And this is where I say thank you to my beta for reading over this chapter: Thank You xfang-girlx! :D
On with the story...
Yumiko slowly roused to wakefulness but did not open her eyes. Her face throbbed and her whole head ached as if elephants were dancing on her brain. She was lying on her side with her arms covering her face as if she had been protecting herself in her sleep. Her naked frame was comfortably nestled in softness like a cloud. Attempting to move her arms made her realize there was a distinct heaviness around her wrists and the clank of metal chains made her eyes pop open. Thick metal manacles enclosed her wrists and were connected with a chain of the thickest, largest iron links she had ever seen.
"What the - " Her words were halted when she tried to move and became aware of the same kind of weighty restraints on her ankles. "Oh, God, no...no, no, no..."
Yumiko rolled onto her back, allowing the sheet covering her to wrap around her body. It did not feel as if she had been sexually assaulted; only physically and all of the blows seem to have been directed at her face and head. Closing her eyes, she uselessly tried to stem the tears. All she could think was how angry her husband was going to be with her.
"You're awake, my Queen," the smooth voice of the damnable Sun King sounded to her left.
"I am not your Queen," she muttered, resisting the urge to grit her teeth because it made her head hurt worse. Slowly turning her head, she opened her eyes to look at the man. He was sitting in a chair beside the bed fully dressed and leisurely sipping on a goblet of wine. "I am not your wife. You are not a subject of my kingdom that should call me that either. You only want to steal my kingdom." She paused, allowing a small grin to curl her lips although it made one of her cheeks to pulse with excruciating pain. "I feel sorry for your wife."
"Why is that?" he inquired nonchalantly, uncrossing his legs gracefully.
"Because I would kill myself if you were my husband," she responded, her smirk turning sinister.
Sōsuke returned her evil grin with one of his own. He calmly set the gilded cup down on the small round golden table that was just big enough to hold it. How ridiculous. The money from that pointless piece of furniture made to hold his wine goblet alone could probably feed thirty of her subjects for a month. Unfolding his long limbed frame from the chair, he leaned forward to slide onto the bed.
Like a snake, Yumiko thought, jerking away when he reached out to touch her face. The sudden movement brought an agonizing wave of pain to her head which was worsened when his fingers seized her face to dig ferociously into her injured cheeks. What the hell had this man done to her after he had knocked her out? He most likely didn't do anything. Surely he would leave that kind of dirty work to one of his underlings. Maybe the revenge seeking Yylfordt Granz had been able to take his vengeance on her.
"Don't you want anything for the pain?" he asked, his brown eyes burrowing into hers.
Yumiko was unable to focus on his eyes because her vision was blurred from the pain she was experiencing from his fingers cruelly squeezing her face. She concentrated on not crying out despite how high the pain level rose. Her eyes brimmed with tears that overflowed her eyelids and splashed onto his hand.
"You are the most stubborn woman in God's creation," he commented, releasing her face. His slender, elegant fingers slid down her neck with gentle pressure. "I will make you beg for mercy. I swear to you, you will beg me shamelessly."
Yumiko bit the inside of her cheek as his fingers trailed down her chest to grasp the sheet covering her chest. Her eyes met his and she chewed her cheek, tasting blood. She was determined not to satisfy his sadism by screaming. The cold bloodedness in his eyes chilled her veins, and she wanted to scream. But she would not.
"Just say please," he murmured, his fingers scraping across her breasts as they tightened their grip on the sheet and pulled. "Say it and I'll stop."
"Don't," she growled through her teeth, holding onto the sheet as best as she could with her manacled hands.
"That is not polite, my Queen. Say please," he ordered her, his voice measured as always. He was completely unflustered and actually seemed to be enjoying himself as the corners of his mouth twitched, threatening to form a smile. His forefinger rubbed across her breast beneath the sheet. "Please...just one word...and I promise not to hurt you."
"Please, stop being such a dick," she snarled, her top lip curling back from her teeth.
"That's not it. Try again," he ordered, ripping the sheet from her hands and uncovering her body.
"Please, stop thinking you can intimidate me." She smiled when the anger flared in his deep russet eyes. Her scream was muffled between their lips when he crushed his mouth to hers for a savage kiss. She struggled to free herself, pushing against his chest in a futile attempt to keep him from getting on top of her. His heavily muscled body overpowered her and he lay down on top of her. His lean body carried substantial weight due to the muscle mass and prevented her from moving in addition to hindering her ability to breathe. When his lips moved over hers in an attempt to elicit a favorable response to the kiss, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and clamped down. His hand coming across her cheek with swiftness and force along with the agony it inflicted caused her to let him go. The metallic taste of his blood filled her mouth, and she immediately sucked up as much of it as she could to spit it back into his face.
