Disturbed by Questions

"Is there anything more?" he had asked before departing.

"Be careful and return simply," had been her reply.

Return simply. The expression still lingered in his mind. The meaning of which implied two things: To return – to come back for her – and to do so without ostentation. Byakuya gave a small inward smile as his thoughts fell to her unassuming nature.

Inhaling deeply, he maintained a quiet state of meditation, staving off the flares of raw emotion churning in the pit of his stomach. His eyes remained closed; his inner world shrouded in darkness as he sat stiffly in seiza position. Every muscle in his body flexed, and every beat of his heart filled him with icy sensations.

"Creak," went the door.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to see his servant emerge from the darkness of the chamber. "The Conference has assembled. They are ready to hear your proposal."

Wordlessly, Byakuya took to his feet with an insurmountable amount of grace and poise considering the circumstances. The servant instinctively moved to the side of the door and bowed deeply from the waist. Feeling Byakuya's cold wake chill his skin, he rose and closed the door behind the noble.

The mood was set, and it was looking decidedly grim for his master…

---

Hisana sat, torn, on her bed in the white, sterile room of the infirmary. Wringing her hands anxiously, she stared into the whiteness of the wall in front of her. She was lost in thought -- lost to the wave of chaotic emotions pounding, hammering, her into submission.

First came fear.

Had she made the right choice? Hisana had pondered this question for hours. Obsessively, she thought over her decision careful to scrutinize every repercussion for her action. Why had she so mindlessly, so recklessly, answered him without considering the consequences of accepting his proposal?

'Will my stay with him be that of a bird held captive? The cage may be gilded, but it is still a cage after all. No amount of pretty words, jewels, silks, or softly spoken promises will ever change that.' Hisana shuddered at the thought. Her heart skipped a beat, and she was sure it had flown up and lodged itself in her throat.

She could not be contained. She was still wild at heart – not some refined thing that was beyond reproach or censure. She was flawed – perhaps even fatally so. She needed space; she needed time; and, most of all, she desired the freedom to wander aimlessly if need be to find the thing she lost. She had to find the person she held first and foremost in her thoughts – her sister.

Then came regret.

Should she have rejected the offer?

Did she even have the right to reject the offer?

Hisana turned her gaze to the wooden floor. Regret bubbled inside of her, flooded her, and flowed through her veins as she considered her predicament. 'How can I be so ungrateful?' she thought mournfully to herself. Byakuya Kuchiki was one of the most respected among those in Soul Society. He was an honorable and kind man.

She shut her eyes and lowered her head as she drew up his picture in her mind's eye. It was all too painful. How could she even consider the thought of saying, "no," to him? Even if he was the most wretched man in the universe, he belonged to one of the four noble families, and she was scum… She was nothing – a lowly excuse for a soul. She did not deserve such a life.

Hisana fought through the burning urge to cry as her mind drifted. 'What if I am never allowed to search for her? What if…' The thought proved too painful to finish.

Then there was despair.

She craved simplicity; she craved consistency, but, most of all, she craved safety. She had been thrown into a cruel, heartless environment, and she was weak. She had always been weak – no real spiritual pressure to speak of, no real physical strength to note, even her health was in a constant state of repair. If only she had been a little stronger, a little wittier, or smarter, she would not have been driven to commit the ultimate crime – abandoning the one you love.

Her actions would always haunt her. Feral animals would not have done what she did to her baby sister. She left her own kin nameless, helpless, and alone in Inuzuri. And now she had the nerve to accept the offer for a better life… She had the nerve to be happy.

Finally, came the urge to flee.

Hisana shivered uncontrollably at the last thought -- happiness. Had it become only a word to her, devoid of all connection to meaning and feeling?

'What happiness could I possibly offer him? What comfort could I provide? My emotions – my heart – they are forever tainted by my transgression.'

Still swimming in the deluge of conflicting emotions, Hisana lifted her head to gaze out the window. It would be so easy… It would be so easy to flee the infirmary and return to the lower districts.

'It would be so much better, Hisana. Better for the both of you. He doesn't speak the words, but you know how much he suffers – how much he will suffer if he takes you for a wife. He is a noble, and you are a mere street urchin in a classist society. He will be ridiculed. His association with you will bring him dishonor. This union will leave an everlasting stain on his family name. How can you be so selfish?'

