Miyuki is a normal by all signs. She mostly sleeps and eats. The hairs on her hair look to be a dark orange. Her color tainted by Aizen's. How fitting. Her arrancar attendant wants to be the one to look after the baby mostly, but Ichigo refuses to let her. Ichigo despite herself has come to love the child she has given birth too. She feels no resentment for her baby girl, just to the man who fathered her.

Ichigo finds her daughter easily becoming the center of her world, her escape from the world and Aizen. But at the same time she knows that the daughter is a constant reminder of her current relationship with the man who stole God's throne. She breasts feeds her baby whenever Miyuki needs it. Aizen never complains about the late hours she stays up; though he once voices concerned that she is not getting enough sleep and offering a nurse. Ichigo refuses because she doubts that Aizen is just doing it out of concern for her well being, and because she doesn't trust most arrancar women because they are jealous of her so called status with Lord Aizen.

So she keeps her daughter to her breasts and everyone else at a distance. She wishes she could keep Aizen at a distance, but it is impossible. It sickens her at how good he is at the loving father act. He holds her every morning before he goes to do his work and every night he asks about her. He rocks her, kisses her, takes care of her, and by all accounts seems to love her. While Ichigo will admit it is possible for Aizen to have an attachment to their daughter though she doubts it is like the bond she had with her own father.

Her father, her sisters, where were they? She doesn't want to think and she doesn't want to ask. Her father is a former captain of the court guard squad and a strong threat to Aizen's rule. She knows that Aizen logically wouldn't have let him go around free...much less live. She doesn't cry at the thought of her father being dead. She knows it seems heartless, but she has shed her last tear long ago. Her concerns turn to her sisters. If they are alive then they have no one protecting them. Ichigo doesn't want to think about the fate of young girls in this world by themselves. It troubles her, it troubles her deeply. A part of her is extremely tempted to ask Aizen about it, but she stops herself. He might use her concern for her sisters against her and very likely he wouldn't give her a straight answer. Damn that man who had claimed over stolen godhood.

One thing she can say about Aizen is that he hasn't tested her since the birth of their daughter. Likely, he wants to leave her alone in the first few months of motherhood. However, that comes to an end one night. Miyuki is about six months old now. The baby is starting to try to learn how to crawl now, she lays on the floor trying too pulled up with her tiny hands and kick her little feet. Ichigo is in no rush to encourage her daughter to develop too quickly. She doubts that her daughter will ever have a period of innocence again, once she begins to talk and be able to listen to her snake of a father.

One evening she is holding Miyuki to her breast to nurse her, and Aizen comes in and gives her pleasant greetings to them, as he pulls up a chair. As usual, Ichigo doesn't acknowledge him and the false God doesn't force her too. She ignores his gaze at her as she focuses on nursing her child. It is late in the day and Miyuki is caught between hunger and sleepiness. She is slightly fussy and she gives more cries and is moving more. Ichigo has little doubt that she will go quickly to sleep once her tummy is full of milk.

"So how is she? Looks like she is making quite the fuss." Aizen comments casually. Ichigo knows she can't press her luck by ignoring him this time.

"She is just tired. Once she is full she'll go to sleep." She tells him simply, hoping that will end any further comments, but in inside she knows that is far from the reality of how this conversation will play out. An uncomfortable (At least for Ichigo) silence passes as she waits for Aizen make his invertible comment. She can feel it in the air, tonight would be a test.

"I have been thinking, Ichigo." He tells her. He doesn't say what it is. She knows it is now her turn to speak. She swallows and does so.

"About what?" She looks down at Miyuki and tries to focus as much of her attention on her as she can.

"Well...we have been together for over a year and have a beautiful daughter." At this Ichigo can't remain passive.

"You speak as though being with you was my choice." Her gray eyes now looks up to him with anger and hate. She can't forgive this. She just can't. She can't let him set there and talk and though this whole situation was her choice.

"Oh, really, Ichigo? Would you have rather your friends been thrown to my Espada? I gave them a chance to live. Wasn't that generous of me? And all I asked for in return was you and haven't I treated you well? Look around? You are in a beautiful warm room with a sweet daughter in your arms. Can you deny that I've been good to you, Ichigo?"

"Your generosity came at a price. A price I live with everyday. I don't know if my friends are alive, or not. You took them from me and locked me away as your prize."

At this she feels Miyuki begin to stir more. The babe is reacting to its mother's anger. She quickly looks down and begins to rock her, and forces herself to calm down. She hears him chuckle, she looks up to him shaking his head with a bit of an amused smirk on his face. Of course, he is more amused than offended at her words. He always is. Sometimes she wonders if he just thinks of her more as a misbehaving puppy than the lethal enemy she once was.

