A/N: Thanks to Midnight Jasper for reviewing!!
Chapter II
Actually, that had been the reason why Isshin had sent Karin over to Sereitei; so she wouldn't come back as a Miss. With her 18th birthday roughly eleven months away, Isshin's worry for his daughter escalated – once a lady was renounced by a family because of the marriage law, she and her descendants were forbidden to have or maintain any contact with the family, and were forever damned to be servants of Karakura.
Goodness knows how many times Isshin tried to change the laws of inheritance and marriage in the land, and how many times he repeatedly failed. He was powerless when all the other nobles were in favor of the laws – it allowed them to make more political marriages and also ensured that the family's coffers were fattened up.
Three days prior to Karin's departure, Isshin sent a messenger hawk to his son, narrating to him his concerns for Karin's future.
'Hopefully Ichigo has some tricks for instant matrimony,' he wished as he watched Karin's carriage drive away from the estate's gates.
At Sereitei
It was a cold morning in Sereitei since it rained the previous day. Rukia happily snuggled under the warm blankets and tried to feel for Ichigo but her hands were met only by soft cloth and fluffy pillows.
'That's strange,' Rukia thought. Ichigo never woke up early on days like these.
Rukia unhurriedly got up, wondering where her orange-headed husband could be at this rather unholy hour. While thinking of the possible places he could be lurking in, Rukia heard some things fall in the next room.
'Guess that right about answers my question,' Rukia snapped out of guessing her husband's whereabouts while treading to the source of the noise.
When she got there, she found Ichigo flattened by a myriad of thick tomes that apparently fell out of the shelf on the wall. It was the couple's study, where they entertained their artistic yearnings (in Rukia's case) and quenched their need for literature.
"Oi," Rukia started, "what the heck are you doing on the floor?"
"I hit my head on the shelf and the books fell on me," Ichigo's annoyed voice was muffled by the books. "Mind helping a bit?"
"As a matter of fact, I do."
A groan of exasperation was heard in response. "Rukia, I'm really not in the mood to fight with you right now… tch, why am I even asking you for help?"
Ichigo sat up, causing a thick book that had previously occupied his head to fall on his knee. "Ow!"
Rukia laughed, took the book from Ichigo's knee, and then sat down on the cold floor beside him. "What's up?"
"What do you mean what's up?" Ichigo asked as he piled the books neatly beside him.
"I mean, it's not like you to be up and about on days like these, and I'm sure that those books aren't exactly your kind of reading materials, since I know that those up there," she nodded to a shelf filled with thinner books which had an odd resemblance to what we today call manga, "are the only ones you show any apt interest to read."
"Are you saying I'm incapable of --"
"Now, now Ichigo, I thought you said you didn't want to fight with me today."
Ichigo heaved a sigh, and his face became troubled. Rukia took his hand in concern.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Karin."
"What happened?" Rukia asked in an alarmed voice. "Did she get sick? Did she get lost?"
"No, it's none of those," Ichigo answered, "it's… she's gonna be 18 soon and if she doesn't get a husband..."
Rukia hit Ichigo's head and a thud could be heard.
"Ow! What was that for?" Ichigo angrily rubbed his head, glaring daggers at Rukia. His resolution not to bicker with her snapped. 'Damn midget'.
"Baka! You got me worried! I thought something bad happened to her!"
And so began one of the couple's infamous yet endearing arguments…
"You didn't need to hit my head!" Ichigo raised his voice, his hand still massaging the place where Ichigo hit his head.
"And you didn't need to make me think she underwent something awful!" Rukia yelled back. 'Stupid Ichigo!'
"I didn't even say something wrong happened!"
"Well, you spoke as if something did!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Heh, for all I know, you were just trying to take advantage of the fact that I wasn't towering over you so you could hit my head!"
Rukia's face began to redden. How dare he! "Ha! Your fault for being off guard! If I were an enemy, I could have chopped your head off right now!"
"Don't even try to change the topic, midget," Ichigo shot back with a decided smirk.
"I am not, carrot-top," Rukia seethed.
Both looked at each other for a moment, Ichigo smirking, knowing he had won and Rukia frowning, thinking of some smart comment to wipe off the smug look on his face.
Rukia was about to say something more when Ririn, the couple's strangely young majordomo, entered the room with the gatekeeper Nova in tow. In Ririn's hand was a white messenger dove which bore the crest of the Kurosaki family on its sash. On one of its legs was a tied up message.
"Lord and Lady Kurosaki, good morning," Ririn greeted.
