The Nightingale

Chapter 90: Who is the traitor?

Spring — x494 / March 24

It was still too early for the bells of the temple of the Deities to ring announcing the dawn, but Ichigo had already dressed, had a coffee and went out to the main door of the castle to say goodbye to King Isshin, who at that time was on his way to Visnia.

It had been a very hectic early morning, one that wasn't supposed to be like that because they were in a week of rest and celebration, but the situation warranted it.

Ichigo knew why things were being rushed for the wedding, at least what his father and Toshiro had informed him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to all this that no one was telling him.

Asking King Aizen directly was not an option, and since the chances of getting an honest answer were slim to none, Ichigo preferred to hold his tongue and avoid any misunderstandings.

The only thing left for Ichigo was to follow everything as stipulated, take care of the safety of everyone in the castle and make sure that the guard that would accompany the twins to Verihan will be efficient.

Karin would have her wedding celebration in two parts. The first will be at Adelaar Castle on the day the marriage contract and alliance agreement between kingdoms are signed, and the second will be at Verihan Palace under the blessing of the Deities. Nothing out of the ordinary for the wedding of a princess who is getting married in a kingdom other than her own.

When Ichigo entered his own room, Rukia was still asleep and that made him smile as he sat down next to her to remove his shoes. Rukia used to wake up late on the weekends or whenever she could, and Ichigo always let her sleep as long as she wanted when they spent the night together.

Sometimes, he envied his wife's ease in falling asleep and staying that way despite the noise, because he couldn't sleep like that. Training, blood, and war had made him too susceptible to little sleep and constant alertness. The only nights he felt he could sleep freely were when his wife was with him because she gave him a peace that there was no way to explain.

Rukia was his light and his safe place in which to be.

— Good morning, my Moon. — Ichigo whispered as he lay down next to her and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear.

Rukia looked so calm and peaceful in her sleep that she gave the impression of just being a delicate princess and not the strong woman that she really was. Ichigo loved her with every fiber of his being, he loved her mind, her laugh and her smile, even the way her eyebrows knit together when she got angry, and he wanted her like he never imagined he could want a woman before.

Every part of his being screamed to take his wife and make love to her at the slightest provocation, anywhere and at any time, but all that desire used to die down when the images of rose day came to his mind.

He still felt guilty for not having been able to protect her and told himself that this would not happen to them again, that he would not expose his wife to something as painful as the loss of a child again and that he would do what was necessary to see that she was safe and sound.

And that included not touching her again until it was safe. At least until a son of Kaien is born and I remove the sword that was swinging over their heads.

—

Waking up, Rukia discovered that she was alone in Ichigo's huge bed and that her husband was not in the room. He always got up earlier than her when he had business to attend to, so she just settled back in bed for a while longer as she got the courage to finish waking up.

It was the first time in almost a month that they shared a bed again, they had done nothing more than sleep together but it felt good to go back to sleep in her husband's arms and feel his aroma when she woke up; even if it's only what's left on the pillows.

When she finally decided it was time to get out of bed, the first thing she did was look for the bowl of water to wash her face and teeth, she was in no rush to finish that part of the routine because she had nothing to do that day.

It was supposed that during those days she and Ichigo would be together, enjoying each other's company without worrying that Ichigo would be called at any moment to attend to any matter that arose regarding work, but none of that was possible anymore. It didn't matter that Ichigo had done everything possible to make things work without him during that week, King Aizen's presence meant that Ichigo had to see personally every little detail that came up, causing him to be called even during the night.

Rukia wanted to complain about the situation to someone, but a gap had opened between her and the queen that was dyed red and prevented trust from breaking through again. Mila was her friend and there was a certain level of trust between the two, but Mila was with Kaien and Rukia preferred to keep certain topics to herself.

At those times, the only people she could talk to freely were her maids Tatsuki and Kana, but they weren't in the castle.

Before King Aizen's arrival was announced, Rukia had promised both girls that the week of Spring Festival would be vacation days for them, which made them start making plans for those days. Kana was visiting her mother, who lived in a small town outside the capital, and Tatsuki was evaluating how much repairs would be needed in the house on the farm that Renji had bought for both of them.

