A/N: Konnichiwa, Minna-san!
Thanks a bunch for the reviews, faves, and follows! :)
I know it's been a long time but I'm working through some major writer's block. After a lot of dithering and backspacing and stressing, I've decided to finally post this. All your encouragement is greatly appreciated!
I'm also running very busy so thanks for your patience!
My dear Guest – Thank you! So glad you liked it!
Disclaimer: Yes, because Tite Kubo will write Ichihime fanfiction. Not. No matter how much I wish he would. :P
Enjoy!
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Chapter – 9
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'That one?'
'Yes, that one.'
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Back Courtyard, Royal Palace, Karakura
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The smart, black-haired officer stood with his hands on his hips as he issued orders to the men who were filling supplies in sacks and stacking them in the carts to be taken away. There had been a lot to do and at least one of the army regiments would move out today along with a caravan to transport some of the pilfered treasure. With the last of this trip's sack of gold finally being put away, the young man called for the soldiers to prepare to move out.
He moved inside through a wide, arched doorway and was about to climb up a pair of steps leading to the soldiers' quarters when he heard a sniffle from behind two trees to the right. He ducked around the solid trunk and was greeted by a pair of startling eyes, the color of icy blue water. It was a woman, he noted. An astoundingly beautiful woman with luminous golden hair, provocatively full lips and a generously curved body wrapped in a clingy, deep blue kaftan. She let out a small sniffle and a delicate hand came up to rub at her eyes. Yes, a very beautiful and upset woman.
Of course, the honorable and dashing young officer took it upon himself to enquire.
'Is something the matter?' he asked politely, trying to be as soothing as possible.
The woman choked on a sob and jerkily shook her head.
'Oh no, kind sir. Nothing at all.'
Well obviously, there was. He decided that it was of the utmost importance that he find out what this matter was. Maybe she had had a quarrel with a friend, or she had lost something, and quite possibly, either of these highly distressing scenarios would require a shoulder to lean on. And of course he was very interested in providing such a stunning damsel in distress just the shoulder to lean on.
'I'm afraid I can't believe that with your tears flowing like this,' he began, 'won't you please tell me?'
She bit her lip and her downcast eyes jerked from side to side as she contemplated his offer to listen to her woes. And all the while that full, lusciously pink lower lip of hers was worried mercilessly, causing quite a stirring in the young officer.
He gave her a small, reassuring smile and she gave a small sigh and began.
'Oh, kind sir, it is rude of me to bother you so, but I have a need to go to Sereitei. My aunt, whom I was staying with, passed away recently and my only remaining family lives there. However, I have no way to reach there. I am alone here with another friend of mine and since it would be so unsafe for us to travel alone I am at a loss of what to do.'
'That is quite the problem. Is there any way that I can help?'
'Y-yes.' She hiccupped. 'B-but surely it would be too rude to ask – '
'Oh don't worry about that, please ask.'
'W – well, do you think you could sneak my friend and I into one of the carriages that will leave today? Any one of them will do. Even if it carries moth-eaten blankets.'
He contemplated it for a moment before he answered.
'Oh, definitely not. It'll be one that has the best carpets or something of that sort!'
'So you'll do it? You'll help us?' she asked hopefully, grabbing his upper arm in her excitement.
A blush spattered about the bridge of the man's nose as his arm pressed against her soft, abundant breasts and he found himself nodding away in a silly fashion.
'Of course! Get your friend and quickly get into that carriage over there!'
'Oh, thank you!'
Silly changed to delirious as she threw her arms about his neck. She sprinted away, dragging her friend – whom he hadn't even noticed before - from behind the other tree much, much before his arms could actually wrap around her waist in response.
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Tatsuki quietly shut the door of the carriage once they were seated inside and managed a satisfied smile. There was no way they were leaving Orihime by herself in a new country. A smug laugh drew her attention and she turned to face a smirking Rangiku.
'What?'
'I told you that one would work.'
Poor, young Officer Shuuhei Hisagi had a lot to learn.
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Somewhere in the middle of the Karakura Desert
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The night winds swept by relentlessly, causing the flap of the tent to flutter with the force of the strong sandstorm that the royal couple had had the misfortune to get ensnared in. As was usually the case, this sandstorm too had been unexpected and they had had to stop for the day.
A strong grip on her shoulder shook her awake. Orihime immediately knew that there was something wrong. She could see it in the Prince's tense stance, in the agile dart of his eyes from side to side, and in the tight grip he had on each of the two swords that he held.
