"Princess!"

The hurried clatter of footsteps on the gray stone floor accompanied the decidedly feminine voice. Hands gently helped her rise from the floor where she had fallen, the open window behind her. Rukia still slightly dazed from the shock of being absorbed into the book, stared unbelievingly into the face of the woman who steadied her.

"Are you hurt, Princess?"

"Y-Yoruichi?!" she couldn't fight the enormity of the shock that came upon her with the living, breathing image of the nursemaid from the story in front of her. The woman nodded slightly and released her, stepping back, "yes it is I…" Rukia now noticed she was attired in a close-fitting gown that rustled at every movement she made. What the hell…

Every aspect of the room was the same. High-vaulted ceilings with elegant designs carved into the stonework. An adjoining room was visible to the side through a separate doorway while straight ahead was another that Rukia remembered led out into the rest of the Castle. A slight shuffle of movement made her look inquiringly to Yoruichi. "The son of the Captain of the Guard is here. You wished to meet him?" it was phrased as a question leaving her to speculate this wasn't in the original story.

Okay girl…time to wake up now…

Yoruichi looked at her from to time a little worriedly as they entered into the private sitting room. Their skirts rustled alerting the young man that waited, his back to the door. He was tall as she saw once he turned and humbly sunk to one knee in a semblance of a bow. Embarrassed, she tried to pull away her hand when he took it and pressed a kiss on the back. "My Lady…" he said quietly, "I swear I will protect you always—"

She couldn't take this anymore. "I'm not…what I mean to say is… I'M NOT YOUR PRINCESS!!!!!"

~~~~*~~~~

Her words didn't sound so convincing even to her once they left her mouth.

"Princess...what're you saying?" confused amber eyes searched her face. Rukia felt her cheeks grow hot at such intense scrutiny. "J-Just what I said! My name is Rukia—"

Yoruichi came forward, "of course, dear. You are Princess Rukia." Laying a hand on her shoulder, the nursemaid shared a half glance filled with meaning to the young guard which Rukia correctly interrupted as: pay no heed for hers are the words spoken out of tiredness and burden.

He let go of her hand and she was only vaguely aware of how warm his touch had been when she was steered away.

~~~~Outside of the book~~~~

Byakuya Kuchiki had only a moment to ponder the apparent disobedience of his daughter before the doorbell rang. Going down the stairs and to the front door, he wasn't surprised to see Orihime standing on the doormat, smiling sheepishly.

"Hello, Mr. Kuchiki, is Rukia home? I forgot there was something I wanted to borrow of hers." She had of course made that up on the walk over to the house. Having caught a glimpse of Rukia's expression upon seeing the fairytale book still half-swathed in wrapping paper had made Orihime think she had done something wrong in buying it for her. Now she just wanted to see if she was all right. A phone call might've sufficed but…

"Rukia isn't here." His voice was cool, distant. Orihime's expression faltered as she could sense his impatience growing. "Can I just run upstairs and get it? It'll only take a minute or so?"

He nodded his ascent and stood back allowing her entry. She had a moment to flash a quick smile gratefully to him before taking the steps two at a time to the landing and the open door to the left that was Rukia's bedroom. Stepping inside, Orihime pulled the door shut gently behind her and went immediately to the desk to scribble out a hasty apology.

As her hand fell on a sheaf of notepaper, her eye happened to alight on a familiar object lying spine open on the floor beside the desk chair. She bent slightly and retrieved it; at once realizing it was the book she had given her. Orihime turned it over and looked at the page it had been left at.

Yoruichi came forward, "of course, dear. You are Princess Rukia." Laying a hand on her shoulder, the nursemaid shared a half glance filled with meaning to the young guard, which the Princess correctly interrupted as: pay no heed for hers are the words spoken out of tiredness and burden.

So Rukia shared the same name as the Princess? Orihime couldn't remember if in the story that the princess had ever had a name. Frowning, she sat down on the edge of the bed and continued reading, casting a wary glance to the closed door once.

"No! You don't understand! Listen to me…my name is Rukia Kuchiki. I'm dreaming—"

The nursemaid attempted to calm the agitated girl down by soothing her with a lullaby she had been sung in the cradle. Princess Rukia, upon hearing the song whispered softly dissolved into tears. "My mother…"

Orihime's brow furrowed.

"…used to sing that to me."

Yoruichi guided the Princess to the great curtained bed and drew back the topmost blanket of fur. "Yes…" the nursemaid eased the Princess down, tenderly brushing aside strands of hair from her face. "Your dear mother, Lady Hisana taught it to me a long time ago." The princess allowed herself to be laid down and comforted as an ill child is.

"Now rest…" the nursemaid said, smoothing the covers, "your presence is required at the ceremony tonight."

"Ceremony? I…I have school tomorrow. I can't…" the Princess mumbled, sleep overcoming her.

The nursemaid frowned slightly, not understanding the confusion besetting the Princess. Maybe a tonic was needed from the arch mage for tonight…

Orihime snapped the book shut, her eyes wide. It couldn't be—Tentatively she opened back to where she had been reading to see nothing had changed. School tomorrow. The words leapt out at her and she jumped, the book falling from her hands when the door opened suddenly.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Byakuya asked coldly, looking in. Orihime nodded briskly and snatched the book up from the floor. "Y-yeah. Thanks Mr. Kuchiki." Hurriedly she brushed past him and went downstairs. She knew he looked into the room she had just vacated, wondering still why his daughter had seemingly violated curfew. She was almost afraid he'd accuse her of some knowledge of Rukia's whereabouts. But she couldn't tell him. He'd never believe her in a million years…nobody would.

Beneath the illumination of a streetlamp a few houses down from Rukia's. Orihime opened the book once more…it was at the coronation scene already and the attempted murder of the Princess.

~To be continued~

AN: Took me a long time to do. :) Thanks for reading. No flames. Please review. :)