Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach nor the characters in this fic. It's just for fun...
It was about half past ten, and Toshiro was sitting in the library of the palace in his office and he was thinking about tomorrow.
He was turning eighteen tomorrow and his late parents had arranged a marriage with the princess of a far away kingdom for the peace of the land before their death. Even though he was against a marriage with a girl he hadn't even met before, he was gonna go through with it… he knew that was what they wanted, and for the good of his people of course.
Karin was currently moping in her room because she had just learned that she was promised to a guy she had never met before and she was gonna marry him tomorrow.
Her father, the king of this land, has arranged this marriage when she was born and only because she was born before her twin sister, Yuzu.
Yuzu was already married to Jinta though, the son of a duke in their kingdom named Urahara who was also a friend of their father's, but because they loved each other.
Also, her older brother Ichigo was married and already had a cute child named Sora, who had turned two a few months back. His wife was his girlfriend since he was thirteen.
Since he was the heir to the thrown, they currently lived in the palace. His wife was really sweet and caring and even her name indicated that she was a princess indeed as she was named Orihime.
Karin's dress was already made by the royal tailor since who knows when but she had just saw it today when her father announced her that she was getting married tomorrow.
She wasn't even eighteen yet. Sure, she was gonna turn eighteen in two weeks but still.
Even if her sister got married at sixteen it didn't mean she wanted to do it while being this young.
Yuzu had come with her husband because she wanted to be together with her sister before the marriage and she knew that Karin wasn't gonna take it so good.
Yuzu was outside the bedroom of her sister at the moment and was trying to get her attention by knocking on the door.
"Karin-chan, Karin-chan it's me, Yuzu. Can I please come in." she said while knocking for a second time.
There was a pause, and some time later the door opened showing her sister a little sad and noticeably very angry.
She knew though that all that wasn't directed to her but her father and maybe a little at herself because she knew she couldn't do anything to stop it. She had knowledge of what was right for the kingdom and for her people, but that didn't stop her from being angry.
"Hey Yuzu… Sorry that I didn't come to welcome you but I'm not in my best of moods right now." said Karin while hugging her sister and bringing her inside the room.
They sat and talked without interruptions until midnight but then decided to call it a day and sleep together like they used to when they were little.
Yuzu tried to comfort her and to persuade her that this was the right thing to do. As expected, Karin already knew that and didn't want to talk about anything related to marriage, until the next day at least. So, for the most of their time they talked about random things like how their lives were till this far and what they had missed.
Toshiro was still sitting in his office when Matsumoto, the head maid of the castle and like an older sister to him, came inside to tell him that it was really late and if he wanted to go to bed.
He was getting married tomorrow so he surely needed to rest. When he didn't respond, she made her way to the door to leave.
"Matsumoto, what do you think of this marriage? Do you think I'm doing the right thing by doing this with someone I haven't even met before?" he said for the first time that evening to an almost gone Rangiku.
"…I believe that this is the right thing to do for your people. Besides, your mother and father wouldn't have arranged that if they didn't think that it was for the best. From tomorrow onwards, you will officially be the king, and a king needs his queen. Besides, your parents' marriage was an arrangement too and they became truly happy with one another. Maybe this is just what you need. You've never opened up to anyone except me and Momo-chan and even to us only a little, and you've never experienced what to truly love someone is like. I believe that it's the best for you too." replied Rangiku after a pause and the closed the door behind her and left him to his thoughts.
'Maybe it is for the best. Let it come what may. I can't do anything about it now anyways. I better go to sleep. It's a big day tomorrow.' he thought and with that, left the library too to go to his room for some much needed rest.
The next morning Toshiro was up and getting ready for the big event. Everything was ready days prior under the watchful eye of Rangiku Matsumoto. She wouldn't let anyone else organise it and he didn't particularly care anyway.
There were tailors and stylists everywhere, making sure that everything looked in place and perfect on him, like his clothes and hair.
'Great,' he thought sarcastically 'this is gonna take a while.' and by a while he meant a whole lot.
The morning found Karin waking up quite startled by an excited Orihime who just burst through her bedroom door. Surprisingly, or not, Yuzu was already up and jumping up and down excitedly too.
