Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo "Tite" Noriaki, and both the image and the original plot belong to Rusky-Boz; I own nothing.
Author's Note: So sorry for not updating sooner, again! College life has been crazy, and I do not have much inspiration or time to write. However, I have finally finished this chapter! And, surprise, surprise, finally we have some Ulquihime interaction! (I hope I got them right, Ulquiorra's difficult to write).
I am grateful to all the people that read this story, specially to those who have reviewed it, followed it, and put it in their favorite. Thank you so much!
Now, without further ado, here's the chapter!
Chapter 3: Human Nature
Ulquiorra Cifer walked through the stables, looking for the training grounds. King Isshin had been kind enough to give him permission to use his soldiers' training grounds, and he had gladly taken on his offer. They had been in the Sun Kingdom for just a few days, and General Cifer was already wondering when he would be able to return to the Moon Empire. Guarding Princess Rukia was an easier task than he had originally thought it would be: the princess had never left the castle so far, and was always accompanied by her father, the princesses of the Sun Kingdom, or her maid, going on about the details of her future wedding. His princess definitely did not need protection, and this left the general without a job to be done. It was no surprise he had welcomed the chance to train with open arms.
Finally he reached his destination, however Ulquiorra soon found out that the main training grounds were already occupied by four soldiers of the Sun Kingdom. When the soldiers noticed the general's presence, they all stopped doing their drills and turned to look at the invader, all scowling at him. One of them was a bald man who was currently shirtless ─it seemed that he had been training for quite a while now. This man had been sparring with a thin man, with straight, shiny black hair at a jaw-length, and that was wearing red and yellow feathers on his right eyelashes ─Ulquiorra thought that the Sun Kingdom fashion was peculiar to say the least. If these two men seemed strange to the general, the other two were even more. One had long red hair tied up on a ponytail, while his companion had short spiky black hair, and both had tattoos on their faces and arms, specially the red-haired one. More than soldiers, the four of them looked like hooligans.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? But if it isn't a Moon Empire soldier!" The bald guy said the moment he looked at Ulquiorra, with two of the other men snickering behind him.
"What are you doing here?" The red-headed man, the one who didn't laugh, hissed, glaring at the general.
"It does not concern the likes of you." Ulquiorra answered, as stoic as he always was.
Ulquiorra's answer angered the man with red hair, for his scowl deepened and he raised his voice saying, "You bastard! Wanna say that again to my face?!"
"Now, now, Renji, calm down. Remember that they are now our guests. We have to be civil with them." The man with the feathers said, pulling a hand on his friend's shoulder, in an attempt to calm him down. It appeared to work, for the red-haired man whose name was Renji, instantly stepped back.
"Tch. Yeah, well, they weren't very civil when they burned our crops a couple of months ago!" Renji spat, clearly still not done with throwing insults at the general.
"Renji, shut your mouth, will ya? Stop dwellin' in the past. Better find out what this fellow's doin' at our trainin' grounds." The bald guy spoke again, smirking.
It seems they have not realized yet I am a general. Ulquirra thought, slightly amused at the ignorance of these men who, in his eyes, were less than buffoons.
"King Isshin thought I needed some fresh air, so he kindly gave me permission to use these training grounds. His Majesty will be very displeased when I inform him of the treatment I have received from his incapable soldiers." Ulquiorra's words were harsh, and yet he had spoken monotonously, there was nothing in his voice that could have shown that his speech was meant to insult the soldiers. In Ulquiorra's view, he had only spoken the truth.
The men simultaneously glared at the other man, all four angered at his words. The bald man, this time, took a step forward towards Ulquiorra, and holding tightly the front of the general's robes, he screamed at his face, "You fuckin' scum! Ya come here all high and mighty, thinkin' you can do whatever ya want in our land, and you even dare insult us! When I'm done with ya, not even yer mamma will be able to recognize ya!"
