Author's Note:
Greetings, my beautiful readers! Welcome to chapter 9! Your wait is finally over, as this is where things start to get spicy ;-D
Phany9634: Thank you so much for the kind reviews of chapters 7 and 8! So glad you're enjoying the adventures, and love story, of our two main protagonists :-D If you're like me (a sucker for romance), then you'll like the next few chapters ;-)
SailorStar9: Absolutely! You gotta love Isshin being Isshin, whatever universe he's in, lol.
Okay everyone, on with the show!
Happy reading, and don't forget to drop a review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.
Karin was up at two-thirty in the morning to get herself, and Kiseki, ready to leave; anxious to start the journey home. 'Home…It's funny how your perception of a place can change in such a short amount of time' she thought; a soft smile on her face as she strapped her saddlebag onto her mare, double-checked that she had everything, mounted, and made her way out of the palace grounds. Looking back once more at her former home, she smiled fondly at the place that held her family, pet, fellow soldiers, and childhood memories. "I'll miss you all…but I can't pretend that I'm sorry to leave. It's time." she said to herself, before turning back around, and putting Kiseki into a gallop; heading down the road that would bring her back to the place where her heart now resided.
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Three weeks later...
Fortunately, the three-week ride was pleasant until she reached Saikyo's northern borders; with the weather starting to turn dramatically the closer she got to Orora. The temperature was dropping steadily, so she put on the fur-lined clothes she'd tied to the back of her saddle earlier in the morning; knowing that she would need them at some point in her journey.
Once she was dressed properly, she continued on her way towards Orora; stopping to greet everyone at the border wall. The men opened the gates, and exclaimed how happy they were to have her back; with her telling them that she was very happy to be back, and to see them again. They asked her if she would stay for a few minutes, and tell them about her visit, and she agreed; knowing that she was ahead of schedule, anyways, so she could spare a few minutes to talk with her friends.
After she'd stayed for about fifteen minutes to catch up with everyone, she remounted her horse, and continued up the mountain; saying hello to the villagers, and townspeople who came out to the road to see her. She stopped, and talked with all of them; asking how the last few days of the harvest had gone, and telling them about her new nephew. Everyone had loved hearing about the baby, and they all told her that they hoped her entire family could come to visit at some point soon. Karin had agreed, and promised that the Kurosaki family would indeed visit Orora as soon as they could; though, whether that was before or after the war, she couldn't say. She hadn't realized just how much the people and soldiers of Orora actually loved, and missed her until then; and it made her happy to know that they considered her one of their own now.
An hour passed of her stopping at various points along the road, and talking with the people before the castle finally came into view; standing just as beautifully, and proudly as she remembered. Feeling herself smiling from ear to ear, she made her way into the entry courtyard, and handed Kiseki over to the stableboy; taking the letter from her father out of the saddlebag, and putting it in her pocket before going inside. As soon as the ebony doors closed behind her, she heard little feet followed by a loud shout of "AUNTIE KARIN!"
Smirking, Karin looked up, and saw Ryu flying down the stairs towards her; the largest smile on his face that she'd ever seen. As soon as me hade it down the stairs, and over to her, the little boy jumped up, and hugged her waist with as much strength as he could muster; his smile threatening to split his face in two. "I heard the door, and hoped it was you! I'm so happy you're back, Auntie Karin! I've really missed you, and so has Uncle Toshiro!" the boy said; releasing her waist, and holding up a picture for her to see. Karin studied it, and was barely able to make out six people standing around a Christmas tree. She figured that one of them had to be her, because the hair was black, and looked similar to a porcupine.
Smiling, Karin looked to the child. "That's a great picture, Ryu. Is that all of us around the Christmas tree?" she asked; watching as Ryu nodded his head. "Yeah, it is! I saw all of Uncle Toshiro's drawings of you, and I wanted to make one, too."
Karin gave the child a curious look; her smile looking just a tad bit confused, and curious. "What do you mean, Ryu? He's been sketching me?" she asked; watching as the little boy, again, nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah, he's been drawing you since you left. Go look in his study; there's lots and lots of pictures in there. They're all really good, and they look just like you. Do you like my picture?" he asked; a bashful look on his face, as he smiled shyly at her.
The raven-haired princess nodded in reply, and ruffled his hair. "I love your picture; you draw really well. Be sure to keep practicing, and I'm sure you'll draw as well as your uncle one day." she said; watching as the little boy's face broke out into another large smile, and he jumped around in excitement.
