The Nightingale

Chapter 6: Gaze

Fall. Year x491.

— Yuki, let me sleep a little longer. — Rukia was still with her eyes closed, completely covered with the sheet. Her bed was just below a window and the cold sea air entered between the spaces that formed between stone and wood; it reminded her of the cold air coming down from the mountains.

— I'm not Yuki, I'm Orihime. — Her new friend corrected her with an amused voice as she continued to move her shoulder to make her fully awake.

Rukia opened her eyes in surprise and made a noise that indicated that she was already awake but she did not remove the sheet that covered her, she did not want to move from the comfort of her bed. It was not the first time that she confused her when Orihime tried to wake her up, it happened less and less frequently, it was the fault of Yuki's habit of waking her up when she was late for breakfast.

— I'm sorry. — She excused herself getting out of between the sheets, remaining sitting on the bed feeling a cramp in her stomach. She was still sleepy, it was one of those days when she only wanted to stay lying in bed cursing the fact that she was a woman.

She noticed that Orihime was already dressed, wearing a gray dress, almost the same color as her eyes, with her hair discreetly tied up in a bun. Surely breakfast would be ready at any moment and she still wasn't dressed.

— No problem, I miss my home too. — Orihime confessed, sitting on the bed next to Rukia's bed. — There is no hot water, so you should wait a bit before washing your face. — She suggested with some annoyance looking at Senna discreetly.

Rukia guessed that Orihime had washed her face with cold water and that bothered her; they hadn't done anything to Senna and her friends to make them treat them like that. They were all daughters of some important lord or councilor, but that didn't seem to matter to them just because they had decided that being "the Queen's Favorites" gave them some power over the others.

She turned to see Senna who was laughing at something along with her friends, she was sitting in front of a mirror in the room, with one of the maids helping her, trying to make her a complicated hairstyle. Rukia rolled her eyes in annoyance and began to search through her clothes for a dress for that day, making time before going to wash her face.

Rukia looked at Orihime's dress, it was simple and pretty, nothing flashy like the ones the Favorites wore, so she took out an equally simple dress. All her dresses were simple, she did not have clothes full of embroidery, lace or gold thread like the ones used by the Favorites but that did not matter to her.

— What do you think of this dress? — She asked showing her friend a pale colored dress. It was not an old dress, it was simple and the fabric was soft, which made it comfortable. Her mother had packed most of her dresses, the ones that weren't torn, worn, or stained.

— Wonderfully ordinary. — Orihime smiled and Rukia decided that she was going to wear it. Both were clear about what they wanted: not to attract attention, the less they attracted attention, the better.

She went to where the bowl was to wash her face, Senna seemed to have finished combing her hair and didn't miss the opportunity to make her usual classist comments, which Rukia was getting used to.

— Rukia, you should buy yourself a dress, you don't want to be mistaken for a beggar on the Night of Souls. I would lend you one of my dresses but they don't fit. — She taunted Rukia by putting her hands on her own breasts, hinting at the obvious.

Rukia smiled annoyed but did not respond at that moment, just ignored her, took a deep breath and washed her face; the water was cold and she just closed her eyes washing her face as fast as she could. Riruka kept making mocking comments but Rukia, who was wiping the soap off her face with a towel, ignored the girl completely.

— I don't like the idea of looking like a giant cake, but thanks for the offer, Senna. — Rukia responded when she finished wiping her face and walked away before they could find anything hurtful to say to her.

They all ate breakfast, as they did every day before going to their classes or to serve the queen, and they took their things to leave the room when the Kahya entered the room. Only Rukia and Orihime greeted her respectfully and they sensed that it was the why she treated them a little better than the Favorites who looked at the woman as if she were just another servant.

— Ladies, you are not going to class today. You are all going to see the queen, she has something important to say to you, so put down your things and follow me. — She ordered with that commanding voice she had and left the room leading the way.

The favorites gave little leaps of excitement as they moved forward, Rukia couldn't understand why they were so happy but her doubts would be cleared up when they arrived with the queen so she decided not to think about it too much.

— Maybe she will tell us that we will not have so many classes or that they are going to change the teacher. — Orihime suggested hopefully.

