Countdown: 4
Okay, Ichigo has been very adamant he wants this fic updated ;p I'm almost done with 'Mark of Interest', but I'm hoping to get some of my books done today. It's been a few days since I worked on them ^^; Anyway, I hope you're all excited for the update, I'm sure you'll love it ;p Well... it's not as action packed as Jail Bird, but Ichigo does get in trouble... again. =D By the way, someone had mentioned they though Ichigo was getting to animalistic compared to how he's been in Jail Bird. I'd just like to point out that I never specified how he killed all those people in the beginning, just that he did it with his bare hands and there was a lot of blood. He was that way before.
Ichi: That's because I'm bad ass! *cheers*
Shiro: No, it's 'cause yer followin' yer inner Shiro's lead... an' he's bad ass! 'Cause he's me ;p
Grimm: Back on the egotism kick, huh?
Ichi: What are you talking about, he never got off it. *sighs*
Grimm: *shakes head* I've been looking for the off switch, but I do believe it's permanently broken.
Ichi: Why me? T^T
Chapter 11
Ichigo wakes the next afternoon, having fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion around two in the morning. Grimmjow is gone and no one traverses the hall outside, keeping the area around the master bedroom quiet for the slumbering queen. Still a bit drowsy, Ichigo grabs some clothes and heads into the bathroom to bathe. To his delight, a small basket sits on the marble sink filled with necessities. A toothbrush, toothpaste, and all the comforts of home made it to this realm and Ichigo couldn't be happier. He cleans up slowly, just soaking in the hot water and enjoying his solitude. Afterward, Ichigo gets dressed in a long teal dress that looks a bit like a toga with a gold circlet. Today the orange head is too tired to care about what he's wearing, so he makes no adjustments.
"My queen, have you awoken?" Hallibel calls.
"I'm awake," Ichigo sighs.
"Come, I'll show you around the village today."
Ichigo doesn't even make a fuss; following Hallibel and unconsciously holding himself in a regal manner. Those working within the castle stop whatever they're doing upon seeing the orange head, jaws dropping in shock at the very thought the rumors of their king's marriage are true. Ichigo sighs at the warmth of sunlight spilling onto his skin outside, the breeze carrying the scent of fresh rain. This village is larger than the other one, with more people and buildings. Hallibel keeps Ichigo beside her, the blonde's sword upon her back even in the gates of her own home. It's most likely because she's taking care of Ichigo, as the others seem surprised she's armed.
"The villagers have their businesses along the main street," she points out. "Their homes are along the streets that split off from the main one, there's a park over that way with a large pond, and we have a rather large garden behind the castle."
"Can we…"
"Grimmjow gave me a pouch of gold coins in case you decided to stop in the shops, though I don't understand why you would bother," she sighs at the sight of him looking toward the shops.
Ichigo smiles at Grimmjow's foresight, heading for the bakery first. He hasn't eaten yet and his stomach is protesting. Jaws drop once more when Ichigo steps into the small bakery, amber eyes scanning the displays and a small smile on his lips. The woman behind the counter slowly makes her way around to the important customer, those seated unable to eat as they openly stare at the child of Aphrodite.
"C-can I help you?" she asks.
"Oh yes, you can," Ichigo grins. "What would you recommend? You know what, never mind… just give me a couple of those little tarts, a slice of that chocolate cake for my mom, and… do you want anything, Hallibel?"
"No, I do not."
"Okay, I think that's it," the orange head smiles. "How much?"
The woman watches as Ichigo rummages through the pouch of gold coins, waiting for her to answer. Ichigo is concerned with her lack of speech, looking toward her quizzically. A man from the back is just walking up, his face set in a scowl. Mistaking Hallibel's presence as her hassling his wife for taxes, he gets aggressive.
"What's going on out here!" he shouts. "Who the fuck are you!"
"Uh… I'm Ichigo."
"He is your new queen," Hallibel snaps. "You will show him the same respect you show his husband, King Grimmjow."
"… You're married to the king? How did he manage that, hold a dagger to your throat?" he scoffs.
Ichigo just stares at him like he grew a second head. That look is all the confirmation the man needs, his features immediately showing regret and pity. Ichigo doesn't like the look, scowling a bit to show said displeasure. If Ichigo really didn't want to marry the warrior, there's no way in hell anyone could make him.
"What's the total?" Ichigo asks in a huff. "I've already slept half the day away and I still have the whole village to look around, I don't have time for you to shower me with unwanted pity!"
"I apologize, it's just… the king has never used his power to force a princess into marriage before. It must be very difficult for you, he's not the easiest person to get along with," the man sighs. "He hasn't hurt you, has he?"
