Pre-Note
It's been awhile! I'm sorry for the absence. But before you go on reading I should let you know that this story has gone through major changes therefore, everything you've read isn't exactly the same. I've erased a few plots I had originally planned and a few scenes from the past chapters. This has always been the plot I wanted to do but the problem was that I didn't want to include it in the beginning chapters because I wanted to focus on Byakuya, Rukia, and Ichigo instead rather than the whole grand scheme of things. So, to avoid over complicating things, I took them out.
Important: I suggest you go back and skim through the past chapters because there has been things taken out. For example, Senbonzakura/Sode No Shirayuki, the Consorts, the Chinese wedding, Shiba conflict etc. The Consorts are still a part of the story but I will introduce them later on as well as the Miyabe case.
Thank you for reading and I'm sorry about the confusion.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but I do own this plot.
The Jade Anklet
"You're late." Were the first words Rukia heard as she performed a small bow in front of the Emperor.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I had to discuss something with my Ladies before coming here." Rukia said before sitting down.
"That is no excuse." He responded.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty - it won't ever happen again." She responded quietly. After last night, she realized she had been apologizing more often to him than she was used to and she didn't like it—but it couldn't be helped. Ever since she accidentally slipped out his birth name in the heat of frustration, she felt like she had committed a terrible offense even though he didn't say anything about it.
"There will be no need for that." He replied and she nodded her head as she looked down.
After training, she had wandered around a bit in the Jade Hall—reminiscing on the day she had told her people that she was to be wed. It was vacant (as expected) allowing her to wander around the spacious area and think about what she was going to do with the Emperor.
Unexpectedly, her Lady had happened to be wandering through and they met—resulting in why she was late.
"Are you not going to pick your berries?" He asked nonchalantly as he shuffled a few papers and put them to the side.
She looked up to see the berries dangling from the tree but found no interest to climb while he was here.
"...I don't feel like climbing today." She responded before reaching her hand into her basket to pull out her drawing book.
"And your tea?" He questioned.
"Rui is sick today and she's the only one who knows what I do when I'm out here."
"I see."
Today she decided that it would be safe to remain silent.
And although it was admittingly difficult, she figured out a way to keep her eyes only locked with her page. She didn't look up neither did she peer in any other direction—if he ended up not talking, it was his own fault, not hers. Even if she wanted to discuss this, she swore this time that she'd hold her ground.
No talking, until him, she had said to herself before arriving at the picnic bench in the first place.
Despite his discomfort he did not voice a thing although, the Empress was being silent and strangely, it got to him more than it was suppose to.
He certainly did not expect for her to dispose of her odd berries neither did he expect her to appear without her plum blossom tea. She was certainly acting very strange—constantly apologizing and bowing her head as if she had done it all before when they had met.
He narrowed his eyes at the top of her head and observed her silent behavior. He concluded that it was his fault for her sudden change and although discomforting, it did also mean she had given up on her illusory 'emotional connection' she persisted for in him.
It did not go unnoticed to him how much she tried to have her eyes focused on that one coloured space in her book rather than occasionally looking up to meet his eyes. Though he could tell, she was struggling more than she showed.
He was unaware of what game she was trying to play. But her silence was more than childish instead of approaching the topic maturely. With her petite size, somehow he still wavered on the thought that she was actually a full grown woman—but then again, her voice more over less indicated her maturity.
Standing up, he picked up the basket and watched her in the process to see if she would raise her head. It might have been slight, but it did not go unnoticed to him that her eyes had slightly met the area where the basket was once placed—indicating her childish demeanor would soon falter once he received her odd berries.
He felt like commoner—picking his own fruit on a tree for someone of the higher class; which he was but somehow ended up having to pick fruit for someone else of the higher class. She had once told him that the best cherries resided on the top, but Byakuya in no form or way was willing to get caught climbing a tree of all things for berries.
Pushing a few leaves away, he searched for the better ones that seemed ripe and edible—walking through the wide trunked tree and leaves. After minutes of searching, Byakuya decided that he would return with the empty basket—there was no point in trying so hard for her.
Finding his way through the leaves, he was about to exit the area until his eyes spotted a bundle near the trunk of the tree. Walking towards the bark, he extended his hand to pick the wild berries until his hand flew back in the face of instincts as his hollow eyes met a bright pair of yellow cat-like eyes.
It had been ten minutes and the Emperor was still not back.
Although she didn't want to admit her concern, it was only natural to worry since berries—especially with his height—would not be that hard to pick by hand. But then again, he could've just left her; but then why did he take the basket?
Looking up, she searched the area to see if she would spot him through the petals or the leaves but strangely, she found no one—she scrunched her brows.
He'll be back, Rukia thought in her head but somehow she still couldn't convince herself that it was true. It would be no surprise to her if he actually left but at the very least he should've told her. She closed her book and slid it away from her—planning to investigate without interacting with him.