Ulquiorra knew that he could have easily slipped from the man's hold, and win in combat against the four of them, however he wished to avoid any confrontation that could displease his king, so he remained impassive. The bald man kept insulting Ulquiorra, and making random threats, getting even angrier when the general did not even flinch, staring at him with a neutral look. All the while, the other three did not try to stop their friend, for they were too angry at the general's statement. Yet, before he could throw the first punch, a sweet voice interrupted him.
"Ikkaku, Renji, Yumichika, Shuuhei! What do you think you are doing?" It was Princess Orihime who was speaking, running towards them, being followed by a tall man with dark skin.
"Princess!" The four soldiers exclaimed, quite surprised at her sudden appearance, and then they bowed down when the princess was in front of them.
"What do you think you are doing?" Orihime said again, this time between gasps. She was not used to running, much less running with a gown in the middle of a summer day.
"Milady, this asshole over here insulted us and our kingdom! He deserves punishment!" Renji spoke, convinced that his princess would immediately apprehend the other soldier.
"I am sure he meant no harm, and was just misunderstood. Besides, you should be more respectful towards General Cifer, since he is Princess Rukia's personal escort, and will be staying with us for some time."
The soldiers stared at the man before them with wide eyes. They almost picked up a fight with a general, and not just any general, with the General Cifer, the strongest general in the Moon Empire army, and King Aizen's right hand. Swallowing his pride, Renji was the first one to bow down.
"We're terribly sorry, General Cifer. Please excuse our behavior." The man said. His companions bowed down to and apologized before retiring.
"General Cifer, I must apologize in behalf of our soldiers. They do not usually act like this." The princess said, now standing in front of the general.
"I am not surprised at all. It is human nature." Ulquiorra answered.
"But they should have had manners! After all, we are trying to unite both kingdoms."
"Marriages do not eliminate hatred. All humans want revenge, and just because the heirs to the thrones are getting married that hate will not immediately disappear." The general replied. His words surprised Orihime.
"I understand that, however, I still think we have the ability to forgive in our hearts." The princess said softly, avoiding eye contact.
"Then, princess, I must ask you, what is a heart? Where is it located? Do we all have hearts? When is a heart born? It is all metaphoric. Therefore, it does not exist."
Such words struck Orihime. In her eighteen years of life she had never questioned the existence of the heart, especially when her family liked to mention it in most all of their motivational speeches. She was left without anything to say, thinking of ways in which she could answer the general, and yet, the princess could not think of any. How can you prove something exists when you are not even sure such thing is real?
"Pardon me, General Cifer, for I do not know how to answer your questions. However, I will try to find an explanation soon. I am also deeply sorry for bothering you, I will be leaving now. Please, feel free to use these training grounds as much as you like." Princess Orihime said rather quickly. She bowed once and then hurriedly left, leaving the general alone.
As he watched her go, Ulquiorra remembered the first time he had laid eyes on her. It had been when they first entered the castle and King Isshin had introduced them his whole family. While the introductions took place, King Aizen had discreetly murmured in his ear:
"See Princess Orihime? Please keep an eye on her, Ulquiorra."
As the good soldier he was trained to be, the general did not question this new task his king had given him. However, Cifer did question why such a matter was even important, since the young princess did not seem like a threat. Now that he had finally spoken to her, Ulquiorra realized she was less threatening than what she looked like, though he did admit she was interesting in a certain way. Yet, Ulquiorra could not afford to be fooled by her appearance, for making such a mistake could put at risk the lives of his king and princess. Remember that looks can be deceiving… even when they are so lovely…
"Are you alright, princess?" After they had left the training grounds, Orihime's escort asked her.
"Yes, I am fine. Do not worry, Chad." The princess smiled to her guardian, whose real name was Yasutora Sado, though he had gained the nickname 'Chad'.
The large man did not seem convinced, and the princess sighed at his behavior. "I am fine, that is the truth. Please, do not worry, and please, do not tell my father or my brother about this.
"Normally I would object to keeping quiet about this, but I'll make an exception for you, my princess. I'll keep it secret for now."
"Thank you very much, Chad."
