Once upon a time there was a kingdom of wild men ruled by a King, his Queen, and their bull-headed son.

The young prince spent his time studying to take over for his father, the Kempachi, the strongest warrior in the land. He'd learned much about the values of his people and what he would need to protect as king – honor, country, family, home.

He'd killed a thousand beasts, traveled a thousand miles through the foothills of brigand's country, he'd led a thousand men, but still he was not ready to become king, for there was still much that he did not know. Besides not having surpassed his father's strength, he still had yet to learn love, patience, or compromise, and could not claim the throne as a reckless fool. This was the way of the North.

In other words, the prince must find a bride.

Until he might find his princess, together, the prince and his parents ruled the warriors of the North in an old and impenetrable stone fortress by the sea —

... and within the castle walls, there lay an unimaginably precious treasure: a magical golden apple tree.

Ikkaku returned from the hunt at dusk with his band of men to much awaited news.

He'd enjoyed a long ride through the countryside with his men and a pack of hounds, and had come back panting hard and sweating, riding up the road and through the rear gates where the barracks, stables, and servants' quarters were. He leapt off his horse and handed it off to an attendant, once his childhood playmate.

"The Kempachi would speak with you, my prince."

"Mm," he grunted irritably.

Removing his gloves and stretching, Ikkaku meant to walk off, but quickly stepped back when a little girl leapt out of a bush and lunged for his shoulders. "Hey!"

"It's about your new princess, Prince Baldy!" Yachiru chirped, taking a hold of his belt and running around him like a maypole. Ikkaku's sour frown melted at that, and he stood up straight in excitement, looking about and making to walk off to the castle at a quick pace.

Yachiru quickly latched on around his leg, meaning to come along for the ride, at which Ikkaku huffed and shook his foot a bit, letting her hang off his leg. "Is she bald too?" she questioned, upside down.

"She is not!" he barked, "She's a beautiful-" he sputtered a bit, then hissed, "lady."

He grabbed the back of her dress and set her down, holding her back with his toe as she tried to grab him and continue bugging him. "Get off. I have business to take care of."

"I wanna' play though!"

"Go on and play with Renji if you're bored."

"Miss, please come away," Renji muttered quietly, still standing there on the side with Ikkaku's horse. He bent and reached a hand out to her.

Ikkaku didn't stay behind to see the ensuing tantrum, stomping off to meet his father. He expected it was to talk to him about the conversation they'd had a few days prior: now that he was of age, it was time for him to find a bride.

In his country, you were only considered fully an adult once you wed or partnered off, and then became a citizen once your first child was born or fostered – ergo, Ikkaku cannot become king until he has a queen. It was all about partnership, or having someone to keep your stupidity in check, as his father put it.

Ikkaku hadn't liked the idea when he'd been younger, particularly during his teen years, but he'd warmed up to it, and by now he was very eager to become a man and be eligible to rule. Once he'd accepted his responsibility as prince, he'd come to his mother and father with an idea for a potential bride: the princess of the Swamp Kingdom.

Ikkaku knew that it would really suit his parents and the kingdom if he and the princess did end up together. Kurotsuchi's kingdom would make fine allies, and although Ikkaku was wary of the Fugai like his father was and didn't like the scenery or the idea of living there, their daughter was very beautiful. She reminded him of his wonderful mother – not in a weird way, of course.

Eventually his father had agreed to arrange their engagement, after much pleading, because although King Kenpachi hadn't liked the idea initially, Ikkaku had worn him down.

Striding up to his father's study, Ikkaku rapped the door with his knuckles and then poked his head into the room. "Yes Kempachi?" he called, and then came in when he was invited, closing the door behind him and standing at attention.

His father was poring over his maps, studying the raid routes used by the country across the sea. Ikkaku waited to be acknowledged, practically vibrating where he stood from anticipation. At last, impatient, he could not stand it any longer, and hesitantly raised the question, "Is this about Princess Nemu?"

The Kempachi glanced up to him for a moment and then grunted, sitting back in his chair. "Oh. Yeah. Have you decided?"

"I have, I think I have," Ikkaku said, rocking back and forth on his heels, hands clasped behind his back.

Kenpachi shot an eye up at him for a long second. "Gonna' give it the go ahead?"

"Yes."

"A'right. I'll send a missive," his father said dismissively. "Everything's been arranged."

Ikkaku brightened up, watching in excitement as the Kempachi signed a piece of paper, folded it up, and put it in an envelope, then stamped it with hot wax to seal it.

When that letter arrived to the Kurotsuchi family in the Fugai, he'd be engaged to get married!

"She's accepted me?" Ikkaku wondered eagerly.

"You gotta' win them over first," Kenpachi reminded, eyeing him with a grimace that settled Ikkaku down a bit.

"Right, right," he muttered absently, hand on his chin. He remembered now. He wasn't allowed to wed her until he won her favor… and that of King Kurotsuchi, her father, of course – but Ikkaku was up to the challenge. For Princess Nemu he'd slay a thousand beasts!

Well, he'd do that anyways, probably. The point was, Ikkaku liked her alot, and he was pleased that she'd given him the chance to win her hand - realistically, he knew that it was less about him winning her over and more about their parents negotiating, but that wasn't as romantic to think about.

Considering the coming weeks, Ikkaku frowned and asked, "When am I to court her?"

"Soon," his father answered, purposefully and stubbornly vague, his eyebrows drawn low in irritation, and Ikkaku could see he wasn't in the mood to be bothered a second more after all the begging and pestering he had done in the previous months. "Now get you gone."

"Right. Yes Kempachi," Ikkaku obeyed, unable to stop an excited smile or to keep his hands from coiling up in anticipation where they were clasped behind his back. "Alright, I'll go now."

The king waved a hand to dismiss him. "Fool boy," he muttered, returning his attention to his work.

Ikkaku felt light with happiness as he walked out into the hall and headed off. He'd be engaged soon! What luck he had to be able to court a lady like Princess Nemu. He thought of all the ways he could impress her with his warrior's strength and prove he'd be a worthy husband.

That night, the prince spent many hours in restless anticipation, planning how to woo his future bride – but all was not well in the Kingdom of the North.

Deep within the palace garden where the magical golden tree stood, the wind was blowing. Something flickered through the leaves, disturbing them as last ray of the setting sun was hidden beyond the garden wall.

Hours later, in the light of the dawn, the apples were gone.