Just as he started telling her all about what had been going on at the castle while she was away, Momo and Izuru came downstairs; partially dressed for dinner, with Momo waving at her enthusiastically. "Karin! My goodness, we weren't expecting you until after dinner! It's so good to have you home!" she exclaimed as she and her husband made their way down the stairs, and they both took turns hugging the princess.
Karin smiled brightly back at them, and gave them an apologetic look. "I know, and I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was ahead of schedule; I wanted to surprise you. So, where are Rangiku, and Toshiro?" she asked; looking around for her bubbly friend, and best friend, but not seeing them.
Momo gave her a knowing smile as Izuru picked up Ryu, and brought the boy back upstairs to finish changing for dinner. "It's perfectly fine, Karin; you certainly did surprise us. I'm afraid Rangiku's out with Shuhei, and Toshiro's at the archery range. He's been practicing what you taught him before you left, and he's getting to be a pretty good shot. Since we weren't expecting you until later, no one planned to be around until dinner. You should go, and see him; he'll be very happy to have you home. He's really missed you; not that he told me that, but I can tell. I am his sister, after all." the young mother replied; winking at her pretty companion, and feeling her knowing smile grow when the faintest shade of red made its way onto the Karakura princess's cheeks.
Karin nodded, and smiled back at the young mother; hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt, as she looked over in the direction of the range. "Thanks, Momo; I'll go say hi to him. I just need to make a quick stop before I do, though; so, if you'll excuse me for now, I'll see you at dinner?" she asked; watching as Momo nodded her head in reply, before turning, and walking back upstairs.
With that, Karin made her way to the back of the castle, and over to Toshiro's study. She knew that if Ryu was telling her the truth, which she was sure he was, then Toshiro would probably clean up the drawings, and put them somewhere else, as soon as he knew she was back. 'I'm seeing these things, whether he wants me to, or not' she thought slyly, as she opened the door to the room, and walked inside.
As Karin looked around, she couldn't believe the amount of paper that was scattered over almost every square inch of the study; all beautiful sketches with Toshiro's signature on them. Some were of winter scenery, some of the castle, some of the Hitsugaya family, and several larger studies of her training, shooting, riding, and playing with Ryu. There was even one of her and Toshiro sitting together on the edge of the woodline during the harvest.
On his desk, she found a stack of smaller sketches; all of them sketches of her in some form, or another. The first few were clearly practice sketches, and paintings, to get her facial features, hair, and eye color correct; while the middle ones were either of just her eyes, or her face.
She flipped through picture after picture, each one better than the last. 'He must have put a lot of time into these; the amount of detail is incredible' she thought, as a smile made its way onto her face at the thought.
When she reached the last few pictures in the large stack, she stilled completely; eyes widening slightly in shock. The first one was a sketch of her holding Hyorinmaru's head, as she glanced towards the sketcher; a playful smirk on her face as the dragon nuzzled her chest. 'This was the day I met Hyorinmaru. He must have drawn this from memory' she thought, as she examined the picture closely. Every detail was drawn to perfection, and he'd sketched her with more accuracy than anyone else had ever managed to do before. 'This is beautiful…and the least I would expect from him' she thought, as a smirk replaced her smile.
It was the second picture, though, that really stuck with her. It was a medium-sized sketch of her, dressed in a fine dark green gown, and looking to the side with a typical smirk on her face; but what caught Karin's attention was the jewelry she was wearing in the picture: on her throat was a silver choker necklace with a simple diamond drop, and on her head was a crown made of Damascus steel; almost identical to Toshiro's, adorned with diamonds, and making her look like every inch a queen...his queen.
Her breath caught, and she stared at the pictures for a few moments, before gently putting everything back the way she'd found it; feeling the smile reappear on her face as her stomach twisted, and turned. 'Ichigo was right' she thought almost disbelievingly as she left the study, and made her way over to the archery range.
Peeking her head in, she saw her best friend crouched on the ground with his bow drawn back; aiming for a silver coin on a post about fifty yards away. Karin watched as he took a deep breath, released the arrow, and saw it nick the side of the coin; knocking it off of the post, but just barely.
Sighing, the young king looked frustratedly at the metal object on the floor. "I feel like getting good at this is taking forever. How does Karin make it look so easy?" he murmured to himself, before grabbing another arrow, and aiming it at another silver coin on a different post; this one at forty yards away.
"Drop your right elbow an inch; it's too high."
Upon hearing the voice that he'd been craving to listen to again for the last two months, Toshiro whipped around so fast he almost lost his balance. There, standing behind him, was a smirking Karin; amusement dancing in her dark grey eyes.
