Ichigo spent the next few hours sitting in an office pouring over various papers and signing some of them. The ones that she didn't sign were set aside so that she could go over them again. Either because she didn't understand something in particular or because she wanted to pick Gwendal's brain about something mentioned in the paper.

It wasn't too bad. As far as paperwork went, the large stack of paper dwindled pretty quickly once she got started on them. But then she was handed a specific paper, one that had Gwendal looking at her expectantly as he waited for her to sign.

"A declaration of war against the humans," She muttered with a frown as she scanned over the words and then looked up at the man. "You really want me to sign this?" She asked, feeling uncomfortable as bile suddenly burned the back of her throat.

She swallowed it down though and kept her head down so that neither man present would notice her distress until she had her emotions under control again.

"Yes." Gwendal said as he continued to stare at her.

Ichigo could tell that he wanted to force her to agree with what was written on the paper before her. But she just couldn't. Not after just coming back from a war so bloody that it rivaled even that of Pearl Harbor and World Wars one and two.

"Is it okay if we talk about this first?" She finally asked as she lifted her eyes to look at him.

Gwendal tilted his head in the exact same manner that his younger brother tended to do when he was trying to figure something out but still nodded his head yes as Conrad came walking over to join the discussion. Both men moved to stand on the other side of the desk, at attention.

"Do we have the resources necessary to wage a war? Enough supplies, soldiers, medics-"

"We do not." Gwendal said without even thinking about it. "The humans outnumber us, certainly. However we are strong. We could overwhelm them-"

Ichigo sighed already knowing what the guy was going to say. And it didn't bode well for him or anyone else. "Gwendal, just because your strong doesn't always mean that you have the advantage in a battle. It's the same with numbers."

"I'm well aware of that." He bit back.

"Then I can't in good conscience sign this paper and send who knows how many soldiers to their deaths." She said as she picked the paper up and set it aside and then put the quill that she had been using as an ink pen down.

"Your majesty, do you expect us to do nothing if we are attacked?" Conrad asked. Unlike his brother, he was more curious to her than upset with her for refraining from declaring war.

"No," She said automatically. "If we are attacked, then we will defend ourselves. However, until then I think it would be in our best interest to stop our soldiers from deserting their posts, boost morale, see if more people are willing to join our ranks. And amass more resources, supplies, and medics so that we aren't spread so thin. If we eventually must go to war with the humans, then we should do so with the intention to win." She said firmly as she folded her hands together on the desk and looked at the two men.

Conrad looked impressed by her suggestion. And Gwendal... his expression had softened a bit from the usual scowl that he wore to a more thoughtful look as he hummed in agreement.

"What you say makes sense," Gwendal started and then asked her. "So, if we do all of those things, then we can go to war with the humans?"

Ichigo huffed softly and reached up to massage her forehead as she replied. "Only as long as it's absolutely necessary. I don't want to send anyone to their deaths without a damned good reason. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Conrad said as he glanced at his older brother who seemed to be sulking a little. "We understand, your majesty." He assured her.

Gwendal grumbled and got elbowed by Conrad for it before finally sighing in a disappointed tone. "Fine. We won't make any hasty war declarations against the humans without preparing first."

"I appreciate that Gwendal, thank you." Ichigo said with a slight grin at the older man's child-like antics as she took a moment to stretch and roll her shoulders a little bit. They felt tense and uncomfortable, and her back was hurting some as well. "Okay, we've been here working for the past few hours- maybe we should take a break?"

"Actually, we've gotten through everything that needed to be signed immediately. I can tell that your tired. So, you can leave and grab a nap or something before dinner." Gwendal said as he took a second to study her.

She really did look overly tired to him. Her face was paler than it had been several hours ago, and there were dark bags under her eyes that were more noticeable now than before as well.

And if he could tell how exhausted she was just by looking at her then there was no way that Conrad couldn't see it as well. Especially given the way that he hovered so close to her.

As if he had just read his older brother's mind. Conrad chimed in.

"Gwendal has a point your majesty. And you are supposed to be resting for the next ten weeks." The younger man said in a coaxing tone.

Ichigo heard what he was hinting at but wasn't entirely sure that she agreed with him. Sure, she was tired. More so than what she had been earlier in the day, but that didn't necessarily mean that she needed a nap.

She wasn't a toddler.

"I'm fine, guys. I promise," She said in an effort to reassure them that she really was okay. "When I feel tired enough then I'll lay down for a while. But I'm alright for now."

Both men exchanged a look that was hard for her to read. But she was fairly sure that they weren't impressed by her attempts to get them to drop the subject.

