A new chaptered story, whoo! I got the idea of this fic while I was reading Romeo & Juliet for English and it stuck in my mind for a long time. Finally, I've managed to write the first chapter. I personally enjoy reading medieval fics, I wish there were more of them. So, here's one that I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really like the storyline of this one, personally. Takes a bit to think up, but it is really interesting.

Oh! And again, I didn't have a beta. So please point out any mistakes you may find, please and THANK YOU.

Lastly, thank you Kingdom Hearts OST for the title of this fanfic. Because I spent all night and all morning try to think of a good one and it DID NOT work at all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Chain of Memories, or Kingdom Hearts 2; I put all three just to be politically correct.

Waltz of the Damned

"Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents' strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend."

--from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

XOX

"We'll be the best friends forever, won't we, Sora?" A little girl in a light pink dress that was slightly torn and grass stained poked at the brunette laying on the ground beside her.

"Yeah, Kairi." The boy sighed at the red head and asked, "Why do you ask me that everyday?"

"I dunno…" She bit her lip in thought, then exhaled, "I just like hearing it."

Sitting up and staring at her, he let out a laugh, "You're so weird, Kai."

"Weird, huh?" She scrunched up her face in mock anger and began to chase the boy around.

"You can't catch me!" He exclaimed in confidence, turning around to stick his tongue out at his friend.

From behind him he heard a loud, "Oh yeah?" Before he had the chance to respond again, her body impacted against his back and caused them to both collapse to the ground with an 'oomph'. "Told you," She said triumphantly as she winced.

"Alright you…" He started his claim of failure, but seeing the girl beginning to get up, he force himself against her to make them both over so that he landed on top of her and pinned her to the ground, "Don't win!"

With a pout, she exclaimed, "You're so mean!"

"Ahem."

Turning around and seeing Kairi's father, the king of the neighboring land, the boy's eyes widened and he quickly got off the girl with a trailed out, "Um…"

Ignoring the boy completely, the man stated, "It's time to go home, Kairi."

With a sigh, she answered, "Okay." Standing up and dusting off her dress, she whispered, "Bye, Sora."

"Bye…" He answered in a muffle, embarrassed beyond belief.

Hard to believe that innocent little boy was me, huh? Now I would stick my tongue out at Kairi's father as to say, "Ha ha, Kairi likes me and you can't do anything about it." Though that probably wouldn't be the best idea. The relationship between my family and Kairi's had always been tense, but they remained at peace until recently. Me and Kairi of course were still best friends despite the recent events and the fact that we were now forbidden from seeing each other. Er, well I guess lovers would be a better term now rather than best friends. We were only just good friends when the orders had first been put in place so that we wouldn't fall in love. They're obviously stupid because the thrill of meeting in secret intensified our feelings and made the inevitable happen at a much quicker rate.

Which was exactly what I was doing now; waiting for Kairi in an old abandoned shack. I knew the fact that it was raining would delay her a bit, but I was starting to worry. Of course, for nothing because as soon as I considered going out to look for her she walked through the door.

"Ugh, people are getting so nosy lately. I swear every time I walk down the street in this cloak there's always one more person asking where I'm going." The red head sighed in an exhausted fashion, pulling the hood down from her head.

"It's okay, I was thinking of finding a new route any way," I smiled, jumping off the pile of lumber that I had made my seat and made my way to her, reaching out to stroke the side of her face with a calloused hand and kissing her lips, "It's nice to see you," I whispered softly.

She gave a laugh, pulling away and giving me a 'you-can't-be-serious' look, "It's nice to see you, too."

Frowning for a moment in slight discomfort of needing to touch her, I titled my head with a grin, "So, how's life in the world of Princess Kairi?"

She rolled her cerulean eyes, "Just peachy. Most of the time I'm wasting away with the babbling idiots that my father likes to call suitors."

"Oh," I frowned at her displeasure, but smiled inside at the fact that none of them had appealed to her, "My parents have talked about it, but they haven't done anything. I probably won't even get a say in it at all. I'll just wake up one morning, surrounded by servants exclaiming, "Congratulations Prince Sora, it's your big day!" or something like that."

Kairi snickered slightly for a moment before she frowned again and gave a deep sigh, "What are we going to do, Sora? It's only a matter of time before we're both engaged to people from small countries that no one's even heard of much less knows where they are just so that our parents can keep us away from each other."

