The Nightingale
Chapter 7: Sleep Deprived
In the afternoon, when they returned to the castle, Rukia and Orihime found all the Favorites pacing back and forth full of excitement, they were looking for their best dresses urgently, it seemed that they would go to a party to which she had not been invited.
— Kiyone, what's going on? Why are they so excited? — Rukia asked the maid, who had come in with a large tray of food for everyone's dinner, while pointing to the Favorites.
— A soldier arrived around noon, he brought a message from the king; apparently they will arrive here a few days before the Night of Souls. — The maid answered leaving the tray on the table, another maid put down the glasses and juice.
Rukia was left thinking about how inevitable it would be to be in front of the princes.
Moments later, she thought of the soldier she had seen heading to the castle and remembering the intensity of the soldier's gaze made her cheeks burn; it was lucky that no one paid attention to her, only Orihime who had already stopped bothering her with it.
One of the Favorites gave a little cry, as if she had been hit, causing Rukia and Orihime to turn to see her somewhat alarmed, but it was only because the dress that she intended to wear had a hole right in the neckline.
— I can't wear this! — Loly screamed, throwing the dress to the floor like an old rag. — Sena, lend me one of your dresses.
— Nope. — She said simply. — I will not lend you anything, find the dress you want to wear but do not touch my things.
Rukia stopped paying attention after that, she supposed it was because they really wanted to look like a giant cake, delicious enough, to attract princes. Kiyone served food for everyone, but the Favorites were so into their talk, and looking for dresses, that they didn't eat.
— Should we look for a dress too? — Orihime asked after eating one of her vegetables and raiding the dessert tray taking advantage of the fact that the Favorites were continuing their private battle.
— I think so, after all it is the king who arrives, but that the dress does not attract attention, we will be sufficiently adorned on the Night of the Souls. — Rukia clarified, after all, it was her duty to look good even if she didn't want to.
Orihime agreed with that.
The Night of Souls is a night dedicated to festivities, it is the darkest night of the year, even darker than the night that announced winter; that night there would be a great dinner and a dance after the prayers to the Deities, it was the way to welcome the souls of all those who had died in war or of natural causes, also for those who had died prematurely.
On that night, the souls visit the living and stay with them for two more days before returning to the paradise of the Deities; but at that moment, for Rukia and all the other girls who were in the Queen's Court, it was night time to present them in front of the king.
That presentation used to be made a few days after all the court ladies arrived, but that year, when they arrived at the palace, the king was besieging one of the cities that the Kuvarites had conquered; the Kahya had said that the presentation would be made depending on the date the king returned and the way the king returned.
It all came together.
The king would return victorious and a few days before The Night of Souls.
Rukia fell asleep that night praying to the Deities to do something, she had a fear that was getting bigger and bigger since the queen had been clear with everyone about the possible behavior of the princes. If she was initially afraid of an arranged marriage with one of them, knowing that she might end up as a mistress and then be thrown out had made that fear even greater.
Rukia wanted to run away from there. Her mother was right, promises are useless when you are in the palace.
That night, Rukia dreamed of returning home, she dreamed that she escaped from the castle in the middle of the night before the dance and that she ran along that white road until she left the castle grounds; she dreamed of that deep-eyed soldier, she dreamed that he took her in his arms and carried her away, without letting go of her or leaving her alone, until she arrived at her house with her mother.
Then she woke up and was surprised to find herself dreaming of a stranger.
It was still night, everyone was asleep in their beds but she sat on hers thinking about that dream and those eyes. No one had ever looked at her with that intensity, no one had ever made her feel so helpless and exposed at the same time; and no one had ever made her dream that way.
She was left thinking of all the men she knew: Yuki's brother, the son of one of the soldiers who worked in the Great House, the butcher's son; she remembered the merchants who sold in the stalls of Maranni and even the young priest who was in the Temple of the Deities of Maranni; none of them had caused anything similar to what that soldier did to her, none of them had seen her as that soldier had done.
