Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
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So, the wrong version of the last chapter was posted. It�s been updated so I encourage you to re-read it. Looking over this chapter, somehow it also hadn�t been the right one, fortunately, Black Fox and I have it sorted out and got the chapter in line before posting.

Gilded Cages

The guards let Soi Fon and Vindula into the Palace without any complications and a spooked serving girl led them to one of the many gardens. Soi Fon tried to keep her anger at the young woman�s state in check, knowing there was little she could do for her. Judging from the servant�s demeanour, Aizen probably spent time abusing the Palace staff when the mood struck him. She assumed he had sent word back to the Palace, for the staff clearly expected them. A full tea service, including refreshments, had been set out in anticipation of their arrival, but Vindula hardly noticed the food. Instead, the little girl let out a squeal of delight and fluttered over towards the nearest bed of flowers. The tulips were in various stages of bloom, from still closed to fully open. Whoever had planted them had an eye for mixing colors, with pinks, purples and whites vying for supremacy.

�Oh, Soi Fon-san, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?� Vindula gushed, her black curls bouncing as she went from bed to bed, admiring the unknown gardener�s handiwork.

Soi Fon couldn�t help but smile at her enthusiasm. That smile widened as she felt the child within her give an equally enthusiastic kick. It wouldn�t be too much longer now. Then it faded from her face as she thought of what was going to happen after she gave birth. Barragan had kicked her out and Ggio had already promised their child to Tesra and Tatsuki. That didn�t mean that she wouldn�t put it past the decrepit fossil to try to either kill her child to show Ggio the extent to which he owned his former fraccion, or to try to use his Claim upon Ggio to seize her daughter. At least she knew Tatsuki would let her see her child whenever possible, assuming she lived long after giving birth.

That was why she was here. Ggio�s Claim had faded to almost nothing and the stress of labour would likely destroy what remained of it. It was hard enough to keep her power in check in order to keep what was left of his Claim intact. She would be too weak afterwards for anyone else to cast a Claim upon her, and by Aizen�s own laws, she would face immediate execution. So here she was, about to debase herself before the tyrant who had taken everything from her for the sake of staying alive to see her child after it was born.

As hateful as licking his boots would be, there were no other realistic alternatives. Soi Fon could only hope �Kami� was in a generous mood today and would give her the time she needed. As hard as she found it to grovel, at least she wasn�t doing it for herself. She was doing it for her daughter and Ggio�s sakes.

Sitting down at the table, she helped herself to the food. Her time as one of Barragan�s �pets� had been one of deprivation and her tenure within the Onmitsukidō had taught her to take advantage of any opportunity to eat while under duress. The little one inside of her was constantly hungry and she wanted to present a confident front to Aizen when he arrived. The ability to eat and drink while standing in the lair of an enemy was a sign of strength, she told herself. The ex-Taichou kept one eye on Vindula-chan, but the little girl soon finished a very thorough examination of the garden, including the bamboo fountain in the corner and came away with a verdict of �no weeds,� which hadn�t been the case with the gardens at the Ukitake Estate. Szayel�s daughter needed to do little to this well-manicured landscape. Soon the little girl joined her at the table to help her finish off the rest of the edibles. A silent servant refilled the teapot and juice pitcher when both ran low.

�Oh, do you think Kami-sama will let me have some of the seeds from his gardens if I asked?� Vindula suddenly asked.

Her chalkboard came out and she wrote out her response, a �maybe� if she asked nicely, which was as much encouragement as she felt she could give. As far as she knew, Aizen had never shown any animosity towards any of the children, even when �the terrible trio� headed by Ajuga had inadvertently demolished entire neighbourhoods with their games. In fact, she had the impression that it pleased Aizen to see so many adults running in circles around the three, which was somewhat ironic giving his supposed hatred of �chaos within his empire.� Vindula�s request seemed like such a small thing that she couldn�t see why he would begrudge the child a few seeds or bulbs later on in the year, but she wasn�t Aizen either, something for which she was grateful. She might be without a voice, but her conscience and sense of decency was still intact. Soi Fon couldn�t really say the same about their ruler.

The pregnant woman noticed Aizen�s return long before Vindula. He also hadn�t come alone to the garden. Abisara, lugging a makeshift bundle under his arm, followed in Aizen�s wake, pale-faced and trying desperately to hide how terrified he was. For such a young child, he did a good job of smothering it beneath an impassive face and if she hadn�t spent the last week in his company, she might not have been able to read him as well as she did. She bowed appropriately, as did Vindula, whose curtsy would make even the stiffest of nobles nod their heads in approval of its elegance.

�Oh, Abisara-kun!� Vindula greeted her brother happily.

Abisara gave her a thin smile that barely qualified as one and moved to sit down next to his sibling, dumping the bundle on the stone patio. He said nothing and barely spared a glance at his twin, accepting the cup of tea she passed him. He didn�t drink from it. Instead, the pink-haired boy stared down into its depths, his pensive green eyes reflected in the hot, dark liquid. Instantly, Soi Fon went on alert, though she had far more experience covering up her emotions and maintained her composure. While the scent of flowers and tea filled her nose, she also got a hint of fresh soap, meaning he�d washed in the last half hour, though his hair was perfectly dry. Abarai�s schedule for the children involved a bath at bedtime, something Nanao insisted on continuing while they were staying with Starrk. Why had he washed at this point in the day?

