She woke up to find out Byakuya, her husband, had already risen. For a time, she stared at the dent settled upon the pillow, and then laid her hand on it to discover the soft fabric was still warm. He really was here. Sleeping next to me.

The recollection of last night was blurry, but persistent. It was phantom of scent and sensation one cannot quite catch. As if the night was carried on a butterfly's wings.

Her thought was cut off when Kuchiki Byakuya reappeared from the bathing room, fully dressed in his daily kimono. He wore a rather grim expression, now that the Kenseikan was back on his hair. He glanced at her, but did not speak any greeting. An invisible wall had fallen again, and the tension between them grew even more intolerable.

"I called for a maid to help you get ready. –He moved up the stair- there is someone to whom I want to introduce you"

With this announcement, Kuchiki Byakuya shut the doors, and vanished from Helena's sight.

"Such a hateful man!" She commented aloud.

Chapter 10: Kuchiki Rukia

The Kuchiki manor was big enough so that each member could live out their days without bumping into one another. Even relatives could spend two years or so without eating one meal together. Kuchiki Rukia did not have this fortune. Her living quarters, mysterious, were right next to her brother's. So everyday she would wake up, get ready, and walk with him to work. Those mornings were always heavy, she thought. I could only see his back.

Though her brother's affection for her had been made clear, Rukia could not help but feel the same heaviness every time she was to be with Nii-sama. She could never cease to expect her poor manners were displeasing him. The violet in her eyes got darker whenever this thought crossed her mind.

Due to her injuries, Rukia escaped the morning uncomfortable walks for a while. She spent the time catching up with readings, and viewing the scenery. Renji came visiting her almost everyday, but he could not stay for long since Byakuya forbid anyone to disturb her rest. But nevertheless he still came diligently, and her heart rang every time he did. She would ask him how Ichigo was doing, how her friends in the living world were enjoying their normal routines. In fact, that was what most their conversations consisted of, until she heard the news of Nii-sama getting a new wife.

She chuckled, calling to mind the image of Renji that day. He was panicking, as she could tell. And in his unrefined tone, he told her of the purpose of the ball. It did not surprise her really, just caused a slight twist.

She did not make an appearance at the ball, or speak with his bride at the wedding ceremony, using her health as an excuse. But the truth was that she did not want to face them both together. She felt a bit of dismay with this marriage, but it troubled as to she couldn't know the reason to this dismay.

How could I be opposing this? Surely Nii-sama would remarry someday. Kuchiki Rukia reminded herself that she had never known her own sister, Byakuya's late wife. Hence, it was illogical for her to feel angry that someone else had filled Kuchiki Hisana's position.

Someone of nobility.

Realization dawned on Rukia so coarsely its sound resembled somewhat of a cracked egg. Despite being named Kuchiki, Rukia had never forgotten her humble upbringing. It was always hard staring into her brother's back, thinking how different they were, in both status and level. A noble woman.

Kind words were not spoken to her about Naoki Helena. In fact, few people could describe Naoki Helena as kind or pleasant. She was always under the impression that Naoki Helena was the female Byakuya, with emotionless stares and rarely commented on anything, or just plainly found everything beneath her care.

"Rukia-sama, Byakuya-sama is waiting for you in the guest room with Helena-sama. He requests you to be your best"

She knew this was code for this is damn important. So change your plain kimono into something more appropriate. So she got up from her spot, and hurriedly changed into a deep violet kimono with white curvy lines on the sleeves. Rukia took a glance of herself in the mirror. Despite how the kimono fitted her, she tugged and pulled, sighed as to how her skin still did not make peace with this nice material. The girl in the mirror seemed to ask her why she appeared to be in misery.

"Frankly, I don't know why" Something had been bugging Rukia for a week. A bad, bad intuition. She felt something was going wrong. But she could not find out what or whom.

…

"Good morning, Nii-sama, Nee-sama" Bowed Rukia. When she looked up, her brother was sitting still, not making any gesture to acknowledge her greeting. Instead, his pupil steered toward the direction of the woman next to him. Disapproval merged from his glare.

Normally, no wife, even if she were from nobility, would be so bold as to arrange her seat too close to her husband. This was frowned upon, since it was important that the wife acknowledge the role of her husband as the decision maker in the House. Apparently, Kuchiki Naoki Helena was not willing to forgone her own prestigious position. Rukia noticed how Naoki's pillow was leveled to her brother's, and there were two tea tables for each of them instead of only one in front of Nii-sama.

Seeing how little effect his disapproval got on his new wife, Byakuya returned his gaze to the small girl in front of him. He quickly judged her well being, as well as her manners. A smile bloomed inside him, noticing her healthy complexion. But despite his interior tenderness, the mouth of Kuchiki Byakuya remained stale.

