A/N: Here's the new chapter. I'm sorry that it took so long. But special thanks to lovely Senjuina for betaing~

-o-o-o-o-o-

Chapter 3. Be Our Guest

Hours passed. When he heard a loud growl, Saïx raised an eyebrow, glancing at his brother.

"Are you hungry?" the blunette asked.

"A bit," Riku admitted, tossing the pillow to the ceiling. "It's late and I haven't eaten since morning."

"Should we go to get something for you?"

The whitette grimaced. "The monsters told us to stay here and starve."

"Don't be stupid. We're guests," Saïx reminded with a smirk, rolling his yellow eyes. The door creaked open as the brothers left the room. No one was in the corridor, so they headed towards where they thought the kitchen could be.

"This is scandalous!" a voice they had never heard before yelled, making the windows clatter in sudden wind. "I came back from the village as soon as I could and then worked hard to make a splendid meal for our Masters and the guests and what do I hear?! They won't even eat!"

"Don't be mad, Xaldin," Demyx said, sitting on the table and looking at the furious man. "Masters are volatile and our guests-"

"Um, excuse me?" Riku said, appearing at the kitchen door. Saïx poked his side as a sign for him to continue. "I'm a little hungry."

The man who had black dreadlocks dangling in the air at the every direction looked at him murderously, holding a kitchen knife. It wouldn't be a surprise if he let a tornado loose in the kitchen. "You didn't eat when I cooked and now-!"

"Xaldin, dear, put that knife away," Luxord said, hugging Riku from behind. He glanced at Xaldin. "Don't you see you're scaring our guests?"

Xaldin gave an annoyed sigh. "Well then, a piece of bread and a glass of water and that'll be good enough. I don't want to face the Masters just because of some brats."

"But they are guests! Don't be such a meanie!" Demyx whimpered, pouting a bit. Luxord nodded in agreement.

"We can't let them starve," he said, letting go of Riku, this time not leaving paper cuts. "Demyx, hon. Lead our guests to the dining room. I'll be there before you can say 'fair game'."

The water boy led Riku and Saïx to the dining hall. The whitette sat down at the large table, beckoning Saïx to do the same. The taller one of the two rolled his eyes.

"I prefer not to," he said. "I'm not that hungry. I think I'll just… wander around a little."

Demyx smiled. "Don't get lost," he noted. "And remember; don't go to the West Wing."

"I'm not that stupid," Saïx told, giving a shrug. "I have no intention of meeting the monsters. Take care, Riku."

The younger groaned a little, waving his hand. "I always do."

Saïx smirked, walking off. Luxord came back into the hall just seconds later.

"Where did wolfie go?" he asked, looking around almost comically.

"Wolfie?" Riku repeated unbelievingly. Saïx would have torn Luxord's heart out for giving him such a ridiculous pet name. "He wasn't hungry."

"That's a pity!" Luxord pouted, shaking his head. But then he suddenly looked happier. "Oh, but hon, we have you here." He coughed. "It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now we invite you to relax as the dining room proudly presents your dinner!"

Riku's eyes widened when moving dishes and cutlery run from the kitchen and jumped on the table, serving all kinds of delicious dishes. Riku had been more than right that the castle was truly magical.

Luxord hummed, giving Riku a white lace trimmed napkin. "Tie your napkin 'round your neck, dear, and we provide the rest." Riku looked around the table, trying to recognize the different courses. Demyx helped him with that.

"Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres, beef ragout," the water boy told gladly the fine names of each serving and smiled. "Try this grey stuff, it's delicious!"

"And the dinner here is never second best! We're happy to have you as our guest," Luxord told with a bright smile. "So please, enjoy this culinary cabaret!"
While Riku tried to choose between everything Demyx suggested for him, Xaldin came out of the kitchen with a rag, seemingly still slightly pissed off. He walked to the table and looked at Riku, a hint of glee in his eyes.

"I hope you're enjoying your meal," he snarled with a smirk, hands on Riku's shoulders. "Here it can be your last."