Rukia understood Renji and Tatsuki's need to have something of their own and was glad that they were making plans for the future, but at the same time she was saddened to know that her friend would one day leave the castle and not see her as often.

When she found out that King Aizen was coming, Rukia didn't have the heart to ask her maids to stay with her, so Mrs. Retsu assigned her a maid to stand in for Riruka, who was supposed to help her for that week. That left Rukia alone and missing Yuki, who had been her best friend, confidante, and adventure partner before she became her enemy just for a bit of imaginary power and an empty promise.

It was sad but everything they had lived through had made them the people they were at that moment, and that was okay because it was part of growing up.

After drying her face with a towel, she went to the table to see what they had brought her for breakfast because her stomach was growling. She felt that she could eat two people's food at that moment. The coffee was already cold but there was also water and fruit juice, as well as breads and jams, and a few slices of smoked meat.

Rukia liked smoked meat, so it was the first thing she picked up to eat.

While eating, she found two notes on the table that were addressed to her. The first one was of the queen inviting her to that night's dinner in the marble garden along with King Aizen, Princess Hisana, and Prince Toshiro, all with the intention of talking about Princess Karin's wedding celebration.

— I suppose that giving me the notice verbally was not something according to the situation. At least there will be something interesting to do.

Rukia put that note down on the table and took the other one, which was a note from Ichigo, and smiled at that. She opened the note and began to read it, making her smile grow wider with each word she read.

The letter was an invitation from Kon to Kia, so that they both went out to the city that day and enjoyed the spring festivities, which made Rukia truly happy.

— "PS, to make sure we arrive on time, I'll send the maid with your clothes and I'll tell her to wake you up. I will prepare everything and I will meet you at the front door. I love you my moon."

She finished reading the note and calculated that she still had time to finish breakfast before the maid came to her with her clothes; but before she could even take a second bite of the smoked meat, there was a knock on the door twice, and Maru entered the room with her clothes, followed by another maid holding more things.

Maru was the maid who took care of Yuki while she was Kaien's lover, she was loyal to Rukia and indebted to her for helping her younger brother, who would enter the militia with the new recruits after the spring celebrations.

Rukia had no complaints about Maru's behavior, the girl did an amazing job and was efficient, but she wasn't Tatsuki or Kana and that made Rukia not feel entirely comfortable with her even though she was trying.

— Good morning, your highness. — The girl placed the clothes on the bed after giving Rukia a formal greeting. — Prince Ichigo asked me to bring you these kinds of clothes so that you can choose what to wear.

Rukia quickly ate a slice of meat and grabbed some bread and jam before walking over to the bed to look at the clothes. They weren't her classic dresses, but long skirts and pretty blouses that matched the skirts, which was fitting with the situation because Kia was supposed to be out for a walk and not the People's Princess. Rukia chose a red skirt with simple and pretty embroidery, and a white blouse that had pretty sleeves.

The other girl approached her and showed her the shoes she would wear that day, they weren't her classic medium-heeled shoes that she wore every day since she married Ichigo, much less the high-heeled ones she wore for gala events, but some flat shoes, beautiful and decorated with three colored stones on the tip. She hadn't ordered those shoes to be made, so they must have been a gift from Ichigo, the clothes on the contrary, she had asked that they be made for that week before knowing that King Aizen would arrive.

When Rukia was dressed and combed, she went down with Maru to the main gate of the castle where Ichigo was waiting for her with a saddled horse and his hair covered by his white cloth belt. Rukia smiled seeing him and she felt like those times when they ran away from the castle and neither of them knew who the other was.

Seeing her, Ichigo smiled and approached her, giving her a small kiss on the lips in welcome and causing her to blush at his public gesture of affection.

They were the only ones who used to break that rule and for which the queen had scolded them in the past. That scolding had no effect because they kept breaking that rule whenever they could.

— Ready to spend the whole day eating candies, dear Kia? — Ichigo asked when they were both on the horse, she in front of him, with both legs on one side of the saddle and her hands gripping the saddle.

— I don't know what you're talking about, Kon. — Rukia turned a little, just enough to see her husband's face, and smiled. — I'm always ready to eat candies.

