Chapter 2: The Great Black Sun-Rise
The great sunrise was finally here on this historic day. All of the houses were running around this morning for Shirosaki Shiba's coronation. The Shiba house was positioning the throne where Shiro would sit later. Others were repeating the catering for the after the ceremony and others were preparing their special kimonos for the occasion.
"Zzzz.. " Speaking of the person who will be the new king, Shiro was not running around like the others but rather sleeping on his special day. Just like yesterday where he was taking a nap only for Rukia to interpret his nap, this time no one seems to interfere with his sleep this go-around.
"Good morning, to our future Highness!" Juushirou and a man named Shunsui shouted outside Shiro's room with a trumpet in hand.
Well, almost. Shiro is once again irritated that people love to wake him up from his peaceful sleep. Shiro's yellow-black eyes rolled in annoyance. He got up from his bed and opened the door to see who was the cause of his sleep disturbance.
Shiro opened his door to see Juushirou and Shunsui. Shiro's eyes heighten in fear as something is not right here; his Rukia wasn't there. Shiro noticed it wasn't Rukia who greeted him 'good morning' first like she always does.
"Where's Rukia?" Shiro demanded an explanation from the two elders. Shiro felt panic at the idea that something may have happened to his dear Rukia.
"Calm down, Shiro." Juushirou was the one to speak to attempt to calm his nerves. "She is busy this morning preparing for your correlation. We have people making her more presentable, arranging her hair and accessories, and dressing her up in a special kimono for the coronation, Shiro. You have nothing to worry about." Juushirou spoke in a calm, soft tone voice to attempt to calm the new to be king.
"Most of us know how close you are to Rukia." Shunsui spoke. "Wouldn't you want her to look absolutely elegant and beautiful for your special day, eh, Shirosaki?"
Shiro's mouth grinned, he was pissed hearing that from the two. "She's already a beautiful woman, no need for this fancy royalty look she needs. I want her here right now."
"Besides," Shiro whispered inaudibly, "it isn't like her to dress up. She would be more comfortable in her usual attire."
The truth is that while Shiro is aware of Rukia's beauty, he appreciated her more than her physical qualities. She never needed to try hard and do frivolous things just to capture his attention. He'd give it to her very easily. Instead of them taking Rukia away from her to put her into something she's not comfortable in, Shiro would much rather have Rukia beside him, calming his nerves for the upcoming ceremony.
"Well. Someone is clingy to Rukia it seems." Shunsui chucked. He heard how close the two were, but he didn't expect it to be this close where Shiro is throwing a fit over not having a 'slave' on his side. "There's nothing to worry…"
Shunsui was cut off as a tall blonde man wearing a green stripe hat entered through the door. Shiro, Juushirou and Shunsui all look at this mysterious blonde man in confusion.
"Who are you to barge in here? "Juushirou questioned.
"It's quite rude to wear a hat indoors, you know?" "Reveal yourself now!" Shunsui commanded the mysterious man to listen to his order.
The blonde haired man lifted his bucket hat to disclose his mysteriousness. His blonde messy hair is revealed to all three of them, with blonde strands framing the side of his face, similar to Rukia's hair style. His gray eyes are shown while showing his chin having stubbles.
"Hey there! Sorry I couldn't get here a little sooner." He finally broke the silence inside Shiro's room. " I'm Kisuke Urahara, your new advisor, Shirosaki-sama."
"New advisor?!" Shensi, Juushirou and Shirosaki all exclaimed in unison.
"What are you talking about? Sir Shinji Hirako of the Vizard clan is supposed to be announced as his advisor later this evening!" Juushirou asked, looking visibly bewildered.
"I'm guessing he didn't say it yet. Kisuke tipped his bucket hat in acknowledgement. "He renounced the position last night as he'll be going to be a father soon, so he gave it to me."
"Why didn't anyone inform us about it beforehand?" Shunsui questioned.
"I guess the letter courier was late. I arrived first." Kisuke said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, let us address the most pressing matter at the moment, King Shirosaki's coronation."
Kisuke fixed both Shunsui and Juushirou a stare, and the two men locked eyes and nodded at each other. Juushirou turned to Shirosaki, with a bit of hesitation in his eyes, and told him:
"We are going to meet you outside of this hall, Shirosaki-sama."
Juushirou didn't wait for his response as he easily exited the room together with Shunsui. Shirosaki had no choice but to just watch them leave until no one was left in the chamber but him and his newly-appointed Royal Adviser.
Puzzled, he asked Kisuke a question. "Yo, why do they hafta to leave?"
