Author's Note:
Alright, by wonderful readers! Here's chapter 14! I hope everyone's ready to find out what happens to Toshiro, and if the kingdoms survive the attack! It's so hard to believe that there's only one more chapter left to this story before it's complete...time has really flown by. I'm excited to get your feedback on everything, and hear your thoughts! Look forward to chapter 15 on Friday, which will include a prologue-esqe timeskip seventeen years into the future :-)
Phany9634: I'm so sorry I did that to you last chapter, but I promise it'll be worth it, lol. I'm glad that Kusaka's appearance was a surprise for you, and I hope you enjoyed the plot twist of Aizen not really being Toshiro's tormentor all these years, after all.
SailorStar9: Yes you did! When you called Kusaka's defection several chapters ago, I was grinning from ear to ear; but I couldn't let on, because I didn't want to spoil the plot, lol. Well suspected! You clearly have good instincts ;-D
Okay, that's enough from me for now; on with the show!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.
After the young queen had made it back to the castle with her nephew, she'd found that a portion of the invading army had already been dealt with by her father, Hyorinmaru, and the citizens; with only a fraction of Aizen's men able to make it anywhere close to the fortress.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she'd sought out Izuru, and they'd fortified the castle together; securing every entry point, and putting Rangiku, Momo, and Ryu in a safe location within the compound, before taking up their agreed-upon positions. Izuru went out to join her father and the citizens, while she and her archery unit stationed themselves on the tops of cliffsides, and the roof of the castle to provide cover, as well as long-range support for the men and women on the ground. Once a decent amount of Aizen's army had been dealt with, and Karin thought that they could manage without assistance, she'd sent Hyorinmaru over to Saikyo to help Ichigo and Yuki while she and the others held the fort at home.
It had now been about two hours since she'd left Toshiro with the two assailants, and her anxiety was rapidly increasing with each passing minute. 'He should've been back by now' she thought, as she released another slew of arrows; taking out five soldiers that had gotten close to the castle entrance. 'Where the hell is he?'
Suddenly, she heard a loud roar above her, and saw an icy blue dragon with red eyes land next to her on the roof; gesturing with its head for her to climb onto its back. "Ryohei?" she said confusedly, before Kushina flew overhead; roaring to her, and looking at her with worried eyes before heading towards the war zone to help the Ororan people. Realization dawned, and her fear and anxiety spiked. 'They're here without Toshiro; that means he's in trouble' she thought; now slightly panicking as she hopped onto the dragon's back, and flew down to the battlefield.
There was carnage and debris everywhere, but fortunately, most of it was from Aizen's army, and not the citizens. All things considered, they were holding their own very well against the enemy soldiers, which she was relieved to see.
The young queen scanned the large swath of people as she flew above them; desperately searching for a head of spiky black hair, until she found who she was looking for. Flying over to her target, she had Ryohei freeze the fifteen men surrounding Isshin, before sliding off of the dragon's back, and running over to the Kurosaki patriarch. "Dad! I need you to come with me, now! I think Toshiro needs help!" she yelled over the chaos, and cries of injured men surrounding them; her eyes wide with fear, and her whole body shaking.
Hearing the panic in his daughter's voice, Isshin didn't hesitate to follow Karin back to the animal as fast as he could, and hop on behind her; hollering to Izuru that he was leaving the young general in charge, as he held on to the dragon, and it took off past the castle towards the west.
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It only took them a few minutes to get to the battle area, but to Karin, it felt like an eternity. With each passing second, her fear for her husband's safety increased, and her body tensed up; mentally preparing herself for whatever they might discover...though nothing could prepare her for the sight she was about to witness. Once the area where she'd left him was within sight, Karin's blood turned to ice in her veins. "TOSHIRO!" she screamed; seeing her heavily injured, and possibly dead, husband lying in a giant mass of blood-stained snow, along with two other bodies that she recognized as the men who'd abducted Ryu.
As soon as Ryohei landed, she practically flew off of his back, and ran over to the young king; Isshin following right behind her. Karin dropped to her knees, and rolled Toshiro off of his side; immediately feeling for a pulse, and examining his major and minor wounds. Looking back at her father, she desperately tried to fight back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "He's still alive, but he's lost a dangerous amount of blood, and the sword wound is deep; I think it may have damaged his kidney. I need to get him home, and operate on him immediately." she said; her face filled with a bone-numbing fear that Isshin had never seen in her before, and it shook him to his core.
Without another word, the Karakura ruler nodded, and gently picked up his unconscious son-in-law; careful not to move him more than necessary, lest his wound start bleeding even more profusely. Karin grabbed her dagger from the mystery man's chest, and picked up Toshiro's sword laying on the ground next to the Espada; leaving the corpses of the two men behind as they both climbed back onto the dragon, and flew towards the castle as fast as they could.
