Author's Note: Since I last updated this story, I celebrated a pivotal life moment. I officially graduated from high school on June 25th, which is crazy to think about because I formulated my idea for WSTS when I was only just a freshmen. However, I am glad to see that the support for this story is still as strong as ever and I am excited to announce that we are slowly approaching the climax. Furthermore, I would also like to mention our Hime's return in the latest chapter of the manga and the precious moments that ensued. I know I was overjoyed after waiting so long to see her again, and the comeback was definitely worth it! With that being said, here's to more future IchiHime goodness in the near future!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They belong respectively to Tite Kubo, the creator of the manga Bleach.
Chapter 15 - Boundaries Are Meant to Be Broken
After having satisfied his ravenous stomach, Renji left Ichigo and the other bachelors at the breakfast table. Often at times, the scenario would have been reversed. It was normally Ichigo who always left the table first before anyone else. Oddly enough, however, it was Renji that desired to be secluded in their private room, away from the judging eyes of the royals whom he knew would never consider him as a serious component. His best friend, on the other hand, was someone that had been deemed worthy by the men and Renji was smart enough to realize he should step aside for Ichigo while his friend was ahead of the competition.
For the most part, he no longer felt as responsible for Ichigo and his actions compared to the start of the tournament. After Ichigo's continuous victories, Renji had noted slight changes in his friend's behavior. He didn't seem as on edge as he once did and this certain fact comforted his mind. As strange as it was for Renji to admit it, he was even grateful towards Princess Inoue. When Ichigo returned from his secret meeting with the aristocrat, it was as though nothing could spoil the teenager's mood. It almost appeared to Renji that his childhood friend was beginning to look at things through different lenses. The Ichigo he had known for several years would never had enjoyed the company of someone who shared the title of a royal, much less a princess. The sight was surprising to say the least.
Therefore, Renji did not feel as guilty for leaving Ichigo behind. The kid was finally experiencing a moment of contentment, and who was he to ruin that for him? In the end, Renji decided it was best for him to excuse himself before he said something that would upset the atmosphere at the table.
As he approached the second floor, Renji was in deep thought over the loneliness he was beginning to feel in the tournament. His heart - in the past - had been hurt by vicious women who took advantage of his kindness. It was one of the reasons the redhead enjoyed the casual drink or two after work to unwind. He wasn't proud of the choices he had made. In addition, Renji could tell Ichigo thought the same. As his friend, Ichigo was "only looking out for him", but sometimes, his concern almost made Abarai feel suffocated at times. For the moment, the tables had been turned. Instead, it was Renji was who told by Isshin to protect Ichigo and steer him away from trouble. Admittedly, the teenager didn't think he'd be able to comply. To this day, no one but Ichigo had ever cared about his well-being. How could he do the same if he had never been taught by example? However, much to his very own surprise, he advised his best friend in the only way possible - by simply staying by the younger's side through the confusing turmoil and accusations.
Nevertheless, the worry he had for Ichigo was both mentally and physically exhausting. He needed a break from everyone for a brief period. Ever since they had received their assigned rooms, Renji found himself having difficulty sleeping at night. The welcoming mattress was too soft for him and the unfamiliar environment had his mind thinking multiple things at once. In order to maintain the happiness, Renji withheld from telling Ichigo his thoughts for fear that his friend would misunderstand his position.
The only thing that sounded comforting to him at the moment was a nice, long shower. He hadn't gotten the chance to take one before everyone was called down to the dining hall for breakfast. As he slowly approached closer to his door, Renji couldn't help but take note of the figure moving at the other end of the hall. When he arrived at his room, Renji paused outside of it as he waited for the person to come more near. As the woman began to pass Renji, the redhead immediately realized who it was upon inspection.
"Kuchiki?" the nineteen-year-old called across to the caretaker. However, the ashamed aristocrat continued to walk onwards, as though she hadn't heard Renji. To be more precise, her head had been turned down and her arms were crossed over her stomach as if she were in deep concentration. As a result, there was a great possibility that she had not acknowledged his presence after all.
He tried once again, with a more firmer tone, "Hey, Kuchiki-san!"
Thankfully, Rukia had pulled away from her intense pondering as she stopped in the hallway at the sound of her name. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ichigo's friend, Renji, looking at her expectantly by the foot of his bedroom door.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" the raven-haired beauty asked as she turned around and walked towards Renji.
