The Nightingale

Chapter 40: Travail

Summer — x492 / August 7

Kisuke looked at the back of the king of Vayalat, he was waiting for his father to say something but the king was only silent. The silence from his father was something that sometimes used to make Kisuke uncomfortable, because it meant that his father was thinking about what he was going to say. Since Kisuke arrived at the Vermist Palace, the first thing he did was go to the private office of the King of Vayalat and give a detailed report of everything that had happened in Adelaar; or almost everything that had happened there.

— So, is it final? — Yhwach asked still looking at the bay from his window.

— That's right, Your Majesty. Isshin has confirmed that Kaien will be king. — Kisuke didn't have his fan in his hand, but he was moving his fingers playing with a small coin between them. — Isshin even proposed a meeting to renew the terms of the alliance because Ichigo is not going to take the throne upon his death, as stipulated in the contract.

— I should have accepted the divorce petition that Masaki made when she was here, at this moment Avanta would be ours. — The king muttered and turned to see Kisuke. — Does Ichigo intend to take the throne by force?

— No. — Kisuke's voice was firm. — Ichigo will try, but I'm sure if it puts his wife in danger, he won't do anything. He looks very in love, just like Isshin looked when he came to propose to Masaki.

Yhwach nodded and sat down at his desk.

— How is the girl? Your mother says her ring showed her that the girl was strong.

— Oh! She is strong and smart, she is almost perfect. — Kisuke sat across from his father, leaning back in the chair while still playing with that coin.

— Almost? — The king was intrigued by that expression and motioned for Kisuke to continue speaking.

— Ichigo is a natural manipulator. He learned to speak, to modulate his voice, and to move in such a way that he seems charming. He says what he has to say at the right time, he does what he has to do at the right time; I myself have seen him make people do something just because he asks for it. Even our alliance with Gardelia was made because of him, and when he got bored of his relationship with Yoruichi, he just made us get rid of her; he sold us the idea of a war against Gardelia and then he went off with the mercenaries. I have to admit that I almost believed him when he spoke to me about the fear of war for breaking his relationship with Yoruichi, he seemed genuinely concerned.

— It was useless for him to be so good, if he did not succeed in getting his father to give him the throne. — Yhwach was aware of what had happened, and had to admit that Ichigo was good, but not infallible and that bothered him.

— Isshin has a clear favoritism for his bastard son, that prevents Ichigo from getting close to his father, but he must definitely be using his charm to make people do what he wants.

— And that, how does it relate to the girl? — Yhwach was concentrating on what Kisuke was saying, completely intrigued by the woman his grandson had chosen as wife.

— That the girl is manipulating him. I dare to think that they both do it with the other, perhaps unconsciously, but the girl definitely has power over him. — Kisuke assured by flipping his coin up and catching it with his hand.

— And did you discover that in the days you were there? — Kisuke noticed the annoyance in his father's voice. The idea of Ichigo being manipulated by a little girl was not pleasant to Yhwach, and Kisuke could see it.

— No, I found out when they got married and from what Ichigo told me. — Kisuke got up from his seat, poured two glasses of green liquor, one for his father and one for himself, and again sat down handing the glass of liquor to his father. — I have a very entertaining story for you, father, and then you can decide whether to break the alliance with Adelaar or not.

Summer — x492 / August 11

"You can start the tour in the three northern cities. I will send a soldier to each city, so that he will be the one who brings the reports to the capital. Zhilen, Kirasam, and Visnia are good cities to start with. May the Deities protect you, my son. Isshin."

Ichigo crumpled up the scroll where his father's message was written and threw it into the fire that burned in the room's fireplace. His father was distrusting him and that was not a good sign; that soldier that his father would send and who would serve as a "messenger" was nothing more than a spy to make sure that he was doing what he had to do and that Rukia was with him.

Ichigo had been in contact with his spy in Maranni before he left the capital, and from what the man said in his report, someone was asking questions. The spies, of Kaien and the king, were probably the ones asking questions; they were a danger because they might get to the truth, or at least something so suspicious that the king would have to go in person to Maranni to see what was going on.