Taking advantage of the absence of others, Isshin looked over at his frightened child, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Karin…what are the actual chances that you can save him? This kind of intensive surgery has never been successfully carried out before, and-" he started, only to be cut off by the young queen's stern gaze; her face set in stony determination. "The chances are slim, but I don't care. If I don't try, he'll bleed to death…it's his only chance. I need to stop the internal bleeding if he has any hope of surviving; I'm not letting him leave me without a fight." she said; her voice cracking with emotion, but a resolute look in her eyes.
Isshin could see the intense grief, and terror in his usually-strong daughter's face, and it broke his heart. He understood the nightmare that she was living through, and the possible reality that she was facing of having to live the rest of her life without her spouse. It was something he'd hoped none of his children would ever have to experience, and it pained him that life had to be so cruel at times. When he'd lost Masaki, it had felt like his own life had been torn away from him; and it was only his children, and the knowledge that his kingdom needed him, that had pulled him through the loss of his wife. He never wanted any of his children to have to feel that kind of all-consuming grief, and he would make sure he did everything he could to help Karin save Toshiro's life. 'Hold on, Toshiro; just hold on, and fight' he thought, as he nodded in reply. "Okay. I trust you, Karin; and I know that if anyone can save him, it's you. Whatever you need, just tell me, and I'll do it." he said; his voice steady, and strong, and everything that Karin needed right now.
The young queen nodded in reply; the tears that she'd been fighting finally falling down her cheeks as the dragon landed in the courtyard of the castle, and Isshin carried Toshiro to the medical wing, with Karin right behind him. Momo screamed, and burst into tears upon seeing her broken, and dying little brother in Isshin's arms; the Karakura ruler setting the young king down on an empty cot next to Rangiku, while Karin gave orders to the medical team to collect various herbs from the garden to make several different kinds of salves, liquids, and natural pain relievers. She managed to calm Momo down enough to send the princess to fetch warm water and towels, and she told Isshin to go bring back honey and white vinegar from the kitchen to use as disinfectants.
Once she had everything she needed, and the other medical staff were busy preparing the herbal remedies, Karin told Isshin and Momo to wait outside in the hallway; saying that she would come and get them when she was finished.
While Momo had wanted to stay, and be there for her brother, Isshin persuaded her to leave him to Karin; knowing that the last thing his daughter needed right now was to try and keep her grief-stricken sister-in-law calm, while also desperately trying to save her husband's life. Thankfully, Momo had seemed to pick up on that, and had relented without much protestt; much to Isshin's gratitude.
As soon as they got out of the operating room, and closed the doors behind them, the Karakura ruler looked to the dark-haired princess with a serious expression. "Momo, will you be okay here on your own? I want to see how Izuru is holding up out there." he asked; his concern for her evident on his face.
The young princess nodded in reply, and gave him a small, unconvincing smile. "Yes, I'll be fine. There's nothing more I can do, anyway; so, please, go help my husband." she said; watching the Karakura ruler nod his head in return, and begin walking towards the nearest exit.
Momo took a seat on one of the couches in the hall, and prayed for her little brother with every ounce of energy she had; only looking up several hours later when her husband, son, and Isshin appeared before her. The two men were covered in dirt, dried blood, and ash; but they didn't appear to have any major injuries, which gave her an immense sense of relief. She'd been worried sick for her husband while she'd been stuck inside the castle, and had feared that they would be overrun by the enemy, and he would be killed. Thankfully, that didn't appear to be the case; at least for the moment.
Ryu, on the other hand, looked grief-stricken and broken, which made her heart ache for him. The little boy walked up to his mother, and looked at her with tear-filled puffy eyes, and salt-stained cheeks. "Mama, is Uncle Toshiro going to die?" he asked, and the devastated look on his face broke the young mother's heart. She scooped her son up into her arms as Izuru took a seat beside her, and put his arm around her shoulders; looking to his wife, who gave him a sad smile before returning her attention to her son. "I hope not, honey." she replied to the little boy; letting him cry, and cry, until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion. By this time, the bright blue sky of the morning had faded to the yellowish-orange shade of early evening; and even though only several hours had passed since the start of the attack, to the adults, it had felt like an eternity.
Once Ryu was sleeping in his mother's arms, Momo looked to the two men; curiosity, and worry on her face. "How are things out there? Has the enemy been defeated?" she asked; a hint of anxiety in her voice that she couldn't quite mask.
