"The little master just had a little dilemma last night..." I could see that she was very reluctant to tell me anything. I really wanted to know why that was.
"Please, Aeris," I pleaded as I walked up to her, grasping her trembling palms in mine, "tell me what happened."
She looked back at me, paled, eyes bent with sorrow – but not for herself – for Sora.
"I can help." A flicker of hope passed her by. However, that's all it was in the end, merely a flicker. A candle of light in a smothering room of darkness.
"He..." she said brokenly, "...suffered. I heard him in pain...but I was powerless to help. To stop it."
I could only imagine what had left those marks on them both. I could only imagine what happened last night.
A formless figure traipsing through the halls, thirsty for blood and pain. Sora...fighting to stay alive as it clawed his neck. Cries of pain and suffering that fell on deaf ears. Aeris - trying to defend Sora and in turn earning herself her own souvenir of the night. But what had ensued to chase the creature away?
"Stop what?" I pushed, "What attacked him? Heartless?"
She flinched, mirroring my own action.
"I can't say, Danella."
"But-"
"It's not my tale to tell." the tone of her voice was final. If I was to know what happened to Sora and Aeris last night, I would have to ask Sora myself.

I dropped my hands from hers, defeated.
"I'm sorry, Aeris. I should not have pried," I said, gnawing my bottom lip, "it is not my place to question you."
Without another word, I sat down quietly onto my own stool and started nibbling away at my own set of pancakes. They truly were good, settling my ill stomach, warming my tongue with cream and syrup.

The air was heavy with silence as Aeris washed the dishes. It was not until I finished my own breakfast that I noticed Donald was gone, leaving behind a golden syrupy plate in his wake. I suppose it was time for the others to awake and dine. I wonder how many people – others – live here. There's certainly enough room to house a family of eight or more. However, Sora did not seem like the type to keep very much company.
"Danny," Aeris said, never turning round to address me, "could you be a dear and fetch the little master's plate. He'll be finished by now."
Everyone in this household seemed to harbour secrets. They were so guarded. Never looking me in the eyes when they could avoid it.
I nodded before discarding my finished plate on the bench beside her. Still not so much as a glance.

Wondering back into the dining room I was bewildered by the expression on Sora's face. Misshapen with pain, tortured, his eyes flared like the voids of space as his jaw clenched. He was clawing at his neck, tracing the new raw marks perfectly with his own fingers. Tearing the unseen sin from his skin. He was causing himself pain!
"Stop!" before I could stop myself, I leapt down by his side, yanking his talon hand away from his bleeding neck. I expected him to lash out; to throw me to the ground and demand I never touch him again. Yet...he did no such thing.

He looked more pained than before. Grief darkening his face as he gazed down at me.
"I did it – it's my fault!" his voice cracked and trembled as he held back his feeling beneath the surface.
I didn't understand. What did he do? What was his fault? He could not have been talking about Aeris' scar. No, that was not his fault, it was out of his control. These scars were never made by human hands. They were clawed and torn, just like a Heartless wound. I would know...
He should not be blaming himself for a Heartless' attack – if that's what it was.
I know he had told me not to...but I could not help the coil of pity that clenched my heart. He was not to blame for anything.

"No," I absently traced my thumb over his crimson dyed knuckles – how long had he been clawing at his neck before I came in? "no, nothing is your fault."
"What would you know!" I flinched, his guard was back. I could see the steel in his gaze as he scowled. "You know nothing! You are nothing! You're worthless – brainless – helpless – hopeless! If it weren't for me, you'd be dead!"
Sora yanked his hand from mine – I tried to ignore the sting.
"I know that..." I muttered. Each word spat from his lips forced me further and further into the room's corner. Looming over me, for the first time in Sora's presence, I felt like everything he said I was.
My vision quivered. Yet I was not blind to miss Sora shaking. Eyes wild, specs of golden flashed through their blue hues. His teeth grated against each other as he tossed his head as if trying to clear it. Stiff fingers reached up, hiding his face as he struggled to stand up straight and hold back his roaring shouts.

