Author's Note: With Spring Break here, I was able to pump out two full chapters! I'm really glad to have the story gradually moving along and I hope everyone's enjoying it. Thank you for the 50 reviews! It's another milestone for me as an author on this website. I would also like to give a shout-out to melnel who guessed correctly regarding the three other individuals in the competition. Anways, please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy! Look forward to another upload Friday (4/5/13) of next week.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo is responsible for it's creation.

Chapter 8 - Stepping Stones

As he packed the last of his items from his cramped bedroom which he shared next to his sisters, Ichigo Kurosaki thought of every imaginable excuse he could conjure, with the small hope of his father realizing he was making a huge mistake by sending him to stay at the Inoue palace. After the confrontation with the two mysterious nobles, the doctor and the boys jumped inside their carriage and departed from the party quietly. As they rode alongside the moon's light, Isshin was silently contemplating his next course of action. The request for Renji and Ichigo's presence at the competition was deeply suspicious. Nonetheless, it had appeared that his son and the noble princess surprisingly looked as if they could match very well together. However, as for Ichigo's friend, he was slightly perplexed as to why he had been dragged into the mix as well.

However, Isshin could simply not reject the offer. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ichigo to prove that peasants could be married into royalty. It doesn't have to be specifically an arranged marriage between nobles who know nothing about each other. A union should be formed because two people love each other, not because it benefits a kingdom from another. The father of three wanted his eldest to experience a love that was different from the one his mother gave to him. While it was unconditional to a certain degree, when she passed, Ichigo was heartbroken as he blamed himself for her death. He didn't want his family to feel pain any longer. Every one of his children deserved to be happy. He just wished Ichigo could see the same as himself in those regards.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Isshin beckoned, "Are you almost ready to go? Time's wasting away the longer we wait for you."

The sound of heavy boot heels started to emerge from the hallway as they descended down the old, creaky wood. Ichigo stepped into the cramped kitchen and joined Renji and Isshin with a bag grasped tightly in one of his hands. He wore a stern expression on his forehead as he glared at his father from across the room.

"Finally ready, are we?" Isshin rubbed his hands together.

Ichigo dropped his belongings onto the floor in the midst of his anger, "I'm not going to the palace with you. You can't make me and those stupid ass nobles can't make me go either."

Isshin rushed to his son's side and took him by the shoulders to knock what little sense he had left back into him, "My boy, this time the decision is not your's to make. An opportunity has been presented to you and you simply cannot deny the Princess' request."

The seventeen-year-old shrugged off his father's hold on him and stared at him directly onwards, "You promised me you weren't going to ask for anymore favors."

"I know, I know! I give you permission to call me a terrible father in the near future, but right now, we need to get going if we want to make it before the cut off time," Isshin began to plead.

Ichigo angrily threw back a defiant stare towards his parent, "What about money? How are you going to take care of Yuzu and Karin if you're gone every day to make a living? Who's going to protect them if both of us aren't here?"

The father of three hung his head in defeat as he listened to his son's reasonable concern for his younger sisters. He should have known better than not to think about how Ichigo felt about leaving behind the family he's been with for his entire life. The eldest always believed it was his obligation to take care of his twin siblings ever since Masaki had passed. Not a day went by where he didn't worry about the girls. If anything, he was the one who disciplined them more than Isshin ever did in their lifetime.

"I have some money saved up - a few thousand. It'll be enough to get us by for the months that you're gone," Isshin answered with slight reproach.

"Again, what about Yuzu and Karin?"

"They're big girls, Ichigo. They're starting to mature into young women. They can take care of themselves."

Ichigo's heated words came to a standstill. He couldn't think of any more excuses as to why he should stay behind and let Renji go by himself. It had seemed that his father had tied up any loose ends that would have prevented him from attending the competition. It was a lost cause and he had abandoned the battle against the skilled doctor.

The blacksmith's assistant graveled under his breath in defeat. His father did always have a way with words, and altogether, somehow had managed to advert the crisis that Ichigo was attempting to create. Despite his father saying the money situation was handled, the seventeen-year-old still felt uneasy leaving his twin sisters behind in the care of Isshin. The doctor wasn't necessarily the most responsible parent when it came to certain aspects of being an adult with children. Yuzu and Karin had practically raised themselves ever since Masaki died when they were young. The only main concern Ichigo still had for his sisters were whether or not they would forgive him for leaving them without any notice. They had left for school two hours ago and Isshin insisted it was the best opening for him to leave if he didn't want to be caught by the village people. Once they caught wind of Renji and Ichigo's absence at their jobs, eyebrows would be raised and questions would start to pile up. Even after the Masquerade Ball, the overall public opinion of the Princess still hadn't budged from where it had originally stood among the peasants.

