Thank you to the reviewers that helped point out many of my mistakes, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
This chapter has been edited by Avid Vampire Hunter 16/4/14
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Chapter 3: Free at last?
Orihime clenched her outstretched hand in defeat, sobbing remorsefully. Ulquiorra still held on to her and continued walking without hesitation, his face plastered with indifference and his eyes set dead ahead.
"Sora…" Orihime moaned with distress. She gazed up at Ulquiorra and wondered if he would take pity on her and take her back to her brother, but she knew he would not relent. Her brother had even thrown himself before him, and Ulquiorra- or Enma -still did not show any sign of remorse or pity. The tales she had read whilst studying the gods described him as ruthless and merciless. She had made a deal with the devil that could not be broken.
Accepting defeat, the princess decided to distract herself from crying by blinking away the remainder of her tears. She slumped in his hold, her knee stinging from pain. Small rocks and dirt were lodged inside her wound and grass stains surrounded the graze. It looked rather ghastly and felt just as bad.
Her previous life was sheltered and her time outdoors rare. Her culture and tradition forbade her from running outside and because of that; she avoided the harm of cuts and scrapes. That did not stop her from being hurt, however. Being naturally clumsy, she often bumped into things and bruised herself quite often within the household. Still, that did not compare to bleeding.
No matter how much or how badly she hurt herself, Sora was always there to help her up and kiss her wounds. He was patient and his love was unconditional, regardless of her shortcomings. Sora had always been with her every step of the way, and now that he was gone she truly came to appreciate his part in her life.
Orihime had foolishly believed that because she was not loved by the star-crossed lover of her tale, she was not truly loved at all. It shamed her to realize that there were many forms of love in her life, and she had missed the most important one.
The princess chuckled to herself dejectedly. It was funny how much she missed the people and the life she had tried so desperately to escape from. She had destroyed Sora in her brash decision, and their last moments together were not exactly the happiest. It was the first time she had ever hit her brother, and all he wanted to do was protect her and give her more of a chance in these hard times. Orihime wondered if she would ever see him again.
She wished that she had brought something that reminded herself of him. Orihime had no possessions but the clothes on her back. All she had of Sora were their ephemeral moments of happiness together that graced her memory. Memories were transient and indistinct at times, but they could never be taken away, and they may fade, but they never die.
Orihime sighed, expelling her negative thoughts, and focused on her surroundings instead. They were in a cave of some sort. Her interest spiked as she noticed how artificially smooth the walls appeared to be. It was as if a giant earth worm had wriggled through and created this tunnel, with the assistance of time smoothing out the edges.
Large glowing spirit lights danced idly through the cave and lit the way in a beautiful light blue array. Orihime reached up to touch one of the strange orbs, but it bobbed away from her touch and floated lazily in the air. When looking closely she noticed a black concentrated dust or mist that tinged the centre of the wisps. Some of it slowly made its way to the outskirts of the orb, dissipating in the air.
She did not understand how things worked here and she had a feeling it would be drastically different from what she was used to. There was not much said about hell in the writings, other than vivid assumptions of what it would be like. There had never been a god or goddess brave enough to try to find their way into hell nor was lucky enough to convince Enma to describe what it was like. He was an elusive enigma just like his domain.
Orihime deviated from her thoughts and observed the cave walls once more. It might have been her nerves or stress, but she had a paranoid feeling of recognition. She squinted down the long, wide expanse of the cave, searching through her memory for an answer to why it seemed so familiar and almost nostalgic.
Her mind recalled her dream, but her nightmare had been so vivid that there were no landmarks that she could really relate to this place. There was no way of knowing if this cave was significant or not. However, it was worth it to consider all possibilities. If it really was the place of her dream, then her premonition must have been warning her of something.
It could have been a warning against Ulquiorra, but it was far too late to steer clear of him now. She was his wife, which meant she would be tied to him for eternity and could never escape from him. Orihime let the new information sink in with disappointment. She was so desperate for love that she had picked the first man who showed her any sign of interest. Ulquiorra was never really even that interested in her when she thought about it. He was just using her to spite the gods.
Regardless of the reasons why he had proposed to her, they were married now, and he was her husband. Orihime glanced up at Ulquiorra through her downcast eyelashes and she considered telling him of her nightmarish premonition, as it did involve him. His cold green eyes refused to meet hers and it infuriated her, as she was trying to put aside his cruel acts and genuinely make their partnership work. He had taken her from her only family and friend. The least he could do was acknowledge her.
But he was still quiet.
Orihime crossed her arms and pouted with a huff. If he was going to be that way, then she would not tell him a thing. Her sadness was replaced with rage and resentment. Orihime decided that from that moment on, she would never trust another person again. She would close her heart and never love or give anyone her friendship. The princess became more riled up when she realized that in doing that, she would become exactly like him.
Orihime recognized that she didn't really want to be like the devil; to be cold and untrusting. She liked who she was, faults and all. It was just that she didn't want to be hurt again. Her contact with people had been so limited that she had no concept of who to trust and what justified her confidence in them. However, when you stumble and fall you don't do the exact opposite – you figure out what went wrong and you learn from it.
Ulquiorra continued to carry her in silence, uncaring towards her animosity and grief. His jaw clenched and he made no effort to talk or console her and she really didn't want him to. Orihime was feeling very volatile and she wasn't quite sure how to deal with it or expel her negativity.
Occasionally her melancholy would surface in the form of a sniff or hiccup, making her feel frustrated. She hated how quickly her body and countenance betrayed her emotions. She wanted to be strong and starve him of the satisfaction of seeing her grief, but the walls echoed her anguish, making her feel quite embarrassed and weak in front of him. To counter her despondency, she focused on what made her angry instead. She began to seethe with rage and her hiccups and sniffs ceased.
