Like I said in the last chapter, I did not like the name My Hope. So from next chapter on the name will be changed to "Trust to Hope". It was suggested to me by Aralorn and I thank him/her for it.
I would also like to add that the world present here is fictional. I will be inventing customs and traditions as I go along. Some of them will obviously reflect real customs, some will be imaginary.
Next chapter of "I see you" is in progress. Chapter coming up shortly.
As usual, read and review.
Chapter 2
Miracles rarely happen. More often than not, mankind is plagued with mediocrity. If, by chance, someone is excellent in one aspect, some higher power deems them unworthy in some other aspect, as if balancing them on some invisible cosmic scale. Orihime Inoue, the princess of Karakura, defied this norm. Not only was she one of the most beautiful people physically, she was also the possessor of a heart so pure, innocent and untainted, people couldn't help falling in love with her. Her beauty was famous across the realms and therefore she had been plagued by endless suitors ever since she turned fourteen. The type of suitors varied from young, enthusiastic princes, to snobbish nobles, to middle aged self-centered, self-righteous arrogant Kings to on occasion, a King old enough to be her Grandfather. Orihime Inoue bore with all of them with her sweet smile and wide eyed innocence. It was only to her maid, childhood friend and sole confidant Tatsuki that she confessed, none of them had set her heart racing. It was fortunate for her that her Father too seemed to be searching for someone. He had a selection procedure of his own that was known only to him and a handful of trusted advisers of his.
This day, her father had hosted a ball in her honor, where she was to meet her fresh set of suitors. She sat quietly as her maid set her sunset colored, waist length hair into an elaborate style with ringlets falling on her shoulders. She was dressed in a rose pink gown that had a fitted bodice adorned with lace. The gown was off-shoulder, revealing just enough of her creamy skin to be considered modest. Her sleeves were short and her gloves fitted her small hands perfectly. The hoop skirt was triple layered, with extensive lace work along with silk roses sewn on it.
"I am nervous, Tatsuki." She said suddenly, her large grey orbs looking at her maid through the mirror.
"Why? You have been to these balls before. You know the type of men you will meet. Some of the younger ones will fawn over you, trying their best and failing to keep their eyes off your bosom. Some will step all over your feet, while endlessly talking about politics and the others will try and see if they can get their hands any lower than your waist, at which time you will look at me and I will escort you from the dance floor. You know the routine."
"Yes," she said biting her pink, soft lips, "but I still feel nervous...What if they don't like me?"
"They?" Tatsuki said frowning, "And don't bite your lips, it took me ages to get color on them."
"Oh sorry." She giggled, "You know," she continued seriously "The suitors."
"Oh Orihime!" Tatsuki only called her by her name when they were alone, "No one can possibly dislike you."
"Oh Tatsuki, what if I trip on my gown and fall? Won't everyone laugh?"
"Where do you get these ideas?" She said as she continued to work on her hair, "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"Are you sure?" She asked, wide eyed.
"Absolutely. You'l see, this ball will be done before you know it and you'll be telling me what this one did and what happened with that one. You will be as happy as ever, you'll see. Now let's see that pretty smile of my beautiful lady."
Orihime smiled easily, her starry eyes sparkling. Tatsuki quickly finished her hair.
"There, now all I need to do is add these button roses on your hair and you will be pretty as ever to woo your Prince Charming."
Orihime blushed slightly and said, "Tatsuki!"
The shorter, black-haired girl grinned devilishly.
Ulquiorra stood silently amongst a gang of suitors for the Princess. He had been informed that the Princess' beauty was famous. Flocks of suitors would come from far away lands in the hopes of wooing the Princess and her father. None of them had succeeded so far. Ulquiorra didn't fancy his chances. Yes, Lord Granz had done a thorough work. He had given him all the details that he needed to know, but he was sure that the other people present around him were also equipped with similar knowledge. He had one dance in which to impress the Princess.
"Hey," someone next to him whispered, "I don't think I have seen you before, what number are you on?"
"I beg your pardon?" Ulquiorra asked incredulously.
"Oh, you are new then." The young man shrugged, "I have tried four times before this. This is my fifth try. I just know I will strike gold this time."
Ulquiorra wondered what was he supposed to reply to that. He chose silence. This man obviously wasn't very bright or else he would have gotten the message after four rejections. He looked around the room and saw many men preening themselves like peacocks. There were many women too, the hopeful mothers-in-law and a few younger girls who were probably there to try their own luck in marriage. He himself was more relaxed as he fully expected to be rejected. Yes he needed the money, was desperate for it even, but he wasn't hopeful. He may have prayed to some God if he had an ounce of religiousness in him. He did not and therefore, he took the practical approach. He would put his best foot forward but if asked why he wanted to marry the Princess, he would settle for honesty. He just wanted to get this ordeal over with and start thinking of new plans for his country. He was lost in his own thoughts and almost missed the usher announcing the arrival of the King Jirou Inoue.
