Author Note: Hello, everyone! This is CrazyAce'n'PokerFace, bringing you another HitsuKarin fanfic. This time, the story is set in an alternate universe, and we've decided to combine our favorite plot devices: vampires and arranged marriages. So we'd like to acknowledge following authors and their stories for helping to inspire this story: GrnEydDvl, KazeNoSakura, the lioness, Pippin's Socks, and AngelCat HellFire. And I will say that the title of this story was something that I always wanted to use, but SebonzaMitsuki27 beat me to the punch, and that I hope she doesn't think that I'm copying her—I just really like the title. XD

Warning: Though the main pairing is HitsuKarin, there will be mentions of IchiHime, RenRuki, JintaYuzu, and a whole bunch of other couples. In addition, there will be violence and death and lots and lots of blood. If you don't like, don't read. Thank you.

We hope you enjoy the story! And please review! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong solely to Tite Kubo. However, if there was an alternate universe where I do own Bleach, I will promptly give my left arm to switch with my other self. :)

Chapter One: Death Quietly Blooming

+++Karin+++

The world consisted only of the sword in my hand and the enemy before me. There was nothing else—not the sounds of the battle raging around me, not the cries of the dying, and not the blood that stained the ground a hideous red. Only the enemy, his fangs bared in a twisted grin, coming towards me, hands outstretched—

—right before I cut off his head. Letting his corpse fall to the ground, I moved on to the next opponents, killing an additional three before a minute had passed. Pausing to look for more enemies, I grinned as another horde of vampires charged my way, and with the blood haze clouding my eyes, I could only make them out as targets to eliminate. Thrusting my sword into the ground before me, I lifted my hands and gathered the dark magic within me, letting it loose in a blast of black, shadowy fire that incinerated the twenty or so vampires attacking me.

When the last of their screams faded out, an eerie silence fell over the battlefield, and I dropped to my knees in exhaustion, the blood haze finally fading from my eyes. I could feel the irises changing from glowing scarlet to their usual black. Putting my hand to my head, I grasped my sword with the other and used it to pull myself upright, leaning against the sturdy but elegant blade for support.

"Lady Karin! Lady Karin, are you all right?!" screamed a worried voice. I lifted my head long enough to make out a human woman making her way towards me, a spear in her trembling hands. She was probably one of the villagers of Aravel, and unused to the bloodshed and death all around us. Scanning the area, I noted with regret that several of the buildings had been burnt down or demolished from the attack, and wished that I had been strong enough to prevent their destruction. Pushing aside the feelings of guilt and anger, I smiled reassuringly at the woman.

"I am fine, Mistress. You have no need to worry. I am a vampire after all. Even the weakest of us is a great deal stronger and faster than the average human, and I am far from being the weakest vampire," I said reassuringly.

"But even you are not invincible, my lady," another voice replied. Looking for the newcomer, my eyes met the relieved yet disapproving hazel-eyed gaze of Neliel Tu Oderschvank, former Countess of Antera and current leader of the True Exiles residing in the kingdom of Karakura. She came over and put my arm around her shoulders, supporting me despite my protests. She smiled at the human and said, "You can leave now, Tsuruna. I will care for her. Tend to the wounds of the villagers."

Tsuruna nodded and bowed deeply, thanking me one last time before she left. As I watched her go, I quietly asked, "How many dead?"

"The Goddess of Night has blessed us this day. There were no casualties on our side, not even any of the humans, though some are severely wounded. The rest of our royal advance group has sustained minor injuries, but I would guess that you are probably the worst off out of all of us," she said reproachfully. She sighed. "My lady, how many times must I tell you to let us handle the worst of the intruders? I know you are powerful, but as second-in-line to the throne, you are too valuable to lose. And you know using dark magic is too dangerous; you shouldn't have even—"

"I can't sit back and watch my people die, Nel! It's precisely because I'm a princess of Karakura that I have to fight on the frontlines. If I'm not willing to die to protect my subjects, then I'm not worthy to rule them," I retorted, pain and determination filling my gaze as I stared at her.

Sighing once again, Nel nodded, conceding my point before speaking once more, "I know, my lady. But still, do try to avoid going into the blood haze. You can kill more of our enemies, but while in that state you are far more vulnerable. And do not use your dark magic—the risk is far greater than any temporary benefits, in more ways than one. As head of your Royal Guard, I beg you to please take fewer risks."

