The very next morning, Prince Zen found himself standing in his Lord Brother's study. The room was filled with a tense and almost tangible silence, the monotonous ticking of a clock the only thing breaking it, and Zen struggled to keep the confusion and irritation off his face as he looked at his brother sitting languidly at his desk chair, seemingly as relaxed as can be despite the atmosphere; though, that could have been because Izana was the one creating the atmosphere.

Zen wondered what his brother wanted with him; he couldn't help but feel a little anxious, as it wasn't often Izana requested to see him in person out of the blue like this, but he had Kiki and Mitsuhide standing strong behind him, and he welcomed the support their presences gave.

Yet it irked Zen that his brother, after going to all the effort of summoning him here, had his attention trained on a document he held in his hand, and had been ignoring Zen ever since he had come into the room. The ticking of the clock felt more like the banging of a drum in the silent room, and it made them all hyper-aware of the time that was passing them by as they continued to stand before Izana's desk. Just as Zen was beginning to lose his composure, and his mind, Izana seemed to finish reading the document in his hand as finally he said:

"Zen. I need you to go down to the Court Blacksmiths and get yourself a new ceremonial sword."

The curt and fairly odd sentence threw Zen off for a few moments, but he quickly mustered a reply; "A new sword? I beg your pardon Lord Brother, but I already have a ceremonial sword. It was only made a few years ago by the Court Blacksmith."

"Yes, but I think it's about high time you got yourself a new one. I hear the Court Blacksmiths new apprentice has quite the talent for making ceremonial swords."

Zen wasn't sure as to why his brother was mentioning the blacksmiths apprentice, but decided it was best not to argue with him on such a trivial matter; it would only lead to frustration on his end.

Holding in a sigh Zen said, "I'll have my current sword sent down to the Blacksmiths today, Lord-"

"I apologize for the interruption Zen, but you must have misheard me before." Izana said, a small smile on his face. "I requested that you go down to the Court Blacksmiths. In person."

A long moment passed as Zen struggled to find the right words; his brother seemed set on making him go down there, but he couldn't possibly fathom why-

The confusion must have shown on his face as Izana simply smiled wider, and continued his spiel:

"I am only thinking of you Zen. After all, you seem to enjoy interacting with the palace staff, and I thought you might want to meet the Blacksmiths new apprentice. She's around your age, and I've heard her hair is half green… quite fascinating really. Don't you think?"

Zen struggled to keep the anger of his face as his jaw clenched slightly, and both Kiki and Mitsuhide bristled at Izana's insinuation; he was quite clearly referring to Shirayuki, and his tone of voice made it sound as though he was accusing Zen of going after servant girls with strange hair as if they were nothing.

Whether or not Izana really believed that, none of them were sure, but they all knew it was more than likely just the Prince trying to get a rise out of his younger brother. And the easiest way to do that, was to disrespect Shirayuki.

"I will go in person to the Court Blacksmiths at once. Is there anything else you need of me, Lord Brother?" Zen said rigidly, trying not to grit his teeth too much.

"No," Izana said with a small but triumphant smirk, "That will be all."

Zen bowed slightly to his brother, Kiki and Mitsuhide following suit before they all walked out of the study. But even after the heavy doors had closed behind them, none of them could relax completely until they were about ten metres away from it.

Obi was waiting for them at the end of the hall, leaning against the wall and staring at nothing; when he saw them approaching he straightened, joining them on their journey as they passed him.

"So, how was the meeting? Did it go well?" Obi asked with a slight smirk.

"About as well as can be expected…" Zen grumbled lightly.

"…Where are we headed?" Obi asked; there was clearly a destination in mind judging from the way they stepped, and something was on their minds as well. Most likely whatever Izana had said to them.

"The Court Blacksmiths." Obi raised a brow as Zen continued, "My brother thinks I need a new ceremonial sword… and he apparently wants me to meet the blacksmiths new apprentice."

Obi suddenly found he was walking alone; the rest of the group had stopped in the hallway, and they all had slight winces on their faces, as well as looks of realisation. Obi raised a brow in confusion, but he soon realised what they had suddenly remembered; the court blacksmiths apprentice, the one with half green hair… was the one that had almost run them all over with her horse just a few weeks back.

"The rider from the forest…" Mitsuhide groaned slightly, his shoulders and head slumped in exasperation. He then continued, raising his head slightly. "Do you think she knows it was us?"