"Rukia, this is my new wife, Kuchiki Naoki Helena"

Rukia bowed to her; and just like Byakuya, Helena disregarded Rukia's gracious bow as the girl stole a look at her brother's new wife. The face was noble indeed; with features so refined you could draw only smoothness from them. A severe tranquility. Rukia observed. The thing most striking about her was probably her hair. So dark and wavy. Though part of them was kept in an updo with a hairstick. Rukia spotted how simple Naoki fashioned herself. Her adornments were harmonic, but there were so few of them on her. The kimono she wore was nothing worth roaring about. Its brocades included of pinkish threads in shapes of tiny snowbells, although Rukia found out much later that each of Naoki's casual kimonos was actually worth five years of a vice-captain's salary due to its precious fabric which was said to be light as air, impossible to damage, yet shield the body from flames, heat, and coldness.

She is rather plain looking. Rukia handed down her verdict of the woman in front of her. As if gotten aware of her remark, Naoki's eyes suddenly put themselves in the center of Rukia's violet irises with such abruptness they caused her to jerk back mentally.

"I heard you were injured in the Ryoka incident. How is your health now?" Rukia felt as if it was a command, not a concerning question that just escaped Helena's lips. She could sense no abnormal or formidable reiatsu from this woman in front of her, but just the severity of her speech caught Rukia in a suppressing state.

"My health is quickly recovering, it is not worth your concern, Nee-sama"

"It is not. –Helena confirmed casually- but your brother definitely is concerned about you, Rukia. Therefore, as his wife, I also concern about your well-being"

What kind of woman is this? The knots in her stomach started to tie themselves again. She quickly reviewed her sentence to find any fault in it, but there was none. She worded everything in perfect manners.It seems like no matter what I say, I will always offend someone.Rukia noticed how Kuchiki Naoki Helena had referred to herself as Nii-sama's wife, not her sister-in-law. Also, she had made clear that her concern for Rukia was nothing more than just one of her duties to her husband.

Rukia bowed to Helena, but withhold any courteous words she did not mean to please the cold woman. She glanced at her brother's face, searching for any tiny gesture of disapproval. But Kuchiki Byakuya merely watched the space danced before him; the chances were that what just happened did not even make it way to his attention. That's right. Nii-sama surely does not concern himself with such trivial matters.

Turned to Byakuya, Helena suggested:

"Byakuya-sama, we should have Rukia for dinner tonight"

To Rukia's dismay, Kuchiki Byakuya made an agreeing sound to Helena's request, and then told her she could excuse herself. Unable to get out of the ominous invitation, Rukia thanked her sister-in-law for the offer and withdrew to her room.

Rising up from his seat, Byakuya took a quick scan of his new wife's face. She appeared to be neither displeased nor satisfied. In fact, she did not seem to care for this meeting at all. They walked back to the Byakuya's quarters in silence. He was supposedly relieved of his duty for two weeks, but Byakuya insisted that such formal consideration was unnecessary for we were in preparation for war. In the end, Yamamoto had convinced him to at least spend three days after his wedding off, or he would have Byakuya relieved for even more than the traditional fourteen days. Helena had not made a comment on his decision, and he doubted she would.

…

"You have not addressed me directly once all morning, is there something on your mind, Byakuya-sama?" asked Helena.

He stopped at the end of her question.

"I am not in the mood for conversation" Why she has to choose a time when either I am walking or thinking of something else to juvenile me with her questions?

"You are never in the mood for interaction with anyone. –She scolded at him. Then closing the space between them, her voice lowered softly- about last night…"

Last night? She wants to talk about last night? Last night was one subject he never wanted to remember, let alone discuss. He knew it was foolish to be persuaded by her. He cursed at his weakness to take her on her request last night. In a minute, everything he thought erased came squashing back despite his refusal.

…

His lips burnt the coolness of her skin, and as he spared a look into her eyes, they stared back at him in such a way that his whole being seemed to take flight in the intensity of moments. So he kissed her again, deeply, to feel her melted into his embrace. The air grew urgent…

Outside, the old housekeeper dismissed all servants who were waiting on the side of the chamber in case their masters needed any services. The old woman was not unfamiliar with the task herself, but she did not trust the foolish young maids would keep their mouths shut about what they were to witness tonight. So she told all of them to wait in the servant quarter for any bell ringing while she alone sat outside the chamber.

…

Their nakedness molded together like clay on hot pottery spinning top, heating up the smoldering air. Byakuya closed his eyes like he intended to. He wanted only blackness for the image of Naoki Helena in his bed tonight. He needed to remove at least one vital part, any vital part, of this night from his memory. So it would be incomplete, unwhole; henceforth, it would not violate, or have enough qualification to, the wedding night he had shared with his beloved Hisana.

But his intention turned useless. For Naoki Helena placed her soft lips on his closed eyelids, and breathed upon them her most tenderness. Byakuya opened his eyes to the dark pools before him, realized that the last of his resistance had vanished, like the last of silver light disappeared beneath the many thick layers of deep water.

…

With her dull eyes, she could still see the warm candlelight flickering inside, along with the moving silhouette of her master and his bride. The shivering sound of flesh, she could hear faintly through her low-hearing ears. This housekeeper, who had died for her lover in the real world, could feel the same energy that she had felt in that past life of her roaring upward tonight. And she could feel the destiny wheel of this House rolling forward again. So she put her hands folded in her lap, and said good prayers.

…