The Nightingale
Chapter 59: The Kuchiki girls
Spring — x493 / June 8
Her violet eyes; the immensity and the universe within them. Light, life and love. So perfect and unique that, even if he went back to look for them in the universe, he would not find so much perfection together.
The first time he saw those eyes was not on the road as the soldier headed for the castle with the message of victory, but when King Isshin was crowned. He was a child at that time, too young to remember those details that at that age were not yet so important.
The first time he saw her, she was sitting in the garden in the company of a woman who took care of her and he was being cared for by another woman who made sure nothing happened to him. He sat next to her in that garden and shared that candy that was nothing more than a slice of apple covered in caramel.
— You have beautiful eyes. — It was the first thing he said to that little girl, with all the innocence that was in him; so smiling that he did not find anything wrong with that sentence or in approaching her to better see that violet color that shone so much.
— You too. — That little girl answered, who had not moved from her place but who did not need to move. That boy was so close to her that she could see that honey color, like the caramel that covered that slice of apple, with all the clarity in the world.
If they could remember that moment in the past, then they could say that it was fate; but neither of them did.
The innocence of that little boy was changed by the tattoo on his back, and the youth of that little girl changed those sweet memories for any other more bitter experience.
It had been just a moment, a small and unique one, but since that day that little girl liked apples and caramel, and that little boy had unconsciously searched for those eyes again.
Destiny.
Ichigo outlined that beautiful nose, eyebrows and eyelashes with the same softness with which something that is unique, fragile and perfect is treated; it was a touch with something that could almost be called adoration. Rukia slept in his arms, so softly and soundly as if she hadn't slept in a long time; as if she finally felt at home, protected, safe and happy.
He had missed her madly, every part of his mind and heart missed her to the point of seeming painful, and yet, when he saw her there, standing in the middle of the night, in that hallway dressed in his shirt as the only garment to sleep in, barefoot and with her hair down, the only thing he could think of was that perhaps he was dreaming of that moment again.
Only the emotion and happiness in those perfect violet eyes reminded him that this was not a dream, because reality was even more perfect than fantasy and it was inevitable to hug and kiss her at that moment.
"The kingdom before life", but Rukia was his kingdom and his life, and nothing else mattered but her at that moment. Rukia was right, it was because of her that the universe saw a sunrise every day, because without her… without her there would only be agony and chaos.
It was late and he took her to bed, but he didn't make love to her. Not like he used to on those passion-filled nights when every part of them screamed for each other's skin.
Ichigo made her sit on the bed, he knelt down in front of her, and kissed those delicate feet one by one, in a silence that was only broken by breathing and the sound of the wind; he put his forehead to them in an attitude of apology for the delay in returning and then kissed her knees and her hands. He kissed until he reached her cheeks, her nose, and her eyelids.
A kiss, a caress, a sigh and a smile, all for every night they spent away from each other.
Rukia kissed Ichigo's hands, she did it with the softness of butterfly wings flapping in the wind, she kissed each of his fingers and kissed his lips with the same softness as cotton; she kissed his cheeks and his eyelids, making him feel with every touch that need to prove that he was real.
Rukia let him know, even without saying a word at the time, that just like him, she had dreamed of that reunion and that she wanted to verify that what was happening at that moment was real.
Rukia woke up wrapped in the warmth that Ichigo's body gave her, that warmth so pleasant and sweet that it made her feel loved and protected.
He truly had returned.
"The kingdom before life", Rukia had thought when they told her that Ichigo was in the king's area, that the first place he had gone was to the king's area and not with her. For a moment she felt her heart break at that distance and she ran out of her room wanting to see him and claim why he didn't go to her, to his kingdom, but seeing him there, with clean clothes, with damp hair and a smile on his lips, she forgot that she was angry with him.
She felt foolish, she felt naive and she felt immensely happy.
Ichigo smelled clean although she wouldn't have cared that he was sweaty and covered in dirt, in the same way she would have hugged him, kissed him and loved him in silence with all those caresses.
He was asleep, and Rukia took advantage of that moment to gently caress his face again, with the longing and happiness of knowing that he had come back to her and that they were together again. She wanted to wake him up to tell him that they would travel to Vayalat with the twins, that they would travel in the summer, but at the same time she wanted him to continue sleeping, for him to rest next to her and to feel safe and protected in her arms.
There would be time later for the news.
Spring — x493 / June 20
Yuki had the privilege of the house for being the first of this new generation of the Queen's Court to be in the castle. She was the first to choose a bed in that enormous place that had been arranged as a bedroom for all the guests, and she was the first to accommodate her things as she pleased.
As the day progressed, the other guests arrived one by one, sometimes in pairs, but always accompanied by their own maid who would take care of them because all those girls belonged to the 13 Great Families of the kingdom and should be treated as such.
Rukia had made it clear to Yuki that this court was not like the previous ones. It wasn't an invitation to study and serve the queen, it wasn't an invitation for some girl's luck to change if a prince took her to bed for a few days, nor was it for someone moderately important to set eyes on them.
That court was for Prince Kaien to have wife options and for the future crown princess to be chosen from among the Great Families of the kingdom.
"None of them are your friend, it doesn't matter if they smile at you; they all have the intention of attracting Kaien's attention. They were educated and trained by their families from the moment the invitation reached them, and they know exactly what they are coming for."
All those girls had been to the queen's court before, all those girls knew each other from somewhere and Yuki knew that put her at a disadvantage. The only thing that made her happy and relieved was that her aunt's niece Nadeshiko was there, and her relationship with her was tolerable. Yuki knew that she had to have allies in that court or she wasn't going to get very far whether she had Rukia's support or not.
The Kahya entered the room closely followed by Riruka, who was dressed similarly to the Kahya, and all the girls in that room immediately bowed to Mrs. Retsu.
The Kahya smiled at the excellent education of the girls and led them all slowly to the queen's room, because it was essential to appear on the first day so that the queen could see and evaluate them; besides that it was the moment in which the rules of that court would be dictated in a clear way for everyone there.