"I doubt she would have kept riding if she knew she'd run over the Prince." Kiki reasoned, her exasperation having faded slightly quicker than the other twos.

"Ugh…" Zen groaned, "Let's just get this over with." He was still in a bad mood from the meeting with his brother, and he certainly wasn't feeling up to dealing with the person who had so rudely interrupted their walk the other day, but he had his orders. He just hoped they wouldn't be there for long.

Yet Obi simply smirked, and in his usual joking tone with a small nudge of the elbow he said:

"At least you'll finally get a good look at her, eh Master?"


It didn't take the group long after that to reach the Palace Forge. They stood together in the entryway, a large space that seemed rather small due to sheer amount of clutter in the room, and eventually Kiki spotted a small, ornate hand bell; the intricate decoration on the metal bell had worn away over time, and there was dirt and dust ingrained into the small grooves still remaining. It wasn't dirty, per say, simply aged, like a centuries old cathedral or an antique you would find in the ruins of a forgotten building.

In fact, the whole forge held that aged feel to it; it was a stark contrast to the rest of the palace, which was always clean and fit for the occupation of a Royal Family and visiting nobles. But the forge of Wistal Palace felt… almost homely, in a way, as though anyone in the world could walk in and they would be immediately welcomed with the warmth of many roaring fires and a crushing hug from the Blacksmith himself (which was indeed usually the case when anyone visited the forge).

The atmosphere immediately put everyone at ease, helping them to release the tension they had been holding since the meeting with Izana, despite the loud, monotonous Clang! Clang! Clang! of hammers on cooling metal coming from the room just past the entryway, the sound reverberating throughout the building and one that could always be heard in the forge.

Even though he had been here many a time before, Obi found himself curiously looking about the room as Kiki rang the bell loudly in order for it to be heard above the noisy metal.

Every time Obi came here he always found something new to look at; he had never said it aloud, but he really loved coming to the forge. It was never boring here; there was always something happening or something to look at, and the Blacksmiths company was always entertaining.

Decades of history was stored in this entryway; that's what the Blacksmith had told him, anyway, and it was difficult not to believe him. Worktops lined the outer walls along with sturdy shelves and cabinets, a huge oaken bench occupying the middle of the room.

Not that you could really see any of these surfaces, that is. A myriad of both old and new objects littered every corner of the room; from random forge tools and measuring devices, to ornate candle holders with burnt out candles in them, to various weapons, both finished and unfinished, carelessly left amongst the clutter, to quills and half empty bottles of dried up ink, to chipped plates with the crumbs of yesterday's lunch on them, to a stove kettle with an assortment of odd teacups surrounding it, the plain or patterned surfaces stained with tea from years of use.

The tea leaves themselves were stored in a ceramic jar in one of the open cabinets, balanced atop a stack of books which seemed unsturdy at the best of times. There were quite possibly hundreds of books and scrolls in this one room; leather bound books detailing the ins and outs of the forge machinery, their pages littered with small holes left by flying sparks, their covers roughened with age and use, their spines broken and corners bent or torn. There were books that went all the way back to when the forge was first built, detailing every order made, who it was for, what it was made of, who crafted it, all the measurements used and the cost of it, written in meticulous notes whose ink had begun to fade to brown through time alone.

There were also loosely rolled scrolls all stacked high in one of the corners of the room, their edges frayed and bleached by the sun coming from the nearby window, its latticed frame casting a shadow on the bench below. These scrolls contained all the designs drawn by every Palace Blacksmith, and some sat amongst the clutter on the worktops, held open by loose horseshoes or pinned to the table with a small dagger, being used as a reference even now.

Of course, there were many loose pieces of parchment as well, and there were many scrunched up balls of parchment littering both the worktops and the floor; failed designs that had been discarded without much thought, the blacksmith soon moving on to another idea in haste. Many of these were discarded around a fairly clear space beneath one of the windows; a quill and capped ink pot sat nearby, as well as several books which lay open or had small pieces of ribbon in marking certain pages, and the space was occupied by one large, ancient tome. The tome clearly hadn't been opened in years, as a half-melted candle sat atop one of it corners with no holder beneath it, the hardened wax having dripped over the edges and onto the wood beneath; it had been there a long time, and was likely stuck to the tome itself now.

