Hello! This is one of my longer chapters. I probably could have separated it into two, but I've noticed recently when I write it's become a dangerous thing. I just...don't stop. For example, I started this chapter yesterday. Wrote for half an hour straight before forcing myself to go to bed. Then today, I picked up around nine. It's currently eleven at night. Please send help. Haha, I feel so delirious right now. This is probably not the best time for me to jabber on-directly before the story. Oh well. Doing it anyways, if you can't understand me, I apologize! For this chapter, I just really wanted to settle two scenes: Shirayuki having a panic attack(spoiler, she will most likely have another one sometime later in this story), and Zen promising to take her out to the forest. I'm thinking this fanfiction is going to go more towards the actual Snow White tale. You'll see some poisoned apples, and maybe a magic mirror coming up. It's gonna be like a parody of Snow White and Snow White with the Red Hair. It's going to a very strange place, but hopefully one you'll enjoy and understand fully. Be warned, this has some adult topics. If sickness makes you feel squeamish, read with caution. Oh, and thank you for all your kind words! They really just make my day. I hope this makes yours, and remember, review!

Shirayuki was stirred from her sleep again when she felt a warmth settle over the bridge of her nose. For a heart stopping moment, she thought someone had put their hand on top of her face. Then she relaxed once she realized there was no pressure, only warmth.

She realized she was laying on her side, on a soft mattress. She tried to feel for any other body weight next to her, but there wasn't one. Had her master already gotten up? That was strange. Another thing that was strange was while there was no sheet over her, there was some sort of wrapping around her breasts, and soft underwear covering her bottom. She was used to waking up sore and nude.

Then she felt something brush over her side-directly over the scar the candle wax had left. She stiffened, and the touch was immediately gone. "Oh, goodness. I think she's woken up." An unfamiliar voice said.

"Well, with that sunlight right in her face, I can't blame her." This voice was low and male, unthreatening and reserved.

"Well then, close the curtains. I don't want her rolling over just yet, that comfrey poultice hasn't dried." The first voice said.

Comfrey poultice? I've heard of that before, but there was never any in master's forest. Where am I? Shirayuki thought. She remembered what they had said about sunlight in her face, but nonetheless she opened her eyes. Her eyelids still felt heavy with sleep, so it was a relief when she had to slam her eyes shut again as the sun blazed into her irises. She tried to think as the remaining spots in her eyes began to fade.

A door creaked open and the two voices cut off abruptly. "Prince Zen." The first voice greeted.

"Morning. How is she?" That voice sent everything rushing back.

Shirayuki had escaped from her master's clutches after being ordered to become the concubine of First Prince Raji Schenezade of Tanburun. She had wandered through forest after forest, eating whatever berries and nuts she could find she knew where safe to eat. But after a few days of travel, she had found she stopped being able to recognize the plants and herbs around the area. She wasn't sure what was safe to eat, and food soon was forgotten in a mad rush to escape the braying of hunting dogs. Shirayuki had been bitten a few times, along with tackled to the ground by the mutts before she had managed to stumble into a river, and nearly drowned herself thanks to her chains getting caught underneath a heavy rock. When she did manage to finally drag herself from the river and its unforgiving current, her head was spinning. She'd managed to make a quick paste with a calendula plant next to her and spread it over a fresh cut. She then passed out, freezing and in a lot of pain. When she woke, it was only because a beetle crawled over her nose. She tried to keep moving, though she was seeing stars. She clambered to the top of a hill, and then her chains had somehow tangled around her feet…

Her chains!

Tentatively, she flexed her wrist. She couldn't feel any metal against the bottom of her palm, and that thought popped her eyes open again. She groaned and tried to roll backwards to avoid the sunlight, but a hand reached out and pressed against the bare skin of her shoulder, stilling her. "I'm sorry, Shirayuki. You need to stay on your side for a little while longer. Ryuu, can you draw the curtains or stand in the way?"

