Chapter 2
That afternoon, Kaien asked her to drink tea together in the greenhouse in the palace and she agreed because it was always fun to have a good time of silly talk with Kaien, who was like her second older brother.
Kaien wasted no time and explained to Rukia that he needed her help to prepare a welcome gift for Miyako, because she was his best and only reference on feminine tastes, and Rukia did not hesitate to join a cause that seemed romantic and beautiful.
She didn't know Miyako personally, but after listening to Kaien talk and talk about her, about her likes and dislikes, about what made her happy and what didn't, she was able to give a slight idea of the things that could be used as a welcome gift.
Miyako would be the crown princess and future queen, so it would be easy for Kaien to give her whatever she wanted, however he wanted to give her something that was truly special.
It wasn't until the Deities' temple bells announced afternoon that Rukia found the perfect gift for Miyako. It was something really obvious and very beautiful, so Kaien was really happy and excited about it.
— Oh Rukia, you are amazing! — Kaien said hugging her effusively and kissing her cheeks with a big smile. — My brother is incredibly lucky to have you as his fiancée. Now I'm going to talk to my mother, hopefully we can prepare this gift for her on the wedding day.
Kaien quickly left the greenhouse and Rukia stayed a moment longer admiring the Honey Flowers that were opening in the afternoon. She liked them because they were a beautiful orange color and had a sweet and pleasant aroma, and she took advantage of the fact that she was there to cut one and place it in her hair as she left that place.
She had only walked a few steps when she heard Ichigo's voice, causing her to stop and instinctively search for him with her eyes. Ichigo was leaning against one of the pillars at the entrance to the hallway, and Rukia cursed the afternoon light because she somehow found Ichigo more attractive than he was.
— My mother was worried about you and she sent me to look for you.
— Ah yes... I was...
— But you were fine, too fine from what I could see from here. — Ichigo said that and Rukia didn't understand why Ichigo's voice had such an aggressive edge. — I recommend that you do not get your hopes up with Kaien. He is going to marry someone else and those kisses will be the only ones you will get from him, so I hope you enjoyed them. My mother is waiting for you, it is better that you tell her yourself what you were doing and with whom.
Ichigo turned on his heel and walked out of there, walking like he was in too much of a hurry to get away from her, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Rukia saw Ichigo get lost in the corridors and turned on her heel to look at the greenhouse, thinking about what he had said until her brain made the right connections and she could understand it: Ichigo had seen her with Kaien and must have misinterpreted the hug he gave her.
Ichigo didn't want to marry her, their relationship was just a mere contract that they had to carry out, but the words he said hurt her to the point that she felt her eyes burn with tears at that moment.
Rukia wiped her eyes with her dress and slowly walked from there to her room remembering Ichigo's angry expression and the way he had left without letting her explain what had happened. Her life with him would only be for appearances, but she didn't want him to think badly of her, she didn't want to add more misery to that marriage.
The next day, Ichigo sent her an invitation to have dinner in one of the queen's private gardens and Rukia took that as an opportunity to explain to Ichigo that nothing had happened between her and Kaien.
She asked her maids to put on her a nice and warm dress, because winter was about to arrive, to comb her hair the best they could, and to put on her that perfume that Ichigo had given her once and that she only used when they went out together.
— Good evening, your highness. — Rukia greeted him as she reached the garden, ignoring the sudden nausea that came over her at that moment.
— Good evening, Miss Kuchiki. — Ichigo's voice was hard, more serious than he usually used when they ate together, and Rukia clenched her fists to try to cope with it.
Neither of them knew how to communicate with the other, but tonight Rukia was willing to try.
She had to try.
The silence between them was awkward, so she made a comment about how beautiful the garden was at that time of the year but only received a monosyllabic response from Ichigo. She admitted that she deserved it. She had been doing that with Ichigo when they ate because her pride told her to and because she wanted her heart to stop beating so hard for Ichigo.
She wanted her heart to stop racing when she saw him because it hurt to know that he only spent time with her out of protocol.
Rukia still didn't understand why she was so in love with Ichigo and many times came to the conclusion that maybe she was in love with the idea of a wedding with him. The perfect life that she would have for being a princess, the children and a marriage that all the ladies of the court dreamed of.
When the food was served, the aroma made her nauseated and it took all her self-control to keep what she had eaten in the afternoon from staying in her stomach and not returning to the plate. She tried to eat but with each bite she took it was a fight against nausea, so she preferred to leave the value of that talk for another time and get out of there as fast as she could.
— Wow, you can spend an entire afternoon with my brother, the one who's engaged and getting married in less than two months, but you can't spend dinner with me. — Ichigo spoke and Rukia was shocked at that moment. She looked at him confused, not knowing what to say, and pushed her plate away so she wouldn't have to see it. — You like Kaien, don't you?
— I…I don't understand… — Rukia spoke, fighting back her nausea and confusion at Ichigo's accusation. Why would she like Kaien? That idea was ridiculous. — If it's because of yesterday... we just...
— Yesterday. — Ichigo spoke without letting her finish explaining. — I didn't understand it either, but yesterday I finally did. After seeing you with my brother, I knew why you acted so weird when we were out together.