Both of the men nodded in reply, and Isshin handed her a letter with Kyoraku's seal and signature on it. "Yes, everything is nearly over. The assistance the dragons provided was pivotal for a lot of the kingdoms, given their severe lack of available military personnel; and, thankfully, none of them were seriously injured. Apparently, Ichigo was instrumental in defeating Aizen, and almost all of the internal attacks have been squashed. There was a lot of destruction, and there were heavy losses among the citizens of every kingdom; but we expected that. Even Karakura was hit pretty hard, but thankfully, Kisuke was able to mitigate the damage more than most thought would be possible. Orora is the only kingdom that didn't suffer large-scale death among its people because of Toshiro's forethought to train everyone here in swordsmanship…well, Orora and Kenka, I should say; since everyone in that kingdom is practically rabid already." The Kurosaki patriarch said; a small smirk on his face, which Momo reciprocated. "There's a lot of clean up, and rebuilding to do, but the war is finally over. Aizen is in custody, and all of his Espada are now dead, except for three: Nelliel, Tier Harribel, and Grimmjow. From what Shunsui reported to me, Aizen betrayed Harribel during their fight with him and Ichigo, and that broke her faith in her ruler; causing her to turn on him. Grimmjow was apparently always more interested in himself than he was in Aizen's ultimate goals, so he deserted as soon as the tide started to turn against them; and Nelliel is actually a rather sweet girl who doesn't like violence. Aizen just gave her a place to belong, so she went along with his orders. She was assigned to assassinate my family, and kidnap my grandson to give to Aizen as his heir, but she found that she couldn't go through with it. Instead, she helped Karakura fight off Aizen's army. Kisuke has welcomed her into the kingdom, under surveillance, and Grimmjow has gone off to become a mercenary. After all these years, it's finally over." he finished; releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, as a small flicker of hope ignited in him. The dark period was done, and it was now time to enter into a period of peace, hope, and light.
Momo nodded in reply; a mixture of relief, and sorrow filling her heart as she looked from Isshin, to the door of the surgery. "I'm glad, but at what cost, though? We've lost so many lives over the course of this years-long war, and now I may lose my own baby brother right at the end. Be honest with me, Isshin; what's the likelihood that Toshiro will survive this?" she asked; keeping her eyes fixed on the closed doors before her.
The Karakura ruler sighed, and let a moment of silence pass before he answered her. "If the injury itself doesn't kill him, then an infection almost certainly will. He has a very low chance of living, Momo…I'm sorry." he said with remorse; watching somberly as the young mother nodded her head in understanding; her eyes glassing over with unshed tears.
No one said a word for several minutes; just listening to the wind howling outside the castle walls, until the dark-haired princess broke the silence. "I know it's likely that he'll die, but I believe that if anyone can survive something like this, it's my brother. He's been cut down before, and he almost died, then…but he fought his way back to us. He doesn't give up, and he holds on for the people who need him. I refuse to give up hope yet; I believe that Shiro can do this." Momo said, as she wiped her watery eyes, and snuggled further into her husband's embrace; Izuru holding her close, while their son slept soundly in his mother's arms.
Isshin admired the woman's faith in her sibling, and he knew that she wasn't wrong, either. Karin had told him about Toshiro's injury as a child from Aizen's blade, and by all logic, it should have killed him…but it didn't. If anyone could battle back from this, it was the Ororan king. 'I pray to God he makes it…for everyone's sake' the Karakura ruler thought, as he, too, took a seat next to the young family, and waited with baited breath for the surgery doors to open back up; both wanting, and dreading to know the fate of his beloved son-in-law.
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It took two more hours before the doorknobs on the doors of the surgery finally turned, and Karin stepped into the hall; looking pale, exhausted, and in partial-shock. All four of them watched her closely; trying not to focus on the amount of blood that stained her clothes, and instead waiting for her to say something…anything.
With a worn-out, small smile, the young queen nodded her head. "He's unconscious, but alive." She said; her voice hoarse, but filled with relief.
Momo and Ryu cheered, and rushed up to the raven-haired woman; wrapping her up in a big hug, and not caring about the crimson on her clothes. With the ordeal finally over, Karin felt her legs give out, and she collapsed to the floor in tears; her sister-in-law, nephew, brother-in-law, and father all encircling her in a warm embrace. She still couldn't believe that she'd saved him. She'd been right about the sword slicing into his kidney, and she had needed to go in to stitch the organ back up. She'd thanked God more times than she could count during the operation for the assistants that had made her herbal remedies while she worked on Toshiro, because it was those salves and liquids that had helped stem the bleeding enough to keep him from bleeding out. It had been the most stressful, and agonizing thing that Karin had ever done; and she hoped she'd never have to do it again. 'Now, we just need to make sure the wound doesn't get infected' the queen thought, as she struggled back to her feet; breaking free from the embrace, and bringing everyone into the cleaned-up room to see Toshiro.
The young ruler was covered in smaller bandages, and a large amount of gauze was wrapped tightly around his waist; hiding the surgical area from view. Karin sat down on the side of the bed, and took her husband's hand in her own as Ryu and Momo sat down on the other side of the bed; the little boy looking at his unconscious uncle with a worried expression. "Auntie Karin, why isn't he waking up?" the little boy asked; looking to the raven-haired queen, who gave her nephew a small smile in reply. "He will, Ryu; it just might take a while. He was hurt very badly, and he needs a lot of rest in order to heal. I don't think he'll wake up for a couple of weeks, but we'll have to wait and see."