This small area was one of the things Obi noticed was new about the forge; before, the tome and its candle had been caked in layers of dust, but it now seemed as though someone were using the area as a desk of sorts. The other change Obi noticed was the olive-green cloak which hung on the iron coat stand by the door, along with a leather belt which had many pouches attached to it.

Obi smiled slightly; he recognised these objects as Ren's, and he didn't doubt that the space by the window was one that she had claimed for herself.

Surprisingly, this part of the forge was cleaner than the rest, having to be used for any visitors or customers who wanted to see the Blacksmith; suffice to say, Otsu wasn't too bothered about outward appearances, and seeing as not many nobles ever visited the forge themselves, he was left to decorate as he pleased.

The clanging sounds from the adjacent forge lessened slightly, and soon the large, lumbering form of the Court Blacksmith appeared from the open archway. When he saw his visitors he smiled widely and warmly, wiping his hands on a blackened cloth as he said in his usual friendly tone:

"Ah Prince Zen, what brings you down here? Does your sword need sharpening?"

"No, not this time." Zen said with a smile, "I'm actually here for a new ceremonial sword." Otsu's eyes widened slightly in surprise, his brows furrowing in confusion, and seeing this Zen explained further, "My Lord Brother sent me."

That was the only explanation Otsu needed, and his expression quickly changed from confusion to realisation.

"I see…" Otsu said, his kind smile returning to his face, "Well, I'm afraid I can't take on too much work right now, my arms only just healed, and I'm on strict orders from the Chief Herbalist herself not to put too much stress on it. However…" His smile widened. "I see no reason as to why my apprentice can't do it for you, Prince Zen."

Before anyone could say a word, Otsu let out a shout so loud and so sudden that it hurt the ears of those stood before him: "REN!"

"YEAH?!" A voice replied from the forge, almost as loudly, the clanging stopping completely for a moment.

"I've got a job for you, get in here!" Otsu said, only slightly quieter than before.

"Alright! One second!" The voice shouted back. As the group heard the muffled clattering of tools being put down and work being put on pause, Otsu simply continued to smile at them as though nothing had happened.

Soon enough Ren emerged from the archway, her head down as she focused on wiping her hands on another blackened cloth; a small piece of soot was streaked across her forehead where she had accidently rubbed it with her hand whilst working, and as she approached the group she asked:

"So what's this 'job'? It's not making you tea again, is it? You know how well that ended last time-"

Her sentence came to a sudden halt, as by that time she had reached Otsu and upon doing so had finally looked up, seeing that they had visitors. And not just ordinary visitors.

"Ren, this is Prin-"

"Prince Zen!" Ren said, interrupting Otsu's introductions. The shock, and embarrassment over her entrance, was evident on her face and she quickly bowed, saying in a hurried manner, "I-I didn't know you were here! I'm so sorry, please excuse me for my brash entrance, I would not have been so rude had I known you were here…" At her final sentence Ren sent Otsu a sideways glare from her bowed position, but the blacksmith payed no heed to it and carried on, completely unfazed by his apprentice's anger.

"This is Ren, my apprentice." Otsu said, pride in his voice and his wide smile causing the corners of his eyes to wrinkle slightly. He ruffled Ren's hair as she stood up straight again, and she batted his hand away; yet she had a small smile on her face from the now familiar action. Otsu continued, "I'm putting her in charge of designing and making your ceremonial sword, your Highness."

"What?!" Ren cried, spinning towards Otsu with wide eyes, her shoulders tense and mouth slightly agape. She carried on in a whisper, "Otsu, I can't make a ceremonial sword for Prince Zen!"

It wasn't that Ren didn't know how to make a good ceremonial sword – heck, it was the whole reason she'd got this job in the first place! -but making a ceremonial sword for a Prince was a whole different matter altogether! A Princes ceremonial sword was a symbol of status, of wealth, and of their countries craftmanship. Only the best blacksmiths in the country were ever hired to make a Princes ceremonial sword. It was a way in which the Royal Family could present their countries prowess in metalwork, and whilst it may not seem like much, a ceremonial sword was crucial to the outward appearance of a noble in ceremonies, particularly when visiting other countries. They demanded great skill and many hours to complete.