Those possibilities did not like him at all, because Ichigo had made a mess when he escaped from there with Rukia, only a blind man would see that what happened was not normal. He knew he had made a mistake but he needed to get Rukia out of there. More than the desire to avoid a war, he wanted Rukia with him; besides, the idea that Koga even had the opportunity to touch her made him think of unspeakable things.

Rukia wasn't going to send her father to kill Kaien, and Ichigo couldn't suggest it because it was simply unthinkable; even so he knew that Rukia's father would do the dirty work, or at least he would try as long as he kept thinking that the king had sent to kill Emiko.

The only way Soujun could find out the truth about Emiko's death would be by entering the Registry Room; and only the king and his children could do it. Ichigo had entered that room after his return from Maranni, and what he found was something that made him laugh at the irony of the situation; if he told that information to Rukia, she would tell her father and that was not convenient for him.

That Soujun knew that truth could make him not want to kill Kaien; and at that time Soujun was a dead man who did not know that he was dead.

Ichigo calmed down, combed his hair with his fingers and left the room in search of Rukia. With the answer from his father, they could spend a couple more days in that cottage before starting the trip. He wanted to take her to the waterfall and spend the night camping there, enjoying nature and the view. He wanted one more day of rest before starting work in the cities.

Summer — x492 / August 17

Zhilen was the first of the cities they were going to visit. Ichigo had told her that it was close to the border with Gardelia, although it was difficult to have a geographical reference to delimit that border, something that was not the case with Vayalat, whose border was delimited by the central mountain range of that part of the continent. The Blue Mountains were the highest point in that mountain range and the top of the mountains was the only place where it snowed.

There was a point on the road that divided in two, if they followed the road north, they would enter the Gardelia moors, and if they continued further north, they would enter the Red Desert; and hardly anyone makes it out of the Red Desert.

The Red Desert was perhaps the narrowest area of land on the continent, compared to the other parts that made up the continent and whose lands had been drawn by cartographers who dedicated their lives to traveling the world; the Red Desert was known as the death zone, because almost no one who had tried to cross that desert had survived. The days there were too hot and the nights too cold. It was said that there were people living in that place, that in the center of the desert there was an oasis so unique and perfect that it was paradise and that only the inhabitants of the desert, those who were born there, could move through that hostile land.

Whether such people existed or not was a mystery that Rukia did not want to reveal; the idea of venturing into the desert of her own free will was not something she liked.

They took the western path; that was the path that would lead them to Zhilen.

The journey from the house in the mountains to the city of Zhilen was slow. They weren't in a hurry because Ichigo wanted her to enjoy that trip, the towns along the way before reaching the cities, and for her to see the harvest fields between the cities. She had to know geography, politics and diplomacy, as well as economics; and the best way was her knowing the land in which she lived, the people and the crops.

Princesses had more work to do than she could have imagined, and she found it hard to believe because it had only been a little over a year when she told Yuki that if she became a princess, she would just be sitting and looking pretty like a doll. That memory made her laugh every time it came to her mind, it made her laugh how wrong she was at that time.

If everything went well and she became queen, she was the one who would take care of everything that Queen Masaki did; and it would be a lot of work.

Everything had to go well; even if for that she had to throw Kaien off the cliff herself, because the longer they took, the more dangerous it was.

Rukia had nothing against Kaien, he hadn't done something bad to her; he was just getting in the way. Rukia needed Ichigo on the throne to end the Accords of the Fall and his family to go free; as free as circumstances allow.

During part of the journey Rukia had been thinking about what Ichigo told her about that "messenger"; the king wanted to keep an eye on them and that worried her, because she knew that her father was under investigation on suspicion of treason. Ichigo also told her that he had been receiving reports from Maranni, and that they were not encouraging because there were people asking questions.