"I've got it." Said the one voice she recognized. "Oh, e-excuse me! I didn't know she was uncovered so!" The voice shouted and Shirayuki flinched without really meaning too.

"Oh, please." The first voice said. "She's covered fine." A loose sheet was gently draped over her legs and just up to her waist. After that, a shadow fell across her face, blocking the sun. Shirayuki was staring at a pair of white pants, with the bottom of a thick blue shirt with a white trim just passing over the top of the trousers. A belt wrapped around the trousers, holding the sheath of a sword, the hilt titled slightly as it hung.

She looked up, and met the brilliant blue eyes of the man who had cut through her chains as if they were pure clay with the very sword now at his side. His white hair was turned golden around the edges thanks to the rays of sunlight behind him. He had a white cape clipped to the front of his shirt by golden pins. He smiled down at her softly. "There. Is that better?" He kept his voice low and non-threating.

"Uh…" Shirayuki was alarmed at how dry her throat was. Her eyelids were still heavy, and her stomach still ached. She tried to lift her head from the soft, feathery pillow, but found it too hard. She groaned again.

"That's the effects of some of the medicine we've made you drink. Turns out you're a lighter sleeper then we'd thought. We had to slow your metabolism by a lot, you won't be ready to make any hard movements." The voice that had spoken came into Shirayuki's view. It was a women with dirty blonde hair. She wore a lab coat over a purple top and a black skirt. From her ears hung two red earrings, and she held a clipboard in her hands. Her eyes were warm and kind as she explained.

Shirayuki wanted to ask what herbs they had given her and her name, but when she sucked in air to power her sentence, she started to cough. She couldn't stop herself or control the ferociousness of them. She coughed until she was gagging, and with a little bit of panic she realized she could feel something in her throat. Finally, a spurt of mucus tinted red with blood came forth from her mouth, and Shirayuki could inhale safely again. Her coughs died away slowly, the fresh red stains soaking into the white sheets already.

The man who cut her chains looked alarmed, but the women just scribbled on her clipboard. "I knew it." She leaned down, ignoring the blood, and wiped at Shirayuki's mouth with her sleeve. "Shirayuki, I'm afraid you have pneumonia. I think you might have had it for a while, you've been coughing up that in your sleep. Did you have a cold or a fever recently?"

Shirayuki shivered again. She most likely got a cold from that river she had fallen in, but she couldn't be sure. She wanted to lift her shoulders in a shrug, but she was so fatigued, she could only give the women a helpless look. She noticed the white-haired man staring at the mucus with a frown on his face. Fear overcame her. "I-I'm so…sorry." She forced out, she felt more mucus gather in her throat but tried to swallow it. "I…I didn't m…mean…t-to-" She started to gag, choking on more mucus.

"For goodness's sake, spit it out!" The women chided. She left Shirayuki's field of vision, and not a moment later she felt a heavy hand smack against her back.

Out came more bloody-mucus, and more coughs.

The women muttered and tsked as Shirayuki finished.

Tears welled in her eyes as she saw the man move his arm. She flinched her eyes shut, ready to have her hair pulled or her ear yanked in punishment for ruining the sheets.

Instead, soft fabric swiped around her mouth. She felt fingers carefully push her bangs out of her face, away from her eyes. She realized how sweaty she was as the warm fingers had to brush at her hairline again and again. The touch was so gentle and kind, her eyes shot open in shock and tears ran free. One ran down over her nose and dripped onto the pillow.

Those tears were wiped away, too. "Don't worry about such a thing. Many more have done worse to the bed then you, which is to be expected." Shirayuki lifted her gaze to the man's blue eyes again. "We are in an infirmary, after all."

An infirmary? Shirayuki was more than shocked. She couldn't believe it. How could a slave like her receive such luxury? She was used to having to treat herself, not for someone else to go so far as to give her access to an infirmary.