"A couple of weeks?! But, doesn't he have to eat? What if he needs to use the bathroom?!" the child asked; looking extremely worried for his uncle, but providing the lightheartedness that every single one of the adults in the room needed at that moment. Karin smiled more warmly at the little boy, and put a hand on his head. "Don't worry, Ryu; we'll make sure he stays healthy, and that all of his needs are met. Just be patient, and he'll come back to us when he's ready." she replied; doing her best to give the child the reassurance he needed, even though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
The young boy nodded, and looked back at Toshiro; giving him a gentle hug, before getting up off of the bed. "Thank you for saving me and Auntie Karin, Uncle Shiro. Get lots of sleep, and we'll play together when you're better again. Don't take too long to wake up, Okay? Auntie Karin, Mama, Daddy, Auntie Rangiku, and I will miss you too much if you do. I love you. Sleep good." he said; looking over at his father, and taking his hand as Momo kissed her brother on the forehead; rising from her spot on the bed, as well, and the family leaving the queen alone with her father and husband.
Once the others were gone, Isshin looked down at Karin's sullen face, and his brow furrowed in worry. "You're not confident he'll wake up, are you?" he asked; watching as his daughter's face fell even more. Karin shook her head, and gently ran her free hand through Toshiro's snow-white hair. "No, I'm not. If he wakes up, it will be in the next two to three weeks. If he stays unconscious for longer than that…the chances of him coming around are slim to none. Right now, the bigger challenge will be to keep his wound clear of infection. I flushed it out with clean water and vinegar, and applied honey to the suture, but there's still a high risk it'll get infected. I'll check it every day, and monitor his temperature; if he starts running a fever, I'll know his body is fighting something." the young queen said; her deep love and concern for her husband evident in her voice, and making Isshin's heart go out to her all the more. 'Which is worse: losing your spouse altogether, or watching as they slowly waste away?' the Karakura ruler thought sadly as he stood still, and listened; nodding on occasion as he watched his little girl fight through this nightmare. He wished he could do more for her, but he knew that just by being there for her, he was helping her. Putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, he bent down, and kissed her forehead. "He'll pull through, Karin; he's a fighter. He loves you, and he knows you're here; waiting for him to come back to you. Trust that he's stronger than you think, and hold onto that." the raven-haired Kurosaki said, with a voice that had more confidence in it than he felt. He needed to be her support right now, so he'd put on as much of a brave face as he needed to in order to help her get through this.
Karin felt more tears slide down her cheeks as she looked up at her dad; giving him a small, grateful smile. "You know, you may drive me crazy sometimes, but you really are the best, Dad." she said, and Isshin smiled back at her before removing his hand from her shoulder; walking out of the room, and giving her some alone time with her husband.
When her father left, and closed the doors behind him, the young queen looked back at the man she loved more than she ever thought was possible, and leaned down; kissing him gently on the lips, and resting her forehead on his. "Come back to me, Toshiro…please. I need you. Our baby needs you; so, please, come back to me." she whispered to him; silently pleading with God to restore her husband to her as she sat back up, and threaded her fingers through his hair; gently cupping his cheek with her hand.
Karin sat there in silence for a few minutes as she stared at him; lightly stroking Toshiro's cheek with her thumb, before finally getting up, and setting up another bed right beside his. She knew she would get pushback, and be told by her family to get some rest in a proper bed while the medical staff looked after him, but she didn't care how exhausted, or emotionally and mentally rattled she was; she would be the one looking after her husband until he regained consciousness, and that meant sleeping in the surgery.
'If he regains consciousness'
That haunting thought repeated in her head again, and again, as she gave him one more check over; satisfied that he was in stable condition, and that she could leave him and Rangiku for a short time to find out what kind of state the kingdom was in. 'While Toshiro's recovering, this kingdom is my responsibility. I need to find out the extent of the damage and loss, and make plans accordingly' she thought, as she braced herself for the long, hard several weeks that lay ahead of her.
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Four weeks later…
The past four weeks had felt like both a whirlwind, and an ice age for Karin. Given Toshiro's condition, she'd had to tell the citizens, and other rulers, about her secret marriage to the young king; as well as take charge of the kingdom in his absence. Everyone had been shocked, but the Ororans were all thrilled to know that the fiery princess from Karakura was now their queen. They trusted her completely, and knew that she was more than capable of filling their king's shoes until he was well enough to reclaim his responsibilities. They showered her with love and support, and offered any assistance that they could possibly give; which Karin had greatly appreciated.
