Ohayo minna-san! ^^ This is my third bleach fanfic, and i hope you enjoy it! It was originally IchiXOC, but i changed it to IchiRuki due to a sudden obsession with that pairing ^^

I hope you like it! Chapter 1-Refuge

'How much longer?', a voice asked quietly. The voice's owner was sitting in the shadows, long legs poking out into the sun, one arm resting on his thigh. The rest of him was concealed in the shadows.

'About 3 days, sir!' a man replied eagerly, jumping down from a rope.

The ship glided smoothly over the ravaging sea, dark and menacing. Aboard, the 12-strong crew were doing various activities. Some playing cards, others arguing, some sleeping, some mock-fighting.

A young woman skipped halfway down a small flight of stairs, leaning over the railing to stare down at the shadowy figure. She tilted her head, orange locks swaynig slightly in the sea breeze. She opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off.

'Don't start again, Inoue', the voice from the shadows said wearily. 'It's too late to turn back anyway'

The girl called Inoue sighed. 'I just think this is a bad idea, that's all'

A pair of lips, corners upturned, were exposed temporarily as the ship went over a wave, sending a ray of sunlight into the shadowy corner.

'Then don't think', the shadow suggested. Inoue narrowed her eyes and walked off.

With a smirk, the figure continued staring at the slowly setting sun.

There was nowhere I loved more than the small meadow outside my palace. Lush green grass swayed in the ever present breeze, ripples appearing the small aqua-coloured pool. The pool itself was surrounded by yellow flowers, small white and blue lilies floating on the surface.

Yes, it was the perfect place to escape reality. To escape-

'Kuchiki-sama' a voice called from nearby. 'It is time to get ready!'

I sighed, my reflection in the pond looking up at me sadly. Thus, this perfect little world couldn't last long. Before long, I would have to go back to my duties.

'Your mother wishes to see you about this afternoon' the young messenger said bowing. 'I apologize for disturbing you'

I didn't turn my head to acknowledge the young girl, instead keeping my eyes glued to the pool. With an unladylike huff of anger, I stood up, walking briskly out of the meadow and in the direction of the palace. My two maids hurried to stay beside me.

'Umm, Kuchiki-sama' One of the maids asked timidly. 'Your mother won't like what you've done to your dress…again.'

I sighed. 'Ayami, how many times must I tell you to call me Rukia?'

Ayami smiled. 'Your mother threatened to fire us if we didn't address you properly, Rukia-hime-sama'

I growled, making Ayami laugh.

'Are we still going to that party this afternoon?' my other maid, Hisako, asked hopefully.

I sighed again. 'I doubt it' I mumbled. 'My dear mother is starting to get suspicious of what I do at night'

Hisako groaned. 'If you miss out it'll be boring!'

'It's not my fault!' I exclaimed indignantly. 'It's not like I want to meet…' I bit my lip as my voice trailed off.

Ayami smirked. 'Your fiancé'

I huffed angrily again. 'Please don't say that! It's bad enough I'm only 15!'

The three of us fell into silence, Hisako humming randomly. It was against the rules for servants to address their masters without proper honorifics, but Ayami and Hisako had been serving me for a very long time, in which we became good friends. If my step-mother, Nanao, found out about this friendship, she no doubt would've replaced my maids a long time ago.

Before long, the three of us were at the huge palace doors. Two servants immediately opened them at my presence, bowing as they stepped aside to let me in.

The three of us remained silent as we arrived at the meeting hall, where my mother and father were waiting for me.

'Rukia...' my brother, Byakuya, was a man of few words. He was also the king. Next to him sat my stepmother, Nanao.

There are four main kingdoms, located close to each other, and far away from any other country. Kuchiki, Ukitake, Hitsugaya, Shiba. Kuchiki and Shiba are mortal enemies. They've been at war for a century. A war that started with the death of their uniting king, Sousuke. Neither kingdom would submit to the other kingdom's chosen ruler, Kuchiki Senri and Shiba Kain.

So the war between the two of them started. Both Kuchiki and Shiba still got along with the other two kingdoms, just not each other. All four kingdoms are separated by sea.

The war between Kuchiki and Shiba was to be resolved with the marriage of the heirs to the thrones, me and Shiba Kaien. Kaien was 18,I was 15. He had been ready to get married for years; I was suddenly told a few months ago!

'Rukia, what have you done to your clothes!' Nanao shrieked, glaring at me. I sighed.

'And what have I told you about sighing?' Nanao snapped. 'It's un-princess like! And you're meeting you soon-to-be husband soon!'

I drowned out my mother's nagging voice for the next few minutes, thinking of a way to get to the party later on without being noticed. It was a masquerade, my favourite type.

'Can you please stop destroying your clothes?' Nanao said desperately, eyeing me critically.

I looked down at me clothes. This morning, as it is every morning, I had been dressed in a silk and lace pink dress, my hair put neatly into a bun, light makeup put on, fancy shoes slipped on my feet.

Throughout the day, like everyday, I washed off the makeup, undid the tight bun, letting my black hair fall over my shoudlers, slipped off the painful shoes, and rolled up the sleeves of my tight dress.

'This isn't what a princess should look like!' Nanao snapped. She turned to my maids.

'You two! Make sure she is adequate by this evening', she demanded. 'Make sure she doesn't ruin it!'

Ayami and Hisako bowed, murmuring 'Yes, Kuchiki-sama' before bowing to me, waiting for me to leave first.

I spun on my heel, mumbling darkly, and stormed out the door, Ayami and Hisako following behind me.

Ayami grinned. 'Dragon-lady is even more moody than usual'

'It's cause of my fiancé's arrival this evening' I muttered, turning a corner.

Ayami and Hisako looked at each other and shrugged. Before long, they arrived at my room, opening the heavy wooden doors.

My room was huge. A large bed took up a lot of the room, positioned in the middle of the room, against a wall. Nearby was a half-wall length walk-in wardrobe, full of the latest, frilly, girly princess dresses, neatly aligned with matching shoes underneath. A huge portrait of me, with my parents behind me, took up the rest of the wall above the bed.

That portrait was of happier times, before my mother turned cruel and vulture-like. Before Daiyu had died…

'What to wear, what to wear?' Hisako said sarcastically, walking the length of the wardrobe.

I flopped on my massive bed, looking up at the rich red canopy above me. 'Anything. It's all the same anyways'

Well, there you have it. Like it, read more Please review!

till next time,

-lazy llama