Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach. Nothing can alter that fact unless he decided to give me those rights…which is unlikely. Though I'm still hoping haha…
A/N: Hey guys! Nothing much to say really aside from the fact that this chapter will be for testing the water. If you understood then that's good! Hope you enjoy. Please read and review!
Chapter 1: Embark on the Journey
A small hand tugged the robe of a man with shaggy blond hair wearing a hat and holding something similar to a cane though he definitely isn't in need of such for certainty—call it fashion perhaps? The man looked down and saw a young child looking at him with big bright eyes.
" Neh, can you tell me a stowie?" The child asked the man, cheeks puffy and flushed.
" Story?" The man squatted beside the child, who nodded enthusiastically in confirmation. Tilting his head, the man looked up above wryly. He was thinking and grinned widely when a certain thought entered his mind. He gazed back down at the child who was looking at him expectantly. " I know this good fairy tale but it's very long. Still want to hear it?"
The child nodded eagerly and sat on the carpeted floor.
The man mimicked the child's position. " Well...this story is the last among those of what you call fairy tales." He told the child, gesturing his hand to make a point.
The child's eyes grew wide in amazement and looked much more eager than earlier.
" Once upon a time, in a land where witches and evils and dragon exist and where princesses are being abducted for no particular reason really, nobody really knew why until this very day; there lived a prince who was destined to meet a lovely princess…"
-000-
"…and they lived happily ever after."
" Onii-chan!" Yuzu scowled at her older brother, clearly disappointed at him cutting in the middle of the story telling.
Ichigo looked at her sister innocently. " What? I wanted to make the story short."
Karin, Yuzu's twin sister, face-palmed and sighed. " Ichi-nii, you didn't have to cut in. We already know that."
Yuzu snapped her head towards Karin and pouted. " Karin too?!"
The black haired twin looked at Yuzu coyly as she shrugged. " What can we do? It's the truth. A prince and a princess meet, then they live happily ever after. End of story."
The hazel haired twin can only hung low and shake her head at the notion of her siblings. 'Unbelievable' was the only word she can call them.
The sudden knock on the door took their attention. It slowly opened and presented a petite woman, dressed in her white riding gear with lavender edgings.
" Rukia-chan!" Yuzu sounded like she found refuge at the sight of the lass. She ran to the girl and clung unto her as if for dear life. " Do you think fairy tales are boring?" She asked.
Rukia looked at Yuzu, unable to give an answer. The girl looked so determined to dig out her opinion. She wandered her gaze elsewhere. " Uhmm…"
Yuzu was already inching her face into Rukia's, her eyes all doe. " So?"
"…"
" Give it up Yuzu." Karin interrupted, making her sister release the girl and sulk in a corner. " Did you need something, Rukia-nee?"
Rukia smiled at Karin as she mouthed her thanks before speaking. " Yes." Then turning her gaze at the young man sitting silently at a corner and scowling as always, she talked. " Ichigo, the king wishes for your presence in the throne room.
" Eh? Does he need something?" Ichigo asked as he got up lazily. He made his way towards the door where Rukia was in a bee line.
" I don't know." Rukia answered as she turned her heel towards the direction of the throne room. Ichigo trailed behind her. " Honestly, you're such a lazy ass."
Ichigo stretched his arms forwards as he matched Rukia's pace. Now he was walking beside her. " Whenever I'm with you, I don't feel like royalty at all."
The lady snorted. " You don't act like one so I don't treat you like one."
The two took a sharp turn at the end of the corridor and entered the throne room.
" Iiiiiiiichigo!" The king shrieked as he pounced at the new comers. However, Ichigo evaded effectively, causing the king to slam himself, face first, at the newly closed door behind them. " I have taught you well my son." He said, whole body still planted at the door and managing to gesture a thumbs up at them.
" Y-Your majesty, are you alright?!" The royal subjects gathered around the king who immediately recovered after a few seconds. None even bothered to be surprised at the extreme 'non-regal' display earlier.
Ichigo only scratched his head and yawned, not a care for his lunatic father. Rukia looked at the young prince and chuckled.
" Ara, you're already having a party without me?" The royal advisor's voice dawdled as he entered the throne room from another entrance. All heads turned to him.
" Kisuke, just the man I needed." Ishiin pulled up, tidied himself and walked back to his throne; his royal subjects still trailing behind him.
" Your majesty." Urahara bowed at Ishiin, and then turned to Ichigo. " My prince." He curtly bowed as well to pay his respects. Then his eyes lay on the young woman beside the prince. He smiled slyly as he inched his way towards her. " Rukia-chan, it's been a while."
" Yeah, so it has been." Rukia answered flatly, keeping a good distance from the man.
"She'll really bite you if you keep doing that Urahara-san." Ichigo warned the royal advisor before turning to his father. " So, what did you call me here for?"
King Ishiin thought for a moment. " Ah…that's right. Ichigo…" He paused and looked at his son who was looking so uninterested. "… I need you to find a bride." The king breathed the words out like he was talking about the weather.
There was a brief moment of total silence before the whole room erupted. " WHAT?!" Royal subjects and servants alike, everyone was shocked. Rukia, however, remained indifferent while Urahara seemed to be enjoying the current state of the throne room's occupants.
" What kind of a sick joke is this?" Ichigo asked his father, clearly disliking what he said.
Ishiin wore a serious expression, very rare for his case. " I'm not joking, Ichigo."
" Y-you're serious?" The young prince asked in disbelief. He was gawking at his father as if the said man had just grown seven heads. The king gave a nod. " You…" Ichigo purred in a low and dangerous tone.
