Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo "Tite" Noriaki, and the original plot belongs to Rusky-Boz; I own nothing.

Note: I know that many fanfiction writers have already written several stories based on Rusky-Boz's picture "Royalty", but I was dying to write one too. Hopefully, it will be slightly different than other stories, because I have many ideas that I want to use in this story. Also, please note that the main couples are IchiRuki and UlquiHime, so don't expect to find more couples, though perhaps I will add more couples as the story progresses. Thank you for reading and I hope you like this first chapter! See you soon!

P. S. The title of this story was based on the song "Will of The Heart" from Bleach's OST 1.

Chapter 1: A decision that will change it all.

For very long and painful years, the Sun Kingdom and the Moon Empire had been in constant war. The main reasons that caused the war were unknown to the citizens of each kingdom, which made it hard to understand how two allies became enemies overnight.

The consequences of the ongoing war had taken its toll on each country, although the most affected one had been the Sun Kingdom. Maybe it was because the Moon Empire's army was more prepared and skilled, or maybe it had to do with the fact that the King of the Sun Kingdom was less strict than the King of the Moon Empire; either way, the once mighty Sun Kingdom was left almost in ruins.

Many citizens had been killed over the years, the destruction of their cities had been inevitable, and now their food was scarce and there was not enough money to sustain the people.

Nobody knew the Sun Kingdom's current situation better than Prince Ichigo Kurosaki, future ruler of said nation. He was extremely worried about his kingdom's situation. Ichigo had spent many months trying to find a solution for their dilemma, but everything he could think of seemed futile to even try.

To top it all, his father, King Isshin Kurosaki, had been ill for the past months; the king's strength was slowly leaving him, and Ichigo couldn't dare to think that his father's time on Earth had ended. The prince wasn't prepared to be the king yet, and he knew that his people needed their king to be alive, so that hope would not leave them.

After some minutes of contemplating the situation at hand, Ichigo sighed and resumed checking the kingdom's forecast. According to the calculations, the kingdom's food and gold reserves would only last them for the next six months, that if they weren't attacked by the Moon Empire in the near future. How they were going to pass the winter was beyond the prince's knowledge, but Ichigo could not give up at the idea of surrendering their lands to the King of the Moon Empire. The sole idea made him sick, so he still tried to think of a better solution that would benefit them all.

"Brother."

His musings were interrupted by a figure entering the library.

"Orihime." Ichigo acknowledged the woman entering the room.

The young lady happened to be his sister, actually, his twin sister to be precise. Her name was Orihime Kurosaki, the oldest princess in the Sun Kingdom, followed suit by her younger sisters, Princesses Yuzu and Karin.

Princess Orihime resembled her brother the most, sharing the same bright orange hair as Ichigo, and the same warm brown eyes. Still, she was delicate and shy, whereas her brother appeared to be brash and arrogant.

The princess looked at her brother sympathetically; she knew he had spent many hours studying the Kingdom's future, contemplating the best solutions to avoid their impending doom. Orihime too was sad and aggravated with their current situation, but knew it wasn't in her hands to solve the issue. However, she couldn't help but try to help her brother and father in any way she could.

Putting a comforting hand on Ichigo's right shoulder, Orihime spoke to him gently. "Brother, you should not aggravate yourself with dark thoughts. I'm sure we will soon find a solution to our problems."

After hearing Orihime's words, Ichigo couldn't help but feel even more depressed than he had felt before. His little sister was trying to protect him, when he was supposed to be the one protecting her and anyone else instead.

The prince gave his sister a dull laugh and then said, "You shouldn't worry about me, Orihime. It is my duty, after all, to protect our people." He then chuckled darkly. "Look at me, my dear sister. I'm not even the King yet, and I have already failed my people. What a useless monarch I am!"

In frustration, he covered his face with both his hands, whispering to the air "What am I going to do?"

