The Nightingale

Chapter 28: Crowned Princess

Spring - Year x492 / May

The wedding dress was beautiful, every pearl, every opal, every bead, and every lace meticulously placed on the fabric that had been brought by ship from one of the northern kingdoms, from beyond the Red Desert. The dress was white because she had requested it that way, because she thought that white was the most beautiful color in the world. Everything was prepared for her wedding, the dress, the veil, the shoes and the night clothes that she was going to wear when Kaien took her to bed.

Just thinking about that moment, Nelliel was smiling. That night she would be her last night as Nelliel, the next night she would be "her royal highness, Princess Nelliel" and it caused her so much excitement that she was about to jump all over the room. She had succeeded, she had managed to engage to Kaien, she had gotten rid of Miyako and Rukia was going to marry Ichigo; everything was perfect, because if Kaien had been the Second Prince, as it was stipulated, Nelliel knew that what was about to happen would never, not in a million years, happen.

But at that moment her future looked promising, she only had to get pregnant as soon as possible, if Miyako had been able to get pregnant in an accident even though she was drinking the tea of the Inamoratas, she could too; the doctor had assured her that she was healthy and that getting pregnant would not be a problem.

She stopped looking at her dress when someone knocked on the door, the maid who was with her rushed to attend to the visitor, exchanged a few words and then closed the door. Nelliel could see that the maid had a small gift box with a colorful bow on it; it was too early to receive gifts but even so, when the maid handed it to her, she did not hesitate to see what it was about.

— My Lady, His Highness Prince Kaien has sent a gift for you. — The maid said as she handed the gift to Nelliel.

— Okay, you can retire. Come back at dinner time, I need to rest. — Nelliel told the maid that she bowed to her before leaving.

Nelliel was smiling, she was waiting for Kaien to give her a gift, he had promised her a sapphire necklace one afternoon on the cliff and she hoped that the gift was that promised necklace; but when she opened the gift, she knew that Kaien was not going to give her the necklace that she wanted; the smile on her face faded when she saw that the jewel that rested on the velvet bed inside the box was Miyako's necklace. Next to the necklace was a note that she took to read.

...

"I told you I'd give it back to you, now it's really yours, Nell. Use it on our wedding day. This is not a request."

...

— It is an order. — Nelliel murmured and put the note aside to take the necklace between her fingers.

For a moment Nelliel thought that Kaien would give her a new jewel, one made especially for her, but no, he had to give her Miyako's damn necklace; it seemed that she was never going to get rid of Miyako, no matter how long she had been dead, Miyako was a ghost that she could not get rid of. Nelliel considered losing or breaking the necklace, it was beautiful and it would be a shame if it was ruined, but it would be the way to avoid wearing it at the wedding, she did not want to marry Kaien using something that had belonged to Miyako.

She was really upset, she wanted to scream, to throw the necklace off the cliff so that it would meet its owner again, but Kaien was going to find out and she didn't know how he was going to react; Kaien had always been calm, like a resting viper, but she had never really seen him upset and it was not something she intended to do the day before their wedding.

She threw the necklace on the bed and approached the balcony that had her room, leaned against the balcony railing and began to breathe deeply to calm herself, she couldn't get upset like that and she had to think well what she would do with that necklace; she couldn't spoil everything she'd managed to get for a stupid necklace.

Nelliel knew that Kaien didn't love her, the only one he loved was Miyako, but she harbored her suspicions regarding how he felt about Rukia; she wasn't stupid enough not to take Kaien's words seriously regarding his attraction to Rukia. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath, perhaps it was a test of Kaien, a twisted way of testing her, although that made no sense; maybe Kaien wanted her to go with him to convince him not to wear her necklace, but that didn't make sense either; Miyako was supposed to have been her friend, her best friend, and her death was supposed to have hurt her.

— Damn Miyako, I hate you! You don't deserve a bit of Kaien's love!

She screamed and hit the balcony railing with her fists. Wearing that necklace meant that Miyako would be present at the wedding, and Nelliel hated that idea. She tried to calm down again and, as she looked at the grove and the temple of the Deities, she could see how someone was heading to the temple of the Deities; for a moment, Nelliel thought it was because they had begun to make preparations for the wedding, but when she saw that figure get into the path inside the grove, she was certain that it was Kaien who was heading to the cemetery.

