The Nightingale

Chapter 14: Inamorata

— The princes called the jeweler, your majesty. — Retsu's voice sounded as calm as ever.

Masaki had the impression that she had waited until the expense review had finished to say that, she must talk to Kyoraku about that detail because he was the Money Councilor.

— Did both princes do it? — She asked calmly, setting aside the book of accounts that she kept. Donations to charity at celebrations for souls had somewhat reduced spending that month.

— Yes, your Majesty. It seems that both intend to choose their Inamorata these days.

Masaki sighed and got up from her desk, leaving aside everything that still needed to be done, she walked with a relaxed step to the balcony and could see the temple of the Deities, the sea and the edge of the cliff in the distance; The wind ruffled her hair a bit and as she arranged it, she realized that someone was leaving the temple of the Deities.

— He's doing it again. — She said looking away at the person coming out of the temple and heading for the cliff. — Kaien is praying again.

Masaki knew Kaien, she had raised him as her son although she did not want to do it at first; the king had recognized him as his son and she, having sent Ichigo to Vayalat, found comfort in the son of the foreign woman who every day looked more and more physically like Isshin. She knew that physical resemblance was something Ichigo was not going to be able to compete against; her son looked like her and the bastard looked like Isshin.

Retsu approached her and gazed at the person who had stopped near the edge of the cliff. He was too far away for anyone to recognize him but they both knew it was him.

— Every year around this date, he stands on that part of the cliff. — Retsu commented. Masaki knew it, she was the one responsible for him doing that.

— Prepare the rooms for the Inamoratas of the princes, it must be close to their rooms, also choose the maids who will attend the girls and look for the dressmaker to know if she has the measurements of all, at least there must be a ready dress for each one for that dinner. — She ordered and Retsu nodded.

Masaki returned to the interior of the room and sat in her chair, in front of her desk, to continue with the work she had to do. Retsu was looking at her as if she wanted to ask her something she shouldn't have, with that curiosity mixed with concern that sometimes was in her gaze.

— Say it. What happens?

— Are you not worried that the incident that happened with Miyako will be repeated, Your Majesty? — Retsu looked really worried.

— No. — She said seriously, reopening the account book where she had left it. — Miyako was unique; none of the court girls resembles her, none comes close to what she was, and none are as foolish as her.

Kaien sat on the edge of the cliff, feet dangling, and watched the slowly falling sunset. It seemed to him that many years had passed since he was a child and he was afraid to go near the cliff; that memory made him smile because Miyako was the one who helped him overcome that fear.

At that time the king had ordered the queen that the court be made up of at least three ladies of Kaien's age but the queen had refused to do so, Ichigo was not present but the king reminded her that it was her fault that Ichigo was not in the castle. The queen had to add three more places to her court because of him.

He knew that his father would appoint him the second prince and at that moment his marriage commitment to the daughter of the lord of Maranni would become effective; he knew that Ichigo would be the crown prince and he understood and accepted it. Kaien knew it was because of his father's love for him, that he was a prince despite being a bastard and that was fine.

Everything changed with the arrival of Miyako.

The night of the Queen's Court presentation was the first time he had seen her. She was as young as him and from that moment on he had no interest in anyone else.

Masaki had explained to him about the Inamoratas and had sent him to the king's doctor so that he could explain to him what he should know about "the things of men." The queen had explained the rule of children to him, the fact that he could not have children until Ichigo married and had his first child; and he understood it because he had been brought up that way.

He didn't send her the dinner invitation, not until he was sure it was something she wanted. For weeks he was causing furtive encounters with her, Nelliel helped him to make that happen because she was part of that court, and it was only very quick moments; long enough to see her, kiss her hand, and deliver a letter to her.

He recited poetry to her behind the bushes, sang songs to the air where she passed, and escaped from the castle when she went out into town only to meet her on the road or in the market. So, when he least thought it, they were going out to the city together, always aided by Nelliel who covered them from the queen's watch. Their first kiss was not under the pressure of being lovers, it was on the cliff where he was sitting at that moment, just after the afternoon mass, with the sunset lighting them up.

It was at that moment that he sent the invitation to dinner along with the jewel he had chosen for her. At that moment he did not care about the fate that was already planned for them, he just wanted to be with Miyako.

He still remembered Miyako's voice telling him that she loved him, with a smile on her lips, while they both watched the sunset sitting there on the edge of the cliff.

— Here you are. — Nelliel's voice distracted him from his memories that were so pleasant and brought him back to the present.

— Did you bring it? — He asked in that state of happiness caused by that memory before getting up and moving away from the edge of the cliff so as not to fall into the void.

— To be honest, I didn't want to bring it. — Nelliel replied handing him a jewel case.

Kaien did not reply.

He opened the jewel case and found a white gold and diamond necklace that sparkled in the orange light of sunset; it was Miyako's necklace, the one he had given her when he chose her as Inamorata and that Nelliel had kept before all of Miyako's things were removed from her room. He stared at it for a moment and he tucked it into his trouser bag before looking at Nelliel who looked annoyed.