But wait...why was she doing this? It didn't matter whether he left her or not, she knew he wouldn't discuss what she wanted him to discuss and forcing him would only result in getting a bad name. She had already crossed the line. People who even dared refer to a diamyo or anyone of higher status by their first name had their tongue cut off in an instant. He had spared her—not because she was the Empress or his wife or anything—but he had. And Rukia didn't think she'd test him anymore when it came to owning up to the rules.
But then again...what if he did leave? Then she'd spend the entire day sitting out here waiting like a fool when she could leave. Arguing with her conscience was proving to be most difficult, but somehow in the midst of arguing, she concluded what she'd do anyways.
She would go.
But before she could stand up and leave the table to search, the Emperor came walking back with an empty basket and a face completely devoid of emotion as always. She told herself to look down but she had already caught his glare and the closer he came towards the picnic table, the more she felt tempted to stare.
She bit back a smile, but she was more than tempted to commence her laughter as he came closer to her view. All kinds of small leaves and branches were buried in between his ruffled dark hair—a few small scratches were seen running up his forearm. Whatever happened must've been serious, but it was definitely a battle she would've wanted to see.
"Um...Your Majesty?" Her lip must've been bleeding with all the pressure her teeth was putting against her lips to not smile. "What..."
"Silence." He voiced almost immediately with a warning glare towards her smile. "I will take my leave." He announced before setting the empty basket back to where it belonged and collecting his files before walking around the table.
She turned, "Wait—Your Majesty, weren't we suppose to talk about..."
"We will discuss this another day." The Emperor replied with his back facing her. "I have a meeting to attend t—"
"Meow." A voice cut him off and it surely didn't come from either her or the Emperor in the form of a cat.
She turned around to view a medium-sized black cat with magnificent golden eyes, purring in its position towards the Emperor. "Where did you come from?" Rukia asked while patting the purring cat's head.
In response, the cat closed his eyes in contentment causing her to tickle its ears as well for its own joy. From the top of her head, she could feel the Emperor's burning glare—causing her to look up as she groomed the cat's fur with her hand.
"How are you doing that?" He questioned nonchalantly.
"How am I doing what?" She questioned back as the cat meowed to display his pleasure.
"Petting," He said while looking at the cat. "that feline." He finished with distaste.
"You mean the cat?" Rukia questioned confusingly before quickly looking down at the cat she was fondling and returning her eyes back up to meet his. "It's easy—all you have to do is groom their fur and tickle their ears—they love that."
"Is that so?"
"Hmph." Rukia nodded in response as the cat crawled into her lap and positioned itself to sleep. "Would you like to try, Your Majesty?"
"No, thank you."
"Why not?"
"Why would I, or any person want to groom a cat?"
"Cats are not that bad. Sometimes they're lazy and sometimes they're not—they play and hide things and cuddle too if you want."
"You have been fooled."
"Huh?"
"Cats are anything but cooperative."
"Why do you say so?"
"They are evil."
"What? Cats aren't evil—they're just lazy." Rukia said. "Here—(she said while standing up)—trying holding him."
The Emperor stepped back.
"No, thank you."
"Try it, Your Majesty—cats are ver—"
"I refuse to touch that demon." He warned and although his voice did sound menacing, she continued to pursue him with the cat.
"I promise you it won't hurt you." She reassured and she was now close enough to hand over the cat with her arms. The cat meowed and opened its eyes once she lifted him into the air as the Emperor took another step back and she followed.
"Here—"
"Rukia, release that demon cat at once." He ordered and Rukia flinched at the sound of her name. She stopped in her tracks and lowered the cat back into her arms—evidently shocked at the usage of her first name by the Emperor who remained apathetic to it all.
"Did you just..." She could hardly believe it to the point that saying it sounded even more surreal than it was hearing it—the Emperor had just called her by her first name. "You called me by my first name..."
He stared at her with a blank expression—silently wondering what the entire fuss was about. But Rukia, on the other hand didn't know whether she should feel accomplished or overjoyed.
At least, we're finally getting somewhere
He turned around once again so that his back was facing her eyes once again. "Do not think that the usage of your first name means you can refer to me by mine."
"Yes, of course Your Majesty." She replied even though on the inside she knew she'd get there, eventually.
"I will take my leave." He said.
"Wait—" Rukia said as she released the cat on the ground and walked towards him.
"What is it?" The Emperor asked but his curiosity died when he felt a small hand turn him around.
She tiptoed so that she was able to reach his hair and one by one pick out the branches and leaves from his dark hair. Smoothing the ruffles out of his hair, she stepped back and nodded her head as approval while holding his strong gaze.
"Meow!" The cat,—located barely a millimeter away from the Emperor's foot—said causing the Emperor—and she swore to herself that she would probably never see it again, although minor and unnoticeable it was real—flinch.
