8

A Valediction

The door opened, Riku stepped inside, and the redhead locked us in with a teasing smile. "We can't have any jail breaks," he said, chortling.

"I'm not gonna try and get out," Sora said. "Don't worry about it."

The guards left us after a minute or so, and we stood in the doorway of the cell, the three of us, together again.

"Thanks, you two," I said quietly, and their eyes fell on me. "Thanks for standing up for me today. It really meant... a lot," I choked up a little. "It meant a lot to my people, too. You guys are heroes."

Riku scowled. "I couldn't just stand there," he said sharply. "I couldn't believe that son-of-a—" he stopped himself. "—that idiot would say all those things. All those things about you."

"Yeah. He was spreading dirty lies around. We couldn't just ignore him," Sora added.

Riku and I exchanged glances.

"Well it was nice to see, either way," I said with a giggle. "You have no idea what a moron he is. I've had to endure hours and hours of 'Setzer this' and 'Setzer that'. I've wanted to hit him for a long, long time, but I knew he'd go crying to Chancellor Tsukada if I did."

"Well sorry we didn't get the job done sooner," Sora said lightly.

I beamed at them. "It's okay. The important thing is that you're here now—both of you."

I reached out, wrapped an arm around each of their solid waists, then pulled them into a bear hug. They conked heads, and with a muffled "Ouch," Riku stiffened and leaned away from us. "Can we please keep the mushiness to a minimum?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

Sora laughed and wormed his way out of my grasp as well. "Yeah Kairi," he said. "You'd be better off hugging a cactus than Riku."

I smiled and shook my head. We definitely had conflicting opinions on that subject. But I wasn't going to dispute the matter in light of what was going on.

As I stood between them, I couldn't help but notice how tall they'd both gotten. I eyed them over thoughtfully, then said, "Looks like you guys have been eating your veggies."

Riku snorted, and Sora laughed aloud. "What veggies?" He chortled. "I haven't had a decent meal since who-knows-when, let alone any veggies."

Riku rolled his eyes. "That'd explain why you're still so scrawny," he said, a little condescendingly.

"Hey!" Sora said, running his hands over his biceps self-consciously, "I'm getting there."

"Let's hope so, keyblade master."

Before Sora could retort, his stomach released a deep, rumbling growl.

That worried me. "I should have brought you something to eat," I said anxiously. "I wish I'd known…"

"How could you have?" Sora asked, shrugging. "It's not a big deal, Kairi."

"But Sora, you—"

He interrupted me with a firm, "I'm fine, Kairi," and I suspected that it was because he didn't want to sound whiny in front of Riku. He changed the subject by putting his hands casually behind his head, turning to him, and asking, "So... what did you do after we lost track of King Mickey?" His voice was light and conversational—but I was sure that this simple and seemingly harmless question would rub Riku the wrong way. And I was right.

His eyes were suddenly ice cold and speculative in their lofty frames. He glared at Sora for a moment, then said, "Well… I started looking for Kairi." There was something stiff and accusatory about the way he said it. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Oh," Sora said, obviously puzzled by the distinct chill in Riku's voice. His eyebrows pulled together. "Really?"

"Yeah. What did you do?" Riku asked pointedly. His mouth was a thin, hard line.

"Erm…" Sora's eyes flickered to mine; he was obviously wondering what he was missing here. I'm sure my expression wasn't very helpful; there was nothing but an odd, tight sort of fear in my chest.

"Did you go find your friends?" Riku prompted, eyes narrowing.

Sora frowned. "Um… yeah. Disney Castle was in complete chaos, so I went over there and helped them out. And then they came with me—Donald and Goofy. I think we went to Agrabah after that…"

"Mmm," Riku said shrewdly. "With your friends."

Sora raised an eyebrow—obviously he was still in the dark as to why Riku was treating him like a pariah and emphasizing random words. "Yeah."

I shook my head ever so slightly, and Riku's eyes met mine. One corner of his mouth twisted up in a humorless smile, and his eyes snapped at me in a way that said I told you so.

"So… I guess you found Kairi," Sora said, eyeing Riku and I over in turn. "Right?"