The women's hands were on her back, rubbing gently and in an expert way, pushing at certain points. It made Shirayuki's breaths come easier. It was comforting, but compared to the warmth in the man's hands, the women's were cold. Still, Shirayuki couldn't help but close her eyes, not understanding how gentle these people were being with her.

There was a set of another footsteps. "We should let her sleep some more." That was the lower, quieter voice. "Prince, if you may excuse yourself?"

"Of course."

Prince? Shirayuki opened her eyes again, the women's hands making her body rock gently on the mattress. She stared towards the man. What was his name again? She wanted to ask, but she was starting to drift off again.

The man started to turn away back towards the door, the sunlight was back in Shirayuki's already narrowed field of vision. He seemed like a blurry knight of gold, and next to him a head of brown hair turned to a darkened ember. "P-Prince…" She muttered deliriously and quickly. Her vision swam and she breathed out her nose heavily, her bangs slipping back over her slicked forehead.

The prince turned in surprise, then smiled and gently leaned forward. She could only make out the blue of his eyes, and tips of red as her bangs dangled over the top of her eyes. She had never seen the ocean, but she had seen drawings and paintings. And now, she had seen his eyes. They had to be made from the sea, they were so sharp and clear. His warm hand pushed the red tendrils of her hair away from her eyes once more. "I'll come see you again. And my name is Zen. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner."

Shirayuki wanted to say his name. She tested the Z over her tongue, but it never made it past her lips as her eyes drifted to a close, and the feeling of the sun faded again.

Zen marched through the hallways, properly stressed. He kept glancing back towards the infirmary, not sure what to do. Shirayuki had a long road of recovery in front of her, and that was just the physical parts of it. Her mental and emotional well-being would probably take a much longer time to heal. Every time he reached for her, she seemed to think he would hit her.

He scowled, pinching his hair and staring down as he marched. This was why Clarines had abolished slavery a long time ago. Tanburun hadn't, for reasons Zen would never understand. Was the country so weak and poor they must rely on such barbaric ways?!

"Careful, Zen." Izana's voice made the Second Prince of Clarines jump. He whipped around, his handing habitually reaching for his sword hilt, only to relax once he realized it was only his brother. Izana had his white coat hanging onto his shoulders but his arms free of its sleeves, as per usual. He wore his silky, loose royal garb that made him seem older than he was, and his hair was only a tiny bit blonder than Zen's. He had pulled it back into a magnificent ponytail, again, as per usual.

"Lord Brother." He greeted.

"I know you all too well, little brother." Izana drawled, a smug smirk on his face. "You're probably cursing out Tanburun right now, correct?"

Zen flinched. He hated how his brother was so good at reading people like that. It was also something he respected, as much as it irked him at times.

"Tanburun is a respected country with a stable economy and one of our close alliances. You'd do well not to jeopardize that in any way." Izana continued. He started to walk past Zen.

"Lord Brother." Zen tried to stop him, but of course, the First Prince didn't even look at him. "Why did you bring that girl here?"

Izana made a thoughtful expression as he walked past. "Hmm. Why don't you figure that out for yourself, little brother?"

Zen grit his teeth.

"I'll be out of the castle for a few months, Zen." Izana called.

Zen turned, his cape floating around him with the sudden motion. "What? Why? Where are you going?!" But his questions echoed along the castle hallways in vain, as Izana just lifted his hand in a goodbye wave.

Zen didn't bother following him. He sighed. He glanced back towards the way he had come, towards the infirmary. Had Izana just checked on Shirayuki as well? What was he thinking? Zen raked his fingers through his hair agitatedly but decided to try and forget about Izana for the moment. He was due back at his office by now, as he had a mountain of reports to handle.

But still, his mind just kept reeling back to that girl lying there on the infirmary bed, coughing up blood and mucus. His steps were more powered than usual, his never ending circle of thoughts making him agitated and uncomfortable. He ignored the guards, which was unusual for him, and made his way to his room. He opened the door, and looked up to see his two aids waiting for him.