Rukia knew they had to move carefully, that if Maranni's reports kept coming to the king, he could find out everything and everyone involved could end up dead. Rukia was aware that her father would do something to get revenge on Isshin, she just didn't know what her father would do, when he would do it or if he would have time to do it. And that worried her too.

The whole future was so uncertain, as what awaited them when they arrived in that first city.

While they were having breakfast on the way, Ichigo sent one of the soldiers into town, commissioned him to rent an inn, and gave him a bag of coins to pay what he had to pay. Ichigo had decided that they would not go directly to the house of the Lord of Zhilen, he wanted to rest a bit from the trip before having to face work, and Rukia agreed.

The trips were exhausting and the last thing Rukia wanted was to have to fake a smile in front of a bunch of strangers. Eventually she would have to, but she didn't want to do it when she was tired from a three-day trip.

— I wonder if Kia wants to ride with Kon to town. — Ichigo said in a tone of voice that seemed innocent and really curious.

Rukia, who was about to get into the carriage to continue the journey, turned around and found Ichigo tying that cloth around his head to cover the color of his hair. Rukia smiled seeing him do that and gently shook her head before answering.

— Let me ask Kia. — Rukia entered the carriage, realizing what Ichigo wanted to do, and starting to look for what she needed to change her clothes.

She came out a few moments later, dressed in riding pants and boots, wearing a very comfortable cotton blouse; she had braided her hair and tied it with a pretty ribbon. No one knew her, only those who had attended the wedding, but dressed like that no one would think she was a princess.

They rode the remainder of the road together to reach the city, each on a horse, closely followed by a pair of guards who were in charge of their security. The sun was behind them and the trees that grew on the sides of the path gave them some shade that made the path more comfortable.

Before reaching the city gates, Rukia saw fields with rounded bushes planted in seemingly endless rows; most did not have flowers and those that did, were only small and widely spaced. Rukia noticed that they were a very beautiful purple color, and little by little she made her horse advance slowly so that she could better see those remaining flowers.

— They are the lavender fields. The largest flowering is in mid-July and for this month only the late shoots remain; most have already been collected. — Ichigo explained. He had made the horse go slow too, and he had approached her. — One day I will bring you to see it, I have only seen them once; the flowers remind me of your eyes.

That last sentence made her blush, she felt her cheeks burn and she turned to see Ichigo, but he was seeing the way; completely focused on the city in the distance.

— My eyes remind you of flowers. — She corrected and Ichigo turned to see her with a slight smile.

— Nope, the flowers remind me of your eyes. It was your eyes that stole my sleep the first time I saw you. — Ichigo said that so naturally that Rukia blushed even more. — The color of those flowers reminds me of that intoxicating sensation when seeing you for the first time.

Rukia did not speak anymore, she liked that confession and made her fantasize a little about that first time they met on that road between the castle and the city. Ichigo had mentioned to her many times that she had taken away his sleep, but he had never gone into details; Rukia didn't need them. The mystery and romance of that first glance was maintained by the lack of details; Rukia preferred to think that the same thing that happened to her, happened to him.

They came to town a little after seeing those bush fields; the gates of the city were open and the walls were guarded by soldiers who walked on them carrying bows and arrows. People entered and left the city fluently, on foot, on horseback, or with carts carrying vegetables and animals; there were farms and smaller towns along the way that sold or traded their products in the city, and that seemed interesting to Rukia because she had never seen it the way she did at the time.

The soldier that Ichigo had sent to look for the inn, was waiting for them a few meters outside the city with his horse, he was sitting on a large rock that was next to the road, but as soon as he saw them approaching he immediately got up. Ichigo stopped the horse and Rukia stopped with him to hear what that soldier would say.

— I found an inn, on the main street. It is the best there is... — The soldier began to explain to Ichigo how to get there, and Ichigo nodded to what the soldier said before following the path and through the city gates. Rukia saw the soldier climb onto his horse and follow them; behind them were the carriages and the other soldiers.

