The Nightingale

Chapter 88: Tic-Tac

Winter — x494 / February 22

Rukia was lying on her own bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about anything that would distract her attention while Isane carefully checked her belly. That was the last checkup that Isane had to perform to discharge her properly and Rukia only hoped that the doctor would hurry up because she kept feeling like a ball of dough being kneaded.

— There are no traces of inflammation anymore and everything feels good. — Isane explained as she wiped the herbal ointment from her own hands. — Your blood seems fine and clots fast, you look good, and everything seems to be in order. You can now return to your daily activities, Your Highness.

— Finally! I was sick of having to eat liver and beets. — Rukia complained as she adjusted her clothes with the help of her maid. — That's all or does the queen have new plans for me?

— No, your highness. The queen does not intend...

— What? Hurt me?

Rukia's question came out too hostile. She wasn't in a good mood, not when Isane was the only one authorized to check on her and was responsible for her health. Not when she couldn't trust the doctor.

— Your Highness…

Rukia let out a weary sigh, sat back down on the bed and listened to the doctor give her instructions for her care; from the obligatory abstinence that she had to follow to the teas that she had to drink on time to make sure that everything in her worked correctly. They were the same care that she always had when she went to rest, everything so that her fertility would not be affected by everything they made her drink.

That topic still made her nervous because what Ichigo wanted most, after putting on the crown, was to have a family with her.

It didn't matter what speech he had made to her before he left on tour with the king, because with just the memory of his face the day they lost their son, Rukia knew that Ichigo was hurt by the loss more than he had expressed to her.

Isane left the room after saying goodbye and Tatsuki entered at that moment with Rukia's schedule for all the activities she had that day. Rukia carefully reviewed what she had to do, realizing that her workload had lessened and that for the rest of the month, she wouldn't have to leave the castle.

Many of the activities she was responsible for were related to the queen, so Rukia simply breathed and told herself to be patient. The queen was powerful and Rukia knew she had to be careful with the piece she moved.

Fortunately, the queen had trained her well.

—

Chika's camp couldn't be seen from her balcony in the White Palace, but she didn't need to see it for her to know that the North Gate had been taken by Chika and her men. Nor did one have to go down to the city and mingle with the common people to know that Chika had been seen drinking in taverns within the Black Market.

Chika had been clear in his position and promised not to make a fuss because his intention was not to harm his people or their property, all while the Malthai packed up her things to leave the White Palace together with the princess and the boy who had been crowned king.

It was a very clever offer because if he wanted to have the support of the people, he had to present himself that way, as someone noble and kind who presented a legitimate claim.

Everything was a mental game where Chika and the Malthai were the players, and the rest of the people were the pawns that they had to move with words that reached the heart.

The Malthai did not intend to surrender the kingdom to a dead man, so she sent an assassin to end Chika's life, but when several days passed and they did not get a response from that man, they assumed that the assassin failed.

Yoruichi had suggested to her mother that they ask Vayalat for help, but her mother refused saying that this problem was something internal and there was no need to involve other kingdoms.

"Do you know what Vayalat's help is going to cost us? No king moves from his throne out of love for his neighbor, no one goes to war without knowing that he is going to obtain a greater payment than is worth the blood of his people that is going to be spilled. All kings are mercenaries, don't forget that."

After those words, Yoruichi could only clench her fists helplessly, because she knew her mother was right. They had the Desert Road and Vayalat could collect payment for their help with something other than gold.

What Yoruichi could see from her balcony was the king's private garden, where her little brother played with other children of a similar age under Masayoshi's watch and a group of soldiers who followed the boy everywhere.

The security inside the White Palace was the best in the kingdom, there was no way someone would enter that place with the intention of harming the little king without being killed in the attempt, and that was why she had moved back to that place at the request of the Malthai.

Yoruichi knew that the reason for her moving back to the White Palace was not her mother's love for her, but rather the fear that Chika would use her as a hostage to tip the scales in his favor. Councilman Barragan was the man behind the Malthai, who basically ran the kingdom, and if that man gave in to Chika's requests because his wife was a hostage, then they would have lost that silent battle.

— Sui Feng… did you finish what I asked for?

Yoruichi's voice came out in a whisper but the witch got to her immediately, standing behind her. The woman was always with her, she didn't part at all because she was the only one Yoruichi trusted.