Kisuke tapped the cane he was carrying on the floor as he replied. "Because it is protocol. Any communication between the Royal Adviser and the reigning monarch is deemed confidential. It is rightfully so, because what I'm about to discuss with you is pretty important."
"W-what is it about, Buckethead?" Shirosaki's tone was rude but he was actually pretty nervous deep inside.
"Tsk, tsk. That's no way for a King to talk, Shirosaki-sama. You cannot let others hear you talk like that." Kisuke's tone was nonchalant but Shirosaki sensed his seriousness.
"Aren't ya, offended, Buckethead? I just insulted ya." Shirosaki was awed at his Royal Adviser's cool attitude. Maybe he wouldn't be that bad.
Shirosaki had always been wary of any elder coming from his own house of Shiba. He still remembered how they treated him as a kid, back when everyone thought he was nothing but an unlucky thing… until they found out he was the one descendant who got their clan founder's original powers.
Kisuke Urahara was someone who of course had to be a part of the House of Shiba. Shirosaki just didn't see the older man in the official functions of the clan before, maybe because Kisuke Urahara was a minor elder back then. It comes as no surprise that Shiro didn't trust his sudden entry into his life
"Not at all, Shirosaki-sama." Kisuke smirked. "I am pleased that the King I would serve is not as rigid as the previous King.
Huh. Maybe Kisuke Urahara might be different from other elders in his clan. Shirosaki began to relax a bit in the presence of his assigned royal adviser.
"Right. Let us discuss your duties and responsibilities as a King. It is my job to be the one to brief you about this." Kisuke's nonchalant attitude was replaced by seriousness.
Shirosaki sensed that play time was over so he also schooled his expression into something neutral. He went to the seat in front of the room and gestured to the Royal Adviser to sit in front of him. Kisuke followed suit.
"I'm listening," Shiro stated.
"The very first duty of a King is of course to protect the Kingdom, from the threats both within and outside it."
Shirosaki narrowed his eyes. "And what would these threats within and outside the kingdom be? Is there any you know of?"
"There is… Actually. The intelligence isn't very sure yet, but we received reports that some elders of the previous royal family are plotting a rebellion against you as early as now because they don't think you should be the successor of the throne." Kisuke said in a very somber tone.
"Do you know who these elders are?" Shirosaki asked.
"We can't say yet as the details are not verified. I'll tell you right away when I finally confirm everything."
Shirosaki felt uneasy as this was a major problem so early in his reign. However, he did not have any choice but to wait for his Royal Adviser's instructions. In the end, he could say nothing but:
"I'll be waiting for your word."
There was a brief silence between them as Shiro got lost in his thoughts, until Kisuke cleared his throat to get his attention.
There was another urgent duty of a King: to secure an heir. It was where the previous King had failed, so this is especially an important duty you must fulfill as soon as possible."
Shirosaki's eyes widened as such a thing was the furthest in his mind right now. Before he could open his mouth to express his surprise, Kisuke continued.
"You might have to choose a lady from any of the Noble houses and marry her so you can have an heir as soon as possible."
Shiro Saki's heart stopped at what he heard. "What do ya mean a lady from any noble house?"
"As a King, it is important for you to pick an eligible lady as a Queen consort, Shirosaki-sama." Kisuke told him matter-of-factly.
"The royal matchmaker will arrange marriage meetings for you so you can choose any from the Noble ladies in the Kingdom."
"Can I choose anyone I want, even if she isn't from a noble house?" Shirosaki asked, his voice now pretty loud because he was not liking any of the insinuations he heard from his Royal Adviser.
Kisuke wrinkled his nose, and his eyes looked unsure. "That was unprecedented yet in our history, Shirosaki-sama. All Royalty only ever married people from other Noble houses. There may be resistance should you choose someone not of nobility."
Shirosaki was unwavering in his response. "Then the people may have to get used to a King who will do things for the first time."
Rukia was woken up in her quarters very early, not by the usual military officers that watch over her suites as the King's guardian, but what surprised her this time was that the people who woke her up were ladies-in-waiting. Ladies-in-waiting usually never go into this section of the castle. Still groggy from sleep, she went to ask them what they needed as politely as she could. These ladies-in-waiting were not used to rough people like her.
"Uhmm… My ladies, are you perhaps, lost?" Rukia asked in a puzzled tone.
The one in front, a gorgeous lady with voluminous red hair and noticeably large breasts, probably the head of the women, was the one who replied. "Are you Lady Rukia Kuchiki?"