"Yep," Riku said, and his eyes didn't leave my face. "It took me a long time to find Destiny Islands again. A lot of warp holes, a lot of mysterious worlds, a lot of Heartless. And then I got there and found out she was gone."

Sora nodded. "Me too. I mean, I made it back to the islands okay, but… I was too late. And when I asked people where she'd been taken, no one even knew! I kinda just had to guess where she was. But luckily, it turns out I was right."

Apparently his search had been smoother than Riku's. Effortless, almost. Oddly enough, this didn't really comfort me. But I only said, "Yep. They came and took me away right after you two left. And they weren't allowed to say where they were taking me."

"Oh. That'd explain it," Sora said lightly.

There were definitely stirrings of anger beneath Riku's cool façade, now. I wished he would just leave it alone—all of it. Lock it in a chest, throw away the key, and pretend like everything was butterflies and rainbows. But how could I communicate that to him now, with Sora around? Or, more importantly, how could I even communicate that to him at all?

"Well, I'm sure you're tired, Sora," I said quickly, with the air of a bored hospital visitor. "We should let you get some sleep." All I wanted to do was escape the impending disaster that was the three of us in one room for an extended period of time.

Sora looked at me somewhat incredulously. Wondering what had happened to the girl that was ripping his clothes off a moment ago, no doubt. "I'm not that tired," he said, eyebrows pulling together. "I mean… I'd rather be with you guys."

I winced. Great. Just marvelous. We'd have a tea party. And eat crumpets.

"That's funny, Sora," Riku said coldly. "Cuz that's not the impression I got."

Shut up, Riku! Why was he doing this? I wanted to curl up in a ball and cover my ears. Or run away. But I didn't have either of these options, so I held my breath and looked at the floor.

Sora stared at him for a moment, and then a scowl twisted his lips. His breath came out in a loud, frustrated huff, and he said, "Riku, what is your problem?"

"My problem?" Riku repeated, coldly and seemingly impartially.

"Yeah. You've had some kind of beef with me ever since we left the islands." He didn't sound as angry as he sounded confused, but Riku still took offense.

I looked up in time to see the fury in his eyes become completely unmasked; they burned like pale blue fire. "Well," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "I don't know if you remember the part where you chopped my face open or not," he said, pointing to the scar on his chin.

Sora looked startled, then at last, angry. "Well do you remember the part where you were already wailing on me for no reason at all? Ever heard of self-defense?"

And as suddenly as it had appeared, Riku's fury retreated behind its careful mask. "We were training. That's all."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Supposedly."

There was venom in Riku's agreement. "Supposedly."

I gaped at them for a moment. Could this really be happening? I didn't want to believe it. I tried not to believe it. I tried to think better days, days filled with sun and sand. I tried to think of two boys, younger and happier, who'd run races around the island, laughing and talking and reveling in their own loyal, boyish camaraderie. Their love had been so absolute.

And then I'd come along. What a monster I was!

"Princess?" A loud, startling voice said. "Your Majesty?"

Riku, Sora and I nearly jumped out of our skins. "Yes?" I asked, and my voice trembled like a leaf.

"It's nearly dawn. I'm afraid you and the other boy will have to be going, now." I recognized his voice. It was the redheaded guard.

"Oh," I said, and relief washed through me as though the boy thrown me a life-preserver rather than just a few words. I turned to Sora and Riku, only to find that they were still glaring at each other.

"I'm really sorry," the boy went on. I heard the jingling of keys as he unlocked the door behind me.

"It's fine," I answered slowly and a little too casually. Sora looked at me with hurt and disbelief, while Riku merely looked irritated.

What possibly both of them didn't realize was that I felt like I was leaving part of myself behind in this cell. I wanted to run into Sora's arms and kiss him and refuse to move, but I knew that doing so in front of Riku would only hurt him. So I merely swallowed my tears and pulled that stupid mop from the pocket of Yuffie's robe. The burly guard closed the door behind Riku and me, then locked it with a heavy jingling of keys. The metallic click sounded so final.

Riku didn't say anything to me on the long walk back upstairs, so I was able to hide my desolation fairly easily. I let a curtain of my long, dark red hair separate us, and I walked with my head down and my arms wrapped tightly around my chest.

