The Nightingale

Chapter 48: Consequences 2

Autumn — x492 / September 30

Ulquiorra would never have left his job; no matter what, he always obeyed orders because he was a soldier; the best soldier of his generation. He knew the rules, the penalties, and the proper fighting techniques; he was admired by his peers and respected by his subordinates.

It didn't bother him that he had been assigned to take care of Lord Kuchiki because that meant less work and spending more time with Orihime; Lord Kuchiki was forbidden to leave the city and the castle, due to the investigation that the king had subjected him to, and Ulquiorra was in charge of ensuring that nothing entered and left without authorization.

They were times of peace and he preferred to enjoy those moments with his wife than among soldiers, because he knew that times of peace were not usually that long.

He was finishing signing the papers that assigned the breaks of his subordinates when a servant entered the small private room that he had near the training yard; where the other private rooms of the military chiefs and the Office of the Commander—in—Chief of the Kingdom were.

Ulquiorra looked up from those papers only to find the frightened and altered expression of that servant who bowed to him while stammering as he spoke.

It took seconds for the servant to tell Ulquiorra what was happening, and seconds for Ulquiorra to run out of that office as fast as his legs would allow. He arrived as fast as he could to the place where Nelliel was, it was not difficult to find him because there were many people gathered and quite shocked by what was happening; Ulquiorra feared for a moment that his sister had jumped, but when he saw Orihime stepped out of the crowd, hugging Nelliel tightly, he calmed down.

Ulquiorra knew he should approach his sister, ask her if she was okay and what had happened but all that went down in history when he saw Kaien standing still, without moving from his place and following with his eyes Nelliel, who had disappeared behind the castle gate.

He knew that his sister and Kaien had relationship problems because of a girl from the Queen's Court; Orihime had told him the day before and despite wanting to go hit Kaien as soon as Orihime told him, he didn't do it for the simple reason that hitting a prince could mean death; also Orihime convinced him that they were their problems, that they should solve them because they were the ones who were going to be together.

— He will become king... and it's probably not the only time he does. — Orihime had told him.

All kings had at least one mistress, and all kings had at least one illegitimate child in their history.

Nelliel was in love with Kaien, but Kaien was not in love with Nelliel; it was something Ulquiorra had always known and despite knowing it, he allowed her sister to marry Kaien because she had insisted it was the only thing she wanted.

Ulquiorra began to advance towards Kaien with a firm step, people stood aside because they knew that Ulquiorra and Kaien were in—laws and they assumed that he wanted to know what had happened to his sister; but what Ulquiorra actually did, rather than ask about what had happened at that moment, was hit Kaien in the face.

That punch caught Kaien off guard, making him stagger a bit instead and preventing him from reacting quickly to the second punch Ulquiorra threw at him, this time aimed at the stomach causing Kaien to gasp for breath. Kaien fought back, hitting Ulquiorra back as the two struggled and the soldiers tried to stop them.

They were both really good, the best trained in the castle; if Kaien were a soldier, he would be part of the elite.

No one had ever, in their entire life, seen a fight between a soldier and a prince of this magnitude; where the punches came and went, and where the Deities were thanked that neither Kaien nor Ulquiorra was armed or someone would have already died.

When they finally managed to separate them, both Ulquiorra and Kaien had blood dripping from their mouths and many blows to various parts of the body. It was the king's guards who managed to separate them and who held Ulquiorra so that he would not launch himself against Kaien again.

— I did warn you Kaien! I told you not to let her walk near the cliff! — Ulquiorra yelled, losing all that calm that had always characterized him and that he hadn't even lost while punching Kaien.

Kaien was on his feet, being held by Aaroniero to keep him from collapsing on the floor, and with a trickle of saliva trickling from the corner of his mouth to his chin.

— You keep out of this! — Kaien replied, angry and shaky. A couple of the blows Ulquiorra had given him had been to the ribs and as he spoke, he had to suppress a wince. – This is not your business!

— It's my business because she is my sister! You promised that you would take care of her and the first thing you do is send her to the cliff! — Ulquiorra yelled, trying to get the king's guards to release him but only held him tighter. — You promised it in front of the Deities!

Kaien did not respond to that accusation immediately, he was only looking at Ulquiorra whose only wish was to break free from the guards' grip to strike him again.