Something had frightened him badly and it certainly wasn�t the soap. Abisara wasn�t the most expressive child she�d ever encountered but the way he held himself now was too �guarded,� or perhaps, too shaken. Taking a sip of her tea, she studied him from beneath her lowered lashes.

�Yes, definitely scared. I�ll bet I can guess who frightened him too,� she reflected. �But why scare a small boy like this, when Aizen has never done so before?�

�Are you enjoying the gardens, Vindula-chan?� Aizen asked as the small winged girl poured him a cup of tea and Soi Fon decided to leave off scrutinizing Abisara in favour of observing Kami.

�Oh yes, Kami-sama,� Vindula answered cheerfully and then stammered, �I was wondering� I mean, I was hoping��

She stopped and blushed, suddenly embarrassed.

�Go on,� Aizen prompted.

�If you don�t mind, may I please have some seeds from the flowers in this garden for my own collection?� she asked shyly, rushing her words at the end.

�Of course. I�ll inform my gardener that he is to let some of the perennials go to seed this summer, so you may collect them later in the fall. If there is a particular bulb you fancy, make a note of its location and what it looks like, and you may take one or two to transplant when the foliage dies back.�

A delighted Vindula positively beamed at him, pleasure lighting up the young girl�s face at the granted request.

�Oh, thank you Kami-sama! I�ll take good care of them!� she promised. He gave the girl an indulgent smile and then turned his attention towards Soi Fon, the matter settled.

�There was something you wished to discus with me Soi Fon?�

Soi Fon nodded, and hesitantly handed over the chalkboard. She�d had the foresight to write out her request, as well as a short explanation of her conundrum, before his arrival. Aizen rested his head on his left hand while he read it. Vindula hummed to herself and Abisara kept staring at his cup while his tea grew cold. She could sympathize with him, as she tried to stave off the dread she felt. Aizen�s decision, if he made one, would determine whether she would live or die once her daughter was born.

�You�re in quite the fix, aren�t you, Soi Fon,� Aizen commented, handing her chalkboard back to her once he�d finished reading, �especially now that I�ve defeated the Swarm. I no longer have need of so many warriors.�

She felt a bit of fear when he said this, but she squashed it quickly, refusing to give in to panic. It was not yet time to beg for her life, though she reminded herself that begging in the pursuit of a specific goal, namely, her daughter�s life, wasn�t shameful if it brought about the result one wanted and no other alternatives existed.

�Have you found someone willing to Claim you?� Aizen inquired offhandedly.

Soi Fon wanted to sigh with relief at the lack of a �no� from him and nodded. As far as she knew, Harribel had agreed to Claim her. Hana had delivered Harribel�s answer a day before the scouting party left for the north. The Third�s reputation was just as Karin had painted it. Harribel was shockingly decent for such a powerful Espada. She had never seen any signs of abuse on Toshiro, other than the woman�s fraccion swarming him when he was younger-looking than now and even that had stopped long ago. She seemed to prefer dealing with women on a day-to-day basis and if what Hana had said was true, Harribel loathed Barragan even more than Soi Fon did, which was saying something.

�Who?�

She cleared a space on the chalkboard and wrote out the answer. One of Aizen�s eyebrows rose a few inches, but he made no comment, nor shared his thoughts on the matter. Instead, he leaned back a bit and took another sip of his tea. She waited silently, resisting the urge to start begging and did the same, to keep her hands busy with the teacup instead of shaking.

�I understand your concern, and I am pleased you brought this to my attention instead of trying to hide it. While the Swarm has been defeated, there is no guarantee they might not return in the future. It�s also apparent I need to speak with Barragan again. He�s still quite upset at his deposition from �King� of Hueco Mundo. One would think he�d have accepted his new place in the order of things by now.�

�Upset� was putting it politely. Barragan didn�t just have a stick up his ass when it came to the touchy subject of his former throne. The bastard had an entire tree shoved up his nether regions, given the extents of his rants. He�d certainly lamented the loss of his crown often enough. He�d made Yumichika and Ggio suffer on the days his temper got the best of him. Aizen spoke up again, and she listened with the first traces of hope in some time.

�I will inject you with a tracking serum first thing tomorrow morning. Please report to the Science Division at eight am. After you have the child, I will give you time to recover up to half of your strength. You will then submit to Harribel�s Claim. Should you fail to do so, I will have you hunted down and I will personally execute you as an example to others. Fair enough?� he asked, the smile on his face growing a fraction wider.

As chilling as his threat was, his offer was better than what she�d expected, so she inclined her head, letting him know she agreed to his terms. What surprised her most was that Aizen wasn�t interested in making her plead for her life, nor was he interested in toying with her for the sake of entertaining himself. He usually enjoyed playing power games at others� expense. Instead, it was almost as if his mind was elsewhere.

�Perhaps, I am not the one he wishes to toy with,� she realized as her eyes went to the slightly trembling Abisara. She truly pitied the boy. Once she got them home, she could ask him about what Aizen had said or done to upset him so badly.

�Is there anything else you want Soi Fon?� Aizen asked.