The main streets of the cities were always large and paved in stone, they used to cross the city from side to side, and there was always a road that went around the cities; that path was for people who wanted to avoid going through the city and preferred to follow a quieter path or were in a hurry to reach their destination.

The only exceptions were the cities Maranni, the Capital, and Visnia. There was no road around the cities because the road to those cities was at a detour from the main road, and there was nothing beyond them because of the location where the cities were built. The capital was built on a cliff, Visnia was built on the edge of the northern mountains, and Maranni on the edge of the Blue Mountains, at the highest possible point.

Rukia looked curiously at everything in the city; she looked at the people who came and went with things, the carts full of fruits or with animals that would be sold or slaughtered in slaughterhouses to sell their meat. There were shops, teahouses, and taverns; the main road of the city was a road dedicated to trade.

In the distance she could hear the ringing of the temple bells of the Deities that announced noon and the shout of the people announcing what they were selling. There were trees planted along the road, usually to one side so as not to impede the flow of the street, and palm trees that grew from one side to the other and swayed in the warm mid-day breeze. Rukia assumed that it must be like that, being so close to the north, they must have as much shadow as possible.

What caught Rukia's attention the most was seeing that in several shops there were bouquets of purple and white flowers; she was also struck by the flowerpots and gardens that decorated the main street because they contained the same shrubs that were in the fields. Rukia could only imagine what the city would look like in the lavender bloom time and decided that the following year she would ask Ichigo to make the trip together again.

Ichigo stopped in front of an inn and dismounted his horse, he helped her down after exchanging a few words with the soldier, and then they entered the place. The inn was beautiful, it was made to leave a good impression on the travelers who stay there.

— Wait a minute here, my love. — Ichigo whispered and Rukia sat on a chair near a window.

While Ichigo spoke with the inn's owner, Rukia stared at the city through that window; she wanted to go out and see the city, dressed like Kia and not like a princess, she wanted to mix with people and she wanted to see those flowers. Ichigo approached her, causing her to snap out of her fantasies, and gave her a smile.

— Let's see our room, Kia. — Ichigo whispered and Rukia stood up nodding with a smile; Ichigo kept playing the name game.

The owner of the inn seemed quite happy about something, and Rukia could tell that he was pulling out a sign that said "no vacancies" to hang at the entrance of the inn.

— Did you rent the whole inn? — Rukia asked, a bit surprised.

— Technically it's still our honeymoon, and I want peace so I can be with my wife. — Ichigo shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant gesture. Rukia blushed at that last sentence. — Also, the man seemed happy to rent us the entire inn. You must consider that the soldiers also have to rest as well as the servants and coachmen. Renting the entire inn is not a bad idea.

Rukia admitted that Ichigo was right, but she didn't have time to do anything else because Ichigo picked her up, like the princess she was, making her surprised and laugh at it. Rukia held onto Ichigo's shoulders, seeing that he too was laughing at what he had done, and he began to walk down the hall to where the room was.

— Will you do it every time we walk through a door? — Rukia asked, completely flushed, and a bit alarmed when Ichigo kicked a door for them to enter the room.

— Yep.

Ichigo took her to eat at a place that was famous for its food, according to the innkeeper who had been telling them which places were good and which places were not; he took her where she wanted to go, and they saw everything she wanted to see. They walked until Rukia's feet ached and returned to the inn before full night fell.

— So, this is a lavender flower. — Rukia muttered looking at the bouquet of flowers that Ichigo had given her. The aroma was incredible and the color too. Rukia placed the flowers next to her head, at her eye level. — Are my eyes the same color? — She asked amused.

Ichigo, who was taking off his shoes sitting on the bed next to Rukia, turned to look at her and shook his head before gently pushing the bunch of flowers away from Rukia's face.

— Nope, your eyes are more beautiful, more colorful and brighter. — Ichigo whispered making her blush again.

