A/N: I know I put on my profile that I would not be updating for another couple of weeks, but let's face it. I just couldn't stay away. So here's a new story for you all to enjoy! (Italics are flash backs and please ignore spelling and grammer errors. I'm tired.)
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki, noblewoman in the Seireitei, finds herself facing her biggest challenge yet…matrimony.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, I'm just in (puppy) love with it.
"We'll be together forever, right Renji?"
"Baka! Of course we will!"
"You promise?"
"…yeah."
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Rukia awoke that morning with one thing on her mind. She knew it was customary for royal families to have arranged marriages, but she could not help but feel a sense of dread. Ever since her sister, who was really more like a mother to her, told her of the arrangement, she couldn't concentrate on anything else; and with being a part of the Kuchiki family, that posed a serious problem.
Not only was she expected to uphold the traditions of her noble stature, but she had just recently inherited a place among the elite warriors of the Gotei 13, the military force that ruled over all of Seireitei and Rukongai. Her elder sister, Hisana Kuchiki, had previously held the position, but had been ill for some time and was ultimately relieved of her duties. Not wanting to dishonor the Kuchiki name, Hisana had suggested that Rukia take her place. Rukia had graciously accepted.
Even with the full plate that Rukia found herself with, she had no real complaints in her heart. Had it not been for her elder sister and her husband Byakuya Kuchiki, head of the Kuchiki family, Rukia would still be in the slums of the 78th district of Rukongai.
Rising from her bed and pulling the bell, she waited for the servants to come and undress her. This was the one aspect of noble life that Rukia never grew accustomed to; being waited on would always be a foreign concept to her. Her regular maids came every morning and undressed her from her sleeping attire, drew her a bath and left her to bathe. This morning was no different.
Soaking in tub full of steaming water, Rukia Kuchiki thought back to the day that had changed her life forever.
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"Rukia! Rukia wake up!" Rukia opened her eyes to see her best friend, with his shiny red hair and deep brown eyes leaning over her.
"What? What is it?" she replied groggily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Some people are here to see you!" he replied excitedly. It wasn't everyday that orphaned children were visited in the 78th district of Rukongai. "They look really wealthy too! Baa-san sent me to get you."
Rukia rose and washed her face in the little basin at the foot of her futon and made her way to the meeting hall with Renji at her heels. He stopped only when Rukia was about to enter the hall; she looked back at him, fear present on her young face.
"Don't worry Rukia," said Renji when he saw her face, "I'll be right out here."
"…Okay." With that, she crossed the thresh hold.
Lowering herself to the ground next to her Baa-san, the elderly woman who ran the orphanage, she could feel two pairs of eyes studying her.
"Rukia-chan," began her Baa-san, "This is Byakuya Kuchiki and his wife Hisana Kuchiki, Lord and Lady of the Kuchiki estate in Seireitei. They say thay have been looking for a young girl that fits your description."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Rukia responded lifting her gaze to meet theirs. Upon locking eyes with the Lady Kuchiki, Rukia felt her heart stop. It was as if she were looking in a mirror, and felt a chill go through her seeing her own jet black hair and deep indigo eyes on another person. Her frame was thin, yet had a regal air about it that Rukia immediately noticed.
She shifted her gaze the the Lord Kuchiki. He sat with a stoic expression. Rukia felt seemingly cold eyes sucking her in and surely would have kept staring it she had not felt a pair of arms encircle her.
"Oh, Ru-chan, I've finally found you!" Rukia found herself being embraced by the Lady Kuchiki and had no idea how to react. She knew that it was wrong for someone of such low class to touch, let alone embrace, a noble, but she couldn't dishonor her Baa-san by not returning the gesture.
Luckily, there wasn't much time for her to decide what to do.
"Hisana," came the cool voice of Byakuya Kuchiki, much to Rukia's relief, "I think you are making her uncomfortable."
Rukia watched as Hisana leaned back, holding her at arms length. "Oh, I think you are right Byakuya-sama. Her face is all red…"
Uncomfortable was quite the understatement. Staring into the Lady Kuchiki's face, as she continued to converse with her husband, Rukia felt that same shroud of amazement overtake her. Studying again the woman's delicate features that so matched her own, she felt something break inside her; This woman, she was the family Rukia had been so desperately searching for.
Abandoning all sense of decorum, the young Rukia flung herself back into the Lady Kuchiki's arms. "Okaa-sama!" she cried, burying her face into the fine silk robes.
