The Hollow Bastion was awash with people running to and fro, fetching and delivering things that needed to be somewhere. Namine stood back and watched as the castle's people were hard at work, setting up the great hall for a feast fit for a king (or maybe two).
Namine was so excited and anxious of a regal arrival at her door. It was many years since another royal family had been to The Hollow Bastion.
"Something troubling you Namine?"
She turned to see queen Kairi behind her with quill and parchment at hand. There was no argument as to why her brother wouldn't marry such a beauty. Her long flowing red hair that fell to her waist. Her milk pale skin. There is a type of beauty that many men find once in there lives. That thought stuck with her and remembered all the stories that her wet nurse told her about young princes or knights winning their love.
"Yes, your grace."
Kairi smiled at the remark.
"How many times have I told you dear sister, call me Kairi"
"yes, sorry your gra-Kairi"
Namine composed herself as she gave a meek smile.
"Come , we can talk about it in my solar."
Kairi lead the way, Namine followed, brushing passed a couple of the hands prepping the feast. They finally reached kairi's bedchamber.
"Now say what is bothering you. Is it got something to do with Sora?"
Namine sat down on the bed, while Kairi did the same.
"I'm just worried."
Kairi could see the glint of something in those blue eyes of Namine's.
"You can tell me, go on"
Namine took a moment to compose her words.
"War. I'm worried that things in the past will repeat themselves. Our family has always been the target of great sieges and battles. What is there to stop any other army to take Hollow Bastion?"
Kairi smiled for a moment and straightened the loose blonde lock of hair that had fallen from behind her ear.
"That is why we have your brother, the King. He would not allow our people to fall so easily. If it would come to it, he would protect Hollow Bastion to his breath."
Then there came a commotion that seemed to rattle through the whole keep. The two royals turned there heads towards to the window. It was a thunder of horses, metal and chariots. Kairi stood up from the bed, taking hold of Namine's wrist, gently leading her back out the room.
"Where are we going now?"
Namine saids as she could see a little smile on Kairi's face.
"Where do you think we are going. We are going to meet royalty."
Kairi lead Namine to the courtyard, where her husband was waiting in front of the black chariot. A van of armoured men, mounted on warhorses stood stalwart. A knight with metal rings to his swordbelt looked over at the queens and princess, winking as he went passed. Namine blushed as a response.
Her brother, Sora was standing in his white and red garb. His golden crown, ornate with depictions of keyholes, while having the points of his crown being upside down hearts fashioned as the points of the crown.
Sora looked over at Kairi and then at her with reassuring eyes.
The jet black chariot came to a halt before the king, queen and the princess, eagerly awaiting for the other royal arrival. Nearly everyone in the Bastion was looking down at the chariots door, the crossed wight keys of the royal family, Ventus, stood out against the bleak, dark field.
The Chariot door swung open, to reveal a young, sandy blonde prince looking over at all the people in the kingdom. As the prince walked out, everyone got on their knees, including Namine and the king and queen. Before being ushered up with a brisk hand movement of the prince.
"You may stand, I'm not my father and I can forgive if you forget your place."
Sora and Kairi stood, Namine followed. She has never really seen another royal family member, as this was the first for her. It wasn't something she really expected, this young prince was no older than her, expecting this prince that she heard so much about, was much older. She was also told that he was cruel to betray his own family and bring dishonour to it, but he didn't show this. He had features that seem to be untouched by such claims that you wouldn't suspect of such.
"Prince Roxas, so glad to have you with us. We're sorry to hear that your father couldn't attend."
Sora sounded so curtly that his sister noticed.
"I'm sorry as well your grace, he had other matters to attend to back at the Twilight keep. May I introduce myself to your queen."
He gestured over to Kairi, kneeling as the same time, stretching out his hand with an open palm. Kairi rested hers on top of his, while he pecked the milky white flesh of the back of her hand with a curt kiss. He soon stood up and walked over to Namine.
"who may you be, your grace?"
Namine saw the ocean blue colour of his eyes staring into his, she blushed and looked at the ground.
"I am princess Namine, sister to king Sora."
He knelt down, grabbing her hand and doing the same, as customary.
"Come, let us feast for your visit!"
