Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and make no profit from this story.
To clarify something I have been asked about there is a 15 year age difference between Byakuya and Uryu. Byakuya being 35, Uryu being 20.
Arjui is the Japanese word for Lord & Sastre is the Spanish word for tailor.
Thank you for all the wonderful reviews it means a lot to know this story is liked.
Warning:This is a yaoi story if you do not like do not read. Also this chapter is a little darker then others.
Special Note: In this chapter we have a special guest his name is Tetsuya Kuchiki he and his horse Arashi will be visiting us for a while. He belongs to a wonderful authoress named Spunky0ne who was kind enough to let me barrow him. If you want to read more about him please check out her work it is wonderful in my opinion.
Another special note: The wonderful authress SpunkyOne who let me barrow her just as wonderful OC has been kind engough to help me with this chapter. Thank you Spunky very much this chapter would not have turned out so well without you!
Chapter 10 : Shadows
"How much longer are we going to be forced to hide like this, the king has his little pet and has made it beyond clear that I am no longer needed so why must we hide" a soft voice asked from his place laying against the broad chest of his lover.
"You know as well as I do the king is not well, and I do not know how he would react this this so for now keep it to your self or I will end first us then you" Kenpachi growled he slipped from the bed he shared with his lover. It was getting harder each morning to do this once again he placed his hand on the door after he left his room. He shook his head stealing himself as he left to go about his duties it was going to be a long day, after all things were really starting to fall apart in the kingdom.
The king was loosing his mind, Uryu was not doing well, and things were becoming dangerous, not only due to his secret but also because the smallest thing set off the king. He had new scar to prove it since just a few days before he had questioned Yumi keeping the princess locked up the way he was and found himself in the infirmary with a slash mark across his face. It had been so sudden that it had taken him completely by surprise and prevented him from blocking the attack, luckily his lover found him even more sexy now.
He put on his normal do not fuck with me face and stormed down the hall to the guard station where he barked the order to start patrol he took his own route, that took him along the outside of the areas that led down to the princesses cell. He almost felt sorry for the young man almost but anyone who got involved with the Kuchiki leader had to know this sort of thing would happen.
He let out a growl when he saw Grimmjow he had heard the blue hair monstrosity was back and had taken Ikkaku's former post guarding the king's pet, he saw the insane man stalking and knew it meant he was hunting something. He knew better then to get involved in any way with Grimmjow so he just moved on.
Tetsuya watched with a practiced eye as a group of house guards passed. One by one, he eliminated them as prospects, this one too tall, that one too short, wrong hair, wrong color eyes, wrong body type. It helped, he thought that the guardsmen's helms partially covered their faces, but the eyes, exposed hair and height were critical. After some time and much slinking about in the shadows, he closed in on a close match, a younger officer whom, he learned by listening, was newer to the king's forces, but capable, and so had been admitted into the group's upper echelon and had the access Tetsuya needed to reach the imprisoned sastre.
He knew from watching the guards and others around the palace that only one guard was allowed to be near the king's pet as Uryu was called, it had been ordered that no heal was allowed to tend them at least at first. The kings advisor's including Shunsui and Ukitake along with another that seemed genuinely concerned about the kings mind name Yun had finally convinced the king to let a healer look at Uryu reminding him that he could die if an infection accrued. That would be the best time to infiltrate and check on his cousins beloved.
All that Tetsuya needed was the opportunity. It had taken him a few days and he was not about to let this slip threw his hands, he would do as he promised his beloved cousin, no matter the cost to himself.
His bright sapphire eyes watched the man closely, learning his habits, his schedule, his movements and the way he conducted himself. Then, he laid out a plan for the time and place to replace him.
Tetsuya slipped into an alcove in the royal gardens, remaining stock-still as the guard passed, then emerging behind him and dropping him cleanly. He dragged the young man's unconscious body into the bushes and quickly injected him with a compound to dull his memory. When revived some few days later, he would find himself alone amongst the trees, not remembering how or when he got there, and so would be mystified as to how he had conducted his normal duties without remembering the facts of them.
Killing, Tetsuya thought, was something reserved for only the truly heinous.
Tetsuya donned the guards uniform, leaving him dressed in a set of the man's own clothes he had purloined from the guards room. He re-entered the palace and moved quickly to the guards post, then began to walk the pattern the guard had each day, giving the man's usual utterances of greeting and acknowledgment to those who passed him. He worked his way close to where the sastre was imprisoned and studied the protections around him.
This will be difficult, but there is an opportunity here. If I can slip in with a group of house guards, then I can get a look at the sastre and see how he is faring. I can then slip out again and report to Byakuya-sama what he needs to know.
He watched outside the sastre's cell for several hours before spotting a group that he knew was more careless than some of the others and falling in with an acquaintance of the guard he had replaced.
"Eh, Tamoka," the other guard greeted him, "You bored of your own duties and want to see the king's pet?"