And Ren didn't think she was quite ready for that kind of responsibility yet. Otsu, however, did:

"Of course you can! There's no time limit, you'll be fine. And Prince Zen here is very understanding." The two blacksmiths looked towards the boy in question, who had previously had a look of slight confusion on his face, but who now smiled and nodded at Ren in reassurance.

Even so, Ren's lips pressed together and skewed slightly in uncertainty, her eyes looking at the ground, her shoulders remaining hunched with tension as she hummed slightly, trying to think of what to say.

Otsu's eyes took on a mischievous glint as he looked at Ren and said, "If you do this well and to Prince Zen's approval, you'll be one step closer to becoming a fully-fledged Court Blacksmith."

Ren's eyes widened at this, but they soon narrowed in slight suspicion as she turned her head just enough to look at Otsu, "…Really?"

"Mhmm," Otsu hummed, knowing that her determination to learn and succeed outweighed her fears of her own inability, even if it was just by a fractional amount. "You've more than proved yourself so far, but there's just a few more things I need you to learn. After all, I can't be expected to graduate you after just a few months!" Otsu laughed deeply and whole heartedly at this as he once again ruffled Ren's hair, his chest lightly bouncing up and down with his laughter, the infectious rumbling putting a smile on everyone's faces.

Ren however, had her lips parted slightly in a small 'o', and was frequently blinking in an attempt to stop herself from phasing out completely. She hadn't even noticed Otsu ruffling her hair, and everyone's smiles simply widened at seeing her reaction; they could all tell how much it meant to her.

Otsu coughed loudly into his fist, smiling all the while as the sound snapped Ren out of her stupor.

"Right!" Ren exclaimed with a small jolt, her eyes focusing once again as she concentrated on the task at hand, "Prince Zen if you would follow me please."

Without waiting for a reply Ren wandered back into the forge, Zen, Kiki and Mitsuhide following behind her as she counted off each of the necessary stages on her fingers whilst mumbling to herself under her breath.

She quickly cleared a surface, pushing all the clutter to the side and grabbing a set of scales from the midst of it before also finding a few scraps of spare parchment and a pencil; Ren had grown quite adapt at finding what she needed amongst the clutter of the forge, and so she didn't take all that much notice of the mess anymore. It shocked the trio how easily and quickly she could find what she needed, and all on the one workbench!

"I only need to take a few of your measurements Prince Zen, and then write down the dimensions and weight of your current ceremonial sword, unless you want them altered. Though, I can't see why you needed to come down here yourself for it…" Ren explained, trailing off at the end.

"That makes two of us." Zen mumbled, glancing off to the side and not entirely meaning for Ren to hear it.

But she had, and before he could say anything else she laughed lightly, saying, "Don't worry, I won't keep you here long." She had been looking for a tape measure, and so had missed Zen's slightly shocked expression, but upon not being able to find one Ren continued, saying "Excuse me for a moment, I'm just going to look for a tape measure. I'll be right back."


Obi and Otsu stood in the archway to the forge, watching as Ren excused herself to go and fetch something from the back room. Otsu lowered his voice, and the two had a conversation under their breaths as they observed the interactions before them.

"How are those new throwing knives treating you?" Otsu asked, never taking his eyes off of the group in the forge.

"I haven't had the chance to use them properly yet, but the balance feels good." Obi replied, following suit and watching Zen and the others wait for Ren's return.

Otsu smiled slightly, "Glad to hear it. You let me know if you need anything else sharpened or made, alright? We wouldn't want your tools letting you down whilst your guarding."

"No, we definitely wouldn't…" Obi said with a light chuckle, "And sure thing Otsu, you're my number one Blacksmith."

"Well, that may soon change." Otsu said, pausing for a moment as the two watched Ren return with a tape measure in hand, rolling it out and soon using it to measure Zen's height. When Otsu next spoke, his voice held a shade more affection than before, almost like a father talking fondly about his daughter. "You can trust her, you know. Honour and loyalty are important to her. And she can keep secrets." Otsu chuckled a little at that, adding almost as an afterthought, "She keeps some about herself, I'm sure."

Obi thought for a moment, and then gently smiled, "Yeah. I know." He was recalling the previous night on the rooftops of Wistal, of how Ren had confided in him something she had never told anyone before, and of how he felt he could trust her inexplicably. He hadn't needed Otsu to tell him that he could trust her, he already knew it.