Tall, statuesque, with a shock of longish white hair Jirou Inoue cut an impressive figure. He descended the staircase and stopped at a landing. He bowed his head slightly, as expected of one head of state when addressing a group of other royals and nobles.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," He said in a carrying voice, "I am honored that you all elected to grace this occasion with your august presence. I welcome you all to the Karakura kingdom and wish that you all enjoy yourselves today."
With that little welcome speech, he climbed down the remaining four steps and mingled himself among his esteemed guests, personally welcoming those he knew well. His ministers were introducing him to the newer arrivals. Soon enough, the usher announced the arrival of Princess Orihime Inoue. A hush fell on the hall as the door above the staircase opened and two girls dressed identically with flowers in their hands, stepped out. They stood on both sides of the door and the Princess stepped out. Ulquiorra took one look at the Princess and then did a double take. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen descend the stairs demurely.
'No wonder the King is not happy with any suitor. I doubt there is anyone in this World who can stand next to her.' Ulquiorra thought. As the Princess climbed down, he realistically evaluated his situation and realized he was returning home that night with a rejection. There wasn't a single man present in the hall, himself included, who was worth her. The man next to him was mumbling.
"Oh Lord, she is so beautiful. I just have to have her."
Ulquiorra shook his head almost imperceptibly. Did this piece of trash honestly think he stood a chance? He sighed inwardly. 'Time to start formulating new plans.' He thought sardonically as he stepped back for the Princess to take the dance floor with her Father.
Orihime had attended enough of these balls that she had developed a keen sense to guess what to expect from which suitor. For example, as soon as she had started to dance with her current partner, she knew he was what Tatsuki called the 'foot stomping, self-righteous politician'. And she was right. For what was probably the seventh time in the dance, he had stepped on her foot. Ignoring the pain in her toes, Orihime tried to concentrate on what he was saying,
"...done nicely. I will introduce you to the court as well. The sooner we have a son, the better it will be for we will be able to strengthen our claim on he throne. Of course our father's backing will be there for us. I mean he would obviously want his son-in-law on the throne..."
Orihime smiled at him sweetly and tuned him out. She had seen many of his kind before. He hadn't even considered that he would be rejected. He had assumed that he was going to get married to her, he was even planning on producing heirs to the throne. Orihime patiently waited for the dance to be over, the man whose name she'd forgotten, kissed her hand and left the dance floor strutting. Orihime looked at her dance card, the name that appeared next on her dance card was Ulquiorra Schiffer. She knew the Schiffers were the Royal family of neighbouring country of Hueco Mundo and that the royal family was polygamous. She frowned slightly in disgust. She would hate to be the third or fourth wife of any man. She quickly settled her face into a neutral expression as the said man stood in front of her and bowed.
"Your Highness," he said in a deep voice, "I am Ulquiorra Schiffer, King of Hueco Mundo."
She curtsied and said "Your Majesty, Orihime Inoue, Princess of Karakura."
He took her hand as the music started. She was thankful that he was at least a graceful dancer and didn't step on her foot. Looking at him she realized that he was a handsome man. Granted he was not much taller than her and his skin looked like it needed a lot more Sun, but his eyes captured her attention. They were impossibly green. She had never seen someone with eyes that were greener than his. But there was something about him that unsettled her. Except for his introduction he hadn't spoken a word. It was the first time a suitor had greeted her with absolute silence. She found the silence oppressive and decided to break it.
"Your Majesty?"
"Your Highness." He replied, looking at her. She was glad he was looking at her face and not at her chest.
"Would you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Please feel free to ask whatever you want to, Your Highness." He replied.
'That's new.' She thought. Mostly she met men who didn't like women asking them any question. She licked her lip slightly and gathered her courage.
"I have heard that the Kings of Hueco Mundo have many wives. If I may be so bold as to ask, how many do you have?"
To her intense surprise, the man smirked slightly, "You have heard right. My father had six wives. I am however, unmarried."
She nodded, unsure of what to say to that. She decided to venture yet another question.
"So now you are looking for a wife? I assume for an heir to the throne?"
"I am not thinking that far madam." He replied, "As of now, my country is in dire need of assistance. Both military and financial. That is the primary reason I am seeking a wife."
She was thrown off by the man's blunt honesty. He hadn't attempted to disguise the fact that he was looking for a political marriage. So far she had met men who assumed that they would be married to her and had gone on to make plans. She had also met men who had tried to convince her that they had fallen in love with her at first sight. This man however had stated his reason, simple and straight forward, no assumption or attempted praises. She didn't know how to deal with it. She had to ask another question, but she wondered if she could or not. As she fiddled, his voice broke through her turmoil,
"If there is something else that you want to ask, please feel free."