— My princess, I will have it ready before Prince Chika arrives.

— Good. Prepare my bath and my clothes, tonight Masayoshi is going to visit me.

Sui Feng nodded and left the room to do what the princess had ordered.

Yoruichi stood on her balcony, looking at the king's garden and looking at the king's private guard. They still had a week before the imminent civil war would break out in the kingdom's capital, and Yoruichi didn't intend to spend those days thinking about the possible destruction of everything.

—

If there was one thing Kisuke liked, it was the speed with which the messengers moved when there was really worthwhile news, and there was no more valuable news than the one reporting on Prince Chika and his arrival in the White City of Gardelia as a candidate for the throne.

His informant had sent him a letter telling him all the details about the appearance of that prince, from his origin and his supposed death, until his reappearance with an army that, while not large and imposing enough to wage a bloody battle, could easily cause riots. That's not counting the possibility that the people of the kingdom could support him to validate his claim to the throne occupied by the little boy king, making that small army difficult to repel.

Wars weren't just bloody battles, they were strategy, manipulation, and sabotage.

The informant mentioned that Prince Chika had met with the Malthai but that he did not know the exact words that were said in that meeting, only those that were rumored by word of mouth.

— .. —

Prince Chika kindly asked the Malthai to step aside and give him the throne that rightfully belongs to him as the eldest son of the late king. All in exchange for letting her, princess Yoruichi and the little boy they had crowned as king live.

The Malthai refused, claiming that he had no right to anything because there was already a king and he was nobody to claim past things. Prince Chika just laughed at her and told her that he would give her some time to think about it and come back for the answer.

— .. —

It was convenient for Kisuke that Gardelia had an internal conflict, because then Gardelia wouldn't look in any other direction than the immediate problem in front of its door and he could move the soldiers necessary to take over the Desert Road and expand the territory by one more kingdom. That kind of opportunity could not be wasted.

When Kisuke finished reading the letter, he left his study in search of his queen because he had to bring her up to date on the situation before going to talk to his son to prepare everything. The internal conflict in Gardelia would last as long as the Malthai remained in power, so they should not waste time if they wanted to find the river still agitated.

Kisuke walked through the halls of the palace until he found Kirio in one of the rooms used for tea. The queen was alone, so Kisuke guessed that her guests would arrive at any moment because the table was already set.

— My queen, can I have a few minutes of your attention? — Kisuke asked as he reached her and kissed her hand as a greeting.

Kirio, who seemed neither happy nor excited to see him, nodded her head while pointing to the chair in front of her. Kisuke knew why his queen was angry, since before the coronation she was angry with him, but Kisuke didn't intend to do anything to make his wife stop being angry.

During Kirio's absence too many things had happened inside that palace, so if Kirio held the title of Queen of Vayalat it was because Kisuke had not divorced her.

— I see you are in a good mood. Can I know what it is due to? — The question was formal, like everything between them since she came back, as if they hadn't been married for very many years.

— I was just thinking how wonderful destiny is sometimes. — Kisuke handed Kirio the letter the informant sent to him for her to read.

Kirio read the spy's report in silence while Kisuke played with his fan. He knew that his wife held Yoruichi in high regard, but he also wanted to know if she had learned not to meddle in matters that she shouldn't intercede in.

Kirio was the queen of Vayalat and she had to rise to the occasion or she would become a powerless and decorative queen.

— What do you think? Would you like me to bring you a desert gardenia, my queen?

— Just promise that if it's in your hands, you'll protect Yoruichi. — Kirio handed the report to Kisuke after reading it carefully. — I appreciate her like a family member.

— If it's in my hands, so be it. — Kisuke promised, putting the paper into his pants pocket and getting up from his seat. — Now I must go talk to our son to plan the strategy of conquest. It will be his first battle as Commander-in-Chief and I know he will be excited about it.

Kisuke made a small bow to Kirio and turned around with the intention of leaving, but Kirio's voice calling his name made him stop after taking a couple of steps.

— Take your concubine with you into battle. — Kirio's voice sounded annoyed, and Kisuke supposed that this must be his wife's expression, although he didn't turn to look at her. — Her presence makes me uncomfortable. I don't want her here while you're gone, so take her with you to warm your bed.