Closing my eyes, I gave her silence as my answer. Shaking her head, she then sent a telepathic signal out to the rest of the royal advance group. Within seconds, they were gathered in a circle around us, ready to shield me from more danger, for they weren't just any advance group—they were my personal Guard, a team of five warriors charged to protect me until either they or I perished, and they would do anything to make sure that it was the former. They were the best of the best, as only the most powerful and loyal people in the kingdom were entrusted with a royal's life.

Jinta and his older sister, Ururu, were the adopted scions of Urahara House. Jinta stood before us now, his back to me, his lance in his hand, the blood dripping off it the same shade as his hair. His vampire ability was incredible strength, and I could tell that he had used it to our advantage today. Ururu was to my left, calmly holding her palms out in front of her, letting her crackling aura send the message of danger. Her black hair was tied into two pigtails, a surprisingly innocent style for one who was so deadly, as she was a second-degree mage capable of leveling entire cities.

Chad Yasutora, Clan-Lord and Alpha over all the werewolves, stood to my right, his large frame looming over us. His gentle, brown-eyed gaze scanned the surrounding areas for threats, and a golden charm around his neck gleamed in response to his aura, contrasting with his deep brown skin. He was one of my brother's best friends, and had originally formed a part of Ichigo's Guard until I started going into battle and my brother asked him to watch over me instead. His steady presence had often soothed me in times of trouble, and his enormous strength had saved me more than once. In this case, I was grateful for Ichigo's protectiveness.

Flying above us in winged form was Ulquiorra Schiffer, his piercing green eyes currently closed in concentration as he was preparing to see into the future. Ulquiorra was Nel's second-in-command and also a True Exile. As a seer, his powers were extremely rare for a vampire and highly valued, and he and Nel made up the deadliest part of my Guard. Staring down at Nel, he nodded once, almost imperceptibly, signaling the go-ahead to return home. No more rogue vampires would attack this town for at least a month.

Nel, the statuesque, green-haired leader of my Royal Guard, sighed in relief and promptly started carrying me towards a carriage that the villagers had provided for us. As I balked at the contraption, she glowered menacingly at me.

"Don't you dare say that you are capable of running home! In your state, we'd be lucky if you managed to make it to the outskirts of the village," she said.

Muttering in complaint, I nevertheless knew when she was right, and clambered into the carriage, Nel and Ulquiorra getting in after me. I could sense Chad climbing onto the driver's seat and communicating soothingly to the horses, and Jinta and Ururu stationing themselves at the back of the carriage. Soon we were making our way back to Kurosaki Castle.

As I surveyed the green landscape of my country, I thought back to the carnage inflicted on the village we had just left, a small outpost on the very edges of our northern border. They'd escaped mostly unharmed, but other villages and towns were not so lucky. Thinking of the blood of innocents spilled and once-welcoming homes ravaged, my hands tightened as I pictured the man responsible for it all.

Sousuke Aizen. The vampire who wanted to rule all of Enalma.

Enalma is the name of our continent, and by extension our planet, as it is the only landmass that exists. Vaguely circular in shape, Enalma is an ancient land peopled by two races: vampires and humans. In the beginning, humans lived to serve their vampire overlords, as vampires were far more powerful, and their lack of numbers was made up for by their excess of strength.

All vampires, even the weakest, are born with incredible speed, fearsome strength, the ability of telepathy, the power of regeneration, and a mysterious sixth sense. We call these the Five Gifts of the Goddess. Each vampire has a particular gift that is dominant. More powerful vampires, such as those that make up my Royal Guard, are blessed with additional abilities, like Ulquiorra's gift of prophecy, or vastly enhanced Gifts, like Jinta's monstrous strength. Some vampires possess both, like my brother Ichigo. He has both unbelievable strength and the gift of elemental magic, that of lightning. Vampires are also difficult to wound, impervious to most diseases, and possess incredible longevity, the average lifespan being two hundred years.

With powers like these, the humans of old didn't stand a chance, and were virtual slaves to their vampire masters. However, approximately one millennium ago, a few vampires came to care for their human vassals, discovering also that those especially close to us, the ones we fed from, had developed powers and gifts of their own, similar to the vampires. These humans, called familiars, even lived longer than average. Some vampire masters wanted to liberate their familiars and treat them as equals. The other vampire lords objected, resulting in a catastrophic civil war that nearly eradicated both sides.

Eventually a truce was reached, with the leaders of the two sides deciding to divide the country. The west became the kingdom of Karakura, ruled by the Kurosaki House and those vampires who wished to live in peace with all humans, including witches and werewolves.

