Kingdom Hearts fic: Connections of the Heart - Chapter 2

[mistressofmuses]

In chapter 2: The trio arrive in Eclenna.

---

For their journey from Radiant Garden to Eclenna, the Eclennans had graciously supplied a magical transport that would speed their journey. Based on the same magic that had sped Kairi’s letters back and forth with the Eclennan queen, it turned a trip that would have taken weeks by mundane means into something that could be accomplished in just over a day.

It could even be undertaken in relative comfort, traveling in what was basically a very small suite of plush private rooms. It was certainly an impressive feat, one that Kairi didn’t completely understand the mechanism of. It was similar in a way to the magical elevators in the castle at Radiant Garden, but on a tremendous scale that they’d never been able to replicate.

Even the day and a half of travel time felt almost excruciatingly long, providing just enough time for the stakes of their mission to really sink in. Kairi had spent the weeks since she’d gained the council’s approval absorbed in preparations, pushing away any of the concern over what this could represent behind the necessary work.

Now, the twin thoughts that this could be her opportunity to prove her worth as a monarch and to ensure Radiant Garden’s future security were impossible to ignore.

At the same time, she might have welcomed the chance to take a week or more of travel time with Riku and Sora so they could truly work out every detail of their plan.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have a week.

Kairi sat on the edge of the bed in the room she'd claimed as 'hers' for the duration of the trip. Riku was sitting at the writing desk, while Sora leaned back on his hands on the floor.

They’d already done a cursory check for any magical listening devices. Eclenna certainly hadn’t given them any indication they would be spied on, but having what they were about to discuss be overheard was the last thing they needed.

Kairi licked dry lips. She’d been the one to call this meeting, such as it was, but she didn’t know exactly how to start.

She reached over to the bedside table and skimmed her fingers over what looked like a decorative paperweight, activating the silencing charm she’d brought with them. It would provide an extra layer of protection, in case they’d missed some sort of listening device. Functionally it was more of a muffling charm, so that anyone outside of the room containing the charm would struggle to hear anything inside it clearly.

Riku and Sora both straightened up a fraction, like that was the gesture that called their meeting to order.

She decided just to jump in. “All right. What are the most important rules for this?”

“I think you have to determine those, don’t you?” Riku said.

She shrugged. “We’re all involved. So we should all agree.”

“We already have agreed, haven’t we?” Sora asked. “This is the best way to make sure Eclenna gives you a fair chance, right?”

Kairi nodded. “But I still don’t know exactly what to expect. No one does. So what should we agree on beforehand? So nothing goes wrong, and so no one… gets hurt.”

She couldn’t quite bring herself to say what she was really most worried about. If anything jeopardized their closeness to each other, she didn’t think she could live with it. She wanted, desperately, for the peace with Eclenna to happen. But she was still selfish enough not to be willing to sacrifice her best friends for it.

Riku still seemed to catch her drift, judging from the look he gave her. “Kairi is right, Sora. We have to set the boundaries now. So what aren’t you okay with?”

“Okay with?” Sora echoed. “This was my idea, so I can’t exactly object now. Whatever has to happen has to happen.”

“Don’t pull that self-sacrificing nonsense,” Riku snapped.

“I’m not!” Sora snapped back.

“And I refuse to believe you have no reservations about any of this!”

Kairi interrupted before it could turn into a real argument. “Riku and I are going to be engaged as far as any of the Eclennans are concerned. If we’re in public, those are the roles we’re playing. What about in private?”

Sora fidgeted with the hem of his pants. “I don’t want to pretend when we’re alone.” The words were quiet and a little rushed, like he had to force them out.

Kairi nodded. “Me too.” She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it felt more sad than encouraging. The thought of being in love with Riku was far easier than the thought of pretending she didn’t love Sora.

“Of course,” said Riku stiffly. “I assumed that much. This is just a role we’re playing. No reason to keep it up when we’re alone.”

The expression on his face as he said it was inscrutable.

“But you’ll commit to it in public, right?” Sora asked. “This is for nothing if they don’t believe the two of you are in love. So you can’t get weird about people believing it either.”

