Chapter 55: Lost Substitute Shinigami Arc: Courtship

Minata's POV

Seventeen months.

It has been seventeen months since the end of the war against Aizen and his forces. Seventeen months since Ichigo Kurosaki defeated the traitorous ex-captain in battle outside of Karakura Town. . .

. . . And it has been seventeen months since Kurosaki lost his powers.

It has been relatively peaceful ever since. Besides the usual Hollow activity that pops up here and there, nothing major has happened to put Soul Society on high alert. Shinigami conduct their normal business within their respective divisions. Rukongai residents continue to do what they can as they live out their days. The nobility continues to live their expensive lives in their cushy, expensive homes.

Then again, some things are different now compared to a year and half ago.

Commander Yamamoto had allowed some of the Vizards to retake their posts, thus leading to the 3rd, 5th, and 9th Divisions to have captains once again, the latter even ending up with two lieutenants instead of one. The rest of the Vizards decided to remain in the Living World, though they barely communicate with us these days.

Hueco Mundo has been quiet as well. One of the Espadas that survived the war had taken over as it's ruler now that the traitor was in jail, and nothing largely important has happened at that end since.

Here in our realm, life goes on as normal, though some shifts have happened. For starters, Byakuya has stopped interfering with Rukia's work life now that he has realized that he didn't need to protect her as he has done in the past. It didn't take Ukitake long to make her his lieutenant after Byakuya pulled back, and with Rukia being Rukia, she didn't think she was worthy of the post at first. If it weren't for her brother and her captain telling her how much strength and potential they see in her, I don't think she would have accepted the promotion like she did.

As for Byakuya himself, he's still as stoic and unflinching as ever, but we have been making strides in our relationship. As expected of our courtship, we've had our share of dates at some of the fancier areas of the Seireitei, but we were both just as comfortable taking nice strolls through the Manor gardens and the city streets, or staying in and reading next to each other in the library. Byakuya has been tutoring me in bettering my calligraphy skills, while I've been helping him keep up in hand-to-hand combat in return, the latter sometimes ending with the both of us tangled in each other's arms, on the ground, kissing to a level that would make some people blush and our elders condemn us to a long lecture on how to properly act as a noble lord and lady.

We haven't made it past making out though, mainly due to growing up in a part of society that still saw sex before marriage as taboo for both political and societal reasons. Still, that hasn't stopped us from pushing the boundaries just a little when we can. Byakuya, surprisingly, had more of a tendency to do this than I did, but once we sense one of our relatives nearby, it doesn't take us long to stop what we were doing, no matter how much we didn't want to.

And speaking of Byakuya. . .

"I thought you said your division's training exercises were going to carry through lunch today," I say as I feel his spiritual pressure approaching from down the hall.

"I did, but my subordinates did better than expected and we were able to end early," his husky voice is stoic as usual as I turn my head just in time to see him emerge from the hallway. Since the war with Aizen, Byakuya decided to change his usual look a little. His hair was cut in a shorter style, ditching his kenseikan in favor of a different headpiece he now wore on the back of his head. He also had a new captain's haori made specifically for him, made with certain changes that I originally suggested, though he never wants to own up to it when I mention it to him. "I was surprised, to say the least."

"It seems someone doesn't give those under his command enough credit," I tease as I turned my attention back on the garden before me. "You do tend to have very high standards after all."

"Maybe . . ." he whispers as he comes up behind me, his arms slowly wrapping around my waist as I felt his chin on my shoulder. Byakuya had grown a little more comfortable with doing intimate gestures these last few months, but he only did it in private, usually around me. He still had trouble doing them around his sister. Then again, Rukia didn't make it any easier by how much she revered him. "There is a lack of awareness around the Soul Society that hasn't happened for some time now."

"I do not blame your troops for being a bit lackadaisical. I think every division has been having this issue recently," I say as I leaned my head against his. "It's been relatively peaceful since Aizen's defeat. With things back to a normalcy that hasn't been seen since before the whole debacle started, it's not surprising that people have gotten a little complacent, even bored at times."

"You may have a point," he tells me as he lets me go, his hands lingering on my waist. "You would think after days of constant anxiety and action, people would be happy to welcome a break from all of that."

"They would welcome it," I say as I hear a pair of footsteps approaching us from the opposite end of the hallway. "The problem is that the break is too long, months too long, and usually when it lasts this long, something major is bound to happen to break the peace."

Byakuya simply nods before we turn our attention to the newcomers. It happened to be one of his aunts, Lady Wakana, and a young man that I have seen before at a few of the social gatherings I had to attend as my clan's representative. Both were dressed in expensive kimonos, with the man also donning a haori that undoubtedly had his family's crest on the back, but while the man kept his shoulder-length hair loose, Lady Wakana's silver hair was in a tight bun, accentuated by a silver clip that held it together, and her kenseikan.