When reality kicked in, Karin groaned and flopped back onto her pillows and under her covers. It seems though that her sister and sister-in-law weren't gonna take no for an answer.
"Come on Karin, we don't have much time. You must get ready; it's your wedding day today... Get up!" and as Yuzu said that she pulled the covers out of her sister's reach.
With that Karin groaned again before finally giving in and getting out of bed. No use fighting with two overly-excited girls. It was like asking for a death wish if she did.
"Karin-chan, I'm so happy for you." said Orihime while Karin just huffed and sighed before murmuring "Well, somebody gotta be 'cause I certainly ain't" and then let herself be led by Orihime and Yuzu to the bathroom and the room where her dress was.
She must admit that the dress was very pretty on and out of her. It was pure white with little diamonds that sparkled with every little step she made. It was strapless even though it was winter and showed a little cleavage but it was tasteful. It also had more noticeable diamonds on the base of her neckline. She completed the look with putting a necklace with a light-blue diamond on, and matching earrings.
Her hair, since they went a little after her shoulders, was put up on a little stylish bun while some of it was falling a little here and there for taste. They had put it there with a white hair band that had a little glistering butterfly on the side. She also wore her tiara, an idea of her sister and Orihime. She wasn't gonna wear the net that covered her face till they got there.
On her face she wore little make-up because she wasn't used to it. She wasn't going to wear any of it if it was up to her but with two overly excited sisters on your head you couldn't argue with anything. She just wore light-blue eye shadow that showed of her deep-blue almost black eyes, a little blush on her cheeks, black mascara and light-pink lipstick.
Her clothes and stuff were already on the way to her new house that she had to call home from now on whether she liked it or not.
Two hours of getting ready, or in Karin opinion going through hell and back, the door opened after a soft knock to reveal Ichigo. He looked kind of sad as he saw them and smiled at Karin.
"You don't have to do this you know. We can just refuse." said Ichigo as he neared his sister. She just chuckled softly and sadly before replying "I know, but it's the right thing to do for all of us and for the people. Besides, my belongings are already on their way there as we should also be soon." and then she hugged him with him instantly returning it.
"Anyway, if he is some pervert and try something on me, all those years of training won't go to waste, right?" she said now a little brighter with a big grin on her face.
"I'm gonna miss you kiddo." he said with a grin of his own now.
At that Orihime just chuckled and went to her husband putting a hand on his shoulder getting them out of their world. "We all gonna miss you Karin-chan, but you will always have a home to return to here if you ever want to. We are all here for you and for everything you need." she said while giving her a small hug, she didn't want to ruin all those hours of work.
Yuzu was almost to tears when the door opened again and revealed Isshin and Jinta. Jinta went and hugged his wife from behind and put his hands around her waist while she held them there with one of her own.
Isshin had a sad smile on his face while he came in front of Karin. Ichigo had already gone to the side with Orihime in his arms and his chin on her head while they all stood and saw father and daughter.
"Will you ever find it in your heart to forgive your father Karin?" he asked while right in front of her. She just gave him a look in the beginning but then sighed and opened her hands so that he could hug her, which he did right away with tears on his face saying thank you to every god he knew, because his daughter forgave him. She just sighed once again and when he didn't make any attempt to let go but hugged her tighter, she pushed him a little herself.
"However idiot of a father you are, you're doing what is right for everyone, and I don't mean only for the people who are now present but for all of the kingdom, and even I know that this is what it must be done even though I don't want to. It must and it will be done. Right Yuzu?" she said while turning to face her sister who now had a sad smile on her tearstained face but nodded none the less. Then she turned back to face the rest of her family.
"Well, as much as I would like to stay here and keep whoever he is waiting or not going at all, it isn't nor the right thing neither the smartest. So are you coming or what?" said Karin now much happier that she knew she will always have a family that loved her.
She decided to see this optimistically as she saw most of the things in life and gone for the door. Almost instantly her family was right beside her and was heading for the carriages to begin their journey for her wedding and new life.
It was almost four hours with the strongest and fastest horses and with no time of resting at that, so they had a big journey in front of them.
