"Don't forget that you promised to tell me all about the food you eat tonight. Are you listening?"

Sora smiled down at his little sister as she helped him adjust his sash and said, "Yes to both."

Looking up at her brother with a slight pout, Orihime said, "It would be so much more fun if I were allowed to come with you."

Laying his hand on top of her head and then slowly sliding it down until it was cupping the side of her face, Sora said quietly, "I wish you were coming with me, but there's nothing for it. The king has invited all the men in the city, but Queen Tia's banquet is only being held for the ladies of the court."

"I know, I know," said Orihime with a sigh, "but it doesn't change the fact that I want to go. Think of all the wonderful robes and jewels they will wear and all the different foods…" her eyes went vacant as her imagination took off thinking about the feast.

Flicking her lightly on the forehead, Sora said, "It's not like this is going to be the last banquet ever held at the palace. Who knows? Maybe you'll be invited next time around."

"I know, I know," repeated Orihime before giving her brother a genuine smile as she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, "I hope you have a good time. Come home safely."

Bending his head to give her an affectionate kiss on the forehead, Sora said, "It's a promise. I'll be home as soon as I can, but don't wait up for me."

Adjusting his position slightly on the opulent cushions, Aizen lazily swirled the liquid contained within the golden, jewel-encrusted chalice as his eyes carelessly swept over the enormous gathering of men. All were dressed in their finest so that in some cases one was hard pressed to select nobility from commoner. For one night only, Aizen had allowed all the men in the city to be seen as equals in his presence.

The food was cooked to perfection and the wine flowed endlessly and out of the two, it was the latter that was most in demand. Now that they were more than halfway through the meal, most of the men were becoming extremely boring to watch in their drunken stupor and Aizen decided to divert himself by thinking about how he could use their besotted state to his amusement.

Taking a sip from his chalice and allowing the taste of the wine to fill his mouth for a short time before he swallowed it, Aizen suddenly had the feeling that something was missing from the scene before him. Frowning slightly at the idea that anything could be missing, Aizen began trying to solve the problem.

There was food and wine, of course, that fact had already been established. All of the men in the city had arrived to the best of his knowledge, so it wasn't the guests. There were servants playing music, so it wasn't the lack of alternative entertainment. Soldiers and extra servants were standing all over the room, so there was help on hand in case of any emergency. So it didn't seem as though the banquet itself was lacking anything, per se.

Aizen's eyes drifted to the reliefs sculpted along the walls as he took another drink of wine. A picture of him surrounded by his loyal subordinates, soldiers and so on. All the men he ruled over.

With that last thought, it finally came to him. What was missing in the scene before him. It was entirely filled with men.

Leaning back in his cushions again, Aizen remembered agreeing to allow the female servants to attend to Tia's banquet. Partially because it just made sense to have the male servants at the men's banquet and vice versa for the women and partially because the last thing he wanted to deal with was a drunken guest trying to become overly friendly with his staff. They were his staff and Aizen didn't take well to others taking or using what was his without his express permission.

So, what was missing from this festive scene was feminine appeal and wiles. Now that he had discovered the issue, all Aizen had to do was find a solution and that came quickly enough. He would send for Tia and have her come to this banquet dressed in all her finery. A good amount of the men here would never have seen such a beautiful woman before and probably never would again. If they were not too far gone in their cups, it would be a sight they would never forget…especially when Tia came and sat next to him.

Covering his smile by taking another sip of wine, Aizen almost couldn't wait to see the men's faces. Most of them would be in complete shock when Tia entered, the epitome of cold, detached and regal beauty. Then, when he gestured for him to come and sit with him, all eyes would look upon him and his prize. Some would be filled with envy and might go home to their own wives and never be able to look at them the same way again. Others would be completely in awe of Aizen's power and good fortune.

Setting down the chalice, Aizen summoned a servant over with a wave of his hand and said, "Go and tell your mistress that her presence is required here at my banquet immediately."

