II. The Date:

Ichigo's carriage stopped at the mansion's entrance. A massive white house, hidden in the midst of the forest. He was alone; his entire family and friends had stayed within human borders, and his vampire allies had not yet been able to leave their posts to accompany him. He was truly alone and, above all, uneasy. He didn't trust any of the "creatures" around him.

He remembered how the day before, during the dance, he sneaked away to observe the reactions of the attendees and, outside of protocol and without security, get to know his future wife. And how he didn't like at all what he saw.

From the general public, the expected reactions: violence, anxiety, the urge to kill. But his wife was something different and, perhaps, a bit unsettling: she frightened him.

Against all rules, he sought her out and danced with her and his first impression was that she was the most beautiful woman that could have existed. The second? That he couldn't trust her; she was dangerous. By the end of the piece, her fangs were already near his jugular.

The hair on the back of his neck shivered because the most dangerous thing was not that she had tried to bite him, but that he would have been delighted to let her. Her powers of suggestion were too many, worthy of a noble vampire, he supposed.

He took a necklace from his pocket: a silver five-pointed cross with a sapphire in the center, the symbol of his clan, a legacy from his family, and put it around his neck. Being actually iron, it didn't offer as strong protection against vampires as a true silver one would, but the memory of his mother (the previous owner of the cross) reassured him. He knew that if he had it with him, he could endure whatever came. Even becoming a sacrifice to end the war.

There were taps on the carriage door, a sign that it was time to get down. Ichigo pressed the cross and, like a prayer, whispered softly, "For you, Mom. Guide me so that no one else dies in this war." And, trying to maintain composure, he stepped out of the carriage.

Being noon, the vampires there (Byakuya's servants) were completely covered with special suits to avoid burning, all except Prince Kuchiki, who wore his normal attire, and his only protection against the sun was an unrecognizable lackey holding an umbrella.

-I hope the journey was comfortable, -he said, and Ichigo nodded. The clan leader was extremely respectful, and so far, the second vampire Ichigo trusted the most; the first being his master and the instigator of the alliance, who unfortunately could not accompany him.

Ichigo noticed that the Duchess was not present: -If I may ask, Your Highness, shouldn't the Duchess be receiving me?

-She is waiting inside. I'm afraid Rukia is a bit more susceptible to sunlight than we are.

In addition to being respectful, Byakuya was reserved. And Ichigo knew he wouldn't utter another word on the matter, so he headed towards the mansion with him behind.

Upon arrival, Rukia, who was waiting behind the door, bowed to receive them. Of course, the mansion had covered windows, and the lighting came from hundreds of candles, a setting similar to the ball the night before.

-Welcome, Prince Ichigo. -said the Duchess. -If you would follow me, I will guide you to my brother's study. There you can have something to eat while we discuss certain... matters. And while they finish taking your belongings to your room.

The Duchess paused, unsure of what else to say, then added: -We have prepared a special lunch for you. I hope it pleases you.

"No blood, I hope..." thought Ichigo. But he knew he had to behave because neither he nor his distrust mattered. "You are a Prince, Kurosaki, be polite and remember your purpose: to protect everyone."

-It would be a great pleasure -He replied with another bow, but the atmosphere was tense because, of course, the distrust was mutual. After all, they were still complete strangers of two different species in the midst of a war.

The three headed to Byakuya's study, where a tray with roast chicken and a variety of vegetables awaited Ichigo. Although he wasn't hungry, he would eat only for protocol, not to be rude.

Byakuya stood behind his desk, and Ichigo and Rukia sat in chairs in front of it. And, as usual, he got straight to the point:

-This will be a brief meeting, as I have to deal with the reactions to this alliance we have proposed.

No one interrupted his speech, as they could imagine what had been unleashed.

-Rukia already knows what I'm talking about, Kurosaki Ichigo, but there is an ancient vampire tradition that is performed during the officialization of the engagement of any couple. And we would like you, in a gesture of goodwill, to fulfill it along with my sister.

Translation: if you want the alliance to continue, you are obliged to do it, Ichigo knew.

-Of course. I understand and am willing. -He was good at hiding what he really felt so he hoped neither of the two creatures in the room could read his mind...

Byakuya's gaze hardened for a moment, and Ichigo panicked, thinking that maybe they could indeed read his mind. But then he continued: -This particular tradition is one of the oldest we have, and it not only affects the couple who wants to get married, but also their families. -He paused, as if he were leaving the words "desire" and "family" floating in the air, because everyone knew well that no one wanted a love life like that. –And it involves the creation of a spiritual bond between family lines. It works, on the one hand, as proof of their love, a sacred seal that will mark their union forever, perhaps even more than the wedding itself... And, in addition, in this case, it will serve to protect you from the vampires that do not see with good eyes this alliance but are still neutral. It would be similar to granting them a vote of confidence, so that they see that we take the protocols seriously and that marriage will not be a simple "profane union" but rather something true, prosperous.

"True", "prosperous", more words that remained floating in the air, words that probably on any occasion would have been received warmly; but here and now, covered with the shadow of the arranged marriage they felt cold as winter fog.

Another pause.

-If you succeed, and I have full confidence that you will, the engagement will be formalized, and the wedding will begin to be planned. Is that clear?

The "Is that clear?" left no room for doubt.

Ichigo felt the metal of the cross over his heart. It was really happening. He was going to get married, to be a sacrifice to end the war. He thought of his mom, and then glanced at Rukia and noticed that she was looking at him too, a look that shared pain. She was thinking exactly what he was. During that moment, there were no sides, just two people who wanted the freedom to live their lives and couldn't.

They stopped looking at each other and turned their attention to Byakuya to respond simultaneously, "Understood."

After the meeting, Rukia guided Ichigo to his quarters to relax. Clearly, he had a lot to think about.

