"An island that's shaped like the moon?" Shirayuki seemed surprised as the chief herbalist talked about their visitor. "And the princess is coming here?"
"The royal families of Wisteria and the Isle de la Lune have had trading agreements for generations." Her boss smiled as she looked over her paperwork. "Their princess makes it her duty to come visit Zen every year around this time. But last year, she couldn't make it because of a storm."
"Why Zen?"
"She's not your average royal."
Shirayuki found herself daydreaming about this mysterious princess as she picked herbs in the greenhouse. Would she be like the other ladies of the royal court she's met? Dressed in expensive clothes and as refined as a delicate flower.
"I like your hair." She turned to see a young woman. "You must be Shirayuki, right?" Shirayuki only nodded. "You found the best spot for reading a good book."
Most of the time, people would exclaim how rare her red hair was, bringing her sometimes unwanted attention. When anyone from the Royal court saw her, they sometimes tried to be overly nice to gain favor with Zen. This woman was doing neither, content with laying on her stomach on the stone pathway of the greenhouse, her jacket acting as a pillow as she read a leather bound book. As she spread out, Shirayuki found herself marveling at the intricate tree tattoo on the woman's back, which was on full display. "That's an interesting tattoo."
"She speaks." The woman looked up from her reading, smiling at her. "It's cool, isn't it? By the way I'm-
"Eliza!" A voice called from the entrance.
"I'm right here, Ryu. I was reading." Eliza gathered her things, before slipping her jacket back on.
"You were suppose to meet Zen for his sword practice." The young court herbalist hid his face under his books.
"I couldn't stay in that stuffy room for one more moment. I wanted to explore. Oh, I brought you something." Eliza pulled another small leather-bound book from an inside pocket of her jacket.
Shirayuki stared as Ryu opened the book. Inside were drawings of plants, animals and trees she'd never seen before, with handwritten notes throughout. "Are you an herbalist too?" Shirayuki found herself asking, but then clasped her hand over her mouth.
This produced a giggle from both Ryu and Eliza. "Shirayuki, I guess I should formally introduce myself. I'm Eliza Temby, crown princess of Isle de la Lune."
Shirayuki could feel her face heat up. "Y-you're the princess?" She almost shouted.
"It's okay, I'm just getting used to it myself. I wasn't raised at a court, so sometimes fitting into the humdrum of royal events is hard."