Summer — x492 / August 17

Rukia had put on one of her prettiest dresses. The queen had been in charge of personally choosing each of the dresses that Rukia was going to wear on that trip when she learned that they could go to the cities on the return trip. Rukia couldn't complain, they were very pretty dresses, but it also meant that the queen had made sure her representative was dressed according to the situation; that put a lot of pressure on Rukia's shoulders.

She was nervous and Ichigo noticed.

— Now you're royalty, my love. — Ichigo reminded her, when the carriage advanced along that gravel road to the entrance of that house on the outskirts of the city of Zhilen. That road led to the house of the Lord of Zhilen.

— I know, and that's why I'm nervous. — Rukia admitted, gambling her hands like she used to whenever she was nervous. That hadn't happened to her in a long time and it was clear proof of how nervous she was at the time.

— Can I stay inside the carriage and say I'm sick? — Ichigo looked at her for a moment and Rukia let out the breath she was holding when he looked at her.

Ichigo looked really handsome dressed in that casual way; he was not dressed with all the honors of a prince, nor like the commander. He was only dressed casually because this was an informal visit. Rukia was dressed in the same way, with a nice dress and her diadem of yellow and white stones, which was smaller than a tiara.

— If you want to stay here, that's fine. — Ichigo added and caressed her cheek. — I can't force you to come down, but it's part of your job, just as doing this tour is part of mine. They are duties that we have to fulfill; at the moment you are the representative of the queen, just as I am the representative of the king.

— You saying that only makes me more nervous. — Rukia confessed. Her hands were sweating and she was trying to dry them with the skirt of her dress. — What if something goes wrong? What if I say something I shouldn't? The queen told me what I should do in these cases, but that does not prevent me from being nervous. It's a lot of pressure, Ichigo.

— Choose a mask. — Ichigo suggested taking her hand. Rukia just looked at him without fully understanding those words. — Living in court is a game of appearances, this is the same, only bigger and more dangerous. Choose a mask and act accordingly.

— How when you look like a dangerous man? — Rukia asked. Ichigo smirked, shook his head and took her by her waist pulling her to him with a little force.

— I'm a dangerous man, my love; a dangerous man pretending to be a prince. — Ichigo said that staring at her, without letting go or separating from her. Rukia bit her lip, she liked it when he acted like this. — What will you choose, my love? Because once that door opens, the game will have started again and you will have to stay in your role.

They were silent, staring at each other until the carriage stopped. Rukia had to think, but having Ichigo so close to her made her think about everything except what she should think. Ichigo gave her a kiss that left her wanting more and he pulled away from her. Rukia was flustered, flushed, and had forgotten that she was nervous; Ichigo smirked and ran his fingers through his hair casually.

It was like watching the day and night change, that charming smile that he gave only to her had disappeared; Ichigo looked like a dangerous man again, and Rukia admitted that she liked the dangerous man more than she should.

Rukia couldn't seem like a dangerous woman, she was a little girl compared to everyone; she could not use the maternal gesture that the queen had because she was not a mother; and she couldn't use that expression that the world would be at her feet, that Nelliel used to have since she got married, because that might make people talk too much.

Rukia was young, and the best she could do was look young, innocent, and naïve; the contrast to the dangerous man that Ichigo was. Rukia looked at Ichigo for an instant, and she could only imagine many things with him in a bed; with the dangerous man.

Rukia could hear the sound of people outside the carriage, speaking in whispers that she couldn't quite understand. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath; she tried to calm herself and, when she heard the soldier announce them to the owners of the house, she opened her eyes with an expression of innocence and happiness that she did not have or felt at that moment.

That moment was like throwing herself into the pit of the beasts and having to come out without a single scratch.

—

— I'm so tired! — Rukia complained taking off her diadem and shoes at the same time. She left her diadem on a small table and her shoes ended up lying on the carpet in that room at the inn. — My face aches from maintaining that expression of innocence and joy, my feet ache from walking around with the wife of the Lord of Zhilen, and my head aches from being surrounded by people all day. How can you bear it?