It sickened Tetsuya that these guards all called Uryu the kings pet like he belonged to the king, but he knew how to keep calm due to his past so he knew how to remain calm and continue with his plan never suspecting he had been glimpsed more then once or at least his shadow had been.
"Will you let me slip in with you?" Tetsuya asked, using the unconscious guards inflection, "I promise, you won't know I'm there and I'll be out before anyone notices me."
"Heh, sure," the guard chuckled, "but you owe me a drink after, okay?"
"Of course."
Smirking, Tetsuya followed the group into the room, staying close to the guard who knew him and watching as a healer who had entered with them examined the nearly unconscious and somewhat delirious prisoner. He checked the dressings on the man's wounds, then shook his head, frowning. Tetsuya knew this was far from a good sign, one look at Uryu told him he was in dire condition.
"He is in fever. The hand looks infected. Unfortunately, we are short on antibiotics. This one should stabilize him until more arrives."
As he bent to inject Uryu and Tetsuya sensed that all eyes were watching the healer, he slipped into the shadows within a corner of the room, touching the cell door as he passed and causing it to close softly. He ducked out of sight, watching as the guard who was Tomoka's acquaintance looked up and smiled to himself, thinking that his friend had left the room. Tetsuya then waited until the guards all left and the room was quiet again. He breathed softly, wondering at himself for not leaving while he had had the chance.
But Uryu is ill and needs medical attention now. My cousin's plans are for naught if this one he loves dies. Yes, I must try to help him, even if...
He forced the thought away and slipped out into the room, crossing the floor soundlessly and approaching Uryu cautiously. His breath caught at the grayness of the sastre's features, the heavy sweat and the redness of the area around his injured wrist. He leaned over Uryu, withdrawing several items from within his clothes and then gently unwrapping the dressing and adding a strong healing compound. He reset the dressing and administered a strong pain reliever, as well as the proper antibiotic before rising and turning to slip away.
Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath at finidng himself face to face with a tall, blue-haired man he had seen in the company of the king.
"G-grimmjow," he managed, using Tomoka's vocal pattern, "Sir..."
"You have been doing well Uryu is finally starting to show signs of learning what I expect of him" Yumichika said he was sitting in his private quarters he had called for Chad wanting to get the giant away from his Uryu long enough for the healer to take a look at him.
Chad said nothing not liking or caring fro the kings praise but he knew silence would just earn the kings ire so he took a deep breath before speaking. "The Sastre is far from stupid your magisty, I do not know if he has begun to accept his fate or not but he knows that to remain healthy he must at least try to accept the life you want to give him. He is a quick study" Chad had to fight not to shove the king off him when Yumi made his normal flirting motions and advances towards him.
"I am flattered my king but you know I have a lover" Sado said thankful the disdain he felt for the king did not make it threw to his voice.
"Oh of course I forgot,besides it is time for Uryu's lessons if I am not mistaken" Yumichika said as he sat back letting the giant leave, after he was gone he stood standing and calling for some guards to join him. "We are going to pay a visit to my pet" he said if nothing else it would lesson his boredom. He smiled cruelly as they group headed for the cell where his captive rested, unaware of what was curently happening in the cell.
Normally he would not bring the gaurds with him but he did not trust Grimmjow even slightly, besides walking behind a few of the younger gaurds gave him an exscuse to look at the asses licking his lips as they went.
"I really must thank whoever hired this new batch" he purred quietly.
"Have you heard from your cousin yet" Renji asked as he and Ichigo entered the back gardens where Byakuya sat meditating as he tried to come up with the next part of his plan. "That horse of his is getting riled up for no reason it is annoying, but I am worried that it means something bad has happened to Tetsuya" Renji winced as he was elbowed in the ribs by Ichigo.
"Shut up baka he does not need anymore stress,and you stupid comments are not helping" Ichigo hissed out, but to be honest in the back of his mind he was thinking the same thing.
"No I have not, but my cousin is very good at what he does, so I have no reason to doubt him. Even by some miracle he were to be captured I know him very well, and I know that he would find a way to use it to his advantage in order to help me with my plans. I just hope you are wrong and nothing has happened to him, I know he thinks he owes me some debt for saving his life but all I want is his happiness." Byakuya went quiet after the going back into his meditative state.
"Do you even have a plan" Renji said moving just in time to avoid being punched by Ichigo. "Oh come on you must be thinking the same thing, if it were me and the one I loved were being held by someone I would break down the gates and save him no matter who was in my way" Renji said giving Ichigo a meaningful look.
Ichigo rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to answer but was cut of by Byakuya.
"If it were anyone else I would do just that, however the situation must be handled delicately. It is true I am the rightful king however if I attack while Yumichika still has support, it will not end well to say the least. Given the reports I have been getting he is losing his mind faster then even I thought so he will make a mistake soon I am sure of it" Byakuya stated calmly, but inside he was far from calm all he wanted was to hold Uryu and to make the memories of his confinement go away.
"Please hang on a little longer Uryu I will come for you soon."
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