The thought alone was ridiculous, but the sight, itself could not be denied. There was no certainty in what she saw, though she could've sworn for nearly ½ a second the Emperor had flinched because of the cat.
Maybe there's more to him than I originally thought.
"Come here." She said to the cat before it leaped into her arms with joy.
"I will be leaving now." He announced.
"Hai." Rukia said in response and she could barely control her laughter as she watched him leave. Managing to giggle, she was quick to slap her hand against her mouth in fear that the Emperor might overhear—unfortunately for her, she had already been discovered.
"Rukia." He warned and she heard his order loud and clear but unfortunately for her, it only made her want to laugh even more. And once he was gone, she couldn't hold back anymore.
"Kurosaki-kun?"
"Yeah, Inoue?"
"Have you..."
He turned to look at her as she timidly looked down. "Yeah?"
"Have you seen Kuchiki-san anywhere?"
Ichigo blinked in confusion. "Rukia? No, I haven't—why?"
"Well, the medical quarters wanted me to give her this ointment for her leg but I haven't seen her around ever since the wedding."
"Rukia was hurt?" Ichigo inquired immediately.
"No—well, yes Kurosaki-kun but it wasn't serious. According to Lady Unohana it was just a scratch but it was really hurting her."
"Oh..." Ichigo said nonchalantly before a poisonous thought came to mind. "Why don't you give it to her husband?" He asked as he bent down momentarily to get a drink of water as Orihime stood.
"I haven't seen His Majesty in a while either."
"He's been sending Renji as his substitute during Division meetings."
"But Kuchiki-san has been to all of her meetings, so he probably isn't with her either."
"How do you know?"
"Lady Ise, of course."
"Oh right, I forgot. I haven't seen much of her Ladies around either."
So Rukia wasn't with him—some kind of husband he was leaving her alone and tending to his own needs while barely paying attention to the Division's. But now that he thought about it, maybe it was a good thing because that meant nothing would change—in the Division and in Rukia.
It's not like he ever thought before that the Emperor was even capable of doing so—the thought had long passed him after that night in the Jade Hall. And now that he was assured that the Emperor once had a wife, he was sure of the fact that Rukia and him could work this out—he knew she wanted it too, but the woman he knew was stubborn; too stubborn for her own good and the only way to make her realize it was to distance himself.
Easier said than done.
"They've probably been busy tending to Kuchiki-san's and His Majesty's needs."
"Needs?" Ichigo scoffed. "What needs?"
"Well...they are married Kurosaki-kun. Married couples have a lot of needs—especially when they are out together. Oh! Like yesterday! Kuchiki-san and His Majesty were out in the rain and when they came back into the palace, they were all wet!"
"Wait—what happened? Why were they out in the rain?"
"I don't know. But it definitely sounds romantic doesn't it, Kurosaki-kun?! I mean Kuchiki-san and His Majesty in the rain and all!"
He was already starting to get tired of this same topic over and over again.
"Inoue, Rukia isn't like that.
"Isn't like what?" Orihime questioned in oblivion.
"Nothing, never mind."
"Anyways, I promised Lady Unohana I would go out to the Rukongai to pick some medicinal herbs, if you see Kuchiki-san can you please give this to her?" Orihime asked while pulling out the ointment wrapped in a small lotus leave for him to take.
He looked down and he could feel his rationality slowly slipping away with the thought of distancing himself away from Rukia long gone from his thoughts.
"Yeah sure, Inoue." Ichigo said before taking the ointment out of her hand—examining it carefully before looking up.
"Arigatou, Kurosaki-kun." She said while bowing. "I'll be off now."
"Bye." Ichigo said while taking the ointment and shoving it into his pocket for later—vowing to see her before the day was over.
The Emperor remained in his study for the rest of the day. His encounter with Rukia had been short and bearable, at least he did not have to see her or anyone for that matter until they met the thirteen Divisions later on.
Although his time would be much better spent on the palace's affairs, he could not bring himself to concentrate on them solely. He was distracted by something else.
His eyes narrowed at the anklet resting on his desk, something given to him by his father to give to another—a person he did not know. From his knowledge, he understood that his father was entrusted with the anklet that originally came in a pair before he gave one of them away to someone he did not name.
For the most part, Byakuya did not understand the value of the anklet nor the reason why his father was given it. But a part of his duty was to return the anklet to its pair and keep it for the future generations.
Truthfully, he did not know where to begin. All he had was his father's will to rely on that did not disclose any possibilities of who the person he gave it to might be except for the fact that the person had it worn on their right ankle—indicating that it would've most likely been a woman, but who?
At one point in time, he had been convinced that the woman was indeed Hisana. She was from the Rukongai and based on the evidence given in his father's will, he believed that it would be unlikely to be a noblewoman who he would have given such an object.
But of course, he had been wrong.