Rukia's sleepiness was wiped out. "Y-yes, I am. Is there a problem?"
"Oh, hello. I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. My ladies and I were sent here to prepare you for the ceremony. The elders want you to look divine on this special day!"
Rukia wasn't even able to mutter another word because Lady Rangiku just pulled her by her arm and announced it to everyone around.
"To the Royal bedchamber we go!"
Rukia's protests died out as she was led by so many ladies into a section of the castle she hadn't even been at yet.
"So Lady Rukia, may I ask how exactly related you are to the new King?" Lady Rangiku asked her while she was pulling Rukia's hair into a hairpin behind her head. Rukia noticed that there was a hint of intrigue in her voice.
"I… uh… am not related to him at all. I'm a slave of the Shiba House who was assigned to be Shirosaki-sama's personal attendant and guardian." Rukia blushed as she continued. "I don't think you actually have to call me "Lady Rukia," Lady Rangiku."
Lady Rangiku stopped for a second and met her eyes in the mirror in front of her, with one of her eyebrows raised. "Oh, this is not what I hear from the rumors around the castle."
Rukia paled. "W-what rumors, Lady Rangiku?"
Lady Rangiku's tone turned conspiratorial. "They say you're more than a mere guardian."
"That's what they say?" Rukia was shocked.
Lady Rangiku laughed prettily. "I'd say there's probably a bit of truth there. After all, they wouldn't have sent a slave like you to be prepared like this, which is something only Noble ladies experience." The older woman said with a wink.
Rukia was left to wonder by herself too. She herself couldn't still figure out why they needed her to get dressed like this. She would have been perfectly happy with her usual garb.
A sigh came out from her as she realized that she would really have to endure this heavy headpiece they put on her the entire ceremony.
A magnificent crowd of thousands appear to watch the coronation take place in front of their own eyes. Some traveled hours to see the spectacle take place. The sun rays were quite hot and caused everyone to complain at the heat that was simultaneously happening during the ceremony. People were fetching water to try to cool everyone down.
Shirosaki was standing on top of a balcony while everyone in attendance was watching below. "Cold water for you, Shirosaki-Sama." Kisuke handed Shiro a cup of cold water to drink to combat the heat that had been taking place. Shiro grabbed the cup out of his hand, gulped down the cold water, but he didn't seem satisfied about it and Kisuke took notice.
"Was that not enough for you? Do you need some more water?" Kisuke assumed so, so he went to grab some more, but Shiro grabbed his arm, stopping in his tracks.
"Where's Rukia?" Shiro asked, staring at Kisuke's gray eyes.
"I'm being told that your girlfriend is about to walk across the stage right now as we speak." Kisuke is chuckling and clearly joking about the girlfriend part.
"Eh.. She's not my girlfriend." Shiro said out loud to Kisuke. Shiro also whispered to himself softly to where Kisuke couldn't transcribe what he said "That's because I want her to be more than a girlfriend."
"Oh my. Aren't you and Miss Kuchiki quite close? She saved you from local kids, she takes care of you when you're sick. Her face blushes when she sees you. I notice the necklaces of the sun and moon you two have. She's always by your side most of the time. I figured you two had a romantic connection."
"How do you know all of that?" Shiro questioned him. "Have ya been stalking us our whole lives?"
"Oh.. quite rude of me. Not stalking at all Shirosaki-sama. I've seen you two when you two were children. I also heard stories echo around the noble clans about you two."
"Well, she's someone who I.." Kisuke cut him off, "Well speaking of Miss Kuchiki, there she is Shirosaki-sama!"
Kisuke wasn't lying. Rukia was walking with the Shiba house down the walkway, but she looked way different than she normally appears.
She wore an elegant and dazzling bright red kimono. with a deep and muted pink coloring and adorned with a simple flower pattern all over. Her hair was adorned with many different ornaments, ranging from hair sticks, a comb, and kanzashi. Her signature black bang across her face was still there, otherwise Shirosaki wouldn't be able to recognize her.
Rukia saw Shiro from above and planted a warm smile on her face. Her violet galaxy eyes met his yellow-black orbs. Shiro was speechless. He didn't want to look awkward to her, so he gave a warm smile back. Some of his nerves were cleared from her warm smile below. But he still would have preferred if she was next to him.
Rukia's beauty was on full display as not only Shiro noticed but other people in attendance saw her. From a glance, people just assumed that she's a noble from a royal family not a mere slave.
