Bittersweet Orange Lilly

Disclaimer

I do not own any of the Saiunkoku Monogatari character's they belong to Sai Yukino. I also do not own any of the characters from Bleach they belong to Tite Kubo. I am only using them in this story as a fan.

Chapter three

Rem was combing Rukia's hair when they heard a knock at the door Rem sat down the hair brush and walked into the main room. She sled open their door revealing Li Kouyuu. He smiled looking for at her for a moment before Rem bowed bidding him a good morning and he bowed in return.

"Good morning Rem-dono. You and Rukia-dono will be having breakfast with the emperor this morning in his quarters. Hmm neither of you appears to be ready. Kouyuu said with disapproval watching Rukia make her entrance.

"Please come in Kouyuu-sensei and have a seat we will only need a few more minutes." Rem announced inviting Kouyuu into the room.

Kouyuu muttered something about woman taking too long to get ready under this breath as he entered the room and he took a seat at the table to wait. He watched as both girls disappeared into Rukia's room to finish getting ready.

"He's really a morning person isn't he?" Rukia giggled as Rem finished combing out Rukia's hair.

"Somehow I think it's his normal attitude." Rem said finishing Rukia's hair.

"Hmm." Rukia said as she looked at her hair.

"We probably shouldn't keep him waiting too much longer. Besides we don't want to keep the emperor waiting for his breakfast." Rem said helping Rukia up out of her seat.

"Let me put a hairpin in your hair. This one will complement your eyes." Rukia said holding up a lavender and gray pearled hairpin.

"I am fine without one." Rem told her walking for the door.

"Remember our deal and I think you need a hairpin. So sit down." Rukia said pulling Rem towards the seat to sit down. "Besides every girl needs at least one hairpin in her hair to feel beautiful." Rukia added pulling and twisting some of Rem's hair up before sliding the hairpin in her hair. "Plus you should look nice for Kouyuu." Rukia whispered in her ear.

"You don't have a hairpin and what's this have to do with him." Rem questioned.

"My hair's too short for hairpins and Kouyuu was checking you out while you were standing at the door." Rukia told her smiling.

"He was not. He just looked at me." Rem hissed in response.

"No… he definitely did a full body up and down look of you." Rukia smiled.

"You're seeing things. He did not look at me like that and leave him out of this." Rem yelled having enough of their conversation.

Kouyuu heard Rem yell and turned his attention towards Rukia's room with great annoyance thinking they were just talking instead of getting ready. Kouyuu muttered in annoyance under his breath again about baka woman always talking and gossiping instead of doing what they are supposed to do and went back to looking around the room.

"You're forgetting why I am here. I am not here to be a doll or to find a man." Rem told Rukia getting more annoyed by the second.

"There is no reason why you can't do both now let's go." Rukia said waiting for Rem to walk out first to make sure she didn't pull the hairpin out.

Both ladies entered the room apologizing and bowed for making Kouyuu wait on them. Kouyuu stood up when they entered the room and walked towards them.

"Are you finally ready?" He questioned looking both girls over.

"See." Rukia hissed and Rem gave her an annoyed look.

"Yes. Thank you for waiting Kouyuu-sensei." Rem answered bowing again as Kouyuu lead the way out of the room.

Rem thought they were lost from the start when they turned left in the hallway when she thought they should have gone right. She didn't want to say anything to either Kouyuu or Rukia as she thought that Kouyuu knew a short cut that wasn't on the map she received from Shuuei earlier. But she began to get annoyed when it appeared that Kouyuu really didn't know where he was going after they had pasted the Department of Treasury twice. Not to mention he would stop at each intersection in the hallway and second guess which way to go.

"Kouyuu-sensei please forgive me but I think we should have went left down that last walkway instead of straight." Rem spoke up bowing slightly.

Kouyuu whipped around clearly annoyed that she had pointed out the fact that he was lost.

"Just what makes you think we should have gone left? Do you not think I know where I am going? I know where I am going." He yelled questioning her.

"I am sorry it's just that we have passed the Department of Treasury twice now and according to the map Shuuei-sensei gave me the emperor's quarter's is in that direction." Rem said pointing to the west.

"A map… a map only a baka woman needs a map." Kouyuu muttered to himself turning around walking in a different direction.

"Perhaps we should just leave him and use the map ourselves." Rukia whispered to Rem who looked about ready to strangle Kouyuu.

A half an hour later Kouyuu's face was bright red and his mutters to himself were getting louder and louder. He was now pacing and ranting down every hallway trying to figure out which way to go. Rukia and Rem looked at each other as they watched Kouyuu.

"Kouyuu-sensei." Rem walked up to him and grabbed his arm to stop him.

"If you think you know your way around the imperial palace better than me than you lead the way." Kouyuu yelled moving out of the way for Rem to lead them who looked surprised at the outburst.

"Fine I will. I was only going to suggest we go that way since you seemed a little confused as to which way to go." Rem shot back turning and walking down the hall muttering about baka men who are to proud to admit when they are wrong or lost.

Rukia would have giggled at the scene before her if Kouyuu hadn't looked about ready to harm Rem. It only took a few minutes of walking before Rem turned a corner and the emperor's quarters came into view. At about that time Ran Shuuei can into view as well waving to them.

"I was coming to look for you. I thought Kouyuu might have gotten you both lost and thought I should come looking for you." Shuuei said smiling and bowing.

"Morning Shuuei-sensei." Both girls said in unison bowing.

"We don't need your help Shuuei. I am more than capable of getting them to the emperor's quarters." Kouyuu growled walking past everyone.

