The Nightingale

Chapter 39: Machinations

Summer x492 — July 27

Ulquiorra refused to believe what Nelliel had told him the day he went to visit her; the castle servants had told him that Nelliel had gotten sick to her stomach, but when he spoke to her sister, he knew it had been a lie. Nelliel assured that the culprit of her tragedy was the queen, that the queen had put something in her coffee and that caused her to lose her pregnancy.

Ulquiorra didn't even know that his sister was pregnant.

Nelliel's accusations initially made no sense, but the more Ulquiorra thought about it, the more it made sense to him that the queen was responsible for it. The thought that Kaien had gotten Nelliel into too dangerous a game just by making her his wife gave him a chill. Ulquiorra had protected his sister throughout his life and it was difficult for him to assimilate that protecting her was becoming more and more difficult.

Ulquiorra knew that Ichigo wanted the throne, but he didn't know if Ichigo might be able to get his hands dirty like that or would make the queen do it. Anyway, Nelliel had said that only three people knew about her pregnancy and that she doubted the doctor had kept quiet about that news. Ulquiorra didn't know if the loyalties within the castle had been divided to the point of harming his sister, but he had to find out.

His loyalty was to Orihime, she was his wife, but he was not going to leave his sister unprotected; the queen could not even be singled out as the culprit because there was no evidence to prove it. Accusing the queen of attempting against the descendants of the heir to the crown without having proof was a death sentence that no one was willing to have.

— With whom is your loyalty, Orihime? — Ulquiorra asked his wife as they had lunch together, in their room inside the castle.

Orihime stopped eating at that moment and placed her fork gently on her plate. Ulquiorra could see the doubt in his wife's eyes, the intrigue over that question that seemed to make no sense in the middle of that lunch.

— My loyalty is with you, why do you ask that question, Ulquiorra? — Orihime kept looking into his eyes, not quite understanding why he was asking that question.

Ulquiorra, even if he didn't express it, had been surprised by the ease with which Orihime had answered that question. When Ichigo asked him that question, at that meeting, Ulquiorra had hesitated; Orihime didn't even doubt her answer. Ulquiorra did not hesitate at the time to tell his wife about everything he had discussed with Nelliel, fully trusting Orihime after she gave him that answer.

— Why would the queen hurt Nelliel like that? — Orihime asked, with that calm and that soft tone of voice that was in her, when he finished speaking.

— Because it's not the first time the queen has done something like this. — Ulquiorra clarified. Orihime gave him a questioning look to keep him talking. — A few years ago, the queen did the same with Kaien's Inamorata.

— But Nelliel is not an Inamorata, she is the crown princess. — Orihime fell silent, thinking, and Ulquiorra waited patiently for her to say something. — I don't think the queen did it, but I know you must support your sister; I just hope that neither she nor you are not wrong.

Ulquiorra had been careful not to mention that Nelliel believed the queen had done it to help Ichigo and thus give him time to kill Kaien and make it look like an accident. Orihime appreciated Ichigo and Rukia, they had been so good to her while she was the fake Inamorata, that Orihime hadn't realized that Ichigo and Kyoraku used her to make Sora owe them a favor. Kyoraku was a councilor, but Sora owned an army.

And nothing used to destabilize a kingdom more than the threat of an internal war.

Orihime wasn't going to be an Inamorata; Nelliel had told him that Kaien was courting her at the time and had promised not to take an Inamorata until he had an answer. Which made Ulquiorra think that the argument Ichigo used when he took Orihime for Inamorata was a sham to force him to swear his allegiance to him.

But at that moment Orihime was his wife, and although he had sworn allegiance to Ichigo, that loyalty was going to end if Ichigo hurt Orihime or Nelliel.

Summer x492 — July 30

Nelliel woke up alone in her room, it was very quiet and she was scared when the curtain on her balcony fluttered in the wind making a small noise. Kaien was gone in the morning, before she woke up, and she was surprised to find a note from him on her nightstand along with one of the queen's garden roses.

It was the first time he had left her a flower and a note that he told her why he had to leave so early; the scent of the rose was exquisite, it was white, the way she liked them, and she carefully placed it on the small table where she had found it.

— Your Highness, the doctor is here. — Her maid warned; Nelliel hadn't noticed that the girl had come in until she spoke. The last few days silence was what reigned in her room.