Orihime felt compassion for her brother, a feeling she had never felt so strongly for him. There he was, her hero, defeated already before even fighting. That certainly was not the Ichigo she knew, the person she called brother.

"Ichigo." She called him, and said man looked up, gazing intently at her. Only rarely did his sister called him by his name, and when she did, it was because she was about to say something important.

Once the princess saw that her brother was giving her his full attention, she continued. "Look, I know we are stuck in a difficult situation, but it is not healthy to continue worrying about a problem we alone cannot solve. Unless King Aizen is willing to negotiate with us, there is nothing we can do about it." Orihime spoke wisely, calming her brother.

After hearing her words, Ichigo smiled at his sister warmly.

"Thank you, Orihime. You're right, until Aizen is willing to cooperate, the war will continue. I just hope the bastard will end this stupid war soon." Ichigo cursed and Orihime looked at him in indignation.

"Brother! You shouldn't say those things! What would father say about your behavior?" The princess said, in an almost scolding tone.

"Don't worry, considering the situation at hand, I think our old man would agree with me just this once." Ichigo said, quite amused by his sister's reaction. Next, he proceeded to tenderly caress her head, like he used to do when they were younger. "Again, thank you for your kind words, Orihime."

"Anytime, brother."

They both smiled warmly at each other, sharing one of those rare moments alone. Nevertheless, their fraternal moment was interrupted by a servant who rudely opened the door. Startled, the siblings turned to look at the intruder, who was panting and sweating as if he had been running for miles.

"Your Royal Highnesses, His Majesty King Isshin has summoned both of you to his chambers, immediately." The messenger said out of breath.

Without further questions, both left the library and headed straight to their father's chambers. Once they arrived, they found their father sitting on his desk, reading a scroll. The king looked pale, frail even, his eyes were gloomy, and a frown was present on his otherwise calm expression. With a hand gesture, he motioned his children to sit.

"What is it, father?" Orihime calmly asked, her voice not betraying the anxiety she was feeling.

"King Aizen has agreed on signing a peace treaty with the Sun Kingdom." Isshin said gravely, without missing his children's shocked expressions.

"What? Are you serious?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"It is as you heard, Ichigo." Isshin tiredly said.

"Is it true father?" Orihime asked, and the king just sighed while massaging his temples.

"Yes, Orihime." At the answer, both siblings smiled with relief. "However, there is a condition for the treaty to take place." The king said somberly, and his son frowned.

"What kind of condition?" The prince asked, fearing the worst.

"Read it for yourself, son." Isshin said, giving Ichigo the scroll he had been reading.

Ichigo took the scroll and read it carefully. As he read Aizen's perfect handwriting, the prince grew pale. Orihime, noticing her brother's reaction, got worried.

"What does it say, brother?" She asked him, while frowning slightly.

Ichigo turned to look at her with a grave expression. "Aizen wants me to marry his daughter."

"I will not do it." Her voice was soft, yet firm at the same time. She had her arms crossed and was frowning, looking at her father defiantly.

King Sosuke Aizen sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. He already had a headache, and his daughter's stubbornness was not making his day any easier.

"Rukia, we have discussed this before. If we continue fighting, our empire won't have enough food and money to survive this winter. Our resources had always been scarce, and our winters extremely cold, yes; but now I fear we don't have enough to assure our survival. The only way for us to ensure peace is that you wed Prince Ichigo, the future King of the Sun Kingdom, and since you are my only daughter, and future queen, the Moon Empire will forever be linked to the Sun Kingdom, and the war will be over." Aizen explained and his daughter huffed.

"Is there really no other way?" The princess asked angrily, certainly unconvinced that her marriage was the solution.

"I'm afraid not. But the marriage will only take place if Prince Ichigo accepts the agreement." The king said, giving his daughter hope. "Nevertheless, due to the Sun Kingdom's current situation, I don't think they have much choice." Rukia's hopeful expression fell and was replaced by a frown.