He was near retaliation but was stopped when Rukia raised a hand in front of him, gesturing him to stop. Her eyes however were focused to the king. " Your Majesty, would you please elaborate?"
" You see, Rukia-chan, Ichigo is already eighteen years old. The ripened age." He told her.
Rukia raised a brow. " What of it?"
" Allow me. It seems I have to explain the tradition of the Kurosaki Family." It was Urahara who stood beside the king's throne, the fan spread wide in front of his mouth. Everyone's attention was now on him. " According to the royal family's tradition which have been passed down from one generation to another, the crowned prince has to marry when he reaches a ripened age."
Pounding a hand in her palm, Rukia looked enlightened. " I see now."
" I've never heard of such a thing before!" The prince's angry voice resonated in the halls of the throne room. Then he snapped his head towards the petite lady beside him. " Oi…don't tell me you deem any meaning with what they said just now!" Ichigo asked Rukia in disbelief. " Honestly, who's side are you on?"
" Nobody's." She indignantly answered.
Ichigo only face-palmed and glared at his father, pointing an accusing finger at him. " You can't force me to do that! I'm only eighteen! Besides, where the hell do I get a wife? They don't grow on trees you know or just pop out like mushrooms!"
Urahara took out a notebook and flipped it open. " Ara, that is but a simple problem my prince. You do what other princes do. We are in a fairy tale after all so you're supposed to follow the rules of a fairy tale." He stated blandly. The magically pulling out from nowhere a thick, old book with golden inscriptions which read ' Fairy tale 101 for Dummies' with his free hand, he added. " But I'm sure you're not that ignorant of those rules my prince. I, Urahara Kisuke, have planned your education since your birth after all. I have fervently made certain that those rules be included." There was pride in the advisor's voice.
" You mean I have to go and save some girl trapped somewhere?" Ichigo cannot comprehend the situation he was in, he refused to comprehend it.
" Aye." Urahara nodded.
" Exactly." Ishiin grinned goofily.
" But—" Ichigo was saying until he realized that he was already outside the palace's court yard riding his black stallion galloping halfway towards the palace gate. " How did—?" He looked back in bewilderment only to see his father and the rest of his subjects at the castle's door, waving him goodbye.
" Have a safe trip son!" Ishiin bade.
" Take care onii-chan." Yuzu and Karin were waving at him as well.
The servant women were crying. " Come back to us safe, our Prince!"
Then when he had passed through the gate, it immediately closed and was all locked down.
Ichigo's eyes widened. " Ehhh?!"
-000-
" They did tell me to find a wife…but how am I even suppose to do that?!" Ichigo asked himself as he was about to exit the southern gate of the royal city.
" Ichigo!" A familiar voice dawdled.
Looking up, Ichigo saw Rukia a distance away, mounted on her pure white mare.
Ichigo was utterly surprised but happy nonetheless. " Rukia!" He exclaimed as he maneuvered his black stallion to move faster and halt in front of her. " How come you're already he—never mind." He paused when he remembered the more bizarre events earlier, he settled with asking a more appropriate question." Why are you here?"
The lady raised a brow. " Is there something wrong with me being here?"
Ichigo was flustered with her response. " I-it's not what I mean. I…I was just wondering." He gestured in the air, trying to impose his fake nonchalance if it wasn't too late yet to try.
She chuckled. The young prince did not fail her expectation. Teasing Ichigo was really the best. " You're really naïve Ichigo." She held out a sack bag. " Here."
The prince took it and looked at Rukia with questioning eyes. " What's this?"
" Uncle Ishiin told me to give it to you. There are golden coins in there for you to use on your journey." She told him. Then upon remembering something, she added. " And he said ' try to stay alive and return home with a bride and grandbabies'…that's about it I guess."
Ichigo looked dumbfounded, gaping at the lady.
This made Rukia laugh even more. " Well, I guess that's all. Have a safe journey Ichigo."
" Huh?" His reply was that of disappointment, as if he was expecting something else to happen.
Rukia gave him a quizzical look. " What?"
The young prince looked unsure himself. There was a short silence before he spoke. "I-it's nothing. Thank you, Rukia." Prince Ichigo replied unenthusiastically and moved on slowly.
The girl looked at the prince's dispirited retreating form. She let out a resigned sigh and maneuvered her horse to move.
Ichigo heard the gallops of Rukia's horse. Surprised, he turned back to see her coming towards him rather than the opposite direction leading back to the castle. " Did you forget something?"
She smiled at him as she slowed her mare down and matched his pace and stared in the horizon. " Not really." Ichigo kept staring at her. She decided to look at him and give a sly smirk. " I guess it isn't bad to get out of the royal city from time to time. I can use some new environment to refresh my mind, don't you think?"
Ichigo's eyes softened as he looked ahead. His face a little bit relieved and happy. " Yeah."
-000-
Meanwhile, in the castle…
" What do you mean Rukia-chan went with Ichigo?!" King Ishiin bellowed upon hearing the news from his royal adviser.
Urahara only spread his fan and covered his mouth with it. " It seems so. The guard I sent to accompany her discreetly when she sent your parcel saw her leave the city with the prince." His sing-sang tone made him sound amused. " Don't worry, I have given them a handsome allowance in case she decides to ever go throughout the whole journey with him."
"No! Rukia-chaaaaaaaan!" Ishiin cried.
-000-
A/N: So, how was it? I'll be waiting for your reviews! They would mean a lot.