Yuki didn't expect to see Rukia in the queen's room just as she didn't imagine that Rukia would be sitting to the right of the queen, in a clear display of position and power within the castle and the kingdom, so the surprise on her face was genuine.
Each and every one of the girls kissed the queen's hand and bowed respectfully to Rukia, who responded with a smile and, on some occasions, discreetly greeted one of the guests.
When it was Yuki's turn to kiss the queen's hand and bow to Rukia, Rukia's voice came to her mind like a memory: "If it's not you, it will be someone else. I honestly prefer it to be you."
Yuki realized that Rukia knew more people than she thought and that she apparently had friends whose birth position was really valued; all those girls belonged directly to the 13 families, and from the way they had been presented to the queen, Yuki could tell the last name that each one had.
Again, Yuki thanked the Deities that Rukia had chosen her to support her in her quest to become the new crown princess, and she promised herself not to doubt Rukia's advice or disobey her because just as Rukia supported her, she might as well decide to support someone else.
Yuki was not stupid; she knew that Rukia was looking to place someone in the prince's bed and make her the crown princess. Rukia used to say that she didn't want to be the queen, but it was very obvious to Yuki that Rukia wanted to put someone in that position; someone she could manipulate to her whim.
Freeing Maranni and breaking The Agreements of the Fall seemed more like an excuse than a soul's desire, but Yuki wanted to be queen, and if she had to play along with Rukia, she would.
The web in the castle was big, coarse… and dangerous.
— Welcome, my dear girls. — The queen spoke, getting up from her seat. The Kahya was standing by the door and Rukia sat in her seat, watching everything with a friendly expression on her face.
— Thank you for your generosity in inviting us again, Your Majesty. — All the girls answered.
— All of you have grown up and become beautiful women. You are the beautiful roses that will adorn my private garden. — The queen opened her arms in a maternal gesture, without losing her smile. — know you know the reason for this invitation. The kingdom does not wait, life does not wait and decisions do not wait. The crown prince needs a wife and you have been called because you are the most beautiful women in the kingdom, the smartest and whose luck was to be born within the 13 Great Families of the kingdom. Prince Kaien is expected to choose one of you as the next crown princess, the one who will take my place when the right time comes and be the mother of a future king. Your only job will be to keep me company, cultivate your mind, and look beautiful. You know the rules, give yourself the value you deserve and don't let the prince play with you because you know what will happen if someone thinks that getting to the prince's bed first will ensure a wedding with him.
All the girls nodded without looking up too much. Yuki just looked at that black bracelet that Kaien had given her a couple of days ago, and again Rukia's words sounded in her mind.
"Get into his heart, get into his bed, and then get pregnant. You will become the new crown princess, you will become the future queen and you will be able to do what neither my father nor I could do: set Maranni free. But you must get into his heart, or it won't do us any good if you become his wife if he doesn't listen to you."
They all returned to the large room that would be used as a bedroom after a few more words from the queen, and as soon as they were alone, they immediately began to talk about what they would or would not do, how lucky or unlucky they were to be there.
Some of those girls had a marriage proposal and their families had still sent them to the castle, because catching the crown prince was better than any lord's son. Yuki felt sorry for them but at the same time she knew who to make an ally of, because the less girls wanted to get close to Kaien, the better for her.
Yuki already had Kaien's attention and that bracelet was proof of that.
Due to the situation with Nelliel and the Kuchiki family, staying away from Kaien was actually a good idea. Rukia had told her that if she wanted to attract Kaien's attention, she had to avoid seeming desperate to be with him.
The instruction was simple: avoid him.
And that's what Yuki did all this time, avoid him as much as possible.
When they were close, Yuki bowed to Kaien and reduced eye contact as much as possible. She would blush and lower her eyelids slowly from time to time or give him a smile, but she never spoke. That was somewhat difficult for Yuki, because all she wanted was to get closer to Kaien so that no one could get ahead of her and make him fall in love.
It was at the spring dance that Kaien first cornered her and questioned her for avoiding him like that all the time; he also reminded her that they were friends and that right now he needed a friend. Yuki had the grace to appear nervous at this closeness, but she accepted that the time they had been friends had been pleasant and fun.
And again they became friends.
The day that bracelet arrived, Rukia had Yuki reject it and return it to the prince. Yuki got angry but Rukia assured her that refusing such a gift from the prince would make the prince interested in her.
"You are not a flower that he can pick from the field, you are a great prize that he must get. Prince Ichigo broke off the engagement but I seduced him, gave him a couple of kisses and returned to Maranni, distanced myself from the prince and made him believe that I would not return. So when I got back to the castle, he was waiting for me with a ring older than any kingdom and a marriage proposal because he realized that he couldn't live without me." Rukia said, as if an evil plan had worked perfectly.
Yuki doubted that speech for a moment, because she knew that Rukia did not want an arranged marriage and would have done the impossible to break it and return to Maranni; but she also admitted that she hadn't been with her all that time and wasn't sure what Rukia had or hadn't done. Rukia never really talked about what was going on in the castle or her feelings, or anything that was really important.
What Yuki did not doubt was that the events had indeed been that way, the prince broke off the engagement, Rukia returned to Maranni and, when she returned to Adelaar, she engaged again with the prince.
Whether Rukia's confession of reality was true or not, it didn't matter because what happened between Yuki and Kaien was really what Rukia had told Yuki it would be. Prince Kaien cornered her a second time and questioned her as to why she had refused the gift.
That day, Yuki saw Kaien's anger again in those beautiful green eyes and had to work up enough courage not to say that Rukia had forced her; she must follow the plan if she wanted to be queen.
"This has no ulterior motives, you are my friend. It is a gift for a friend." Kaien had said that time and Yuki responded with something that made Kaien's anger disappear.
"Being your friend is enough for me, Your Highness. I don't want anything else, I'm happy this way." Those words weren't entirely Yuki's, it was Rukia who had said that sentence but Yuki remembered it and said it at the exact moment.