Bowing low, the servant left without a word to fulfill his assignment. With another wave of his hand, Aizen summoned over a servant with a platter of meats and another with a platter of fruits. Somehow, the taste of the food and wine were far more pleasing to his palette now than they had been before. He was not a man to overindulge, but rather one who enjoyed savoring things he found pleasurable.

"Your Majesty," came the voice of the servant he had sent to fetch Tia from beside him.

Turning his attention on the servant and seeing that the queen was not with him, Aizen scanned the room quickly to see if she was waiting by one of the entrances so that she could be summoned by Aizen. When that theory proved false, Aizen returned his gaze to the servant.

"Has your mistress requested time to make herself presentable or something to that effect?" asked Aizen before he placed a grape between his teeth and then chewed slowly and methodically.

The servant kept his face turned towards the floor as he responded, "I relayed Your Majesty's instructions to the queen…"

At the servant's pause, Aizen sat up slowly away from the cushions and managed to keep his voice low and calm as he asked, "And?"

Quickly dropping to his hands and knees in complete submission, the servant went on quickly, "And the queen refused."

Throughout most of the evening, all of Aizen's advisors and court officials who were sitting on the raised dais with him had engaged in their own conversations since they knew that there was an unspoken rule of 'Never speak unless spoken to by His Majesty'. However, now Aizen sensed that all those sitting nearby had heard every word the servant had just spoken. They knew that the queen had disobeyed the king's orders.

Taking a deep breath, Aizen said smoothly, "Go and tell your mistress that her king requires her to present herself at his banquet to honor his guests."

Crawling backwards until he reached the stairs, the servant obeyed without question or hesitation. However, it was quite obvious that he was reluctant to do Aizen's bidding.

Trying to look unconcerned and confident, Aizen continued to eat and drink. While he wasn't truly focused on savoring the taste anymore, Aizen did notice that the previously pleasurable flavors were no longer there. Or at least, his perception of the flavors was skewed due to a kind of bitter taste rising in his mouth after being so blatantly defied.

If Tia came to her senses and obeyed him this time, Aizen would be willing and able to brush aside the incident and act as though it never happened…at least until he got his wife alone. Then, he would make sure to let her know exactly what she stood to lose should she ever pull a stunt like this again. Their marriage may have been political, with both sides gaining something out of it, but Aizen's power, influence and kingdom would not take nearly as devastating a hit as Tia's would should he choose to sever all marital and political ties with her and her home country.

This time, Aizen heard the servant's footsteps approaching him from the side. While it could have just been his imagination, Aizen was willing to bet that he was not about to receive a favorable response based on the sound of the servant's footsteps.

Aizen's hunch was proved accurate when the servant came into his line of sight crawling on all fours again and not daring to speak. So Aizen said coolly, "Then queen has decided to refuse me yet again," to which the servant nodded in response but remained in the same position as before.

"Lift your head," Aizen commanded, "and tell me if your mistress gave any reason for her…actions."

While there were quite a few more accurate terms Aizen could have used in this situation, it would not do to give the servants any indication as to his true feelings. Even though he might be seething on the inside, Aizen would only allow those around him to perceive a slight annoyance at being disobeyed. He must remain in control.

Raising himself until he sat on his legs, the servant kept his face turned down as he answered clearly, "Queen Tia said that she refused to be treated as an object of the king to be put on display for a party of drunken, imbecilic men."

"Really," said Aizen smoothly, "Is there anything else she wished for me to know?"

The servant swallowed slightly before answering, "The queen also wished me to say that if you desired her company, then you should come and present yourself to her."

At first, Aizen was far too shocked to say anything. Had Tia completely lost her senses? Not only had she defied Aizen's command twice, but now she had also dared to set herself up as more powerful than him, telling him that he has permission to come and see her.

"Your Majesty," came an over done deferential tone from his right.