The blonde Amazon is ready to tear into the baker at such a question, infuriated these villages could think so little of the man that treats them better than any ruler should. Ichigo, however, can sense her bloodlust as easily as he can Grimmjow's. He steps between them, sending a backward scowl at the blonde. Her job may be to protect him, but she'll damn well wait until he needs it. The orange head turns back to the man before him, surprised he's so pissed at someone badmouthing his spouse. Then again that shouldn't be so shocking, as Ichigo has always been known for his loyalty… even if he didn't want to marry Grimmjow at first, that's still his husband and only Ichigo should be able to talk bad about him. That's like, the wife's right or something.
"I may be stuck with the helpless title of 'princess', but don't you dare assume I can't take care of myself," Ichigo snaps. "If anything, he's the one having trouble keeping up with me. I'm not exactly your typical princess, you know."
"That's for damn sure," Hallibel scoffs. "A typical princess knows not to go up against a group of hungry Baobhan sith."
"I would've won if Grimmjow hadn't of yanked me away!" Ichigo snaps.
"Sure you would've."
"Give me my damn sweets so I can get rid of her!"
At a loss for words in the face of such a strange submissive, the baker makes the exchange and hands Ichigo's boxes to Hallibel. She follows him out, caution in her eyes as an unshakable feeling of dread fills her. She would never show it or even admit to it… but this demi-god makes her very nervous. She knows what Aphrodite is capable of, so Hallibel has no reason to think Ichigo isn't capable of the same. Hallibel may be a child of the hunt, but Ichigo is a child that could cause wars if he so pleases.
Ichigo stops to visit every shop, grinning widely as his purchases pile up. It isn't even that he's buying in bulk, but that everything he gets needs to be placed in a box or bag. Every item is handed to Hallibel, the boxes piling atop one another until she can't really see her charge. Once he's positive she can't make him out, Ichigo passes a couple gold coins to a woman about his height. He also hands her the silk cloak he bought so Hallibel won't know the difference until he's gone. After the blonde wanders off behind the woman Ichigo paid off, the orange head snickers and hurries off to the park. He doesn't know why he has to have a guard in Grimmjow's own kingdom, that just seems stupid to Ichigo. Ichigo didn't even want to walk through the village, he would've been happy lounging about near the pond where he's heading now. Before he gets there, however, the new queen stops in a shop to buy a fishing pole and some bait.
"Where's your guard, my queen?" a woman questions from the counter.
"Busy," Ichigo waves off. "I'd like some bait, please. Just some minnows if you don't mind, I probably won't be out there long."
"Shame for such a pretty thing to be all alone."
Ichigo frowns at the hot breath down the back of his neck, almost gagging at the sour beer upon it. He ignores the man, trying his best not to let his temper show, and pays for his things before leaving. The orange head isn't stupid; he knows that idiot is following him. Ichigo checks the street quickly, noting that Hallibel is nowhere in sight, and makes a mad dash for the park. He chooses a quiet area in the shade to sit down, soaking his feet in the cool water as the line is cast.
"Your guard doesn't even know you're here alone, does she?"
"Nope."
"You aren't scared someone will hurt you?"
"Not in the least."
"… You should be."
The man moves toward Ichigo, who just slides into the pond to escape him. The guy backtracks quickly, obviously not one for swimming, and Ichigo makes his way to a good sized boulder sitting in the pond's middle. Something about the size of himself darts beneath him in the waters, the orange head stopping a moment and praying he didn't make a mistake. When he doesn't see it again, Ichigo finishes his swim to the boulders. He pulls himself up, dragging his fishing pole with him, and makes himself comfortable before casting a second time.
"You fish?"
Startled at the feminine tone he wasn't expecting, Ichigo looks down into the water. There's a beautiful woman there with long curly locks and large innocent eyes. Twined within her strawberry blonde locks are lush green leaves, her dress glimmering beneath the water like diamonds. Ichigo is taken aback, eyes darting about to remember if he missed seeing her before.
"Uh… who are you?" he wonders a bit befuddled.
"I'm Orihime, the naiad of this lake. Who are you? I don't think I've seen you around before," she giggles. "Oh! Hold on a minute, are you the new queen Ulqui told me about? You really are very beautiful!"
"… Thank you? I mean… I'm Ichigo, Grimmjow's new wife…"
"How can he have a new wife, silly? He never had an old one!" Orihime laughs.
Ichigo smirks at her childishness. With all the battles and hostility he's endured recently, it's nice to have someone to talk to that's not likely to yell at him. Ichigo knows that Naiads are prone to jealousy; however this one seems to be rather taken by the son of Hades. Good thing Ichigo is already taken.
Hallibel is steaming! She spent the last fifteen minutes to half an hour following around some twit villager, her charge is missing, there's talk of him having a stalker, and if Grimmjow finds his precious treasure violated somewhere secluded he'll have her head! She storms into the palace, dropping Ichigo's things next to the door before turning to leave again. She needs to find Ichigo before Grimmjow finds either of them.