There was a long pause then in the conversation between the two as they watched the group of four before them, but when Otsu did speak again, his voice was uncharacteristically solemn and thoughtful, and there was a strange note of seriousness to it which also lingered in his eyes, but did not quite reach his near constant smile:

"You kids' fates are intertwined, you know. Shirayuki's too. You'll need each other, when the time comes."

Otsu spoke as if these were hard facts, and though he was still talking beneath his breath Obi heard the words loud and clear; he couldn't help but feel as though these were words of great importance, almost like how the prophecies of old could predict a hero's fate, and what the outcome of their quest would be. Obi felt as though something in the world had become cemented in time with Otsu's words, as though the course of fate had been decided and could not be changed nor averted now.

Despite his instincts, Obi couldn't quite believe what Otsu had said, nor what had caused him to say such a thing in the first place. He turned his head to look up at the hulking man in surprise and bewilderment:

"But Ren hardly knows any of us; she's not been here all that long." Whilst Obi was sure Ren and Shirayuki would become friends, and that the deep sense of trust he had in her would only deepen, he saw no reason as to why Ren would further interact with Zen and the others; why would there ever be a situation in which a blacksmiths fate and a Princes fate were intertwined?

Otsu continued to watch the group in the forge with a smile on his face, unperturbed by Obi's questions and saying in the same tone as before: "And yet you all met on her very first day here in Wistal. And you keep doing so since, even if you don't always realise it."

Obi's thoughts were going a mile a minute, and the blacksmiths words had left him speechless. They had indeed all met on Open Castle Day, and all but Shirayuki had witnessed Ren's argument with another blacksmith candidate, only a few days afterward; only Obi had known who she was, and he doubted Ren knew it had been them. He remembered how Mitsuhide had seen her at the stables, and how he himself had seen Ren and Shirayuki walking to their respective work places together one morning. He recalled how she had nearly run them all down in the forest, and how he had been so relieved by the fact he had managed to spot Ren the other night before she was attacked, supposedly by just good luck and coincidence.

But… perhaps it hadn't just been coincidence… perhaps none of it had.

Before Obi could dwell on it any further however, Otsu turned to look at him. All of a sudden, the serious note left his eyes completely and he laughed deeply, slapping Obi on the back and making the younger man jolt forward slightly from the shock.

"Ah, just the ramblings of a crazy fool!" Otsu said, his eyes closed as he continued to laugh as he spoke, "You kids'll figure things out I'm sure."

It was as though the change had never happened; all traces of the prophetic blacksmith had disappeared, and he was once again his usual, jolly self. But Obi was prevented from thinking on it any further.

"You ready to get back to work, Obi?" He turned his head and found that Zen was now standing before him, Kiki and Mitsuhide behind him with Ren at the back; Zen had an eyebrow raised at him, and was the one who had spoken, and so Obi placed a smirk on his face before saying:

"Of course, Master. Lead the way." He bowed dramatically, and waited for Zen and the others to pass him before following them to the door. He looked at Otsu one last time before he left; there was nothing unusual now about the Court Blacksmith or the forge he stood in, but the words he had said echoed in the back of Obi's mind as the door closed behind him.


Ren made her way to the large storage cupboard at the back of the forge; she was sure she had seen a tape measure in there amongst all of the other bits and bobs just yesterday…

As she stepped into the cramped room she recalled the time she had first discovered this storage cupboard, and the pair of bookshelves filled to the brim with tomes and texts that lay hidden within.

"Otsu," She had called out to him when sent her in to fetch a polishing rag one day, "You didn't tell me there were more books on blacksmithing in here."

Otsu had come to the doorway upon hearing his name, but he had just waved his hand dismissively and said, "I haven't used these books in years, and besides, it's much better to learn by doing something than by reading it in some book. There's nothing quite like learning by using your hands in the forge itself."

Whilst it was true there were many books laying around in the clutter of the forge, none of them appeared to have been opened in many years; Ren suspected Otsu just left them out as there was nowhere else to put them, and in all honesty Ren agreed with his sentiment about learning by doing and not reading.

She'd never had much access to books in her village, especially ones of this quality, and so she wasn't the best at reading, but even so she found herself walking up the aisle of the cupboard and ghosting her fingertips across the aged leather-bound spines. As she did this she had realised that the majority of these books were on jewellery making and silversmithing; she had stopped in surprise, turning to Otsu who still stood in the doorway and said:

"I didn't realise you made jewellery for the Royal family."