Without looking, Aizen knew that the voice belonged to Barragan and for a split second, Aizen considered taking his blazing temper out on the man. However, Aizen's incomparable control over his emotions and thoughts easily squashed the impulse and he instead waved his hand in Barragan's direction, giving the man permission to continue.

"Your Majesty," repeated Barragan before he went on, saying, "I couldn't help but overhear the exchange just now."

"I see," Aizen said as he finally turned his attention towards the man as he asked, "And what is your assessment of the situation? How should I proceed?"

Lowering his upper body slightly in a bow even though he was still seated, Barragan said, "For Your Majesty to ask me such a question, I am greatly honored."

Aizen had to admit, Barragan was good. Anyone around him would swear that Barragan meant every word he had just said and that the man was one of Aizen's most ardent supporters within court. But if Barragan was a good actor, Aizen was fifty times better and someone who is better than another at something can easily spot their flaws.

Sitting back up, Barragan locked eyes with Aizen and said seriously, "While the queen has committed a very serious offense this evening, I believe that we will face very dangerous repercussions if this matter is not dealt with swiftly and severely."

While Aizen's face remained impassive and relatively attentive towards Barragan, internally he was thinking, "Came up with that assessment all on your own, did you? What a way to state the obvious."

Echoing Aizen's thoughts aloud, Starkk, who was sitting just a little in front of Barragan, said lazily, "Really Barragan. Quit telling everyone what we already know and answer His Majesty's question."

In spite of Barragan's deeply tanned skin, Aizen was positive he saw evidence of a blush rushing across the weathered features, but in record time, Barragan regained his composure and said, "Of course, of course."

Turning his attention back to Aizen, Barragan said, "Under normal circumstances, the punishment for refusing the king's command would be execution. However, I don't think such a harsh punishment should not be given."

Even though Aizen could see where Barragan was going with this, he decided to play ignorant and ask, "Why do you say that, Lord Barragan?"

There was no mistaking the smug glint in the old man's eyes when the king not only seemed intrigued by what he was saying, but had also chosen to use his title, so Barragan replied in a slightly more pompous tone, "Well, should we execute their queen, her country will likely rally their troops for war in retaliation. And while our armies are definitely the more superior of the two, with the soldiers' blood running hot with hate, I have no doubt that they could cause substantial damage before we are able to subdue them."

Placing two fingers against his cheek and resting his chin on the rest of his hand, Aizen scrunched his eyebrows together in order to look suitably concerned at Barragan's words as he said, "Yes, that is true. Even though we would be in the right and the leaders of my queen's country would not be able to deny it after all is said and done, shedding blood should be our absolute last resort."

Aizen pretended to think a while longer before he posed the question to all his advisors, "So…what should I do?"

Again, rather than answering the question, Barragan said in a grave tone, "Whatever we do, there needs to be a balance between making the punishment fit the crime and going about the affair diplomatically."

Sitting up slightly so that he could use his hands as he spoke, Barragan said, "We must make sure that the queen's insolence is dealt with so that no other women will defy their husbands in the same way."

There was a slight pause before Starkk turned to give Barragan a slightly incredulous look as he said slowly, "Barragan, of all the possible repercussions that might actually come as a result of Queen Tia's decisions tonight, I'm thinking that one is pretty near the bottom of the list. I personally would probably list it dead last."

Before Barragan could respond, Gin, who was sitting behind Barragan, said calmly, "Starkk is right, Barragan. The more important issue is the fact that if rumors of what happened tonight begin to spread, the king will appear weak and unable to control his household."

Slowly peeling a piece of fruit with his small dagger, a well-crafted blade that had been a wedding gift from his wife, Gin went on, "The servants and laymen will likely still suitably fear and respect the king, but anyone who is in a position of influence…well, we all know how power hungry they can become when the right circumstances present themselves. Loyal followers often leave when they think they have found better prospects elsewhere, or have been bought out."