When we were in the dim entrance hall, he gently touched my shoulder. I turned to him and, though I'd never been much of actress, managed to give him a casually curious look.

I couldn't hold it for long though. Riku's face was hard and still, but I knew him well enough that I could see a tempest raging beneath the silent surface of his aqua-blue eyes. The lump in my throat returned; I couldn't handle any more of this.

More tears spilled. Why did I cry so much? I was such a bawl baby. He reached up and caressed my cheek with his hand. But the tender touch which had felt so nice and comforting to me before was now cold on my skin. It was nothing compared to the flames that erupted when Sora touched me. It did not make my heart fly. And worst of all, it made both halves of it ache.

I reached up and caught the hand in my own; It froze, stiff and cold in mine. "Riku..." I whispered, lowering it away from my face.

Very, very slowly, he pulled it away. I forced my clasping fingers to loosen their grip, though I didn't want to. He closed his eyes, but I caught a glimpse of what smoldered in them before they slipped beneath their lids: Anger. Bitterness.

We stood there for a long time. Riku's eyebrows pulled together, and his mouth became a thin, taut, angry line. I hated to see him like this. It hurt me so much—hurt both of us. But what else could I do? I loved him. But the half of my heart that belonged to him was just so cold compared to the other half.

I could try to make him happy. I could pretend like he had a fighting chance. But it wouldn't be fair to Sora, and it wouldn't be fair to me.

But most of all, it wouldn't be fair to Riku.

It would be cruel to give him any more false hopes, because if I were forced to choose between the two people that I loved most in all the worlds, it would be out of my hands. I'd already chosen, a long time ago. Sora was my everything; I loved him more than life itself.

And as much as Riku meant to me, it was never meant to be. As much as the half of me that belonged to him wanted it to be true, there was just no way. Our relationship was a freak accident—it wasn't natural, and its gruesome side-effects were taking a serious toll on both of us.

It wasn't healthy... so I had to end it now. And it was going to hurt like hell. But I had to be brave.

"Riku," I whispered again, and my voice shook. "Please don't—"

"Don't worry about it, Kairi," he said in a hard, flat voice. "I get it. You don't need me anymore."

My eyes were wide and round. "No," I gasped. "No Riku, it's not like that…"

"Then what is it?" He sneered, and his eyes were so full of bitter hatred that it upset me. "I came to see you and found Yuffie asleep in your bed, so I knew where you'd gone. I knew that I'd been replaced. I guess it was pretty easy for you, huh?"

"No!" I cried. "No, I wasn't replacing you, I—"

"Guess I'm disposable as far as you're concerned."

"No, Riku!"

"It's okay, I get it," his hands were balled into trembling fists. "You've got something better now. I'm just a—"

"Will you shut the hell up!" I cried, stomping my foot, and his teeth came together with a loud snap. "There's no way I could ever replace you, Riku! Half of who I am belongs to you!"

He stared at me for a moment, and some of his fury cooled. He turned his head to the side, took a deep shuddering breath, and very quietly asked, "What do you mean? That doesn't make any sense."

"I mean that... I love you," I said, very, very softly. "I love you so much... But it just isn't enough, Riku."

He swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"But don't get me wrong," I said quietly, yet fiercely. "There's a part of my heart that will always, always be yours. No matter what. Even when I'm old and gray and can't remember my own name anymore, it will still beat for you. Some things are permanent."

He gazed at the floor, his face filled with agony now instead of the mask of fury that it had hidden behind. "But you love Sora."

"Yes," I said softly. "It was meant to be, whereas you and I..."

"Weren't," he said, and some of the bitterness returned.

"Right," I murmured, and took a deep breath before continuing. "Remember what I said... about this thing killing us?"

He looked away from me. "Yeah," he said stiffly.

"Well it's going to hurt bad," I said, "but we're going to put an end to it, and we're going to keep living. We've got to do it. For him."

His mouth twisted into a furious scowl, and he snarled, "I don't owe Sora anything. He's the one who owes me."

"Don't say that, Riku," I moaned. "He's your best friend. He loves you. Don't let this come between you two."