Sōsuke growled like an enraged, wounded animal while he scrambled off of the bed. If only he had left Yumiko there she would have been relieved. Instead he grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her off of the bed. Her hands reflexively flew upward to grab his wrist, and unfortunately the heavy chain struck her in the face. She swung her body around to kick at him with her shackled feet, accidentally tripping him with the chain between her ankles. Acting on pure passionate hate coupled with the adrenaline rush from fear, she scrabbled to get to her hands and knees before lunging at him to push him over onto his back. Clumsily she climbed on top of his body, wrapping the chain around his neck as he raised his head in an attempt to head butt her. She pushed forward first, her forehead contacting his nose with such force it caused his nose to crack.
"You bitch!" he bellowed, his fingers reaching for her neck.
Yumiko leaned back from his grasping fingers and pulled with all of her might, tightening the chain around his neck. She ignored the punches to her belly, screaming in pain and frustration when the searing sensation of a broken rib tearing muscle ripped through her abdomen. Refusing to give into the searing pain, she pushed her hands further apart to increase the tension on the chain choking him. Just as she felt his body growing still beneath her, hands wrapped around her upper arms to pull her off of the dying man.
"No, no, NOOOOO!" she screamed as she was dragged away literally kicking and screaming.
Sōsuke sat up, his face purple from lack of oxygen. His perfect nose was now set a disgustingly crooked angle in the middle, almost forming an s-shape, showing that it was definitely broken. He reached up to gingerly touch it, hissing from the pain. Gritting his teeth and steeling himself for the jolt of pain to come, he grabbed his curved nose and jerked to reset it to its former glory. He roared in agony from the extraordinary pain.
"Did you bring the prisoners?" Sōsuke questioned one of the men holding her captive.
Yumiko swung her gaze to one of the men to see that it was the beautiful blond brother of the man Ichigo had killed. Looking on the other side, she almost fainted when she came face to face with the black-haired, scarecrow like commander named Nnoitra. She cringed when his long pointed tongue lolled out of his mouth, wagging suggestively at her as his one dark eye hungrily roved over her body. She wanted to snatch the eye patch off of his other eye and cram it down his throat. Closing her eyes and cursing under her breath, she struggled to free herself from their clutches.
"Such a feisty one," Nnoitra murmured appreciatively, allowing his tongue to graze her cheek.
"If you want her you can have her," Sōsuke told the man who immediately pulled her naked body against his.
"Uh, god, I'm going to be sick," she mumbled, sincerely feeling as if she were about vomit as the incredibly thin man's bones pressed into her skin.
"But not before I've had my fun with her, Nnoitra," he admonished the randy and lecherous man. He pried his pretty little toy out the hands of the men holding her.
Yumiko shivered uncontrollably as he carefully wrapped her naked body in a blanket to cover her. She contemplated what 'fun' he could possibly have in mind for her as he led her outside the tent. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw a beaten and bloodied Hana down on his knees next to the other captured spy; a young man named Jinta with angry eyes who shared the same hair color with Renji.
"Oh, my God! Hana! Jinta!" she cried out, lunging forward. She dropped to her knees in front of Hana to press her forehead to his in an affectionate gesture.
"My Queen," he panted, leaning heavily against her. He looked and sounded as if he had been beaten within an inch of his life and she was sure he had been.
Yumiko was yanked to her feet and lugged away from the injured man by the Sun King. Her chin was held firmly between his thumb and forefinger while her gaze was leveled on the two men on their knees. Her resolve immediately broke when both men received a kick to the abdomen from the men who had been holding her earlier.
"Sōsuke, please," she murmured, tears trickling from her eyes when they were punched in their already battered faces. "Please..."
"Queen Yumiko, no!" Jinta yelled, courageously accepting another kick to the belly. "Don't beg, my Queen! They'll kill us anyway!"
"Please stop," she pleaded through tears. "Don't hurt them any more."
"Your highness, STOP!" Hana bellowed with such forceful conviction it caused the men dealing them torturous blows to stop. He raised his head that was covered with blood that did not hide the hideous black and blue bruises beneath. Pride and conviction made his eye that focused on her to hold her tear-filled gray eyes. His other eye was swollen shut and appeared ready to burst. "Please, my Queen. I want my last memory of you to be of you in strength and pride...not this pitiful weakness...begging for my life."