“Of course,” Riku agreed. “But displays of affection in public only, then. Because you don’t want to pretend when we’re alone.”

Sora looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. He just nodded.

“Are those really the only rules we have?” Kairi asked. “Displays of affection in public only, and act like normal in private?”

“And keep it convincing,” Sora reminded them. “In public, I mean.”

“Three rules,” Kairi agreed. “Shake on it?”

She reached out a hand into the space between them.

Sora pushed up onto his knees and placed his hand on top of hers.

Riku rolled his eyes, but then leaned over to put his hand on top of the pile.

---

When the traveling suite came to a gentle stop, they took their positions at the doorway, ready to meet the Eclennans who would be sent to receive them.

It should have felt strange, being at Kairi’s left arm, a careful half-pace behind. (Behind, because Riku was here as her partner, but she was the future ruler, and he wanted to be certain no one forgot it.) Instead, it felt completely natural.

Sora was behind them another couple paces, and to the right. He was here as an “assistant”. When they had pitched Riku’s inclusion as the third party member to the council, they’d called him a “bodyguard”, but that sounded aggressive, or at the very least untrusting. They didn’t want to risk even minor offense to the Eclennans.

The door slid open with a soft sound, giving them their first unobstructed view of Eclenna. The transport had stopped in front of what had to be the royal palace: an expansive, white stone building, ornately decorated with patterns of inlaid pieces of glass.

Riku’s shoulders unknotted a fraction when he saw the greeting party. The delegation was small, only five people, but their positioning and the warmth on their faces made it feel intimate rather than like a snub. He appreciated the smaller number, especially since Kairi had been asked to keep her retinue so small. If the Eclennans had sent an enormous group to meet her party of three, it could have easily felt like a threat.

The woman in the lead of the delegation bowed, and the others behind her did the same. Kairi returned the gesture, so Riku did as well.

“We thank you so much for your kindness in providing us the transport to come here, and for being here to greet us,” Kairi said, voice warm.

As she looked forward at the Eclennans, Riku looked at her. He could already see her holding herself differently, tall and confident. It suited her.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised that it felt natural to be at her side. The only thing different about their proximity was the context around it. Fake context, he hastened to remind himself.

“Welcome, beloved future-Queen Kairi,” the woman at the front of the delegation said. “And to your fiancé and your assistant. My name is Amara. I’m the palace’s diplomacy coordinator.”

Amara was beautiful, with long, dark hair tied up in several elaborate, looping sections.

“Along with me, we have four more representatives of Eclenna from the palace: Lady Nathalie, Lord Sanson, Layrde Ourane, and Lord Terida.”

As she introduced each, they inclined their heads politely.

The queen was not among them, though that made sense. The first meeting between Kairi and Queen Lyshen would be something much more formal, and forcing it to happen now could have been a different kind of threat. Or at least an ambush.

“An honor to meet you all. I appreciate you coming here to greet us. This is my fiancé, Riku. And our friend and assistant Sora.”

Riku inclined his head, the same way the Eclennans had. Best to try and follow them for the rules of etiquette they may not have correctly absorbed from their limited research.

Amara didn’t drag the greetings out. “While I know the journey was not a long one, I’m sure you would like the opportunity to rest and settle in before dinner with the court. Please, follow us to the rooms that will be yours for the duration of your stay.”

Kairi graciously accepted the offer. It was protocol, of course, but Riku was still grateful for it. He squeezed Kairi’s fingers as they set off to follow the Eclennans.

He certainly wasn’t disappointed that they’d been brought directly to the palace; facing an additional journey, even a short one, would have probably sent his anxiety through the roof. He had to get that under control.

Amara led the way through the gates, and then through a series of beautiful gardens, while the other four Eclennans brought up the rear, carrying the trio’s luggage.

The gardens themselves were quite varied; some devoted to dramatic flower displays, others built around delicate water features, others drawing the eye up to trees arching overhead.

There was something subtly different about these gardens compared to the familiar ones in Radiant Garden, and Riku hoped he’d have a chance to look closer and figure out just what set them apart.