As time passed, she noticed that there were no sounds except for the rhythmic tap of his feet as he walked through the tunnel. It made her feel uncomfortable, annoyed and rather scared. Her grumpiness accentuated her negativity and she just wanted to explode.
Orihime didn't want her life to be as silent as the dead. She wanted noise and music and laughter. This was a very bad start to what seemed to be an awful marriage and she couldn't take it anymore.
"You deceived me," Orihime accused. She had meant to sound angry - oh, heavens how she really was - but it came out a broken, pathetic wheeze of a hiss.
Her husband regarded her for the first time during their marriage. His jaw was still clenched stiffly and his shoulders were squared, a sign she learned as unapproachable. Ulquiorra's large green eyes flickered with rage, yet the rest of his face remained unresponsive and icy.
It annoyed her to no end that he was unrelentingly ignoring her, so she impulsively decided to incite anger within him. Orihime struggled in his grasp rashly. She pushed and kicked at him wildly until eventually he just dropped her on the hard dirt floor. She landed with a thud and her knee ached painfully.
The princess slowly picked herself up with care and attempted to dust herself off, but her clothes were damp from the rain and the dirt caked on stubbornly. She glared at him with as much malice as she could conjure in her aching heart. These feelings were killing her, but she wanted him to know how much she despised him.
They stood staring at each other heatedly before Ulquiorra broke the heavy silence. "I told you nothing but the truth: my name is Ulquiorra and it did become a matter of necessity to retrieve you. I haven't lied, unlike you." He glowered at her and her heart constricted. It hurt her pride to be accused of lying by anyone, especially him.
"I haven't lied to you!" She choked defensively. Orihime nibbled her bottom lip in an attempt to calm her emotions. Despite her feeble attempts to hold back her anguish, tears of frustration began pouring out of her eyes.
She was supposed to be the person wronged; he the source of all her suffering, the guilty party -and yet Orihime was the one who felt remorseful.
She realized that they were two complete opposites and they would never work together. All of her emotions were unrestricted and displayed across her face while his always remained carefully restrained. However, she could tell that his careful control was being heavily tested by their confrontation. Ulquiorra's face was beginning to respond with the irritation within him, his lips pursed tightly into a thin line.
She had achieved what she had set out to do and he stepped toward her and she stumbled back as they continued their hateful dance, regret washing through her immediately. She was not used to conflict, or any kind of argument for that matter. Her feelings were virgin to being hurt by reproach and she didn't know if she could easily take it.
"You told me you weren't tied to him," Ulquiorra spat, his rage flinging knives to her chest. "I believed you, thinking it wasn't possible for you to deceive anyone, let alone me. I gave you my trust – something I never regard towards anyone, you being the exception."
"You kept your true character from me! That's just as bad as blatantly lying!" She deflected. Orihime did not know how to react in any way except defensively in this situation. The princess knew that Ulquiorra would not believe her if she told him that she truly did not have romantic feelings for Ichigo. Correcting him would only make him angrier and more likely to resent her afterwards.
She also didn't want him to be aware that his courting had worked and that she had genuinely liked him before discovering his identity. She knew deep down that if he didn't happen to be Enma, she would have grown to really love him, but that dream had died.
Orihime's heart sank as she realized that the prospect of their marriage ever being happy or conventional had ended with her discovery of his true character. She believed she could have been honestly happy with the Ulquiorra she had known a day prior, but she could never find it in herself to love Enma.
Enma was crafty and evil, and if he knew that he had gained entrance into her heart, he would probably use her feelings to gain leverage and manipulate her. It had also wounded her pride to consider the fact that she had almost given her heart so easily to a stranger.
Her thoughts roused her back to her current situation and she realized that she did not get much satisfaction from hurting or inciting rage in another person. Orihime just really wanted the argument to be over as quickly as possible. Her heart hammered in her chest and her head pounded unmercifully, but still, she braced herself for the incoming onslaught.
"On the contrary, when we were together I didn't hide who I was from you. Deep down you always knew what I was," Ulquiorra jeered. "Sometimes I could see the fear and hesitation in your eyes, but all I had to do was touch you and you'd melt like a bitch in heat."
Hurt shot through her core. Instinctively, Orihime struck him across the face as hard as she possibly could. She let out all her misery and anger in that one swipe and for a minute, she actually felt empowered.
The blow echoed through the tunnel followed by the thickest silence she had ever encountered in her life. Her breath was shaky and her hand throbbed just as much as her scraped knee. The adrenaline pumping through her veins slowly gave way to guilt and regret.
Orihime tensed and squeezed her eyes shut, readying herself to be struck twice as hard. A few tense seconds passed and she slowly came to realize that Ulquiorra had no intent to discipline or hurt her. Locking her gaze with his uncertainly, she studied his face with care.
His wrath had receded and his eyes had relaxed their intensity drastically. The cheek that she had swiped was beginning to redden against his usually soft white skin, inciting more guilt within her. It was her fault in the first place for intentionally provoking him and there were much more civil ways to end an argument than to hit someone, regardless of how awful or how much their words hurt.
"I'm sorry," She muttered, continuing her journey on foot. She limped and her stride was slow and careful, but Ulquiorra still kept pace with her patiently.
It upset her to no end to realize that he came out the better person in this. He was her husband and he had every right to discipline her. It was culturally acceptable and even expected that he correct her and she had no doubt that many of the other gods except Ichigo would not have hesitated.
They remained silent for the most part, their eyes cast ahead to the end of the tunnel. She noticed that the entrance was still a far ways off, which dampened her spirits as she was beginning to feel quite claustrophobic within the narrow passageway.
Eventually Orihime needed to stop for rest. Her leg ached painfully and her weak muscles were absolutely tortured from all the exercise. She leaned against the tunnel wall for support, panting in exhaustion.