But after going back and forth with them for several minutes, finally, the two relented. Though not easily. Gwendal's frown was more severe than it had been before. And Conrad sighed, looking resigned.

"As you say, your highness." Gwendal said.

"But you can't really blame us for worrying. Can you?" Conrad said fretfully.

"No. I can't blame you for your concerns," She replied while she got up out of the large leather wing backed chair that she'd been using for the past few hours and moved around the desk. "I'm just saying that for now, they aren't necessary. But since my health is such a concern to you boys- why don't I borrow a book from somewhere. And then one of you can show me a nice place outside and I'll use the rest of the day to read. So that the two of you won't worry so much about my lack of rest."

The two automatically latched on to her suggested compromise and Gwendal grabbed her a small leather-bound book of stories and handed it to her while Conrad grinned, his mood shifting like quicksilver again as he said, "If you like, once your settled I can go and grab you some tea and something to snack on."

"If it makes you happy to do so, Conrad. Then I won't complain."

She wasn't going to argue with the man about tea and snacks. Especially when she had worked through lunch just to get those damned papers done. So, some tea and snacks would be nice right then. And she suspected that Conrad was very much aware of that.

"Alright, let's go find you a place to read!" Conrad said in a chipper tone as he led her out of the office. Both of them barely aware of the fact that Gwendal was trailing behind them a little way as he headed outside.

"Would you like to sit in the garden? Or maybe under a tree? Or would you perhaps enjoy sitting on one of the verandas?" Conrad asked her. "Some of them have tables and chairs already set up for everyone to use at times. So, they would make nice cozy places to settle down in so that you can read. Some of them have a lot of sunlight, and are even protected from the wind-"

"All of them sound nice," She interrupted him. The man had been chattering at her excitedly for several minutes now and she wasn't sure how to make a choice between any of those places that he mentioned because she'd never seen any of them before. "I trust your judgement, Conrad. I know that you won't lead me someplace dark and damp." She said teasing him a bit.

He let out a bark of laughter at her teasing. His eyes were dancing with mirth as he looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before finally announcing. "Alright, I'll take you to the garden then. The flowers there are stunning this time of year. And I think you would really enjoy it there."

She smiled warmly at him as they finally reached a door that took them out of the castle and into the courtyard. Once outside, Ichigo took a few moments to look around. Idle curiosity getting the best of her a little bit.

She had seen castles before in the past few years since becoming a Soul Reaper. Most of those castles had been traditional Japanese castles. Which greatly differed from historic European castles in size and materials used to build it.

At present, the only way that she could think of to describe the castle's architecture was similar to that of the historic castle, Château de Chambord.

The architecture was very distinct. The fact that there was a Renaissance influence used when building it made the castle just breathtaking to her.

"Yuzu and Rukia would be so jealous right now." She muttered to herself as she absently noted that there were no statues of creepy gargoyles anywhere that she could see. Which was nice since having them would have detracted from the castle's splendor significantly.

Conrad was standing a few feet away, letting her look around her new home since she hadn't gotten to yet.

"It really is a shame that we couldn't go exploring today," He said after a heartbeat or two. "I was planning to show you all the really good hidey holes in the castle. As well as where to hide yourself away if we fell under attack."

"I bet you used to win all the games of hide and seek as a kid."

"You aren't wrong." He said with a cheshire cat like grin that had her laughing as she imagined a much younger Conrad running amok in the castle, hiding himself in various places and grinning madly while he waited to be found.

"I really do want to explore the castle," She finally said once she sobered up a bit. "But something tells me that I won't be able to really do so for a while."

He gave her a sympathetic look before saying gently. "It can't be helped, your majesty. Some things simply take precedence over exploring."

"I know. But I can't help feeling a tad bit disappointed though. Knowing about those hidey holes you wanted to show me would have come in handy when I wanted to disappear from parties and such."

"Oh?" He questioned curiously. "You think you'll feel like disappearing from parties often?"

"Probably. I'm not much of a party gal," She said with a careless shrug of her shoulders before tacking on. "I'm more of a leave-me-alone kind of gal."

He frowned at her for a moment before saying, "I can't imagine you disliking crowds that much. Especially considering how many of your friends were always around you before we came here."

"I made special exceptions for them. Especially since it distressed them whenever I wasn't around to participate in certain activities and such. As it is- I'm sure that Karakura is burning to the ground because they're miffed at me for leaving."

"But- didn't they all say goodbye to you at that party that all of us attended that last evening?" Conrad asked in confusion.

"Yes and no." Ichigo said as she hugged herself. "Some of my friends were present. Others simply couldn't make it because of their work. So, they've probably been freaking out pretty badly once they heard that I had left Karakura. Especially since none of them ever expected that I would."