After the gardens, the path led through a large arched door, a private entrance into the palace itself. The halls were high-ceilinged and bright, and the route to their suite was reasonably direct. Another detail Riku appreciated; it was interior enough to be relatively safe, but no one was trying to disorient them.

Their luggage was left just inside the doors that Amara opened onto what appeared to be a small suite of rooms.

“Please get some rest, and prepare however you’d like to. I’ll be back in a few hours, when we’re ready for your celebratory dinner with the small court. We are honored and hopeful to have you here.”

“Thank you. We appreciate the hospitality, and share your feelings of honor and hope.”

Riku felt a bubble of pride in his chest, hearing the words from Kairi. And a brief flare of something like calm, finally glad that he had accepted his role in this, because she deserved this chance with Eclenna. And if this small deception granted her that? He was glad to do it.

There was still a definite loss of tension when the door closed behind the delegation, leaving Riku, Kairi, and Sora alone.

Sora was the first one to let out the breath it felt like they’d all been holding. “So… so far so good?”

Kairi let out a laugh, though it was uncomfortably close to hysteria rather than humor. “Now if only we can do that a few hundred more times, we should be fine, right?”

Riku reached out and pulled both of them into a sideways hug, and then froze. Was that too much physicality with Kairi, out of the public eye? Was that more than Sora would be comfortable with from him, given what they were doing now?

But neither of them objected. Kairi gave him a soft look, and Sora leaned into him for a moment.

He tightened his fingers on their shoulders before letting go. “Come on. Let’s get our things settled.”

The suite proved to be very pleasant. It was small, but well appointed, with luxurious touches all around; deep, wine-colored carpet thick enough it was hard to feel the floor, dark wood furniture polished to an intense shine, subtly patterned upholstery on the cushions for the chairs and loveseat, magical lights that imitated sunlight well enough to make the room feel open and bright.

The largest room stretched all the way from the door to the far back wall, containing everything needed for a sitting room. There was a desk in the back corner, which contained several choices of stationary and writing implements; a loveseat with a footstool; plus shelves of books and decorative art pieces.

Three doors opened off the right side of the long room. The closest one to the front was a small bedroom, perfect for an attendant who wanted to be nearest to any possible disruption. (It would also have been perfect for a bodyguard who intended to be the closest to any potential danger, so perhaps the Ecelennans had guessed that was the role of the third party member. Or it could have been a coincidence.)

The second door opened on a full bathroom.

The third door opened on the larger bedroom. It was clearly intended for two, judging by the twin wardrobes and absolutely massive bed.

“That’s one worry out of the way,” Kairi said, after they’d finished their initial once-over. “There really isn’t any prohibition against us sharing space. I know the books said the culture wasn’t segregated by gender, but I admit I was worried they were going to put me somewhere separate from you two.”

Riku nodded. “Having all of us in the same place should make this easier.” At least there wouldn’t be physical sneaking around on top of the rest.

Kairi and Riku unloaded their luggage into the pair of wardrobes in the main bedroom. Riku didn’t imagine he’d be sleeping in there, but the appearance was necessary, to avoid gossip should the cleaning staff take note of alternative arrangements.

Sora placed his effects in the smaller room. If he and Riku had to switch back and forth, making sure nothing gave the ruse away to a casual observer was worth the extra effort.

They embarked on a second, slightly more thorough exploration of the rooms, and repeated their check for anything potentially intended to spy on them. Fortunately, there was again nothing.

Even so, Kairi activated the muffling charm again, this time on the bedside table in the larger bedroom. It should cover the whole of the larger bedroom and most of the sitting room. Hopefully it would be unneeded, but if this was the one place they could let up on their act, they didn’t want even the slightest risk that their private space could be another kind of public.

Once everything seemed settled, Riku took his own clothing that he would wear for the formal dinner that evening into the smaller bedroom. He claimed he wanted to try and get a quick nap before the dinner, though he knew he wouldn’t actually be able to sleep, even if he had been tired.

This way he could give Sora and Kairi some privacy, so Sora could help her dress for the welcome dinner, and they could do whatever else they wanted to do, without having to ask Riku to leave.

---

True to her word, Amara returned for them a few hours later. She’d redressed as well, in layered robes of contrasting, vibrant colors.

