The Nightingale

Chapter 79: Sins

Autumn — x493 / October 14

Masaki had a lot to think about besides all the problems in the castle that she usually had. Thinking about Kaien's situation gave her a headache because she had no idea how Isshin was going to react when she told him.

She was also worried that Ichigo would find out about Kaien's marriage proposal to Rukia, because she didn't know how Ichigo's mind and emotions were at that moment and that could lead him to do something crazy.

— If Ichigo is in a moment of frailty and loses what little control he has over himself, he could be lost in the dark. — The queen put her forehead on her desk because she felt that her head was going to explode with pain. — Everything is so fucking wrong.

Her desire for her son to be declared king and to have what was his by birth was the only thing keeping her from writing to his father to take up arms against Avanta. A conquest of Vayalat would not give Ichigo the crown, it would give him a regency in Yhwach's name and nothing else.

— A regency would be better than nothing and Ichigo might be content with that, being the one who controls the land and pays the tribute to Vayalat.

Masaki let out a groan after saying those words. Ichigo paying to have what was supposed to be his by birth was not even remotely what Masaki wanted for her son.

Ichigo would be a puppet on Yhwach's or Kisuke's fingers with the danger that they would turn their backs on him if Ichigo didn't do what they wanted. Masaki loved her father and her brother, but like all kings, they were both mercenaries who moved not only by the impulse of their hearts but by the profits they could make from the movement.

— My queen, the king has arrived. He came in through the soldiers' door and asked to see you. — The Kahya spoke, who entered that office after receiving permission from the queen. — Do you want me to tell Princess Rukia that the prince is back?

Masaki sighed upon hearing that Isshin had returned and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ease her headache with that old magic so she could face her husband and king.

— No, let her sleep. She needs to rest. When she wakes up, have her maids bring her food and let her know that Ichigo is back. — The queen ordered and rose heavily from her seat.

The Kahya nodded at those words and left the office with that step always so harmonious.

Masaki took a couple of steps towards the door and felt a slight cramp in her belly that took a while to subside. At that moment she felt a bit disappointed because she had thought that she was pregnant, and she had even taken a pregnancy test two days before, but it was obvious that she was wrong and it was just a delay.

All the tiredness and dizziness were just because of the stress she was experiencing at the time, since her period came that day after lunch.

Masaki entered the king's room, where he was waiting for her, and the first thing she saw was his completely angry expression. Isshin had made this trip to get Ichigo out of Rukia's crush but evidently the results were not to the king's liking. Only Rukia knew Ichigo's condition, but she came back so tired from that trip that the most prudent thing was to let her sleep so she could recover.

— Welcome, dear husband. — Masaki greeted Isshin, mentally preparing herself for whatever he had to say at that moment. — How was your trip?

— Terrible! — Isshin answered, completely angry. — Your son is a… I don't even have words to describe him. I tried to talk to him and it didn't work, on the contrary, he took a completely reprehensible attitude.

— Did he visit brothels and taverns? — Masaki asked tiredly but without moving from her place because with each step she took, she felt her blood go down.

— The worst ones! A dishonorable behavior!

— I remind you that it was what you wanted. You wanted him to be like you, what makes you angry about his attitude? — Masaki asked again, enduring another cramp in her belly.

— Not like this, I didn't want him to do what he did. — The King tried to explain. — He claimed me for everything that happened in his life, he threatened to leave the kingdom so I would leave him alone and challenged me to punish him. He told me that I was seeing my "real son". A child throwing a tantrum is what I saw!

Masaki thought about it at that moment and came to the conclusion that between the two of them they were destroying their own children.

— You saw the death of a child, Isshin. It's not a pretty thing to see if it was a violent death. — Masaki replied, this time closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. Isshin could interpret it as if she was holding back from yelling at him and that was fine. — Maybe later he will get over it, he did it when he was a child because he had the support of my brother, and he will do it now that he is a man because he has the support of his wife.

— That girl and her family are the cause of all my problems.

Masaki refrained from rolling her eyes because she couldn't deny that there was a grain of truth in those words. Rukia's family was a problem for the kingdom, one that started within the Kuchiki family itself. Everything was a problem upon problem, woven like a blanket and at the same time so individual that no matter which one was solved, the others would not be solved.

— Kaien and your love for him are the cause of all our problems. — Masaki reminded him, because that was another undeniable truth. — While you were trying to get Ichigo to change his attitude, Kaien took it upon himself to tell Rukia what our son was doing on that trip and she didn't take it well.

— What? Kaien did what? — The king's questions was filled with surprise and disbelief.

It was clear that Isshin didn't expect Kaien to talk to Rukia about it, maybe he didn't even imagine the reasons why Kaien had said that to Rukia, and Masaki hoped that Isshin was objective enough to punish Kaien for his actions.

The queen's area was supposed to be a safe area for the girls who lived there.

