Disclaimer- I do not own any characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II (I wish...)

Notes- Ok I know the last chapter kinda rushed through but I was very tired... it's still early in the day now so I have all day to make this a good one! So they will be attending dinner with Roselin and her guard. Enjoy!

Chapter 5- Preparations

Sora looked around his room in awe. He wished for more time to take it all in, but it was already past six and he was to be at Fleur's door at seven, so he set to work getting ready. He walked over to the door leading into his bathroom... his bathroom! He clutched the cold silver doorknob and turned it slowly. A warm steam poured out and Sora's senses were flooded by the aroma of lavender bath salts. He continued to open the door as the steam rose to the ceiling and his vision became clearer. The bathroom was more like an ancient roman sauna, all in a beige-colored marble with high pillars. There were small pools to the left and right of a larger pool which Sora took to be the main tub. By each of the smaller pools there were ladies in white robes sprinkling in a mixture of what smelled like lavender and sage. The large pool was also accompanied by more women dressed likewise, also sprinkling in bath salts. He noticed off to the left that there was a curtain leading into what he assumed to be his changing room. He walked over to it and pulled aside the linen to pass. Inside there was another small pool, smaller than the others, for him to was his hands and feet in. There was a white robe hanging on a hook on the wall, and towels likewise. Sora hung his clothes on hangers that were on yet another hook. He put on the robe and dipped his feet into the small pool of cool water. He then took a towel and headed back out to the main part of the bathroom. A maid came and took his towel from him, folded it, and set it on a heated metal surface to keep it warm. She led him over to the pool on the right side of the large tub.

"Here is where you will wash your hair. There is shampoo and a hand towel on that shelf there. When you're done with that, proceed to the main bath, where you will find soap and a wash cloth on the ledge. When you are done washing, leave your dirty towels over there, by the pool on the far wall. We will wash them there and hang them again in your changing room. After you have dried off and put you're clothes on, you are free to use any of the cosmetics that are on the shelf by that pillar over there. Ring us when you're done. By the way, my name is Aya. If you need anything, my sister Hari and I will be at your service. Just pull that cord by the door there. Au revoir!" And with that, Aya and Hari stepped out of the room. Sora took a deep breath. He looked at a clock that resembled a sundial.

6:15... he thought to himself. Woah... this is amazing.

He proceeded with his bath. When he had washed his hair in the first pool, he toweled it somewhat dry and moved on to the next pool. Not until he submerged himself into the hot water did he realize how deep the bath was. It was nearly seven feet deep, completely tiled with small, shimmering blue tiles. He swam about underwater for a few moments. Suddenly, a strange apparition appeared to him under the water. A female water sprite with a scaly green tail and black hair swam around him in circles. He reached out for her, but she jumped out of the water, never coming back in. He stared at the spot in the surface where she left, ripples slowly subsiding. He emerged again, looking around the room for her, but there was not a soul to be found. Swimming over to a ledge to rest, he saw something gleaming at the bottom of the bath. He dove down to investigate, finding a small golden key with the inscription Arosukir Iriak on it. It was strung on a chain. He grasped it tight and swam to the surface again. Once he rose to the top and took a breath, he rested again on the ledge by the side of the tub. He looked again at the key, and then over to the sundial. It was already 6:30, and he needed to be ready soon. He hastily placed the key around his neck with the small chain it was attached to. He pulled himself out of the tub and walked over to his towel laying on the heated table. He dried himself off and wrapped his robe around him. He went back behind the curtain and returned wearing his black and red outfit. He tossed his towels along with his robe over to the designated pool. He tucked the key inside his shirt and exited into his room.

His room felt cold compared to the steam of the sauna, even though there wasn't much more than a slow overhead fan to cool the room. He walked over to the bed and sat, nearly sinking into the soft comforter and pillows. He decided not to sit there and instead chose a cushioned wooden chair by the door. As he rose and turned towards the door, he saw a pair of shoes with a note sitting in the chair beside the one he had chosen to sit in. He still sat down, picking up the shoes and the note and putting them on his lap. Lifting the paper briefly to look at the shoes, he read the note.

Dear Sora,

These are for you to wear so you have shoes to go with you're clothes. I just bought them at the market in town. I hope you like them. See you at dinner!