She shook her head.

�Then you are dismissed,� he told her and waved her away.

She rose and bowed before holding her hand out to a pouting Vindula-chan, who clearly didn�t want to leave just yet.

�Leave the child,� Aizen ordered. �In fact, leave them both.�

She stiffened at the order. Vindula looked happy at getting to stay longer, but Abisara lost what little color he had left. Aizen saw her hesitate and fixed her with a look that was no longer as smooth as it had been moments ago.

�Inform Starrk that, giving the situation, I have decided it best to keep the twins here, in the safety of my Palace,� Aizen instructed her.

�Situation? What situation?� she wanted to ask. Only now did Vindula seem to notice that something was up. She looked up at Aizen fearfully.

�Did something happen to Papa?�

Aizen�s mouth curved up as he poured more tea for himself and wrapped his hand around the warm ceramic cup, fingers drumming on the glazed outer surface.

�I�ve asked your parents and your guardian to remain in the north with the Sixth and his pet. My forces destroyed the Swarm�s outpost there this morning, and routed the insects nesting there. However, as there were many new �specimens� to catalogue from among the dead insects, and because I cannot assume that the hive we destroyed is the only one operating in the Soul Society, I felt it necessary to station them there for the time being. As the First will resume their duties tomorrow, and because Starrk�s pets have Divisions to run, I�ve decided that, to ensure your safety, you and your brother will remain here, with my wife and with me. You will have quarters assigned to you in the Palace until further notice, or until your parents and Grimmjow determine the Swarm is no longer a threat to the Seireitei.�

�But they�re alright?� Vindula asked.

The hair on the back of Soi Fon�s neck bristled and she snuck a quick look at Abisara. The boy had all but gone grey in the face but remained sitting. His white knuckles, however, betrayed how terrified he really was.

�They were quite alive when last I saw them,� Aizen replied, his voice warm and reassuring and Soi Fon knew then and there that if what Aizen had just told Vindula was true, Abisara wouldn�t look as if he was about to throw up.

When Vindula giggled and reached for her fruit juice, Aizen turned back to Soi Fon. His eyes were all business now and he let them slide down her form to rest on her extremely pregnant belly.

�You should take this afternoon to look after your own health, Soi Fon, rather than worrying about these two. I will see to their welfare. Stress can have a negative effect on a mother-to-be. I will see you this evening for the Victory Party, so deliver my message to the First Espada. I expect him and his pets to attend as well.�

Soi Fon set her jaw as she read between the lines. It was not only a firm dismissal, but he�d pointedly reminded her that he could easily rescind his decision regarding her Claim. She also got the impression that he would not be pleased if she didn�t leave immediately.

�Aizen, you son of a bitch,� she thought, watching Abisara sink even further into his seat, before schooling her temper. �If I could, I�d wipe that smug expression from your accursed face with two stings from Suzumebachi!�

Unfortunately, it wouldn�t do her or the twins any good if she stayed, so she gave them each a reassuring pat on the shoulder and did her best to remain calm as she bowed and retreated. Once she was past the Palace gates, she took off as quickly as her bloated belly would allow. She had to find Starrk, to let him know that Aizen had all but forced her to leave the twins in his custody. It had been a very long time since she�d used the tracking skills she�d honed with her old Division, and she hoped they hadn�t rusted too badly. The large bulge in her midsection and her child�s need to kick at regular intervals didn�t help matters either.

Thankfully, Starrk wasn�t hard to locate and when she did, she knew that her instincts regarding Abisara had been right. She found the male half of the First just leaving the Science and Research Building, concern clouding his features and making him look older and even wearier than normal. Starrk, like Abisara, rarely let his emotions surface, so seeing them now, in the wake of what had just occurred, signified that something huge had gone down and that she�d been correct to peg Aizen�s story as less than truthful.

He looked up as she approached. In turn, she pulled out her chalkboard and hurriedly wrote on it as she walked up to him. He accepted it once she was done and read her message. The woman watched as an expression she�d rarely seen on him, true anger, crept across his face. She even thought, with a little bit of alarm, that she saw a hint of teeth.

�Come,� he ordered, marching past her without another word, keeping her clipboard with him. Soi Fon followed the best she could, though he was thoughtful enough to pace his long-legged stride to let her keep up. He led her back to the Estate, where Jushiro and Nanao anxiously awaited them. Starrk handed the Taichou Soi Fon�s chalkboard as he marched past his �pet,� making for his quarters, and then stopping at the hallway�s entrance.

�Did you find them?� Jushiro began, before Starrk cut him off.

�Yes. Get cleaned up and dressed in your Claiming Kimono. We have a �Celebration Party� to attend,� the Espada snapped, his voice terse. Then he reached up and rubbed his forehead, as if he was trying to control the simmering rage she�d seen as she�d followed him back. �You two as well,� he nodded at her and a worried Nanao. For a moment, she wondered why the two Taichou were home this early in the afternoon, and then remembered Vindula�s concern about getting Ukitake his medicinal tea. Aizen would have ordered them to return to the Estate when he�d delivered the basket.

The three looked at each other apprehensively and nodded, then scattered to prepare for an evening out. Nanao gestured for her to follow her to the other woman�s quarters, leaving Jushiro to read what she�d written on the slate. She would retrieve it from him later. In the meantime, Nanao gave her an abbreviated explanation for the absence of the Sixth�s pack, or at least, what she knew were the facts. The former head of the Onmitsukidō assumed there was more to it than that, but getting a better picture would have to wait until tomorrow.

After a quick search of Nanao�s closet, Soi Fon accepted one of the Taichou�s nicer kimonos to wear. She�d arrived on Starrk�s doorstep in a plain, white yukata, the only garment to her name thanks to Barragan�s pettiness. Thankfully, Ukitake�s sisters had left behind plenty of clothing when they�d fled, and Ukitake was happy to let both of the women make use of them.

She felt her heartbeat quicken at the thought of going to this party, though not because she wanted to attend anything that glorified Aizen or his supposed accomplishments. No, she wanted to attend because there was a very good chance she would get to see Ggio and Yumichika, and while Ggio could not talk to her, he could still speak to Yumichika. If she just happened to be standing within earshot while he did so, well, all the better.

Gin surveyed the party. Technically, his job was to oversee the workings of the servers, directing them to keep the food and drink flowing to not just the Espada, but to the Arrancar population as a whole. Aizen had spared no expense and the kitchen staff had immediately gone into high gear the moment �Kami� had walked through the doors and ordered that they prepare a feast for several hundred guests. He�d been busy installing Aizen�s newest plaything in her suite when the order came down, but from the uproar behind the kitchen doors, the chef and his cooks had been blindsided by the need for a celebratory feast. He knew they�d sent runners to the markets to buy out whatever they could find as far as foodstuffs. The mad scramble to assemble something that met Kami�s standards as far as quality and taste had a �do or die� aspect to it.

As much as he tried to avoid it, his eyes always wandered back to Rangiku, sitting in Nnoitra�s lap and keeping her head down. How he wanted to go over and talk to her, but he had duties and, considering Aizen�s mood, shirking them would not be wise. Doing so would do her no favours either, considering Nnoitra�s possessiveness and temper. Instead, he kept his distance and kept the servants running back and forth to refill every platter as it emptied. Aizen had mandated that every Arrancar household attend, along with their pets, so despite the kitchen�s best efforts, the food was going fast. It didn�t help that Yammy had declared an entire table �his� and had forced his unhappy pet to hand feed him while the Tenth groped and pawed at him. Judging by the unfortunately familiar way the noble sat, Yammy had given his pet a solid riding when he�d returned.

As fast as Yammy packed the food down his gullet, there were plenty of women in the crowd in the process of �out-eating� the brute. Carrying their Masters� spawn had made them ravenous, Rangiku, Tatsuki and Soi Fon all appeared to have healthy appetites, and the male �owners� of almost every pregnant Shinigami readily heaped food on their plates as needed, encouraging them to eat as much as they liked. The notably fewer pregnant Arrancar females needed no such prompting from their male pets, most of whom still had a kind of �dazed� look on their faces, even a week after getting the news. Those ladies had immediately tucked into the fare Kami provided with gusto and no apologies. Toshiro appeared to be the lone exception to the rule, his expression stoic as he refilled his Mistress�s plate and her teacup.

Unohana, he knew, would keep her eyes on the situation, but so far, most of the male Arrancar were thrilled with the prospect of upcoming cubs. It was as if someone had hit a switch on their behaviour once they learned their pets were carrying their cubs. His mistress had confided in him that in many of the women�s cases, this was the best that anyone had ever treated them be they Shinigami or Arrancar. Their Masters doted on them and took a great deal of interest in their health and well-being. That included increased levels of affection in most cases.

�A� lest they �ave good paren�ing skills,� he conceded. �Na tha� we actually built tha� inta� �em. Who knew?�

The pregnancy boom was unprecedented and Unohana had ordered the small maternity ward at the 4th Division expanded. Maybe now that the war party had annihilated the Swarm's base, they wouldn�t need as many beds for those injured during the repeated attacks. The birth rate in the Seireitei and among the Gotei 13 prior to the invasion had been notoriously low, perhaps one a year at most. To the best of Gin�s knowledge, Harribel had been the first pregnant female among the Arrancar, and they�d been meddling in Las Noches for over one hundred years. He would have thought that a pregnancy would have happened far sooner, given the proclivities of more than a few of the female Arrancar that Aizen had created over the last century.

According to Szayel and Unohana�s research, when the current epidemic of conceptions began, it almost seemed as if the fertility rate for a Shinigami/Arrancar pairing was much higher than with pairings consisting of two Shinigami or two Arrancar, especially when each partner�s reiatsu levels began to align with the other. Unfortunately, Unohana wasn�t as interested in the �why� of it as Szayel. Instead, the healer busied herself making sure that all of the women, Shinigami and Arrancar, made it through their pregnancies in one piece and delivered healthy children. Fortunately, the base creatures of the Arrancar parents affected each couple�s due dates, which meant the 4th Division didn�t need to worry about forty or so woman showing up all at once and going into labour.

Speaking of cubs�Gin sighed and watched the only two children in attendance.