The majority of the population were the citizens of the Rukongai—finding the woman who owned the anklet would take years of work and investigation. He had hoped that his father would have left something for him to identify this woman but it seemed that he was out of luck.
On the night Consort Jiahao had visited him, he had wanted to ask her to retrieve the files regarding the noblewomen that lived within the palace but he had thought twice about asking her. That woman was nothing more but a manipulative snake. The only reason he kept her near him was for information but the Consort seemed to believe that he was the one who needed her.
He would not go to Consort Jiahao. He preferred to investigate it himself rather than trust her. And from what he knew, the palace did not have a harem of women for the Emperor so she was often partaking in something else. While it was a disadvantage, it was also an advantage for him to use her until he saw fit. But he could not use her for this.
He held the anklet with two of his fingers, wondering why his father would've given such an expensive thing away. If only he knew why.
It was cold outside.
But to blame the weather was wrong, because it wasn't the weather's fault but rather her fault for coming out in the cold with such as loose garment during the night. She was suppose to be back in her chambers eating dinner with His Majesty but rather she was out for a walk, alone, because His Majesty decided that he would rather stand her up than inform her either directly or indirectly.
It wouldn't have killed him to send a message with a maid at least. Instead, he had left her to sit there until the food got cold and she got exhausted. Eventually, she had concluded that she needed a walk. So here she was.
It was peaceful at first. But after awhile, she got tired again and decided to sit down. Perhaps she was being foolish for wandering outside but then again, she needed a second to breathe and anyhow he showed up, she wouldn't feel as comfortable as she felt right now being alone as she wished.
She hadn't seen him for the rest of the day ever since the...cat incident. It seemed that he was working privately in his study. Still, it wasn't that hard to send a message that he would not be present for dinner instead of leaving her. Kami, sometimes he could be so irritating.
She had spent the day in the Jade Hall and went out with her Ladies as well. But even during those times, she had not eaten once—she had been too engrossed in her work.
She was hungry, there was no doubt about it. Although it was cold, she concluded that she might as well had eaten it so she wouldn't be as hungry now. But she was so far now, isolated, alone, or at least that's what she thought until her eyes caught sight of someone looking down at her as she sat.
"Ichigo." She acknowledged as her eyes slightly grew in surprise.
"Rukia." Ichigo said while peering down at her crouched position. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" She sneered in surprise.
"It's a public greenhouse, Rukia—anyone can come here."
"Not when I'm around." She muttered and looked down.
"Since when?"
"Since now. Leave, Ichigo."
"No." He said sternly. "It's a public greenhouse."
"You seem to be forgetting that I'm the Empress, Lord Kurosaki."
"Oh, so now it's 'Lord Kurosaki'. Cut the crap, Rukia—I know you're not happy." She wasn't, he knew it all too well. If she had been it would've shown itself but it didn't. She was alone.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You damn well know what I'm talking about."
"I don't. Now, leave."
"I won't leave."
"Fine, then I'll leave." She said before standing up from her crouched position and turning around. Sometimes Ichigo could be irritating as well.
"Wait—"
"What?" She stopped.
"I didn't come here to talk to you – I didn't even know you'd be here." From her perspective, it seemed as if he was telling the truth. But still...
"I'm still leaving."
"I seriously didn't know you'd be here. I was out with Renji, Chad, Ishida, and Inoue again—how was I suppose to know that you'd be here?"
"You couldn't have."
"Exactly."
"But I'm still leaving."
"Why are you out here?" Ichigo said to change the subject before she walked away.
"I needed some fresh air—you?" She replied honestly.
"I was bored." Ichigo responded. "And hungry."
"Then why did you come here?"
"Kenpachi was at my favorite place."
"Oh, I see. Well maybe you can go check back and see if he's gone."
"I doubt it—Yachiru's with him so I doubt he's coming out until her stomach's full."
"She does eat a lot."
"She does." And after that, they remained in awkward silence until Rukia spoke.
"...I should go.
"Wait—"
"Ichigo..."
"Let me ask you one thing."
"What?"
"Are you hungry?"
"Huh?" She asked with widened eyes to express her surprise.
"I can hear your stomach from here, Rukia—it's growling." She looked down and put her hand over her stomach before looking up.
"Sort of."
"Then let's go then."
"Wait—Where?"
"Where else? To get something to eat."
The Emperor did not feel like leaving the Kuchiki Hall just yet as nightfall took over the land. To say it was the paperwork would be an indecisive excuse, because the problem, indeed lied between him and his supposed 'wife'.
If he could reduce the amount of times he visited the Imperial Gardens, perhaps he could avoid her completely—if only, it wasn't his conscience telling him to do otherwise in her favor. The Emperor did not make mistakes—however, he could at least admit to himself that the reason she was so uneasy about their relationship was because of what occurred on their nuptial night.