Ready to start the day, as always. Kiki and Mitsuhide were already holding some books to help him work through. Kiki's blonde hair was pulled over her shoulder in a side ponytail, her purple uniform holding her strong frame sturdily. She, as usual, looked good. But the sense that this was a dangerous women kept the cowardly from approach. Her eyes glimmered and she smiled softly at him in welcome. Her smile dipped, however, when she noticed how upset Zen looked.

Next to her, Mitsuhide's soft blue hair looked dimmer thanks to the light of the windows behind him, the bright day giving him a silhouette. His blue and brown uniform hid most of his frame, but the fabric was meant to be lightweight and sturdy-perfect in case the need to enter combat at any given second, but not uncomfortably so. He looked less intimidating then Kiki, his eyes lighter than hers and his smile broader. That smile, dropped too.

"Zen. What happened?" Mitsuhide asked.

Zen sighed and closed the door behind him. "My brother's doing it again."

"What's Izana done now?" Kiki sighed, closing her book with a sharp snap.

Zen growled softly. "It's a long story. And…hard to explain."

Kiki turned away and walked to the shelves, her steel-tipped boots tapping on the marble floors lightly. She scanned the shelves and spoke. "There's a rumor about a red-haired girl who was seen heading into the castle with Izana's return entourage."

Mitsuhide immediately caught on. "Oh. Is it something about her?"

Kiki paused in her action of slipping the book back into its place. "They say she was in chains."

Zen turned away with a sigh while Mitsuhide looked alarmed.

"Chains?!"

Shirayuki woke again, this time in a different room. This room was bathed in moonlight, and seemed much wider than the infirmary. Shirayuki felt ill still, but her breaths were much more even. She could taste the bitter after tang of an herb at the back of her throat, and she swallowed uneasily. She was lying on a bed by herself, clothed in a comfortable nightgown, a warm blanket over her shoulders. She groaned softly, closing her eyes again. Her head felt stuffed with clouds, and her body was still sore.

"Are you awake?"

The voice made her start and she sat up, turning to see Prince Zen sitting against the wall a few feet away from her bedside. He held his sword across his chest, and he was staring out a balcony, where the open glass doors showed a perfectly full moon. While the sunlight had turned his hair golden, the moonlight now turned it silver. His eyes still glowed that same color of the sea, they never seemed to waver or change. "You should go back to sleep. You still need plenty of rest."

"Um…" Shirayuki felt uncomfortable. She wasn't sure what to say. She looked down, and with a start realized her chains were gone. She sat up, looking around-it was too good to be true, they couldn't just be gone. She had felt their loss earlier, but to actually see her own wrists….Carefully, she spread her arms. Where the chains normally pulled them closer, there was no such shortage of room. She opened her arms even wider, her breathing hitching in her throat. It felt so good to stretch her arms out to the sides! Then she winced, bringing her hands back in. Her shoulder was aching.

"Chief Garack says you badly injured your shoulder somehow. It was actually out of its socket, it'll be sore for a few days." Zen said, sounding amused.

Shirayuki gasped and pulled her hands back in. She bowed her head. "I…I'm terribly sorry-"

"There's no need to apologize." Zen cut her off. "Please look this way."

Shirayuki lifted her head, and was startled by the intensity of Zen's gaze. There was power behind that color…but it wasn't threatening or scary. Shirayuki was puzzled, so she paid full attention.

"Clarines abolished slavery a long time ago. So long as you are within this beautiful country's borders, you are not a slave. You are free. Do you understand?"

Shirayuki's ears were ringing. She pulled her legs free of the blanket and sat on top of them, leaning back. She clasped her hands together, and recoiled them into herself. "You mean…I did it? I made it to..." Her voice went hoarse. She cleared it and tried again. "I made it to Clarines?"

Zen paused for a moment, before nodding slowly.