Riku sighed and closed his eyes. For what could have been minutes or hours he simply stood there, fighting against the waves of torment that crashed against his body. It was painful for me to watch, indecent, even… Riku had always been a rock in my life, someone strong and immovable, someone I could always look to for solidarity and protection. Even when he'd been fighting the darkness inside his heart, I'd never seen him so vulnerable. And it was all my fault. I looked at the floor, throat tightening and eyes prickling.

Finally, he spoke. "I can't just forgive and forget," he said slowly, tremulously. "You're too much to lose. I mean... how could I not have loved you when you were always so sweet, so perfect, so you? I tried to forget you, for him. But then I came here and you were so lonely... and still just as sweet and good as I remembered you. And so beautiful that I couldn't keep my eyes off you. What else was I supposed to do?" The last part came out as a demand. "Sora might be my best friend, but he's ruining my life. I wish he'd just go away again."

I was crying again. "I'm sorry. But I don't."

His mouth twisted into another scowl. "Right," he said bitterly. "Right." He rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes for a moment, then set off at a brisk pace toward the kitchens, where the back doors were always unlocked.

I caught him by the arm. "Riku, don't go," I said, sliding along as I tried to stop him. "Don't."

He lurched to a stop. "No, you don't, Kairi," he said angrily. "You can have me as your own or not at all."

A sob escaped from my throat. Again, I had to focus to pry my fingers from him, and once I had let him go I wrapped my arms around my chest. I sobbed and sobbed, and after a long time I began to wonder if he was gone. I tried to find him in the dark, but my vision was so blurred with tears that I couldn't see.

"Aw Kairi," his voice moaned, and suddenly his arms were around me. "I can't. I can't stay here with you two. Tonight was bad enough."

I cried harder now that he was closer to me, because it couldn't last. I knew that he would go far away now, and it was possible that he would never come back. Why was he doing this to me? And Sora? We were finally all together again.

Then again, how much could one human soul be forced to endure? Riku and I could not resume our friendship again—it seemed to have withered and died in the shadow of our growing love, which had been so much stronger. So there was no reason for him to stay here. I had hurt him so much. And Sora had, as far as Riku was concerned, stolen away the most important thing in his life. It would be selfish of me to hold him here. It would be cruel.

In that moment, I absolutely hated myself.

"I understand," I whispered, and half of my heart seared. "You have to leave."

He nodded slowly. "I'll come back to see you again... some day. But that's the most I can promise."

I stifled another sob, and he held me close.

"This is the path you've chosen," Riku said, "For both of us. So I guess this is goodbye." There was cold resignation in his voice.

I nodded, but there was pain everywhere.

"It has to be this way."

I kept nodding, because I knew if I spoke I'd lose it again.

He pulled out of our embrace, but his hands found mine and held them firmly at my sides. His eyes bored into mine, and it was almost as though they were memorizing every line of them, just as mine were memorizing his.

His voice was husky as he said, "One for the road—to remember you by?" and then cocked his head and leaned carefully toward me. He gave my lips a final, careful taste. I wanted to hold him, but my hands were still locked firmly in his. After a long moment, he pulled away, and all at once my hands were free and he was walking away from me into the darkness.

I gasped. I wanted to run after him, to cry and beg him to stay. But in that moment I knew what was right, I knew what was good. And so I wrapped my arms around my chest and swallowed back the tears.

"Goodbye, Riku," I said steadily.

"Goodbye, Kairi," he said, from somewhere within the darkness where I could no longer see him.

And then when he was gone, when there was no way I could call him back, no way I could ever hold him down again, I fell to my knees and let the darkness come over me as well. "Riku," I whimpered. "Riku."

~o~

The mountains beyond the stained-glass windows were pressing the sun into a dull gray sky as I slipped past the guards, eyes averted, and made my way into my room. Yuffie was awake, sitting on my bed and giving me an irritated look. Her short tufts of black hair were sticking in every direction.

"You're begging for trouble, missy," she said, standing up and folding her arms. "Do you know how late it is?"