The bags which sat at Ichigo's feet where picked up without much enthusiasm. He wanted to delay his departure as long as possible. When Renji saw Ichigo finally begin to move along, he started to gather his items as well and Isshin's grin grew wider with each passing second. The two boys filed out the door as Isshin tagged behind them. He secured the lock before he greeted the coachman who would to take them to the palace.

Isshin walked over to the front of the carriage and bowed to the white-haired man, "How do you today, sir?"

The coachman tipped his head down and smiled warmly, "I'm doing wonderful, Dr. Kurosaki. However, I can't say the same for those two young men back there. They appear to be gloom and doom."

The physician waved off the man's comment with a deep chuckle, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about them. They're just masking their excitement."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with each other, Isshin finally joined Ichigo and Renji inside the cart. It was very difficult to get comfortable since three large men and the luggage were all compacted into a small area. However, they were eventually able to make do when the carriage jolted forward, moving away from the Kurosaki cottage. Shortly after, the coachman had guided them out of the village and onto the main road leading to the Inoue palace.

Orihime might as well have had already thrown in the towel. Her fate of being a teenage bride was unchangeable no matter how persistent Uryu and Rukia had been over the past two days in an attempt to sway her aunt's biased upon of her. The night of the ball, Rangiku's husband returned back to his rightful kingdom. However, the presence of his wife was empty for she had stayed behind at the Princess' request.

As soon as all the guests had taken their rightful leave and the palace had been cleaned from head to toe by the staff, Uryu called an emergency meeting. Tatsuki and Rukia insisted in attending, for the two women saw fit that they should defend Orihime accordingly if need be. Princess Inoue had already changed into her evening gown; nonetheless, her body was not ready for sleep. It had been tense ever since Rangiku mentioned the competition that was to be held in two days time. The thought of courting someone made Orihime's stomach turn over in multiple intervals.

The small group had settled themselves into the library. The two women of nobility were the only ones who sat in cushioned chairs. Rukia and Tatsuki each took a side next to Orihime, staring holes through Rangiku's surface while the stern butler had positioned himself in between the trio and the relaxed strawberry blonde.

Uryu pushed up his glasses with the movement of a single finger as they began to slid down the bridge of his nose when he hung his head down low. He was gathering his thoughts and feelings on how to go about the scolding he believed Rangiku truly deserved for going behind everyone's backs.

"You are really something Matsumoto-sama," Ishida chuckled darkly.

Rangiku pouted and examined the nail polish that had been chipped away from the night's festivities, "My husband flatters me with that comment all the time. I'm very thrilled you think of me the same way."

From the snide comment, Rukia launched forward in a fury at the cocky woman, "How could you do this to Inoue-sama? You're supposed to look out for her and instead, you've betrayed what little trust we had put into you."

The Princess didn't want the emergency conference to turn into a screaming match. She wanted to discuss the future plans her relative had in mind for the competition, while at the same time, hoping to alter her ultimate decision. The conversation was escalating rather quickly and they had only just begun speaking to one another.

"Are you implying that my intentions for our little flower are meant for a more sinister purpose?" Rangiku questioned as her fingers tightened around the arms of the chair.

The butler cleared the tension in his throat, "We are not implying anything of those calibrations."

"Is it a crime for wanting my niece to be happy?" Gin's wife counter-attacked.

Orihime grew flustered, waving her hands frantically from side to side in her own efforts to calm Uryu and Rukia. Suddenly, a firm hand clasped itself at the top of her scrawny shoulder. The Princess glanced up and met Tatsuki's consoling eyes. They spoke volumes without a word ever being exchanged. All Tatsuki needed was Orihime's approval to speak to Rangiku in the most effective way possible - by threatening her to tell the truth. Cautiously, Orihime nodded to her best friend to go forward with her strategy as the shouting became increasingly louder between the trio in front of her.

The tomboy released her grasp and stalked forward to where Rangiku was comfortably resting. She pushed Uryu and Rukia out of the way and grabbed the aristocrat by the necklace she had dangling between her breasts.

"Tell me, Matsumoto, why make such an announcement without even discussing it with Uryu or even Rukia for that matter? Why did you go behind our backs? You're making us look like fools, and I for one will not be played like a fool if my best friend is involved, you got that?" Tatsuki asserted with a controlled smile.