"Karin?" he said disbelievingly; his eyes wide, and watching her every move as she walked up to him, and tackled him to the floor the same way she'd done when he'd returned home from the front. Squeezing him tight, she felt his arms circle her waist, and hold her close, as she buried her face in his neck; feeling him relax completely beneath her. "It's good to be back…I missed you, Toshiro." she murmured against his skin; feeling him take a deep breath, and hold her tighter. "I missed you too, Karin. It's good to have you back." he replied; his voice markedly softer than usual.
They stayed like that for a moment, before Karin shifted, and got off of him so they could look at each other properly. There was a bright smile on her face, and he hadn't realized just how much he'd been longing to see it again in-person until that moment. Giving her a small smile in return, he raised a curious eyebrow. "What are you doing here so early? We weren't expecting you until after dinner."
Karin shrugged in reply; her smile not leaving her face. "Well, the idea was to get here early, and surprise all of you; but, once I got here, I found out that you and Rangiku were busy. I guess it didn't turn out to be as great of an idea as I thought it would be, but the important thing is that I'm home." she replied; her bright smile morphing into a soft, affectionate one.
Toshiro mirrored her smile; a curious expression on his face. "Home?" he asked; watching her intently. Karin merely nodded in reply, and Toshiro's smile grew slightly. She held his gaze for a moment longer, before taking her father's letter out of her coat pocket, and handing it to him. "Here; it's from my dad. He asked me to give it to you as soon as I got back." she said, as she watched him take it; slight confusion on his face. Looking from the envelope, to Karin, the young king nodded in reply. Thanks; I'll make sure to read it later. Now, I know it's time to eat, so why don't we both go get changed, and you can tell us about your visit to Karakura over dinner?" he asked; a playful smile on his face. Knowing how the Kurosakis operated, he was sure the evening would be full of humorous, and cringe-worthy tales.
Karin nodded enthusiastically in reply; feeling her stomach rumble. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea; I skipped lunch, and I'm ready to gnaw my own arm off." she said; bounding up off of the floor, and offering him a hand. He smirked at her, and took it; getting up, releasing her hand, and the two of them making their way upstairs.
Toshiro was very curious to find out what Isshin wrote in the letter that would necessitate Karin delivering it personally, instead of just sending it by way of messenger falcon; so, even though he knew he really should wait until after dinner, he decided to read the letter from the Karakura ruler before dinner, instead.
As soon as he reached his room, he closed the doors behind him, and took out the envelope with the Karakura seal on it; opening it, and finding that it contained not one, but two, letters – one from Isshin, and one from Ichigo. Now extremely curious, he read them carefully; his eyes widening in shock at their contents.
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Dear Toshiro,
I trust this letter finds you well. While this may come across as presumptuous, and intrusive, for which I apologize in advance, I hope you will consider carefully what I have to say. I am writing to you to discuss your relationship with my daughter, Karin. Ichigo gave me an account of your conversation with him in Hueco Mundo, as well as his suspicions concerning your intentions towards her. Given our current war-time setting, I understand that it would be difficult for us to meet face-to-face anytime soon to discuss the matter; so, I wanted to give you my thoughts on the subject. I want to make two things very clear to you: that if it is your intention to ask for my daughter's hand, let this letter stand as my given consent; and, if you do marry her, that you treat her with the utmost care, and respect. I know Ichigo thought at the time that you were still undecided about your true feelings for her, but I suspect the hesitancy he saw in you that night had more to do with Aizen's unique fascination with making you suffer through the loss of all that you hold dear. While I understand your reasoning, and I thank you for wanting to put her safety before anything else, I do not want that to stop you. You have fulfilled your promise to Ichigo, and it speaks well of you that you have kept your word. I have known you from your childhood, and I know that you are a good, and honest man. Ultimately, that is all that I have ever wanted for Karin. She is my baby girl, and I love her more than life itself; I want her to be happy, and I can see that she is happiest with you. As I am sure you have seen over the course of her stay with you, Karin has never been the typical princess – much preferring swords and sarcasm, to tiaras and courtships – but the look on her face that I have seen during her time back as she speaks of you, and Orora, is one that I have not seen since before her mother died: pure, genuine, and unfiltered happiness and love. I want that look to stay on her face for the rest of her life, regardless of the risks involved. It is more important to me for her to be happy, even if the circumstances are as they are; than to have her miserable, but safe from an increased risk of harm. She would not want that, and nor do I.
With all of that said, do bear in mind that I loved her first, I held her first, and a piece of my heart will always be hers. I am sure you will, but remember to treat her with the utmost courtesy, and dignity. She is a treasure that is far more valuable than gold, or diamonds; and I expect her future husband to know, and value that the way he should.