"I don't," Otsu said with a light shrug and a smile, "My hands are far too big and clumsy to do all of that intricate detail. Lucky for me though the Royal family aren't in need of any bespoke jewellery right now; the Princes have no wives to gift it too or fiancés to propose to, and so they outsource anything they need at the moment. Though, someday that will change… maybe soon." Otsu finished thoughtfully, thinking of Prince Zen and his beloved as he walked back to his work in the forge.

Ren's heart beat faster at the thought of learning more than she had thought she would in coming here, and picking out a book from the self she called out to Otsu, "Can I borrow one of these books and use some scrap to experiment with?"

"Sure thing!" Otsu shouted back, "But you'll have to do it in your own time after hours, and I'm afraid I can't help you much! As long as you keep the forge tidy, you can come work in here!"

Ren had laughed at that; seeing as Otsu's definition of 'tidy' was the mess the forge was currently in, she didn't think that would be too difficult.

Ren smiled at the memory as she passed the small gap in the bookshelf, seeing it from the corner of her eye as she grabbed the tape measure laying nearby. She walked back out to the forge, where the group of three were waiting for her.

"Okay Prince Zen," Ren said, rolling out the tape measure as she stood in front of him, "If you'll just stand up straight for me please…" As Zen did as he was instructed, Ren looked around him to the pair standing a little way behind him, "Excuse me, but could one of you-" Her eyes suddenly widened, and her mouth hung slightly agape as she stared at the two aides. "Oh my god." She said quietly, starting to pull on fingers, tape measure still in hand. "I-I am so rude! I didn't give you the chance to introduce yourselves I am so sorry-" Ren moved around Zen, leaving him behind and walking towards Kiki and Mitsuhide as the tape measure dragged along the floor, "Please forgive me, I was so focused on my work that I completely forgot I didn't know your names! I am so sorry." Ren's hands gestured slightly as she spoke, trying to stop herself from getting completely flustered.

But Kiki and Mitsuhide just stood there in shock; Ren had completely abandoned Zen and her work just to ask for their names, without saying a thing to the Prince, who was now looking over his shoulder with slightly wide eyes and a raised brow. Ren was looking at the pair expectantly now, her fingers twisting together and tangling in the tape measure with more and more intensity the longer she waited for an answer. She raised a brow in confusion as she noticed that the two were simply looking at her in shock, but it was Kiki who first managed to shake herself out of it:

"Kiki." She said with a small smile and a quick nod.

Ren returned the nod and smile, turning to face Mitsuhide, who still had a look of shock on his face. When it seemed like he still wasn't going to give her an answer, Kiki quickly jabbed him in the ribs, making the man jump slightly and say, "Mitsuhide."

Ren nodded to them, her tangled fingers relaxing as she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Please accept my apologies for my rudeness earlier." She bowed her head slightly, and after she'd received another nod from them both she turned back around, "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Could one of you hold this at the top of Zen's head for me please?" She asked over her shoulder as she finished, coming to stand back at Zen's side once more. The trio were once again surprised, as Ren had forgotten to use any honorifics when addressing Zen; she was clearly completely focused on her work, and so had forgotten something that to her was fairly trivial.

Mitsuhide stepped forward, mumbling "Sure thing." As he came forward to take the end of the tape measure from her and to hold it at the top of Zen's head. Both boys were studying Ren as she knelt down after saying a quick thank you, making the tape measure taught at the bottom of Zen's feet; Kiki rolled her eyes at their subtlety.

"Okay, you can let go now." Ren said, waiting for Mitsuhide to do so before going to write down the measurement on the parchment she had found. She then proceeded to measure Zen's arm from wrist to shoulder, his height from both his armpit to his feet and from his naval to his feet, as well as the measurement around his waist, instructing Zen to move whenever she needed him too.

Ren then asked for Zen's current ceremonial sword, which they had fetched on their way here, and drawing it from his scabbard Zen gave it to her. Ren studied the blade for a while, testing its balance in her hands and looking closely at every section of it in detail before she said:

"This sword hasn't seen all that much use… but it's not been properly cared for either." Ren looked at Zen with slightly narrowed eyes, her voice holding a slightly admonishing tone to it, "I hope your other sword is in better condition." But she then chuckled and said, "Though, I'm sure I would've seen far worse before."