The strawberry blonde got the hint. She was an intruder and had overstepped the lines. The woman calmly asked Arisawa to release her and harshly fell backwards into her chair when she was unhooked.

Orihime examined Rangiku with a careful eye as her aunt prepared to defend herself. She delicately crossed her exposed legs over the other and folded her hands on the top of her knee. Her back was poised very perfectly and she made it evident that she was serious about the competition she was throwing in her niece's honor.

"I'm not doing this to harm, our sweet Hime-chan. I merely cannot comprehend how Orihime has come this far in life and no man has stepped forward to claim her as his own. I married late and I truly regret it. I simply do not want her to go down the same path as me," Matsumoto implored to the small group of concerned individuals.

Despite trying ease the worry, her case was still not valuable of being excused with simple compassion. Consequently, it angered Uryu even further than before. He shook his head in disgust and reached up towards his neck to loosen the constraining tie he owned.

"Do you not know anything at all?" he mumbled underneath his breath.

Rangiku titled to one side, "What?"

Uryu circled Gin's wife like a shark trying to enclose it's prey. Orihime never had witnessed such a side of her dear friend. He didn't appear to be the boy she grew up with nor who helped her during the tough struggle of her brother's passing. Instead, he had matured into a man well beyond his time.

"For the past three years, we've been trying to protect Inoue-sama from the public eye. We have no doubt in our minds that they would try to take full advantage of her if we let them," Ishida informed the clueless aristocrat.

Meanwhile, the Princess sat completely still as her butler's words resonated in her ears. Uryu's statement was entirely correct and didn't lack in truth. Even when she was younger, Sora had tried his very best to conceal her from the interrogating eyes of the kingdom. She never truly experienced human contact until the day she ventured out with Sora and befriended Tatsuki. When Rangiku rolled into town unexpectedly, it was a breath of fresh air. However, she unfortunately had put Orihime in an uncomfortable position. It was one that the Princess was very unfamiliar with for she had no courting background at all.

Orihime's lips trembled as she searched for the opportune moment to cut into the argument. She knew if she didn't intervene soon, the fight would never seek a resolution.

"Um, excuse me," Inoue timidly spoke at first.

Unfortunately, no one had seemed to hear her as the shouting continued onwards.

"Everyone, please, stop!" she shouted as she arose from her seat.

The room turned dead silent and the occupants were frozen in time, neither one daring to move. Orihime never had an outburst before, and it was a very shocking thing for them to encounter.

"Auntie, I am unsure what to believe from you right now. The idea of me courting five men at the same time seems unfair to me as well as the other's feelings. I have not met them yet and I'm very nervous as to who you have chosen for me, but I place my trust in your hands that you have made a smart decision and you will try your best to find me a suitable husband," the Princess gently asserted to Rangiku with a determined expression.

The aristocrat's face lit up with extreme delight at her niece. She was hoping Orihime would see the better side of the plan. Of course, it also meant the Princess would vow to remain faithful to it.

Rangiku pushed off her chair and ran over to embrace the shaking young woman. It had taken all of her courage to express the worry that had been eating at her since the day her aunt had dropped by without an invite.

"Do not question anything I do for you," Rangiku murmured in Inoue's ear.

"I will not go against your wishes," Orihime squeezed her relative reassuringly.

The sound of fanfare could be heard in the distance and it intensified Orihime's desire to run and hide from the entire event. She had been concealing herself in the kitchen with Sado as he worked diligently to prepare lunch for the upcoming arrivals of the five men. However, before he had started, he had made Orihime a quick snack to soothe her nerves. She was lost in thought as she poked a spoon into her face, not realizing she had missed her mouth entirely.

"Inoue-sama," Sado said in a courteous manner.

"Hm?" Orihime perked up at her name being called.

The chef motioned for her to wipe her face by the side of her mouth, "You have...a little...something."

Orihime caught on right away to his gesture, "Oh my, how embarrassing. Thank you, Sado-kun."

She took a napkin lying beside her bowl and quickly cleaned the remnants of her food away. She wasn't positive if eating was such a fantastic idea. Her stomach had felt nauseous earlier and if she continually over-stuffed herself, she may explode all over the quests that would be living in the palace during the duration of the next two months. It most certainly would not leave a good impression.

"Princess, where are you? The men are all accounted for!" Rangiku's flirtatious voice called from the other room.

Orihime jumped in her seat, "Sado-kun! You have to hide me!"

Immediately, the klutzy seventeen-year-old slid underneath the table and asked the olive-toned man to use a tablecloth to conceal her.