No longer able to contain herself, she felt the warmth of tears streak in rivulets down her cheek.

'There you go again, Hisana. Running away from your commitments. This really is a nasty habit you have developed…'

The warring emotions had finally swallowed her whole, and spat her out.

'What do I do?'

Torn, broken, and upset, Hisana sat on her bed in that white, white, white room.

---

The chamber was dark, cold, and dank. The mood of the room, however, was much worse. Hostility, anger, and disapprobation fell like a heavy blanket over him. The tension lingering in the air was both thick and stifling.

"Come to the center, Lord Byakuya Kuchiki." The words were pronounced with the crisp and sharp intonation possessed only by one Mao Watanabe.

Byakuya's expression grew impassive, and his eyes deadened as he complied with the request.

"The Twelve Honorable Families under the Kuchiki banner have gathered to review your proposal," Watanabe announced ceremoniously. "The proposal under review concerns your decision to select a wife suitable of the title Kuchiki, correct?"

The question was only a formality. "Yes," Byakuya answered; his voice clipped.

"You do realize the gravity of this decision? The woman chosen as the Lady of the Kuchiki residence will, in turn, preside over us, your faithful subjects."

"Yes," he responded firmly.

"You do realize that if we, for any reason, find your decision disagreeable, we may choose to dissociate ourselves from the Kuchiki banner thus costing the Kuchiki name its prestige?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Let us proceed," Watanabe said, positioning his glasses high on the bridge of his nose. "You have selected Hisana," he said, making sure to enunciate every letter in her name as he read it from the form in front of him.

Almost instantly, the chamber erupted in a fit of hushed whispers and movement as nobles leaned in to share their reactions with one another.

Once the whispers had subsided, Watanabe lowered his head slightly so he could view Byakuya over the frames of his glasses. "Who is this woman? I am not familiar with her or her family's name."

"You are not familiar with her name because she has never been made apparent to you."

Watanabe's aged face grew harsh, almost worried, as he looked down at his benefactor. "She is at least of noble birth, correct?" his voice sounded pleading.

Byakuya repressed the urge to smile in response. He could not, however, hide the glint that now lit his dark eyes. "No. She is a commoner."

He could almost feel the air in the room being sucked in to fuel the collective gasps of the twelve nobles seated in the elevated platform circling the perimeter of the room. A calm chaos erupted as the twelve discussed what had been long suspected but never confirmed... until now.

"How common is she?" Watanabe asked, raising his voice above the confusion.

"I did not realize there was a hierarchy in place for commonality," Byakuya answered drily.

"What District does this girl come from?" Watanabe said incredulously.

"The Seventy-Eighth District." His voice rang clearly throughout the room.

Again, an explosion of gasps and whispers filled the chamber.

"Lord Kuchiki," Watanabe growled, enraged by the thought that they had fallen prey to some cruel prank on Byakuya's part, "you do realize that it is against your honorable family's code to allow for marriage among commoners."

"I am aware of my family's code," Byakuya responded evenly.

"Then, clearly you have forgotten the purpose of marriage, Lord Kuchiki. It is a business transaction between nobles for the purposes of providing an heir and uniting two families in power and harmony."

"I am quite aware of the reasoning behind such marriages."

"Then, either I must conclude that you care not to respect the code of your own family, or that you believe you are above censure."

Byakuya calmly shut his eyes as he inhaled a deep breath. "Believe about me what you wish. This is my decision."

"Why, Lord Kuchiki?" The sudden change in pitch and tone shattered Byakuya's calm resolve; he immediately opened his eyes and scanned the panel to find that it was Lady Sen who addressed him. "You are a man of reason – of honor. Why? If it is love or passion you seek then you could always take this woman as your courtesan. You do not need to invoke the institution of marriage over something this trifling. This indiscretion comes at the risk of lowering your family's prestige!"

Byakuya lifted his head regally. "My decision is final. Do as you must." With those words, he forced a slight bow before turning on his heels and parting company.

The moment he exited the chamber, he was greeted by his servant who quickly drew to his side. "Is all good and well, milord?"

Byakuya shot the boy a sidelong glance in response.

The servant straightened stiffly upon receiving his master's gaze and shuddered. He had never seen eyes convey such confliction in his entire life.