The man kneaded the back of his neck nervously, now slightly regretting for inappropriately calling out to the caretaker. He quickly conjured up an excuse, in hopes of eliminating the image of a pervert from her mind.
"I, uh, just wanted to see if everything was alright with you," Renji defended his strange behavior.
Rukia's head tilted to the side from the sudden admission and formed a puzzled expression on her face, "I see, but why wouldn't everything be okay to begin with?"
The peasant looked down at the floor, unable to meet the inquisitive eyes of the exiled royal, "You seemed preoccupied as you were walking by me just now."
The petite woman abruptly perked up at hearing Renji's observation of her. His assessment of her unusual demeanor had been completely accurate. Truthfully, she did indeed have something on her mind. The only reason she had been in the same hallway as Renji was because she had been returning from cleaning Aizen's room. She hadn't realized how far she had journeyed from the room until the bachelor had called her by name. After constantly replaying her conversation from earlier with the mysterious individual in her head, the more she had grown suspicious of Aizen and Gin, as well as for their ulterior motives.
If they were to return in the near future, more people - besides the staff in the castle - needed to be aware of her gut feeling, and that included the contestants.
With this realization, she sensed the need to tell someone her thoughts on the secretive situation. It did not matter to her that the someone she was about to share her inner sentiments with was Renji.
Before speaking, Rukia scanned the hallway for potential threats. However, it was only she and the peasant at the moment occupying the large corridor.
"May we go inside your room to talk privately?" she whispered.
The direct request had caused Renji's voice to become caught in his throat, "I-I'm s-sorry?"
The caretaker rolled her beautiful lilac eyes before taking control and bumping past Renji to get to the door. She opened it and stepped inside without the permission of the resident, but she knowingly sensed that he would not make a fuss about it.
After taking a second to process what had just happened, Renji collected himself and followed behind Rukia into the bedroom he shared with Ichigo.
Once the door was shut, Rukia began to blurt the things that had been on her mind since the morning, "You were aware that Aizen Sousuke and Gin Ichimaru visited the palace, correct?"
Renji nodded his head to her question, wanting to show his attentiveness.
In addition, the mere mention of Aizen's name had caused him to reflect back to the personal visit the aristocrat had paid to the very bedroom they were standing in. He had offered Ichigo his assistance to see Princess Inoue in her chambers. As he looked back on the bizarre incident, Renji was still weary of how Aizen had even made the meeting a possibility for his friend. The peculiar situation didn't add up in the peasant's eyes, especially when in regards as to how Aizen gained complete access to Orihime's room. The soft-spoken man wasn't close to Karakura's future Queen, but rather to Rangiku.
Regardless of his personal questions, Renji was not going to reveal to Rukia about Ichigo and Orihime's private meeting and run the risk of his friend getting into trouble. However, it did appear that Rukia and himself were on the same page when it came to their suspicions of a man who called himself Aizen Sousuke.
"I'm not sure how to explain it," Rukia admitted to the teenager standing across from her, "But something that he said to me-"
"Who?" Renji cut in before she could go further, "Who said something to you?"
The obviously shaken friend of the Princess looked the nineteen-year-old straight in the eyes, "Sousuke-sama."
It was at that moment when Renji began to follow along with Rukia. He stared at her with anticipation, waiting for the next thing she was going to share with him.
"He knew things about me," she shivered as she felt a chill run down her spine from the encounter, "Things that not even Inoue-sama really knows about."
Naturally, this sparked the village bumpkin's curiosity. However, he decided it would be better not to question her personal life. He didn't want to overstep the boundaries he had only recently just discovered.
"I'm a little confused here," Renji added for his own measure.
Rukia propped her hands on her hips and blew her bangs out of her eyes. She was going to keep her response short and sweet.
"I'm advising you to not trust that man. I believe he has the intention to cause harm to Inoue-sama. He may have even had involvement in her falling," she honestly implored to the immersed man, "Right now, everyone is on high-alert."
The terror behind Rukia's typically stern presence only continued to prove to Renji how serious the situation had become for the maiden of the Karakura kingdom.
Someone was out for blood and Princess Inoue unfortunately had received the brunt of it.
"I guess that explains why everything in the castle has been so tense," the redhead commented on the matter after several seconds of contemplating what he should say to the uneasy caretaker.
The exhausted woman nodded in agreement, "Everyone's been running around like a chicken with their head cut off, Ishida included."