— Rukia received a gift from Jetaiya's heir, nothing serious considering that their families are technically related by marriage, but Kaien accused her of seeking a crown in another kingdom. Kaien told her that if she wanted to be a queen so much, she should divorce Ichigo and marry him, and to give his words more weight, he told her everything Ichigo was doing on that trip.

Masaki took a step towards Isshin, who was staring at her. She didn't know what was going through the king's mind, but she was sure that the idea of Kaien proposing to Rukia was not to his liking. Isshin didn't like Rukia and the Kuchiki for everything they had been doing.

— You know the rules, my dear king. — Masaki began to speak when she noticed that Isshin had remained silent because he did not know what to say at that moment. — Not only the rules of the castle, but also those that the Deities dictate about the treatment of men to women. I don't have to remind you of the punishments meted out to men who hurt a woman.

Isshin's look of surprise was mixed with concern and fear.

— You're not implying that Kaien… — Isshin couldn't finish the sentence at that moment. — My queen, don't tell me Kaien hurt the girl.

— Not Rukia, he just held her arm too hard and bruised her. I healed her, don't worry about it. — Masaki explained. Isshin's frightened expression relaxed. — The one who paid the consequences was Yuki. The girl is in bed, in pain, with bruises and wounds that show Kaien's affection. Both girls are scared. Evidently I punished Kaien. Three lashes to bring him to his knees before me and I banned him from the queen's quarters.

It was not the first time that a prince entered that place and took advantage of his position to hurt one of the girls. All the times a prince harmed a girl were recorded in the records, from the damage to the consequences, and Masaki did not intend to let something like that go unpunished while she was there.

Kaien's name would also be written on those records, along with his sin.

Isshin looked at her silently, his jaw clenched but not questioning her word, and walked to the door calling his guard.

— Lock Prince Kaien in a punishment cell. — The soldier stared at the king for a moment, as if he didn't fully understand that order because princes weren't treated that way. — Now!

The king's look and voice, completely serious, took the soldier out of his little lapse of surprise and he left to carry out the order. Masaki was pleased by Kaien's punishment and allowed herself to relax a bit.

— He will accompany Ichigo for a few days. — The king spoke again making Masaki stare at him. She was completely dumbfounded by those words. — His reprehensible behavior on that trip, plus his lack of respect for both his king and his father, cannot go unpunished. Both on punishment in cells until they regain their sanity.

Masaki wanted to protest that, she even opened her mouth to say something but closed it before any words could be formed and held her breath because of the new cramp she felt in her belly. Isshin realized that something was not right with her and immediately approached her, concerned about her health.

— My queen, what's wrong? Are you sick?

— It's just... Women stuff. — Masaki whispered trying to calm herself down, but she felt the pain was stronger than usual and Isshin genuinely worried when she clung to him tightly. — I'll go to my room and call the doctor.

Masaki intended to release him and leave when the pain subsided, but Isshin scooped her up and carried her to the bed before yelling at one of the servants to call the doctor. She tried to refuse, but a new pain prevented it and a slight premonition was present in her mind and in her heart.

—

Isshin was standing just outside his own room because the queen's doctor had taken him out before checking on her. The woman looked genuinely scared when she arrived and it made Isshin worry even more about his wife. Masaki was probably sick and he just started complaining about their son without first asking if her health was alright.

An eternity of time later, when he was allowed in, the first thing the doctor did was give him a few words of comfort.

— It was the will of the Deities, your majesty.

With that sentence, Isshin immediately turned to see Masaki, who was still in bed and avoiding looking at him. The window seemed to be very interesting, because it was the only thing his wife looked at while she was lost in her own thoughts. The doctor left the room and Isshin approached his wife to try to comfort her.

— I didn't even know, I took the test two days ago and was supposed to have the result in a few more days. Now I know, there's no need to wait. — Masaki whispered, without turning to look at him and without crying, with her voice empty and soft. Isshin's heart sank at that moment, as it did every time they decided to try and fate denied them. — It was the will of the Deities, I suppose... I won't try it again. If you want another child, I will accept the girl you choose as Favorite and take care of her, but I will not go through this anymore. Isshin, I'm tired and my soul can't take another loss.

— My queen… you don't have to… Masaki… all this… I…

Isshin didn't know what else to do but blame himself. It was his fault, because of his selfish desire to have another child with his queen and because he wanted to make amends for the sins he had committed in the past with a new child. A child that the Deities or the Shadow refused to give them.

A redemption he knew he didn't deserve.

Isshin sat next to her and took her hands trying to get her to look at him, and when she did, Masaki's gaze felt empty again.

— I really hoped that we would have another child, a boy, and I was hoping that this time you would indeed be a good father to a boy born to me, but I think it's a sign that neither of those things are going to happen.

Masaki closed her eyes and Isshin noticed that she was holding back the urge to cry. He didn't know what to say to her at that moment, he felt lost and guilty; his soul ached. Masaki let go of his hand and got up from the bed slowly, as if what had happened a few moments ago had never happened.