"Then why has an hour past since you left the emperor's quarters? Bbesides it seems to me as I walked up that Rem-dono was leading the group and not you." Shuuei pointed out smiling and teasing Kouyuu.

"I did not get us lost. I told you the inner court is haunted and the ghost keep moving the buildings and you gave that woman a map and that's cheating. Just like a woman to cheat." Kouyuu pointed accusingly at Rem and she stepped back in surprise getting annoyed.

"Now now Kouyuu. It's not nice to try and pass the blame to another especially a beautiful innocent woman." Shuuei scolded him.

Rem's eyebrows rose at the remark of "innocent woman." She was sure she didn't look innocent at all and for some reason the remark annoyed her.

"Beautiful woman…beautiful woman I don't see a beautiful woman I see a..." Kouyuu's sentence was cut off by Reishin Kou's fan whapping him in the back of the head knocking him off balance.

"I know I raised you better than to insult a woman. Apologize now." Reishin said grabbing Kouyuu by the back of the neck and making him bend over in a bow.

Kouyuu fought him for a few seconds before Reishin tightened his grip on Kouyuu's neck making Kouyuu cry out in pain.

"Apologize to them." Reishin demanded.

"I am sorry I am sorry." Kouyuu squeaked.

"You unforgivable brat." Reishin hissed squeezing Kouyuu's neck harder.

Kouyuu lets out another cry.

"Apologize again and mean it." Reishin demanded.

"I sincerity apologize for taking my anger and frustration out on you. Let go of my neck now please." Kouyuu muttered grabbing at Reishin's hand.

"That's better. Really, Kouyuu I could hear you all the way in the Department of Civil Affairs. How many times do I have to tell you that if you're lost ask someone for help? There is no shame in asking for help." Reishin said fanning his face with the fan; he had hit Kouyuu with a few moments ago.

Rem was slightly afraid of Reishin as she watched him interact and scold Kouyuu. No wonder Kouyuu always seemed to be in a bad mood. His father was a scary man and he was quite blunt and brutal with his son.

"Now than I am very sorry for my baka son's horrible behavior and attitude I hope he hasn't offended you. I am Kou Reishin head of Civil Affairs here at the palace and you must be Rukia-dono and Rem-dono. It is a pleasure to meet you both." Reishin said bowing respectfully.

Both Rukia and Rem were stunned and a little afraid of Reishin after watching the scene unfold. Rukia was the first to recover and she bowed respectfully to him.

"I am Kuchiki Rukia and I am very pleased to meet you Reishin-sama." Rukia said while bowing and Rem followed suite.

"And I am her lady-in-waiting Toshimaro Rem and I am very honored to meet you Reishin-sama." Rem said while bowing.

"Please do me a favor and let me know if my son isn't behaving himself. He was raised better than to treat such beautiful women with such disrespect." Reishin smiled mischievously at the two girls studying them before walking away.

"Yes Reishin-sama." Both girls bowed again as he walked away.

"Now than the emperor is waiting to meet both of you please follow me this way." Shuuei said turning and walking towards the emperor's quarters.

Rukia, Rem and Kouyuu followed Shuuei as he walked towards the emperor's quarters. As they walked closer a gorgeous young man with sliver blue hair came into view. When they walked closer to him his eyes proved to be a beautiful dark teal color and Rem couldn't help but stare at them.

"Oi Seiran-sensei you're making your rounds I see." Shuuei said walking up to greet the man who just nodded.

"It would appear that no one is concerned with the fact that the emperor is waiting for us or that we haven't eaten yet." Rem whispered to Rukia.

"You seem to be in a hurry and a bad mood. Perhaps you shouldn't hang around Kouyuu anymore than necessary since it seems his bad mood is rubbing off on you." Rukia whispered back.

"I'd like you to meet Rukia-dono and her lady-in-waiting Rem-dono." Shuuei introduced each girl and they each bowed to Seiran.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Seiran-sensei." Both girls said in unison.

"I am pleased to meet you both as well." Seiran said bowing.

"Seiran-sensei is one of the emperor's personal bodyguards along with Kouyuu and myself." Shuuei explained and both girls nodded.

Shuuei continued to talk with Seiran but Rem had tuned out the talking and instead was looking at Seiran's beautiful dark teal eyes. Shuuei continued talking and Rem blushed when she realized she had been staring at him and Seiran was looking back at her.

"Shuuei you have plenty of time to talk with Seiran-sensei later. I think now we should get them to their meeting with the emperor. I am sure he is getting hungry waiting for them especially since it took them so long to get ready and get here." Kouyuu said cutting in annoyed at the mindless talking.

In Kouyuu's opinion Shuuei was worst than a woman nearly 80 of the time they were around each other. Rem was never happier to have Kouyuu be his annoying impatient self than right then but was really annoyed by his last remark.

"Now wait just one minute we only kept you waiting a few minutes after you arrived at our rooms. You are the cause of keeping the emperor waiting with you getting us lost for more than an hour." Rem shot back at Kouyuu surprising everyone with her outburst.

"You..." Was all Kouyuu got out before Shuuei covered his mouth.

"Oh you're right. We'll catch up later Seiran-sensei." Shuuei said turning towards the front doors.

"Now he was worth dressing pretty for wasn't he?" Rukia whispered to Rem referring to Seiran.

"I am not done yet." Kouyuu yelled at Rem's back as she and Rukia walked towards the door.

"You baka woman get back here." Kouyuu yelled.

"Oh I am so glad I came here I am going to have so much fun annoying and getting under Kouyuu-sensei's skin." Rem smiled at Rukia.

"That's not nice Rem-chan." Rukia said giving her a disapproving look.