Orihime flinched as she felt a gentle hand press against the small of her back, followed by an arm slowly scooping her up at the knees. She forgot her hurt and grief and waved her hands about wildly in protest. She wasn't exactly heavy for a person, but it still seemed to be a long distance to carry someone. Despite her reluctance, he continued to support her without complaint or regret.
Her heart thumped excitedly at his touch but her mind could only react with confusion. He was a monster and he was evil, but he was so incredibly kind to her at times that she often forgot to hate him or consider his awful deeds.
Orihime was too gentle at heart and too quick to forgive. Ulquiorra had said disgusting, hateful words to her, had deceived and manipulated and had torn her away from the only life she'd ever known- and she had complied so willingly. He had done so much evil and twisted her life, all for his own gain, but she still couldn't help but swoon at his occasional acts of kindness.
She was weak and she had to learn to be wary of him, as well as everyone around her. Kindness meant nothing when there was something to gain and the only person she could really trust was herself.
….
Orihime's mouth gaped open and she gasped with wonder and bewilderment. The cave had opened up to a large expanse of ivory coloured vegetation. It was if the scenery had been coated in a thin blanket of snow. The leaves on the trees, shrubbery and grass were as white as porcelain, with the branches and trunks an ashen grey.
Ulquiorra did not share her enthusiasm. He glanced around disinterestedly and continued on his way without hesitation, avoiding all the plant matter without a second thought. Regardless of his apparent apathy, Orihime continued to enjoy the sights without her mood being spoiled.
She was completely taken by this new world. Everything was absolutely gorgeous, she couldn't hide her excitement. Intrigued and engrossed in her surroundings, she picked a nearby leaf of a shrub Ulquiorra passed and rubbed her fingers against the surface curiously. It had the same velvety feeling of a leaf in both her realm and the human world, but to her this one seemed a lot softer.
Ulquiorra watched her with a hint of amusement in his gaze and explained the phenomenon briefly. "In this world plants don't photosynthesise, so they don't need or have any pigment. Like everything here, they live off the miasma."
Orihime opened her mouth to ask more questions, particularly what miasma was, but she decided against it. She was already having enough trouble constantly reminding herself to despise him while they were silent; she didn't know if she could continue to hate him if he broke through her barrier by conversing with her.
Regardless of who he happened to be now, she was naturally drawn to the Ulquiorra she knew before. The low hum of his voice resonated within her when he talked and it made it easy to forget who he really was. He still looked and acted like himself, however she was aware there was much more malevolence inside of him. There had to be.
She silenced her nagging attraction by focusing her attention to her surroundings. Looking up, she noticed the peculiar expanse above. The 'sky' resembled a large body of water that reflected the bright blue glow of the wisps. It shimmered beautifully and large ripples vibrated through the liquid every now and then. It gave her vertigo to look up at the strange sky of water and she wondered how it stayed up there so easily.
There were so many wisps floating through the sky that the whole place was incredibly well-lit. Orihime turned her head towards the cave and watched as all the spirit lights poured out of the entrance and bobbed up into the great expanse. The wisps seemed to be more inclined to linger at great heights than to sink closer to the ground, which made Orihime feel relieved as she didn't know how she would feel about constantly having to push them out of her way.
Ulquiorra persistently waded through the ivory garden, careful not to let branches or leaves hit Orihime while he held her. It seemed like a big inconvenience to have to carry her through the vegetation and it made her feel weak to depend on him, but an annoying part of herself relished the feeling of his arms holding her so close to his body. Orihime wanted to press her ear to his chest and hear his heart beat and hope it synchronised with hers.
Hushing her stupid fascination once more, she regained her unblemished thoughts. She considered asking him to put her down so that she could walk on her own two feet for a while, but she was fatigued and in a lot of pain. It was stupid to inflict suffering on her leg just to prove a point, and she had a whole eternity with this man to prove her independence.
Their journey eased significantly when they were finally free of the thick forestation and had found a narrow sandstone walkway. Now that they had passed the dense wall of vegetation, Orihime could finally look around at her new world properly.
She gazed idly towards where they were heading and her surprise burst out of her mouth in a long, wide gasp. Orihime could not believe her eyes; it was like nothing she had ever seen before. Her vision was completely filled by a great white castle with blue tiling at the very top. It was a towering expanse of pure majesty and she had never seen anything so beautiful in her life.
As they got closer, Orihime noticed beautiful pearlescent vines snaking up the walls in intricate waves. Ulquiorra kept following the path, which led them to a pair of stairs that curved up on either side of a large balcony, equip with a fountain in the middle.
As they climbed the steps, Orihime strained to see the rest of the beautiful entrance. Past the fountain were two magnificent doors guarded by two strangely dressed men. Their clothes did not flow like the traditional Japanese apparel and were rather fitted to their person. Their garments reminded her of a little bird called a Swallow.
They were mostly black, except for their chests and collars which revealed a gentle white and red fabric. The men wore bizarre black coats that hung down in two small parts like a swallow's tail. Orihime wanted to laugh at the strangeness of it all, but she held it in as best she could. The two swallow-dressed servants nodded and opened the doors to reveal a large hall.
The hall was lighted by a giant chandelier with an intricate iron design that entwined with seemingly hundreds of candles. Candelabras stood parted against either side of the great hall as what she assumed was both decoration and lighting. Beside them were beautiful paintings hanging decoratively on the wall. The canvases were for the most part normal, however there were a few she deemed questionable. A few depicted a man having his chest ripped open by a bird. The images were graphic and gory, causing goose bumps to creep up her skin. They were oddly placed amongst the other attractive landscapes and less grotesque works.