Rukia threw herself on the bed and lay down trying to get some rest after that day that had seemed too long. Ichigo approached her and lay down next to her, they were both staring at the ceiling of that room.

— After a while you get used to it; you could have chosen any other expression. — Ichigo leaned on his own side so he could see Rukia. — You could have chosen the bossy and sinister Rukia I saw in the mountain house.

Rukia turned to see him and blushed at that description of her. Ichigo started stroking her arm very gently; Rukia liked that caress, it was the one he gave her on the beach. Rukia bit her lip before answering.

— I could have chosen her, but that Rukia makes you horny, and it would be a problem if we were both like that and not being able to do something to remedy it. You came for your job as a commander and I…

— And you, as my sensual wife, are the queen's representative. — Ichigo added. Rukia sighed and again saw the ceiling; her feet ached but her headache was subsiding.

— Are you using the ankh to cure my headache? — Rukia asked and turned a bit to lie on her own side and see Ichigo face to face.

— Nope, maybe you just needed to rest and vent for the headache to subside. — Ichigo clarified and Rukia smiled before kissing him.

— I have a better idea to ease my headache. — Rukia whispered mischievously before putting one of her hands on Ichigo's chest, playing with one of the buttons on his shirt. — But I need the dangerous Ichigo that must be hiding inside you.

— No, you don't want that Ichigo. — Ichigo whispered with a smile causing Rukia to lie on the bed, with one of her legs around his hips. — He could scare you.

— Try me. — Rukia challenged him and Ichigo smirked. She saw how that smile gave way to that dangerous man that she had liked to see in a carriage.

Summer — x492 / August 22

The funny thing about the story is that it tended to repeat itself, or so Kaien liked to think. A Second Prince named Kaien had led the army of Avanta against Maranni in an attack that had culminated in that fight in the throne room of the Jade Palace where the Accords of the Fall were born.

That was the reason why he liked his name, because it had been in history and was embodied in documents signed with the blood of kings. Kaien liked to think that since they chose his name, they had destined a glorious future for him.

That prince had married the princess of Maranni, and thus had started this cycle of ancestral marriages. The royalty of Avanta and the Kuchiki family were more closely related than they appeared; in colloquial terms, they were family, since more than once the princesses of Avanta had married an heir of Maranni.

Before the official appointments of the Kingdom's Principalities were made, Kaien knew that he was going to marry the daughter of the Lord of Maranni, and this struck him as curious and even amusing because history was going to repeat itself. He was not bothered by the course that events had taken, he would not marry the girl from Maranni, but he would be the king; and that was even better.

It was the first long trip he had taken without Nelliel since they had been married, and even if he didn't want to admit it, he was missing her more than he wanted to believe. He had gotten too used to her presence, to her words, and to that childlike way she sometimes used with him when they were alone. Kaien thought that denying his feelings for Nelliel would be enough and he could go on with his life as if nothing had happened, but he realized that this was not possible; Nelliel had gradually settled into his mind.

They passed the city and Kaien could see, from the carriage window, that indeed the city gates were new and that there was no trace of destruction around, only the gates were new. He knew that he would not find something relevant in the city; what had happened in Maranni, according to reports, had happened just over two months ago; just around the time Ichigo had gone to investigate the rumors.

The carriage crossed the city from side to side, only to find a long road that ended on a rise in the land, where the Great House was built. The Great House was a fortified palace in the same way as Adelaar Castle, it had great walls and a great main gate through which Kaien's carriage passed after the soldiers announced him to the watchers.

Kaien had traveled discreetly, not because he didn't want to prove his status as heir and future king, but because it was easier that way; that way he wouldn't get so much attention on the road.

Kaien's carriage proceeded down the driveway and stopped right at the main door of the Great House, waited a moment for Nnoitra to open the door and calmly descended; always with that fake smile that he knew how to use very well. Kaien was not surprised to find Councilor Kuchiki's son waiting for him at the entrance, what surprised him was seeing Councilor's son using a cane at such a young age.