Kairi took Riku’s arm, and Sora followed just behind. He wouldn’t always accompany them to these kinds of events—that was the whole point of the faux engagement—but he couldn’t skip the welcome dinner itself. Fortunately it was just a dinner. No dancing required.

Amara kept up a calm stream of commentary on the trip through the palace. Kairi responded to all of it with half her mind focused on the conversation, sharing tidbits about how something in Radiant Garden compared to a given architectural flourish, or how different the style of something else was.

The other half of her mind was still a bit in shock at even being here. She tightened her grip on Riku’s arm just a fraction. If he and Sora weren’t here, she didn’t know how she would do it. She smoothed down her skirt, hoping it didn’t look like the nervous gesture it was.

She and Riku were dressed to contrast. Her dress faded in gradients from pale gold at her shoulders, through shades of pink, down to dusky shades of purple where the skirt swirled around her legs. The shades of a sunset. Riku’s clothing was sharply tailored (which had been something of a trick, to get everything sized for him instead of for Sora), a long jacket in purple just a shade darker than the end of her skirt, blending into a deep blue barely shy of black. If her dress was a sunset sky, his was the sky after the sun sank below the horizon.

She was relieved that they didn’t seem overdressed for the occasion, at least.

The hall they were taken to was formal, with a woman seated at the center of a table set on raised dais at the head of the room. Her hair was a light gold-brown, pinned and braided up. Her clothing was similar to Amara’s, colors vibrant and bold. But she also had a simple, golden band settled on top of her head. Clearly, this was Queen Lyshen.

There were two other tables set up at the sides of the room, both full of other well-dressed courtiers. The high table had a few individuals seated toward the ends, though there were empty seats at either side of the queen. Perhaps a total of thirty or so people in the room? At a glance, Kairi recognized the rest of the greeting party, seated amongst the rest. She made brief eye contact with Nathalie, who smiled at her in what she thought was encouragement.

Kairi returned the smile before refocusing on the more important matter at hand.

Amara led them forward, then stepped aside so that they could greet the queen.

“Princess Kairi,” Lyshen said. Her voice was rich and dignified, carrying easily through the room. All other conversation died down. “It’s wonderful to meet you in person.”

“Likewise, beloved Queen,” Kairi said, remembering the proper form of address. She curtseyed, as both Riku and Sora bowed. “Your letters have been a deep source of hope. I’m delighted for the opportunity to be here, to see Eclenna and meet its people.”

“May this be merely the beginning of so much more. And will you introduce your companions? We were thrilled to learn of your engagement.”

“Thank you, beloved Queen. This is my fiancé, Riku. And with us we have our dear friend, Sora.”

“I hope all three of you know you are very welcome in Eclenna. Please join us now, so we can continue to speak, and share a meal, and begin to learn more about one another.”

There was a smattering of polite applause and greetings from the side tables.

Kairi anticipated being led up to the table near Lyshen. There were four empty seats there, three to the queen’s right, and one to her left, all facing into the rest of the room. The idea that the three stretching to Lyshen’s right were reserved for them as guests of honor seemed a safe assumption. It would also be the best way to ensure they were able to speak as the queen had indicated, even if it required a bit of leaning.

And indeed, Amara led them behind the table and indicated their seats—Kairi directly at Lyshen’s right, Riku next to her, and Sora on his other side. After they sat, Amara went to the remaining open seat at Lyshen’s left.

Lyshen leaned closer, and spoke in a feigned conspiratorial manner. “I hope my wife has been kind in her dealings with you. I wouldn’t expect otherwise, but…”

On her far side, Amara playfully smacked her arm.

“Your wife was wonderfully welcoming,” Kairi said. “Though I admit I didn’t realize she was your wife. She introduced herself as the diplomacy coordinator.”

Serving staff stepped forward to fill tall glasses with a pale gold liquid. It sparkled slightly in the gentle light of the hall.

Queen Lyshen smiled graciously at the woman who’d filled her glass, but continued speaking to Kairi. “A perfectly accurate introduction as well, if maybe an incomplete one.”

