"Shaolin-san!" Soi Fon's eyes snapped open and she immediately sat up in bed, turning almost mechanically to the source of the voice. A man dressed in fitted gray clothes knelt on the floor before her. The emblem embroidered on his sleeve told her that he was a servant, but she couldn't recall what his name was, so she just answered with a grunt.
"Your father told me to wake you earlier today. You must be ready for the Shihoin family's princess!"
Soi Fon's eyes opened wide. She'd completely forgotten, and she scolded herself inwardly. Another servant entered the room, this time a woman. She slipped a formal robe over Soi Fon's thin nightclothes and gestured to Soi Fon to lift her arms so that she could tie the bow correctly. Soi Fon stared out the single window in her room. Pale sunlight streamed through, illuminating a spot on her bed. It was hardly even morning yet.
Soi Fon turned to the woman, who had just finished tying the bow. "When is the princess coming?" Her voice was sweet, innocent, and still full of hope.
The servant smiled at the young girl. "Soon. Now come. Your siblings are all waiting for you." She took Soi Fon's tiny hand in hers and led her out of the room. "We must be ready when she comes."
Outside, Soi Fon was led toward the rest of her family. Indeed, her siblings were already standing there, straight and stiff, just as they were taught. Soi Fon took her place next to her older brother at the end of the line as she was the youngest of the six, and she stared up at the covered bridge. Around her, the others were looking up as well, and occasionally, some of the younger ones would turn and whisper to one another until one of the adults shushed them with a stern tap on the wrist. Suddenly, everything fell silent. All eyes turned slowly toward the far end of the bridge as a carriage emerged from the gate. Most bowed their heads at the sight of it, but Soi Fon couldn't; she continued to stare upward, craning her neck as much as she could, mesmerized.
Soi Fon's father chuckled softly. "Shaolin, do you see? Look closely. That's the princess of the Shihoin family. She is the one who you live to serve, and one day, when she becomes Corps Commander of the Executive Militia, you will dedicate your life to her." He smiled down at her briefly and put his hand gently on her head. "Alright?" All members of the Feng family, a lower noble family, were destined to give their lives in military service to the Shihoin family, one of the four noble families in Soul Society. That was the way of things. One family served another. Soi Fon nodded as if in a trance, eyes still trained on the moving carriage.
The woman sitting on it was beautiful. Her features were perfect, and her elaborate robe did not detract from her beauty. She was dark-skinned with a determinedly set face, and her rich purple hair was pinned in back of her head with an intricate ornament. The rising sun behind her cast a gorgeous glow on her, and Soi Fon began to think that this woman must be a goddess sent straight from the heavens. She wondered if anyone else could be this perfect.
Then, almost as if she could hear Soi Fon's thoughts, the woman turned her head just the slightest bit. The movement was barely noticeable, but Soi Fon, intently watching, saw it and realized she was looking straight at her. The woman's eyes were golden, piercing and fierce. Soi Fon felt her intense gaze burn into her own eyes, but she couldn't blink. It felt like an eternity that they stared at each other, and then the other woman's features shifted ever so slowly, softening. A small smile crept over her face, and Soi Fon's heart skipped a beat. Out of all the people present, why her? She could only gape back in wonder as the carriage passed by her and the woman turned forward again.
So I really like this ByaSoi pairing for I dunno what reason, but they just work, you know? Anyway, this is obviously from very early on, and it will progress up to present-day, hopefully. There will be some twists and AU things, as you will see in upcoming chapters, but I will mostly be sticking to Tite Kubo's storyline as my guide. And Byakuya will be making his first appearance soon, probably the next chapter :)