I think my name is Lea.

That's what I've been told, anyway. I'm sure the people here aren't lying, exactly, but they could be mistaken. Or it could just be the name they've given me. It seems familiar yet it doesn't seem quite right. But it's an okay name, I suppose. It doesn't bother me.

They tell me I'm a slave. A prisoner of war, sold to the pleasure palace to be used any way they see fit. I was confused at first, almost child like, and by the time I started realizing that this was wrong it was already a done deal. They taught me how to do everything, how to give a great blowjob, how to take it and look like I'm enjoying it, even how to please a woman. Not that I get to do that last very often, its men who come to the pleasure palace.

I could rebel now that I'm a bit more myself, but what would be the point? I've seen what happens to slaves that fight against it. I don't want to be whipped over a 'virtue' I lost two years ago. I've thought about trying to escape but I haven't found a way yet. I'm a well behaved slave, but they still don't take any chances with me. I'm chained after my duties like all the others, although the chains are padded with fur and polished until they almost look like jewelry. When I wasn't really myself, I remember just staring at the chains for hours, watching them glitter. Hmph… I'm not sure what I would do if I escaped anyway. I can hardly read, although I have the strangest feeling I used to be able to read well. It's like the letters don't fit in my mind anymore. I can't really explain it.

I have a scar on my head. My hair grew in over it so you can hardly see it but I'm sure that mark has a lot to do with the way I was and the way I am now. But no one can tell me how I got it or what happened, just that it was half-healed when I arrived and they thought I was going to be touched in the head forever at first. I'm glad I'm better but I wish I could remember more. Sometimes I almost remember warm sunshine and blue sky. A lake so deep it just begged to be swum in. A boy stands by that lake, golden hair shining in that bright sun and eyes as beautiful as the sky. But whenever I try to focus on the memories they all just fade away. Who is that boy? What does he mean to me?

I think my name is Lea but I wish I knew for sure…

Roxas sighed as he leaned against the window sill, looking down into the gardens. They were beautiful, spacious, landscaped gardens kept up by servants and magical golems. Normally, he liked looking at them. They weren't at all natural but there was a very pretty, serene order to the gardens. They almost reminded him of himself, in a lot of ways. Serene, logical, orderly… most of the time. But not all of the time.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Roxas turned as he heard Namine's voice. His sister was standing behind him, a sympathetic look on her face. "He wasn't good enough for you." Briefly, Roxas was glad it was her and not his parents. That comment from them would have infuriated him but from Namine it was supportive. For a moment, he reflected on the difference. If his parents had said that, they would have just been referring to his ex-lovers' class. Nothing to do with a difference in personality, intelligence or even a character judgment… just social class. To Roxas, that was infuriating.

He was of the highest social strata possible, distantly related to the King and the heir to a great fortune. In a normal world he would have gone to the Lodimere Academy and probably ended up sharing all of his parents' attitudes in full. But things had gone very badly wrong with the Academy and despite their narrow attitudes, his parents weren't bad people. They really cared, unlike some, and when the revelations about the Headmaster molesting little boys in the slums came out they had flat out refused to send him and Namine back. They weren't willing to take risks with their most precious possessions.

So instead of attending an exclusive boarding school of the nobility, they had gone to a public boarding school. A very good public school in an extremely good neighborhood, but still public. They had associated with some noble children whose parents had felt the same way, but more children of the trade classes. And the school had had a very selective, very careful scholarship program for the children in the lowest strata of society. That was how Roxas had met Axel.

Axel had been everything he wasn't. Fiery, impulsive, disordered and brilliant, the redhead had been amazingly charming and personable. It had been hard to believe he was a penniless orphan child, found wandering the streets in the aftermath of a tenement fire at the age of six. Axel had been lucky though. Instead of getting thrown into some makeshift slum orphanage, he'd been taken by the Sisterhood. The Sisterhood of Ellia ran some very religiously strict but very nice orphanages in the middle class parts of town. Axel had been given plenty of food, some real affection and the best teaching the nuns could offer. It hadn't been the best childhood but it had set his feet on the path to success and when he was old enough, the Abbess of the orphanage had helped him get one of the few scholarships available. And so he and Roxas, two people from the opposite ends of the earth in terms of class, had met and fallen in love. Or at least, Roxas had fallen in love.