Hisana paused before hugging her back. "Oh, Ru-chan, I've searched so many years for you, and now I can finally hold you in my arms again… but I am not your mother." Rukia looked up to see the Lady Kuchiki drawing slightly. Indigo eyes met indigo eyes. "I am your sister. And I promise, I'll never leave you again."
"…You're my sister?"
"Yes. And I've come to take you home."
Rukia's face lit with confusion. "Home? This is my home…" She watched as the Lady Kuchiki's features became distressed. Hisana looked back at her husband and then turned to Rukia again, stroking her soft, raven tresses.
"Home with me, Ru-chan; with your family."
"My family…so Renji is coming too?"
"Rukia-chan," this time it was her Baa-san who spoke. "Renji will be staying here with me."
Rukia turned to Baa-san, confusion still apparent on her young face. "But, Onee-sama said I'm going home with my family…"
"Your real family, Ru-chan."
"Renji is my real family!" The young Rukia felt confusion and fear override her previous excitement. This woman, her family, was telling her to leave her home and family for her home and family, it didn't make any sense. Startled by her own outburst and now slightly embarrassed, she bowed her head; her raven tresses hiding her face and unshed tears. "I don't want to go…"
"But Ru-chan, I-"
"Hisana," spoke the Lord Kuchiki, "We should come back tomorrow; give her some time to get used to the idea and say her good byes."
"Byakuya-sama…"
"This has been much for her to take in."
Rukia watched as Hisana pursed her lips and stared intently at her husband. Hisana knew he was right, but she couldn't bear to leave Rukia now, not when she had just found again-but this was not about her, this was about Rukia and what was best for her.
"You're right," began Hisana still staring at the Lord Kuchiki. "You're right. We'll return tomorrow. Ru-chan" she continued, turning back to her younger sister, "I will come for you tomorrow. Don't worry about bringing anything. Byakuya-sama and I will have everything ready for you."
The Lord Kuchiki stood and the Lady followed suit. Rukia watched as her Baa-san bowed to then, and she did the same. With a swish of their robes, the Lord and Lady left the main hall.
"Rukia-chan, you've been very lucky to have found your family, and for them to be of such high birth. This is good news, rejoice, for you finally have a home." Her Baa-san stood and left Rukia alone.
"My family… my home… Renji is my family, this is my home. Why do I have to leave?" thought Rukia to herself. She didn't know how to feel about this whole situation. Before despair could overtake her small form, she heard the one voice that always made her feel better.
"Rukia, can I come in now?"
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Renji, how could you just let me go?
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"You're leaving?"
"Yeah, she said she was going to come back and get me tomorrow."
Renji and Rukia were sitting in the field in back of their home. The mid-afternoon sun beat down on them, though not harshly, and a breeze blew, gently caressing their young faces. Rukia had just told Renji what had happened in the main hall, minus the part about her almost crying.
"I don't want to go." Admitted Rukia, tearing handfuls of grass from the ground and sprinkling them on Renji's ruby red hair.
"Why not?" asked Renji, vigorously brushing the grass from his head. "You finally found a family!"
"But I already have a family here…"
"Here? Where? Who?" he questioned, looking around in genuine confusion.
"You, baka!" barked Rukia.
"But I'm not your family, not really."
"You're not?" asked Rukia, pain apparent in her voice.
"Well I am, but this family is better! You'll be able to go anywhere you want and eat all kinds of great food and play all the games you want and-"
" You really think I should go?" came the quiet voice of Rukia, pulling Renji from his ramblings. She continued to pick at the grass beneath them.
He didn't reply. He didn't even look at her. He only looked straight ahead. She knew his answer.
"I see. Thank you, Renji." Letting the rest of the grass blades slip from her small hands and blow away with the breeze, she stood and went back into the orphanage; not letting the tears slip from her eyes until Renji was out of sight.
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Rukia shivered in the now luke warm water. She hated remembering that day; remembering him. She hated to think about how he just let her go, as though he didn't even care. Stepping out of the tub, she felt the cool air against her wet skin and shivers wracked her body once more.
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The last thing she saw was the image of a young Renji growing smaller and smaller as the distance between them grew. Soon, he was swallowed by dust.