Kisuke glanced at his queen before answering.

— You'll need help when I'm gone and she...

— I will have all the help I need with our dear daughter-in-law. — The queen immediately spoke. — I don't need that woman walking around the palace, pretending she has more power than me, when she's just another concubine.

— She is pregnant. — Kisuke answered calmly and stopped looking at the queen, closing the fan tightly. — So she will stay in the palace and you will take care of her and my child.

— Kisuke!

— It is my last word.

Kisuke left there without looking at the queen again.

—

Kirio looked at Kisuke's back until he was out of sight, she had her hands like fists and her teeth clenched, containing all the anger that Kisuke's response had caused her.

The queen knew from letters her daughter had sent her while she was in exile that the king had a concubine. The woman was not an occasional lover called to warm the bed on a cold night, Kirio would have forgiven Kisuke for that, but the woman was a full-fledged concubine, whose union with Kisuke was backed by a contract.

During all their married years, Kisuke had never taken a lover or a concubine because he said that he was happy with her. But seeing that woman walking through the halls of the palace with her ladies-in-waiting, with Kisuke's child inside her, told Kirio that Kisuke was no longer happy with her.

When Kisuke lifted her punishment and she returned to Vermist for the coronation, she discovered that Kisuke had ordered a private room to be prepared for her. They would no longer sleep together in the same bed, as they had since they got married, and Kirio knew that it wasn't exactly because Kisuke had become king.

"You are the queen, you also have the right to have a lover and a private room to receive him." Was Kisuke's simple response when she confronted him about throwing her out of the bedroom.

Kirio didn't want to have a lover, she wanted Kisuke's concubine to leave the palace and take her child with her.

Winter — x494 / February 26

The quality of the Desert Wine was legendary, only the people of the desert were able to tolerate drinking it, although most of the time it was diluted with some type of water, juice or other alcohol to make the moment more pleasant. Brave who could drink more than half a bottle of wine without cutting down and could stand up.

Chika was a faithful lover of that wine and Yoruichi knew it, that's why she took enough barrels of that type of wine from the cellars of the White Palace and added the poison that her jade witch had prepared.

The soldier in charge of transporting that wine was dressed as a merchant and Masayoshi gave him the order to make most of that wine stay in Chika's camp and then go directly to the Port of Dawn. In the hands of that soldier was practically the peace and stability of the kingdom, and they hoped that this second plan would work because they had to get rid of Chika soon.

At sunset, the soldier left a cellar far from the White Palace with his cart, his pack donkey and the barrels of poisoned wine, and went to the north gate of the city where the camp of the candidate for the throne was. The North Gate was the gate that had a direct path to the Port of Dawn, all the vendors came and went through that gate with their wares, and Chika made sure that many of them left part of the wares in the camp as a show of "goodwill".

Many of these vendors had taken their complaints to the Malthai, so an alternate path was made that surrounded the camp of Chika and his men, but the travel time was considerably longer because although the soil was not exactly sandy as in the desert, there was not that comfort provided by the cobbled roads that served to make the transport of the products easier.

In addition, they also had to put security on that road, since the thieves had assaulted a couple of caravans in the first days.

Gardelia was a commercial kingdom and if they couldn't protect what they depended on, then they could lose the profits they enjoyed.

Despite the alternate path, there were merchants who would rather leave half of their products to the camp than lose half a day of travel and endanger their merchandise and their lives. Some merchants even carried an extra load of their products to deliver to the camp so that their profits would not be affected as much.

When the soldier arrived at Chika's camp, several of those soldiers blocked his way and asked him what he was carrying. The soldier, who was completely loyal to the little king and the Malthai, had to hold back and not do anything stupidly heroic that would jeopardize the plan.

— I have some barrels of the Desert Wine. I'm going to the Rest Inn and... I have an extra barrel for you guys. — The soldier spoke, making sure that the lie was not noticed. — I heard I was supposed to leave a goodwill payment.

— One barrel won't be enough, how about leaving us two? You bring four, it's fair.

— What... four? I don't... I can't, it's too much.

— Come on guys, it looks like this is the first time this small merchant has given a bribe.

Chika's voice sounded among the men surrounding the soldier, and the soldier could see the prince approaching with a huge smile on his lips.

