Noble Matters

This story, , is the direct chronological follow-up of Betrayal!? and His True Colors? respectively.

Ryan walked from his families meeting room feeling somewhat uneasy. Of late his duties had become increasingly more annoying. He was tired of petty politics and the constant manoeuvring of noble families. A nice break from matters would be nice… especially the one subject he knew would be dragged up later. The Head of the lower-noble Fujiwara Clan was to be a guest in his home tonight and he would again repeat his desire to make a more lasting alliance between the Kuchiki and Fujiwara, which meant marriage. Even though Ryan made himself quite clear he intended no marriage.

Ryan had yet to see the girl outside a portrait provided by her father, but by all accounts she was quiet and reserved, used to doing what she was told and meek as a lamb. She was hardly what he was looking for in a future wife. Blast the Fujiwara Clan and their bloody dinner!

He wouldn’t have time to visit Sōritsu today. He sighed.

‘It is hardly befitting for the Head of the Kuchiki Clan to sigh so.’

The speaker was Miria Fujibayashi -- Lieutenant of the 6th Division in the Gotei 13. She was on a height with him with a slender figure that caught ones eye, long blond hair tied up in a ponytail at the back, light hazel blue eyes and a playful smile flickering across her serene features. Today she wore a sleeveless black top with a high neckline and a pair of comfortable black trousers.

‘How did you get in here again?’ He asked with mock seriousness.

‘I put my charm to good use.’ She said with a wink. ‘I had the red-haired young boy practically eating out of my hand and that was before he seen the badge.’ She giggled. ‘He was so cute!’

Ryan merely shook his head as laugher took hold of him. Miria had been a persuasive woman, as well as a brave one for as long as he knew her, which was many years now. The memory crept up on him suddenly…

''During the Vandenreich Invasion her fellow Shinigami where killed, leaving her the only survivor. Instead of running she stood and fought despite being greatly outmatched. Ryan had just killed his own opponent with a rage-fuelled Kidō assault after sensing the passing of his cousin, Byakuya Kuchiki. Fearing the same fate would befall Sōritsu who had just taken to the field, he had taken to the battlefield in an emotional frenzy, which was when he met her. Her blond hair had been dyed red with the blood of her downed comrades, and the fear had begun to sink in, causing her hands to tremble as tears fell from those hazel eyes. Ryan had reacted instinctively. He threw himself between her and the Quincy, using his own body as the shield to block the approaching arrow! His left arm had been scarred horribly by the action yet he succeeded in dispelling the arrow before wasting no time dispatching his enemy with a swift drawing slash. Turning he asked her name and the voice he heard was akin to music. From that day on…''

‘Hello, anyone home? Ryan? Hello?’

He came back to the present reluctantly to see Miria before him bent over slightly, head titled, hazel eyes locked on his bold brown. Her right eyebrow was lifted in confusion and a smile was beginning to play across that face again, showing her dimples.

‘Sorry,’ he whispered before poking her right dimple. She loved it when he did that. ‘Seeing you suddenly got me thinking of when we first met.’ Her smile wavered. Why couldn’t he marry her? Heh, if only.

‘I’m sighing because of this marriage deal.’

‘I pity you. How can anyone expect someone to do that?’ She began walking beside him with her hands interlocked behind her head. ‘It seems to… medieval.’

‘You’re telling me? Miria, if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a Kuchiki Clan Head needs to think of what is best for the Clan.’ He sighed again. ‘Sure we’ll just run away? Settle down and buy a dog.’

She laughed at him. ‘If only you where being serious.’ She joked. ‘But seriously now, what are you going to do?’

‘Turn her down.’

‘What, just like that?’ She sounded surprised. ‘God you have no tact!’

‘Then I’ll do it tactfully. Trust me, Miria. I’m hardly going to walk up to her, slap her in the face and tell her to get the hell out of my house… though now that I say that aloud it doesn’t sound like a bad idea.’

‘I thought it was her father campaigning for the marriage?’

How could he have forgotten about him? ‘Yeah, he is. Don’t worry; I’ll stick an apple in his mouth and you can plant your foot up his ass.’