"But it makes me happy to give you this." Kaien insisted, and right there he placed the bracelet on her.
Before leaving, Kaien kissed the back of Yuki's hand making her blush but at the same time leaving her trembling with that primitive fear that has stayed in her mind since the day Nelliel broke her hand.
Yuki might be an unscrupulous woman who was conning the crown prince, but the pain she felt when her fingers were broken would be something that would keep her on her toes forever.
— Yuki.
One of the new girls called out to her. Yuki realized that she was lost in her own thoughts and was absently stroking the bracelet Kaien gave her. She immediately looked up and recognized one of the girls from the Cifer family, relatives of Ulquiorra and Nelliel.
— What's going on? — The confusion in Yuki's voice was noticeable.
That afternoon she had not only heard the queen's speech, but also Rukia's speech that rang in her ears with an eternal echo.
— Do you know what happened between Prince Kaien and Nelliel?
That question caught Yuki off guard, although deep down she knew that they would ask her that sooner or later; she just didn't think they would ask at the time. Yuki lived in the castle when everything happened, so she was the only one in that room who should know everything that happened with details and gestures, and it was natural that they all wanted to know beforehand what not to do if they wanted to be the new crown princess.
Yuki thought for a moment, she was forbidden to talk about it, so it took her a moment to find an answer that would work for all those girls, and then she smiled.
— Nelliel made the mistake of thinking that Princess Rukia was her enemy. — Those words baffled the others in that room. Yuki smiled. — I advise you not to make that mistake. I did it once and… I don't intend to do it again. It's not the queen you should fear, it's Princess Rukia.
That last sentence made everyone silent for a moment. They had all seen Rukia sitting next to the queen, with a friendly expression and a smile on her face; Yuki's words didn't match what they had seen, but they immediately diverted the topic of conversation.
Yuki stayed on her bed and again fixed her gaze on the bracelet, remembering the way Rukia used to adjust that white diadem on her head when speaking in front of the mirror.
"I'm married to the second most powerful man in the kingdom, I live inside his heart and mind; what I say, he listens. What I want, he gives it to me. If I wanted to start a war, he would ask me for a date. If I wanted to kill someone, he would ask me for a name. If I wanted to be the queen, he would become the king just to give me the crown. I'm the one who controls the kingdom and its peace, but I don't want to be the queen, I don't want that crown and I don't want a war. I want you to be the queen and do what neither my father nor I could do. I'd rather it be you than anyone else."
Yuki looked at the court girls, some of them talking about Rukia in an animated way again and making plans to spend a few days with her. Yuki just sighed while thinking that if those girls saw the Rukia she saw, they wouldn't be so happy to spend time with her.
Rukia was at that time, a potential tyrant.
Summer — x493 / June 22
The queen had a preference for having parties on specific days, and her favorites were the days when the seasons changed their names. The farewell party for the girls from the queen's court was in the spring, and at that precise moment, the welcome dinner for the new girls was on the day that summer began.
Kaien used to make fun of that with Nelliel and tell her that the queen only did it to save on the expense of having to throw parties all the time. Nelliel laughed at those comments and defended the queen claiming that they were magical and mystical days, and that it was good luck to honor them that way. Kaien used to reply to Nelliel that the queen was infecting her with her crazy ideas, and then they would both laugh a little more about something.
At that moment, Kaien missed Nelliel's laugh.
— Thank the Deities, Your Highness, you've been eating well and have gained weight again. For a moment we feared that you would get sick of something really serious. — Commented one of the servants who were helping him get dressed.
Kaien nodded and appreciated that gesture of concern.
It was no secret to anyone that ever since he returned from Visnia, he had stopped eating and locked himself in his room, only going out on days that were absolutely necessary. He was upset and he was sad, but most of all, he was alone.
The king was still listening to him but there was something about him that seemed different; he had not stopped favoring him but something had changed in the king. One proof was that the king himself ordered that the queen's new court be formed specifically to get him a wife, and he did not like that, but he couldn't refuse because his father was still angry with him and it was better not to provoke the king's wrath.
One of the servants placed the crowned eagle on his chest and the outfit was complete. In the mirror Kaien could see the crown prince of the kingdom, the future king of Avanta and the Blue Mountains, and he had to force himself to remember why he originally wanted to be king so he wouldn't give up right now and go find Nelliel.
Kaien wanted to be the king so he could get revenge on Masaki for what he did to Miyako and his son.
Giving up at that point was simply giving Masaki what she had always fought for Ichigo, and he wasn't going to afford to make that mistake. The cards were already dealt and all that remained was to play. Besides, no one would give up a kingdom for love, those were stupid and ridiculous ideas, and that's why he still didn't fully trust that Ichigo didn't want the throne out of love for Rukia.
Rukia was beautiful, and Kaien was not going to deny that once in a while he had fantasized about her in bed. Ever since he heard her moan in Ichigo's office, one afternoon when he came over to talk about some things, the echo of her pleasure-laden voice wouldn't leave his mind. It didn't help either that he had seen her come out of there licking her lips thinking that he didn't see her.
Just imagining what Rukia could do to him with those lips made him hard.
Kaien had to divert those thoughts to another direction before leaving that room; he didn't want to ruin his pants. So he took a deep breath, calmed his passions again and left that room with a calm and easy step, only to meet Ichigo on the stairs that led to the exit of the king's area.
Ichigo was dressed in full Second Prince honors and had that cynical smile on his face that Kaien had learned to recognize as Ichigo's true smile.
— Excited to meet your harem, big brother? — Ichigo asked with amusement and mischief in his eyes.
— I'll make sure my next wife doesn't want to kill yours. — Kaien replied with that same sly smile.
It was a cruel joke, but Ichigo laughed at that and gently shook his head.
— You better make sure this new wife does last you a bit. We need an heir to the kingdom and you're taking too long, big brother. Just because I can't have kids with Rukia yet, or I would have made you an uncle by now.