She looked at him and wondered if she could ask him the question that was at the tip of her tongue. She decided to be bold.
"Do you fancy your chances?"
"No." He said with that small tilt of his lips that she realized was a smile in his vocabulary.
"Are you serious?" She asked before she could stop herself.
"Absolutely. I know where I stand and after being in your court, I can evaluate my chances. They are very slim to none."
His honesty had unnerved her a bit. She had never met a man who was as blunt as he was. Orihime wasn't certain how she felt. Something about him had unsettled her in a way no one else ever had.
Ulquiorra found himself seated between two men, one of whom he recognized as the tall man who was dancing with the princess before him. To his left was a burly man whom he had not noticed before.
"I wish His Majesty, Jirou Inoue would tell me when the wedding would take place." The man to his right grumbled.
"Your Highness, You think you will be the one getting married to the Princess?" The burly man asked across Ulquiorra.
"Of course. My proposal was perfect. There is no chance that a King can refuse the deal I have given him."
"What if the Princess doesn't like you?" The burly man insisted.
The arrogant man scoffed. "She's a woman. What would she know?"
"Your Highness, it is she who's getting married," Ulquiorra said, unable to bear the tall man's arrogance, "surely her opinion counts."
The tall man looked at him as if he had grown an extra head, "Your Majesty" Ulquiorra didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice, "Are you telling me that a woman should have a say as to who marries her?"
Ulquiorra thought back to his mother and the bitterness she had towards his father all her life.
"Absolutely." He said, "She should have the freedom to say no if she doesn't like the man."
The tall man shook his head laughing, as if he hadn't heard a more ridiculous statement in his life. The rest of the dinner continued in silence. The three men clearly had nothing to say to each other.
After the dinner, it was announced that King Jirou had chosen to speak to only three of the suitors. The rest of them were graciously thanked for arriving at the ball. Not surprised by the events Ulquiorra summoned his page to get his carriage ready to take him to the guest chambers of the Karakura Royal Family. He had a long journey home the next day and he had to get up early. He was looking forward to a peaceful night's sleep. As he was about to put on his travel coat, a boy approached him, bowed and handed him an envelope. Perplexed Ulquiorra opened it and almost dropped it in surprise. The note said:
Your Majesty Sir Ulquiorra Schiffer,
I would be deeply obliged if on receiving this note you would meet me in my privy chamber so that we can discuss the prospect of your marriage to my daughter in complete privacy. The messenger boy who handed you this envelope would show you to the chamber. I look forward to meeting you and learning more about you.
Yours Truly,
Jirou Inoue.
The note was sealed by the Inoue family insignia of a six petal star shaped flower. Ulquiorra blinked and reread the note, unsure of what had just happened. He noticed the messenger boy was waiting for him. He closed his eyes, composed himself and said,
"I will follow you in a minute." He signaled his page and handed his travel coat to him and said, "I will be back later."
He knew that the other gathered suitors were glaring at him, some questioningly and some with outright hostility. He himself wasn't sure what he was feeling. This was an unexpected turn of events, one he was still figuring out how to deal with. Could he finally allow himself a reasonable amount of hope that his country would get the much needed assistance?
The boy led him through various stone corridors and Ulquiorra couldn't help but compare this palace to his own. This palace spoke of affluence without being vulgar. The stone was carved beautifully, but it was a stone that was available locally. The boy led him to a pair of wooden doors in front of which a man stood guard. The boy bowed low and left. The guard held out his hand for the letter which Ulquiorra handed silently. He saw the seal, nodded and opened the door for him, guiding him to a chair. There was one other man sitting on a chair next to him and a servant was trying to offer him refreshments that he steadily refused. Upon seeing Ulquiorra, the servant offered refreshments to him as well which he refused. He sighed and waited for something, he wasn't sure what.
Looking around he could make out another room behind a pair of curtains. He assumed that was where the King sat talking with the prospective suitors. He still couldn't believe he was one of the three who were short listed. How had that happened? He had barely spoken to the Princess and he had only greeted the King once in the entire ball, when they had been formally introduced. He could only assume that the King had other eyes and ears in the ball whom he could trust. He was impressed by the King's technique. He kept the technique in mind for future use. He could not use it currently because as of now he trusted no one. Presently the curtains parted and one man left the room. He briefly nodded at the two men sitting outside, who nodded back, and left the room. An usher then came and called the other man inside, leaving Ulquiorra alone in the waiting chamber.
