DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters associated with it. They belong to their respective owners. This storyline, however, does belong to me.
thelovablechelsea: Eee! So sorry for spelling it wrong. D: Did I do it right this time? And of course I'm going to reply to you each time! You were one of my first reviewers! As far as Matsumoto goes... I assure you, she'll be doing her job quite well soon enough.
animequeen100: Nownow, everyone knows violence never solved anything. ;D
Blue Brightness: Aw, I'm glad you like it. :D
The House of Kuchiki
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Meaning of...?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow.
"Don't play stupid with me, boy!" The elders took steady steps towards Byakuya.
Kanaye frowned and looked at Byakuya. "You shouldn't let them talk to you like that, Byakuya-sama."
Byakuya shook his head. "It's alright, Kanaye."
"What do you think you're doing?! Overriding our decisions! Who gave you the right?!" The elders were standing in a group in front of Byakuya.
"You need to lower your voice," Byakuya replied calmly.
"Excuse me?!" The head elder was turning red in the face.
"I won't answer to a screaming old fool." This, of course, made the elder even more angry.
"You FOOLISH child! What makes you think you can speak to me that way?!"
"The same thing that makes you think you can speak to me the way you are." Byakuya's voice seemed bored, almost lazy. "Now, what are you making such a big deal about?"
"You know perfectly well! The marriage! Who told you you can cancel it?!"
"No one did. I made the decision on my own."
"You had no right to do that! You father would have never DARED to--"
"Oh, but he did." Byakuya responded simply, cutting the elder off. "Regardless... She wasn't a suitable bride. I don't know when you got the impression that I would marry someone like her."
"... and a commoner is suitable?" The elder raised an eyebrow, finally noticing and smirking at Hisana, who lowered her gaze to the floor.
"Well, with your ridiculous standards, the only thing suitable is a spoiled woman who doesn't know how to do anything but laugh, cry, and sleep. And quite frankly... I'd end up insane."
Kanaye tried to stifle a laugh. "His father said the exact same thing."
"But his father married a noble! This WENCH is a commoner. She's not even worthy to step foot in this house!" The elder pointed a finger at Hisana, glaring.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes and took a step towards the elders, looking at the head elder coldly. "Conference room. Now."
Walking down the hall, he forced the door open and stepped aside, allowing the elders who had followed him to enter before him.
"Kanaye." Byakuya looked at his servant. "Make Hisana comfortable."
"Yes, Byakuya-sama." Kanaye bowed as Byakuya stepped into the room, slamming the door shut.
"Will Kuchiki-sama be alright?" Hisana looked at Kanaye sadly. "I don't want to ruin anything..."
"So... you're Hisana-san..." Kanaye smiled warmly at her. "Byakuya-sama cares for you, that's why he fights them. In his perspective... not being with you would be much worse."
"How do you know...?" Hisana looked back down the hallway where Byakuya had just walked down.
"Because Byakuya-sama would walk away from confrontations he has decided to be foolish... But his actions have proven your importance to him."
Shouting could be heard from inside the room and Hisana frowned. "I don't want him to get in trouble."
"Oh, the situation isn't like that at all, Hisana-san." Kanaye looked at Hisana. "Kuchiki Byakuya never gets in trouble."
... what's that supposed to mean?
Kanaye began walking towards the room. "Come, come." Hisana quickly caught up to Kanaye and stopped outside the room with him. She could make out what was being said from here, but only occasionally.
The head elder was speaking, she observed, but his words weren't clear until he began to raise his voice. "She's a dirty, foul, leeching commoner! Do you think she actually CARES for you?! We're the clan of Kuchiki! We're the first noble house of Soul Society, we MUST uphold the laws to set the example."
A calmer elder spoke up. "Byakuya. If we don't obey the laws... who will obey them?"
Byakuya hadn't responded. At this point, Kanaye stepped forward and slid the door open just enough to be able to see what was happening, but still go unnoticed. The sight made Kanaye frown, and once he stepped back, Hisana gasped slightly.
Byakuya was standing in the center of the room, all the elders seated in their seats one level above him. He had his hand on his side and was using his soul slayer, which he had stabbed into the ground, as a support.
"Look what she's done to you, Byakuya." The head elder stood up and glared down at Byakuya. "You got injured on your mission thinking about that stupid girl. It's foolish to think you could be happy with her. You're both too different."
Byakuya looked up at them and forced himself to stand up straight. "Don't you understand? I'm not here to get your PERMISSION to be with her."
"Really now? And what makes you think you don't need it?"
"I don't THINK I don't need it." Byakuya pulled his soul slayer out of the ground. "I KNOW I don't."
"Insolent boy. The elders must agree with anything you do."
"Don't give yourselves too much power. You don't think I know?" Byakuya smirked.
The elder raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"The clan leader's position is passed down from father to eldest son." Byakuya slowly put his soul slayer away.
"Yes, yes. We knew this." The head elder sat down.
"The elders... are advisors. Clan leaders seek their input in matters to difficult to sort out alone, am I right?"
"What are you getting at?" another elder asked.
"Over the years, you've given yourselves more and more power and strength in clan decisions... when, in actuality, no matter how much you opposed me... my word is the final one."
The head elder stood up slowly. "Where did you learn of this?"
"Learn of it?" Byakuya turned his back towards the elders and began to leave. "I've always known. I just wanted to see how far you'd go before realizing how much danger you were putting yourself in."
"The things you've said and done recently..." Byakuya looked over his shoulder as he opened the door. "... are punishable by death."
Stepping out and closing the door behind him, he looked at Kanaye then at Hisana. "Oh, good... You heard all that?" Hisana nodded slowly, still shocked. "That saves me a lot of explaining..."
"Byakuya-sama..." Kanaye took Byakuya's arm. "Your wound."
Byakuya looked down to see his white robe stained with blood. "Hm... that's problematic. One moment, Hisana-san." He pulled his arm away from Kanaye and began walking towards his bedroom.
Kanaye followed and a few minutes later Byakuya returned in a fresh white robe. Kanaye was behind him. "At least it didn't stain the overcoat this time, Byakuya-sama. It's getting better."
Byakuya nodded and forced a smile when they arrived at Hisana, who had walked back to the foyer. "Now... where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" Hisana's gaze lingered on the portraits on the wall briefly before she turned her gaze to Byakuya.
"Oh, I know, Byakuya-sama. You were going to show her the estate." Kanaye smiled and walked over to the door to slide it open.
Byakuya nodded and gestured for Hisana to go first. "After you, Hisana-san." After blushing a deep red, Hisana walked out, followed by Byakuya.
As Kanaye closed the door behind them, he walked over to the window to watch the two walk down a stone pathway.
The young female servant who had been concerned for their master's health approached slowly and watched along with him. "I see Byakuya-sama's feeling better."
Kanaye nodded slowly. "Indeed, he is... We have that young lady to thank for that."
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Look! No cliffhanger this time:D I'll post another chapter tomorrow, now that my work load is starting to lighten. But for now... time to do homework and study for final exams. XD