"Thanks Namine." Roxas managed to smile, but it was hard. It had been three years. Three years since Axel graduated and went to the University in Kingsford without a backward glance. He'd promised to write to his younger lover, but he never had. Not a single letter had arrived and Roxas had wept at first, then finally made himself face the fact that Axel didn't care. He probably had a new boy or girlfriend now and had forgotten all about the blonde boy he'd once known. Namine saw the strain on his face and changed the subject, and he was grateful.

"Riku and Sora will be arriving soon. You might want to change." Roxas blinked and looked down at his clothes. He was wearing a very good set of velvets, why would he want to change? "They want to go to the lake, remember?"

"Oh!" That was an excellent reason to change, and Roxas flushed. "Thanks again." His velvets would have been ruined on that hike. Namine smiled, her cheeks dimpling.

"Think nothing of it. Kairi and I are going to be in the drawing room, if you need us." Kairi was their cousin and she was visiting for a few weeks. Something about her parents needing a love retreat and kids walking in and saying 'gross!' wasn't at all sexy. Roxas could sympathize, Namine had done the exact same thing to him and Axel once. He hastily shut down that memory and went to change.

His parents didn't quite approve of Riku and Sora. They were both in the merchant class, but so high in it that his parents had grudgingly decided they were acceptable friends for him. Riku was the third son of a shipping magnet and Sora was the first son of the man who owned Danask Manufacturing. Riku wasn't going to inherit too much as a third son, but he was planning to become a wizard. Sora was going to go into the family business as soon as he finished University, and was looking forward to it. It was actually his dream to follow in his father's footsteps. Roxas vaguely wished he had a similar path to follow, but he'd never quite been able to figure out what he wanted to do in life. Well, technically he didn't have to do anything; he could just inherit the family properties and live on the income forever. But that seemed like a bore. He wanted to actually accomplish something, even if it was just bad poetry and worse drawing. His friends claimed his drawings were good, almost as good as Namine's, but what did they know?

"Roxas!" Roxas grinned as a very enthusiastic Sora latched onto him. They looked like they could be brothers, which was odd since they weren't at all related. Riku contented himself with a nod and a smile. He was always the less expressive of the two. "How have you been doing?"

"Not too bad." He replied truthfully. "Just busy packing." He had graduated and it was his turn to go to the University of Kingsford. Part of him shrank back at the idea. There was every possibility he would see Axel on campus. But he refused to let that stop him, and Riku and Sora would be there too. Namine and Kairi would be following next year as well, and Riku and Kairi had both promised to kick Axel's ass for him. Roxas wasn't planning to take them up on that, but he had to admit it was tempting.

"We're all ready to go." Sora said happily. "We're leaving in two days, right?" Roxas nodded. His parents had hired a private carriage with protections and he'd invited his two friends to join him. It was only sensible, since the three of them were going to be sharing a house together in Kingsford. The dorms were very full and they had the money to afford their privacy, so it had been the practical course. "C'mon, let's go see the lake!" Roxas laughed as Sora dragged him out the door and Riku trailed behind, smiling.

"Sora, ease up! We don't have to run, the lake isn't going anywhere." Roxas gently teased him and the brunette grinned but slowed down. "Did you bring your swim shorts?" Roxas had his on under his clothing now.

"I have them here." Riku volunteered, lifting a bag. "It's been so long since we've had a chance to really swim." Roxas nodded. The boarding school hadn't had a pool and very few private houses had them in the city. It had probably been years since Riku and Sora had gotten to swim at all, much less in a big, beautiful lake. Axel had always loved swimming in the lake. Roxas flinched as he thought about that, then resolutely pushed away the memory.

Axel was gone. He hadn't cared and it was over. That was all that mattered.

"Strip." The command is cold and arrogant. I obey, making it a show, not too slow but not too fast. Sensual. I know he likes that.

I know this customer well. I'm not chained, but I don't have to be when I'm servicing a customer, unlike some slaves. Slaves like that are never sent to this customer. He hates disobedience, hates it immensely and reacts violently when confronted with it. I'm told he disfigured a young slave who refused to suck him, and after that the management only sends him the most tractable, well trained slaves, like me. Lucky me. I don't like him a bit. No matter how obedient I am I'm going to end up hurting before this is over. He likes that, too. Cold blue eyes, so much lighter than the ones I remember, watch me disrobe appreciatively.

"Come here, Lea." A little disturbing that we've been together often enough that he remembers my name. There's always the possibility that some rich man could purchase me to be a private toy and while there are a few customers I wouldn't mind, this man isn't one of them. But I move immediately, making it a slow glide, just the way I've been taught. He grips my arm and I don't bother to hide my wince at his harsh grip.