Fixing Gin with a furious glare, Barragan blustered, "How dare you! How dare you accuse me of being power hungry and anything less than completely devoted to our king!"

Raising his head to give Barragan a completely bemused expression, Gin said innocently, "But my dear Lord Barragan, I never said anything of the kind," keeping his dagger in one hand and the partially peeled fruit in the other, Gin spread his arms wide and said, "I have no intention of accusing any of our fine friends seated on this dais of being anything other than steadfastly loyal to our good King Aizen."

As amusing as this exchange had been to observe, Aizen thought it would be best to wrap things up quickly before the common men heard them. Gin was right about the danger of rumors spreading and while Aizen was fairly certain that pretty much all the men were too drunk to really care what was happening on the dais, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Clapping his hands for attention, Aizen waited until all eyes were on him before he said calmly, "None of this answers the question of what I should do now."

Seeing some men's (especially Barragan's) mouths open to answer, Aizen continued, "However, I have been giving the matter careful consideration and believe that I have the answer."

Waiting a few extra moments, Aizen said, "I shall wait until the morning, though, when all my guests have gone home and all my advisors have refreshed themselves after the night's revels before I reveal my plan."

"A wise decision, Your Majesty," said Gin after a moment or two. The others, with the exception of Barragan, murmured or nodded their agreement with Gin. Barragan himself managed to give Aizen a kind of tight smile before taking a long draft from his chalice.

As for Aizen, he leaned back in his cushions and returned half his attention to the banquet. He would allow Tia this small victory for now…because sometimes you have to concede a battle in order to win the war.

From where he sat, Sora had not been able to overhear the conversation on the dais, but he had observed everyone's mannerisms and body language to know that something really important had just happened. And that whatever it was, it was not good.

Raising his cup that was filled with water to his lips, Sora sent up a brief prayer for he knew not what exactly. All he knew was that he had a very funny feeling in the pit of his stomach that things would not be the same when the sun rose.

Lying on the flat rooftop of the house, Orihime adjusted the blanket spread over top of her as she gazed up at the stars. Such beautiful, sparkling lights that could be compared to diamonds in the sky and yet could be considered lovelier than the rock found within the earth. Along with the moon, Orihime loved how they were not only breath-taking to look at, but that the moon and stars had a purpose and design for their existence.

Letting out a silent sigh, Orihime wondered for the umpteenth time when she would discover what her purpose in life was or if she would somehow miss it because she was not paying attention. Most girls her age were either married or engaged to be married and so had seemingly discovered the next phase of their life. Orihime couldn't deny that the desire for a husband and family of her own was strong, especially when she went with her brother and others to all these weddings. However, Orihime just couldn't see herself marrying any of the men of her acquaintance.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. One young man had inadvertently captured her heart, but he had given his heart and vows to another. It had hurt for a time, but seeing the two of them so happy and in love, Orihime couldn't help but be happy with them and for them.

Smiling as she felt the breeze waft across her skin and saw a star shoot across the sky, Orihime told herself that there was no rush. She reminded herself of how God had said that to everything there is a season. All she could do for the time being was work as best she could until her next season came along.

Little did she know that her new season would come within the week.

Author's Note:

I'm not going to take up a lot of space here, but I will take a bit of time to say this. This is not a modern story and yet it is based on a true one. Philosophies and viewpoints on social issues were rather different than what we may be used to, so some things that are said or done in here will not translate well into the modern world. Right now, I'm mostly referring to Barragan's concern of the wives choosing to defy their husbands. Those are not my words. Those are from the original story. If you don't believe me, look up the story of Esther for yourself. Choose to agree or disagree with it as you will. Choose to leave me a review that tells me your take on that issue. I don't really mind. I will read and respect your opinion as long as it does not go overboard.

Now, I do hope that you guys enjoyed this update. It took quite a bit longer than I anticipated to get it up and I hope to update at least once more before summer is over, if not two or three more times.

Later!