— Take General Cifer to the dungeons! — Ordered the king, who had arrived at that time. Ulquiorra stopped trying to get the guards to release him upon hearing the king's words and immediately lowered his gaze. — And put him in a punishment cell!

The guards nodded and led Ulquiorra directly to the punishment cell. Beating a prince was a very serious offense and Ulquiorra was aware that the walls of that cell would be the last thing he would see in his life.

—

— All of this is your fault! — Masaki yelled at Isshin as they both entered the king's office, after the medic treated Kaien and Nelliel. — The king on the cliff! The man among men! This is what your shameless adventures have sparked! Because of you, because of your example as a great king, Nelliel almost died when she found out that Kaien was flirting with another girl while she was recovering from her loss.

— Kaien almost died from the blows Ulquiorra gave him! — Isshin answered between shouts, as upset as Masaki at that moment.

— He deserves it! Ulquiorra was raised by me! — Masaki clarified, completely furious. — And now because of Kaien, he is about to die.

That comment didn't even affect Isshin. It was no secret to him that Masaki had no affection for Kaien, so it was no surprise that she wanted him to suffer and care more for Ulquiorra and Nelliel than for Kaien.

— I can see the good upbringing you gave him! He almost killed Kaien, who by the way, you raised too! — Isshin did not miss the opportunity to remind Masaki of that detail, and right then he fell silent, because he remembered his incompetence as a father with Ichigo. — Masaki, I don't...

Masaki calmed down upon hearing those words and sat behind Isshin's desk. Reminding him, once again, of that agreement they reached when he went to look for her at Vayalat and she annulled the petition for divorce.

— We have an agreement, you know that very well, and although it makes me angry to put up with your love affairs, I can deal with them by getting rid of the girls. — Masaki interlocked her own fingers and leaned her elbows on the desk, still looking at Isshin. — However, I hoped that Kaien did not follow the same path as you, for the sole reason that I'm interested in Nelliel's happiness. Obviously, I was wrong and your example outweighs the education I gave him. Ulquiorra's actions shouldn't even be judged, he was just defending his sister's honor. So I'll be clear on this Isshin; you will free Ulquiorra and we will forget this matter.

— The castle rules… — Isshin tried to speak, still seeing Masaki's entwined fingers from which a small black spider dangled.

Masaki was threatening him, and it was the first time she had threatened him like that. She had never, in all the years they had been married, resorted to that gift to make her position on anything clear.

— Don't quote me the castle rules, I know them by heart. I myself take care that they are fulfilled because I am the one who runs the castle, and you know it. — Masaki argued, still looking at Isshin. — By the way, I will invite the entire Senna family to the Night of Souls, so start thinking about who will be Neikel's new lord.

— Masaki, don't... in matters of the kingdom I'm the one who makes the decisions. — Isshin spoke up, knowing that invitation was a death sentence for Senna's family. — I'm the king and…

— And you don't forget who the queen is. — Masaki got up from the chair without taking her eyes off him. Isshin could see that black spider disappear between Masaki's fingers. — Find a way to save Ulquiorra, and if you want me to forgive you and welcome you back to my bed, find a new lord for Neikel.

Masaki left the office and Isshin stayed there, standing in the same place in front of the desk; remembering the words of his queen. If he released Ulquiorra, he would look weak, and if he executed him, not only Masaki would be affected, but Nelliel and Orihime.

Isshin didn't know what to do, because the simple fact of beating someone from the royal family was considered treason. Isshin was not even obliged to make a trial and pass a sentence to define the consequences of Ulquiorra's actions, because undoubtedly execution was the only punishment.

He walked through his office from one side to the other and poured himself a glass of that liquor that Ichigo had given him when he returned from Vayalat; the taste was really strong but it helped him to think. Ichigo called it "the liquor of business" and Isshin had to admit that Ichigo was not wrong in calling it that way.

Isshin had so much on his mind that he felt like he could collapse at any moment. He not only had to deal with Neikel's problem, with the Kuchiki and with the attempted assassination against Ichigo in Visnia, he now had to deal with a sentence that he really didn't want to give but was forced to fulfill.

Autumn — x492 / October 1st

Nelliel knew she had exceeded the moment she was informed that her brother was in a punishment cell for beating Kaien. He deserved that for trying to follow in the king's footsteps, though deep down she still suspected it was because the girl looked like Rukia, and Kaien had a slight obsession with her.