Ichigo smiled and gave her a small kiss on the lips, which she responded in kind before the horse began to walk and they headed out of the castle grounds. A little bit of themselves being themselves was what they needed to keep moving forward.

—

Before entering the Cliff Hall, Masaki ordered her maid to stand outside and pay attention to everyone passing by. The place was a little far from the places where people used to pass on a regular basis, so it would be easy to take note of who was walking by during the time that she was down there.

Aizen had given her a place and she had responded with the date for the meeting, but she wasn't willing to let that conversation with Aizen be overheard by someone else. Also, a public meeting between them had to include a couple of guards for her who would inevitably alert Isshin about what was said between them, and that didn't suit Masaki because she wanted to continue keeping her husband in the dark about her relationship with Aizen.

In other circumstances, if Isshin knew that she and Aizen were once lovers it wouldn't be a big deal because when that happened, she didn't know Isshin, but with the recent events involving Jetaiya and the Kuchikis, if Isshin found out about that affair, it would not only jeopardize what little trust was left in their marriage, but Isshin could also take away the power he had given her in the decision-making of the kingdom and relegate her to simply being the queen because she was married to the king.

Masaki was upset and all she wanted at that moment was to hit Aizen for showing up and jeopardizing the precarious relationship she had with her husband.

She descended the stone steps one by one, more out of caution than any desire to go slowly, and when she reached the last one she paused to look around for her guest. She knew that Aizen wouldn't reject the new date location or the new time she had sent along with the dinner invitation, but she still had to make sure he was there because she didn't mean to wait for him.

Aizen had the power to ruin her life with a word, but she didn't mean to beg him to keep his silence.

— My dear Masaki, I thought you would take longer to arrive. — Aizen's voice made her give a very subtle jump in place, one that could easily be mistaken for an angry breath. — Were you also eager to see me in private?

Masaki directed her gaze towards the source of Aizen's voice and found him leaning his back against one of the pillars that served as the limit between the room and the precipice, arms crossed and a smile on his face that was visible thanks to the light that entered the cliff.

Denying that Aizen was attractive was ridiculous, the man had always had that captivating charm and a look that would bring anyone to their knees.

She had also been kneeling in front of him many times.

— I arrived at the time I had to arrive. — Masaki clarified as she directed her steps towards him.

Talking end to end would only echo the place unbearably, but the closer she got to him, the more she remembered that feeling in her knees that made them waver.

Just like the night before.

— Do you know that the fact that the queen secretly meets a foreign guest, when the king is not even in the castle, could easily be misconstrued? — Aizen asked as he took a few steps towards her only to face her.

Masaki didn't answer that question that was not meant to have an answer, instead she stopped in front of him, raised her hand and gave him a slap that echoed in the room. It was the same slap she had resisted giving him the night before just because there were so many eyes on them.

Aizen just tilted his head slightly and began to laugh in a soft, animated way, as if the blow had caused him amusement and not pain. He turned to look at her and before she could raise her hand again to give him a second slap, he rushed to hold her tight and kiss her.

Masaki didn't expect Aizen to kiss her and at the same time, a very small part of her was enjoying that kiss, but she was still mad at him and made the gift focus on her own lips only to hurt him and break the kiss. Aizen hissed and put his hand to his lips, which were starting to bleed, but instead of looking angry he seemed quite happy.

— Being king didn't improve your manners, Sousuke.

— Being queen didn't take away your bloodthirsty, Masaki. — Aizen removed his hand from his lips, which were still bleeding, and pointed at them. — Could you heal them? I can't speak properly if I'm bleeding.

Masaki was tempted not to heal him and let him continue bleeding for a longer time, let him feel the pain that this type of wound generated, but she knew that she had to heal him to end this meeting quickly because she had things to do and she couldn't disappear for too long from public view.

In the end, she brought the palm of her hand to Aizen's lips and slowly began to heal them, making sure the wounds healed and the bleeding stopped so as not to stain his clothes. Aizen didn't take his eyes off her and before she could withdraw her hand, he grabbed hers and kissed her back in something that was similar to a caress.

— Thank you, my dear Masaki.

Aizen's voice carried that seductive tone that she knew well, making her withdraw her hand in one movement because her mind brought back the old memory of the two of them in bed during the conquest of Trinity Island.