— What…
Rukia felt dizzy and was really going to throw up, but she was holding herself back and it was taking all her concentration.
Ichigo was saying things that didn't make sense, she didn't act weird when they went to town together. He was the one who looked at her as if he hated her when she tried to get close to him and allowed herself to fantasize that perhaps he felt a little bit of affection for her, or that he would at least fake it to make the relationship more enjoyable.
Rukia felt foolish and stupid.
— And it's because you pretend I'm Kaien. It's the only logical answer I could think of. You're in love with Kaien and you have to marry me, so you pretend I'm him. It's quite an interesting and vile strategy, if you allow me to say so.
— That is what you think? — Rukia asked, outraged at such a vile accusation.
— I don't think so, I'm sure. But we agree on something, I don't want to marry you either. I'm only going through with this charade because our parents wanted to compromise us, but don't for one moment think I'll let you use me as your emotional replacement toy.
Rukia felt Ichigo's words as if they were a poisoned dagger stabbing her over and over again, cutting her to the depths of her soul. With what little strength was left in her, she got up from her seat without taking her eyes off Ichigo, despite tears pooling on her eyelids fighting to get out, and said the last thing she had to say that night.
— You're an Idiot! Believe what you want to believe! I don't care!
Rukia knocked over her chair as she hurried out of there and didn't hear anything else.
Ichigo was an idiot, and she was more so because she thought that if she treated him nice in public, he would be nice to her, but he always had that angry expression every time she touched him that at the end of the day she didn't feel like trying anymore and she told herself again that it wasn't worth trying to have any kind of relationship with him beyond the protocol.
Ichigo was in his room reading a book to pass the time, when Kaien entered and closed the door causing the slap of the wood to sound in the room, he took him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up to make him stand at the same height as him.
It all happened so fast that it caught Ichigo by surprise and before he could react, Kaien was yelling something in his face that he didn't understand.
— What the hell is wrong with you?! — Ichigo yelled trying to get Kaien to let go of him.
— That's what I want to ask you! What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you treating Rukia like this?!
— I see, you come here worried about your lover, right? You have a whole bunch of ladies following you and you go after the girl who has to marry me.
Ichigo finished saying that sentence and Kaien's fist crashed into his face making him finish the floor. Kaien immediately pounced on Ichigo and started punching him in the face and everywhere he could. Ichigo was trying to fight back, but Kaien was the older one and was better at bare-knuckle fighting.
— You are a stupid! You don't deserve Rukia! — Kaien stopped hitting him. — However, you are right about something, I love her. She is like a little sister to me and I love her as such. You are a blind and idiot who does not deserve such an incredibly kind person like her. You should thank the Deities that our parents promised you with her, because any man would be more than grateful in life to have her as a wife.
— A man like you?
Kaien punched Ichigo one more time in response and left the room with another slam that made the wood vibrate.
Ichigo stayed on the ground, recovering from the blows Kaien had given him, and hating him at that moment for hitting him. Surely Rukia told Kaien that he had discovered them and that's why Kaien acted like that.
That idea made him angrier and he felt a jealousy and anger that he couldn't contain. His brother had never hit him, but at that moment he did it because of someone like Rukia.
Rukia was sick. She had a fever and weakness, she couldn't walk and only thick corn-based drinks were the only thing that supported her stomach, apart from water and teas.
Ichigo found out about Rukia's condition after the king's doctor treated him for the bruises on his body, but he didn't want to go see her. He was upset with her in a way he couldn't explain, and it bothered him even more to know that Kaien came to see her often.
Miyako's arrival was in those days, when Rukia was sick, and even she had gone to visit her even though they had forbidden her so she wouldn't get sick too.
Ichigo didn't understand how Kaien could be so cheeky as to take his fiancée to his lover's room and pretend nothing happened.
— We're lucky the wedding is in a month. — Miyako said with a relieved voice as they all ate dinner together. Ichigo stopped eating to pay attention to Miyako's words as soon as he heard Rukia's name. — Then Rukia will be fully recovered and she can be my bridesmaid. She agreed to be and I know she will look beautiful that day.
— They say that the bridesmaid should always be the best man's partner. — Kaien commented taking Miyako's hand before kissing it softly.
— And I'm sure you'll find a good best man, my love. — Miyako said making everyone stop eating at that moment.
All the preparations for the wedding were supposed to be finished and Ichigo was supposed to be Kaien's best man, so Miyako's words were something that no one at the table expected.
— Why do you say that, my dear Miyako? — The queen asked a bit puzzled.
— I was talking to Rukia the other day, Your Majesty, and she told me that Prince Ichigo told her that he didn't want to marry her. Rukia seemed very calm when she said that, although perhaps it was because of her illness that weakened her, she also told me that she would talk to her father when she was recovered.
— Rukia wants to break off the engagement? — The queen asked, very surprised and putting down her fork.
The king was silent, listening carefully to everything that was being said at that moment, but Ichigo was speechless because he couldn't believe that Rukia had resorted to such a vile strategy to break the engagement. He should congratulate her because he would never have thought of using illness to break the engagement.
