The Nightingale

Chapter 49: Manipulators

Autumn — x492 / October 5

When Raiza entered Adelaar's castle, she didn't do it as the Ladies of the Queen's Court do or as the daughter of an important lord who was invited; Raiza entered the castle as one more maid of the service. To be specific, Raiza was the nanny of little prince Ehan, son of Crown Prince Naim and his Inamorata.

At that time, Raiza was already 17 years old and was brought to the castle on the recommendation of a Lady who had her employed caring for her children. That Lady hoped to win the favor of the Crown.

Naim was the heir to the throne and son of the Queen's Favorite. At that time, the first time he saw Raiza, he was 20 years old.

Crown Prince Naim was born following the traditions of inheritance. The queen had fallen ill and with her body weakened by illness, she had been unable to give birth to a child, so she turned to the Queen's Favorite. An heir had to be born, and that's what happened.

His own origin was never hidden from Prince Naim; perhaps that was what helped him to be a good man in the beginning, because when his Inamorata became pregnant, following the laws of the inheritance of princes, the girl stayed in the castle with the baby.

Raiza was the babysitter for that baby.

Prince Naim could marry whoever he wanted, and although it seemed that he was going to marry the mother of his son, Raiza's constant presence caused the prince's attention to focus more and more on her. All of this got to the point where Raiza started receiving gifts from Prince Naim under the excuse that he was grateful for her taking care of his son.

Raiza, when she was young, was really beautiful.

Although she was just a girl who grew up on a farm taking care of her little brothers, she had paid attention to the classes they gave in the schools and had enough manners to look charming and wild at the same time; in addition to sufficient knowledge to care for young children.

Her fate changed one night that Prince Naim could no longer contain his desires for her, and declared his intentions to her.

Raiza was clear about her position and knew that she would only be a lover for the prince, and even so she agreed to become his Inamorata, defying all the rules of the castle; she was a maiden, not the daughter of an important lord.

The mother of the prince's son was not kicked out of the castle, but they had to get a new nanny, and Raiza began attending classes inside the castle. Those were not good times for Raiza because the daughters of the lords despised her when they saw her.

The Inamoratas used to marry Lords or Military Chiefs, so Raiza had to learn everything they taught her in the castle in the shortest possible time, because having the attention of a prince did not ensure her permanent stay in the castle. The prince had not yet chosen who to marry, and the fight for his attention was overwhelming; although Raiza never had to wait for his attention. The prince was really fascinated with Raiza.

Naim could choose not to marry, but the throne was inherited by bloodline and marriage, so his children could not inherit the throne if he was not married to the mother of his children. The throne would be inherited by his cousin, or by the son of his cousin; though that didn't bother the crown prince either.

One situation was being just another bastard, and a completely different one was being a bastard adopted by the queen, who was born from a favorite of the queen as a resource for the king to maintain his lineage.

There must always be a queen.

But Naim did decide to marry, and one summer day, in the palace of the Sun of Visnia, he proposed to Raiza with the ancestral ring of the family.

When Isshin was born, Prince Naim gave Raiza two gifts.

The first gift was that he enforced the rule of bastards and sent his son, and his son's mother, back to their hometown. Prince Ehan ceased to be a prince, and when he reached the necessary age, he would be inducted into the army. The rule of bastards was clear, and that was the way to get rid of bastards with honor.

The second gift was the farm where she had grown up and which was off the property registers of the kingdom.

That farm was the same farm where Rukia was laughing at Ichigo, Renji, and Uryu's inability to catch a chicken.

That farm had been registered in the name of Ichigo and Rukia Kurosaki, and it was a gift from the queen mother to them, for when they wanted to escape the routine of the world for a couple of days, because the crown that they wanted to obtain would be really heavy.

Autumn — x492 / October 6

Isshin was in his room, looking out the window at the forest that was beginning to change color and thinking about everything that had come down on him in that year; everything seemed to go very fast and he had not realized when the year was beginning to come to an end.

Autumn was felt more and more in the environment, because along with the change in color of the leaves of the trees, it was also beginning to feel colder inside the castle due to the sea.

The king kept thinking about the fate of Ulquiorra.

The king could not stop thinking about the fact that he had to exile the child that he cared for since he was little and that he saw grow up, and he did not stop thinking about the look of Lord Cifer when he embarked on that diplomatic trip.

— If I die on this trip, you will take care of my children, my old friend. — Lord Cifer's voice had that mixture of amusement and concern. All trips were dangerous and both men knew it.