Love her, make her laugh, and take good care of her, my son. I relinquish her to your care, and I trust that you will treat that responsibility with the same level of seriousness, and commitment, that you would anything pertaining to the safety, and prosperity of your own kingdom. She is my entire world; and, I suspect, yours also.
I look forward to seeing you again in person.
Sincerely,
His Royal Highness, king Isshin.
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Toshiro,
I want to start this letter by thanking you for honoring your promise to me, and not pursuing my sister before you knew what exactly it is that you wanted from her. Your self-restraint does you credit, and it's also saved you from an early grave. I'll make this quick, as I'm not much of a writer. If you've decided that you want to marry my sister, I give you my blessing to do so. At first, I wasn't convinced that you and Karin would be well-matched, because you seemed like polar opposites to me; but, after talking to her, and observing her over the past month, it became clear to me that I was wrong. I know that Karin is generally much more forward than most people, and that makes it hard to tell exactly what her true emotions are; but I know my sisters better than I know myself. It's probably not my place to tell you this, but she's in love with you; and that's all that really matters to me. I trust her judgement almost more than I trust Goat-chin's, and I always knew that if, and when, she did fall in love with someone, that would be the one person who could treat her the way she deserves to be treated…because, you know Karin; she won't put up with anything less. Dad and I also knew that she wouldn't fall in love with someone who isn't already in love with her, so I think my closing statement to this letter won't be too presumptuous. You're a very lucky man to have found an amazing woman like my sister, and I expect you to remember that for the rest of your life. Never let a day go by where you don't cherish her.
Take good care of her; and keep her safe, and happy.
Welcome to the family, midget.
Sincerely,
His Royal Highness, prince Ichigo.
P.S.: If you mistreat her at all, or try to get your hands on her before the wedding, I'll snap you like a twig, and see to it that you're torn to pieces by Todoroku Kaze. Behave yourself.
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Despite his shock, and irritation at Ichigo's complete lack of decorum, Toshiro let out a bark of disbelieving laughter; reading the letters over again to make sure he'd seen everything correctly, as a large smile made its way onto his face.
"While I understand your reasoning, and I thank you for wanting to put her safety before anything else, I do not want that to stop you."
"It's probably not my place to tell you this, but she's in love with you…"
He read those words over, and over again to make sure he wasn't just seeing what he wanted to see; finally stopping after the tenth re-read. 'After what happened to Masaki, I wasn't expecting Isshin to say something like that…and it's not like I didn't suspect it, but it's different actually reading it from her own brother' he thought, as he put the letters in the drawer of his bedside table, and got himself ready for dinner; still feeling slightly dazed by their contents.
Once he was dressed, and ready to go downstairs, he walked over to his bedroom doors; opening them to reveal an already-dressed Karin who was in the process of knocking on the ebony wood, with an arm raised, and hand balled up into a fist. Seeing her surprised face, he gave her a humorous smirk; knowing that if he'd opened his doors a second later, she would have hit him in the face. "I think this is a new record for how soon you've tried to hit me after seeing me."
Karin dropped her hand, and gave him an unamused look as her cheeks adopted the lightest shade of red. "Shut up, Toshiro; that doesn't count." she replied, before looking over her shoulder, and down the hallway. Seeing that no one was around, she looked back at him, and found his gaze with her own. "I just wanted to do this before dinner." she said; bringing the hand she'd had concealed behind her back into view, and handing him a white box with a red ribbon tied around it. "Happy birthday, Toshiro." she said; smiling warmly up at him.
The young king looked from the box, to Karin, and back again; reaching out, and taking it from her with a look of slight surprise. "How did you know it was my birthday? I didn't tell you last year." he asked; feeling like an idiot the moment the words left his mouth, as he saw the 'I'm-super-close-to-your-sister-so-why-are-you-even-asking-me-that?' look on Karin's face. Sighing, and giving her a half-smirk, he turned around, and walked back into his room; gesturing for her to follow.
Karin looked at him questioningly; not sure if she should take the invitation, or not. It was his bedroom, and he'd never let her in there before; given the implications it would create if someone found them in there together.
Toshiro's half-smirk turned into a full smirk, as he cocked a quizzical eyebrow at her. "I thought you didn't care about convention." he said; a challenge in his eyes that she found amusing. It was true that she didn't care about society's standards of propriety much, as long as she knew that she wasn't doing anything that violated her own morals, or consciousness; but she knew that Toshiro did, so this caught her off-guard.
Smirking back at him, she crossed her arms over her chest, walked in, and made her way over to where he was standing by the window that faced out towards the mountain range. "I don't, but I know that you do. Why the change of heart?" she asked; giving him a quizzical look.
