"They got a healing wizard out for YOU." Xion growls at me and I resist rolling my eyes. Even that little movement hurts.

"That's because no one knows what the fuck is wrong with me. Everyone knows what's wrong with YOU." I sound bitchy and I don't care. Xion's getting on my last nerve. "What the hell did you do to make him break your wrist like that?" I wouldn't have thought her customer was the violent type. Plenty of girls have had him and come out just fine. Xion scowls but won't answer. I wonder if she bit him.

"So what is wrong with you?" She asks, changing the subject. I can roll with that.

"Specifically at this moment? They have no idea. In general, the wizard they got thinks it all goes back to this scar of mine." I close my eyes, feeling the headache finally lessening a bit. The pills that wizard gave me must be kicking in. "He was more talkative than most. He said the thing where I lose my speech and can't understand words and my difficulty reading and singing are all the same thing. Aphasia." Xion frowned, not knowing the term. "He said it happens sometimes with bad head wounds. Means I've taken damage to the language centres. If I'd been treated right away I might be better than I am now. Or not. You can never tell with this sort of thing apparently."

"So he had no way to prevent the pain attacks?" I sighed. Trust Xion to get to the point that mattered the most.

"No. Just some pills I can take when I have one to dull the pain. But this is the first time that's happened, hopefully it'll stay rare." If I started having attacks all the time, well. They might make me kitchen staff. I'm well liked around here. That wouldn't be too bad, but they might sell me and that could really suck. As pathetic as my life is I'm sure it can get worse.

"Hope so." Xion sighs, closing her eyes and trying to get some sleep. I do the same. There's really nothing else to do.

"Riku, Sora?" Roxas tapped a card against his hand. It was a heavily gilded card made from very thick, rich card stock. "I was wondering. Would you like to come to a party with me?"

"Huh?" Riku looked up from his work with a frown. He was writing a research paper on the effects of magical garbage on the environment. Nothing came for free, so that was a hot topic for discussion in certain circles. "A party? We're both awfully busy Roxas." It was only two weeks into the semester but none of the professors were going easy on the freshmen. They were piling on the work like it was going out of style so they all had things to do. "Wait, a party? When did you get invited to a party?" That was very strange since most of the other students wouldn't be caught dead inviting a freshman to a party, even one who was distantly related to the King. Roxas sighed and tossed the card over to the silver hair, who looked at it with a frown. "…Oh." Grimacing, he tossed the card back. "One of those parties."

"I'm afraid so." Those parties were the ones he was invited to because he was related to the King and a high noble. Often amusing and lavish they could also be unutterably boring. It was hard to say, and Roxas didn't like going to them, except for the ones held by people he actually knew. He didn't know the person inviting him to this one at all, so the odds were he'd be completely lost in a sea of people he'd never met and had very little in common with. But he couldn't just refuse. His parents would be furious with him and rightly so. Snubbing high society simply wasn't possible unless he wanted to get a reputation as either a boor or eccentric, and he was too young to be eccentric. "Please, please come, I'm begging you. I'll need someone to talk to." Roxas begged Riku shamelessly. Sora was out buying some groceries. Riku rubbed his forehead for a moment, thinking.

"I suppose we can make the time. What day of the week is it?" Roxas frowned at the card and checked his calendar.

"Saturday." Riku looked relieved at that response and nodded.

"We can definitely make time then." Then his tone turned a bit amused. "Father will be pleased." Roxas laughed, understanding. Riku's father was a bit of a social climber and would have given a small body part to have the kind of invitations Roxas received all the time. It was never going to happen, but he loved the fact that Riku got to go with Roxas. "Does this party have any kind of theme?" Roxas flipped open the card, reading, and blinked.

"Uh, sort of." Roxas suddenly grinned as he caught the tongue-in-cheek humor to it. "It's a meet the mistress party. Bring all sundry companions! This might be better than I thought." Whoever the host was, they clearly had a sense of humor. Riku stared, a bit caught off guard.

"It could lead to some unfortunate rumors about the three of us, though." He pointed out and Roxas snorted.