— Impossible! You'll be back before the end of the year and we'll go hunting! — Isshin replied trying to lighten that parting.

Both men said their goodbyes, the ship sailed, and Isshin returned to the castle with both children.

Ulquiorra and Nelliel's parents did not return, they could not even find their bodies, and Masaki adopted those two children as her protégés.

Ulquiorra was older than Kaien and for a time, when Kaien was little, he followed Ulquiorra everywhere; Isshin got the impression that Kaien viewed Ulquiorra as some kind of older brother. Even when Kaien started training, it was Ulquiorra who helped him with his training.

Isshin, the king, could understand the reason for Ulquiorra's exile, but the father could not understand why to impose such harsh punishment; Isshin, the father, wanted only a demotion from General to soldier, but the king wanted an execution.

Decisions were tough when it came to close and dear people.

Isshin sighed and the image of Nelliel pleading for her brother's life returned to his mind; even Kaien had gotten up to go to the Dome, although he was not supposed to walk, so that the Councilors would hear that he did not want to proceed with the execution sentence.

In the end, after a long talk with the Councilors, it was concluded that if they couldn't kill him, they should at least punish him; and Kaien suggested exile as punishment. Everyone accepted that sentence except Nelliel, who did not want to lose her only family.

— Your Majesty. Prince Ichigo is entering the castle grounds. — Said one of the servants from outside the room.

Isshin stopped looking out the window and pushed his thoughts about Ulquiorra away to focus on those that included Ichigo. It had been more than two months since he left, and although Isshin wanted to draw his attention for taking so long to get back from Visnia, he felt he couldn't. Ichigo had done a good job sending the reports he requested, following the tour as specified, and ensuring that everything was according to how it was supposed to be; even Rukia had been doing a good job as the queen's representative.

— I'll see him at the office. — The king replied after a few moments in silence. — Let the queen know that her son has arrived.

Isshin was eager to see Ichigo, because the only thing that had come to his mind upon hearing that he had arrived, was the assassination attempt against Ichigo.

No one in the castle knew it, nor did Kaien know that detail, much less the queen because Isshin was sure that Masaki would take a horse and go to Visnia the moment he told her; all after blaming him for being a bad father.

When Isshin received the report from his spy, it seemed that the matter had been treated as secretly as possible. They didn't even tell him what had happened, neither Ichigo nor the Queen Mother reported anything to him, and when he sent a letter demanding an explanation, he only received a brief reply where they assured him that Ichigo was going to explain everything to him.

It was all so suspicious that part of him wanted to go to Visnia and find out what had happened, and another part of him assured himself that everything was fine and that everything had an explanation. In the end he consoled himself by telling himself that if something terrible had happened, they would have informed him; after all, his own mother was there.

It was only a short time since Isshin arrived at the office until Ichigo walked in and bowed, showing him due respect.

Isshin knew that his son did that because he saw him as the king and he couldn't help but compare him to Kaien, who only showed that kind of respect when they were in public and when they were in private their relationship was as common as that of a father and son.

— Your majesty, I'm back. — Ichigo announced. Although it was obvious, Isshin smiled because it was something Ichigo had always shown when he was a child; he always advertised himself that way.

"I have returned", "I'm here", "I have arrived"; it was like listening to Ichigo again when he was a child, before going to Vayalat and deciding not to return. Isshin wondered many times why he had beaten Ichigo like that, why he had pushed his own son away in such an aggressive way, just because of a map.

Isshin didn't understand it and he didn't understand himself.

— My son. — Isshin replied, and walked over to Ichigo to hug him in a way he hadn't done in a long time.

It was not that formal hug that he had given Ichigo on his wedding day, but a real hug, the one that parents give their children when they are really happy to see them. Ichigo didn't respond to that hug right away, he wasn't expecting it and even when he hugged him back, Isshin felt him cold and distant; perhaps confused.

— Your Majesty, is everything alright? — Ichigo asked at the end of that surprise display of affection.

Isshin wanted to scold him like when he was a child, claim him why he was so cold with his own father, but he didn't have the courage to do it; he even held his tongue at that moment knowing that he himself was the one who caused Ichigo to be like this. Before speaking, Isshin remembered the time Ichigo saw Kisuke and the way he hugged him, as if Kisuke was his real father.

Suddenly, Isshin felt jealous and miserable, and he wondered, since when had his own son stopped loving him.