His gaze found hers, and, for just a moment, she thought she saw something different in his eyes that she'd never seen before. It was gone before she could really study it, though, so she refocused her attention back on the matter at hand. "So, are you going to open it, or not?" she asked; a cheeky smile on her face.
Feeling his smirk grow, Toshiro untied the red ribbon, and opened up the box; seeing a beautiful knife in an ornate sheath inside. The knife itself had a gold handle inlaid with rich rubies that were clearly from Karakura, and intricate filigree not unlike the designs he'd used for his metalwork around the castle. The sheath was made of a dark brown leather that bore the royal crest of Karakura on one side, and the royal crest of Orora on the other.
Taking the knife out of its holder, he examined it further. It was small enough to conceal in a boot, or inside of a shirt; but large enough to be used as an effective offensive and defensive weapon if need be. It was dual-edged, a characteristic of Karakura weaponry, and there was an inscription on the blade: Vires a dolore.
After finishing his inspection of the fine piece of weaponry, the young king looked back at Karin; a warm, appreciative smile on his face. "From pain comes strength…good choice on the inscription, Karin."
The raven-haired princess smiled back, and pointed to the weapon. "Thanks. Make sure not to prick yourself with it, though; the blade is infused with a special poison that I created myself, and I'm the only one who knows the antidote. It'll kill a man in under five minutes." she said; a proud look on her face that he found amusing.
Cocking a quizzical eyebrow, Toshiro gave her a smirk. "I didn't realize you were that desperate to get rid of me." he said, as Karin burst into laughter. He shook his head in amusement, and once again wondered how he'd gone without her for the last couple of months. 'She really is one of a kind' he thought, as he enjoyed the scene before him.
He watched her for a minute, or so, as his smirk shifted to a soft smile; before leaning down, and kissing her on the cheek. Her laughter ceased almost instantly, and he enjoyed the stunned look on her face as he held her gaze with his own. "Thank you, Karin; I'll treasure it. It's beautiful, and it'll be good to have on the battlefield. Now, we should get downstairs for dinner, before they come looking for us." he said, as he put the knife in his shirt, turned, and walked out of the room; leaving Karin standing there staring after him with her mind reeling, and a heavy blush on her face. 'What the hell just happened?' she thought to herself, as she unconsciously reached up, and touched her cheek; her face getting even warmer.
Taking a few deep breaths, she waited a few moments for her face to cool down, before checking herself in Toshiro's full-length mirror; satisfied that she no longer looked like a ripe tomato, and was ready to go downstairs. As she made her way out of his room, and down the staircase, a determined look came over her face. 'You're not getting away that easily, Toshiro…you and I are having a talk later'
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The entirety of dinner was taken up by Momo, Rangiku, and Ryu asking Karin all about her visit to Karakura; with Karin giving them details about her time with her family, pet, soldier friends, and her new nephew, Kazui. The women had bombarded her with questions about the new addition to the family, and Karin described the baby to them in great detail; telling them that he had inherited his father's orange hair, and his mother's face, and eyes. He seemed to be a good sleeper, and he was also a very happy, and smiley baby. She told them how scared she'd been to hold him; worried that she would hurt him somehow, before her brother eased her anxieties enough for her to take him.
She showed them a sketch, and a painting that she'd done of Kazui during one of her nighttime shifts; and subtly thanked Toshiro for teaching her enough before she left to do a decent sketch of her nephew, to which he just nodded his head in acknowledgement with a slight smile on his face.
All in all, the meal passed by quickly; and, before Karin knew it, everyone was done, and heading upstairs. Given how long the Karakura princess had been on the road, everyone had decided to forgo their time in the drawing room afterwards, and simply change for bed, instead; that way, the raven-haired young woman could get a good night's rest after her long journey….however, Karin had other ideas. She wasn't going to sleep without tracking down Toshiro first, and talking to him. She wanted to know what that kiss on the cheek had been about earlier; and, even though she promised her father, and brother, that she wouldn't ask about it, she was dying to know what was in the letter. 'Oh well, what they don't know won't hurt them. Besides he may not have even read it, yet' she thought, as she stripped out of her silk dress, and took off her royal jewelry.
She emerged from her room at midnight; dressed in her red silk pants, crop top, and fur-lined robe. She was fairly confident that everyone would be asleep by now, so she was hopeful that there would be no interruptions during her talk with her best friend.
