Disclaimer: anything you recognize is not mine. (It feels good to be writing again)

Spring . . .

—per acre of land, a tenant must pay—

Jushiro blinked heavily before pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. Sighing deeply, he forced himself back to the tome.

—a fee, of which must be delivered via courier immediately —

A noise sounded from deep in the house. Jushiro ignored it.

—livestock of equal value are of suitable—

Jushiro, being the eldest of eight, was more adept than most at ignoring distraction. Even so, it was a true testament to his skill when he proved able to ignore the entry of nearly half a dozen people into the library.

It is the lord's duty to the land to—

"—having a difficult time understanding the necessity of this, Nishimura-san." A hard, feminine voice. Kimi, his mind absently supplied.

Even so, its weight in grain shall be carefully measured—

"Forgive me, Lady. It is merely a formality. Rest assured, I've been made aware of your many capabilities." Even distracted, Jushiro noted the voice's tremulous, syrupy tone.

"My brother will not be pleased at our interruption. He's in training to be both Lord and Shinigami."

"I'll be quick, my lady."

The crowd entered Jushiro's peripherals, and Jushiro resigned himself to distraction

"Ani-sama?"

Jushiro's eyes reluctantly met his sister's. She looked nice, he thought, what with her auburn kimono and elegant updo and discreet face paint. Far too nice for a day spent at home. His gaze flitted to the audience of strangers who watched their exchange.

His genial smile was already in place. "Kimi," he greeted, his brow furrowing in charming confusion.

Standing to her left, a thin man cut her off as she began to speak. The look she shot him, had he noticed, would have sent him cowering.

"Ukitake-sama," he bowed with twitch. "I am Kai Nishimura, and I'm here on behalf of Lord Kyoraku to discuss the details of his betrothal and subsequent marriage to the Lady Ukitake, your sister."

Jushiro blinked in surprise at the formal declaration, and shot his sister a look. She was fuming, if her flared nose and stiffened shoulders said anything. Jushiro returned his gaze to Kai, taking note of the beads of sweat on his upper lip. He spread his hands in humble apology. "I'm afraid I'm not the one to speak on my sister's behalf. I'll summon a servant to take you to my father's study."

Kai found himself cut off in turn. "Otou-sama had to leave suddenly," Kimi took a confident step forward. "He told Nishimura-san to relay Lord Kyoraku's requests to me, and I'd report them back once he'd returned. We didn't want to cause unnecessary delay." Jushiro hid his amused smile behind thoughtfully folded hands. Kimi was working herself up to a fine temper. "Unfortunately, Nishimura-san has been determined to seek you out, Ani-sama. As I seem to have given him reason to doubt my ability to listen."

Jushiro noted the shocked expression on Kai's face. "I see." Perhaps it was exhaustion or the influence of Kimi's fiery irritation, but whatever it was caused an impish spirit to rise in Jushiro. "I see," he repeated. "Well, rest assured, Nishimura-san, my sister's faculties are fully functioning. You need not worry about her forgetting anything." Jushiro dropped his gaze back to his book, pretending to read. "I dare say she'll report everything back verbatim to my father upon his return." Jushiro glanced up and saw Kai's whitened face and confused expression and felt smug. His signature smile returned before returning to his tome, his dismissal obvious.

"If you'd follow me, Nishimura-san," her voice hard as granite, "I'd love nothing more than to hear my fiance's demands."

As they exited, Jushiro send a silent prayer on his future brother-in-law's behalf. Hopefully the servant didn't reflect the master. Kimi didn't do so well with such obvious dismissal.

~.~

Several Weeks Later . . .

Strange how mere months away from the Manor could make Shunsui forget present company. It had been all too easy when he'd been covered in grime and filth to fantasize of his bath back home. When he found himself eating the same slop day in and day out, he dwelt on the brilliant cuisine he'd previously feasted on. And when the responsibilities of tests, performance reviews, and trainings wore on even him, he oh-so-easily dreamed of his home, where he was only obligated to avoid his family.

What an idyllic picture he'd painted. One far, far from reality.

The dinner table was quiet. Silent even, with the only noise being the delicate clinking of chopsticks. As Shunsui quietly chewed he peeked out the corner of his eye. His family had all been studiously ignoring each other's presence for the past quarter hour. Celebratory dinner, indeed. Shunsui had been to more enjoyable funerals.

It was his mother that finally broke the silence. "Ukitake-san will be arriving for her visit in a mere week." All eyes snapped to her. "She will be arriving with her father and brother. Be sure to greet them with decency." Her eyes met Shunsui's coldly before quickly snapping to her husband. "Be mindful of your presentation before you make yourself scarce. This family needs no further embarrassment."

Shunsui's sharp ears caught the mutterings of his old man, and in a moment of uncharacteristic self-control, Shunsui held his tongue. It seemed young Shunsui was learning to pick his battles.