He was surprised to see Abisara and Vindula here, given the day�s earlier proclamation. Starrk had arrived early, with Jushiro, Nanao and a very concerned Soi Fon trailing in his wake. The First and Aizen had apparently shared a short conversation with the twins as its subject, and while Starrk appeared less than happy with the outcome of the �talk,� he hadn�t tried to do anything about the fact that Aizen had all but snatched part of his extended pack out from under him. Right now, Starrk had wandered over the Harribel�s little enclave and engaged the pregnant Espada with small talk. Harribel�s plate was nearly as loaded as Yammy�s was, despite being so early in her pregnancy and Toshiro made certain that it never ran empty. Gin decided that the cub growing within the Aspect of Death by Sacrifice, disrupting the very dimensions of her formidable mask, would be one fascinating creature. Unohana was so perplexed over the entire situation she had actually asked for Gin�s opinion on it, hoping that he had some information she might find useful. He might be a slave, but he had spent more than his share of time among Hollows of all sorts over the years. Regrettably, he was as stumped as she was.

�An� Szayel ain�t here no more ta help it along.�

The thought depressed him. He�d always liked Harribel, once Aizen had elevated her and her girls from a Vasto Lorde and her sworn Adjuchas to the Arrancar they were now. Then again, he�d liked her predecessor as well. The two were quite similar, save for poor Nel�s lack of enthusiasm for conflict and her bad luck at attracting Nnoitra Gilga�s attention. He hoped for her sake that Harribel�s pregnancy would be free of complications.

Gin picked up yet another empty tray and handed it to a waiting servant girl, clearing the table for a platter of tempura fish and seaweed-wrapped mochi stuffed with pickled plums. Apparently, these seemed to be a hit with the pregnant women of both races and he had to quickly step to the side as those with dinner plate duty made a rush for the food. The last think he needed was a good trampling.

�Easy now, fellas� th� cooks c�n make more. Les� na fight over�a buncha sour plums here!�

What he really wanted to do was to sidle up to Starrk and let him know Aizen had secreted Karin away in the Palace. That was easier said than done, but not impossible. He just had to go about it in a way that the ever-observant Kami wouldn�t notice. The crafty bastard probably knew his servant would be tempted to risk squealing about her whereabouts, even with such a horrendous threat hanging over his head. Gin suspected Aizen of giving him the thankless task of riding herd on a pack of overworked servants in the midst of a huge party in order to keep him too busy to think about chatting with anyone else. As such, there was no outright way to talk easily to the First, who was listening to Orihime gush about something or other, while Ulquiorra stood impassively behind her.

�Gin.�

He turned on one heel and bowed low as Aizen came up beside him.

�It is getting late. See Vindula-chan and Abisara-kun to bed. The room at the end of the hall will do. Then make sure my new acquisition gets something to eat. I will not have her starve herself in an ill-conceived attempt to deny me my desires.�

Gin wasn�t sure if Karin was capable of doing something like that, but questioning the command was a good way to earn a whipping or worse, so he bowed instead.

�Hai, Kami-sama.�

When he straightened back up, Aizen had moved away to speak with a very-pleased-with-himself Nnoitra, and when he saw where the children had ended up, an idea bubbled to life in his head as to getting a message to the appropriate folk about Karin.

He picked his way over to one of the tables and filled up one of the remaining clean plates with enough party food for two people. The underlying meaning of the order told him that Aizen would punish him if Karin chose not to feed herself. He prayed she wouldn�t give him any troubles and would eat without a fuss. Once he�d finished and had Karin�s �meal� balanced in one hand, he walked towards the First�s household. Abisara was trying to blend into a shadow along the courtyard wall and Vindula dozed next to Jushiro, her head resting in his lap. The white-haired Taichou regarded him stonily as he approached.

Perhaps he couldn�t speak to Starrk directly, but Jushiro might be quick enough to catch a quickly dropped hint. He wouldn�t have a better opportunity than this and knew he had to make it count.

�I need ta get tha young�ens ta bed,� he explained, gesturing towards Vindula.

�Of course,� Jushiro sighed, looking down sadly at the child, then asked �Will she be safe here Gin?�

�Her, yes,� Gin assured him and his voice dropped in volume, barely discernible over the general merriment and the crackling of the large bonfire. �Others, not so much.�

Jushiro regarded him carefully, before his brown eyes moved to the plate of food in Gin�s hand. Everyone knew Aizen starved him, so the food was clearly not his. Unohana was already here, sitting in her usual place next to Kami and eating. Nanao had handed each child a plate of food the moment Aizen had allowed them into the hall and both would soon be asleep. For a moment, it seemed as if Jushiro wanted to say something, but then stopped and looked away. The man was smart enough to know not to nod, or even acknowledge the words Gin had tacked on to his answer and for that, the former Taichou was grateful.

Now all he could hope for was that Jushiro would draw the right conclusions and tell Starrk. It was a long shot, but he�d done what he could. The rest was up to Starrk�s pack.

He watched as the older Shinigami roused Vindula, who looked up at him blearily and yawned.

�C�mon, �dula-chan. Bed time,� Gin announced, and held out his free hand. The smile he gave her was weak, but at least it was genuine.

� �kay,� she responded, climbing unsteadily to her feet and rubbing her eyes. �G�night, �take-san,� she murmured.