She moved her hand, as if chasing flies, to chase away the memory of those eyes and settled back on the bed. He was a soldier, one that she might never see again.
From the balcony of his room, Ichigo could seen how the forest was lit by the light of the moon, the moon was almost full, for the Night of Souls the moon would be completely full; and he could only think of the young woman he had seen on the way.
Her eyes were something he had never seen, that color so dark and at the same time so bright was something that he could not explain. The world had stopped, he was only able to look into those eyes until the horse had advanced far enough away from there. He could have gotten off his horse, asked her name, maybe offered to accompany her wherever she was headed just to look closely into her eyes, but he didn't. The soldier within him brought him to the castle to deliver the message to his mother.
Perhaps he would not see her again and he was glad that he did not know her name, because if he did then he would look for her and he could not afford to do that, he could not deviate from the path he had traced even though at that moment he felt lost. How could those eyes have stopped his world and lost him in such an absolute way?
He stopped seeing the moonlit forest and went back to his bed. He was tired, he felt that he could sleep for days and at the same time, the memory of that gaze that did not deviate as the gazes of women used to do, who knew that he was a prince, kept him awake.
If the owner of those eyes had known that he was a prince, he would never have lost himself in her eyes nor would he have that insomnia full of fantasies where he was going with her on the same path.
What would he have said to her if he had offered to accompany her instead of going to the castle? Had he told her that he was the prince? Would he have told her that he was a soldier? Would he have told her name to her? Would she have accepted his company?
His head was starting to hurt and he closed his eyes trying to make the fatigue he felt stronger than that strange fixation he had. It had been just a second, a damn second, and the whole world had turned upside down.
Dawn came very quickly, he felt that he had not slept all night and his eyelids were so heavy that if he was not careful then he would fall asleep again. He took his things and headed to the king's baths ready to take a cold water bath to knock himself off sleep. He cursed the owner of those eyes for having him like this, it was all ridiculous, and he didn't even know her.
— You just have to stop thinking about her. — He told himself before exiting the bathroom and putting on a soldier's uniform that he felt comfortable in. — I think going to training will be the best, I need to focus on something different.
He tied the cloth back around his head, which completely covered the color of his hair, and looked at himself in the mirror: he looked ordinary, like a soldier.
The last thing he wanted was for everyone to know that he was already there, he liked that peace that anonymity gave, he liked to feel free of all those responsibilities that he could have as a prince.
He left his room calmly, the servants who had seen him arrive were instructed not to say anything about his arrival. Walking the corridors like another soldier was so liberating that he could allow himself to relax the serious gesture he always carried with him. The servants who guarded the entrance to his mother's room stood aside to let him pass, inside was his mother being attended by one of the maids who left to leave them alone.
— Breakfast for two. — The queen spoke, pointing to a seat next to her.
Breakfast was served for them on the table and Ichigo walked over to his mother to kiss her hands before taking a seat.
— I'm not hungry, mother. — He said when he saw the plates with fruits, breads and jams. — But I would never refuse to have coffee with you.
He added quickly before his mother protested that slight. The queen personally served him coffee before pouring hers.
— I see that you have not been able to sleep well, is something bothering you? Are you sick? — His mother asked. Ichigo could see the fear in his mother's voice and quickly shook his head.
— It's just that I still carry the war inside. — He lied taking one of his mother's hands with a slight apologetic smile. He was hiding so many secrets that one more on the list wouldn't hurt.
— That is why you have offered to bring the message, isn't it? To get out of there before everyone else. — Ichigo nodded at his mother's words. — Then rest, my son. No one knows you are here so you can rest until your father returns.
— Thanks mom. — He kissed the queen's hand with a smile on his lips and prepared to drink the coffee that she had served him.
The queen imitated him and they had breakfast in silence, for a few minutes only the noise of cups and cutlery was heard along with the distant sound of the sea, until the voice of the queen broke that silence.