— His Royal Highness, Prince Kaien. — He was introduced by Nnoitra and Byakuya bowed only with his head in a welcoming gesture very similar to the ones Kaien had seen in Councilor Kuchiki.

— Lord Byakuya, right? — Kaien asked with that fake and kind smile. Byakuya just nodded. — I know that my visit is unforeseen, but I bring a message from the king.

Those words had a curious effect on Byakuya, who was still standing in the doorway using his cane as support. Byakuya was surprised and his eyes let Kaien see that surprise, as if they were not expecting a message from the king, or as if they were waiting too long.

Kaien waved his hand and Nnoitra handed Byakuya a sealed paper, bearing the king's personal seal, for young Kuchiki to read. Kaien knew what that paper said, it was the notice that he was there officially to do Ichigo's work; the king had sent him to review directly on all matters related to security and the militia.

Byakuya only saw the king's seal and nodded, he did not read the content at the time.

— Your Highness, please follow me. We will speak in my father's private office. — Byakuya asked.

Kaien followed him, peering inside the abandoned-looking palace and noticing that Byakuya limped slightly on one leg as he walked. The Jade Palace was known to have looked imposing and majestic before, but at that moment it seemed lonely and almost empty; all of its former glory was fading with time, and Kaien intended that the only thing left of that palace was exactly that, a story.

Byakuya guided Kaien to the Lord of Maranni's private office, offered him a seat, and asked not to be disturbed; Byakuya sat in the chair behind the desk and broke the lacquered seal to read the contents of the king's letter.

Kaien was just silent, waiting for the review to start and looking with amusement at what was in that office. It did not matter that he did not find anything suspicious, the true mission was to report to the king everything that he saw, heard and did the inhabitants of the Great House.

Summer — x492 / August 25

The White Palace of Gardelia was in mourning, the black flags waved in the cool breeze from that giant garden that was the capital, but the city was completely silent. The funeral pyre was placed in the square in front of the temple of the Deities, the corpse of the king was placed on a red mantle on the pyre, and the flowers surrounded it simulating a bed.

The horns sounded one last time in honor of the fallen king, and the crown prince approached with a lit torch ushering in the king's last ceremony. The inhabitants of the city were also gathered, saying that last prayer in unison to ask the Shadow to guide the soul of that king to the paradise of the Deities and grant him the eternal rest that he deserved.

All the concubines of the dead king were present, all wearing mourning for the king's death and all resigned to the fact that after that ceremony they would have to leave the White Palace; only the mother of the heir could remain in the palace, and only her children could continue to be called princes and princesses of Gardelia.

Yoruichi saw her father's body consume itself in the flames of that funeral pyre; the way the fire devoured everything and rose like a ferocious beast that roared, lived and consumed itself, was almost hypnotic. The rules were clear, and although she was going to miss her brothers and sisters, she was unwilling to advocate for them to remain in the palace. Her brother would be crowned king, and as king, he would have his own concubines.

When a new king in Gardelia was crowned, history was rewritten again; and if any of the ancient princes valued his own life, or had been lucky enough to outlive his father and the king's favorite son, then it was preferable that he stay away from the desire to become king.

Yoruichi was the youngest of all princesses, she was her father's favorite and, at that time, she was Gardelia's only princess and her brother's favorite. Whatever Yoruichi asked for, her brother would give it to her.

Summer — x492 / September 2

The door of the king's private office was in front of him, the servants had warned him that the council meeting had not been held that day because the king felt exhausted, and had secluded himself in his office. Kaien hoped his father didn't get sick; the king still could not die.

His father's soldiers announced him, and moments later the door opened to let him in. A young woman, whom Kaien recognized as one of the queen's court ladies, came out of the office very quickly, awkwardly bowing to him. Kaien raised an eyebrow and then looked at his father as the door closed behind him.

Obviously he needn't worry about his father's health.

— Senna, father? — Kaien asked curiously approaching his father, who was sitting behind his desk. Kaien sat on a chair in front of him.