"I'll find a way for us to be together…I promise," I replied softly, "But for now we've got to keep playing this charade. Or else they'll know that we're meeting. And that happen because I don't know what I would do if they…" Clenching my fist and clamping my eyes shut, I could not even finish my own sentence.

"Sora, maybe we're just not meant--" She stopped her statement after catching sight of my expression.

"Don't. Say it." I commanded through clenched teeth and turning my head to not let her see the glare upon my face. "Sorry…" I apologized as I whirled back around to make sure I had not hurt her.

Shaking her head with a deeper frown, she answered, "I know you're right. It's just that the odds are against us."

"Not the odds, just our parents." I replied, an idea fresh in my head, "If we had a way to win the peoples' support without one of them turning us in for rewards…"

"Most are greedy, though. I suppose with the new trading right that life is getting much easier for most…" Her face brightened.

"Exactly. If the majority of the people are in the middle-wealth in a few months then they will see that we are merely people with needs just as they once were and not see us for their income." I explained, a smile upon my lips.

With a bout of giggles, Kairi stated, "You're so smart. I knew I loved you for a reason."

Faking a pout, I replied, "And I thought it was because of my amazingly good looks."

Giving a deep stare and walking forward, managing to back me into the wall, she asked with a tilt of her head, "Is that why you love me?"

"That and other…reasons." I answered awkwardly, blinking repeatedly at her reaction.

"Other reasons?" She repeated, leaning her head in closer to mine; her eyes millimeters from my own and staring directly into me.

As if that was not awkward enough for me already, she was pressed up against me; with us both having drenched cloaks and clothes. "Um…" I trailed off, my eyes straining to look away from hers so that I could answer her in a normal fashion. Finally realizing that it would not work, I asked, "What's up with you…?"

She kept the same focused stare on me for at least ten more seconds before she finally cracked and gave a grin, "I had you worried that I had foiled your inappropriate fantasies, hmm?"

Noting the fact that she was still against me, I answered, "Who said that they were fantasies and not plans?" I then closed the distance between our lips, kissing her softly and still receiving a fight in return for a few moments before she gave in and returned the effort. I began to pull away, my lips cascading to the edge of her lips, but found it a more entertaining idea to take it a little further. I traced over her jaw line, beginning to move down her neck before she shivered and took a step back.

Slightly laughing and breathing heavily, she stated, "Imagine if someone found us."

I merely laughed and fell back against the cold and moist wall, "I think they would faint from the 'dishonor we are putting on our families' before the idea of reporting us for the reward would even pop into their head."

"But of course once they woke up I would put the blame on you. After all, it is you coaxing me into doing all these bad things even though I first fight against it." She replied with a playful smirk.

"Right. You fight for at least no more than two seconds. And I'm sure that's only you trying to tell yourself that you're still innocent. Besides, it's really all your fault for tempting me."

"Tempting you?" She repeated as she crossed her arms and leaned down closer to my face.

"Yes," I stood up straight to avoid her attempt to do the same thing as she just did again, "like you're trying to do right now."

"Hmm," Taking a step back and tapping a finger against her chin in thought, her lips curved upward into a smile as she answered, "I suppose you're right."

"Of course." I stated before sticking out my tongue at her. Kairi rolled her eyes as she walked past me. I was watching her every move yet she managed to whirl around fast enough to kick the back of my legs so that I actually couldn't do anything and fell. While she was laughing at her accomplishment, I raised an eyebrow in wonder, "What was that?"

While she paused to answer, I reached up high enough to grab her arm and managed to pull her down on top of me. "You're so mean! I can't ever win!" She pouted, and very loudly at that; loud enough to catch the attention of some one outside.

The door began to slowly crack open, causing Kairi to jump up and pull the cloaks hood over her head and me to back into a hiding place behind the logs. A large and tall man stepped in, greeting in a deep voice, "Well, hello there…"

The hungry tone in his voice made me scowl, but for the moment I kept my position. "H-hello…" Kairi stuttered an answer, tugging on her hood and hoping that it would conceal her face more. The hood however, I knew, would do nothing to disguise her slim and pleasurable figure from the man.

Stepping closer to her and she backing up in return, he asked, "And what are you doing all alone in the woods like this, hmm?"