— Where are you going? You need rest. — Masaki just started walking, ignoring him. Isshin started walking behind her.

— To my room. I need to rest but I will not do it here, but in my bed. You also need to rest, you had a long trip and you must be exhausted. — Masaki gently opened the door, alerting the guards outside. — I'll see you one of these days, your majesty.

Isshin tried to get Masaki to stay in the room but couldn't, so he escorted her to her own room in a silence that drowned out words.

—

The punishment cells were underground cells that were under the building where the office of the commander and the military chiefs were located. They were cells so small that only one man could fit in them, and their beds were nothing more than bales of hay and a dirty old blanket.

It was the same place where Ulquiorra had spent the last days of his life inside the castle and it was the same place where Kaien was being taken by order of the king.

He had tried to resist arrest even though the king had explicitly ordered it and witnessed in person the quality of training Ichigo had given the soldiers, the ones guarding inside the castle, when they pinned him down and took him away.

Ichigo had created weapons in less than a year and it was as surprising as it was worrying.

— We're sorry your highness, but they were orders from the king. — A soldier told him after they padlocked the gate.

Kaien clutched at the bars as he let out a cry of frustration and a laughter came from the cell across from his. It was Ichigo's laugh, who sounded quite animated at the moment. Kaien focused his eyes on the cell but the light from the torch didn't illuminate the interior and he couldn't check if it was really Ichigo who was there.

— Big brother, what was your sin for our beloved father to lock you in this place? — That question full of sarcasm confirmed to Kaien that the one who was in the opposite cell was Ichigo.

Kaien knew, from the letter the king sent him notifying him that they were traveling back, that Ichigo had been enjoying worldly pleasures too much during that trip, so he assumed that the king was punishing him in that way for his behavior. It was a punishment for disrespecting the king, not the father.

— Better tell me yours, little brother. — Kaien offered with a sly smile and poisonous voice.

Ichigo laughed again and Kaien could see when his brother walked over to the bars of his own cell and leaned against them. Ichigo was animated, as always when they were together and he let him see that facet that no one else knew; that was not something Kaien expected to see at the moment.

Ichigo must have been upset about being locked up, not happy.

— Nothing serious really, I just said some things the king didn't like and well, as soon as we got to the castle he locked me up in this nice cell. — Ichigo replied nonchalantly. — Surely he will have me here until "I come to my senses and be me again".

— Did you stop pretending to be the perfect son on that trip? — Kaien asked with genuine curiosity.

He had always wondered how long Ichigo would keep up this charade of being a perfect prince, and apparently he was only able to keep it up for a little over two years.

— I thought I could be myself with my father but I was wrong. It was just a bit of lack of control, a lot of alcohol and one or another woman, nothing serious but the king could not resist it. He's too old for that kind of trip. — Ichigo settled back against the bars, this time looking at him with a creeping smile. — We should take a trip together, big brother, drink till we drop, and then...

— And then you will kill me in my sleep? — Kaien asked and Ichigo just smiled hearing that question.

— Do you still think that? I already told you I don't want to be the king and I'm not interested in the crown, I just want us to be good brothers like we're supposed to be. As it always should have been.

Kaien didn't like the way Ichigo said that last sentence, nor did the look he had.

— Maybe you don't want the crown, but your wife is definitely looking for someone to make her queen of some kingdom. — Kaien said those words with venom in his voice. — While you were sending her guilt flowers because you were sleeping with any woman who looked pretty at you, Jetaiya's heir sent her a very expensive jewel. And do you know what your beloved wife said to all the court ladies?

— Did she tell the court ladies that Jetaiya's heir wants her as his main wife? Because it's true. The future king of Jetaiya wants Rukia as his main wife. — Ichigo asked calmly, causing Kaien to fall silent. — I know that my wife attracts the attention of men but Koga is my friend, we were together with the mercenaries and he knows that he should not mess with me or what is mine or Hisana's son will ascend to the throne sooner than expected. I trust my wife, she will tell me the reasons why Koga sent her a gift.

Kaien did not expect that piece of information and little by little everything began to make sense, as if a giant puzzle was being assembled and it began to show a whole. From one moment to another, the idea of Ichigo having sold one of his sisters to the second prince of Jetaiya for the greater good came to his mind so abruptly that it shook him a little.

Kaien wondered what the hell Ichigo was doing because he couldn't see anything beyond an obvious attempt to disturb the peace of the kingdom.

The fact that Ichigo said that he didn't want to be the king only made Kaien think that Ichigo was planning how to get the throne without raising suspicions. If enough people heard him say that, they would begin to believe it as an undeniable truth.

— Are you going to tell me why our dear father locked you up here? Because I don't think it's just for you to accompany me.

Ichigo's voice, along with his curious look from behind the bars of his cell, brought Kaien back to reality.

— It is a great sin, so be content knowing that our father, for the first time, treats us the same.