"Yeah," I said quietly, removing the mop and bathrobe with slow, deliberate movements. "But I made it, so there's really no harm done." Some part of me was aware of how zombie-like my voice sounded. But I found that I didn't care.

She rolled her eyes. "What if you'd met someone coming up the stairs? It's almost six o'clock. Everyone is up. And I really need to get down to the kitchens," she added, glancing nervously at the clock beside my bed.

"Okay. See ya."

She stared at me for a moment, frowning. "You look like hell."

I shrugged. "Well… I feel like hell, actually."

She gave me a long, pitiful look, then glanced at the clock again and said, "Listen—Kairi. We'll talk later. I've got to get going. Try and get a little sleep and don't think too much."

Excellent advice. But easier said than done. "Okay, see you," I said. My voice trembled.

She gave me a parting grimace before putting her robe back on and slipping out the door.

Only as I flopped down on my enormous bed did I realize how completely exhausted I was. I hadn't been sleeping well at all for the past few nights. The silk was so soft, so slippery, so comfortable... I closed my eyes and drifted.

After an eternity of dark, warm nothingness, I awoke to Yuffie's unusually gentle voice, "Kairi."

I opened my eyes, and the air stung them. The room was filled with artificial light, and Yuffie was sitting on the end of my bed. There was some spaghetti on a tray in her arms, and she was scowling at me again.

I groaned and sat up. "What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?"

"A while," Yuffie said soothingly. "Don't worry about it."

"How long?" I insisted.

She sighed. "Thirteen hours."

I gasped.

"Calm down. You didn't miss anything anyway. Remember? You're confined to your room. I was just thinking that you might be getting pretty hungry."

I was hungry. My stomach yowled, and I reached out for my dinner almost involuntarily.

While I ate she told me all about the situation downstairs. "More people are petitioning for Sora's release," she said, helping herself to a piece of my toast. "And they're getting pretty worked up about it. Chancellor Tsukada is fighting like a cornered fox, though. He's not going to let Sora go if he can help it."

"What do the royal advisors say?" I wondered.

"They think that he should let Sora go, considering who he is. But Chancellor Tsukada won't budge."

I sighed. "This isn't fair. I'm the princess. I should have a say in all this."

"Why do you think he's got you locked up in your room? He doesn't want any interference from you." She shrugged. "It isn't fair, but he can do whatever he wants."

"I'm sure Ansem the Wise would be very proud of him," I said sarcastically. "What courage! What compassion!"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. I stood up, a little shakily. Then I went into my closet to find a change of clothes.

"By the way, I haven't seen Riku since he punched Setzer's stupid face yesterday. Have you heard anything from him?"

"Um... yeah," I said as I scanned the rows and rows of clothes.

"How? There's a reward for anybody who brings him in, but don't worry; I don't think they will," she said.

"He came to see me and Sora last night," I said after a moment of hesitation.

Yuffie's head came around the corner, her dark eyes wide with surprise. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

"Oh, come on, Kairi," she said, rolling her eyes.

I shrugged, but didn't offer any information.

"That had to have been a pretty awkward situation," Yuffie mused as I halfheartedly examined my selection of miniskirts. "I bet Riku was peeved. Did you tell Sora that you two have been... you know… messing around while he was gone?" She chortled a little.

"No," I said simply.

"Is Riku going to tell him?"

"No," I automatically repeated, still running my fingers absentmindedly through my wardrobe.

"Why not?"

I sighed. "Yuffie... Riku left last night. This morning actually. And he isn't coming back." At these words, something icy seemed to slice its way through my heart.

She gasped. "What—but—why?"

"Because," I said softly, and my eyes filled with tears. I looked at the floor and tried to swallow them back. "It wouldn't be fair to make him stay. He'd be miserable. And I can't stand to hurt him anymore."

She came over to me and put her arm around my shoulder. "Did you talk about this?"

"Yes. It's what he wanted."

"Well..." she sighed and gave me a tiny smile. "I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. Riku's a tough kid. He'll get over it."

I frowned at her; she was talking gibberish. "Get over it? No he won't. And I won't either."

She sighed. "Kairi... Time heals all wounds."

I shook my head. "Not all wounds."