The princess smiled at her companion and kept walking until she reached her mother's garden, with Chad silently watching her. Once there, and when she was sure Chad was not looking, her smile faded and was replaced with a frown. General Cifer's words had shaken her more than she dare admit.
I always talk about the heart, but now I realize I do not know what it even is. Mother, what is the heart? You always said I should follow my heart, that I have to love people with all my heart, that we can find ways to forgive others in our hearts, and yet I have no idea of what it is. How can I expect my people to forgive the Moon Empire people and live in peace when I do not understand how hearts work.
"What's eating you, cousin?" A warm voice interrupted her musings. When Orihime looked up she found her cousin Kaien looking at her curiously.
"Nothing, just thinking about our kingdom's situation."
"What about it?"
Orihime sighed before speaking, "Do you think peace will actually be achieved?"
Kaien raised an eyebrow at her question. "Why do you think it will not?"
"It is just I was thinking that maybe our people will not forgive and forget so easily, and neither will the people from the Moon Empire. What if, despite my brother's sacrifice, nothing changes in the end? What if wars keep going?" The princess wondered out loud, surprising her cousin.
Kaien smiled warmly at her and petted her head. "Do not worry, Orihime. Though it is true that the people will not forgive easily, I think everybody wants peace. Ichigo's sacrifice will not be in vain, you'll see."
The princess smiled at these words. "Really?"
"I bet. Now, get up and join your future sister in her chambers. She is going to try her wedding gown right now, and I'm sure you will not want to miss it."
"Yes. Let us get going!"
Smiling, Orihime started walking towards Rukia's chambers, putting behind the gloomy thoughts she was having.
Even if our people will not forgive easily, I am sure we will get the peace we yearn for, and eventually, we will form one nation and the people will not be divided any longer.
The first impression Princess Rukia got of her wedding gown was that there was white everywhere. It was a white gown, that seemed to have layers and layers of silk, making Rukia look very tiny in all the fabric. It was also very extravagant, for it was embroidered with pearls and diamonds. The veil was long and heavy, having been embroidered with jewels as well. This gown must be very expensive. She mentally added as she inspected the jewelry in the mirror. If it had been up to her, Rukia would have opted for a much simpler gown. In the princess's opinion, the gold spent in designing such clothing should have been better spent in the people rather than in her.
In the room, her father, her future father-in-law and the three princesses of the Sun Kingdom stood watching her, admiring the wedding gown and telling her how beautiful she looked.
"You look very beautiful, Princess Rukia." Princess Yuzu commented, earning eager nods from her older sisters.
"Indeed. The most beautiful bride there has ever been." King Aizen said.
"My son is a lucky man."
As she heard their praising, Rukia could not help but think it all seemed very artificial. They were all smiling, that was true, however those smiles were false, except for her father's, for he seemed pretty pleased with the situation at hand.
If I were marrying for love, it will all be very different. Rukia liked to imagine that if she actually loved her future husband, she would feel very happy right now, and her in-law's smiles would be genuine as well. She would be crying out of pure bliss, and not willing herself not to cry in distress at such a situation. Her marriage would be a blessing and not a punishment, as Princess Rukia felt it was.
"The gown is already in conditions."
"Yes, one thing less we have to worry about."
"We should now decide on the banquet."
"Indeed King Isshin, let us go then. Momo, please help my daughter out of the gown."
"As you please, Your Highness."
However, what used was it to her to wonder about things that would never come to be. It was all very foolish and childlike to dream about another life. As her maid helped her out of the clothing and helped her put on her dress, Rukia breathed deeply and concentrated on the only certain thing about her life: she was the princess of the Moon Kingdom, and in less than forty-eight hours, she would become Prince Ichigo's wife.
Still, a part of her dared to wish in a better future, no matter how naïve that thought was.
Ichigo stood in the center of the room, waiting to see who would attack first. He saw movement to his right and immediately dashed towards his enemy. In less than ten seconds his four opponents were defeated.