Kaien's words came out loaded with venom, but instead of making Ichigo upset, they made him smile before disappearing into the shadows of his own cell and he got the impression that Ichigo's eyes shone before disappearing into the darkness.

Autumn — x493 / October 15

His inner world was full of doors, some big and some small, many of them were open because he had opened them and others were open because they were things that he learned unconsciously. There were so many gates that he felt he needed at least two lives for him to master all that magic was and even then, two lives would not be enough.

Perhaps that was why many children of Vayalat stopped training when they reached considerable mastery of the gift, when they specialized in something that was enough to be able to attack and defend.

Warriors were always training not to lose the advances they had made and not rust like forgotten swords, but at some point in their lives they would stop doing so and retire to live in calm and peace. At some point he would stop training, retire as the children of Vayalat do and live until the end of his days in the tranquility of some house with Rukia while their children take care of everything else.

His Moon.

He was so afraid that something would happen to her, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to take care of her when she had put her whole life into him, and he was afraid of losing her. The idea of never having her in his arms again was his greatest fear at that moment.

— We can wait a little longer. — Ichigo whispered as he walked through his inner world towards the final big door. — When she can defend herself, it will be time and what has to burn, will burn.

The resolution to kill the king was already made.

Ichigo would have to kill the king first because as long as the king lived he would always be on Kaien's side and that was something he had to avoid. After the king's death, he would kill Kaien. Ichigo would force Kaien to jump off the cliff or throw him himself, do it near the temple of the Deities, make it look like suicide if necessary and then he would take it all.

When he reached the end of the hall and found that huge door that was slightly open, he took a moment to consider if he really wanted to close it. The fact that he could control what was in there for so long was amazing, but at the same time he knew that the longer he left that door open, the harder it would be to close it.

Over time, power becomes addictive.

The moment Ichigo closed the door, he returned to his dark cell where he was still sitting on that straw bed with his back against the wall.

Inside his chest he felt a hole that could not be filled with anything but he no longer felt like crying like that first day, enough he had cried in the forest when the child inside him gave up. All people had a waiting limit, and he had waited for his father for almost ten years just to hear that truth from his lips.

His father was not his father, he was the king.

The magic that flowed through his body calmed down, product of having closed that door, and all the euphoria that he had felt during all that time was devoured by that hole in his chest. He kept trying to imagine the emptiness in his chest and felt one of his hands tremble, he clenched it into a fist and mentally began to repeat the phrase: I'm fine, I don't need it. I don't need it.

It was really easy for him to get out of that cell, but he didn't because he needed to be locked up. He needed to go through what he was going through so he wouldn't get lost again.

Getting out of relapse would be difficult because his body and mind were already predisposed to excess and he needed real support to keep him on the line. Kaien was in the cell in front of him, but Kaien wasn't someone to go through detox because Ichigo didn't trust him. Showing him a weakness was something he couldn't afford.

The first time Ichigo went through detox was with Koga. Ichigo was different, everything was different.

Koga was with him as if he was taking care of a younger brother who has committed all the sins in the world and still deserves redemption. Koga was the one who restricted alcohol to him, Koga was the one who resisted all those days by his side when he felt he couldn't resist anymore, and Koga was the one who reminded him to stand firm because he couldn't live forever between excesses and the abyss.

As Ichigo thought of Koga and all the help he had given him, he wondered what had really happened during those days before Rukia met him at the Crossroads. They hadn't talked about anything other than them and they hadn't done anything other than kiss each other's skin, so he decided that the first thing he would do when he got out of there would be to take a shower so he could visit Rukia.

He missed his moon and the warmth of her presence.

— Are you still alive?

Kaien's voice sounded in the echo of that empty place. Ichigo didn't feel like playing with him, he was trying to exist in silence and resist that slight anxious tremor in his hand due to excess, but Kaien was the only one he could talk to in that darkness. Also, he had to get close to his brother so that when he killed him, no one would fully suspect him and thus avoid some problems.

— Unfortunately for you.

— Well, I'm still alive for yours. — Kaien muttered, who seemed to be on his bed of hay as well. The cells were dark and neither of them could see each other. — How long is our father going to leave you here?

— As long as he wants. Why? Have you never been in a cell before? — Ichigo asked mockingly because doing so was unavoidable. — Let me tell you that these cells are nice compared to others where I have been, here you have a potty and hay for you to clean between your buttocks.

— The Second Prince of Avanta, in a cell? Outrageous! — The teasing in Kaien's tone of voice made Ichigo smile at that moment.

— Why are you surprised? I've been a prisoner more times than I care to remember. — Ichigo said that nonchalantly. — Once, when I was with the mercenaries, some soldiers captured me and put me in a cell for a couple of days. It was incredibly fun.

— I should have gone with you when you went with the mercenaries.

Ichigo couldn't tell if that comment was mockery or Kaien's true wish.