Zen's once tense shoulders relaxed again at that, and Kiki curiously asked:

"How long have you been a blacksmith for, Ren?"

"Five years now." Ren replied, delicately placing the sword onto the scales that stood on the nearby workbench. "But I grew up in my family's forge, so I've always been around blacksmithing. Why?"

"You just seem to know what you're talking about, that's all." Kiki said.

"It's my passion." Ren said with pride and a slight shrug, writing down the weight of the blade, "After all, I did come all the way here just so that I could learn all that I could from the very best. I'd never left my village or the forest surrounding it before."

"What?" Zen exclaimed, "Never?"

The trio were now all standing around the end of the bench near to where Ren was working, all interested in learning more about the girl who had nearly run them down with a horse.

"Nope. Not once." Ren said, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice as she looked down at the bench in front of her.

"You must have worked hard to get here." Kiki said gently, pointedly looking at all the small scars and old burn marks on her hands and lower arms.

Seeing this Ren too looked at her scarred hands, lifting one off the bench as a smile took over her face, "Yeah, I guess all these are proof of that. I've gotten them throughout my training as a blacksmith, but thanks to Shirayuki and the Court Herbalists here, I don't think I'll be getting many more." She giggled slightly, looking at the spot on her wrist where she had badly burnt herself and that had been treated by Shirayuki; there was now but the faintest of marks on her skin, and Ren knew that she wouldn't be getting any more burn scars whilst she was here.

Ren realised that she had become rather lost in the conversation, and had forgotten about her work; with a quick shake of her head she lowered her hand, her work demeanour back as she handed Zen his sword, saying "That's all done! All I need to know now is if there are any motifs you want included in the blade."

The request took Zen by surprise, and he thought for a few moments before finally saying, "Apples."

"Huh?" The rest of them said in bewilderment, eyebrows raised.

"Red apples." Zen continued, "Or just apples or the colour red, would be great." Zen was now blushing slightly as he looked off to the side, rubbing the back of his head. Kiki and Mitsuhide smiled, now understanding his request, but Ren still stood there confused.

"Okay…" Ren said, writing down his strange request, "Anything else?"

"Nope." Zen quickly replied, his blush persisting. Yet he did manage to look at Ren as he said with a slightly calmer tone, "Just the Wisteria sigil on the scabbard, and that's it."

After Ren took a note she looked at them with a smile, rolling up the tape measure she had discarded on the table as she said, "Well then, I'll let you return to your duties. I'll send up my designs for your approval once I'm done."

Zen's blush had finally faded, and Kiki and Mitsuhide were still trying not to smile too hard at their friend as he swallowed and nodded his head, standing up straight and saying in a formal tone, "Thank you for your time, Ren. And there is no rush, you may take as long as you may need."

"Of course, thank you." Ren said, bowing slightly. Though she quickly added, almost as an afterthought, "Your Highness!"

The trio smiled at her, Zen nodding to her before they all turned to leave, Ren following behind them.

"You ready to get back to work, Obi?"


Once they had all left, Ren found herself tidying away the scales and preparing to get back to the work she had been doing before they had arrived. Ren had seen Otsu wink at Obi before the group had left the forge, and whilst it confused Ren and made her wonder what conversation they had been having, she dismissed it; Otsu was a strange, jolly guy, and it was probably just some inside joke he had with Obi, so it wasn't worth thinking about.

Yet, it was as she was looking over the notes she had taken for Zen's new ceremonial sword that she realised something; Zen had requested apples and the colour red because of Shirayuki's hair.

At the thought of hair Ren's heart suddenly stopped, her eyes widened and her jaw became slack. It was as though she were having a sudden epiphany, like all the dots had suddenly connected in her mind.

It was them she had almost run over with Buttercup in the woods the other day; it was them that had been at Open Castle Day and it was them that had been on the balcony during that day of her exam, par Shirayuki. It was Zen that had been the white-haired Knight on stage during the play, defending Shirayuki. And Ren thought it was highly likely that it had been Kiki who had seen her shooting in the woods; she recognised her voice now, and the height and stature were exactly the same.

I almost ran over a PrinceRen thought in despair and shock, And Obi and Shirayuki to boot! Not to mention two of the highest-ranking guards in the whole Palace!