The queen's doctor entered the room and curtsied; the woman seemed a little nervous, but Nelliel didn't care, she just stayed in bed waiting for the doctor to come to her. Nelliel lay down on the bed and let the doctor do her work; she closed her eyes and tried to relax until the doctor finished checking her.

— Your body has healed and you no longer have inflammation in your belly; you will no longer have to follow the special diet to replenish your blood. — The doctor explained and Nelliel only agreed to what the woman said. — You will have to wait until your period comes back so that you can be with the prince; although I recommend that you drink the tea so that you do not get pregnant so soon and your body can finish healing inside.

Nelliel was only listening to the woman, but what she was saying was something Nelliel didn't want to hear. When the doctor finished speaking, Nelliel dismissed her and the maid approached Nelliel to help her dress.

Kaien had told her that he would not touch her again until she was sure she wanted to be with him. Nelliel knew that Kaien wanted a child, even if he didn't tell her, it was something Kaien needed to ensure his place as heir to the crown; and that he told her that he would wait for her was the greatest proof that Kaien loved her.

That thought made her smile.

Her marriage contract said she had two years to get pregnant before it became legal for Kaien to have a mistress; if she was shown to be incapable of having a child from Kaien, he could have a mistress and Nelliel would have to adopt that child as her own. Nelliel didn't want to adopt someone else's child, she wanted to give Kaien a child; she wanted her son to one day be called king.

Nelliel knew she was capable of having a child from Kaien, she just had to be careful next time and not trust the queen. That day she had made the mistake of drinking that coffee with the queen, along with the cookies that girl had brought, it was the day she made the biggest mistake of her entire life.

Nelliel would never make the mistake of trusting the queen again.

Nelliel attributed that dream with Miyako as a stupidity of her mind and did not think about it again; it was ridiculous to think that the dead woman returned from the grave to exact revenge. More than revenge for a dead woman, it was the confirmation that they made her lose her son, because Nelliel had been with Miyako when the tea they made her drink had taken effect.

The doctor did not confirm it to her, but the queen arrived the next day to tell her that she had not been responsible. Nelliel refused to believe that she had lost her son by the "will of the Deities."

When Kaien returned that night, she would ask him to find her a private cook. The queen used to say that she loved her, that she was like a daughter to her, that she had adopted her as her protégé, but at that moment Nelliel doubted the queen and everything she said.

Summer x492 — August 1

He woke up with that sensation so familiar, and that with the years it became more and more easy to recognize; this time he didn't have to hear the screech of the eagle in the sky to know that Kholtan was there, outside the house, standing with a message for him. He got up carefully, Rukia was sleeping peacefully beside him, turning her back to him and hugging a pillow; sunlight wouldn't enter the room, so Rukia could sleep as long as she wanted.

Ichigo stared at Rukia silently for a moment, her bare back and her white skin were something he liked, but he liked her mind and character more. He liked everything about her; all the good and all the bad that he had seen. Ichigo held back from touching her, Rukia was a temptation to him, and he knew that if he touched her, he would wake her up with kisses just to make love to her again.

But Rukia had to rest.

Ichigo gave her a kiss on her bare shoulder before leaving the room, dressed in a shirt and pants, with his riding boots on and the leather glove that he used to cover his arm with when calling Kholtan. Just that kiss on her skin was something that was a great struggle for self-control; if Rukia knew everything she did in him, the world would be hers.

After doing his morning routine, Ichigo went out to the backyard and walked a bit until he reached Kholtan; the eagle was standing on one of the high branches of the trees that grew on that mountain. Ichigo reached out and Kholtan gracefully descended and landed hard on the leather plate that covered Ichigo's arm.

—

Ichigo's absence made Rukia wake up that morning, she had slept so soundly all night that she had forgotten where they were and it took her a while to collect her thoughts. They were in the middle of the forest on a mountain, in a house where the air that came in through the window was fresh and mixed with the scent of trees and nature.

Rukia got out of bed heavily, she was tired and she guessed that was why Ichigo hadn't woken her up. Going back to bed was tempting, but if Ichigo wasn't there, then it wasn't tempting enough. She opened the door and found the maid that she had brought travel to attend to her, she did not take Tatsuki because she needed her in the castle; Renji's sister would be her eyes and ears in her absence.