"Ah, Lord Byakuya, Lady Minata, it's nice to see you both," says the elder as the two came to a stop. "You both remember Lord Hayato right?"

"Of course," I say as Byakuya remains silent. Lord Hayato was a prince of the Tachibana Clan, a major house in Soul Society, and a cousin house to the Kuchiki Clan. The young lord was always making his presence known at any gathering he was invited to, and he was always a name mentioned in the gossip circles. Last I heard, his mother, Lady Tomomi, was looking for a suitable bride for him. "What brings you to the manor Lord Hayato?"

"I was invited here by Lady Wakana," he tells us, his voice only a tad huskier than Byakuya's own. Hayato was a good-looking man, with dark-brown hair, green eyes, and cheekbones that looked sharper than a knife. Rumor had it that he had planned to join the Shinigami Academy when he was younger, but decided not to at the last minute in favor of being privately tutored. He never joined any of the Divisions, the Onmitsukido, or the Kido Corps though, so what he was possibly capable of was still a mystery to most of the public. Judging from the amount of spiritual pressure I can sense from him, he was at a level comparable to most of the Sixth seats, at least. "My clan is arranging the proceedings for the next festival, and the Kuchiki elders have reached out to my elders with some ideas. I'm here to discuss those ideas with them."

"Really?" Byakuya asked as he turns to his aunt, one perfectly coiffed eyebrow going up in a raised arch.

"Yes; I came up with the idea myself. I thought it would be nice. Maybe some new ones will come up during the meeting . . ." says Wakana as she smirked at her nephew, her eyes moving between myself and Hayato so fast that I almost didn't notice it myself. For his part, the Tachibana lord didn't notice it at all. "And speaking of the meeting, Minata, would you be so kind to escort Lord Hayato to the Eastern Meeting room? I would like to talk to my nephew for a few minutes . . . It won't take long."

"It would be my pleasure Lady Wakana . . . Shall we Lord Hayato?" I ask as I turned my attention back on him, ignoring my growing curiosity as I gestured to the hallway behind me.

"By all means, lead the way."

Byakuya's POV

"I highly doubt you invited Lord Hayato just to discuss lanterns and fireworks," I start as soon as Mina and the Tachibana Lord were out of earshot. "You invited him here for a different reason as well."

"That I did; you were always quick to pick up on these things," she tells me, still with her smirk in place. "I could always try to weave a tale before I get my point across, but I know you're not keen on long stories, so I'll just cut to the chase. It's been more than 17 months since the courtship between yourself and Lady Fukudome started, and yet there has been no engagement in result of it."

"So, you decide to bring in another noble lord, one that probably has an interest in Minata, hoping that it would prompt me into action and finally propose to her?" I ask, slightly amused by her actions, though I made sure my face didn't show it. As if I would fall for something like that so easily . . .

"I know. It was a futile effort from the start, but I had to try to appeal to the little jealous hothead that I know is still residing in you deep down inside . . ." This time she adds a chuckle to her smile, not even deterred by the stoic look I gave her. "Truth be told, the elders have no problem with your relationship with Lady Minata. She's the heiress of a fellow Great Noble House, she's a high-ranking member of the 1st Division, plus we cannot forget that innate ability of hers to manipulate the elements in accordance to her will . . . Hmm, you'd have to be quite senile to not realize that Lady Minata is undoubtedly the most eligible bachelorette in Soul Society. If it weren't for you, there would be many other suitors trying to win her hand."

"What are you getting at, my lady?"

"What I'm getting at is that some of the elders, along with myself, are starting to get tired of waiting my Lord," she tells me point blank, her smile now gone from her face. "After your mourning period ended and you started to court Mina, we thought maybe you would eventually do your duty as the head of this clan, marry her, and eventually father an heir. However, almost a year and a half later, the courtship is still strong yes, yet nothing else has resulted from it."

"You're not the first to have mentioned this to me before. Minata has raised the issue to me in the past, but I want to keep the details of our private conversation just that, private," I tell her as I let a Hell butterfly land on my hand. It quickly tells me that a captain's meeting was commencing immediately, and that attendance was mandatory for both captains and lieutenants. "Lady Wakana, I understand that the courtship has happened longer than you and the other elders expected it to be. I'm sure Minata's elders have worried about it just the same as you have. However, when I am ready to propose to Lady Fukudome, you and the elders will know. . . Now then, if you excuse me, I have a captain's meeting to attend."

Please review!