Amara’s soft smile as she sipped her drink hinted that it may have been a deliberate choice, as well.

“Sometimes there’s value in finding out how someone treats you before they know your rank,” Kairi agreed. “I’ve certainly wished I could be viewed on my own merits, without other assumptions getting in the way.”

Riku raised his glass in a gentle toast toward her at the statement.

“I’m sorry to hear that isn’t always something you’re afforded,” the queen said.

“I’m sure that many people could say the same for themselves,” Kairi said. Coming off as a martyr wasn’t the image she wanted to give, and hinting at discontent between her and the council wouldn’t be wise either. “Sometimes we just have to hope that our actions make a bigger impression that the preconceptions.”

Her wince at the thought that right now her actions included ‘deliberate deception, despite a noble motive’ was kept purely internal.

“Well said,” the queen said. She picked up her own glass and raised it toward Kairi. “To our own merits, and to forming our own opinions.”

Kairi returned the toast, and then sipped the wine. It was pleasantly bright and very slightly sweet. Not cloying or overwhelming. She’d heard many positive things about Eclennan wines, including in the books from the library, but had certainly never had the chance to try them before.

Then the queen stood, raising her glass again in a toast to the entire room. “To our guests of honor: Kairi, princess of Radiant Garden; Riku, her fiancé; and their companion Sora. They are the first from Radiant Garden to be welcomed here in many years, though we hope only the first of more to come.”

The toast was met with slightly more energetic clapping, and louder voices as the rest of the hall echoed the sentiment and raised their own glasses.

As the first course was brought out, Amara leaned forward and said, “We weren’t certain which flavors were common in the cuisine of Radiant Garden. If anything is not to your liking, please don’t feel compelled to eat it.”

Kairi nodded her agreement, while privately deciding she’d eat anything they served her, and hoping Riku and Sora would as well. None of the books on Eclenna had covered how serious a slight it would be to refuse food, but she didn’t want to find out the hard way.

It wound up being a completely unnecessary concern, because the food was varied, and all excellent. Small game birds roasted and served in rich cream sauce. A baked egg dish with vegetables cooked in that formed beautiful artistic patterns of landscapes. Fresh bread with swirls of bold spices.

Before the meal was done, Kairi was already wondering if recipes would be something she could ask for as a method of cultural exchange.

The conversation was light, mostly pleasantries about how their trip—short as it had been—was. Kairi made sure she was properly grateful for Lyshen’s generous loan of the transport that allowed for the journey to have been made so efficiently.

Amara engaged Riku in some talk about plans for the next few days. Naturally: the queen’s wife and the assumed future-royal consort would likely spend a good deal of time together.

Kairi glanced down past Riku to Sora, who looked completely relaxed. As always, he seemed to know just when she looked over at him, and he flashed her a quick grin, which she returned.

Overall, the initial dinner left Kairi with a definite sense of hope about the entire trip. Both Lyshen and Amara had been open and friendly, and Kairi felt like they had a genuine desire to see the alliance happen.

That was a relief, and once they’d returned to their rooms for the night, a good amount of the tension in Kairi’s shoulders dissolved. At least it seemed like it was starting from a point of good faith.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Sora slumped against it. “I don’t have to do that again, right?”

“I thought it went really well, didn’t you?” Kairi asked.

“I guess. But it was terrifying.”

“You’ve faced down bullies twice your size, and taken a rowboat onto the ocean in the middle of a massive thunderstorm. But dinner was terrifying,” Riku teased.

Sora made an exaggeratedly miserable sound instead of giving a real answer.

“I don’t think you’ll have to be at any more dinners,” Riku relented. “And I promise we’ll make sure you still get fed.”

“Unless there’s some other big celebration, like if it all goes right, then you should be off the hook,” Kairi agreed.

“Thank you,” Sora said emphatically, looking mostly at Riku. “I couldn’t do it.”

Privately, Kairi wasn’t completely sure of that. If he hadn’t had a choice, Sora would have done his best to be her required partner. And his best could be pretty damn good when he was putting his mind toward something. But he wouldn’t have to do it, with Riku here.