Ulquiorra started to take in the small yet beautiful room. Like the corridors, it too was made of stone but the carving on the stone was much more intricate. The lighting in the room was enhanced using strategically placed candles and mirrors making the room seem bigger and brighter than it actually was. It was a clever use of space and resources while keeping up appearances. Also was cost efficient. He wished his father had taken a leaf out of King Jirou Inoue's book and loved his country half as much as he had loved himself. His eyes fell on a carving that seemed like the Princess when she was a child. He was intrigued by the details of the carving when the curtains parted and the second man left hastily. Ulquiorra knew it was his turn to either be called inside or be told to go home. The usher came back and called him inside.
Stepping inside, he realized this room was bigger and brighter, although using the same technique as the chamber outside. He bowed and said
"Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty," Jirou Inoue returned the greeting, "Please be seated."
Ulquiorra sat down and waited for the older king to speak. He took a while, as if organizing his thoughts and said,
"My adviser was sitting next to you during the dinner and he heard you say something very interesting. You believe women should have a say in who they get married to?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." His guess had been right, the King did have eyes and ears in the ball room.
"And why do you think so?"
"I have had the misfortune of knowing a woman who had been forced into a marriage she didn't want. I have seen the bitterness she harbored. I would not want anyone to go through that, irrespective of their gender."
The older King nodded. "I knew your father, boy." He said in a tired voice, "And your mother. I know the circumstances in which they were married. I understand your aversion to a forced marriage."
Ulquiorra nodded and chose to remain silent.
"My daughter says that you were the only one who honestly admitted that you were looking for a political marriage. And I don't mind that one bit. All I am worried about is, if I give my daughter's hand in yours, what's the guarantee that her children will succeed to the throne? That you will not bring in another wife and thereby more contenders to the throne?"
"Sir, I never thought about my marriage before I sent the proposal to you following an advice from my council. But now that I am thinking about it, I do not see myself having more than one wife. The idea is repulsive to me."
Jirou Inoue looked long and hard at him. Ulquiorra matched his look, unblinking. Finally the old man sighed and stated,
"My daughter is very innocent Ulquiorra. Please take good care of her. Forgive her if she makes a mistake."
Ulquiorra blinked. 'Does he mean what I think he means?'
The King continued, "How soon would you want the marriage to take place?"
Very rarely in life had Ulquiorra encountered a situation in which he had been rendered speechless. This had been one of them. He wanted to pinch himself to ensure that he wasn't having a very elaborate dream.
"I understand it's a big decision," Jirou Inoue ventured when Ulquiorra didn't respond, "if you need time..."
"I am sorry Your Majesty," Ulquiorra said, regaining his speech, "I was just taken by surprise. I am prepared whenever you are, Sir."
"Excellent. I will inform my daughter that I have made my choice."
"Sir, before promising anything to each other, if we could know what the Princess thinks about all this?"
Jiorou Inoue smiled, "I see I judged you correctly. You really mean what you say. Do not worry, I showed her the short list and she had given me her consent. If she didn't agree, you would not have received the note in the first place."
Ulquiorra nodded, still unable to believe what had happened. He could now realistically hope for the betterment of his country.
"The marriage will be held a week from now, so that you can call whoever you want to from Hueco Mundo. In the meantime you will be put up in our guest chambers and given the best possible treatment. I will leave you for the night. We can discuss the dowry and other arrangements tomorrow. I have to meet an anxious daughter and you have a few letters to write."
Both the Kings stood up. Jirou Inoue hugged the younger man and said,
"Welcome to the family."
Ulquiorra was led to his carriage with a flurry of activity around him.
Orihime Inoue sat on her bed, unable to believe the news her father had just given her. In front of her father she had managed to keep a straight face, but had crumpled as soon as he left. Tatsuki, who was waiting in the shadows, came forth.
"Oh Tatsuki," Orihime said grabbing her maid's hands, "Father is getting me married to Ulquiorra Schiffer."
"What's wrong?" Tatsuki asked, looking at her ashen face.
"I don't know. That man...he's like no one I have met before. He is too intense. Oh dear Lord, why did I say I was alright with the people father had shortlisted?"
"I thought you said so because you were alright with them."
"Well, turns out I wasn't. I...I thought it would be like always. When Father talks to them personally, he would not like any of them and the it would start all over again. I never thought that he would finalize my marriage and that too I am getting married next week! Oh Lord, what do I do?"
"You do not want to marry the man?" Tatsuki asked, worried.
"He..he unnerved me. I felt strange, very strange. Oh Tatsuki! What do I do?"
"So tell your Father. I am sure he will listen."
"He will not." Orihime whispered, "He has promised me to the man. Now he won't go back on his word. Even if he did, I would never be able to forgive myself. I just have to learn to accept my fate."
Tatsuki knew the truth in Orihime's words and had no response.
A/N: To my anonymous reviewers, thank you so much for the reviews. I am sorry I cannot reply to you all personally as I normally do because the site only allows me to reply to signed reviews.