"Well... what happened between you two might have been a little stronger than an everyday teenage romance," she agreed. "But trust me, he'll get over it. You both will. It just takes time."

I smiled to pacify her, but the half of my heart that belonged to Riku ached. I knew she was wrong; she just had to be. How could wounds like these ever heal?

Yuffie walked back into my bedroom and sat down on the bed, then began a long and rambling story about a theft from a supermarket across from Cid's. As she talked, I continued my search for something to wear, something fitting for the cold, dark dungeons…

I stumbled across a few sweaters and hoodies, but as I selected one from the rack, I hesitated. The memory of Sora's hot, smooth skin on my shoulders, my arms, and my neck was fresh on my mind. These sweaters were just so... concealing.

I blushed and darted to the other side of my closet. Might as well fan the flames a tiny bit...

I put on my favorite push-up bra, and then an orange V-neck tank top. My blush became more and more pronounced as I found my way over to a pair of tiny denim shorts. They were light blue and very worn looking. I slipped into them, and then made a break for the bathroom.

Yuffie spotted me. "Um... where are you going?" she asked, her eyebrows raised to the heavens.

"To see Sora," I said quickly.

"Are you kidding me?" She groaned. "There's no way that stupid disguise is going to work again. You're begging for trouble, Kairi."

"I'll be fine."

She put her hands on her hips and followed me into the bathroom. I picked up a brush and started to run it through my hair, and she looked me up and down while I did. Her mouth was turned down at the corners.

"What?" I asked, embarrassed.

"You look like you're going to the beach. It's cold down there, you know."

"I'll be wearing your bathrobe, remember?"

"It's down in my room."

I gave her a tentative smile. "Will you get it for me? Please? Please?"

She scowled at me.

"Oh come on Yuffie. Have a heart. You can't honestly expect me to lay here awake and alone all night long."

"I'm just worried about your lack of common sense," she said after a moment. "But I guess I can't really tell you what to do. You are, after all, the princess."

"That hasn't stopped you before."

She laughed and put a hand on my shoulder. "True. But you've grown up a lot over the last couple of days. I'll go get the robe. But you can't leave for another three or four hours, you know. It's only seven."

I groaned.

"Just be patient." She hesitated, and worry flashed across her face. "Are you sure you want to risk it? Again?"

"I have to."

"Why?"

I sighed. "Because I love him, Yuffie."

"So what? That doesn't mean you have to do something this stupid," She said.

I smirked at her, then turned her own words against her. "Love doesn't have to make sense."

She smiled a little bit, then said, "Fine… but you need to come back earlier this time. Okay?"

"Okay."

~o~

After an eternity of pacing and clasping my sweaty hands together, I got the "Okay" from Yuffie that I was waiting for. It was almost twelve thirty in the morning, and the castle had drifted into an easy silence around us. I donned my disguise and headed off.

I kept my eyes averted as I passed the guards at my door, but I had an uneasy feeling that they were suspicious. I could feel their gaze on my back until I went around the first corner. Even as I faded in and out of blackness and dim yellow light, I felt as though I were being watched. I tried to shrug the feeling off, but it didn't go away.

I went down the stairs and nearly ran across the glass-smooth floor of the entrance hall. The mop fell off my head and onto the floor with a loud fwump, and I picked it up as swiftly as I could but did not put it back on. As I went around the corner, I heard footsteps.

I panicked. Rather than trying to hide, I gasped and ran as fast as I could away from the sound, my footsteps echoing off the cavernous walls. I heard a shout, and then the pounding steps of pursuers.

I screamed when wide, rough hands caught me by the arms. I wriggled and flailed and tried to get free, but whoever had a hold on me was as strong and solid as stone. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar face high above me. The man was wearing armor, so he must have been a guard.

And suddenly there were more of them, surrounding me. I heard panting, and then a high voice that I had no trouble identifying.

"Kairi," Chancellor Tsukada said. "Though I can't say I'm surprised, I am vastly disappointed."

I searched the sea of faces until I found his. His mouth was a straight, angry line and his eyes flashed. Even the ends of his mustache pointed up angrily.

"Let me go!" I wailed, trying to worm my way free. The guard only tightened his hold in response.