When Toshiro was ready with all the clothes and hair, Rangiku opened the door to his bedroom…
"Are you ready? The things of your future wife just arrived and I came to ask you where to put them. I also came to see if you're ready cause without a doubt, they will arrive shortly as well."
"Yeah, yeah… I'm ready. Let's just get this over and done with. Put them in the next room." he replied while leaving the room.
"You just go to the garden where the ceremony will take place and I'll go and wait to welcome them. The groom mustn't see the bride before the wedding." she said and shoved him lightly to the direction of the stairs so he could go to the garden.
"So much for talking to her before the wedding." he mumbled to himself before sighing and going his way.
He just went to the garden and waited.
As Rangiku waited at the front gates for at least fifteen minutes for them to arrive without any luck, she finally spotted a carriage being carried by six horses coming towards the castle.
When it stopped in front of the gates, she went to it just before the door opened. Out of it came the royal family with the new bride.
She just went in front of them to greet them.
"Hello, you must be Kurosaki-sama. Welcome… Hitsugaya-sama and our guests are waiting in the garden. I'm Rangiku Matsumoto and I'm the head maid of the castle. I'm here to take you to where the wedding will take place. Please, follow me." said Matsumoto before bowing and going on the direction of the house.
"Please, call me Karin. I don't know what this Hitsugaya guy wants to be called, but I am another person just like you. I'm not superior to you to be called 'sama' or anything." replied Karin before wearing the net on her head to hide herself and following inside after Rangiku with her family.
Karin couldn't see a thing with that stupid cloth on her head in front of her eyes. She could only see her feet, so her father was her eyes as he took her hand and instructed her on where to go.
One thing was for sure. This place was huge. It seemed big from the outside, but with all that walking until they reached the garden it seemed it was even bigger than she first thought.
After some time, she heard clapping so she figured they were finally in the garden and her doom was a little more minutes ahead.
Her father finally stopped and let go of her hand so she must be in front of her future husband and if she looked down, she could see his shoes so she figured she was right.
The ceremony begun and Karin couldn't do anything to stop it and she knew it. 'I only have a few more minutes. Why me?' she thought over and over again until she heard the words to her doom.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
With that, the stupid thing that she hated before but now wanted nothing more than to stay in place, lifted from her vision and she could see again.
The man that she married was a little taller than her, had white hair and green-blue sea eyes. He was gorgeous, she should give him that, but the only thing that he did was look at her in the eyes.
That, accompanied with the fact that she just did something that she didn't want to, got to her nerves so she just glared and slapped him before leaving and going in the direction of the house.
Yuzu got up from her seat and followed her inside with Orihime.
When the ceremony begun, Toshiro was getting restless with any second that passed. He didn't want that but he couldn't do otherwise. Then after moments of those thought, the words that he now despised came.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
He just sighed and went to lift the net. When he did that though, all thoughts in his head were gone and his mind went blank.
In front of him stood the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes upon. Her eyes were the deepest blue he ever saw and he was sure that if he stared at them for a long time, he would drown. Her hair was black with a hue of blue if the sun got to them on the right angle. Her face was not too pale but not too tanned either.
He couldn't do anything but stare, and after a few seconds, it was like fire had taken residence into her eyes as she glared at him and then slapped him.
That brought him out of his trance, as he then saw her leaving and going at the direction of the house.
A girl with light brown hair got up and followed after her with a redhead behind.
He just stood there looking dumbfounded for a minute with a hand on his cheek, but then glared at anyone who looked at him.
Momo went to him with Rangiku and put him on a chair while the rest of the guests went on their way to the food and drinks that were there, after they received that glare from him.
"Are you alright Shiro-kun? Oh, that's gonna leave a mark." said Momo after he sat and she saw the hand mark on his cheek.
That girl was strong and brave to do that, she should give her that. Nobody could touch him until now in any way. Not because they were afraid, ok maybe a little, but the real reason was because he was a child prodigy in anything he ever did. Nobody had beaten him in anything before now, or caused any harm on him.
Rangiku just put ice on the mark while he was complaining about Momo calling him Shiro-kun.
In the house was another conversation taking place.
"Karin-chan, wait! Why did you just slap him? He didn't do anything did he?" said Yuzu when she and Orihime had finally caught up to her.