The larger eastern part became Seireitei, ruled by the Hitsugaya House and the other vampire nobles, though oddly enough after the war they treated their humans more kindly. Perhaps this was because during the war both sides were forced to depend on and work with their human slaves, strengthening the bond between them.

To the north, in the Great Deserts, lived a group of vampires who had refused to join either side, as they had no humans under their control due to the hostile nature of their land. This land eventually became known as the Land of Exiles, home to the most independent and wildest of all the vampires. Humans were welcome, but only if they could survive.

In the end, there was not much difference between the three lands in the way their humans were treated. Rather, it was the customs and culture that were radically changed. Karakura became known for its diversity and innovativeness, while Seireitei was known for its strict traditions and its works of art, and the Land of Exiles became surprisingly popular as a center of learning.

The governments also differed, with Karakura's government being a loose coalition of different areas all vaguely bowing down the Kurosaki throne—in truth it was more like a democracy than anything else. Seireitei was more like a tightly run kingdom, with one Emperor and ten noble Houses supporting him. The Land of Exiles didn't really have an overarching government, with each estate's laws set by the noble who ruled it. But despite their differences, for many years the three countries were able to live side by side in relative peace.

At least until around thirty years ago, when Sousuke Aizen, head of a minor noble house, attempted to kill Genryuusai Hitsugaya, Emperor of Seireitei. Aizen was promptly banished into the Land of Exiles, where he proceeded to take over, throwing out the vampire nobles who resisted, including Nel and Ulquiorra. Those who joined forces with him were allowed to stay in what was now known as Hueco Mundo, which Aizen ruled from the city of Las Noches. Nel and those like her swore to regain their homeland, scattering to both Seireitei and Karakura, calling themselves the True Exiles and branding those who had submitted to Aizen as traitors.

The land had settled once more into an uneasy peace, both kingdoms watching Hueco Mundo in wary expectation. Four years ago, Aizen made his first serious move: he unleashed an army of created vampires.

I can't express the horror of this. Vampires are few in number, and it's extremely difficult for us to have children. Most mated pairs can't even have a child until both partners have passed their half-century mark and reached full maturity of their powers. Even then, they're lucky to have a single offspring. More powerful vampires can have more children, which is why the noble Houses wield such power, because they have both abilities and numbers on their side.

Even rarer are half-vampire, half-human children, which we call the Vaizards. They have equal strength to those of vampires, but can mate with either humans or vampires. What their offspring will be depends on who they marry. Those that marry vampires have vampire children, and those that marry humans give rise to semi-gifted humans, those blessed with a trace of vampire blood and abilities. These are similar to the human familiars, and both kinds of humans are often entrusted to serve vampires. If a Vaizard marries another Vaizard, then the child is destined to inherit the powers of both parents, making him or her extremely powerful. The Vaizards have an estate in Karakura, and actively participate in our government-they're an asset to our army and a force to fear.

But the rarest of all, even more difficult to find than a Vaizard, is a human-turned-vampire. Humans cannot withstand our venom, and unless the bond between the vampire and his human is especially close, the human will die during the transformation. But somehow, Aizen has found a way to turn humans into vampires without killing them, resulting in a huge army of bloodthirsty, Gifted vampires. This army spells doom for the world as we know it.

Four years ago, Aizen began attacking Karakura's borders with his abominable army, seeking to weaken us by attacking our vulnerable human towns, knowing that we would do anything to defend them, and planning to take us over once we can no longer fight.

His scheme is succeeding. Though Karakura's army is strong, it's mostly human and no match for a horde of vampires. Within five short years, we will fall.

Unless Seireitei forges an alliance with us.

Three days after leaving Aravel, I looked out the carriage window towards Karasu, our capital city. Even though night had now fallen, with my eyes I could still make out the faint skylines of Kurosaki Castle.

I held my breath in anticipation. Today was the day that Uryuu Ishida, heir to the Duke of Quincy and one of my brother's friends, was scheduled to return from his visit to the eastern kingdom. A visit that would determine whether or not Seireitei would join forces with us. A visit that would determine whether or not our kingdom lived or died.

Closing my eyes, I breathed a quick prayer to the Goddess to let the answer be yes. I didn't care what we had to give, so long as it meant that Seireitei would agree and my kingdom and my people would be saved.

As the carriage pulled into the palace courtyard, I could see a golden blur running outside, followed by five shouting people. Beside me, I could feel Nel tense up slightly before relaxing once she recognized who the "threat" was.

My twin, Yuzu.

As I stepped out of the carriage, standing on now-stable legs, she threw herself at me, hugging me in relieved happiness. Her sweet, clean scent, that of honey and lavender, assailed my senses, and I breathed in deeply, letting go of my cares and burdens for a few precious seconds.