At the end of the handsome ballroom were two wide arched windows lined with colourful stained glass at the very peaks. Another staircase lead up to the magnificent window, stretching out wide at the front and splitting off into opposite directions leading to each side of the mansion.
Servants poured in from either side, most of them women. Their clothes were drastically different from the men at the door, although they still wore black and white. The women wore dresses that covered them from their neck to their ankles. The fabric was tight around the upper half of their body, yet poured out below their waist in a peculiar bell shape that covered them right down to their shoes.
Orihime was entranced by the way they walked. When they walked, their dresses swished to each side, reminding her of a bell's toll. Unlike Japanese kimonos, their gowns accentuated their breasts rather than concealing them, which made Orihime feel very uncomfortable. Her own breasts were quite large but she never had to worry about feeling embarrassed, as her kimonos hid them easily. If she were to wear one of these strange gowns she would look very vulgar, unlike these normal women.
The group of ladies curled around her and Ulquiorra in a semicircle and curtsied. "Welcome home," They recited together with ease. Orihime noticed that they were not all in complete synchronisation, which meant that they were actual people rather than the dolls at her previous home. Relief resonated within her at the thought of at least one good thing that came out of this unconventional marriage. She would no longer have to be around the figure servants.
Orihime gazed out across the ballroom as she noticed another strange woman peering out from the top of the staircase by the windows. When the woman had confirmed who had arrived, she hurried down the steps to meet them. The stranger seemed to look about her age, yet was a little taller than she was.
The woman wore a plain green yukata that parted rather indecently at the sides as she carelessly strode toward them. Orihime could tell it was unintentional and summed up that only a foreigner would be so unaccustomed to the Japanese style of dress, but at least she thought of her enough to wear something that her eyes were used to.
As the woman approached, Orihime was able to get a better look at her features. She had unruly teal waves of hair that cascaded down her back and shorter locks framing her face, covering her eyebrows. There was a strange red mark that stretched across her cheeks and over her nose in a long, dark line. Her eyes were a curious hazel that was more inclining towards a light brown than green. There was something familiar about her face that Orihime couldn't quite place, but it was lodged somewhere deep in her memory.
The woman fixed the split in her yukata before addressing them with a smile and a bow. "Welcome back!" She greeted. Her excitement was poorly concealed as she tried to maintain herself. The woman flicked her gaze towards Orihime and they seemed to shimmer with recognition and affection, as if she had known her for a very long time. It made Orihime feel overwhelmed as she was completely unable to place the strange woman.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ulquiorra slowly loosened his grasp on her and carefully set her on the ground. She retained her balance with a small hop and continued to stare at the peculiar woman with interest. Orihime decided that the look of recognition was just her imagination. The woman's complexion was so unusual that she could not fathom ever having forgotten her if they really did know each other in the past.
"Nelliel, I'm putting you in charge of taking care of her." Ulquiorra specified, "Give her a change of clothes, make sure she is acquainted with the castle and help her adapt," He listed indifferently. "Oh, and teach her how to fight."
Orihime turned her attention towards Ulquiorra and scrunched her nose up defiantly. Her mood had sobered significantly since her initial abhorrence towards him earlier, and he was now once again rustling her rage.
"I will do no such thing!" She bristled indignantly. "I would rather use words to fight my battles rather than swing a sword around and hurt people to get what I want."
Her defiance had reignited his frustration and he leered at her threateningly. His eyes were cold and dangerous, causing her to recoil in fear. She took a step back instinctively, her injured leg shaking from the pressure of her weight. Slowly, he pressed the tips of his forefinger and middle finger over her heart. Orihime froze, immediately petrified at his touch. She held her breath subconsciously and her heart thumped wildly within her ribcage.
"I wonder…" He murmured icily, "How far would your words go if someone held a sword to your chest? Do you think they'd stop to listen to your words before piercing through your heart?" His fingers lingered for a couple of seconds before he flicked his gaze to Nelliel and dropped his hand. "Teach her how to fight," He repeated sternly.
Her husband turned and made his way up the beautiful staircase. His inky black hair shone as the light drifting through the window met his countenance. It was strange how someone so cold and horrifying could look so beautiful and majestic, despite what lurked within.
Orihime dropped her gaze to the floor and held her breath as she listened to the rhythmic clack of his feet ascending the steps. Her new strange-looking companion looked at her worriedly, but she would not move or lift her gaze until she knew he was gone.
The flock of women servants dispersed after Ulquiorra had left the ballroom and they left the two women to their thoughts without a word. Once Orihime considered Ulquiorra at a safe enough distance away from her, she fell to the ground and sobbed. Orihime desperately clutched at her chest where he had touched her. She had never felt so terrified in her life.
A gentle hand touched her shoulder sympathetically, but it did nothing but shock her with a jolt. "Don't touch me!" She shrieked, scrambling away from the gesture with dread.
Shock was plastered over Nelliel's face until it softened with empathy. "Let me take you to the bathroom and get you cleaned up," She soothed, waiting for Orihime to raise herself from the ground. Orihime was weary of the strange woman's kindness as she was reluctant to trust a person associated with her cold and aloof husband. When the frightened princess showed no sign of budging, her companion sighed. "I just want to help."
Nelliel gave her a couple of minutes to calm herself. Orihime's breath slowly evened and she began to recover. "A-Alright," Orihime whimpered, rubbing her tears away with a dirty sleeve.
"I'll give you a piggy back!" Nelliel smiled at her reassuringly, crouching down so that Orihime could lie against her back. The princess wrapped her arms around the strange girl hesitantly before Nelliel hoisted her up and carried her to the bathroom.
….
The bathroom was pristine, with creamy white tiles and a large, golden spa-like bath that could have easily fit an entire family. Nothing seemed really that different from her bath at home, except for the style and another single, minor detail. There was a strange pipe and valve on the side of the tub that was too out of place to have been a simple decoration.