"Again scaring the poor child, are you?" Luxord said with a pout and rolled his eyes. "Masters won't hurt our guests, and so won't you. Stop being so gloomy."

"I'm not gloomy! You're just over-actively happy," Xaldin insulted the blonde. "We're all getting in trouble because of this."

Riku glanced up. "Hey, I promise this won't cause any harm," he said to Xaldin, gaining a glare. "I was just hungry, okay? No big deal."

"It's a bigger deal than you think," the dreadlocked man snarled back, and yet he gave a smirk. Or was it a smile? "But fine. Continue. Do what you want. At least my cooking is well done."

"I can agree with that!" Demyx laughed, shaking a bottle of champagne and tossing it to Xaldin. "And so you can open this! The bubbles are the best!"

"And it's all in perfect taste," Xaldin told, smiling now a bit more. "That you can bet." There was a loud pop as Xaldin opened the bottle and poured it into Riku's glass.

Luxord smiled. "Come on, Riku, and lift your glass!"

"You've won your own free pass to be our guest!" Demyx giggled. Riku giggled as well, at the same time hoping that the champagne was non-alcoholic. Really, Saïx would kill him for drinking anything stronger than tea.

"I guess you try to serve the monsters well," Riku hummed, taking a sip. "But they must be hard to please, aren't they?"

There was a moment of silence before Xaldin began to speak quietly, like telling a story. "They are. And that's why our life is pretty unnerving. There were a few good days, years ago if I could recall. But those days were gone in a moment."
Demyx let out a whimper. "I know it was my fault," he sighed. "Being too naive and well, me…"

"Oh no, dear," Luxord consoled the boy. "It was going to happen sooner or later. But still, we need so much more than we get. Rights, a chance to share a comment. Most days we just hang around the castle."

Xaldin smirked at Riku. "And then you two walked in and our Masters went all oopsie-daisy!"

"Look, it's our guest!" Axel chanted, joining the others in the dining room. No one asked where he had been but it made the atmosphere more relaxed. It was more like a sign to Luxord to end the main course.

"I think it's time for dessert and tea, and my dear that's fine with me," he hummed, rushing back to the kitchen. "I'll be back, hon, I'll get you a bun!"

"You're all crazy!" Riku laughed. Maybe the champagne wasn't really alcohol-free.

Axel gave a shrug, grinning widely. "Your request is our command; it's been years since we've had anybody here," he said, taking an empty, yet moving teacup from the table. "And about these objects… They do as we tell. Being enchanted is like that."

"Well, the food's delicious," Riku said, making Xaldin smirk proudly. The whitette pushed the third portion of ratatouille away. Geez, how did they make vegetables taste so good? "But I'm full."

"You'd better eat the dessert, too," Xaldin warned, a few dishes nodding vigorously. "If you don't want to make Luxord mad."

"Oh, please," Riku whined. "What would be the worst what could happen?"

Axel smirked at the innocent question. "He'll force you to drink the tea he made and shove the bun to your throat. I'll be out of here before it happens."

-o-o-o-o-o-

After Saïx had left Riku in the dining hall to eat and have some fun, he went wandering; and for him, the first thing to do was to check on their horses, Zero and Luna. Or that would have been his excuse if someone had asked. All he really wanted was to find out if there was a chance to escape without using the main gate.

"Nothing," he sighed when he had walked around the castle and returned to the front garden. The gate was the only way out. Or well, not the only one. Saïx could have climbed over the wall, but Riku probably wouldn't. That kid barely made it to the roof of their home without ladders. Saïx chuckled at the memory of Riku trying it a few years back.

"What's so funny?" the shadow asked, appearing out of nowhere like always.

"Were you stalking me?" Saïx replied with a question. Surprisingly, it didn't piss the monster off. Instead it made Xemnas chuckle.

"It's not very polite to answer a question with a question."

"Then I must say I'm not very polite," the blunette said with a smirk.