The kings and queens of the thirteen kingdoms had all written to congratulate her on the marriage – after recovering from their shock, of course, that Toshiro of all people had actually gotten married – and wished her the very best; sending prayers, and saying that they hoped her husband would fully recover before too long. She'd received a rather braggadocios congratulatory letter from king Zaraki, which had both entertained, and infuriated her; deciding to burn it, so as not to run the risk of Ryu finding it, and reading all of the obscenities, and licentious content the war-loving king had written, along with his claims of having been right about her and the 'midget king' all those months ago in Kenka.
After that, Karin had waited a couple of weeks to inform everyone that she was also expecting a baby; not wanting to give out too much information all at once. Mainly, though, she'd wanted to be a part of the cleaning up of the kingdom after the invasion, and she knew that no one would let her work if they knew of her condition. So, she'd kept it to herself for just a little while longer, until she started feeling her clothes get tighter around her waist; realizing that she wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer. After that, she'd reluctantly agreed to tell everyone, and the news sent the kingdom into a flurry of excited anticipation; all of the citizens giving the young queen their heartfelt blessings, well-wishes, and prayers that Toshiro would be completely fit again by the time the new royal arrived. The news had actually been a good thing for the morale of the kingdom, as it gave everyone a sense of hope to think that a new life was coming, even while they mourned the loss of loved ones who died defending their home and family during Aizen's attack. It gave everyone something joyful to look forward to, and helped the people through the grieving process.
In and amongst all of her responsibilities, which Momo and Izuru kindly offered to help her with, Karin made sure to look in on Toshiro every few hours, every single day; checking his wound daily, and monitoring his temperature every visit she made to the medical wing. She also continued to sleep there overnight to keep him under observation, even though everyone insisted that she needed proper rest in her own bed. She didn't care, though; she refused to leave her husband's side until he regained consciousness.
After two weeks, he still hadn't woken up, but his side was starting to heal quite nicely, and the risk of infection had drastically decreased; so, she'd had her father and brother – who were flown to Orora by Hyorinmaru, so they could check on her – transfer him from the medical wing, and into the royal suite. She hoped that his healing body was an indicator that he'd regain consciousness before too long; but, as the days after her two-week benchmark ticked by, her optimism started to dwindle. Ichigo had tried to cheer her up during his and their father's stay, but the attempt had ended up being in vain.
Now, it was two weeks past her benchmark, and she was feeling the last of her hope die within her, as she slid out of a meeting with the other rulers of the thirteen kingdoms. Everyone was finishing cleaning up after Aizen's surprise attack from within their walls, and now the rulers needed to come together to discuss rebuilding strategies and costs. Given that the war had dragged on for so many years, resources were strained; and a significant amount of damage had been done to all of the thirteen kingdoms. They had a few ideas on how to get around their limited budgets, but Karin wished that she had Toshiro to discuss the plans with. 'He's always handled the financials, because he knows I hate dealing with money' she thought, as she left the room of squabbling royals; heading upstairs, and towards her bedroom.
She was grateful that all of the rulers had agreed to travel to Orora for the meeting, given both hers, and Toshiro's condition, but she also felt like she was trying to herd cats that were batting at each other with their claws out. They all had different strategies for moving forward, and they were arguing in and amongst themselves on who's idea was best. Naturally, the more stubborn ones of the group didn't want to compromise at all, and combine their ideas with someone else's, or look at alternatives; insisting that their plan was the best (Cough, Ichigo and Sui-feng, cough). It was getting so frustrating, that she decided to leave them to sort it out themselves, instead of trying to mediate between everyone yet again. 'Sometimes, it's like trying to manage arguing children. God, could they be any more frustrating' she thought irritatedly, as she opened her bedroom doors; a sad, but loving smile overtaking her face.
There, laying on the bed, was a still-unconscious Toshiro; his body now free of bandages, barring the gauze around his waist, and his breathing steady. The color had completely returned to his face, and Karin had been keeping him clean-shaven; the way he liked himself. No matter what state he was in, though, he'd always be the most attractive man in the world to her; no one else could, or would, ever compare to him.
Walking over to her husband, and sitting on the edge of the bed, Karin gently ran her fingers through his silky white hair; closing her eyes, and replaying her favorite memories of them together in her mind. She wanted him back so desperately, it scared her. She hadn't realized until this past month just how much they'd come to rely on each other, and the prospect of ruling a kingdom, going through childbirth, and living the rest of her life without him shook her to her very soul; paralyzing her with a fear and emptiness she didn't know she was capable of feeling.
Tears started running down her cheeks, and she took his hand in hers; holding it tightly, and thinking that she would give anything just to hear his voice again. She was a strong woman, and she prided herself on being able to handle whatever life decided to throw at her; but she felt like she was drowning, and she needed him to help her get her head above water. 'I feel so overwhelmed, and I hate it. I never thought I'd need someone the way I need him' she thought; feeling her heart swell with grief at the painful reality that he might not come back to her. 'Dammit, Toshiro; what have you done to me? If I were half as tough, and independent as I was before I met you, I'd-'
"Karin?"