"Those rumors have already been started by us living together." Roxas was wryly certain of that. Riku and Sora weren't bothering to hide their love interests, which was fine for them. Riku's family didn't care if he married or not and Sora's father didn't particularly care if Sora had children or not. There were lots of cousins in the family, most of them working in the family business, so Sora would have plenty of heirs to choose from. That was all that mattered to his father, that the family business continued and did well. And with his two roommates known as openly gay, Roxas was sure most of the university had drawn the correct conclusions about his own interests. It wouldn't be a stretch at all for people to imagine they were engaged in a threesome. Fortunately, the university was extremely liberal about that sort of thing. Riku thought about it a moment, then shrugged.

"As long as you don't mind." Roxas would be the one affected by the rumors in any case. Roxas laughed.

"It won't hurt me a bit, believe me." It might actually get him a bit of respect with the older students, who would be impressed with his willingness to be counter-culture. And other nobles would mostly write it off as the follies of youth. His parents had used that excuse with Axel plenty of times. Roxas' brow knit as he thought about that. "Riku? Has there been any progress in finding Axel?" They had hired an expensive, well known agency to try to find Axel. Riku sighed.

"No. It's a very cold trail we've set them on." The agency had warned them of that, openly and upfront. Riku had appreciated it, but that was why he had hired them, for their honesty and ability. "They haven't given up though." Roxas nodded, a bit discouraged.

He had no idea that random chance would hand him the answer to his question.

I'm on light work now although my headache has faded. The aphasia comes and goes though. It makes it difficult when someone tries to give me instructions, but I understand gestures well enough. So now I'm cleaning windows. That's fine.

"Axel?" Looks like the aphasia has cleared for now. I turn to look at the girl behind me. She's smaller than Xion, tiny, but she's got a whip coiled on her belt. One of our overseers. I don't like them but I don't hate them either. It's a job like any other and while some of them enjoy the beatings most just want to eat. "You understand?" She knows about the aphasia of course. Everyone knows.

"Yes. What can I do for you?" I dredge her name out of the depth of my mind. "Verity?" That makes her smile. Everyone likes to be remembered I suppose.

"The mistress wants to see you." I nod and look down at the bucket of soapy water. "I'll take that. Go to her study." She takes the bucket, surprising me. A lot of the overseers are allergic to anything resembling physical labor.

"Thank you." I wonder what the mistress wants with me, but I can't find the energy to be afraid. I've felt so incredibly drained lately and I'm not sure why. Still, I do manage a bit of dull dread as the overseer guarding her door lets me in.

The mistress of the Pleasure Palace used to be a slave herself, or so they say. I believe it. She's a cold, hard woman with eyes of dark green that must have been ravishing when she was younger. She's still beautiful with lined skin and hair going grey. Right now she's sitting behind her desk and staring at me. Not the sort of thing a slave wants to see.

"Lea. Take a seat." She gestures and I sit down, meeting her gaze evenly. She likes to see a bit of spine in her charges, as long as it's only a bit. "I have news for you." From the look on her face its news she doesn't like. Great. "As you may know, Lord Vexen has been looking into purchasing a pleasure slave for his personal use." Shit. Shit shit shit! "Apparently, you've made quite an impression. He's requested that you come with him to a gala event as a trial." Oh god. How can I fuck up without getting killed? I do not want that man to buy me!

"Uh, mistress. Is he aware of my problem?" Please please please let my head injury get me out of this. It should be good for something! She purses her lips and nods.

"I have informed him of that and specifically told him the kind of attacks you are subject to. He thinks he might be able to improve your condition. He's a powerful mage." Great. From her tone she doesn't like it and she's the ice bitch. I'm doomed. "Lea. If it were up to me I would refuse to sell you. However, I have my limits." I swallow as she fixes me with a stare. "Report to Seba for training." That's going to be a refresher course on table manners and bowing and whatnot. I take a deep breath and stand. She can't help me. The mistress might be free but she's a pawn of the people who own this place.

"Right away mistress." Shit. I might have to take the chance of blowing it. If I really screw up he won't want to buy me, but he might disfigure me or worse. Feeling numb, I walk down to Seba's room. Xion stops me on the way.

"What's wrong? You look like your dog just died." I give her a weak glare.