— I would like to tell you that yes, everything is fine, but it is not. However, seeing you well and healthy makes my worries lessen. — Isshin replied walking away from Ichigo.

Ichigo sighed. They both took their seats, Isshin behind his desk and Ichigo in front of him.

— I imagine you are waiting for an explanation of what happened in Visnia, Your Majesty. — Ichigo started to speak and searched for something among his clothes that Isshin identified as crumpled paper. — I don't know how to explain it properly without looking like I'm blaming someone, I've even refused to believe that what is written here could be true. Your majesty, you would never do something against me, right? Do I still have my father's effect?

Isshin was silent, his eyes widening in such surprise that for a moment he seemed to see Ichigo as a child, when he asked him if he believed that he had not broken the map.

— Ichigo... an attack against you is already a serious matter, why are you asking those questions?

— It wasn't an attack against me, it was an attack against my wife. — Ichigo placed the paper he was still holding on the desk and allowed the king to read the contents.

Isshin froze as he read what he had written on that paper. He couldn't believe that something like that was written along with his seal, but above all, he couldn't believe that someone would have believed that those misspelled sentences came from him just because the seal was there.

Many things happened in his mind, each idea was worse than the last, and he could not find a way to get his words to flow from his mouth again. Endless possibilities formed in his mind in that instant, but there were only two people besides him who used to enter his office freely.

At that moment Isshin could understand the question Ichigo asked him before giving him that role: in Ichigo's mind, the incident on the map was still present. Ichigo was afraid to say something and that his father would not believe him, because of the two people who used to walk into his office, one was Ichigo's mother and the other was Kaien.

Masaki would never harm her own son, and Isshin didn't want to think that Kaien would have sent such a ridiculous order.

After a moment of silence, when Isshin could calm his mind, he put the paper aside and looked up. Ichigo's gaze was lowered, staring at his fingers and playing with his Commander—in—Chief ring.

— Ichigo. — Isshin spoke and Ichigo looked up. Isshin saw fear in his son's eyes.

— We stopped the archer, he was an archer of the castle. We questioned him and all he said was that the king had sent him. — Ichigo explained. Isshin did not see the Commander—in—Chief of the kingdom, he saw his son and he saw him scared, taking care of every word he said. — The Queen Mother gave the order of execution when she decided that the archer would not say anything important.

Isshin nodded silently. His mother had taken care of everything in Visnia, leaving it to him to find who was responsible for such infamy. It didn't matter if Rukia was the daughter of a traitor or not, she was a princess and what happened in Maranni with the Kuchiki would be treated with absolute secrecy.

He had already taken too much of his own son to take away his lifemate.

— I definitely will. I'll find the person responsible for this, don't worry my son. — Isshin promised making Ichigo nod.

— Thanks, Dad. — Ichigo rose from his chair and bowed once more to the king, indicating that he would leave.

Isshin got up and spoke again. He still had to update him on Ulquiorra's situation.

That day, Isshin could not stop remembering the childhood of all the children of the castle; including his own.

—

The Adelaar Castle was originally a castle that over the years spread more and more until it became an immense city, however they still called it "Adelaar Castle" because that was its origin.

The queen area was perhaps one of the largest areas of the castle, it had two gardens and many rooms. On the ground floor were the bathrooms, the laundry and the classroom where the Ladies of the Queen's Court took their classes, also a couple of rooms for the queen's trusted maids. On the first floor, going upstairs and crossing a corridor, were the rooms belonging to the ladies of the Queen's Court, guests of the Queen and the Kahya; and on the second floor were the private rooms of the queen and the princesses.

No man could enter that area, except for the king and princes, because their wives lived there. The security of the queen, whose private guards had come with her from Vayalat, was absolutely impeccable; those men only obeyed the queen.

The layout of the floors was the main reason why Nelliel often bumped into Yuki in the corridors and corridors. Every time their paths crossed, Yuki would bow to Nelliel with such respect that she even avoided looking up and hid her injured hand. That gesture of respect and fear pleased Nelliel and made her smile, because it meant that the girl had learned her lesson.

Kaien was with her and the girl had moved away.

The only thing she didn't like was that Ulquiorra would be exiled. As much as she had insisted to Kaien not to give her brother such a punishment, Kaien couldn't do anything; that had been the king's last word. Ulquiorra would live, but no longer within the kingdom, and if he ever set foot in Avanta again, he would be executed at that time.