Nelliel knew Kaien, and had considered so many scenarios and so many possible answers for what she was going to do and get the result she wanted, that the only thing she didn't consider was Ulquiorra's reaction.

Much of what she had said at the time was true, the feelings were real and genuine, but the suicide attempt and the divorce were as false as the friendship she once felt for Miyako. Nelliel did what she had to do to make sure Kaien made her his priority and she had no regrets; what had happened to Kaien and Ulquiorra was something she couldn't control but which she would make sure to find a way to fix.

So Nelliel got dressed and headed up to Kaien's room even before breakfast was served.

The guards immediately opened the door for her and she entered Kaien's bedroom, walked slowly and reached the bed where Kaien was lying with his eyes closed.

Nelliel stared at Kaien for a moment, noting the bruises on his face from Ulquiorra's blows, and the bandage that completely covered his ribs up to his chest. Kaien appeared to be asleep, so she carefully sat down next to him on the bed, stroking his face with her fingertips, trying not to hurt or wake him.

— I thought you weren't coming to see me. — Kaien whispered before slowly opening his eyes. Nelliel immediately withdrew her hand from his face, but did not move away from him. — Have you forgiven me?

— Don't talk, they said your ribs are badly hurt. — Nelliel added, noticing the effort Kaien made to speak. She was mad at him, but seeing him like this turned all that anger into worry.

— I deserve it. — Kaien whispered. Nelliel immediately put a finger to his lips to keep him from speaking, but Kaien closed his eyes and kissed it.

Nelliel blushed. Even injured, Kaien was still as usual.

— Don't talk, you need to rest. — Nelliel whispered again, but Kaien shook his head.

— I don't need to rest, I need my wife to forgive me. — Kaien spoke and suppressed a wince. — I was really afraid of losing you, my dear Nell. I'm not like my father, I don't want to be like him and do to you what he does to the queen.

Nelliel felt her heart begin to pound, and she felt her eyes fill with tears at Kaien's words.

— Kaien… Don't talk anymore, you're going to hurt yourself.

— I won't talk any more, but promise me you'll give me a chance.

Nelliel nodded but said no more, causing Kaien to smile before wincing again.

She stayed the rest of the morning with Kaien, helping him with whatever he needed until he went back to sleep under the effect of the pain—relieving medicine.

Being with Kaien was the only thing Nelliel wanted.

—

Orihime stared at the plate of food in front of her, knowing she must eat but not having the greatest appetite to do so. She was worried about Ulquiorra, because they hadn't allowed her to see him since she found out he was locked in the punishment cell, and all she wanted was to go with him and see if he was okay.

Everyone in the castle knew that he had beaten Prince Kaien, what made it worse was that Ulquiorra had hurt Kaien's ribs, and the king's doctor had sent Kaien into complete rest for the next few days.

Orihime was afraid of what they might do to Ulquiorra while he was locked up, and was more afraid just to think that they might not let her see him until the sentence was served. Everyone was talking about Ulquiorra's execution, everyone assumed that he was going to be executed for beating Prince Kaien, and Orihime could only cry every time she thought about it.

— My lady, eat a little. — Her maid insisted, placing a glass of orange juice in front of her.

— I'm not hungry. — Orihime pushed the bowl of food and juice away. — All I want is to see Ulquiorra, I need to know if he's okay.

The maid did not press further about the food, but left the dessert served because that was sweet and Orihime liked sweet, even so, Orihime didn't taste it either.

She did not know what to think or who to blame for what was happening at the time, because everyone was partly to blame. She for telling Ulquiorra what happened that afternoon between Kaien, Yuki and Nelliel; Yuki for going around trying something with Kaien, looking for something she could never have; and Kaien, for not being able to keep his promise to Nelliel.

Even Nelliel was to blame, for weaving that web in the castle, seeking her own benefit.

They were all tangled in that web, and the threads were around everyone's necks.

Orihime had spoken to the queen, she had asked her to intercede for Ulquiorra but the queen had been very clear about that, assuring her that she would try to speak to the king and Kaien, but she did not promise anything. Orihime's last hope was Ichigo, but he hadn't returned to the castle, and she didn't know when he would.

She intended to write to her brother for advice, because if the queen could not avoid Ulquiorra's fate, Orihime would be a widow and would have to return to Eikaran, but she did not want to return to her home, she wanted Ulquiorra alive.

Again the emotions overwhelmed her, and she got up from the table trying not to cry, trying to find a solution to what Ulquiorra was going through.