Orihime's sadness was replaced by curiosity as she inspected it quizzically, running her fingers across the edges of the hole. Her companion laughed and showed her how the strange invention worked. "Here, you turn this tap and water comes out. This pipe leads to the bottom of one of the hot springs here. It has many filters so that no mud or dirt or leaves pass through, so the water is really clean and hot without having to put any effort into heating water.
"We're all very creative in this world," Nelliel commented with a small smile. Orihime watched with excitement as Nelliel turned the valve with ease. A strange noise assaulted her ears and she jolted back anxiously. Soon after, scorching hot water poured out plentifully into the tub. Inquisitively, she waved her hand over the small waterfall. The water was as hot as a steaming cup of tea.
Since filling the baths and heating the water took such an extensively long period of time in her realm, the water was usually only warm at best when she soaked herself. This water was hot and felt tingly against her palm. She loved it.
Orihime flicked her gaze towards Nelliel, but averted it just as quickly. The woman's yukata lay neglected on the floor and she stood in front of Orihime completely naked. Orihime blushed ashamedly. She had never seen another person naked before, let alone another woman.
"What's wrong?" Nelliel questioned, hopping into the warm bath. "Do you need help in?"
"S-Shouldn't I clean myself first?" Orihime stammered, peeling her damp robes off awkwardly. She could feel Nelliel's eyes watch her questioningly, making her feel even more embarrassed and clumsy. Only the figure servants had seen her naked before, and they were just mindless dolls, so she had no need to feel self-conscious. As Orihime had grown up predominantly around men, the concept of bathing with other people was foreign to her.
"Just clean yourself in here. If the water gets dirty, we can just let the water drain out and fill the tub up again," She stated, waiting for Orihime to join her.
Orihime stepped in hesitantly while covering her breasts with her arm. The bath was deep, going past her knees easily. She submersed herself with a sigh, moving to a corner opposite Nelliel shyly. The hot water made her knee sting and she hissed, waiting for her wound to become less sensitive. The princess noticed that the stranger across from her was just as well-endowed as she was and she sighed with relief. She didn't want to look as out of place in this world as she felt.
She glanced over towards Nelliel once more and noticed something brown flicker behind her for a split second. "There's something behind you!" Orihime warned, rising out of the tub and pointing behind the other woman.
Nelliel gasped with surprise and turned around quickly. Orihime shrieked, bouncing from one foot to the other hysterically. There was a small, rather mangled, leathery brown wing perking out of Nelliel's back.
The woman caught on to her shock immediately, and reached behind her back to grab the end of her distorted wing. "Oh! This?" She flapped it experimentally, causing Orihime to lean in with caution. She reached out and ran her fingers over the brown appendage curiously. It was frayed and didn't quite flap as she believed it should, but it was indeed a bat-like wing.
"I'm not human or a god either," Nelliel explained with a reassuring smile. "I'm a demon. Of course, our wings are supposed to be internal, but I can't seem to retract my left wing. It's a long story."
"Aren't you supposed to be… scarier?" Orihime regarded her sceptically, yanking on the wing to confirm it was really part of her. She hadn't learned anything of demons, but she had seen many artist renditions. They were shown as beasts with faces just as terrifying as Enma's. They were considered wicked and crafty and prayed on human souls without any sense of remorse.
"We're not as bad as you think we are... and neither is he." Nelliel seemed to read her thoughts, smiling as patiently as she could. The woman reached for a washcloth and ushered Orihime closer.
"You're wrong. I used to think he was good too, but you saw how he acted before," Orihime argued as she waded through the water and sat next to Nelliel hesitantly. The woman lifted her wounded leg and began cleaning the dirt and rocks out of the gash carefully.
"I-It hurts!" Orihime whined, flinching.
Nelliel sighed, focusing on the grass stains surrounding the abrasion instead. Orihime began scrubbing the makeup off her face with a stray washcloth and untangled the various ornaments out of her hair. There was a silence between the two women as Nelliel continued to cleanse her wound and arrange her thoughts. "He was right, you know."
Orihime bit her lip and raised her brow questioningly, waiting for her companion to speak. Her hair was still hardened by the wax and her effort to remove her ornaments had turned it into a chaotic bird's nest.
"Fighting isn't always about hurting or killing. Sometimes you have to fight to protect yourself... and the people you love," Nelliel murmured, blowing her fringe out of her eyes. "I know his way of talking is a bit… unconventional, but he's never going to tell you nice things to make you feel better. He won't tell you everything is going to be okay when it's not. Ulquiorra is always going to tell you the cold, hard truth."
Orihime considered her words thoughtfully. Nelliel was right; it wasn't a bad idea to learn how to protect herself. There was war brewing and these times were uncertain. Things could quickly become dangerous.
Orihime had also never explored the outside world alone, but she was smart enough to assume that it wasn't exactly safe for women. There were people out there that were a lot worse than Ulquiorra, who wouldn't be ashamed of hurting or raping an innocent. Besides, she doubted that she would actually have to ever kill another being or really even hurt another unless she had to protect herself. It was just a precaution.
However, just because Ulquiorra was right about one thing didn't mean he 'wasn't that bad'. He had insulted and scared her earlier in the cave without any intent other than to hurt her feelings. Orihime pouted and continued washing herself absentmindedly. "We were in the cave before and I made him angry. He called me a bitch in heat." Orihime's face inflamed with embarrassment and shame.
Nelliel laughed. "Is that why he had that red mark on his face when I saw him?" She teased, her face lighting up playfully. "I don't think he's been touched by another person in nearly a thousand years, let alone been hit by one."
