Poisoned
Chapter III: Past Affairs
byakuxhisa4eva
Byakuya glided down the hall with an air of determination, a dark and furious aura swirling around him like flames. The maids in the hall immediately stepped out of the way, unnerved by their lord's intimidating aura as he brushed passed them, heading towards the Kuchiki library.
Byakuya slid the shoji door to the ancient library open, and lifting the candle from the stand inside the door and lighting it with kidō. The flame produced a large circle of light, enough to see roughly three meters in front of him. He knew the old law books were stored on the shelves near the back wall of the library, gathering dust from the centuries they had not been touched.
As he reached the towering shelf situated against the back wall, Byakuya raised the candleholder and moved it along the shelf, scanning the book titles and dates, searching for a piece of information that might help him in his quest. He pulled a thick, leather bound book from the shelf, thick with dust from years of neglect and heavy in his hands with it's five-hundred page thick text.
He retrieved a handkerchief from the folds of his robes, and wiped it across the leather cover, brushing away the layer of dust to reveal the title in elegant gold writing.
Law of the Four Great Noble Families
The last time the book of laws had been touched was over sixty years ago, by himself; he had been trying to find if there were any laws that would have stood in his way to his planned marriage to Hisana. He would have done it with or without the law's permission, but it never hurt to check.
Section V: Article IV, Law III – While the council of Elders have considerable influence over family affairs, and may offer suggestions for who the selected is to wed, onlythe current head of the family in question can overrule a decision and has final say in this matter.
After that point, he had never thought he would never have to touch the book that had controlled him for the majority of his childhood again – yet here he was, more than half a century later, with the same book only a completely different situation that was so closely connected at the same time.
He knew now that the Elders had undoubtly cause the death – he faltered over the word – of his beloved, and he would stop at no obstacle – even if it meant providing Seireitei with the biggest scandal since his marriage – to bring justice to his wife's – to Hisana's – memory.
He turned page after page of the sturdy yellow parchment, eyes flickering over certain laws that might be helpful in his case and storing them to memory, intent on searching for anything that would help him in his unusual case.
It was not often that the head of a family would bring his own council to trial.
Then finally, he found it. Hisana would be avenged.
Section VII: Article X, Law XXIII – In the event legal means are needed to be charged upon members of the Four Great Noble households, be it by another member of nobility or a common soul, the following criteria must be met before placing charges:
i. The accusing party must provide sufficient, solid evidence of the charge – all investigations into unclear facts must be done before the final trial.
ii. Witnesses must be provided on the accusing party's behalf, and be willing to testify.
iii. In the case wherein either party is a head of house or the council of elders, the outcome of the case will be decided by the current Soutaichou and the captain rank officers of the Gotei Thirteen (13). Fukutaichos may sit in for their captain should the captain be unavailable at the time of trial.
Byakuya's face did not change expression – his cold, stoic mask remained perfectly in place, unmoving, though his mind was moving faster than his fastest shunpo speed.
Byakuya was fairly sure that the letters and the blue bottle stashed away in his room would be sufficient evidence, even with no names except the occasional 'Lady Kuchiki' – with the dates and the peculiar circumstances, they could only refer to one person. No, that wasn't the least bit difficult. The problem was, where was he going to get witnesses?
It was not as if any one had actually seen them administer the poison – she had faded away slowly, painfully slowly, and even the greatest healer in Soul Society couldn't seem to figure out what was wrong. The doctor they had corresponded with in their plot had quite obviously been disposed of, by the looks of the newspaper clipping; silenced before his tongue could slip. Surely there had been someone – anyone – who knew something...
Then it hit him – in his head, for his stoic mask stayed intact and perfect – and Byakuya berated himself for not considering the possibility earlier.