They were walking through the mansion's hallways in silence, unsure of what to do in this situation, and finally, Rukia broke the ice.

-You know, the gardens are beautiful this time of year. If you'd like, I can give you a guided tour this evening.

Ichigo once again remembered why she was dangerous: her beauty. Even in the candlelight, those large violet eyes shone brightly. But Ichigo had to admit, she was diplomatic, and just as solemn as her brother. And, considering that she would be the woman he'd spend the rest of his life with, she was right: they needed quality time together, at least to get to know each other a bit.

-I'd love that -He replied dryly.

-Very well. See you at the mansion's gate at sunset then.

For a few seconds, they looked at each other. The silence was uncomfortable, but Rukia broke it again.

-If you'll excuse me, I'll retire to my room as well... I hope you rest and that my servants don't eat you.

She left laughing. And Ichigo thought, "That was a terrible joke." But he couldn't help but smile. Maybe she wasn't as solemn as he imagined.

Finally, sunset arrived, and they could go out to the mansion's magnificent garden, passing through hundreds of meticulously cut flowers of all colors, until they reached a gazebo on the edge of a grand pond. The gazebo was made of white wood and was decorated with white and pink roses.

Ichigo sat on the railing of the gazebo and watched Rukia, who, in turn, looked at the sunset. The orange and reddish rays tinted her pale skin, playing with the violets of her pupils; the dress she wore fit her perfectly: tailored, white with flowers matching her eyes, long but modest. Additionally, she wore gloves, a hat, and a lace umbrella... Ichigo closed his eyes tightly. Her vampire manipulation affected him too much, even with the protection talisman. He had to be careful. She was too beautiful.

Rukia also perched on the railing. Both were silent again because, of course, what could they say to each other? Two strangers, of two different species, forced to marry to maintain a non-existent peace. Rukia picked a rose and began to play with it.

-So... What exactly does the ritual your brother talked about consist of? No one has given me the details, -He finally asked, frankly scared by what that ceremony could entail. However, Rukia responded calmly, without looking at him, but without hiding her gaze either.

-It's actually really simple, it's an exchange.

-An exchange?

-Yeah. –She continued, taking the rose in her hands, as if it were a helpless pigeon, caressing its petals gently. –Think about the most precious object you have. An object that you could not live without, something that has accompanied you since your childhood, something that represents your values, something that a loved one has left you... In short, the most important thing that you possess. Do you have something in mind?

Ichigo had to stop himself from putting his hand on his neck, where his cross was. He didn't want to give away that he had it, yet: -Yes, some things.

Rukia continued: -Well, of those things you are thinking about, you will have to choose one, really the most important one, and give it to me in an official ritual performed by a high-ranking noble, in this case, my brother, and I will give something to you of equal importance. This would prove that we trust each other with our most precious possession, an equivalent to our own heart.

A soft, warm breeze, blew. They both watched the sun go down on the horizon. The atmosphere still felt awkward, and Ichigo wasn't sure how to respond, or if he even liked the idea of giving his cross, his only beloved object, to a stranger. But, thinking about it, what other choice did he have? He took his role in this alliance seriously, so no matter how much distrust he had, he would have to participate correctly… And yet he couldn't help but ask:

-What would happen if we delivered the wrong object? That is, one that was not our most prized possession.

Rukia looked at him out of the corner of her eye, as if sensing what he was referring to with that question.

-A catastrophe. Metaphorically speaking, of course. The spiritual bond that tradition speaks of is not a physical threat, but giving the wrong object would make the marriage fail in one way or another, it would symbolize a terrible lack of trust between us and... Well, we don't want that.

But there was a terrible lack of trust between them; Ichigo wasn't sure if he would ever stop trusting her.

He side-eyed at her too. Every time he looked at her she became more beautiful... so he felt a little bad for doubting her so much; Yes, they vaguely knew each other, but he had not threatened him in any way. And she, in fact, had even invited him on this walk so they actually got to know each other better.

He felt the weight of the cross in his heart; If he did want the war to end, he had to do his part too.

"Know each other, I guess," he thought, and dared to ask another question:

-Why cover so much skin if you're going to look directly at the sun? Besides, your brother said you are more sensitive to light than others, should you even be out? -He finally asked. And Rukia responded without looking at him, but without hiding her gaze either.

-Yes. There are vampires who can endure being in daylight. I... Let's just say my skin is more fragile than others.

There was more silence. Rukia didn't want to elaborate more on her condition, but then she continued:

-Nevertheless, the sunset sun doesn't harm us; it's so gentle that it's more of a nuisance, like an itch. The sunrise sun, on the other hand... -And she didn't finish the sentence either.

Then, she brought the rose to her lips, and, this time, looking into his eyes, continued, "We're not even married yet, and you already want to know how to kill me? I'll have to defend myself."

Her white smile revealed her fangs, and Ichigo's heart raced. A cool breeze blew between them. He reminded himself that she was dangerous. Very dangerous. If he wasn't careful, he'd have himself served on a silver platter in less than a week. His hunches about this "alliance" were getting closer to reality.

-It was a joke... -She clarified and lowered the rose, and Ichigo felt a bit guilty.

-I know, -He replied while looking away. -But I need you to know that I take this marriage very seriously. I don't want any more of my people to die... -He plucked another rose and gestured towards her. –We have to do this right. For peace.

And Rukia returned the gesture, as if toasting with the flowers.

-For peace. -She replied. -Although you should work on your sense of humor.

Again, there was silence, but not an uncomfortable one. It was full of understanding. Because both, although not happy with the decision, wanted the best for their people, wanted to protect them. And, although they still didn't trust each other, they had taken the first step to build that trust.

They stayed, watching the sunset together, in that silence. The closest they would have to peace for a long time.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of an arduous journey.