"You don't think it's bad I hit him, Nelliel? You're not going to tell me it's 'unbecoming of a lady' or anything like that at all?" Orihime questioned with surprise. If she had told any of her past teachers of her actions, they would have been absolutely enraged.
"Well, he deserved it didn't he?" She commented as she tossed the blood stained cloth. "Also, you can call me Nel," Nelliel smiled supportively, that strange look of affection appearing on her face once more.
Orihime couldn't help but smile with relief and laugh a little while observing Nelliel's mirth. It was the first time she had really connected with another woman before and it made her feel as if her situation was a lot less dire.
Nelliel's affectionate expression roused her back to her promise of caution in regards to strangers. Orihime tensed, chastising herself for opening up to this woman so quickly. Her smile disappeared and she gazed into the water forlornly, swishing her hands over the surface.
Her nature was betraying her and she was beginning to respond to the woman's kindness. Nelliel just seemed to have a way with opening her up, as if she had known her for a very long time. There didn't seem to be any ulterior motives on the surface and she didn't feel any kind of negative vibe like she had in the back of her mind when she had first met Ulquiorra, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything lurking.
"There you go with that face again. You can trust me you know." Nel folded her arms around her knees and rested her head against her shins, turning her head towards Orihime. Hurt swam in her hazel eyes, and it shot guilt into Orihime's chest.
"I don't know…" Orihime murmured sadly, pursing her lips.
"Just don't hold back with me today and if you still can't trust or don't like me, you can keep your distance afterwards." Nel reasoned, tucking a stray teal lock behind her ear.
Orihime studied Nelliel's face with scrutiny, attempting to see if she had any ill intent. Her countenance was womanly and rather lovely; however her eyes retained a hint of childish innocence. There was no deception or dishonesty in that gaze and it made Orihime relax significantly. Again, it spiked a sense of familiarity within the depths of her mind. She couldn't quite place it, but it was there in the back of her memory.
"Hmmm… alright," Orihime hummed in agreement. There was nothing about Nelliel that really raised warning bells in her mind, except for her acquaintance with Ulquiorra. It was rather strange that such an unpolluted and lovely person could genuinely like him despite being aware of his temperament.
Nel's lips slowly spread into a grin and Orihime couldn't help but return her happiness with a smile. Her thoughts strayed to the information Nel had provided on her husband. She raised her brows and opened her lips slightly when she considered what Nel had told her.
"Nel, before when you said Ulquiorra hadn't been touched by another person for a long time… What did you mean?" She questioned eagerly. It was important for her to understand as much as she could about Ulquiorra as possible. It might prove useful later on, and it was a lot easier and quicker to gain understanding of his character from an outside source, rather than trying to decipher his odd behaviour in person.
"Well we're his people, not his equals. Besides, we're not immortal. I don't think it would be nice to see the people that you've grown to love die while you stay alive, never changing." Nel empathized, scrubbing herself absentmindedly. There was a hint of sadness in her voice that pulled at Orihime's heartstrings.
"It must be lonely." Orihime commented, sinking deeper into the water. As much as she didn't like him, she couldn't help but sympathize. She had been alone most of her life too, but it was different. Orihime had Sora and Ichigo with her as well. They weren't always there but at least she had someone in the end.
Nel hummed in agreement and they both scrubbed themselves in silence.
….
Orihime gripped her skirt and swished it experimentally. Nelliel had given her a reddish-brown gown that clung tightly to her waist and breasts yet fell loosely down to her knees in thick layers of fabric. Her arms and shoulders were bare, apart from a pair of decorative white straps that hung over her shoulders. She wore long white socks that climbed up to her mid-thigh with a pair of little black shoes. The shoes made her feet feel hot and restrained, causing her to shift uncomfortably.
Orihime had never worn something that exposed so much of her skin, but it gave her a lot of freedom for movement. She could run and dance without having to worry if her gown loosened. It suited her new lifestyle as a relatively freed woman and she would be able to easily explore without getting overheated or ruining the bottom of her dress through the dirt.
She enjoyed being able to take large steps without exposing herself and she felt a lot less restricted in the new gown, however the top half made her feel somewhat vulgar. Her breasts were fully supported by her dress; however the top seemed to accentuate her cleavage. Orihime attempted to shimmy the dress up with her hands, but Nelliel slapped them away scoldingly.
"It's the style," Nelliel reprimanded with annoyance. "You look fine."
Nel had bandaged her leg, and the princess was now able to walk and stand without feeling too shaky. It still stung when she touched it, but it no longer pained her as much as it did before. The woman also assisted in washing the wax out of her hair and their efforts paid off. Orihime's hair fell softly down her back with ease.
Nelliel had changed out of the simple yukata, as she was having many troubles walking properly without revealing her legs. She now wore a blue gown that ran halfway down her knees with a black corset piece that accentuated her narrow waist and sat under her breasts. The foreign clothes suited the woman much more than the kimono and accentuated her allure.
Nelliel tapped Orihime out of the room playfully with a smile. "Well, how's your knee? Do you think you can explore?"
"Of course!" Orihime nodded excitedly, and the two women burst out of the room and began their roaming. They pranced throughout the large castle, their shoes tapping against the floor in synchronised steps.
Nelliel showed her all the different rooms with zest, and Orihime let the information soak in as best she could. As they explored the dining room, Nel sat her down at the end of a long table and showed her how they ate in the new world.
She learned that they didn't use chopsticks, but many different types of utensils that were suited for different things. When she asked Nelliel what was for what, the woman just winked and told her that it was 'common sense'.
She didn't quite know how she was supposed to decide between all the oddly shaped metal objects and she hoped that Nel would help her when the time came. Even though Nel tried to teach her, the woman didn't quite seem to understand that things that were normal for her were vastly different for Orihime.