"Hey, Hall… where's my bitch?"
And there goes that plan. She sighs in misery, turning to face Grimmjow with the most innocent look she can muster. The king is in a good mood today, his cyan eyes more curious than suspicious, and the blonde really hates ruining these rare moods. She does the first thing that comes to mind… she lies.
"Hiding," she comments.
"… Why?"
"Uh… we're… playing a game."
"… You lost him, didn't you?" Grimmjow smirks playfully.
"You're not angry?" she inquires with a hint of worry. "I mean… I had him there with me, but he… he waited until he packed my arms with boxes and paid off a village woman to pose as him! I didn't notice until it was too late. I'm so sorry, my king!"
Grimmjow snorts in humor, waving her off as he heads outside. Ichigo is a slippery one; Grimmjow knew that the first day they met. Although he had hoped Hallibel would be too astute for Ichigo to pull one over on, the hope was extremely small. If Ichigo can escape a castle with a guard at every exit, it should be child's play for him to sneak away from a single guard in the midst of a large village.
"I'll find him," he comments. "I've got nothing better to do, anyway. Go check on his parents, will you? They've been rather quiet and that woman makes me nervous."
"Not the alchemist?" Hallibel wonders in surprise.
"Not a chance, that guy's a lunatic. It's the woman that scares me… she reminds me too much of Ichigo. If he acts like her and she's older than him, I think that's cause to be nervous."
Grimmjow doesn't wait for an answer, heading outside and sniffing the air. Ichigo is rather simple, he's found. The orange head likes mingling with the commoners, spending time reading, and communing with nature. As long as he's outside, Ichigo is happy… much like Grimmjow. Keeping this in mind, the warrior thinks about his favorite place to laze about when he gets the time. With a smirk, Grimmjow heads for the park. There are other places he'd rather go, however the park is the only one within the kingdom's walls and Ichigo has already proven to have a limit when it comes to breaking the rules.
Grimmjow searches the park area, listening for any sound of his wife. He can hear Ichigo cry out, a frown touching his lips as he runs in that direction. Ichigo is standing on the boulders in the middle of the small lake with Orihime, Ulquiorra's love interest and the lake's naiad. She's eating a fish he caught, yet Ichigo is having trouble with another on the end of his line. With one good tug, the orange headed male is set splashing into the water. Orihime yelps, diving in after him.
"Holy shit!" Ichigo utters when they surface. "That was a monster fish!"
"No, silly, that wasn't a fish… that was a mermaid," Orihime laughs. "They live in the lake on the other side of the mountains that cradle this kingdom, but a couple sometimes visit me. They use an underwater tunnel that connects the bodies of water."
"Grimmjow!" Ichigo calls once he sees the other. "What some fish? I caught a few of them!"
Grimmjow waves him over exasperatedly. Ichigo and Orihime gather his fish into a basket she brought up from her collection of things, the two swimming over to the shore where the king stands. Grimmjow pulls Ichigo up, taking the basket and fishing pole with a nod Orihime's way. Ichigo was going to tell him about the man that followed him; however he'll wait for a better time. No doubt he's going to get in trouble for ditching Hallibel. With a wave goodbye and a promise to tell Ulquiorra she said hello, Ichigo follows Grimmjow back to the palace. Ichigo can honestly say he'll never get used to this, always being watched and questioned… always a prisoner in some way or another. He's a free spirit, just like his mother, something that scares the battled hardened warrior. Someday, Ichigo is likely to realize he doesn't have to stay with Grimmjow and leave. Perhaps there will be another that catches his fancy. Ichigo catches the look on Grimmjow's face, concern immediately washing over him. He'll have to talk to Grimmjow when they get home.
Awe, poor Grimmy and his insecurities ;p What kind of god has insecurities? Hmm... maybe they can only be written within fanfiction! XD I hope you enjoyed the update, I thought I was further than that, but I guess not =( Don't worry, we'll get there eventually. For now, I'm going to start working on the next chapters of my books! Maybe I'll get as much written as I can in one today... I don't know, we'll see how I'm feeling ;p As for 'Mark of Interest', I just may finish that one first. I'm not too far off from the ending. XD
Ichi: Finally! A fic where I'm not completely humiliated by Grimmjow! XD
Grimm: What the hell kind of fic is that? =(
Vae: Don't worry, you two make a guest appearence! =D
Ichi: As long as it doesn't involve me bent over, pinned, or on my back.
Grimm: ... You just listed my favorite ways to have you T^T
Ichi: What the hell is our relationship based on! You don't love me at all, do you? You just want sex! DX
Grimm: That's not true, Kitten... I just love sex almost as much as you! XD
Ichi: ... I know I should leave you, but I just can't bring myself to do it. T^T
Grimm: Lucky me! =3