"You're interesting," the shadow chuckled, following the man to the horses.

"Well you're not very interesting, Xemnas," Saïx groaned. "You're annoying."

The shadow halted. "What did you just say?"

"I said you're annoying," Saïx repeated, patting Zero's neck to calm it down. Xemnas' presence seemed to make it nervous.

"And what makes you think so?" Xemnas asked, hiding that he was more surprised than angry.

"I can't read you," was the honest reply.

"Read me?"

Saïx gave a nod. "But it shouldn't interest you."

"Trust me, it interests me very much."

The blunette snorted, looking away from the Master of the castle. "Good for you then."

"I'm being very patient with you, but you're slowly getting on my nerves," Xemnas growled disappointed. Saïx turned to the shadowy figure to comment but he silenced himself to look at the other. There weren't many human features visible except the piercing golden eyes, nor was there really a chance to get a better picture anyway. It was unable to see what was Xemnas' skin or hair colour, or what kind of lineaments he had, or whether he was muscular or not. Saïx sighed, annoyed.

"Well, I apologize for looking like this," Xemnas said sarcastically.

"I didn't say anything about your looks," the blunette replied. "I just tried to read you again."

"What did you see, then?" the shadow asked, failing to hide his curiosity. Saïx didn't reply so Xemnas decided to try to force the answer out in another way.

"You're so pure. Why did you want to stay here instead of your father? Was it because of that love people talk about so fondly?" he snarled, his eyes locked on Saïx. The blunette raised his hand to touch his scar and with a sigh he looked up at the shadow man.

"No, I'm not pure," Saïx stated calmly. "I just didn't feel so disgusting or weird here, that's all. I'm just as selfish as any other person." The blunette glanced at the sky. "It will be snowing tonight."

The conversation was over.

-o-o-o-o-o-

At least Axel had done something right when he had fled before the desserts were sent out. Luxord smiled widely, holding a teapot. "Come on, dear, one more cup won't hurt," the blonde hummed and poured Riku the seventeenth cup of tea. He was almost worse than the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Riku pouted, his mouth full of dessert.

"I can't drink anymore," the whitette mumbled, swallowing the rest of the cheese cake. "But I really should go back to our room…"

"Don't be stupid, dear!" Luxord chided, holding his hand on his hips. "You haven't even tried the rum cake yet!"

Xaldin rolled his eyes. "Riku's our guest, not a fatling," he told. "You can make him a three course meal tomorrow for breakfast but now let the poor boy go!"

Luxord faked some tears, looking at the lot taller man with puppy dog eyes. "How could you say that…?" he whimpered.

"Don't look at me like that," Xaldin snarled. "I'm not going to fall to that trick anymore."

"Oh, yes, you will," Luxord said with a smirk through his crocodile tears.

"No, I won't."

"You will!"

"I won't! Goddamn it!"

"You want to fight?"

"Bring it on!"

Demyx giggled and took Riku's hand. "Let's sneak away now," the water-boy said with a smile. Riku nodded vigorously. One more cup of tea or piece of cake and he would have puked. They left the dining room, leaving Luxord and Xaldin arguing childishly. Riku yawned, making the water boy giggle.

"It seems like your bedtime has come already" Demyx noted, walking next to Riku. "It has been a long day."

Riku nodded. "I'm exhausted," the whitette admitted.

"Well, it's your first day here. Oh, I know!" Demyx chirped. "I'll give you a reward! Ask anything and I'll answer!"

The whitette raised an eyebrow, surprised of a sudden suggestion. He thought about what he wanted to know the most.

"This castle is enchanted, right? Riku noted. "Has it always been like that? Living dishes and all."

"I-I don't know should I really tell you that," the water boy mumbled. He was ashamed of the question even though he had already as a matter of fact told it had been partially his fault.

Riku smiled. "Okay, so it's a secret. May I ask something else instead?"

"Yeah, anything but that," Demyx said, relieved.