Ichigo's words, along with that cynical smile on his face, made Kaien want to punch him in the face but he held back. They both made comments like that to each other all the time, but neither of them did anything else, neither wanted to end up in a fist fight.
Kaien had to admit that Ichigo's punches hurt strangely.
— Better play with your hand and not with your neck, little brother. — Kaien made an obscene motion with his hand making Ichigo laugh before they reached the room.
Kaien knew that Ichigo didn't show his laughter or that side of him in public.
Ichigo looked like he was going to say something, but from one moment to another he fell silent and Kaien noticed that they had already reached the dance hall, so evidently Ichigo would return to his the role of good son.
Kaien was getting headaches from Ichigo's personality changes.
They entered the banquet hall together and walked a section of that aisle, each with their usual expression on their faces. Ichigo with that bad man look that Kaien had learned to recognize as Ichigo's favorite mask, and him with his kind and charming smile.
— And to your left, older brother, your harem. — Ichigo wasn't smiling when he said that, but the expression in his eyes told Kaien that this seemed too funny to his younger brother.
They were repeating that scene, only this time, the cynical bastard there was Ichigo.
Kaien looked away from Ichigo and looked at where the new ladies of the queen's court were supposed to be with curiosity. Twelve girls who were there for him, all wearing perhaps their best clothes and jewelry to attract his attention. Kaien gave them that charming smile and saw how all the girls blushed at that gesture; all except Yuki, who instead of blushing seemed jealous.
And he liked that.
As well as the fact that she was still wearing that bracelet.
—
Rukia entered along with Ichigo's little sisters, who were really excited and not exactly because of the dance. Karin had received a letter from the Second Prince of Jetaiya with the reply to the letter she had sent, and the prince promised to meet her at Vayalat to discuss the terms and conditions of their future relationship in person before traveling to Adelaar and asking the king for her hand.
Rukia was almost sure that Ichigo was going to kill Koga and the Second Prince of Jetaiya when he found out what was going on between the Second Prince and Karin; however the queen was happy about that and probably the king would find a way to take advantage of this union.
— My princess of Maranni. — Ichigo greeted her when she reached the table where they were supposed to sit. He helped her to a sitting position, then sat to her left to whisper discreetly in her ear. — You look beautiful in that dress, you will look even more beautiful when I take it off later.
Rukia turned completely red at that statement and pinched Ichigo's leg under the table for saying that. That was not the place to have that kind of talk, there were too many people and someone could overhear them by mistake; besides, Ichigo's tone of voice didn't help her not to think about that.
— If you had pinched a little higher, I would have gotten you out of here by now. — Ichigo said again with a suggestive tone, trying not to draw too much attention, and made her touch him under the table. Ichigo was hard and Rukia had to hold back the urge to bite her lip, because then Ichigo was really going to get her out of there. — I'm not lying, you look beautiful like this.
Rukia decided that she couldn't be the only one in trouble and subtly stroked him before removing her hand and reaching for her fan to get some air and chase away the heat; although the only thing Rukia thought about at that moment was Ichigo cornering her against anywhere and taking her mercilessly.
In the last days they had done it so many times, that she still didn't understand how they could walk without problems, both of them.
— Later, I'll put lip balm. — Rukia commented naturally, looking at Ichigo who smiled at that statement. — Look, I think I have them dry. It must be because of the heat.
— You know what, I can't let your lips be like this. I'll help you put it on. — Ichigo commented getting up from his seat to help her up.
Rukia smiled at that and, before the confused look of the king and queen, who were talking about something they weren't interested in, and Kaien, who was practically sitting next to them, they walked away.
They left through one of the side doors of that party room and walked to a dark area where there were no people. Rukia quickly took out the love balm and put it on her lips before backing Ichigo against the wall and kneeling before him.
— My princess, here? — Ichigo asked without stopping her as she opened his pants.
— Turn off the lights, hide us and don't make a sound. I can't leave you like this the whole party, I do it for your health, my prince.
Ichigo did as Rukia asked, he used the Shadow to make all the torches go out and the place darker than usual, and Rukia smiled before using her mouth to pleasure him. She heard Ichigo curse and gasp, and it made her mentally smile as her mouth and tongue continued to make him gasp.
Rukia could hear the noise he made with his throat as she pleasured him; she could taste Ichigo's fluids in her mouth as she continued to pleasure him that way, sucking a little more just because she liked the feel of Ichigo tensing in pleasure. She couldn't see him at the moment because of the darkness, although her eyes were getting used to the gloom, but she could hear him trying to stifle her gasps and not holding her head to set the pace.
— Rukia… stop… — Ichigo gasped after a while but Rukia didn't stop, but continued her work before she felt him pull her away from him. — It's my turn.
Rukia was going to protest but in truth Ichigo cornered her this time against the wall and pulled up her dress with such urgency that Rukia could only spread her legs and moan when he entered her. Her body was ready to receive him, and when she felt him inside her, filling her completely, she could only curse at how damned pleasant it was to do it in this place, with the danger of being discovered.
It was indecent, immoral and fucking pleasurable.
Ichigo kissed her, not caring what she had been doing with her mouth earlier, and Rukia just held on where she could as she smothered the moans to Ichigo's lips and lifted her hips so he wouldn't stop. Ichigo thrust into her so hard it made her stand on her toes from time to time.
— My Sun… — Rukia gasped feeling like she was about to reach paradise.
— My Moon, I will not stop... give me what is mine.
Ichigo's voice, in something that was a mix of gasp and growl, made Rukia close her eyes at the wave of pleasure that swept through her body at that moment. Rukia felt Ichigo give in to the pleasure inside her, and they stayed in that position until their hearts settled.
Rukia's legs were shaking when they returned to the ballroom and she found Ichigo more attractive than usual at that moment. She knew that when it was safe to walk away from this party, they would both end up in a room and do it again.
Rukia paled when the queen asked if everything was alright, but Ichigo was the one who responded by commenting that they were admiring the beauty of the moon. Rukia hadn't even realized if there was a moon that night or not, but that answer wasn't exactly about the moon.