The prince was so close, he was unarmed and with his guard down that the soldier did not hesitate to take the knife he carried with him and attack the prince. He would never have an opportunity like that and he didn't hesitate to take it.

If he killed the prince now, everything would go back to normal.

What the soldier did not expect was for Prince Chika to dodge the stab and hit him in the stomach, causing the other men to grab his arms and make him kneel in front of him. The soldier gasped, but as soon as he recovered it, he fixed his gaze on the prince who was playing with the knife that he had used to try to stab him.

— What do we have here? A brave little one! — The soldier spat at him and the prince struck him across the face with his fist. — I bet he's not even a merchant.

— Scum. — The soldier spoke and the prince struck him again. — You deserve to die, you have no business here.

The prince only laughed at the words of the kneeling man because what came out of his mouth seemed ridiculous to him. The man was obviously loyal to the Malthai, probably a volunteer soldier for some mission that had obviously failed.

Chika didn't need people like that, who couldn't follow an order, so he opened one of those wine barrels and had his men bring the soldier over to drink the liquid.

The soldier fought against those men, trying to get free, until he felt the sweet taste of wine in his mouth. He closed his mouth tightly so as not to drink the wine that fell on his face, but one of the soldiers hit him on the back and another took advantage of the scream he gave to force him to keep his mouth open so he could drink the wine.

— We no longer need to stop the other shipments of wine, we found the one that was rotten.

Chika's men released the merchant and saw him take two steps while holding his own throat, trying to lessen the sensation of fire that burned him from the poison, until he collapsed on the ground foaming bloody at the mouth.

Winter — x494 / March 1

Chika did not arrive at the White Palace alone, he arrived accompanied by a guard of his best men as well as a huge vase of mead brought from across the Sea of Dawn as a present for the Malthai. He was calm, although he was a man against a kingdom, he was sure that he would win because that throne was his by rightful right.

The guards at the gate stopped him, took the swords from him and his men, and let them into the White Palace. Chika didn't need swords to fight because he could easily disarm one of the guards and get one, so leaving his prized swords at the castle entrance wasn't a problem for him.

He walked through the halls he had run through as a child and waited for the Malthai inside the throne room. His throne.

Every time Chika saw that throne, he remembered his father's words where he assured him that one day he would sit on it and be praised as the Lord of the Desert. If it wasn't for the Malthai, if it wasn't for that woman, his life would have been different.

His men were restless, thirsty for the impending fight that would break out in that throne room, but Chika had other plans for this moment.

A short time later, the Malthai entered the place and sat on the throne of the Lords of the Desert, with a crown so large that it was impossible to ignore and with her head held high. The soldiers who were with her posted themselves at the gates, turning that throne room into a cage to prevent their guest from escaping.

Chika admitted that he had wandered into the wolf's den, but he knew that place like the back of his hand and knew that escaping wouldn't be that difficult.

— Prince Chika, kneel down and beg for mercy at this time, and your life will be spared.

The Malthai's voice was strong and authoritative, but Chika only smiled at the command and waved his hand for two of his men to present the vase of mead to the Malthai. A little gift for the three assassination attempts.

— Will you spare my life? — Chika's question came out with a dose of mockery that made the Malthai's eyebrows knit together. — It is such a generous thing that I will give you a gift brought from the Dawnlands.

— I'm not interested in your gifts. If you don't kneel, the law will be executed as it has been done since ancient times and you will be beheaded.

Chika ignored the Malthai's words because he knew that this offer of peace was just a ruse to make him lower his guard, and he made his friends open the vase of mead they carried with them. Immediately, the aroma of alcohol and death mixed in the environment, causing almost everyone in that room to grimace.

Chika smiled, looked up at the Malthai, and reached into the vase, feeling the mead on his fingers. The desert heat spoiled meat too quickly if not preserved properly, and mead was not ideal for preserving meat.

— They should interest you. It's a peace offering for the poisoned wine you guys sent to my camp two days ago. — Chika took out the severed head of a man from the vase, which he threw at the foot of the throne making a noise similar to a very heavy wet rag when it is thrown to the floor, causing a general surprise noise among those present. — Your military adviser. He refused to join me in my claim to the throne and he lost his mind. He never liked me, so it's not a big loss… for me.

The Malthai rose from her throne at once, fury flashing in her eyes, and pointed a finger at him. The guards immediately took position to go after him as soon as the Malthai gave the order.