~.~

Reina runs the Kyoraku House.

What with Kimi's impending marriage, the Kyoraku Estate had taken on a whole new intimidating air. The sun was at its peak when Kimi had arrived with her father and brother at the looming gates, passed by the dozens of servants lined in bowed greeting, and stepped off the palanquin to bow at the Master of the Eastern Gate and his family. Kenzo had greeted her father solemnly, nodded regally to Jushiro, and—though he was not obligated—bowed courteously to her. Reina remained silent and his towering father, Haruto Kyoraku, gave her a perfunctory nod.

Reina runs the Kyoraku House.

They had only just begun a tour of the grounds when a servant had rushed over and whispered something in the Head's ear. Straightening, Kenzo had regretfully excused himself, ordering the servant to escort his in-laws to his office as there was much for them to discuss. He had then turned to her, politely smiling past his disfiguring scar, and assured her his mother would give a more than satisfactory tour in his place.

And that is now where Kimi found herself, silently being led through the various wings and chambers of the estate. Reina, with her icy countenance and severe expressions, silenced any questions she might have voiced. It took all her focus to maintain a good impression.

Reina runs the Kyoraku House.

They stepped into a bare, vibrantly colored room. There was a serenity to the chamber, though the older woman seemed unaffected it. "This wing is for the children you will bear my son. I expect it to soon be filled." A thin, expectant brow rose while she eyed Kimi.

It was odd, this surreal feeling. "Gods willing." Her mumbled words did little to mask her discomfort. It was a millenia too soon to discuss her fertility with her mother-in-law.

The tour continued with only the barest conversation until they approached a chamber toward the rear of their sprawling manor. It was simply decorated and housed a single desk seated in front of several large bookcases. There was a door leading out onto the grounds that had been propped open to allow in the brisk barely-spring breeze. Another pleasant space made uninviting by the Lady's frigid presence.

"I'm assuming due to your birth you have been trained to run a home."

Kimi fought the instinctual urge to scoff. "Of course." As the eldest daughter of nobility, it had been what she was trained for.

Reina nodded curtly. "Your services will not be required in that capacity. Kai Nishimura runs our estate. Should he require your assistance your presence will be requested. Otherwise, keep out of his way." Her tone was droll, as if the topic was of little interest to her.

Kiki's jaw clenched until it popped. Her mother's warning echoed in her mind:

Kenzo might be the Head and you might be his Lady, but never forget. Reina runs the Kyoraku House.

Her smile pained her. "Yes, Kyoraku-sama."

~.~

"A masterpiece, my lord. I can't help but admit my envy."

Kenzo had just lowered himself to his cushion when he glanced up. The Ukitake men were studying a work of art hung up on the wall. Glancing at it again, and being reminded of the small fortune his father had spent to have it commissioned, Kenzo grudgingly agreed and gruffly said, "You're kind. Please take a seat. There is obviously much to discuss."

Yuudai and Jushiro both smiled and glanced at the other confusedly. "Much, you say? And here I thought our arrangement was near completed." His soon-to-be father-in-law couldn't help but grin with every word. Even in his confusion. "What else might your servants do for you, my lord?"

Should he have been anyone else, Kenzo would have searched for sycophancy in the tone—as he had done when he first met Yuudai—but now, months later, Kenzo was beginning to believe Yuudai was as sincere as he appeared. "I'd like to move up the ceremony." There was a pause while Kenzo watched his in-laws glance at each other again, apparently taken aback. Such obvious mannerisms made it clear the Ukitake's were unfamiliar with the subtleties of higher politics. All the better for him.

"Might we inquire why?" asked Jushiro.

Kenzo locked eyes with him. "It is my desire. Need there be more reason?" They stared at each other for a moment.

Jushiro's smile was tinged with embarrassment. "Of course not, my lord. Forgive the over-protectiveness of an elder brother."

Kenzo felt Yuudai's eyes on him, but when he turned, the older man had a pleasant look on his face. "Of course that can be done easily enough. We'd planned not for another few years, but what did you have in mind?"

"This upcoming summer." The silence stretched, and Kenzo braced himself.

"That is indeed short notice."

Kenzo resolutely held his tongue. Should Yuudai dig in his heels, he would be within his rights to demand a later wedding. Normally that wouldn't be a concern as most father's were eager to marry off their daughters, but the Ukitake's had an odd sense of familial loyalty. "Is there anyway you could look favorably on a winter wedding?"

Kenzo's brow rose. "Why would I do that?"

"It allows Kimi more time to prepare for her responsibilities as wife," said Yuudai.

"Does she not already know her duties?" Kenzo bordered on disrespect, he knew.