It was a good memory at a bad time.

— Why didn't you tell me that you are the king of Jetaiya? — Masaki asked that question because it was the one that had been on her mind since she saw him at the welcome dinner, but Aizen just smiled and took a relaxed position in front of her.

— Did I have to inform you of all the events in my life? — Aizen's question annoyed Masaki, who wasn't there to play that ego game, and she turned around ready to leave. — Masaki, wait!

Masaki felt Aizen's hand on her wrist and stopped herself from hurting him, only stopping and turning on her feet to face him again. Aizen adored physical contact with her and it seemed like that hadn't changed over the years.

— We're not a couple of kids, Sousuke. If you have nothing to tell me then don't waste my time. — Masaki clarified without taking her eyes off him, still feeling Aizen's grip on her wrist and doing nothing to make him let go because she liked to feel his touch. — I have a lot to plan for our children's wedding and I'm running late.

— By the Deities! You are the queen who should be sitting next to me. — Aizen pulled her towards him only to grab her by the waist. Masaki wanted Aizen to free her but at the same time, she was enjoying that moment because Aizen was completely different from Isshin and she couldn't deny that seeing him again awakened much more than memories. — I should have told you that I became the king of Jetaiya and I should have gone to Vayalat for you. I would have given up the harem for you.

— Sousuke, you know nice words don't work on me. — Masaki put one of her hands on Aizen's chest with the intention of pulling him away from her, but Aizen grabbed her waist to hold her back.

— I'm not lying.

— I don't believe you.

Aizen held her firmly around the waist, bringing the two of them so close that they could feel each other's breaths. Masaki was no longer the young woman she was back then, but the memories made her feel that way again because of that inappropriate closeness between them.

— When I returned to Jetaiya, Kuvar attacked the islands and I went to battle together with my older brother. They were months of blood and death, and when I returned I was already the new heir to the kingdom.

— Killing your brother wasn't hard, right? — Masaki ventured without stopping looking into his eyes and without separating from him, feeling her own breathing slow down.

— Pretty easy, to tell the truth. — Aizen smiled and moved closer to her as if he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. Masaki's lips parted almost imperceptibly. — My brother was a dreamer who rarely got off the ships or went to camp for battle, so he lacked the experience needed to survive in such a hostile environment as war.

— Fratricidal.

— I accept it.

— Did you know that I was the queen of Avanta when you sided with the Kuchiki?

— Of course I knew! — Aizen smiled. — Do you think I would have sided with the Kuchiki just because of an "ancestral debt" that arose from the conquest? That was just an easy excuse for them to provide us with the information we needed to invade Avanta.

— You're a…

Aizen's audacity in saying that about his alliance with the Kuchiki made Masaki angry and she tried to make him release her, but Aizen was stronger than her and held her in his arms. Masaki used the gift to hurt him, but that only made Aizen smile more, as if he really enjoyed the pain she was causing him.

— A bloodthirsty queen, just what I need by my side. — Aizen loosened his grip a bit but didn't let go, didn't even groan in pain. Masaki just wanted to hit him again for that cynicism when he talked about that failed conquest. — With the conquest of Avanta we would not only have the lands, I would have you.

— So you're going to say that it was all because of me? — Masaki asked wryly.

— Aren't you flattered to be the cause of a massacre just because someone wants you by their side?

Aizen's lips brushed against hers and Masaki cursed herself for waiting for that kiss that didn't come. She knew that he was playing with her and that she had to get out of there before she fell back on her knees in front of him.

— I already have a king.

Masaki tried to get away from Aizen, to make him finish letting go of her, but he held her tight regardless of the fact that he was bleeding from the wounds she had caused him. By that time, both of their clothes were a mess because of the blood.

— It is always better to have two.

The immediate kiss to that declaration made Masaki lose herself for a second between the memories and the sensations that Aizen's hands caused on her skin, enjoying the way so aggressive and passionate with which he kissed her until the kiss broke.

It was that brief moment that Masaki took advantage of to get away from Aizen and put distance between them. The kisses were fucking good, but she couldn't give in to him no matter how good the kisses and the memories were. He was playing but she didn't want to play.