"You kept your promise again," she whispered. "You came back home."

Smiling sadly, I felt her clutch me tighter, and replied, "Of course I did, Yuzu. I'll always come back home to you."

Nodding slightly, she released me with a teary smile, stepping back to survey the damage I had taken. As she perused my bloody clothes and sword, I winced when I noticed that I had stained her white silk dress with patches of red. Darkly, I wondered how my actions and very self must stain her soul even more. Catching the whisper of my thoughts, she replied through our mental connection, You could never taint me, Karin. Don't forget that.

Biting my lip, I just shook my head as she raised her hands to my face and stared at me until I knew without a doubt that even if I would drench her in a deluge of blood, she would still rather be by my side than anywhere else.

Well, nearly anywhere else. Jinta stepped forward with a longing look in his eyes, and she gave me one last smile before running straight into his arms, letting him bury his face in her hair and whisper how much he loved her. Watching them for a second, I was then pulled into a group hug by the five people who'd followed Yuzu outside, her Royal Guard: Ryohei, Kazuya, Pinta, Donny, and Kon. They were all eagerly congratulating me on my safe return, happy to see that I was home safe and sound, before deserting me to wish Jinta the same greeting.

Exchanging amused glances with Ururu, I noted that she'd gently taken hold of Chad's hand. I gave the two of them a small nod of dismissal, allowing them to return to their quarters and clean up. Turning around to similarly dismiss Nel and Ulquiorra, I found my two most devoted Guards placing their hands firmly around my arms, walking me up the stairs to the palace entrance.

"What in the Night are you doing?" I exclaimed.

"Making sure you see Her Royal Highness, Orihime of the Vaizards, High Priestess and wife to His Royal Highness, Ichigo, Crown Prince of Karakura and Heir to the Throne," Ulquiorra stated blandly.

I rolled my eyes at his insistence at using the entirety of my sister-in-law's title, saying, "You know Hime hates it when you call her that, and besides, I'm fine. I don't need her to heal me."

"Liar," said Nel, ignoring my squirming. "If you were fine then you'd be able to escape our grasp without any trouble, but as you cannot, it is obvious that you are too weak to be left by yourself, my lady." Affection softening her gaze, she glanced down at me as she continued, "Ulqui and I have been taking care of you and Yuzu since you were babies. We know that if we let you out of our sights, you'll head straight to the training grounds, wounds or no."

Unable to deny the truth of that, I scowled and said, "Well, can Ulquiorra at least go and check if Uryuu has come back?"

"He has, my lady," replied Ulquiorra.

"What!?" I yelled. "What do you mean he's back? When? No, forget that—what did Seireitei say?"

"He came back this morning, my lady. And you would have known of his return if you'd been strong enough to receive long-distance telepathic messages," Ulquiorra replied, completely ignoring my other question.

"Your father has called an assembly meeting with only the High Council present, plus Ichigo and Uryuu," Nel murmured. "They're currently in session, discussing the impact of Seireitei's message."

"But what did they say?" I hissed.

"I do not know, my lady," Neliel replied quietly. "We can only wait until the meeting is adjourned, and then they'll tell us. Even Ichigo wasn't initially present to hear their answer. Uryuu was the only Second Council member who knew at first, and that's only because he was the one we sent as delegate."

"Patience, my lady," Ulquiorra said. "The answer cannot have been too terrible, otherwise we would already be manning the gates and sending messengers to recruit soldiers for the army."

Comforted somewhat by their logic, I let them lead me to the west side of the palace, until we stood in front of Orihime's room. Upon opening the door, we found my beautiful, gentle sister-in-law already extending her hands, a globe of golden energy between them, her aura flaring with the force of her power.

Smiling gently, she walked forward as Nel and Ulquiorra stepped away from me, until the orb hit the center of my chest and was instantly absorbed. Within seconds I was fully healed, my energy boosted. Gasping slightly from the shock of her power, I inhaled deeply as Orihime pushed me down onto a nearby chair, then pulled me into a long hug, gently reaching out with her mind to say, Welcome home.

For a minute we stood like that, just a girl and her older sister, before reality intruded and I remembered that I was Lady Karin Kurosaki, First Mage of Karakura and second-in-line to the throne, blessed with enhancements of all Five Gifts as well as the power of dark magic. And Lady Karin never cried or showed weakness.