"He just stood there looking at me. If he didn't like me, he should have said something. He just got on my nerves. I don't like people looking at me like they hadn't seen a person in their whole life before."
"Karin-chan, maybe he thought that you were so beautiful that he couldn't look away." said Orihime with a sweet smile.
Karin just snorted un-lady-like at her comment.
"Yeah, tough chance… Anyway, I want to change from this idiotic outfit now that this is over. Where are my things?" she said before an awestruck Rangiku came inside.
When she noticed the bride, she giggled a little. Karin just looked at her like she had just grown a second head. She just slapped her master and she giggled. This is crazy.
"I'm sorry. It's just the first time that I saw someone being able and having a chance to hit Hitsugaya-sama. He is always on guard and it's unbelievable that he wasn't this time. I will show you to your room now if you wish Hitsugaya-sama." said Rangiku before smiling for god knows what.
Karin just groaned and replied "Karin, just please call me Karin."
"Whatever you wish, Karin-sama." she said before she bowed and signalled them to follow her and they did just that.
After a number of stairs, they arrived to the second floor and she stopped in front of a big door that was next to another one, the only two rooms in the hall.
"This will be your room Karin-sama. Your belongings are already in the room for you to put wherever you like. The room next door belongs to Hitsugaya-sama."
"Wait, you mean I'm not gonna sleep in his room? That's… surprisingly thoughtful of him."
"Yes. He said to put your thing in this room here. I believe that you'll soon see that Hitsugaya-sama is a good man and you may have more similarities than you think. By the time that he was born, he was thought the right way to be a good king and he never had any good friends besides his cousin Momo-chan and maybe me. He is a little cold on the outside but he has a great heart and he loves his people. He always tries to do what's best for them. You will like him more as time passes I'm sure. I can see that you're just like him on the heart department considering you told me to call you just Karin… Anyway, if you need anything at any given moment, my room is at the other hall we passed before. I will help you unpack now if you wish." and with that she opened the door they were in front of and went inside with the rest of the girls following.
The room was almost as big as her last bedroom. It had a double-bed, a linked bathroom and a big walk-in closet. It also had a big light-brown carpet that covered the entire floor.
Her things were everywhere except of her clothes that were already in the closet.
As she was in a trance looking at everything, she didn't hear the rest of them talking getting to know each other or the door opening. She only got out of it when her brother called her name and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Karin, we must leave. It's a long way back and Sora is tired. I'm sorry..." said Ichigo when he knew he had her full attention.
She just nodded and hugged him with a smile before going to say goodbye to the rest of them. They all hugged her back and left with Isshin crying, Ichigo sweat-dropping while dragging him outside of the room and to their carriage and Orihime carrying a sleeping Sora. Yuzu and Jinta left last, after the twins told their last goodbyes.
When they left, she noticed someone else in the room that she didn't recognise.
Hmm, probably the one that brought her family here…
"Hello, I'm Hinamori Momo. I'm Shiro-kun's cousin… Oh, good slap by the way. It was pretty strong. I never thought that someone could touch Shiro-kun without him avoiding it…" she said before smiling and presenting her her hand to shake.
Karin just looked at her strange before shaking it. What was with that guy they all said that none could touch him. Then she remembered the name that she used for him and burst out laughing.
"'Shiro-kun'? That's his name?" she asked while laughing. Matsumoto grinned before answering
"Hitsugaya-sama's full name is Toshiro Hitsugaya. He doesn't like having a pet name but Momo-chan always calls him that even though he yells at her every time."
Momo just smiled more and let go of Karin's hand.
"Anyway, I want to change out of these clothes and wear something warmer and more comfortable. I can, can't I?" asked Karin when her laughing had stopped and went over to her closet to pick something out so she could take a bath and change.
She picked out a blue dress with long sleeves (finally) that went and covered even her shoes and matching flat barrettes because the heels she wore were killing her feet. She put her clothes on her bed and went to the bathroom before closing and locking the door.
Rangiku and Momo had left after her announcement that she was gonna take a bath and went back to the garden.