— I'm fine with having only one king. — Masaki clarified, keeping the distance between them but feeling the tea taste of Aizen's kisses. — I don't need more.

— Are you sure? — Aizen showed her the hand that was bleeding a little where she hurt him, but this time she didn't heal him. — Because I have no problem with you using me as a sexual object, after all, the king is not here and you could collect the retribution that he owes you for the mother of the heir to your kingdom.

Masaki knitted her eyebrows in anger at Aizen for using the memory of Kaien's mother to provoke her. It was a rather dirty ruse that in another situation and another time might have worked, but not in this one, for which she turned around and headed for the stairs to leave there.

The talk was over and although she didn't have all the answers she needed, what Aizen told her served to guide her thoughts about the whole situation.

—

The spring festivities were held in the main square of the city, the one in front of the temple of the Deities, and around it were various stalls with sales of all kinds. Rukia was happy to leave the castle and spend a day with her husband, but all the noise of the festivities made her think about what happened on the day of the roses, causing her to almost instinctively put one of her hands to her belly.

She froze and was afraid that at any moment she would feel a cramp and then there would be blood. She was scared. Though she tried not to think about it, she couldn't stop her mind from drifting from time to time to what could have been and wasn't.

— My Moon, are you okay?

Ichigo's voice made her look up, although she didn't know when she had looked down, and met her husband's concerned gaze. Rukia knew that she was not well and that no matter how determined she was, it was still too early to answer that question with a "yes".

— I'm…

— I shouldn't have brought you here. — Ichigo looked away and Rukia followed his gaze until she saw what he was seeing. The temple of the Deities was there, decorated with colored flags and ribbons. — It's my fault. Let's go back to the castle.

Rukia looked at the temple of the Deities and then at her husband, who was still staring at that building in silence. Ichigo used to say that the Deities didn't listen, that they didn't listen to him, and Rukia felt her heart ache a little because until that moment she hadn't thought about how much he could have prayed to the Deities so that she didn't suffer what she suffered that day.

— I'm fine. — Rukia took her husband's hand as she said that so that he would turn to look at her. — It was only a moment, but I'm fine now.

— My moon…

— Also, we are supposed to be Kia and Kon. — Rukia made him walk with her, leading him by the hand to the first game booth nearby, where you had to throw darts at a target. — So Mr. Soldier, win a prize for me.

Rukia still saw the guilt in her husband's eyes and she didn't want him to feel that way because it wasn't his fault. It had just been a twist of fate, of the queen, and nothing more.

— Three darts for an iron coin. — The stall owner offered, placing three darts in front of Ichigo for him to take. — It will be easy for a soldier like you, sir.

Ichigo hesitated for a second and then nodded to what Rukia said, paying the game price and taking the darts, though he didn't look entirely convinced.

— How do you know I'm a soldier? — Ichigo asked as he looked at the man suspiciously.

— I heard your girlfriend say that just now. — The man defended himself, making Rukia blush. — You can't look bad in front of such a charming lady.

After those words, Rukia noticed that Ichigo subtly moved her away from the man, as if he wanted to prevent him from seeing her. Rukia didn't know if she should laugh or not, because she found it funny that Ichigo would be jealous of a common man.

The shopkeeper, on the other hand, looked like he had seen a being come out of who knows where because he took a step back and swallowed hard.

— Come on Kon, don't look at the poor man badly or you'll scare him to death. — Rukia took his hand to make him look at her. — The man only said that I am pretty, nothing more. Or do you think I'm not pretty, huh?

— Or do you think I'm not pretty, huh?

— You are beautiful. — Ichigo said that and gave her a very soft kiss on the forehead, which made Rukia turn completely red. — Okay, I'll win a prize for you.

Rukia's heart was still racing from that little kiss and that public display of affection, and it took her a while to realize that Ichigo could win that game in the blink of an eye. It took her a second to decide that she would make Ichigo lose that game just for making her turn red.

As Ichigo was going to throw the first dart, Rukia gave him a caress on the spine, which was quite suggestive and cheeky since they were in public, and made him miss the shot. The dart hit the beam just above the stall owner's head. The man froze in shock, looking at the dart above his head and thinking that if he had been any higher, he would have died by now.