— She is pretty, what can I tell you? — The king shrugged nonchalantly. — The queen is upset with me, again, and does not want to receive me in her bed.

Kaien shook his head and handed his father the report he had made on his stay in Maranni.

— I just remind you that Nelliel wants her as a lady-in-waiting, and if the queen finds out that you intend to take that girl to bed, there will be problems, father. — Kaien added. Isshin took the report in his hands and began to peruse it. — And she is the daughter of the Lord of Neikel.

For a moment Isshin said nothing, reading the report and jotting down a few things on a sheet of paper. Kaien was silent for a moment, playing with his fingers, and thinking of Senna. He didn't have to think too much about what his father might be doing with the girl, but if the queen found out that Senna ended up in the king's bed, Senna might end up dead.

— I will remove the Lord of Neikel. — Isshin assured leaving the report aside. Kaien was surprised by that but he didn't speak, he just waited for the king to say the reason; if there was any reason. — He is not doing a good job, and it seems that he has been stealing resources that we allocate to the city. He is under investigation.

— And the girl came to beg mercy for her father? — Kaien raised an eyebrow at the question, but the king seemed in no mood to take such a joke. — Sorry, Your Majesty. I have exceeded myself.

Kaien was the one who sometimes got some pretty girl for his father to hang out, he had started doing after Miyako's death; that's why he knew The Weaver's brothel. Kaien used to buy the most beautiful prostitute and take her to his father.

Slavery was forbidden in Avanta, but they were details that Kaien preferred to ignore in order to anger the queen and make the king happy. In the end the girl ended up dead, and that made the queen happy; so he didn't find anything wrong with that practice.

Isshin accepted Kaien's apology.

— Maranni went from being a danger with an excess of soldiers to a weak point in less than two months. Why? I know it's written in the report, but I want your personal opinion. — The king clarified after making that observation.

— I don't know what to say, Your Majesty. — Kaien began and put on his face that expression of concern that he had so well practiced. — If I say something it could perhaps be an accusation against my brother, and I do not want to accuse him of something that I am not sure of, father.

— Do you think Ichigo has something to do with it? — The king seemed little surprised, as if he had suspected this before.

Kaien began to wonder if the king was really suspicious of Ichigo; if he managed to accuse him of treason, then the king would kill Ichigo for trying to divide the kingdom. That was too premature, he would have to use his words well not to make a rookie mistake.

— Father, I haven't stopped thinking about it. Ichigo is young, although he is the Commander and he has had exceptional training, in addition to possessing those gifts that you have mentioned to me; maybe he lacks experience with people. Even I myself consider that I lack experience with people. I think Ichigo tried to make the Lord of Maranni not be accused of treason.

— You're hinting that Ichigo lied to my face! — The king's tone of voice rose enough to make Kaien see that he must be even more careful with his words.

— No father, I'm not implying. Ichigo would be unable to lie to you, you are our father and king, the very idea of lying to you would be a betrayal, father. I think Ichigo did a good job, he fulfilled what you asked him and he brought you results. — Kaien rushed to say. — I think Ichigo is so in love with his wife that he made a mistake; he perhaps he spoke to Lord Kuchiki and said something that he did not think as well as he should, causing the excess of the soldiers in Maranni to be fired.

That answer seemed to please the king, because Kaien watched as his father relaxed in his seat again.

— You're right, maybe he made a mistake. — Isshin repeated more to himself than to Kaien. — You have to watch him so he doesn't make any more mistakes.

Kaien smiled inwardly at that last command; keeping an eye on Ichigo was something he wouldn't hesitate to do.

— I also noticed something curious in the Great House, it is almost empty, and there are hardly any people working there. — Kaien commented, drawing his father's gaze again. — And I didn't see Byakuya's wife or his son.

Greetings to all who have read and to all who have commented on the story.

jobananasan, Gman, diah77; Your comments are amazing! Thank you.

Next chapter: Friday