Excerpt: The Empress's Brother

The door closed gently behind her, and Axel looked up at the sound.

"Namine," he said, glancing up from his work only to look right back down at his form to finish it off. "To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear?" He smiled slightly and rested his head on his hands.

Namine hesitated and simply stared down at her feet for a moment. Axel wondered what it could be that she needed. She was a quite girl, he had come to understand, and she generally didn't go out of her way to interrupt anyone when they were doing something.

"There was just something I wanted to... discuss with you," she said, quietly, meekly.
She seemed nervous. She had something reasonably serious to discuss with him, then. Serious and probably awkward.

"Let me be entirely frank with you, Namine," Axel initiated. Technically, he had something he ought to discuss with her too. It was just a rather bad idea. "You are a lovely and aimiable young lady, believe me. Under normal circumstances, I would have absolutely no complaints about being betrothed to you. But..."

"My brother," she finished, matter of factly.

Axel stopped. He was probably gaping, really. She was not only lovely, but also perceptive, it seemed. He opened his mouth to speak once before he actually managed it.

"... I'm not that obvious, am I?" he asked nervously.

Namine let loose a small laugh. "No, no, not at all," she reassured him. "I don't think anyone else would suspect you. But, as you must know, I am very fond of my brother. As such, I watch over him very closely. I am bound to notice when someone else is also watching him."

"Ahh," Axel intoned for a momentary lack of words. "... Well, I suppose that makes sense."

"I take it you care for him very deeply," she assumed.

"I would like to care for him even more, truth be told. You must know, there is only so much affection that can accumulate in such a short time. And he's not exactly... open to conversation."

Namine laughed a little more freely at this. "No, I dare say he is the least willing participant in any conversation before he is intimatly connected. And even then, he is not always pleased to have company."

"Your company he seems to enjoy enough."

"I certainly hope so!"

They smiled at one another for a brief moment before their faces fell once again to rather grave expressions.

"Well, you've caught me. I invited you to stay in the palace so I might grow closer to your brother. I will no longer deny it in your private company."

"Will you admit it in my brother's company?" Namine asked, a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

"Certainly not! Not until I've already gained his affection, of course."

Namine's gaze returned to the floor right infront of her shoes once again. "... Your highness..."

"What is it, my dear?"

"You already know I care greatly for my brother, and want nothing but his happiness," she began.

"And it seems he wishes the same for you."

"His happiness is my happiness. Axel." Namine's tone grew more stern ever so slightly.

"Yes?"

"Can you make my brother happy?"

Axel did not answer right away. It was a serious question to consider. He wanted to answer it with ease, but he could not treat this topic frivolously.

"I want to," he finally said. "More than anything, I want to be the reason for his happiness. For your happiness."

Namine sighed, and Axel wanted to believe that it was one of relief. "I want you too as well." She looked up at him confidently now. "Axel."

Axel stood, his posture straight and commanding.

Well, commanding to anyone other than Namine in that moment.

"If you propose to me now, I will accept on my brother's behalf."

Axel was stunned into momentary silence a second time. He couldn't believe his ears, and he couldn't believe what this small, seemingly defenseless girl was suggesting.

"You would marry me.... Just to see me and your brother together?"

"If you can win his heart, nothing would make me happier."

Axel fell back into his seat. "I," he started, but had to try again, "I will do my best."

"Please see that you do," Namine said as she made her way to the door and then added, almost as an afterthought, "Your highness."

Even as the door closed, Axel could only stare in awe. He could not fathom what it was that drove Namine to such a suggestion. Moreover, he could even begin to comprehend how a girl as sweet as herself could even be satisfied with such an arrangement. It was clear in her words, she would have no part in being a couple with Axel. She would not stand for the two of them to be with anyone else but each other. But then, maybe it was her sweetness that provided such a blatant disregard for her own personal and emotional needs. Her love for her brother must have been very great indeed to go to such lengths for him, to support such a forbidden and basically impossible relationship.

But Roxas still had no real feelings for him. He had yet to procure any of his affection and already Namine assumed they would be great lovers. It seemed Namine already held him in high regard to support such an unlikely happiness for him. He didn't feel that he had quite earned it, only paying attention to her brother, and yet it seemed the way to her heart was through Roxas.

Quite an easy win in his book. Now if only the rest of her relations could be so easy.