She had been here only three days and Ulquiorra had already gotten use to her presence. He visited her in her cell twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening to bring her food and make sure she was staying healthly. So far she seemed pretty healthy to Ulquiorra. She certainly had the strength of body and mind to glare at him angrily every time he entered her room. He tried not to let it bother him and stood quietly next to the door ignoring her hatred. To be honest he wasn't really sure what she hated him for. Sure he had been the one that had taken her from her friends and home, but if she would just think about things logically she would realize that it was really Aizen that brought her here, not him. Ulquiorra was really no more than a glorified servant himself, it was Aizen that ran the show around here. Ah...and why did he care again that she hated him? He tried to think it through. Well if she didn't hate him then his duties to her would be easier to bear, but why was that? Why should her feelings towards him affect his duties at all. It wasn't as though she had been insubordinate or difficult since that first morning when she said she wouldn't eat. She actually just took the food (properly proportioned now), ate it, and then waited for him to leave. It was the easiest job in all of Las Noches really...so why was it so hard?
Ulquiorra calmly smoothed the front of his jacket down with his hand and then went to Aizen. It was time for him to give his first report of the girl's well-being and adjustment. As he entered Aizen's presence he bowed and waited on his master to speak.
"It pleases me to see you, Ulquiorra. Now tell me, how is our little goddess doing?"
Ulquiorra raised up and said, "She seems to be doing well to me Aizen-sama, though it has been long since I have observed human behavior and I may be mistaken. She eats everything I give her though and she doesn't look any different from what she looked like when she first arrived. I have assumed that those are good signs, Aizen-sama."
"Good. Very good. Have you been ensuring her loyalty to us as well, Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked him gently.
"Ah...yes, Aizen-sama. I have done all that I can to show her that it is in her best interests to serve you." Ulquiorra answered.
"I trust that whatever methods you are using won't cause too much physical harm, right?"
Ulquiorra almost choked at that question, but calmly replied, "My methods do not cause physical harm, Aizen-sama. I don't think they will cause too much psychological harm either."
He heard Aizen chuckling a little at that and then he said, "Well I trust you to use the most unharmful discipline on her out of all my Espada, but I know I can only expect so much when dealing with beings such as yourself. I shudder to think what Noitora or Szayel would have done with her."
Aizen paused for a moment at that, clearly thinking. Ulquiorra calmly stood and waited for Aizen to tell him what to do next. "I think she has had enough time to adjust to her new life here. I want her brought to this room tonight so I can see her powers first hand. You may leave now, my Numero Cuatro, I will see you tonight."
"Yes, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra quietly said and then left the throne room.
Later that night Ulquiorra stood in her room watching her finish her dinner. When she was done she stood up to let him know she was done and then went to the window waiting for him to leave.
"You have been summoned by Aizen-sama to show him what you are capable of tonight. We leave at once." Ulquiorra quietly informed her.
"You could have given me a little more warning, you know." she told him, clearly uneasy.
"What for?" Ulquiorra honestly asked.
"Well, I don't know...so I could mentally prepare or something."
Ulquiorra, who understood all about the need to mentally prepare for things, nodded at her and said, "Next time I will make sure to give you more notice, but that is not tonight. Come."
He swept from her room not looking back, confident that she would follow him. As he took her through the palace hallways he was very aware of her presence next to him. It was hard not to look over at her, but he determinedly kept his eyes on the path ahead. A few other arrancar were in the hallways too and he sensed them looking at her, Aizen's new play toy, and he sensed the dark thoughts behind their eyes. She must have sensed them too, because amazingly she saddled up closer to him as though for protection. When they entered the throne room Ulquiorra noticed that the room was filled with hollows, from the nine other Espada all the way down to the servants that were serving them. It seemed as though Aizen wanted everyone in the palace in on tonight's "entertainment". He glanced over at the girl hoping that she wasn't too scared at her first real look at what lived with her in the palace. She seemed OK though, at least she hadn't fainted or anything.
"Welcome to my home, Orihime Inoue." Aizen called down to her from his throne which was now flanked by two others that held the other two former soul reapers. "It was so nice of you to come and visit us for a while." A few titters of amusement echoed through the room at that statement. "Now don't be shy. Come here, child. As long as you do what I ask, you have nothing to fear."
Ulquiorra watched as she slowly approached the dias. Once she was before him Aizen called out, "Bring out the one that needs healing!"
Ulquiorra heard a disgruntled shout from the back of the room. "I don't NEED to be brought out like some infirm. I can make it on my own!" He then saw Grimmjow come into view with his punishment he had suffered at Tousen's hands clear for all to see in his lack of an arm. He then went up to the girl and stood in front of her. She nervously looked up at Aizen.
"Heal him, Orihime. Give him back his arm." Aizen ordered her.
"Hey! Wait! What is this shit?!" came an angry protest. "His arm was disintegrated! There is no WAY that little bitch can bring it back!" Ulquiorra didn't have to look behind him to know that it was the now current Sexta Espada that was protesting. He watched as Luppi came up to the front of the dias as well, clearly seething.
"Just wait and watch, Luppi." Aizen told him and then all eyes were on the girl. She very nervously walked up to Grimmjow and then placed her bright shield around where his arm used to be. Ulquiorra idly wondered what that shield would feel like. Would it be warm? Would it tingle? And then all idle thoughts were driven from his mind because here now a miracle was taking place. As he watched he could actually see Grimmjow's arm materializing and then reforming again. It didn't take long and when it was done her shield winked out and Grimmjow pumped his new arm up into the air with triumph.
"Hey you! Heal this too!" he happily commanded her as he turned his now unadorned back to her. She nervously glanced up at Aizen and he quickly nodded at her. She placed her shield on the arrancar's back and almost instantly his Espada tattoo appeared again. "Hell yeah!" Grimmjow shouted. "Hey Luppi! Eat this!" And with that Grimmjow impaled his replacement on his new arm. He let the other hollow twitch there for a moment and then a bright light enveloped Luppi's body and then he was gone. Ulquiorra sighed and turned away and looked for the girl. She had been standing right in front of Grimmjow and was now deathly pale and sweating. He noticed that she had been quite forgotten in the excitement of the murder.
He walked up to her and looked up at Aizen. He wanted to ask Aizen if it was OK to take her back to her cell now, but he had never asked anything of Aizen before and couldn't quite get it out. Luckily Aizen saw him and shouted above the noise of the crowd, "She has performed well tonight. You can take her back now, Ulquiorra."
He told her to follow him and she did, eyes still huge and frightened. As they walked back through the quiet hallways, Ulquiorra's mind was a buzz with things he wanted to say to her, but he didn't quite know which one to say. Should he tell her not to worry because that is how things always went on here in Las Noches? No...that would probably just scare her more. Should he tell her not to worry because he wouldn't let that happen to her? Even more stupid, it wasn't up to Ulquiorra what happened to the girl. So in the end he just kept his silence and when they came to her door he let her in and then locked it behind her.