The king called the butler and ordered him to start with the protocol of the introductions of the young ladies.
All the guests took their seats, the music turned soft, and the Ladies of the Queen's Court prepared to be escorted before the king for the formal introduction. Kaien took his place, on the king's right, between Ichigo and the king, and Ichigo got up from his seat, leaving him free and sitting on Rukia's right.
That was not supposed to happen, they just had to go through the seats, but the positions had to be the same. Rukia realized what Ichigo did at that moment and smiled; he was making it clear that she was more important than him. Ichigo took Rukia's hand and visibly laced her fingers with his, not caring at all, and Rukia actually smiled at that moment.
They then introduced the first girl, who bowed to the king and queen, the princesses, and last to Kaien and Ichigo.
Kaien responded with a nod to show respect, but the girl, turning to see Ichigo, blushed. Rukia didn't like that, but before the anger could be drawn completely on her face, Ichigo kissed her hand in front of that girl and the girl immediately looked down and walked away.
Rukia smiled at what Ichigo did, and from then on, he didn't let go of her hand. Rukia just looked at the girls with a calm expression, knowing that Ichigo would give her place to any of them who tried to see him with other intentions.
—
After the introductions, and seeing how Kaien smiled charmingly at the girls who introduced themselves to him, Yuki felt her level of jealousy rise a little more. It didn't help that the girls started commenting on how really handsome Kaien was, nor that they said that what just started that night was a competition between those who truly wanted to be the new crown princess.
The only reason Yuki hadn't left that table was because the girls started commenting that they were a little scared of Rukia. The way she looked at them was clearly a polite threat, though one of the Cifer family daughters brushed it off saying that it was natural for Rukia to feel threatened by the presence of women much more beautiful than her.
— I bet you I can make Prince Ichigo fall at my feet during my time here. — That girl spoke, confident in her charms, and some others followed her joke laughing with her.
— While you try to get Prince Ichigo to sin between your legs, I'll concentrate on getting Prince Kaien to put an engagement ring on my hand. — Another girl spoke laughing some more.
— I am satisfied that he puts one of his hands on my neck while he shows me what love is like in the royal family. Just looking at him makes me hot. How will he look without all those clothes?
Yuki heard that last and got up from the table closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She discreetly left the ballroom, leaving behind all those girls who were starting to talk about Kaien and how he would look without clothes, and she went to one of the balconies that overlooked one of the gardens that were in the castle.
She gripped the balcony railing tightly, and closed her eyes trying to calm down.
— Calm down Yuki, don't lose your cool. Those girls came with the intention of making the prince fall in love or at least sleeping with him. It's natural for them to think about how he would look naked. It's scandalous and obscene, but relax Yuki. You don't want to see him naked, you don't want to see him naked...
— Don't you want to see me naked? I don't know how to interpret that, I think it hurts my ego. — Kaien's amused voice behind her made her fall silent at that moment.
Yuki turned on her heel not really wanting to see if Kaien was there, but when she realized that he was standing behind her, the color of red completely covered her face. She did not hear him arrive and never imagined that he would be behind her at that moment.
— No! No, your highness, I didn't mean that! — Yuki didn't know what to say or where to hide. She did want to see Kaien naked, but she had to control herself or everything could go wrong.
— So, do you want to see me naked? — Kaien asked with that charming smile and Yuki covered her face because she didn't know what else to do.
Kaien laughed heartily at that reaction and Yuki didn't know where to hide so she turned her back on Kaien to try and catch her breath and breathing. Her mind was in chaos and she wanted to scream, it wasn't supposed to be that way tonight, she was supposed to be charming while they danced formally and told him that she was happy to be his friend.
— I didn't mean to embarrass you like that. — Kaien apologized after a moment. — It was just something I had to do seeing you so angry. Did anything those girls say bother you? Because I can get them sent home and end their dreams of being princesses tonight.
Yuki thanked the Deities that the prince was not looking her in the face at that moment, because hearing that sentence made her smile when she realized that the prince was giving her that kind of power. Yuki calmed down a bit and turned to see the prince again, trying not to show her happiness at those words.
— No highness, it was just a moment of reality. — Yuki smiled nervously. — Everything is fine. It will be what is heard every day in the bedroom of the Ladies of the Queen's Court, only it caught me a little off guard.
— Are you saying demure ladies will talk about seeing me naked when they're alone? — Kaien asked with a tone of disbelief and amusement in his voice.
— About what you'll look like naked and much more, Your Highness. — Yuki confirmed looking away with flushed cheeks and caressing the black bracelet she had on her arm. — Many of them dream of becoming the crown princess, they also dream of what it will be like to be in your arms and those scandalous things that I don't want to repeat again.
Kaien approached her slowly, until he was in front of her and he looked at her curiously. Yuki blushed a little at the closeness.
— Do you dream of becoming the crown princess?
Yuki heard the doubt and curiosity in his voice. They hadn't talked about that topic, or that topic, or any other that was really relevant. They used to talk about the weather, parties and food; but of nothing that was really important like the kingdom.
Yuki met Prince Kaien's eyes and then gently lowered her gaze. She subtly stepped back and grabbed her own hand, the one Nelliel had hurt earlier.
— I dream of a quiet life, a little comfortable if it's not too much to ask...
Kaien took the hand that Yuki had been subtly protecting and raised it to eye level. Yuki didn't resist but she didn't turn to see him, that wasn't her acting anymore, that was her being herself; and she herself trembled at the memory of when Nelliel broke her hand.
— It was this hand, wasn't it? — Kaien asked with a tone of voice that Yuki couldn't identify. She didn't look up, just nodded. — Is it because of this hand that you don't want to be the crown princess?
Yuki closed her eyes and kept that weakness inside her, then gently removed her hand from Prince Kaien's hand. It was just a second of herself and nothing more.
— I think we should get back to the ball, Your Highness. — Yuki whispered with every intention of avoiding that conversation. — They can think badly if someone sees us here...