His efforts in trying to ease that uneasiness seemed to only make things worse because now she was attached. Attached to some false hope about an emotional relationship that would never occur between the two as long as they lived. Byakuya was no fool—he did not need to develop anything remarkably close to the term of friendship to produce an heir.
Intimacy did not require love. It was evident in current day relationships seen in the Red Light Districts in the Rukongai that love did not have to incite an intimate relationship. And as far as the Emperor was concerned, he only had one intention of doing it once and that was with the Empress to produce an heir.
He knew Rukia would eventually have to understand that there would never be anything decent between them except an heir. He did not wish to form anything with her that was romantic and yet she still persisted to believe that somehow a liaison could be formed between them.
It was ridiculous and Byakuya couldn't make himself be bothered by it. Nonetheless, he still managed to visit her at least once a day.
He was not doing it for her. He would be damned the day he allowed himself to have her persist him into being acquaintances. He was doing it for the sake of his reputation. He did not want any doubts to be placed on him as a ruler.
If his relationship with Rukia casted doubts on his abilities, his honor would perish on his account. He had to preserve it and if it meant enduring a few hours of the day with Rukia, he would have to do it by force if not choice.
Something he knew he should be doing now.
He did not want to have dinner with her. The mere thought of it made him uneasy. Although he had faced her once before during their first dinner, he did not think he could last that long.
They would have to eat in her chambers again and he did not want to do that again, either. To say he wasn't used to her face would be incorrect, he had gotten used to her face being so eminently similar to his wife's in his short time as Emperor. However, even if seeing her face did bring him pain, it was her persistence that lied the problem.
He wasn't remote to becoming close to her—knowing what she liked, what she didn't, what she believed. The more he talked to her, the more he discovered new things about her—things he did not want to know but knew.
From what he knew, she liked onigiri, cherries, climbing, drawing, and believed in Kami. And if it was ever possible to erase those memories, he would've. But he couldn't—he already knew.
He stood up and walked over to the large entrance of two metal doors and allowed himself into the night. He needed a walk—he needed to forget—those thoughts of Rukia and their marriage.
The furthest distance he could think of that would not raise suspicion would be her chambers. He only hoped that she was not awake so he could make a quick stop and then leave.
That is of course, if she was asleep.
"Ichigo..." She said in an exhausted tone.
"C'mon, I'm only asking you to have dinner." Ichigo persisted. "As friends, Rukia—you can calm down."
No, she couldn't.
"I really should - "
"Why are you being like this?" He questioned to cut her off. "I thought we were friends."
"No—Yes—I don't know. I already told you we can't be..." Being friends was too dangerous for her. She didn't want to risk it at all regardless of the friendship they had. She was protecting him in a sense if she stayed away. Why should his honor be diminished as well?
"Friends or lovers?"
"Ichigo!" She scolded before looking around to see if any guards happened to be roaming around. "Both. We can't do this."
"We can." He insisted. "Are you just going to forget what we had as friends?"
"No, of course not but—"
"You're making things difficult for no reason, Rukia. We're just going to eat 'cause we're hungry—as friends."
"I have dinner ready in my chambers."
"For who? You and Byakuya?"
"Ichigo, stop calling His Majesty by his first name—It's disrespectful." Rukia scolded but Ichigo knew she was trying to avoid the subject.
"He's not there, is he?"
"What?"
"He didn't show up and now you're out here—alone—trying to starve yourself so you can eat together. Rukia, what the hell—"
"It's not like that, you fool!" He got it all wrong. She wasn't trying to starve herself out of all things. She was waiting for him because she expected him to show up. But now that he didn't, she went for a walk but she was going back to eat.
"Then why the fuck are you out here alone?"
"Whatever I do, doesn't concern you!"
"And it doesn't concern him, either! I'm tryna protect you!"
"I don't need you to protect me!"
"Let's go, Rukia."
"No. I'm going back to my chambers." She said before she attempted to walk past him but he reached out and caught her arm.
"I don't want to go with you..."
"That's a lie." Ichigo pursued. "You do."
"I don't." She reassured. "And nothing you say or do is going to stop me from going back."
"Not even if I beg you?"
"I thought Kurosaki Ichigo didn't beg?"
"Yeah, yeah well desperate times calls for desperate measures." He scoffed.
"I'm tired."
"You're hungry."
"Would you stop arguing with me?"
"I'm not arguing I'm telling the truth!"
"Baka, I told you I don't want to go anywhere with you!"
"Then let me come with you!"
"No—he'll see you."
"You're still worried about Byakuya seeing us—Rukia, are you kidding me?"
"His Majesty." She corrected.
"Whatever, Rukia. Just here me out for a sec, please." He stressed the word because he wanted her to come. He didn't intend on doing anything with her, he just wanted to talk. Her silence told him she was ready to hear him speak so by all means, he did. "We'd be in the Rukongai, Rukia—Byakuya wouldn't even know we'd be there. We'd eat and then you'd go home."