The letters had mentioned that the doses had been given at regular intervals throughout a twelve month period. They most likely could not have forced Hisana to take it, for she'd surely tell him if they had made her drink something forcefully. No, they'd have to do it secretly, when Hisana would least expect it. In the most likely case, they had slipped it in her food – mixed it in with her afternoon tea, the only meal he was not present with her – at best.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes. If so, the maid that had served Hisana for that year before her death had most likely been the one secretly slipping in the dose of poison every month, sending Hisana to her untimely death.
But was she still alive? The elders might have disposed of her the same way they had 'disposed' of the doctor after they had finished with him.
No – they wouldn't. All the maids resided in the servants wing of the manor – and Byakuya had a twenty-four hour guard patrolling the premises at all times – the death of a servant girl, especially one that Hisana had favoured, would have been far too noticeable and suspicious.
Byakuya wondered bitterly if Hisana had known that the delicate girl that had served her had been the one who was slowly stealing her life away, killing her and taking her away from him.
For now, Byakuya closed the book and replaced it in the exact spot between the two books he had found it, and left the library, blowing out his candle. He was going to pay the servant's quarters a visit.
"Aya – Aya!"
She looked up, surprised to see her friend, Michiko, running towards her, frantically waving her hand, a worried expression on her face. "Michiko, what is it?"
Michiko's blue eyes were wide with apprehension. "Lord Kuchiki wants to see you! Now! Oh, what did you do Aya?"
Aya dropped the broom she was holding in shock, letting it fall to the wooden floor with a loud clatter. "What?! I swear I didn't do anything! Did he say why?"
Her friend shook her head, "No, he didn't. But he looked impatient – come on! You'll find out eventually. Don't keep Lord Kuchiki waiting!"
They both ran down the hall, duties forgotten in their haste to reach their lord quickly, before they displeased him – they had been here long enough to know that Lord Kuchiki expected his orders to be carried out quickly and instantaneously. They slowed to a walk outside the master bedroom, where their supervisor, Kayako, stood nervously outside the door.
"There you are," she hissed, grabbing Aya by the arm, "Insolent girl. Who do you think you are, keeping Lord Kuchiki waiting?" She slid open the door and kneeled on the floor, motioning for Aya to do the same. "Lord Kuchiki, Aya has arrived."
A baritone voice replied quickly. "Very well, send her in."
"Of course, my Lord." Kayako seized Aya's arm, and roughly shoved her into the room, hissing into her ear. "Mind your manners, girl."
Byakuya surveyed the scene in front of him quietly. The servant girl – Hisana's main servant girl – Aya, was kneeling on the wooden floor, head bowed. Judging by the way her hands were shaking, she was quite nervous. Byakuya softened his tone of voice slightly – it would be no help to him if the girl was too scared to talk. "You may rise."
She rose, trembling, and adverted her eyes from his gaze. "Milord."
Byakuya frowned. "Look at me."
Her eyes were a soft shade of brown, clouded with fear and clearly on edge. Byakuya turned to gaze outside the window behind him. "You were my late wife's personal maid, were you not?"
"Yes, I served Lady Hisana before her death." Aya nodded slowly, confused as to why this was being brought up. Lady Hisana had been gone for years now, and though Aya had missed her kindness and compassion towards even the servants, she had learned to accept it and move on.
Byakuya did not turn around, only nodding his head in acknowledgement before speaking. "Recent events have come to light, and it turns out you may hold information I am in need of."
"I will serve milord to the best of my ability." Aya said, uncertain, "But I doubt I have this information you require."
Byakuya's expression remained unfazed. "I will be the judge of that."
She quickly bowed, "I apologize, milord. Forgive my impertinence."
Byakuya turned away from the window, shifting his gaze onto the girl in front of him. "What I am about to tell you is between just the two of us. You may not tell your friends or your superiors – even if the Elders question you, you are to remain silent. Understood?" His gaze was hard and demanding.
"Of-of course, milord," Aya replied, shaken by the intense gaze, "Anything you want."
"My late wife, Hisana, was poisoned." Byakuya said, eyes boring into hers, "And you were the one who killed her."
A/N: Ohohohoho...cliffhangers! Please review!