— Yuki.
The hiss in Kaien's voice told Yuki that he wanted an answer to his question.
Yuki considered for a second to tell her the truth, to tell her that she did want to be the crown princess, but Rukia's voice and that conversation they had echoed in her mind reminding her that she must be the prize that Kaien wanted to obtain.
She had to use what happened to her hand to her advantage.
— It was three fingers, I heard them break one by one; perhaps it was the most intense pain I will feel in my life. The queen's doctor said if I wasn't careful I might lose them, but I was lucky and they healed well; I didn't lose them. — Yuki spoke looking at her hand, caressing the three fingers that Nelliel had broken when she stepped on her hand. — It was a very high cost for a kiss, Your Highness.
— It was my fault, I shouldn't have...
— It doesn't matter now, your highness. — Yuki smiled, doing what she knew how to do best; pretend she was taking all the blame. — Also, if I think about it, it was a good kiss and I have something that the others don't have.
— What thing?
Yuki approached Prince Kaien and hung onto his arm casually; Kaien immediately took the correct posture so that she would be comfortable.
— I'm his highness's friend, and no matter what happens to the girls in the Queen's Court, as long as I'm his highness's friend, I'm happy.
That statement made Kaien smile and Yuki smiled back. Kaien started to walk together with Yuki to the ballroom calmly until he stopped before they crossed the entrance; then Yuki turned to him, a little confused and curious that he had stopped.
— Wait a minute. — Kaien muttered turning to look at Yuki with an expression that Yuki found amused, but Kaien definitely wasn't. — Did you just turn me down?
— Oh! Look what time it is, your highness! I think they're going to serve dinner, I think I'll go ahead.
Yuki let go of Kaien's arm, walked quickly into the room and sat down again in her place.
Luckily no one seemed to have paid any attention to her absence and they seemed to be still deep in some kind of conversation that Yuki didn't care about at the moment. She was more concerned that she had just rejected the prince and abandoned him on the balcony than listening to a bunch of girls talk nonsense.
The game that those girls had said they had started was a game they weren't even aware they didn't know how to play. Yuki wanted to laugh nervously but she tried to calm down, she had to calmly think about things because eventually she would have to dance with Kaien that night and she had to have an excuse to give him for leaving him there.
Yuki managed to calm down and enjoy the dinner, which really was delicious, and avoided rolling her eyes every time she heard one of the girls say that with that food they would get fat and look horrible. One of them even claimed that it was perhaps a test from the queen to see if they were modest when eating.
Some more said they would only take a bite of each and leave the rest on their plate because they didn't want to get bad breath when it was their turn to dance with the prince. Yuki, just wanting to see what those girls would do, ordered another helping of dessert, and she had to hold back her laughter hearing how shocked the girls were to see her eat like that.
— The positive side of this is that the prince is not going to notice you. — One of the Cifer girls commented mockingly. — I think we can rule out the first one now.
— I don't want to become the crown princess. — Yuki lied with that naturalness that was in her while the servants took away the plates with the desserts that those girls had refused. — But Prince Kaien likes vanilla cinnamon cream, and it just so happens that it's the dessert that was served today and that you just refused.
The girls panicked upon hearing that, but one of the Cifers just made a dismissive noise with her throat, as if she didn't believe what Yuki had just said.
— You lie. You could only know the prince's favorite foods if he had ever shared a table with you and had confessed it to you.
Yuki laughed quietly at that and ate the last of her dessert.
— You are right, I'm lying. — Yuki said moving the spoon. — Or maybe I don't. Can you imagine that the prince has decided to invite only those who ate dessert to dance? I ate two, maybe he asked me to dance first or twice.
— It's ridiculous.
Yuki just shrugged her shoulders and sat in her place, looking at the party guests, who were practically all the residents and regular visitors to the castle, and some relatives of the girls who stayed there.
When all the plates were removed and the trays with sandwiches were placed on the tables, it was when they formally started the dance; because that presentation was nothing more than a great dance to celebrate the summer.
Yuki watched as the girls adjusted their clothes, their hair, even their jewelry, knowing they had to make a good impression, and again she had to hold back the urge to laugh at that. Yuki also wanted to know who the prince would invite to dance first, maybe he had gotten upset with her and would leave her last, but it was something that Yuki couldn't say for sure. Throughout dinner she avoided looking at the prince's table although the girls said he glanced in their direction from time to time.
The prince got up from his seat and went to the table of the Ladies of the Queen's Court, all of them were nervous, or almost all of them, and Yuki just sat well in her seat until the prince stood in front of her.
— My dear Yuki, start the dance with me. — Kaien said with that charming smile and that amazing voice as he held out his hand to her.
Yuki blushed but soon accepted the prince's hand, without turning to look at the girls at the table so as not to ruin the moment, although she would surely have a bad time later. Kaien led her to the dance floor and held her tightly around the waist as he held her hand before the music began.
— You definitely hurt my ego today more than anyone in this castle. — Kaien commented with that charming smile. — I don't know how I should feel. You rejected me, you don't want to see me naked and you left me alone on the balcony.
Yuki blushed. She had time to think of an excuse and a good lie to tell him.
— And if you had tried to kiss me, I would have hit you, Your Highness. — Yuki added laughing a bit before the music made them separate for a moment.
— Really? — Kaien asked narrowing his eyes.
— Yeap. — Yuki smiled because she could see a hint of anger in that look. — Your highness, you may be the crown prince, future king, but I already have someone to kiss me. And they don't break my fingers from kissing him.
Yuki felt Kaien's grip on her waist tighten but she didn't show that she felt it; she didn't know if it was jealousy or something else, but she liked that.
— And who is he?
— A Maranni soldier who came with my brother's guard.
— You reject me for a soldier? — The disbelief in Kaien's voice made Yuki internally happy. — Is that why you've been avoiding me?
— Uh… yep.
— You know I could get him relocated and you'd never see him again, right?