The raven-haired woman's eyes snapped open, and she looked at her husband's face; seeing beautiful turquoise eyes staring back at her.
Toshiro was still very groggy, and trying to process where he was; blinking several times to try and acclimate his eyes to the light, and looking at her confusedly. "What happened? Are you and Ryu okay?" he asked with a voice hoarse from unuse, and Karin let out the most joy-filled yell she'd ever heard from herself; wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and holding him close as she cried. She felt his arms circle her instinctively, and she actually choked on a sob; burying her face in his shoulder, and gently kissing his neck. "My god, Toshiro; don't ever scare me like that again, you damned moron." she said; her voice filled with emotion as she felt his calloused hands gently rub up and down her back in a soothing caress.
Even in his groggy and confused state, the young king couldn't help but smirk at his wife's phrasing. "I'm glad to see you too, Karin. Now, would you please explain to me exactly what the hell is going on, and why my side feels like it was the victim of an experiment by Kurotsuchi?" he asked; a hint of amusement and sarcasm in his voice.
Karin pulled back, and gave him a teary-eyed smirk; wiping her cheeks, and bringing her hands up to cradle his face. "I'll fill you in on everything you've missed in a minute, but first, you owe me for putting me through hell." she replied; leaning down, and capturing his lips with hers in a deep, tender kiss. It felt like the first deep breath of fresh air she'd taken in a long time, and she didn't realize how desperate she'd been for it until that moment.
"KARIN, WHAT'S-TOSHIRO, YOU'RE AWAKE!" Ichigo shouted excitedly from his position at the doorway, where he'd burst in upon running upstairs from the meeting room after hearing his beloved sister yell.
The young couple separated, and Karin sighed, before turning around to face her brother; an unimpressed frown on her face. "Ichigo, how many times have I told you to knock first?" she said irritatedly as she shot him a glare.
The strawberry scratched the back of his head sheepishly in response; an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, Karin. I heard you yell, and I panicked." he said, before making his way into the room, and standing next to the bed by his brother-in-law; putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "Good to have you back with the living, Toshiro; everyone's been worried sick about you. You sure took your sweet time coming back to us." the strawberry said sarcastically; a smirk on his face, and humor in his eyes.
The young king looked at Ichigo quizzically, before turning his attention back to his wife, and raising a curious eyebrow. "Karin, how long have I been out? What the hell happened after I killed Sojiro and Ulquiorra?" he asked; watching as her face took on a slightly shocked expression. "Sojiro? I thought you told me he died years ago?" she replied; her tone laced with confusion.
Toshiro sighed, and shook his head in reply. "Apparently, he didn't. I'll tell you everything later…it's a long story. You haven't answered my question, though; how long was I out?"
"Four weeks. You took a deep sword wound to the side, on top of a lot of smaller, but still severe lacerations. By all logical reasoning, you should be dead, Toshiro. Karin somehow managed to save you." Ichigo chimed in nonchalantly; earning a disapproving scowl from his sister. The strawberry just shrugged in reply; crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, the man wanted answers; I gave them to him. He should know how lucky he is to be above ground right now." he said, before looking towards the door, and seeing Momo and Rangiku poking their heads into the room.
Smiling at the two women, Ichigo gestured for them to come in; tilting his head to Toshiro. "Come on in, and say hi; he's finally awake." the crown prince said, as more than just the princess and general flooded the room. Everyone had seen Ichigo rush out of the meeting room, and gone after the crown prince to see what the matter was. When they got to the bedroom, they were shocked and elated to hear Toshiro's voice from the other side of the door, and were waiting for an opportunity to make their presence known so they could come in to say hello.
Suddenly, the room was flooded with royals, family members, and close friends; all of them saying how happy they were to see the king awake again, and asking him how he was feeling. Some tried to tell him about everything that had happened in the time he'd been unconscious, while others wanted to discuss his secret marriage to the Karakura princess; how the relationship had started, how they'd managed to pull it off undetected, and how soon after the wedding Karin had gotten pregnant. Everyone spoke all at once, and the room was filled with a giant jumble of noises, until Isshin and Shunsui finally took the reins; quieting everyone down, so Toshiro could process everything, and speak to everybody one at a time.
It took a while, but the white-haired man talked with every single person in the room; asking them all what had happened during the kingdoms-wide attack, and getting as much information from them as he could, before Karin and Momo finally ushered everyone out of the room on the grounds that Toshiro needed to rest. The young queen said that Toshiro could visit with everyone again in the morning, after he got some proper rest, and the group begrudgingly agreed to say goodnight; shuffling out of the room in single-file until the space was nearly empty once more.