Even the queen, who had protected them all their lives, seemed to no longer touch the subject and focus on what they had to do for the Celebrations of Souls. Nelliel wanted to continue to insist, but it seemed that after Ulquiorra's new sentence was passed, the matter had been settled and life in the castle returned to normal.

Nelliel had no choice but to go back to work and help the queen. Rukia had not returned to the castle, Orihime had resigned after what happened with Ulquiorra and the sentence was given; there wasn't much that could be changed.

— Your Majesty, I believe that this year we should attend the Mass of Souls at the temple of the Deities in the city. — Nelliel suggested as she went over some things concerning the Celebrations of Souls in the queen's private office with Queen Masaki.

— You are right. This year the princes got married, and both you and Rukia must begin to be seen as the future of the kingdom. From all of you will come the next generation. — Queen Masaki supported, without much emotion in her voice.

— Rukia hasn't been here in two months, I don't know if people are happy that she hasn't attended some meetings or done some activities. — Nelliel commented, knowing that she was held in high esteem by all the Ladies.

The queen looked at her and put aside a paper she was reading earlier; Nelliel had the impression that the queen wanted to say something but that she held back.

— It's a problem, she's supposed to be the People's Princess, and she hasn't been with the people. The popularity of her is not very good, in fact. Some people don't even know her, they have only heard her name and that's because her last name is Kuchiki. — Nelliel commented, taking advantage of the silence in which the queen had remained.

— Rukia will have to learn to deal with these problems. — It was the only thing the queen said and she went back to the papers she was reading previously. — I think this year we will give chicken at the community meals for the first three days and the Kahya will call the usual cooks. We will go to the mid—day Mass, so that you, Rukia and the princes can help distribute food to the people. With that we will begin the Celebrations of Souls.

Nelliel thought that the queen would talk about Rukia but it was only a comment that did not transcend and she continued talking about the Celebrations of Souls. The queen talked about the guests that year and the meals they would need; also on the way in which the celebrations would continue in the days until the last day of the burning of the candles to light the way of the souls for the return to the paradise of the Deities.

They were talking about a few more topics when the Kahya entered the queen's private office with a smile and bowed before the queen.

— Your Majesty, Prince Ichigo and Princess Rukia have returned to the castle. They are currently passing through the gates of the palace grounds.

The smile that spread across the queen's face was incredibly bright when she heard that Ichigo and Rukia were in the castle; even her eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness. Nelliel's smile was forced, she didn't expect Rukia to come back. For a moment Nelliel had thought that Rukia would not return and that was why Ichigo had taken so long to return.

— Does the king already know? — The queen asked getting up from her seat quickly.

— The king knows this and requested that Prince Ichigo come immediately to his office. — The Kahya explained.

— Okay, tell Rukia to come here as soon as she arrives. — The queen, who immediately forgot what they were talking about the Celebrations of Souls, sat back in her seat behind her desk. — It's just over noon, they must have traveled since dawn. Ask the cooks to prepare some sandwiches and something to drink, and also have Rukia and the prince's room ready for their break.

The Kahya nodded before leaving the queen's office.

Nelliel began gathering up the papers she had worked on without saying a single word; she kept her expression as neutral as possible so that the queen couldn't read her emotions. She had so many things on her mind, that Rukia's arrival wasn't something that made her really happy.

— What are you thinking about? — The queen asked her, also arranging a few papers and pens. — You're very serious. Doesn't it make you happy that Ichigo and Rukia are back?

Nelliel was surprised by that question and then smiled slightly embarrassed.

— It's not that, your majesty. It makes me happy that Ichigo and Rukia are back, it's just that I was thinking that I summoned Rukia. A few moments ago we were talking about her and she just arrived. — Nelliel commented, handing the queen the papers that she had gathered. — The power of words sometimes surprises me a bit.

The queen agreed with his words and smiled again. Nelliel had no doubt that the queen was really happy to know that her son and Rukia were back at the castle.

Rukia entered the room moments later, she was wearing a really beautiful blue and white dress, decorated with gold thread and matching shoes; all of her looked really beautiful and radiant. Nelliel immediately recognized the fabric of that dress, she had seen it in the Palace of the Sun once, when the Queen Mother bought it to make a dress; surely Rukia's dress was the Queen Mother's dress fitted to her size.

Rukia also had a small cloth bag hanging from one of her wrists.

— Mother! — Rukia greeted, with a radiant smile, approaching Queen Masaki to kiss her hand.