The council had asked her to write to them once she’d arrived, to keep them updated on how the negotiations were progressing. So before the three of them settled in for the night, she wrote a brief letter to them, informing them that they’d arrived safely and that she was optimistic about the success of the mission.

It was easy enough to call for someone to take the letter to be sent to Radiant Garden. Even if it didn’t get sent until the next morning, the council should have it by the day after.

She would have stayed up to talk to Riku and Sora, but Sora was already draped over the loveseat behind the writing desk, snoring. One leg was kicked up over the back, and the other across Riku’s lap, while his head rested against the armrest, bending his neck to a near right angle.

Riku didn’t look much more energetic, but at least he was conscious.

“Guess the stress really did wear him out,” she said. “How is that even comfortable?”

“Yeah,” Riku agreed. He scrubbed at his own eyes, and got to his feet. “I’ll get him to bed.”

It certainly wasn’t the first time Riku had carried Sora back to bed after a late night. Kairi remembered several sleepovers with similar outcomes, when Sora was inevitably the first one to doze off.

Riku scooped Sora up off the loveseat. He grumbled something indistinct, but didn’t wake up.

Riku didn’t take him into the smaller bedroom, but into the large one. Kairi almost said something about it, but then didn’t. It wasn’t like she was disappointed to sleep in the same room with her actual fiancé. It just hadn’t been what she was expecting, for some reason. But of course Riku didn’t want to share the room with her. No pretending in private. She followed them in.

“Thank you,” she said, after Riku had gotten Sora settled onto one side of the bed. At least Sora had already kicked off his shoes.

“Of course. Can’t let him wake up with a cramped neck.” Riku rummaged through the wardrobe, pulling out some appropriate sleeping attire for himself.

“Thank you for everything else, too. I know it’s not something easy to be asked, right? But you’re doing it for me. And for Sora. So thank you.”

“Bit late to be having second thoughts.” Riku frowned.

“What? No! No second thoughts! Just… realizing what a big thing it was to ask.”

Riku shrugged. “Well, we’re committed now. One dinner party down. Who knows how many more to go.”

“Yeah…” she laughed.

“Get some sleep, Princess.” He headed for the door.

She sat down at the small dressing table, before realizing an imminent dilemma. “Ah, Riku? Could I ask for one extra favor?”

“Always.”

“Can you undo the zipper on the back of my dress?” Her face flushed a little. Maybe she could contort to get it herself, but if not, she’d have to try and wake Sora to help, and he could sleep through a hurricane.

“Uh, sure.” He set his clothes in a pile on the bed before stepping up behind her.

Riku’s hands were very warm at the base of her neck, as he gently brushed wisps of hair to the side, and unhooked the tiny little catch. Then he slid the zipper down her back, just tracing the top half of her spine. His hands retreated. “Is that enough?”

She nodded. She could see all too clearly in the mirror that her face was even redder now. Riku’s face looked a little flushed too, but that could have been a trick of the low light. “Yeah, I’ve got it from here. Thanks. Again, I mean.”

“Get some sleep,” he repeated, voice just a little rough, before exiting and closing the door behind him.

---

Sora was disoriented when he woke up. Not only was it an unfamiliar bed, but also not where he remembered falling asleep. And he was still dressed from the party. Not that he’d been wearing anything fancy, not like Kairi and Riku, but it still wasn’t what he’d usually choose to sleep in.

Kairi was asleep on the other side of the bed, looking far more comfortable in a nightgown, though she’d kicked the blanket aside at some point, and her arms were sprawled at odd angles.

He grinned at that, and decided he’d let her sleep for a while. Rolling out of bed he realized one of the downsides to sleeping in the room that was set up to look like Riku was staying there.

It probably would have been better to change into something slightly more presentable before venturing out of the bedroom. Not that there would be anything else requiring his presence in an official capacity, or anyone officially representing Eclenna in their rooms, but still. If someone came to the door and saw him, it probably wouldn’t leave a favorable impression for them to see him wearing slept-in clothes.

He let out a breath of amusement. Not so long ago, it wouldn’t have even occurred to him to care about that. Maybe he was learning this “future consort” business after all.