Glancing at her sister-in-law, Momo gave Karin a warm, understanding smile as she headed for the door once everyone else was out of the room. "You should rest too, Karin; you look done in, and it's after dinner, anyway. I'll take care of everyone, so get some sleep; you need it after everything you've been through this past month. We'll all see you in the morning."
The raven-haired woman gave her sister-in-law a tired, but grateful smile in return as Momo winked at the young queen, and closed the door behind her; leaving Karin alone with her husband. The former Kurosaki sighed in relief, before unfastening her dress, and sliding it off; letting the mound of silk fall to the floor as she reached for a brush to tame her spiky hair.
From the bed, Toshiro stared at her intently; his eyes fixed on one spot in particular, which was covered by her chemise; a loving smile on his face, and joy filling his entire soul. How he'd ever gotten so lucky to marry a woman like her, he still didn't know; he was just incredibly thankful that he had.
When Karin turned around, and looked over at her husband, she smiled warmly at the soft expression on his face; walking over to the bed, and sitting down next to him. "I know, I'm getting fat." she said sarcastically; chuckling as he shook his head in amusement, and reached up to place his hand on her small, but noticeable baby bump.
Karin smiled at him, and laid down next to him; scooting close to him, and letting him wrap his arm around her as his hand found her stomach once more. "You're worth ten of me, you know. I still can't figure out why on earth such an amazing woman ever took an interest in me." the young king said, as he gently rubbed his hand along his wife's swelling waist; finally feeling the reality sink in that she was carrying a new life inside of her.
The raven-haired queen nuzzled her face into his neck, and gave him a feather-light kiss behind his ear. "It's actually the other way around, Toshiro; and I'm glad that I have my better half back. I really don't know what I'd do without you." she replied; resting her head on his shoulder, and breathing in his comforting scent of balsam fir and snow.
Toshiro glanced down at her, then; a smirk on his face, and humor in his eyes. "Are you kidding me? If anything happened to me, you'd have a line of suitors stretching from here to Saikyo…and, actually, on that note, what have I missed these past few weeks? Was Ichigo being serious about the extent of my injuries?" he asked; his voice taking on a more serious tone as he watched his wife's facial expression intently.
Karin didn't answer immediately; letting a few moments of silence pass before she responded. "Yeah, he was. That day, after I'd gotten away with Ryu, Ryohei and Yuki came to find me after a couple of hours. They brought me and Dad over to where you were, and I…" she said; unconsciously tightening her hold on him. "I thought you were dead for a minute, and it scared me in a way I never thought anything could. Once I found your pulse, Dad picked you up, and we flew you back here. I had a feeling that the sword wound had gone deep enough to injure your kidney, and I knew I needed to operate on you if you had any chance of surviving." the young queen continued, as she felt the strong arms of her husband tighten ever so slightly around her, and hold her closer.
She looked up at him, then, and gently brushed his white fringe out of his eyes; letting her hand come to rest on his cheek. "I ended up being right about the kidney, and I had to go in to sew it up. There were a few times during the surgery where I thought I'd lost you. It was a miracle you didn't bleed out, and didn't develop an infection afterwards. I thought that if you didn't wake up after two weeks, you probably wouldn't wake up at all; so, when you were still unconscious after a month, I thought I'd never hear your voice again. Please, Toshiro, don't ever put me through something like that ever again." Karin finished; letting all that she'd felt over the last month show in her eyes so he could see it, and understand all that she'd endured.
Toshiro nodded, and kissed her forehead; his own eyes holding guilt, and sadness. "I'm sorry, Karin. I did what I had to do to keep you two safe, but I'm so sorry I put you through all of that. I can't promise that something like that will never happen again, but I can promise that I'm not going anywhere. I love you too much, and I won't leave you; no matter what." he said; kissing her properly this time, as the raven-haired woman felt a tear run down her cheek. She knew he couldn't promise her what she'd asked, but she believed he would hold true to his word to not leave her. He'd always been a strong man, and now he had even more to live for; so, she knew he would fight with every ounce of energy he had to stay there with her for as long as he could.
After a few moments, the couple separated, and Karin gave him a warm smile. "That's all I need…at least for now." she said; her smile morphing into a curious expression. "Now, tell me what the hell happened after I left. I thought Sojiro had died years ago, so what's the story with that?" she asked in slight confusion, as she raised a questioning eyebrow.
Sighing, Toshiro leaned back on his pillow; staring up at the ceiling as one of his hands unconsciously moved to touch his bandaged side. "Well, it starts when his parents died. Do you remember when I told you about that?" he asked, and Karin nodded her head. "Yeah, I remember. You said they died unexpectedly when their house burned down, right?"