Walking over to Toshiro's room, she knocked on the door to see if he was in there; only to be met with silence. 'Hmm. Alright, then; where else could he be?' she thought, as she pondered all of his usual hiding places that he went to when he wanted some alone time. There were several, so the list was long. 'If he's over in the mountain range with Hyorinmaru, there's no way in hell I'm going out there tonight; it'll have to wait till morning' she thought disgruntledly, as she kept going down her mental checklist of hiding places that she knew of.
As she thought, and walked aimlessly along the corridor of rooms, she stopped in front of one of the large windows to look outside; catching sight of one of the most beautiful natural phenomena she'd ever seen. Suddenly, it came to her, and she smirked to herself. 'Yup, that's probably where he is' she thought, as she started heading in the direction of the access stairs that led to the roof of the castle; making sure she grabbed her fur-lined boots from her room on the way.
Once she made it to the stairwell, she walked all the way up, and stopped at the top; taking a deep breath, as her stilled hand rested on the doorknob for a moment, before she turned it, and opened the door to reveal the roof of the castle. The access stairs came out on the southern side of the castle; so, she had to walk across the building to reach her destination. Walking out into the night, she turned right, and started making her way towards the north; eventually stopping when she reached the other end of the castle, looked to her left, and saw Toshiro leaning back against one of the tower walls. He was dressed in a loose white shirt, sleeping pants which were tucked into his black fur-lined boots, and his fur-lined robe; staring out at the sky that was lit up in an array of colors so vibrant, Karin almost couldn't believe they were real. He was clearly lost in his own thoughts, as he didn't even notice her presence until she was twenty feet from him; wrapping her robe tighter around herself to keep out the biting cold.
She found his gaze when he finally turned to her, and she smiled at him before looking back out at the night sky. "What is this? I've never seen anything like it before. It's like the colors in the sky are dancing." she asked, as she came to a stop next to him; feeling his eyes on her.
Toshiro looked from her, and back out to the sky, as he answered her. "They're called the northern lights, and they happen a few times a year between December and February. That's how the kingdom got its name." he replied, before letting the silence settle back in for a few moments.
Gradually, Karin looked over at him again; probing curiosity in her eyes. "You only ever come out here when you have something on your mind, so what's going on? Does it have something to do with the letter that goat-chin gave you?" she asked; making sure that her voice sounded the appropriate level of concerned, so he wouldn't pick up on her ulterior motive. Of course, she was concerned; but she really wanted to know what her father had said in the missive.
Looking back at her, Toshiro held her gaze for a moment, before an amused smirk made its way onto his face. "You just want to know what was in the letters, don't you?" he replied; watching as she glared irritatedly back at him; clearly not pleased that he'd figured it out. "I thought so." he said, as his smirk grew; turning his attention back towards the sky. A thoughtful look came over his face, then, and a moment of silence went by before he spoke again. "To answer your question; yes, it does. There was actually one from Isshin, and one from Ichigo; both containing the one thing that I've been reluctant to ask for from them because of my situation, and past losses." he said; his voice sounding uncharacteristically hesitant, unsure, and nervous.
Karin looked at him quizzically; wondering what on earth he was talking about, and why he sounded so off. "I'm going to need more explanation than that, Toshiro. Ask for what?"
Toshiro took a deep breath, and pushed himself off of the wall behind him; turning to face her, and finding her gaze with his own. "Their consent." he said, as his bright turquoise eyes shone under the glow of the northern lights. Karin couldn't remember a time when they'd looked more beautiful, and he was looking at her with a seriousness she'd never seen before. His gaze was soft, and affectionate, though; and that put her at ease in a way she couldn't really describe. Suddenly, she saw again in his eyes what she couldn't identify earlier, and it made her breath catch: it was his deep love, and desire for her; everything she'd been feeling about him for months now, but had been too afraid to show him.
Holding his gaze with her own, she gave him a prompting, but serious look. "Toshiro?" she asked; watching him intently as he moved closer, and came to a stop before her. They stared at each other for a moment; bright turquoise probing stormy dark grey, before a cat-like grin appeared on Karin's face, and she raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Well, are you going to kiss me, or not?" she asked; the confidence, and expectancy in her voice reassuring him that he hadn't just made a huge mistake.
A playful smirk made its way onto Toshiro's face in response; his eyes never leaving hers. "Is that a question, or a command?" he asked sarcastically; watching in amusement as her smile grew. Karin shrugged her shoulders in response, and reached up to grab the edges of his robe. "Both, I guess. Now, stop being a smartass, shut up, and kiss me." she replied, as Toshiro gave her an amused look, before leaning in, and capturing her lips with his; feeling her arms slide around his neck as his hands found the smooth skin of her bare waist beneath her robe.
He'd been dying to do this for months now, but the wait had been more than worth it. He finally had her in his arms, and he wasn't about to let her go easily…and it definitely didn't seem like she wanted him to, either.