�Good night Vindula-chan,� Jushiro replied and then started as Vindula reached up and gave him a hug.

�Th�nks for looking after us, �take-san. It was fun!�

Gin thought he saw Ukitake�s throat work a bit, as he patted the child between her wings, before he allowed Aizen�s slave to lead her away. Vindula grabbed his free hand and followed him readily enough, showing no sign that she expected to stay with Starrk�s pack tonight. Therefore, she�d known about Aizen�s plans to keep her and her brother here.

At least that gave Gin some idea as to what had gone on between Aizen and Starrk. Some of it probably had to do with Hana as well. No wonder Starrk looked out of sorts this evening, despite his willingness to talk civilly with others. With Nanao�s daughter missing and the twins neatly stripped from his custody, Starrk had to be ready to bite bullets. Lilinette�s absence wasn�t likely a mistake either. He could only imagine what the smaller half of the First had to say about the whole mess. Leaving her at home to mind the fort might have been a good idea.

�Probl�y been swearin� like a sailor,� he decided.

His veiled warning could also apply to Vindula�s brother. He�d been present when Aizen had threatened Szayel with his son�s welfare, hinting that Abisara would share his father�s spot in the dungeon if Szayel didn�t watch his step, so he knew that only the thinnest of lines kept Abisara out of that cursed place. Neither the boy nor Karin was safe here and if a threat against either lit a fire under Starrk�s tail, that was fine by Gin.

Unlike his sister, Abisara was more than happy to leave the party and followed him without a complaint back to the Palace. When he was certain Aizen�s eyes were no longer on him, he stopped one of the serving girls on her way back to the kitchen with an empty tray and handed her the plate of party food. Instructing her to �find a home for it,� he told her to bring a pot of tea and some better, more substantial food fit for a real meal to Aizen�s private wing of the Palace. When she blanched, he quickly assured her that all she was required to do was to bring the food, then resume her serving duties. She scuttled away with the hors d'oeuvres, sending a grateful look over her shoulder.

Gin steered the children through the Palace�s corridors and up a few staircases to the room that Kami had picked out for them. Abisara seemed very relieved that he and his sister were to remain together. Vindula was nearly asleep on her feet and her wrung out, ashen-faced brother was little better. Someone had put a bundle of what turned out to be the children�s clothes, toothbrushes and combs in the middle of the bed, all wrapped up in a bed sheet. He looked down at Abisara and the boy muttered that Aizen had made him bring some things from home when Kami had gone to fetch him.

He gave their faces and hands a quick scrubbing, dressed them in their nightclothes and tucked both of them in, wishing them goodnight. Then he extinguished all but one of the lanterns in their room, lest either need a light to make it to the bathroom.

Gin then made his way to the other occupied room just down the hall. The servant girl finally showed up with the requested meal and he sent her on her way with a muttered �thanks� before he knocked on the door. He truly hoped Karin wouldn�t prove too difficult to deal with, though he wouldn�t blame her for wanting to keep their overlord from getting what he wanted too quickly. If she chose to act up, Gin would be the one Aizen punished. He�d done what he could to get word to Starrk about what had happened to her and maybe she�d take pity on him and not prove too reckless in how she chose to defy the tyrant.

As it was, Gin wasn�t looking forward the next several hours. Aizen was already pissed about losing his favourite toy today and he could only hope that the prospect of a younger broodmare with direct ties to the Throne proved enough to stay Kami�s hand later on this evening.

Karin sat on a chair on the balcony attached to her new cell, watching the sunset and doing her best to meditate. It was hard to concentrate with the negative feedback coming from Grimmjow and Szayel. The extreme distance between them muted both Claims and considering how upset both Espada were, she was grateful for the mitigation. Grimmjow�s initial rage had backed off to a dull, simmering anger, while Szayel remained stricken over leaving his children behind. Thankfully, his earlier hysteria had abated somewhat, but both sets of extra �input� made her head hurt and did nothing for her ability to focus.

What Karin wasn�t pleased to see was the presence of two small, unfortunately familiar signatures down the hall. Both were asleep and unharmed, for which she was grateful, but the fact they were here at all told her that Aizen had just gained two more pawns he could use against her. She wondered how long they�d been there. The bastard certainly hadn�t wasted any time securing the two. It was, she knew, one of his favourite ways of manipulating people without actually having to dirty his hands. She hoped she wouldn�t have to resort to obeying him in order to ensure the twins� continued safety, but she didn�t think he�d play that card right away. Instead, he�d hold it in reserve, until he grew tired of the manoeuvring and threw down the one card that would trump the few she had.

She just had to keep him interested long enough to give Szayel, Yoruichi and her mate a chance to come up with a rescue plan. Starrk had to be livid about the children�s confiscation and Lilinette� Kami, Karin realized, Lilinette had to be chewing bricks about not only Hana and Ajuga, but also the loss of Grimmjow and Szayel�s packs. She could only hope that the First�s female half was smart enough not to try to do anything about it on her own.

The irony of Aizen�s actions made her snort angrily. If Starrk�s loyalty hadn�t already been fraying at the edges, the gutting of his household would have provided all of the motivation the First would have needed to join Grimmjow, Szayel and Harribel in their revolt had they managed to get him to sign on before this clusterfuck occurred. Whether Starrk would do anything remained questionable and Karin knew better than to try to make any concrete plans when it came to the Aspect of Loneliness.

