Sorry (not sorry) about the long update, I was too lazy to do anything. Hence, the short chapter. (Not beta'd)
Orihime sighed. She's been bored ever since they returned home. As soon as she stepped into the palace, she's been swept away by the guards with Unohana and Tatsuki trailing behind. It's been weeks since their meeting with the elders. She continuously suggests she claim her lands once more but it was constantly shot down by Grimmjow's blunt answers and Unohana's deadly glares.
Unohana hadn't seen the former servant in weeks, even before they departed to the lands of the elders. She believed that Orihime had been avoiding her royal lessons on purpose. She even escaped the palace with the king the day she was to present herself before the royal court. Now that she had returned, Unohana didn't want her to escape again. She even had the guards carry her out to one of the many rooms in the palace. Their wedding is next week and she's not even close to being a queen. She still can't even choose a specific fork to eat a damn salad. Besides, she recently received information that the king will be busy for quite some time. There was news that some of the citizens was attacked by a strange force in another province in the kingdom. It was believed that Aizen was behind it, trying to find a way to capture her future queen. So she was ordered to keep Orihime safe here in the palace.
Orihime was haphazardly thrown over one of the guard's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Put me down! I order you!" Orihime wailed. Unohana smiled cheerfully. "You have no authority over anyone yet. They're simply following Commander Starkk's orders."
Orihime pushed against her captor's back straining her neck to look up to Unohana. "Starkk? Grimm…uh, Lord Grimmjow is back now. Why is he still in charge?"
Unohana remained silent. Orihime's gaze shifted to Tatsuki. She was avoiding her gaze, looking anywhere but her face. "Wait. What are you not telling me?"
"I'm sorry to say, Lady Orihime, but that's not any of your business." Unohana answered. She may have sounded kind hearted but the words behind them stabbed Orihime's heart. It hurt. It meant that she wasn't taken seriously. Lady or Queen, she wasn't respected in any way. She was better off being the servant of the notoriously irresponsible Queen Yoruichi. Heck, even Ichigo's lapdog. At least she'll get some sort of respect. Why does Grimmjow want to marry her anyway? Orihime bit her already trembling lips. She was pissed. What's up with all these secrets?! She thought that they agreed to not keep secrets from each other. Orihime gripped the guard's haori as tears flooded her vision. "I understand."
~\(^-^)/~
Starkk commanded his men to investigate the attack while he was with the elders. He reported that nothing was found. The blue king wasn't satisfied with his answer and decided to check up on the site himself. Grimmjow crouched down and reached out to touch the cold ashes in the fire pit. It was the only evidence that signified people were here. Why are these idiots out here in the middle of nowhere anyway? One of his subordinates approached him eyeing his king and had to hold a chuckle in when he witnessed the look of confusion on his aristocratic face. He cleared his throat saying, "It seems that the victims were camping, my lord."
The king rubbed the substance off his fingertips and turned to him. "What the hell is camping?"
"It's the activity living out in the wilderness and enjoying nature's air. Where have you been living, under a rock? It probably existed before you came around."
Grimmjow grimaced. He recognized that familiar voice. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked grumpily.
His unwelcome guest tipped his hat and smiled. "I heard that you had hollows visiting your side of the border and I wanted to witness it myself."
"Or you're just spying for your queen." Grimmjow stated.
Kisuke shook his head. "You never stop to amaze me, Lord Grimmjow. Can't I just visit an old friend?"
"Not without a hidden intent."
He placed his hands within the sleeves of his haori and looked around. "Where is your bride to be?"
Grimmjow closed his eyes, trying to sense any spiritual pressure from the hollows who were once here. "She's not here." He mumbled.
Kisuke stared at the king while he pictured Orihime trapped inside a room in the palace. He shook his head in disapproval. He wanted to tell him what he was doing is going to be the death of him but who is he to oppose a king, especially if said king is Grimmjow.
Grimmjow grunted when he felt Urahara's eyes staring holes into his face. He opened his eyes. "What?" he snapped. He didn't sense anything, whatever that was here is long gone.
"You had some balls, my lord." Kisuke answered. "Knowing Orihime, she would want to be out here with you. She doesn't like to be hanging around when there's danger out there. She was once a queen and she will always be one whether she marries you or not. Right now she's probably conjuring up ways to escape that prison you call home."