He gently pushed Karin back against the white granite wall behind her, and parted her lips with his tongue; pulling a soft moan from her as her fingers laced through his hair. The temperature outside was frigid, but neither of them felt it; too concentrated on each other to be bothered by the cold, and in no hurry to move.
"Your highness! Are you up here?! You better be, because I've checked everywhere else!" the chipper voice of general Matsumoto rang out, as the pair reluctantly separated; Toshiro growling in frustration, while Karin chuckled. "I swear to god, Matsumoto…" the young king murmured angrily, which only caused Karin's chuckling to turn into full-blown laughter. "He's over here, Rangiku!" the raven-haired Kurosaki shouted, before kissing the ruler once more, and extricating herself from his grasp; looking back over her shoulder, and giving him a playful smile. "You know where to find me when you're done."
Toshiro nodded in reply; a smirk on his face as he watched her go, and his bubbly general made an appearance. "Sir, I have the latest reports from the front for you. Kiryu is requesting reinforcements, and wonders if we could send three hundred men…"
As she walked back towards the access stairs, Karin couldn't stop the smirk that made its way onto her face. 'It's about damn time, Toshiro. What took you so long?' she thought, as she made her way back into the castle, and headed straight for his study; making herself comfortable on the sofa while she waited, and using her robe as a blanket. She had been right in her assumption that he would clean up the pictures of her upon her return, as there wasn't a single sketch left in the room from the ones she'd seen earlier.
Snuggling into her fur robe, and enjoying the heat of the fire, Karin closed her eyes; unintentionally dozing off, until she woke up in Toshiro's arms as he carried her to her room. Glancing at him just as he opened her bedroom door, and walked into the room, she decided to play with him a little, and gently kissed his neck; feeling him tense from the unexpected contact. When she looked up, she was met with bright turquoise eyes staring down at her with a mix of affection, and desire; prompting her to give him her best Cheshire grin. "You know, I wouldn't object if you wanted to stay for the night." she said teasingly; enjoying the light blush that made its way onto his face.
Toshiro smirked back at her, and set her down; closing the door behind them. "Tempting offer, but I promised your brother that he could trust me with you; and I'd rather not have to deal with a raging, orange-haired idiot at my door if I break that promise, and word gets out."
Karin laughed in response, before making her way over to her bed; sitting down, and patting the spot next to her.
Complying with the silent request, Toshiro made his way over to her, and sat down as well. Karin cocked a questioning eyebrow at him, and he sighed; accepting that she wouldn't go to bed without a full explanation. "Alright, where do you want me to start?" he asked; a small, soft smile on his face.
Smiling softly back at him, Karin held his gaze. "Assuming that I'm right in thinking that this started on the day that I met Hyorinmaru, why don't you tell me about your conversation with Ichigo in Hueco Mundo, and we can go from there." she replied; curiosity in her eyes, and an expectant look on her face.
Toshiro smirked at her amusedly; a questioning look in his own eyes. "You're right in thinking that my interest in you turned romantic the day you met Hyorinmaru, but how did you know I'd talked to Ichigo in Hueco Mundo?" he asked, as he raised a questioning eyebrow at her.
Karin cocked her head to the side, and gave him a mischievous smile in return. "He may or may not have told me about it while I was back in Karakura…just like he may or may not have told me about his suspicions on how you felt about me. I have to say, it took you long enough to say something. You're smart, so you couldn't have been completely oblivious to the fact that I liked you." she replied; watching with curiosity as Toshiro's smirk dropped into a more contemplative expression, and he averted his gaze to the floor. She could tell he was lost in thought, and she wondered what was going through his mind.
After a few moments of silence, he spoke, but closed his eyes; a resigned frown on his face. "Ichigo confronted me about it one night when we were sitting by the campfire while on guard duty. He started the conversation out by just asking how you were doing in Orora, and everything kind of snowballed from there. What he thought he saw in me that night was confusion on how I really felt about you, but that wasn't it; it was hesitancy to make you a bigger target for Aizen, and indecision on what I should do." he said; looking back up at her, and finding her gaze with his. As bright turquoise met stormy dark grey, he tried to convey the thoughts and emotions he had from that night to her without having to put them into words.
Finally, after a moment of silence, he spoke. "I love you…more than anything. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to run the risk of losing you. When Ichigo told me not to say, or do, anything until I'd sorted things out in my own mind, it almost seemed like fate was stepping in, and making the decision for me." he said; all of the conflicting emotions he'd been feeling for the last several months evident in his eyes, and on his face.