Everyone knew that the game had started, and Rukia was no longer a child; she was aware that what she did had consequences, but she had to do it because she had a goal just like Ichigo; they both knew they made a good team and they both knew what they wanted.

The maid entered the room with a smile and a bowl of water in her hands; the maid had been tending to Rukia since she had become the queen's favorite and she knew perfectly well what Rukia needed and when she needed it. That maiden was loyal to Rukia, she had sworn her loyalty to Rukia the moment they arrived at that rest house, and Rukia accepted her because she knew she needed people loyal to her within the castle; not loyal to the queen, loyal to her.

— Where is my husband? — Rukia said that word and immediately felt her cheeks burn; she found it unreal that Ichigo was her husband because that word was a powerful word.

— Prince Ichigo is outside, Your Highness. Very early this morning the prince's eagle arrived and he is attending to it. The prince said he will have breakfast with you, Your Highness. — The maid clarified as Rukia went through her morning routine.

That way of referring to her, "Your Highness", was something she definitely liked. She was at the same level as Ichigo, as Kaien and Nelliel, at the same level as the princesses of the kingdom. Rukia had power and that felt great.

"The whole world is at your feet, my love; everything you want, everything you need, you just have to ask for it and you will have it. Even I am at your feet, my love." Ichigo had said to her on their wedding day, when they entered the banquet hall and everyone present bowed to them.

Ichigo had told her that whatever she said would be done, and if they didn't obey her, then she had the power to punish whoever objected; they were words that made a whole world available to her. If her first child would be a boy, then her will would be unquestionable just for being the mother of a prince. She alone had to make sure she didn't have that prince ahead of time; at such times, a child would be a certain death sentence.

— Is the tea ready? — Rukia asked.

— Yes, Your Highness. — The maid said before leaving the room.

The maid entered the room with a cup of warm tea and Rukia simply took the cup, closed her eyes, and drank the contents. The taste of the tea was not unpleasant, it was sweetened with honey and had mint leaves added to it, but still, it was a tea that Rukia preferred to drink as quickly as possible.

Making love with Ichigo was one of the things she liked the most at that moment, all the pleasure that Ichigo gave her was indescribable, and she had to be careful with everything she did. Tatsuki had taught her various tricks to make him finish out of her, but she didn't want to use them; she liked the feeling of abandonment from Ichigo when he ended up inside her, that expression of utter pleasure on his face after seeing the predator in his eyes.

— Set the table for breakfast. — Rukia asked handing the empty cup to the maid. The maid bowed to her before leaving the room.

Rukia left the house through the back door and headed towards the place where the maid had indicated Ichigo was. The path led to the waterfall where the water used in the house was obtained and Ichigo was sitting on one side, on some logs, but the eagle was not with him. Ichigo saw her approach and smiled, but did not get up, instead he reached out a hand for her to approach him and made her sit on his legs, grabbing her by the waist. Rukia smiled at that, she liked feeling Ichigo's grip on her body.

— Good morning, my princess of Maranni. — Ichigo greeted her with a smile giving her a kiss on the lips.

— Good morning, my prince of Avanta. — Rukia replied and did the same, only that kiss was a little more intense than the first one. Ichigo held her a little tighter making her gasp that made her break the kiss.

— Kholtan brought a letter for you. — Ichigo whispered on her lips not really wanting to part with her.

Rukia smiled biting her lip without taking her eyes off Ichigo. He played with the fingers of her hand, intertwining them with his, without stopping looking into her eyes.

— What does the letter say? — Rukia asked giving him a little kiss. Ichigo handed Rukia a rolled scroll sealed with red wax that he had in his pants bag.

Rukia took that scroll and gave Ichigo one last kiss. She stayed seated on Ichigo's legs and he didn't let go of his grip on her waist, pulling her closer to him, leaving little kisses on her shoulders. Rukia broke the seal so she could read the contents of the letter; the letter was from Tatsuki.

The news was something she was waiting for and yet it was surprising news. Nelliel's tragedy shouldn't have cheered her up, but the feeling she got from reading that everything had turned out as she had imagined was something that was far from sad.

— Was it better than throwing her off the stairs or sending her a shadow spider? — Ichigo asked, who had been watching her read the letter silently.