"Oh, Ichigo. You are so prideful. I truly admire that about you, I truly do." He takes the teacup to his lips and drinks from it, before speaking again. "But please let me get back to the point that I was trying to make."

"And what would that point be?" She asks on edge.

"I think it is time we talked about marriage." If Ichigo had been holding anything else, except Miyuki, she would have dropped it. Her mouth fell open, she was completely stunned. Marriage?

"What the hell, Aizen?" She quickly scoffs at him, "Have you gone completely nuts." At this he gave his usual smile that had the faintest hint of evil intentions.

"My what a novel reaction for a woman to have to a proposal." Ichigo continues to glare at him. "So I take it as a no? Or perhaps a hidden yes." She stares at Aizen for a few moments and blinks.

"You are giving me a choice about this?" She doesn't quite believe it to be so.

"Why yes I am. I don't want to have a wife that didn't want to be with me."

"But you don't have that kind of thoughts toward a concubine?" She icily questions him.

"No," He shamelessly admits, which only agitates Ichigo further. She is tempted to take Miyuki and finish feeding her on the rocking chair in her nursery. She makes up her mind and starts to get up.

"So I take that as a no to marrying me." He asks so casually, but in a manner that makes her freeze. She hates how he can do that. What would he do if she rejects his offer. Looks like she would find out. She turns back to him.

"I'll die first." She hisses. He just gives a nod, as though it was a simple no.

"If that's how you feel I can't change that." Ichigo pauses and waits for him to say something. Perhaps punish her, or do something to unsettle her. She doubts she has passed his test. But what would he have done if she said yes? Would he have just laughed at her for believing this. Maybe this is all some game to him. She gives him a growl before heading to the nursery and finishes feeding her daughter and settling her in for the night.

The next weeks pass as normal as they can for Ichigo. Aizen doesn't bring up the refusal of her marriage to him. She wonders if there will be a moment when it comes up and Aizen reveals his elaborate plan to bring her down again, but nothing of the sort comes up. In the meanwhile, Miyuki finally starts to crawl, it is only short and slow burst, but it makes Ichigo proud, none the less.

Then one day it happens. It is early afternoon, she is sitting in the floor with Miyuki on her lap as the baby has a small block that she is playing with in her hands. Aizen comes in. This immediately alarms Ichigo; she knows something is wrong. Aizen never shows up in the middle of the day, always in the late evenings.

"What are you doing here?" She immediately questions. Aizen gives her an impression of a puzzled look.

"Why Ichigo...I live here." He smiled so gently at her. It makes her sick

"You never show up this early...and there probably isn't a good reason for it." Aizen continues his gentle smile of his. He must know how sickening it makes her feel, or else he wouldn't do it so often. By instinct she clings Miyuki closer to her chest.

"Oh, Ichigo." He lightly scolds her, "You must always think the worse of me, but I came here because I wanted you to see someone." She narrows her gray eyes at him.

"And who might that be."

"Oh, it is a surprise and I think Miyuki should meet him too." Her eyes now widen and she moved her baby closer to her.

"No, I don't know what you are going to do to her, but I won't allow it." She grips her child as though that in itself would protect her from Aizen. He only smiles more.

"You really think I would hurt my own daughter?"

"Yes," She responds in a heartbeat. Aizen simply shakes his head.

"Come on Ichigo...I think you'll want to meet this person too. It is someone you already know...very well." She freezes at this. Someone she knows? Her mind runs over the possibility of countless friends, allies, family, and even enemies that she hasn't seen in over a year.

"Who is it?" Her voice gives off more want that she wishes for. But it is true she wants to know who this person is. Is Aizen doing something horrible to them, or what? His false smile only widens at this question.

"You'll gave to see and bring Miyuki."

"Why does Miyuki have to come?" She questions him, not wanting her daughter to be part of any dark plan of his.

"Because I am sure this person would be very interested in meeting our daughter." The way he says 'our' daughter puts Ichigo into a panic. Now, it is not just not wanting Miyuki to be part of her father's schemes, but also she can't bare the humiliation of someone she cares for, or at least respescts knowing she had Aizen's child. She begins to shake her head. She sits Miyuki down and gets up.

"The answer is no. I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but I am not going to be a part of it, and neither is Miyuki." He steps toward her.

"Forgive me, Ichigo, for such a misunderstanding, but I didn't mean to make it sound as though you had a choice in the manner. My greatest apologies for that misunderstanding." This makes her blood freeze, even though it should come at no surprise to her. Aizen takes what he wants, as simple as that. Whether it be her, or all of creation.