Ichigo and Rukia then got up from the floor. "Good morning, Ririn, Nova… what brings you here?"
"We believe we have received an important message from your father in Karakura, Ichigo-donno," Nova said through his mask. "One of my sentries at the tower intercepted this dove just a few minutes ago."
Ririn placed the dove on a nearby table, and took off the tied up paper and handed it to Rukia.
Rukia opened the paper, and on it was Isshin's surprisingly legible handwriting. She began to read it aloud.
Dearest son (or daughter),
Let me begin this letter with a greeting of I MISSSSSSSSS YOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! How are things over there right now? Am I going to have a little baby to call me grandpapa? If so, then please, please, please visit!! I have long been awaiting the fruits of your labor… or should I say pleasure? (insert tone of innuendo) If there is no baby yet, then please go ahead with your naughty nightly advents of ecstasy!
"Stop it!" Ichigo shouted, his face beet red from his father's implications. Nova was noticeably shuffling uncomfortably in his stance, while the seemingly innocent Ririn had a rather mischievous smile on her face. Rukia's face was unreadable.
"Ano, Ichigo-donno," Nova weakly called, "uhm… I think we should leave you two alone. Come now, Ririn."
Ririn's face fell several notches, and glared at Nova, as if willing him to stay so that they'd hear more. Nova grabbed her wrist and dragged her out along with the bird, but not before wishing his masters a pleasant morning. Ririn could be heard shouting at him as they went away.
An awkward silence filled the room as Ririn and Nova left, and Ichigo and Rukia avoided each others' gazes.
'I will kill him,' Ichigo plotted, thinking of his father's expression if he saw them now. He would smile another of his maniac smile, one that had 'I am planning something' written all over his face.
Trying to cover his embarrassment, Ichigo cleared his throat. "Uhm… you can go straight to the important part."
"Right," she said quietly.
I am sending Karin there under the guise of a vacation, but I want you two to find her a suitable match while she is there. I have exhausted all my efforts in finding her one here, for she has scared off all male beings interested in her. Sigh, such a waste of beauty! BUT NO BEAUTY IS WASTED ONCE IT IS GIVEN TO MY DAUGHTERS!! BWAHAHAHAHA!! UNFORTUNATELY, THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID FOR MY SO--
"You can skip that part."
Around this time, she is probably already in the Rukongai province, and you can expect her there by tomorrow evening. Dearest children, please help your sister!! Her 18th birthday is only eleven months away and I don't know what I'd do if--
Ichigo took the paper from Rukia's hands. The tension between them had eased, and Ichigo eyes were troubled once more.
"Why'd you get the paper?" Rukia asked, though this time, without the menacing tone that would have normally accompanied it.
"If you want to know, oyaji's probably gonna write hu-hu-hu until the last bit of the paper," Ichigo replied and placed the paper. He sat down on one of the chairs, and cradled his head between his hands. Now what? I was expecting that oyaji could have done something already by this time… after all, he had gotten Yuzu married just recently… think, Ichigo!
Rukia took the paper, and saw Ichigo was right. There was hu-hu-hus written all over. "So what's the problem, Ichigo?"
"Well, you know the rules back home, the getting-married-at-18 rubbish thing, so that's one. Two, someone with Karin's features should have no problem in reeling in plenty of men, but how come she's still single?! Three, my father's the freaking duke of Karakura, so there are plenty of families who'd want to ally with him, so once again, why the heck is Karin still unmarried?! Four, my father's also stubborn by the way—"
Rukia knowingly smirked at him. "That explains your bullheadedness."
Ichigo glowered, but continued, "—so he never gets fraught, meaning if he sent Karin here, it is a big problem. And besides, the only parties we throw around here are our birthdays'!! How can she meet people that way? I'm not someone of much consequence here, so even the other parties I give out aren't jam-packed with people… and I don't intend to throw any more for her, because I'm certainly not a people person, and I wouldn't freaking know how to--"
Rukia suddenly looked up, as if she had some grand idea. "Eureka!"
"What?"
"Stop blabbering Ichigo, I know someone who can help us!" Rukia had a twisted look in her eyes.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Ichigo muttered under his breath.
She clapped her hands gleefully. "Come now, Ichigo, get dressed! We're going to Nii-sama's!!"
Yup… bad feeling indeed.
End of Chapter II
A/N: Okaay… I'm sorry for getting carried away by Ichiruki here when this fic's not even supposed to be about them, but I ship this pairing and I seriously can't help it! Review, oh please please please!!