‘That sounds like so much fun!’

He grinned wide. ‘Great! I’ll make the arrangements. On a separate note though: could you do me a big favour?’ She looked at him expectantly. ‘Come to the diner tonight and pretend to be my partner?’

Miria stopped moving. ‘Wouldn’t that cause a big scandal?’

‘Yup… and that’s exactly what I’m hoping for.’ It was the only card he had left to play. ‘If I say I’m with you then the Kuchiki Clan poking me with the marriage stick will shut up for a while, and I can then tell the Fujiwara Head to kindly drop the subject of marriage.’

‘… Or you’ll feed him an apple and get me to kick him in the ass? You are so devious! I like it. Count me in!’ She skipped ahead. ‘Oh! I need a fancy dress, Ryun-kun.’

His eye started twitching. ‘… Here,’ and he parted with a fistful of Kan. ‘Good to see some things never change. You’re still a manipulating, money-grabbing…!’

‘You want me to do this or not?’

‘Go crazy, buy what you want!’

‘Out with it,’

Sōritsu was an old, rugged and harsh man. He sported long white bangs on either side of his head, a bald top, and a rugged scar running through his right eye. In his youth Ryan had called him Katame-sama in reference to that scar, something Sōritsu had hated with a passion. Today he wore his kimono with a prominent V to take advantage of the warm breeze. Even in his advanced age Sōritsu maintained a muscular physique even though he admitted it was nothing compared to his younger years. He also groaned on about his blue hair turning white and his hair receding.

‘Kenji’s family was attacked.’

Sōritsu was quick too. He put together what his old friend Garian was talking about and rolled his lone eye after only a few seconds.

‘I take it this also has something to do with Captains Yume and Sadao being attacked yesterday? Don’t look at me like that, Garian. I may be old and weak but I still have still do have my wits about me! I also know that you know more than you’re letting on. Why else would you come all this way, forsaking that frigid hut of yours, to visit me?’

‘Now I remember why I used to fear you so much.’ Garian replied dryly.

Garian was as rough as Sōritsu and around the same age yet he was infinitely more… youthful. With Sōritsu there was a fire in his belly. With Garian it was an inferno. His hair was white and unruly, resembling a lion’s mane and his eyebrows where like bushy caterpillars above his eyes. He wasn’t stopped nor was he groaning about painful joints. Aside from a few wrinkles, whitened hair that looked like snow and bags beneath his eyes, Garian was like a man a tenth of his age!

‘Used to fear me?’ A younger Sōritsu would have struck him. ‘Bah! I’ve always hated you. If all you’re here to do is reminisce then get out.’

‘And miss seeing you so pissed off? No, no, no my old nemesis,’ Garian took a seat and his entire demeanour changed. ‘He’s back.’

Sōritsu’s anger was forgotten in that same instance. ‘And you think it was he who attacked the Hiroshi family? I know we suspected as much when Averian returned, but…’

‘I have been keeping a lookout you know.’ Garian maintained. ‘I’ve suspected ever since Ryōta first took Kenji to visit me.’

‘… Why can’t anything ever be easy with you?’ Sōritsu sighed. ‘I haven’t long left, Garian, so me helping you would be difficult. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be fit to help you in spirit.’

‘… You don’t mean…!’

‘I do, so close your mouth before you attract flies. He isn’t ready yet, however, but soon.’

‘Will he agree?’

Sōritsu knew the answer to that already.

Ryan waited for Miria at the base of the stairs. For the first time in a long time he felt as giddy as an academy student going to their first dance. He was clothed in a formal suit from the Human World complete with black jacket, a white shirt and stylish dress trousers. He even sported gloves. And as his position demanded a set of kenseikan holding his bangs up from the side of his head so his ears weren’t covered, while his long black hair was combed down neatly between his shoulder blades.

‘You are pacing again.’

‘Thanks for stating the obvious, Nan.’

She then burled him round roughly and inspected him from head to toe before almost rubbing his cheek raw with a cloth from her inside pocket! She then began tucking in his shirt again which had come loose at the back. By the time she was finished he was looking even more respectful than he had before.