At this point, Toshiro took her hand in his; looking down at it for a moment as he brushed his thumb over her knuckles, before finding her gaze again. "I want you in every possible way, Karin…badly; but I knew you were safer, and better off, without any formal ties to me. I couldn't risk your life just to satisfy my own desires." he said; pausing for a moment, before continuing. "It wasn't easy to stay silent, but I was managing…until I got those letters from your father, and brother."
Karin looked at him questioningly, then; raising a curious eyebrow. "What was in the letters that made you change your mind?" she asked; her eyes probing his.
Toshiro held her gaze, and laced his fingers through hers; giving her hand a light squeeze. "The letters were to give me their written permission to ask you to marry me. They know that I can't really see them face-to-face right now, and talk to them about it; so, it looks like they thought ahead, and did it this way, instead. They told me that they thought you were happiest when you were with me, and that all they wanted was for you to stay happy, no matter the circumstances." he said; watching her intently to see her reaction.
Nodding her head in understanding, Karin gave him a soft smile; reaching up with her free hand, and brushing aside his white fringe as she spoke. "I am happiest with you, Toshiro. I love you, and I love your kingdom, your people, and especially your family. This is where I belong. Orora is my home now, and I don't want to leave again...so, are you?" she asked; watching as he looked at her with slight confusion. She squeezed his hand, and gave him an expectant smile; masked anticipation in her eyes. "Are you going to ask me to marry you?"
Letting his questioning expression be replaced by a small, soft smile, Toshiro looked down at their joined hands, before finding her gaze again. "Yes, I am. I don't want to go through life without you, Karin; regardless of the risks involved. I never thought that I would find someone who could understand me the way that you do…or push all of my buttons in the worst, and best ways possible." he said; adopting a small smirk, before continuing. "You're the most remarkable woman that I've ever met, and I want to go through life by your side. You're my equal in every way, and you know me better than I know myself. I don't want to lose that, so I have to ask: Karin Kurosaki, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he finished, as he felt his heart rate quicken, and he waited anxiously for her answer. He was confident that she would say yes, but that wasn't mitigating his nervousness; after all, he knew that this would be the only proposal he would ever make in his life. If he couldn't marry Karin, then he wouldn't marry at all.
The sincerity, and devotion she heard in his voice almost brought her to tears, and Karin's small smile grew as she leaned in; answering with a whispered "yes", before closing her eyes, and kissing him. Toshiro kissed her back, and she slowly brought her hands up to fist them into the collar of his shirt; pulling him closer.
Letting out a hum of approval as she felt him ask for entrance, she let him in, and he gently pushed her backwards against her pillows until she was laying down fully; with him on top of her. She'd been half-serious when she'd told him he could stay the night, and she thought for a moment that he would actually do just that…until he pulled away a few minutes later; his gaze finding hers again. "You should go to bed, Karin; it's late." he said, as he moved to get off of her; with Karin grabbing the sleeves of his shirt to stop him.
He looked back at her, and their eyes met.
She could tell that he didn't want to leave, judging by the lust she saw in his eyes; so, she decided to have a little fun, and test him. Adopting a sultry smile, she gently slid her hands up his arms, and around his neck; feeling his body tense. "If I told you that I was serious when I said you could stay the night, would that change your mind?" she asked; watching him closely as he stared at her for a moment, before leaning in, kissing her deeply one more time, pulling back, and extricating himself from her grasp. Getting off of the bed, he put another four logs in her fire, before looking back at her; an affectionate, but teasing smile on his face. "I'm not taking the bait, Karin…and there are some things in life worth waiting for. I promised your family that I would treat you with respect, and I intend to keep that promise. The only way I'll have you in my bed is as my wife." he replied; the lust she'd seen in his eyes now gone, and replaced by his genuine love for her.
The sultry smile on Karin's face turned into a soft, affectionate one upon hearing his words. He was a man of honor and integrity, and that was one of the things that she loved most about him. In all things, he treated her as his equal, and a gift to be cherished; not used. He wanted to do this the right way, and she loved him even more for it.
Nodding as she sat up, she gave him a proud, but playful smirk. "Well done, Toshiro; you passed my test."
The young king gave her a smirk of his own, before walking over to her door, opening it, and looking back at her one more time; the smirk fading back into a soft smile. "Goodnight, Karin. I'll see you in the morning." he said, as she nodded in response. "Goodnight, my love. See you in the morning." the young princess replied, with an affectionate smile on her face.
Toshiro's smile grew upon hearing the endearment, before he walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him; both of them going to bed with smiles on their faces, and a new peace in knowing that, whatever the future held, they would be facing it together.