Okay. I know, this is a really late update. But still, here I am. :D

Thank you for all those who have read and reviewed Bloody Banquet, despite of the rather complex story and character addition and OOCs. :D I apologize. It's completely AU, so, you were warned, I suppose.

Chapter 6

Questions of Authority

Kuchiki Orihime sat on the chair of her dorm room, staring at the piece of paper lying before her.

It was a letter sent by her aunt, Kuchiki Rukia.

Rukia came from the second branch of the Kuchiki family. No one knew of this particular 'extension' of the Kuchiki family since Mayuri himself created this. But the second branch grew extinct, and Rukia is the sole survivor. Acting as a sister to Byakuya was merely a cover-up.

Orihime had no qualms about Rukia. The girl, who was about her age, was more like a sister to her.

She looked at the contents of the letter, a small smile gracing her lovely lips.

Oi Orihime,

From the start of the letter Orihime let out a faint laugh at the informality of the introduction. Orihime loved this more than the tightly-composed letter her father gave her and the all too-flowery ones her mother sent.

How's school? I hope that Aizen fellow isn't giving you a hard time, or else I will crush him.

Orihime laughed again. Now that she thought about it, Aizen Ichigo didn't give her any hard time at all, let alone give her any time of his own. He was busy wandering about with his pals and being the boss.

Well, he did offer her to be with the other members of the Lilith an have some 'acquaintance' chats or something, but she gracefully refused.

Only Tunda Hinamori seemed genuinely eager to accept her. Adze Ishida was reluctant; judging from the way he so often adjusted his glasses to hide his fazed expression. Knight Renji was always frowning and his eyebrows knitted together. He kept looking at Aizen Ichigo in protest whenever the latter invited Orihime to something or somewhere.

Highgate Toushirou, to Orihime's relief, had no trace of interest in his face. At least this tells her that he wasn't repulsed, or by any aspect, affected, by her presence.

But of all these reactions, Orihime was most humored by Xiao Yu Jen's. Orihime wasn't even angered or insulted. She was plain amused. The girl often looked at Orihime with utmost rage, ill-hidden jealousy, and banked impatience. She was openly saying that she was against Ichigo's invitations of Orihime, until the Aizen heir silenced her with one look.

Over all, Kuchiki Orihime was receiving normal responses from her pureblood peers.

It has been fine here. Too fine actually, without our little trouble-maker around. Byakuya-niisama has been exceedingly immersed in work to make up for the years the Kuchiki family has been dormant to the vampire society. He and Yuriko-neesama have been attending functions and so for the couple of weeks since you have left. They both constantly talk about at dinner of speculations as to how you have been, if the other Lilith are treating you right. This is because they suspect that you are not giving them every detail of your stay in Azulith Academy in your letters.

Orihime's gray eyes gentled on this part of the letter. She wondered briefly why the mistakes of the past burden those of the future. She remembered her beautiful and wonderful family. Kuchiki Byakuya, whose cold and calm exterior belied the gentle man that he truly was. He would sweep Orihime into his strong arms when she was a little girl and kiss her cheeks. He would talk to her in that deep, velvety voice he had.

"How's my beautiful princess?" he would whisper. This side of him was unknown to the people that surrounded the family.

Orihime would sometimes ask the people around her why they were so scared of her father.

"I'm fine, daddy," she would cheerfully reply, hugging her father. "When I grow up, I want to marry someone exactly like you, dad!"

Byakuya would chuckle and he would tickle Orihime, "Child, there is no one like me. But I sure hope your dream man would be the best."

Orihime would smile.

Then her mother would appear – the warm and dazzling Yuriko. Even though the adult Orihime heard the rumors about Masaki and her father, she didn't believe them. She saw the way her parents were behind the eyes of the strangers that tried to peer into their lives.

Her mother would steal her from her father's embrace and give her a new doll that she made herself. Orihime would snuggle up to her just to smell the clean scent of flowers and sweet fields emanating from her body.

"Daddy," Orihime would say, "You are lucky to have mommy."

Byakuya would laugh and move closer to his wife and daughter.

And they would always have these precious moments until Rukia would come and be, in her boyish self, spouting out laughter at how 'mushy' they were.

Yuriko would give Orihime to Byakuya and carry a surprised Rukia. They would all shower the squirming and yelling girl with pecks until she would surrender in a fit of giggles.