"Inoue-sama, I don't think this will work," he warned her as approaching footsteps were becoming more prominent.

It didn't really matter to the anxious girl. She only wanted to stay out of sight from her aunt at all given costs. With due time, the tablecloth shielded her from view and Sado returned to the kitchen counter to press on with the meals.

The echoes of clicking heels walked straight into the room and Rangiku's perfume quickly swirled up Orihime's nose. She was set out on a mission and she wasn't going to leave until she found the missing target - which of course meant finding the Princess.

"Ah, Chad! Have you seen the royal highness? I know she's trying to outsmart me," Rangiku inclined of the chef.

There was a silent pause and Orihime prayed it didn't mean that her personal messenger was going to rat her out the very first chance he got.

"You really don't know?"

"No, ma'am."

"Shall I get Arisawa-san?"

"Oh no! Don't fall for the trap, Sado-kun!"

Without too much thought, he firmly replied,"...under the table."

A bright light suddenly blinded Orihime's eyes as the cloth was lifted from her hiding spot. She shielded her face, only to be pulled by her arm and dragged out from underneath.

"What in the world are you doing down there? We don't have time for this!" Rangiku scolded her.

The Princess sat up from off the floor and gave her aunt a meek smile as an apology for her improper behavior. She'd have to find a better arrangement the next time she tried to conceal herself from anyone.

The other side of the doors meant a place of no return. It no longer would give her the sense of security she used to feel when it was only her small collection of staff members. Now, the atmosphere would be different than normal. Five complete strangers - in addition to her aunt - are going to be co living with her inside the palace for the next two months. It was a new experience she wasn't completely welcoming to, but after some thought, Orihime decided she was going to face the challenge with poised grace. She had never been one to stray away from a test and the dilemma she had found herself in wasn't going to stop her.

She stood completely motionless as Rukia helped adjust the wrinkles in her dress and fixed the misplaced hairs for her with her delicate touch. Meanwhile, Rangiku couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear at the prospect that her niece might find the man of her dreams in a selection she had personally chosen for her. Once everything was finally in order and at peace, Orihime was prepared to head to the confinements of the parlor where all the men were waiting for her grand introduction.

Everyone filed out of her bedroom and descended to the first floor. Surprisingly, the Princess did not hear any yelling matches coming from the area of where the five males were being held up. It was eerily quiet and Orihime was unsure whether or not such a silence was a good thing. However, she was fairly confident that her strict butler wasn't going to let complete strangers remain unattended in her palace, thus probably explaining the reason as to why there was no talking.

At last, the trio of women approached the parlor doors and all held in their breath - each one for a different cause. Rangiku didn't give her niece much time to gather any more of her uneasy thoughts for she had given her a flashy smile over the shoulder as a warning she was about to go forward with or without the royal child. Unfortunately for Orihime, she didn't have a chance to react as Rangiku opened the double doors straight away.

"Gentlemen, please all rise in honor of Princess Inoue of Karakura!" Matsumoto gleefully exclaimed as she walked into the sun-filled room. Orihime followed with heavy footsteps as she kept her attention glued to the floor. She found herself wanting to avoid every pair of eyes in the room. It was even more nerve wrecking than when she presented her speech to the kingdom two days prior at the gala. This time, it was far from the same. One of the five men before her may become her partner in life and death, and knowing that it could very well happen as much as she had wished against it, was in fact terrifying to her.

"Shall we start, Inoue-sama?" Uryu offered gently to his shaken childhood friend. Orihime nervously glanced up when her name was summoned and connected with the butler's comforting gaze. He slightly nodded to reassure her that nothing was going to get out-of-hand and she should remain as calm as possible.

A short moment later, Uryu was standing next to the first of the men, who all stood in an orderly line with one another.

"May I introduce to you, Shinji Hirako, Prince of Sapporo," the butler informed his Highness. The man bowed respectively to the young maiden before him and as he rose back up, Orihime was able to asses him fully. He was a rather tall aristocrat, with a sharp nose. His long, golden hair was swept back into a ponytail, which to the Princess seemed odd. She never had met a man with girlish length hair before. However, despite the small flaw, she could sense that fromthe reflection in his brown eyes that he was a kind spirit.

"I apologize for not being able to have attended Inoue-sama's birthday celebration. I was ill with the stomach virus. I hope you can forgive me," Shinji warmly smiled as he took the seventeen-year-old's hand.

Orihime's cheeks grew crimson, "O-of course, Hirako-sama. It wasn't your fault."

The Prince winked before letting go of his grasp on the girl.