'Wha –?'
'Wait.' He said, quieting her questioning whisper.
And then she realized what had made him so alert. There was a faint rustling of people moving outside their tent. A horse's whinnying and the indistinct clang of chain mail made it clear that these people were far from friendly.
'Give me one.' She said and he turned his head slightly to look at her in confusion. She glanced at the swords he held and he understood. He handed her the shorter one and it was right after that that all hell broke loose.
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They stood back to back in the middle. The enemy mercenaries were unidentifiable, their clothing plain and black cloth covering their faces as they charged at the royal couple in a frenzied state resembling a ravenous pack of wolves. Ichigo grit his teeth and a murderous glint entered his own eyes as the killers attacked.
Block, dodge, slash. The mantra repeated in his head over and over as he dispatched one man after another. In a second of momentary relief, he spared a glance at his companion. The delicate Princess could fight. That much he could see, even as he sliced through each of the numerous assassins that rushed at him. Well, maybe fight was the wrong word, but she could at least defend herself. She'd probably been taught how to fight in some fancy palace room or another and probably by teachers and friends who would've taken care not to hurt. But she'd never fought on an open battlefield against enemies who'd use any tactic necessary to get rid of her. Her inexperience showed as she took time to understand and deflect each blow that would otherwise have killed her.
He pulled his sword out of his opponent's chest with a squelch as blood spattered the sand and barely had time to dodge two more that came rushing at him. He had to finish this fast. There had been about twenty of them and though he'd lost count of how many had fallen already, one look at the Princess's condition told him that this had to end soon. She tried hard, he'd give her that, but these were big, burly soldiers against a slight girl of twenty-two, who wasn't used to handling his heavy sword.
But that was where he came in. He fought with the agile grace of a panther and with the speed of a striking snake. He wouldn't have had any trouble with just these many men if he didn't have to also watch out for someone else. Even so, he worked quickly, and there were just two of the hit men remaining when the Princess's sudden scream drew his attention and he turned in time to see her stumble backwards from just having barely blocked a dangerous blow. Her chest heaved from the exhaustion of swinging around the hefty weapon, but even as she tightened her grip around the hilt of the sword, he knew that there was no way she would be able to bring it up in time to deflect her opponent's attack.
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With eyes wide, she stared as the blade came closer and closer to her unshielded body. At the last possible moment, she managed to clench her eyes shut and fisted her hands. But the blow never came. Instead, she heard a loud clang and blinked to see the Prince stop the man's sword with his own and decapitate the last mercenary in a single swift motion.
She gasped as crimson liquid spattered the ground and the last broken body fell. With a flick of his wrist, the orange-haired man rid his weapon of the remaining blood and turned to face her. She looked up at his face, half-hidden in shadow by the bright moonlight and the serious fierceness of his gaze made her so much more aware of the fact that her husband wasn't just a Prince; he was also a fighter.
She flinched reflexively as he slowly reached for the sword that was still tightly grasped by her small hand. His eyes narrowed and she swallowed. An unfathomably uneasy and discomfiting expression was fleetingly present in his intense brown irises before he blinked.
'Are you alright, Orihime?' he asked, the low, gravelly tone of his voice making her shiver.
'I'm fine' she said quietly as she nodded at him.
The start of a surely painful swelling caught her eye and her hand inadvertently rose to a bruise beside his chin. It was then that she noticed the cut on the side of his lip. Slowly, her careful fingers inched up to trace the broken skin with a feather-light touch.
'You're hurt.' She whispered.
His molten gaze held her own in an unblinking stare.
'Just a scratch.' He muttered.
They stood so close, and neither knew when the other had moved to reduce the distance between them. As he spoke, his warm breath brushed her fingertips, causing her to accidently press against the wound. He hissed at the unexpected twinge of pain. Just having realized what she was doing, Orihime snatched her hand back, a string of apologies spilling out of her mouth.
'I'm so sorry! I – I didn't mean to! I – '
'That's alright.' He tried to say, 'I'm fin – '
Whack.
And then, Prince Ichigo Kurosaki, esteemed soldier of the Seretei Imperial Army crumpled on to the desert sand as something – or rather someone - hit the back of his head.
The last thing that registered in his befuddled mind before he lost consciousness was that the newcomer's voice was very familiar. And very, very annoying.
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'What the heck are you doin' here, dumbass?!'
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A/N: Tada! (Czexy – Hee. :D). There it is! Hope you guys liked it! Lemme know your thoughts and please review!