"I wish it was that simple but if anyone recognizes us, I'll be—"
"No one ever recognized you before, did they? You're worried for no reason. I know you want to go."
"I don't." She whispered quietly as a slight breeze brushed a few strands of her hair.
"Are you sure about that?"
"I'm sure." She said. "Goodnight, Ichigo."
"Goodnight."
He did not hear a single word through the shōji doors that indicated whether she had fallen asleep or not. Still, he preferred to be precautious before entering her room to avoid any intrusion but he knew better: she would not unveil herself in front of the door.
He parted the doors slightly, scanning the area to find the room quiet and vacant. He stepped in to observe the room further but found nothing except the cold dinner he had been expected to eat and the shōji to the garden left open.
She was not there.
There was no indication of where she could've gone except the shōji allowing the air to intrude the room. Either way, he did not rest with the fact that she had left the room without informing him of her whereabouts in a form of a note or message.
To be sure, he pushed away the thin curtains that veiled her bed in search for a note to explain her leave but found nothing until he spotted a white paper folded near one of her pillows—he had found it.
He wanted to question why she chose to place it in such a difficult location but he rather listen to her reason rather than question her stupor. He reached out to unfold the crumpled note—spotting words such as 'remember' and 'go' as he unfolded the paper, but unfortunately, before he had the opportunity to read it, a voice interfered before he could read the note.
"Your Majesty..." Rukia acknowledged in almost a whisper as she closed the parted doors. Her skin was flushed with a faint touch of red that he presumed was an effect of wandering in the cold however, it was not much of surprise considering the garment she chose to wander with in the night.
"Where were you?" He questioned, putting the note aside.
"I was...out for a walk, Your Majesty."
"Is that so?" He replied, and she nodded her head in response. "In that?" He asked as he narrowed down at the thin garment she chose to wear outside.
"Hai, I didn't think it was that cold." She admitted. "But it is fine, I like it..."
"You did not need to go outside." He responded.
"Were you waiting for me?" She asked even though she highly doubted that the Emperor out of all people would be that concerned.
"No." He responded sternly. "I just arrived."
"I see. Will you be staying?" Rukia asked as she approached him.
"I do not believe it is necessary if you have eaten."
"I have not." She responded. "I was waiting..." She admitted quietly. "...for you."
He glanced at her immediately as she reached out to retrieve the note he had set aside. It did not go unnoticed how quickly she had folded it and tucked it in her robe as if it was any use to her now that she was here. But then again...it could not have been for him.
"You should not expect me for dinner." Byakuya said. "I do not intend on coming here to eat."
"Oh...I see. Is this what you wanted to talk to me about earlier?" Rukia asked as she looked up to him now that the note was put away.
"No."
"Then what did you want to talk about?" Rukia asked—eyes filled with curiosity.
He stared at her, but he did not respond to her question instead, he changed the subject. "You should eat."
"I am not hungry anymore." She lied. "And besides, the food is already cold."
"That did not stop you from wandering outside." He noted.
"I like it—the cold—it's much more calming." She explained with a subtle grin as her eyes narrowed down. Her mind was still contemplating her interaction with Ichigo to notice the hand that had slightly touched her cheek in observance.
"You are cold." He stated with narrowed eyes.
"I am fi—" He did not let her finish her sentence. Before she knew it, a blanket was placed around her body—held in place by his large hands on her shoulders.
"You will get ill." He scolded before removing his hands and leaving her to stand near the bed.
"I will not." She protested although she held onto the blanket.
"You are in no position to argue with me." Byakuya responded before gathering the meal she was suppose to eat.
"I said I'm not hungry." Rukia said while taking a step back as he approached her.
"I do not care. Eat."
"I am not hungry." She protested. "I don't feel like eating."
"You should not sleep with an empty stomach. " He responded before Rukia sighed.
She looked down at the tray he held in front of her and looked up. "I'm really not hungry..."
If only her stomach could uphold that lie. Moments after speaking, her stomach made growling noises loud enough for the other side of the palace to hear causing her to close her eyes in defeat. She grabbed the silver tray he held out to her and sat on the bed.
"Will you not have some?" She asked after taking her first bite.
"No." He responded.
"You've been working all day...are you sure?"
"I do not need your concern. Just eat." He said so Rukia remained silent.
He sat down near what was suppose to be his desk and began to work on some paperwork. Rukia looked away. She did not understand him at all. One second he wanted to discuss something then he disappeared, he stood her up for dinner, and now he was back again—scolding her for going out in the cold.
To say she did not understand him at all was an understatement, she really did not get any of his actions but at least she could say she was fortunate. Although it meant nothing at all, she did find out something about him that made her feel better about his strange disappearances; he hated cats, feared them even, but not in a phobic way.
She had to bite down on her lip just to suppress the laugh that threatened to escape at the thought of it again. The fact that the cat won, made it all the more hilarious.