Shirayuki let out a sharp huff of air, then threw herself down onto the sheets. She clasped her hands over her head, in the best bow she could manage with her aching mucles. "Thank you, Prince Zen! Thank you, thank you, thank y-" She cut off with a cough, her head suddenly spinning with that sudden movement.

"Easy." Zen's voice was warm. She heard him stand and walk over to her.

She covered her mouth as her coughs shook her body. When she managed to stop, she stared at her hand. In the palm of her hand, she had coughed up even more blood. She swallowed uneasily.

"Still have the pneumonia." Zen noticed, leaning over the bed to see her hand.

She gasped and flailed backwards, keeping her bloodied hand close. She closed her eyes and braced herself, shivering with her heart pounding.

"Easy! Easy…" Zen raised his hands and took a few steps back. "Relax, I won't harm you. I promise."

Shirayuki opened her eyes, but she was still shaking. Her vision kept going blurry. She stared at the blood in her hand, and the small puddle shook as she vibrated. Her heart kept pounding. Her breath became labored and sharp, she was going to start coughing again if she didn't control herself, but she couldn't seem to. I'm…I'm having a panic attack? She thought incredulously. She had helped and witnessed other slaves go through panic attacks constantly, but she herself had never had one…until now. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears. She tried to think-how did you stop one from happening again? She was sure she knew.

But at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to think. Terror was everywhere, she wasn't sure why or how. Her fingers were tingling, but she wasn't sure how she could stop this. She shut her eyes, shaking so badly her teeth chattered against themselves. She started to scramble backwards, her feet kicking at the sheets madly. She felt her butt start to slip off the edge, but then something grabbed her hand and pulled her forward again.

She opened her eyes and found she was staring into a calm, relaxed blue. Like the sea. "Alright. Lift your arms up?"

"Wh-Wh-Wh-at?" She murmured.

"No, don't. You're too sore. Okay, can you count? Did you ever learn to count?" Zen asked. "Did you learn to count?" His voice was calm, but he held her hand tightly. He ignored how she had just coughed up blood into the palm he held, although at this point Shirayuki herself had forgotten the liquid in her hand. Not to mention, most of it had spilled over onto the sheets.

"Y-Y-Yes."

"How high can you count? How high can you count?" He spoke slowly, softly.

Shirayuki was still terrified. She couldn't breathe. "I can't breathe." She managed softly.

"Slow, even breaths. You can breathe. You can breathe. In…2…3….4….Out…..2…..3…4…..Good. There, keep it up. I'll do it with you." Zen inhaled heavily through his nostrils, tapping out the counter on her hand with his one finger gently as he did. He sighed out his mouth, continuing with the beat. The next breath he started, Shirayuki followed. Halfway through his counting, she began to hyperventilate again.

Zen squeezed her hand. "Count to sixty, slowly, with me. One at a time. Ready?" His eyes never wavered, those deep blue eyes didn't move.

Shirayuki shook her head frantically. "No. I-I'm not-" She stopped, feeling something coming up her throat. "I'm going to puke." She warned. She pulled her hand free and turned away from the prince. She was shaking desperately. She tried to struggle off the bed, but then another hacking cough shook her frame and her shoulders. More blood spattered across the sheets. Shirayuki grasped her aching through as she heaved, her body still shaking.

I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm dying.

The thought made her heart rate accelerate. She didn't vomit, though. Instead, she forced herself to swallow it back. She would only be hit for doing such an act.

A hand went up and touched her cheek. She nearly screamed. Her head was turned and then she felt the press of soft hair against her forehead, through her bangs. She was staring at the blue of the sea again.

"One." Zen's breath puffed over her lips gently, like a caress. Shirayuki found her breath following his, dipping between the two of them and dispersing against the blankets. "Two." He leaned back a little, his hair lifting away from her forehead. "Three."

"F-Four." She managed. She hiccupped and took another breath.

"Five." He nodded encouragingly, his lips starting to smile.