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It was an image she carried with her until this very day. The day she would finally meet her betrothed; the one that her Nii-sama and Nee-sama had picked out for her. Prior to this day, she hadn't been the slightest bit nervous. She had assumed she had been matched with the Lieutenant of her squad, Kaien Shiba. He was, afterall, both a ranking officer and the head of the noble Shiba estate. Everyone could see that they got along well, and Rukia could realistically see herself spending the rest of her days contently with him.
But that assumption was shattered yesterday, when she heard that Kaien was engaged to the third seat of their squad, a young woman named Miyako.
Kaien and Miyako had kept their relationship secret. It was forbidden for a noble to wed a commoner.
But they were doing it anyway.
And Rukia admired them for it.
She didn't pretend that she was ecstatic about their upcoming union, nor could she honestly say that she wasn't disappointed about not marrying Kaien Shiba; but she could most definitely say that she was truly, without a doubt, feeling nervous.
If Kaien wasn't her betrothed, than who was?
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That one simple continued to wreak havoc in her mind as her maids dried and applied lotion to her body and her anxiety continued to increase. When they had fully dressed her in her favorite fine silk robe, a deep indigo one that matched her eyes, embroidered with sparkly silver roses, all but one maid left her. Her Lady in Waiting stayed to comb and adorn her hair.
"Kuchiki-sama, how would you like your hair today?"
"Michiru," began Rukia, somewhat snappily, "How many times must I tell you to call me Rukia."
"My apologies…Rukia."
Michiru Shirogane, the daughter of former Sixth Squad Lieutenant, was indeed Rukia's lady in waiting. Rukia herself did not know what to think of this. The elder Shirogane had been a Lieutenant, making him almost equal to that of the noble class. He had held the command position, second only to Rukia's very own brother-in-law, Byakuya Kuchiki, current captain of the Sixth Squad. But when Shirogane lost his Lieutenant position, his status dropped too. Now he is a merchant of trade, selling vision enhancers to the wealthy families of Seireitei. As a member of the working class, his family lost rank, including his eldest daughter, Michiru Shirogane. Once a young woman enjoying the prime of her life in the lap of luxury, she now worked as a Lady in Waiting, serving none other than the younger sister of her father's former boss.
"I'm sorry Michiru, I didn't mean to be so short with you…"
"Is something else bothering you?"
"…Yeah."
"Meeting your betrothed today maybe?" questioned Michiru as she began brushing Rukia's hair.
"I thought I was ready for this, but now I'm having second thoughts."
"Nervousness is natural Rukia." Replied Michiru, fixing Rukia's hair into a loose, elegant bun and pinning it with jeweled clips. "It would be more unsettling if you were not nervous. After all, this is a big step in your life."
"I know…"
"But don't allow your fears to ruin it. You should be excited too…"
Rukia paused before responding. Had it not been for her father's demotion, Michiru would be at this very same stage in her life, right along with Rukia. How many times had she beseeched her Nii-sama to return Shirogane to his former position, just so that Michiru could be with her again. How many people must she lose to rank?
"Chiru-chan…" began Rukia, reverting back to the nickname she had given Michiru years ago. "I'm sorry if-"
"Please, do not apologize." Michiru interrupted. " This is my life now, and I am quite content…Kia-chan."
Rukia smiled up at her friend and stood to embrace her. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome" said Michiru, returning the gesture. "And you look lovely. Now, let's get you out of here. We don't want to keep the Lord and Lady waiting."
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"Hey Renji!"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think you'll ever find your family?"
"Baka! I already have my family!
"You do?"
"Yup! It's you."
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This was it, the moment Rukia had been anticipating for the last month.
She knelt on the floor, flanked by the Lord and Lady of the estate, Hisana on her left and Byakuya on her right. They were waiting for him to arrive.
Rukia was ready.
She would face what was to come like the adult she was, like a true Kuchiki. Strength, fearlessness, flawlessness, and nobility flowed like blood through her veins. She sat up straight, shoulders back, and head erect, just as she was taught.
She was Rukia Kuchiki, she had seen things and faced challenges no other noble woman had before and there was no way she was going to let some enigmatic man break her.
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The door opened and his presence was announced to the noble family.
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"You're my only family…"
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In stepped a man with ruby red hair and deep brown eyes.
There! It's here! I did it, and now my eyes are burning and I'm going to go take the garbage out and then I'm off to bed; but not before I ask one thing of you: Please review! Is it worth contiuing? Did you even like it?
I have a bonus question too: How do you think Michiru really feels about her new status?