— Kia!

Ichigo turned to look at her, annoyed at that blatant sabotage, but Rukia just giggled at it like she was a little girl.

— Oops! I thought there was a bug on your clothes. — Rukia apologized for that obvious lie and gave him another of his remaining darts. — Throw again, Kon. Show why you are an elite soldier!

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her, but he did listen to her and returned to his position to throw the dart. Rukia once again made him miss the shot and this time she blamed it on a lint on his clothes.

Rukia was having fun teasing Ichigo and the shopkeeper noticed that, so when Ichigo missed the third shot because of Rukia, the shopkeeper gave them a small lollipop of clear candy as a consolation prize.

She was happy to have gotten her lollipop, and as she browsed the stalls and asked for the price of a comb that had flowers drawn on it, Ichigo took her hand to lead her to a stall where there was a game of skill.

This time the prize was bunnies and Rukia loved bunnies so she immediately gave Ichigo her lollipop so she could try to win one.

— Three tries for an iron coin. — The girl who attended the stall explained to them. — You have to stand behind this line and make this pebble fall into the container that is floating in the barrel, if it falls into the water, you lose.

— I will only need one. — Rukia was excited and was confident that it would be easy to win one of the bunnies that were in the pen.

— If you hit it all three times, you get three bunnies. — The girl said to her as she handed over the pebbles, which were flat as a coin.

— Then I'll have three bunnies! — Rukia had never had one, so the idea of having a bunny made her quite excited.

— Kia, I don't think...

— Kon, you distract me.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and stayed one step behind Rukia, hoping she would win all three of her bunnies, but after trying six times, Rukia still didn't have her bunny. Ichigo paid another two coins so she could keep trying, but the stone would slip and end up in the water, making her frustrated.

— You do know that I can buy you one, right? — Ichigo asked as he gave her two more coins to buy new tries.

— I know, but it's more fun to play. Besides, I think I'm already understanding the game.

— Noticeable. — Ichigo sneered as Rukia missed once more.

In the end, Rukia spent a lot more coins than one of the bunnies cost and the girl took pity on her, allowing her to take whatever bunny she wanted.

Rukia was happy with her white bunny in her arms while she thought of a name that would be suitable for her new pet and walked through the stalls where they sold food. Ichigo, on the other hand, was rubbing his shoulder where she had hit him for teasing her and checking his already half-empty bag of coins.

—

Cikram was a kingdom almost as wide as Gardelia but with more trees. Its extension of land reached from coast to coast, so it had at least one port at each end of the kingdom and that favored trade with the northern lands, as well as those that were further away.

If the travel time from coast to coast in Cikram was less than the time from coast to coast in Gardelia, Kisuke would have ordered a trade road similar to the Desert Road to be built. But Kisuke wasn't there to see the trade in the kingdom, but to find out if everything his daughter had been doing as queen served the conquest interests he had in mind.

During the years after the conquest, after he exterminated those who opposed following his orders as conqueror and sovereign, and having installed as king an immediate relative of the king whom Ichigo had beheaded, forcing him to swear allegiance to him and putting his own daughter as the queen of that place to have everything under control, they began to train soldiers with the fighting techniques of Vayalat.

His daughter was the one who supervised the training along with several other Shadows, so during the meeting they had the first day, she assured him that the soldiers were ready to be used.

Kisuke himself tested the soldiers, fighting them just to see if they were as good as his daughter had promised, and he was proud to notice that they had a good level despite being just ordinary people without the Shadow gift.

— I did what I could with what I had. I hope it serves your purposes, father.

Kisuke gave a servant the sword he had used for that fight that served him both for training and for testing the soldiers, and he noticed his daughter who had reached the training ground. For a moment, Kisuke had the impression that he was seeing another person, because his daughter's resemblance to her mother was overwhelming, and he had to take a second to get out of that state.

— You have done wonderfully well. — Kisuke clarified before gesturing for them to walk together into the palace, leaving the soldiers returning to training behind. — Not just training soldiers, but everything else.

— I had the best teacher.

The queen of Cikram clarified with a smile on her lips, making Kisuke blush a little. This time he did not have his fan to hide his face but his daughter handed him one that she carried with her, as if she knew he needed it.