Those were the moments that Kuchiki Orihime had. And no matter how the world sees her and her family, the reality would always be stamped on her heart and mind.

Although it seems that their peace has been shattered upon coming out to the vampire society.

I hope the days would fly by and that you will come to our new home. It's a couple of miles from your academy. It's a great place. I attached some shots to this letter – photos of the mansion, along with your room. The place is a bit bigger than the one we had in China.

She put her hand into the envelope and fished the rest of the contents with excitement.

She looked at the pictures and laughed aloud.

The mansion, even at the picture, was colossal. It was like a palace. And it was also of modern design with a touch of the ancient. It was amazing.

Orihime breathed in wonder as she was filled by the sight of the great dining hall, a dazzling reception hall, the kitchens, some shots of the huge bathrooms, Rukia's 'suite', the Master suite with a surprised Yuriko on the bed clutching a book, her father's new study, hallways and many other rooms.

Finally, there was a picture of her room, or better yet, her suite.

Orihime's eyes widened.

It was huge. With ornately polished furnishings, oak tables at a small living room she had, a golden dresser with a mirror, a wonderful bed with silken sheets, soft pillows and windows adorned with expensive draperies.

It was a princess' dream room.

That's not all to your suite, by the way. I didn't get to take a picture of your bathroom since nii-sama wouldn't give me access. I wonder why.

I wonder why, Orihime thought. A surprise? She loved surprises.

She finished reading the letter all the way when she heard a knock on her door.

It was Toudo Tadashi, Knight Renji's assistant.

"Kuchiki-sama," Tadashi said, bowing deeply.

"Hai, Tadashi-san?" she asked.

"Aizen-sama, Xiao-Yu-sama, Knight-sama, Adze-sama, Highgate-sama and Tunda-sama are already in the dining room," he continued. "They are all waiting for you. They wish to know if you still intend to join them for dinner."

"Oh no!" Orihime gasped. She forgot about the occasional weekend dinner the Lilith had together. I was every Saturday night that all of them gathered to eat.

"Are you – " Tadashi started to ask and was cut off by Orihime.

"I'll be there in a minute!" she said, closing the door.

"Where the hell is she?" Renji fumed. "I'm starving!"

"Best hold your appetite a little longer Renji," Jen said with sarcasm. "We have to wait for our princess."

Just then, Tadashi appeared.

"Well?" Jen asked.

"She's coming, Xiao-Yu-sama, and – " Tadashi said as he was cut off from his sentence as Kuchiki Orihime appeared behind him and startled him with a tap on the shoulder.

Hinamori laughed at this and Ichigo smiled.

"Pardon me for being late," Orihime said, bowing. "I was too busy reading the letter my aunt Rukia sent me that I forgot about the dinner."

"Ridiculous," Jen said scathingly. "How does a Lilith forget the traditional dinner?"

Orihime, to the others' surprise, shot Jen a sweet smile and said, "Maybe because you have been doing this tradition for a longer time than me, Xiao Yu-san."

She walked over to the vacant seat beside Hinamori and greeted her, ignoring a fuming Jen.

"Well then," Ichigo said. "Let us start our feast."

The goblets were immediately filled with delicious, crimson blood.

Ichigo smelled the rich thickness of the deliriously sweet smell along with his companions. He smiled as he observed the others eat the meal before them and drink the blood prepared.

His eyes laid on Kuchiki Orihime and the way she also smiled at observing the others eat. She had barely touched her food and her drink.

Amidst the glamour that surrounded her and the sudden thrust to the highest echelon of the vampire society, Kuchiki Orihime seemed unfazed. She had some point to her confidence, being the most beautiful creature Aizen Ichigo had ever laid eyes upon. If he would judge with no biases, he would honestly say that she might be the most beautiful woman on Earth – even more beautiful than his own mother, or Jen.

She was also intelligent. Never in the history of Azulith Academy did any of the students get scores close, let alone on par with Ichigo's. Orihime managed to, in their first month's finals, get five out of the twelve tests with equal scores with Ichigo's, and the rest only falling back by not more than one to four points.

She awed and dazzled the students. Even daughters and sons of the nobles approach her to be friends with her. And unlike the other members of the Lilith, she wouldn't just simply smile or say a word or two. She would actually stop and talk to the students. When this happens, she would forget other company, namely the Lilith, and just chat.