Ren stood rigidly at her bench as she thought this, and Otsu happily walked by, humming to himself as he merrily said, "Time to get back to work then!"

Ren slumped onto the bench beneath her, wishing the wood or the floor, or anything, would swallow her up whole as she pressed her face against the hard surface, groaning slightly and feeling as though she were about to disintegrate from the embarrassment, shock, and despair of it all.

Otsu however, just continued to merrily walk by, laughing without having to turn back and look at his apprentice, fully knowing the situation and realisation she had just had.


A/N: ... Oh jeez. Been a while, hasn't it? Haha... Oh dear. I am SO SORRY. I promise I did not intend it to be this long, and I hope this chapter was worth the wait (can you guys even remember me and Ren anymore?). My Art A-Level took over my entire life (but I got an A so it was totally worth it) and I was gonna update once college finished but then I was weirdly busy and I honestly haven't had much time this summer (though I managed to start a new fic... which is a TERRIBLE idea). I know you don't want to hear excuses but I can only apologise, and I go back to college in a few weeks so I can't promise an update any time soon (I'm doing intense art 9-5 everyday for a year so... yeah).
I havent stopped thinking about this fic though, I even imagine its own opening based on the op to Noragami, with Ren as Yato, Obi as Yukine, and Shirayuki as Hiyori. But never mind that. Also I missed the one year anniversary of this, my first fic, being published... oh how I sigh at myself.

However, NEWS, I do know how this fic is going to end! Yay! We're in for the long run folks! Essentially I've split it into five arcs and we're just coming up to the end of the first arc now. Arc 2 will be based around season 2 of the anime, the rest is just my brain (I still haven't read the manga, in case anyone was wondering).
The oneshots will be going on ahead (I dedicate them to you, Guest, who was the only one to respond apart from people asking for something of the like in earlier chapters) and they will be titled 'Green is the Colour of RenxObi' but I will remind on when I publish the first one of those for the people who want to read them.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed, your continual support means so much to me, and your reviews especially got me motivated (I kept putting this chapter off because I wasn't sure how to write Izana at the beginning and my muse wasn't cooperating).

Review Replies:

Thank you to Guest, CutieChante, NarniaRoyalNavy123, Guest, Stuntman W, lizziecats, Guest and moonlight46. I'm so happy you enjoy my story, and I cant thank you enough for the reviews you leave. Thank you so much, and it makes me smile every time I read that you enjoy Ren and Obi's relationship and Ren herself as a character. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Alex-senpai: I can honestly say I read your reviews (especially) over and over, I cant thank you enough for the detail you put in them. Descriptions are a favourite of mine, and sometimes I think I go overboard, but I'm so glad you enjoy them! There will be plenty more scenes with Ren and Obi, their friendship is the main focus of this story. And RenxShirayuki was the flavour I was going for in that chapter... what can I say, I like writing about ships that arnt canon... haha... :'/

Guest: Ayla: I have recieved both reviews (your second came in just as I was writing this A/N lol) and I thank you for both. Hows the house? You'll probably be all settled in now after this long lol. I'm so glad to hear my silly story cheered you up so much! And I know... its been so long, I cant stop apologising for that. But, I am far too stubborn to give up and I am determined to see this through to the end! No matter how long it may take!

Emperor's Rose: Your the only person to have said you realised Ren was gay, so thank you and I'm glad you enjoy this fic!

Guest: WolfyGirl: Glad your enjoying it, and I'm interested in who youre OC is, I'd love to have a read!

gugusmith42: Brotp for the win, yes! And damn, I hadn't considered RenxKiki being a ship but I can actually kind of see it now... Which may or may not mean I write little tidbits of it here and there... Idk its up to you ;) And I'm very happy, originality is something I always aim for, and characterisation I find difficult to achieve, so to hear that is very reassuring!

Thank you again to everyone for your support and to all who read this fic, it really does mean the world to me, and I'm so sorry I cant give my fics the attention and time they deserve.

On a side note, did anyone see the eclipse tonight? It was way too cloudy here... And did anyone use the opportunity to invade the fire nation? Let me now, I watched a live stream and it looked incredible (also symbolic on how I only update once in a blue moon lol).

Anyways this is super long, so sorry for that, but its been a long time. Thank you everybody for reading my fic, and as always, whether you liked what you read or not...

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Limegreenarcher