— I didn't think it would really work. — Rukia replied, handing the letter to Ichigo for him to read. — I guess I know Yuki better than I imagined, and we were very lucky.

Rukia didn't know how to react, because she knew that the feeling of relief over Nelliel's tragedy shouldn't feel this good, and even so, Rukia felt calm and relieved. Ichigo folded the letter and put it aside before looking into her eyes.

— How you feel? — Ichigo asked. Rukia felt the warmth of Ichigo's hand on her own hand and laced her fingers with his.

Rukia was silent for a moment, Ichigo was waiting for an answer that she didn't want to give, because she didn't want to say that she felt good. Feeling good at that moment was not something she should feel; she shouldn't be happy about it. Rukia closed her eyes and it took her a moment to gather her courage to answer that question.

— I thought I would feel guilty, but I feel nothing but relief. I was more distressed by the maiden who died from that fake kidnapping than by what happened to Nelliel. — Rukia looked Ichigo in the eye as she said that, but Ichigo's expression was neutral, completely focused on what she was saying. — It is not normal to feel this; I know it must not be normal. Why am I relieved?

Ichigo didn't speak at that moment, he was silent and Rukia felt desperate; she wanted him to say something, for him to tell her that she was wrong and that she was a monster, but he didn't, he just looked at her silently and gave her a very soft kiss on her hand.

— The first time I killed someone I was a child. At first I felt fear but when I got to the battlefield I did not feel fear, anxiety or nervousness; I just got there, killed those who got in my way, and accomplished my goal. I didn't hesitate, I didn't think about it, I just did what I had to do. — Ichigo paused and Rukia could only hear him speak without letting go of her hand. — It's not like what you did, you didn't kill someone, you killed a part of someone; you removed something that was getting in the way of your goal; that's why you feel relief.

— I killed a hope. — Rukia whispered. Ichigo kissed her hand gently again.

— It is the same as the tea you have to drink every week, it kills a hope. She wanted to have a child, that's why it is a tragedy, but you, my love, do you want us to have a child now? — Rukia was silent for a moment at that question and simply shook her head; she did not want to have a child at that time, she wanted to have many things, but not a child.

Rukia got up from Ichigo's legs and made him get up from his makeshift seat. Rukia stopped thinking about the news that had come in the letter; there was no point in worrying about something that had happened and should happen. They had both sworn that it did not matter how much blood they had to spill to achieve their goal, and that was something that was not going to stop them.

Everything they had done would be of no use if she repented at that moment. It would be useless to have put a sword on the head of her father, it would be useless to have escaped from Maranni with Ichigo and it would be useless to have prevented the destruction of Maranni, if she was afraid. The quiet life, on the path they had chosen, was not an option.

— You have to kill the bastard, and change some rules when you become the king. — Rukia asserted, making Ichigo follow her into the house.

— Will you let me have Inamoratas? — Ichigo asked in a mischievous tone.

Rukia stopped and Ichigo stopped too; she turned on her heel and pressed her index finger to Ichigo's chest as a warning.

— If you have an Inamorata, it will be the last time you feel pleasure, my love. — She threatened completely serious.

— That threat shouldn't excite me like this. — Ichigo added taking her by the waist tightly; Rukia bit her lip, going from jealousy to desire in seconds. — So let's have breakfast before I make love to you at the table.

Summer x492 — August 4

Nadeshiko left the castle a few days after Rukia made her honeymoon trip, made sure Yuki was safe and sound within the queen's court, and said goodbye to her husband. This was the most difficult parting Nadeshiko had ever given in her entire married life. It was not like the goodbyes that she used to have when Soujun made the trips to the capital, that goodbye was different and painful.

That goodbye was truly a goodbye, Nadeshiko and Soujun knew that this was the last time they would see each other; Soujun would be executed when they discovered everything he had done in Maranni, it was an undeniable truth and they were both aware of it. Nadeshiko had asked her husband to accompany her to Maranni, to make some excuse and then go to Jetaiya asking for Koga asylum, but Soujun had refused.

Soujun had told her that they would not let him leave the capital, there would always be a reason why he could never leave and if he escaped, Rukia would be taken as a prisoner. That was the true role of the second prince's wife, to be a hostage to the king in case the lord of Maranni decided to rise up against the kingdom. Nadeshiko was devastated and Soujun could only comfort her by assuring her that he would get Rukia out of the castle.

