WHEN THE SNOW FALLS
by Yih
Chapter Twenty-three
The Proposition
"Kuchiki-taichou," his Fukutaichou said as she peeked her head into his office, "there's an urgent message from Kuchiki Takahiro. The messenger said he didn't require a response and he just gave me the message…"
"Give it to me," Byakuya said.
Kinomoto slid the door open and quickly went to him and placed the letter into his hands. "If you need anything, please let me know."
"Of course, thank you, Kinomoto-san."
"You're welcome, Kuchiki-taichou."
She left him then and Byakuya stared at the letter he was holding with great apprehension as to what Takahiro was going to say in such a missive. It couldn't be good news. At best, it would say that they were considering a list of potential suitors. At worst, it would be a polite note informing him first of Rukia's fiancé before it was announced across the Seireitei.
Byakuya put the letter down on his desk and stared at it. He was not a coward. He faced every adversary with cold calculation and he knew this was coming and he knew what he was going to do. No matter what stage, at its best or at its worst, he was going to do everything in his power to keep Rukia where she belonged – by his side.
He tore over the seal and pulled out the letter. It said pretty much what he had expected. It was not the best possible scenario, but Rukia's fiancé hadn't been chosen either. The letter had informed him that there were several offers for Rukia's hand once it had become known through various channels that the Kuchiki clan was seeking a husband for her. Takahiro had suggested that he might want to come to his office to discuss which option would be best before it was presented to the Elders, since he seemed so interested in her marriage in the first place.
Byakuya crumbled the letter, knowing it would not need a response. Takahiro's office was always open to the Head of the Kuchiki clan and he would definitely go visit the Head Elder after his duties as Taichou of the 6th Squad were finished for the day.
Byakuya wondered what Takahiro wanted. It wasn't like the Kuchiki name could be made any more prominent with Rukia's marriage. They were one of the four great noble houses and they had never fallen from their high status, regardless of the thousands of years that had gone by. So what did Takahiro hope to gain?
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"I knew you would come," Takahiro remarked, "I didn't know it would bring you so quickly though, Byakuya-sama. I never realized what high regard for Rukia-sama that you had."
"She is my late wife's only sister," Byakuya stated. "You well know the promise I made to my wife."
"To find her and protect her," Takahiro murmured. "Yes, I remember quite well those words, but marriage is hardly something you need to protect her from. Marriage would safeguard her for the rest of her life, if she were to marry a good, honorable man."
"She is well and safe within our family," Byakuya said coldly. "Who could better protect her than the Kuchiki clan?"
"I am not saying that she would be better protected elsewhere, but she is a woman and it is her duty to marry and to have children like all noblewomen."
"Rukia is first and foremost a shinigami. Her duty is to her squad and her Taichou."
"Rukia is also a Kuchiki!" Takahiro exclaimed. "Since you have no inclination to marry, Byakuya-sama, and you have adopted her into the direct line of leadership in our clan, who else should we rely on for a possible heir? We are a noble and great clan, but we are an aging clan! We have no young children, no future. Rukia is young and she is a Kuchiki now, and her children—"
"Will take her husband's name," Byakuya said flatly. "Or have you forgotten that?"
"I have not forgotten," Takahiro responded, not looking the least bit cowed. "But a minor noble could be persuaded to give up his family name and to take ours and to raise their children within the Kuchiki clan."
"And who would be willing to do that?"
"There are several possibilities," Takahiro remarked. "Kira Izuru is one. He is also a promising shinigami—"
"He has no spine," Byakuya said.
"There is Shiba Kaien…"
"He is still grieving for his wife."
"And there is already an offer from a most respected man within the Seireitei that even you could not possibly have any qualms against Ukitake Jushiro."
Byakuya stared at Takahiro, not even able to hide the slight widening of his eyes. Ukitake Jushiro! What in the world was Jushiro doing, offering for Rukia like that? She was his subordinate and it was unthinkable for— Then again, Byakuya thought darkly, he had allowed Kaien to marry Miyako and Miyako had been Kaien's subordinate.
"He comes from an impoverished, low-class noble family and he is much, much older than Rukia."
"He is also one of the foremost Taichous within the Seireitei," Takahiro responded firmly. "And he has several brothers within his family to carry on his line. He also genuinely seems to care about Rukia and of all those that did offer for her, he was the best."
"Rukia is too young to marry, even if she did get an offer from Ukitake Jushiro," Byakuya said softly, looking directly into Takahiro's eyes. "You want an heir, do you not? And you have said I have no inclination to marry. Well, you're right. I have no inclination until now to marry, but you must kindly reject Ukitake's offer for Rukia and I will marry and provide you an heir to the Kuchiki clan."
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A/N: Thanks to everyone that does review! I would really like it, if more of you would review, since it really does motivate me to write more and faster. There's about 65 people that have put this on their "watch" list and if half of you would review, that would be awesome! (I get about 250+ hits and only about 10-12 of you review now. I'm just wondering if my story is losing interest now b/c I was getting more review before Christmas…)
This chapter didn't go at all like I planned, but it came out like this so I'm going to let my muse dictate which direction I go. I hope you like it anyway!
Released: 1/25/2009