Boomed Sora, smiling while everyone cheered within the gates of the Bastion. Namine could see Roxas was surprised by the outburst, standing up against the dirt.
"Feast? Shouldn't we start discussing the matters that you wanted to consul with my father?"
"They can wait, it's not everyday we have a special guest, now come have a bit of fun, your grace commands it."
The feast seemed to have gone on for hours. It was noon when Prince Roxas had arrived and the sun has now started to set beyond the horizon.
Music was playing sweetly in the great hall. Rows and rows of tables were set up with Bastion men and Twilight knights mingled, laughed, cheered and roared with amusement as the fools and bar wenches went by to refill the casks of ale. The occasional wench would be grabbed by the arm and asked to either stand atop the table to dance, or sit upon some of the lap of some of the men.
Namine chose to look away from such sights and started to fiddle with her food, that seemed to her too rich to eat. She looked over to look at the other end of the table to see Roxas, eating a trencher of bread, while also sipping on the wine that was offered to him. He then looked up around him, at his drunken knights, eating, singing and drinking. Suddenly those ocean calm blue eyes turned stern and cold, as a storm. Namine could see the cruelty that so many people, even Kairi had told her about.
Roxas whispered something to the red haired knight she saw earlier. He then spoke to her brother and then took his leave outside of the great hall.
Not long after the next course was brought to her, Namine felt light headed after sipping on the fine wine. She whispered to Kairi to be excused and granted her to go, seeing that her sister in laws pale cheeks had turned a shade of pink.
The night air hit her like a icy punch, sobering her a little.
It was quiet, calm and peaceful. Everything that Namine thought was bliss. Until she heard a noise. It wasn't an animal noise, but more of a metallic noise. It sounded like it wasn't too far away.
Namine walked down the courtyard, the noise was growing. Namine walked to the corner to where the training yard was with the sound becoming louder and more defined as Namine could hear metal on wood and cloth as there was a sound of ripping accompanying the metal sound. There was an occasional grunt just before each strike.
Namine turned her head around the corner to see the sandy haired prince Roxas, practising his swordsmanship with one of the training dummies they have. He had shown such ferocity and power power within each strike. It looked as if he was performing a dance in front of the dummy, as if to entertain the potential victim before his death.
Roxas turned to see Namine standing there. Motionless on what to do, but assured that he wouldn't harm her.
"May I serve you? Princess Namine"
He said, kneeling as he quickly sheathed his blade. Namine couldn't speak for a moment. Her head was still swimming, but the words did find their way out.
"No, It's ok. Why are you not in the great hall, feasting with your knights?"
Roxas stood up, a second time that he has done this for Namine, who was feeling guilty.
"I didn't really feel festive for the moment. There is no need to hold a feast for me, but I don't mean to offend the king."
Namine could still see the fierce nature of the blue in his eyes. She wanted to avert her eyes from his towards the two white keys on his chest. She never really understood the reason of the device. She knew that the Ventus family has been around since the twilight of man, protecting all those from the darkness that lasted for a hundred years. The keys were a mystery to Namine, not knowing exactly what they were for.
"They say these keys symbolise the ones used to close the kingdom gates against the dark ones."
Namine looked back up to see Roxas, his eyes in a different shade of blue somehow.
"Why two keys though? Wouldn't you only need one?"
Roxas looked into the sky blue colour of her eyes.
"There was two gate and only one entrance. King Ansem, the first of his name, sacrificed himself by locking the the outer gate. His son locked the one on the inside."
Namine was intrigued by the sad story.
"This one here, that faces to the left,or your left."
Her said pointing at his chest.
"This one is called Oblivion, while the other is called Oath Keeper."
The talk of darkness reminded Namine that it was night, and the chill was starting to really affect her. Crossing her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm.
"Come, my prince, it's too cold to stand out here, and you had a long journey."
Roxas looked back at the practise dummy and then walked backed to the great hall, not before he looked back at Namine. The blue eyes he had made her feel even colder.
"I told you a story about my family, why don't you tell me one about yours or the sigil they bare, but I don't think now is the time."
He turned back around and continued walking. Namine took a moment to smile for a moment. The thought of the keys till present in her mind. I can be his oath keeper. But the thought soon disappeared from her mind, remembering who she was and walked back into the hall.