— My dear daughter. — Queen Masaki replied truly happy.

Nelliel, hearing that Rukia called Queen Masaki "mother", was completely shocked. Of all the privileges Rukia had, calling Queen Masaki "mother" was one that Nelliel could only have when Kaien became king. That was a slap to Nelliel, because Queen Masaki had never given her permission for her to call her "mother."

Rukia could call Queen Masaki "mother" because she was Ichigo's mother, by extension, her mother—in—law.

— Crown princess. — Rukia bowed to Nelliel, without losing the happy smile on her face, and took the cloth bag that hung from her wrist to hand it to Nelliel. — Oh! The queen mother sends this for you.

Nelliel took the little bag, which was really beautiful, and opened it to reveal a small container sealed with wax, along with a small wooden spoon. Rukia, meanwhile, sat on one of the empty chairs in front of the queen's desk.

— What is it? — Nelliel asked curiously, not intending to open the container but admiring the queen mother's seal on the wax.

— It is powdered ink, you just have to add two parts of powder, one part of water and one part of vinegar in a container, and it will be ready to use. — Rukia explained with a huge smile. — The Queen Mother also sent an ink container to Kaien, they are black. The Queen Mother says they are really brilliant inks, which do not fade or dissolve easily.

Nelliel didn't know what to think, but she appreciated the gesture without paying much attention to it. The queen mother used to give strange things as gifts sometimes. Rukia took a small amber vial from a pocket in the skirt of her dress, sealed even with wax, and handed it to the queen.

— Your majesty, this is lavender essence from the lavender fields of Zhilen. — Rukia said.

Queen Masaki took that vial and opened it, letting the aroma fill the office; Nelliel had never smelled lavender as strong as she did now, and she felt a stab of envy.

Queen Masaki thanked the gift, resealed the bottle and the conversation began to flow about everything Rukia had done during her tour of the cities. It was at that moment that Nelliel realized the extent that Rukia had had while "suspending" her honeymoon to tour the cities with Ichigo.

Nelliel boasted that she had won the affection of the people of the city, but Rukia had eaten, laughed, and walked with the wives of the Great Lords and their families; Nelliel felt that Rukia was usurping her place as the queen's representative.

When Rukia was commenting on how excited she was to go to Eikaran to do the tour with Ichigo, Nelliel reminded her that they had to plan the Celebrations of Souls. Rukia wailed, the queen comforted her and a few moments later they started talking about everything that had to be done.

—

There were two things Kaien wanted at the time, the first was to be able to get out of bed and go about his daily activities; and the second was to have Ulquiorra executed.

Kaien had no intention of letting Ulquiorra be exiled, even though it was he himself who suggested the sentence; as soon as Ulquiorra was freed, he would send Nnoitra to get rid of him.

Ulquiorra had no business meddling in his affairs, much less hitting him like that. If it weren't for the fact that he promised Nelliel he would save him, he himself would have brandished the sword to cut off the head of his brother—in—law.

Kaien felt betrayed by Ulquiorra, and traitors and insubordinates must have exemplary punishments so that no one would have the courage to repeat such actions. He felt sorry for Orihime, but he was sure that Ichigo would be happy to know that his mistress would no longer have a husband and could sleep with her again whenever he wanted; after all, Ichigo had given Orihime a house with those intentions.

— Your Highness, you have a visitor. — Announced one of the servants who guarded his door interrupting his thoughts.

— Come in.

His body had not fully healed, and as he sat on the bed, he felt a slight pain in the ribs that were injured. Kaien cursed Ulquiorra under his breath and listened as the door to his room was opened allowing the guest to enter.

Ichigo entered the room, a mocking smile on his face and playing with the laces of a small cloth bag on one of his fingers.

— Cursing is rude, big brother. — Ichigo commented without taking his eyes off him.

Kaien rolled his eyes thinking about when the roles had been reversed and Ichigo had taken his place, using that mocking smile and that pose of superiority. Kaien knew that Ichigo was just like him, he had shown it many times, only that Ichigo preferred to pretend that he was a "good son" and Kaien played along.

— Wow! I did not imagine that you would come to visit me as soon as you arrived. — Kaien commented wryly. Ichigo was not the type to visit his injured brothers, although he had no way of verifying it, it was something Kaien suspected.