When Nel was finished with her introduction of the dining room, she pulled Orihime along to the giant ballroom that Orihime had first become acquainted with when she had arrived.
As they reached the steps, Nel ushered her over to the side railing and Orihime watched the woman slide down the railing with ease, her legs gracefully together. Knowing full well that she wasn't the most coordinated person, the princess decided against copying Nel and hopped down the steps as fast as she could instead.
When she reached the end, her tutor held her by the waist and grabbed her hand. Nelliel corrected the other hand onto her shoulder and pulled her along the ballroom.
"This is how we dance in our world," Nelliel explained, humming the rhythm of the confusing steps. Having never danced before, it exhausted Orihime rather quickly and made her cheeks glow a healthy red. After a while, she got used to the strange movement and actually enjoyed it. Her favourite part was being spun around as it made her skirts flare up and made her feel incredibly dizzy and light-headed.
"Maybe one day Ulquiorra will allow guests to come and this hall will be filled with beautiful people dancing!" Nel exclaimed as she continued to drag Orihime along. Occasionally the princess would stumble and accidentally step on one of Nel's feet, but her companion pretended not to notice as to not make her feel embarrassed.
Eventually they made their way to the servant kitchens and peeked in through the door as the lively staff chatted and yelled over each other as they worked. The princess was glad for the break, as the dancing had made her injured leg begin to shake and she needed a little rest.
Orihime giggled as she noticed how coarse and lively the women and men were when they were completely unaware they were being watched. Relief swam through her as she once again reaffirmed that they were nothing like the creepy servants that served her back in her goddess realm.
Nelliel interrupted Orihime's thoughts with a shriek, and Orihime started with surprise. She peeked through the door and noticed the servants were approaching to see what was going on and then turned to face her friend hurriedly.
A female servant was standing behind the both of them disapprovingly, her fingers pinching Nelliel's ear. "What did I tell you about spying, you rotten girl?" The woman scolded, tightening her clasp on Nel's ear.
Nel sobbed incoherently, begging for the servant to release her. In her hands and resting on her lap were sugary pastries that she had nicked while the princess was watching the animated staff. Orihime couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's pale, astonished countenance. It was refreshing to witness such familiarity and made the castle feel rather intimate.
"The master has requested your presence in the ballroom immediately." The woman said tersely to the both of them, before turning around and leading the way.
Orihime's spirits immediately sobered and she kept her gaze to the ground as both her and Nel were led to the ballroom. Nel had distracted Orihime from her hurt and anguish, and now it was returning full force once more.
….
Upon arrival, they found Ulquiorra and another man talking in hushed tones by the window. When the two men had noticed the presence of the approaching women, they silenced themselves and waited patiently.
Orihime froze as Ulquiorra met eyes with hers. Nelliel seemed to notice her petrification almost immediately and roused the princess back to her thoughts with a light tap on her back. The touch of her friend calmed her heightened nerves and brought her senses back to the situation at hand and they continued walking up the steps to meet the men.
As Orihime approached, she noticed how the stranger's gaze flicked over her slyly. His eyes were swimming with unrestrained hunger and desire, inciting disgust within her. Bravely, she glared at him with as much revulsion as she could conjure, but her efforts were in vain. The man seemed to enjoy her rebellion and something predatory revealed itself on his features. Her senses immediately warned her of danger and she tensed, evaluating him.
He was incredibly tall and thin, with straight oil-black hair and a patch covering his left eye. The most obvious trait of the man was his large, sleazy grin. It stretched wide across his face, although there seemed to be no joy present in his slanted eye. While his features were predominantly Asian, the man did not wear anything distinctly of that culture. Instead, he wore a brown suit with a plain red tie beneath his narrow throat.
Her eyes flicked over her husband quickly and she noticed that he too wore the strange land's clothing. Unlike the guest standing next to him, he wore a black vest over a snowy white shirt. It fitted to his lean figure and made him look much more formal than even the kimono he wore prior. His pants were plain black and were fitted much like the rest of his clothing, making his legs seem longer than Orihime realised. On his hands were ivory coloured gloves that clung to his long slim fingers perfectly and his feet were covered with shiny black shoes.
Orihime held back her appreciation when she regarded him. The new clothes were appealing on him, but she would not let herself get carried away by her attraction. She was aware that underneath his flesh was an unfeeling, callous monster that she would not let herself love.
"So this is your new pet!" The stranger roused her from her thoughts by nudging her chin with his fingers so that she was forced to meet his gaze. He evaluated her lecherously, his eyes trained on her cleavage. "What a beauty you've found…"
Goosebumps snaked their way over Orihime's body, poisoning her with fear. She clenched her fists and remained as tense and as still as possible, trying her hardest to look past the man's face.
Ulquiorra immediately recognised her discomfort and glanced at Nelliel warningly. Her caretaker reacted in a flash, slapping the stranger's hands away from her skin roughly. This seemed to shock the lascivious man, and his smile was replaced by an annoyed scowl.
Nelliel showed no feeling or reaction in regards to his irritated expression and instead looked at her nails casually. "When I was a young girl, I watched one of my brood siblings try to pick a rose from someone else's garden," Nelliel mentioned coldly. "Do you know what happened, Nnoitora?"
"Please go on," The man feigned disinterest but there was tenseness to his form that told Orihime he was listening more intently than he appeared to be.
"The boy carelessly grabbed the rose by the stem with both hands and tried to yank it off the bush. His hands were pierced by dozens of thorns and he retained the scars for the rest of his life." Nelliel laughed to herself cynically, "All he wanted to do was touch something beautiful that wasn't his."
Orihime could tell that the two seemed to know each other quite well by the undisguised abhorrence present between them. Sympathizing with Nel, the princess began to share her feelings of dislike towards the man. Nnoitora was very off-putting, unlikable person and he did not motivate feelings of safety or trust within her.