— You! Killer! Forget the mercy! — The Malthai yelled echoing through the throne room. — You will be locked up and executed at dawn, as the inheritance rules dictate!

The queen's guards, those who were stationed at the doors of that throne room, drew their swords and began to walk towards Chika and his men, who were prepared to defend themselves and take some soldiers to hell before dying; but before the attack, two of those guards turned on their comrades and attacked them, causing a distraction so that Prince Chika could escape from that place.

Chika knew that those guards were going to die, but they would do so bathed in glory for defending their true king.

— You guys already know what to do! — Chika yelled as they escaped from the White Palace through the passageways known only to him.

The men who accompanied him in that escape separated after confirming the order he gave them before entering the place.

One of those men had the mission of informing the soldiers inside the castle, who had sworn their allegiance to Chika, so that they would storm the weapons room and could supply the camp. Another of the men had the mission of meeting with the Councilors who were against Malthai and Barragan; and another was on a mission to infiltrate the harem and kidnap Yushiru's newborn son.

The latter was practically a suicide mission, but his men believed in his cause.

Chika knew that the Malthai controlled the city and most of the soldiers, but he knew that famine and scarcity would be her allies against the Malthai.

Winter — x494 / March 13

The Great House of the Kuchiki reminded Aizen of those times when Maranni was a kingdom. He hadn't lived at that time but with all those stories he heard as a child, history classes and mentions of the relations between the Kuchiki and Jetaiya royalty, he had created a very solid image of those times.

He was not going to deny that there was some disappointment between what he expected to see and what he saw, because most of that ancestral palace had been abandoned and was only given the necessary maintenance so that nature would not invade it; but if he closed his eyes and let his imagination fly, he could see that ghost of glory between those walls.

Aizen was also descended from a Kuchiki family line almost as old as the Fall of Maranni.

When they said that all the royal houses were related, they weren't joking.

The arrival of Toshiro together with a messenger who carried the colors of Vayalat, interrupted his walk through those ruins of the Jade Palace and made him stop in front of them.

Aizen didn't lose the ability to be surprised whenever Kisuke found him wherever he was, though it was to be expected that Kisuke would have that messenger take the overland route if he wanted to make sure he intercepted him somewhere along the way.

Kisuke was pretty smart.

— His Majesty King Kisuke sends this for you, Your Majesty.

The messenger took out from under his clothes a metal tube that was perfectly sealed and presented it to Aizen while bowing solemnly.

Aizen took the container and allowed the messenger to leave, but Toshiro stayed with him. He opened the metal tube and took out Kisuke's letter, which was always concise and to the point, decorated with the necessary courtesy not to be disrespectful.

— Wow, I didn't expect this but if that's the way things are, all the better for us. — Aizen commented, drawing the attention of Toshiro, who had remained silent next to him.

— Something's wrong, father. Problems with Vayalat?

Aizen turned to see his prince, without losing that calm and serene expression that always accompanied him and which did not disappear when he was in battle, and shook his head slightly.

— If you are worried about Princess Karin, then put that thought out of your mind. It is possible that she is currently in the Palace of the Sun in Visnia. — Aizen's answer reassured Toshiro, but the king still saw the question in his son's eyes. — Our ally will make some little dangerous movements and he doesn't want to endanger the princess. It's nothing we should worry about.

Toshiro fell silent after nodding.

Aizen knew that his son preferred to keep words in his mouth until they were needed, unlike Koga who spoke and said what he thought, and he preferred to leave it that way. It was evident that each of his sons had been influenced by each of their mothers.

— Our plans to spend the spring celebrations in the Great House will have to be changed. — Aizen continued, pointing the way to return to the main and inhabited area of that Great House. — We will leave for Adelaar in the morning.

— I will write a letter informing King Isshin of our arrival. — Toshiro offered.

— I trust you will put the right words. Isshin will be our ally but there are things that must remain secret, for now.

Toshiro nodded to what his father said and the conversation turned to the real reason for Toshiro's presence there: the celebration of the wedding with Princess Karin.

Hi! :D

Did you ever think that Aizen was behind the Kuchiki betrayal? Who do you think is going with him?

Special greetings to jobananasan and to all who are still reading this.

See ya! :D