After the mention of the butler's name, Renji immediately could sense the muscles in his body tense from memory. Secretly, he hoped Rukia wouldn't notice the uncomfortable expression on his face. He was unaware if she had any knowledge of the dispute that had occurred between Uryu and Ichigo a few days ago. Despite having not allowed for anything to get out of hand, Renji felt guilty for knowing a secret that the caretaker had no clue about. No matter how unsettled the short-tempered Ichigo had become from the accusation, he should not have put his hands on her Majesty's companion.
Renji couldn't allow for something such as that to happen again.
Although Isshin did not explain it to him in great detail, the concerned father had warned Renji that Ichigo's outbursts had the tendency to result in violence and could be
The nineteen-year-old wasn't completely positive as to what the doctor tried to imply to him at the time. However, after he witnessed Ichigo's rage first hand the other day, he could see the reason behind Mr. Kurosaki's worry for his son. It would be very wise of him to be vigilant from now on.
"It's clear for everyone to see how much you care for our future Queen," Renji put forth earnestly.
The compliment did not reach Rukia's ears completely, for she had bowed her head down once more in thought over the situation. She unintentionally had tuned the other out. Nevertheless, she had managed to catch the last piece of the sentence before glancing upwards at Renji to offer a sincere smile.
"Thank you for your kind words, Abarai," she teasingly proclaimed, "But if you would excuse me, I have to prepare for the next event in the tournament."
As Rukia began to retreat towards the door, Renji hesitantly followed behind her at the heel. He wanted to make sure he had heard her correctly.
"They haven't called it off yet?" he asked hurriedly, desiring to know the answer.
The caretaker paused in the entryway and tiredly sighed, "Unfortunately, Inoue-sama wishes to continue with the process. We tried to give her our advice, but she seemed determined to see it through to the end."
"When will it be happening? I need to let Ichigo know."
"Tomorrow, in the morning," the former Empress deadpanned as she gazed out into the hallway, "And please tell Ichigo Kurosaki to do well for the sake of our Princess."
With having said all which had been resting heavily on her consciousness, Rukia exited the room Renji and Ichigo shared and turned down the hallway, resisting the urge to look back at the man who had unknowingly comforted her restless heart.
After being held captive in her bedroom for two weeks, Orihime was relieved to finally receive Hachi's approval in regard to her injuries and overall mental stability. For a while, she thought the day would never come. Nevertheless, despite having a clean bill of health, it did not mean she was entirely healed. She still was sore in certain places when she moved the wrong way, and her bruised nose required a heavy amount of foundation to conceal. However, her high spirits had long since returned and she was enthralled at the prospect of seeing the bachelors again after being separated from them for a period of time.
As she waited in the parlor with Tatsuki and Rukia standing protectively at her side, Orihime felt her world had finally returned to normal again. At the same time, she couldn't pretend everything was once as it had been. Truthfully, she realized her friends were not entirely supportive of her idea to continue with the competition. She appreciated their concern, but Princess Inoue insisted they were blowing the entire incident out of proportion. For the meantime, she wanted to put it behind her. Due to the countless times they brought it up during normal conversation, their worrisome words were beginning to take a toll on her emotionally. They acted as if she didn't understand the severity of the issue at hand, but that was further from the truth. The fair maiden simply desired to discuss it at a later time - especially when she felt comfortable with the subject.
Not long after she had been summoned downstairs, the doors to the common area swung open and several familiar faces filed into the room. Rangiku was at the front of the line, where she led the five bachelors to the center of the parlor. The men assembled before Princess Inoue and each greeted her silently with a polite bow. Upon her entrance, her aunt had placed herself next to Rukia as she examined the princes and peasants with a scrutinizing eye.
Before her relative began to speak, Orihime shyly shared a look with Ichigo from across the sun-filtered room. As soon as she had seen him enter, she had to remind herself not to look in his general direction and bring attention to him. No one knew that the orange-haired adolescent had paid her a visit during her time in isolation. Furthermore, it was hard to forget the private and intimate talk they shared together during that time. She didn't want to be unfair to the other bachelors, but she secretly hoped that Ichigo would be chosen or win the next event. She understood she hadn't given much of the other contenders a chance, but for some odd reason, she felt as if she was just beginning to know Ichigo on a more personal level after having moved past their awkward lunch date by the lake. He didn't appear as cold towards her, and she enjoyed watching him slowly become softer.
"Welcome, gentlemen!" Rangiku exclaimed, joining her hands together at her waist, "It's been quite a while since we last held an event for the tournament. We apologize for this inconvenience."