That was too much, first he gave her Miyako's necklace to wear on her wedding day, and then he went to the cemetery, what was Kaien intending to do? Say goodbye to Miyako? Nelliel snorted, they could both do the same so she took the diamond and white gold necklace and adjusted her dress before leaving her room.

— I will go to the cemetery. — She told the servant who was standing outside her room before walking down the hallways and out of the castle.

She was thinking what she was going to say to Kaien when she reached Miyako's grave, when the sound of a violin made her stop suddenly; she knew that melody, it was the one she used to hear when Kaien was with Miyako, the one he had composed for her while he was making her fall in love, before turning her into his Inamorata.

Nelliel clenched the necklace in her hand, to the point of injuring herself and bleeding, before turning on her heel and heading back to the castle. She had to calm down, she had to or everything was going to go to hell.

That night she dreamed of Miyako, but upon waking, she knew that it had not been a dream; it had been a memory of what had happened many years ago. Miyako's voice echoed in her mind with a clarity that seemed like Miyako was there, with her in her room.

— I love Kaien, Nell! I love him like I never believed that I could love someone, and the Deities have blessed our love with a son. A son of Kaien and mine! I've been drinking the tea as the Kahya said, but I'm pregnant. It's a miracle, Nell!

Nelliel still remembered the happiness with which Miyako had confessed that to her. Miyako was stupid if she believed that the queen was going to allow Kaien to have a child before Ichigo; at that time everyone believed that Ichigo would be the Crown Prince and his path to the throne was almost assured.

It was still dark when that dream had awakened her, she couldn't afford to have a bad look on her face on her wedding day, so she simply covered herself with the sheet and went back to sleep.

—

— Good morning, Miss Nelliel, ready for the big day? — The Kahya's voice made her wake up, she was wrapped in the sheets and did not want to get up; the last thing she had dreamed of was better than that stupid memory of a dead woman, and she just wanted to go back to sleep to see how her dream ended.

— Mrs. Retsu, let me sleep a moment longer. — She whispered, but the Kahya would not allow her to lie on the bed any longer.

The Kahya helped her get ready, from the rose water bath to the dress; it was just the Kahya and her maiden, there was no one else who was there, and Nelliel suddenly wondered if her mother would have been there making a comment about how pretty she looked or that she was a princess even if she wasn't marrying a prince.

Nelliel did not remember her mother, she did not remember her voice or her caresses, she did not know her mother beyond the picture that the queen had shown her where her parents were standing in a garden. Her mother was like her, they even had the same hair and eye color.

She had been orphaned when she was very young, her parents had taken a ship to go to one of the kingdoms beyond the Red Desert, but they never reached their destination. A short time later one of the men who had gone with them on the ship arrived at the castle and told what had happened: some pirates attacked them and the ship was wrecked.

It was then that the queen adopted her and her brother as her protégés; for Nelliel, the only mother she had ever known was the Kahya, however she that morning she wondered if her real mother would be happy to see her marry the heir to the crown; Nelliel wondered if her mother would give her advice for her wedding night or if she would give her a family jewel to wear that day.

— Your family arrived last night. — The Kahya said when she was placing her wedding veil and holding it with a comb to her combed and collected hair. Only princesses wore tiaras when they got married, she wasn't one, not yet.

— My family.I think they came to the wedding out of interest and not out of love for me. — She said with bitterness in her voice but still looking at herself in the mirror. Her dress was heavy but it fit her figure perfectly.

Her family, her father's family, they hadn't been very good to her; they were good to Ulquiorra because he was the heir to the surname, but not with her; even when they went looking for Ulquiorra to raise him as the heir to the family, they did not offer her to go with them. Ulquiorra did not agree to go with her father's family, for her. He didn't want to leave her alone and it was something she would never forget; her brother was the only one who had always been with her.

— But they are here. — The Kahya insisted before walking away from her. The bell of the Temple of the Deities began to ring, it was the first peal to call the guests into the temple.

— I'm not a Cifer, they made it clear the last time they came, when I refused to marry a man I didn't even know. They never came to see me or asked about me, they only remembered me when my existence served them something, like to marry a rich man.