"Sōsuke, let me go," she said the man holding her although he was quite possibly the only thing holding her up at the moment. Her knees buckles and she lurched forward but she was able to catch herself before she fell. Clutching the sheet tightly around her, she moved to the two men who had served her valiantly. She knelt in front of Hana, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. Placing her hand on his head when he bowed it again, she prepared to say good-bye. Clearing her throat to clear away the tears, she forced her voice out loud and strong. "You have been a loyal part of the royal court as long as I can remember. You have been a squire, a footman, and finally a soldier. You have always been near me, to serve me, as long as I can remember." Her voice wavered and she cleared her throat again to maintain her composure. Allowing the tear that sneaked out of her eye to streak down her cheek, she continued in a shaky voice. "You have been a brave man. Go meet God with honor, my friend."
"My Queen," he murmured, his one eye opening wide as a sword was thrust into his back. "I die willingly for you. I only wish I could have done more. I'm sorry I failed you."
Yumiko held him up as the sword was pushed through his body to completely penetrate his belly. Her eyes looked down momentarily to see the bloody blade inches from her own abdomen. Gasping his name, she focused on his face as the sword was pulled swiftly from his body causing him to lurch forward. Her body quaked when he fell into her arms, his breath coming in wheezing, laborious inhales. She held him as he died, openly grieving with loud howls of anguish.
Sōsuke watched the mournful scene with an unapologetic smile on his face. He was enjoying this immensely. Her emotional suffering was more satisfying to him than any physical torture he could inflict upon her body. Her misery excited him in ways she could not imagine much less understand.
"Kill the other one. Make sure she sees everything. Bring her back to my tent afterward," he ordered Nnoitra, finding gratification in the despondent disappointment showing on the man's face. He hurried into the tent, halting his steps when he heard her tormented scream. A rush of positively orgasmic pleasure rushed through his body as her woeful cries met his ears. She had flipped that secret trigger within him, raising his darkest desires. He was a predator, and he preyed upon human emotions. Feeding on her sorrow would be so satisfying, so sweet. He knew he could break her by harming the ones she cared about. Slowly disrobing, his mind played out several scenarios of how fantastic her reaction would be if he could capture her husband, his brother, to slowly torture and kill the one she loves the most right in front of her. The thought of her reaction aroused him to the point he almost exploded. Sliding between the sheets, he waited for her to be brought to him. Since he had broken her emotionally, he would continue her torture by raping her body. A self-satisfied smile spread across his face when the thought occurred to him that abusing her body would only further her emotional torment. He could barely wait to get his hands on her.
Yumiko had finally gone numb. The pain had become too much for her to bear. The tears had stopped flowing and she felt nothing. It was actually a comfortable state of being at the moment. She did not even notice the physical pain of the injuries on her face as the tall, skinny, one-eyed pervert cleaned the tears and blood away. Staring straight ahead blankly, she avoided his gaze as he pulled the bloody blanket from around her body. Her mind was focused on another time and place as the man proceeded to gently remove any traces of blood from elsewhere on her body.
Nnoitra made sure she was clean and presentable before taking her to his King. He pulled her along behind by the chain between her wrists. When she moved a little too slowly for his taste, he snatched her forward using the chain and purposely pulling her into his arms. His hand covered her breast, squeezing it while he licked her neck. Her lack of reaction disappointed him greatly. Giving her a ruthless shove backwards, he kept her from falling by using the chain to counteract gravity. He was ready to be rid of the detestable woman and would be pleased to leave her with King Sōsuke. He doubted that the sadistic man would want her any longer in her present state.
Yumiko felt herself being pulled down into the bed and into two strong arms. She was thinking about loving arms that held her, that protected her - the arms of her husband. Lips grazed her neck in a tender kiss, but the only man she could think about was Coyote. She could not allow her mind to be in the present. It was far too painful. Her eyes concentrated on the expanse of the white tent above her; a great white void that she desperately wanted to fall into to escape her present predicament and emotional affliction. The face of the man torturing her to death emotionally and embarking on the physical aspect of killing her slowly invaded her vision so she closed her eyes.
"Oh, God," she whispered, choking back bile as his hands pried apart her thighs. "Please save me."
"Not even God can save you now," Sōsuke scoffed, preparing to thrust himself inside of her.
About that time, God moved in the form of a tall, thin man with silver hair. Gin burst into the tent, his magnificent aqua blue eyes wide open and wild with anger. His eyes narrowed back to their natural state as he honed in on the man he was seeking. He reached out to grab a handful of the impeccable brown mane of the Sun King to yank him off of Yumiko before the treacherous bastard could violate her body. Pulling the man close to him in an embrace, he opened his eyes to stare into his son's dark eyes.