Grimmjow's ignored Kisuke's comment as he stood deep in thought. There is a possibility that the hollows became human and blend in with the citizens in town, using their victims as human husks. Can hollows do that? He took human form himself. But that's different. The sky kingdom is a large country with many cities and provinces. By now they could be anywhere. Now, what was the idiot saying to him? Oh yeah. "I know." He said, retreating back into the city.
Kisuke blinked. "What? You know? Then why'd you do it?"
Because I don't want her to get hurt. Because she's rubbing off on me in more ways than one. "Because I'm the king and I'll do whatever the hell I want."
Kisuke nodded. That's a good answer, wrong but good. "So, did you find anything?" He asked while following the king out of the woods. Grimmjow motioned his men to follow him out. "Yeah, they can be anywhere. So, if I'm right they're probably in my "prison" getting ready to pounce on a helpless Orihime." He explained dully.
"And here I thought you were a bumbling buffoon." Urahara said slapping an irritated king on his back. The guards looked at each other in nervousness. One of them cleared their throat and asked, "My lord." He kneeled before his king and bowed his head.
Grimmjow slapped the star commander's hand off his back and glared at his retainer. "What?"
"Forgive me for interfering, but don't you think that you're a bit relaxed about this situation. I mean, five people are missing, presumably dead, my king."
Grimmjow smirked before grabbing a fistful of his retainer's hair and pulling him up to stand before him. "What kind of king would I be if I panicked during a time of distress?"
The king watched gleefully as the look of delirious fear adorned the man's face. "I'm s-sorry." He sputtered.
"Ooo, he said he was sorry, my lord.~" Kisuke said in a sing song voice. A breeze picked up around the forest and the star commander inhaled nature's air. He enjoyed visiting the sky kingdom. It is a beautiful country with an asshole of a king.
"Question, which do you prefer, the heart or the gut?" Grimmjow asked harshly, ignoring the relaxed commander. His retainer gulped. "The…the heart—guh!" The man gasped and coughed up blood in shock. The former hollow had struck an arm through his chest, instantly killing him. The other guards that remained became stiff in fear. The last battle Grimmjow ever participated in was during the time of Shisha no Senso, the war of the dead. It was their first time ever seeing their king showing his pitiless side. "Good answer." He whispered. The man took his last breath and he knew no more, falling lifelessly to the ground.
Grimmjow held out his hand and one of his soldiers placed a silk cloth upon it. He cleaned his soiled arm with the spare cloth and dropped on the body. "Does anyone else have questions for me? I am willing to answer them." The guards looked about each other and shook their head. "Good. Get rid of the body. The last thing I want is filth in my kingdom." They all bowed lowly and went to remove the dead hollow from the ground.
"How'd you know?" Urahara asked amused. Grimmjow stepped over the corpse and continued his way out of the woods. "The moment he questioned my authority."
~\(^-^)/~
It had been a long day for the tired king. He trudged his way into his bedroom and nearly collapsed on his large bed. He frowned when he spotted Orihime sleeping on the other side of the bed. Usually, she would stay up until he comes to bed. The small gesture satisfied the raging feline within Grimmjow. She didn't have to do it, but she did. He toed off his shoes from his feet and slowly crawled deeper into the bed.
"Inoue." He drawled drowsily. The girl remained silent. Odd. Grimmjow placed a hand on her hip and squeezed. "Are you asleep?" he asked. Still no answer. Grimmjow lifted himself on his forearm to look upon the silent beauty. It was dark making it hard for him to see her clearly. He reached over and turned her over to face him. The woman turned over and laid on her back. "Why you're so quiet and shit?" He mumbled. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Don't you want to know what I did today?"
The girl lightly touched his cheek and traced his full lips with her thumb. "Kami, I missed you."
Cerulean eyes widened and the girl instantly had a hand squeezing her windpipe. The light of the full moon shown through the window and revealed part of the intruder's face. Long sea green hair flowed out and around the downy pillows and one golden eye flashed dangerously at the man above her. Her hand was also choking the neck of the king.
"You bitch!" The sky king snarled.
"I get the feeling that you're not too happy to see me."
A/N: Shout out to the reviewers! Wouldn't be here without ya!
~Puppyove11105