She smiled. It didn't matter if he noticed, it didn't seem like he would at all actually—he was too engrossed by his work.
She watched him for awhile as she finished the tray finding interest in what he was working on. He had been silent—not that it was much of a surprise – but too silent. Truth be told, she had expected some type of scolding from his part after she had giggled a few times on her own. From her point of view, it didn't seem like he was working on files from the palace but rather something else. Something rather interesting.
She tried to peek but given the distance, it was impossible to see what he was writing. He looked so concentrated. But it must've been interesting, given the fact that he hadn't notice her eyes drilling holes through his back for the past couple of minutes she took to complete her tray.
He moved slightly, giving her the impression that he would leave, but he didn't. In fact, all he did was help her see what exactly he was working on. Something was glinting...Something bright. For some reason, she felt drawn to it, the glinting light, like a moth to a flame...it was strange.
Standing up, she walked to him in slow steps; eyes locked with that one space. "Your Majesty..."
"Do not come any closer." He warned causing her to jump in her spot.
"Why?" She frowned, eyes focused on the glint.
"I am doing something." He simply replied.
She tried to peek. "I understand but I wanted to know—"
"What?" He finished for her. "It is of no concern to you."
"But—"
From the corner of his eye, he spotted her tray. "You are not done eating yet."
"I am full."
"You are not. Return and eat, I am not going until the 8th Division finish circulating the area." He said but Rukia was not paying attention at all. She was more concerned over the trinket she could see in his hand—shimmering red, no—blue, no—green. A jade green.
It did not take long until the Emperor noticed that she was not paying attention to his words but rather, his desk or more importantly, the anklet.
"What is..."
"I will take my leave." He immediately said before standing up and retrieving his files.
"No wait, Your Majesty! I apologize for meddling, please stay." Rukia said with a bow.
"It is not necessary. You are full and I presume the 8th Division have finished circulating the area."
"They're not and I'm not full yet." She tried to reason.
"You said you were."
"Eat with me." Rukia suggested. "There's still some food left and I don't want to put it to waste."
"Give it to the maids, they will throw it away." He re-suggested.
"That would be a waste of food. Imagine how many Rukongai children would die for this. We should not waste it if we can't give it to them."
"You seem to care a great deal for the children of the Rukongai." He commented taking note of the files he had read regarding her reign.
"I do..."
"Why?" He inquired. His question caught her off-guard.
"What do you mean by 'why'? Why shouldn't I care? I'm the Empress."
"Their lives do not matter to you. What have they ever done for you to deserve your attention? You were never one of them."
"That's a horrible thing to say. Of course their lives matter, any life should matter. Just because they are not as fortunate as you that does not mean we should cast their lives into doubt. They have great potential and deserve to have an opportunity to pursue it. And besides, it shouldn't matter what they have done for me, they don't have to do anything."
"Is that so?"
"Of course! I know how it feels to be left with nothing."
"Death and poverty are two different things."
"I'm not talking about my late husband. I'm talking about myself."
"What have you lost that doesn't involve death?" He inquired.
My childhood.
She did not answer. Mainly because she didn't think he could ever understand by what she meant. It seemed like the Auris Elders hadn't told him the truth about her—the truth about her family lineage, even if there was nothing really there.
She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated whether she should tell him or not, but it seemed that he had already lost interest once he had turned around.
"If you are no longer hungry save the food until tomorrow. I will take my leave."
"Oh..." She looked at the tray. "I will." She had expected him to say something else.
Either way, it seemed that he was done talking about the subject and so was she.
"Goodnight, Your Majesty." She made sure to say before he left.
"Goodnight."
The Jade Hall was utterly grey.
The rain from outside seemed to only darken the jade-coloured hall excessively and manage to dullen Rukia's interest to train.
She held her sword in her hand but she no longer felt motivated to practice as the skies grumbled outside. She had hoped to return to her tree for the rest of the day but it seemed that her plans would have to change given the weather.
She took a few steps around the room, twirling with her sword that slowly became a dance but she knew better than to dance without reason near the palace if she was not a concubine or geisha. If she could, she wouldn't have minded becoming one for one day if it meant she could dance without having to fear the judgmental eyes of others.
The white makeup, the heavy kimonos, and the red lips all sounded so spontaneous and different, but she could never sell her body out like that for money or men. Regardless, she still thought about it from time to time just to feel turbulent even if it was only for a second. If it meant she could dance, she wouldn't mind it at all.
Placing the sword back into her sheath, she gave up on trying to practice the darker the hall got and stepped out of it while guards waiting on the outside, bowed.
"Your Majesty." They all acknowledged in unison as she walked down the corridor to the outside rain. A guard accompanied her with an umbrella to shield her but she immediately dismissed him and took the umbrella herself.
From far, she could spot some men entering the Court Pune Hall which meant there was probably a meeting in session. Which also meant his study was empty.