Riku was already awake, sitting on the loveseat—which was the last place Sora actually remembered being—paging through a book.

He glanced up when Sora shut the bedroom door behind himself, and gave him a quick nod. “Morning. Sleep all right?”

“Morning,” Sora mumbled back. “I guess the dinner wiped me out.”

“I’ll say. Had to carry you to bed.”

“Sorry…”

Riku shrugged. “It’s nothing. Not the first time, likely not the last.”

Sora reminded himself that there was no possible innuendo to Riku promising to carry him to bed again in the future. He cleared his throat. “I’m just gonna get dressed real fast,” he excused himself.

He did genuinely feel better once he’d gotten changed into something that felt more normal, plus splashed some water on his face and forced a brush through his hair.

Though he finished just in time: as he was returning to the main room, there was a quiet knock on the door.

Sora glanced back to the larger bedroom, but the door was still closed. Riku sat up a little straighter, but Sora waved him back.

They’d been deliberately vague about Sora’s role in the group, and the hierarchies seemed to already be vague enough as it was. But still, if he was here as an “assistant” or “companion”, it probably wouldn’t do to have the future consort answering the door instead of him.

The young man on the other side was dressed in what seemed to be the uniform for the palace staff, a cream-colored tunic over rich brown pants and shirt. He was carrying an envelope, sealed with the stamp of the Radiant Garden council.

“A message for Princess Kairi,” he said, somewhat unnecessarily.

“May I take it for her, or would you like me to get her?” Sora asked.

“I trust you’ll pass it along to her. Thank you, beloved sir.”

“Thank you.” Did palace staff get a title? Or an honorific of some sort? Are they also ‘beloved’? This is why I’m not equipped for this. By the time he’d finished agonizing, the door was already closed.

Riku had also gotten to his feet. “A letter from the council?” he asked, clearly spotting the stamp on the front. “So soon?”

“They must have sent it before we even arrived. Do we open it? Wake Kairi?” Sora turned it over in his hands, feeling ridiculous at how much trepidation he felt about it.

“I know she wouldn’t mind us opening it, but it still doesn’t seem quite right.”

“Wouldn’t mind what?” Kairi asked, as the bedroom door clicked open. She stretched and stifled a yawn, still dressed in the comfortable-looking nightgown.

“There’s a letter for you,” Sora answered, holding it up.

“I sent them a letter last night, but there’s no way they could have gotten it by now, much less sent a response…” She ran her fingers through sleep-mussed hair, and crossed the room to take the letter.

She carefully tore it open, and unfolded the thick page within.

“Princess Kairi,” she read, “After further deliberation by the council, we have come to some additional conclusions regarding your journey to Eclenna. As previously discussed, we hope that you can reach an agreement of lasting peace and mutual aid. Additionally, we would appreciate an exchange of knowledge, particularly as it pertains to magical abilities, a field in which Eclenna has far surpassed Radiant Garden. Though in exchange, we would certainly be open to sharing our own research, some of which may be of interest to Eclenna, considering the cultural reverence for matters concerning the heart.

“If you are successful in both a peace agreement and at least some degree of magical advancement, the council has agreed this would be considered a Great Work.

“Should you accomplish what you have set out to do, you will return to Radiant Garden as the true heir, and we will begin the process leading to your coronation.

“Signed Dilan, Even, Ienzo, Braig, and Aeleus.”

All three of them were utterly silent when she finished reading the letter.

Kairi was the one to speak first, hand shaking just slightly on the letter. “I’d hoped they would agree to it being a great work, but I’d thought that would be later. Like in retrospect. Not… now, already.”

“But this is good news,” Riku said. “They’re acknowledging what you’re doing.”

She snorted. “Maybe, if I believed they thought it was possible. It feels like they’re only offering because they know it will fail. But then I certainly can’t ever complain that I wasn’t given a chance.”

“It’s not going to fail!” Sora said. “It doesn’t matter what the council thinks about it. They have to crown you if you succeed, now.”

“No pressure,” she said, shooting Riku an ironic look.

“No pressure you can’t handle,” he quoted back.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Sora said, nodding firmly. “Because we were always going to succeed.”

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