearing her voice, even if it was in the form of an outlandish dream with impossible scenarios involving an imaginary engagement with a prince that didn't even exist.

Who was the guy in the red scarf, though, and why did he call her Princess Erian? His voice was vaguely familiar, but now that she was fully awake, she couldn't seem to recall what the man's face had looked like in her dream. He was probably a made-up character her mind had conjured up and was not someone who ever actually lived in Radiant Garden. She certainly didn't remember any castle guards ever giving her self-defense lessons back at the castle, either.

But…But why did it all feel so familiar? Everything felt nostalgic, from the conversation she had with her mother to the emergence of the man with the red scarf. Obviously, she was overthinking this dream, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was maybe something more to it. Maybe there was something important she was forgetting, and her dream was trying to help her remember…

'Nah. That'd be crazy. I really need to get out of Wonderland. I'm losing my mind here!'

Reina pushed herself up and off the ground, shaking off the dirt and leaves that stuck to her clothes and hair. Her muscles ached as she stretched her arms over her head, the uncomfortable conditions of her makeshift bed resulting in the stiffening of her tired limbs. Ignoring the aggravating crick in her neck, Reina was just about to crawl outside of the tree and greet the morning before the sound of voices startled her.

"You dirty cheater! I saw that!"

"How does one cheat at a game based on pure luck? Obviously, you're mistaken."

The first voice belonged to Xigbar, that much she could tell, but who was he arguing with? Crawling out from the base of the tree, Reina had to blink her eyes a few times as they stung from the brightness of the sun gleaming over the woods.

When her eyes finally adjusted to the overpowering morning sunlight, she could see that Xigbar was sitting on the ground, hunched over a small boulder as a blonde man sat across from him. They were going back and forth, dropping a pair of dice on the boulder's smooth surface.

"Damn it! I said odd!" Xigbar cried out in frustration.

"It appears that the dice are showing a three and a five, making the number eight. That would be even, my friend. You lose again," the other man said calmly, an arrogant smirk on his face.

Reina shifted her attention from her partner to the mysterious stranger. His wardrobe consisted of a black leather coat and matching pants, mimicking Xigbar's attire. He looked around the same age as Xigbar, too, but he could have also been a few years younger. The many piercings that adorned his ear were eye-catching, but she didn't get to stare at them for very long as the blonde man turned his head so he could look at her.

"Ah, it seems the Sleeping Beauty has finally decided to grace us with her lovely presence." His accent was thick, and his voice was deep, but it was his smile that made her cheeks flush.

"Um…Hello?" Reina's spine straightened as she watched the man get up from his seat and approach her with graceful steps.

He offered out his hand, his eyes the brightest shade of blue that Reina had ever seen on a man before.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, my dear. My name is Luxord."