"My dog just got eaten by a snake." I lower my voice a little, although there isn't much point. The gossip will be all over the place already. "Lord Vexen is thinking about buying me. I have to go with him to a party." Xion winces and grips my hand for a moment.

"I'm sorry." She sounds sorry, too. I take a deep breath and squeeze her hand back.

"I'll be okay." Yeah, I'll be okay. Even if he does buy me I can survive. I just don't want it to happen. Why couldn't I be bought by some kind old geezer with bad breath and a beard? For a moment, a vision of blue eyes and blonde hair flashes across my mind. Heh. Might as well wish for the moon than wish for someone like that. Kids like that don't come to the pleasure palace.

But I wish one would.

"Roxas…"

A week later.

"Roxas."

"Yes?" Roxas carefully examined himself in the mirror, considering his costume.

"You realize you look completely retarded?" Sora said with complete honesty and lack of tact as Riku choked on a laugh. Roxas just snorted, lifting his nose in the air.

"I'll have you know that Neo Comedia is completely IN this year. You're both going to look hopelessly outdated." Sora looked skeptical as Riku quirked an eyebrow at Roxas. The blonde grinned at his friends. "You'll see." His outfit consisted of black and white striped pants leading up to a black waistcoat, glittering with golden chains. A silk shirt underneath with a big, pink bow at his throat and a tiny black hat perched on his head with a matching bow finished the ensemble. And long white gloves, of course. Roxas flexed his hands for a moment, adjusting the gloves, then slid on an oversized gold and jet ring.

Compared to him, Riku and Sora were both far more restrained. Riku was wearing his best outfit, a suit of fine grey wool, tailored to him. Sora was wearing a dark blue, shimmersilk shirt that had to have cost a fortune, along with black slacks and a black vest embroidered with tiny golden hearts. They both looked like what they were, children of wealthy merchants.

"Well, whatever. I'm not wearing a getup like that." Sora said firmly. Roxas shook his head with a grin.

"Just look at it like another costume." The blonde advised them. Riku smiled faintly at that, twitching his cuffs into place. The one note of wealth in his outfit was the diamond cufflinks he had indulged in. Then he opened the door. A cab was waiting for them outside and soon they were all on their way to the party.

"If you're right about everyone being dressed like that, we're going to stand out." Riku commented, not particularly worried. He could endure an uncomfortable evening for Roxas. Roxas shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure there will be other merchants there." Very few parties were exclusive to the nobility these days. The power of the trade classes had grown in recent years, and despite the attitudes of people like his parents most nobles were willing to accept the upper crust of the merchant class as quasi-equals. If the party had been super exclusive there would have been some hint of it on the invitation, and certainly no suggestion to bring your mistress.

"I just hope they have good food and music." Sora said, looking out the window as the cab clattered over the cobblestones. Roxas just shrugged. The odds were in favor of it but he couldn't guarantee anything. "Did you guys hear about that strange plant on top of the agricultural building?"

"No, what about it?" Roxas let himself be diverted by campus gossip. There always seemed to be something going on at the University, ranging from the theft of a dozen pants from the change rooms as the owners were swimming all the way to mouse eating roses some student had created and set loose in the garden. They were still trying to find the perpetrator of that one.

"Looks to be the same guy who did the roses. It caught and killed someone's cat before someone found it and called the campus police." Sora said Roxas winced but Riku just snorted.

"Cats aren't supposed to be on the campus anyway." Riku wasn't fond of animals at all, thanks to allergies. He wasn't going to shed any tears over the disappearance of someone's elicit pet. "I do hope they catch him though. That sounds dangerous." Whoever was doing this seemed to be extremely reckless. Roxas looked up as the carriage pulled up to the gate of a huge mansion.

"We're here!" Roxas paid the driver with a generous tip before jumping out of the cab. Riku and Sora followed him up the gate, where a servant looked them over dubiously until Roxas produced his card and handed it to her. She examined it a moment before nodding and opening the gates to the rest of the property. Riku noticed that her uniform was blue and seemed to have a logo that looked like dancing bubbles on it. It was a little odd.