Inside the bathroom, there was a big bathtub, a clear area for her to do the ritual before the actual bath, a sink with a big cupboard and an even bigger mirror and also a rack with white puffy towels waiting to be used and a white robe for her to wear when she was finished.
She undressed herself, letting the wedding gown on a table on the corner that is used to put clothes on, and let her hair down. That hairstyle was staring to give her a headache.
She then proceeded with the ritual for her bath…
Meanwhile, outside on the garden was a sulking Toshiro touching his steadily hurting cheek and watching his guests having fun.
Momo had gone almost ten minutes before to show his 'wife's' family her room so they could say goodbye because they had to leave.
When Momo came back with Rangiku he figured that they had already left and so he got up to go talk to 'his other half'.
As he was making his way to her room, he thought how she had hit him and he didn't do anything to stop it or after she left. How could he leave his guard down? He never did before, but by the time he saw her he lost it. What had she done to him? He must be more careful from now on. He didn't even know why she hit him, he hadn't done anything to her, and again… why wasn't he mad but just irritated?
What was wrong with him?
As he went in front of her door, he decided that he will start again, and begin by showing her the way around the castle. It was her home too from now on anyway.
He knocked and opened the door, but as he opened it and went inside, the bathroom door opened too and out came a bathrobe wearing Karin brushing her wet hair.
She hadn't looked up yet, but the only thing he could do was stare. He was mesmerised with a blank for the second time that day mind.
When she finally did look up and their eyes met, they looked at each other for a few seconds before her face got red with anger and she screamed trying to slap him again. This time though, he caught her wrist before it connected with his face, which was now slightly red, and turned around.
"I didn't know you were changing. I only came to take you to a tour of the palace. If I knew you were taking a bath I wouldn't have come at all. Just change and I'll wait outside." he said in a cold monotone voice before going outside without another word and closing the door behind him.
'Stupid, stupid, stupid... How could I just stand there and stare at her? What the hell is wrong with me? But her hair was beautiful down like that. They weren't too long or too short. And she wore only a robe with nothing under... NO... No... No... No... Stop that. Stop with these thoughts, damn it.' he thought to himself while hitting his head with the palm of his hand before stopping and looking collected now on the woman before him at the door.
She was glaring at him with a little pink hue on her cheeks. She was wearing a blue dress and her hair was now on a high loose ponytail. She was still wearing the blue necklace from before but she wore different earrings this time. They were blue and little, barely noticeable on her ears. She still looked beautiful.
"Now that you're ready and properly dressed, would you like a tour? It is gonna be your house too from now on anyway so you need to know where everything is." he said while looking at her with an icy glare.
"Aren't you the generous one now?" she replied while continuing to glare at him.
"Look, I just want to start over. We begun kind of on the wrong foot so either come with me or stay here for all I care. I don't even know what I did to make you mad at me. You just met me today. What is wrong with you?" he said now mad too.
"That's exactly the problem. I just married someone whom I never met before. Don't tell me you're thrilled with that."
"I don't like that either, but what is done is done. The only thing we can do now is to begin knowing each other. At least I'm trying here while all you do is trying to slap me."
"Ok. I will come with you on the tour of the castle. I will try harder. Happy?"
"Yes! Now, let's begin…" and with that he began the tour.
Just as she thought, the palace was indeed huge.
On the upper floor there were seven big bedrooms that the three of them were unused.
On the first floor it had a big kitchen with everything in her, and a big bathroom on another room. It also had a big gym which was equipped with everything. You could do whatever you'd like in there from practicing with swords to playing football and basketball. It also had another huge room that was serving as a pool except some part of it that was for the boards and the chairs.
The bigger room though was the library which also was used as Toshiro's office. It had all the books you could ever wish for and more.
On the outside, past to where the wedding took place that was now empty, it had a forest and in a corner, if you could call that huge space a corner, it had a greenhouse which inside had the rarest flowers Karin had ever laid eyes upon.
She must admit that it was impressive and by the smirk that Toshiro had, she figured it showed on her face so she tried to cover it up a little by glaring at him with a smirk of her own.
"Okay. I must say that I'm impressed. I didn't have you for a guy that played sports, a reader or someone who loved flowers."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
From the smile that she gave him, he could do nothing but smile back at her.