— And miss out on making fun of you because Ulquiorra beat you until he broke your ribs? — Ichigo asked with a mocking smile before tossing the cloth bag at Kaien. Kaien caught it but winced again at the sudden movement. Ichigo smirked seeing him complain and Kaien cursed him in a whisper. — Your grandmother sent it to you.

— Now is she my grandmother? — Kaien asked, opening the bag and noting that inside was a small container sealed with wax and a wooden measuring spoon. — What is it?

— Well, she is my grandmother, but I share her with you for this moment because you are hurt. — Ichigo replied and stood next to Kaien's bed. — It's powdered ink; you know, two from powder, one from water and one from vinegar.

— What a generous grandmother. — Kaien put the Queen Mother's gift aside. — Just to make fun of me and give me this you came, or do you want something more?

Kaien felt irritated seeing Ichigo smiling in such an arrogant way, as if he was enjoying seeing him hurt.

— You're a crybaby! Step aside. — Ichigo sat on the bed next to Kaien, settling his back on one of the pillows that Kaien had been using a few moments before, and crossing his legs. Kaien stepped aside reluctantly giving his space. — Yup, I came here for something else. You see, they already brought me up to speed on the situation with Ulquiorra…

— And you come to ask me to reconsider my position and not spare his life so that you can sleep with Orihime again? — Kaien asked, raising an eyebrow with a mocking smile.

Ichigo was making jokes and he was really happy; that was strange to him, that most of the time he was serious. Kaien didn't trust Ichigo, although whenever they spoke there were such comments.

Deep down, they were a couple of children who did and didn't want to share their own toys.

— What a lousy image you have of me, big brother! — Ichigo's indignant voice made him laugh.

— It was not me who gave a house to his Inamorata. — Kaien reminded him of that detail.

— I'm not the one with broken ribs for not knowing how to hide his mistress. — Ichigo said that, but now he wasn't laughing anymore, he was just grinning with superiority.

Kaien rolled his eyes.

— I just gave her a kiss. — Kaien defended himself. That was the most fluid conversation they had had as brothers up to that point. Kaien narrowed his eyes before speaking maliciously. — The girl is pretty, and she looks like Rukia. If I close my eyes, I might fantasize that the girl is Rukia.

Kaien thought that Ichigo was going to get mad, that he was going to insult him and that he was going to get out of bed, but instead, he just looked at him seriously and then laughed.

— Oh! You're a bastard, big brother. — Ichigo was still sitting on the bed next to Kaien, but this time he had a dangerous smile; Kaien was an expert at such smiles. — Rukia is my wife, and you can fantasize all you want, but you will never have her. I'm not here to talk about my wife, or yours, although I personally don't like Nelliel… anyway, I'm here to talk about Ulquiorra. Do you want me to kill him?

Kaien was silent, a bit surprised by that question he didn't expect from Ichigo, and didn't know what to answer at that moment.

— The king has already decided the punishment that Ulquiorra will have. — Kaien replied an instant later, still a bit confused; doubting if the man next to him was Ichigo or not.

This offer to kill Ulquiorra was tempting, but it could be a trap; Kaien didn't fully trust Ichigo and his smile. It was like looking in a mirror, only Ichigo was really cheeky.

— It's okay! I get it! — Ichigo got off the bed and adjusted his clothes. — I wanted to kill Ulquiorra as a peace offering from me to you, to make it clear that I really will no longer be the stone in your shoe on the way to the crown.

Kaien laughed out loud.

— Can I believe you, little brother? — Kaien asked raising an eyebrow. — Maybe you want Ulquiorra dead so you can stay with his wife.

— Also that. After all, I gave her a house and if I want to be with her, I would just have to leave the castle with any excuse. If my wife doesn't see it, then she doesn't have to suffer. — Ichigo replied with a sly smile shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

— I'm going to tell Rukia what you're saying now. — Kaien threatened him with malice in his eyes.

— Tell her, she won't believe you. — Ichigo assured as he headed for the door to leave. — My wife trusts me and will believe what comes out of my lips. — Ichigo looked at him one last time before exiting. — Can you say the same for Nelliel?

Ichigo gave Kaien one last mocking smile and left the room. Kaien cursed Ichigo silently; if Ichigo told Nelliel what he said about Yuki, he would be in trouble.

—

The bells of the temple of the Deities had sounded their last peal moments before Ichigo left his room. It was really late and throughout the day there was no resting at all, nor had he seen Rukia since they arrived at the castle.