Nelliel didn't love her father's family and they didn't love her, all because she was the daughter of Lord Cifer's second wife; but more than being the daughter of the second wife, it was because her mother had been Ulquiorra's nanny when the "real" Lady Cifer had died. Her brother may have been the new Lord Cifer, her brother may have had lands, and titles, and a life away from the soldiers but he had given that up when he decided to stay with her.

The Kahya didn't say more and Nelliel no longer wanted to continue talking, she knew that she must treat her family well, after all, they were her family and they had come to her wedding although she did not want them to do.

— Can I give you a hug? — The Kahya asked her before leaving the room.

Nelliel looked at her and smiled, walked over to the Kahya and hugged her tightly; she was the only mother that Nelliel had ever known, who had watched her grow up since she came to the castle. Nelliel wanted to cry, but she didn't and the Kahya wouldn't allow it; the Kahya kissed her cheeks and gave her a smile before accompanying her to the main entrance of the castle.

Everything was decorated for the occasion with flowers and white ribbons, everything was really beautiful, and Nelliel knew that the temple and the hall where the banquet would be were also decorated in a similar way. The bell of the Temple of the Deities rang again, it was the second peal, the one that indicated that the ceremony would soon begin. Nelliel was nervous, she would soon be married to Kaien; she would soon be the Crown Princess.

She stood at the main entrance of the castle, in the company of the Kahya, who would also be at the ceremony and the party as a guest, until Ulquiorra came up to her. Her brother was dressed in the dress of the Generals and Nelliel was sure that any woman would be happy to be with him; he had the surname and the prestige of the Cifer family behind him, as well as the fame of being one of the Generals of the kingdom, but he had chosen Orihime and was going to marry her. She couldn't understand her brother's choice.

— You are beautiful. — Ulquiorra said before giving her a hug. Nelliel knew that her brother did not usually show affection towards people, he was reserved, so receiving that hug was really valuable to her. — Mom would be happy to see you at this moment.

That was something she hadn't expected to hear from him; just as she did not imagine that he would take out of one of his pockets a bracelet with many colored stones and place it on her wrist.

— You shouldn't have bought it, it must have cost a lot of money. — Nelliel said with the emotion in her voice. The gift she expected from Kaien, her brother was giving her.

— It didn't cost me anything, it belonged to your mother, to our mother. Lord Cifer gave it to her when he learned that she was pregnant with you, so it's yours. Before they left that day, I promised them that I would take care of you; I've done as well as I can.

— You've done a wonderful job, big brother. — Nelliel said hugging her brother tightly. She felt so much emotion in her heart that she again felt like crying.

— It's time. — Ulquiorra said when the bell rang for the third time.

Nelliel nodded and, holding her brother's arm, walked up the path to the Temple of the Deities. When she entered the place and her eyes adjusted to the gloom of the temple, she could see that all the guests were standing waiting for her.

There was Kaien, with his charming smile as always, waiting for her at the altar next to the High Priest; Prince Ichigo was next to his brother, it was a tradition that the Second Prince was the best man at the wedding, and the king and queen were sitting in the first places together with the princesses. Nelliel stopped paying attention to the guests to focus on Kaien, who was dressed with all the elegance that the event deserved, with the purple sash that distinguished him as the heir and with the Crowned Eagle on his chest, shining in the light of the candles and torches.

— Take care of her, she is clumsy when walking, brother-in-law. — Ulquiorra did not usually make jokes, and those words seemed strange to Nelliel, but she said nothing. Immediately she turned to see Kaien, who had not lost the charming smile that he had.

— I won't let her walk near the cliff, don't worry brother-in-law. — Kaien's eyes were a warning to Ulquiorra. Nelliel could feel the tension between the two men.

The two men looked at each other for a moment before Ulquiorra moved away from them to take his seat. What his brother had said was a very clear reference to Miyako's death, and that was like accusing Kaien of Miyako's suicide. Kaien hadn't been responsible for it, he didn't throw her off the cliff.

The High Priest performed the ceremony, which was long, moving, and preached the words of the Deities regarding a long and happy life with the loved one. He spoke of how Father and Mother had come together to bring light and life to the world, and how all people were their children and were equal in the eyes of the Deities.

Nelliel looked at Kaien from time to time, and felt how Kaien held her hand, which was linked with a white handkerchief to his, while he gave her that charming smile that he always had. That gesture made her blush and she looked away from him, she did not pay attention to what the High Priest was saying, she only listened to some parts of the ceremony and her mind wandered to the life she would have with Kaien.