"By the way, we just got married and I don't even know your name."
"Aw... Shiro-kun wants to know my name? That's so sweet." and by the confused and irritated look he gave her she burst out laughing before he asked her how she knew his name and told her never to call him that.
"Rangiku-san and Momo-chan told me before, mister Toshiro." she replied with a smile.
"Okay. That isn't fair, for you to know my name and for me to not."
"Life isn't fair Toshiro, deal with it. But if you must know, my name is Karin."
"Alright… Karin. If you call me by my first name, then I will call you too." He replied with a smirk of his own.
"You better. I hate it when people call me with honorific or by my last name. Besides, we may just get married but we also just met. We are husband and wife only in papers. For now we will begin with being friends. Unless you don't agree?" she finished while glaring at him and with the nod from his part she smiled again and begun going in the direction to the house with him following.
On the inside of the house, Rangiku was looking for them everywhere to tell them that dinner was ready and to come and eat when she saw them coming from the direction of the garden. With a sigh of relief she went up to them.
"Where were you two? I was looking everywhere for you to tell you that dinner's ready and you were nowhere to be found. I thought you killed each other considering what happened at the wedding."
"Relax Matsumoto. I just gave Karin a tour of the castle. You don't have to freak out."
"Oh, yeah… Toshiro, sorry about before… It was not your fault for what was happening and it was rude of me to slap you and in front of everyone none the less."
Matsumoto after the 'Toshiro' that came out of Karin's mouth, closed her eyes and waited for the yelling that was sure to come but never followed. The only thing that she heard from him was a sigh and an acceptance of the apology with a usage for a second time of her name.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that Toshiro indeed wasn't mad at Karin. With that realisation, her face began having an ear to ear grin that drowned the attention of the two. One confused and one with a look that said 'don't even thing about saying anything'.
"Are you ok? Why are you smiling like that?" asked Karin that was looking from Rangiku to Toshiro confused.
Rangiku just smiled a little more if that was possible and replied
"Oh, it's nothing. I must say though that you surely are something Karin."
"Eh? Why do you say that all of a sudden?"
"It's just that, remember when we said to you before that Hitsugaya-sama doesn't like pet names and that he always yells at Momo-chan when she calls him Shiro-kun?"
"Yes... And..."
"Well, you just called him by his first name and without a 'kun' at that and he didn't say anything at all or yell."
"Ah… that... Well, we just made a deal that we will call each other by our first names. Nothing special." and with that she begun going for the kitchen and dining room to eat her dinner.
Matsumoto just sat there and smiled like a Cheshire cat at Toshiro before saying
"A deal eh... Hitsugaya-sama… It just leaves me wondering what else she can make you do."
"Oh... Shut up Matsumoto." he said now a little red on the face while going after Karin to the kitchen. Matsumoto smiled a little more before following him.
The rest of the day went peacefully if you exclude the giggles that came from Matsumoto and Momo when she told her the news. It was time to go to bed so the two of them were outside of their bedrooms saying goodnight.
"So, see you tomorrow I guess. I hope that it won't be as lively as today though. I had enough excitement to last me the year."
"Ha-ha... Yeah, again sorry about the slap... I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." she said before closing the door
"Goodnight" and with that he went to his own bedroom next door to sleep.
'He is not so bad if you get to know him. It may even turn out better that I thought. At least he is not a fat pervert that wants nothing else than money and women.' she thought as she changed into a light-blue nightgown and went to sleep.
As he was getting ready for bed, similar thoughts crossed his head.
'She truly is something different. You never know what she's gonna do next nor can you ever predict. Also, she was able to put me in a trance two times in a day and the first she even got the chance to slap me, and did it hurt. Man, she is strong… She surely isn't your regular princess. I can't wait to see what she is gonna do tomorrow. Besides being unpredictable, she is truly beautiful. Her eyes are like the depth of the see and I'm sure her hair is like silk… Oh man… Matsumoto is right. Something must be wrong with me to let her call me Toshiro. Only my parents called me that. The cherry on top is that I kind of liked it coming out of her mouth. It sounded so sweet in my ears. What the hell is wrong with me.' and with that last thought left unanswered, he went to a dreamless sleep.