"Excellent job, Prince Ichigo! As always!" The old man that used to be his mentor praised him.
"Thank you! And thank you, everyone, for practicing with me."
Prince Ichigo had always loved fencing, ever since he was a little boy. He specially loved it when his mother would come and watch him train. Even if he lost, he did not feel ashamed or sad, for his mother's smile always lifted his spirits. Though his start in fencing had been rocky, by age fifteen Ichigo had bested all of the best fencers, and now there were only few that could give him a hard time fighting.
The best part about fencing, the prince thought, was the rush he felt whenever his hand would touch the hilt of the sword. Feeling that hard cold iron made him feel excited, and he would forget all of his worries. Like right now.
Truth to be told, the prince had escaped his duties and decided to practice his fencing. Ichigo needed to clear his mind, and what better way than fighting. And now, as he saw his cousin walking towards him, Ichigo knew that his time of relaxation had finished. It was time to return to his obligations as a prince.
"You never went to the fitting. Your father is not pleased and wants you to go to the fitting room immediately." Kaien sharply told him once he was standing right before him.
"Why is he so worked up over such a silly manner? I am sure the robes fit me just fine, so tell him there is no need to worry." Ichigo dismissed him and started walking away. However, he was stopped by his cousin.
"It is not a silly manner, Ichigo. Those are the robes you will wear on your wedding day. You should look at your best."
I do not care about how I will look. I do not even want to be there.
"It is not as if it matters what I will be wearing that day! It is an arranged marriage! I could be standing naked in the altar and it would not make any difference!" The prince spat.
It was hard to recognize the prince then. Although he had recently turned eighteen, right at that moment he looked so much war against the Moon Empire and now his arranged marriage had taking their toll on him.
"Ichigo, I understand how you feel. My marriage with Miyako was arranged too, remember?" The prince nodded, and Kaien resumed talking. "I also had my doubts, and did not want to marry her, a complete stranger. But I knew that our army needed to tighten their bonds, for there were too many problems between us. I feared an internal rebellion would start, so I accepted to marry the daughter of one of the generals.
Miyako was a complete stranger to me, and the first few months were awkward and frankly very sad. I thought constantly of what if I had not married her, would I be happy? But then, I accepted the fact Miyako was my wife, and tried to get closer to her. We started talking and we soon found out we have a lot in common. Before our first year anniversary came, I was already deeply in love with her. Now, I cannot imagine life without her, I love her so much, Ichigo. Much more than I ever thought I could love anybody.
Now, I am not saying it would be the same with you and Princess Rukia, but you can try. Your life will not end during your wedding, you can continue living." Kaien finished his heart-felt speech, hoping it would calm his cousin. However, it had the opposite effect.
"Why do people keep telling me that I will love her? That I should try to love her? They insist that we will love each other eventually, but what do they know? What do you know? Princess Rukia was born in the Moon Empire, and her father has sent many troops to kill our people. I cannot forgive King Aizen, and I cannot forgive her. She is my enemy, and I will forever see her like that."
Kaien sighed and shook his head. "Then this marriage has no purpose. If the very prince hates his future wife, how can we expect people to forgive each other and become one kingdom?"
Ichigo remained silent. Then shrugged and started walking.
"Where are you going?"
"To the fitting room. I do not want my father to rebuke me as well."
Kaien watched him go with a sullen expression on his face. I do hope that what I told Orihime is true. Ichigo, do not make this sacrifice go to waste.
Meanwhile, as Ichigo walked, one thought ran through his mind. I will make you my wife if that means no more people will die. You're my enemy… I will never love you, Princess Rukia. The prince mentally vowed. I could never love anyone from that kingdom, not after that. Ichigo clenched his fists until they turned white.
Once he reached the fitting room, he breathed deeply and opened the door.
"I'm here, dad. Let us get over this, already."
A/N: Sorry this one seemed more like a filler chapter than anything, but next chapter's the wedding!
Also, please note that "The Heart" will be a constant theme in the story, hence the title.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know.