Disclaimer: Bleach is property of Tite Kubo.

Note: I want to thank all my loyal reviewers, especially war90 who is always the fastest to review, lillithaffect who makes the most thorough reviews and Icy Fae Tears whose ideas have inspired me so much. Everyone without you this story would never have been written like this, thank you sooo much!
Now please enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 37:

"Where are your dress robes, Renji?", demanded Rukia sternly, her hands on her hips.

"Which dress robes?", asked the red-head confused. He stood in the middle of the room in one of his black shinigami uniforms, ready to go.

"You don't...we didn't...?", stuttered Rukia in horror. Then she flash stepped away in haste.

Renji stayed behind without a clue of where she had gone to and why. Then he remembered her kimono and her unusual hairstyle. He looked down himself. 'Fuck', he thought. 'I can't go to a noble dinner like this, right? And I can't wear taichou's fine kimono with the Kuchiki family seal on it, either.'

A glance at the watch told him that he had only a quarter of an hour left. He prayed Rukia knew a solution.

Renji whirled around when the door opened and a woman stepped in.

It took him a moment to recognize her as Shihana. She looked more like a noblewoman than ever. She was dressed in three layers of silken kimonos adorned with the cranes and clouds that symbolized her house and her hair was done up in a complicated fashion topped off with all sorts of combs, flowers and satin ribbons.

Her tender smile turned into a frown.

"Why are you wearing your uniform, Renji-san?", she asked.

"I don't have anything else", replied Renji sheepishly. "But Rukia's gone somewhere...I don't know where, but...ah damn, I can't screw this up!"

Shihana, alarmed at his troubled expression, hurried over and put a soft finger on his lips. "Shush", she whispered. "Do not fret and most important, do not curse. Rukia will organize something and you will be doing fine. I will not accept any unconvincing excuses for you backing out." A smirk tugged at her lips. She brought her face next to his neck and he heard her softly inhaling. "You smell nice", she mumbled and a shiver ran down Renji's back. Hell, he'd be cursed if he lost her to worthless trash like Reki!

This moment, a hard breathing Rukia rushed into the room and threw him a bundle of silky fabric.

"You have to thank Ukitake-taichou for it", she panted. "Now hurry up and change, you idiot!"

Renji complied hastily. The kimono was silvery-grey with an unobtrusive pattern of bamboo leaves in black around the hem. A dark grey obi went with it.

He stepped out to be attacked by Rukia's brush immediately. Renji let her fuss about him while going through every lesson they had given him about table manners again.

"Done", Rukia finally announced. The red hair was done in a French braid and the tattoos mostly hidden by a dark grey silk cloth. She nodded satisfied then ushered him out of the room.

They both took a deep breath in front of the ornate doors of the grand salon. Shihana had already gone in ahead of them.

"Keep your back straight, don't talk before asked to and only ever eat after everyone else does!", Rukia pressed out in a hurried whisper.

Renji gulped and only nodded. Then they entered the room.

They were greeted by a servant who showed them to their seats. Renji sat down between an elderly woman and a stern faced man. He threw Rukia a panicked look when she was seated at the other end of the long table. He was alone under wolves now.

The room went perfectly silent when Byakuya stepped in, flawless as ever and took his seat at the head of the table.

Renji sat stiff as a stick and tried to find his competitor without moving his head.

He found Reki some seats to his left. He wore an impeccable dark red kimono with the Shihoin family's moon and four stars in gold and his dark wavy hair shone. Renji suppressed a sigh. He couldn't hope to look as perfect, could he?

He nearly jumped when Byakuya raised his glass. Fortunately, he had noticed soon enough to raise his own in unison with everyone else.

"On the honour of the Kuchiki family", stated Byakuya.

"The honour of the Kuchiki family", echoed the assembled family members and guests and took a sip of their drinks.

Everything went well until the second course was served.

Suddenly, the woman to Renji's right turned towards him. "May I ask, Abarai-kun, what are the curious black markings at your neck?"

"Those are called tattoos", answered Renji blushing. "They are made with ink transferred into the deeper layers of the skin by fine needles."

"And what might be the use of this unordinary process?", the woman continued asking.

"It is merely decorative", replied Renji.

"I see", said the woman and returned to her meal.

Renji was unsure whether he had done good or bad at the conversation. But he didn't have much time to ponder the question, because the couple sitting across from him now demanded his attention.

"But doubtless the rank reflects the level of skill of a shinigami, is that not so, Abarai-fukutaichou?", demanded the man. He was middle-aged and wore a thin black moustache above his thin lips.

"That is correct", answered Renji, mimicking his taichou's manner of speaking.

"Then you will agree", said the woman, "that Rukia-san is not very talented for she has no seated rank in her division or so we hear."

Renji looked at her for a moment, baffled. He hadn't expected her own family to speak about Rukia like this. Well, she was adopted, but still...

"No", he heard himself say. "You are mistaken there. Rukia did not receive a seat to keep her out of harm's way."

"Does not the need to protect her make her weakness all the more apparent?", pondered the woman.

Renji opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself the last moment.

"I think you should better ask herself about the reasons", he said calmly. "I do not know all the details myself."

With satisfaction he noticed the slight look of distress that passed over the features of the couple. They fell silent again.

The last course was already served when Renji overheard a conversation with Reki. His stern faced neighbour had bowed over to him and was talking about Shihana.

"Are you sure you want to wed Shihana-san?", he asked in a hushed whisper. "She is a rather inconstant woman. I even heard she already shared a kiss with that red-haired abomination."

Renji seethed. The obvious unveiled insult to himself aside, how did he dare speak about Shihana like this!

He sensed Byakuya looking up alarmed at his flaring reiatsu. But then Reki raised his voice.

"How dare you insult Shihana-san like this?", he exclaimed affronted. "And even if you may find it unfitting in your backward beliefs, I might let you know that I have shared a kiss with her, too!"

Renji gasped. His head whipped around to look at Shihana for confirmation. She closed her eyes in acknowledgement of Reki's statement. Renji's head swam. If she had kissed him, did she not perhaps have feelings for him? He shook his head to clear it. No, she had clearly said she loved only him. He couldn't doubt her now.

"Are you feeling unwell, Abarai-san?", asked the woman on his right. Renji could clearly see the cruel joy twinkling in her grey eyes.

"Or have you finally noticed the true nature of your future wife?", drawled the man with the moustache. "I heard she has even lain with another, and one of higher rank than you at that."

Renji sprang up and his hand slid to his waist, searching for Zabimaru.

"You take that back!", he roared. "I refuse to sit and eat silently at a table with scum like you who treats their own relatives like dirt!" His eyes gleamed and his hands, balled to fists, twitched, itching to punch his counterpart.

"Please calm down, Abarai-fukutaichou", said the smooth voice of Byakuya.

Renji instantly realized what he had done. He had given in to their taunts and as a result given them just what they had wanted: he had made himself a fool in front of the whole family. Yet, throwing a glance at Shihana's and Rukia's pale faces, he knew that he couldn't have constrained himself no matter what.

Sitting down in silence and bowing his head he failed to notice the look of respect that passed over Reki's face for a second.

The Kuchiki's are so mean *evilgrin*. Now the next chapter will bring the long-awaited decision: who will marry Shihana? (I guess you already know^^). Please review!