No sooner had he uncovered his eyes, did I find myself smothered by something warm.
"Control it, Sora!"
Aeris. Aeris is here, sheltering me. Protecting me. Stopping Sora from...what?
"You don't want to hurt her, Sora. Remember." she sounded like she was talking to a wild animal, calming it, ensuring it that she was a friend and meant no harm. Aeris' jacket was in no way thick enough to muffle the threatening hisses that were echoing around the room. Sora was in pain – so much pain.
"Remember, Sora. You helped her. Remember."
All was silence...until a wounded whimper rang in my ears, followed by the bang of the dining room door.
Aeris released me, looking down at me, worried etched into the crease between her brows.
"I'm fine...I'm alright." I was telling myself more than I was Aeris. What was wrong with Sora? What had the attacker done to last night to drive him so madly?
"Give him some time to calm down..." Aeris said, "the little master is not happy with himself as of this moment."
I think that was an understatement. He was upset with himself over something – he was bleeding his neck dry. I nodded wordlessly...Oh, god-
"Wait! His neck!" I leapt up, and immediately regretted it. The swaying room twisted my stomach horribly. The built up fear and worthlessness that had embedded itself in my stomach was now replaced with nausea and bubbled up my throat. Aeris rushed to my side, placing a cool hand over my sweaty brow, settling my stomach.

"Don't worry yourself sick, Danny. I'll deal with it but I'll need to fetch Donald." I nodded, remembering his healing potion that he used on Aeris' wound.
"Will you be alright on your own for a while?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. I should...start my duties"
Aeris nodded, rubbing my back comfortingly before she disappeared.

I wasn't in the mood to clean. I wasn't in the mood to do anything. I was – as Aeris put it – sick with worry. I wanted to help him. I didn't want to be worthless to Sora. Though...I suppose it was a false hope that he would see me otherwise.
Grasping the utensils that I used to clean the dining room not so long ago, I set off to my room. I was not going to bother Sora. At least...that's what I kept repeating to myself.

Standing in front of the closet mirror, I instinctively set my hair into a taut bun, stray curls hanging down my cheekbones like golden tassels. I sighed, fixing the collar of my black lace vest. I wore one of the more casual dresses, obviously bought for my cleaning duties. Brown spaghetti straps crossed along my collar bone, wrapping round my neck like a halter, holding the ruffled bodice of the dress in place. A leather buckle belt hugged my waist, pushing my chest up and my pleated black shirt outward.
This one was flattering but not formal to wear everyday in Sora's company.

Polish, cloths, and a duster was all I needed. Once I had everything, I turned back to my door – and froze.
"So-sir." I stumbled over my close mistake. Sora stood there, hair hanging over his face, sheltering his eyes from me. Aeris must have found Donald; his neck scars were paled but still ever-present.
"I'm here to...check on you." his voice was strained, that was not what he wanted to say. "To make sure you were doing your job, of course."
"Of course." I mimicked his tone, showing him I didn't buy what he said. His jaw flexed as he finally brushed his hair aside from his eyes. Still rimmed with steel, they captured my gaze – compelling me to walk towards him.
Sora huffed through his nose as I looked down on his hand. Still covered in his own blood.

"I'm sorry-"
"I'm sorry-"
I blinked up at him. He had been about to apologize – to me?
"No, no, I should apologize, it was not my place. I should not have said what I did. I apologize for my carelessness."
He looked almost shell-shocked by what I said. I saw the silver waver in his eyes, showing me his pain. I dropped my gaze, grasping my wet cloth.
"Let me..." holding onto his coarse fingers, I pulled him along to sit on the couch, cleaning the blood from his hands. I would be lying if sitting alone with him staring at me was not intimidating – that it did not bring a blush to settle against my cheeks. Looking past the scars and temper, I could see the handsome young man that was so highly guarded. I could see that some time ago, Sora had been a very attractive, happy, young boy. His cerulean eyes would have been brilliant and light. His smile would never have the twisted pain that plagued it now. There would have been no scars marking his tan skin. No shadows darkening his face. He would have been perfect.