Ichigo was surprised at how much he had gotten used to Rukia's constant presence with him and found himself missing her throughout the day. While he was speaking with the king, with Kaien and with Ulquiorra, even while he was touring the training grounds and saw that his group of elite soldiers were getting better and better trained; he had missed her.

He missed Rukia so much, that while he thought about her, his steps led him to the entrance of the queen's area. The guards stood with halberds, guarding the entrance, but stepped aside to let him pass; surely his mother had given that order.

Before, he had to sneak through the queen's security corridor to see Rukia, but at that moment, he could go straight to her without any problem.

He walked slowly up the stairs and corridors until he reached Rukia's bedroom door; he knocked a couple of times, in a gentle way, and it didn't take long for him to see the door open, revealing Tatsuki on the other side, letting him in. Rukia's maid bowed to him and left the room leaving them alone.

The room was only lit by a couple of candles, so when Ichigo turned his gaze to Rukia's bed, he could see that Orihime was lying there, asleep, with Rukia gently stroking her friend's head. Rukia, seeing him, nodded for him to go to the balcony of the room whose door was slightly ajar, letting in the cold sea air. Ichigo nodded and when he reached the balcony he discovered that there were a couple of pillows in that place; maybe Rukia and Orihime had been chatting there during the afternoon.

— Could you change something? — Rukia asked in a whisper. She was barefoot and Ichigo didn't hear her get to where he was, but he didn't panic, he just stopped seeing the night sky.

They both leaned against the balcony railing, facing each other to see from time to time Orihime who was in bed. Ichigo sighed.

— Only Orihime's situation. — Ichigo replied in a whisper, taking Rukia's hands that were warm and smelled of lavender. — Being the heir to Eikaran, her marriage would be annulled. I managed to get the king to leave it to them to decide whether to annul their marriage or not.

— If they decide they don't want to annul their marriage...

— It means that Orihime also chose exile.

Rukia gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, taking a breath so deep it was audible. Ichigo knew that Rukia was really angry; nothing Orihime was going through was fair to her. They were putting her between a rock and a hard place.

— It's all Nelliel's fault, no matter how I look at it, it's Nelliel's fault. — She squeezed Ichigo's fingers for a moment. — It's my fault too. I feel so… miserable.

— It's something that we couldn't foresee. — Ichigo took Rukia into his arms and hugged her tightly. — Whatever it is, it's done. Now we just have to face the consequences and look for solutions.

Rukia nodded silently and hugged Ichigo tightly.

— Orihime is devastated. She doesn't know what to do and I didn't know what to say to her. — Rukia paused. — She also blames Nelliel, and at no time did she blame me. She knows everything, and yet she doesn't blame me for anything… I'd feel better if Orihime blamed me for something.

— Orihime is really a good person. She has endured everything we have done and has helped us. She doesn't deserve this. — Ichigo commented and gave Rukia a kiss on the forehead before ending that hug. — I spoke with Ulquiorra in the afternoon. His release will be in a few more days and he will be exiled from the kingdom, and I was thinking of sending him with the mercenaries.

— With the mercenaries? — Orihime's voice sounded from the balcony entrance. — Why with the mercenaries?

Orihime had woken up when Rukia got out of bed, but she had been lying down listening to the conversation. At that time she was standing, she was also barefoot and her eyes were red from tears.

— I don't trust Kaien and I'm afraid Ulquiorra won't even be able to leave the kingdom after he sets foot outside the castle. — Ichigo confessed. Rukia closed in on Orihime. — Would you go with him if I send him to the mercenaries? Would you follow Ulquiorra to the end of the world if you had to?

Rukia's face reflected a surprise Ichigo didn't expect to see. Those questions were too forceful for the situation they were going through.

Orihime was silent for a moment in which only the noise of the sea was heard in the distance. Ichigo was sure that Orihime had asked herself those questions several times since the sentence of exile was passed.

— I... I think... — Orihime was silent again. — Ulquiorra is everything I ever wanted, since I saw him on the Night of Souls, I knew that he was the one I wanted to spend my whole life with. I thought that I could never be with him, my brother was against Ulquiorra approaching me because he had nothing but a surname that did not support him; and then... then the Deities heard me and we were able to be together. I know Ulquiorra feels the same way I feel about him, but all of this became unbearable; life inside the castle is increasingly difficult. — Orihime took Rukia's hand and squeezed it gently. — If I have to go to the end of the world with Ulquiorra, then I will go with him.

— It will not be easy. — Ichigo warned.