Love,

Fleur

He looked again at the shoes. They were black with a thin red stripe stitched down the middle on the front and on the back behind his ankle. He tried them on- a perfect fit. He rose from the chair and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 6:50. He should be early picking up Fleur so they could chat a bit. He slipped the note into the drawer of his nearby desk and stepped out the door.

As he walked down the hall, he looked out the windows. One side of the hall was all glass, looking out over the garden. The other side was where the doors to each room were. He walked a few yards down the hall, stopping at a door which he knew was Fleur's. He lifted his hand to knock on the door. Before he even formed a fist, he noticed his hands sweating. He sloppily wiped them on his pants and attempted again. This time he succeeded in making contact between his knuckles and the door. He knocked three times, and the door opened seconds later.

Fleur stood there, completely changed. She had a different dress on, and different makeup. Her dress was red now, the upper half resembling a corset. The skirt was bell shaped and came to the floor. There was a large bow in the back, just as there had been on her previous dress. She had on fresh makeup with subtle hints of red that complemented her dress perfectly. Her long brown hair was curled and left hanging down, with the exception of a few locks that were tied back in a red ribbon to keep them out of her face. Despite this effort, one lone curl fell down beside her cheek.

Sora smiled wide.

"You look gorgeous." He said after a short pause.

"Why thank you, Sora! And I see your shoes fit... How wonderful. Now, it's not yet seven o'clock. Would you like to come sit for a few minutes?" Fleur said as she stepped to the side and swayed her arm in a welcoming motion.

"Of course I would." Sora stepped into her room. Hers had the same furnishings as his, only there were some he didn't have and the room itself was larger, with a fireplace burning on one wall. Her color scheme was the same though, gold and red. She ushered him over to a chair by a coffee table, and she sat down in one as well.

"So," she began. "How do you like your room? I knew after hearing your story that you would be a little overwhelmed. I hoped you would enjoy it nonetheless."

"It was marvelous. I feel like a prince. I really appreciate it." He stated gratefully. He moved around in his seat a little, and the gold metal of the key touched his chest. He brought his hand to it and held it close.

"What is it?" Fleur asked in reaction to his sudden odd behavior.

"I found something in my bath. Well actually, someone brought it to me. They dropped it..." He pulled the key out of his shirt and ran his thumb over the inscription.

"A key? That's strange. Who dropped it?" She questioned.

"That's even stranger. A mermaid-like creature with a green tail and black hair was swimming in my bath. When I reached out to her, she swam straight up out of the water. When I emerged to look for her, she was gone. That's when I saw the key sinking to the bottom of the tub."

"Mermaid like? She was probably a water sprite, maybe even a goddess. Let me see it..." She held out her hand to Sora. He dropped the key in her palm, and she pulled it close to her face for a good look. Right away, she noticed the inscription. Arosukir Iriak... where have I seen this before? She thought. She looked up at her bookcase and noticed the red leather spine of a book protruding slightly from the rest of the books. She remembered the night before Sora arrived. So much has happened... I almost forgot about that strange book... Just when something was beginning to piece itself together in her mind, the grandfather clock near her window struck seven. "Oh, we need to go! Here, put it back inside your shirt and don't let Roselin see it. We need to hurry down to dinner." Fleur said in a rushed voice as she handed Sora the key and stood to head to the door. He did as he was told and followed her out the door, down the stairs, and through the foyer to the dining room. Before they entered, Fleur turned to speak to him again.

"Now, Roselin is, as you can tell, not one of the most pleasant people to be in the company of. But tonight we have no choice, she has arranged a formal dinner at which she wishes to become acquainted with you. Answer her questions, tell her what she wants to hear. And under no circumstances are you to speak of our friendship. Good luck..." She spoke quietly knowing that Roselin and her guard Sholto were waiting inside. She turned and reached for the doorknob, but stopped herself. "Oh yes... as my guard, you are supposed to open the door for me. She'll notice if I do it myself and we'll both be punished for impropriety." Sora understood and opened the door himself, letting Fleur enter first. He saw Roselin sitting there, with her guard to her right.

"Ahh, the princess and her guard have arrived!" Roselin said loudly in a booming voice.

Here we go... Fleur and Sora thought at the same time.

Notes- I'm so proud of this chapter! I personally think it's my best yet, but I need to hear it from my readers! R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil