The King's Death

Chapter 7:Main Meeting Room

Okay so maybe I don't exactly like all this attention anymore. After that occurrence earlier this week, Haruto has barely spoken a word to me and a meeting of the Taicho has been called with the strong possibility that the only reason it was called was to annoy the hell out of me. At least I get an amazingly comfortable seat to sit in…they are horrible with sake and have short tempers but they known how to make chairs!

"Tōshirō, do you know why we're here?" Suì-Fēng says impatiently while picking at her nails. Tōshirō shrugs while trying to get the piece of his hair out of his face. Zaraki is standing near me speaking quietly; yes for once he is quiet, to Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake. Byakuya is standing beside me impatiently. His fingers, shockingly, are twitching as his eyes are closed. His lips curl up almost like Rukia's do when she gets frustrated.

"Kurosaki please tell me you are half as bored and annoyed as I am." He mutters darkly. I chuckle and shake my head at him before nodding my agreement.

"Yeah, do you have any idea why I was called here?" He shoots me a look meaning it's about either my duties or my wedding I've been hearing that a lot lately. I sigh and slump in my chair most likely looking like a pouting two year old that had his toys taken away for being bad. Apparently it is inappropriate for a king to stand among his subjects, bull shit.

"So I'm guessing it's either about the wedding, crowning, or my duties among you all." He looks at me and holds up two fingers signaling that he votes the second one. Over the past week we've gotten along more…mostly because of our annoyance with Renji and our bond to Rukia. Plus I've spent the better part of this week with him hammering out details of the wedding. I'm pretty sure I've spent so much time with him that one would think I'm marrying him and not his sister. We're handing out invites in a few days and my mind seems to be keeping track of how much longer I must wait to be able to be with Rukia in any way I possibly want without worry about someone finding us.

"How long do you think it will take to go over plans tonight, I was thinking of taking Rukia out tonight?" He turns his head to me as his eyes open again to look at me. He frowns and twists his lip in thought showing a blatant display of emotion that I'm not used to seeing yet.

"It should only take a few moments we're only picking out invitations before we send the order out to get them created. You and Rukia just need to pick your favorite card and saying. Then you're free to do as you please." I look around the room of taicho for a few moments watching as some eyes dart to us in wonder before returning to their conversation. Our unique and budding friendship has brought about a bit too much gossip in the Seireitei for my taste.

"Hey Byakuya, my family is coming over this Saturday for the day to just visit, you and Rukia are more than welcome to come…it would be nice if our families met before the wedding. Plus my dad wants to meet the man that is the famous Nii-sama." I chuckle with him on that one and then the doors open. He bows softly to me when he realizes that we are no longer allowed to be informal and returns to his spot. I sit up straighter and Yamamoto-sotaicho walks in.

"Good afternoon taicho, fukutaicho, and Kurosaki-dono." We reply almost in unison with varying greetings to the elder man before he takes his spot before us. "As you all know the wedding of Kurosaki-dono and Kuchiki Rukia is soon upon us. Have we created invitations?" Byakuya bows softly and begins to speak in a voice devoid of any emotion. The famous Kuchiki mask is settled into place and weighs down the playful nature of the man I had grown to call a friend in this short amount of time.

"We are deciding tonight, and sending for them after that. The colors and dress have also been picked out." The Sotaicho nods and rubs his beard for a moment. I had never seen him carry out such an action and found it humorous that he acted like any normal older man in the world of the living would.