— Consider it as a loan. I will return it to you but, so that you are not upset, I will give you a sapphire necklace to wear when you decide to be my Inamorata. — He said jokingly, but Nelliel pinched his arm for saying that. — It's okay! Okay I understand, nothing to be lovers.

They both started walking towards the castle laughing.

— I already told you. I'm only going to sleep with my husband and I would only sleep with you if we get married. — She said that laughing a little but with a slight blush on her cheeks.

— We are near the temple of the Deities, let's get married now and let the world burn. — He said again, laughing a little. — You know we could do it and there would be no problem, I'm the Crown Prince.

— Will you make me the queen? — She asked amused.

— Do you want to be the queen? You are probably the only one who could be queen of all the women who live here, the queen raised you like a daughter.

— She raised me to be the Kahya, not to be a queen. — She replied.

— The Kahya, the queen, it all depends on who you marry. Marry me, Nell. — He said and stopped in front of her. He was taller than her and he didn't hesitate to caress her cheek as he gazed at her with a smile that was truly genuine. — Marry me, Nell.

That time, those words, it was a real marriage proposal and they both knew it.

That week had been a whirlwind of emotions and pain for Rukia, starting with the murderous jealousy that invaded her every time the Favorites spoke of Ichigo and ending with the painful period she had that month.

Those days had been terrifying and she was scared to bleed to death but fortunately that did not happen, the doctor treated her and made the bleeding stop but she had to replace the blood that she had lost and she was on a diet of beets and liver. It was as terrifying as the bleeding; scary and disgusting.

— The Deities are punishing me. — She complained to Orihime when she had to eat boiled beets for the third day for breakfast. — If I keep eating beets and liver'll throw up.

— Maybe at lunch you can eat something different. — Orihime whispered hopefully, but Rukia had a feeling that they would make her eat beets and liver for more days.

Rukia sighed resigned and continued eating breakfast trying not to pay attention to the Favorites who hoped one of the two princes would be present when they went to serve the queen. She didn't know what bothered her more: that they were talking about Ichigo or that they were sad because she didn't bleed to death.

The queen was still upset with her, so she wouldn't have to go serve her until the queen asked for her, that didn't make things any easier for her because that way she couldn't see Ichigo; that lapse of pain and blood made her consider things from another perspective.

She knew they should talk, the more she thought about things, the faster her anger with him passed but she did not regret having hit him; she liked to think that the blow she had given him was equal to the indescribable pain she had suffered and the universe was in harmony again.

She decided that she would look for him, if she could find Kon anywhere before, she could find Ichigo, she just had to be patient and go back to the places where they had met; she had to stop lying to herself, she wanted to see him again.

For the afternoon of that day, Senna came in screaming with excitement; she was the one who had been serving the queen that day so Rukia guessed it must be something good, or at least good for Senna and her friends.

— The queen told me not to go back to her room after lunch, she told me to get ready and…

Rukia stopped listening when Senna started saying that it was probably because a prince was going to send an invitation; that made her really nervous.

What if Ichigo invited her? Would she agree to become his lover? Did she want to be Ichigo's lover?

With those questions came the memory of the conversation she had with her father, about the fact that Ichigo was not the heir to the crown and the possibility that he was forced to marry some foreign princess. What if she became his lover and he was forced to marry someone else? Just thinking about that possibility she felt a lump in her throat.

The best thing she could do was find him and try to fix things.

The Kahya entered the room at dusk, accompanied by a servant who held a small box in his hands. The Favorites got as close as the Kahya allowed them, Nelliel advanced with a slow and indifferent step, Orihime wrung her hands from her nerves and Rukia had to take her by the hands for her to relax a little.

She understood the fear she felt because she felt it too.

Throughout the afternoon she had felt anxious, she did not stop thinking about Ichigo and all the possible futures that could happen if she said yes, but when the Kahya entered with the servant she felt a fear that ran through her back in an overwhelming way.

— Tonight the destiny of one of you will change. — The happy expression on the Kahya was strange. Rukia felt a bit intimidated, she hadn't seen her smile like that.

The Kahya stepped aside and let the servant pass, who opened the small box revealing a white gold and diamond necklace. It was incredibly beautiful and glowed in an unnatural way. The Favorites looked at the jewel greedily, one of them might have it.

— A gift from Your Royal Highness, Prince Kaien, to Miss Rukia Kuchiki. The prince asks you to wear it at dinner tonight.

Rukia couldn't believe that Prince Kaien had sent her that necklace, she had only spoken to him a couple of times, she couldn't even consider that she had trapped him with some mysterious charm that she possessed; it was too abrupt and made her feel like she was a dessert on a table of desserts they could choose from.

— No. It is an honor for me but I do not accept the invitation. — She said knowing she wouldn't get in trouble for rejecting him; hopefully he wouldn't invite her again, but it might be a bit awkward talking to him again.