Sighing, she pulled her mind away from the Claims and looked over to where the light of a large bonfire was slowly becoming more visible as the night darkened. She could hear the sounds of the party from here and smell the wood smoke. The reiatsu of every Arrancar in Aizen�s army as well as their respective pets glimmered against the heat and light the fire created, and Karin couldn�t begrudge the majority of them the desire to celebrate the Swarm�s defeat. The war had been long, tiring and costly in both resources and lives. It wasn�t their fault that the very reason that the Swarm had attacked in the first place was the one to throw the festivities.

At least she wouldn�t have to worry about the Swarm any longer, though she wished all kinds of foul retribution on Zee for his duplicity and for what it had wrought. With Ajuga on the throne, the Swarm had no further reason to attack the Seireitei, until Aizen managed to kill her daughter. By then, he would have a proper Heir ready to ennoble his bloodline, and Aizen would truly become the Spirit King he sought to be, granting him all the abilities he�d previously lacked to keep the Realms stable. Once that happened, Zee and his ilk would no longer care about the fate of those directly under Aizen�s thumb.

The human woman chased the thought away before she succumbed to depression. Such an outcome would not happen, Karin told herself. With Szayel�s intelligence, the Escapees� combined strength and the allies that remained behind, Aizen�s days were numbered. She would just have to get through those days one at a time and stay strong.

A polite knock sounded behind her and she looked over her shoulder, identifying Gin before he walked through the unlocked door. He left her no time to answer. Carrying a tray of food and tea, the slave walked quietly across the room and placed it on her chamber�s only table.

Karin hadn�t been thrilled to have him bathe her and touch her in spots that only her mate had heretofore seen. However, the scars that littered his body put Szayel�s skin to shame and the infringement on her modesty was a small price to pay to keep Aizen from hurting the man. Gin would make a better ally than an enemy and saw no reason to do anything that would turn him towards the latter status. Maybe, if she could get him to listen to her, she could convince him to relay a message from her to Starrk and Jushiro.

�Karin-sama, can I int�rest you in som�ing to eat?� he asked.

She looked dispassionately at the fare on the table. He�d brought her a bowl of what looked like udon soup and a plate of rice, fish and vegetables. She really didn�t feel like eating and was about to refuse and say she wasn�t hungry before noting the haunted look in his eyes.

�If I don�t eat, will you be punished?� she asked him.

Gin�s silence was enough of an answer. Instead, he poured her a cup of tea and then set the pot back on the ceramic trivet with a decided �clink�. She stared at the set up for a moment longer before walking to the table, taking a seat and picking up the chopsticks. The food had little flavour and it was hard to force down but she ate it anyway. The relief on the slave�s face as she methodically ate told her that things would not have gone well for him if he�d returned with a full tray.

While she choked her dinner down, he set about lighting the lamps in her room turned down the bed so that she could crawl into it after she finished. Karin chose not to look at the bed; it reminded her of what she had sacrificed to keep her family safe. She knew she had a few days grace to dance around Aizen�s game, just as she also knew he would eventually grow bored and find a way around her ability to cast a Claim.

That thought made her lose what little appetite she had, and she put down her utensils, unable to take another bite. Gin moved to stand next to her, looking at the half-eaten plate and shaking his head, as if her efforts weren�t enough.

�Do you want the rest of this?� Karin didn�t� bother to look his way to see if he did or not. �You look like you could use it. Aizen can no longer use the power the Throne gave him to spy on others. He lost it to Ajuga-chan.�

Gin�s hands stilled as he reached to fluff the pillows on the bed and for once, she could see his blue eyes as they opened wide in surprise at her news. He remained that way for a few seconds, and then chuckled tiredly.

�So a kid managed ta best �im. T�night won�t be pretty.�

Despite this, the thin man sat down across from her and pulled what was left of her meal away. �Not tha� it could get any worse should he fin� out.�

�No, it couldn�t,� Karin agreed, watching him sadly as he avidly devoured her scraps. Aizen did not take good care of his �toys.� If the worst should happen, should Grimmjow fail to rescue her and Aizen managed to ascend the Throne legitimately, she vowed to find a way to kill herself. He�d already promised to keep her around as one of his playthings, so she took Gin�s current condition as a preview of the sort of treatment she could expect.

�So, wha� did �appen up there?�

Gin�s curiosity was certainly robust, even if Aizen had starved his slave�s body. Sighing, Karin relayed the story. By the time she was done, Gin informed her that he needed to leave, though she thought he seemed somewhat unsettled with what she�d told him. He took the teapot and tray with him and Karin walked back out onto the balcony.

The light from the bonfire and the number of reiatsu signatures she �saw� signified that the party was still in full swing. She forlornly reached out and tried to touch them, but none of them acknowledged her presence. From the lack of reaction, Karin surmised that Aizen must still have her cloaked with his Zanpakuto.