The property was beautiful and to his pleasure, Roxas saw most of the party was going on outside. They were shown to a lovely outdoor garden that led into a hedge maze. Couples and children were enjoying the maze, laughing as they got lost and had to call to find their way out. Roxas was pleased to see that he'd been right. The nobles in attendance were all wearing costumes much like his, but there were plenty of people there who were clearly not part of the nobility. Some people had taken the bring your mistress part of this to heart, and Roxas saw some people in the crowd that he thought might even be slaves. One stunningly beautiful woman was hanging on the arm of an older gentleman, smiling at him and listening intently to everything he said. Her gown, while a beautiful golden confection, was showing far too much cleavage for a member of the upper classes. This year anyway. Next year, the fashions might change.

"Good music, good food and people from all over society? Why Roxas, this might be fun." Riku murmured after he took a flute of champagne and a chocolate square, sampling it with appreciation. There were cocktail waiters and waitresses circulating through the crowd with plates of delicacies, as well as tables laid out with beautiful displays of food. Roxas found himself captivated by a wire tree with candies dangling from its branches like fruits. Taking one of them, he found that it was filled with liqueur.

"Axel would have loved this." Roxas murmured to himself, feeling wistful for a moment. It would have been the perfect party to bring him to, as well. He'd have fit right in with the mixed crowd. Then he blinked as a man in blue walked up to them, smiling. He had the oddest hairstyle Roxas had ever seen and was wearing a huge star sapphire set in a golden choker around his neck. It was absolutely dazzling.

"Hello there! I'm Demyx, the host of this little gathering. You would be?" Demyx offered his hand and Roxas took it with a smile, finding he was liking the other man already. There was something so open and friendly about him.

"I'm Roxas. This is Riku and this is Sora." Roxas said with a happy smile. "Thank you for inviting us, we're having a lot of fun." They really were. Sora was already chatting up some people who knew his father and Riku was sampling the food on the table with a blissful expression. Demyx glanced at them and laughed.

"It's nothing! I'm glad to meet you, I went to school with your mother and father." He winked and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Kind of sticks in the mud, aren't they? They'd just die at this kind of party don't you think?" Roxas had to laugh at that because he knew Demyx was right. His parents would have come, but it would have been incredibly awkward for them.

Chatting with Demyx, Roxas was oblivious to someone spotting him from behind and dropping a glass of wine. It rolled across the meadow, unnoticed, as Lea's eyes widened.

"Roxas!" Vexen was talking quietly to another noble and looked up, baffled and offended as Lea took off through the crowd. His surprise turned to outrage and anger as his slave suddenly grabbed a boy from behind, turning him around roughly and looking into his face. "Roxas?" The host of the party stared, mouth-agape at the display of gaucherie but Roxas' eyes widened as he stared up into bright green ones, feeling like he might faint.

"Axel?" The bright red hair and the facial tattoos were unmistakable, although there was something a little different about the hair and something subtly wrong about the way Axel was looking at him. But Roxas didn't care about that. All that mattered was the wonder and discovery in Axel's face as he lowered his head and Roxas gasped as he felt warm lips pressing against his. Even the music stopped as the entire party turned to look at them, but Roxas was unaware. "Axel…" Finally overcome by his emotions and the sheer surprise of the moment, Roxas fainted. Lea gasped and managed to catch him, holding him until –

"LEA!" A strong hand grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back and a brown haired boy managed to catch the boy Lea was certain was named Roxas as he started to fall. "What do you think you're doing?" Vexen hissed in his ear, his tone beyond angry. But Lea was in no condition to care.

"It's Roxas, don't you see?" He said, distraught and trying to worm out of Vexen's grip. "It's Roxas!" He didn't even know what that meant; just that it was the most important thing in the world. But then Vexen pulled him into the hedge maze and losing sight of the blonde suddenly snapped Lea back to sanity. Enough to see the growing rage on the cold noble's face and realize that he was the cause. "I – I'm sorry! Something triggered a memory." Lea stared into Vexen's face and saw that his excuse was cutting no ice at all. The backhand slap to the face he received a moment later only confirmed it.

"You have embarrassed me in public." Vexen suddenly sounded calm and collected and Lea found that more frightening than the rage. "Come." He pulled Lea further into the hedge maze and the redhead didn't dare resist.

This was going to be bad.