— I don't think that's why, they wouldn't be so happy if it was that. — She pointed to Sena and her friends. — They just want to prove the queen how smart and skilled they are to always be by her side.

Rukia still didn't understand how Senna and her friends could wish to be with the princes, they didn't even care who called them, they only wanted to be with one of the princes. They only knew one of the princes, the one who had been outside the kingdom was a mystery, but they were eager to see him.

Ridiculous.

Luckily for Rukia, Orihime thought the same, and she had someone to walk away from such absurd talks.

They entered the queen's room, kissed her hand as a sign of respect, and stood, all in a row in front of her, waiting for the queen to tell them what was so important she had to say to them. Rukia could see that in one of the queen's hands there was a rolled parchment, surely a letter from the king.

— Ladies, I have received a letter from our king, informing us that the battle to regain our lands has been victorious. — The queen began to speak and the Favorites were the most effusive to show their happiness.

The Kahya was right, this was important news but Rukia suspected that what really excited the Favorites was the fact that the princes would return to the castle; Rukia was sure that the Favorites were going to find a way to get the princes' attention. The queen waited for them to calm down to continue speaking.

— Princes are attractive and The Royal House is aware that they might notice one of you. For generations, the princes of the kingdom have sent gifts to the ladies they consider to their liking, those gifts are an invitation to spend time with them.

The Favorites were raving about it. Rukia thought that this topic would not be discussed so openly but it seemed that the queen had no problem doing so.

— Don't get excited. — The queen spoke in an increasingly serious voice. The Favorites were silent but Rukia knew their minds were everywhere except in that room. The queen gave each one a serious look as she spoke. — The prince, or princes, may fill you with gifts and promise you things, but when the princes run out of their whim and they decide they no longer want them because another girl attracts them more than you, then you will be taken out of the palace. Your family will be notified so that they know that you will be engaged to some important Lord and you will not return to Adelaar Castle again until several years have passed and you have given your husband a son. Do not hope to be the wife of any of the princes, they have been engaged from the moment of their birth and you will be just a whim. You are not allowed to get pregnant, or to be with the princes unless they ask. You cannot look for them, you cannot call them; they are unreachable for you even if you share their bed. Is that clear?

The Favorites were silent, looking at the queen with respect before answering affirmatively, she also nodded at the same time as Orihime. It was the first time she had seen the Favorites so quiet and scared.

— Now everyone go study. — The queen said that and the Kahya opened the door for everyone to come out. — Rukia, you wait a bit. I need to talk with you.

Rukia stiffened in place and no longer advanced. She gave Orihime an apologetic look, for leaving her alone with the Favorites, and returned to her place in front of the queen who was already sitting down drinking coffee.

— Your Majesty, how can I be of use to you? — She asked respectfully after making a small bow in front of her.

The queen looked at her and pointed to the seat next to her, Rukia hurried to where the queen was and kissed her blessed hand; she was nervous and she was afraid of what the queen might say to her.

— What do you know about The Accords of the Fall? — The queen asked and Rukia gulped at that. She knew what that talk would be about and she knew what kind of response the queen wanted.

— I know about the marriage agreement, Your Majesty. I know that there is a possibility that a marriage of the second prince will be arranged with me. But I don't... — she began to say but the serious expression of the queen prevented her.

— Don't you consider one of the princes important enough to marry you? — The queen asked, with that soft and dangerous voice, and Rukia knew that she had spoken too much.

— No, Your Majesty, no. I did not mean that. — Rukia was nervous, she never thought she would have that talk with the queen.

— So what did you mean? — The queen demanded again, impatient.

— Your Majesty, I would consider it a great honor to have a marriage agreed between one of the princes and myself, but… I know that it would not make us happy, Your Majesty, neither the prince nor me. My mother has always told me that a loveless marriage is not a marriage, she married in love and I grew up with that idea. — Rukia was nervous, she played with her fingers and avoided seeing the queen.

For a long moment there was silence, Rukia was afraid to meet the queen's furious gaze but she dared to see it and was surprised to see that the queen was drinking coffee, as if what she had just told her was not important.