— You have your mother's abilities, the only thing you inherited from me was the Gift of War. — Kisuke absently began to fan himself as they advanced in that comfortable moment between father and daughter. — She would be so proud of you to see what you have become and what a family you have.

— I would have liked to be with her longer. — The queen of Cikram whispered and Kisuke could hear the longing in his daughter's voice. — But I don't even remember her.

— You were a baby girl when she died, it's natural. — Kisuke closed the fan because that topic was something that brought back a lot of memories. Aratame's mother was the only woman he had ever loved with all his soul. — Let's not think about sad things and I'd better tell you what your siblings did at the coronation party.

Kisuke began to tell his daughter everything that had happened, since they put the crown on him and made the first toast, until Jinta had to be dragged to his room for having abused alcohol. That party lasted several days and there was so much food that the food that was not eaten had to be distributed among the palace workers so that it would not be wasted.

Aratame listened to him attentively, and Kisuke again saw that little girl who was holding his hand and asking him to tell her stories. Of all his children, Aratame was the one Kisuke loved the most, not only because she was the daughter of the woman he had loved the most, but because she was his first daughter.

She was the girl who taught him that everything he learned in battle was useless when it came to taking care of a little girl.

Spring — x494 / March 27

The first thing Ichigo told her when they got back to the castle was that she shouldn't let the bunny alone in any of the gardens, not only because they made burrows and could leave the queen's prized gardens in a mess, but because it was a baby bunny and could be lost or captured by a bird.

"Kholtan is not the only predator here. If you want to set her free, release her in the grove but you may never see her again." Ichigo had added before saying goodbye to her at the entrance to the queen area.

Rukia didn't want to lose her new bunny, it was too cute and small to be released into the world, but the idea of letting it out and running around the queen's gardens was too tempting an idea.

With Maru's help, she got a wooden box, the ones used to carry fresh fruits to the kitchen, and they put an old dress together with some of the hay to make the bunny a little bed in a corner of her room, as well as get a container to put water and food.

Since the bunny was still a baby, Rukia was the one who used to take it out of the nest she had created for it and let it explore the room. She was delighted to see how the bunny came and went all over the room, until she used to take it and carry it in her arms, caressed it and put it back in the nest so that it wouldn't leave the room by mistake.

Rukia was playing with the bunny, which had turned out to be a female, when someone knocked on her door a few times causing her to take the bunny in her hands and return it to its little nest before Maru opened the door.

On the other side of the door was one of the guards at the entrance.

— My princess, Prince Ichigo asks you to come down to the entrance. — The guard said with a solemn attitude. — He is waiting for you.

— Did his highness tell you if I had to dress in a special way? — Rukia asked as Maru headed to the wardrobe in search of a possible new dress.

— His Highness only said that it will be a walk in the gardens, my princess.

Rukia allowed the soldier to return to his post and she changed into more comfortable shoes, checked her dress, and the maid combed her hair a bit.

She didn't expect to see her husband until at night because they would have dinner together, so she was excited that he was looking for her to take a walk in the middle of all the work he had because of the king's absence.

She went downstairs as fast as she could and smiled to see her husband leaning against the wall in front of the entrance, waiting for her. Somehow, that relaxed position made Rukia find her husband even more attractive.

Rukia was still deeply in love with Ichigo.

— Did I make you wait long, my prince? — Rukia asked when she was a few steps closer to him.

Ichigo's hair was a bit long, which made Rukia remember the time she found him in the brothel and at the same time curse the mandatory abstinence they were on. Her husband was too handsome and it seemed like he didn't even try. That must be a sin.

— Just long enough, my princess.

Ichigo gave her a small kiss on the lips, making her blush again and wish for another, and then he offered her his arm so they could walk together.

— Where we go? — Rukia asked as she walked holding her husband's arm and they left that area to go to the main exit of the castle.

Ichigo smiled and Rukia noted that he looked genuinely animated at that moment.

— I already called the people in charge of building your garden, we just need to choose the place and give them your ideas of what you would like to have there.

Rukia felt excited about that, because she didn't think they would start construction of the garden so soon, and she began to tell Ichigo everything she had imagined for that garden, from the plants to the benches to rest on, adding a space for the bunny that still slept in her room.