"But the Sun Kingdom has always been prosper and wealthy! Why would they need money and food, now?" She asked, raising an elegant brow as she formulated her question. Her father frowned at her suspiciousness.

"Because the last time our soldiers passed, they burned part of their harvests." After hearing this, the princess gaped at her father.

"Are you serious? They burned their food? Wasn't war supposed to be only soldiers against soldiers? What have you done?" Rukia exclaimed, horrified.

"My dear Rukia, you don't have to get worked up for a matter like this. Remember, my darling, that all is fair in love and war. Besides, I'm sure King Isshin's army would have done the same." Aizen explained while his daughter calmed down.

After a couple of minutes of silent contemplation, the princess sighed and said, "I understand our position, father."

"Good, then, do you agree to marry Prince Ichigo?" The king asked his daughter.

Princess Rukia, however, remained silent. If she agreed to the arranged marriage, she would save her people, though she would sacrifice her freedom in exchange; but, if she didn't marry the prince, her people would suffer.

Rukia sighed once more, and nodded slowly. "Yes, I will do it." She said, while her father smiled, seeming incredibly pleased.

"Excellent! Now, all we need is Prince Ichigo's acceptance." The king exclaimed, while clapping his hands.

"When will the king's reply arrive?" Rukia asked somberly, though her father didn't seem to notice.

"I asked of him to send his reply as soon as possible. It will probably arrive in one or two days."

"Ah." The princess nodded, and turned to look at the window, in order to avoid looking grim in front of her father.

"Well then, this settled there are many things that need to be done. We need to arrange your wedding gown, the presents we will present to the Royal Family, the invitations we need to send, and other wedding matters that need outmost attendance." The king listed, quite contented about the situation at hand.

"But father, we haven't even received their reply yet!"

"Rukia, my precious daughter, as I have explained before, they have no choice. The sooner you get married, the better it is for us." Aizen said at a very afflicted Rukia. "Don't look so sad, darling; you will be a beautiful bride." The king said, without even looking at his daughter. "Well, I must go and tell the council the good news." With that said, the King of the Moon Empire exited the room, leaving the princess alone.

Rukia looked from the window at the beautiful rose garden that adorned the Palace of Las Noches. She bit her lip, suppressing a sob, while her knuckles turned white from gripping the windowpane too hard.

"What have I agreed to?" She whispered as a single tear fell down her face.

"Unbelievable." Ichigo muttered over and over again as he paced around the room. His figure was followed by the concerned eyes of his father and sister.

"Ichigo." King Isshin called him in a soft voice. His son stopped walking and slowly turned to look at him. "I know it is a tough decision, but it is the only way to secure peace among our countries." He paused, waiting for his son to say something; when no reply came, Isshin continued. "If you, future King of the Sun Kingdom, marry the Moon Empire's future Queen, our nations will forever be bound by your union, and one day, our lands will become one." The king declared solemnly.

"But what if Aizen has control over his daughter? What if he plans to kill us all after the marriage takes place and rule over both kingdoms? How do we know this is not a trap? Have you considered this?" The prince exclaimed exasperated, while he continued to pace around the room.

"Of course I have. Who do you take me for? I have already analyzed the advantages and disadvantages this union will bring, and I have concluded the benefits win against the downfalls. This is our best and only option to survive." As he heard his father's words, Ichigo stopped pacing.

With a heavy sigh, the prince asked, "When do you need to send the reply?"

"In two days at most." Isshin replied.

"Father, are you completely sure my marriage with the princess will guarantee peace among the two kingdoms?"

"Absolutely."

"Then…I agree. I will marry her for our kingdom." Ichigo declared in a defeated tone, as he sank on a chair.

"Brother." Orihime, who had remained silent up until then, approached her twin and gently hugged him. Isshin looked at his son with a sad expression; he too, understanding his son's affliction, hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. I have always wanted you to experience the same love your mother and I shared. I cannot tell you it is going to be easy, but maybe things will work out with you and Princess Rukia. Who knows? Maybe you will be happy with her." The king said softly, and the prince smiled, feeling comforted.