However, something had to change him way back when he obtained his first scar. Something that did not allow him to be the same young boy he used to be. Something that forced him to age beyond his years; to close him off from the world.

"You don't have to do that," he said. He was uncomfortable with my touch - that much I could gather.
"Yes, I do. It's my duty as your servant." His fingers twitched when the last word left my lips, but I ignored it. It did not mean anything.
"...Thank you."
I froze, cloth in hand. Wide-eyed, I looked up to see him gazing down on me, a strip of red colouring his right cheek. Warmth filled my own cheeks, lifting my lips into a tender smile. He was thanking me for more than cleaning his blood.
"You're welcome..sir." Oh, how dearly I wanted to call him by his name at that moment.

Once the blood was washed away, I could not help notice how nice Sora's hand felt in mine. Strong and coarse by the scars he wore, I could feel tenderness within them. Like Sora himself. I held his hand a little longer than I should before he pulled away.
"I will leave you to your duties than," Sora said, gathering himself to his feet. The comfortable atmosphere he had built around me shifted and crumbled so easily, "I will see you for dinner tonight. Be prompt."
A dinner invitation warped with an order. It chilled me.
"Yes, sir."
"Good day." he said and was gone. I felt like I had made little progress, but obviously Sora did not. He was quick to distance himself from me again. I was not trusted as of yet. I suppose that was to be expected. I did not trust him either. Yet I did want to trust him. He had saved my life, it was the least I could do.

The polish fumes were messing with my head. I felt sick – but the grime just wouldn't come off. I was almost finished with this hall by the time the sunlight started to fade from the windows.
At least the windows were finished, I thought proudly, happy that I had achieved at least that much today. The spiders were going to be very angry with me for wreaking their little bug traps. I deeply hoped that there was no reason for them as I made sure to bug-bomb the rooms and windowsills.
"Well, well, well," I stiffened, there was no mistaking that voice, "looks like Sora's finally dumped his rose petal amongst the weeds."
Axel leaned against the wall I had been rushing to clean with a wry smirk on his face while he crossed his arms.

"I am no 'rose petal'," I said, trying to keep my voice from slipping.
"Sure you are," Axel said reaching out to brush his gloved fingers along my temple and cheekbone, "but I wish you were my rose petal, not Sora's."
I blushed furiously despite myself. This man was shameless! Here I was, sweaty, dirty and otherwise a servant and he was hitting on me! The sun must have gone to his head, wearing that hat all day would certainly help in the heating process.
"I-I am nothing to Sora." I flinched away from his fingers, feeling uneasy.
His grin swelled painfully wider, baring his snow-white teeth, "I wouldn't be too sure of that. You're standing right here, alive, because he decided to save you, after all."
I did not allow that to go to my head and get my hopes up.
"That doesn't prove a thing. Anyone passing by would have helped if it was in their power to do so – it's the right thing to do."
"And when has Sora otherwise ever done the right thing?" Axel scoffed.
"Well, he..."

He had me there. Since I'd been here, Sora had never really shown he could do rightly by others. And from what he said in the dining room, Sora thought that he could do no right as well.
"Mmhm, told you so," I wished I could bleach that smug look right off his face, "you're something special."
My shoulders slumped. No – I'm not. I'm nothing special, especially to Sora.
"I'm a servant in his household, that's all I'll ever be, Axel," I said firmly, "now, I would appreciate it if you left me to my duties, I must hasten before I prepare the dining room."
"Whatever floats your boat, Danny," he shrugged, pushing himself off the wall, "but...just do me one favour..."
I nodded, never looking back as I cleaned up my utensils.
There was a heavy pause before he finally spoke. "Just...don't get too close to him, Danella. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Oddly confused by his words, my brow furrowed. Though, I did not question him. Questions were dangerous among these people. Too many answers fused with secrets.
When I turned to tell him not to worry – he was nowhere in site.