Pulling back, I could see Orihime smiling in sorrowful understanding. Well, of course she would understand. She was the high priestess, after all, servant of the Goddess, granddaughter of the Earl of Ushoda, Hachigen Inoue, and third-generation Vaizard. Not to mention that she was married to Ichigo, which was definitely a testament to her strength and patience. She was incredibly powerful, possessing three generations' worth of vampiric abilities, including healing, prophecy, and the ability to turn her aura into impenetrable shields. She was responsible for the defense of Karasu and all its inhabitants. She knew what it was like to have the weight of a country upon her, and I wished that I could carry my own burden with even half her grace.

Looking at me with wide, gray eyes, she said, "Uryuu has returned. Ichigo has just been summoned to hear his message. In an hour they will call the rest of us to join them, and we shall know the fate of our country. Meanwhile," and here her eyes softened even further, "you are going to get out of that armor, take a bath, and remember that there's more to life than bloodshed and darkness, even for a vampire princess."

Pressing a kiss to my forehead, she stood up and bowed to Nel and Ulquiorra, who bowed back, looks of fervent gratitude on both their faces. Leaving the room, their presence was replaced by that of Yuzu's, who had a set of black clothes in her arms and a determined tilt to her mouth.

Knowing I was cornered, I let them drag me into the wide bath and relax for half an hour, then pulled on the simple black blouse and black pants before putting Kana, my vampire blade, across my back. Orihime and Yuzu, both in elegant dresses, Yuzu in gold and Orihime in white, stepped forward and held out their hands. For a quick moment, we bowed our heads in prayer to the Goddess, asking her to protect our country.

Night knew, we would need her intercession.

A few minutes later, we stood in the Grand Chamber, called to an assembly meeting consisting of all the councils. On the right-hand side of the room sat my father, King Isshin.

By his right side stood Ryuuken Ishida, Duke of Quincy and Commander of the Royal Archers.

To his left sat Lady Yoruichi Shihoin, former noble of Seireitei and current Grandmaster of Spies.

Lord Kisuke stood behind her, head of Urahara House and brilliant inventor and tactician.

Lord Shinji Hirako, leader of the Vaizards, stood across from him, and behind him sat the other Vaizard nobles, as well as Nel and Ulquiorra.

A seat directly to Isshin's right was left empty to signify my deceased mother, Queen Masaki.

These people formed the High Council of Karakura, the ruling body of our kingdom.

Across the room, paralleling the formation of the opposite side, the Second Council sat at an identical table. Ichigo was sitting down, his hands clasped in front of his face in a brooding manner. Orihime took the seat directly to his right, and smiled at the woman on his left, Tatsuki Arisawa, head of the Palace Guard.

To Ichigo's right stood Ishida Uryuu, blue eyes inscrutable behind his spectacles, dark hair framing his angular face; Chad stood behind him, his aura as calm as always.

Beside Tatsuki was Lord Renji Abarai, the only natural human-turned-vampire currently living in Karakura. His hand gripped the edge of his sword tightly, ready to defend Ichigo's life even here in the safest of places. Flanking him on either side were the last of Ichigo's personal Guard, Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima.

Yuzu and I walked down the space between the two groups, making our way to where the other members of the Third Council sat, including Jinta, Ururu, Ryohei, Kazuya, Pinta, Donny, Kon, and even Nel's loyal vassals, Pesche and Dondechakka, in addition to a few heads of minor noble houses. I took my place at their center, sitting in the seat that designated me as their leader and the second heir to the throne.

As soon as I was seated, my father sighed and spoke: "Seireitei has agreed to the alliance."

The majority of the room erupted into cheers, but I noted with some apprehension that Ichigo, Uryuu, and the High Council were keeping their peace. I directed a questioning look towards my brother, my heart faltering as he met my gaze then looked away, as if in pain.

My father began speaking again, and the ecstatic cheering subsided.

"There is one condition, however," my father gravely intoned. "They wish to solidify the alliance with a blood bond, and propose marriage between someone of our choosing" —here he paused, as if getting the words out was taking great effort—"and the heir to the throne, His Royal Highness, Toushirou Hitsugaya."

As the room was filled with shocked whispers, wondering why Seireitei would force such an important person to marry someone from Karakura, my father turned to look directly at me, and spoke the words that would change my life forever:

"Lady Karin, we have chosen you."

Endnote: And that's the end of chapter one! Sorry for all the background information contained in this chapter, I really wanted to get it out of the way. I hope it didn't bore you too much, and that you still enjoyed the story. And for those of you who are asking, "Where's Toushirou?" I promise that he'll make his appearance in the next installment! Please review and tell us what you think! :)