— You don't miss much, it's really just fights, alcohol and a bunch of men everywhere. There are no privileges, everyone is equal and everyone earns their place within the company. — Ichigo smiled at the memory of being with the mercenaries. — You wouldn't have lasted a month.

— I've been to the battles on the southern border, of course it would have lasted with the mercenaries. — Kaien's voice sounded indignant.

— You go to battles, you have a private tent, and you eat, drink and sleep well. You have people who serve you, don't you? Even when you have gone as a recruit, you must have spent the campaigns close to the king. — Kaien didn't answer and Ichigo kept talking. — With the mercenaries, the only one who has a private tent is the leader and the rest of us sleep on the floor sharing a tent. Food and drink are earned, and you have to live on what they pay you until they're hired again. I remember once Kiga and I had no money and we were selling elephant manure in the Parax gardens to buy food.

— Parax, the city of flowers? — Kaien asked. Ichigo took advantage of that and deliberately diverted the conversation so that Kaien didn't delve further into soldiers or training.

— That same one. Did you know that in Parax there are some women who are called Mielas? They are incredibly beautiful women, they go out on a boat in the evenings and serve their clients right there.

— Are you talking about prostitutes? — Kaien's voice sounded amused. — You lied to me when you talked about your stay outside the kingdom! You did sleep with prostitutes!

— No, dear older brother. The Mielas are women who grow a temple dedicated to a goddess, where they are taught the art of seduction and pleasure. — Ichigo continued, leaning his head against the wall. — The priestesses keep them pure until the right time and they sell their first time so expensively that they could leave anyone who does not know how to pay in ruins. They do not accept just anyone, neither this time nor the following ones.

— How many did you sleep with? — Kaien asked maliciously.

— With no one. Didn't you hear what I said a while ago? We had to survive with little money and I was not going to pay for an afternoon on a boat to see a woman dance. They charge for everything they do and if you don't obey the rules, the guards who are always with them remind you that they can throw you in the river to cool down.

— For not having slept with them, you know a lot.

Ichigo knew what Kaien was trying to do but he wasn't going to get anything. What he did in Parax was not something to tell Kaien about.

— I was curious and asked. — He lied. — In addition, many times I saw how those women danced on the boats and how those guards threw the men overboard when they tried something else.

Kaien made a noise that must have been a laugh but didn't ask anything else and they both fell silent again.

Autumn — x493 / October 19

During the time they had been locked up, Ichigo had remained silent, thinking and meditating, but Kaien was suffering and went from staying calm to starting to count the bricks and straws just to have something to do; he had even started muttering unintelligible things, similar to a babble.

Ichigo knew that his brother had never had such a bad time in his life, but he kept wondering what the hell Kaien had done to end up locked up in a punishment cell. From time to time they talked a little, but it was not something that was relevant or transcendent, it was something that helped them not to go crazy there.

Ichigo didn't want to admit that the fact that Kaien was accompanying him helped him get through the detox better.

The punishment cells were a real punishment, because no one was allowed to go down to see them, or speak to them or even look at them, and the only sign of mercy they showed was always leaving a burning torch for them. The punishment also included a lot of darkness, and although Ichigo was used to it, Kaien wasn't and that made him feel a bit sorry for his brother.

When the king arrived and stood exactly between the two cells, Ichigo knew the punishment was over. He mentally thanked the Shadow for that, but didn't get up from his dark place in the cell. Kaien, on the other hand, stood and clung to the bars in silence, his eyes pleading to get out of there.

— The punishment is over. — The king spoke as the soldiers prepared to open the cells. — You two know your crimes so I hope you have thought about them during these days and learned something. Neither of you is a child, so stop acting like one. Now, get out of my presence or I'll lock you up again.

Ichigo noticed that the king avoided giving them a personalized scolding, something that the king might not let go of in another situation, so possibly Kaien's crime must have been quite serious and they were trying not to make more rumors than surely there were already in the castle. Ichigo made no comment about it, he bowed to the king before thanking the punishment and headed for the exit leaving Kaien behind.

The light of day hit him square in the face as he walked out of there and he squeezed his eyes shut as he got used to the light of day that hurt him to tears. It took a little time, but when he was finally able to keep his eyes open and focus on the path, he headed for the king's bathroom. He was dirty and smelly, plus he was still wearing the clothes he arrived in.

Ichigo was almost sure that the topic of his confinement, and Kaien's, had loosened the tongue of everyone there, and that most likely everyone already knew some version of it.

When he entered the king's bath, he took off the clothes he was wearing and ordered his servant to burn them. Kaien arrived a few moments later and ordered the same thing to the servant who was attending to him.

They didn't usually bathe together, but this time they did because it was better to do it in the king's baths than in a bathtub in their own room. In the king's baths there was running water and they could use as much as they wanted.

Ichigo was the first to finish bathing and the servant helped him get dressed in clean, soft clothes. He would never say it, but nothing felt better than clean clothes after a while of dirt. He let Kaien stay in the bathroom and he went upstairs to his room through his private door as he thought about everything he would do from then on.