— The ladies of my court arrived while you were away, I would like you to meet them…
— No mother. I am not interested in women for now. — He was quick to say before his mother finished that sentence.
— Are you sure?
— I'm sure. — He affirmed before getting up from his seat and kissing his mother's hands again. — Now I'm going to do some things before I go back to my room and sleep all that I haven't been able to sleep.
— It's okay. Go to do your thing, my son, and rest all you need.
The guards let him out and he heard the doors close behind him.
His mother's suggestion had not pleased him. He knew that the ladies of his court wanted to meet him but the idea of choosing a girl, as if she were merely an object of amusement, did not appeal to him.
He had only been with one woman and it had not ended as well as he wanted, she wanted them to marry in secret just because she believed she was in love with him. That breakup had been scandalous, his uncle had to intervene before there was a war over a teenage romance.
He looked up to focus on his path and there were those eyes that had stolen his sleep the night before. The girl was standing a few meters from him, as if she had recognized him, she seemed scared. Would she have realized that he was a prince or was she seeing the soldier?
Neither of them said anything, their gazes met in a way that again the world stopped. Was it a joke of the Deities? His mother just told him that her ladies had arrived. Was she part of the queen's court?
— Hello. — Her voice sounded like a melody to him. If her eyes had caused him insomnia, her voice was not going to leave his mind. — You are the soldier from yesterday, aren't you? The king's messenger.
He saw her approach him a couple of steps, enough to feel a very subtle scent of mint. The Deities were mocking him.
— Yes, it's me. — His voice had come out huskier than he had wanted, his throat was dry. He saw the girl hesitate, biting her inner cheek with some nerves, he also noticed a very slight blush on her cheeks.
— Do you think the king will arrive before the Night of Souls? — The anxiety in the girl's voice made him open his eyes in a disproportionate way, just for a second, he quickly returned to normal; she looked away, perhaps embarrassed by that question.
Ichigo put on his mask seriously and the spell was over. Surely she was one of the ladies of the queen's court and she must have been eager to meet the princes.
He wanted to scream. The Deities were definitely making fun of him.
— The princes will return in a couple of days, enough to rest before the dance of the Night of Souls. — His voice was rough, almost hostile. The look of the girl, showing her surprise at the way he responded, made him want to apologize but he did not.
— I see. Thanks. — The girl's voice sounded different, as hostile as his.
She looked away, annoyed perhaps, he couldn't understand it. Why was she upset? Ichigo wanted to scream again. He didn't say anything else to her, the girl followed her path with her head raised leaving him standing there, made a skein of confusion.
He couldn't help himself, he let out a frustrated grunt and he too continued on his way until he reached the training ground where he took one of the dull swords and began training to get her out of his mind.
That night, Ichigo slept inside in the soldiers' barracks, if she was one of his mother's ladies, she would surely be walking around the place and the last thing he wanted, in those moments, was to meet her again.
She was surely like all the other girls who must have been there, waiting to see the princes, as if the princes were a thing; those girls knew that neither he nor his brother would take them seriously, and even so, those girls were willing to do anything to spend a night with his brother or with him.
— I am an idiot! — Rukia complained.
Orihime only looked at her without making more than an occasional comment. All she needed was to vent her anger.
Rukia had felt stupid asking the soldier about the king, she must have asked the soldier his name or something else; now surely the man was thinking that she was eager to see the king or princes.
— Maybe you will see it again. — Orihime suggested.
— Or he may go away, he's a soldier. They are never in one place for long time. — Rukia complained again stopping in place. The stone bridge that connected the palace to his father's rooms was in front of them.
— So it's good that you don't know his name.
— Hit me, come on, do it. I deserve it. — She said succumbing to the fact that she would never see that soldier again.
It was useless to think about that soldier, Orihime was right, the less she knew about him the better. He was only a soldier and she, if the Deities allowed it, would go from there to her house and save herself from that commitment that hung over her head like a sword.
Thaks everyone for reading.
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