The lovemaking goes exactly the way I expect. He says degrading, dirty things in my ear and I moan and pant like the trained bitch I am. I say dirty things back to him, begging him to fuck me harder, and he does. If he weren't so rough he'd be good at this, he makes me come but the ache between my thighs won't be going away quickly. It will take me days to recover but that's normal for this man. He strokes my sweaty red hair almost tenderly, but I know better. He has no heart.

"Very good Lea." He says coolly, as if we haven't just finished screwing like animals. Then he stands, walking over to the speaking tube and placing an order with the kitchen for two steaks. A little reward for being a good boy. Sometimes I wish I was still feeble minded. I remember being proud of myself when I got rewards like this. Now I just feel sick.

I hate my life.

"I feel sick." Sora mumbled as the carriage jostled over another bump. Roxas sighed as Riku slept, completely dead to the world. Roxas had no idea how the silver haired man could do that. The carriage wasn't making him sick but the bumping was far too much for Roxas to sleep.

"Just make sure you use the bags if you absolutely have to." Sora nodded weakly, clearly trying to keep himself together. The trip to Kingsford was three days long but they were on the last bit now. Before night fell, they would reach Kingsford.

So it proved. Riku woke up and poked his head out of the coach window as they were trotting through the suburbs and slums surrounding the capital of the realm. It was a huge city and they were all impressed. Their boarding school had been in a rather small, sleepy place compared to this although children had come to it from all over the realm. The carriage safely delivered them to their rented house and they all lugged their luggage inside. They would all be living without servants now, but that wouldn't be much of a problem really. Riku actually knew how to cook and Roxas had a mania for cleanliness, so between the two of them they should manage fairly well.

"I'm hungry." Riku explored the cupboards and made a desolate sound. "There's no food in here!" Roxas laughed as Sora grinned.

"We'll have to go shopping tomorrow. C'mon, let's go check out the neighborhood restaurants." He was sure there would be something very interesting nearby. They were right beside the University in the high rent part of town, so it was guaranteed that there would be plenty of bistros and pizza places. Riku sighed and closed the cupboards.

"Okay. I'd love some roast chicken."

"Sounds good!" Sora was getting his stomach under control now that he was out of the carriage and roasted chicken sounded good indeed. "With potatoes and carrots!" Roxas laughed and started out of the house.

"Let's just see what we can find." He suggested as the other two followed. He just wanted something to eat, be it meatloaf or chicken, anything would do. As it happened, though, they found a bistro not far from the house serving roast chicken among other things. Soon Riku and Sora were both in rotisserie chicken heaven and just to be perverse, Roxas ordered the roast beef sandwich. It came slathered in tasty gravy and Roxas made a mental note of this place. The food was really good.

"Why don't we make a plan for tomorrow?" Riku suggested and Roxas nodded, pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil. He always kept a bit of paper handy, you never knew when you might have to write something down. "Okay, we need to go talk to the registrar and make sure all our courses are in order. We need to go grocery shopping. We need – " Roxas quickly noted everything down, and added a few items of his own.

He was so busy organizing he didn't even think of Axel.

"Stupid Xion." I mutter as I clean the black haired girl's wounds. She hisses, squirming in pain as the solution stings the open cuts. "You keep this up, they'll sell you to someone who wants a slave to kill." That's perfectly legal. We're property, after all. She glares at me, her blue eyes hard as stones.

"Easy for you to say, bitch." She spits at me. "You're their pretty little whore." That stings a little but not much. I know what I am.

"Shut up Xion." I sound tired. Still recovering from my session with that man. "You know why I don't try to escape." She glowers but nods reluctantly. She knows I don't have any memory and can hardly read. Everyone knows. "What in fuck would be the point of resisting when there's nowhere to go?"

"Maybe for you. But I have a family." She snarls then groans as I keep cleaning her cuts. Can't let them get infected.

"Well, they're never going to see you again. Get used to it chela, or we won't be seeing your pretty face anymore either." I say bluntly and she looks away. Is she crying? Shit. I hate it when girls cry. "Xion, I'm sorry."

"Go away." She sounds choked. I reach over to pet her black hair but she slaps my hand away. "Go away!" With a sigh, I pick up the bucket of rags and leave the room.

There's nothing I can do for her. There's nothing I can do for myself.