Rukia tried her best to convince herself not to meddle in his private affairs but she could not help but feel drawn to it ever since seeing that jade trinket he had held in his left hand. It held no meaning to her—she was not even sure she knew exactly what it was. From her distance, it had seemed as a trinket but it could've been something else.
Nonetheless, she still felt drawn to it—she just wanted to know what it was.
She knew it wasn't best to start off their acquaintance by invading his personal space however, she was the Empress and she had not seen his study ever since it was built on the first day. She was visiting—not inquiring.
Her mind slowly traced back to last night when he had stopped her from coming any closer. She was well aware that he was a secluded person by now but if it was palace work, why hide? She headed towards the Kuchiki Hall—as he had chosen to call it—near the west end, unsure if she was willing to do what she wanted to do once she got there.
It was just a piece of jewelry—something she would probably never see again or wear. But for some reason, Rukia felt enticed to the object—it was strange. There was an impulse inside of her to see it and maybe even to touch it.
It wasn't long until she reached the doors of his study. There were no guards shielding it either which meant that he was not inside for sure as she had predicted. Staring at the doors, she bit her bottom lip once again as she contemplated whether it was a good idea or not.
She was invading his personal space—it was wrong and she knew it. But that didn't stop her from stepping into the study and closing the doors almost immediately before anyone saw. At this point she no longer knew what she was doing. Her mind said one thing and her body did another; she just wanted to see the damn trinket and leave before anyone saw her—specifically him.
However, satisfying her odd innate desire seemed to be rather difficult because the moment she turned away from the doors, she was not faced with a desk or a board of books but rather a bed.
So this is where he slept...She mentally commented as she scanned the large room. There was a tapestry of velvet midnight blue hanging high and around the huge space. It made her realize that this was no study, this was his room—the one he slept in—to run away from her every day.
The change of location made her realize that her presence was even more wrong than it was before. But she could not take the entire blame, she had entered here under the impression that this was his study, not his bedroom. If she had known, she wouldn't have come.
Rukia sighed in defeat, it seemed that her impulse would have to wait until the next time she had the opportunity to see it. But she knew that would be awhile after yesterday night. He had been so quick to tell her to stay where she was almost as if it was some secret he was suppose to hide.
She was about to turn around until a small glint caught the corner of her eyes. She snapped her head back towards the bed to see the one thing she was looking for—it was the trinket, the jade one, the one she had seen him hold in her room.
Before she could even think about all the reasons why it was wrong, she walked towards the jade resting on the miniature desk beside his bed and stared. It was a magnificent sight; a scintillating jade matched with silver to form what she had mistaken for a trinket; which it was not.
It was an anklet—a beautiful one as well.
It was hung on a bamboo stick, isolated from anything else but that in a shape of four-leafed clovers that were said to bring good luck. Rukia wanted to touch it so badly but she knew it was wrong, she couldn't. If only there was a matching kind of it in this world, she would've taken it in a heart beat just to stare at its beauty. But there was not, at least...she didn't think there was.
She couldn't help but wonder who it belonged to or why the Emperor out of all people had it. Could it belong to his lover? It would admittingly be a surprise however, it would make sense as to why he did not wish to form an emotional relationship with her. She could understand.
The necklace she wore was a gift from Ichigo—her lover—in a sense. So for him to receive a gift from his own was not much of a surprise except the fact that it would be a surprise if he had one. But now she wondered, who? And most importantly, why did he carelessly leave it in his room on a display?
The Emperor was not a careless person. He didn't appear to be, excluding the day of his coronation. If he had so easily left a gift from his lover lying around she did not know what that meant for their country.
But still, she was glad she found it, whatever drew her to it was finally being satisfied.
The jade was so marvelous that it's glint was as strong as the sunlight. The way it mirrored itself in her eyes made her feel even more enticed by the object...almost too enticed because before she knew it, she was reaching out to touch it.
This was wrong.
This was so, so wrong.
It was a gift from his lover and she out of all people had no right to touch something so personal and yet...it was so hard to refrain her hand from reaching out towards it.
When her finger touched the gem, she watched the glint spark again until her body was jolted awake by the sound of a voice. Cold. Threatening. Deadly.
She froze.
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
End Note
I wonder why she's so obsessed with that anklet.
So we're finally here. I hope you enjoyed it! I apologize again for the amount of changes I made in the past chapters but I realized it would take me awhile to close the endings off of those minor plot lines so I erased them. That being said, I erased the Chinese wedding part as well because it was difficult for me to maintain both cultures throughout the story. So now it will be 100% easier for me to maintain one cultural stream and focus on the plot line as planned. Hopefully it will make it easier for me to update now without having to worry.
Images For This Chapter
- The Jade Anklet
Please, please, please review! They are honestly very encouraging to read! Please and thank you!
- NairaRains/kagomesangos