Nadeshiko's carriage did not stop at her brother-in-law's farm in Tenjira, but continued until it reached Maranni; she was guarded by some of Soujun's soldiers who had the order to protect her and return to the capital after having taken her safely to the Great House.

The city gates had already been repaired, and only a few black flags remained that symbolized the mourning that was in the city for all those victims of that disaster. Nobody knew what had happened that night and people asked questions, luckily most of the inhabitants were asleep and only the soldiers were witnesses of that; the same soldiers who had died that night.

Nadeshiko got out of the carriage and the first thing she did was ask one of the servants about Byakuya. The maid guided her to the room where Byakuya was; Nadeshiko was anxious to see her son again, she was afraid that he had not fully recovered, but when she saw him sitting in that soft chair, holding one of Soujun's books, the fear vanished giving way to the relief of seeing him alive.

Byakuya seemed fine and that made her smile. Nadeshiko immediately approached her son, and Byakuya looked up in surprise to see his mother there.

— My son, how do you feel? — Nadeshiko asked as she approached her son. Byakuya held his mother's hands leaving the book on his lap and gave her a very soft smile.

— Welcome, mother. — Byakuya greeted and kissed his mother's hand respectfully. — I'm better, I have recovered somewhat slowly, but I'm fine, there will be scars on my back and chest, but nothing that the clothes do not cover.

Nadeshiko sighed in relief and thanked the Deities, then looked around the room but did not see Hisana or the baby anywhere; that alarmed Nadeshiko, thinking that perhaps Hisana had left and returned to Jetaiya with her baby.

— Where is your wife? — She asked a little worried. She didn't want to start brainstorming but it was impossible with the whole situation at the time.

— I'm here, mother-in-law. — Hisana was standing in the doorway of the room with the baby in her arms. — Did you think I had run away?

Nadeshiko blushed in embarrassment to know that her thoughts were discovered, but was relieved to see that Hisana had not run away. She couldn't bear to know that her family was falling apart.

— No, I thought something bad happened to you. — Nadeshiko lied. — But I am relieved to know that you're okay.

Hisana made a face of annoyance but approached Byakuya cradling her baby in her arms. Nadeshiko had to admit that Byakuya's marriage had evolved quite well; Hisana hadn't run away and that was a good thing.

— My father, is he okay? Why are you coming alone, mother? — Byakuya asked. Nadeshiko felt the concern in her son's voice and saw Hisana put one of her hands on Byakuya's shoulder in a gesture that was supportive and calming.

Nadeshiko had no choice but to tell them what had happened in the castle since their arrival and everything that Rukia had told them that night. Byakuya's expression went from surprise to concern and then to anger at everything Nadeshiko was saying; if he could have gotten up at that moment, he would have. Nadeshiko was silent, waiting for Byakuya's anger to subside before continuing to speak, because the next thing she would say would be worse.

— I need you to listen to me, because we must make a decision and we must be discreet; there are spies in the city and possibly inside the Great House. — Nadeshiko warned, completely attracting the attention of her son and Hisana. — We have to leave here; abandon everything and get out of here.

Summer x492 — August 5

—

Your Majesty, I have decided to take the offer you made before I left Adelaar, so I will start the 13-city tour this week. As you well know, I'm in a cottage in the northern mountains, and there are some cities on the way back to the capital. I hope to return to the Capital at the end of the month with good news for you, Your Majesty.

Deities protect you, your majesty. Ichigo.

—

Ichigo read the note a couple of times and deemed it enough. He put it in a metal container after sealing it, and handed it to one of the soldiers who were with him. He could have sent Kholtan but he didn't, his eagle also deserved to have a vacation.

A short time later he left the house in search of Rukia who was outside, in the backyard.

Ichigo was upset that the king did not give them more time to have a honeymoon as was customary with princes, and it angered him to see the clear favoritism his father had for Kaien. Killing Kaien with Rukia's cookies was so tempting, but he knew that plan would fail; cookies used to be shared and more than one person could end up dead.

The day before they left on their journey, he had asked the king why he had not allowed him more time; the only answer he got was that he had not yet fulfilled his duties as the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom and that if he wanted more time, he could do the tour with his wife.