"Well, what is in the Wes-"

"There you are," Saïx snarled, catching Riku from the back of his collar. "I came to get you from the kitchen but you weren't there. Instead there was a poker match going on." The bluenette rubbed his forehead. "And you don't want to know more. But you look full."

"You have no idea," Riku mumbled. "But Demyx, about that que-"

"Hi, wolfie! You're looking lively," Demyx greeted using the name Luxord had given to Saïx, making the blunette glare at him. "Ups, sorry! I didn't mean to…"

The blunette sighed. "Use my real name, not some weird pet name," he snarled coldly. Demyx stayed silent when he led the brothers back to their room and Riku didn't get another chance to ask questions. As the door was closed, Riku crossed his arms, looking at Saïx.

"Why were you so calm when Demyx called you wolfie?" he asked sceptically. "Usually you would have bitten someone's head of for giving you a nickname."

"I have a lot in my mind," was the reply. "I just didn't care enough. I just want to sleep right now."

Accepting the answer with a shrug Riku pointed out a self-evident fact. "There's only one bed."

"I'm not blind," Saïx noted. "And you'll take it."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because you lie on it all the time and if there are lice and bedbugs, they will affect you, not me."

"Bastard."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The sun had risen hours ago and it gleamed brightly through the half-closed curtains to a certain bedroom. Riku blinked couple times and yawned, looking around the room. Dark red curtains, expensive looking wallpaper, mahogany furniture.

"Oh, I forgot," he sighed, noticing where he was. He sat up, looking out from the window. It had been snowing at night, just like Saïx had predicted, and piles of snow shrouded the yard. Just yesterday, he had been worrying about simple things, like Marluxia's proposal and what if chickens suddenly realized that they could go under the fence while he was gone. Yeah, those things went definitely into the same category. Now he was stuck at an enchanted castle, worrying whether his father was okay and how to escape without getting killed. Getting killed. Even if Luxord and Demyx assured him that the monsters hadn't any intentions of hurting him or Saïx, he couldn't be sure about it.

"Morning," Saïx greeted from the corner. "Slept well?"

"Could've been worse," the whitette replied. "Why are you awake so early?"

Saïx gave a smile. "I can't sleep anywhere and anytime like you. Did the bedbugs bite?"

Riku frowned. "Ha ha, very funny," he snorted, changing the subject. "What did you do last night?"

"I just looked around," the blunette replied, getting up off the floor. He didn't mention his little conversation with the shadow man. It shouldn't matter, anyway. "I decided to continue today."

"Did you find anything?" Riku asked while finishing getting dressed.

Saïx shook his head as response. "The only exit is the main gate."

"Then we just have to wait for the right moment," the whitette replied. "But now I'm feeling like I want some breakfast."

"A few more days here and you'll be so chubby that even Marluxia won't want you," the older teased.

"That would be just fine!" Riku laughed. "But if I start looking like Pence…!"

"I promise to stop you before that happens," Saïx chuckled. "But breakfast sounds good."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Riku handed the empty bowl to Xaldin. "You exceeded yourself," he said, wiping off the remains of French onion soup from the corners of his mouth. Demyx sat on the table, wiggling his feet. Luxord stood next to a proudly smiling Xaldin.

"Well, what do you think, dear?" Luxord asked Saïx, taking a sip of his tea. Saïx looked up at the blonde, smiling dubiously.

"In my opinion, it was a bit too bland," the blunette told. "Not enough salt."

The blonde gasped, Demyx froze. Axel who had just sat there glared at the blunette, baffled. Nobody, except the Masters, ever criticized Xaldin. It was way too close to painful demise which would include kitchen knives meeting with internal organs. Zexion was happy to be cursed, if he wasn't he would already be dead, thanks to his lack of ability to be quiet at the right time.

Instead of foaming about Saïx's comment Xaldin raised an eyebrow. "You have good taste. I've tried to reduce the use of salt in cooking."

"Don't," Saïx said at first but after a moment he continued with a smirk. "Or maybe you should reduce the salt. There's a possibility that your Masters' attitude problems are due to high blood pressure."