— My dear Nelliel, in the face of the Deities and men, I take you as my wife. — Kaien said when it was time to make the promises.

He had placed a delicate ring on her finger, the unmistakable symbol that they were married, and it made her voice tremble when it was her turn to speak.

— My dear Kaien, in the face of the Deities and men, I take you as my husband. — She said and did the same, placed a ring on Kaien's finger thus sealing the union of their marriage.

Kaien approached her and kissed her, it was her first kiss; Kaien had never kissed her and Nelliel had longed for that kiss the way one longs for water in the desert. At that moment she forgot that there were people there but she had to remember it quickly because the High Priest had made a noise with his throat when the kiss had become longer than necessary. Nelliel was flushed and Kaien took her hand to kiss her wedding ring.

Nelliel felt like she was living a dream, and she knew that dream could only get better.

At the end of the wedding ceremony in the temple, the king approached Nelliel and, after welcoming her to the family in front of all the guests, placed a tiara decorated with blue stones in various shades, the crown of the Crown Princess.

Nelliel had everything she had ever wanted and more.

—

The party was running its course, everything was perfectly planned and ordered, as he had wished, as he had made sure Nelliel wished. The guests approached them to congratulate them and wish them a happy and prosperous life, full of children who would raise the name of the kingdom.

Kaien knew that half of those men were just boot licks who wanted to be in grace with him; he would be the next king, but while that was happening, they must be under the grace of the current king. His father was a strong and fearsome man, and many of those men had seen him lead the kingdom with a firm but just hand.

The feast was delicious, the food and drink were something that people would talk about for at least a month; the music was upbeat and Kaien wasn't going to deny that he was having fun at his own wedding. Nelliel was the perfect representation of a newly married wife, with that smile and the blush on her face, and he had to look like a man in love with his wife; after all, he had chosen her to marry.

He danced with Nelliel many pieces, and when he got the chance, he danced with Rukia; it was part of the traditions, Ichigo had to dance with Nelliel, too. Rukia was lovely in that blue dress and her loose hair that hung a bit below her shoulders. Kaien remembered the first time he saw her, she had her hair cut short, but she looked like she was letting it grow and that made her look more beautiful.

— Miss Kuchiki, isn't this funny? This could have been our wedding. — He said as they danced. The waltz was long, so he would have time to exchange a few words with her.

— Your Highness, this wedding could have been our wedding, but I think that even if I had come to the castle to fulfill my role as your fiancée, you would still have married Nelliel. — Rukia said that calmly and with a smile.

The few times Kaien spoke to Rukia, those light exchanges of polite words made him notice the way she expressed herself. Kaien was intrigued that Rukia never looked down in front of anyone, only the king, and that since she was engaged to Ichigo, she had changed a bit; he could tell when he compared his memories of the first time he spoke to Rukia and the way she was behaving at the time.

— And why do you think that, Miss Kuchiki? — He asked completely intrigued. He spun her around to the beat of the waltz and they faced each other again.

— Because you were declared the Crown Prince, and I'm destined to marry the Second Prince of the kingdom. — Rukia had him spellbound just by her gaze. — Prince Ichigo wants a quiet life by my side, so much so that now he doesn't mind being the Second Prince, because he has me. It's funny how life, destiny or the Deities put us on the right path to happiness; I know that my happiness is with Prince Ichigo. — Kaien smiled as he listened to her speak.

— I listen to you very sure. Are you really sure that Ichigo has accepted his fate as Second Prince and a quiet life by your side? — He asked as she smiled and turned again in his arms to the rhythm of the waltz. With every move she made, the minty scent that she emanated flooded his nostrils.

— I'm sure. I'm the only kingdom that Ichigo wants to possess. — Rukia looked at him in a way that he couldn't classify as anything other than provocative. The waltz ended and Rukia bowed before speaking. — Kaien, if I had come to the palace to be your fiancée, would you have given up the throne, just to be by my side?

And she left there. The way she had pronounced his name, before asking that question, had left him somewhat shocked.