Kaien admired the necklace that the Kuchiki girl had rejected, no one, ever, had rejected him and that she had been the first was a blow to his ego that hurt him in an inexplicable way. Nell used to say "no" to him many times, but Nelliel was like a sister to him, his best friend and her rejections he didn't take seriously but the Kuchiki was different.

He knew that she could reject him but a part of him said that was impossible; apparently that part of him was wrong.

The servants told him that Nelliel was asking permission to enter his room and that seemed funny to him, she had taken longer than he expected to go and claim why he had offered Miyako's necklace, so he let her in.

The anger in Nelliel's eyes was delicious, almost exciting.

— So it was for her? — Nelliel was upset, really angry and Kaien enjoyed seeing that expression on her.

— Yes, it was for her. I just wanted to check if she was like the other girls or not. — He said without caring. Kaien had the necklace in his hands, he had taken it out of its case as he spoke.

— She is the only one who has the permission of the queen to refuse gifts. It is obvious that the other girls were not going to reject the necklace. — She said again, the anger in her voice was music to Kaien's ears.

Kaien smiled when he saw that she got angrier and stopped thinking about the Kuchiki girl; he got up from his seat, facing Nelliel only to caress her cheek gently while still smiling.

— Is that jealousy in your voice, Nell? — He asked with a smile on his lips before standing behind her and guiding her to one of the mirrors in the room.

Nelliel didn't answer but her cheeks were red; Kaien liked that too. He put the necklace on Nelliel's neck after arranging her hair in a gentle way and let her see how he wore the necklace on her; Nelliel stared at her reflection for a moment and brought her fingers to her collar, stroking it a little.

— Diamonds look great on you, Nell. — He said looking at Nelliel's eyes that were reflected in the mirror, still standing behind her. — The marriage proposal is still valid, if you agree to marry me I will not have a lover. If you accept I will make a genuine proposal to your brother asking for your hand in marriage and we will get married in the spring. You will be Queen Nelliel, you will be the Queen of Avanta and the Blue Mountains, and you will wear the Queen's War Crown.

Kaien whispered in Nelliel's ear, like a viper, and smiled because he could see, in the reflection of Nelliel's eyes, how that future was drawing as a very real possibility.

Ichigo's invitation came, it had to come, Rukia was waiting for it and she already had the answer ready when the servant arrived with his gift.

— A gift from Your Royal Highness, Prince Ichigo, for Miss Rukia Kuchiki. The prince asks you to wear it at dinner tonight. — Said the servant showing a bracelet, filigree white gold with emeralds; the bracelet was beautiful, it shone with the reflection of the light.

— No. I am very flattered but do not accept the gift. — The Favorites looked at her incredulously but Rukia didn't have time to pay attention to them.

She internally wanted to go with him but she had told herself that she would not be so impulsive again, she had to talk to him first before giving her wishes to her. She wanted to be sure that it was going to be more than just a passing romance.

Dear nephew, I apologize that I wrote you something late. I learned of your feat in the city of Verasi and I'm surprised that you chose to take a couple of newbies with you, you were perfectly capable of entering, killing and leaving without raising any suspicions. Has going back to Avanta softened you up, nephew? I know about Verasi, so you have to assume that I also know what happened the day of your arrival and yes, I do, and I didn't even have to use a spy to find out. Your grandfather is very angry with your father, "How dare he put a bastard in a direct line to the throne?" he screamed when the news came in your mother's letter. We almost declared war on Avanta but you're lucky, we won't, yet. The bastard won, so I hope you've stopped thinking that the kingdom will be yours just by winning your father's favor. Kill him, kill the bastard. I know you can do it, I know because I have seen you do even more dangerous things and you have returned victorious, little prodigy prince, but if you don't want to kill him, find another way to have what belongs to you, unless you no longer want to be king. How should I refer to you? Your Royal Highness, Second Prince of Avanta?

[...]

Part of the content of that letter was scolding, part was insults and teasing, and the last part was advice and Ichigo could imagine his uncle's voice with every line he read. The letter had arrived a few days after the Night of the Souls and he had not wanted to reply; that's why there was a serval cat sleeping on his bed as if it were his. There were so many things to think about and so many things to do that his head ached.

The kingdom doesn't wait, life doesn't wait, decisions don't wait and yet he hoped that Rukia would accept the gift he had sent her and be the one to dine with him that night. He had been looking for her as much as his responsibilities had allowed him, and he hadn't been able to find her; the invitation was his last resort and she had declined.

Surely she was too angry with him and he could understand it but her attitude also made him angry. Finding Kia was easier than finding Rukia.

"If to have the throne I have to be a bastard, like Kaien, then I will be."

He scribbled on a clean parchment and called to his uncle's cat who seemed to be waiting for the answer to return to Vayalat. Ichigo kept the scroll in the container that had the cat on its collar and watched it emerge from the balcony with an agility that no common cat had; that cat was as magical as Kholtan.

Thank you for reading.