"Damn right, you better apologize," Grimmjow muttered under his breath. Everyone in the room heard his rude comment, but rather than pay attention to it, they all decided to ignore his improper behavior.
The energetic woman attempted to smooth the tension in the room over with exciting news, "Today, you have all been called to participate in another event where you will showcase your fighting capabilities. This test will require you to-".
Just as Matsumoto was about to go into detail about the third race, the doors of the parlor were intrusively pushed open by foreign men. However, the person who raised the most of questions was Orihime's close friend, Uryu Ishida - who was at the center of the procession. The slender adolescent glided into the room with a confident smirk on his face as he led a significant number of uniformed people into the occupied room.
"What in the world is the meaning of this, Ishida-kun?" Rangiku demanded as a result of the disruption.
Defiantly, Uryu refused her a response. He did not answer to her. The only person he devotedly followed was Orihime Inoue, the future Queen of the Karakura kingdom.
The butler approached the seated Orihime and bowed before her on one knee, with his head tilted at the floor. The group of unidentified individuals had arranged into an organized line behind the contestants for the time being.
"I am deeply apologetic for this unexpected intrusion, Inoue-sama," Uryu spoke sincerely.
The worried aristocrat leaned forward in her chair to talk more privately with her friend, "Ishida-kun, who are these people?"
"I can explain," the seventeen-year-old proposed as he lifted his head to meet the frightened gaze of his Majesty, "but only if you allow me."
There was no doubt in Orihime's mind that Uryu had concocted a plan of some sort without her.
Although she was disappointed he had not consulted with her or the staff, she could not scold him. It was obvious that he was anxious to share information that was valuable.
"Of course, Ishida-kun," the Princess kindly asserted, "Please carry on."
With his request granted, Uryu rose to his feet and turned his back to the Princess. His main focus had now become the five bachelors who stood in front of him with varied expressions. Before beginning, he placed his hands behind his back and advanced forward.
"Gentlemen," the butler commanded his voice to the whole room, "These past few weeks have been a struggle. As all of you know by now, Princess Inoue was attacked in the middle of the night. Consequently, she suffered several injuries."
The crowded space suddenly grew silent as everyone listened to Uryu.
"Someone in this room is responsible for these inexcusable actions and I - nor the staff - will not rest until we have the culprit in our grasp. With that being said, I would like to introduce to you Lead Detective Nanao Ise," Ishida proudly announced.
A woman of medium stature stepped forward and joined the butler at the front of the room. She was quite pale, and wore glasses just like Uryu. Her raven-colored hair was pinned to the back of her head and her bangs rested evenly on both sides of her face. Orihime initially thought she appeared to be a very serious woman, who did not smile often.
"Good morning to you all," Nanao greeted the group when she approached the head, "I am here as per request of Uryu Ishida, the butler who presides over the Inoue palace. Over the course of the next few days, my team and I will be observing every one of you. Our investigation may require us to ask you personal questions, so we will be expecting your full cooperation. Is this understood?"
The investigator's brash attitude did not sit well with the Prince of Kyoto.
"Who the hell do you think you are telling us this?" Grimmjow spat viciously as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, "Let me bring to your attention the fact that some of us here come from families of status. You can't just demand our life stories from us! We have a name to protect!"
The fiery words of the aristocrat caused Ichigo to restlessly stir in place, "What does that exactly mean for Renji and I?"
Grimmjow shot a glare in his direction, "You two sewer rats deserve this treatment. After all, this isn't anything new. You're used to it by now!"
As the bickering grew before him, Renji could sense a fight beginning to brew, "Leave it, Ichigo."
"You should do as your friend says," Ulquiorra quietly inserted.
Before tensions flared, Uryu clapped his hands together twice to capture the bachelors' attention, "We are going to move on from this matter. I just wanted to introduce Ise-san and her team to you all and allow you time to process their words. Matsumoto-sama, I can leave this event in your hands, yes?"
The sudden calling of her name caught her unexpectedly, "D-don't worry about me, Ishida-kun."
With a satisfied expression, the butler excused himself and assisted Nanao and her squad out of the room for the event to commence forth.
Rangiku moved back to the center - refusing to allow her disoriented composure to show through - and picked up where she last left off, "As I was saying, this test will require you to hit your intended target."
"Who will be the intended target?" Shinji smirked as he showed his mounting interest.
"I'm so glad you asked, Hirako-sama!" Gin's wife exclaimed, turning to him, "Your target is exactly what I have just said - a target board!"