He was with Nelliel a moment longer, received more gifts and more good wishes for a prosperous future, and got rid of the family of Nelliel's father when they tried to ask him for the dowry because he married Nelliel. Kaien knew of Nelliel's history with her paternal family, they had grown up together and had a certain degree of trust in each other, so getting rid of them had been something that had given him great satisfaction.

— I'll go to the bedroom, Your Highness. — Nelliel whispered before getting up from her seat.

The party was going to get out of control at any moment, so it was better to leave there and fulfill his obligations as a husband, than to stay and watch the men get drunk until they lost their manners; however Kaien stayed at the party for a moment longer, looking at Rukia who was laughing with Ichigo as she had a chopped sugar fruit on a fork. Kaien watched Rukia play with that fruit for a moment more, then he saw Ichigo look around, as if his brother made sure no one else was paying attention to them, and an instant later, Ichigo and Rukia were leaving the room by one of the doors.

Kaien got up from his seat and left the banquet hall through the same door through which they had left; that door led to a hallway that led away from the bridal room where Nelliel was waiting for him, but even so he didn't stop walking. The night was really dark and the corridors were poorly lit, that was unusual, too much for a day like that, where the entire castle must have light.

The further he advanced, the darker it was, there were no guards in that area of the castle and he knew immediately that it must have been by an order from Ichigo; his brother controlled the guards inside the castle.

He advanced as silently as he could, the torches so far apart that areas were almost completely dark. Kaien was advancing, driven by curiosity, when he heard a gasp followed by a wet noise. Kaien knew exactly what those noises meant; Ichigo had prepared the place to be alone with Rukia because the castle was full of guests.

— They're going to find us, Ichigo. — Rukia's voice came out in a whisper that was almost obscene. Kaien knew he wasn't going to be able to get that sound out of his mind for a long time.

— So we go back to the party? — Ichigo's voice was as agitated as Rukia's.

Kaien advanced a little further and thanks to the poor lighting in the corridor, he found them hidden between a pillar and a wall; Rukia was cornered and he noticed that one of her legs was tangled around Ichigo's hips. Rukia's dress skirt was pulled up past her knee, but Kaien didn't notice if Ichigo had his pants down or not; he could only see that Ichigo was moving very slowly against Rukia, and she was gasping very slowly.

— No, this feels great. — Rukia gasped.

Kaien could see better and better and the scene in front of him was too erotic. He could have turned around and left, but something made him clear his throat making Ichigo and Rukia move quickly adjusting their clothes; Kaien smirked seeing that Ichigo covered Rukia with his body.

— I never imagined you two would find fucking in a poorly lit hallway exciting. — He said mockingly, but felt a small twinge of jealousy for having seen them that way.

— Could you stop meddling in my sex life? — The anger in Ichigo's voice made him smile even more. — I don't even know what the hell you're doing here, you should be making an heir to the crown or something.

— I was worried when I saw that my little brother and his girlfriend did not return to the party, and when I saw that this place was very dark, I was even more worried. — Kaien tried to sound concerned but the mockery in his voice was noticeable. Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand, who seemed to have no shame at the time, and they started walking.

— You saw us, we're fine. Now go do your duty to the kingdom and give us a strong and healthy prince and all that. — Ichigo said as he passed him.

Rukia looked at him, even in the gloom Kaien could see Rukia's gaze, haughty, defiant and confident, and again he remembered the words she had said to him while they danced.

"I'm the only kingdom that Ichigo wants to possess."

Kaien cursed at Ichigo before leaving there, taking a detour through the corridors and headed to the bridal room where Nelliel was waiting for him. He was upset, and as soon as he entered the bedroom, he started taking off his clothes, leaving only pants. The image of Rukia panting, with her leg tangled around Ichigo's hips, was something that made him angry and, at the same time, turned him on.

— Is something wrong with you? — Nelliel's soft voice, coming into the bedroom, made him gulp down the glass of wine that had been poured at that moment.

— No, nothing. — He said approaching her, a little calmer.

At that moment he was able to contemplate how beautiful Nelliel looked wearing that white dress, similar to the one that the Inamoratas wore when they visited the princes for the first time.

— You are beautiful. — He said before kissing her. Kaien took Nelliel into his arms and carried her to the bed as he quickly undressed her.

Kaien had asked the Deities for their help to stop seeing Nelliel as his sister and to sleep with her, and the Deities had responded in a cruel way.

Love, LunaticR