If she let the bunny run free in her own garden, then no one would be bothered by the holes it made.

As Rukia talked about what she wanted in her garden, they reached the entrance to the grove. On the right hand side was the temple of the Deities and in front of them a small path that led to the cemetery.

— The area authorized by the king is over there. — Ichigo pointed to the left of the path. — We will continue as if we were going to the cemetery and then we turn left. I already saw the place and we can make an independent path that reaches this point, but it will be a little close to the cemetery.

Rukia thought for a moment about that, about the fact that she would have to go through the cemetery if she wanted to get to her garden, and that discouraged her a bit. She wanted a place where there was peace and quiet, but not near a place where the dead rest.

— I think this place is not good. — Rukia looked at her husband as she said that. — I don't want the spirits of the dead to harass me for making noise where they rest. Let's go to the second site.

On the way back to the castle, Rukia began to tell Ichigo about the winter roses that grew in the Blue Mountains, as well as some of the legends of the mountains. She told him about how difficult it was to get such a rose because accessing where they grew was too dangerous, and also about the many times they tried to make those roses grow in the Great House without any results.

— Alchemists used to turn those roses into something that lasted for years before turning to dust, and even that dust was considered valuable. — Rukia explained as they walked hand in hand through the inner castle gardens. — It was one of the prizes that was given on the day of the roses before the conquest.

— Rose and sugar crowns don't last as long. — Ichigo commented, somewhat thoughtful and curious. — By the way, what did you do with the one I gave you?

— I ate it. — Rukia said that simply, but Ichigo seemed quite surprised by that. — It is a candy after all. I asked for the last rose to be crushed and put on top of the desserts that you and I ate the day we signed our wedding contract.

— I remember those desserts, they tasted pretty good. — Ichigo said that and stopped in what was a piece of land near the tower that formed the bridge to access the Kuchiki house. — The other place is this. It would only have to build a couple more walls because it is in a corner, and it will be smaller than one made on the free land could be.

Rukia spun on her feet as she took in the place and surroundings. The area was secluded enough from everything and the nearby buildings were mostly empty, which would give them some privacy, but the garden wouldn't be as big as she had imagined.

— Can we plant a tree here? — Rukia asked pointing to a space near the corner that was formed, beginning to imagine what that place would look like when it was finished. — The new walls should be the same height as the walls that were already made.

— Yes, we can put a tree. — Ichigo conceded as he walked through the area. — It will also have a small stream, I will ask that they divert a line of the water that we bring from the river so that the plants can be watered.

Rukia saw Ichigo get his bearings a bit before pointing out the place where the small stream would run, and she could begin to imagine what that garden might look like. She was excited about something being hers and made for her, but she didn't want to celebrate without first seeing the last place Ichigo had mentioned.

— Let's see the one on the cliff. — Rukia asked, holding her husband's hand so they could start walking together. — First I want to know all my options.

Ichigo nodded and led her to the gate of the cliff, where the path to the king's forest and the path to the place where they had their first date as Kon and Kia began. Those memories made Rukia smile because that place brought back many more memories of that season, and then she hugged Ichigo, who hugged her back and kissed her on the head.

— We should have a picnic here. — Ichigo suggested as he held her close to his heart. — And this time I will bring two apples.

— You can always bite my apple. — Rukia offered as she looked up to meet Ichigo's smile.

— No, that one will have your saliva.

— What, you don't like my saliva?

Rukia contained a smile as she asked that question, and Ichigo just shook his head before approaching her and giving her a kiss that was so sweet that for a moment it made her close her eyes to enjoy it better.

— I love it.

Rukia felt her heart racing and her cheeks red, and she didn't know if it was from the kiss or Ichigo's tone of voice. Being with her husband gave her an intoxicating and happy feeling, which she never wanted to end.

They stayed on the cliff for a moment longer, enjoying each other's company, while Ichigo told her stories about his trip through the city of flowers. Rukia had already made up her mind about where her garden would be, it didn't matter if it was big or small, as long as she could be there with Ichigo, it would be perfect.

Thanks to everyone who reads this! This author appreciates you very much!

See ya!