Ichigo did not believe that explanation, and was certain that the king did not want him to go too far from the capital. He could only attribute it to one thing: the king was still suspicious of Lord Kuchiki and did not want Rukia to be far from the capital. After all, Rukia was the king's hostage and Ichigo didn't know which was worse, that Rukia was a hostage with a crown, or that Rukia knew and didn't bother about it.

The last thing Ichigo wanted was to put Rukia in danger, so he had to think about how to protect her in case everything got out of hand. He had to make sure that she would have a place to hide, in case she had to flee the castle, and Maranni was not an option because it would be the first place they would look for her.

— Did you send the letter? — Rukia asked. She was sitting on one of the logs with Kholtan standing on her leather-gloved arm; the eagle looked huge next to her and Ichigo nodded as he stood in front of her.

— Yes, the messenger just left. — He answered calmly. Kholtan screeched and rose into the air with an indignant and annoyed gesture; Ichigo knew his eagle very well. — I think he's jealous. Since when does Kholtan like you so much?

Ichigo sat next to Rukia who was laughing at that comment.

— A part of your soul lives inside the eagle, I suppose that part of you is also in love with me. — Rukia pointed a finger at herself laughing in amusement. — That means that I'm irresistible to your soul.

— Oh yeah? — Ichigo looked at her with narrowed eyes. — What makes you think I'm in love with you? — He asked while still looking at her that way.

Rukia got up from her seat, stood in front of Ichigo, placed her hands on her waist and put an indignant expression on her face; they both knew that gesture was false.

— You married me. — Rukia stated, very sure of herself.

— Just because a contract forced me. — Ichigo settled himself better in his seat and feigned indifference, but a smile fought to escape his lips when he saw that small expression of anger in those eyes that drove him crazy. Rukia relaxed before speaking again.

— You can't live without me. — Rukia looked at her nails as she said that, completely sure of herself. — I'm your drug, you need me to continue living and that the world does not collapse in an apocalypse of agony.

Ichigo heard her speak, as sure as her name was Rukia, and that made him smile inwardly; he liked that strength and determination in Rukia. She was perfect.

— This time you win, just because your mouth is full of reason. — Ichigo got up and took her by the waist, approaching her but not kissing her. — Now you need to have your mouth full of kisses and so the world can see a new sunrise tomorrow.

— What if I don't want you to kiss me? — Rukia asked. Her lips were dangerously close to his; she tempted him in a unique way.

— The world would collapse, my love; because I'm your drug. — Ichigo whispered with a sly smile before kissing her. Rukia didn't resist that kiss, she got as close to Ichigo as she could, hugging him and enjoying that moment.

— I love you, my prince. — Rukia whispered between kisses making him smile.

— And I love you more, my princess of Maranni. — Ichigo replied without taking his eyes off her, letting her know that his words were true; he wanted Rukia to have the assurance that he was completely hers.

Summer x492 — August 6

The sound of feathers on parchment and breathing were the only sounds in the king's private office; the wedding and the guests had passed into oblivion as quickly as Nelliel's misfortune was known in the castle. The queen didn't want to make it public, she didn't even want to tell the king, but Kaien didn't think like the queen.

Thanks to Ichigo's aunt, Kaien had discovered something that seemed interesting to him. On the night of the signing of the wedding contract, Rukia had given an extremely interesting speech, and it didn't go unnoticed by Kaien that those words were intended for the crown princess of Vayalat.

Kaien was charming, he knew, and he was also the future king of Avanta; relations between neighboring kingdoms, friends and that were united by blood, had to be good no matter what.

It didn't take Kaien much more than an afternoon of talks with Princess Kirio to know that the reason why Ichigo had not wanted to marry the Princess of Gardelia was because Ichigo and the princess had had an affair that had ended badly. Besides that Masaki had to go save Ichigo's butt to avoid a conflict between Vayalat and the Gardelia kingdom over a teenage romance.

When Kaien confronted Masaki, the night Nelliel fell ill, he threw "a stone into the air" and hoped to hit something; Masaki's reaction was enough to know that, indeed, he had managed to hit something. Kaien guessed that it was enough for the queen to decide to let the king know that Nelliel had a miscarriage.