—

Yuki's right hand was bandaged and a pair of fingers had been immobilized because they had been hurt more than the others. The queen's doctor had assured her that they would be mobile again, but that she should avoid doing things that involved using that hand a lot; therefore, doing homework and serving the queen were among the activities that Yuki was unable to do.

The queen called to her to warn her, firmly and forcefully, that she was forbidden to approach Prince Kaien again; furthermore, the queen made it clear to Yuki that everything that was happening in the castle was her fault and that if a tragedy happened, she would be expelled from the Royal Court and sent back to Maranni.

Yuki tried to defend herself by saying that it was the prince's fault, that he had seduced her and wanted to take advantage of her, but as soon as she had finished saying that sentence, the queen slapped her so hard that it echoed in the room.

— Thank the Deities that your hand is injured or the punishment you deserve for speaking ill of a prince would be severe. — The queen warned. — I have had enough of you and your bad behavior within the court; I know perfectly the type of person you are, so save your words and excuses for someone who does not know you.

Yuki left the queen's room after those words, with a hand on her cheek trying to lessen the pain of the blow the queen gave her, and completely upset. Nothing was working out the way she would have wanted.

She had to think about what to do, but the only thing that came to her mind was that her only hope to stay at court was Rukia; Yuki couldn't get any closer to Prince Kaien and she didn't want Princess Nelliel to hurt her again. She had enough right now with her injured hand.

Yuki came to the conclusion that Princess Nelliel was dangerous, since the princess had destroyed her hand just because of one suspicion, she did not want to imagine what Princess Nelliel would do to her if she became the prince's mistress; although that no longer mattered. After all the drama the princess did with "jumping off the cliff," Yuki doubted Prince Kaien would pay any attention to her again.

Yuki sighed and the effort made her cheek ache; the queen hit her hard.

The only problem that Yuki had was that Rukia did not feel affection for her, after what had happened in Maranni, Rukia had marked a very considerable distance between them. She had to think carefully about how to approach Rukia without looking so suspicious, but for that Rukia had to go back to the castle first, and there was no news that she would be back anytime soon.

Autumn — x492 / October 2

— And everything returned to normal, as if we were waking up from a bad dream. — The Queen Mother had told them as she explained Kaien's origins. — Not really, nothing returns to normal after spending a couple of years in hell. Masaki was never the same again, although she tried; Isshin, although again he seemed like the man in love with his wife, over the years it began to be noticed that he had a certain favoritism for Kaien and not for Ichigo, who was the son of the woman he claimed to love. We never knew what was going through Isshin's mind, perhaps he was also affected by everything that woman did to him, and we can only assume that the spell in which she had him, left very serious consequences on his mind.

Ichigo hadn't wanted to speak even though inside he was furious and felt the ankh fluttering between his fingers. He also watched as Rukia played with the ring, as if stroking it would help her calm down or calm him down.

— I'm not justifying what my son has done. — The Queen Mother continued, aware of how her words had sounded. — I know that he may never change and that possibly throughout his life he will continue to favor Kaien, so we can only wait for...

The Queen Mother did not continue that phrase and it was not necessary; Ichigo knew what his grandmother was referring to and tried to understand how painful it must all be for his grandmother, but the anger he felt at that moment did not let him think clearly.

The talk with the Queen Mother had continued late into the night, until there was nothing more to talk about. His grandmother had been clear, that subject would not be touched on after that night because there was nothing more to say.

— Commander, we are arriving. — One of the soldiers who were with them spoke from outside the carriage.

Ichigo stopped remembering what they had discussed with the queen mother at that moment.

— Okay, get everything ready. We will spend a few days here before arriving at the castle. — Ichigo ordered in a clear voice. The soldier confirmed the order, and walked away.

Rukia was asleep, resting her head on his lap, and Ichigo gently caressed her face to wake her up. The carriage began to slow down because the road was somewhat abandoned and neglected from lack of use.

— We have already arrived home? — Rukia asked rubbing her eyes as she sat up in her seat.

— We will arrive in a moment more, Lady Kurosaki. — Ichigo whispered with a smile.

Rukia smiled and lay back on Ichigo's lap, this time playing with his fingers.

A short chapter because I had forgotten to do it :( and thanks to everyone who commented, you know they motivate me to keep writing. I will answer the reviews these days * hearts *