"There's something you should know before you die," Gin growled between his teeth. His barely contained rage enabled him to hold onto the man fighting to gain his freedom.
"What could you possibly have to say to me you traitorous, low-life bastard?" Sōsuke demanded, glaring murderously at him.
"I'm your father. Your mother was a sex slave of King Baraggan who I fell in love with. You're nothing but a commoner," he informed the self-righteous Sun King. The expression of distraught shock on the man's face almost made him giddy with sadistic happiness. "You were never meant to be king. You were only taken by him as a son to save his paltry, tenuous sense of pride. That same sad, wretched pride somehow became a part of you."
"No!" Sōsuke bellowed furiously, shoving the silver-haired man away when his anger overflowed. "You're lying! There's no way I can be your son!" A sneer of disgust twisted his face into a mask of irate revulsion. "I am not the son of a lowly scholar and a filthy whore!"
Upon hearing his departed beloved Noemi being disparaged so viciously by her own son, Gin's self-control broke. He lunged forward with his sword, thrusting the blade into the belly of his hateful son. Both men fell to their knees, hanging onto the sword: Gin to the handle and Sōsuke to the blade.
"Father...please," Sōsuke begged, blood flowing from his hands that had been slashed open by the blade.
"You're no son of mine," Gin snarled, pushing the sword deeper. "You're a monster. You deserve to die."
"Gin!" Yumiko screamed, rushing toward him. After flinging her arms around the visibly shaken man, she pressed her foot against the shoulder of the half-dead Sun King to push him off of the sword. Taking her savior into her arms, she held him as he hung limply in her arms as if his very life had deserted him. She tightened her arms around him when she felt him shaking.
"My Queen," he whispered, embracing her affectionately. "I'm so glad you're all right."
"Thanks to you. Thank you for coming for me." She leaned back from him to look at his face. Her shaking fingers wiped the tears from his face before they could stain his cheeks.
"I'm not you're only hero today," he told her, taking her by the hand while rising to a standing position. He led her outside of the tent to see what he meant.
The rest of the rescue party was standing outside. Ichigo and Uryū had the generals of the enemy troops, Nnoitra and Yylfordt, tied wrists to ankles and down on their knees. Yumiko could not help but smile upon seeing them bound in the same manner in which they had tied her to the tent pole. Her smile broadened when her husband shouldered his way between the rows of soldiers to get to her. Lifting up her arms to him like a child to her father, she squealed with joy when he scooped her up into his arms and swung her around. She had to hold onto the sheet that was covering her body to keep it from slipping after he set her on her feet and proceeded to carefully kiss her brutally damaged face. The entire Northern Kingdom Army had been taken prisoner by her military of archers, soldiers, and knights. It was amazing how motivated a struggling, tired group of men could become when the woman they cared deeply about had been taken prisoner. This same fervor and energy had caught on like a wild-fire reigniting the dedication of the whole army of the Eastern Kingdom. Forgetting the 'gentleman's war' and without waiting for the enemy to make the first strike, they sieged upon their adversaries to take them by surprise and infiltrate the camp. The plan worked marvelously allowing them to bring their enemy under control in a matter of hours. It was time to completely demoralize their rivals and end this war.
"Queen Yumiko! Look out!" Ichigo yelled, pulling his sword while Uryū aimed his arrow.
Yumiko clutched Coyote's coat as he swung her out of the way, his arms enclosing her protectively, as a primal, rage filled yell cut through the air. She watched in startled awe as the naked and already bloody body of the animalistic and terrifyingly angry Sōsuke was impaled through the heart with Uryū's arrow. The blade of a sword appeared through his chest just after his eyes widened in a mix of astonishment and pain. The Sun King's body fell from the sword into a lifeless heap on the ground. Gin stood with the sword stiffly held in the same position in which it had held it to disengage his dead son's body from the blade. He did not move except for breathing in deep gulps of air until he was almost panting. Blood was spattered across his face and sullied his usually spotless, snowy white clothes.
"It's over," Gin declared confidently. "The war is over."
"My Queen," Ichigo called, his sword still raised and ready. Holding the blade against the neck of the black-haired general, he queried, "What do we do with them?"
"Kill the generals," Yumiko answered without flinching or hesitating. Her eyes shifted between the two men on their knees before adding, "I want you to send the Queen of the Northern Kingdom a very special present. Cut off their heads...and the head of her husband as well. Send them to her with the message to abdicate the throne. If she does not, I'll be coming for her head next."