Conrad stared at her quietly and wondered if bringing her to his world was the right thing to do for her. Especially when she missed her friends and family so much.

"I'm sorry. We brought you here for our own selfish reasons without bothering to think of the long-term effects that it would have on you." He said earnestly. His expression sad.

Ichigo waved his apology off. "Oh, don't be. I understand very well the position that you and the rest of the Demon Tribe have found yourselves in. And my friends understand to a degree as well. They're just little brats that love me a bit too much to be healthy of any of us."

He blinked at her as she smiled. "Besides, I'll see them again regardless of what world I'm in. Those idiots tend to get super motivated by their bonds to me. So, I would imagine that they'll appear here in droves eventually."

"Really? You think they would come here just to see you again?" He asked.

Conrad had friends that he loved dearly. Very, very dearly. However, he couldn't fathom loving them so much that he would actually follow them to another world just to see them again. Honestly such a thought was completely incomprehensible to him.

Yet Ichigo was totally confident about her friends eventually finding their way to his world. Just because they loved her.

He wasn't sure what to say after that, so he merely changed topics and asked his Queen if she wanted to go to the garden. She nodded and he gave her a fond look as he took her by the hand and gently tugged her along behind him all the way there.

Ichigo wasn't sure how long they were in the garden before Gunter finally showed up screaming for her. But she did manage to get some reading done before then.

"Your majesty!" Gunter ran up to where she was sitting, crying almost hysterically. Ichigo took one look at him and blanched. The poor man looked an utter fright!

His face was pale, his eyes were wet, his nose was running- badly, she might add. And to make things worse, the second that he was close enough, he latched onto her and hugged her. Getting snot all over the front of her outfit.

Which was gross. Really, really gross.

But despite that Ichigo didn't have the heart to shove the man off of her like she would some people she knew. Instead, she began petting his hair in a soothing manner to help him calm down as he sobbed and tried to catch his breath.

"I got Conrad's message that you had been injured," Gunter hiccupped as he lifted his head to look at her as he asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Gunter-" She said in an effort to downplay what had happened to her as less severe than it had actually been when Conrad interrupted her by saying.

"Yes, her majesty is fine. She only almost died a little bit," Gunter made a distressed sound and looked at her with wide horrified eyes. "And simply needs to rest for the next ten weeks to get completely well again."

Ichigo shot Conrad a glare that had him smiling innocently at her as she quickly tried to reassure Gunter by saying defensively. "But I was able to do some paperwork today with Gwendal!"

Gunter sniffled and wiped his snotty nose on his sleeve as he asked, "Really?"

Except he wasn't asking her. He was asking the menace standing a few feet away wearing another one of his cheshire grins.

"Yes. She signed off on everything that we've been going without for a while now. Including the yearly budget." Gunter made a happy sound and clapped his hands a couple of times to emphasize his joy about that as Conrad put a hand against one of his cheeks and went on to say in an awed tone. "Why she even talked with us and laid out a plan for the inevitable war! I was so very impressed. And I think Gwendal was too."

Gunter made a weird little sound and turned his focus back to her, causing her to awkwardly smile at him as the man then did what she had never seen a man who wasn't on his deathbed do- he swooned. And the second that he was lying on the ground, Ichigo jumped up shouting in alarm as visions of the late Captain Ukitake flashed through her mind.

"Oh my god! Did he just die?"

The way that his body had been contorted in his final moments, the blood that had dripped to the floor creating a pool of crimson around him.

Conrad looked at her wide eyed and then cast a funny look the other man's direction and then started walking over as she quickly knelt down next to Gunter and grabbed him by the shirt and began shaking him and yelling. "Hey Gunter! Don't go towards the light! The light is a lie. There are soul devouring monsters hiding there. Run away from it. Run away! See if you can find someone in black robes nearby. They'll help you!"

Conrad paused in mid step when he heard that, and though he had questions, he decided to push them aside for the time being and started moving to help his Queen before she went into full hysterics.

Finally reaching her he reached out a hand and lightly grasped her shoulder to get her attention. Ichigo turned her panicked eyes to his face as the man slowly knelt down and explained that Gunter wasn't dead. He was only unconscious for the time being. As he took a few moments to gently pry the other man's shirt from her white knuckled grip.

His sharp eyes scanning her face as it dawned on him that she was really, truly freaked out by Gunter's swooning.

He made a soft, thoughtful, humming sound as he tried to figure out why she would react to the man's 'death' in such a way. Thankfully this was one mystery about his enigmatic Queen that he could figure out easily.