The bachelors faces turned blank.
"Are we shootin' arrows or somethin'?" the blonde prince questioned after a pause.
Rangiku squealed with delight, "Yes, you will be! The first contestant to hit the middle five times, will win a date of their choosing with Princess Inoue."
"Now we're talking!" Grimmjow shouted excitedly, winking provocatively at the voluptuous girl who sat before him.
As the men exited the parlor room to prepare for the event, Orihime rose from her chair to join them outside.
With Tatsuki and Rukia nearby, she walked out first with nervous footsteps.
"Who do you wish to see win today, Inoue-sama?" Rukia voiced her curiosity, wanting to see if her beloved friend would bother to give an answer.
Without faulting, the aristocratic teenager responded firmly, "I want Kurosaki-kun to win."
The honest admission did not surprise Rukia nor Tatsuki when they heard it come from the Princess' very own mouth. In their minds, the caretaker and maid already knew beforehand who the person mostly likely would be. Despite Ichigo not being of royal blood, it was clear he had some admirable traits that the future Queen had unknowingly taken a liking to.
With that being said, the one thing Rukia was certain of was that Ichigo Kurosaki did not have any involvement in Orihime's accident. He was wrongly accused because of his peasant status, and Kuchiki would make sure that his innocence would come to fruition at an appropriate time.
The event lasted well into the later hours of the day. Unfortunately, it seemed that the task of hitting a single arrow on the bullseye was much more difficult than originally predicted. Orihime could see it was a struggle for all of the bachelors, including Ichigo. Although she enjoyed watching everyone compete their hardest, it had been quite a while since she had been out of bed for such an extended amount of time, and it was beginning to hinder her recovering body.
"Kuchiki-san," Orihime called to her caretaker, who only stood at a foot's length from her.
"What is it, Inoue-sama?" Rukia stepped closer to hear her Majesty speak.
"How much longer?" the Princess sheepishly questioned.
"I'm not sure," the small woman spoke gently to her, "Why? Are you getting tired? Should I tell Matsumoto-sama to stop?"
Orihime did not know what would be the appropriate move to make as the hostess of the tournament. She didn't want to push herself too much and risk not healing properly. After all, Dr. Hachi was hesitant in the first place to give his approval. She didn't want to waste his time and patience by having him travel back to the palace all because of her desire to persevere forward. It would have seemed careless on her part.
Before Orihime was able to confide about her dilemma to Rukia, her relative seemed to sense her distress from far away.
"Whatever is the matter, my dear niece?" Rangiku asked worriedly as she climbed up the stairs to where Orihime was seated in the shade.
"I think the heat is beginning to get to Inoue-sama," Rukia informed the woman.
The newly-wedded aristocrat stared at Orihime in disbelief, "Really now? You look healthy to me. Besides, isn't this exciting? All of these men trying to win a date with you after such a long time?"
Truthfully, Rukia had been expecting this tasteless response from Matsumoto. It was clear she only had one objective on her mind - announce a winner and move forward in the tournament as planned. However, the caretaker was not going to allow Rangiku to deprive Orihime of sleep, especially after how long she had progressed.
Disliking the pressure Rangiku was putting on the Princess, Rukia protectively stepped in front of Orihime and politely asked the older woman to join her in discussing what was in the teenager's best interest.
"I believe we need to cut this event short," the raven-haired Empress advised the impatient aristocrat.
"I cannot say I feel the same," Orihime's aunt fought back.
Instinctively, Rukia did not like the direction in which the conversation was headed, "Listen, I'm not trying to start an arguement with you. I am only telling you that this day has dragged on long enough and it's time we end it before someone passes out from exhaustion. We don't want any more problems on our hands than what we already do."
Truly, she was being honest in what she said and it was never her intentions to purposefully deceive Rangiku.
As much as they may butt heads over private matters regarding the Princess, Rukia never wanted to exclude Matsumoto from Orihime's life. After all, she was the only person the young girl had left to call family. However, Kuchiki did not trust her husband nor his friend regarding other circumstances.
Fortunately, without much more persistence, Gin's wife realized it would be pointless to fight her cause against Rukia. Despite being of a small frame, there was an intimidating force behind her that sometimes even frightened Rangiku.
Without saying another word on the matter, Matsumoto broke away from Rukia and headed back down into the arena.
Orihime glanced at her caretaker worriedly, wondering if she had said something that had offended her aunt.