Shirayuki's hands grasped for the sheets unconsciously. She jumped when she felt something else. She looked towards her hand and found it was shakily holding onto Zen's again. Tightly. "Si-Six?" She didn't mean to make it a question.

"Seven." Zen took another deep breath, and Shirayuki found her lungs expanding as well. He twisted her hand and held it gently.

"Eight."

"Nine." They both exhaled slowly.

"Ten." The air was warm and fresh.

"Eleven."

"Twelve."

"Thirteen."

"Fourteen."

"Fifteen."

"Sixteen." Shirayuki's heart beat receded. She was still shaking horribly, though.

"Seventeen."

"Eighteen." Out came the air.

"Nineteen."

"Twenty."

Zen paused. "Any better?" He murmured.

Shirayuki didn't trust her throat, which was constricting. She nodded.

"Still shaky, though?"

She nodded again.

"Want to keep counting?"

She hesitated, then nodded again.

"Twenty one." Zen breathed in. Shirayuki followed suit.

"T-Twenty two."

"Twenty three."

"Twenty four."

"Twenty five." They exhaled as one. Both continued to count, while controlling their breaths. By the time they reached 45, Shirayuki had stopped shaking.

"Fifty nine." She said.

"Sixty." Zen finished.

They waited, but Shirayuki's heartbeat had gone back to normal. Nonetheless, tears welled in her eyes. She released Zen's hand and turned away, hanging her head. "Thank you, Prince."

"Please, just Zen. You're welcome." Zen sighed and moved back a bit. "Here, can you stand? I think you should go out onto the balcony and get some fresh air. I'll change your bedding."

She jerked her head and stared at him. "Wh-What?"

Zen smiled. "Come on." He stood from the bed, and walked around it to the other side. He offered his hand. "Only if you need it." He murmured.

Shirayuki stared at his outstretched hand. "I…I…" She turned and carefully lifted her legs, letting them drape to the ground. Her toes sunk into the soft carpet. Her head still ached. Shakily, she reached for his hand and grasped his finger delicately. She felt very sluggish and slow, and she wasn't sure if it was her pneumonia or the after effects of a panic attack. She tried to stand, and stumbled forward. She was pressed into the hard chest of the Prince. She froze, closing her eyes and expecting a slap.

Instead, his arm went around her side and he gently pushed her off of him. He kept close hold of her, however. He took a step forward and her foot followed nervously. "There's a chair outside." He explained. "You don't mind sitting there? I promise the view is very beautiful."

"Um…thank you." She managed to whisper. She kept her eyes on her feet as they moved, ever so carefully. A few times she nearly stumbled, but Zen kept her on her feet. Then the carpet stopped, leaving a smooth kind of stone Shirayuki didn't recognize. On the balcony sat a small little wire table with a matching set of chairs. Zen helped her slip into the seat, then let her go. Shirayuki lifted her gaze and sucked in her breath. The moon illuminated a forest, which was caged in by white walls patrolled by guards she could only see thanks to the glint of their weapons. Outside the walls, a large city expanded, alight with a massive population, no doubt. Beyond that, she saw the sea for the first time.

It was like a ground made of a smooth mirror. She could see the moon's massive reflection, along with the millions of stars glimmering just below their real counterparts. The mirror idea was only ruined by the massive ships she saw sailing to and from the city, which lead to the sea side. Their sails were down, but Shirayuki didn't understand how they could be moving when the night air was so still. She sucked in a deep breath, trying to smell it. All that graced her nostrils was the smell of the forest, so far away.

"You can only smell the sea salt during thunderstorms." Zen explained, his eyes looking over his kingdom proudly.

Shirayuki stared at his eyes, trying to compare them to the sea. It was hard, as at the moment the sea did not look blue. It looked black and silver-it was the colors of the night sky. But Zen's eyes were the same azure blue, did they ever change?

Zen turned and smiled at her softly. "Wait here a moment, please."