Jushiro interrupted the tense exchange with a laugh. Kenzo turned to look at him, noting yet again how Jushiro seemed able to get away with things no one else could. His laughter somehow dismissed the tension instead of raising it. "Forgive me, I forget you don't know my sister well. Rest assured, my lord, no one is more aware of her duties than Kimi. She is honorable and will go above and beyond your expectations, we assure you." Here, Jushiro reached up and scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed grin. "It's just—," he seemed to struggle, "—there is no guarantee Kimi will look on this change favorably," he finally said.

Had Kenzo less self-control, his disbelief would have been apparent in his voice. "I fail to see how that is cause for concern." He noticed Yudai hiding a smile behind his hand. His irritation rose. "But since it appears to worry you, let us recall Ukitake-san, and tell her of the change." the smiles fell from their faces, and Kenzo felt smug as his soon-to-be brother-in-law pursed his lips.

"Very well, my lord. Shall I retrieve her?"

"We shall all go. I'll put to rest any concerns my betrothed might voice."

~.~

Kimi's nose crinkled as yet another odorous stench wafted toward her. While far from finicky and able to handle most offensive sights and smells, even she found the large stable repugnant, what with it easily housing fifty of the Kyoraku's finest.

A groundskeeper had approached Reina and Kimi while on their tour and begged for a moment of his Lady's time. Reina had agreed and followed him off elsewhere on the grounds, assuring Kimi of her swift return. And now here she stood, a quarter of an hour later, feeling utterly ridiculous. The servants paid her the attention due to nobility, bowing as they passed before returning to their tasks. As a result, dozens of people worked around her, somehow managing to both respect her and pay her no mind. Time dragged on.

Kimi finally huffed before lifting her chin and marching inside.

The stable was impressively large. Upon entering, she noticed covered stalls lined the exterior walls, leaving the center open to the sky with a large shed erected in the middle. Each stall housed the powerful creatures, the air filled with sharp snorts and pounding hooves and nickering voices. Here too she was greeted by bowed servants before she waved them on distractedly. The stench was foul, but Kimi—having never seen so many fine creatures—was enthralled enough to be distracted.

Such power contained in a single body was mesmerizing. The proud arch of the stallion's necks and the rippling, corded muscles of their flanks was strangely inspiring. Kimi slowly walked the perimeter of the stable, dodging stable hands with barely any acknowledgement. Though too nervous to reach out and touch such magnificent beasts, Kimi studied each with wide-eyed wonder, totally unaware of the smile on her face. To think she would soon claim these as her own. Perhaps even learn to ride.

"Saddle my horse."

Kimi quickly turned in time to see the youngest Kyoraku enter the stable with his cry some sixty paces back. Several servants bowed swiftly before rushing to prepare their master's steed. She noticed he was garbed simply in all black before swiftly turning toward the quiet stallion in the stall in front of her. She quietly cursed her brightly colored kimono. With bated breath, she listened as her soon-to-be brother-in-law loudly approached, joking with the help and showering several horses with pointless affection.

Suddenly, a chestnut mare only a few stalls away from Kimi rose to her hind legs with a vengeful cry, kicking her forelegs into the gate in front of her. It rattled dangerously, and Kimi's heart jumped to her throat while the angry beast thrashed around in its stall.

"Now, now, my sweet Miu-chan. You know you'll always be my favorite."

Shocked, Kimi watched as Shunsui confidently approached, hands behind his back, until his chest was pressed against the front of the stall. Still the horse snorted angrily, tossing her head back and forth.

"Don't be upset with me, my love." Here he whispered conspiratorially. "Those other girls mean nothing. You're the only one for me." And with a flourish he presented a large peach, holding his arm into the stall to offer it. "I bring the best presents for you."

To her astonishment, Miu almost immediately quieted before calmly approaching and daintily eating the peach until juice dripped through Shunsui's fingers. The grin never dropped from his face. "There she is," he murmured just loud enough for Kimi to catch. He continued patting her muzzle as she pressed closer, whispering fondly to the fussy mare, before glancing Kimi's way.

Kimi's jaw snapped shut.

His eyes brightened in recognition and Kimi felt her teeth begin to grind. "Ukitake-chan! For a moment I didn't recognize you. How could you possibly be more beautiful than I remember?"

His over-the-top flattering grated on Kimi's nerves. Her brow rose. "I didn't recognize you either, my lord. You're more sober than I remember." If her tone was more biting than teasing, Kimi would claim ignorance.

Seemingly unaffected by her caustic sarcasm, Shunsui threw back his head—strangely reminiscent of Miu—and laughed heartily. And if for a moment the corner of Kimi's mouth twitched, she'd deny it to her grave. The large man laughed with his entire body.

"Astute as always," he said, glancing around the stable before looking back to her. "Has my mother left you to fend for yourself?"

Strange how a part of Kimi now longed for Reina's presence, if only to act as a buffer between Kimi and her larger-than-life son. "Only for a moment. She is to return soon."