However, Rukia could tell what she was thinking with just a single look, and she reassuringly shook her head to eliminate her concern, "You have done nothing wrong, Inoue-sama. Be at ease and allow your aunt to take care of this."
Not long after Kuchiki and Matsumoto's discussion, Rangiku called an intermission for the overheated contestants. Before the men dispersed to replenish their hunger and thirst, the aristocrat called everyone together to notify them about the abrupt change that would take place once the break concluded.
"Gentlemen, there has been a slight tweaking to the rules for this event," the twenty-four-year-old confided to the group, "As we have been able to see, shooting a single arrow in the center of the target board is quite the impossible task for you all. Therefore, we will ask of you to only hit one arrow - not five - and the first person to do so will win a date of their choosing with the Princess. Is this clear?"
The men all mumbled in agreement over the new rule.
As much as they enjoyed the race, the event was beginning to wear them down. Their arms had started to feel heavy from the constant lifting that was required to shoot the arrow in the air and their fingers had begun to bleed from the bow they tightly held within their grasp.
With a new resolution for the bachelors, Orihime hoped the day would quickly come to an end.
After the intermission had finished, the men picked up their bows and continued to strive for a single arrow to hit the board.
Despite having made the rules easier, it did not motivate Renji and Shinji enough to try one more time at a chance of winning a date. The two dropped out and headed inside to eat their over-due dinner.
The three contestants who were left to battle it out against each other were none other than Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Ichigo.
As the competition carried over into the night, the humid summer air had disappeared into a cool breeze. The comfortable weather was immensely appreciated by Orihime for the event was near to it's conclusion. Furthermore, the announcement of a victor would soon be revealed.
However, as the Princess watched nervously from her position, she knew it had become a tense situation. The speed at which the men launched their arrows was almost inhuman and the teenager could not believe not a single one of them had managed to hit the board despite the quickness of their movements.
While the announcement of a winner seemed practically on the verge of being decided, the final outcome occurred so fast it caught everyone by surprise.
Unfortunately, the victorious moment had managed to escape Orihime's eyes for she had turned her head to speak with Rukia after she was asked if she would like to be served dinner. When the sound of two voices reached her ears, the young woman knew something was amiss. The screams of exhilaration came from two bachelors and the Princess was almost afraid to know what would happen. After all, how could there be more than one winner?
Not very long after she silently mulled over the issue, the answer she herself wondered about was answered when her aunt finally stepped in to formally declare a winner.
"Well this certainly was unexpected!" Rangiku gasped with delight, "What were the chances of Grimmjow and Ichigo's arrows hitting the board at the exact same time?"
"This is unbelieveable!" the foul-mouthed Prince declared, throwing his hands up in the air from frustration, "There is no way that dirty piece of trash is going to win over me again!"
The Princess felt a knot begin to form in the pit of her stomach. As much as she pushed her uneasiness to the back of her mind to mask her disappointment, the reality of spending a few hours alone with Grimmjow made her feel nauseous for no explainable reason. She never spoke comfortably with him before, and the way he presented himself during their short meetings did not make him appear any more welcoming.
When Rangiku approached the bachelors in the field, she threw her head back and let out a laugh, "Did I say that he won, Jaegerjaquez-sama?"
"Well, which is it? Did I win or did I lose?" Ichigo demanded the answer.
The strawberry blonde circled the two heated competitors, clearly relishing in the fact that she held so much power over their heads.
"Truthfully, I witnessed the entire incident from where I was sitting," she haughtily remarked, "And as much as you two may hate to hear this, I have no choice but to announce both of you as the winners of the event!"
With the revelation, a wave of relief washed over Orihime's entire body. Once her aunt proclaimed her decision, she rose from her seat and clapped enthusiastically. However, due to her sitting for a long period of time, a dizziness was felt in her head. Consequently, her knees began to bend inwards as her footing began to lose balance.
"Inoue-sama!" Rukia cried out as she quickly took a step forward and grabbed Orihime by the arm before further damage could be done.
"I-I'm sorry," the Princess apologized, "I don't know what came over me."
"That's enough for today, Your Majesty," Kuchiki scolded her, "Let's get you inside."
With her caretaker's assistance, Orihime was ushered away from the arena without even given the opportunity to hear the rest of what Rangiku had to say about the upcoming dates. The only thing she could silently wish for was that Ichigo would be selected first as opposed to Grimmjow. Unfortunately for now, the matter was out of her control.