They did not make the news public, but in the castle there was talk about it, and it was not surprising that the wives of high officials and councilors approached Nelliel to provide support for the loss of her pregnancy. Kaien saw Nelliel's smile with all that attention, he knew she liked it, and he knew that she would take care to speak well of him to remove the stigma of "illegitimate child" that he possessed.

Masaki, instead of weakening them with this betrayal of Nelliel, had made them the center of attention.

Kaien put aside the account book that he was reviewing, there were several things that he didn't like but he knew that they would be improved when the harvests began to arrive. Every year it was the same, but they had taken it upon themselves to do what was necessary so that the kingdom didn't go hungry in winter and there was a surplus to serve as protection in case of catastrophe or they went to war.

That year had been very calm in terms of confrontations beyond the usual ones with thieves and bandits; Kuvar seemed not to have tried again to take any southern city, although several small towns had been attacked. Kaien didn't want to admit it but Ichigo was doing a good job as Commander-in-Chief; he had made good decisions that had saved the lives of many people on the southern border.

He rubbed his eyes heavily and began to arrange the things he had used, it was late and he could see, from the window, how the sunlight caressed the tops of some trees. At any moment the bells of the temple of the Deities would ring announcing the sunset, and that would end the work of that day. While collecting the scrolls he found a small note, his father was focused on one of the account books and Kaien took the opportunity to read the contents of that note.

He was not surprised to find that it was a report from Maranni; he would have been surprised if his father hadn't sent a spy there after what Lord Kuchiki had said at that meeting. He finished reading it and put it back on the table where he was working with the king.

— The son of the Lord of Maranni is not dead; he is injured and in recovery. His uncle is the one who takes care of everything in the city. — Kaien commented drawing his father's attention.

— What do you say? How do you know? — The king asked and Kaien leaned back in his chair, resting his back a little.

— I also sent a spy to Maranni, sent her to the Great House and it seems she managed to stay there, because she knows better than yours, father. — He commented calmly and took out of his pants pocket the report that had come to him in the morning. — I was hoping we finished working to tell you, father.

Kaien handed the note to his father, so that he could read it too, and waited for his reaction. In that note there were interesting things that surely his father would like to know, so he was patient and watched as his father's expression of seriousness turned into an expression of surprise.

— Byakuya's wife is a princess! — The king exclaimed and Kaien nodded.

— An exiled princess from Jetaiya. Apparently, the son of the Councilor not only befriended a prince, but also managed to win the heart of a princess. — Kaien began to move his fingers absentmindedly on the table, a concerned expression on his face. — The Lord of Maranni is withholding information; I'm afraid he blatantly lied to my brother when he went to investigate the rumors.

Isshin rested his arms on the edge of the table and interlocked his fingers, thinking carefully about what Kaien had said. Kaien just waited silently, he didn't want to say more because he knew that his father might get upset if he suggested that Ichigo might be plotting against them with the help of the Lord of Maranni.

— Do you think Ichigo will try to make a rebellion for the throne? — The king asked with doubt in his voice.

Kaien knew that his answer depended on what his father might think of Ichigo; he could make Ichigo look like an ambitious man or a victim of the situation. If Kaien said that Ichigo was planning something, and it turned out not to be true, Kaien would look like a man fearful of his own brother; and what mattered most at that time was to maintain his image of a good son in front of the king.

— No father, I don't think Ichigo will try that. I spoke to him before he went on his honeymoon, and he told me that all he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with his wife, in a quiet way. I don't know if he lied to me, I prefer to think that my brother was honest with me. — Kaien lied. — On the other hand, it is not known since when the Lord of Maranni has been related to the royalty of Jetaiya; and from what I've read, Jetaiya was Maranni's main ally before the conquest.

Making an accusation and a direct attack on Ichigo was not a good idea; Kaien preferred to do the same thing Masaki did to him, attack a weakness. Killing Ichigo was a good option, but making him suffer was a better one; especially because it will make Masaki suffer too.

Next chapter: Friday

Many thanks to everyone who read the story and has been following it. Special thanks to those who commented, I always take into account what they say for the story.

Greetings to diah77, Ichirukitrash4ever, jobananasan and Gman [Thank you Gman for staying here, I hope you continue to like the story]