He didn't know what happened, but at one point he was drying his hair with a towel and the next moment arms held him in a tight hug. It took him a moment to assimilate that it was his Moon who was hugging him, but when he became aware of his wife's body heat and her comforting scent, he hugged her back tightly.

If there was anything better than clean clothes, it was the scent of his wife.

— I'm home, my love. — Ichigo whispered, still hugging her and kissing her head.

— You're late. — Rukia scolded him. — You promised you wouldn't do it again.

— There were bumps along the way. — Ichigo broke the hug and took her hands to kiss them, taking the time to enjoy the softness of her skin. — But I'm here, my princess. I have come back to you.

Rukia stared into his eyes for a moment, as if she was looking for something, and then she caressed his cheek gently making him close his eyes. She was looking for the man from the abyss that she saw when they were at the Crossroads.

— You've really come back to me, you don't have that look anymore.

— I closed the door a few days ago, my love. — Ichigo opened his eyes and kissed her palm in a gesture of devotion. — I used that time locked up to think about everything that happened.

— They wouldn't let me see you, I tried so hard but they wouldn't let me go with you. They also didn't allow me to send you messages or things. — She spoke quickly, as if she was afraid he would think she hadn't tried to get close to him.

— It was a punishment. The man from the abyss said many things to the king that the king did not like to hear.

— Will you be the man from the abyss again? — His wife's voice was so full of concern it made his soul ache.

— No, my Moon. I'm fine and everything will be fine. — Ichigo hugged her again, feeling how she hugged him back as well. He had really missed his wife's hugs. — Although it was fun being with my Moon Goddess while I was the man from the abyss. I had never heard you moan like that, and I liked it. You purr, my love.

In that instant, Rukia broke the hug and hit him on the shoulder before turning her back on him.

— I don't purr, don't say those things. — Rukia's voice sounded nervous and Ichigo hugged her from behind.

— Oh! You did it. — Ichigo moved a little, just enough to look at her cheek, and found that she was actually red. That made him smile before kissing her cheek. — We have to repeat it one of these days.

Rukia complained about that but didn't move away from him. Ichigo gave her a kiss on the shoulder, Rukia reached for his hands to gently caress them and neither of them moved.

It was a pleasant silence where neither of them needed to say how much they had missed the other because they could feel it in that hug and in the need to stay like that for a long time.

—

Kaien knew what his father wanted to talk about and that's why he had delayed that meeting as long as he could. The bath was long, he shaved off the beard that had grown during the days he was in that punishment cell, and he ate as well as he could because his stomach seemed to have become smaller due to the very small rations they were given in that place.

In truth it had been a punishment for him because his father had never treated him like this.

When he mustered enough courage to face the king, in addition to having found credible answers to all the possible accusations that could be made against him, he went to the king's private office where his father was finishing up some papers.

— Your Majesty, sorry for the delay.

Kaien had carefully chosen those words due to the angry expression on his father's face, and kept a certain distance that was necessary to show due respect to the man in front of him.

The king looked up, as if sizing him up, rose from his seat and walked slowly over to him. Kaien only looked at his father, the king at that time, and as much as he wanted to lower his gaze, something prevented him.

The movement of the king's hand was fast and the blow with the back of his hand on Kaien's face sounded in the immensity of that office.

It was the first time that Kaien received a blow from his father and it was so fast, that he was still trying to assimilate the fact. His father had never hit him, Ichigo was the one who received the king's blows, not him. The blow was so painful that Kaien could only grit his teeth as the taste of blood reached his tongue.

— The queen told me everything. Rukia told me everything. The doctor who treated Yuki told me everything. Do you have anything to say about all your reprehensible behavior in the days before my arrival?

The king's voice sounded so charged with authority and anger that Kaien saw the king in front of him for the first time. Kaien was silent, his cheek sore and hot, and with the sensation of having a wound on the inner cheek.

— Your punishment for what you did to that girl should have been carried out in public so that you would feel ashamed of yourself! Your duty as a man, not even as a prince and future king, as a man, is to protect women. The Father says it in his scriptures, "protect and care for women" and that means, among many other things, not taking them by force and hurting them because you don't know how to tolerate rejection.

— Just as you protect them from the queen, your majesty? — Kaien muttered that, blaming his father for the queen's actions when she got rid of his mistresses.

— We're not here to talk about what the queen and I do with our mistresses! We're talking about what you did to Yuki!

— I have apologized to her, I have been flogged and locked in a punishment cell. I think my sin has been paid for.

Kaien didn't know what else to say, everything he had thought that could serve as an excuse was useless at that moment because his father was well informed about everything. He was just waiting for the king's decision, because he sensed that his punishment was not over yet.