Yuki could taste the jealousy in Kaien's voice at that moment, but she was careful because she had to show a scared expression; that was supposed to be a threat, and a very strong one. Kaien was threatening to send her boyfriend away from her so he could kiss her safely.
Yuki had Kaien where she wanted.
— I trust your highness will not. — Yuki carefully looked away just as the piece of music ended. — Thank you for giving me the honor of dancing with you, Your Highness.
Yuki bowed to him but Kaien grabbed her arm and, in full view of everyone, led Yuki away to a secluded area where they couldn't be seen or heard. She at that moment thought that she had really offended the prince, and was about to speak and apologize, when he cornered her against some pillars, held her tightly by the waist and kissed her.
He kissed her with something akin to violence, Yuki pretended to resist at first, trying to push the prince away only to realize that he was holding her tighter and trying to make her open her mouth. It was at that moment that Yuki relented and opened her mouth to let Kaien slip his tongue into it.
The kiss was intense, even more intense than the first one he gave her, and Yuki hugged him only to make that kiss even more passionate to the point where she let out a moan; that only made Kaien hold her leg and raise her a little to continue kissing her until it was impossible to hold that kiss.
— You see? I knew you were lying. — Kaien spoke with that charming voice but without letting go, letting a very soft gasp be heard in his voice. — You didn't hit me, you even liked it.
Yuki mentally cursed, apparently Kaien was also playing with her and she had to be careful. As she was agitated, Yuki put her hands on the prince's chest to make him move away from her.
— This is not right, Your Highness. — Yuki whispered causing Kaien to release her. She took advantage of Kaien taking a step away from her and she took a little further away from him. — Actually, it's not right. I don't… I'm sorry, your highness.
And that time, Yuki really walked away avoiding looking back. She didn't want a night of pleasure with the prince, she wanted the crown and she had to play her cards right if she didn't want to expose her hand before her time.
Upon reaching the bedroom, Yuki began to pace from one side to the other, she knew that if she had continued that kiss she might have ended up that night in Kaien's bed. Leaving him this time was possibly the riskiest move she had ever made and she needed to mentally prepare herself to be ignored by Kaien.
He had said it, she had hurt his ego and insulted him.
She had chosen her actions and she must continue the game she had started, she must calm down or she could lose everything. Yuki wanted to scream but she held back and she decided it was better to take off her dress and put on her nightwear.
— You!
Yuki was finishing brushing her hair when one of the girls, the ones who did want to be the crown princess, came into the room completely annoyed. Others entered behind her, it seemed that the dance had ended soon and Yuki had a bad feeling.
— What?
The girl grabbed her by the shoulders, Yuki didn't fight back but suppressed a wince. Her skin wasn't as delicate as Rukia's, but she had a feeling there would still be marks from that rough grip the next day.
— What did you do to offend Prince Kaien? — The girl asked. Yuki felt how that girl dug her nails into her painfully while holding her.
— Nothing, I didn't do anything to him. — Yuki replied closing her eyes. Again, she remembered what Nelliel had done to her the time she kissed Kaien, and again, Yuki was afraid. — I haven't done anything to offend him! Let me go! You are hurting me!
— And I'm going to hurt you more! You ruined our night! The prince came back angry about whatever you did to him and then left the party! — The girl yelled at her. Yuki kept her eyes closed. — Now tell me what you did to offend the prince!
For a moment, Yuki was afraid to open her eyes and find Nelliel there.
— I rejected him! — Yuki yelled with her eyes closed, in a fear she didn't know at the time. — I rejected him, I rejected him! Let me go!
The girl released her in disbelief and walked away from her. Yuki felt her soul return to her body, and carefully, she touched where she had been held tightly, finding blood on her fingers. The girl who had held her had actually hurt her.
Yuki was scared, fear and pain mixed with the memory of what Nelliel did to her and her hand began to shake; Yuki couldn't help but see her fingers stained with her blood. Without saying anything, she left that room bound for the queen's doctor's room; she didn't listen if the girl apologized or cursed at her, that didn't matter to her at the moment.
At that time she Yuki felt afraid.
Summer — x493 / June 23
A servant knocked on Kaien's bedroom door that afternoon, snapping him out of his thoughts about what had happened the night before. He wasn't even going to question why he did it, he just wanted to do it and that's it, but being rejected made him angry. It was as if the Kuchiki girls had agreed to reject him, first Rukia and now Rukia's clone.
Kaien gave permission to enter and the servant entered carrying a small box and a paper in his hands. Kaien allowed the servant to approach and hand him what he was carrying, and then allowed him to leave the room.
He recognized the box, it was where he had sent the bracelet to Yuki, and when he opened it he noticed that inside was not only the bracelet but also that small ring that he had given her the previous year. That just made him angrier. He took the note next to it, knowing beforehand that it would be a ridiculous excuse as to why she was rejecting him, but he started reading it anyway.
—
Your highness, your kisses hurt. Every time you have kissed me, I have suffered an injury and as I said last night, it is a very high cost for one of your kisses. I return your gifts and I return your friendship, which although it is fun, could not bear another injury. Ignore me if you want, don't talk to me again if I've offended you, I won't judge you. I don't want to be the crown princess, I just ask you not to send my soldier away from me; at least his kisses don't hurt so much.
Yuki.
—
Kaien read that note over and over again, and the anger in his gaze deepened so deeply that his brows drew together. He crumpled up the note and held it in his hand before calling out to one of his servants, who rushed in as fast as his feet would carry him.
— Find out who hurt Miss Yuki, and when you find out, bring her to me. And bring Miss Yuki to my room, now!
The servant nodded and left that room. Kaien left that box with the jewels on a small table. He was completely annoyed, he didn't understand what was the point of bothering Yuki in such a way. When he found out who had hurt her, his fury would be terrible.
The servant arrived a moment later with Yuki, who was plainly dressed and seemed to avoid his gaze as much as she could. She bowed to him and stood away from him, not looking up.
— Who was? Who hurt you? — Kaien asked, not masking the anger in his voice.