‘I did not raise you to be a vagabond.’ Old Nan maintained.

‘One of these days,’ he vowed.

Nan shushed him quietly but forcibly before she casually directed his attention to the head of the stairs. Before she departed she had to take her hand to his chin just to close it.

Miria was dressed in a long white strapless gown decorated with green vine-like leaves from chest to waist that descended into a thigh-high skirt with ends resembling feathers that really looked like they belonged on a pair of Tenshi wings. Tying her blond hair back was a thin golden circlet set with a jade gemstone. Her hand, wrist and forearm were covered by white cloth and hanging from her neck was the necklace he had bought her for her last birthday almost nine months ago.

‘Well? How do I look?’

For the first time in a long while Ryan was speechless. He stood there gaping with wide eyes for a handful of seconds before Miria turned around. Before she completed her twist Old Nan had prodded him with a trickle of Kidō.

‘Beautiful,’ he managed at last.

He then offered her his arm and together proceeded to the banquet. Near the head of the table was the Fujiwara Family Head. Opposite him was Ryan’s mother who was dressed in a flowery kimono. The two where engaged in small talk when Ryan and Miria walked into the room. They mingled with members of the Kuchiki family, who remarked that Miria was looking well, before slowly making their way towards the dining table and a far from pleased Family Head.

‘Follow my lead,’ Ryan whispered, ‘we need to make this convincing.’

‘Agreed,’ she said back.

‘What is this?’ The Fujiwara Family Head demanded.

‘Mr. Fujiwara, please allow me to introduce my partner, Miria Fujibayashi. Miria, this is Mr. Fujiwara, the head of the Fujiwara Family.’

His face dropped the moment “partner” was mentioned. ‘Do you intend to leave my daughter out in the cold for her!?’

Miria took the insult in her stride but the way her grip tightened around Ryan’s arm told him all he needed to.

‘Mr. Fujiwara,’ Ryan began with a neutral tone, ‘need I remind you that this was merely a diner to discuss a marriage I never once agreed to. You insisted upon it and I arranged it; nothing more and nothing less.’

Mr. Fujiwara was close to losing it. Good. Let him.

‘You promised!’

‘I did no such thing.’ Ryan replied casually. ‘I have told many young ladies that I am not currently interested in marrying anyone. I also told you the same regarding your daughter. You simply deluded yourself into believing that this dinner was something more than it actually was. Moreover, I do not see the young woman, who, by your account, was supposed to be my wife at this dinner. I hope you enjoy the evening, sir.’

He didn’t. He withdrew himself at his earliest convenience.

‘You handled that well.’ His mother said as she sipped her soup. ‘I may not agree with your methods, but you never debased him publically, nor did you tell any lies.’ She then spared a smile for Miria. ‘Thank you, Miria, for doing this for him.’

Miria showed a smile as she continued to eat. ‘Thank you, Ma’am.’

When the night came to its conclusion Ryan found Miria on the balcony of the second floor looking towards the stars. The wind was pleasantly warm and there wasn’t as much as a cloud in the sky. The stars where out in force and for once you could actually see them. It was a stunning end to a night he thought was doomed to failure.

‘I owe you for this.’ He said as he approached. ‘Thank you.’

‘What girl could resist when she’s handed a small fortune and told to go wild?’ Playful as ever he saw. ‘But you are welcome. But it’s getting late. I should go soon.’

‘What? And ruin the plan? Oh no, I need you to head to my bedroom – don’t look at me like that! Old Nan knows all about this, and the old bat decided she would send you home so people think you’re sharing my room.’

‘You almost sound disappointed.’

‘Am I that obvious?’ He made it sound like he was joking. The truth was that he wasn’t. ‘But, I’m sorry my dear. I will join you later. I have a meeting to attend.’

He departed just in time to fall in beside several members of the Kuchiki family. Some he had known since childhood. Others he had only recently associated with. He accompanied them to a large antechamber where Sōritsu was waiting with crossed arms.

‘I have a job for you.’ Sōritsu said with his usual directness. ‘The rest of you: get out!’

Next Story > Flushing out Quincy.