They had been walking for several minutes when he finally decided to say something.

"I'm sorry," Rimuru said softly. Ichigo jerked a little and looked at him, startled as he went on to say. "I knew that you were upset and freaked out about becoming the Queen and co-ruler of Tempest... But I hadn't realized just how freaked out you truly were. I shrugged your anxiety off as a mere self-confidence or self-esteem issue. I'm sorry, that I forced this onto you and didn't take the time to let you become comfortable with the idea first."

She was quiet as if she were mulling over his words a bit before finally asking him. "Why did you? Force this one me, I mean."

"Because I need you to be in a position where we would be spending a lot of time together. Both inside and outside of work."

"Huh?" She said unintelligibly.

"I'll elaborate." He said as her home came into sight and he gently placed a hand on the small of her back and steered her towards it as he went on to say. "I already figured out a while ago that there had to be more to your previous troubles than you were letting on. While you are pretty easy on the eyes- it's easy to tell that there's something deeper to the previous kidnapping and marriage attempts that drove you away from your previous home. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Ichigo said.

"I thought so." He said grimly before going on to say, "I'm also guessing that those other incidents were meant to be a means to subjugate you and force you to do things that you want no part of too."

She gave him a startled look and he gave her a slightly strained smile.

"Don't be so surprised. Today's fight with Charybdis was a real eye opener to me. And filled in the blank parts of the story that you and your friends told me the day that you first arrived. Which is most of the reason why I decided to make you, my Queen. It is a position of authority and power as great as my own. And I need you in a position where others- outsiders especially- will know to tread very carefully."

"I may not look like much, but I am a monster through and through. I take my duty as a King and protector very seriously. I am possessive of what I see as mine. The people, the country that I've built. And now there is you. I had always known that the position of being my Queen, once it finally filled, is something that would take a very special and unique person."

"I see." She said quietly as she looked away from him.

But Rimuru wasn't going to let her, his hand moved before he ever realized that it had, his fingers making very soft contact with her chin and directing her to turn back to him. Their eyes met and for a very brief second, and he allowed his expression to become fierce, and dark.

His gold eyes glowed in the darkness; his lips curved up into a cold, cruel, and ruthless smile as he then said.

"My anger, once it's aroused will be a very, very difficult thing to quell. And believe me, going after my Queen in any capacity will anger me in ways that no one is yet aware of. I would wage war and single handedly destroy nations. I would kill countless people and I would bathe in their blood and laugh while others cried and begged for mercy that would never come."

His expression shifted again into his normal, kind one and he smiled at her warmly as he asked. "Do you understand now, Ichigo? Why I made you, my Queen?"

All Ichigo could do was nod her head because she did understand. After all, how many times had she done the same things for her family and friends? Even for people that she didn't even know. Those that she had felt were hers to care for and protect no matter what she may suffer.

A dozen times? A hundred?

She no longer knew because she'd lost count of all the times she had gone to war.

Swallowing past the lump that had just found itself in her throat, she watched as he slowly dropped his hand away from her face and then began to nudge her into moving again. Her house was just a few feet away now, and she would imagine that he was pretty eager to get her inside so that he could return to the feast.

Besides, she needed to think over everything that she had been told.

The second that they reached the door, Rimuru was about to open it and let them both in when the door was slammed open, startling them both so badly that he reacted on instinct and grabbed Ichigo and wrapped one of his arms around her as if he were trying to shield her. While his other hand went for the grip of his sword.

He only stopped just shy of wrapping his fingers around it and pulling it out because Rukia poked her head outside and blinked at them before then snapping at them. "It's about time that you came home, Ichigo. Get in here and explain this Queen nonsense to us now."

Rimuru shot a glare at the woman in annoyance as he reluctantly released Ichigo so that she could go inside. However, despite his previous plans, he refused to just up and leave her to explain everything since he had promised her that he would explain the new situation to her friends.

Rukia stepped back and let Ichigo walk through the door and then looked at him oddly before disappearing back inside with a shake of her head. Huffing a little bit at the woman's impatience, he stepped through the door after the girl and gently pulled it closed behind him.

A short time later, Rimuru was starting to get the feeling that he had no clue what the hell he had signed himself up for. Especially once he found himself sitting at Ichigo's dining room table across from her three friends.

Rukia kept eying him like an angry mother that had just caught her daughter trying to sneak in late on prom night to avoid being screamed at. Renji didn't look much better considering his scowl.

And Chad... Well, he didn't know what the man was thinking. His expression was neutral, and he had even said 'hi' in greeting. So, maybe he wasn't pissed?

For the moment, everything was quiet as Ichigo took a minute to take care of Renji's various injuries.

Rimuru watched in fascination as his bruises and other painful injuries disappeared as if they had never been at all. And filed the fact that the girl could also heal people away in the back of his mind for later examination as Ichigo stepped back away from the man and seated herself next to him at the table.

He took a moment to glance at her, silently assessing her health as Renji took his arm out of the sling and flexed it a few times. "Thanks, Ichigo." He said once he was sure that everything was better.

"No problem, man." She replied as Chad shifted in his seat and asked her,

"Have you eaten or drank anything yet?"

Ichigo shook her head no and the giant nodded and stood up to go and fix her something while Rukia began to drum her fingertips on the table impatiently.

Rimuru held his tongue for the moment since everyone was more or less still trying to get comfortable. But that finally came to an end once Chad returned.

The man set down a few plates in front of them both and them indicated that some of it was for Rimuru too. Which was thoughtful of him. But the lord wasn't feeling particularly hungry at the moment since he felt as if his stomach were twisting itself into knots, but he thanked the man for his thoughtfulness anyways as he gently pushed his plate towards Ichigo so that she could have everything on it as he steepled his fingers and looked at the three and said.

"Ask your questions."