— Those kinds of sins are never paid for, they are a stain on the soul that cannot be erased. — The king walked away from him, still upset and with a look of disappointment that shook Kaien's soul. — It is forbidden for you to enter the queen's area, under no circumstances will you be able to pass the entrance arch. As soon as the doctor says that Yuki is healthy and able to travel, she will be sent to Maranni with a private escort. You can't get close to her, you can't talk to her, and you can't send her anything. I hope that this behavior is not repeated or your punishment Kaien, it will be the one marked by the Shadow and I will execute it myself.

The king ended that meeting and Kaien left that office with a cheek reddened by the blow.

—

Ichigo was lying on her lap, with his eyes closed and Koga's letter clenched in his fist. He had read it several times before saying a strong "no". Ichigo didn't want their children to have a marriage proposal when they weren't even born or planned.

He didn't talk about the necklace though Rukia could see the anger and jealousy in her husband's eyes. Rukia knew that he would react like that and then Ichigo pretended, after a long time claiming that the necklace was horrible and not worthy of her, that nothing had happened and they stayed enjoying the silence and the caresses.

— Can you give me a shadow spider? — Rukia asked as she gently stroked Ichigo's hair, enjoying being with her Sun, whom she had missed so much.

Ichigo didn't open his eyes, he just raised his hand and Rukia saw how the spider materialized from those black threads that came out of his fingers. Rukia still thought that was incredible, even though she had that same kind of gift, she found it incredible how easily Ichigo did things.

That just showed her how much she had to train to reach that level of skill.

— You didn't even ask why I want it. — Rukia whispered, holding out her hand palm up for the spider to come to her.

Ichigo had told her that she was a shadow tamer, she was the first since Queen Vayalat and it was possibly because she ate the queen's ring. It was an explanation that made sense, but that part of the gift only worked with living shadows, the ones with consciousness.

— You will send a tribute to the Shadow. The spider is full of killer instinct, so your victim may die in three days or less. That the anger that Koga makes me have is of some use. — Rukia laughed and Ichigo looked at her causing her to get lost in his eyes for a moment.

— Will you ask me who it's for?

— Will you tell me?

Ichigo's question was soft, without any intention other than simple curiosity. Rukia hesitated for a moment and looked at the spider in her hand. Before Ichigo could say anything, she met his eyes again.

— Kaien is immune to the gift but he still feels pain, the lashes the queen gave him proved it. — Rukia whispered and that made Ichigo's eyes widen in such surprise that he sat up right then.

— My Moon, what are you saying? How do you know that Kaien is immune to the gift? What happened?

And then, Rukia began to tell him what had happened since the red roses arrived.

Rukia was careful with the information concerning Yuki and it wasn't necessary for her to go into details because Ichigo seemed to have understood almost immediately. Ichigo hugged her and Rukia lost herself in the warmth of that hug for a long moment, until the spider on her hand began to tickle her.

— Send it to him, we'll find out how immune Kaien is to the gift. — Ichigo whispered as he held her hand. — And I'll have to personally teach you how to defend yourself.

Rukia sent the spider, which did not hesitate to obey her order, and they did not touch the matter again out of respect for Yuki.

Autumn — x493 / October 24

Rukia hadn't found out what happened to Yuki until Prince Kaien was locked up and the question "what had he done" started running around the castle. The gossip feeders had said that Ichigo was locked in the cell for having enjoyed that trip too much, but they couldn't find an answer that would tell them why Kaien was locked up.

Kaien was the perfect prince and his confinement was unfair.

Yuki's maid was the one who told her and Rukia's first reaction was to go visit Yuki. The room was filled with guilt flowers, true guilt flowers, and Yuki was lying on the bed, blatantly ignoring her until she came over.

Rukia felt so remorseful for having said those words at that lunch with the court ladies, that the first thing she did was throw all those flowers in the trash.

"Are you coming to make fun of me?"

The question took Rukia by surprise because she had never thought of making fun of Yuki or saying hurtful things to her; they were supposed to be family and as much as they didn't tolerate each other, Rukia couldn't be indifferent to the situation.

She wasn't such a bad person.

Rukia had gone to see her because she was worried and because what Kaien did to her no woman should experience.

They didn't speak, Rukia got into Yuki's bed like when they were children and hugged her, she apologized in a whisper just for Yuki and it was at that moment that Yuki started crying until she fell asleep.

Rukia spent almost every day in the room with Yuki and they really talked, not like those aggressive talks they had since the Maranni incident, but like the ones they had when they were both still little girls and spent hours sitting under some tree imagining some fantasy world.

They reconciled, but it took a tragedy for that to happen and that reconciliation had a slightly bitter taste.

That day, before Yuki left the queen's area to take the carriage that would take her to Maranni, Rukia combed her hair and put a metal hairpin into Yuki's hair not caring that her hair was loose on her back. New gifts were valuable, inherited ones even more so.

— I thought it would be easy, you made it look so easy. — Yuki muttered, looking at herself in the mirror in that room one last time. — I walked into the fire and got burned.