Much of the ceremony was the age-old rituals that not a lot of people probably knew the meaning of. Even Shirosaki didn't fully understand what was happening. He just dutifully followed along with the guidance of his Royal Adviser. Shirosaki was seriously bored at his own coronation.
However, when the elder announced: "And now, let us witness the amazing ability that was bestowed to our New King, an ability that will for sure help us in defending the Kingdom, and as such, we are so grateful for. Your Majesty, please show your faithful subjects the ability the Kami gave you."
Shirosaki stopped. T-they really want it now? His ability, the most deciding factor on him being chosen as the successor, was not something that he could just summon as he pleased. He himself hadn't fully controlled it, and now they want to make it a spectacle?
The loud cheer of his subjects broke his reverie. He looked at the sea of the crowd and saw all their eager faces. Such a huge amount of people are already demanding and expecting something from him and the pressure was already making him dizzy.
His breath was now shallow and his palms clammy until he spotted Rukia… His Rukia was standing in the middle of the crowd, standing out with her beauty that she was the only one his eyes fixed on. Just like that, his anxiety disappeared.
After all, Rukia was there when he first manifested his ability, and when he lost control of it in the early days. Rukia was also the only one who could calm him, to bring him back from the brink of madness his ability could cause him. That was largely why Rukia, despite being a slave and having no military training was assigned to be his guardian.
She really was the only one who could tame the beast in him.
Shirosaki took a deep breath and marched in front of the stage, his eyes never leaving Rukia's violet pair. He saw her subtle nod on him, the slight encouragement he needed to perform this spectacle.
He then placed his right palm over his left eye and then concentrated his energy there. Slowly, dark red light glowed from his palm, until a skull formed a mask on his left side of the face. His golden eyes glowed and he became surrounded by an aura of energy, energy that sent some of the elders onstage with him flying down to the ground.
The previously excited crowd now collectively gasped, their scared eyes looking up at him with morbid fascination. Shirosaki tried hard to drown it, but the demented voice that came with his hollow mask started to drown the people around and started whispering to him mean things.
The voice was saying, "You could kill them all now. You know you want to."
This was the part no one knew apart from him and Rukia. No one knew that having his ability literally meant being driven to craziness. This voice really knew how to get under his skin and when he scanned the crowd again, Shirosaki was almost tempted to follow through… until he saw Rukia standing there.
Just as it used to be, that was all he needed to snap back to reality. Her mere appearance in this crowd saved everyone's lives without anyone's knowledge. Slowly, the dark red light emanating from his face started to fade, until the hollow mask disappeared fully.
There was a moment of silence when it was all over, and then the crowd erupted in cheers. They had no idea they were close to dying. The ordeal left Shirosaki weak in his knees but the spectacle wasn't yet over as the elders rushed back to the stage to raise his arm to cheer him on.
Throughout the chaos, Shirosaki fixed his eyes to his beacon, the diminutive woman who had no idea how much power she had over him. She was the reason he was still standing here… and that was when his mind was made up about what he'll say next.
"Shirosaki-sama.. King Shirosaki-sama that is." Kisuke gets down to his knees to kneel before him. "I speak on behalf of everyone here before you, we all like to know what your first request is as the new king?" Shiro's new advisor had asked the new king. Kisuke was quite curious to see what he might have in mind.
Shirosaki clears his throat and looks around the ceremony.. He stares at all the nobles and people in attendance for his spectacle correlation. As he looked, his eyes glanced over to Rukia. His pupils diving deep into her violet galaxy eyes, it was clear what he wanted, however Rukia looked uncertain, as she noticed he stared at her more than anyone in this ceremony.
"I.." Shiro began to speak slowly. "Rukia Kuchiki." He spoke again, this time her name out loud. Everyone turned towards Rukia. Rukia was alarmed by him saying her name. What did he want? Why did he say her name?
"Rukia Kuchiki. I want.." Shiro began to speak once more. The suspense in the kingdom was tense. Nobles were leaning over each other, and people's mouths slowly began to open. Rukia's eyes and grip began to tighten. Her voice inside her head began to speak "Fool! What does he want me for?" Rukia became startled and started to sweat not from the heat, but from what Shirosaki was announcing to the world.
Shirosaki stopped his sentence again and took a long pause before he spoke again. "Rukia Kuchiki. I want you to be my wife."
Thousands upon thousands of thoughts enter Rukia's mind the moment Shirosaki tells the whole world that he wants to marry her.
Oh boy! The story is getting interesting! Shiro wants to marry Rukia! How will the nobles react? How will Rukia react to that? Stay tuned to the next chapter!