— It's nothing serious your highness, it was my fault. — Yuki replied without looking up. — The doctor already checked me out and says that everything is fine, that it's not serious, so no...
— I asked you who it was and what they did to you.
Yuki hesitated and slowly turned around letting him see her back. Kaien stood there, watching as Yuki slowly opened her clothes and exposed one of her shoulders for Kaien to see. Yuki didn't speak and Kaien walked over to see what she was showing him.
Someone had held her down hard enough to leave bruises from the grip, and nails had dug into her skin. Kaien tried to touch her wounds but the moment he brushed against Yuki's skin, she instinctively backed away from him.
— It's on both shoulders, isn't it? — Kaien asked. Yuki just nodded, without saying a word, and she straightened her clothes again.
Yuki returned to face Kaien, without looking up.
— Who was? — He asked again, completely annoyed.
— Nobody, your highness. — Yuki whispered. — It's not important.
— Of course it has! You are my friend and someone dared to hurt you!
— You have nothing to worry about, Your Highness. It's fine like this, they won't bother me anymore. I told them that I did not want to be the crown princess and that I would not stand in the way of those who did.
Kaien tried to get closer again and Yuki avoided the touch without looking up. Kaien stared at Yuki, still not understanding why they would hurt her for getting close to him, that was ridiculous and yet the girl had the wounds on her skin. Someone within the Court had hurt her after the ball, someone who already believed they had a right to what was going on in the castle.
He let Yuki go without further question, and Yuki bowed to him before leaving the room. He was silent again, thinking what would have happened so that someone ended up hurt the first night.
When his servant returned, as expected, he brought no answers and no blame. Kaien was tempted to send a message to the ladies of the queen's court, warning that anyone who dared harm Yuki would be expelled immediately, but he didn't.
Yuki was a Kuchiki and, although her presence within the court gave her the possibility of becoming his wife, Kaien was aware that the king hoped that he would not choose her. The matter with the Kuchiki still caused him some discomfort, and it was preferable to keep them away from the political power of the kingdom as much as possible.
—
Rukia was upset and the headache wasn't helping her.
Yuki brought her more trouble than she wanted, but she had to deal with that; that's why Rukia asked that Yuki not be included in the court, but the queen had said that she should be there because she was part of the Kuchiki family and she was old enough.
Likewise, Rukia intended to make Yuki the crown princess and have her do all the work for the agreements and Maranni, so being inside the court or not was irrelevant if she had Kaien's attention.
— Open the door. — She asked the servants, who were currently guarding the door to the bedroom of the Ladies of the Queen's Court. Riruka was with her, always one step behind her.
The servants did so, and one of them introduced her causing all the girls to rise from their seats and bow to her. Rukia had talked to the queen and she had given her so much power, that really Rukia could do whatever she wanted, even punish the ladies of the court because she would be the one in charge of them.
Rukia wasn't planning to use that power until she got back from her trip to Vayalat, but apparently, she couldn't even have any free time without problems. The Rukia who entered there was the princess, the woman with power that she was meant to be.
— I can't believe a simple and beautiful dance could end this way. — Rukia began to speak, some of the ladies lowered their eyes, but the Cifer girls looked at her with superiority in their eyes.
Rukia stood in front of them, and the girls didn't look down. Rukia narrowed her eyes.
— I imagine that many years have passed since your stay here, and the rules have changed. — Rukia spoke looking at the Cifer girls. — So I consider it necessary to remind you of the rules that govern the castle at this time. In front of the royal family, the gaze is lowered as a sign of respect. No one has more power in this castle than the royal family. Any act that is considered an offense will be punished accordingly. Do not confuse courtesy with trust, not everyone here has the privilege of calling someone from the royal family "friend". How many rules have the Cifer ladies broken so far, Riruka?
Rukia could see the surprise in Nelliel's family, but she didn't smile.
— One, your highness. They have not lowered their eyes in front of her presence. — Riruka answered from behind the Cifer girls. — The punishment is to kneel them in the sun during midday.
Rukia nodded.
— Tomorrow they will be punished for it.
— Your Highness, I must tell you that we have known the rules of the castle long before you were here, and I must tell you that you do not have the authority to punish us. — One of those girls answered with a smug smile.
— Right, I wasn't done talking. — Rukia walked away from the Cifer girls and stood in front of all of them. — From today, I will be in charge of watching over you, taking care of you and punishing you if you misbehave. All under the queen's orders. So yes, Miss Cifer, I can punish you. I remind you that here no one is more than anyone else, all of you are exactly the same; any mistreatment or offense between you, will be punished accordingly. From a day in the sun, like the Cifer ladies, to expulsion from court. Any questions?
No one spoke, but the Cifer girls didn't look down. Rukia knew that either they were leaving, or she was going to throw them off the cliff.
— Back to the matter of the dance. It's not Miss Yuki's fault that His Highness fixed his gaze on her, hurting her won't make His Highness notice you, on the contrary, it might cause His Highness to even ignore you. His highness takes into account the humanity and goodwill of people, and I assure you that he will not choose a cruel person as his wife. — Rukia paused. — So if you really want to be the new crown princess, don't go through life thinking you have something you don't. This castle is a monster, and not everyone survives inside.
Saying that threat, Rukia turned around and headed for the exit followed by Riruka. The girls said goodbye to her, except for the Cifers, and the door closed. It was then that Riruka looked at Rukia curiously.
— Rukia, your highness… are you really going to punish the Cifers?
— Of course. Tomorrow prepare everything for them to kneel on the cliff. One of them hurt Yuki.
— I thought you didn't love her and that's why you asked us to bother her in court.
— Let's say I forgave her a bit, but we still have to lower the Cifer's ego. They're relatives of Nelliel, so it's pretty sure they want to go after Kaien no matter what.
— Do you think it's family revenge?
— No, rather they want to make Nelliel see that they are better.
Special regards to: diah77, jobananasan and Nikkiebelles
Next chapter: Saturday/Sunday