— I was the one who threw you into the fire. — Rukia whispered looking at her in the reflection of the mirror.

She was also burning but in a different way, she was condemning her soul for all the sins she was committing, from plotting against her family to sending the spider to kill Kaien. In fact, she lamented that Kaien really was immune to the gift, because he deserved the torture.

— I know. I'm not stupid, I knew it from the beginning and still, I did it. — Yuki got up and adjusted her dress. — I'm going home and I hope I don't come back to this castle.

— I hope you find peace.

Rukia hugged Yuki before they left that room and walked with her to the main entrance of the castle where the carriage that would take her to Maranni was waiting for her. Ichigo had sent a couple of Shadows to take care of her, and Akura would accompany her on the trip to make sure she got to the Great House safely.

Akura didn't know what had happened, no one knew.

The excuse they used was that Kaien had fired her, as is done with the Inamoratas when the fantasy is over. The only thing different between the Inamoratas and Yuki was that, by order of the king, Yuki would not be betrothed to anyone unless she wanted to. Yuki's freedom of choice had come at a very high cost.

Kaien wasn't there and that calmed Rukia's heart because every time she saw him, she wanted to punch him and squeeze his neck until he turned purple and ask him if he liked it that hard. Kaien's death was going to be slow, it had to be slow.

When Rukia returned to her room, Yuki's maid handed her two packages that she hadn't expected.

Tatsuki and her other maid left the room with the excuse of preparing some things for her lunch with Ichigo, and Yuki's maid left the room saying that she had to report to the Kahya to be assigned a new job.

Rukia was left alone with those strange packages from Yuki as she wondered why she hadn't given them to her in person.

Rukia sat down on a sofa and got her answer as she opened them.

In the first package were the jewels that Kaien had given to Yuki, the ring, the bracelet and the same diamond necklace that Nelliel wore at her wedding; it was the same Kaien sent to Rukia when he asked her to be his Inamorata. In the second package there was a somewhat old book, and upon opening it, Rukia found a couple of envelopes that were dedicated to her and Kaien.

Rukia's first impulse was to take the envelope that was addressed to Kaien and burn it, but she didn't, instead she opened it and found a few simple words from Yuki to the prince in honor of his birthday. Everything Yuki had written there made Rukia more curious about what was in that book and in the letter that was for her.

—

Rukia…

I found this diary behind a piece of furniture in the room where I was staying while I packed my luggage. It was Nelliel's room but what you have in your hands is not hers. I hesitated for a moment to give it to you, but in the end I did because I think you might find it interesting. It's Kaien's birthday present, make sure it gets to him on his birthday and not before, or you can use it to blackmail Nelliel though I can't think of anything she can give you for what you have in your hands.

Take it easy and read it alone.

Yuki.

—

Rukia put the letter aside and could read the name of the owner of that diary: Miyako.

She immediately closed the book in an impulse that mixed surprise, astonishment and fear, and stayed in that position trying to fully assimilate what it was that she had in her hands.

Rukia remembered Miyako's name, she had heard it at the tea party the twins organized for her. Mila had told that story, of how Miyako became Kaien's Inamorata and how she threw herself off the cliff one day. Mila had hinted that Nelliel had done something to the girl and Ichigo suggested that maybe it had been something really bad.

What happened to Miyako was a mystery that only those involved knew, but it was a truth that Rukia could access because she had that girl's diary in her hands. She took a breath, apologized to Miyako for reading her secrets, and again opened the diary to start reading.

With each page she read, Rukia could imagine Miyako's feelings and emotions, the happiness Miyako felt being close to Kaien was similar to the happiness she felt being close to Ichigo and that made her empathize with the girl. She laughed when there was something funny, and was scared by the girl's fears.

Her heart started to beat faster as she reached the final pages, guessing how this was going to end, and again she closed the diary. Rukia had a deep fear in her heart for how that story would end and because her name was also noted among those pages as the cause of many of Miyako's fears and sadness.

When Rukia finished reading that diary, she didn't know what to think.

In that diary were the names of Mila and Nelliel as part of that whole story, but Nelliel was the villain of that fairy tale that became a tragedy and where everyone did their part to cause Miyako to die. However, that didn't stop Rukia's mind from wandering to the fact that the rules were the rules and they had to be followed.

In that time when principalities were still undecided, neither Kaien nor Ichigo could have children or they would be accused of treason and executed. If Kaien wanted to live, that child must not be born.

It was the same thing that was done to her aunt Emiko and the reason why she died trying to escape.

It was the same thing they would do to her if she made the mistake of getting pregnant and they found out before she could escape.

The anguish inside her heart grew and Rukia wondered how much innocent blood had claimed that castle since Kazue became queen and imposed the rules that governed them up to that moment.

Kazue was truly the bloody queen.

Special regards to jobananasan and diah77

And thanks to everyone who keeps reading this crazy story!

—