This would often elicit funny reactions from the others, especially Jen. Ichigo would ignore and would just feel glad that Orihime was getting along with the other students as well.

But her problem was interacting with the Lilith.

Only Hinamori and himself were acceptable of her presence. Toushirou was neutral and it doesn't help. But fortunately, Orihime was dealing with this situation just fine.

"Eat, Kuchiki-san," Ichigo said.

Orihime laid him with mildly surprised eyes. She laughed, "I'm sorry," she said. "I was just having fun watching Knight-san eat."

Renji stopped eating abruptly and shot Orihime with annoyed eyes, face as red as his hair and mouth so full, he couldn't say anything.

"So what about it?" Jen said, annoyed.

Orihime merely smiled at her. "Nothing. I wasn't aware that freedom of expression is severely frowned upon."

"Severely frowned upon?" Jen repeated venomously. "It might be that your freedom of speech has insulted someone. I don't know what they have taught you, but clearly you have isolated yourself far too long that you have forgotten ethics in your home-based curriculum."

"But if those ethics show that a vampire should be hostile to another vampire for no reason at all except feelings of competitiveness, then I would question the foundations of your curriculum, Xiao Yu-san," Orihime responded, directing her frank stare at all of them.

"Excuse me, Aizen-san," Orihime added, "I must take my leave. I wasn't really hungry in the first place."

Ichigo nodded as Orihime strode away and out of the hall, leaving astonished vampires and a fuming pureblood.

Ichigo held his goblet to his lips as he said, "I'm impressed by her impeccable control."

"What?" Toushirou interjected.

"It is very rare for a newly fully-developed pureblood not to break something in the midst of an argument," Ichigo answered. "It's either she already has complete control over her powers or she hasn't got any emotion at all."

Renji, who was still wide-eyed about the incident finally spoke, "I wasn't really offended, Jen. I was a just a bit annoyed of what she did. You always tease the way I eat. I don't get mad. Why would I feel differently if the Kuchiki girl laughed?"

"Because you hate her!" Jen said, her tone rising. "I could see that by the way you look at her!"

"I do not hate her," Renji said, rolling his eyes. "I just don't trust her."

Xiao Yu Jen's eyes filled with tears and she fled.

"Now what?" Ishida said, sipping from his goblet.

"Let them be," Ichigo said. "Someone should warn Jen that even with Kuchiki-san being able to control her powers, she must not antagonize her. Jen might have her full powers as well, but she is still no match for a Kuchiki. I hope she remembers what rank Orihime-san's family is amongst the Lilith. And you all might do well in remembering that too."

Hinamori sighed. "I hope we will all just learn to accept Kuchiki-san. Even with your claim, Ichigo-sama, we still have to consider that she is a young woman just like me and Jen. We have to befriend her not because we fear her. The only difference she has from us is that she has hidden for so long and is still new to all of this. Imagine what and how she must feel."

"But Hinamori," Ishida replied. "We still must not forget that this girl is a part of the clan who has always harbored great feelings of wrath towards the vampire society that condemned them. She might be pure and confused to you, but God knows what she really is. Ichigo-sama said it himself. For a full-fledged pureblood to control herself, she should have complete control of his powers and emotions OR no emotion at all. The no emotions part of that hits me as villainy."

"And where is your proof in that, Ishida?" Toushirou said. "You are forgetting one crucial fact if you believe in what you have just said."

"And what is that?"

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies, closer," Toushirou said, standing up and bowing. He left the others, Ishida's gaze sweeping the unknown.

"That boy is really a genius," Renji said, leaving as well.

"Excuse me, Ichigo-sama, Hinamori-san," Ishida said, disappearing.

Only Hinamori and Ichigo remained.

"I have to agree with you, Hinamori. We have to give Kuchiki-san a chance," Ichigo said.

Hinamori turned to him in surprise and smiled meekly. "I think we really should. I hope the others would see that."

"I hope they would too," Ichigo added.

"Good night, Ichigo-sama," Hinamori said, leaving.

"Good night to you as well, Hinamori," Ichigo said, leaning back to his chair.

Weeehhh~~ Review please! :D Hope it wasn't that boring. I was bored myself. LOL. :D