— It will be easier than living inside this monster that is shaped like a castle. — Orihime replied, her voice cracking but resisting the urge to cry.

— Then I will send you to the end of the world along with Ulquiorra. — Ichigo took Orihime's free hand and kissed the back of her hand. — We have hurt you so much, Orihime. And you've been so good to us that the least I can do is return the kindness you've shown. Prepare your things, also Ulquiorra's; I will send a couple of Shadows to accompany them on the way, to make sure they arrive safely. I will write to your brother; he will not be happy.

— He will understand it in time. — Orihime whispered with a smile on her lips but with tears in her eyes. — I'm sorry that the whole plan of the false Inamorata failed. After this, I don't think my brother wants to help you.

— Don't worry, now that can wait. — Ichigo kissed Orihime's hand again, as a goodbye this time. — Escape from this monster and live with Ulquiorra.

— Thank you. — Orihime answered and squeezed Ichigo and Rukia's hand. Each one held her by one hand.

— I will miss you! — Rukia whispered and hugged Orihime tightly.

Ichigo could tell that Rukia's voice was affected by the feelings of that moment and didn't say more.

Autumn — x492 / October 8

That morning, it was Ichigo who made it to the cell where Ulquiorra was locked up, and it was Ichigo who released him from his lonely prison. Ulquiorra hadn't seen daylight or Orihime, he had only seen Ichigo and that because he was the Commander—in—Chief of the kingdom, and it meant that all the soldiers obeyed him.

— For all you have done for the kingdom, you can go bathing, put on clean clothes and eat well, before you leave the castle. — Ichigo explained. — After that, you will be exiled from the castle and the kingdom; if you ever set foot in this place again, you will be executed at that time. That is the will of the king.

Ulquiorra had the impression that it was not the king's will, but Kaien's, but he could only nod to what Ichigo was saying at the time. After that speech, he was able to get out of there and go to the bathrooms to bathe; there was a guard watching over him all the time, even when he walked to his room, after having bathed and eaten, the guard followed him.

He felt that they were afraid that he would escape, but he could not even walk well after leaving that prison. The blows and wounds that Kaien had inflicted on him had healed only with the blessing of the Deities, so it would take time for him to get back to his best physical shape.

Upon opening the door to his room, the soldier accompanying him stood outside, guarding the door, and met Orihime who immediately threw herself into his arms crying. Ulquiorra felt that all the coldness that had settled in his heart during his confinement vanished with that hug; he immediately embraced his wife and they stayed like that for a moment that seemed eternal.

He knew he had to say goodbye to Orihime, he couldn't put her into exile with him.

For a long time, Ulquiorra knew that he didn't have much to offer her and he became a General just so he could be with her; but in that precise moment, he felt that nothing he did worked because they could no longer be together. He would not allow Orihime to accompany him into exile; he couldn't give her that life, it wasn't what he had promised.

— Orihime. — He spoke and his voice sounded raspy. He hadn't spoken in a long time and his throat hurt a little. — I divorce you…

Ulquiorra didn't even finish that sentence, Orihime kissed him preventing him from speaking or saying anything else. Ulquiorra gave in to her wife's kiss, hugging her tightly and deepening that kiss as much as humanly was possible, until it was impossible to breathe.

— You won't get rid of me so easily. — Orihime whispered, whose cheeks bore the evidence of the tears she had shed at the time.

— Orihime, I cannot allow you to accompany me, I will not let you live in exile with me. — Ulquiorra spoke but Orihime put a finger to his lips to stop him from continuing.

— We will go together. To the end of the world if necessary.

Ulquiorra tried to make Orihime see reason, but couldn't. He didn't want to be separated from her, and deep in his heart he was grateful that Orihime didn't abandon him so easily.

Before the bells for noon rang, Ulquiorra and Orihime left the castle in a carriage that was owned by Orihime. Along with them were a couple of Ichigo's Shadows with the order to protect them from the dangers of the road. Ulquiorra carried a letter that he had to deliver when they reached their destination.

Behind, along with the sunset, was the monster that was Adelaar's Castle along with his sister, Kaien and 25 years of his life. Ulquiorra mentally apologized to his mother and father for not being able to continue to protect Nelliel as he had promised and for having made the mistake of allowing her to marry Kaien.

I leave you this long chapter, so you can enjoy this Christmas season. I thank everyone who reads and comments, you are the best. The author wishes you a Merry Christmas, if you celebrate; and if not, then wonderful days for you.