His smile turned conspiring. "In that case, do you ride?"

The corner of her mouth twitched more definitively. "No."

Shunsui sighed dramatically, placing his hands on his hips. "A shame." He glanced down at her kimono. "And I suppose you're not dressed for the endeavor."

Kimi's eyes wandered to Miu. Now that she had calmed, Kimi could see her beauty. She was a powerful beast. The muscles of her chest rippled with each movement and the sound of her hooves made the ground shake. Her hide was a handsome, healthy color, and her eyes seemed almost intelligent as they stared back at Kimi. She was definitely an attractive creature, though why she was named after a feather escaped Kimi.

She was gorgeous.

"Yes," Kimi said absently. "A shame."

With four great steps, Shunsui was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her wrist. "Here," he said, pulling a startled Kimi until she was standing right in front of Miu's stall before releasing her. "Would you like to touch her?"

While Kimi could not deny her admiration for the mare, she also couldn't so soon forget Miu's show of strength. Her nervousness must have been apparent for Shunsui's smile softened. "She really is a gentle girl. I promise I wouldn't let you touch her if I thought she'd harm you," he said, holding his hand out.

Slowly, and with more than a touch of suspicion, Kimi put her hand in his. The young lord's face lit up again as he guided her hand up and pressed it against the horse's muzzle. Kimi couldn't have stopped the smile on her face if she'd tried. Miu's snout was much softer than she imagined, and from this distance she could feel her huffing breaths brush her face. Wonder lightened her mood for a moment, and in Kimi's heart a longing for a horse of her own took root.

Kimi's gaze moved from Miu's eyes and fell on Shunsui's large palm still covering her own hand. Alarmed cries sounded in her mind.

"I'll be calling you 'sister' soon," Shunsui's low voice sounded in her ear. Her head snapped toward him, only to realize how close they stood. From this distance, she could all too clearly see his wild hair and damp hairline, his steel-gray eyes and sharp jaw. "I can't help but consider it a tragedy." His lips parted into a warm smile.

Unsure of his meaning, Kimi ruthlessly squashed her racing heart. She glared coldly at him before pulling her hand away and stepping back. "And yet it is our reality."

"Shunsui."

The acerbic tone started Kimi into looking toward the entrance. There, surrounded by a host of servants looking to please, stood her father and brother, fiance and mother-in-law. They made a fine picture of regality, each standing with noble poise and posture, but it seemed only her father felt amiable. His gentle composure was at odds with the others, what with Reina's normal iciness, her brother's uncharacteristic stoniness, and Kenzo's own murderous glower.

Kimi schooled her expression to impassiveness as her heart rate spiked. The party approached at a swift march, and the servants fell to the wayside as Shunsui raised a hand in greeting.

"Ani-sama," Shunsui called out gleefully. "I could hardly call this perfect timing. You've interrupted my bonding with your little lady."

Kimi didn't bother hiding the glare she shot his direction. "Hardly." She turned to her obviously infuriated fiance, screwed up her courage, and bowed respectfully. "You're stables are—."

"You're needed, Shunsui." Though her gut instantly boiled, she held her peace. This tension between brothers could obviously not be pierced by her pleasantries.

"Oh, dear brother? And where exactly am I needed?"

"Elsewhere," Kenzo spat. Kimi, having never heard such venom in her normally stoic fiance, stood still as a statue, lest she draw unwanted attention. "Leave us."

Shunsui held up placating hands. "Fine, fine." He turned to Kimi and bowed exaggeratedly. "My dear sister, you've enchanted me yet again. My brother should count himself fortunate to have won your favor." He rose and looked at his brother over her head. "If only I could be so lucky."

Shocked and embarrassed by so disrespectful a display, Kimi could only watch as Shunsui mockingly bowed to Kenzo and then the Ukitake's before swaggering out the stable, instructing his staff to bring out his mare. And with that, silence reigned among the party. Kimi's eyes instinctively found Jushiro, who appeared just as stunned as she. Her father, upon glancing his way, appeared thoughtful.

Taking an audible breath, Kenzo turned to her. "We came to find you, Ukitake-san, to inform of the changes our families have agreed upon regarding the timeline of our wedding." Upon her wary nod, he continued. "We will be wed in the height of summer this year." His gaze was hot with leftover fury, and Kimi's hands moistened. "I expect that raises no objections with you."

Kimi's mind raced, but what could she do? It was obviously a declaration made by him and not an agreement between the two parties, but in the face of his almost potent anger, Kimi could do little to oppose such a deviation from the original plan.

Kimi's pride chipped as she bowed stiffly. "I would be honored."

Aaaand we're back!

As always, I love the feedback. I'll accept anything in my journey to being a better writer, especially since I'm feeling a little rusty