Uryu gruffly cleared his throat to break any further interaction, moving the process along onto the next aristocrat.

"Your Majesty, please meet Ulquiorra Schiffer, Prince of Yokohama," Ishida continued with the introductions.

The stranger followed the same action as Shinji; not holding the position for very long as he quickly dipped his head and retreated to his original form. Everything about him screamed mystery. His aura was nothing like Hirako's - neither friendly or inviting. Instead, it would probably be best described as intimidating as he remained cold-faced and didn't speak a word. Ulquiorra had an extremely ashen color to his skin complexion. His jade eyes were very beautiful but held no expression. He also had jaw-length hair that was as black as the night and it glimmered under the sun's rays.

"Don't bother with him, girl. My cousin was never one for conversation," a different voice interrupted Orihime's further examination.

Her attention was grabbed by the new man who didn't speak with formalities to her.

"Excuse me! How dare you address Inoue-sama by such a name!" Rukia hollered at the third aristocrat.

"Well, that's what she is, right? You want me to call her by sir next time?" the cousin of Ulquiorra taunted the caretaker.

Uryu cut Rukia off before she got the chance to lose her temper at the troublemaker, "This man here is Prince Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who resides over the city of Kyoto."

Orihime timidly smiled at the individual to enforce she still was a Princess with manners, which he apparently lacked.

Unlike his relative, Grimmjow seemed to be a man with a very clear-cut image of being a tough person. He stood with a more firm stance than the others. The Princess could also tell that his body was very well built based off how his clothes appeared to be very-form fitting. His light azure hair was tussled in a messy, but handsome fashion. In addition, he had very defined jaw-line that highlighted his pale eyes. The way he smirked at the Princess had been interpreted as cocky, almost as if he knew he wouldn't have to prove himself to anyone during the competition.

"Nice to meet your acquaintance, Princess," he declared with a wild look in his eyes.

The seventeen-year-old calmly responded, "And for me as well, Jaegerjaquez-sama."

Orihime's butler proceeded to go down the line of contenders, where two remaining people had still yet to be introduced. However, there truly was no need for Uryu to announce who they were to her. The Princess had met them on two different occasions, and she knew the one more better than she did the other. She could feel her heart race from the realization of who the two peasants were. His demeanor conferred a sense of dignity on the whole affair.

The man with the vibrant red hair and tattooed body was introduced as Renji Abarai, the name not sounding at all familiar to the Princess since she only knew him from physical appearance when she walked up to the flower stand at the marketplace. They greeted each other politely as Uryu began to quickly wrap the introductions up for her.

"Last but not least, we have -," the butler had started.

The royal beauty finished her friend's sentence for him with a pleasant smile gracing her rosy lips, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo bowed in front of Orihime and when he came up, he had a lopsided grin on his face. The Princess wasn't sure how he had gotten into the contest, especially since Renji and himself were no aristocrats by any standards. They lived in a crowded village within Karakura past the castle walls. As far as she knew, the teenagers being invited to participate in the competition was probably the doing of Rangiku. After all, she had been the one who said she would be personally arranging who would be staying with her over the course of the next two months.

"Funny," Ichigo confided, "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Was it meant for her to take it as a serious testament? She shouldn't be too suspicious of his actions. Her last two encounters with him were very exciting for her. He was the first person she had talked to on her trip outside of the palace and he was also the first man she danced with at the Masquerade Ball. Ichigo Kursosaki was having a far larger impact on Orihime than she had originally realized.

Suddenly, Rangiku's voice echoed throughout the parlor, "Alright, now that everyone is accounted for and you all know each other's name, Kuchiki-san and Ishida-kun will show you to your rooms. You all will be having a very busy day tomorrow."

Inoue turned her focus onto her aunt, unsure of what was up her sleeve, "What's going on?"

Grimmjow perked up too at hearing the news, "Yeah, we have a right to know."

Rangiku released a bubbly little laugh before answering, "The boys will be training for the first of many tests. In three days, a jousting competition will be taking place. Buckle up, boys! You better know how to handle a horse!"

Was it still too late to back out of the deal she had made with Rangiku Matsumoto? As much as she wanted to pull her only blood aside and talk her out of the idea, all was forgotten when the men started to assemble out of the room. She waved them each goodbye, even though four out of the five didn't look back at her. However, Ichigo managed to glance over his shoulder as Rukia pushed him out the door in a hurry. Everything was going far too fast and it barely gave Orihime any time to breathe, while at the same time it only made Orihime's heart flutter with nervousness.

"Maybe...everything will turn out fine in the end."

Just maybe.