"Majesty, have you ever seen anyone swoon or fait before?" He asked carefully.

"Only if someone was about to die." She said, her anxious expression cutting at his heart like a knife as she went on to shakily explain. "I had a friend that died barely two in a half months ago after collapsing. He was just...there one second and gone the next." She explained with a haunted look in her eyes.

Ah, that explained her reaction then. Conrad thought with a frown. He nodded his head in understanding while he gently pulled her up with him when he stood back up. And made a mental note to speak with Gunter later about having his swooning and fainting spells around their Queen since those things upset her so.

"Gunter will be fine," He reassured her in a soothing manner when she kept looking from him to the other man, looking torn. "But if it would make you feel better then I can take him to the castle medic." He offered knowing that her mind was about to begin tormenting her with visions of a dead Gunter if he didn't do something. And fast.

"Please do." She said automatically. "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

He nodded and then bent back down and grabbed Gunter and was about to take the man away when he heard his mother calling out to them and paused once he had Gunter slung over one of his shoulders.

Ah, perfect timing. He thought, not wanting to leave his Queen alone after this incident. And his mother would be a wonderful distraction for her majesty's worried mind until he returned from his task. Especially since he knew that his mother likely had already begun to plan the upcoming coronation ceremony and wanted the younger woman's opinion on some things.

Finally reaching them, Conrad nodded his head at his mother when she gave him a wide-eyed look. He must have looked strange to her with Gunter slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Yet despite the fact that her expression clearly said that she had questions about that- she merely nodded her head to him in silent understanding and then quickly begun to distract Ichigo.

"My dear, how has your day been so far?" He heard her ask their Queen as he started walking away.

"Weird." Ichigo deadpanned, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, my yes! Everything is fine. I just wanted to come and get your opinion on some things."

"Oh. Uh, okay." Ichigo said awkwardly as the blond woman gave her a sunny smile and clapped her hands together happily.

"Splendid! I'm putting together a welcome party for you," She quickly explained. "And the party will take place tomorrow evening. I've invited each of the thirteen aristocrats, as well as those who aren't part of their families to join us. And since the party is taking place in the evening, there will also be rooms available for all of them to stay in overnight if they wish so that they will all have more chances to interact with you."

One of Ichigo's eyes twitched a little bit, causing Ceilie's smile to fall a tad before Ichigo quickly slapped a hand over her twitching eye and said, "That sounds like fun. I-Is there anything that I need to do then? I mean, can I help somehow?"

"As a matter of fact-" Ceilie began with a sly look on her face. "I'm planning to spend a few hours tomorrow before the party preparing for everything. And I was wondering if you wanted to join me? I'm planning to have a bath, a facial, my hair trimmed and styled, my makeup, nails and even spend some time picking out a lovely outfit."

"O-Oh. That sounds..." Like torture. Long and terrible torture. "Like fun." Ichigo lied as she tried to think of some excuse to get out of spending hours getting gussied up like a girly girl. "But I think I already have an idea of how to dress for something like that since I brought some clothing from my world with me."

Ceilie looked intrigued and whined. "Really? Aww, I wanna see!"

"Though maybe I should... I mean it would be nice to bond some with another person. And I've always liked making friends. Plus, I could probably benefit from having a haircut or something to make myself more presentable to the public." Ichigo mumbled as she thought everything over as carefully as possible.

After all, she didn't want to embarrass anyone. Least of all the nice people that had welcomed her into their home.

Ceilie put a hand against one of her cheeks and studied her with a calculating eye. Oh sure, she was already well aware of just how uncomfortable the other woman was with certain things. She could tell by the way that she talked or looked at someone at times.

Which was simply part of the reason that she had wanted to help the young woman adjust by walking her through some things.

But she also couldn't help but find the natural appearance of the new Queen adorable too. After all, who cared if she didn't bother with makeup, or expensive lotions, or other things to hide the scars or freckles on her face.

She was already just so cute even with those things on display.

"Uh, Miss Ceilie?" The blond blinked at the peculiar way that her Queen addressed her.

"Yes, dear."

"Do you think that maybe you could help me figure out what to wear for the party tomorrow? I mean, I haven't been officially coronated as Queen yet. So, I thought that maybe I could wear something from my world and just be me for now. If that makes sense." Ichigo said awkwardly.

"That makes sense, dear. And I would love to help you. Would you like me to come by your room later to help? Or would you rather wait until sometime tomorrow?"

"Later would be fine. If you aren't too busy that is."

"Alright," Ceilie said with a warm smile as she reached out and took both of her hands in her own. "Later it is."