With nothing better to do, Karin remained on the balcony, curled up in her chair and staring out at nothing at all as the night wore on. Staring at nothing was preferable to staring at the room on the other end of the hall. Aizen, Gin and Unohana were currently there and she had no doubt that the room belonged to the healer, and figured that Aizen was �busy� with his wife. Because she willfully ignored what was going on, Karin almost jumped when Gin entered her room once more. A glance behind her showed Unohana and Aizen still engaged and she quickly looked in a different direction.

�What do you want Gin?� she asked wearily.

�Aizen expects me to prepare his consorts,� Gin replied softly, placing his hands on the back of the chair. Karin had to think for a moment before she realized what he meant, before her face twisted in disgust. She folded her arms across her chest, sickened by the idea.

�Forget it. Besides, I won�t lie on my back and spread my legs for him.�

Karin stood up and pivoted to face Gin, her expression going cold. �I suppose you were ordered to use force if need be?�

�I would sooner not,� he sighed sadly, looking out over the dark garden. �Aizen �lways gets wha� he wants �n th� end. One way�r �nother, dependin� on how much pain ya wanna go through �fore ya give it ta �im.�

They remained silent, both of them looking out at the devastatingly beautiful gardens under the nearly full moon. The flowers, all pale shades during the daylight hours, turned white and silvery-gray in the moonlight. She had a hard time reconciling how a fiend like Aizen could have such an eye for beauty.

�You might as well go, Gin,� Karin finally told him. �If Aizen asks, just tell him I Claimed you and ordered you to get lost. He can�t see them anyway and you are powerful enough to break whatever I cast, though I�m not certain how long it would take you to do so. I�m maintaining Szayel�s Claim with everything I have. Just let him believe it broke in the morning.�

�An intriguin� thought. If tha� is what ya wish,� Gin bowed to her before leaving.

Karin stood looking out at the garden for a moment longer. A glance back at the party showed almost everyone had gone home, although a few still remained. It was getting late and it had been a very long day. With a sigh, she turned her back to the garden and walked back inside, closing the balcony doors as she did so. She slipped into Jinzen and sent her reiatsu about her, creating a web of power around her bedroom. Satisfied, she finally looked at the bed.

Only a fool would be frightened of an inanimate object, Karin told herself. Scowling, she crawled between the sheets and pulled the covers over her. She fell asleep easier than she would have thought, drained from the day�s cumulative stresses and the seven days� hard travel prior.

It was late at night, probably early morning actually, when she was jerked awake, her web of reiatsu had been disturbed. Her glasses were askew, but they covered her eyes enough so that Aizen�s overwhelming reiatsu failed to blind her. When she found Szayel again, she was going to see if he could make some sort of contact lenses instead.

�It won�t be that easy, Kami-sama,� Karin spoke up, letting him know she was awake, even though he probably already knew. He couldn�t have missed triggering her warning system.

He answered her with a laugh and then Aizen walked into her field of vision.

�A clever defence,� he praised, waving his hand to indicate the web of reiatsu that covered the room. She doubted he saw it in the same way that she did, but he could clearly feel it and knew it was there. �I am going to enjoy playing with you. Unlike my wife, I find the shape of your body pleasing.�

�I will kill myself first before living the rest of my life as one of your sex toys,� she said coldly.

Aizen laughed again and sat on the edge of the bed. Despite herself, she sat up and moved back a bit, preparing to defend herself from him.

�Those are very bold words,� he informed her and then examined his fingernails. �I have heard them hundreds of times, from hundreds of others and they�re always a lie. The will to live is stronger than I think you realize.� The tyrant stood and pursed his lips. �Again, I find myself lamenting the fact that I paid more attention to Ichigo. Well,� he amended, �perhaps I was blinded by raw power, as it�s such an attractive trait, rather than taking the time to observe you and your sister more closely. Regrettably, time is a luxury I no longer have, thanks to your daughter.�

Aizen�s smile turned malicious and she felt a shiver of fear run up her spine at the sight of it. �In two days you will present your body to me of your own free will. You will lay there while I fuck you over and over again until your body swells with my seed and you give me the Heir to which I am entitled.�

Karin bared her teeth at him and his presumptions. She pulled the blankets higher, leaving her hands where he could see them, to let him know that she was more than capable of Claiming him if he chose to try anything. His brown eyes, appearing almost black in the moonlight, drifted down to them before he made a �tsk� sound in the darkness.

�That reminds me. You�ll need a manicure in the morning. I expect perfection of my consorts. Sweet dreams, Karin-chan,� Aizen bade as he turned on his heel and left.

Karin was unable to go back to sleep and latched onto the Claim she shared with her mate. It was late, she wasn�t getting much from him and she hoped he was asleep. Still, just knowing he was alive and unharmed helped to calm her racing heart.

�He will come,� she whispered, clenching her knees to her chest as the hours wore on and the sky beyond her balcony and the garden lightened with the approach of dawn. �He has to come.�

Thank you all so much for your condolences. I see the Dr. today to get the results of the tests they ran, see if they can determine if there was a cause, ie. Virus, infection etc. If there had been a genetic defect I doubt that would come up.

Next Chapter: The next morning in the palace.

This Weeks Question: Spring is on the way. What is one of your spring pet peeves? Mine is people that feel the need to burn their stupid grass. The air is finally warm enough to throw open the windows and get some fresh air, only you end up locking the house up tight because all you can smell is the god awful stench of burning grass.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2