— Your father spoke with me, I have promised him that I would not let the princes approach you and, about the marriage arrangement, nothing is defined. I can't stop princes from courting you if they decide they like you, but you can decline any gifts they send you. — She stared at her, seeing the clothes that she was wearing. — But dressed like that, you can be sure they won't see you. Now go study.

Rukia felt her soul rest upon hearing the queen's words, a bit hurtful for her way of dressing, but she was reassured by knowing that she had permission to refuse gifts, if one of the princes did, and not end up in one of their bed. The Agreement was something she couldn't control but she hoped with all her might that they would decide that she was not a good wife to the prince.

She left the queen's room after kissing her hands, perhaps more grateful than the queen expected, and went to the classroom where they were all. Rukia wished with all her being for something to happen that would prevent her from marrying one of the princes.

When Rukia was sure no one would listen to them, she told Orihime what she had discussed with the queen. Orihime wished she had the queen's permission to refuse gifts from the princes, if any of them noticed her, but was glad to know that Rukia no longer had to worry about that.

With the news of the arrival of the king and princes, everyone seemed busier than usual, the castle was always clean and the Kahya was on the lookout for any indication that the king was nearby to notify the queen. The Favorites did everything to be in favor with the queen, as if that warning not to mess with princes was a challenge and whoever did it first was going to win something.

Rukia listened to the Favorites talk at night, planning how to get one of the princes to notice one of them, planning how to make them fall in love or how they would hide a pregnancy if the Deities decided to bless them. This was too much for Rukia to bear, she still didn't understand why they were so hell-bent on it. Orihime thought the same as Rukia, that it was disgusting.

— I think one of them hinted that she would become the king's mistress. — Rukia commented to Orihime as they left the castle grounds.

Living inside the palace was something suffocating, they had to keep up appearances in everything and not talk too much, but having that day of rest and freedom was all they needed to avoid going crazy. Visiting the city was fun, if you knew where to go.

— I do not think that's possible. My uncle told me that all the women who have managed to be in the king's bed disappear. They are tortured and then never heard from again. — Orihime said that in confidence knowing that there were no people listening to them.

— The queen... — Rukia did not finish the sentence but made a gesture with her hand hinting at the fatal end of the women who had had their night of pleasure with the king. Orihime nodded.

— The queen is very jealous of the king, so if one of her favorites goes missing, we'll know where she ended up.

Rukia felt sorry for the one who had suggested that she would become the king's mistress and that, if the Deities blessed her, she would give her a little prince. Rukia still did not understand the reason for risking so much to have a son of a powerful man.

They walked in silence for a few more meters until they saw a rider approaching, his clothes were somewhat dirty but he was dressed like a soldier, it did not go unnoticed that he was wearing a kind of cloth that covered his hair. They stepped to the side of the road so that he could pass, he surely carried a message to the castle but the slow gait of the horse was somewhat confusing.

Rukia looked up, curious about that soldier since most of them had gone south, and at the same time, the soldier's eyes were fixed on her, and it even seemed that the horse slowed down. The soldier had a serious expression, he gave the impression that he was a dangerous man and that made Rukia not take her eyes off him.

Neither of them looked away, it seemed that they had anchored themselves just with that gesture.

It was as if the world, and everything that existed, had ceased to exist. That man had a deep gaze, so penetrating that she made her feel exposed before him and at the same time, incapable of making any movement other than seeing those honey-colored eyes; until the advance of the horse made the breaking of that momentary connection inevitable.

Then everything came back suddenly and Rukia was aware that she had moved over her place, following that gaze, until Adelaar Castle was in front of her and she could only see the soldier's back.

— Rukia, are you still with me or did you get on the soldier's horse? — Orihime's voice sounded amused and blush swept through her; she felt her face burn and she put her hands to her cheeks in a hurry.

— Uh, we need bread, yeah, bread. — Rukia stammered the first thing that came to her but that didn't make Orihime stop laughing at what she had done.

For the rest of the day, she couldn't stop thinking about the intensity of those eyes. She found them so hypnotic that she believed she would fall into an abyss if she kept thinking of them.

Thank you all very much for reading the story.

The Queen's Court: Senna, Riruka, Loly, Nelliel, Orihime and Rukia. / Favorites: Senna, Riruka and Loly. / Nelliel is neutral(?