"Uh-Uh!" She leaned forward, trying to get him to stay for a moment. She wanted to ask if she was in a castle, as the landscape was drifting downwards-but Zen turned and walked back towards the room.

She coughed softly and turned back to the view. Her eyelids felt heavy, her eyes stung from crying. She wiped her eyes, stopping to stare at her fingers. She wasn't completely clean, but her skin wasn't completely covered in dirt like they usually were. Some of the grit of underneath her nails was missing. She hadn't realized how much pain her fingers had been causing her because of all that grime until now, when there was less of it. She lowered her gaze past her callous hands and onto her wrists. She could faintly see markings where her iron cuffs had pressed against her skin. She rubbed those marks, feeling the bumps in her skin.

She shuddered. She was so weirded out, and so tired. She hugged her elbows to herself and closed her eyes, starting to shake again.

Something soft was thrown over her shoulders. She jumped and stiffened, her muscles aching from the movement. Immediately, the hands retreated, leaving something soft over her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure you weren't cold."

Shirayuki turned and saw it was Zen who had just draped the blanket over her shoulders. "Your sheets have been rearranged. Would you like to go back inside now?"

"I…um…" Shirayuki hung her head. She stared towards the forest, wishing she could somehow hide in its thickness forever.

Zen followed her gaze. "My brother apparently found you in a forest, lying right in the way of a caravan path. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Shirayuki shuddered again. She pulled the blanket tighter around her bony frame, and nodded.

"Was it bad?"

She nodded again, not trusting her voice.

"And Garack said she saw a lot of herbs in your satchel. Excuse us for going through your things, but the Chief said they were all herbs that could be used to heal. Do you know a lot about things like that? Plants, and what they can do?"

Shirayuki turned to face him. He was so kind, and so gentle. His expression seemed to say that he wouldn't mind if she didn't answer. Shirayuki coughed slightly and closed her eyes, then took a breath. "My grandparents got sick, and we only had the herbs in the garden. I learned there."

"I see." Zen sounded interested, but he didn't press for more. He walked forward and leaned against the balcony's stone railing. "I don't know anything really about herbs, besides the few to avoid as they're poisonous. Mitsuhide thinks that's a bad idea, he wants me to be ready in case of any emergencies."

Shirayuki wanted to ask who Mitsuhide was. Habit kept her tongue still. Exhaustion dipped her head for a moment. She brought it back up instantly, but the motion reminding her that she didn't have her collar on anymore. So long as she was in Clarines, she was not a slave. She tried to speak, her voice hurting her throat. "Mits-Mitsuhide?"

"He's my personal guard. Like my own knight." Zen explained. He turned to face her, and his face tightened with worry. "I can tell you more about him later. You should go back to bed."

Shirayuki didn't want to. Her chest was starting to ache, adding another thing that made her want to vomit. But she didn't dare refuse. "S-Sire." She started to stand. The moment she did, the world spun. She started to collapse, and Zen rushed towards her.

She opened her eyes again and found herself pressed against Zen's lap, his legs folded neatly underneath him-like a pillow. Her hand was pressed against his stomach. Her eyes wouldn't open all the way. "E-Excuse me, master." She mumbled.

"Don't call me that. I'm not your master. No one is your master, alright?"

"I-I'd like to go to that forest." She muttered, deliriously. She heard the words slip from her mouth and lifted her hand to her forehead gently. Okay. Now she wanted to go to bed.

"You mean the castle's forest?" Zen asked, not unkindly. He wiped her mouth-she hadn't even realized she was drooling. Very unbecoming, but she was so ill. She kept almost nodding off, making Zen's words falter back and forth. "I can take you there, once you feel better."

"That'd be nice." She slurred her words. "I want to bed." Inwardly, she cringed at her word choice. But her brain couldn't form the words. Her mouth kept slipping.

"Bed it is."

The world spun for a moment, then she realized that Zen had picked her up gently. Then they were moving.

Shirayuki just barely felt the press of the mattress before she passed out.