Toshiro nodded in response, and sighed once more. "Yeah. Well, it turns out that they were the leaders of The North Star; that revolutionary group I told you about during the harvest." he said, as he found her gaze with his own. "There's a piece of the backstory that I never told you: how the organization became labeled as a terrorist group in the first place. My father had been trying to deal with them for years through diplomacy; listening to their complaints, coming up with compromises, and trying to work with them to find a peaceful solution…but it didn't work. They attacked and killed my aunt Yuki, Uncle Jushiro's wife, to make a statement that they only wanted one outcome; so, the organization was labeled a terrorist group, and any terrorist that's found within Orora is to be immediately executed, according to the kingdom's laws. That was why my father killed everyone. He spent a few years after the murder figuring out the identities of every single member of the organization, and, once he found out who ran it, he kept them all under close surveillance. He went to Sojiro's parents' house that night because they were hosting a North Star meeting, and he knew that every single member was there. It was the only opportunity he had to completely eliminate the entire organization, and that meant executing everyone. My father didn't notice, but Sojiro watched as his parents were killed; and that turned the friendly farm boy that I had known into a bloodthirsty, revenge-seeking murderer." he replied, as his wife looked at him with a stunned expression.
It took Karin a moment to process everything, but once she regained her bearings, she spoke again. "So, he watched his parents be put to the sword by your father?" she asked, and Toshiro nodded his head. "That's right. After that, he harbored a deep-seeded hatred of my family…myself included, even though we had been friends, and I had nothing to do with it. He wanted us all dead, and he worked for years to make that happen. He was the one who got Aizen into the castle on the day my parents were killed, and he abandoned the kingdom on that day I thought he disappeared. He'd wanted to be the one to kill my parents, but Momo got in his way; so, Aizen killed them, instead, and that made Sojiro feel like he had unfinished business with my family. He wanted me to suffer the same way he'd suffered; so, he stabbed Momo on the day of the break-in, and killed my uncle, and Gin later on. He's been responsible for every single loss I've ever suffered in this war; watching from the shadows until he could finally kill me, too. When he found out about you and Ryu, he thought that would be the perfect final blow before ending my life." the Ororan ruler said; a somber expression on his face as he held his wife's gaze with his own. "Karin, my father always hated violence; he never would have killed people if it wasn't necessary. I honestly don't think Sojiro ever knew the extent of his parents' depravity, and utter disregard for human life; so, I don't hold his animosity against him. I was in the same dark place that he was, once; I understand his reasoning. The only difference between our situations was that I found my true north, and it brought me out of that darkness. Becoming king, Ryu's birth, and meeting you were all parts of what saved me. I had to think of others, and their well-being, instead of my own grief; and I learned the value of fighting for justice and peace, instead of revenge. Kusaka never figured that out. I would have liked to have tried to save him…but he was coming after you, Ryu, and the baby, and that was the line for me. I couldn't take the chance of him being able to hurt any of you." he finished; grief for his dead friend in his eyes, but also relief that everyone he cared about was finally safe from harm.
Karin listened intently, and smiled gently at her husband. Even after everything that Sojiro had done to him, Toshiro didn't want her to think too badly of his former friend. 'Toshiro, you really are one in a million' she thought, as she leaned in, and kissed him tenderly; pulling back a moment later, and finding his gaze with her own. "Thank you for keeping us safe, Toshiro. You're an amazing man, and you did what you had to do. I don't want you to feel guilty about any of it; anyone else would've done the same. We brought Sojiro's and Ulquiorra's bodies back to the castle, so I promise we'll give him a proper burial as soon as you're able to be on your feet again." she said; the love and admiration she had for her husband reflected in her eyes, as she gave him a soft smile.
Toshiro nodded, and gave her a grateful smile in return. "Thank you, Karin; and you don't ever have to thank me for protecting the most important things in my life. Now, tell me about everything I've missed in the last month, and what I can do to help while I'm still bed-ridden. Now that I'm awake, I need to keep myself busy, or I'll go stir-crazy." he said, as he smirked playfully at his wife.
Giving him a smirk in return, before that smirk changed into an appreciative smile, Karin proceeded to fill him in on all of the events of the last month; including the details of the final battle between Aizen's forces and their own, Ichigo's and Shunsui's victory over the western tyrant, the dragons' incredible help during the battle, the cleanup efforts that took place afterwards, the total amount of damage and losses each kingdom had sustained, and their recent financial discussion; hence explaining why all of the rulers were at the castle to begin with. She described everything in as much detail as she could, and gave him a list of things he could do while he continued to heal; incredibly grateful to have her helpmeet back by her side.
They talked for a couple more hours after that about various happenings within the kingdom, how the people were holding up, and how everyone had taken the news of the marriage and the baby, before finally feeling the fatigue from the day start to settle in; with the two of them deciding it was time to get some sleep.
That night, Karin slept better than she had in a month; knowing that Toshiro was going to be okay, and that they could look to the future with optimism. 'Everyone's finally at peace' she thought, as she drifted off to sleep in her husband's arms; a smile on her face, and excitement for the future they had to come filling every ounce of her being.