— She didn't tell me directly, but I think so. — Miyako clarified, taking a sip from the glass of water.
— Ichigo, why did you tell Rukia that you don't want to marry her? — The king asked with a completely serious voice, almost bordering on anger.
Ichigo looked at his father and then at Kaien, who was smiling in a way that gave him goosebumps and at the same time was kind of a jab at him. Kaien's punches still hurt and Ichigo was going to return them all one day.
— Because it's true, I don't want to marry her. We are incompatible. We have nothing in common and it seemed only fair that she knew that before we were married. She agreed and said that she would comply with what you have imposed on us, she even suggested that I could take a mistress if I wished.
— No son of mine will take a mistress and break sacred marriage vows! That is not the example I have given you! — The king got up from his seat while saying those words out loud, clearly annoyed. — You say that you and Rukia are incompatible and have nothing in common. If so, then tell me three things Rukia likes. I guess you know the things she likes and that's why she doesn't get along with you. Tell me just three things that you know she likes.
Ichigo was silent at that moment, looking at his father, then at his mother, and finally at Kaien who was smiling. He didn't know what to say or do, and he opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. He was trying to remember something Rukia liked, but they had never shared that kind of information.
— She likes mint tea, she told me the other day when I was helping her get dressed after her doctor's visit. — Miyako said calmly.
— She likes the Sunset Honey Flowers, she usually waits for them to open to cut one and put it in her hair. — Kaien added in a calm voice.
Ichigo immediately knitted his eyebrows together in anger upon hearing his brother.
— She likes spicy food. — The queen added with a slight smile and then looked at Ichigo with a neutral expression on her face. — But you should know all this because you eat with her several times a week, also when she goes to dinner with you, she first goes through the greenhouse in search of a flower. Not to mention breakfast, mint tea in the morning is her favourite.
Ichigo looked at all of them, unable to believe what they were saying. It was ridiculous to think that they knew so much about Rukia and Ichigo guessed that they all had to be lying.
— Can't you say something that she likes? — The king asked and Ichigo was silent. — It's okay. She has lived here since she was little and has done her part to make the relationship work but since you are the one who doesn't want to, who doesn't try and who seems to be the most reluctant to that union, then it is my royal decision to cancel that engagement. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for her, because she doesn't deserve this blind son of mine as a husband.
— Father…
Ichigo tried to speak but the king raised his hand because he hadn't finished giving the verdict.
— And just as you told Rukia that you don't want to marry her, so you will tell her that the engagement has been annulled.
Ichigo was silent, again.
Rukia was in her room, she had regained her strength and was already walking, she ate little but according to the doctors she was out of danger. She just had to rest a little more and she would have her usual energy again.
She looked in the mirror and she didn't like what she saw, she was very thin and had dark circles under her eyes, but she knew it was temporary. If she did everything the doctors told her, she would heal fast and that was what motivated her.
Also, Miyako and Kaien's wedding was soon to come and she had to look presentable at that celebration.
While she was looking at herself in the mirror, there was an insistent knock on her bedroom door. Rukia immediately changed into a sleeping robe and headed for the door to let whoever was outside inside.
Ichigo was standing at her door and she was surprised to see him there but stepped aside to let him pass. He never went to visit her and seeing him there made her foolishly excited.
— Your Highness. — Rukia whispered as Ichigo closed the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone in the room. — How can I help you?
That question came naturally from her lips, they were both still standing and she moved away from him to go and sit in a couch. She had strength but she didn't want to be on her feet for long, she also needed something to distract herself and remove the blush on her cheeks.
— Rukia, tell me three things I like. — Ichigo asked as he looked at her in a way that she could only classify as despair.
Rukia didn't understand what Ichigo was referring to but she decided to answer because that answer was easy.
— You like chocolate, but the one that is bitter, you prefer grape juice to wine, and you like well-done meat. You hate asparagus and would rather avoid bread unless it's a biscuit.
Ichigo was silent.
— When did you know that about me? — Ichigo asked with some disbelief in his voice.
— While we ate, why? — Rukia was puzzled by the question and Ichigo's reaction.
— My father asked me that same question about you, and I didn't know what to answer. — That answer made her stomach ache slightly. — He called off our engagement so...
— You're free.
Rukia felt like a bucket of cold water was thrown at her head and she felt her eyes burn along with a growing pain inside her chest. She slowly got up from the couch and went to her bed, all without once looking at Ichigo because she felt that if she did, then she would start crying in front of him and her pride was preventing her from doing so.
Rukia didn't want them to cancel the engagement, deep down she wanted to try one more time, talk to him again and try to fix things a bit, but obviously that couldn't be anymore.
— Rukia… I… I want…
Ichigo tried to say something but she just held up her hand to stop him from saying more.
— I feel tired, please let me rest, your highness.
— Rukia… this is not…
— Please, I need to rest.
Rukia lay down on the bed, trying not to let Ichigo see her face, and felt how hot tears began to slip from her eyes. She didn't see when Ichigo left the room, she only heard the sound of the door being closed, and it was at that moment that she started to cry.
This is the drama... maybe, maybe not.
We all agree on one thing, Ichigo is an idiot.
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