There were uncontrollable bursts of laughter. Riku was the first to stop laughing.

"A bit of fun to this place, too," he said.

"You're right," Axel noted, holding back his laughter. "It has been so long since we got a good laugh. Maybe it was when I last time tried to melt Vexen's hair, what it was, three years ago?"

"You spent a week with him in the basement as a punishment after that," Demyx reminded the flame-man and chuckled.

"But it was worth it!" Axel told with a wide grin. There was more laughing until Luxord looked at the clock and sighed.

"Well, look at the time," he hummed. "We should be preparing today's repast already. What about you take a tour around the castle? Of course there are certain places which you may not travel to, but I don't see why you should just stay in your room all day long. Demyx, Axel?"

"No biggie!" Demyx whooped, raising his hand and nodding eagerly.

"If the guests just want to," Axel said.

"I don't see why not," Riku noted, gaining an approving look from Saïx. Demyx jumped off the table, beckoning the others to follow him.

"Okey-dokey then! Right this way!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

The hours passed by as Axel and Demyx told them about the castle. They had started with the servants' quarters and actually were there most of the day, listening to Demyx playing his sitar. It wasn't until later when Saïx asked whether they would get a proper tour. He didn't mind listening, really, but it didn't help him with making the plan for escaping, either. So all four of them went walking around the castle, and Demyx took the lead immediately. He told about when the castle was built as well as he could and tried to tell other facts, too, but in some moments he wished he had listened to Zexion more.

"And as you can see, uh, the pseudo-whatza, it was stripped away to reveal the minimalist, what it was again… Rococo design," he tried. "These ceiling-thingies instead are, umm, a great example of…"

"Demy, we already know you have no idea of what you are saying," Axel noted. "Sheesh, what if I continue?"

"I picked a wrong job for myself," Demyx admitted with an ashamed smile.

Axel gave a cough. "So the ceilings are from the late neoclassic Baroque period," he told. "Our late lord Xehanort seemed to be obsessed especially with that period. Many ornaments in this castle are inspired by… What are you doing?!"

"I just wondered what's up there. More Baroque styled ceilings perhaps," Riku said, walking up a staircase. He was quickly stopped by Axel and Demyx.

"No, no, no!" the flame man cried out. "You can't go there!"

"The West Wing is forbidden!" the water boy continued, distraught with fear of what could happen if someone went there. "Forbidden!"

"So that's the West Wing," Saïx noted, raising an eyebrow. He was not impressed.

Riku instead looked up the stairs, a mischievous smile curling his lips. "I want to check it out," the whitette told with a smirk and began walking again. "Whatever they are hiding there…"

"Wait!" Axel pleaded, grabbing Riku's hand. "Wouldn't you like to see the gardens, or the ball room? We have even a library! Even though Zexion has probably barricaded himself in there…"

That caught Riku's attention. "You have a library here?" he asked, enthusiastic. Axel and Demyx exchanged joyful expressions and smiled widely at the whitette.

"Of course, we have a library!" the flame man exclaimed. "A big one!"

"With lots of books!" Demyx added, leading the boy back down the stairs. "I'm sure you'll love it!"

"Late lord Xehanort collected books!" Axel continued, letting go of Riku. He spread his hands to show how enormous piles of books there were and continued walking through the corridor. "He was such a bookworm when he was younger! Instead of Masters Ansem and Xemnas…"

Riku stopped listening and following them down the halfway of the corridor and sneaked back to the stairs, hoping his absence wouldn't be noticed too soon. His curiosity over the West Wing's secret had surpassed his love for reading. The whitette walked quietly up the stairs. He looked around the hallway. It was at first like all the other hallways and corridors he had seen in the castle until it gradually started to change. Broken statues, ripped wallpapers, damaged furniture. It got only worse the further Riku went. And eventually he reached a pair of damaged wooden doors in the end of the corridor.

"Well, it's now or never…"