"Well?" He breaks her train of thought. Ichigo stares at him and then gives a reluctant nod. It doesn't matter how much she resists he'll get his way in the end. Was there even a point in picking her battles when she loses every time?

"Fine." Shoe huffs and then picks up Miyuki, "We'll go." She angerly whispers. He smiles warmly at her.

"Let's go, Ichigo." He lightly grips her around her waist and leads her forward before lowering his arm. She follows him deeper and deeper into the bowels of the palace. It gets darker and her heart beats faster.

"Aizen...where are you leading us? I don't want Miyuki to be scared." The baby is now resting her head against her mother's shoulder. Miyuki seems unaware of the tension in her mother, probably too lured asleep by the darkness and quiet.

"Oh, be more patient, my dear. You will soon see. I wouldn't lead Miyuki into danger." She doesn't like him referring to her as 'his dear', but she doesn't want to start a fight over this. He leaders her deeper and deeper. Finally he opens the door and come to a completely dark room with a narrow staircase. Aizen offers her his hand and she sees little choice, but to take it. She couldn't risk dropping Miyuki.

So with one hand grasping Aizen's and the other tightly clutching her daughter to her chest, they descend down the dark and narrow stairs. As they reach the bottom, she hears a rattle of something. Something heavy. Then the lights come on and for a moment she is blinded by the sheer light after being in the dark for so long.

"Damn, you Aizen!" She heard a familiar voice cry. She freezes...that voice. She looks down to see Shinji on the ground chained to wall, but he wasn't the only one. Beside him was...her father. For the longest time they stare at each other.

"Ichigo..." Her father whispers. She immediately looks down in shame and turned to the side, as though she could hide Miyuki, even though he had defiantly seen the baby.

"Aizen, what the hell have you done to Ichigo!" She hears her former mentor scream at Aizen. She didn't have to look to see it, but she knew he was smirking now. Not smiling, no longer hiding his pleasure in his former captain's outrage.

"Oh, what do you mean, Captain Shinji?" His voice was so casual, but she could just taste the sick enjoyment in it.

"Why the hell does she have a baby?" She hears his chains rattle, as though he was trying to get up to choke Aizen, which he probably would have tried if not for the chains. Ichigo only lowers her head in shame. Humiliation burns in her cheeks. Damn Aizen, damn him to hell. She should have fought against him more against coming here despite him saying she didn't have a choice.

"Because she got pregnant." He reply's as though it is obvious. This only helps to agitate the vizard further. His chains rattles more and Miyuki starts to fuss. She clearly can sense the anger in the room and the deep discomfort of her mother. Ichigo lightly pats her back, as she tries to smooth the baby and unsuccessfully smooth herself.

"Are you the fuckin father?" Shinji growls at him.

"I ask you nicely not to talk that way in front of my daughter." Aizen says in his ever calm voice. At this it looks like Shinji makes a lunge toward him, but is stopped from the chains.

"You fuckin bastard! I will kill you for fuckin touching her!" Ichigo cringes as she knows what will happen next. A cry of pain is heard and she turns her head to see Aizen with his blade out and Shinji bleeding in pain.

"I asked you politely to not talk like that in front of my daughter." Ichigo turns back to the chain men and walks in front of her father. Her head was still low in shame.

"Forgive me...please forgive me." She whispers and rocks the babe in her arms.

"I don't blame you, Ichigo. I could never blame you." She hears her father's voice and it is the first thing that puts her at ease since her daughter. Then her father cuts his eyes towards the father of his grandaughter.

"But I blame him." Her father shoots daggers at Aizen. The man in question seems to give no reaction to this. Ichigo now turns her attention to the bleeding Shinji. He looks at her and his eyes are full of pain, not just physical either. Ichigo can't bare to look at him even longer. She now looks back to Aizen.

"He needs to see a doctor." She tells him.

"I don't see the point of that...considering they are both going to be executed tomorrow." She gasps and turns white.

"Why did you bring me down here then! What is the point of showing me my father and my friend if you are just going to kill them." At this Miyuki begins to stir, sensing her mother's anger.

"Because I am giving them a chance to live." Ichigo cuts her eyes back to her father and Shinji and then back to Aizen.

"And I take it I can do that."

"No, not you, but a queen." Ichigo is not sure what to make out of his words. Then she realizes in this world the only way a woman can become queen is to become to the wife of the only king left in this world.

Her choice is clear. It is either marry Aizen, or see her father and friend killed.