Indifference was no longer evident on Nnoitora's features. Nelliel's condescension had pierced through his nonchalance and pure repugnance leaked through his careful mask. He sneered at her with seething hatred.
Orihime stepped back and glanced towards Nelliel with worry, but not a single hint of fear fogged over the woman's face. She was completely calm, and even a little haughty towards the strange man. Her brow was raised and she glared at him as if he were an unreasonable child. As she did not budge or show weakness, his anger only grew.
Before Nnoitora could do anything rash, Ulquiorra cut in and interrupted the pair's exchange. "I think it would be best to move our conversation to my private study. Don't you agree, Nnoitora?" He asked, sighing with irritation.
Ulquiorra's intimidating tone seemed to rouse the stranger from his hatred against turned away silently with anger and annoyance in his step. Orihime noticed Ulquiorra nod to Nelliel subtly, and the princess turned to her caretaker quizzically, awaiting a translation.
The two women waited eagerly for the men to disappear from both sight and hearing before they relaxed. Orihime was glad that it was over; the tension in the room was so thick it made her sweat.
"We are eating dinner in your private quarters, and then afterward I am to lock the door and leave. Don't open it for anyone," Nel recited, imitating Ulquiorra's deadpan tone and expression. "I asked you to get his hands off her, not start a fight."
Laughter bubbled from within Orihime and soon she couldn't help but let it pour out. Nelliel grinned and pulled her up the steps playfully. The sleeping quarters were still foreign to her, as they had yet to investigate that side of the house. Orihime assumed Nelliel had avoided it - in case they disturbed Ulquiorra in their exploration.
"Wait, how did you get all that from just a look?" Orihime questioned with fascination.
Nelliel hummed thoughtfully before answering. "I guess it was a century of him glaring at me rather than telling me what he was annoyed about," Nelliel grumbled.
Orihime gazed outside with a sigh. The spirit lights were beginning to lose their light and darkness was slowly enveloping the world outside. The few wisps that retained their glow reminded her of the lanterns that reflected against the koi pond during her time at the Tanabata festival, which seemed so long ago to her now.
….
Orihime awoke to the sound of frantic rattling. She sat up and held her breath, listening with fear. The hallway was quiet for a couple of seconds, and then the sound resumed with more vigorous violence than before. She heard an annoyed grunt from outside and once again, silence. Someone was trying to get into her room!
Waiting a couple of tense minutes, Orihime decided to squelch her fear and inspect what was happening outside. Slowly, she slid out from bed and stepped as quietly as she could across the floor and pressed her ear against the wood of her door. Her heart thumped madly, so loud in her ears that she was certain everyone in the castle could hear.
She was met with silence, but instinct warned her that there was someone outside. She considered unlocking the door and confronting the perpetrator, but before she gathered the courage, a sound invaded her ears and made her hesitate. It was the slowly approaching rhythmic clack of footsteps outside.
Orihime pressed her ear as hard as she could against the door and held her breath.
"Is there something you need, Nnoitora?" A muffled male voice questioned firmly. Orihime recognized it as her husband and relief flooded through her. If she had opened that door and Nnoitora was waiting on the other side, it could have ended very badly for her.
"I just wanted to speak to that pet of yours, but she seems to have locked the door." Nnoitora laughed slyly, the noise echoing through the hallway hauntingly. The door knob shook wildly as he once again attempted to gain entrance. It made her flinch and she stepped back with apprehension.
There was a long silence before Ulquiorra responded. "She's sleeping."
Nnoitora chuckled. "I bet you must be excited to wake her, she has that feisty look in her eyes, and it would be so fun to discipline it out of her. You're a lucky man."
"Why would I rape my own woman?" Ulquiorra responded with frustration and impatience laced through his tone. "I'm not going to sully and break my own things like some sort of beast."
Orihime could not see Nnoitora's expression, but she assumed that her husband had offended the man. After a few brief seconds, she heard the sound of abrupt stomping down the hallway followed by the slamming of a door. After the echoes had ceased, there was a soothing silenced and Orihime relaxed considerably.
Before she could fully consider Ulquiorra's words, she heard the gentle rattle of the key intruding the lock. Quickly, she raced to bed and hid herself under the covers.
Orihime heard Ulquiorra enter and shut the door quietly. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and she tried to calm her breathing as best she could. Her skin became hypersensitive and she blushed profusely. She had never slept in the same bed with a man before.
Eventually she sensed the covers lift gently and felt the depression of his weight in the bed next to her. She held her breath and expected the worst. It was her wedding night, and Ulquiorra had his right to her as Nnoitora suggested.
A couple of minutes passed and her husband exhaled a long, drawn out sigh. Orihime continued to lie completely still for what seemed like hours, but not once did Ulquiorra even attempt to consummate their marriage.
Still, she listened vigilantly. His breath had evened into lengthy, deep breaths, a sign that he had already found sleep. Orihime's heart constricted. Ulquiorra was true to his word. He did not disturb her, let alone touch her.
She sighed, easing her rigid body. The bed was big enough that they both could have their space without touching each other, and for that she was grateful. It was like sleeping alone but having the soothing sounds of someone's gentle breathing next to you.
Orihime closed her eyes and listened to Ulquiorra's soft, calm breathing, but she found she couldn't sleep. Her heart still hammered in her chest and she felt too overwhelmed and weary to let her conscious drift.
Instead, she remained awake and waited desperately for morning to come.
…
If you guys want a basic visual idea of the castle, I was inspired by the Neuschwanstein castle as well as a few others (Hohenzollern, Sigmaringen, etc.).
Please tell me what you think and review!
-Lorelai
Looked over/reedited again 24/10/15 :D