"Thank you, dad." Ichigo looked gratefully at his father, feeling less restless than before.

"Plus, I heard she is so beautiful, she literally takes your breath away! She will surely breed you beautiful babies!" Isshin said goofily, returning to be the silly dad his children knew and loved.

"Dad!" Ichigo, flustered, exclaimed angrily.

Orihime looked at his brother and father fighting like they did in the good old days, and felt happy. Things were turning out pretty well, after all.

Only one day had passed since King Aizen sent King Isshin a letter telling him about his solution to bring peace among their nations. Aizen's daughter had already agreed on the marriage, the council seemed pleased with the idea, and the only thing that was needed was the confirmation from King Isshin.

King Aizen was at his office doing some preparations when he was suddenly interrupted by his advisor, Gin Ichimaru.

"What do you need, Gin?" The king asked and was received by his advisor's infamous smirk.

"Your Majesty, we have received a letter from King Isshin Kurosaki." Gin said, still smirking.

"Excellent." Aizen took the scroll from Gin and read it quickly. As he read what King Isshin wrote, he too smirked.

"What does it say?" Curiosity getting the better of him, Gin dared to ask, since his king had been silent for some time.

"The peace treaty will take place: Prince Ichigo has agreed to marry Rukia." Aizen said, pleased with the situation.

"Ah, very well my Lord. Now, what are you going to do?"

"Plan the wedding, of course. Now, I must go and talk to General Cifer. By the way, Gin, have you seen him?"

"Yes Your Majesty, he's on the training grounds, practicing as always."

He breathed deeply, taking a fighting stance, his mind already planning hundreds of different attacks to either disarm or kill his opponents. The sunlight made his silver armor shine brightly like the moon, and the air messed his neck-length ebony hair.

He took one step, his emerald eyes never leaving his opponents. There were four of them, like in that night. Sorrowful memories of his past wrapped around him.

Death, blood, fire.

Sudden rage filled him, but he suppressed his feelings. He must not remember that night, he chided himself; it was, after all, in his past, there was no need to remember such things. He was no longer that frightened child, he was a knight, and knights were able to control their emotions.

Breathing again, he took his sword, Murciélago, and started attacking. In less than a minute he had already beheaded the four dummies that served as his opponents. He returned to a normal position and sheathed his sword. He was about to rearrange the fallen dummies when he heard someone clapping.

"Very well, you have really improved." An older man than him, who wore elegant clothing, said.

"Your Majesty." He acknowledged the intruder and respectfully kneeled on the ground.

"Please get up. You don't have to be so proper all the time, Ulquiorra." King Aizen said, smiling down at his subject.

"If you insist, my Lord."

Ulquiorra got up and looked at his king intently, while his expression remained blank.

"You must be wondering why I'm here, right?" The monarch said, but didn't give Ulquiorra a chance to answer for he added, "I have a special mission for you."

"What do you need from me, Your Majesty?" In his usual monotone voice, he asked.

"My daughter, Princess Rukia, is going to marry Prince Ichigo from the Sun Kingdom.", Aizen started saying, while Ulquiorra remained silent, "I need you to escort her to the Sun Kingdom and stay by her side, for protection."

"Your Majesty, you really honor me, but I feel that I'm not worthy enough to perform such task."

"My, my, modest aren't we? But you are wrong, Ulquiorra, for there is no one more capable of protecting my only daughter than the General of my Protection Guard, the leader of my army."

"If that is the case, I will escort Princess Rukia to the Sun Kingdom, and I will remain by her side protecting her with my life." Ulquiorra said, kneeling once again while showing his blade to his king.

"Then, prepare your things, General Cifer, for we part at first time tomorrow." Those were the king's final words before leaving his General alone.

Ulquiorra stood up and gazed at his sword. The Sun Kingdom, huh? Maybe there he could find the answers for the questions that troubled him.