"I believe I told you to stay in your room," Chancellor Tsukada said dangerously. "And then I find you sneaking around the castle at night, just like the patrolman said. Explain yourself."

"I'm not a prisoner," I said. "And I don't have to tell you anything."

He scowled harder and wagged his head back and forth. "I would think that, given the circumstances, you would be more than willing to cooperate."

"Oh would you?" I said, still wriggling.

"Yes," he answered, and a cruel smile twisted his mouth. "Unless of course, you'd rather that your little friend in the dungeons was thrown in the pit with no food or water or light of any kind? I'm told it's a difficult place to survive long."

I gasped. "You monster!" I yelled, unable to comprehend such cruelty.

"So," Chancellor Tsukada said evenly, examining his fingernails in the dim light. "Let's try this again. Where were you going?"

I seethed at him in silence.

"No? You aren't going to tell me? Well then..."

"If you hurt him," I said in a low, trembling voice, "You'll regret it."

He gave me that same, sadistic smile. "You don't say."

"I'm not willing to live without Sora. If anything happens to him, I will find a way to make you sorry."

"And how will that be?" He sneered. "You're never leaving your room again. Going to color on the walls, are you? Or scatter your toys across the floor?"

One of the guards chortled.

My mind dashed in frantic circles, searching for an adequate threat. What could Chancellor Tsukada possibly fear from a skinny and seemingly harmless creature like myself? Nothing, really… except…

"It would be pretty easy for me to jump out a window," I said slowly and thoughtfully. "Or hang myself with my own sheets from a light fixture. I'm not picky, really."

His face blanched as realization struck him; I saw his mouth working, but no sound came out. His eyebrows pulled together, and there was deep indecision written across his face.

"I guess you would become king if I killed myself," I mused to the general astonishment of the on-looking guards, "but I don't think you'd be a very popular one. Killing the keyblade bearer and the princess? I don't think the people would be too fond of the idea." My voice was low, smooth, and impressive.

But in reality, I was grasping at straws. Obviously I wasn't the suicidal type, but if Sora's well-being depended on my acting skills, I would give a Grammy-winning performance. My heart was crashing against my ribcage, but I did not lower my gaze from Chancellor Tsukada's.

"We could isolate you," Chancellor Tsukada said quickly, almost desperately, "We could tie you up or lock you in the dungeon…"

I swallowed hard, but somehow managed retort in a slightly bored voice. "You could. But still, it wouldn't be hard to starve myself. Painful, yes, but as I said before, I'm not picky."

He shook his head and gnashed his teeth together in apparent disbelief. "You're bluffing!" He finally said. "You're bluffing!"

I shrugged again, feeling that, somehow, feigning indifference to his huffing and puffing would make my threat seem all the more real…

He watched me in a panicked silence. I could tell that he didn't want to believe that I was telling the truth, but on the other hand, he didn't want to take any risks. He knew that my suicide would be the end of his political career.

He had told me that he cared for me, but now it was easy for me to see that such was not the case. There was only one reason for his hesitation at the prospect of my death, and that was his own interests.

"Fine," he finally snarled. "Fine. I won't kill the commoner. But you are going to be locked in your room until I can find another suitable suitor for you. I'm tired of your disobedience and your childishness."

I glared at him.

"Take her away," Chancellor Tsukada barked, and the guards began to drag me toward the stairs. "And I want two guards stationed around her bed at night as well as outside her doors!"

"What?" I shouted. "In my room? No! How dare you!"

"Those are orders!" He shouted over me, a slightly hysterical note in his voice. "I am in command here! And you will do as I say!"

Fury made my hands tremble. But there was nothing I could do; in the grip of these Neanderthal-ish guards I was completely helpless. Their hands were tight enough around my arms that they were sure to be black and blue.

"Fine!" I yelled, some part of me still managing to remain defiant. "But you can't keep me there forever! The people won't let you! Sora won't let you!"

"We'll see," he said darkly, and then he turned and swept away. I stopped fighting and allowed myself to be towed off. There seemed to be, after all, no alternative.

It looked like I wouldn't be seeing Sora again for a long, long time. The thought put a lump in my throat.