Backing all the way up into the wall, he stopping a foot away from her, Kairi eyed the door to add effect to her lie, "I'm here with my betrothed…Who should be back any moment now, by the way,"

The large man just gave a smile at the nervousness in her voice. He then crossed my imaginary borderline between himself and her, extending his arms and pressing his hands against her shoulders. She squeaked in discomfort as he leaned his head down to hers, giving a chuckle and stating hungrily, "That doesn't mean that we can't have our little fun before he gets back."

That was more than enough for me. I jolted up, causing him to release Kairi and whirl around to see who was interrupting him. His face enraged, he pulled out a hidden dagger from his belt and charged at me. I dodged underneath him just barely as I grabbed a log from the pile I had been hiding behind, managing to catch him off guard from behind and hit him over the head with the wood. He falling to the ground with blood pooling out around his head, I dropped the log to the ground and rushed to Kairi. "We've got to go," I hissed, grabbing her hand and rushing out of the door of the cabin.

About twenty feet away, she whispered worriedly, "What about that man…?"

I laughed; I couldn't help it. Coming to an abrupt stop and whirling around to face her, I asked, "You seriously feel sorry for a man that attempted to force himself on you?"

Her face twisting up in thought for a moment, she gave a frown, "I suppose so…"

Holding her sides and pressing my forehead against hers, I sighed, "I don't get you at all…but I'm glad I was with you. I don't know what I would do with myself if he had shown up when I wasn't with you."

"Yes," She paused to quickly brush her lips against mine and then backed away a small distance, "thank you."

Just staring at her in a daze for a moment, pondering how I was so lucky, I shook it off and suggested, "I guess we need a new meeting spot, huh?"

Thinking for a moment, Kairi answered, "Let's meet where we use to play as kids; that field."

I smiled in response, "Okay…Wow, that will certainly bring back some memories."

Giggling, she added, "Exactly the point of suggesting it."

I blinked and gave a bigger smile at her. Making sure that I did not daze out again, I diverted my eyes to the sky and noted that it had been cleared of clouds and that the sun was now setting. I gave a sigh, "Looks like it's about time to go home…"

Looking up too, she answered in a frown, "Yeah…"

Stepping forward, I hugged her and whispered into her crimson hair, "Be careful, alright?"

"I will," She replied, wrapping her arms around me in return and laying her head on my shoulder for a moment. She letting go of me and I retreating my own hands, she placed her hands at her hips and stated, "Just make sure you are too."

Laughing, I answered, "I guess that's fair."

Taking a few steps in her own direction, the redhead turned around to say, "Meet me the day after tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded, watching her continue on her way for a small distance before she vanished behind the thick layer of trees. Sighing and kicking at a tree, I decided I was going to stray off my intended path as far and for as long as possible. I hated going home. I hated my parents trying to make me a 'perfect king'. Even better, they did not even do that themselves; they hired servants. Servants, teaching me how to be king. Hah!

At least the servants did a hell of a better job acting like actual parents to me. They actually cared about my opinions, my emotions unlike my biological parents. I especially didn't want to be in a forced marriage like my parents were made to do. I mean, what's the point of that any ways? It's like animals basically; for breeding purposes, as I see it. And it merely leads to cheating and causing scandals across the kingdom. I didn't want my life to be that way and I definitely did not want my own children to be in the same position as I was at this age. So I defied them in every way that I possibly could. Kairi being the one I fell in love with was a plus because she just happened to be the daughter of my family's bitter enemies. That was unintentional of course, though.

My castle coming into view, I just rolled my eyes. I sometimes wished I could be average despite all the hardships I would have to go through. At least then I would have caring parents and most likely a wife instead of a secret lover. That sounded so much more appealing then living an easy life surrounded with riches, parents that treated me like a prized pet, and being forced to marry some girl that they would pick for me and I would not even get the chance to talk to until after the wedding.

I groaned quietly to myself as I approached the guards; they stepping immediately aside and opening the large door after catching sight of my unusual and unique hairstyle. Passing through the courtyard I entered the cold stone hallway, more uninviting and forbidding every single time I walked through it. Giving a deep sigh, I muttered to myself, "Welcome home, Sora." Hearing the greeting echo off the walls, I pretended for a moment that it was my real and loving family that was talking.

Instead, when I turned around to say hello back, I was ripped back into reality. All I saw was a blackened and lonely hallway.